December 18, 2018

18Dec


POLICY & POLITICS
A

North SJ Valley:

New council takes the dais in Merced, approves youth pilot program

Merced Sun-Star

Merced has three new faces and a new mayor at the dais following Monday’s meeting.  Councilman Mike Murphy was sworn in as mayor during Monday’s regular meeting at City Hall.  Teacher Anthony Martinez (District 1), nurse Jill McLeod (District 3) and Merced County Deputy District Attorney Matt Serratto (District 5) all took the oath of office as well.

In ‘Year of the Woman,’ this Bay Area city is only one in California with all-female council

Mercury News

Los Altos is only third California city to have all-women council; last year, 56 councils were all men.

Central SJ Valley:

Is spanking child abuse? Fresno Assemblyman Arambula’s arrest opens debate

Fresno Bee

Is it ever OK to spank your child? And is it harmful? The arrest of Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula on misdemeanor allegations that he physically abused his 7-year-old daughter has brought those age-old questions to the forefront.

Why has California’s Jim Costa voted twice against limiting US involvement in Yemen?

Fresno Bee

California Rep. Jim Costa has voted twice to limit debate on cutting military assistance to Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, bucking the vast majority of his party in both votes.

South SJ Valley:

Recount of results in three Tehachapi City Council races underway

Bakersfield Californian

A recount of ballots in the Tehachapi City Council races for districts 1, 5 and the at-large seat is underway Monday, stemming from a request by Pete Graff, who in initial results lost his bid for the at-large seat during a contentious election season.

State:

New California Laws 2019

Capital Public Radio

Every year hundreds of new California laws take effect Jan. 1. Many of them won’t have much effect on your daily life. Here’s a closer look at some that might in 2019.

GOP lawmaker pitches plan to kill California’s new DMV voter registration system

Los Angeles Times

Less than eight months after California’s new voter registration system went online at the Department of Motor Vehicle offices, a leading Republican lawmaker said the beleaguered project should be canceled.

California Upends 2020 Democratic Primary Calendar

Wall Street Journal

By moving its presidential primary to early March, California will force candidates to address West Coast issues.

My turn: What approval ratings say about Jerry Brown’s legacy

CALmatters

Perhaps Gov. Jerry Brown’s most important contribution—reflected by the higher approval ratings for the executive and legislative branches—was to restore public confidence in state government.

See also:

Federal:

Comey says House Republicans are ‘shameful’ after interview

Fresno Bee

Former FBI Director James Comey has harsh words for House Republicans, saying their silence in response to President Donald Trump’s attacks on the Justice Department is “shameful.”.

See Also:

Federal workers could face furloughs and retro pay amid looming shutdown

abc30

Less than five days from the deadline, Congress and President Trump have not made any progress towards averting a looming government shutdown at the end of the week.

See Also:

Ryan Zinke was a nightmare for the environment. His replacement might be worse

Los Angeles Times

The announced departure of Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary was both expected and overdue – even in this scandal-plagued administration, Zinke stood out as the object of at least 17 investigations.

Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate

Los Angeles Times

Months after President Trump took office, Russia’s disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there.

See Also:

Trump agrees to shut down his charity amid allegations he used it for personal and political benefit

Washington Post

President Trump has agreed to shut down his embattled personal charity amid allegations that he used it for his personal and political benefit and to give away its remaining money, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced Tuesday.

EDITORIAL: Time for a Fed Pause

Wall Street Journal

Inflation and other economic signals justify interest-rate caution.

EDITORIAL: Pelosi makes clear why she is the boss

Fresno Bee

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has long been a target of Republican ire. They mock her, deride her and do everything they can to goose Democrats into questioning her leadership ability.

Other:

Do I want my daughter growing up in Bakersfield?

Bakersfield Californian

I question whether Bakersfield is the best place to raise a family. If our city cannot address its social capital deficiencies, we are a generation away from becoming a city of the stuck. This is the policy and civic challenge of our time.

America’s Electoral Map Is Changing

FiveThirtyEight

Today’s political landscape is often dismissed as a partisan deadlock in which the vast majority of voters have already made up their minds and will only dig their feet in further with each passing news cycle.

Could an Amy Klobuchar Solve Democrats’ Dilemma?

Wall Street Journal

They seek a presidential candidate who appeals to both their liberal coastal base and to Midwestern working- and middle-class voters.

Happy New Year, Republicans! It’s Downhill From Here

Roll Call

2018 will go in the books as a bad one for most Republicans. They picked up two seats in the Senate, but lost 40 in the House. Their numbers among women in the House shrank from 23 to 13, and President Donald Trump can’t give away his chief of staff job.

Google’s Secret China Project “Effectively Ended” After Internal Confrontation

The Intercept

GOOGLE HAS BEEN forced to shut down a data analysis system it was using to develop a censored search engine for China after members of the company’s privacy team raised internal complaints that it had been kept secret from them, The Intercept has learned.

EDITORIAL: William Alfred Newsom, 1934-2018, advocate and judge whose name lives on

Sacramento Bee

In his roles as politico, judge and father, William Newsom served as something of a bridge between three California governors: Pat Brown, Jerry Brown and his son, Gavin Newsom.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, December 23, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “HSR Business Plan” – Guests: Tom Richards, Vice Chair of the High Speed Rail Board of Directors; Tom VanHeeke from the LAO; and Jon Coupal with the Howard Jarvis Tax Payers Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, December 23, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “State Spending: High Speed Rail and Other Big Ticket Items”  – Guests: Tom Richards, Vice Chair of the High Speed Rail Board of Directors; Tom VanHeeke from the LAO; Jon Coupal with the Howard Jarvis Tax Payers Association; and California’s Legislative Analyst, Mac Taylor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, December 23, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Como Entender las Reservas del Presupuesto Estatal” – Guests: Jacqueline Barocio & Lourdes Morales, investigadores de LAO y Alexei Koseff, Reportero de Sacramento Bee. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

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AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farm Bill could mean big bucks, legalization for hemp industry

Fresno Bee

With the expected approval from President Donald Trump, the 2018 Farm Bill could open the doors to making industrial hemp a multibillion dollar crop in the U.S.

See also:

Do you have any of these salads in your fridge? Guadalupe company is recalling them

Fresno Bee

Prepackaged Eat Smart salads from a Guadalupe, California, company are being recalled due to listeria concerns. Apio Inc. is recalling its Eat Smart Single-Serve Salad Shake Ups.

California marijuana: Higher percentage of pot products passing strict safety tests

abc30

A higher percentage of California marijuana products are passing strict safety tests, but the sudden closing of a lab that state authorities found wasn’t correctly checking for pesticides has raised new questions about the system intended to protect the purity and potency of legal cannabis.

Health Department ‘rescues’ 22 tons of food from trash in program that feeds the hungry

Bakersfield Californian

For five days a week, she drives to a series of schools and businesses, picking up leftover food that would have otherwise been thrown away, and she delivers that food to local churches that distribute it to those in need in their immediate communities.

California Restaurants Must Make Milk Or Water The Default Kids Meal Drink Starting In 2019

Capital Public Radio

Restaurants in California that offer kids meal combos will be required to promote water or unflavored milk as the default drink option starting Jan. 1, under a new law that aims to discourage the consumption of soda, juice and other sugary beverages among young people.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​ ​/​ ​FIRE​ ​/​ ​PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Crime in Stockton a mixed bag this year

Stockton Record

Overall crime in Stockton this year is a mixed bag, with homicides remaining well behind the number investigated last year at this time while forcible rapes are significantly outpacing 2017, the latest Police Department Crime Comparison report shows.

With long-sought criminal justice bill expected to become law, Kushner gets bipartisan credit for his role

Los Angeles Times

Jared Kushner may finally get a win. Lately, Kushner has been instrumental in helping his father-in-law secure a rare bipartisan victory: a long-sought overhaul of the criminal justice system.

Death sentences plummet across California. Riverside County, which led the U.S. in 2017, has had zero this year

Los Angeles Times

In 2015 and again in 2017, Riverside County held the grim distinction of sending more people to death row than any other county in the nation.

Jerry Brown Has the Power to Save 740 Lives. He Should Use It.

New York TImes

Six former governors call on California’s governor to follow in their footsteps and grant clemency to death row prisoners.

Public Safety:

Selma residents speak out in wake of recent gun violence

Fresno Bee

Selma community members gathered Sunday night to voice their concerns on the heels of multiple shootings last week. More than 60 people gathered at Lincoln Park in Selma, including Mayor Scott Robertson, City Manager Teresa Gallavan and some members of the City Council.

Anti-package theft system developed in Fresno working to stop porch pirates

abc30

It is a problem in the Central Valley and across the country. Thieves stealing packages from peoples doorsteps. According to one industry estimate, 31 percent of consumers have been victims. One local tech company says they have a solution and soon it’ll be on route for delivery.

‘Community angels’ help improve shelter

Hanford Sentinel

Barbara Saville Shelter is run by Kings Community Action Organization. The shelter provides a living environment for women who are experiencing domestic violence and their children. It is the only emergency domestic violence shelter in Kings County.

Fire:

Cal Fire compares Camp Fire destruction to World War II firestorm

Fresno Bee

Cal Fire has compared the Camp Fire in California to when a firestorm ripped through Hamburg, Germany, in 1943 after bombing raids by the British in World War II. That firestorm killed over 40,000 civilians.

See also:

California utility fires contractor from wildfire recovery

Fresno Bee

A Northern California utility terminated its contract with a construction company to help with wildfire recovery after three workers on social media posted insensitive photos and comments poking fun at victims and the region.

See Also:

PG&E links executive departures to ‘corrective actions’ over safety charges

San Francisco Chronicle

Facing scrutiny from regulators who accuse it of falsifying gas pipeline safety records, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. over the weekend disclosed a vague series of “critical corrective actions,” including the departure of unnamed company officials.

Can California Improve Forest Management And Prevent Wildfires Without Going Broke?

Capital Public Radio

Experts have ideas for to clean up the state’s dense forests and make them safer. But what does it cost to do this? We visit the Tahoe National Forest to find out.

See Also:

A million California buildings face wildfire risk.‘Extraordinary steps’ are needed to protect them

Los Angeles Times

Minutes after fire broke out in Woolsey Canyon, a community 12 miles to the south went into action.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Modesto’s Yosemite Meat Co. looks to Stockton for new home, expansion plans

Modesto Bee

A longtime Modesto pork processor and meat distributor plans to relocate and expand its operations about 30 minutes away in Stockton early next year.  But a Yosemite Meat Co. official said the company is not leaving Modesto.

Federal Reserve expected to hike interest rates Wednesday, a move Trump calls ‘foolish’ and ‘incredible’

Sacramento Bee

President Trump on Monday urged the Federal Reserve not to raise interest rates, but Fed officials are widely expected to do so this week despite the president’s ongoing public effort to dissuade the U.S. central bank from putting any brakes on the economy.

See Also:

Stocks slide again; S&P 500 skids to lowest level in more than a year

Los Angeles Times

Another day of big losses Monday knocked U.S. stocks to their lowest levels in more than a year. Selling was widespread. Investors dumped high-growth technology and retail companies as well as steadier high-dividend companies. Hospitals and health insurers slumped.

A path to economic security for Californians with disabilities

San Francisco Chronicle

Beginning Tuesday, the CalABLE (California’s Achieving a Better Life Experience) program will empower hundreds of thousands of Californians with disabilities to save for their futures, without worrying that they’ll lose access to vital public programs.

Public trusts smaller companies more than big companies

San Francisco Chronicle

Since the global financial crisis, smaller companies that connect locally with customers — providing more personalized service and demonstrating values that resonate within their local communities — are now more esteemed, more readily trusted than the old-style giants.

Go local on housing, forget the surplus: Advice for the new CA governor from economists

Chico Enterprises

When Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom is sworn in on Jan. 7, he will inherit record economic prosperity. California has a projected $15 billion budget surplus and a 4.1 percent unemployment rate. But we also are in the second-longest economic expansion in state history, so no one is expecting the party to last.

Study Finds More Companies Leaving California – Urges More to Exit the State

Business Relocation Club

California’s business climate has deteriorated to the point that a consultant who specializes in helping companies find new locations is now – for the first time in his career – openly encouraging businesses to relocate out of state.

Dow sweeps downward again, with no sign of Santa rally

Washington Post

U.S. stock markets again swept downward on Monday as criticism about the Federal Reserve’s pace of interest rate increases has kicked up a fresh round of year-end volatility.

Holiday Season Retail Sales Heat Up

Wall Street Journal

Sales were up 4.2% from a year earlier, suggesting better footing than in 2017.

Economists See U.S.-China Trade War as Biggest Threat in 2019

Wall Street Journal

Survey finds financial market disruptions, slowdown in business investment are also concerns for next year.

Many U.S. Financial Officers Think a Recession Will Hit Next Year

Wall Street Journal

Almost half of U.S. chief financial officers believe a recession will strike the U.S. economy by the end of 2019.

Fed Faces Communication Challenge on Rates

Wall Street Journal

Officials are expected to raise interest rates at their meeting this week.

Jobs:

Help people work longer by phasing retirement

Brookings

As Americans continue to live longer, many are choosing to work well past the age of 65. Joshua Gotbaum and Bruce Wolfe call for a new legal requirement that would allow workers to transition gradually into retirement.

Do climate policies have a negative effect on jobs?

HCN

Climate change will hurt the economy if not addressed, but evidence on how environmental regulations affect unemployment is mixed.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Reminder: Children age 1-18 can get a free meal each day from FUSD during winter break

abc30

The Fresno Unified School District and Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission are making sure every child has a meal during the winter break.

Racism is the ‘normal’ on Visalia campuses, students tell ACLU

Visalia Times Delta

Civil rights activists are fighting to shed light on growing fears that nothing is being done to combat years of racism that’s been building across schools — despite demands for action from students and parents, according to the ACLU Foundation of Northern California.  

Audit blasts Sac City Unified for budget mismanagement, warns of possible state takeover

Sacramento Bee

The financial clock is winding down for the Sacramento City Unified School District. An independent fiscal manager warned late Thursday that if the district fails to plug a $30 million budget hole, it could trigger a takeover by the state in six months.

Can California Afford Gavin Newsom’s Vision For School Kids? Here’s Your K-12 Primer For 2019

Capital Public Radio

Top ranked per-pupil spending. Data tracking from toddlerhood to universities. State lawmakers have a long and expensive wish list as California rings in a new administration. Here’s your School Spending 101 primer for 2019.

What California can learn from universal preschool in other states

EdSource

As momentum builds in California to expand early childhood education programs, the state has the opportunity to look outside its borders and learn from other states and cities that have moved in the direction of offering universal preschool.

Higher Ed:

Application Window Open Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship

The Maddy Institute

Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, February 22nd, 2019. Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. The Maddy Institute will award two $56,000 Fellowships to Valley students who are accepted into a nationally ranked, qualified graduate program in the fall of 2019.

If California’s economy favors the educated, why do the poor earn fewer degrees?

Fresno Bee

There is a $44,000 yearly earnings difference between people who have college degrees versus a high school diploma, researchers concluded in a report released Monday. Yet, a significant number of Californians are not finishing college.

Gregg Camfield Named Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

UC Merced Newsroom

The University of California, Merced, today announced the appointment of longtime faculty member and administrator Gregg Camfield as Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.

Californians want tuition-free community college to be priority for Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom

EdSource

Most Californians say following through on a campaign promise to make community college tuition-free should be a high priority for Governor-elect Gavin Newsom, a new poll found.

Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Teen’s data shows air quality is worse in south Fresno. He’s taking his work to schools

Fresno Bee

Kieshaun White is doing something not even the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District does. The 18-year-old Cambridge High School student is in the early stages of setting up PurpleAir air quality monitors on Fresno Unified high school campuses, funded by grant money.

Huge barrier isn’t trapping plastic waste in Pacific Ocean

Sacramento Bee

A floating device sent to corral a swirling island of trash between California and Hawaii has not swept up any plastic waste — but the young innovator behind the project said Monday that a fix was in the works.

High-surf warnings issued as Pacific swell brings big waves to California coast

Los Angeles Times

Powerful and potentially destructive waves are expected to hit California’s coast through Tuesday, bringing dangerous conditions that have prompted forecasters to urge surfers and swimmers to stay out of the ocean.

See Also:

A year after California extended cap-and-trade, Newsom still prefers carbon tax

Politico

California’s cap-and-trade program is one of the strongest market-based mechanisms in the nation to combat climate change, but Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom said this month he prefers a different approach to reduce greenhouse gases.

Energy:

EDITORIAL: Don’t let the window close on a Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage deal

Los Angeles Times

As the final days of the 115th Congress tick down in a blur of last-minute negotiations over government spending and President Trump’s border wall, time is running out for lawmakers to restart a long-stalled effort to build a permanent nuclear waste repository. They should make it a top priority.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Federal labor panel rules against Kaiser, union says. Health care giant says otherwise

Fresno Bee

According to the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, the National Labor Relations Board allegedly has found Kaiser Permanente illegally refused to negotiate a contract. The health care provider disputes the claim.

Teen vaping doubles as other drug, alcohol use falls

abc30

Twice as many high school students used nicotine-tinged electronic cigarettes this year compared with last year, an unprecedented jump in a large annual survey of teen smoking, drinking and drug use.

Covered California extends signup deadline

San Francisco Chronicle

Covered California has extended its deadline for consumers to sign up for health insurance after a Texas federal judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, potentially creating confusion among consumers.

See Also:

Human Services:

Parents who drink should prep for ‘hungover parenting’ this holiday season, report says

Fresno Bee

A Mott Poll found that 25 percent of parents are unprepared for “parenting hungover” — taking care of their kids the day after drinking at a holiday party. Many parents say they “learned a lesson” afterwards.

California vows to fight Obamacare ruling, fears impacts at home

Politico

California will challenge the ruling of a federal judge in Texas who late Friday struck down the Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional, with state Attorney General Xavier Becerra arguing that the federal health care law can remain in place even without a tax penalty for Americans who forego health coverage.

IMMIGRATION

The U.S. is now jailing 15,000 migrant kids in immigration detention centers  

Los Angeles Times

The recent death of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl in Border Patrol custody spotlights the broader issue of the U.S. government making prisoners of migrant children in astonishing numbers. As of last week, the government was holding 15,000 minors in various detention centers around the country.

Are sanctuary laws driving down immigration arrests?

San Francisco Chronicle

Immigration arrests fell in Northern California in the past year even as arrests nationally rose 11 percent, a trend that could be linked to the tightening of sanctuary laws.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Bakersfield Burrito Project in need of a new home

Bakersfield Californian

After seven years at its Truxtun Avenue location, the Bakersfield Burrito Project has shut its office doors after the building came under new ownership, and a 30-day notice appeared under the nonprofit’s door.

Housing:

More homes, apartments in the works for Merced to meet demand

abc30

All over Merced, houses are going up, but it’s still not enough. City officials are trying catch up with the demand, and just this year they’ve issued more than 640 permits to build single family homes. That’s the most they’ve issued in more than a decade.

See Also:

Bakersfield prepares to use millions in state grant funds to combat homelessness

Bakersfield Californian

The city of Bakersfield received an early Christmas present last Wednesday, when it received a letter announcing it had received approximately a $1.2 million grant from the state to be used for combating homelessness.

California’s homeless number drops a little as programs appear to pay off

San Francisco Chronicle

Investing billions of dollars in affordable housing and homeless programs in recent years has apparently put the brakes on what had been a surge in California’s homeless population, causing it to dip by 1 percent this year, a federal report released Monday showed.

California Needs a Housing Revolution

Bloomberg

Along Santa Barbara’s cherished Pacific beachfront, old campers, modified pick-up trucks and shabby cars are parallel parked on the adjacent road. It’s growing dark, and the denizens of these cramped, four-wheeled apartments are settling in for the night.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Text, Californians, text: State commission won’t pursue tax on text messaging

Visalia Times Delta

Californians worried that their text messages might soon be taxed can rejoice. In a statement released via Twitter over the weekend, California’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced it would no longer be pursuing the measure that would’ve added a surcharge to phone bills.

See Also:

California Lottery spent thousands on pens that look like baseball bats. Did it need them?

Sacramento Bee

The California Lottery spent big money on swag for its sales training conferences last year, according to an internal audit that urged the department to get a better handle on its expenses.

Charities Feeling Flush Despite Tax Law Change

Roll Call

Year-end holiday giving is make-or-break time for America’s charitable sector. Donors who give now may feel compelled by the spirit of the season, but many of them also know that they can soon write off their gifts on their taxes and recoup a portion of their money.

House GOP Makes Another Push for Year-End Tax Cuts

Roll Call

House Republicans will try again this week to pass a year-end package of tax cuts after revamping the measure a second time to win broader political support.

Recent tax cut: Rising Deficits, Falling Revenues

Center for American Progress

The Fiscal Damage Caused by the New Republican Tax Law.

TRANSPORTATION

Longtime DMV employee named as agency’s acting director

Fresno Bee

California’s troubled Department of Motor Vehicles will get a new leader Dec. 31. Gov. Jerry Brown designated Bill Davidson as acting director on Monday to take over for Jean Shiomoto, who is leaving at the end of the year.

See Also:

New laws or changes to existing laws on California roads that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019

abc30

Several new laws or changes go into effect come the New Year, and they’re designed to make California roads safer.

FYI reports Q3 passenger numbers soared

The Business Journal

Fresno Yosemite International Airport served more than 480,000 passengers in June, July and August of this year, a record for any third quarter in the airport’s history.

Caltrans completes $4.7 million project in Merced County

Merced Sun-Star

Caltrans has completed a $4.7 million project along stretches of Interstate 5 and State Route 152, according to a news release. The California Department of Transportation said it has upgraded and rehabilitated a total of 18 bridges along stretches of those roads in Merced County.

Northwest Visalians rejoice as major construction project nears end

Visalia Times Delta

After years of work to create a plan to expand one of northwest Visalia’s busiest intersections, construction is nearing an end. Officials announced that on Friday, construction at the Goshen Avenue and Demaree Street intersection will enter the final phase.

Stockton Ahead Of New California Rules Requiring Zero-Emission Vehicles By 2040

Capital Public Radio

All public transit agency buses in California must be zero-emission by 2040. Stockton already has 14 electric buses, and will convert another 60 diesel-electric hybrids to all-electric by 2025.

WATER

Both salmon and the San Joaquin Valley lose under state’s Bay Delta Plan

Merced Sun-Star

Wednesday, California’s salmon lost. So too did one of the most disadvantaged communities in the state. And so did any local government or public agency in California.

One wet night gives Modesto a much-needed rainfall boost. But what’s ahead?

Modesto Bee

In just 13 hours Sunday evening through Monday morning, Modesto got more than two and a half times the rain it received the first half of the month.

See Also:

What caused nearly 20,000 quakes at Oroville Dam? Scientists weigh in on mystery

San Francisco Chronicle

The earthquakes hit just days after last year’s near-catastrophe at Oroville Dam, when the spillway cracked amid heavy rains and 188,000 people fled in fear of flooding.

“Xtra”

You can walk through this life-sized gingerbread house in Clovis

abc30

If you need some inspiration for your gingerbread house there’s one in Clovis that you can literally walk through. It took several weeks for 50 students at The Institute of Technology to create the 10-foot tall gingerbread house.

Pass GO, head to Walmart for hot new board game BAKERSFIELD-OPOLY

Bakersfield Californian

Ever wish you could own Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace? What about Wool Growers? A new Bakersfield-themed game lets you be the big boss.

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?

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

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

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