August 14, 2020

14Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus has 5 more deaths. Decline in hospitalizations

Modesto Bee

As Stanislaus County’s death toll to the coronavirus reached 182 and the infection rate climbed for a second straight day, the county announced a decrease in hospitalizations. Five more people have died from COVID-19, the county reported. The county also received 737 more positive test results after the state released scores of data on Wednesday.

See also:

Elk Grove council will ask grand jury to investigate accusations of misconduct against mayor

Sacramento Bee

The city of Elk Grove will ask a grand jury to investigate claims of misconduct levied against Mayor Steve Ly, pulling in an independent authority to settle multiple allegations of harassment and intimidation.

Central SJ Valley:

Coronavirus updates: Fresno County school defies state closure order. Will ‘strike teams’ work?

Fresno Bee

The central San Joaquin Valley reported 811 new positive cases of coronavirus on Wednesday as state and county health officials continue to reconcile a backlog of testing. Fresno County added 366 new cases and has seen a total of 18,344 positive cases since the pandemic began, though health officials said Wednesday that 1,800 tests, believed to be positive, were still waiting to be processed and added to the county’s reporting dashboard.

COVID-19 is hammering the Central Valley. Can Newsom’s ‘strike team’ make a difference?

Fresno Bee

Can $52 million a few dozen experts help California’s Central Valley gain control over the COVID-19 pandemic? As the Valley’s surging infection rate has drawn national attention, Gov. Gavin Newsom is dispatching three of his coronavirus “strike teams” to the region to help local officials track COVID clusters, inspect workplaces, quarantine the sick and ramp up testing.

Gavin’s Law Will Not Receive Reconsideration Vote

Clovis Roundup

Assembly Bill 195 will not receive a reconsideration hearing by the California Senate Public Safety Committee.

Devon Mathis gives HCCA donations to charity

Visalia Times Delta

The fall out of the charges against Healthcare Conglomerate Associates continues as court hearings loom.

Warszawski: COVID-19 is no time for ‘coasting.’ Why this Fresno councilman should take early exit

Fresno Bee

Every elected official should have an internal buzzer that sounds when it’s time to make a graceful exit. Here’s your cue, Fresno City Councilmember Paul Caprioglio. Do what’s best for your constituents and hand over the reins.

South SJ Valley:

McCarthy faces QAnon squeeze

POLITICO

One Republican called QAnon, which Marjorie Taylor Greene has embraced, the equivalent of “mental gonorrhea.”

See also:

Mask up Porterville: Effort to education on face coverings continues

Porterville Recorder

While virtually everyone in the area has gotten used to wearing a face covering — whether they like it or not — the etiquette of how to wear a face mask remains an issue. Throughout the community people can still be seen wearing face coverings — but not completely covering their mouth and nose.There have also been complaints of employees at businesses who aren’t wearing their face coverings properly.

Bakersfield City Council aids struggling renters and small businesses with CARES Act allocation

Bakersfield Californian

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:

Will Newsom make history? California governor could face pressure to select a Latino senator

Modesto Bee

California Latino leaders are laying the groundwork to press Gov. Gavin Newsom to break a political barrier for the state’s largest ethnic community if he gets the chance to appoint Kamala Harris’ successor in the U.S. Senate.

See also:

The Veepstakes Are Over — Now Whom Might Newsom Pick To Replace Kamala Harris In Senate?

Capital Public Radio

Joe Biden’s choice of California’s junior senator, Kamala Harris, as his running mate brings to a close the presidential campaign’s most frenetic guessing game. It also opens up a relatively rare thing in the Golden State: the prospect of an open Senate seat.

Newsom Proposes More Economic Recovery Aid As COVID-19 Backlog Is Cleaned Up

Capital Public Radio

As the legislature’s Aug. 31 end-of-session deadline looms, Gov. Gavin Newsom floated a handful of economic recovery ideas during a Wednesday coronavirus press conference, including some put forth by legislative Democrats in a $100 billion stimulus package.

See also:

California on the cusp of reining in COVID-19 surge, data show

LA Times

Six weeks after California began re-closing swaths of the economy, there is cautious optimism that coronavirus transmission is heading downward, officials say. If it stays that way, the state may be on the cusp of curbing its second surge of the pandemic.

California heat wave raises fire threat, virus spread fears

SF Gate

California faces a heat wave Friday that could bring dangerously high temperatures throughout the state, increased wildfire danger and a higher threat of the spreading of the coronavirus as people flock to beaches and recreation areas.

California Becomes First State to Report 600,000 Coronavirus Cases

NY Times

North Korea lifted a lockdown as New Zealand extended one. Britain will require some travelers to self-isolate. France declared Paris a high-risk region for the virus.

The 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission to Meet on August 26, 2020

2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission 

The newly formed 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) will be holding their first meeting on August 26, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. 

EDITORIAL: State Senate fails to act on law named after Clovis man. Now Californians remain at risk

Fresno Bee

The one time Sacramento Democrats should have passed a law, they just could not bring themselves to do it. Maybe that is because Assembly Bill 195 was written by a Republican, Jim Patterson of Fresno. Maybe it was because the law-and-order measure makes complete sense to anyone not inside the current criminal-reform bubble encapsulating the state Capitol.

Editorial: California needs to take this job away from Attorney General Xavier Becerra ASAP

San Diego Union-Tribune

One of state government’s worst traditions is once again on display: the partisan slanting of ballot language by attorneys general to either promote or undercut measures going before California voters.

Federal:

GOP’s Tom McClintock ‘skeptical’ of any Trump order on unemployment without Congress’ okay

Fresno Bee

Rep. Tom McClintock is no fan of President Donald Trump’s executive order to provide unemployment recipients with another $300 to $400 weekly. “I am skeptical of any executive order that spends money without congressional authorization,” the California Republican said, “and any policy that pays people more not to work than they were making when they were working.”

More US churches sue to challenge COVID-19 restrictions

Modesto Bee

Churches in California and Minnesota, backed by a conservative legal group, filed lawsuits this week against the governors of their states challenging restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak that they contend are violations of religious liberty.

Americans are waiting on a new economic stimulus — but Congress is in recess until Labor day

Sac Bee

“I don’t get to take a recess from my life. I don’t get to take a recess from paying my bills.”

Census Takers Are Contacting The 56 Million Households That Haven’t Yet Responded

Capital Public Radio

Starting this week, census takers will be knocking on your door if you haven’t responded to the census questionnaire — that amounts to 56 million households nationwide. So far 63% of households have completed their questionnaires. 

Stimulus checks, jobless aid unlikely for several more weeks as Democrats, White House dig in heels

Los Angeles Times

Another round of stimulus checks for Americans and renewal of expired unemployment benefits for the millions left jobless by the corornavirus-induced recession aren’t likely to be approved until at least after Labor Day as lawmakers leave Washington for a summer break without agreement on a relief package.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

See also:

Elections 2020:

Voter numbers show Democrats strengthen hold on California

Fresno Bee

Democrats are strengthening their hold on California, a state the party has dominated for years, voter registration figures showed Thursday. Figures issued by Secretary of State Alex Padilla showed Democrats eclipse Republicans by nearly a 2-1 margin. Independents, those voters not affiliated with any party, also continue to outnumber GOP voters, though narrowly.

See also:

Biden calls for nationwide mask mandate amid coronavirus pandemic

abc30

Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months. “Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said. “It’s about preventing other people from getting sick.”

See also:

Trump admits he’s blocking additional postal service funding to stop mail-in ballots

abc30

President Donald Trump frankly acknowledged Thursday that he’s starving the U.S. Postal Service of money in order to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him the election.

See Also:

Voters Highly Engaged, but Nearly Half Expect Difficulties Voting in 2020 Election

Pew Research Center

Biden maintains lead despite Trump’s advantage in strong support.

Be patient on election night 2020. Counting the returns will take time.

Poynter

Editor’s note: PolitiFact, which is owned by the Poynter Institute, is fact-checking misinformation about the coronavirus. This article is republished with permission, and originally appeared here.

See also:

The CID Voting Location Siting Tool Expanded to all CA Counties!

California Civic Engagement Project

We recently announced the expansion of the Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID), formerly known as the California Civic Engagement Project, Voting Location Siting Tool to 10 states for the 2020 General Election. The Tool uses data mapping and technology to help election officials and communities easily identify accessible voting centers and polling places. The Tool is being rolled out state-by-state in phases over the coming weeks. 

Young voters are motivated to vote — don’t forget them this election

TheHill

Someone once told me you’re supposed to start an opinion piece with a story. Well here’s the story: Donald Trump is not a good choice for America and he needs to be voted out. The end. 

Other:

Kudlow: Money for voting rights is a ‘really liberal left’ wish list item 

POLITICO

The comments came hours after Trump explicitly tied blocking funding for the Postal Service to stopping universal mail-in voting.

The Quiet Growth Of Race-detection Software Sparks Concerns Over Bias

WSJ

More than a dozen companies offer artificial-intelligence programs that promise to identify a person’s race, but researchers and even some vendors worry it will fuel discrimination

Misinformation Guide

Apple News

Five steps to avoid election misinformation.

The Urgency of Broadband Connectivity in CA

CA Economic Summit 

The pressing need to expand broadband access in California has been put in the spotlight by the pandemic and the resulting impact on education, businesses, and much more. 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

42 more crops eligible for coronavirus relief program, says USDA

abc30

As farmers and ranchers continue to struggle during the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Ag announced it has made more crops and commodities eligible for relief under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Farmers of 42 new fruit, vegetable and nut crops may now apply.

Climate change report forecasts hard times for Kern ag

Bakersfield Californian

A new report warns Kern County agriculture will face tough challenges in the decades ahead as climate change makes irrigation water scarcer and weather conditions more variable and intense.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​/​FIRE​/​​PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Former Northern California prison captain pleads no contest in harassment case

Modesto Bee

A former captain at High Desert State Prison in Northern California has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault for groping a female colleague while on the job. Under his plea agreement in Lassen County Superior Court, Christopher Lewis was placed on two years informal probation and will pay a fine of $1,006. He was given “time-served” credit for the one day he spent in jail when he was booked in 2018.

Viewpoints: Youth prisons are ineffective and should have closed long before the coronavirus hit

Sacramento Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced plans to close the state’s youth prisons system — the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) — leaving it to counties to house youth adjudicated of the most serious offenses.

Public Safety:

Employee dies and over 100 inmates infected with coronavirus at Folsom State Prison

Sacramento Bee

More than 100 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus at Folsom State Prison, and a state prison employee who worked there has died, authorities said this week. Folsom State Prison reports 99 inmates with active COVID-19 infections, all of them confirmed within the last two weeks, according to the CDCR coronavirus data tracker as of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, an increase from the 56 listed in the morning.

California’s Post-Prison Chaos: Thousands Released Early, Including Many With Coronavirus

Capital Public Radio

Christopher Scull has vivid memories of early summer at San Quentin State Prison. During the worst of the prison’s coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 2,200 inmates, it seemed like the “man down” siren blared every half hour, signaling a medical emergency. The other inmates dropped to the ground while staff rushed by, carrying out a sick prisoner in a wheelchair or on a gurney. 

Cities Weigh Cutting Police Budgets and Discover How Hard That Is

WSJ

Officers’ pay is a large part of the spending and is often subject to collective bargaining. Pensions are locked in for years. Officials who set departments’ budgets are elected by voters historically supportive of law enforcement.

Editorial: Psychiatric hospitals, like jails, require releases in the COVID era

Los Angeles Times

A deadly COVID-19 outbreak at Patton State Mental Hospital in San Bernardino is a horrific reminder that locked psychiatric facilities, just like jails and prisons, are jam-packed incubators for disease that should be made safer by judicious but significant releases and by alternative placements.

Fire: 

Crews try to tame California wildfire as heat wave arrives

Fresno Bee

Crews scrambled to protect homes from a huge wildfire that prompted evacuations north of Los Angeles and officials warned the blaze could flare up again Thursday as a blistering heat wave descended on California.

Fresno firefighters seeing increase in fires started by homeless activity

abc30

Fresno Fire PIO Shane Brown says this is just one of more than 1,100 fires this year caused by homeless activity, an almost 76 percent increase year over year.

Lake Fire in Southern California chars 10,500 acres; mandatory evacuations in place

abc30

A fast-moving brush fire near Lake Hughes in the Angeles National Forest prompted evacuations and burned homes as firefighters continue to battle flames early Thursday morning. The Lake Fire exploded in size in a matter of hours and charred 10,500 acres amid hot temperatures after it was reported Wednesday at about 3:45 p.m. near the intersection of North Lake Hughes Road and Pine Canyon Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

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.

Modesto takes its first enforcement action against businesses over coronavirus restrictions

Modesto Bee

Modesto issued cease-and-desist orders Tuesday to two restaurants, a spa and a nail salon suspected of not complying with California’s public health order to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, which has surged in recent weeks throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

Manteca allowing some businesses to expand onto sidewalks, parking spaces

Stockton Record

City Hall has made it a little bit easier for some businesses to expand outside onto public land such as sidewalks and parking spaces as long as they comply with safety requirements and are eligible under current state and county reopening guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wall Street again falls just short of S&P 500 record

Los Angeles Times

Another afternoon fade for stocks left Wall Street just shy of a record Thursday, after the S&P 500 briefly crossed above its all-time closing high for the second straight day. The S&P 500 dipped 6.92 points, or 0.2%, to 3,373.43. At one point during the day, it climbed above 3,386.15. That’s the record closing level it set in February, before investors appreciated how much devastation the new coronavirus would cause for the global economy.

ALDI grocery store is one step closer to opening in Fresno. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

ALDI is getting one step closer to opening in Fresno. The discount grocery store’s new building at the northwest corner of Shaw and West avenues is up. Its exterior appears to be mostly finished, though there is still plenty of work to be done inside and on the parking lot.

The COVID-19 public health and economic crises leave vulnerable populations exposed

Brookings

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created a new reality worldwide. In the United States it has exposed the fragility of some of the most marginalized groups, particularly the millions of Americans we rely on for some of our most basic necessities. The pandemic has arguably buttressed the racial and ethnic inequities that persist in our society. Black and Hispanic households face additional social and economic disparities which are deeply rooted in structural discrimination and systemic racism—both of which have tremendous implications for health and well-being.

Midsummer Shopping In Recovery Mode: July Retail Sales Rise 1.2%

VPR

Retailers had placed much hope on a big midsummer shopping spurt, but July proved to be somewhat lackluster, amid renewed lockdowns and new waves of coronavirus cases. Retail sales grew only 1.2% last month compared to June. Overall sales in July stayed above pre-pandemic levels. This followed a blockbuster June, when sales jumped 8.4%— marking the first month since the start of the pandemic when shoppers spent more than a year earlier, recovering from the historic wipeout in spring.

Jobs:

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:

Uber, Lyft are denied a delay in treating California drivers as employees

Los Angeles Times

Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. failed to persuade a judge to put an extended hold on his order converting their California drivers to employees while they appeal. At the urging of California’s attorney general, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman on Thursday refused to indefinitely pause the injunction he issued this week while the companies ask higher courts to review it.

Viewpoints: Whether gig work is appropriate or an abomination will determine fate of Proposition 22

Sacramento Bee

Reasonable people can disagree whether the business model of Uber, Lyft and other transportation services is a model of flexible part-time work or cruelly exploits non-employee workers. Their drivers, often using their own vehicles, are paid by the ride, giving rise to the term “gig economy.”

EDUCATION

K-12:

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.

Clovis Unified has a plan for fall classes. What are the options for students, teachers?

Fresno Bee

Clovis Unified parents, staff, and students have a clearer idea of what the first day of the fall semester will look like on Monday. All students will be doing some form of distance learning due to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s school guidelines prohibiting counties on the COVID-19 watchlist (including Fresno) from traditional in-person learning.

Immanuel Schools reopens in-person classes, ignoring state mandate during pandemic

Fresno Bee

Immanuel Schools in Reedley reopened in-person classes Thursday, ignoring a state mandate, when school began first day of classes during pandemic.

See Also:

Why Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic’s censure is different as it enters year 2

Fresno Bee

Fresno Unified School District Trustee Terry Slatic has been embroiled in controversies for most of his time on the board and on Wednesday night the board voted to put stricter guidelines on his censure.

See Also:

‘Other side of the story:’ Ethnic studies to be a Fresno Unified school requirement

Fresno Bee

“This is the other side of the story. In order to understand that, you have to look through other minority perspectives.”

Merced schools launch first day of instruction with ‘distance learning’ amid pandemic

Merced Sun-Star

It was a different first-day-of-school experience for many Merced County teachers on Wednesday, as they taught in empty classrooms through a webcam to their new students on Zoom. Merced County schools are starting the year with distance learning after Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year mandated that schools in counties that appear on the state’s monitoring list were prohibited to open with in-person classes.

Fauci: Schools should be outdoors as much as possible

KBAK

School districts developing their plans for reopening for the new academic year should find ways to offer as many outdoor activities as possible, from classes to recess and lunchtime, the nation’s top infectious disease expert recommended in an online discussion Thursday.

California teacher unions won the fight over closing schools. What else do they want?

Sacramento Bee

Teachers say decisions on opening schools are ‘literally life and death’ calls.

BCSD pushes back start of school year to secure hot spots

Bakersfield Californian

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.

Schools mull outdoor classes amid virus, ventilation worries

Bakersfield Californian

It has been seven years since the central air conditioning system worked at the New York City middle school where Lisa Fitzgerald O’Connor teaches. As a new school year approaches amid the coronavirus pandemic, she and her colleagues are threatening not to return unless it’s repaired.

As schools go online, county scrambles to accommodate its employees

Bakersfield Californian

As Kern County schools move to distance learning options for the fall semester, the Board of Supervisors is moving to accommodate as many parents as possible. One of the largest employers in Kern County, supervisors are scheduled to vote Tuesday on a slew of measures that would allow county employees who are parents to work from home or even provide a child care stipend for those who cannot do so. 

Manteca Unified, teachers union spar over classroom teaching after 4 test positive for virus

Stockton Record

Four employees from different schools in Manteca Unified School District have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19. None of the transmissions occurred at the workplace, according to the district, and the employees represent all job classifications.

With face shields and sanitizer, this El Dorado County school gets ready to open its doors

Sacramento Bee

Days before some El Dorado County schools are set to open, teachers at Rescue Elementary School are preparing their classrooms for students. Like every year, colorful borders line the walls, cubbies are labeled, and classroom rules are prominently displayed.

A generation left behind? Online learning cheats poor students, Times survey finds

Los Angeles Times

Maria Viego and Cooper Glynn were thriving at their elementary schools. Maria, 10, adored the special certificates she earned volunteering to read to second-graders. Cooper, 9, loved being with his friends and how his teacher incorporated the video game Minecraft into lessons.

Texas, California governors take heat in battle over school reopenings

Reuteurs

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday sought to reassure parents he is doing all he can to keep students safe as most schools in the state prepare to reopen next week.

Opinion: We Flattened the Curve. Our Kids Belong in School.

The Atlantic

Communities that worked hard to beat the coronavirus should reap the benefits of doing so.

Higher Ed:

Yale discriminates against Asian American and white applicants, Justice Department says

Los Angeles Times

A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday. Yale denied the allegation, calling it “meritless” and “hasty.”

‘I can’t teach when I’m dead.’ Professors fear COVID-19 as college campuses open

Los Angeles Times

When masked students walk back into his Northern Arizona University lab room at the end of the month, Tad Theimer will face them from behind a Plexiglas face shield while holding an infrared thermometer to their foreheads. As they examine bat skulls under microscopes, the biology professor will open windows and doors, hoping to drive out exhaled aerosols that could spread coronavirus.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Clouds to roll over Fresno from a tropical storm, but an excessive heat watch looms

Fresno Bee

If you’ve grown tired of excessively hot days, then you may want to enjoy Thursday’s weather before a heat wave hits the central San Joaquin Valley. Clouds from the remnants of Tropical Storm Elida from the eastern Pacific Ocean are expected to trigger showers and thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada.

See Also:

Trump’s EPA dumps methane emissions rule for oil, gas fields

Bakersfield Californian

President Donald Trump’s administration is undoing Obama-era rules designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields and pipelines, formalizing the changes Thursday in the heart of the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir and in the premier presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Energy:

California oil production limits stall in Legislature, leaving the issue to Newsom

Los Angeles Times

In his first year in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to protect Californians against hazards and pollutants from oil and gas production. Now the governor is facing increasing pressure to make good on his promise after efforts in the Legislature to mandate health and safety buffer zones around oil and gas wells and refineries failed amid fierce opposition from the petroleum industry and trade unions.

Coronavirus Projected to Sap More Oil Demand Than Expected

WSJ

IEA forecasts a deeper contraction to global oil demand this year.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Kern County reports four new deaths, 320 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County reported four new deaths and 320 additional cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, according to the county’s public health services department. So far 187 people have died from COVID-19 in Kern and 26,509 have tested positive for the virus. According to county data, 7,866 individuals have recovered from coronavirus while 17,196 are recuperating at home.

See Also:

Few virus cases reported in Kern child care centers, adult residential facilities

Bakersfield Californian

There have been less than two dozen cases of COVID-19 reported among young children who have continued to attend day care and preschool in Kern County during the pandemic, according to data from the California Department of Social Services, which oversees the agency that licenses and regulates child care facilities. 

U.S. Sees Deadly Drug Overdose Spike During Pandemic

VPR

New data from around the U.S. confirms that drug overdoses are spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, rising by roughly 18%. Reports collected in real time by the Washington, D.C.-based group ODMAP — the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, located at the University of Baltimore — also found a significant spike in the number of fatal overdoses. 

Human Services:

Trump pledged COVID-19 rapid tests for nursing homes. California sites are still waiting

Fresno Bee

The Trump administration in July pledged to send rapid coronavirus testing machines to to nursing homes in hot spots around the country, but they have not yet arrived at some outbreak-challenged sites in the San Joaquin Valley.

A Fresno treatment facility reopens after weeks of lockdown over COVID-19 outbreak

Fresno Bee

A WestCare residential facility in Fresno on Thursday reopened after a COVID-19 outbreak prompted a quarantine lockdown since July 20, with staff and clients – including three children – sheltering in place, an official confirmed to The Bee.

Dental check-up safety debated amid COVID-19 pandemic

abc30

Top health organizations have disagreed over the safety of dental check-ups during the coronavirus pandemic, some arguing staff may get too close to patients. The World Health Organization said dentists and their staff work so closely to the faces of patients that they are at high risk of being infected and at the same time, patients are at risk of having infections passed onto them.

Kern Public Health ramps up contact tracing efforts 

Kern Sol News

Since the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the nation, health professionals have been worried about a number of resources to fight the virus. First it was tests, then ventilators and Intensive Care Unit beds, and then nurses and now contact tracers. Within the past two week, the Kern County Public Health Department has hired more than 20 staff members, bringing the total to more than 100 staffers, many of whom contact trace on any given day, according to Michelle Corson, the department’s spokeswoman. 

CDC director says U.S. could have “worst fall” ever

CBS News

“This could be the worst fall from a public health perspective we’ve ever had,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield.

See also:

COVID-19 Death Rate For Black Americans Twice That For Whites, New Report Says

VPR

Black Americans are becoming infected with the coronavirus at a rate three times that of whites and they are twice as likely to die from COVID-19, according to a new report from the National Urban League, based partly on data from Johns Hopkins University. A key focus of Thursday’s report is the impact of the pandemic and how the disease has followed the contours of the larger society in falling especially hard on Blacks, Latinos and Indigenous people.

Getting A Coronavirus Test To Make Visiting Family Safe? Not So Fast

VPR

Let’s face it, if you’ve been staying home a lot, you’re probably pretty tired of looking at the same faces. Love them as we do, it feels like well past time to start seeing other people, to visit or host relatives and dear friends. So how can you do this without unknowingly spreading the virus or getting exposed?

Fauci backs ‘universal wearing of masks’

TheHill

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, on Thursday told actor Matthew McConaughey in an Instagram interview that he thinks U.S. “should have universal wearing of masks,” echoing the call from presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for a nationwide mask mandate.

See also:

Fauci says temperature checks not reliable ABC News

IMMIGRATION

U.S. Immigration Shutdown Imminent As Congress Talks Collapse

Forbes

USA Today has reported that since Congress has failed to reach a deal on a COVID-19 stimulus package, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will proceed with its furlough of about 13,400 employees, or about two-thirds of its workforce, on August 30th. 

Trump administration can enforce green card wealth test in most states, court rules

CBSNews

A federal appellate court on Wednesday limited an order that had blocked the nationwide implementation of a controversial wealth test for green cards and immigrant visas, allowing the Trump administration to continue the policy in every state except New York, Connecticut and Vermont.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

City looking at parks improvements

Porterville Recorder

At the Parks and Leisure Services Commission meeting in Porterville on Tuesday evening, the commission discussed using a nearly $178,000 Prop 68 grant for improvements to local parks in the city. Donnie Moore, the Parks and Leisure Services Director, listed several potential project ideas during the meeting, but the board will revisit the item during their next meeting, as they are hoping to receive some feedback from the public on where and how to use the funds.

Housing:

California’s eviction ban is ending. Gov. Newsom and lawmakers have 3 weeks to extend it

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers face an 18-day deadline to pass a plan that will keep tenants housed during the coronavirus crisis after the Judicial Council announced Thursday it would allow courts to resume eviction and foreclosure cases on Sept. 1.

See Also:

KCCOA offers rent, utility assistance for seniors

Hanford Sentinel

The Kings County Commission on Aging has announced that is has funds available for emergency rent and utility assistance funding for 2020-2021. Senior citizens in need of assistance are urged to call 559-852-2828 ext. 4850 for further details.

Sacramento City Council backs plan to convert Hawthorn Suites to housing for the homeless

Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Housing Authority will seek $12.5 million in state HomeKey program funding to house the homeless and others following city council approval of the plan this week. If the funding is granted, the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Sacramento — at 321 Bercut Drive in Sacramento’s River District — will be renovated and converted into housing for homeless people and workforce housing.

California’s migrant farmworkers face evictions with no safety net amid pandemic

Los Angeles Times

Three weeks ago on a Saturday evening, Irma Barbosa was startled by a knock on her door in this San Joaquin Valley town. It was the landlord’s son. She was two months behind on her rent. As she stood in the faded yellow threshold of her $300 unit, which lacks running water and is nearly entirely filled by a twin bed, he told her to be gone by 5 a.m. the next day, she said.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California Democrats pushing 2 plans to tax the rich in coronavirus downturn

Fresno Bee

California Democrats on Thursday announced a second union-backed plan to raise taxes on the state’s millionaires as a way to generate revenue for schools and government services a week after their first attempt failed to earn a vote during a committee hearing.

See Also:

New California Financial Watchdog Would Take Aim At Predatory Lenders Amid Pandemic

VPR

Lawmakers in California are rushing to create a new financial protection watchdog agency by the end of the month. They say it’s needed because, under the Trump administration, the main federal regulator has been paralyzed. And they say that during the pandemic that is leaving millions of Americans who are in dire financial straits more vulnerable to predatory lenders, get-out-of-debt-scams and other wrongdoing.

California wealth tax could become first of its kind in the U.S. under new proposal

SFChronicle

A group of state lawmakers on Thursday proposed a first-in-the-nation state wealth tax that would hit about 30,400 California residents and raise an estimated $7.5 billion for the general fund. The tax rate would be 0.4% of net worth, excluding directly held real estate, that exceeds $30 million for single and joint filers and $15 million for married filing separately.

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Most U.S. Cities Expect Next Fiscal Year to Get Worse, Survey Finds 

WSJ

Economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic raises likelihood of more municipal layoffs and service cuts.

TRANSPORTATION

How full is your Metro bus? Transit app will tell you

The Source

A new feature on Transit — Metro’s official smartphone app — will use recent ridership numbers to predict the crowding levels on Metro buses. Just tap on the bus icon and crowding levels will show up. 

WATER

Santa Ana Water Board Postpones Decision on Huntington Beach Desalination Permit Renewal

California Water News Daily

The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board announced that it is postponing its decision on a waste discharge permit renewal for a proposed desalination project in Orange County and requested more information from staff.

“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.