01Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

Valley:

The 10 most and least educated cities in the United States

CNBC

Five of the least educated cities in the U.S. are in the Valley—and the Department of Education, the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce and the Lumina Foundation all predict that around 65%of all jobs in the United States will require some post-secondary education by 2020.

Kevin de León talks about water, other issues with residents in Central Valley visit

Fresno Bee

State Sen. Kevin de León, who is running for the U.S. Senate, visited the Fresno area and talked to residents about issues concerning their lifestyles.

Denham, Harder continue to squabble over terms of potential debates

Modesto Bee

Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, and Democratic challenger Josh Harder both say they’re ready and willing to share views at candidate forums of their choice, but each accuses the other of ducking debate invitations.

City salary levels to be discussed Wednesday

Madera Tribune

A consultant's report that says, in short, that the City of Madera pays higher management salaries overall than the market median will be one of the topics of a special report at the Wednesday City Council meeting by government advisor Ron Manfredi, who was hired by the council to examine city employee compensation, among other financial considerations.

Chowchilla votes to put public safety tax on November ballot

Madera Tribune

Chowchilla’s City Council has voted to put a public safety tax on the November ballot, following a survey, begun last year to assess the public’s support for such a tax.

Tulare fills city attorney spot

The Business Journal

Mario Zamora of the Hanford-based law firm Griswold, LaSalle, Cobb, Down and Gin was given the nod by members the Tulare City Council at a special meeting Tuesday, July 24

One more Latino name on 4th District ballot changes the whole dynamic

Bakersfield Californian

Anybody with any previous doubt that the Delano mayor — grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of three — could mount a formidable challenge to 4th District Supervisor David Couch had better reevaluate. Supporters are getting behind Vallejo. Or at least money is, which may be even better at this point in the campaign.

Fitzgerald: How to steal Stockton’s future

recordnet.com

If you ever want to read a heartbreaking document, read the lawsuit alleging the failure of Stockton’s Van Buren Elementary School to teach its students to read.

Wonderful Community Grants - Application Opens Tomorrow!

Wonderful Company

Wonderful Community Grant will begin accepting applications for the 2019 calendar year starting August 1st, 2018. This program commits up to $150,000 for each of the communities of Avenal, Wasco, Delano/McFarland, and Sanger/Del Rey annually. Eligible applications must focus on supporting families, health and wellness and/or community beautification.

State:

California urges resistance to census citizenship question

AP News

California’s top elections official urged residents Tuesday to formally oppose a Trump administration plan that would ask whether a person is a U.S. citizen on the 2020 census.

See also:

● Citizenship Question Jeopardizes Census Accuracy, Undermines Funding Progress Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

● A Census Question That Could Change How Power Is Divided in America The New York Times

Kentucky governor calls California's Newsom a 'dirtbag'

CBS News

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, had choice words for Democratic California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom during a private panel discussion at a Koch network meeting.

Federal:

Trump Presses Sessions to End Federal Probe on Russian Election Interference

The Wall Street Journal

President Donald Trump urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the federal probe into Russia’s election interference “right now,” renewing public pressure on the nation’s top law enforcement official to halt an investigation that has resulted in charges against his former campaign officials and more than two dozen Russians.

● Trump says Sessions should end Mueller investigation PBS NewsHour

● Trump calls on Sessions to stop Mueller probe Politico

● Trump says attorney general should stop Mueller probe 'right now' Reuters

Trump’s shutdown threat upends congressional GOP plan to fund government

Washington Post

“I would have no problem doing a shutdown,” said President Trump, who is insisting on billions for his border wall. GOP leaders are hopeful they can avoid a shutdown close to the election.

Trump’s two-track strategy: The rich get richer, and the poor get distracted

Washington Post

After signing legislation slashing taxes last December, President Trump headed to Mar-a-Lago for the holidays. In the dining room at his exclusive club, he turned to club members at a nearby table.

 Krugman: Trump’s Supreme Betrayal The New York Times

 Trump’s tax plan puts American oligarchs first Washington Post

Meet the GOP candidates receiving Trump money: Critics, agitators, non-supporters

Modesto Bee

President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is giving money to a surprising group of Republican candidates this fall — those who are not only more moderate than he is, but also those have openly defied him on key issues of immigration and trade. Some didn’t even vote for him.

 A winning theme for Democrats? Kids. Washington Post

Kavanaugh Documents Fight Shows Partisan Divide

Washington Post

Democrats are seeking to take a deeper dive into Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s record than Republicans have been willing to go, a sign of just how partisan his Supreme Court confirmation hearing will be this fall.

See also:

● Key GOP senators side with party as Democrats seek documents about Trump's Supreme Court nominee Los Angeles Times

● Supreme Court Pick Has Often Favored Employers in Labor Cases Wall Street Journal

Kamala Harris' challenge in a 2020 presidential bid? Defining herself before her opponents do

Los Angeles Times

Shortly after she won a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2016, Kamala Harris said she expected to follow the traditional freshman lawmaker playbook: “Listen and watch, and kind of get a lay of the land.” Far from keeping her head down, however, California’s junior senator has put herself way out front.

U.S. lawmakers demand tech firms to do more to fight election interference

Reuters

U.S. lawmakers demanded that technology firms do more to fight "shocking" foreign efforts to influence U.S. politics on Wednesday, a day after Facebook Inc (FB.O) identified an influence campaign tied to November's elections and despite President Donald Trump's denunciation of the issue as a "hoax."

Other:

The arguments for and against more powerful local government

PBS NewsHour

Recently, NewsHour analyst David Brooks wrote a New York Times column arguing that it's time for a resurgence of localism, flipping power and decision-making away from the federal government.

BBC, Fox News, PBS ranked as TV's most trusted news brands

The Hill

The BBC, Fox News and PBS are the most-trusted TV news brands in the U.S., according to an analysis released Tuesday.

Facebook uncovers sophisticated new attempts to influence elections

Hanford Sentinel

Facebook said it has uncovered "sophisticated" efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to influence U.S. politics on its platforms.

● Facebook Pulls Fake Accounts That Mimic Russian Tactics Ahead of Election Wall Street Journal

● Facebook says it has uncovered a coordinated disinformation operation ahead of midterm elections involving false pages and profiles Washington Post

● Can We Trust Facebook and Twitter? Wall Street Journal

● Facebook Removes 32 Pages for ‘Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior’ National Review

● Rubin: Why Facebook’s revelation is such a big deal Washington Post

YouTube’s Skeptic Community: A Useful Service for the Modern Age

National Review

A good thing about making YouTube videos — which I’ve been doingfor over three years now — is that it forces you towatch a lot of YouTube videos.

#MeToo Has Changed Our Culture. Now It’s Changing Our Laws.

PEW Trusts

Legislators credit #MeToo for spurring action on sexual assault and harassment.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California Republicans complain Trump’s farm aid plan unfair

Sacramento Bee

California Republican members of Congress are delivering a warning to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a letter set to go out Tuesday evening: Tariffs are “threatening the economic livelihood of our businesses and communities” — and the department needs to do more to help.

Clovis businesses featured at California Food Expo

Clovis RoundUp

Just over half a dozen Clovis businesses featured their products at the California Food Expo last week but it was ENZO Olive Oil Company that stole the show.

Feeding Tulare's homeless brings support from city officials

Visalia Times Delta

Heather Miller has found new friends in her effort to feed the homeless in Tulare.

Shop at these Save Marts? You can be among the first to try its online shopping service

Fresno Bee

Save Mart is taking the first baby steps toward an online grocery shopping service. Shoppers at a Clovis store — and eventually a store in Fresno and another in Visalia – can be among the first to try out the service that lets them pick up groceries without setting foot in the store.

Facebook graphic misrepresents Trump's $12 billion aid package to farmers after China tariffs PolitiFact

California Bureau of Cannabis Control crafting rules for pot businesses

ABC30

The State Bureau of Cannabis Control will be in Oakland Wednesday, working to finalize the state's rules on growing and selling recreational cannabis.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Chief Dyer: We've Arrested A Person 83 Times Since Prop 47 Passed

yourcentralvalley.com

You might remember Governor Jerry Brown extending the life of Prop 47 last November. It doesn't expire until 2022. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says there's no doubt Prop 47 is playing a leading role in what he sees day in and day out.

Public Safety:

Federal judge blocks release of downloadable blueprints for 3D-printed guns

ABC30

Eight Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the federal government's settlement with the company that makes the plans available online. They also sought a restraining order, arguing the 3D guns would be a safety risk.

● Federal judge blocks release of blueprints for 3-D-printed guns Los Angeles Times

● Want to make a gun with a 3-D printer? Here is why gun control groups oppose the practic e Los Angeles Times

● Supervisor says law coming to regulate 3-D printed guns in SF San Francisco Chronicle

● A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop release of blueprints for 3-D printed plastic guns Washington Post

● The 3D-Gun Debate: Separating Truth from Fiction National Review

● EDITORIAL: Washington needs to bar guns made from plastic San Francisco

Chronicle

Democratic Candidates Should Be Bolder on Gun Control, Poll Finds

Roll Call

Gun control has been a third rail of Democratic campaigns, but a new poll suggests that Democratic candidates should embrace a bolder approach to restrictions on guns, even in general elections.

How long will you wait when you call 9-1-1?

The Business Journal

The industry benchmark is 95 percent of 9-1-1 calls answered within 15 seconds. Gliatta says the Fresno Police Department monthly average in 2017 was only 72.8 percent of 9-1-1 calls answered within 15 seconds.

Fire:

Yosemite National Park closures extended due to Ferguson fire

Fresno Bee

Yosemite National Park extended its closure of Yosemite Valley and other areas within the park through Sunday due to unhealthy smoke from the Ferguson fire and firefighting operations.

● Yosemite Valley to remain closed until at least Sunday, August 5 ABC30

● Firefighters slow advance of Ferguson Fire, now 57,846 acres Fresno Bee

● Crews to set backfires in Yosemite to contain Ferguson Fire, two more firefighters injured ABC30

● ‘Hotshot’ leader killed in Ferguson Fire remembered as ‘one of the best’ Sierra Star

Carr Fire update: 3 missing in Shasta County, new details emerge about 6th fatality

Fresno Bee

Details are emerging Tuesday about the sixth person to die in the Carr Fire, a man who lived in the Keswick area north of Redding, as well as the number of people who are currently missing after the massive fire prompted major evacuations last week.

● ‘Monster’ Carr Fire seventh most destructive in California history Visalia Times-Delta

● Four still missing in Redding and Old Shasta after destructive Carr fire Los Angeles Times

● The Carr Fire, the 7th Most Destructive in California History, Rages On The New York Times

California spent a quarter of its annual wildfire budget in the month of July

San Francisco Chronicle

California’s firefighters are stretched as thin as they have ever been, state officials said Tuesday, with no indication that the wave of fires scorching the Golden State will ease in the coming months.

● 'All about smoke and sweat and grit': Firefighters battle on in California Visalia Delta Times

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Once again, California lawmakers won’t crack down on payday lenders

CALmatters

When phone bank worker Melissa Mendez, age 26, felt financially squeezed a few months ago—“I was short on cash and needed to pay rent”—she walked into a Cash 1 storefront in Sacramento and took out a payday loan. The annual interest rate: 460 percent.

China Won't Be a Trade Pushover

Washington Post

Beijing still has plenty of tools to keep its economy growing.

● Strong Economic Growth Boosts U.S. in Trade Battles Wall Street Journal

● China says it will retaliate if U.S. takes further trade measures Reuters

EDITORIAL: Trump’s tariffs are already costing U.S. businesses. Now taxpayers could be on the hook.

San Francisco Chronicle

The economy may be booming, but President Trump’s tariffs are starting to have an impact on U.S. businesses. Reporting layoffs, increased costs and contracting business, some of the companies affected by Trump’s tariff policy are going to the administration with a simple and dangerous request: Bail us out.

Jobs:

Transgender woman sues Starbucks for harassment, discrimination during Fresno tenure

Fresno Bee

A former Fresno Starbucks employee is suing the coffee chain claiming harassment and discrimination after she began the process to transition from male to female.

Female labor force participation is about more than economics

Brookings

Mayyada Abu Jaber uses the story of female factory workers in Jordan whose economic lives are controlled by men to argue that integrating women into the labor force will not be enough to truly empower them.

How Companies Large and Small Pay Their Workers

Wall Street Journal

A WSJ analysis of 1,111 companies finds size matters for pay — but other factors matter more

U.S. Workers Get Biggest Pay Increase in Nearly a Decade

Wall Street Journal

Employment cost index, which measures wages and benefits, grew 2.8% in the 12 months to last month

See also:

 Republicans crow about wage growth The Washington Post

 Companies could have paid workers more if they diverted stock buybacks: report TheHill

EDUCATION

K-12:

Doctors Academy students job-shadow Valley physicians over their summer break

Fresno Bee

73 seniors-to-be from Sunnyside, Selma and Caruthers high schools participated in the six-week Doctors Academy’s Senior Summer Clinical Internship summer program.

KCAO opens child development center in Armona

Hanford Sentinel

In an effort to expand into a community where it didn’t previously have services, Kings Community Action Organization has purchased a child development center in Armona.

SJ summit addresses state of education in California

Stockton Record

Leaders in education, business, and politics came together Tuesday afternoon at the Stockton Golf & Country Club for a forum on the topic of public education.

Panama-Buena Vista gets first African American senior official

Bakersfield Californian

The Panama-Buena Vista Union School District made district history this year by naming its first African-American assistant superintendent, Darryl Johnson.

Walters: Two events frame California educational crisis

CALmatters

Two back-to-back events last month frame California’s educational conundrum.

Higher Ed:

Bakersfield College to host one-day express enrollment

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College will be hosting a one-day express enrollment event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aug. 7, at the Welcome Center in the Administration Building of the college campus.

More Students Are Earning STEM Degrees

PPIC

In a changing economy, the number of students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) has risen dramatically in California.

Reinvigorating the liberal arts matters more than free speech on campus

AEI

Today, university administrators need to reckon with the ways in which the hollowing-out of the liberal arts has exacerbated rather than mollified the distemper in our public discourse.

Will Majoring in Psychology Make You Better Off? The Government Wants to Know

Wall Street Journal

Education Department to require colleges to publish data on graduates’ debt and earnings by major

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Smoke from Ferguson fire causing air quality to reach danger level

Fresno Bee

Early Tuesday, soot from the fire caused one measure of air quality to reach Level 5, meaning “No outdoor activity. All activities should be moved indoors,” according to advice from the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District.

The Feds Decided Not To Ban A Pesticide. Then California Opted To List It As Toxic.

Capradio.org

A few months after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruled to not ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos, California's Scientific Review Panel unanimously agreed this week that it should be listed as a toxic air contaminant.

A Few More Bad Apples: As The Climate Changes, Fruit Growing Does,

Too

capradio.org

The apples won't be harvested until October. But when fourth-generation fruit grower Phil Schwallier walks through his orchard in Sparta, Mich., he already knows which ones he won't be able to sell.

Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change

The New York Times

This narrative by Nathaniel Rich is a work of history, addressing the 10-year period from 1979 to 1989: the decisive decade when humankind first came to a broad understanding of the causes and dangers of climate change.

Editorial: California’s climate change regulator chooses self-preservation over transparency

Los Angeles Times

When the next governor is sworn in January, he will have the opportunity to shape policy by filling the many state boards and commissions with his appointees — except, apparently, to the powerful agency charged with overseeing California’s ambitious climate change program.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Redesigned cancer care center opens in Fresno

The Business Journal

The newly redesigned cCARE Cancer Centre at Saint Agnes boasts new labs and advanced radiation and imaging technology.

Long-term Trends in Health Insurance

National Center for Health Statistics

Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, United States, 1968–2017

Why Americans Spend So Much on Health Care—In 12 Charts

The Wall Street Journal

Prices are hidden behind insurance deals, hospital consolidation pushes up costs and the health sector is a growing power in the economy

Trump administration widens availability of skimpy, short-term health plans

Washington Post

The Trump administration issued new rules to encourage more people to buy inexpensive health insurance plans originally designed for short-term use.

See also:

 Cheaper Health Plans With Less Coverage Move Forward Wall Street Journal

Half in Non-Expansion States Support Their State Expanding Medicaid; More if Tied to Work Requirements

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Most Americans – Across Parties – Say 2018 Candidates’ Position on Pre-Existing Condition Protections Will Matter to Their Vote; Do Not Want Supreme Court to Overturn These ACA Protections

Human Services:

Feeding Tulare's homeless brings support from city officials

Visalia Times-Delta

This week, with financial backing from Tulare City Council and donations from community members, Miller plans to host an event where up to 80 people can get a free, hot meal.

Clovis seniors receive tips on preventing falls

Clovis RoundUp

On July 26, Kaiser Permanente Fresno’s Rehabilitation Department hosted a fall prevention class at the Clovis Senior Center. Using a PowerPoint presentation and several informative handouts, physical therapist Joanne Jimenez taught ways to prevent falls, recognize safety hazards, and form safe habits.

IMMIGRATION

3 Mexican nationals with records returned to the U.S. This time, it’s federal prison

Fresno Bee

Three citizens of Mexico were sentenced to federal prison for coming back to the United States after being deported for committing crimes.

They sought a better life in America. Their hard work was celebrated with citizenship

Modesto Bee

On Tuesday morning, 82 immigrants from 17 countries swore their allegiance to America and became U.S. citizens. Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock congratulated the new citizens at Tuesday’s ceremony at the Ceres Community Center.

Senators call border family separation policy 'immoral' as officials defend their actions

Los Angeles Times

Trump administration officials on Tuesday sought to defend the immigration enforcement policy that allowed Border Patrol agents to separate more than 2,500 migrant families, but ran into sharp criticism from senators as one official compared detention centers for children to “summer camp.”

● Oakland hunger strike starts national rally against Trump immigration policy San Francisco Chronicle

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Rio Mesa area in the midst of a development boom in Madera County

The Business Journal

In the year or so since Samantha Bauer was hired to do media relations for the Tesoro Viejo housing and business development, a lot has changed.

Tejon Ranch's Grapevine development suffers minor legal setback

Bakersfield Californian

A judge has ordered Kern County to fix a traffic-related inconsistency he identified in its environmental review of Tejon Ranch Co.'s proposed 8,000-acre, master-planned residential and commercial development at the foot of the Grapevine.

These sisters locked into a new concept for downtown Ripon — an upscale wine bar

Mlodesto Bee

They say do what you love. And in the case of Ripon sisters Merissa Deming and Kara Bogetti, that includes wine tasting and going out.

Housing:

Sierra Club blasts Stockton’s proposal for housing north of Eight Mile Road

Stockton Record

Sierra Club California last week sent a letter to the Planning Commission expressing concern that a proposal for housing on a portion of 17,500 acres of agricultural land north of Eight Mile Road has been included in the General Plan without any discussion.

Where do people get money to buy California homes these days? Often, from mom and dad

KPCC

A mortgage broker estimates about half of her borrowers are now getting money from mom and dad.

The latest Mortgage Risk Index

AEI

The American Enterprise Institute’s Center on Housing Markets and Finance released its monthly update to the National Mortgage Risk Index (NMRI). The NMRI provides accurate and timely tracking of risk in the mortgage market. Mortgage risk jumped in April, with the index for April up 0.5 percentage points from a year ago.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California’s $290 million sales tax-filing system stumbling in first big test

Sacramento Bee

A customer service center for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is swamped with complaints. Small-business owners are leaving snarky comments online, and Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration is preparing to waive penalties for people who file their returns late because of technical errors.

Fix California roads without the new gas taxes? Here’s what it would take

Sacramento Bee

The campaign is preparing to introduce a ballot measure that repeals recent increases to California fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees in September that would ensure fuel taxes, car sales taxes and truck weight fees are spent on transportation projects. Opponents say it is unrealistic.

City hopes sales tax could pay for upgrade of outdated public safety radio system

Bakersfield Californian

When the radio of a Bakersfield police officer breaks, the IT department doesn’t call the manufacturer for a replacement. They go to eBay to try to find extra parts. The 20-year-old public safety radio system for both Bakersfield and Kern County is outdated.

TRANSPORTATION

(Q&A) Be on high alert at Caltrain crossings: Roadshow

Mercury News

Mr. Roadshow with questions and answers about Bay Area roads, freeways and commuting.

EDITORIAL: From Carr Fire to Big Sur, one takeaway from disaster is how much we need good roads

Sacramento Bee

California’s main seasons – fire and rain – have long generated more than their share of disaster. Still, this past year has been instructive as climate change has increased their intensity. Take transportation.

WATER

State testing for lead in school water

Hanford Sentinel

Making sure children have low levels of lead in their water has become a focal point for the California Water Board. A law that required all drinking water sources in schools be tested for lead came into effect Jan. 1.

What every Stanislaus County area resident needs to know about State Water Plan

Modesto Bee

Many farmers are caught in a battle over the State Water Resources Control Board’s final Bay Delta Plan, released in early July, which proposes that dams release 40 percent of the natural flows in rivers to benefit the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from February through June.

Two Perspectives: California Plan Would Shift Water Away From Farms And Cities, And Back To Rivers

Valley Public Radio

For years, farmers in the southern San Joaquin Valley have been struggling with reduced water deliveries. The problem – as they see it – has been reduced pumping out of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta, restrictions in place to help the fragile ecosystem there recover. But species in the Delta and the rivers that feed it are still declining.

“Xtra”

Fox Theatre gets animated with cartoon marathon

Hanford Sentinel

From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 11, the Fox will turn into our collective living room as a two-hour block of classic cartoon shorts will play while a pajama-clad audience snacks on breakfast cereal.

Salinas boy beats record set by Michael Phelps in '95

KSBW

A 10-year-old Salinas boy named Clark Kent might indeed have some Superman tendencies.