August 25, 2020

25Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Marijuana dispensary gives councilwoman $100K in her campaign to become Modesto mayor

Modesto Bee

Councilwoman Kristi Ah You has accepted a $100,000 contribution from one of the owners of a cannabis dispensary for her campaign to become Modesto’s next mayor in the November election. The Aug. 17 donation from Angilbert Sarkis — one of the two owners of Phenos — may be the largest one in at least several decades in Stanislaus County for a local election.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno County supervisor wants school to stay open, says COVID-19 isn’t a ‘killing machine’

Fresno Bee

Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau said he is opposed to a lawsuit filed by the county’s health department against the private Christian Immanuel Schools of Reedley.

See also:

Coronavirus updates: Home buying in the pandemic; How can schools thwart state watch list?

Fresno Bee

Fresno County continues to see daily increases in positive coronavirus testing in excess of 300 cases. The county added 357 new cases on Saturday, according to state data and has now has now seen a total of 23,197 positive cases — by far the most cases of the six counties in the central San Joaquin Valley.

California Republican David Valadao didn’t support Trump in 2016 but does for 2020

Fresno Bee

A former California Republican congressman who declined to back President Donald Trump in 2016 and later lost his House seat is making a different bet in 2020. Former Rep David Valadao, R-Hanford says he plans to vote for Trump this fall.

South SJ Valley:

County board to discus Gann Limit

Porterville Recorder

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors will consider how much from the proceeds of taxes can be appropriated for spending in the 2020-2021 fiscal year at its next meeting. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Supervisors to consider final adjustments to $3.1 billion budget

Bakersfield Californian

This fiscal year’s final recommended budget to be considered by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday starts off with a warning fit for the uncertainty of the time period.

State:

Proposed ban on flavored tobacco products clears California Assembly

Fresno Bee

A bill to ban the sale of most flavored tobacco products in California cleared a major hurdle Monday when lawmakers in the Assembly voted overwhelmingly to pass it. Senate Bill 793 passed the Assembly floor with a 50-0 vote, with 30 lawmakers abstaining from voting.

See also:

California’s 2020 wildfire season is worse than 2019’s, Newsom says

abc30

California is seeing a historic amount of wildfires this year which have scorched 1.4 million acres and forced thousands from their homes all amid an ongoing pandemic. During a briefing on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state has battled 7,002 wildfires in 2020, compared to 4,292 fires in 2019.

Gov. Newsom outlines COVID-19 precautions being taken in wildfire evacuations

Sacramento Bee

At a news conference on Aug. 24, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom described the precautions being taken in wildfire evacuations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This includes the use of hotels.

Updated: See the counties on California’s coronavirus watchlist – and 8 that have escaped

Sacramento Bee

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to produce record high daily death tolls in California months after it began, the number of counties on the state’s COVID-19 “watchlist” decreased to 36 on Sunday, Aug. 23.

See also:

Coronavirus updates: California reopening guidance coming, state passes 12,000 dead

Sacramento Bee

California reached 12,000 deaths from the coronavirus this weekend, as more than two-thirds of a million residents have tested positive in the past six months. But there are signs of the tide beginning to turn in the state, with Gov. Gavin Newsom saying Monday that updated reopening guidelines will come this week.

See also:

California legislators cut state workers’ pay. Just 5 of 120 requested cuts for themselves

Fresno Bee

Five California lawmakers requested pay cuts for themselves similar to those they imposed on state government workers, according to the State Controller’s Office.

Walters: Short-circuiting the legislative process for electric cars

CalMatters

That said, some things never change and one is the practice inelegantly termed “gut-and-amend,” wherein a bill that’s already passed one house is stripped of its contents and an entirely new measure is inserted into the vacant shell.

Democrats divided: Newsom’s family-leave plan faces resistance from his own party

CalMatters

The pandemic has revealed a schism between progressive Democrats and moderates, wrestling with the needs of hard-hit businesses and working parents and caregivers.

Federal:

Palmdale being considered as permanent headquarters of U.S. Space Command

23ABC

The United States Air Force is formally evaluating the city of Palmdale to host the future permanent headquarters for the United States Space Command, officials said Sunday.

Where are California wildfires burning? 1 million acres burn in week; Trump OKs federal aid

Sacramento Bee

Firefighters and aircraft from 10 states began arriving in California to help weary crews battling some of the largest blazes in state history as weekend weather threatened to renew the advance of flames that have killed six people and incinerated hundreds of homes.

As Census Count Resumes, Doubts About Accuracy Continue to Grow

New York Times

Officials project optimism. But a chorus of experts says the pandemic and politics could lead to a deeply flawed count.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

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

See also:

Elections 2020:

Republican National Convention 2020: Trump makes surprise appearance at RNC, casts doubt on election integrity

abc30

President Donald Trump turned a surprise opening-day appearance at his party’s scaled-down national convention into an opportunity to question the integrity of the fall election, even as his aides promised a diverse and uplifting message once the evening program shifted back to Washington, D.C. for prime time.

See also:

2020 Vote: Biden says he’d shut down economy if scientists recommended

abc30

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would follow public health advisers’ advice if they called for a national shutdown should he take office and the coronavirus had not abated.

Get ready for a GOP convention eager to brand Democrats as hungry for higher taxes

Sacramento Bee

It’s likely to come up over and over at the Republican convention this week: President Donald Trump’s assertion that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are eager to impose a $4 trillion tax increase on America. It’s a tax increase, a Trump campaign ad says, that will be “crushing middle class families.”

See also:

Californians ‘Aren’t Buying’ Claims About Mail-In Voting Fraud, New Poll Finds

Capital Public Radio

Despite months of GOP attacks on mail-in voting, Californians across ethnic and racial groups remain confident in the security of the process, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey released on Monday.

See also:

College students favor Biden over Trump, poll finds

Los Angeles Times

College students prefer Joe Biden to President Trump by an overwhelming margin, but roughly half of them still have an unfavorable impression of the former vice president, according to a new poll.

Democrats’ party affiliation lead shrinks 5 points since June: Gallup

The Hill

Democrats lead Republicans in party affiliation, but their advantage has shrunk by 5 percentage points since June, according to Gallup polling released Monday.

California teacher says Kamala Harris tried to silence her over union fees

Sacramento Bee

A former California school teacher blasted Kamala Harris and Democrats at the Republican National Convention Monday for their role in fighting a lawsuit against the California Teachers Association to challenge fair share fees.

Other:

Blue Lives Matter as hundreds march in support of law enforcement

Fresno Bee

An estimated 500 area residents marched in Law Enforcement Support Walk from City Hall to the Fresno County Courthouse on Aug. 22, 2020. The event, with rallies at beginning and end, was put on by local community and business members.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, August 30, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Policing the Police” – Guests: Laurel Rosenhall with CALmatters, Ron Lawrence with California Police Chiefs Association and Alice Hoffman with California Chapter – NCAAP. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 30, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Police Use of Deadly Force: Valley Perspectives”  – Guests: Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming and Sandra Celedon is the Pres. & CEO of Fresno Building Health Communities. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Respect for melon harvesters: Take in expansive view of crop being picked

Fresno Bee

An expansive look at the honeydew melon harvest of Bart Fisher at River Garden Farms in Knights Landing, Yolo County, near Sacramento CA.

See also:

Program heads to fields, packing plants to test farmworkers for COVID-19

Bakersfield Californian

For the Latino immigrants who play a crucial role in harvesting and packaging produce grown in Kern County, getting a COVID-19 test isn’t as easy as it may seem, even if it is free. These essential workers, many of whom are undocumented, are at high risk of contracting the virus because they work in close proximity with others and often live in large households with extended family members.

Fresno bakery workers face federal charges for allegedly defrauding food program

Fresno Bee

Two Fresno bakery workers have been indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for allegedly allowing public assistance recipients to exchange their food benefits for cash.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California Supreme Court overturns Scott Peterson’s death penalty sentence

Modesto Bee

The California Supreme Court has rejected Scott Peterson’s claim that he received an unfair trial and affirmed his convictions for the murder of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, in a case that brought international notoriety to Modesto.

See also:

Public Safety:

COVID-19 is ‘a crisis within a crisis’ for homeless people

Bakersfield Californian

Nearly 200 tents stand inches apart on the scorching gravel lots, many covered in blankets for an extra layer of relief from the desert sun. Outside, their occupants sit on hot ground or in folding chairs, nearby palm trees providing no shade. Despite 12-foot-square sections painted in the gravel, there is little social distancing for Phoenix’s homeless population.

See also:

Opinion: California’s moment of reckoning on police accountability

CalMatters

Will California live up to its promise as a forward-looking leader setting the pace? Two major police reform bills in the Legislature will tell the tale.

Fire:

Abandoned by authorities, these fire-threatened towns set up their own FEMA-like response

Los Angeles Times

Feeling abandoned by the state and federal government during an unparalleled conflagration of fires, volunteer firefighting units in two Santa Cruz mountain towns have been forced to tap an alternative: Unofficial help from an elite network of the nation’s finest emergency response units — who quickly provided needed equipment and support.

‘Every resource we have’: LNU Lightning Complex among 625 active California wildfires

Fresno Bee

Fire personnel braced for possible lightning and erratic wind gusts Monday in the greater Bay Area, but it appears the most severe threat has passed without any severe flare-ups to the region’s already-extreme wildfire activity, weather officials say.

See also:

‘The Worst Is Not Behind Us’: California Wildfires Continue To Burn

VPR

Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed, close to a million acres of land have been scorched and at least six people have died in one of the worst series of wildfires in California’s history. More than 13,700 firefighters are battling nearly two dozen major fires throughout the state, fire officials said Saturday.

See also:

California wildfires reveal problems with emergency alerts

Los Angeles Times

In Napa County, a wildfire alert meant for cellphones would not connect, because of a coding error. In Sonoma County, similar alerts were sent to areas that required no evacuation, and linked to an evacuation map that was a year old.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Local businesses forced to move outside now facing challenges with air quality

abc30

A small group of people at Vino Grille & Spirits in Northeast Fresno braved hot temperatures and smoky conditions to grab a bite. “We’ll probably only be here for like 30 minutes because we don’t want to be too exposed,” said Alex Conter.

See also:

S&P 500 Sets Another High on Potential Coronavirus Treatment

Wall Street Journal

U.S. stocks advanced to fresh highs Monday, buoyed by investors’ optimism about a potential treatment for coronavirus.

Opinion: New Thinking on Covid Lockdowns: They’re Overly Blunt and Costly

Wall Street Journal

There wasn’t time to gather that sort of evidence: Faced with a poorly understood and rapidly spreading pathogen, they prioritized saving lives.

Jobs:

CRC announces 55 layoffs in Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

Local oil producer California Resources Corp. has indicated it plans to permanently lay off 55 people in Bakersfield, including in relatively high-pay job classifications such as engineers, because of lower demand for petroleum during the COVID-19 pandemic.

California unemployment agency not answering 60% of calls

Fresno Bee

California’s unemployment agency is not answering 60% of the calls it receives for help as the overwhelmed department struggles to work through a backlog of more than 1 million pending claims five months into the pandemic.

See also:

Nation’s biggest business lobby is behind Republicans’ push to shield employers from coronavirus liability

Washington Post

In video, Chamber of Commerce executive says senators ‘putting their touches’ on group’s legislative proposal.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno’s Learning Curve: Navigating Education Access in a Pandemic

Fresno Bee

Education has changed for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19. When schools first shuttered in March, many people hoped the virus would be contained by summer. But that hasn’t happened, and distance learning is now continuing into the fall.

See also:

Patterson school district putting up broadband towers to give all kids free internet

Modesto Bee

Patterson Joint Unified School District, which this summer pushed back the starting date of its school year to Sept. 8 in hopes the COVID-19 outbreak would be under control and it could provide in-person instruction, will launch with distance learning and provide free internet service for all students.

Stanislaus County schools ponder reopening campuses as coronavirus numbers drop

Modesto Bee

School districts in Stanislaus County have a lot of work to do before any reopen elementary schools for classroom instruction during the coronavirus pandemic. First, an adjusted rate of infection in the county has to fall.

One week after reopening, El Dorado school announces student tests positive for COVID-19

Sacramento Bee

One week after opening its classrooms to in-person instruction, Rescue Union School District informed the public that a student tested positive for COVID-19. The district is able to open because the county has remained off of the state’s monitoring list and complied with the long list of requirements to reopen.

See first day of school amid coronavirus as students attend class at Rescue Elementary

Sacramento Bee

Rescue Elementary School was one of several schools that opened its doors for in-class instruction on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 in El Dorado County. The county is not on the state watchlist, so schools are allowed to open.

In a rural California town, schools try something extraordinary and risky: Classrooms with children

Los Angeles Times

While the vast majority of California students are starting the academic year online, something extraordinary happened in this public school district in rural Northern California: Students sat in classrooms.

When can schools reopen? What you need to know about waivers and watch lists

Los Angeles Times

As county coronavirus case loads drop, the prospect of reopening schools improves. Last week health officials granted school reopening waivers to 30 elementary schools in Orange County. L.A. County’s chief medical officer said local coronavirus numbers may soon drop enough to consider elementary school waivers as well.

Opinion: Learning pods aren’t the problem, they’re part of the solution

AEI

Pod-forming parents should be celebrated for filling the void left by education leaders and public officials, for the creativity and pluck involved in their pragmatic, adaptive, and communitarian solution.

Higher Ed:

USC reports ‘alarming increase’ in COVID-19 cases

Los Angeles Times

Just one week into fall semester, USC is reporting “an alarming increase” in the number of COVID-19 cases in students among the campus community, according to a Student Health notice sent out Monday.

Prop 16 could boost racial equity among university faculty

CalMatters

Repealing the ban on affirmative action will make it easier for public colleges and universities to target underrepresented groups for faculty positions.

Pandemic pushes California college students to change or delay enrollments

EdSource

While the California State University system has allowed its 23 campuses to offer students enrollment deferrals in the past, the coronavirus has led some to be more lenient this year about when admitted students can start.

Opinion: Tuition discounts don’t make sense, increased funding for financial aid does

Brookings

Given the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 shutdowns, it might seem justifiable to slash tuition, but it will backfire. With well-off families paying less, college will have less

revenue to redistribute as aid in the future to those who are financially struggling.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Smoke from California, Colorado wildfires has blanketed skies all the way to Kansas

Fresno Bee

Wildfires raging in California and Colorado have blanketed most of the West in smoke, which has reached as far away as Kansas, the National Weather Service says. Lightning-sparked fires have burned more than 1.1 million acres in California and killed at least seven people, CNN reported. More than 13,000 firefighters are battling hundreds of blazes.

See also:

Wildfires Hit California’s Redwoods And Condors, But There’s Still Hope

VPR

At 3 a.m. on Friday morning, biologist Kelly Sorenson was awake, nervously watching the live webcam feed of a California condor nest on the Big Sur coast. He could see a 5-month-old chick, still unable to fly, as the flames of the Dolan Fire came into view.

U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Didn’t Give Lawmakers Credit For Backing Climate Bills

VPR

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has publicly called for businesses, individuals and governments to work together to fight climate change. But a new analysis from the World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank, found that the Chamber didn’t reflect that goal in its annual scorecard evaluating U.S. lawmakers’ voting records.

Sen. Anna Caballero: There’s environmental justice, and there’s bad legislation. She voted against the latter

Fresno Bee

When I was elected to represent rural California’s Central Valley, I knew that I would face difficult voting decisions. The last few weeks have proved to be just that— difficult. Recently, I voted against AB 345 in committee.

Wonder Valley Reopens For Business

Business Journal

After nearly five months of closure, Wonder Valley Ranch Resort near Sanger is open once again to the public — under social distancing protocols.

A Faster Track for Ecosystem Restoration

Public Policy Institute of California

California’s rivers and aquatic species are in trouble, but restoration projects often get bogged down by lengthy permitting processes. Sustainable Conservation has been at the forefront of finding ways to speed up badly needed restoration projects with improved permitting.

Energy:

The lights went out. Now California might let these gas plants stay open

Los Angeles Times

State officials are poised to decide whether four gas-fired power plants along the Southern California coast should keep running past 2020, in the first major energy decision for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration after this month’s blackouts.

Trump wields California power woes to attack Biden

Politico

The forced blackouts during California’s record-setting heatwave have handed President Donald Trump a cudgel to attack the state’s aggressive climate change policies — and tie them to Joe Biden’s plans for a massive expansion of wind and solar power.

See also:

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

94 new COVID-19 cases reported by county officials Monday

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County reported 94 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, according to the Kern County Public Health Services website. Total cases of COVID-19 now stands at 28,234 with 240 confirmed deaths. County health officials report that just under 11,000 of those cases have recovered or are presumed to have recovered. About 17,000 are recovering at home or in the hospital.

See also:

Convergence of crises brings anxiety overload

San Francisco Chronicle

In 2016, Ruth Whippman published “America the Anxious: How Our Pursuit of Happiness Is Creating a Nation of Nervous Wrecks.” In the book, the British author and Berkeley resident argued that this country’s cultural obsession with happiness made us crazy. The more people chased happiness, she said, the more anxious, lonely and depressed people became.

Does racism make us sick? Amid a national reckoning, the question gains new importance

San Francisco Chronicle

The idea that racial profiling and other forms of discrimination can trigger chronic stress — which in turn can provoke illness — is a growing area of research, especially as the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired a multidimensional approach to racial equality.

County’s push for plasma is paying off

Bakersfield Californian

An effort in recent weeks to boost blood plasma donations from those who have recovered from COVID-19 infections has increased local supply of one of the few therapies available to fight the virus.

See also:

First Covid-19 reinfection documented in Hong Kong, researchers say

STAT

Researchers in Hong Kong on Monday reported what appears to be the first confirmed case of Covid-19 reinfection, a 33-year-old man who was first infected by SARS-CoV-2 in late March and then, four and a half months later, seemingly contracted the virus again while traveling in Europe.

Human Services:

‘Huge conflict of interest.’ California nursing home inspectors balk at new state mandate

Sacramento Bee

California is asking nursing home inspectors to take a more cooperative approach with the hundreds of facilities they regulate — something akin to a consultant role to help the disease-battered industry comply with health and safety laws, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The Sacramento Bee.

Opinion: Betting on better drug trials to beat COVID-19

AEI

The FDA has been using its expertise to help drugmakers develop evidence faster. The agency has issued 60 guidance and other documents for Covid, giving detailed advice on how to speed up development.

IMMIGRATION

Who gets asylum? Even before Trump, system was riddled with bias and disparities

Los Angeles Times

For the world’s most vulnerable, protection in the United States has all but disappeared. Wait times for asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border that already seemed indefinite now seem impossible. Families struggle to find food and shelter to outlast a pandemic order with no end date.

DHS Resumes DACA Renewals After a Nearly Monthlong Pause

Wall Street Journal

The Department of Homeland Security said it is resuming renewals of a program protecting immigrants living in the U.S. since childhood without legal permission, nearly a month after it instructed staff to pause on all applications.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California’s Oldest State Park, ‘Extensively Damaged’ by Raging Wildfires

Time

Many of Big Basin Redwoods State Park’s coast redwood trees, which have come to symbolize California’s grandeur and ecological diversity, are 1,000 to 1,800 years old, hundreds of feet tall and, in some instances, over 50 feet in circumference.

Housing:

Fresno’s housing market is hot. From bidding wars to COVID-19, here’s what you need to know

Fresno Bee

Rene Gonzalez, 28, is remaining hopeful of becoming a first-time homeowner in the midst of a pandemic. He and his family have been shopping for two months and seen 10 homes, including three they fell in love with.

Real estate market seeing boost in business during pandemic

abc30

Whether you’re a first-time home buyer, looking to upgrade or hoping to take advantage of low-interest rates, chances are the real estate market during the COVID-19 pandemic has piqued your interest.

Column: Landlords need to stop whining about the unfairness of California’s eviction ban

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom likes to talk about California “meeting the moment.” Well, for millions of renters, there’s perhaps no moment more worth meeting than Sept. 1. That’s the day — a mere eight days from now — when a statewide moratorium on evictions is set to expire and families across the state, including many families with children, could suddenly find themselves being booted from their homes into the street.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Wildfire victims in eight California counties can now apply for federal grants and loans

San Francisco Chronicle

Individuals and businesses in eight Northern California counties can now apply for federal grants and low-interest loans to cover uninsured losses caused by the wildfires.

TRANSPORTATION

‘We’re Desperate’: Transit Cuts Felt Deepest in Low-Income Areas

New York Times

As the pandemic wreaks havoc on public transit systems across the country, experts say it is low-income residents, people of color and essential workers bearing the brunt.

Everything you need to know about getting tested for the coronavirus to travel

Washington Post

In an email, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Washington Post: “Travel-associated testing is a worthwhile concept under active discussion in the U.S. and internationally to reduce the risk of transportation-associated COVID-19 infection and the translocation of the virus from one location to another.”

WATER

Making the Most of Water for the Environment

PPIC

Water and land management activities have substantially altered river flows across the state, degrading ecosystems and decimating populations of native species. Restoring seasonal components of river flow is key to sustaining the biological, chemical, and physical processes necessary for ecosystem health.

Opinion: Hydropower from dams helps with CA blackouts

Modesto Bee

On the day California ran out of electricity, where did the state turn to find more power? To the oldest and cleanest form of electricity there is – hydropower. Considering that California is going out of its way to make hydropower more expensive and less available, you don’t have to be an electrical engineer to see the disconnect.

Commentary: Warren Buffett can save the Klamath River Basin. Will he?

Sacramento Bee

It should not take pleas to Warren Buffett, the billionaire leader of the Berkshire Hathaway holding company, to save the wobbling deal to take down four obsolete dams on the Klamath River.

“Xtra”

Pioneer Days among city fall events canceled

Porterville Recorder

First events in the spring were canceled. Then the cancellations went into the summer. Now the COVID-19 pandemic is taking its toll on special events in the fall before the fall has even arrived.

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

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