August 26, 2019

26Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

A friend in the State Capitol (Lenny Mendonca from Turlock)

Turlock Journal

California’s Central Valley is often dubbed as “flyover territory” — in other words, the mundane, crop-heavy region that many overlook as they travel to and from the state’s more populous areas.

Highway 132 project bids in Modesto are within budget

Modesto Bee

Bids came in under budget for rerouting part of Highway 132 west from Modesto, an idea that dates to the 1950s.

Helping Modesto and the Valley manage the cost of asthma and COPD inhalers

Modesto Bee

With the intense summer heat and horrible air quality, some people across the Central Valley are finding it difficult to breathe.

Homeless people would get housing in ‘ambitious’ proposal to buy 103-bed Modesto motel

Modesto Bee

The Housing Authority is in talks with the owner of the American Budget Inn & Suites to buy the 103-room motel at Kansas Avenue and Highway 99 and plans to turn it into permanent supportive housing for homeless people.

Modesto protesters outnumber straight pride supporters at tense but peaceful rally

Modesto Bee

While organizers of Saturday’s straight pride rally in Modesto had envisioned an event that would draw several hundred people, the rally turned out to be a few dozen people gathered in a barn, which was cut short by the venue’s owner, followed by a protest in front of Planned Parenthood, which was closed.

Central SJ Valley:

What Friday told us about Jerry Dyer’s power as police chief, mayoral candidate

Fresno Bee

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer and Fresno County prosecutor Andrew Janz will face off for mayor in the March primary election, but some say “the powers that be” in Fresno have already chosen the next mayor.

See also:

●     Fresno has a temporary new chief of police instead of a long-time hire. What now? Fresno Bee

●     Warszawski: Is Police Chief Jerry Dyer already mayor of Fresno? Sure feels that way Fresno Bee

●     Fresno’s Next Police Chief Is From The Department – ‘A Slap In the Face’ Says One Councilmember VPR

●     McEwen: Brand’s Police Chief Choice Reflects His Integrity, Not a Charade GV Wire

●     EDITORIAL: Fresno should have a new police chief. City’s inability to find one raises concerns Fresno Bee

Here’s what happened at Devin Nunes’ first hearing for his lawsuit against Twitter, fake cow

Fresno Bee

Social media giant Twitter on Friday asked a Virginia judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, arguing the company has no operations in the state and Nunes’ complaint cannot be considered there.

See also:

●     Devin Nunes opponent trolls congressman Visalia Times Delta

●      Twitter Defends Nunes Parody Accounts From Defamation Suit Court House News

Chowchilla fires back over criticisms of its water system

Madera Tribune

The Madera County Grand Jury Annual Report on the Chowchilla  municipal water system was covered in Wednesday’s Madera Tribune. As is customary, the response by the city was addressed to the Superior Court judge who supervises the Grand Jury.

Pilots land hard on council

Madera Tribune

A group of about 25 local pilots and longtime aviation enthusiasts filled the Madera City Council chambers Wednesday night, some of them angry and others shocked at even the possibility of the closure of the secondary agricultural runway long used by area crop dusters and other pilots. 

South SJ Valley:

City deploys ‘rapid response’ teams to take on rising number of homeless encampments

Bakersfield Californian

A recent survey of the county’s homeless population revealed 1,150 individuals experiencing homelessness in metro Bakersfield, a 43 percent increase from the same survey conducted the year before.

Kern quickly rises to become California’s top hemp-producing county

Bakersfield Californian

Minimal restrictions, ample land and a strong farming tradition have made Kern the state’s No. 1 hemp-growing county in the four months since California began registering growers of the non-psychoactive form of cannabis.

Mighty 190 focused on promoting tourism through Tulare County

Porterville Recorder

The Mighty 190 committee met on Wednesday in the conference room at the Porterville Chamber of Commerce to discuss updates on current projects that the committee is working on.

State:

State’s Top Elections Chief Plans To Take “California Model” National

Capital Public Radio

For advocates of expanded voting rights, California is the gold standard. Now Secretary of State Alex Padilla is evangelizing the state’s approach — and hoping to shake up elections in other states in 2020.

Assemblyman Chad Mayes’ anti-racism resolution might face pushback within GOP      

The Press Enterprise

It’s ‘as popular as a stinkbomb in an elevator,’ a conservative activist says.

Walters: Striking with a hot iron

CALmatters

The old adage of “strike while the iron is hot” is especially applicable to politics.

‘This is checkmate’: Newsom thrives on Trump’s ire over auto deal

Politico

California’s Trump-defying auto emissions deal has gotten deep under the president’s skin — and Gov. Gavin Newsom is making the most of it.

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.

Federal:

Mexican citizen who voted for Trump found guilty of voter fraud in 5 U.S. elections

Sacramento Bee

A jury on Friday found a Sacramento man guilty on all counts.

Democrats urge tech giants not to screw up the census

Politico

Tech companies have pledged to take steps to prevent interference — but their efforts could further complicate Silicon Valley’s relations with the GOP.

EDITORIAL: The GOP has a political and economic death-grip over Democrats

Los Angeles Times

An exploding federal budget deficit can spell political trouble for the White House and opportunity for the opposition party as a presidential election approaches.

Elections 2020:

California Is the ‘Popular Boy or Girl at the Dance’ in 2020

New York Times

Kamala Harris has the home-state advantage, but the other Democratic presidential hopefuls are not ceding the state.

Democratic leadership again considers climate change debate — and again says no

abc30

Democratic National Committee leaders debated holding single-issue debates as more than a dozen White House contenders addressed party members in San Francisco.

See also:

●     Democratic presidential hopefuls complain about being pushed off debate stage  San Francisco Chronicle

●     Democrats sounding less aspirational, more confrontational San Francisco Chronicle

●     Notable & Quotable: Climate Politics Wall Street Journal

Joe Biden, evoking 1968, asks: What if Obama had been assassinated?

Los Angeles Times

Joe Biden posed a question at a campaign stop Friday: What if Barack Obama had been assassinated during his presidential campaign in 2008?

Elizabeth Warren announces head of California campaign

San Francisco Chronicle

Sen. Elizabeth Warren started ramping up her presidential campaign in California by naming Nicole DeMont to direct her operations in the state.

See also:

●      Warren Is Missing a Plan Wall Street Journal

Sanders calls on McConnell to end obstructionism

Fresno Bee

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Sunday branded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as an obstructionist for blocking Democratic efforts to reduce gun violence, bolster election security and raise the federal minimum wage.

See also:

●      Bernie’s Green Leap Forward Wall Street Journal

Why Kamala Harris is stuck in neutral

Sacramento Bee

She’s taken a nose-dive in polling, struggled to hit her stride on an overarching message — and now donors are beginning to wonder about her long-term

See also:

●      Harris belatedly joins other presidential candidates in California fight over “gig” workers CALmatters

Everyone deserves the right to vote — including parolees. California can lead the way

Sacramento Bee

As voter suppression efforts continue to grab national headlines, one suffrage movement is gaining momentum across the country.

Former Congressman and Talk Radio Host Joe Walsh Announces Trump Primary Challenge

Capital Public Radio

Walsh supported Trump during his 2016 campaign but of late has offered a bitter critique of the president, calling him a liar, bully and unfit for office. Walsh has also attacked Trump from the right.

See also:

●     Ex-Rep. Joe Walsh to challenge Trump in 2020 GOP primary Los Angeles Times

●     Joe Walsh is primarying Trump. He brings tons of very Trumpian baggage. Washington Post

●      Former congressman Joe Walsh announces primary challenge against Trump Washington Post

An election reform: Let voters make clear which candidates they truly dislike

CALmatters

California could lead the way again on voting reform: Why not let voters declare on ballots which candidates they truly dislike?

The federal-state disconnect in securing the 2016 election and how not to repeat it

Brookings

The U.S. federal government is not the leading actor in the administration of elections—the Constitution gives that role to the states.

Other:

How a Los Angeles-based conservative became one of the internet’s biggest sensations

Los Angeles Times

Earlier this summer, as President Trump assembled online activists at the White House to thank them for their role in getting him to the Oval Office and – Trump predicted – keeping him there, one guest didn’t rush to claim credit.

David Koch leaves behind legacy of dark money political network

Roll Call

Republican mega-donor David Koch, who helped pioneer a network of often surreptitious organizations aimed at influencing elections and public policy, leaves behind a legacy of dark-money groups and a volatile political landscape.

See also:

●      David Koch Wall Street Journal

Opinion:  The Tragedy of the Times

Wall Street Journal

The loss of advertising dollars is why a newspaper spends its credibility sucking up to readers.

A plea to the right and left: tone down the rhetoric

CALmatters

Wordsmithing has become anathema. It has been replaced by raw and incendiary language; the stronger the better. Nowhere is this more apparent than the debate over immigration.

What FDR Understood About Socialism That Today’s Democrats Don’t

POLITICO Magazine

He ruled at the height of government activism, but saw ideology as something to fear, not embrace.

Reflecting a demographic shift, 109 U.S. counties have become majority nonwhite since 2000

PEW

The white share of the population in the United States is declining as Hispanic, Asian and black populations grow. But the shift to a more diverse nation is happening more quickly in some places than in others.

Interactive: Who shares your views on race?

PEW

In a survey of more than 6,000 American adults, we found that Americans are divided along racial lines in their views on the legacy of slavery, the best way to achieve diversity and the value they place on their own racial and ethnic identity.

See also:

·       Opinion: Dismantling the myth of America and the white men who founded it Washington Post

Smartphones help blacks, Hispanics bridge some – but not all – digital gaps with whites

PEW

Black and Hispanic adults remain less likely than whites to say they own a traditional computer or have high speed internet at home, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in early 2019. But smartphones are playing a role in helping to bridge these differences.

Most Americans have positive image of research scientists, but fewer see them as good communicators

PEW

What comes to mind when people think of research scientists?

Americans Have Shifted Dramatically on What Values Matter Most

Wall Street Journal

Patriotism, religion and having children rate lower among younger generations than they did two decades ago, WSJ/NBC News survey finds.

Qualcomm Gets a Reprieve

Wall Street Journal

The Ninth Circuit stays a bad ruling that would harm 5G innovation.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 1, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Countdown to the 2020 Census” – Guests: Secretary of State, Alex Padilla; Sarah Bohn, PPIC; and John Myers, Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 1, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Census & Immigration: Distinctly Different Issues Intersect” – Guests: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California; Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee; Dan Walters with CALmatters, Secretary of State, Alex Padilla; Sarah Bohn, PPIC; and John Myers, Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 1, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Participación en 2018: lo que puede significar para 2020” – Invitados: Secretario de Estado Alex Padilla, Gisell Gasca – Mi Familia Vota y Alexei Koseff con San Francisco Chronicle. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

The Peaches Are Sweet, but Growing Them Isn’t

New York Times

An annual picking trip to a California farm has become a window into our daunting climate and work challenges.

Kern quickly rises to become California’s top hemp-producing county

Bakersfield Californian

Minimal restrictions, ample land and a strong farming tradition have made Kern the state’s No. 1 hemp-growing county in the four months since California began registering growers of the non-psychoactive form of cannabis.

California Says Its Cannabis Revenue Has Fallen Short Of Estimates, Despite Gains

Capital Public Radio

The tepid results have prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to revise his office’s estimates of how much money the state will net from its cannabis industry.

Congress’ new caucus: Wexton gives agritourism a voice

Roll Call

Rep. Jennifer Wexton kicked off the formation of a new Agritourism Caucus Thursday by touring businesses throughout her district, highlighting the importance of agritourism to local economies and communities.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Authorities crackdown on crime in southern Fresno County

abc30

It’s a message of zero tolerance. For 10 hours, Operation Goldstar sent more than 75 units, from the local and federal level in teams to swarm Fresno County.

Boating Under The Influence Arrests Up This Summer at Bass Lake

Sierra News

With the approach of the Labor Day weekend and the traditional wind-down of summer activities at Bass Lake, the Madera County Sheriff’s office is reporting boating under the influence (BUI) arrests are up 45 percent in 2019.

It was sensitive data from a U.S. anti-terror program – and terrorists could have gotten to it for years, records show

Los Angeles Times

The Department of Homeland Security stored sensitive data from the nation’s bioterrorism defense program on an insecure website where it was vulnerable to attacks by hackers for over a decade, according to government documents reviewed by The Times.

Senator Wiener Introduces Criminal Justice Reform Legislation to Repeal Unnecessary One-Year Enhancements on Sentences

California Senate

SB 136 repeals a commonly used one-year sentence enhancement that is added to each prior prison or felony jail term that an individual has serve.

Gov. Newsom on new police deadly force law: How I’ll know it’s working

CALmatters

In a CalMatters exclusive interview, the governor defined success as “a substantial reduction” in fatal shootings — in a state where the police shooting rate exceeds the national average.

See also:

●      Watch: California’s new police use-of-force law, explained CALmatters

Public Safety:

Cities with more gun purchases also see more gun-related injuries, UC Davis study finds

Sacramento Bee

A new UC Davis study has found that cities that experience increases in gun purchases also experience more gun-related injuries.

See also:

●      Success of Red Flag Laws Might Depend on Mental Health Teams PEW

●      Guns in Alameda County 2012-2018 Alcoda.org

●      Do ‘red flag’ laws actually save lives? CALmatters

●      Opinion: The Second Amendment does not bar gun control Fresno Bee

●      EDITORIAL: Guns are a regional problem. We need to be looking at regional solutions Los Angeles Times

Your first ‘3 minutes’ crucial to survive mass shooting

Stockton Record

“For three minutes, you are your own first responders. Nobody’s coming to save you,” police say.

Former pregnant corrections officer is ‘hopeful’ change will come to CDCR policy

Bakersfield Californian

Coogle’s lawsuit led the way for a March class-action lawsuit to be filed in Los Angeles County, alleging gender discrimination by the CDCR. Female correctional officers allege they were not given reasonable accommodations during and after their pregnancies.

Bloomberg correct that NRA’s Wayne LaPierre once supported background checks

Politifact

Billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg took a familiar swipe at NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre during an Aug. 11 interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Fire:

Why California is having its mildest fire season in 20 years

Fresno Bee

There are still at least two months left in fire season, and hot weather is forecast over the next two weeks, so things could change. But as of this week, fewer acres have burned in California this year than in any year since 1998, according to an analysis of 25 years of federal and state fire records by this news organization.

EDITORIAL: Higher PG&E rates for wildfire safety are a bitter reality to ensure no one else dies

Fresno Bee

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. wants to increase its monthly rates by $14.69 per customer. That works out to about $176.28 for a year. The utility says it needs more than half of that money for “wildfire risk management” — ensuring its power lines and related equipment don’t spark any giant fires again.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

SPIE, economic events illustrate positive steps toward controlling our future

Modesto Bee

With the energy and commitment from our local leaders — both at the SPIE and economic events — it feels we’re on the doorstep of something special.

The global economy is slipping toward recession — and Trump is making it worse

Los Angeles Times

Warning flags are flying: The world economy is heading into a slowdown, and possibly a recession.

See also:

●      ‘A deep and boiling anger’: NBC/WSJ poll finds a pessimistic America despite current economic satisfaction NBC

●      Listen:Why skyrocketing federal debt will mean the next recession is harder to overcome PBS Newshour

US exports to lobster-loving China go off cliff amid tariffs

Fresno Bee

U.S. lobster exports to China have fallen off a cliff this year as new retaliatory tariffs shift the seafood business farther north

See also:

●     Trump Walks Back Statements On China; White House Walks Them Forward Capital Public Radio

●      Trump Gambles That China Trade War Will Pay Off in 2020 Wall Street Journal

●      Trump conceded regret about escalating trade war with China, then reversed course, saying he wished he’d raised the tariffs higher Washington Post

●     G-7 leaders pledge $20 million to fight Amazon fires as Trump skips meeting on climate change Washington Post

●      Trump Seeks to Ease Tensions With China, G-7 Wall Street Journal

●      Tension Between Trump, World Leaders Takes Spotlight at G-7 Summit Wall Street Journal

●     Trump Says U.S. and Japan Have Reached Trade Deal in Principle Wall Street Journal

Bucking the slowing retail trend

Bakersfield Californian

The Philadelphia-based chain, Five Below, is a rare example of a brick-and-mortar retailer that’s thriving at a time when many other stores are pulling back in the face of competition from e-commerce.

Corporate panic about capitalism could be a turning point

Washington Post

The billionaire guardians of capitalism fear the system is failing.

The spy in your wallet: Credit cards have a privacy problem

Washington Post

In our latest privacy experiment, we bought one banana with the new Apple Card — and another with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa from Chase. Here’s who tracked, mined and shared our data.

Jobs:

Fresno Alorica employees receive notice saying ‘operations will cease’

abc30

Action News was contacted by workers at Alorica, a Southern California company that operates call centers with offices in Fresno and Clovis. They said the major Valley employer is closing its Fresno location, affecting nearly 800 jobs.

Employees of Big Tech are speaking out like never before

Sacramento Bee

In the past two years in which U.S. tech employees have tried to remake the industry from the inside out — pushing for more control over how their work is used and urging better conditions, job security and wages for affiliated workers.

Google Tries to Corral Its Staff After Ugly Internal Debates

New York Times

Google has long prided itself on a workplace culture in which employees are encouraged to speak their minds and engage in philosophical debates.

Connecting the Dots: Aligning Attainment Goals to the Workforce

EdNote

Not a day goes by that I don’t read an article or hear an anecdote about how the future of the workforce requires more postsecondary credentials. By the year 2030, the U.S. could lose $1.7 trillion in revenue because of labor shortages.

Truck Driver Misclassification: Climate, Labor, and Environmental Justice Impacts

Labor Center Berkeley

The next great challenge for California climate policy lies in the transportation sector. Vehicles account for fully 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions in California, the most of any economic sector in our state, and consistent and significant reductions in vehicle emissions remain elusive.

EDUCATION

K-12:

FUSD trustee questions program offering students access to reproductive care

abc30

A Fresno County program allows teens to take healthcare matters into their own hands; however, one Fresno Unified trustee says it could be hampering their safety at school.

Bill to mandate ethnic studies in California high schools delayed amid controversy

Sacramento Bee

As debates over which communities should be represented in California’s first ethnic studies curriculum intensify.

County names new vocational school after early adopter of such facilities

Madera Tribune

The Madera County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Cecilia A. Massetti, the Madera County Board of Education, school district staff members and dignitaries participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 13 to celebrate Madera’s newest charter school, the Steve Carney Career Technical Education Center, at 28198 Avenue 14.

See also:

·       Connecting the Dots: Aligning Attainment Goals to the Workforce EdNote

Op-ed: My high school students don’t read anymore. I think I know why

Los Angeles Times

Most of us who grew up in the United States before the advent of smartphones and social media can remember adults using phrases like “serious reading” or can name people in our orbit who claimed certain books “changed their lives.”

The Advantages of a Dedicated State School Safety Center

EdNote

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts that explore state efforts to improve school safety through legislation, initiatives, task forces and more.

Preventing School Violence Through Threat Assessment

EdNote

This is the third in a series of blog posts that explore state efforts to improve school safety through legislation, initiatives, task forces and more. This series aims to inform state efforts to make schools and higher education institutions safe places to learn and work.

California science teachers offer more input on new classroom materials

EdSource

As California revamps how it teaches science to K-12 students, teachers are playing a bigger role in vetting the new instruction materials.

Higher Ed:

Smittcamp Family Honors College admits 21st class of scholars

Hanford Sentinel

50 high-achieving high school graduates were chosen for this year’s 21st class of President’s Honors Scholars in Fresno State’s Smittcamp Family Honors College, which starts its third decade of service to the community this fall.

Clovis Community College: A Kindness Movement to Honor Molly Griffin

Clovis RoundUp

On February 21, 2015, former Clovis Community College student Molly Griffin was killed in a car accident.

Changes in store at BC, CSUB as new school year begins

Bakersfield Californian

Local college campuses will be buzzing with students Monday, and each school year brings several new opportunities and resources.

Hundreds of students, families come home to CSUB during Move-In Day

KBAK

Welcome Weekend drew ’Runners and their families to campus for a number of joyous events, including convocation, a resource fair, celebrations of our honors and graduate students and Move-In Day, where students start the morning as strangers and end the evening with a late-night breakfast as ’Runners.

See also:

●     CSUB 101 – Everything our new and returning students need to know, from where to eat to how to get involved. CSUB.edu

The growing partisan divide in views of higher education

PEW

Americans see value in higher education, whether they graduated from college or not.

EDITORIAL: Stan State plans fall short of Stockton’s needs

Stockton Record

What’s the saying, mixed emotions? Perhaps that’s the attitude San Joaquin County residents are expected to adopt about the announcement last week that California State University, Stanislaus officials plan what’s described as a major enhancement to the long-neglected Turlock-based university’s satellite campus in Stockton.

COMMUNITY VOICES: CSUB is continuously on the rise

Bakersfield Californian

Today, 3,000 freshmen and transfer students — most of them the first in their families to attend college — will arrive at Cal State Bakersfield, eager to chase the dream that brought them to the southern valley’s only four-year public university.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

California looks to ban keeping invasive nutria as pets

Sacramento Bee

Nutria, a giant invasive rodent originally from South America, might be the size of a beagle, but unlike a beagle you can’t keep them in your home.

Should California Insulate Itself From Federal Rollbacks Of Environmental Laws?

VPR

State legislators have fast-tracked Senate Bill 1, the California Environmental, Public Health and Workers Defense Act of 2019.

Why It Could Take $5 Billion To Clean Up Quake Damage At China Lake

VPR

Less than 10 miles away from the epicenters of the two powerful earthquakes that shook the Ridgecrest area over Independence Day weekend lies a military base: Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. It’s huge—larger than nine U.S.

G-7 leaders pledge $20 million to fight Amazon fires as Trump skips meeting on climate change

Washington Post

The Group of Seven summit was marked more by whiplash, mixed signals and surprises than by concrete results, but at least one joint commitment was made, a triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought to demonstrate concrete results from the meeting.

Energy:

Should California ban all oil drilling and fracking? Depends on who you ask

Fresno Bee

California Influencers this week answered the following the question: What would be the benefits and downsides to a complete ban on oil drilling and fracking in California? Below are the Influencers’ answers in their entirety.

See also:

●     Local industry, politicians oppose plans to phase out use of natural gas Bakersfield Californian

●     What would a complete ban on oil drilling and fracking look like in California? Sacramento Bee

Clean energy powers California climate emissions drop

San Francisco Chronicle

California is continuing to lower its greenhouse gas emissions, but the transportation sector remains a stubborn obstacle in the state’s aggressive fight against climate change, new data show.

How Much Could PG&E’s Rates Rise? What You Need To Know

Capital Public Radio

The average residential PG&E customer could see a 15% monthly increase. State authorities are already getting an earful from those overwhelming opposed to paying more.

California Choice Energy Authority to Purchase California Wind Energy from Avangrid Renewables

Public CEO

The power purchase agreements will enable these three locally operated electric service providers to offer their customers clean, renewable energy generated in one of the most wind-rich areas of California.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Helping Modesto and the Valley manage the cost of asthma and COPD inhalers

Modesto Bee

With the intense summer heat and horrible air quality, some people across the Central Valley are finding it difficult to breathe.

Child health Notebook — sugary drinks laws in CA legislature

Modesto Bee

The current session of the California Legislature is debating more than 50 bills related to children’s health, though not all are in the final stages.

Human Services:

Planned Parenthood cuts could prove disastrous

Visalia Times Delta

Planned Parenthood is pulling out of the federal family planning program — Title X — rather than abide by a new Trump administration rule prohibiting clinics from referring women for abortions.

See also:

●      Planned Parenthood clinics will lose Title X funds rather than follow new ‘gag rule’ Modesto Bee

Dialysis industry is spending big — $2.5 million — to avoid oversight in California

Los Angeles Times

The dialysis industry spent about $2.5 million in California on lobbying and campaign contributions in the first half of this year in its ongoing battle to thwart regulation, according to a California Healthline analysis of campaign finance reports filed with the state.

See also:

●     Dialysis Industry Spends Big To Protect Profits California Healthline

IMMIGRATION

Trump seeking ‘correct’ interpretation of birthright citizenship

Bakersfield Californian

Donald Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller on Sunday echoed what the president told reporters outside the White House on Wednesday: the administration is looking at trying to end the practice of granting citizenship to anyone born in the United States.

New ‘Public Charge’ Rule Targets Immigrant Use Of Health And Nutrition Services

Capital Public Radio

The Trump administration’s new immigration rule has provided the federal government with expansive new grounds to bar people from receiving green cards for accessing public services such as Medi-Cal and food stamps.

See also:

●      The Trump Administration’s New “Public Charge” Immigration Rule Will Push Thousands of Californians Into Poverty and Hurt the State’s Health and Economy California Budget & Policy Center

ICE shut down a hotline for detained immigrants after it was featured on ‘Orange Is the New Black’

Los Angeles Times

Immigration and Customs Enforcement shut down a real hotline for detained immigrants run by the California group Freedom for Immigrants less than two weeks after it was prominently featured on the show.

AG William Barr promotes immigration judges with high asylum denial rates

San Francisco Chronicle

The Trump administration has promoted six judges to the immigration appeals court that sets binding policy for deportation cases — all of whom have high rates of denying immigrants’ asylum claims.

In Santa Cruz, a clandestine food bank draws hundreds of farmworkers

CALmatters

Farmworker families afraid of getting assistance from foodbanks due to recent immigration raids now participate in secret food handouts that are passed by word of mouth or telephone.

Guest worker visas are being denied at record rates

San Diego Union-Tribune

Denial rates for high-skilled worker visas have quadrupled since 2015, a trend that makes it much harder for companies that rely on these workers to find and retain talent.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

New apartment complex planned for north Fresno

Business Journal

A vacant lot northeast of Fresno’s Fashion Fair Mall is slated for development into a 90-unit apartment complex.

Fresh hope for long-abandoned University Park grocery site

Stockton Record

Ten years and four months ago, Grupe Co. announced that a 14,000-square-foot market would soon open on the northwest side of University Park in central Stockton.

How a facility purchase will bring elephants to Modesto’s Beard Industrial Park

Modesto Bee

The Racor fuel filter plant on Finch Road in Modesto has been purchased to be repurposed as a large-scale event center.

Housing:

Solar is coming to all new California homes. How many in Fresno already get power from sun?

Fresno Bee

More than 1 million California homes are already soaking up sunshine with solar panels to generate electricity. Next year, that number will surge as new building standards take effect requiring all new homes permitted after Jan. 1 to have solar photovoltaic systems.

Many homeless residents refuse help. But if they accepted it, Fresno couldn’t help them

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors paired up with multiple agencies and companies, like BNSF and the California Department of Transportation, to clean up the areas outside the county’s jurisdiction for health and safety concerns.

Homeless people would get housing in ‘ambitious’ proposal to buy 103-bed Modesto motel

Modesto Bee

The Housing Authority is in talks with the owner of the American Budget Inn & Suites to buy the 103-room motel at Kansas Avenue and Highway 99 and plans to turn it into permanent supportive housing for homeless people.

City deploys ‘rapid response’ teams to take on rising number of homeless encampments

Bakersfield Californian

A recent survey of the county’s homeless population revealed 1,150 individuals experiencing homelessness in metro Bakersfield, a 43 percent increase from the same survey conducted the year before.

DeVore: Official Lies, Bubonic Plague, And California’s Homeless Challenge

Forbes

According to California Governor (and former San Francisco Mayor) Gavin Newsom, the “vast majority” of San Francisco’s homeless people “also come in from… Texas.” To him, that’s “just an interesting fact;” to PolitiFact, it’s “Pants on Fire” inaccurate. PolitiFact goes as far as calling it “ridiculous.”

Gavin Newsom tells Southern California NIMBYs to expect new housing in their backyards

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Newsom just made clear that his administration is going to be far more aggressive in requiring cities and counties to make room for new housing.

Nearly 40% of young adult Californians live with their parents. Here’s everything to know about them

CALmatters

A data dive explores who they are, where they are and why they still live at home —and yes, how they manage to have sex.

California should make clear there is a right to housing, not simply shelter

CALmatters

There are two ways to tackle California’s greatest public safety, public health and humanitarian crisis: homelessness. One way is to marshal resources, build programs, replicate successes, and say, with some justification, that we have helped a lot of people, even if the overall situation isn’t much better.

Walters: A resurrection for redevelopment?

CALmatters

Voters and elected officials adopt policies on assurances of beneficial impacts, but they often interact with other decrees to produce what are called “unintended consequences.”

Living in cars: What happens when your home is towed?

The Californian

Living in vehicles may be safer for homeless people, but authorities say it is a health and safety hazard.

Study: LA’s rate of homeownership is one of the lowest in the nation

La Curbed

In LA, 64 percent of households rent instead of own.

EDITORIAL: The Trump administration is trying to make it harder to fight housing discrimination

Los Angeles Times

With each passing week, it seems there is another attempt by the Trump administration to whittle down someone’s civil rights protections.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California state workers are giving up a raise. New contract reflects pension debt concerns

Sacramento

Its impact might be minor, but a state union’s offer to give up part of a raise to reduce pension debt is notable.

See also:

●      CalPERS gets candid about ‘critical’ decade ahead Calpensions

Proposition 13 is a political third rail in California. Changing it will be a hard sell

Los Angeles Times

There was a jarring reality check in the Legislature last week for interest groups plotting to change Proposition 13 and raise property taxes on major businesses. The reality is that raising any taxes will be very hard to sell voters.

Tax cuts: Four flips in four days

Roll Call

With worries about a possible recession in the near future, the Trump administration has thrown around the idea of implementing new tax cuts to help stimulate the economy, only to flip flop on the idea multiple times later on. Specifically, the administration has flipped on two types of tax cuts — capital gains indexing, which is favored by Republican senators, and payroll taxes.

TRANSPORTATION

Highway 132 project bids in Modesto CA are within budget

Modesto Bee

Bids came in under budget for rerouting part of Highway 132 west from Modesto, an idea that dates to the 1950s.

Narrow escape routes endanger dozens of California towns. Is yours on the list?

Sacramento Bee

One of the many lessons learned in the wake of the Camp Fire last year was the vital role of evacuation routes.

Transit to reduce service hours, electric vehicles coming soon

Porterville Recorder

After several meetings of discussion regarding the next step for the city’s Transit system in modifying and upgrading their services to create a better experience for riders, on Tuesday night the City Council approved the first phase of the modifications, which include a reduction in service hours.

Can a Silicon Valley entrepreneur fix California’s troubled DMV? Newsom is banking on it

Los Angeles Times

Tech entrepreneur Steve Gordon got a glimpse of how wary Californians are of the Department of Motor Vehicles when he visited an office near his San Jose home at 6 a.m. one morning and found people waiting in line — even though the doors didn’t open until 8.

Caltrans seeks to steamroll bill to include bike lanes, crosswalks

San Francisco Chronicle

To state Sen. Scott Wiener, the idea seemed simple. The streets aren’t just for cars anymore, so bike lanes and crosswalks should be a fundamental part of their design — as basic as the asphalt on the roadway.

High-speed rail officials outline Peninsula visions

San Mateo Daily Journal

The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s vision for the corridor between San Jose and San Francisco appears to have the support of Bay Area residents.

City supporting high-speed rail bond

Antelope Valley Press

Las Vegas-to-Victorville line would reach Palmdale.

WATER

Chowchilla fires back over criticisms of its water system

Madera Tribune

The Madera County Grand Jury Annual Report on the Chowchilla  municipal water system was covered in Wednesday’s Madera Tribune. As is customary, the response by the city was addressed to the Superior Court judge who supervises the Grand Jury.

“Xtra”

Organizers help Fresno Greek Fest goers beat the heat at 59th annual event

abc30

Thousands of people stopped by Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in the Tower District for the 59th annual Fresno Greek Fest. This year, organizers say they covered the church’s grounds with a canopy to help people with the heat.

Wandering up Yosemite’s Mono Pass Trail

Sierra News

Consider taking an adventure along the Mono Pass Trail, wandering the mountains in search of beautiful flowers and reflections in the water.

Take me home! Animals available for adoption

Bakersfield Californian

These dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?