30Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

Valley:

City Official Is No Fan of Nunes Pension Reform Bill

GV Wire

Tulare Congressman Devin Nunes is pushing his pension oversight bill for the fifth time.

War Of Words: Nunes Feud With Fresno Bee Gains National Attention

Valley Public Radio

Attacks on news coverage are becoming more common at the local level. One of the highest profile examples is right here in Central California, specifically the on-going feud between Tulare Representative Devin Nunes and the Fresno Bee.

Sen. Vidak: Californians Need Safe Drinking Water Now

Fox&Hounds

It is not often that Republicans and Democrats come together and agree on a solution to a pressing challenge facing our state. It is even rarer when industries whose perspectives are usually on the opposite end of the philosophical spectrum – like agricultural and environmental justice organizations – are on the same page.

Waseen Ahmed seeks re-election to Chowchilla Council

Madera Tribune

Chowchilla City Council Member Waseem Ahmed has filed for re-election in the Nov. 6 General Election. Ahmed is seeking his second term as a Chowchilla City Council member.

ACLU plans Bakersfield office focused on policing, immigrant rights

Bakersfield Californian

The American Civil Liberties Union plans to open an office in Bakersfield soon that will focus on immigrant rights and policing, moving the famously liberal organization from a remote monitoring stance to up-close vigilance in Kern County.

Interior Secretary Sets Sept. 1 Deadline for New Central Valley Water Policies

PublicCEO

The long-expected showdown between the Trump administration and the state of California over water, farmers and the Central Valley appears to be imminent.

How This Community Fought for $70 Million in Cleanup Funds — and Won

PublicCEO

Southwest Fresno has California’s worst air quality and greatest concentration of disadvantaged neighborhoods. The inspiring story of residents who mobilized to claim the state funds to redress these ills.

State:

Booze fuels business — and bad behavior — at California Capitol

Sacramento Bee

California lawmakers and lobbyists convene at bars and restaurants around the Capitol for fundraisers and other meetings over drinks. The alcohol can fuel bad behavior, but #MeToo has made witnesses more responsive.

California’s isolated, partisan political camps do not know how to govern

Modesto Bee

Democrat Gavin Newsom, California’s likely next governor, has been pulled to the new Democratic base where emotion has replaced logic. The progressives want single-payer health care, and they want it now.

GOP candidate for state attorney general faces numerous charges of judicial misconduct

San Francisco Chronicle

Republican candidate Steven Bailey is facing nearly a dozen charges of judicial misconduct for allegedly having misused his post as an El Dorado County Superior Court judge prior to stepping down last August to run for state attorney general.

Beyond the deep state witch hunt, Hunter defense could focus on campaign rule 'gray areas'

San Diego Union-Tribune

In the week since federal prosecutors dropped a sweeping indictment on Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife Margaret accusing them of using $250,000 in campaign money for personal expenses, Hunter and his lawyer publicly launched two lines of defense — attacking prosecutors and blaming Margaret Hunter.

See Also:

● 'Leave my wife out of it,' Rep. Duncan Hunter says after all but blaming her San Diego Union-Tribune

California lawmakers vote to raise the age for buying long guns from 18 to 21

Los Angeles Times

Alarmed by a string of mass shootings by young people, California lawmakers on Wednesday sent the governor a bill that would raise the minimum age for buying long guns in the state from 18 to 21.

It’s The Final Days Of California’s Legislative Session. Find Out What Laws Pass And Fail Here.

Capital Public Radio

California lawmakers will pass hundreds of bills this legislative session, including laws dealing with who pays for wildfires, police use of force, and many others. Follow here for updates until the Legislature ends its session Friday.

California Moves to Mandate Female Board Directors

WSJ

California legislators on Wednesday passed a bill that requires major companies based in the state to put female directors on their boards.

Federal:

Trump warns change would come 'violently' if Republicans lose in midterms

ABC30

President Trump told Evangelical leaders during a closed door dinner at the White House that there will be "violence" if Democrats take control in the November election.

How Donald Trump dismantled the New Class

Spectator

Americans are the most generous and admirable of people, and among the worst governed in the First World. Can this be fixed? I don’t know. How did this come about? That is a question I think I can answer.

EDITORIAL: Mr. President, please stop Googling yourself

Los Angeles Times

President Trump fired off an angry Twitter broadside against Google before the sun rose Tuesday, accusing the search company of skewing its results in favor of “fake news” outlets at the expense of conservative ones

Other:

'John McCain will always have our back': Politicians pay tribute to the late senator

ABC30

The first of five days of memorials honoring the late Sen. John McCain started in his adopted home state of Arizona Wednesday.

See Also:

● Goodbye, John McCain; you served us well Madera Tribune

● Nostalgia for John McCain’s ‘straight talk’ in the age of Trump Los Angeles Times

● John McCain's Death Marks The Near-Extinction Of Bipartisanship NPR

Two Years Later, the Elites Are Still Disconnected From Voters

RollCall

It’s about the millions of people in this country who feel that no one cares what they think or values what they do. People who believe that their voice isn’t being heard, especially by the elites in this country, whether in politics, the media, academia or the cultural arena.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Almonds top seller again in Madera County

The Business Journal

Sales of agricultural goods in Madera County totaled more than $1.97 billion in 2017, with almonds continuing to be the top-selling crop.

Recalled Safeway beef made Clearlake man sick, family claims

ABC30

Safeway, the owner of Safeway, Albertsons, and Vons grocery stores is urging California customers to check their freezers and refrigerators for ground beef products tied to a massive E. coli recall.

Cannabis company abandons Hanford for Woodlake

Hanford Sentinel

It seems one of the three cannabis companies that was issued a temporary cannabis permit from the city has decided to take its business elsewhere.

Pot industry wants to see ‘stoner’ stereotype go up in smoke

Stockton Record

With a multibillion-dollar industry beginning to flower — marijuana is now legal in some form in 30 states — cannabis advocates are pushing to dispel the idea that people who toke up still live on the couches in their parents’ basements and spend their waking hours eating Cheetos and playing video games.

Component Coffee Lab brings big city flare, community values to Downtown Visalia

Visalia Times Delta

Jonathon Anderson and Greg Amend had one mission opening Component Coffee Lab in Downtown Visalia: "To pour the best cup of coffee in town."

FDA to California: Cancer warning labels for coffee would be 'misleading'

Los Angeles Times

There are still parts of the Trump administration that value science, and coffee drinkers in California can be thankful that the Food and Drug Administration is one of them.

Campbell Soup to Sell International Business and Fresh Unit

WSJ

Campbell is looking for buyers for its Bolthouse Farms, Garden Fresh, Arnott’s and Kelsen brands, which together generate $2.1 billion in annual revenue, the company said. The Wall Street Journal had reported those plans earlier Thursday.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

CHP steps up enforcement for Labor Day weekend

Hanford Sentinel

To help ensure everyone on the state’s roadways remains safe, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will be out in force over the Labor Day weekend, looking for impaired drivers and assisting motorists in need.

Retailers express frustration over Prop. 47 realities

The Business Journal

Among other things, increases in basic shoplifting are directly to due to the decrease in penalties, according to Steven Wright, assistant district attorney for Fresno County.

Worried your Amazon package might get stolen? You’re not alone, recent survey says

Sacramento Bee

Even as online package delivery services surpassed brick-and-mortar stores for many Americans years ago, the question persists: If I order something off of the internet, what’s the chance it’ll be stolen right off my front porch?

California bond firms decry bill ending cash bail, launch ballot drive

San Francisco Chronicle

In a little more than a year, Campana’s company may also be a relic of the past. When Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB10 on Tuesday, California became the first state in the nation to completely eliminate the cash bail system for defendants awaiting trial, potentially wiping out the bail bond industry.

● Bail bondsmen ask voters to kill California law that puts them out of business Sacramento Bee

● Voter referendum drive launched to block overhaul of California bail system San Diego Union-Tribune

● California Becomes First State To End Cash Bail After 40-Year Fight Valley Public Radio

● Bondsmen detain new bail law CALmatters

No change in police use-of-force law this year

CALmatters

The California Senate on Wednesday night shelved a nationally watched bill to restrict the use of lethal force by law enforcement.

California man arrested on charges of threatening to shoot Boston Globe employees

The Boston Globe

A California man is facing federal charges for threatening to shoot Boston Globe employees, whom he called “the enemy of the people,” after the Globe launched a national newspaper campaign in support of the free press and the First Amendment.

Public Safety:

Calling 911 in rural California? Danger might be close, but the law can be hours away

Fresno Bee

As urban areas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Fresno grapple with discussions about use of force and the over-policing of minority communities, the state’s rural counties face a growing and no-less-serious law enforcement crisis: a severe shortage of staff that puts the public — and deputies — in danger.

Age to buy guns in California would rise with Brown’s signature

Fresno Bee

The California Legislature sent Gov. Jerry Brown a bill to raise the age to purchase guns to 21 on Wednesday, August 29, 2018.

See Also:

● California lawmakers vote to raise the age for buying long guns from 18 to 21 Los Angeles Times

Stephon Clark-inspired bill to limit police killings in California shelved for the year

Sacramento Bee

A controversial legislative proposal to limit when police can use deadly force in California will not move forward this session.

● Bill limiting police use of lethal force stalls in the California Legislature San Francisco Chronicle

Earthquake early-warning system successfully sent alarm before temblor felt in Pasadena

Los Angeles Times

California’s nascent earthquake early-warning system had another successful run Tuesday night when a 4.4 magnitude temblor hit the La Verne area.

Gov. Brown Signs Bill To Create Election Cybersecurity Office

ABC7

Secretary of State Alex Padilla says there is no evidence the 2016 California state elections were compromised in any way by the Russians. But lawmakers aren't taking any chances with the midterm elections fast approaching.

Fire:

Eastern Madera County fires fully contained. Smoky conditions remain

Fresno Bee

The Redinger and Castle Fires near North Fork have been fully contained, fire officials reported Wednesday.

Wine Country tourism may be down due to fires

ABC30

Reports of wildfires in California may be keeping tourists away from the Wine Country. Tourists in tasting rooms said they had to do research to confirm that not all of California was on fire.

PG&E could get bankruptcy ‘stress test’

San Francisco Chronicle

Facing wildfire lawsuits that could cost it $17 billion, PG&E may soon be given a bankruptcy stress test by California regulators to determine just how big a financial blow the utility can survive.

California lawmakers finalize details of a $1-billion wildfire prevention plan, but tough votes lie ahead

Los Angeles Times

A bipartisan group of California lawmakers proposed on Tuesday to spend $1 billion to clear fire-prone trees and brush from across the state over the next five years while providing new relief for utility companies that have said wildfire costs could lead them to bankruptcy.

Thinning California’s fire-prone forests: 5 things to know as lawmakers move toward a plan

CALmatters

With wildfires smoldering all over California, prevention has risen to the top of lawmakers’ agenda. A key process in managing forests for fire resistance is thinning tree stands to reduce the fuel that propels the blazes. Lawmakers are voting this week on a proposal that includes $200 million for that purpose.

EDITORIAL: There's a better way to pay for California's wildfire costs

Los Angeles Times

A deal struck by a legislative committee as part of a wide-ranging wildfire prevention and response package late Tuesday will make no one truly happy — neither the utility companies that wanted more protection against liability for fire damage, nor the advocates who wanted ratepayers to have no financial exposure.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

International Trade Commission decision reverses Trump tariffs on newsprint

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled Wednesday that imports of Canadian newsprint do not threaten or materially harm the U.S. newsprint industry, a decision that reverses tariffs put in place by the Trump administration this year.

Los Angeles Times

U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday, driven by gains for big technology companies and Amazon. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index and Nasdaq composite finished at record highs for the fourth day in a row.

Sinclair countersues Tribune Media over failed merger

Los Angeles Times

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. filed a countersuit Wednesday in an escalating legal battle with Tribune Media Co., after the two companies' proposed merger fell apart this month under federal scrutiny.

Economic Index Dips Slightly In July, But Picture Still Rosy

The Business Journal

The San Joaquin Valley Business Conditions Index declined slightly in July, but still indicates healthy economic growth over the next three to six months.

The Hutchins Center Explains: The Phillips Curve

Brookings

The Phillips Curve describes the relationship between inflation and unemployment: Inflation is higher when unemployment is low and lower when unemployment is high.

Industry self-regulation of cryptocurrencies has arrived

AEI

Several cryptocurrency exchanges have signed on to what appears to be the industry’s first self-regulatory organization — the Virtual Commodity Association.

Congress Awaits Details as Canada Looms Over NAFTA Deadline

RollCall

With just a day before the Trump administration is expected to notify Congress that it plans to sign an agreement in principle with Mexico to update the NAFTA trade pact, lawmakers continue to seek more details and push for a final outcome that includes the third NAFTA partner — Canada.

See Also:

● U.S., Canada Say Nafta Talks on Track WSJ

● U.S.-Mexico Trade Pact Faces Scrutiny From Lawmakers at Home WSJ

U.S. Corporate Profits Soared in Second Quarter, Boosted by Tax Cuts and Economic Growth

WSJ

U.S. corporate profits boomed in the second quarter, boosted by large tax cuts and stronger economic growth than initially reported.

U.S. Household Spending, Income Rose at Solid Rate in June

WSJ

U.S. households’ incomes are rising in pace with robust spending, an indication that consumers have the capacity to drive gains in economic output.

Jobs:

Digital identities and the future of technology

AEI

One topic discussed in a recent Treasury Department report on financial technologies and innovation is the need to update regulations to better facilitate the authentication of digital identities.

California Legislature Clarifies Applicant Salary History Question Rules

AALRR

This summer, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2282, which resolves ambiguities created by prior pay equity legislation AB 1676 (2016) and AB 168 (2017). As you may recall, AB 168 prohibits questions on applications and during interviews regarding salary history. The law also requires employers to provide a pay scale upon demand by applicants.

My turn: Working people must have a voice in our future

CALmatters

For generations America’s promise has been that opportunity to create a better life for your family awaits if you work hard and play by the rules. But this Labor Day, that promise is more out of reach than ever for an increasing number of people.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Clovis Unified is already buying guns. Here’s where the money comes from

Fresno Bee

Clovis (CA) Unified pays for the salaries and supplies of its police department, including firearms and ammunition, with money earmarked for the needs of low-income, foster youth and English Learner students.

CA school buses to have seat belts by 2035

ABC30

This week Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1798, a bill that would require all school buses in California have seat belts with shoulder and lap belts by July 2035.

West Hills Lemoore early childhood center receives accreditation

Hanford Sentinel

When walking into the Child Development Center, parents, teachers and maybe some fast-learning pre-K students now read a sign announcing that West Hills College Lemoore’s Child Development Center has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Edison High principal among several Stockton Unified administrators named to new positions

Stockton Record

Numerous Stockton Unified School District administrators, including Edison High School Principal Brian Biedermann, have been named to new positions.

How the media covers education

AEI

During the spring of 2018, tens of thousands of teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, and North Carolina walked out of their schools. These walkouts attracted extensive media attention across the country.

Video: Candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction

PPIC

As part of our Speaker Series on California’s Future, PPIC is inviting all major candidates in selected statewide races to participate in public conversations. The purpose is to give Californians a better understanding of how candidates would approach the challenges facing our state.

Schools Crack Down as More Students Cut Class

WSJ

The growing problem of children skipping school has districts across the country experimenting with solutions, from punishments to rewards.

Higher Ed:

Excitement bubbling over beer making class at college

ABC30

At Reedley College's Plant Science 21, it's always five O'clock. Sampling beer is all part of the process in this beer making and fermentation science course.

Sacramento wants to promise more access to college; critics worry they will miss the mark

Sacramento Bee

In the first joint meeting of the council and the school board since 1999, the Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento City Unified School Board committed to working towards a Regional College Promise program that will attempt to get more high school students to go to college.

New U.S. Sexual Misconduct Rules Bolster Rights of Accused and Protect Colleges

New York Times

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is preparing new policies on campus sexual misconduct that would bolster the rights of students accused of assault, harassment or rape, reduce liability for institutions of higher education and encourage schools to provide more support for victims.

Justice Department criticizes Harvard's admissions practices in affirmative action case alleging bias against Asian Americans

The Washington Post

The Justice Department asserted that evidence in a federal lawsuit suggests the Ivy League school engages in “racial balancing” when it selects a class, a potential violation of boundaries the Supreme Court has set on affirmative action in college admissions

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Hawks to be used to control crow situation in downtown Hanford

ABC30

Hanford will use a falconry-based hazing program to displace and redirect crows from the downtown area.

EPA to revisit air pollution rule for power plants

ABC30

EPA is set to begin the process of reviewing another rule intended to prevent pollution of mercury and other toxic substances from power plants.

Enforcement efforts targeting illegal marijuana grow leads to discovery of toxic pesticide

ABC30

In areas scorched by wildfire, some people have come across a pink material they thought was fire retardant but was actually a toxic pesticide called carbofuran.

See Also:

● Toxic Pesticides Found At Most Illegal California Pot Farms Capital Public Radio

Fitzgerald: Is Stockton too cash-strapped for free trees?

Stockton Record

The state of California is offering hundreds of free trees to the city of Stockton, where the urban forest is dying from a decade of neglect. The city won’t take them.

Bid to revive deal on lead paint cleanup in California falters in Sacramento

Los Angeles Times

After months of negotiations, a last-minute proposal for a deal in the California Legislature on cleaning up lead paint in homes across the state has failed.

The EPA isn’t taking its own advice on a pesticide that causes brain damage in children

PBS NewsHour

After decades of research and debate, the EPA was on the cusp of banning all use of chlorpyrifos, a poison that attacks the nervous system.

The trash you can see is just a tiny fraction of the plastic litter all around you — and likely inside of you

NPR

They’re soil and compost, in oceans and lakes, in drinking water and beer, in fish and shellfish — bits of plastic tinier than one of these letters. They’re making their way into the food chain, turning a huge area in the Pacific into “a soup of confetti,” and transforming chemically as they break down in ways we don’t yet fully grasp.

Air District’s 2017 PM Plans

Valley Aircrime

The District is in the process of developing an attainment strategy that addresses the following PM2.5 standards under the federal Clean Air Act.

Energy:

An all-renewable energy grid ‘definitely feasible’ for California. But at what cost?

Fresno Bee

California electric utilities will face hurdles in generating all their power from renewable energy. The Legislature passed SB 100 on Wednesday, mandating all-renewable portfolios by 2045.

See Also:

● California's plan to rely entirely on clean energy by 2045 heads to the governor's desk Los Angeles Times

● California wants 100 percent renewables. Easier said than done San Francisco Chronicle

● When key committee weighed energy grid bill, Department of Finance report wasn't ready San Diego Union-Tribune

● Pro-Con: Does a Western regional electric grid make sense? CALmatters

Trump donor buys California power plant, asks feds to change energy market

San Francisco Chronicle

Late last year, a company tied to one of President Trump’s campaign donors took possession of a bankrupt power plant in Kern County. Now, the company has asked federal regulators to change California’s electricity market, potentially making it more lucrative for power plants that burn fossil fuels.

Do Californians pay the ‘highest electricity bills’ in the nation?

PolitiFact California

Californians pay a premium to live in the Golden State.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

New age recommendations for teens seeking plastic surgery

ABC30

In an era of selfies and a culture obsessed with social media, a large number of teenagers are undergoing cosmetic procedures.

New lab allows surgical and non-surgical procedures to be done in same room

Bakersfield Californian

Dignity Health Memorial Hospital has a new lab that will allow for multiple procedures to be completed around the same time.

Governor signs bills focused on valley fever

Bakersfield Californian

Two new laws have been passed that will help the state collect more accurate data about valley fever.

See Also:

● Working to bring awareness about Valley fever Hanford Sentinel

To Change A Culture, Health Care Educators Say Best Practices Start With Students

Valley Public Radio

It’s probably obvious that hospitals can be high stress environments, and it’s not just patients who can get agitated and upset.

With John McCain’s death, end-of-life decisions are now out in the open

Modesto Bee

Americans are often a disputatious sort, earnestly quarreling over virtually anything from abortion to what body posture is patriotic. Such is the case now with what used to be called the right to die.

Trump's Supreme Court pick signals skepticism over GOP's latest bid to repeal Obamacare

Los Angeles Times

If Republicans are hoping Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will help them knock down Obamacare in the courts, they might be in for a disappointment.

Why is it so hard to get mentally ill Californians into treatment? Three bills tell the tale

CALmatters

For years, Diane Shinstock watched her adult son deteriorate on the streets. Suffering from severe schizophrenia, he slept under stairwells and bushes, screamed at passersby and was arrested for throwing rocks at cars.

Human Services:

To Change A Culture, Health Care Educators Say Best Practices Start With Students

Valley Public Radio

It’s probably obvious that hospitals can be high stress environments, and it’s not just patients who can get agitated and upset. Sometimes it’s also co-workers. In the latest installment in our series Part of The Job, we look at how health care educators have been trying to change that culture of harassment and violence before their students reach the workforce.

The missing ingredient of health savings account reform

AEI

The House of Representatives passed two bills that would modify health savings accounts (HSAs). While most of these provisions would increase the usefulness of HSAs, their effect on costs wouldn’t be noticeable in the US health sector. HSAs won’t reach their full potential until more is done to promote price competition among those supplying services to enrollees.

What’s next for the Affordable Care Act?

AEI

On this episode of the AEI Events Podcast, an expert panel examines the legal history of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and provide a forecast of future areas of conflict as changes continue under the Trump administration.

IMMIGRATION

For some undocumented immigrants with cases, jail is only option to prevent deportation

Fresno Bee

Some undocumented defendants can be placed in a difficult situation by not being allowed to be free on bail — languishing in jail for months — due to concerns that ICE can detain and deport them without their court cases being resolved.

ICE arrests in courtrooms escalate feud between California and Trump administration over immigration policy

Los Angeles Times

With the Trump administration pushing for speedier deportations and hard-line immigration enforcement, California officials have tried to ensure that state courthouses — along with schools and hospitals — remain "safe zones” so that witnesses and crime victims, among others, won’t be afraid to come forward.

U.S. is denying passports to Americans along the border, throwing their citizenship into question

Los Angeles Times

A growing number of people whose official birth records show they were born in the United States but who are now being denied passports — their citizenship suddenly thrown into question.

We have a new reason not to trust ICE

The Washington Post

The Trump administration is preparing for another fight in court next month as it attempts to force “sanctuary cities” to detain people targeted for deportation. These cities argue that the administration’s requests would damage the relationships they have built with immigrant communities. But they have another reason to oppose the demands: The federal government may be asking them to detain U.S. citizens.

U.S. is denying passports to Americans along the border, throwing their citizenship into question

The Washington Post

His official American birth certificate shows he was delivered by a midwife in Brownsville, at the southern tip of Texas. He spent his life wearing American uniforms: three years as a private in the Army, then as a cadet in the Border Patrol and now as a state prison guard.

EDITORIAL: California wants ICE to stop arresting immigrants in courtrooms. This bill could help

Sacramento Bee

Crossing another line in a sanctuary city, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an immigrant in a Sacramento courtroom. Senate Bill 349 would help. So will “model policies” coming from Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office by Oct. 1, 2018.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Report of construction at Bass Pro Shops site premature

Bakersfield Californian

Don't hold your breath, Bass Pro shoppers. Despite assurances by the public relations team at BPS Direct LLC, Missouri-based owner of outdoors gear retailer Bass Pro Shops, construction has not yet begun on a 100,000-square-foot store the chain has proposed.

In Amazon, Oildale has something new to brag about

Bakersfield Californian

When Amazon's 2.5 million-square-foot distribution center opens perhaps 15 months from now, right across the road from the William M. Thomas Terminal at Meadows Field, several things, almost all of them good, will have transpired.

It seemed like a done deal, but new efforts are underway to open Hollister Ranch to the public

Los Angeles Times

Property owners for decades have fought to keep Hollister Ranch largely to themselves — and earlier this year it seemed they had won. But mounting public outrage has fueled multiple new efforts to open one of California’s most pristine stretches of coastline.

L.A. County planners recommend approval of Tejon Ranch development

Los Angeles Times

Planning officials voted Wednesday to recommend approval of the much-debated Centennial development, removing a major administrative hurdle for the proposed 19,000-home community on Tejon Ranch at the northern fringe of Los Angeles County.

Long Beach announces plan to develop entire waterfront, transform city skyline

Press Telegram

Anyone who thinks there’s a lot of construction and development happening in Long Beach right now should just wait to see what’s coming in the next few years, Mayor Robert Garcia said during a Tuesday, Aug. 28 event.

Housing:

L.A. County planners recommend approval of Tejon Ranch development

Los Angeles Times

EDITORIAL: Foreclosure relief money should go to homeowners

San Francisco Chronicle

For years Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers siphoned off the $331 million to help victims of rough tactics by banks in the wake of California’s foreclosure crisis to pay housing bond costs and other state bills, a sleight-of-hand trick that housing groups protested successfully in court. That rightful outcome, though, may not stand if a legal Hail Mary by the Legislature is approved.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Supervisors pass $2.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2018-19

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors passed a $2.7 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2018-19 on Tuesday with few changes from the preliminary budget passed in June.

Don’t count on state finding tax relief

Modesto Bee

California’s Democrat-dominated state government and the Republican-dominated federal government are engaged in so many conflicts that you need a scorecard to keep track.

Proposed tax dodges could hurt California taxpayers

CALmatters

California’s Democrat-dominated state government and the Republican-dominated federal government are engaged in so many conflicts that one needs a scorecard to keep track.

No tax break for aerospace

CALmatters

California’s practice of granting tax credits to stimulate business often is counterproductive and harms competing businesses, the Legislative Analyst’s Office reported Wednesday.

TRANSPORTATION

Headed out of town this weekend? Expect lots of traffic

Bakersfield Californian

Traffic during the upcoming Labor Day weekend is looking to be as bad as ever.

Avoidable, preventable train collisions focus of rail safety month

Stockton Record

Statewide, there were 114 deaths and 89 injuries of railroad trespassers in 2017. There were 38 rail-crossing fatalities and 58 injuries the same year. Over the past five years, 623 people have been killed and another 620 have been injured in rail-related incidents in California.

Caltrans contractors accused of distributing flyers urging 'no' vote on gas tax repeal

San Diego Union-Tribune

Supporters of Proposition 6, the November ballot initiative to repeal the gas tax, allege road construction workers hired and supervised by Caltrans were illegally passing out campaign literature Tuesday along state Route 78 encouraging motorists to vote against the measure.

Manufacturing Facility For Bullet Train Project To Open

The Business Journal

The California High-Speed Rail Authority and design-builder Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture will open a new manufacturing facility in Kings County this week.

Self-driving cars would work great, if it weren’t for all those unpredictable human drivers

NPR

To teach self-driving cars more about their human counterparts, Dorsa Sadigh is developing a model of human driving behavior. To do that, she puts people into an advanced simulator, then records how they respond when other drivers do idiotic, dangerous things.

California votes to move to 100% unreliable energy by the time high speed rail is ready — Front Page Magazine

Front Page Magazine

Summer in California already means brownouts and punitively high tiers of energy which can suddenly leave you with a whopping energy bill.

WATER

Stratford water back online

Hanford Sentinel

There’s some good news for the residents of Stratford, who now have running, drinkable water once again.

Trump Administration, California Headed For Showdown Over Valley Water

Valley Public Radio

California is often at odds with the Trump administration, and the latest battleground could be in the issue of managing the state's precious water supply.

Another reason to save California forests? Our water supply

The Sacramento Bee

This summer’s wildfires have taken a terrible toll on California. As firefighters gain control and residents begin to rebuild their lives, big questions are emerging about how we invest in our natural resources to reduce wildfire risk and restore healthier, more resilient forests.

EDITORIAL: Respect? We’re not getting it from the state

Modesto Bee

We’d often prefer to ignore what happens in Sacramento, but then we wake up to find we’ve been, uh, disregarded again. It happened Tuesday as the Assembly voted to make California greener. Eventually. It could happen again Thursday when a “call to order” could push the cost of the state’s WaterFix onto about 25 million unsuspecting taxpayers and harm us.

“Xtra”

Could Fresno get a cat cafe? It’s paw-sible with this ‘Catppuccino’ event

Fresno Bee

A pop-up cat cafe happens Friday with Catppuccino at Bitwise. Cats from the Feral Paws Rescue Group are available to visit and for adoption.

Author William Saroyan's Home To Become Museum In Fresno, Complete With Hologram

Valley Public Radio

There will soon be a new museum honoring the award winning Armenian-American writer, William Saroyan, in his former Fresno home. After months of construction, the museum is set to open on Aug. 31, what would be Saroyan’s 110th birthday.

Fresno's 4 top shops to cop a cupcake

ABC30

Looking to sample the best cupcakes around Fresno? The sweet treats may be a little past the dizzying heights of popularity they reached a few years ago, but a good thing never truly goes out of fashion. There are plenty of bakeries around town that can still hook you up with a personal cake -- or a box of them.

Mexican alt-rock powerhouse in Modesto? Yes, plus other top entertainment options

Modesto Bee

Recognized as Mexico’s leading alternative rock band, Café Tacvba blends rock, indigenous folk, electronic and punk music. Check them out at their next concert and other top entertainment options around Modesto.

Smitten by kittens: KCAS seeks volunteers for new kitten nursery

Bakersfield Californian

If you have always wanted to help orphaned kittens but can't commit to fostering, the Kern County Animal Service kitten nursery is just the place to make a big difference without bringing another animal into your home.

Best of the fests: Village Fest steps up food game for party of the year

Bakersfield Californian

What do you need to put on Bakersfield’s party of the year? Start with three F’s: food, fundraising and fun. Village Fest is all this and more but, like the event itself, now celebrating 24 years, you’ve got to start somewhere.