Maddy Institute – August 18, 2020

18Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Coronavirus outbreak at Livingston Foster Farms plant reaches 200 cases, 2 deaths, mayor says

Fresno Bee

The Foster Farms facility in Livingston has had an outbreak of more than 200 infections in recent weeks, including at least two deaths, according to Mayor Gurpal Samra. Officials with Foster Farms would not confirm the number of cases or deaths at the Livingston facility in Merced County.

County reports no deaths for the first time in August

Modesto Bee

The coronavirus death toll in Stanislaus County stood at 198 on Sunday, the first time in August the agency reported zero deaths in its daily update. Nevertheless, the one-day positivity rate of 28.57%, due to 162 infections out of 567 test results Sunday, kept the 14-day rate – and August’s rate – at more than three times the state’s 14-day rate of 6.4%.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno County passes 50,000 cases. Black-owned businesses struggle

Fresno Bee

Fresno County has topped 20,000 total cases of the coronavirus following a weekend of more than 1,000 new positive cases. The state Department of Health on Monday said Fresno County has reported 20,603 cases since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is 1,446 more than were reported by the county on Friday.

‘COVID-19 is out of control.’ A scramble to make online learning work in Fresno, Clovis

Fresno Bee

Need help from your school with distance learning? The Bee has removed the paywall for this story.

This Madera Co community is running out of water — and the only well might fail

Fresno Bee

“One of these days, we’re going to wake up and there’s not going to be water,” said resident Norma Bustillos.

2 years after ‘fake farmer’ challenge, Devin Nunes reports income from agriculture

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes for the first time since at least 2007 is reporting income from an agricultural property in Tulare County. The congressman’s disclosure of farm income comes two years after a group of critics challenged his description of himself as a farmer in election material sent to voters.

South SJ Valley:

Setton expansion on county board agenda

Porterville Recorder

Setton Pistachio is expanding. The planned expansion of Setton Farms Inc. will be discussed at the next Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting to be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Political battles, confusion reign in Kern County, one of worst U.S. coronavirus hot spots

LA Times

Kern County has become one of the worst coronavirus hot spots in the nation, with infections spreading rapidly through food processing plants, agricultural communities and other places in Bakersfield and small rural towns.

State:

Calif hospitalizations fall below 5,000 for first time since June

San Jose Mercury

For six weeks, not a day went by without at least 5,000 patients around Calif hospitalized with COVID-19. The active hospitalization count climbed higher than 7,100 in mid-July. On Sunday, the streak was broken.

Calif adds 5 counties to virus monitoring list, drops 1

Fresno Bee

The number of counties on Calif’s monitoring list for coronavirus cases grew to 42 even as Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday the state’s overall virus trends were heading in the right direction. Newsom said the state found an additional 14,861 virus cases after reviewing a backlog of nearly 300,000 test results that got tied up in a lab reporting problem.

Newsom nears pivotal decision: Should Calif reopen more sectors again?

POLITICO

Newsom will face his toughest test as soon as Tuesday when San Diego County is expected to get off the state’s list of coronavirus trouble spots. Not only would the county of 3.3 million become the largest and most metropolitan to shed its watch list status, it features a Republican big city mayor who has been driving hard to reopen businesses in a more politically moderate region — and who may be the GOP’s best hope to challenge Newsom in two years.

Gov. Newsom outlines what Calif is doing to conserve energy during heat wave

Fresno Bee

At a news conference on Aug. 17, 2020, Calif Governor Gavin Newsom described the steps Calif is taking to conserve energy amid rolling blackouts across the state due to the recent heat wave.

Calif to sue over post office changes, even as postmaster general backs off

SF Chronicle

Calif Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Tuesday that he would join a nationwide lawsuit over proposed changes to the U.S. Postal Service that Democrats fear are being used to sabotage mail voting in the November election.

Will Calif change policing?

CALmatters

State lawmakers will decide the fate of 15 reform bills during a pandemic-shortened session marked by civil unrest and an economic crisis. Not all of them will make it.

Walters: Calif’s crisis of competence

CALmatters

Calif’s very troubled bullet train project reflects the decline of managerial competence in state government.

Federal:

Pelosi Calls Lawmakers Back To Block Postal Service Changes

VPR
Spurred by concerns about delayed delivery of mail-in ballots, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling lawmakers back early from their August recess. She’s calling for a vote on legislation that would block the U.S. Postal Service from making operational changes.

● House to vote on $25B infusion for Postal Service amid Trump attacks Politico

● Postmaster to Suspend USPS Changes Until After Election WSJ

● A Brief History Of Political Interference In The U.S. Postal Service NPR

How to get the pandemic bill negotiations unstuck

National Review

Both House Democrats and Senate Republicans will need to use the recess to reset their expectations some, and the administration will need to focus on a few key priorities to help a deal happen.

FDA approves cheaper, faster saliva-based COVID-19 test

abc30

Faster results could be coming for COVID-19 testing as the Food and Drug Administration recently green-lit a new test that some are calling a game changer. The new SalivaDirect test is cheaper and faster than its predecessors, determining results in less than three hours.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif

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:

● Calif Department of Public Health

● Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

● 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:

What Latinos, immigrants and first-time voters need to know about Calif’s November election

Fresno Bee

Calif Latinos’ influence at the voting booth often trails their share of the state’s population.

Trump motivates Democrats to rally behind Biden, Harris

Bakersfield Califn

For the second time in four years, the Democratic presidential primary pitted the expanding progressive movement against an eventually victorious establishment. But as the party gathers virtually this week to nominate Joe Biden for the presidency, the possibility of President Donald Trump’s reelection has become Democrats’ unifying and energizing force.

● Biden spends big in pre-convention, post-Harris blitz POLITICO

Trump and Biden offer starkly different visions of U.S. healthcare

LA Times

Few issues have more sharply divided Republicans and Democrats over the last decade than healthcare, and so it is with President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. The two men offer starkly different visions of what the federal government should do to ensure that Americans have access to affordable medical care.

● Climate crisis or ‘hoax’: Where Trump and Biden stand on environmental policy LA Times

Trump’s 2016 campaign chair was a ‘grave counterintelligence threat,’ had contact with Russian intelligence, Senate panel finds

Wash Post

The determination about Paul Manafort is contained in the final volume of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report documenting its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The bipartisan report is also highly critical of how the FBI handled a dossier alleging other ties between President Trump and Russia.

Kasich can’t help Biden win over Republicans but Trump can

Brookings

“There is some ground for Mr. Biden to take a larger percentage of Republicans in 2020 than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Yet, it is hard to imagine that Monday night’s speakers will do the trick and move voters who are on the fence.” John Hudak assesses the cross-party appeals from the first night of the Democratic National Convention.

7 Takeaways From The 1st Night Of The Democratic National Convention

VPR

The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday night in its first completely virtual, made-for-TV incarnation. It was unlike any convention night seen in years past. The most glaring difference: the absence of delegates and an audience. That presented hurdles that the party tried to vault with a highly produced event that felt, at times, like a political infomercial mixed with a bit of “We Are The World” — and included one standout speech from former first lady Michelle Obama.

● Will Calif Bernie Sanders delegates vote for Joe Biden? Fresno Bee

● Bernie Sanders won big in Calif. Here’s why his Golden State delegates are settling for BidenFresno Bee

● Fact Check: Michelle Obama right that 2 votes per precinct enabled Trump win in MichiganPolitiFact

● Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders Open Democratic National Convention With Case Against TrumpWSJ

How racial issues will define the 2020 presidential election

ABC News

Nonwhite voters make up one-third of the 2020 electorate.

Here’s Kamala Harris’ birth certificate. Scholars say there’s no VP eligibility debate

San Jose Mercury

As Kamala Harris prepares to accept the vice presidential nomination at this week’s Democratic National Convention, there is a document on file in the Alameda County Recorder’s Office that contradicts any and all theories — legal, conspiracy or otherwise — that the Calif senator is ineligible for the office.

Former DHS official: Trump wanted to withhold Calif wildfire money for political reasons

POLITICO

In a new ad by the group Republican Voters Against Trump, Miles Taylor, former chief of staff to former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, said Trump was “actively doing damage to our security,” recounting a number of episodes that he said revealed Trump’s inability to lead.

A deep dive on the polls

POLITICO

Joe Biden is entering his party’s national convention with a clear lead, built mostly on a broad coalition of voters dissatisfied with Donald Trump’s leadership as president and fearful he will win reelection.

Other:

The newsroom was the beating heart of a local newspaper. What’s lost when the owner shuts it down?

Wash Post

Through war, depression and every kind of turmoil the country endured over the past 100 years, the Morning Call’s newsroom was on the same downtown corner in Allentown, Pa. Until now.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Calif farming country buckles under COVID-19. Will pandemic make or break the Valley?

Fresno Bee

Long overlooked, often derided as “the other Calif,” the Valley is finally in the spotlight – for all the wrong reasons. Gov. Gavin Newsom described the Valley as his “biggest area of concern” recently and dispatched three of his coronavirus “strike teams” to the region to help local officials halt the spread. Yet some believe the region could use the surge in coronavirus infections to its advantage, leveraging the attention and resources to not only beat the pandemic but bring about meaningful improvements in a region plagued for decades by low wages, substandard housing, spotty access to health care and rampant environmental problems.

Names of Note: Foster Farms of Livingston steps up for food banks. So does Starbucks

Modesto Bee

Foster Farms of Livingston has donated another 105 tons of chicken to food banks facing high demand with the pandemic. The recipients include Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin & StanislausCounties, based in Manteca.

Support for backyard hens in Bakersfield grows as advocates attempt for legalization within city limits

Bakersfield Califn

Michelle Harp looks back fondly on the time she raised chickens in the backyard of her southwest Bakersfield home.

High temperatures slow work, trigger special precautions for outdoor laborers

Bakersfield Califn

High temperatures are making tough jobs harder for people working outdoors in Kern County, and recently high humidity and poor air quality aren’t helping.

As Calif Struggles With Covid-19, Farmworkers Are Among Most Affected

WSJ

State’s highest rates of coronavirus are in Central Valley, where largely Latino workforce picks and processes food.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Activists: Police killings of Latinos lack attention

Bakersfield Califn

Forty-year-old Antonio Valenzuela’s death didn’t spark widespread protests like George Floyd’s. In fact, the police killing of Valenzuela drew little attention outside the American Southwestern city just north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Public Safety:

Report faults Calif prisons for poor coronavirus checks

Fresno Bee

Calif prisons were inconsistent in screening employees and visitors for the coronavirus, which may have increased the risk of its spread, the state’s inspector general said in a report Monday.

Fresno’s main courthouse abruptly closes. Here are plans for rest of Monday

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Superior Court main courthouse was temporarily closed Monday after the building lost power. Court officials were not sure what caused the power outage, but crews were working on getting the power restored.

Court considers releasing inmates vulnerable to COVID-19 from San Quentin

SF Chronicle

As the coronavirus sweeps through San Quentin State Prison, a state appeals court says it may order the prison to grant supervised release to hundreds of aging or medically vulnerable inmates. After a contentious hearing in which state lawyers rejected settlement talks that could lead to releases of San Quentin inmates, a panel of the First District Court of Appeal in SF ordered prison officials Friday to justify any further refusal to remove those with heightened risk of COVID-19 from the 150-year-old prison.

Google giving far-right users’ data to law enforcement, documents reveal

The Guardian

A little-known investigative unit inside search giant Google regularly forwarded detailed personal information on the company’s users to members of a counter-terrorist fusion center in Calif’s Bay Area, according to leaked documents reviewed by the Guardian.

Fire:

Calif firefighters battle wildfires in extreme heat

Fresno Bee

Calif firefighters battled destructive wildfires Monday as a lengthening heat wave roasted the state. Thousands of homes were at risk and air quality deteriorated in areas affected by smoke.

Trump sought to withhold Calif fire aid because of politics, former official says

LA Times

The former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security claims in a political ad released Monday that President Trump tried to withhold disaster relief money for Calif’s wildfires because voters in the state opposed him politically.

How PG&E Is Racing to Improve Safety as Fire Season Approaches

NY Times

The utility, which recently emerged from bankruptcy, is upgrading power lines, trimming trees and making other changes to prevent another big fire.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Progress starts with Black-run organizations that help Black-owned businesses

Fresno Bee

Tara Lynn Gray, President & CEO of the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce & Chamber Foundation, talks about how African American-owned businesses will suffer the most during economic downturns like during the coronavirus pandemic.

Outdoor dining could be coming to downtown

Porterville Recorder

Outdoor dining could be coming to downtown Porterville as soon as Wednesday. At its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday the Porterville City Council will consider outdoor dining to be offered at several restaurants on Main Street and in the downtown area.

County small business relief fund also aided advocacy groups, museums

Bakersfield Califn

While bars, restaurants, nail salons and real estate offices received the majority of federal money from a Kern County small business relief fund, recipients also included chambers of commerce, nonprofits and a ski resort.

Tejon Ranch Commerce Center adds four restaurant tenants

Bakersfield Califn

Four new restaurants are opening at the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center, and although it probably goes without saying during the COVID-19 crisis, they all offer drive-thru service, takeout and patio dining. Tejon Ranch Co. and TravelCenters of America announced Jamba Juice and Charleys Philly Steaks & Wings began operating Saturday in a new standalone building north of the Outlets at Tejon and south of the Interstate 5-Highway 99 interchange.

Jobs:

‘We are all vulnerable right now.’ Latino Valley leaders call for farmworker COVID-19 aid

Fresno Bee

Tucked in the fields of Calif’s central San Joaquin Valley, farmworkers in the peak of the summer’s harvesting season scurry to pick and package crops, preparing to distribute them to the state, country and world.

Calif ethics agency opens investigation into former CalPERS investment chief

Fresno Bee

The Calif agency that enforces state political conflict of interest laws confirmed it is opening an investigation into two complaints regarding former CalPERS Chief Investment Office Yu Ben Meng. The Fair Political Practices Commission announced its review in an Aug. 11 letter to Meng’s attorney that the agency released to The Sacramento Bee on Monday.

Uber seeks court reprieve after Calif shutdown threat

LA Times

Uber Technologies Inc. joined Lyft Inc. in asking an appeals court for an extended reprieve on converting Calif drivers to employees after both companies warned that a rapid overhaul of their business models may force them to suspend operations in their home state.

Unemployment fraud ring filed bogus Calif jobless benefits for inmates, officials say

LA Times

In Calif’s first major case involving unemployment fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities allege 21 people in Northern Calif were part of a fraud ring that stole $250,000 by submitting bogus claims on behalf of jail inmates. The ring was allegedly operated out of the San Mateo County jail and discovered when law enforcement officers overheard inmates talking about fraudulent claims, officials said Monday.

CDC Study Finds Hispanics Hit Disproportionately Hard By Workplace Outbreaks

VPR

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published on Monday is the latest to confirm that the coronavirus disproportionately impacts communities of color in the U.S. The study looked at COVID-19 cases associated with workplace outbreaks in certain industries in Utah between March and June. It found that Hispanic and nonwhite workers made up 73% of those cases — despite representing just 24% of the workforce in sectors where outbreaks occurred.

What Reopening? Unemployment Stays High Amid Claims Struggles

PEW

Jobless numbers up in seven states, unchanged in 22 others.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Tulare Co. sheriff visits Outside Creek School, confirms in-person instruction happening

abc30

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux visited Outside Creek Elementary School on Monday morning as the school continues to host students on its campus. Action News first reported students on campus at the elementary school on Wednesday.

How Modesto schools tackled crashes, glitches and ‘quirky’ discovery that began year

Modesto Bee

With its biggest tech fires put out by the third day of school last week, Modesto City Schools leaders said Monday that teachers now can really get down to the business of education. Superintendent Sara Noguchi and members of her team spoke Monday morning about the academic year’s distance-learning start.

Kern Co students, teachers receive distance learning support from Bank of America

Bakersfield Califn

The Kern County Superintendent of Schools announced Monday that Bank of America has provided a $75,000 COVID Relief Grant to help support the purchase of 20,000 Chromebooks and 5,700 WiFi hot spots for local students. An estimated 40,000 students countywide did not have access to the internet and/or a computer at home when schools physically closed on March 18, according to a news release.

School districts work to continue free meal distribution as fall distance learning looms

Bakersfield Califn

School starts on Monday for most students in Kern County, but children in the early grades through high school will start the school year online, distance learning from home.

Higher Ed:

Fresno State anticipates largest ever incoming class for 110th academic year

Fresno State News

On the third floor of the Henry Madden Library, these things still adorn a holiday display — green construction paper shamrocks, “The Irish Songbook,” “The Best of Irish Music” — like a moment frozen in time.

Newsom signs Cal State University ethnic studies bill

EdSource

Gov. Gavin Newsom sided with the state legislature on Monday by signing a bill that requires Calif State University students who enter as freshmen in 2021-22 to take an ethnic studies course focused on one of four ethnic groups in order to graduate.

Colleges Must Attend to 3 Crucial Areas

Inside Higher Ed

The global health crisis is about to claim some unlikely victims, who have actually been ill for a long time. I refer, of course, to vulnerable members of our American system of colleges and universities, some of whom face the terrible choice of putting students, administrators and faculty members at risk or experiencing certain economic calamity.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Fresno-area heat wave: When can we expect things to cool off?

Fresno Bee

An excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service remains in effect in Fresno, Merced and other Valley counties through at least Thursday, with high temperatures expected to remain above 100 degrees through Sunday.

● Modesto sweats and coughs with record-setting heat wave, and wildfires Modesto Bee

● Will Calif cool down soon? Was it really 112? Answers to your heat wave questions Sacramento Bee

● Death Valley hits 130 degrees, thought to be highest temperature on Earth in nearly a century LA Times

Some Calif cities think they’re safe from sea level rise. They’re not, new research shows

Sacramento Bee

Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, yet a world away from SF, in an unincorporated and oft-overlooked area known as Marin City, sea level rise is rarely the first worry that comes to mind. Traditional flood maps for this predominantly Black and working-class community suggest that the area is safe from rising water until 3 feet or more.

Trump charts Arctic drilling rights sale in likely election row

Sacramento Bee

The Trump administration on Monday authorized a sweeping plan to sell drilling rights and spur oil development in Alaska’s rugged Arctic refuge, setting up a possible auction by the end of 2020 and a political clash if the president loses the November election.

Five automakers finalize deal with Calif to clean up car emissions

CalMatters

The companies pledged to meet state greenhouse gas requirements, not Trump administration rollbacks. In exchange, they get more time to meet them.

Energy:

Newsom wants probe of Calif blackouts, as grid officials suspend volatile power trading

Fresno Bee

Facing its biggest crisis in two decades, the manager of Calif’s electricity grid is suspending a form of power trading that it says has made the grid more volatile and contributed to two nights of rolling blackouts.

● Grid operator: 3.3 million Calif homes could lose power Fresno Bee

● Rolling blackouts expected today for 3.3 million Califns, energy officials warn Fresno Bee

● Gov. Newsom says power outages ‘very likely’ through Wednesday, 5 counties added to CA watch list abc30

● Your AC should be going full blast this morning, utility experts say. Here’s why Sacramento Bee

● Newsom orders investigation CALmatters

● New rolling blackouts could hit millions in Calif; Newsom calls crisis ‘unacceptable’ LA Times

● Calif could black out power for over 3 million homes on Monday, grid official says SF Chronicle

● Tips for coping with Calif’s rolling blackouts: How to prepare and stay safe SF Chronicle

● Calif power grid operator cancels rolling blackouts KBAK

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Health caution issued as smoke from Calif wildfires moves into Central Valley

abc30

Several wildfires burning in Calif will affect the air quality in the Central Valley, officials warned on Monday. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is issuing a health caution for Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties as smoke looms in from surrounding fires, including the Hills Fire in Fresno County.

Kern Public Health reports 218 new coronavirus cases

Bakersfield Califn

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 218 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, with no new deaths. So far, the department has reported 26,788 COVID-19 cases in Kern County residents, with 10 cases reported in non-county residents. So far, 204 people living in Kern have died of the virus. The county says 8,443 people have recovered from COVID-19, 32 more than on Sunday.

Kids still need shots to enroll in school. Golden Valley offered drive-through vaccines

Modesto Bee

Five-year-old Isaiah Arroyo was not thrilled to be next for vaccines, despite receiving snacks, crayons and a coloring book for the wait at Golden Valley Health Centers’ Turlock Clinic on Thursday. GVHC hosted drive-through clinics last week to help children catch up on their vaccines, as immunization visits have fallen by about 40% since the start of the pandemic.

Extreme Heat And Fire Tornadoes Slow Firefighting Efforts In Calif

VPR

Firefighters are battling more than a dozen wildfires across Calif as a scorching heat wave continues to bear down on the state. And in the midst of record-breaking temperatures, rare lightning storms have also sparked a handful of new fires that continue to rage on. “We are all experiencing rather extraordinary conditions,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday, adding that there are about 15 fires burning in the northern and southern ends of the state.

When a Lack of Air Conditioning is a Public Health Threat

PPIC

Calif is getting hotter, which is leading to public health inequities caused by a lack of air conditioning. We talked to Kelly Sanders of the University of Southern Calif about addressing “air conditioning deserts.”

Covid-19 Can Cause Heart Damage—Even If You Are Asymptomatic

Forbes

A lot has been written about “long haulers”—patients who have tested positive for SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, who continue to experience ongoing symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, palpitations and difficulty breathing for months after their initial diagnosis.

Human Services:

Calif hospitalizations fall below 5,000 for first time since June

San Jose Mercury

FDA approves cheaper, faster saliva-based COVID-19 test

abc30

Why States Are Limiting COVID-19 Testing

PEW

Nationwide, states are starting to question whether to test people who don’t show symptoms and aren’t part of a vulnerable population.

IMMIGRATION

Man Detained At Mesa Verde Says Covid-19 Outbreak Was Inevitable

VPR

Almost half the people tested for COVID-19 last Wednesday at Mesa Verde had positive results. Thirty two out of 70 people tested positive. Asif Qazi, who’s been detained at Mesa Verde since February, says he’s not surprised.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Yosemite lodging logjam projected to open in fall season

SF Chronicle

The epic crush of summer visitors at renowned recreation destinations across Calif is projected to continue through October — but could possibly abate come November. In Yosemite Valley, for example, lodging policies that allow reservations up to a year in advance has translated to nightly sell-outs in the park through October, with a few spare exceptions from cancellations, according to a representative at the National Park Reservations website.

Housing:

Advocates say homeless hotel program discriminates against disabled people

LA Times

A program that has moved thousands of homeless people into hotel and motel rooms to protect them from the coronavirus discriminates against some of the most needy and vulnerable living on the streets, a group of advocates for elderly and disabled residents has charged.

Refinancing Your Mortgage? Those Rock-Bottom Interest Rates Aren’t for You

WSJ

Lenders are prioritizing home buyers, which means higher rates on refis.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Some parents will get a $500 stimulus check this fall, IRS says. Here’s what to know

Fresno Bee

Some parents who missed out on the additional $500 payment for their dependent children under the CARES Act will have more time to register, the Internal Revenue Service said. Parents receiving federal benefits, such as Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, will be able to use the agency’s Non-Filers tool until Sept. 30 to get their money this fall, the IRS said.

Valley Voices: Newsom’s COVID-19 response just adds to the high tax burden paid by Califns

Fresno Bee

Gov. Newsom’s policies are creating heavy burdens for the people of Calif. Instead of limiting the economic impact of the coronavirus shutdown, the governor with the Democrat majority Legislature is creating new and oppressive laws. These recent laws are increasing the financial strain on families and businesses.

TRANSPORTATION

All Calif DMV locations to close early for next 3 days to conserve energy

abc30

All Calif DMV locations are set to close at 3 pm from Monday, August 17, through Wednesday, August 19, in order to conserve energy. All customers with and without an appointment will be allowed inside until 2:30 pm each day. If you have an appointment between 2:30 pm and 5 pm, the DMV will contact you in order to reschedule.

See Also:

● DMV closing early to conserve energy Bakersfield Califn

Our roads are trashed. We now have to deal with pandemic debris piling up on our highways

Fresno Bee

Subscriber exclusive: A side effect of the coronavirus? Trashed roads. “You would be flabbergasted at how quickly trash accumulates.”

Five automakers finalize deal with Calif to clean up car emissions

CalMatters

The companies pledged to meet state greenhouse gas requirements, not Trump administration rollbacks. In exchange, they get more time to meet them.

Walters: Calif’s crisis of competence

CALmatters

Calif’s very troubled bullet train project reflects the decline of managerial competence in state government.

WATER

This Madera Co community is running out of water — and the only well might fail

Fresno Bee

“One of these days, we’re going to wake up and there’s not going to be water,” said resident Norma Bustillos.

Trump Admin advances plan to increase water reliability in Bay Area and Central Valley

Calif Water News Daily

The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Final Feasibility Report, which documents potential costs and benefits of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project. As part of a continuing effort to increase storage capability throughout Calif, Reclamation and the Contra Costa Water District worked together on Phase 2 of the project to increase the capacity from 160,000 acre-feet up to 275,000 acre-feet and adding new conveyance facilities.

“Xtra”

With gyms closed, see how one fitness center is keeping in shape outdoors

Sacramento Bee

As gyms remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic fitness instructor Forest Vance has had to move his classes outside and online. At a group boot camp Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, Vance and his clients think it might be for the better.