POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Senator Kevin De León endures heat in Central Valley community visit, includes ‘forgotten’ Mendota
Vida en el Valle
State Sen. Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, heard everything on hot issues from immigration reform to the drought, the local economy and a need for streetlights -- he even performed the customary kissing of a baby -- during his one-day tour of the rural Central Valley.
‘I feel safe.’ Beaten Sikh resident of Turlock says good Americans so outnumber bad
Modesto Bee
“Go back to your country!” two men yelled at Turlock resident Surjit Singh Malhi last week as they beat the 50-year-old Sikh.
Awkward! Denham, Harder work the same room without even saying ‘Hi’
Modesto Bee
Some observers likened it to “Shark Week,” watching two great whites circling each other without making any contact.
What does it take to lead Turlock? Let’s figure it out
Modesto Bee
As lawn signs pop up like wildflowers around the city, we are reminded that another mayor’s race approaches.
Dunbar: Counting casualties as state weaponizes ‘combat science’
Modesto Bee
Up in Sacramento, they call it “combat science.” Most forms of combat leave casualties behind. If the State Water Resources Control Board gets its way, we are those casualties
State:
Track the millions flowing into California’s race for governor
Los Angeles Times
Democrat Gavin Newsom has amassed a massive money pile since starting his campaign more than three years ago. His total is nearly five times that of Republican John Cox.
Many California Communities Will Be Hard To Count For 2020 Census
KPBS
As the 2020 census approaches, California officials are confronting the possibility, or the likelihood, that their population will be undercounted.
See also:
● Census takers could miss counting millions of Californians, researchers say Los Angeles Times
What matters in final weeks of legislative session
CALmatters
Legislators convened Monday to focus on hundreds of bills left to approve or kill in the final four weeks of the session—and raise money from the interests that care deeply about those bills.
Wall Street Journal
Is this more than a story about Trump trolling?
EDITORIAL: No way to defend Brown's record delay in filling California Supreme Court vacancy
San Diego Union-Tribune
It’s been more than 17 months since California Supreme Court Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar announced that she was retiring as of Aug. 31, 2017. Yet, without explaining his thinking, Brown has chosen no one to replace her.
Federal:
Trump reiterates falsehood about California water diversions
The Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump on Monday again falsely stated that the California government is diverting river water into the Pacific Ocean that could be used to fight forest fires, but he also signaled he will fast-track federal help.
See also:
● Trump says California’s water policies are making the wildfires worse. Is he right? Sacramento Bee
● In a strikingly ignorant tweet, Trump gets almost everything about California wildfires wrong Los Angeles Times
● Trump’s fire tweets show he’s enlisted in state’s water wars San Francisco Chronicle
● California wildfires made worse by hot, dry conditions, not water policy, as Trump tweeted Politifact
Trump wants to clear more trees to halt fires. The feds need to spend more, experts say.
Sacramento Bee
When it comes to wildfires, California is “not on the side of nature,” Gov. Jerry Brown acknowledged in an Aug. 1 press conference. “We’re fighting nature.”
Donald Trump's 'fake news' press has exposed government corruption despite its flaws
Visalia Times-Delta
President Donald Trump called many media outlets "the enemy of the American people." But here's what history might look like without the press.
EDITORIAL: Trump’s ever-changing story
San Francisco Chronicle
In just over a year, President Trump has gone from denying to acknowledging that his eldest son accepted a Russian offer to help him win the 2016 election. It’s another sign of his telling shift from insisting that Special Counsel Robert Mueller won’t find anything to questioning whether he ought to be looking.
President Trump, Congress must fill critical vacancies for judges in federal courts
Fresno Bee
The three branches – legislative, executive and judicial – counter-balance each other so that no one branch or person can become a tyrant.
See also:
Would you worry if we refused to fill 18 Senate seats? Modesto Bee
Opinion: Trump is the president the Founding Fathers feared
Washington Post
Has there ever been a president as obscene as Donald Trump — a president as obtuse, as ignorant, as base, as dishonest, as indifferent to precedent, as contemptuous of civil liberties, as critical of his own government and officials, as brutish, as cold to consequences, as hostile to the media, as casually racist and as self-centered? The answer is no. For comparisons, you have to look abroad.
Opinion: Forget left and right. This is what will determine the midterms.
Washington Post
Corruption vs. clean government.
Other:
Branding study of Bakersfield, Kern County spotlights residents' need for better self-image
Bakersfield Californian
A year-long study of the prevailing notions about Bakersfield and Kern County suggests low self-esteem may be dragging down efforts to market the areas to outside businesses, tourists and job candidates.
Apple, Facebook and other tech companies delete content from Alex Jones
Los Angeles Times
Major technology companies including Apple, Facebook and YouTube deleted years of content from conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars platforms over allegations of hate speech, a sudden clampdown that is fueling the growing debate over how big technology companies choose to censor.
See also:
● Conservative conspiracy podcaster Alex Jones banned from Facebook, Google, YouTube, Apple and Spotify San Diego Union-Tribune
Facebook to Banks: Give Us Your Data, We’ll Give You Our Users
Wall Street Journal
Facebook has asked large U.S. banks to share detailed financial information about customers as it seeks to boost user engagement.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, August 12, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Out of District Charter Schools: Does Out of Sight, Mean Out of Mind?” –Guest: State Auditor Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, August 12, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Are Education Reforms & Charter Schools the Answer?” – Guests: California State Auditor Elaine Howle, Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of Calif. & Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, August 12, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “State Auditor Report on Charter Schools” – Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
The Maddy Daily needs your support…
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Tulare will soon know which came first, the chicken or the egg
Visalia Times-Delta
The job market in Tulare is hatching with possibilities. The vacant Triple V Dairy in southwest Tulare could soon house 2.2 million cage-free, egg-laying hens, according to a permit being processed by Tulare County officials.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Family, friends protest outside jail after death of man being held on misdemeanor
Fresno Bee
On Monday, his family and friends of Lorin Kane Sr. protested outside the Fresno County Jail after learning he died unexpectedly Aug. 1 in a pre-booking cell there. They are blaming the Fresno Police Department and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for his untimely death.
See also:
● Fresno County Jail inmate dies moments before release ABC30
California felony-murder law challenge backed by US court
San Francisco Chronicle
A federal appeals court cleared the way Monday for a constitutional challenge to California’s broad felony-murder law, which classifies unintentional killings during the commission of an “inherently dangerous” felony as second-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison.
Judge: Courts can't jail people for fines without chance to plead poverty
UPI
A federal judge in New Orleans on Friday said it is unconstitutional to incarcerate people who owe fines due to criminal convictions without giving them a chance to plead poverty in a "neutral forum."
EDITORIAL: Bugging conversations between criminal defendants and their lawyers is bad news
Los Angeles Times
Criminal defendants have a 6th Amendment right to counsel, and that means being able to speak freely with their lawyers without fear.
Public Safety:
Local agencies participating in National Night Out Tuesday event with exhibits, food
Bakersfield Californian
Local law enforcement are participating in the annual National Night Out celebration Tuesday aimed at promoting positive relationships between the community and law enforcement and working together for safer neighborhoods.
'Dangerous' law puts focus on police brutality, public safety
Visalia Times-Delta
Assembly Bill 931, passed by a state Senate committee this spring, would limit police use of deadly force to situations where it is necessary to prevent imminent and serious bodily injury or death to the officer or another person.
Fire:
Some Yosemite residents return home, as Ferguson Fire containment improves
Fresno Bee
Firefighters gained ground Monday on the Ferguson Fire after a weekend filled with unpredictable spot fires that halted containment.
See also:
● Ferguson Fire containment up to 43 percent but many closures remain in effect Fresno Bee
● Ferguson Fire rages on inside Yosemite National Park abc30
● 249 nights away at California fires: Firefighter families cope with a ‘new normal’ Fresno Bee
● Several parts of Yosemite National Park remain closed to visitors ABC30
● Yosemite update: Valley closed indefinitely as Ferguson fire rages nearby Los Angeles Times
Mendocino Complex now largest wildfire in California history, Cal Fire says
Sacramento Bee
The Mendocino Complex Fire in Northern California is now the largest in state history, scorching 283,800 acres, Cal Fire reported Monday.
See also:
● Map of California’s top 10 fires: Mendocino Complex becomes largest ever Mercury News
● Northern California blazes now largest in state history Bakersfield Californian
● Mendocino Complex fire now largest in California history Los Angeles Times
● Mendocino Complex fire now largest in California history, capping destructive year San Diego Union-Tribune
● Mendocino Complex blaze is now largest wildfire in California history SF Gate
● The Mendocino Complex fire is now the largest wildfire ever recorded in California Washington Post
‘Massive’ damage to historic Dardanelle Resort from Donnell Fire
Modesto Bee
The owners of the Dardanelle Resort on Highway 108 posted on Facebook early Monday that “massive structural damage” has been confirmed
Large grass fire burns 2,000 acres near Kettleman City, closes Highway 41
abc30
The Kings County Fire Department is battling a large grass fire that has forced the closure of Highway 41 between Interstate 5 and Highway 33.
PG&E’s plea for a taxpayer bailout is cronyism at its peak
Bakersfield Californian
Who should be responsible when a public utility company’s equipment causes a wildfire: the investors who own that utility or California taxpayers, homeowners and ratepayers?
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
California Gov. Jerry Brown predicts recession within two years
San Francisco Chronicle
Although he spent most of the time talking about wildfires and climate change, Gov. Jerry Brown strayed into the world of economics while talking to reporters the other day at the state emergency center and warned of another recession lurking on the horizon.
Americans do want tariff relief
Marketplace
In his interview with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal today, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said that President Donald Trump's tariffs have left "very little impact, almost unmeasurable impact on real GDP.
Strong Economic Growth Boosts U.S. in Trade Battles
Wall Street Journal
Latest figures contrast with data showing slowed growth in Mexico, Europe and China
Soda, Motorcycle Prices Rise as Tariffs Hit Home for Consumers
Wall Street Journal
U.S. manufacturers are charging more to cope with rising steel, aluminum costs
Wall Street Journal
The window of opportunity to ratify a revised agreement this year has closed.
U.S. Pressures China With Punitive Trade, Defense Measures
Wall Street Journal
Trump administration threatens to more than double proposed tariffs while Congress backed curbs on Beijing’s economic and military activity
See also:
● Should the US and China give up on a deal? AEI
It's Hard to Manage Your Credit When You've Never Heard of 'Interest'
PEW Trust
When Kentucky state Treasurer Allison Ball and a colleague talked with high school seniors last year about credit cards and other pieces of the personal finance puzzle, something wasn’t right.
Washington Post
This is a sea change.
Jobs:
Who is an employee? New standard for 2 million workers spurs clash at State Capitol
Sacramento Bee
A unanimous California Supreme Court ruling on independent contractors in April adopted a new “ABC test” for defining employees, throwing nearly three decades of legal precedent up in the air.
See also
Gig-economy giants ask California to save them from a ruling that may turn their contractors into employees Los Angeles Times
Probing for Informal Work Activity
NBER
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is the source of official U.S. labor force statistics.
EDUCATION
K-12:
How California is transforming bus drivers, clerks and yard supervisors into teachers
Carol Elgin spent last Monday preparing a tiny classroom at Foulks Ranch Elementary School in Elk Grove for students.
L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns
Los Angeles Times
After the mass shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe.
Higher Ed:
Kern County College Night slated for Sept. 10
Bakersfield Californian
The 19th annual Kern County College Night, hosted by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office and the Kern High School District, attracts thousands of students and parents to explore higher education options.
Jerry Brown appoints four University of California regents — one is his finance director
San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Jerry Brown appointed his finance director as a University of California regent Monday, and three others to spots on the powerful higher education governing board — including a union activist with the Service Employees International Union.
See also:
● California Gov. Jerry Brown appoints a labor leader and his budget director as UC regents Los Angeles Times
What more funding for state universities buys students
AEI
This latest evidence that state appropriations have little effect on tuition costs at public colleges hasn’t received much attention.
Clusters of black STEM graduates offer a map for future investment
Brookings
From the San Francisco Bay to Washington, DC, Andre Perry highlights the areas of the United States with large populations of black STEM graduates and argues that investing in industry diversity can create inclusive economic development and socioeconomic mobility across the country.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Unhealthy air levels send athletes indoors, others looking for the right kind of mask
Fresno Bee
Air quality in Fresno hit the highest unhealthy level on Monday, fueled by smoke from six fires in California, including the Ferguson Fire that has burned into Yosemite National Park.
See also:
● Fresno Unified stopping all outdoor activity due to air quality ABC30
● Smoke from Ferguson Fire raises air pollution to dangerous levels ABC30
● What kind of mask can help you breath in bad air quality? ABC30
● With smoke from wildfires, valley air quality looks unpredictable for near future Bakersfield Californian
● Smoke prompts Sacramento County health alert: Limit outdoor activity through Friday Sacramento Bee
Warmest Waters Ever on Record in San Diego
NY Times
We spoke with Clarissa Anderson, a biological oceanographer, to explain the significance of the temperatures.
California’s Birds Are Testing New Survival Tactics on a Vast Scale
NY Times
Retracing the steps of a century-old wildlife survey, ecologists find that birds are making remarkable adaptations to climate change.
The Summer of Plastic-Straw Bans: How We Got There
Wall Street Journal
Once ubiquitous, plastic straws have become utensil non grata, with cities banning them and companies phasing them out
(Blog) Head of California Air Resources Board Takes to Twitter to Teach the History of Smog
StreetsBlog Cal
...and why California's hard-won clean car standards matter for everyone in the U.S.
Energy:
Gasoline Makers Are Reaping Big Profits
Wall Street Journal
Record U.S. crude production and pipeline bottlenecks have helped to lower oil costs for refiners, boosting margins
The Coming Energy Transition: How It Will Affect 5 Industries
Forbes
The so-called energy transition – a move away from non-renewable thermal fuel sources such as oil, coal and gas towards renewables – has been gathering momentum.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fresno Unified holds immunization clinic to help students get ready for first day of school
ABC30
The Fresno Unified School District will hold immunization clinics starting Monday to prepare students for that first day of class. The district's health services will offer immunization clinics for students with Medi-Cal or who are uninsured.
See also:
● Immunization clinics being held before school starts Bakersfield Californian
San Francisco’s Zen Hospice Guest House closes as donations drop
San Francisco Chronicle
After nearly three decades of helping seriously ill people live out their final days with dignity, the Zen Hospice Project’s guest house may be nearing its own demise.
Human Services:
Health insurance for dummies: Why we cover pre-existing conditions
Los Angeles Times
It never fails to astonish that the biggest critics of Obamacare seem to have no clue how insurance works.
Democrats’ claims that Kavanaugh will destroy Obamacare are nonsense
AEI
In their efforts to stymie the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Senate Democrats are now claiming that he will destroy affordable health care.
Democrats seize on cherry-picked claim that ‘Medicare-for-all’ would save $2 trillion
Washington Post
Democrats have latched onto the catchy idea of “Medicare-for-all” (also known as M4A) as a way of expressing their support for universal health care
The Call to Care for Aging Parents Comes Sooner Now
Wall Street Journal
More millennials are responsible for their parents and grandparents, sometimes derailing careers and family life.
IMMIGRATION
Stuck in abusive relationships, some H-1B spouses seek outlet in work
San Francisco Chronicle
The spouses of H-1B visa holders called domestic violence programs because they felt trapped. Stuck in abusive relationships, they were beholden to their abusers for everything.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
New shopping center in Madera County in the works
ABC30
What was once an olive tree orchard, is now poised to become Madera County's next hot shopping spot.
New Center Hopes to Lift Neglected Neighborhood
GV Wire
For people in Highway City, the sounds of gunshots and sirens going off in the middle of the night aren’t out of the ordinary.
EDITORIAL: It took decades, but there’s finally a plan for open land in south Sacramento County
Sacramento Bee
To say the South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan has been a long time coming is a vast understatement. Two decades after the seeds were first planted, the plan is finally ready for Sacramento County supervisors to consider on Wednesday. They should approve it.
Housing:
America’s Top Homeless Expert Says Fresno Is on Right Track
GV Wire
When it comes to homeless people, we all have our stories and our thoughts on what to do.
STUDY: Fresno homeowners eclipse renters in discretionary income
The Business Journal
A new study finds that Fresno homeowners can end the month with $693 in their pockets after paying off their living expenses.
Property website operator Zillow to start offering mortgages
Financial TImes
Move to issue loans and a lower profit forecast send shares sharply lower after-hours
PUBLIC FINANCES
CDTFA offering tax relief for businesses impacted by wildfires
ABC30
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is offering tax relief for businesses in the Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, and Shasta counties due to the effects of the wildfires.
Proposed tax to fund homeless services sparks debate
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco’s middle class, already squeezed by the city’s high cost of living could take another hit if a new business tax is approved in the November election.
Leave the capital gains tax alone
AEI
The Trump administration is considering changing the capital gains tax rules to adjust for inflation. Although the idea seems sensible, its appeal fades under closer scrutiny.
Off course: Critiquing the debate about the corporate tax cut
AEI
In this article, Viard argues that the public debate about the corporate tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has ignored the relevant incentive effects, amid discussions of one-time employee bonuses and the lack of corporate altruism.
Gov't report warns Trump's wall may bust the budget, face delays, won't work as planned
NBC News
The GAO study found that the Department of Homeland Security has not done the necessary cost estimates to develop future budget requests.
TRANSPORTATION
Wish you could hire someone to wait in line at the DMV? Now some Californians can
Fresno Bee
Anyone stuck in hours-long lines at a California Department of Motor Vehicles office has likely wondered at some point whether it’s possible to hire a stand-in. Now at least some Californians can.
More proof that DMV overload has worsened
San Francisco Chronicle
On Monday morning, it was impossible to make an appointment to get or renew a driver’s license or Real ID at the San Francisco office.
See also:
● Wish you could hire someone to wait in line at the DMV? Now some Californians can Sacramento Bee
● EDITORIAL: There’s no good excuse for DMV lines this long Sacramento Bee
Contractors claim Union Pacific is delaying bullet train project
Los Angeles Times
The most ambitious rail project of California’s future is increasingly dependent on the cooperation of the very railroad that shaped the state’s past — and there are signs their relationship is growing strained.
Hiltzik: Roll back car emissions rules for safety's sake? Baloney
Los Angeles Times
The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, wants to walk away from a 10-year deal to gradually improve fuel efficiency for cars and light trucks through 2025.
See also:
The LeBron James Interview About Bicycles
Wall Street Journal
‘It was a way of life,’ says the world’s greatest basketball player. ‘If you had a bike, it was a way to kind of let go and be free.’
Congressional panel slates hearing on California high-speed rail project
Progressive Railroading
The House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials on Thursday will hold a field hearing in Sacramento, California, to review the status of the state's high-speed rail project.
Union Pacific slowing CA high speed rail: Report — Railway Age
Railway Age
Contractor Tutor Perini and other companies building a section of the project in the Central Valley have complained that UP is causing delays and cost increases that could lead to a delay claim against the state.
EDITORIAL: The new Transbay Transit Center is finally opening
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center will open to the public on Saturday with all the fanfare that befits a new $2.16 billion terminal with a 5.4-acre rooftop park.
WATER
Trump reiterates falsehood about California water diversions
The Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump on Monday again falsely stated that the California government is diverting river water into the Pacific Ocean that could be used to fight forest fires, but he also signaled he will fast-track federal help.
See also:
● Trump says California’s water policies are making the wildfires worse. Is he right? Sacramento Bee
● In a strikingly ignorant tweet, Trump gets almost everything about California wildfires wrong Los Angeles Times
● Trump’s fire tweets show he’s enlisted in state’s water wars San Francisco Chronicle
● California wildfires made worse by hot, dry conditions, not water policy, as Trump tweeted Politifact
Dunbar: Counting casualties as state weaponizes ‘combat science’
Modesto Bee
Up in Sacramento, they call it “combat science.” Most forms of combat leave casualties behind. If the State Water Resources Control Board gets its way, we are those casualties.
New water rules hurting ag land prices
The Business Journal
Groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in Tulare, Fresno, Kings and Kern counties have until 2020 to develop plans for long-term viability of their regions’ supplies.
USDA investing $5M in Tulare County water systems
The Business Journal
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will invest more than $5 million in two Tulare County communities to upgrade water systems.
Four Ways to Foster Cooperation over Groundwater
PPIC
New groundwater agencies face the difficult task of developing plans to bring their basins into balance. Cooperation will be key to success.
“Xtra”
The Tower District’s newest restaurant: beef brain, 13 kinds of salsa and mulitas
Fresno Bee
There are so many interesting things to share about the Tower District’s newest restaurant that I’m not sure where to start.
Hometown band The Trespassers highlights weekend at Music on the Green in Mariposa
Sierra Star
The annual Music on the Green Summer Concert Series at the Art Park in downtown Mariposa features a hometown act this weekend, The Trespassers, who haven’t missed a season since the series started in 2004.
Sterling performances highlight Valley Talent Project. So who were the winners?
Modesto Bee
A singer and a spoken word performer were to top acts this weekend at the Valley Talent Project at Gallo Center for the Arts.
Branding study of Bakersfield, Kern County spotlights residents' need for better self-image
Bakersfield Californian
A year-long study of the prevailing notions about Bakersfield and Kern County suggests low self-esteem may be dragging down efforts to market the areas to outside businesses, tourists and job candidates.
Merle's 'Okie From Muskogee' era home for sale
Bakersfield Californian
He lived there less than two years, but to his family, Merle Haggard's home on Brae Burn Drive, four houses down from the Bakersfield Country Club, was the first real tangible evidence that dad was something special. It also meant they could finally be a family again.