POLICY & POLITICS
Calif coronavirus deaths double, with Central Valley becoming a hot spot in U.S.
LA Times
Calif’s second surge of the coronavirus has resulted in a near doubling of weekly deaths since the spring — with almost 1,000 fatalities in the last week alone — and radically shifted the geography of the outbreak, a Times data analysis found. The Central Valley has become home to one of the worst coronavirus hot spots in the country. In eight southern Central Valley counties, weekly COVID-19 deaths have jumped from about 20 a week in April to nearly 200 a week in the last two weeks, a Times analysis found. San Joaquin Valley residents make up 20% of recent deaths statewide, even though they account for about 10% of the state’s population.
North SJ Valley:
Merced County approves plan for $28.9M COVID-19 relief funds. Where is the money going?
Fresno Bee
The Merced County Board of Supervisors approved a plan for its $28.9 million in federal COVID-19 relief on Tuesday, including small business support. But amid the ongoing pandemic, advocates say the county’s CARES Act plan doesn’t go far enough to help people whose pocketbooks are hurting.
See also:
● Merced County ranked 9th in state for COVID-19 deaths, 366 new infections reported Merced Sun-Star
Modesto takes it first enforcement action against businesses over coronavirus restrictions
Modesto Bee
4 businesses, including restaurants, receive cease and desist orders
Stanislaus deaths at 177. Supervisor seeks live schools
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County announced eight more COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, for a total of 177. Details on the genders and age ranges of these residents were not available. A total of 10,855 people have tested positive, up 591 from Monday, the county Health Services Agency reported. Another 59,344 have tested negative, and 9,953 are presumed recovered.
See also:
· EDITORIAL: Why Stanislaus County supervisors need to immediately shut down talk of opening schools Bakersfield Califn
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno County nears 200 deaths; Outreach for Black, immigrant communities
Fresno Bee
For the third time in just over a week, the central San Joaquin Valley reported another daily increase of more than 1,100 positive cases of the coronavirus. Nearly 2,000 cases were reported across the six counties on Tuesday. Merced County added 366 and close to 700 cases were added in Tulare County as that it caught up with the state’s reporting backlog.
See also:
● 1,800 backlogged COVID-19 results in Fresno County YourCentralValley.com
COVID-19 testing at Fresno clinic improving
Fresno Bee
Clinica Sierra Vista started drive-up coronavirus testing with appointments about a month ago and has seen improvements in getting patients in and out with rapid results while keeping staff safe.
See Also:
● As COVID-19 test sites operate near capacity, Fresno County looks to primary care doctors Fresno Bee
● As COVID-19 test sites operate near capacity, Fresno County looks to primary care doctors Fresno Bee
● How Community-Based Contact Tracing Can Help Reduce Calif’s Coronavirus Numbers Capital Public Radio
Students are back on campus at a Fresno County private school, despite Newsom’s orders
Fresno Bee
Fresno County’s Department of Public Health said it would take action against the school if it opened with in-person learning.
See also:
· Immanuel Schools warned of legal actions if students attend in person Abc30
· How Trump’s Push to Reopen Schools Backfired MSN
EDITORIAL: Want to avoid a real COVID-19 lockdown in Fresno? Stop having large family gatherings
Fresno Bee
It is the question Fresno County public health officials don’t want to contemplate: Will the COVID-19 pandemic prove so difficult to manage that the region has to really be locked down, such as by a curfew that keeps people in their homes on the penalty of citation or arrest?
Fresno Voices: Fresno Bee launches ‘Fresno Voices’ – a reflection of our diverse city and region
Fresno Bee
A wise friend in the news business once told me that the four most powerful words in the English language are “tell me a story.” The best journalism tells stories through the eyes and ears of real people. It provides context and gets to the bottom of difficult issues. And it spreads knowledge and builds understanding.
COVID-19 update: State team to meet with county leaders
Porterville Recorder
The ramped up effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Tulare County begins in earnest on Wednesday. The state’s Unified Support Team will hold extensive meetings with Tulare County leaders Wednesday and Thursday. The objective of the meetings is to come up with a comprehensive plan to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Tulare County.
See also:
● COVID-19: 7 new deaths, 94 new cases in Tulare Co Visalia Times Delta
● Number of active cases decrease: Recoveries jump to over 10,000 Porterville Recorder
South SJ Valley:
Kern reports 184 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, hospitalizations trend downward
Bakersfield Califn
Kern County reported 184 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the county’s public health services department. State data also shows that hospitalizations for the virus decreased to 202 on Monday, down from a high of 280 on July 21. Of those hospitalized, 71 patients were in the ICU on Monday, down from a high of 87 on Friday.
Bakersfield City Council aids struggling renters and small businesses with CARES Act allocation
Bakersfield Califn
The Bakersfield City Council has approved a plan to spend $33.5 million in federal CARES Act funding that has been designated to the city by the state.
State:
Who Gavin Newsom might pick for a U.S. Senate seat if Kamala Harris becomes VP
Fresno Bee
As soon as presidential candidate Joe Biden named Calif Sen. Kamala Harris his running mate Tuesday, speculation began to swirl about who Gov. Gavin Newsom would pick to replace her in the U.S. Senate should she become vice president.
See Also:
● Will Newsom make history? Calif governor could face pressure to select a Latino senator Sac Bee
● Here’s who Newsom could name to replace Kamala Harris in Senate SF Chronicle
● Newsom says he has already received a number of pitches for Harris’s open Senate seat TheHill
● Becerra: ‘We’d all be lucky’ to fill Harris Senate seat MSNBC
abc30
Governor Gavin Newsom discussed the measures the state is working toward recovering the Calif economy during his briefing on Wednesday as the ending of the state legislature’s session looms. The governor gave a review of the programs in the last few months, including Project Room Key, tax credits and funding for small businesses.
See also:
● Tech problems mire Gavin Newsom’s COVID fight in CA Sac Bee
● Governor: New data show Calif is ‘turning the corner AP
Calif coronavirus deaths double, with rural areas and suburbs hit hard
LA Times
Calif’s second surge of the coronavirus has resulted in a near doubling of weekly deaths since the spring — with almost 1,000 fatalities in the last week alone — and radically shifted the geography of the outbreak, a Times data analysis found.
Calif ‘turning the corner’ on the pandemic, Newsom says
SF Chronicle
Calif is “turning the corner on this pandemic,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday, but he plans to move more cautiously in reopening businesses that were forced to shut down for a second time during this summer’s surge in new coronavirus cases.
Calif paid a price for mask shortage in dollars and lives, coronavirus study finds
LA Times
At least 15,800 essential workers would not have contracted COVID-19 if Calif had stockpiled enough masks and other protective equipment, while the state would have saved $93 million weekly on unemployment claims for out of work healthcare workers and avoided overpaying for supplies, according to a UC Berkeley Labor Center study released Wednesday.
See also:
● FAQ: How to care for your face mask (and why you shouldn’t hang it from your rear-view mirror)Wash Post
Hiltzik: Here’s how to beat coronavirus with a new New Deal
LA Times
No one who follows economic affairs could miss the signals that the U.S. economy has long been built on a foundation of quicksand.
Calif voters overwhelmingly support sweeping police reforms, new poll finds
LA Times
After weeks of protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, a new poll shows that a majority of Califns support sweeping reforms to law enforcement — including measures that would make it easier to prosecute and sue police officers, limit the negotiating power of police unions and shift police funding to social workers and mental health providers.
Despite earlier deadline, Census officials say they’re on track for accurate count
KBAK
With the country still dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it could be easy to forget that we’re also in the middle of a nationwide census.
Federal:
Trump adds coronavirus adviser who echoes his unscientific claims
CNN
Moments before President Donald Trump entered the room for his recently reinstated daily coronavirus briefing Monday, three aides preceded him: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, budget chief Russell Vought and a new face. “Wait, by the way, the gentlemen — you know everybody … This is Scott Atlas. Do you know that?” Trump asked.
Coronavirus Trackers:
Covid-19 death toll rivals fatality rate during 1918 flu epidemic, researchers say
MSN
The increase in deaths in New York City during the early months of the covid-19 pandemic rivals the death toll there at the peak of the 1918 flu pandemic, according to an analysis published Thursday.
See also:
● Covid-19 death toll rivals fatality rate during 1918 flu epidemic, researchers say Wash Post
● Nearly 1,500 U.S. coronavirus deaths mark deadliest day of summer Wash Post
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.
See also:
● Calif Department of Public Health
● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO
● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University
● Tracking coronavirus in Calif LA Times
● Coronavirus Tracker SF Chronicle
● Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times
● How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico
● Coronavirus Daily NPR
● Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Fin Times
● Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters
Elections 2020:
How liberal is she? Watchdog groups rate the Senate record of Kamala Harris
Fresno Bee
Sen. Kamala Harris’ voting record has one of the Senate’s most liberal throughout her three years in Congress, according to congressional watchdog groups. Americans for Democratic Action, a liberal advocacy group that compiles ratings based on major votes, gave her perfect scores in 2017 and 2018.
See Also:
● Local leaders say they’re pleased after Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as VP abc30
● Kamala Harris receives strong marks as Joe Biden’s VP: POLL ABC News
● Joe Biden, Kamala Harris make first joint appearance as running mates abc30
● Biden introduces VP choice Harris; much history, no crowd Bakersfield Califn
● Watch: Biden & Harris Introduce Their Presidential Ticket In Delaware VPR
● The U.S. reacts to Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s VP Politifact
● This is not your grandfather’s vice presidency Brookings
● Willie Brown now pleased Harris accepted Biden offer after advising against it TheHill
● How Black women secured Kamala Harris’ spot on the ticket
● Your fact-checking cheat sheet on Kamala Harris Wash Post
● Joe Biden-Kamala Harris Ticket Makes Debut After Historic VP Pick WSJ
● EDITORIAL: Kamala Harris tried to take out Joe Biden. Now she’s his VP and Trump should be afraid Sacramento Bee
Radical or moderate? Trump paints Democratic ticket as both
Bakersfield Califn
An overzealous prosecutor trying to hide her crime-fighting past — who is also weak on crime. The most radical pick for vice president ever — but too moderate to energize progressive Democrats. President Donald Trump’s campaign is struggling to define Calif Sen. Kamala Harris, the newly announced running mate for Democratic rival Joe Biden.
See also:
● Mike Pence More Popular With Republicans Than Kamala Harris Is With Democrats Newsweek
● Trump makes fear-based appeal to women as Biden picks Harris POLITICO
Trump adds grandiose promises to campaign pitch
LA Times
The payroll tax, a bedrock of the American retirement system since 1941, will end as soon as President Trump is reelected, he promised last weekend. A new Iran nuclear deal will come to pass a month after that, he said Monday, around the same time as a new national healthcare plan, a middle-class tax cut and a string of trade agreements around the globe.
Poll: Trump trails Biden by 4 points in new national survey
TheHill
Less than 90 days before the November elections, President Trump is trailing former Vice President Joe Biden by 4 percentage points in a new Hill-HarrisX national poll.
See also:
● Opinion: Biden’s Budget Real Clear Policy
Trump says no Post Office funding means Democrats ‘can’t have universal mail-in voting’
TheHill
President Trump on Thursday suggested that he was unwilling to make a deal with Democrats that included funding for the Postal Service because it would prevent universal mail-in voting during the election this year.
See also:
● Is Calif ready for a mail-in election? Democrats are worried about two ‘wild cards’ Sac Bee
● Trump Admits To Opposing Funding For Postal Service To Block More Voting By Mail VPR
● Trump says he opposes more funding for Postal Service over mail-in voting CBS News
● Trump blurts out his true motive on the post office and mail-in voting MSN
● Opinion: Trump’s attack on the Postal Service is now a national emergency Wash Post
Wash Post
The Republican National Committee had asked the high court to intervene in the case after state officials agreed to relax a witness-signature requirement because of the coronavirus pandemic.
With More Transparency On Election Security, A Question Looms: What Don’t We Know?
VPR
Americans have the most detailed accounting they’ve ever received in real time about foreign efforts to interfere in a U.S. election — but, for the public at least, there are still as many questions as answers. The U.S. intelligence community has made good on earlier promises to release some findings and assessments on foreign interference, including with a historic report last week from the nation’s top boss of counterintelligence.
Other:
Fresno Bee unveils project to elevate region’s diverse voices
Fresno Bee
Today, The Fresno Bee newsroom launches a project called Fresno Voices. You’ll hear from members of our community in their own words — about their challenges, triumphs, hopes and dreams.
5 ways to spot disinformation on your social media feeds
ABC News
Disinformation is everywhere. Here’s how to sort real news from fake news.
See also:
● Distrust of authority fuels virus misinformation for Latinos MSN
● Top Facebook Official: Our Aim Is To Make Lying On The Platform ‘More Difficult’ VPR
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Farmworkers fear retaliation for airing COVID-19 concerns. What can be done to help?
Modesto Bee
Some Stanislaus County farmworkers avoid requesting safety measures, reporting COVID-19 issues and even getting tested for fear of retaliation and job loss, according to a study examining agricultural labor issues in Calif.
Latino leaders call for more help for farmworkers
Business Journal
More than 40 Central Valley Latino leaders have penned a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking for more investment to help farmworkers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Struggling farmers work with overwhelmed food banks to stay afloat
PEW
The pandemic is showing the need for strong local agriculture.
Pistachio growers qualify for federal recovery money on appeal
Bakersfield Califn
Persistence has paid off for growers of Kern County’s No. 3-grossing crop after the federal government reversed itself and ruled pistachio growers do qualify for financial compensation during the pandemic. Pistachios were left off the original list of qualified crops released in May. That’s because the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s analysis concluded initially that the nut didn’t suffer the minimum, 5-percent price drop between Jan. 15 and April 15.
Salsa with onions possibly tainted with salmonella latest to be recalled
CBS News
Salsa products made with onions possibly tainted with salmonella are the latest to be recalled in an outbreak of the bacteria that has now sickened more than 600 people in 43 states.
The Nation Wanted to Eat Out Again. Everyone Has Paid the Price.
NY Times
Governments and restaurant owners wanted to get back to business. But bars and restaurants have become a focal point for clusters of Covid infections.
The Scramble to Pluck 24 Billion Cherries in Eight Weeks
NY Times
Every single one needs to be picked by hand — even in a pandemic. Seasonal workers say they may be essential, but they feel disposable.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
MPD warns of recent scam involving callers who are impersonating department
Modesto Bee
Modesto Police are warning residents of a scam in which a caller will say he or she is working with MPD and the Social Security Administration investigating fraud involving the victim’s information.
Fact Check: Graph showing rising human trafficking arrests under Trump draws on bogus data
PolitiFact
A viral image on Facebook draws on unofficial data from questionable sources to imply that human trafficking arrests have risen dramatically since President Donald Trump took office.
Public Safety:
Coronavirus outbreak hits Folsom State Prison in Calif
Fresno Bee
Nearly 90 inmates at Folsom State Prison have tested positive for the coronavirus in the latest outbreak to hit Calif’s troubled corrections system. The prison 20 miles northeast of Sacramento reported 89 inmates with active COVID-19 infections, according to data updated Wednesday by the Calif Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
See Also:
● Employee dies and over 50 inmates infected with coronavirus at Folsom State Prison Sacramento Bee
● COVID-19 cases in Kern prisons multiply Bakersfield Califn
● Prisons release thousands of inmates, some with coronavirus CalMatters
Gallup poll finds majority of Americans don’t trust police
Fresno Bee
Months after demonstrators protested the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in police custody, a new Gallup poll revealed Americans’ confidence in law enforcement is at a 27-year low.
Senate Public Safety Committee Fails to Pass Gavin’s Law
Clovis RoundUp
A law to strengthen penalties on hit-and-run drivers was dealt a tough blow on Friday, Aug. 7 in Sacramento.
Fire:
Crews continue to battle two destructive Calif fires
KCRA
Firefighters are still battling two major blazes that have burned for at least a week and destroyed homes in Southern Calif. The Stagecoach Fire in Kern County has charred more than 12 square miles of dry brush since breaking out Aug. 3. The blaze has destroyed 37 structures, including a dozen residences.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Laura Tyson & Lenny Mendonca: America’s Dual Recession
Project Syndicate
Americans heading into the fall and the new school year are grappling with interrelated upheavals in health, the economy, family life, and race relations. The COVID-19 crisis is falling hardest on the most vulnerable: people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, women, the less educated, and other workers trapped in precarious, non-standard, and low-wage jobs without health insurance or benefits. Worse, the jobs susceptible to the pandemic-induced recession overlap with those that will be susceptible to accelerating digitization and automation as the economy recovers.
‘It is safer to work inside.’ See hairdressers protest restriction on indoor haircuts
Fresno Bee
Hairdressers from across Calif protest at the Capitol on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, the public health order prohibiting salons from cutting hair indoors amid the coronavirus crisis. Mannequins were used to show how hard it is to cut hair outdoors.
How racism leaves a lingering economic ‘glass ceiling’ for Fresno’s Black residents
Fresno Bee
When Booker T. Lewis, pastor of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Fresno, moved from Greenville, Texas, to Fresno in 1977, he was 16 years old and a sophomore in high school. He remembers his first days at Edison High School and the sea of Black faces.
This discount department store is likely closing its locations in Fresno, Clovis
Fresno Bee
Longtime discount department store Stein Mart has filed for bankruptcy and plans to close “a significant portion, if not all” of its stores. The retailer, which sells clothing, shoes and housewares, has stores in Fresno and Clovis.
Stockton accepting applications for second round of business grants
Stockton Record
A second round of funding for the city of Stockton Small Business Relief Grant program is now available to help small businesses. Grants of $3,000 can be used for inventory and working capital, such as rent, payroll, utilities and/or equipment.
LA Times
The Paycheck Protection Program stood out as an early success of the government’s pandemic relief effort, but it ended with a whimper and left billions of dollars unallocated when small businesses got spooked by the ever-changing rules.
Newsom defends economic recovery efforts amid COVID-19 pandemic
LA Times
Facing criticism that his economic recovery plans have lacked transparency, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday outlined efforts to help businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic, and embraced legislative efforts to help workers, including protections against evictions.
Jobs:
Newsom says $300 a week in added unemployment benefits is not enough, but he’ll take it
Sacramento Bee
Do you think $300 a week in additional unemployment benefits is enough?
Essential Workers In Fresno Can Apply To This Program For Childcare Vouchers
VPR
Some essential workers in Fresno can now get childcare vouchers through the city in collaboration with the Central Valley Children’s Service Network. The program will support about 190 kids. It is funded by the CARES Act and provides temporary vouchers for essential workers through Dec 31. Ofelia Gonzalez, director of community education at the Central Valley Children’s Service Network, said families will be chosen based on an essential workers priority list.
New Jobless Claims Dip Below 1 Million For 1st Time Since March
VPR
First-time claims for state unemployment benefits dropped below 1 million last week for the first time since the pandemic hit the economy in March. Claims under a special pandemic program for gig workers and others who are typically not eligible for unemployment also fell.
See also:
· Jobless claims dip below 1 million for first time in more than four months Wash Post
EDUCATION
K-12:
Students are back on campus at a Fresno County private school, despite Newsom’s orders
Fresno Bee
Fresno County’s Department of Public Health said it would take action against the school if it opened with in-person learning.
See also:
· Immanuel Schools warned of legal actions if students attend in person Abc30
· Coronavirus updates: Fresno County school defies state closure order? Will ‘strike teams’ work?Fresno Bee
Terry Slatic’s censure up for debate again. Here’s what Fresno Unified board will consider tonight
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified School Board trustees will reevaluate the censure of controversial Trustee Terry Slatic and possibly extend the disciplinary action against him during a scheduled meeting Wednesday evening.
Free grab-and-go meals available for Fresno Unified students while distance learning
abc30
As Fresno Unified students get ready to plug in for distance learning this fall, the school district is making sure all kids still have access to food for free. Grab-and-go meals for breakfast and lunch will be available for students to pick up at multiple school sites in Fresno starting the first day of school, August 17.
Fresno, Tulare health officials will not grant waivers to reopen elementary schools
Fresno Bee
School districts in Fresno and Tulare counties will not be approved for a waiver to reopen elementary schools until the number of positive COVID-19 cases decreases, according to public health officials.
enough learning time for grade school students.
Distance learning begins in Central Unified School District
Fresno Bee
Eligible families can stop by locations for free meals, but all classes will be held online at schools like Harvest Elementary in Central Unified School District in Fresno due to the coronavirus pandemic.
VUSD teachers rally against school reopening plans
Visalia Times Delta
The Visalia Unified Teachers Association argues the district’s proposed schedules don’t offer
BCSD pushes back start of school year to secure hot spots
Bakersfield Califn
The Bakersfield City School District is pushing back the start of the school year by a week after it couldn’t get all the hot spots it needs from its internet service provider in time for remote education to take place. The first day of school will now be Aug. 24. The beginning of classes had previously been slated for Aug. 17.
BC Foundation receives gift from local ag leaders to provide scholarships for Early College students
Bakersfield Califn
The Bakersfield College Foundation received a significant financial gift from the Clifford and Patricia Mettler estate to support 120 students enrolled in BC’s Agriculture Pathways Early College program. The Early College Program originated in 2013, and today BC has 36 high school partners. The agriculture program is offered at Wasco High School and the Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano.
Taft College partners with Geekwise Academy to offer free virtual technology camp
Bakersfield Califn
A new, no-cost virtual Taft College STEM-CiTE Community Summer Camp will take place Aug. 17 through 21 thanks to the collaborative efforts of Geekwise Academy, Taft College, Taft College Foundation and sponsor Synagro.
EDITORIAL: Why Stanislaus County supervisors need to immediately shut down talk of opening schools
Bakersfield Califn
Terry Withrow’s recommendation that Stanislaus County leaders give another sharp poke in the eye to Gov. Gavin Newsom is needlessly provocative at best. At worst, it could take tens of millions of dollars away from those among us who need it most, and put us further behind in our fight against COVID-19.
Left behind: How online learning is hurting students from low-income families
LA Times
A LA Times survey of 45 Southern Calif school districts found profound differences in distance learning among children attending school districts in high-poverty communities, like Maria’s in Coachella Valley, and those in more affluent ones, like Cooper’s in Las Virgenes, which serves Calabasas and nearby areas. These inequities threaten to exacerbate wide and persistent disparities in public education that shortchange students of color and those from low-income families, resulting in potentially lasting harm to a generation of children.
Opinion: School Reopenings: Rethink Public Education
National Review
There is no better time to make a change than right now, when public education is in chaos.
Higher Ed:
Fresno-area pharmacy students learned they can’t attend classes – days before school started
Fresno Bee
The earliest the school might begin accepting new students is fall 2022.
NY Times
Calif officials also put out guidance for higher education institutions, which had already been scrambling to either start the year remotely, as Cal State University campuses will, or put in place protocols for allowing some students back for in-person instruction and to live in dorms. Still, thousands of coronavirus cases have been linked to college campuses, including hundreds in Calif.
Editorial: A new state ethnic studies proposal hits closer to the mark
LA Times
Gone is the cisheteropatriarchy and the hxrstory. A year after producing a bloated, jargon-laden model curriculum for a high school ethnic studies course, a Calif committee of teachers and academics has put forth a more coherent and flexible document that drops the previous overload of topics, ditches the assertion that capitalism is on par with white supremacy and racism as a form of “power and oppression” and provides less politically slanted suggestions for lessons.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Trump Admin backs off plans to open land near Utah national parks to drilling
Merced Sun-Star
The Trump administration has canceled plans to open tens of thousands of acres for oil and gas drilling near three national parks in Utah next month, a victory for environmentalists and residents angered by its proposal.
See Also:
● Trump administration backs off plans to open land near Utah national parks to drilling LA Times
Coronavirus complicates heat wave that’s coming, Modesto’s first in a month
Modesto Bee
Summer heat will spike this week in the Modesto area, peaking at 105 degrees on Saturday, the National Weather Service predicts. It would be the first time over 100 since the 104 degrees on July 12, according to the Modesto Irrigation District.
Failing To Plan For Sea Level Rise — Even Amid A Pandemic — Could Be Catastrophic, Experts Warn
Capital Public Radio
If Calif lawmakers set aside climate concerns like sea level rise, and focus only on the pandemic, the state could be setting itself up for an even worse economic hardship, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office cautioned in a reportMonday.
6 former EPA chiefs say ‘derailed’ agency needs reset after election
LA Times
Six former Environmental Protection Agency chiefs are calling for an agency reset after President Trump’s regulation-removing, industry-minded first term, backing a detailed plan by former EPA staffers that ranges from renouncing political influence in regulation to boosting climate-friendly electric vehicles.
Energy:
Pipeline Outages Pressure Natural Gas Prices
Calif Energy Markets
In addition to ongoing storage restrictions across the Southern Calif Gas Co. system, transmission in the region was constricted by pipeline outages that exerted pressure on prices.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Young e-cigarette vapers at risk of COVID-19 infection
Fresno Bee
Teenagers and young adults between 13 and 24 years old who vape nicotine have a “substantially increased” risk of becoming infected with the novel coronavirus and coming down with unpleasant symptoms.
See also:
● Coronavirus surging among children, teenagers in Calif LA Times
Kern reports 184 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, hospitalizations trend downward
Bakersfield Califn
Kern County reported 184 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the county’s public health services department. State data also shows that hospitalizations for the virus decreased to 202 on Monday, down from a high of 280 on July 21. Of those hospitalized, 71 patients were in the ICU on Monday, down from a high of 87 on Friday.
See Also:
● COVID-19: 7 new deaths, 94 new cases reported in Tulare County Visalia Times Delta
● Number of active cases decrease: Recoveries jump to over 10,000 Porterville Recorder
● Merced County ranked 9th in state for COVID-19 deaths, 366 new infections reported Merced Sun-Star
● Nearly 1,500 U.S. coronavirus deaths mark deadliest day of summer Wash Post
UCSF researchers develop nasal spray to fight coronavirus. It could be sold in stores
Sacramento Bee
Researchers at the University of Calif, SF, reported Tuesday they have formulated a nasal spray that can help ward off the coronavirus. They are working with business partners to get it clinically tested and manufactured.
See Also:
● Game changer? UCSF scientists say nose spray to kill coronavirus could be available in months SF Chronicle
● Face masks with valves or vents do not prevent spread of the coronavirus, CDC says Wash Post
FDA Announces New Deadly Toxin Found in Hand Sanitizers, Adding to Recalls
Newsweek
The FDA on Wednesday announced another toxin that can be as deadly as methanol. That toxin is called 1-propanol, which can depress the central nervous system. The FDA stated some products are labeled to contain ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, but have tested positive for 1-propanol contamination.
Covid-19 death toll rivals fatality rate during 1918 flu epidemic, researchers say
MSN
The increase in deaths in New York City during the early months of the covid-19 pandemic rivals the death toll there at the peak of the 1918 flu pandemic, according to an analysis published Thursday.
See also:
● Covid-19 death toll rivals fatality rate during 1918 flu epidemic, researchers say Wash Post
Human Services:
‘Extremely frustrating:’ How tech breakdowns are hurting Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus response
Fresno Bee
Before he became Calif governor last year, Gavin Newsom built his reputation as a tech-savvy Bay Area politician, who wrote a book arguing government should follow Silicon Valley’s lead and embrace new technology.
COVID-19 testing at Fresno clinic improving
Fresno Bee
Clinica Sierra Vista started drive-up coronavirus testing with appointments about a month ago and has seen improvements in getting patients in and out with rapid results while keeping staff safe.
See Also:
● As COVID-19 test sites operate near capacity, Fresno County looks to primary care doctors Fresno Bee
● As COVID-19 test sites operate near capacity, Fresno County looks to primary care doctors Fresno Bee
● How Community-Based Contact Tracing Can Help Reduce Calif’s Coronavirus Numbers Capital Public Radio
UCD, Kaiser seeking hundreds in Sacramento, other cities for coronavirus vaccine trial
Sacramento Bee
UC Davis Health and Kaiser Permanente will be identifying hundreds of patents in Sacramento and other communities to participate in a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by New York’s Pfizer and Germany-based BioNTech.
IMMIGRATION
Bakersfield Califn
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a private prison company from vastly expanding its immigrant detention capabilities within Kern County. In a ruling released Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Troy Nunley issued a preliminary injunction against the city of McFarland and GEO Group Inc., saying the city and private prison company couldn’t move forward with converting two former state prisons into immigrant detention centers until the matter is settled in court.
ICE kept man in detention in Bakersfield after judge granted him relief – and then he got COVID-19
KQED
More than a month after he was granted relief from deportation by an immigration judge, a 22-year-old Salvadoran man remains locked up at a privately run detention facility in Bakersfield, where he’s now diagnosed with COVID-19.
Brookings
Refugees and their host countries are facing unique challenges with the global pandemic. Kemal Kirişci and Sam Denney write that a new administration should seize the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to build a better refugee policy, both for refugees’ benefit and for U.S. national security and strategic interests.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
‘We Had To Get Out’: Despite The Risks, Business Is Booming At National Parks
NPR
Stuck at home for months on end, plans canceled and upside down, the Reyes family felt like so many others during this pandemic-blighted summer: “We were just going crazy,” says Ricardo Reyes. “We had to get out.”
What happens to parents when community spaces close?
AEI
With much of the country experiencing dramatic increases in COVID-19 infections, many public and commercial spaces that serve as crucial support systems are off-limits or offering more limited opportunities for social interactions and support parents and children need.
Housing:
Modesto, Stanislaus getting $7.25M in pandemic relief to help renters, homeless
Modesto Bee
A Modesto nonprofit that helps low-income families pay their rent says the number of phone calls from tenants has remained steady during the pandemic, but what really has gone up is how far behind the callers are in their rent.
Hotel bookings start to recover as leisure travel helps make up for loss of big events
Bakersfield Califn
Bakersfield’s hospitality industry has recently begun to pick up — some hotels are even hiring again — as road-trippers and locals help put an end to a streak of slow business during the coronavirus pandemic.
Exclusive: More Than 1,600 Californians Have Been Evicted During Pandemic
Capital Public Radio
Like any parent, Jamie Burson didn’t want her 11-year-old son to discover how frightened she really was about the novel coronavirus. But it’s hard to mask anxiety when you’re living and sleeping together in the same car.
Oregon vowed not to become Calif — and passed sweeping housing crisis legislation
LA Times
When Oregon’s political leaders debated solutions to a housing crisis that was forcing renters from their homes and sending prices through the roof, they had a central goal in mind: avoid the fate of their neighbor to the south.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Payroll Tax Delay To Boost Take-Home Pay, But Don’t Spend It Yet
NPR
President Trump wants to give a $100 billion boost to the U.S. economy by hitting the “pause” button on workers’ payroll taxes. That would leave more money in people’s paychecks. But the move — which Trump ordered over the weekend — is only temporary. And that could produce headaches down the road for workers, employers and the Social Security system.
See also:
● Payroll tax deferral looks like a whole lot of nothing AEI
● US Chamber asks Treasury to clear up ‘serious concerns’ about payroll tax deferral TheHill
Federal deficit reaches $2.8T, breaking annual record
UPI
The federal deficit reached $2.8 trillion for the fiscal year 2020 on Wednesday, breaking a previous annual record, according to a report by the Treasury Department.
2020 Election: How to Prepare Your Portfolio
Barron’s
Based on several closely watched voter polls and betting markets, former Vice President Joseph Biden will be the next president of the U.S., vanquishing President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election. Then again, election polls are notoriously unreliable, as Hillary Clinton—and President Trump—learned in 2016.
TRANSPORTATION
Uber likely to shut down temporarily in Calif over driver ruling, CEO says
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the SF-based company will likely shut down service in Calif temporarily if it’s forced to classify its drivers as full-time employees.
See also:
● Uber CEO threatens to halt service in Calif until November election POLITICO
● Walters: An official crusade against Proposition 22 CALmatters
Communities are invited to share input on transit in Kings County
Hanford Sentinel
The Kings County Association of Governments (KCAG) is hosting a “virtual open house” as part of the early planning process for the Region’s 2020 Transit Development Plan. Community members are invited to review an informational video about current transit services, challenges for transit providers, and opportunities for tailoring transit service to better address community needs.
The Bus making temporary changes to Merced County service schedule due to COVID-19
Merced Sun-Star
The Bus will be making temporary schedule changes starting on Monday, according to the Merced County Association of Governments. The Bus will be moving to a weekend schedule every day of the week starting on Aug. 17, due to the impact of COVID-19, according to a news release.
WATER
Let it flow: Trump Administration eases showerhead rules
AP
The Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow, addressing a pet peeve of the president who complains he isn’t getting wet enough.
Rancho Calif Water Appoints New Board Member
Calif Water News Daily
On August 6, Rancho Calif Water District’s Board of Directors unanimously appointed Joseph Kuebler to fill a vacancy after long-time board member Lisa Herman resigned last month.
“Xtra”
Metallica’s first show in 2020 will be a drive-in concert. You can see it in Los Banos
Merced Sun-Star
While entertainment venues around the San Joaquin Valley and — and across the U.S. — continue to push for help from the federal government in order to survive the coronavirus pandemic, national touring acts are finding other avenues to connect with fans.
Ready to return to the drive-in? Modesto’s State Theatre to show comedy this week
Modesto Bee
Modesto’s State Theatre brings back a drive-in movie night with a comedy offering this week. “Ghostbusters” will have two showings on Friday, Aug. 14, at John Thurman Field in Modesto, according to the theater’s website. The film is presented by the State Theatre and the Modesto Nuts.