Maddy Institute – August 22, 2019

22Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Cannella changes mind about Stanislaus County board seat. Who will run in District 5?

Modesto Bee

Former state Sen. Anthony Cannella announced Wednesday he has changed his mind about running for a seat on the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors.

Addressing violence in Modesto and Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Here’s what we’ve gotten right and wrong lately in public safety efforts.

Experts talk about how Modesto can keep commuters and their high-paying jobs here

Modesto Bee

More than 86,000 workers from the Northern San Joaquin Valley drive over the Altamont Pass every day to jobs in the Bay Area. That’s up from about 5,000 commuters in the 1980s.

Another group will speak out two days before possible straight pride event in Modesto

Modesto Bee

A newly formed group plans to speak out Thursday evening against the straight pride event that might happen Saturday in Modesto. The Modesto Nonviolent Collective will hold a 6 p.m. press conference outside the city-county building at Tenth Street Place.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno cop shown in video punching teen put on desk duty. Dyer promises full review

Fresno Bee

A Fresno police officer has been put on modified duty after body camera footage surfaced that showed the officer punching a teenage male several times in the face.

● Teen sues Fresno PD using body cam video of officer punching him multiple times abc30

● It ‘Certainly Raises Concerns’ – Dyer Responds To Video Of Officer Punching Teenager KVPR

West Nile kills Fresno County man — second of year in state as officials issue warning

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Health Department confirmed Thursday a Fresno County resident has died of West Nile virus as the danger level rises in August.

Civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta, among several arrested during protest in Fresno

abc30

Eight people were handcuffed and taken to jail following a peaceful but very vocal protest inside the Fresno County Hall of Records Tuesday. Wearing purple shirts, protesters filled the hallway outside of the Board of Supervisors Chambers just as deputies tried to get the large crowd to disperse.

● Labor Icon Dolores Huerta Arrested While Supporting A Wage Increase For Fresno County Caregivers KVPR

● Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta among protestors handcuffed in Fresno county building Bakersfield Californian

Lemoore Council appoints John Plourde, recommends 2 cannabis companies

Hanford Sentinel

The Lemoore City Council appointed its newest member and selected two cannabis companies to move forward in the city’s dispensary negotiation on Tuesday.

Fresno Mayoral Candidates File Semi-Annual Campaign Disclosures

VPR

Late last month, those hoping for the City of Fresno’s top job filed their semi-annual campaign disclosures, showing the cash campaigns have on hand up until the end of June, and where it came from.

2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.

South SJ Valley:

Three Kern companies make the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing businesses

Bakersfield Californian

Three Kern County-based businesses — Grapevine MSP Technology Services and Stria LLC in Bakersfield and Tasteful Selections LLC in Arvin — have been named to 2019’s Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing privately held companies with revenues of more than $2 million last year.

Kern spill renews oil production controversy

Capitol Weekly

Calfornia has long been a top producer of oil. But that may change. Some hope that change will accelerate under Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has called for a decrease in the demand and supply of fossil fuels. A recent massive spill in Chevron’s Cymric oilfield in Kern County, about 35 miles west of Bakersfield, prompted a major regulatory shakeup and could bolster that view.

Permitting irregularity prompts state to idle 25 oil, steam wells in Kern

Bakersfield Californian

More than two dozen Kern County oil and steam-injection wells have been idled because of concerns they never received a proper regulatory review, state officials said Tuesday.

State:

Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Ten years and counting

Capitol Weekly

A lot has changed in California politics over the last ten years. We have gone from a novice celebrity governor to a seasoned hand to our first Gen X executive. We’ve seen record budget deficits and record surpluses. We have transitioned to a plurality Latino state and have seen the gap between haves and have-nots grow larger than ever before.

As gun control efforts advance in California Capitol, opponents bank on the courts

CALmatters

While the Democratic-dominated legislature prepares to pass another round of bills to expand the state’s already toughest-in-the-nation firearm laws, California’s gun rights advocates are fighting back in a more hospitable venue: the federal judiciary.

● San Diego Is Showing California How to Use Its Red Flag Law The Trace

● Outlook Uncertain On Gun Policy As Trump Signals Openness — With NRA In His Ear KVPR

● California arms traffickers used Snapchat to market illegal weapons The Guardian

● EDITORIAL: The NRA is in disarray. Couldn’t have happened to nicer organization Los Angeles Times

Video shows anti-vaxxer shoving state Senator Richard Pan on Sacramento street

Fresno Bee

Austin Bennett filmed a Facebook Live video in which he approached California state Senator Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, and asked him about vaccine safety on a downtown Sacramento street. As Pan walked away, Bennett shoved him.

● Anti-vaxxer shoves California lawmaker who wrote vaccine crackdown bill Sacramento Bee

● Anti-vaccine activist assaults California vaccine law author, police say Los Angeles Times

● Anti-vaxxer arrested for shoving pro-vaccine state Sen. Richard Pan on street San Francisco Chronicle

FEMA regulation disadvantages California disaster victims

Sacramento Bee

If California experiences another deadly disaster like the 2018 Camp Fire, survivors may have a far more difficult time obtaining federal assistance.

Republicans need to ‘wise up’ to being ‘a toxic brand,’ Chad Mayes says after posing Twitter question

Desert Sun

Chad Mayes, a Republican who represents the Coachella Valley in the California Assembly, has for years questioned the future of the state’s Republican Party. On Monday, Mayes turned to Twitter to crowd-source answers to this quandary.

California’s New Hairstyle Antidiscrimination Law May Signal the Beginning of a National Trend

Ogletree Deakins On Point

Signaling a growing movement to align culturally inclusive practices with legal protections, California has become the first state to expressly ban discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture associated with a person’s race. On July 3, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsome signed into law Senate Bill No. 188, the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act (CROWN Act).

With whites and men still dominating the pool, how California hopes to create a diverse redistricting panel

CALmatters

California extended the deadline to ensure that prospects for its 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission better represented the diversity of the state. But as the application period closed this week, the final pool of 21,000 citizens asking for the chance to redraw the state’s legislative and congressional districts is larger, yes. But it’s still predominantly white, and majority male.

California Hispanic Chambers’ message: ‘We’re open for business’

Stockton Record

Frank Montes, outgoing chairman of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, has a message to share this week in Stockton. Montes said economic “war” has been declared on the Latino community locally, nationally and globally.

Federal:

Senate confirms Trump’s appointment to Ninth Circuit appeals court

San Francisco Chronicle

President Trump’s nomination of Washington, D.C., attorney Daniel Bress to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday on a party-line vote, giving Trump seven appointees to a court he has regularly denounced.

Ardent Trump supporter on trial for voter fraud testifies he’s probably a U.S. citizen

Fresno Bee

In fact, Velez has voted in elections dating back two decades, and that is a problem for the U.S. government, which says Velez is not a citizen and is not actually Hiram Velez.

Trump revives suggestion he’d end birthright citizenship

abc30

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was looking “very seriously” at ending the right to citizenship for babies born to non-U.S. citizens on American soil. This isn’t the first time Trump has claimed he’d do away with it – he said something similar in October.

Trump’s Disgraceful ‘Disloyalty’ Rhetoric

The American Conservative

The president’s remarks should be roundly condemned, but we also need to recognize that the false accusations against Reps.

EJ Dionne: rump is weaponizing evangelicals’ mistrust. And he’s succeeding.

Washington Post

Are the dominant voices of white evangelical Christianity in the United States destined to be angry and defensive? Is President Trump making sure they stay that way?

Electoral college members not bound by popular vote, court rules

Los Angeles Times

A U.S. appeals court in Denver said electoral college members can vote for the presidential candidate of their choice and aren’t bound by the popular vote in their states.

Elections 2020:

Inslee to seek 3rd term as governor

Fresno Bee

Two people close to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have told The Associated Press that he intends to seek a third term as governor. The news comes after Inslee announced the end of his Democratic presidential campaign on MSNBC on Wednesday night.

See also:

● Jay Inslee drops out of 2020 presidential race Los Angeles Times

● Jay Inslee Says He Is Ending His 2020 Presidential Bid Wall Street Journal

● Jay Inslee drops out of Democratic presidential race Politico

● Jay Inslee, governor centered on climate change, drops out of presidential race Washington Post

Bernie Sanders’ famed $27 donors are split in 2020’s sprawling Democratic field

Los Angeles Times

Small-dollar donors made Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential bid one of the most successful insurgent campaigns in Democratic Party history, allowing him to be competitive with establishment favorite Hillary Clinton.

Kamala Harris expands California staff as primary battle heats up

San Francisco Chronicle

Sen. Kamala Harris beefed up her California staff Wednesday with seven new hires, forming one of the largest presidential campaign operations in the state.

California Supreme Court will hear challenge to state law that requires Trump to release tax returns

San Francisco Chronicle

The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to hear a challenge by Republicans to a new state law requiring President Trump to release his tax returns in order to appear on next year’s primary ballot, a law that Trump is challenging separately in federal court.

New LA County voting system highlights trade-offs between security and accessibility

Washington Post

L.A. County is challenging the voting machine industry.

Why 2020 Democrats are backing off Medicare-for-all, in four charts

Washington Post

A notable number of the 2020 presidential candidates (save Sen. Bernie Sanders) who endorsed Medicare-for-all are starting to say it’s a long-term ambition rather than a practical policy proposal they would enact when in the White House.

Trump has remade the Republican Party, but at a price

Los Angeles Times

President Trump has remade the Republican Party in his populist image, but at a price that puts his reelection in jeopardy, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll finds.

Joe Biden’s Poll Numbers Mask an Enthusiasm Gap

New York Times

There are signs of a disconnect between support for Mr. Biden in polls and excitement for his campaign on the ground in Iowa.

Other:

Sites like Facebook, Google and Twitter allowed white supremacists to flourish. Now what?

USA Today

Before walking into a Norwegian mosque with a pair of shotguns earlier this month, Philip Manshaus called for a race war in a statement he posted on the dark reaches of social media.

Opinion: We Liberals Need Self-Criticism

Wall Street Journal

We won’t beat Trump by blaming others and boasting about our own supposed virtue.

Getting Attacked by Robotexts? Here’s What to Do

Wall Street Journal

As if all unwanted robocalls weren’t bad enough, now there are spam texts to contend with.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, August 25, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Out of District Charter Schools: Does Out of Sight, Mean Out of Mind?” – Guest: California State Auditor, Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 25, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Are Education Reforms & Charter Schools the Answer?” – Guests: California State Auditor Elaine Howle, Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California & Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 25, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “State Auditor Report on Charter Schools” – Invitados: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor’s Office.. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

As Trump Presses Trade War, Farmers Feel the Squeeze

PEW

Tariffs hit farmers already facing weak commodity prices.

State Appoints Working Group To Help Growers Transition Away From Harmful Chlorpyrifos

KVPR

Last week, the State of California took its first steps to fully ban the harmful pesticide chlorpyrifos that can cause neurological problems and developmental delays in children. The ban means, however, that growers have to find alternatives for managing insects. Finding those alternatives is the goal of a new statewide group that includes members of the San Joaquin Valley agriculture community.

Weedmaps to stop advertising unlicensed pot businesses

Fresno Bee

The major online pot shop directory and cannabis marketplace Weedmaps announced Wednesday that it will no longer allow black-market businesses to advertise on its site, a decision that could boost California’s efforts to rein in its vast illegal market.

Illegal pot grows like a ‘cancer,’ local, state, federal law enforcement join forces

abc30

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott announced a multi-agency effort to bring an end to illegal marijuana grows found in National forests and parks — Operation Forest Watch II.

Mexican marijuana traffickers are poisoning California forests with a banned pesticide, officials say

Los Angeles Times

California law enforcement has learned that Mexican drug traffickers are using a dangerous pesticide banned in the United States to grow marijuana in remote areas of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, and are going after their operations.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Fresno cop shown in video punching teen put on desk duty. Dyer promises full review

Fresno Bee

A Fresno police officer has been put on modified duty after body camera footage surfaced that showed the officer punching a teenage male several times in the face.

● Teen sues Fresno PD using body cam video of officer punching him multiple times abc30

● It ‘Certainly Raises Concerns’ – Dyer Responds To Video Of Officer Punching Teenager KVPR

Lyft Has Been Flooded With Sexual Assault Lawsuits

Vice

The ride share giant has been sued at least seven times this month related to rides that allegedly ended with rape or sexual assault.

Public Safety:

ShakeAlert early warning system expanding to Lake Tahoe with new federal earthquakes funds

Fresno Bee

A West Coast-wide earthquake early warning system will expand into Lake Tahoe, eastern California and the Mojave Desert with a boost of federal funds, officials at the University of Nevada, Reno, announced Tuesday.

Is California too rich to get help from FEMA? New guidelines worry emergency planners

Fresno Bee

If California experiences another deadly disaster like the 2018 Camp Fire, survivors may have a far more difficult time obtaining federal assistance. That’s the warning California’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci issued at a congressional field hearing Tuesday.

Addressing violence in Modesto and Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Here’s what we’ve gotten right and wrong lately in public safety efforts.

Fire:

PG&E’s CEO could make up to $110 million in bonuses if its stock rebounds, investors warn

Fresno Bee

PG&E bondholders seeking to get a deal on the company’s stock are raising concerns about the CEO’s pay structure, warning Bill Johnson could earn up to $110 million if the company’s share prices return to their 2017 peak.

With a little help from the Legislature, family forest landowners can help reduce wildfire

CALmatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wildfire plan is aimed at fire victims and energy providers, and addressing wildfire safety and accountability. But work remains to support the families and individuals who own and care for half the forests most at risk for wildfire.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Experts talk about how Modesto can keep commuters and their high-paying jobs here

Modesto Bee

More than 86,000 workers from the Northern San Joaquin Valley drive over the Altamont Pass every day to jobs in the Bay Area. That’s up from about 5,000 commuters in the 1980s.

Three Kern companies make the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing businesses

Bakersfield Californian

Houchin selects interim CEO to take on job permanently

Bakersfield Californian

Houchin Community Blood Bank has appointed Brad Bryan as its new president and CEO. Bryan had been serving as the company’s interim CEO since the end of May, after being brought on around two months earlier.

Stock market climbs after big retailers post solid earnings

Los Angeles Times

Strong earnings reports from several big retailers helped drive stocks on Wall Street broadly higher Wednesday as the market bounced back from its first loss in four days.

Fed officials widely divided on rates at July meeting

Fresno Bee

Federal Reserve officials were widely divided at their meeting last month when they decided to cut rates for the first time in a decade, with some arguing for a bigger rate cut while others insisted the Fed should not cut rates at all.

Trump flip-flops on tax cuts, citing ‘strong economy’

Fresno Bee

A day after considering cutting taxes to promote economic growth, President Donald Trump on Wednesday changed course and said he would abandon the idea because the nation already had “a strong economy.”

● Capital-Gains Tax Change Would Drive Only Modest Economic Boost, Economists Say Wall Street Journal

The Trump team’s Pants-on-Fire claim that China tariffs don’t harm Americans

Politifact

Are the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on China hurting American consumers? His team says no. The facts say otherwise.

Officials See Few Options if Slowdown Hits

Wall Street Journal

Amid debate over whether the U.S. is going into an economic downturn, there are few good options to deal with one if it happens.

Jobs:

Employers Struggle With Hiring Undocumented Workers: ‘You Cannot Hire American Here’

KVPR

Across the country, immigrants who are in the country unlawfully often do manual, low-paying jobs, and employers say they have no choice but to rely on them. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has vowed to ramp up workplace raids targeting this workforce.

CalPERS women on harassment: ‘We shouldn’t still be fighting this fight.’

Modesto Bee

Two more female employees of CalPERS spoke out against a controversial CalPERS leader on Wednesday.

California Pay Equity Data Collection Legislation Closer to Passing

OgleTree

Currently, certain employers are required under federal law to file annual Employer Information Reports (EEO-1) with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These EEO-1s must contain data regarding demographics of the employer’s workforce. Accordingly, employers covered by federal EEO-1 reporting requirements were required to file EEO-1 Component 1 data from 2018 by May 31, 2019, and must still submit Component 2 EEO-1 (pay and hours worked) data for their workforces by September 30, 2019. Not to be outdone, the State of California is poised to impose a similar requirement on employers.

U.S. created 500,000 fewer jobs since 2018 than previously reported, new figures show

Market Watch

Hiring doesn’t appear to have gotten big boost from Trump tax cuts.

EDUCATION

K-12:

California bill to ban schools from expelling disruptive students close to becoming law

Fresno Bee

A proposal meant to protect kids from unnecessary discipline by banning expulsions for disobedience in California schools passed out of the Assembly this week, moving closer to becoming a law.

Fewer disabled students enrolled at California charter schools, teachers union study says

Fresno Bee

California’s main teachers union on Wednesday released a study that found disparities in the number of students with disabilities who attend charter versus traditional schools.

Mathews: Why California Should Close Failing School Districts

Zocalo Public Square

Southern San Diego County’s Sweetwater District Cannot Escape Mismanagement and Corruption on Its Own.

Higher Ed:

Trump signs student debt forgiveness for disabled veterans

abc30

Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal student loan debt owed by tens of thousands of disabled military veterans will be erased under a directive President Donald Trump signed Wednesday.

Hardship score for college admission gets mixed reaction in California

EdSource

Embrace the new “adversity score” in college admissions or ignore it? That’s a question that college officials in California and nationwide are debating now.

This community college in Stockton has been named one of the best in the country

Fresno Bee

San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton was recently named the fourth best community college in the United States.

Delta College students awarded record amount in scholarships

Recordnet

Thanks to a partnership with Stockton Scholars, a record amount in scholarship money has been awarded to hundreds of San Joaquin Delta College students.

CSUB’s full weekend of events to kick off fall semester

KERO

California State University, Bakersfield has released its schedule kicking-off the 2019 fall semester. The school is celebrating its 50^th first day of school on Monday but is prepping for a full Saturday of activities to put its ’Runners on the rise’ for the 2019-2020 academic year, as well as a convocation on Sunday

Constitution Day: Race Dialogue Constitution Quiz, September 17th, 2019

Civic Education Center, Fresno County and Fresno State

“Whirlwind Tour of the Nation’s Civics and Racial History Through What They Said and Wrote”. Satellite Student Union at Fresno State University, 3pm – 5pm.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Cool Roofs Can Help Shield California’s Cities Against Heat Waves

Berkeley Lab

New Berkeley Lab study finds that in reducing air temperatures, cool roofs could protect urbanites from heat waves.

Environmentalists file suit in California over Endangered Species Act rollbacks

Los Angeles Times

Seven environmental and animal protection groups teamed up Wednesday to file the first lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s rollback of the Endangered Species Act.

California’s wild horses are under attack. Will we protect them from slaughter?

Sacramento Bee

Many Western states, including California, are debating how to manage America’s wild horse and burro populations.

More U.S. Towns Are Feeling The Pinch As Recycling Becomes Costlier

KVPR

Now plastic has become the biggest thorn in the side of the recycling industry and one for which taxpayers are more often footing the bill.

Bills To Reduce Single-Use Plastics Move Through California Legislature

Capital Public Radio

Identical bills at the state Capitol — SB 54 and AB 1080 — would affect a wide range of products including water and soda bottles, and the packaging used to ship goods. The bill would require some of the most-used products to be produced with recyclable or compostable materials.

Between A Highway And An Oilfield, Lost Hills Residents Question Their Air Quality

Valley Public Radio

When Saul Ruiz heard about the McKittrick oil seep, which first occurred in May and is now being cleaned up by Chevron and state agencies, his first reaction was worry: Worry for the McKittrick residents and environment nearby, but also for residents of other similar communities. “My worry was that problems like these could expand to other communities like Taft, Buttonwillow, Lost Hills,” he says in Spanish.

The real obstacle to climate action

Brookings

Those who want to avert the possibly catastrophic effects of climate change must unite in support of a rapid green transition that is politically feasible and desirable for all citizens, warn Kemal Derviş and Sebastian Strauss.

· Trump attacks California and carmakers over emissions deal, warns of ‘business ruin’ Fresno Bee

· Trump slams auto execs as ‘foolish’ after they bucked his emissions rules rollback Politico

· Trump, California Showdown on Fuel-Economy Rules Divides Auto Makers Wall Street Journal

Energy:

Permitting irregularity prompts state to idle 25 oil, steam wells in Kern

Bakersfield Californian

More than two dozen Kern County oil and steam-injection wells have been idled because of concerns they never received a proper regulatory review, state officials said Tuesday.

Kern spill renews oil production controversy

Capitol Weekly

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

West Nile kills Fresno County man — second of year in state as officials issue warning

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Health Department confirmed Thursday a Fresno County resident has died of West Nile virus as the danger level rises in August.

Subtle Differences In Brain Cells Hint at Why Many Drugs Help Mice But Not People

KVPR

A detailed comparison of the cell types in mouse and human brain tissue found subtle but important differences that could affect the response to many drugs, a team reports Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Probiotic helps breast-fed babies beat antibiotic-resistant germs, UC Davis study says

Sacramento Bee

Researchers at UC Davis say they were able to dramatically reduce the number of antibiotic-resistant germs in breast-fed newborns’.

Unlicensed marijuana vaping products eyed in 21 lung disease cases in Calif.

San Francisco Chronicle

California public health authorities are investigating 21 cases of severe lung disease that appear to be connected to vaping unlicensed cannabis products and may be part of a larger outbreak that has sickened at least 150 people around the United States since June.

Human Services:

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

Fresno Bee

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

Mercy Southwest to double in size, and $248 million expansion could just be the start

Bakersfield Californian

For half a century, and escalating dramatically over the past decade, Bakersfield’s commercial and residential growth has been focused primarily on its southwestern quadrant. But one essential component has lagged there: hospital beds.

Health Insurers Set to Expand Offerings Under the ACA

Wall Street Journal

Oscar, Cigna, Centene plan larger footprints.

The decline in opioid deaths masks danger from designer drug overdoses in US

AEI

At one time, most people who became addicted to opioids became medically addicted. Their first exposure was through a legal prescription. Now, more new addiction is fueled by people whose first exposure to opioids will be through an illicit drug such as fentanyl.

IMMIGRATION

Trump administration to lift limit on how long migrant kids can be detained

abc30

The Trump administration on Wednesday rolled out a new plan that would allow the government to detain migrant families traveling with children indefinitely, effectively calling for an end to the federal government’s agreement with a court more than 20 years ago that it wouldn’t hold children for long periods of time because it’s so detrimental to their health.

● EDITORIAL: Trump’s new plan to incarcerate migrant families isn’t just cruel, it’s unjustifiable Los Angeles Times

● The Flores Agreement Protected Migrant Children for Decades. New Regulations Aim to End It. New York Times

Trump admin weighs letting states, cities deny entry to refugees approved for resettlement in U.S.

CNBC

A draft order obtained by NBC News says the government “will resettle refugees only where both the relevant state and local governments have consented.”

Economic Antidote for a Shrinking America: Immigrants

New York Times

After finishing a particularly satisfying dinner at a Coral Gables restaurant with his wife, Pedro Martinez quietly slipped around to the back alley where the kitchen is.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Parks make great places, but not enough Americans can reach them

Brookings

A third of Americans in the 100 largest cities are more than a 10-minute walk from a park. Joseph Kane and Adie Tomer examine the spatial and economic factors affecting park access and explain how these green spaces contribute to more livable and equitable communities.

Housing:

DIY affordable housing: How this Bay Area woman helped build her dream home

CALmatters

Julieta Aquino and her daughter are among a group of 11 low-income families who recently became homeowners in a new Fremont housing development. Each family was required to put in 500 hours of so-called sweat equity, pounding nails and pouring concrete.

More California Homeowners Losing Insurance In Fire-Prone Areas

Capital Public Radio

The 10 California counties most prone to wildfire saw a 10 percent increase in dropped homeowner’s policies last year, compared to 4 percent for the five counties with the lowest risk.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Federal Deficits to Grow More Than Expected Over Next Decade, CBO Says

Wall Street Journal

CBO boosts 10-year forecasts for budget deficits by $809 billion, citing two-year budget deal.

● The Federal Budget Deficit Is Getting Bigger As Spending Grows KVPR

● Report shows US deficit to exceed $1 trillion next year Stockton Record

● CBO projects higher deficits beginning in 2020 after bipartisan spending deal abc

With pension burden climbing, California Highway Patrol agrees to delay some raises

Sacramento Bee

California Highway Patrol officers would temporarily forgo part of a raise to help pay down pension debt under a proposed contract agreement between the officers’ union and the state.

California pension fund wants to join Facebook lawsuit

California’s teacher pension fund says it wants to join a lawsuit seeking to change Facebook’s corporate governance practices.

Bay Area vacancies net raises of up to 25% for blue collar California state workers

Sacramento Bee

Experienced heating and cooling specialists working for the state of California and living in the Bay Area could soon be getting raises up.

Fox: Prop 13 Withstands Legislative Attack, Sign a Big Tax Deal will be Hard

Fox & Hounds

Governor Gavin Newsom says he wants to cut a deal to restructure California’s tax system— that would include changes to the legendary taxpayer protection measure, Proposition 13. But when the supermajority Assembly Democrats on Monday could not rally enough support to put a Prop 13 change on the ballot, you understand that such a task will be as difficult as predicted by Newsom’s predecessor, Jerry Brown.

Budget Decider: Making choices that impact millions

CALmatters

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

TRANSPORTATION

More than a billion dollars allocated to continue work on California’s State Highway system

Porterville Recorder

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated more than $1.1 billion for a total of 133 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) projects throughout California, including almost $994 million for 47 fix-it-first projects funded by Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

Bay Area traffic delays rank second longest in nation

Mercury News

Southern California ranks No. 1 with an average of 119 hours delay per person compared to 103 in the Bay Area. But it’s a getting a lot tougher to get around across America from Des Moines to Dallas.

WATER

Report shows Trump water plan would hurt salmon, help Central Valley farms. The government hid it

Los Angeles Times

Federal officials suppressed a lengthy environmental document that details how one of California’s unique salmon runs would be imperiled by Trump administration plans to deliver more water to Central Valley farms. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Trump proposal to increase water deliveries is the Westlands Water District, a sprawling irrigation district on the arid west side of the San Joaquin Valley led by some of the state’s wealthiest growers.

● Dead fish and starving whales: What Trump’s hidden report on water means to California Fresno Bee

Off the hook: California king salmon rebounds after drought

Associated Press

Commercial salmon catches have surpassed official preseason forecasts by about 50 percent, said Kandice Morgenstern, a marine scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Harvests have been particularly strong in Morro Bay, Monterey and San Francisco, but weaker along California’s northern coast.

“Xtra”

You can get into any national park, including Yosemite, for free on Sunday. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

On Sunday, you’ll be able to check out any national park absolutely free — including parks such as Yosemite, which typically charges $35 per car to enter. The fee-free day is held in honor of the National Park Service’s 103rd birthday.

It took me 20 years to attend the Fresno Greek Fest. Don’t make the same mistake

Fresno Bee

Marek Warszawski recommends a visit for the food and the fun. The 59th annual event is this weekend.

Pay it Forward Luncheon Series-Fall 2019

Lyles Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

We hope you will join us at the upcoming Fall 2019, Pay it Forward Luncheon Series. We are taking reservations for our first event on September 12th at the Satellite Student Union (11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.).

‘Two Buck Chuck & The Marlboro Man’ – Author Frank Bergon’s Tales of The San Joaquin Valley

Valley Public Radio

Western novelist and historian Frank Bergon’s recently published nonfiction book Two Buck Chuck and The Marlboro Man: The New Old West gives readers an intimate portrayal of 12 small town westerners, many of whom he met growing up in Madera.