August 27, 2020

27Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Modesto mayoral candidate, who is subject of city investigation, ends campaign

Modesto Bee

Bert Lippert, who also is the city’s building safety program coordinator, said Wednesday he was no longer a candidate because he is the subject of a city investigation.

Can south Merced get a grocery store? Mayoral candidates speak on that and other issues

Merced Sun-Star

With the official candidate filing deadline passed and the Nov. 3 general election ever-nearing, Merced mayoral candidates on Monday night laid out where they stand on some of the city’s most hot button issues.

Stanislaus deaths rise to 237. County won’t defy state

Modesto Bee

Deaths to COVID-19 in Stanislaus County rose by five to 237 on Tuesday, the Health Services Agency announced. Only 38 new positive tests were reported. Details on age, gender and underlying conditions were not available for the five people who died.

Wildfires, floods and more: Stanislaus County urges residents to register for emergency alerts

Modesto Bee

Last year it was power shutoffs by PG&E during high winds, in the two years prior it was Tuolumne River flooding, and this year it’s the second largest wildfire in state history. Every time there is an emergency, the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services reminds residents to register to get alerts through the StanAware program.

EDITORIAL: Stanislaus leaders see through Withrow’s bad idea on reopening schools, and reject it

Modesto Bee

You know it’s a bad idea when your own lawyer tells you in front of everyone that what you want to do has absolutely no meaning. That’s the situation Terry Withrow found himself in Tuesday. He was pushing Stanislaus County leaders to embarrass themselves again with another show of defiance against a state COVID order keeping schools closed until it’s safe to open them.

Central SJ Valley:

Washington watchdog hits Cox with complaint over Yosemite trip

The Sun

Rep. TJ Cox’s (D–Fresno) circumventing of a public lottery for vehicle passes to Yosemite for the Fourth of July is, once again, the subject of inquiry in Washington.

Coronavirus updates: Tulare County’s numbers down; Parents rally as school wins in court

Fresno Bee

Nearly 30 more deaths in the central San Joaquin Valley related to the coronavirus were reported by health officials across the six counties on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thirteen deaths were reported in Fresno County on Tuesday; four deaths were counted in Merced County, three in Kings County and one in Madera County.

A flood of political ads is hitting the air in this California district. Who’s paying for them?

Fresno Bee

If you’re living south of Fresno, in California’s 21st congressional district, prepare for a flood of political advertisements. Political strategists have known for months that the race between Rep. TJ Cox, D-Fresno, and former Rep. David Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, would be one of the biggest battlegrounds in the country.

“Dream Camp” gives the homeless a safer alternative from the streets

Fresno Bee

Fresno homeless advocate Dez Martinez set up an encampment under Highway 41, named “Dream Camp” by residents, to give homeless a safer and cleaner alternative to living on the streets.

See Also:

More than 1,000 new people became homeless in the Fresno-area last year – before COVID-19

Fresno Bee

About 1,133 more people are homeless in Fresno and Madera this year, a 45% spike from 2019, according to new numbers announced on Wednesday. Total homelessness in Fresno and Madera grew from 2,508 people in 2019 to 3,641 people in 2020, according to results from January’s point-in-time count — three months before the coronavirus pandemic hit the central San Joaquin Valley and devastated the national economy.

Granite Park controversy: Developer complains to California officials about Fresno mayor

Fresno Bee

A prominent Fresno developer has filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, saying Mayor Lee Brand and some of his staffers are acting in a conflict of interest over closed-session meetings.

South SJ Valley:

Local Republican officials, encouraged by RNC, look forward to McCarthy’s speech

Bakersfield Californian

Local Republican officials say the party’s national convention has drawn fitting contrasts with last week’s Democratic conference and that they’re looking forward to a speech Thursday from the gathering’s chairman, Bakersfield native and Minority Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Kern County will operate same number of polling sites in November as in past elections

KBAK

Ahead of November, the Kern County Elections Office says they’ll still be operating several polling sites for people to cast their ballots in person despite the fact that every registered voter in the state will be receiving a mail-in ballot.

State:

Coronavirus case cancels California Senate’s daily session

Fresno Bee

A person who works at the California Capitol has tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the Senate to cancel Wednesday’s session during a critical final week when lawmakers must consider hundreds of measures that face a Monday deadline.

See Also:

California signs deal to more than double testing capacity

Fresno Bee

California has signed a contract worth up to $1.4 billion with a company to provide a significantly cheaper coronavirus test that will allow the state to eventually more than double the number of people tested to 250,000 per day, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

See also:

Coronavirus updates: Will improving numbers change California schools’ opening plans?

Sacramento Bee

California has been improving by the numbers in its battle with the coronavirus pandemic but is facing new, impending challenges as autumn arrives. The nation’s most populous state will grapple with more schools beginning their academic years, as well as the start of flu season, as the calendar flips to the fall months.

California Lawmakers Propose Last-Minute Bill Providing Funds For Fighting Wildfires

Capital Public Radio

Facing another catastrophic wildfire season, state lawmakers are proposing last-minute legislation to tap into a utility-bill fee to free up $500 million for training firefighters and other immediate steps.

California officials at odds with CDC over looser COVID-19 testing and travel protocols

Los Angeles Times

New guidance on COVID-19 testing and travel issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drew strong pushback from California officials Wednesday. The CDC is no longer recommending a 14-day quarantine for travelers.

See also:

‘Race does matter’: Why Latino advocates are pushing for affirmative action in California

Sacramento Bee

For the first time, Latinos represent the largest ethnic group among freshmen admitted to the University of California system this year. The milestone comes 25 years after California passed Proposition 209, which among other provisions banned consideration of race or ethnicity in public education.

Viewpoints: California Legislature must act to decertify police officers who abuse power or kill

Sacramento Bee

Every time I hear of another police killing, I start bracing for the wave of emotions. I know the sense of loss these families feel because I feel it, too. I have felt it everyday since my brother, Michael Barrera, was killed by police officers in February 2017 in our hometown of Woodland.

Walters: Semi-secret ‘trailer bills’ pop up

CalMatters

The California Legislature’s budget “trailer bills” have morphed into vehicles to make major policy decrees outside of the usual legislative process.

See also:

Skelton: Newsom proves he’s no deer in headlights while managing several crises ‘of biblical proportions’

LA Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been keeping barely one step ahead of being trampled by rampaging disasters. He has survived on energy and agility — and hasn’t frozen like the proverbial deer in headlights. 

Opinion: California, We Can’t Go On Like This

New York Times

What is California’s fundamental trouble? Neither socialism nor Trumpian neglect and incompetence, but something more elemental to life in the Golden State: A refusal by many Californians to live sustainably and inclusively, to give up a little bit of their own convenience for the collective good.

EDITORIAL: California’s Democratic and Republican legislators dodge pay cuts, unite in hypocrisy

Sacramento Bee

In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California State Legislature forced the vast majority of the state’s 236,000 employees to take a 9.23% pay cut starting in July. It wasn’t voluntary. California has a $54 billion budget shortfall because of the devastating economic effects of COVID-19, making cuts necessary.

Federal:

Cities: Census ending early so counting is on Trump’s watch

Fresno Bee

The U.S. Census Bureau is ending the 2020 head count of every U.S. resident early by a month so that the process for calculating the number of people used for redrawing congressional districts takes place on President Donald Trump’s watch, according to court filings asking a judge to block the shortened schedule.

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:

Trump’s convention gives platform to some with fringe views

Bakersfield Californian

An advocate of “household voting” in which husbands get the final say. A woman who has argued that school sex ed programs are “grooming” children to be sexualized by predators like Jeffrey Epstein. A candidate who has peddled in racist tropes and bizarre QAnon conspiracy theories.

See also:

Pence Headlines as Republican Convention Focuses on Military, Law Enforcement

Wall Street Journal

Vice President Mike Pence hailed President Trump’s support for law enforcement during what he called a “time of testing” spurred by recent protests against police shootings and the coronavirus pandemic, as he accepted the Republican Party’s vice-presidential nomination Wednesday.

See also:

Intel officials contradict Trump on voting by mail

Politico

The intelligence community has seen no evidence that foreign powers intend to manipulate mail-in voting in the 2020 election, senior Trump administration officials said Wednesday, undercutting a claim by President Donald Trump that such fraud “will be the scandal of our times.”

After Three Years of Attacking L.G.B.T.Q. Rights, Trump Suddenly Tries Outreach

New York Times

Last weekend, the campaign announced the L.G.B.T.Q. coalition that had been expected in June, blaming the delay on the coronavirus.

Gen Z California Voters: What Matters Most To You This Presidential Election?

VPR

As the presidential election draws closer, NPR wants to hear what kinds of issues matter most to California voters between the ages of 18 and 24. Are you concerned about climate change, racial justice, cost of housing, health care, the economy or student debt? Do you identify as a Democrat or Republican? Or do you think the two-party system doesn’t work altogether?

Joe Biden condemns police shooting of Jacob Blake, urges protesters to stay peaceful

Los Angeles Times

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned the police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wis., and also denounced the arson and violence that followed. “What I saw on that video makes me sick,” Biden said, referring to a viral video showing a white Kenosha police officer shooting Jacob Blake seven times in the back at close range as Blake was getting into an SUV.

See Also:

‘Pick Padilla’: Why Latino Victory is behind California elections chief for Harris’ seat

Sacramento Bee

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have yet to win their campaign to unseat President Donald Trump. That isn’t stopping a progressive Latino advocacy group from making plans for Harris’ senate seat.

More companies pledge to give workers time to vote

AP News

A growing number of U.S. companies are pledging to give workers time off to vote in the presidential election this November, an effort that’s gaining steam despite the government’s reluctance to make Election Day a federal holiday.

Other:

‘Our Communities Are In Crisis’: Latinos And COVID-19

VPR

Marin County, just north of San Francisco, is best known nationally as a picturesque gateway to wine country and home to moneyed tech investors and a handful of aging rock stars. The reality, of course, is more complicated.

3 in 4 Republicans say US is in better shape than four years ago: poll

The Hill

Republican voters hold a rosier view of the country’s overall state compared to four years ago than do Democrats heading in to this week’s Republican National Convention (RNC), a new poll finds.

‘Racial Inequality May Be As Deadly As COVID-19,’ Analysis Finds

VPR

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality rates and life expectancy are far better for white Americans than they are for Black people during normal, non-pandemic years, according to an analysis published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The analysis, which looked at U.S. mortality statistics back to 1900, finds an additional 1 million white Americans would have to die this year in order for their life expectancy to fall to the best-ever levels recorded for Black Americans — back in 2014.

Room rentals, resort fees and furniture removal: How Trump’s company charged the U.S. government more than $900,000

Wash Post

The Secret Service had asked for a room close to the president. But Mar-a-Lago said it was too late. The room was booked. Would agents like a room across the street from the president, instead?

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

Fresno, Tulare Counties Declare Local Emergencies After Dead Livestock Accumulate Due To Heatwave

VPR

Fresno and Tulare Counties declared local emergencies Thursday after rendering plant Baker Commodities in Kerman stopped accepting livestock carcasses. Jimmy Andreoli, a spokesman with the company, says it has reached its limit in how many animals it can process according to its permit with the state Air Resources Board. If it surpasses that limit, it could be fined. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Arrest made in $300,000 pistachio heist spanning Madera, Fresno and Tulare counties

Fresno Bee

A Fresno man is in custody, accused of taking part in an elaborate scheme that involved the theft of $300,000 in pistachios from a Terra Bella farm and trying to sell them in Madera, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.

Public Safety:

Fresno police reform commission floats recommendations on mental health, use-of-force

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s commission on police reform has begun to float recommendations on use-of-force and other policies in its quest to rethink the Police Department. The commission has been given a 30-day extension on returning with recommendations that will be voted upon by the Fresno City Council. Councilmember Miguel Arias confirmed the extension on Monday.

See also:

Pretrial Reform in California

Public Policy Institute of California

Proposition 25 is a 2020 ballot measure that asks voters whether or not to approve Senate Bill 10, a law passed in 2018. SB 10 abolishes money bail and replaces it with a new process of determining pretrial release.

See also:

Money Bail, Risk-Based Tools, & Options for Californians

CA Budget and Policy Center

Every day, Californians are forced to pay courts or bail bond agents money if they, or a family member, are arrested and do not want to sit in jail awaiting trial – well before it’s determined if charges will be brought against them. This is known as money bail, andincreasing understanding and research reveal the economic and racial discrimination people of color and low-income households face under the money bail system. Along with the financial costs, when money bail keeps Californians in jail, it can carry life-changing consequences. Initiatives to end this monetary-based holding of people before trials and sentencing have gained momentum nationwide and in California.

Fire: 

Castle Fire, Shotgun Fire continue to spread in Sequoia. Has Valley air gotten better?

Fresno Bee

Firefighters battling two blazes near Sequoia National Park in eastern Tulare County reported Wednesday that the blazes had consumed 15,400 acres. The Castle Fire and the Shotgun Fire, burning near the mountain community of Ponderosa, are now being fought as one major blaze, designated the SQF Complex fire by California Interagency Incident Management Team.

See Also:

Evacuations lifted near California fires, some go home

Bakersfield Californian

Thousands of people in California returned home Wednesday as cooler weather and an influx of aid helped firefighters gain ground and lift evacuation orders prompted by some of the largest wildfires in state history.

This firefighter has worked 11 days straight. With no water source. Here’s why.

SF Gate

The Cal Fire helitack unit consists of about 300 firefighters stationed across the state at 12 helibases, roughly 4 percent of Cal Fire’s 8,000 employees.

Why California spends billions but can’t control its wildfires. ‘No simple or cheap solution’

Sacramento Bee

Since Newsom took office in January 2019, the state has spent nearly $500 million expanding Cal Fire’s personnel and equipment. He signed a bill requiring PG&E Corp. and the other major utilities to spend a combined $5 billion on wildfire safety.

See also:

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

California could get $71 billion in coronavirus help. Auditor warns it could be wasted

Fresno Bee

Many of the California state departments receiving federal coronavirus money have histories of mismanaging funds and struggling with clunky computer programs, California State Auditor Elaine Howle said in a Tuesday report.

See also:

These Riverbank businesses were fined for COVID-19 violations. What owners are saying

Modesto Bee

One Riverbank health club kept its indoor gym open on Tuesday, despite receiving a citation for violating state orders designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Turlock sees well-known restaurant chains come to town; coffee, fried chicken, more

Modesto Bee

Amid the ongoing pandemic and economic uncertainties, Turlock is still smoking when it comes to new restaurant and retail developments. Several new chains and well-known local eateries are expanding into the Central Valley city, including Stanislaus County’s second Dutch Bros Coffee location. 

Nation’s largest solar farm gets green light in Tulare County

Business Journal

The nation’s largest solar farm got the green light from the Tulare County Planning Commission this week to be built in southern Tulare County near Ducor.

Jobs:

Homeless essential workers face greater risk of COVID-19

Bakersfield Californian

At the beginning of the pandemic, Tiffany Cordaway’s biggest struggle was finding a place to shower. She worked two jobs in northern California, disinfecting medical equipment during the day and caring for an elderly couple overnight. When she finally clocked out, she just wanted to clean off.

‘How dare they tell me I didn’t get this from work.’ Healthcare worker blasts PPE shortage

Sacramento Bee

Respiratory therapist Elizabeth Grigsby describes, at an Aug. 25, 2020, rally at the state Capitol, testing positive for COVID-19 and what she says is a lack of PPE at Kaiser Roseville. The rally was in support of a bill requiring a PPE stockpile.

Workers breathing smoke to harvest crops isn’t ‘resilience’ — it’s a broken system, farmer says

San Francisco Chronicle

An unprecedented August lightning storm and we are back: fire season 2020. Images of masked farmworkers harvesting berries in smoky fields and brave farmers discing firebreaks emerge again on social media, with the hashtags #countystrong, #farmersareresilient, #wefeedyou.

California COVID-19 workers’ comp claims soar

CalMatters

Health care workers make up nearly 40 percent of those seeking wage and medical benefits from the program. Workers’ compensation claims for COVID-19 have spiked dramatically in the past two months.

Fight Against Fraud Slows Payments to Unemployed

Pew Trusts

States that were generous and quick to help workers were also quick to be targeted by scammers. In response, states have had to slow down the processing of claims and even claw back some money, delaying payouts to people supposed to be getting them. Pew

U.S. Postal Service Spent $522 Million on Questionable Overtime Last Year, Watchdog Says

Wall Street Journal

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has highlighted runaway overtime expenses to show inefficiencies at the U.S. Postal Service, which is on track to lose more than $10 billion this year.

EDUCATION

K-12:

California relaxes rules for school openings to let some students return to campus

Fresno Bee

California rolled out new guidance in an effort to reopen classrooms for some but not all students, according to a press release from the Department of Health. The rules call for schools to prioritize opening for small groups of children with disabilities, those who have special needs, are English language learners, at-risk students or students who need access to the internet or other devices for distance learning.

See Also:

Judge says Fresno-area school can continue with in-person classes, despite COVID-19

Fresno Bee

Immanuel Schools in Reedley, the private Christian school that has defied Fresno County’s health officials’ orders not to reopen, can continue to operate classes, a judge ruled Tuesday.  Judge D. Tyler Tharpe denied the Fresno County Environmental Health Department’s request for a temporary injunction.

See Also:

More than 100 California schools, districts received waivers to reopen classrooms

San Jose Mercury

California health officials have granted more than 100 waivers to allow districts and schools — mostly in Southern California — to reopen for in-class instruction in counties where only remote online instruction is allowed due to coronavirus outbreaks. 

See Also:

Internet service down for several Madera County school districts, officials say

abc30

An internet outage has disrupted distance learning for several school districts in Madera County, a spokesperson with the Office for Madera County Superintendent of Schools confirmed to Action News on Wednesday morning.

Coronavirus in the classroom? New UCSF study calculates the odds

San Francisco Chronicle

It is one of the most pressing questions of the pandemic: When will it be safe for schools to reopen? A new study from UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals could help school districts get closer to an answer.

Wildfires set school plans ablaze for more than 70,000 students

CalMatters

Already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, schools in rural areas like Bonny Doon must now contend with wildfires and related problems like blackouts, poor air quality and damaged internet infrastructure.

Blackboard brawl: How California’s teachers hope to avoid 60,000 layoffs

CalMatters

After a spring of crisis education, teachers’ unions hope to parlay many successful reopening battles into bigger electoral victories. But they’re also bracing for layoffs of up to 60,000 educators, and some teachers are still scrambling for bare-minimum supplies.

Tighter federal rules end free meals for thousands of California students 

EdSource

Many California students and families who have come to rely on free grab-and-go meals during the past five months of the pandemic may no longer qualify for the food service.

Opinion: A chance to fix poor ventilation in classrooms, protect children and teachers, and create jobs

CalMatters

Fixing poor ventilation in classrooms may slow the spread of COVID-19 when children and 

teachers return, and create new job opportunities.

Opinion: State Education Funding Driven by Politics Not Children’s Needs

Fox and Hounds

Nothing proves that more than the recent proposal by Governor Newsom’s Department of Finance (DOF) that would deny students who want to attend personalized learning public charter schools the same funding that students attending traditional and classroom-based charter schools receive.

Higher Ed:

CSUB has record fundraising year: Over $10 million raised in support of student success

CSU Bakersfield

It’s a record fundraising year for California State University, Bakersfield during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, thanks to the transformational support from donors and partnerships gained over the years.

COVID-19 Roundup: Cases Spike, and Students Punished

Inside Higher Ed

Another week in the strange world we’ve all become accustomed to got off to a rough start Monday with the crashing of Zoom, the videoconferencing platform on which many colleges have come to depend for instruction. The blackout came on what was the first day of classes at many institutions, as our Madeline St. Amour documents elsewhere on Inside Higher Ed today.

UC students could face discipline for gatherings that violate health regulations, officials warn 

EdSource

Top leaders of the University of California system warned Wednesday that students could face various disciplines if they violate health regulations and social distancing rules with the type of crowded parties that have spread Covid-19 infections at university campuses across the state and country.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

California condor sanctuary near Big Sur ‘completely destroyed’ as Dolan Fire spreads

Fresno Bee

The Dolan Fire destroyed a wildlife sanctuary for endangered California condors on the Big Sur Coast, leaving managers to wonder and worry about the fate of several missing birds. As of Wednesday morning, the fire had scorched 21,844 acres and was 15% contained, spreading more than 1,400 acres further overnight, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

See Also:

Alaska salmon returning smaller amid climate change, competition with hatchery fish, study finds

Merced Sun-Star

Alaska salmon have gotten smaller in recent decades, a downsizing that appears to be largely driven by climate change and increased competition for food as hatcheries release some 5 billion young fish into the North Pacific each year, according to a study published this month by U.S. and Canadian researchers in the science journal Nature Communications.

Energy:

Old racist policies keep hurting these Fresno-area families. Will this make things safer?

Fresno Bee

When the cap of a propane tank blew off and sent fumes into the air four years ago, Melynda Metheney didn’t know what to do. She feared her mother in law’s home in West Goshen, east of Visalia, could blow up due to the gas spill.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Think you had coronavirus early this year? Here’s what top doc says about that

Fresno Bee

Were you severely sick in late 2019 or in January and February with symptoms similar to coronavirus? While many people suspect they may have had COVID-19 before much of California shuttered in March, Fresno County Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra said it’s unlikely. And, there’s no way to prove it without a time machine.

How to protect yourself from unhealthy air quality

Visalia Times Delta

Smoke from wildfires across California has caused poor air quality in the Central Valley. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution District issued another health caution this week, alerting residents of the increasing health impacts from exposure to unhealthy air quality.

Kern County announces 92 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 92 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The total local coronavirus case count now stands at 28,622 with 251 confirmed deaths. County data shows that 11,850 of those cases have recovered or are presumed to have recovered, while 16,299 individuals are recuperating at home.

See also:

As California Wildfire Seasons Worsen, What’s The Impact On Children’s Health Long-Term?

Capital Public Radio

If California children growing up breathing in wildfire smoke end up showing the same patterns as kids raised inhaling bad air pollution, experts say they could wind up with reduced lung function and other health conditions several decades from now.

U.S. New Coronavirus Cases Rise for Third Day as Hurricane Laura Affects Testing

Wall Street Journal

The number of new coronavirus infections in the U.S. increased for a third straight day as Hurricane Laura pummeled the Gulf Coast, stirring fears about how the storm might make it harder to track the spread of the contagion, while regulators approved a cheap and fast new test for the virus.

COVID-19 Vaccine May Pit Science Against Politics

VPR

Under normal circumstances, it could take years — if not decades — to bring a new vaccine to market. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all that. In May, the Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed with the goal of delivering initial doses of a safe and effective vaccine by January 2021 — shortening the development time from years to months. Some worry that to meet that ambitious schedule, the administration might cut important scientific corners.

See also:

Opinion: Ban on flavored tobacco – a half-hearted approach to protect youth – will hurt convenience store owners

CalMatters

There’s no doubt we need to address the rise in youth vaping, but ban on flavored tobacco will impact small businesses.

Human Services:

Federal Effort to Expand Covid-19 Testing in Nursing Homes Hits Snags

Wall Street Journal

A major federal effort to supply rapid-result Covid-19 testing equipment to nursing homes is running into snarls, with some facilities not using the machines they have received.

IMMIGRATION

Advocates say Public Health oversight of Mesa Verde necessary to ensure safety of detainees

Bakersfield Californian

A coronavirus outbreak at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield has prompted local advocates to call on Kern County Public Health Services to assert greater control over the facility.

Trump administration appears to be ignoring court rulings on DACA

San Francisco Chronicle

In apparent defiance of court orders, the Trump administration has reaffirmed its cutbacks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for young undocumented immigrants: No new DACA applicants will be accepted, and current participants can renew their legal status for only one year instead of two.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

California lawmakers seek $2.5 billion to protect homes from wildfires, thin forests

Fresno Bee

A group of legislators is pushing a bill to spend $2.5 billion on wildfire prevention in California, with the costs borne by ratepayers of PG&E Corp. and other major utilities. With the legislative session winding down and wildfires burning more than 1.3 million acres in California in the past week, AB 1659 would dedicate funding for battling climate change and accelerating the thinning of forests and other heavily-vegetated areas.

A ski area changed its ‘derogatory’ name. Now the public service district is, too

Sacramento Bee

The Squaw Valley Public Service District said Tuesday it was changing its name to Olympic Valley Public Service District, following the Squaw Valley ski resort’s announcement earlier the same day it would remove the word “squaw” from its name.

Facing ‘a wave of evictions’, Newsom, California Democrats debate rent, foreclosure relief

Sacramento Bee

Assembly Bill 1436 would prohibit evictions until 90 days after Newsom lifts the state’s coronavirus emergency or April 1, 2021, whichever comes first. It would give tenants a year to make up unpaid rent.

Housing:

Lamp Liter Inn joins Project Roomkey to protect Tulare County’s vulnerable from COVID-19

Another local hotel owner has stepped up to provide housing to Tulare County’s most vulnerable population during the pandemic. Through Project Roomkey, Tulare County secured four hotels to house people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic, one of which was Visalia’s Lamp Liter Inn.

Facing ‘a wave of evictions’, Newsom, California Democrats debate rent, foreclosure relief

Fresno Bee

Fabian Ramirez needs more time to catch up on the rent he couldn’t pay when the coronavirus outbreak put him out of work last spring. He’s in the hole by more than $5,000 — a burden for a laborer with a family to feed.

How mayor addressed growing homeless population grows in Fresno, Madera

Fresno Bee

About 1,133 more people are homeless in Fresno and Madera this year compared to 2019, a 45% uptick, according to new numbers. Mayor Lee Brand said August 26, 2020. that homelessness continues to be the city and state’s most pressing issue.

See also:

Low inventory helps drive up Bakersfield home prices

Bakersfield Californian

In the list of numbers summing up Bakersfield’s single-family home market last month, one figure better than any other explains why buyers are bidding up prices lately. It’s a measure of supply and demand: how long, at the current rate of purchasing, it would take to go through the full inventory of existing homes listed for sale. This “unsold inventory” gauge held at 1½ months in July 2019.

California has a housing crisis. A bill would allow a duplex on most single-family parcels

Los Angeles Times

The California Assembly is considering a bill that would require local governments to permit duplexes on parcels now largely restricted to one house, in effect eliminating single-family zoning that dominates in most suburban residential neighborhoods.

California renters likely to get only short-term eviction relief from state

San Francisco Chronicle

State lawmakers nearing a deadline for action to avert mass evictions of California tenants who can’t pay their rent because of the coronavirus pandemic are working on a measure that is likely to provide only a short-term solution, those involved in the negotiations say.

PUBLIC FINANCES

IRS sending money to millions of Americans — but it’s not stimulus funds

abc30

Millions of Americans will be getting money from the IRS, and it’s not related to the stimulus money. Instead, 13.9 million Americans are getting interest payments if they filed their tax returns on time but didn’t get their refund yet.

Trump’s payroll tax deferral is in limbo as employers await IRS guidance

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. Treasury Department still has yet to tell companies how to handle President Trump’s order delaying the due date for employee payroll taxes, leaving major employers such as Walmart Inc. in the lurch.

Fact Check: Donald Trump wrong again that recent tax bill is biggest ever

PolitiFact

Measuring the size of the tax cut is a straightforward task. And as we noted the last time we fact-checked a similar claim, the tax bill passed last December doesn’t stack up as the largest cut ever.

Fed to seek higher inflation in bid to boost employment

POLITICO

Essentially, the Fed is pledging not to raise interest rates until prices begin to rise more rapidly.

Did CARES Act benefits reach vulnerable Americans?

Brookings 

Many Americans trying to access their benefits from the CARES Act have experienced long delays, confusion, and frustration. To help improve future COVID-19 relief legislation, Stephen Roll and Michal Grinstein-Weiss shed light on the exact groups of people who had issues receiving the program’s expanded unemployment benefits and Economic Impact Payments.

TRANSPORTATION

New California Transportation Commissioner Michele Martinez Wants “Everybody at the Table”

StreetsBlog Cal

In the midst of a very busy week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of a new California Transportation Commissioner, Michele Martinez of Santa Ana. Martinez comes with a wide-ranging background, having served as an elected official, a nonprofit director, and a consultant.

A bill that could have ended California’s scooter and bike businesses has been amended

The Verge

A previous version of the bill, AB 1286, included language that would have prohibited companies like Bird, Lime, and Uber from using liability waivers — a provision these companies claimed would essentially force them to shut down if enacted.

California targets diesel trucks, ships with biggest pollution cuts in years

Los Angeles Times

California air quality officials are poised to adopt their biggest pollution-cutting regulations in more than a decade, targeting diesel trucks and cargo ships that spew much of the state’s cancer-causing and smog-forming emissions.

WATER

The Biblical Flood That Will Drown California

Mother Jones

The flood was once considered a thousand-year anomaly, a freak occurrence. But emerging science demonstrates that floods of even greater magnitude occurred every 100 to 200 years in California’s precolonial history. Climate change will make them more frequent still.

Lois Henry: Desert water basin hopes to dive into California water market

Bakersfield Californian

If you’ve got water for sale, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority has $50 million to spend. Or, it will once it starts collecting a controversial, five-year, $2,130-per-acre-foot pumping fee that was approved by the authority last week.

“Xtra”

How did this Fresno native land in the latest Jay-Z and Pharrell video? His story is inspiring

Fresno Bee

A Fresno native and West Side product who dreamed big and chased after his grand goals was featured in the latest Pharrell and Jay-Z music video. And this worldwide recognition for TyAnthony Davis is just his latest shining moment.

Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

Think you can tell the difference between True and False?

Do you really know what is fake news?

Support the Maddy Daily

HERE

Thank you!

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.

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: mjeans@csufresno.edu