August 12, 2019

12Aug

North SJ Valley:

Modesto denies Straight Pride rally at Graceada. Organizer says event will go on.

Fresno Bee

Modesto has denied the straight pride organizers’ request to use Graceada Park for a rally, citing concerns over safety, that the rally is not compatible with other events in the park, and because organizers’ liability insurance has been voided.

See also:

Modesto, which faced repaying HUD $1.94M, will only have to repay $154K

Modesto Bee

Modesto can resolve a critical audit that recommended it pay HUD as much as $1.94 million by paying the federal agency $154,160 after city officials resolved the audit issues with HUD officials.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno councilman’s tweet about guns draws wave of backlash, including Patricia Arquette

Fresno Bee

Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, who is no stranger to getting attention online, is once again getting backlash after tweeting his opinion on gun control following recent mass shootings.

Madera makes substantial progress on city upgrades

Madera Tribune

The Madera City Council announced significant progress in major city projects Wednesday night to a packed council chamber.

South SJ Valley:

DA to receive more time to produce documents in Leticia Perez case

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County District Attorney’s Office has received more time to produce documents that could potentially show former DA Lisa Green politically retaliated against Supervisor Leticia Perez by bringing conflict-of-interest charges against the supervisor.

At Selma Open House, Congressman TJ Cox Talks Water, Trade Wars And August Recess

VPR

Over the last 200 days of legislative session, freshman Congressman TJ Cox has brought the House Committee on Natural Resources Chair Raul Grijalva to the San Joaquin Valley for a water tour, co-sponsored Valley Fever legislation, and thrown his support behind a number of Democratic party agenda items.

State:

See which California congressional candidates got the most NRA campaign contributions

Fresno Bee

In California, the NRA has made political campaign contributions of more than $250,000 through its National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund to political candidates for the House of Representatives since 2010 — all but two of whom have been Republicans. 

Vaccines, guns, housing bills await California Legislature

Bakersfield Californian

California lawmakers return to work on Monday with one month left to pass bills before adjourning for the year. But lawmakers still have lots to do before they adjourn on Sept. 13. Here are a few bills they will consider over the next month.

See also:

With citizenship question off the census, California groups push for participation

Sacramento Bee

But in June, a divided U.S. Supreme Court dealt the administration a defeat, refusing to uphold its plan to ask all households about residents’ citizenship. Since then, local officials and community organizations have focused their efforts on other issues that could interfere with a complete and accurate count in California.

Audit Finds Problems With California ‘Motor Voter’ Program

Capital Public Radio

The California DMV’s new voter registration program is confusing to voters and full of technical difficulties, according to an audit released Friday.

See also:

Fresno Bee

The California Public Utilities Commission Couldn’t Offer A List Of Everything It Regulates. So We’re Trying To Make One.

Capital Public Radio

The California Public Utilities Commission is a sprawling organization that regulates everything from PG&E to Uber and Lyft. But it’s difficult to find a list of the agency’s regulatory responsibilities. So CapRadio is attempting to compile one.

‘No timidity’ for California governor’s wife on key causes

AP News

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was wrapping up a meeting with the president of El Salvador in April when his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, spoke up in fluent Spanish.

California Republican wants party to denounce white nationalism at convention

San Francisco Chronicle

In the wake of a string of horrific mass shootings, Republican Assemblyman Chad Mayes wants the California Republican Party to do more to denounce white nationalism and racism.

Will the Democrats end up saving the California Republican Party?

OC Register

Left to its own devices, California’s Republican Party would be ready to be embalmed for display at the Museum of Natural History. But there’s one last hope for the state GOP: the growing lunacy among Democrats.

Walters: Achievement gap question still unanswered

CALmatters

As a species, politicians tend to like inputs more than outcomes. It’s more fun, in political terms, to appropriate money for a new program or cut the ribbon of a new public works project than it is to delve into whether they actually performed as promised, and take responsibility for those results.

Federal:

Military leadership helps bring together an America divided

Brookings

On July 31, after a 39-year Air Force career, General Paul J. Selva stepped down as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country’s #2 military officer. 

A new era? Experts examine Trump’s impact on High Court, lower courts

American Bar

With two new conservative justices on the High Court, both appointed by President Donald Trump; the looming shadow of a retired justice who often played the role of a decider; a conservative-leaning chief justice who appears to be the new centrist on the Court; and major cases trying to make their way on the docket, is this a new era for the U.S. Supreme Court?

Republicans Now Are More Open to the Idea of Expanding Presidential Power

Pew Research Center

Neither party has an edge in favorability among the public.

Elections 2020:

Six Democratic presidential candidates say Walmart should stop selling guns

abc30

2020 Democrats in Iowa are demanding that Walmart stop selling guns after mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.

See also:

Democrats use Iowa event to attack Trump, not one another

Los Angeles Times

The packed field of Democratic presidential candidates descended Friday night on a small northern Iowa town, delighting a raucous crowd of voters by largely attacking President Trump rather than one another.

See also:

Biden’s Gaffes Fuel Questions About His Potency Against Trump 

Wall Street Journal

The latest missteps by Democratic presidential front-runner give some party activists anxiety over whether he still has the stuff.

See also:

Senior Voters, Some Wavering on Trump, Figure to Shape 2020 Election

Wall Street Journal

Polling shows the president’s 2016 advantage fading as Democrats sharpen policy proposals.

See also:

Trump’s use of immigration as 2020 wedge could backfire on other policies

Politico

Detractors and even some supporters say it has undermined everything from Trump’s effort to weaken Iran’s Islamist regime to his attempts to strike a trade deal with Mexico.

Pete Buttigieg’s health care plan for rural America aims to attract immigrant doctors, provide better technology

CNN

In a new plan aimed at improving health care access for rural America, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Friday proposed waiving visa requirements to attract immigrant doctors, increasing telehealth services by expanding high speed internet and creating a new office within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Partisans differ over scientists’ role and value in policy debates

Pew Research Center

Six-in-ten Americans believe scientists should play an active role in policy debates over issues related to their expertise. But the public’s views divide along party lines, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

See also:

About That ‘Election Security’ Bill

Wall Street Journal

Chuck Schumer is trying to win elections, not safeguard them.

Other:

How Rep. Harder wants to make 100th birthday extra special for WWII vet of Modesto

Modesto Bee

Shh, don’t tell Tom Dimperio, but he’s turning 100. Oh, wait, that’s not the secret. The secret is that Rep. Josh Harder is urging anyone and everyone to surprise the twice-wounded veteran of World War II with birthday cards.

A Century Later: The Treaty Of Versailles And Its Rejection Of Racial Equality

Capital Public Radio

A century ago, Japan submitted a proposal for racial equality in the Treaty of Versailles. The U.S. struck it down. What followed had implications for World War II and Japanese American immigrants.

How big tech and policymakers miss the mark when fighting online extremism

Brookings

Why is it still so easy to find violent white supremacist content online, even though social media companies keep claiming that they are working overtime to delete it? 

See also:

Americans are sick of robocalls. Can Congress agree on how to block them?

Sacramento Bee

Fake charity appeals or IRS tax delinquency notices. Tricks that tempt you to call an overseas hotline — and rack up expensive charges.

I understand the temptation to dismiss QAnon. Here’s why we can’t.

Washington Post

The overarching conspiracy theory has spread in part because of how it’s designed. People who are concerned with stopping conspiracy theories should pay attention.

Younger Americans less trusting of other people, institutions

Pew Research Center

Americans believe trust has declined in their country, whether it involves their fellow citizens’ faith in each other or their confidence in the federal government, according to a wide-ranging new Pew Research Center survey. And adults ages 18 to 29 stand out for their comparatively low levels of trust in a number of these areas.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, August 18, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Higher Ed: A Good Investment for Students and Taxpayers?” – Guests: Sarah Bohn, Radhika Mehlotra and Patrick Murphy from PPIC and Dorothy Leland – Former Chancellor – UC Merced. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 18, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “The Valley’s Public Universities: An Update” – Guests: President Joseph I. Castro from California State University, Fresno; President Ellen Jun from California State University, Stanislaus; and President Lynette Zelezny from California State University, Bakersfield. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 18, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Higher Education and Path in California” – Invitados: PPIC Olga Rodriguez and Marisol Cuellar. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

What’s on school menus this fall? Trade mitigation

Fresno Bee

School lunch menus already have Meatless Mondays and Taco Tuesdays. Now some may get Trade Mitigation Thursdays.

Local dog-treat maker to expand operations

Business Journal

A local nonprofit — makers of a much-loved brand of dog treats — got a big boost with a large donation and a visit from the new bishop.

Fresh, sustainable seafood in Modesto? New company delivers to top valley restaurants

Modesto Bee

Great seafood in Modesto? Yes, it’s possible to get it fresh and sustainable, thanks to new seafood distributor.

Weekly Swenson Park farmers market packs up, but might return in spring

Stockton Record

It was on May 2, 2018, that Stockton’s Swenson Park became home to a weekly Wednesday farmers market, part of an effort by a grass-roots group to fend off city officials’ thoughts of building housing at the site by increasing the use of the park and golf course.

Trump’s EPA defies California rules, says glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup is OK

San Francisco Chronicle

In a direct challenge to California regulators and Bay Area environmentalists, the Trump administration Thursday ordered companies to ignore state requirements that businesses warn customers if their products contain glyphosate, a weed killer that has been linked to cancer.

See also:

Farmers Don’t Need to Read the Science. We Are Living It.

New York Times

A new report is another dire warning on climate change.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Prosecuting human traffickers poses significant challenges, top prosecutor says

abc30

The Department of Justice announced the arrest of 67 sex traffickers across the country as part of a broader federal law enforcement initiative.

See also:

Kings County invests in SmartWater to fight ag crimes

abc30

It’s an anti-theft system that leaves a lasting trail. SmartWater CSI – a forensic coding solution – is becoming a growing trend in deterring ag crimes. One that Kings County hopes to be a part of.

Sacramento will release some defendants without bail in test of new California system

Sacramento Bee

Sacramento will start releasing some defendants from jail without posting bond as part of a pilot program aimed at helping California courts end reliance on bail for suspects awaiting trial.

FBI struggles to confront right-wing terrorism

Los Angeles Times

Recent mass shootings have exposed the FBI’s difficulties in preventing domestic terrorism by white supremacists and other right-wing extremists.

See also:

Sexual misconduct allegations against California doctors rise sharply since #MeToo era began

Los Angeles Times

The Berkeley pediatrician was treating a teenager for anxiety and panic attacks. A few months into his therapy appointments, he began showing the boy pictures of men masturbating as well as other pornographic images, according to state documents.

EDITORIAL: California should ban private prisons

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to “end the outrage that is private prisons in the state of California.” The state Senate should give him the chance by passing Assembly Bill 32.

Public Safety:

Local law enforcement acts to confiscate guns and ammo from man they deem to be at risk

Bakersfield Californian

It may be the first case of its kind in Kern County, one that could have a direct impact on efforts by law enforcement to confront owners of firearms who have exhibited warning signs and are thought to be at risk of dangerous use of those firearms.

See also:

Fresno Police issue 65 citations while promoting motorcycle safety

abc30

After two fatal motorcycle crashes occurred within days of each other, the city of Fresno is joining a statewide effort to bring motorcycle safety awareness to drivers. With radar guns in hand, officers made sure motorcycle safety was the top priority.

Old Town Clovis to get retractable steel barriers to keep pedestrians safe

abc30

The Farmers Market is just about to begin in Old Town Clovis on Friday night. City leaders have plans to increase public safety by installing retractable barriers along Old Town. The City of Clovis is spending $250,000 to keep pedestrians safe during events like this.

Who’s picking Fresno’s next police chief? The search lacks transparency, critics say

Fresno Bee

Chief Jerry Dyer is retiring Oct. 16.

See also:

Two Northern California festivals are stepping up security in wake of mass shootings

Merced Sun-Star

After three mass shootings across the US that began at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, organizers for the Yolo County Fair and Lodi Grape Festival in California will increase security measures for the events.

See also:

Police fear ‘suicide by cop’ cases. So they’ve stopped responding to some calls

Los Angeles Times

Plumas County is not the only jurisdiction in California that is rethinking how it responds to suicide calls. Some small and midsize law enforcement agencies across the state have stopped responding to certain calls because of the potential dangers to both officers and the person attempting to end his or her life.

Facial Recognition Software Prompts Privacy, Racism Concerns in Cities and States

PEW

Officials in several cities banned the technology’s use by municipal agencies.

A Look at the History of State School Safety Legislation in the Last 2 Decades

EdNote

This is the first in a series of blog posts that explore state efforts to improve school safety through legislation, initiatives, task forces and more. This series aims to inform state efforts to make schools and higher education institutions safe places to learn and work. If there is more information we can provide or technical.

Universal Cancels Release of ‘The Hunt’ Movie

Wall Street Journal

Conservatives decried the movie’s story line following mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

EDITORIAL: National Night Out: It’s about community more than crime

Stockton Record

On the first Tuesday of each August since 1984 Americans have been urged to venture out of their homes and onto their streets for what’s called the National Night Out. The event (nearly 100 gatherings were held last week in Stockton) originally was an effort to combat crime.

Fire: 

Lightning started several fires in Northern CA this week. More strikes are on the way

Fresno Bee

Several wildfires in Northern California were started by a zappy culprit this week. Lightning, which struck the Shasta-Trinity National Forest more than 575 times between Friday and Saturday afternoon, sparked seven small fires, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Modern wildland blazes pose new health risks for California’s firefighters

Sacramento Bee

As California’s wildfire season gets underway in earnest this month — with crews working to contain a 14,000-acre blaze in rugged Modoc County on the Oregon border — new research underscores the risks that modern wildfires pose to firefighters’ long-term health.

New memorial honors air tanker crew members who died in 2002 crash while battling a fire

Sacramento Bee

Nearly two decades after Air Tanker 130 crashed fighting the Cannon Fire in Walker, Mono County, a new memorial for victims Steve Wass, Craig LaBare and Mike Davis was unveiled Friday near the crash site.

Careful With Those Birthday Candles, Smokey: Beloved Bear Turns 75

Capital Public Radio

The longest-running public service campaign is tied to a reduction in wildfires, but in some ways Smokey’s message may have worked too well. Here’s how he’s changed.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

A U.S.-China Currency War? What You Need To Know

Capital Public Radio

After China let its yuan drop in value, the U.S. accused the country of being a “currency manipulator.” Here is how China manages its money and what a dispute with the U.S. could mean.

California Fostered America’s Tech Industry. It Is Becoming a Great Adversary. 

Wall Street Journal

Lawmakers seek to redress downside of Silicon Valley’s dominance.

The Turn in the Yield Curve

Wall Street Journal

What the upside-down gap between shorter- and longer-term bond yields is indicating about the markets and the economy.

That Offer to Make You Debt-Free? It Can Make You Worse Off

Wall Street Journal

Debt-settlement firms seek out struggling consumers to sell them plans that can leave them with high fees, damaged credit and a tax bill.

Searching for infinite economic growth

AEI

Skepticism is warranted regarding claims that this policy tweak or that innovation is some massive game changer. But growth, any growth, shouldn’t be sniffed at. 

CRS: Escalating U.S. Tariffs: Affected Trade and Timeline

CRS Reports

The trade practices of U.S. trading partners and the U.S. trade deficit are a focus of the Trump

Administration. Citing these and other concerns, the President has imposed tariff increases under three U.S. laws.

Jobs:

Fresno’s Five restaurant is hiring, putting it one step closer to reopening after fire

Fresno Bee

Five restaurant is hiring. That means that the restaurant’s reopening might not be far behind. The popular restaurant at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue closed after a fire in September last year.

See also:

Quota for women on California corporate boards ‘brazenly unconstitutional,’ new lawsuit says

Sacramento Bee

A California law aimed at creating more gender equity in corporate boardrooms is under fire by a conservative nonprofit, which has filed a lawsuit to block the law from going into effect.

New restaurant for healthy eats opening in Fresno, looking to hire

abc30

The owners of Casa Corona are opening a new concept restaurant called Viva! Be Bowl’d. It’s scheduled to open in early September. They are looking to hire 20 people – more specifically, food preparers.

Equal pay advocate comes to Bakersfield urging political engagement

Bakersfield Californian

Fresno math educator and former Assembly candidate Aileen Rizo, whose legal battle for equal pay for women attracted national attention, brought a message of economic and political empowerment to Bakersfield on Saturday.

From strip clubs to strip malls, how 2 million workers could be swept up in a bill aimed at the gig economy

CALmatters

A California bill threatens the likes of Uber, Lyft, Postmates and DoorDash. But Assembly Bill 5 could also sweep up some 2 million workers from truck drivers and general contractors to strippers and nail salons.

See also:

An unlikely way to diversify California’s legal profession

CALmatters

The legal profession–like many fields–doesn’t reflect California’s rich diversity: while whites comprise 41% of the adult population, they make up 68% of California attorneys. Similarly, Latinos comprise 35% of the population but only 7% of attorneys statewide.

PERB Holds That Unions Are Not Entitled to Written Complaints Prior to Investigatory Interviews

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has held — in a much-anticipated decision litigated by Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo — that where an employer investigates allegations of misconduct against an employee, the employee’s “union has a right to reasonable notice of the alleged wrongdoing in advance of an initial investigatory interview, but the union does not obtain a right to an underlying written complaint until after the initial investigatory interview.”

The Federal Minimum Wage Doesn’t Really Matter Anymore

Wall Street Journal

Only a tiny share of civilian workers are paid at that rate.

Judges raise alarm as personal threats intensify, amplified by social media

American Bar Association

Judge James Robart discovered the power of social media in a very frightening and very personal way.

See also:

Policymakers can help businesses retrain their workers

Brookings

As technology advances, gaps often emerge between corporate needs and worker skills. These gaps can lead to vacancies as companies have difficulty finding workers to fill these positions. Unless skills are upgraded, these vacancies can become persistent. 

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno Ideaworks to host free coding workshops for kids

abc30

An international organization now has roots in the Central Valley. The Fresno Ideaworks organization plans to host CoderDojo on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.

Want to check in at a Modesto school campus? Be ready to have your photo ID scanned.

Modesto Bee

The days of visitors signing a guestbook to enter Modesto City Schools campuses are over. Beginning Aug. 19, they’ll have to provide a valid photo ID to office staff, which will scan names against registries of sex offenders nationwide.

Back to School : An exciting first day of school for PUSD

Porterville Recorder

Students and parents were excited and anxious as they returned for the first day of school in the Porterville Unified School District on Thursday, reported staff and the students themselves.

See also:

FUSD Trustees Veva Islas And Terry Slatic On Slatic’s Censure

VPR

The Fresno Unified School District board voted 6-0 this week to censure board member Terry Slatic for unethical conduct. The censure means Slatic can’t attend internal staff meetings and he must notify school administrators before visiting district campuses. He’ll also need an escort.

See also:

Ethnic studies time bomb explodes

CALmatters

State legislators and then-Gov. Jerry Brown should have known that they were lighting the fuse of a political time bomb three years ago when they ordered up a “model curriculum in ethnic studies” for high school students.

Child care providers push California to boost pay for early education teachers

EdSource

When a preschool teacher at a San Mateo center began to struggle to interact with children, supervisors became concerned. The reason for the teacher’s drop in performance? She was hungry.

California charter, private schools report lower vaccination rates than traditional public schools

EdSource

Statewide vaccinations are slightly lower than last year but up since 2016 law tightened exemptions.

See also:

Nationwide project provides free science materials to meet California’s new standards

EdSource

While California students began taking a new statewide science test this past spring, school districts were still struggling to get teaching materials aligned to the state’s new science standards into classrooms. 

Higher Ed:

‘I’ve done what I came here to do:’ UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland prepares for retirement

abc30

After more than eight years as head of the state’s youngest University of California Campus, UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland is retiring.

California public college grads have billions in student loan debt – but it could be worse

Sacramento Bee

California college graduates in 2015 and 2016 racked up more than $10 billion in federal student loan debt. 

See also:

Behind UC’s ‘admission by exception’ side door: sports, money, diversity — and secrecy

CALmatters

The Varsity Blues college scandal has drawn attention to UC “admissions by exception.” Some are athletes, some homeschoolers, some out-of-staters — and at most campuses, they’re cloaked in secrecy. 

Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Climate change ‘getting worse faster than we are mobilizing to solve it’: Al Gore

abc30

Former Vice President Al Gore discusses how the 2020 field is addressing climate change in light of a newly released U.N. report.

California’s only known wolf pack adds 3 pups

abc30

Wildlife officials say at least three new wolf pups have joined the only known pack in California. Wolves are protected under California’s Endangered Species Act even as the federal Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to delist grey wolves as an endangered species.

Cool-down expected to hit Valley, temperatures in 80s

Visalia Times Delta

After several days of triple-degree temperatures, Valley residents will get some relief. A cooling trend began Thursday and will continue through the weekend. Meteorologists expect cooler weather will remain until Monday. 

A cliff collapse. Three deaths. More bluff failures expected with rising seas

Sacramento Bee

People often think about the beach as a place to swim, to read, to relax. In reality, it’s the tip of a wild, dynamic system that is constantly moving and succumbing to the forces of nature. These sweeping cliffs that make California’s coast so iconic were themselves formed by tectonic shifts and landslides over the centuries.

CalRecycle’s ‘gross mismanagement’ led to recycling chain’s closure, letter to Newsom says

Sacramento Bee

The leadership of CalRecycle must drastically change or else be sacked and replaced by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California Will Check on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water. What You Need to Know

KQED

Over 75 years, a billion-dollar industry has grown up around a group of toxic chemicals that helps keep carpets clean, makes water roll off of camping equipment, and stops your food from sticking to frying pans. There are nearly 5,000 of these chemicals in a class called PFAS, for perfluoralkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

Trump overhauls endangered species protections

AP

The Trump administration on Monday rolled out some of the broadest changes in decades to enforcement of the landmark Endangered Species Act, allowing the government to put an economic cost on saving a species and other changes critics contend could speed extinction for some struggling plants and animals.

See also:

Tired of plastic junk? California’s recycling bills propose dramatic new rules

CALmatters

With plastic packaging heading to landfills and recycling centers shutting down, California lawmakers use a trio of bills to take aim at the stuttering recycling economy.

See also:

Trump’s EPA defies California rules, says glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup is OK

San Francisco Chronicle

In a direct challenge to California regulators and Bay Area environmentalists, the Trump administration Thursday ordered companies to ignore state requirements that businesses warn customers if their products contain glyphosate, a weed killer that has been linked to cancer.

See also:

Once-Unpopular Carbon Credits Emerge as One of the World’s Best Investments

Wall Street Journal

Heat wave in Europe drives carbon-credit prices to near record high.

Energy:

Well-plugging costs add wrinkle to San Francisco’s planned oil pullout

Bakersfield Californian

This much is clear about San Francisco’s plan to withdraw itself from Kern County oil production: It isn’t going to be cheap. Question is, who’s going to pay for it?

See also:

Giant Batteries Supercharge Wind and Solar Plans

Wall Street Journal

Government-owned utilities and companies are buying batteries that can be larger than shipping containers. Some like Tesla Inc.’s new utility-scale battery can hold enough energy to power every home in San Francisco for six hours. Battery makers also are working on more advanced models that will hold more power and last longer.

EDITORIAL: SoCal Gas’ sleazy ‘Astroturf’ effort to keep fossil fuels flowing in California

Los Angeles Times

Southern California Gas Co. is in hot water again. This is the last thing SoCal Gas needs. The company was responsible for one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history, and recently it’s been trying to make the case to policymakers that Aliso Canyon needs to stay open for energy reliability.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Valley study shows promising results for Latinas emotionally coping with breast cancer

Fresno Bee

150 Spanish-speaking Latinas, including 53 in Visalia, took part in a three-year program dubbed Nuevo Amanecer (New Dawn) — and an accompanying study to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.

Obesity costs California billions each year. What experts say we can do about it

Fresno Bee

Obesity has become a deadly epidemic – it kills roughly 300,000 Americans every year, about ten times the number of people who died from synthetic opioid overdose in 2018. It accounts for 18 percent of deaths for Americans 40-85 years old.

See also:

4 people infected with a disease spread by mosquitoes

Visalia Times Delta

State and county officials are reporting four new cases of a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease in Tulare County. 

Alzheimer’s task force led by Shriver has high-profile lineup

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday morning a team of heavy-hitting scientists, politicians, innovators and industry leaders will join the state’s former first lady, Maria Shriver, on a task force addressing the challenges that Alzheimer’s disease poses for a graying California.

How Do You Take Care Of Your Health When You Don’t Even Have A Place To Live?  

VPR

Homelessness is on the rise in many Valley counties and with that comes increased concerns about addressing people’s basic needs like health care. 

Human Services:

Tulare doctor may lose license over opioids

Visalia Times Delta

State officials say Dr. Thomas Evans failed to adequately treat a patient he prescribed pain medication to for a bad back.

See also:

California pharma board orders drugmakers to give opioid overdose meds to first responders

Sacramento Bee

The California State Board of Pharmacy reached a settlement with McKesson Corp. that will compel the company to provide $1.5 million worth of free opioid overdose-reversing medication to first responders.

Bricks, death threats and fury: A last-ditch fight against California’s vaccine crackdown  

Sacramento Bee

California’s debate over a proposed law to tighten kids’ exemptions for mandatory vaccines was never subtle. 

After my mother’s disastrous hospice experience, we filed a state complaint. It came to nothing

Los Angeles Times

In a study of the nation’s hospices between 2012 and 2016, “over 80% had at least one deficiency; 20% had a serious deficiency,” according to the federal Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, which published its findings last month.

Share of U.S. immigrant births to Hispanic women falls to 50%

Pew Research Center

The demographic profile of women who give birth in the United States is changing. This is due in part to shifting immigration patterns, but also to notable changes in birth rates among some groups, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly released data  from the National Center for Health Statistics.

IMMIGRATION

Fresno State alumna aims to ‘erase’ U.S. border with mural showing faces of deportation

Fresno Bee

The rust of the United States-Mexico border wall in Tijuana is being erased by the faces of deported immigrants. A mural completed Friday at Playas de Tijuana, south of the border, is an effort spearheaded by Fresno State alumna Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana to bring awareness around immigration and deportation.

Cuba feels the pinch of Trump’s travel restrictions

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration contends the policy, which still allows for 11 categories of visits including for religious activities or professional research, is aimed at keeping U.S. dollars out of the hands of the Cuban military, ending what national security advisor John Bolton calls “veiled tourism.”

Amid “nightmarish” case backlog, experts call for independent immigration courts

American Bar Association

The U.S. immigration court system is broken and “action is needed now to create an Article I Immigration Court so that immigration judges can have the independence that we need because every person is entitled to due process regardless of legal status,” Judge Dana Marks of the Immigration Court in San Francisco said during a spirited panel discussion on Thursday, Aug. 8, at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Trump Administration to Deny Green Cards to Legal Immigrants if They Use Social Programs

Wall Street Journal

Immigrants legally in the U.S. will be ineligible for green cards if they use any of an array of social programs, and prospective immigrants will be barred from entry if they can’t convince a consular officer that they will never use such programs, as part of a final rule set to be published by the Trump administration.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

New look, plenty of jobs, coming to Modesto, Turlock and other valley Target stores

Modesto Bee

You may have noticed a new look, or new work, at your Central Valley Target store. The company has been redesigning their locations, and is also hiring for multiple positions in Modesto, Turlock, Riverbank, CA.

In danger of being overrun, some places are trying to manage tourism. Here’s how

Los Angeles Times

Travelers love Hawaii. Peru’s Machu Picchu is a heartthrob too. Venice, Italy? Yes, per favore. But our passion for these places has a downside: too many people visiting, too much wear and tear on the destination.

Housing:

Visalia spends $2M to combat homelessness

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia spends roughly $2 million on the city’s homeless population, according to city officials. Despite the efforts by city staff and taxpayer money, the number of people living in Visalia without shelter continues to grow.

Rent Control Could Arrive In Sacramento As Backers Of Ballot Measure Agree To Compromise

Capital Public Radio

City Council members are proposing a new deal that would cap annual rent increases at 10 percent. If approved, proponents of a rent stabilization ballot initiative would decline to back it in 2020.

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California home builders pull back, deflating housing hopes

Los Angeles Times

Home builders are pulling back from new construction, the opposite of what economists say is needed to ease California’s housing affordability crisis.

EDITORIAL: The housing crisis has forced people to live in cars. Can we make it safe and legal?

Sacramento Bee

It’s tragic when making it easier for people to live in cars is what passes for a bold solution to California’s escalating housing crisis. But that’s what it has come to in the Golden State in 2019. 

PUBLIC FINANCES

Warren’s curb on top pension investment abuses

Calpensions.com

The highest-yielding investment for public pensions like CalPERS and CalSTRS has been partnering with private equity firms, which buy companies, make them more efficient and profitable, and then sell them. 

EDITORIAL: Another GOP tax cut for the rich that would make the huge federal deficit even huger

Los Angeles Times

President Trump, who famously likes to supersize his accomplishments, must not be satisfied with pushing the federal budget deficit above $1 trillion for the rest of his term.

Budget Decider: Making choices that impact millions

CALmatters

California lawmakers have passed a $215 billion budget filled with progressive eye-catchers. But what if you had the awesome power to tax and spend, charting a new course for California?

TRANSPORTATION

Average US price of gas down 6 cents per gallon to $2.74

Fresno Bee

The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline has dropped 6 cents per gallon (3.8 liters) over the past two weeks to $2.74.

Newly unveiled highway markers remember a slain ‘guardian,’ Deputy Dennis Wallace

Modesto Bee

In a demonstration of the impact Stanislaus County sheriff’s Deputy Dennis Wallace had on so many lives, hundreds of people gathered at a rural intersection east of Empire on Saturday morning.

Did the Central Valley Blow It on High-Speed Rail?

Fox & Hounds

California’s approach to high-speed rail was fundamentally about helping the San Joaquin Valley—by providing it with a signature project, with construction jobs, and with better connections to the rest of the state.

WATER

Something in the water? Find out which Fresno area public pools had violations, closures

Fresno Bee

From broken fences to lack of chorine in the water, inspectors every year close Fresno County pools for many reasons. And how much pee could be in that water?

California Will Check on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water. What You Need to Know

KQED

Over 75 years, a billion-dollar industry has grown up around a group of toxic chemicals that helps keep carpets clean, makes water roll off of camping equipment, and stops your food from sticking to frying pans. There are nearly 5,000 of these chemicals in a class called PFAS, for perfluoralkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

Storms, floods cause $1.2B damage to public infrastructure

Bakersfield Californian

Storms and flooding have caused significant damage throughout the U.S. during the first half of 2019. The Associated Press tallied about $1.2 billion of damage in 24 states based on preliminary assessments of public infrastructure categories established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Isabella Dam Escapes Damage From Ridgecrest Quakes, Seismic Upgrades Still On Track

VPR

The recent Ridgecrest earthquakes jolted less than 50 miles away from Lake Isabella, where the Isabella Dam is in the midst of a $600 million improvement project by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Commentary: Droughts and Not Enough Water, California’s Silent Crisis

Public CEO

California is known as earthquake country but nature poses more insidious threats which can go undetected until too late. Among them are the recurrent droughts and chronic lack of water. 

EDITORIAL: The latest plan to drain the Hetch Hetchy water system doesn’t make sense

San Francisco Chronicle

Grazing deer, wildflower meadows, soaring granite cliffs: Who wouldn’t want another Yosemite Valley a few miles from the ultra-crowded one? That’s the glimmering picture offered in a study that outlines the beauties of draining Hetch Hetchy Valley stoppered by a San Francisco-run dam.

“Xtra”

Willie Nelson just canceled tour dates. Is he still coming to The Big Fresno Fair?

Fresno Bee

According to officials at The Big Fresno Fair, the cancellation only affects the remaining dates on Nelson’s Club Luck tour, which runs through Aug. 17. Nelson is still slated to perform at the fair on Oct. 14. Tickets are on sale now. 

Fresno Grizzlies founder Carbray dies, led charge to bring Triple-A baseball to town

Fresno Bee

Former Fresno Grizzlies president John Carbray, who spearheaded the efforts to bring minor league baseball back to town, died Saturday. He was 80.

These Are California’s 10 Darkest Places For Stargazing

KCET

A comet with the imposing moniker Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková, or 45P for short, has been delighting and frustrating amateur astronomers for months now. 

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Boys & Girls Club Now Hoping to Reopen in September

Sierra News

Officials at the Oakhurst Boys and Girls Club issued an update on the organization’s ongoing efforts to reopen.

Merced DiCicco’s restaurant gets new name. Here’s what to expect from the new owner

Merced Sun-Star

Big changes are happening at one of Merced popular Italian restaurants. But the traditional friendly service will remain the same, said Devin DeLeon, the new owner of what used to be DiCicco’s Restaurant at 3360 N. State Hwy 59.

Stockton Brew Fest moves outdoors, attendance more than doubles attendance at any of the previous three festivals

Stockton Record

The fourth annual Stockton Brew Fest drew a large crowd on Saturday at the Stockton Waterloo Gun & Bocce Club. The festival was held outdoors for the first time after three years at Stockton Arena.