POLICY & POLITICS
DEADLINE: FRIDAY DEC. 7TH - Scholarship Of Up To $6,000
The Maddy Institute
The Maddy Scholar Intern Program’s goal is to prepare the next generation of political, governmental, business, non-profit leaders for the San Joaquin Valley through internship opportunities in local, state and federal government offices in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and throughout the region.
North SJ Valley:
Newly-elected Merced official won by just 6 votes. But he won. And he’s ready to work
Merced Sun-Star
Merced City Council candidate Delray Shelton declared victory Tuesday in his bid for District 6. The city’s northernmost district saw a very close race ultimately decided by six votes by the time the election was certified Sunday, according to the Merced County Registrar of Voters Office.
Stanislaus supervisors vote on project that could bring 15,000 jobs. What’s next?
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County supervisors approved a rezone Tuesday for the latest game plan for reusing the former military airfield near Crows Landing.
UC Merced Professor's New Book Explores How Local Governments Use Policies To Segregate Cities
VPR
We’ve heard a lot about how government policies in San Joaquin Valley cities and beyond have created race and class segregation for more than a century.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno County sets date for special election to fill Borgeas’ seat
Fresno Bee
Andreas Borgeas has taken his seat in the state Senate, so the Fresno County Board of Supervisors is looking for his replacement. At Tuesday’s meeting, the board set March 5 as the date for a special election to fill Borgeas’ District 2 seat serving most of north Fresno and part of Clovis.
See also:
● Special election to fill Borgeas' seat to cost $250,000 abc30
South SJ Valley:
Devon Mathis named to Assembly leadership post
Fresno Bee
Visalia Republican Devon Mathis (and Maddy alum) was named Assembly minority whip on Tuesday, marking the 36-year-old legislator’s first appointment to his party’s leadership.
Bakersfield Californian
Measure N — the one percent sales tax increase — was a major win for city officials as well as those hoping to see improvements to Bakersfield’s quality of life.
See also:
Bakersfield sales tax passes in final vote update Bakersfield Californian
Ten-hut! McCarthy announces appointment of local students to service academies
Bakersfield Californian
Congressman Kevin McCarthy announced his nominations to the various U.S. Service Academies Tuesday afternoon. Nominees were selected in a competitive process in which a number of highly qualified 23rd Congressional District high school students applied for consideration, his office said in a press release.
State:
Democrats’ spending list needs to be ‘whittled down,’ Gavin Newsom says
Sacramento Bee
“All of this will be whittled down and we all will live within our means,” he told The Sacramento Bee as he left a meeting with Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins. “We’re not going to deviate from being fiscally prudent.”’
See Also:
● Legislature, Newsom have an ambitious agenda CALmatters
● California Democrats ready new assault on Donald Trump POLITICO
● Priority Policy Solutions for California’s Next Governor Berkeley Law
Ninety-Third California Legislature Convenes At State Capitol
Capital Public Radio
California lawmakers took their oaths of office for the Legislature’s 2018-2019 session Monday at the state Capitol with promises to fight poverty, homelessness and wildfires.
See Also:
● Capitol Chat: California Legislature Back in Session Capital Public Radio
GOP Latino candidates can win in CA, if they don’t reveal they’re GOP
San Francisco Chronicle
If the “R” label has become toxic for California Republicans after two years of Donald Trump in the White House, for Latino candidates it stands for “radioactive.” When the new class of state legislators was sworn in Monday, there were no Latino Republicans — and 29 Latino Democrats.
See Also:
● One thing saving California Republicans from annihilation? An earlier wave of misunderstood migrants The Washington Post
'Statistically Impossible'?
VPR
On election night, few saw this result coming: Democrats managed to flip all seven California House seats they were targeting. In our final episode of Keys To The House, we discuss how this happened and what it means for the state’s two major parties.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: Did ballot harvesting doom Republicans? More likely, just hard work by Democrats Fresno Bee
Federal:
This is the all-female number-crunching team that delivered the House to Dems
Sacramento Bee
Going into the 2018 midterms, Democrats knew that analyzing voter data would be key to winning back the House majority. So a all-female analytics team jumped into action, made the right calls and delivered the win.
House GOP campaign committee says it was victim of 'cyber intrusion' during 2018 campaign
Hanford Sentinel
The National Republican Congressional Committee said Tuesday that it was hit with a "cyber intrusion" during the 2018 midterm campaigns and has reported the breach to the FBI.
See Also:
● National Republican Congressional Committee says it was hacked during this year’s election cycle The Washington Post
● GOP Campaign Committee Victim of "Cyber Intrusion" During 2018 Campaign The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post
“The bureau is forcing hundreds of staff to sit on their hands while millions of Americans suffer from predatory practices happening right under its nose,” said Seth Frotman, who resigned as CFPB’s assistant director and student loan ombudsman in August.
OPINION: I Served in Congress Longer Than Anyone. Here’s How to Fix It.
The Atlantic
The elimination of money in campaigns. Period. Elections, like military service—each is an example of duty, honor, and service to country—should be publicly funded. Can you imagine if we needed to rely on wealthy donors to fund the military?
Other:
George HW Bush funeral: How, when to watch
abc30
Memorial services and the state funeral for former President George HW Bush will be held on Wednesday. A second funeral and his burial will take place Thursday in Texas.
See Also:
● George W. Bush’s grief for his dad, George H.W. Bush, is both intimate and historic The Washington Post
● ‘It certainly was a happy day.’ Looking back on Bush’s 1988 visit to Modesto, Turlock Modesto Bee
● Turlock City Hall among those going dark to honor Bush Modesto Bee
● Libraries and post offices among limited Wednesday closures for Bush day of remembrance Sacramento Bee
● George H.W. Bush’s secret legacy: his little-known kind gestures to many Sacramento Bee
● Crowds honor Bush's lasting legacy Bakersfield Californian
● They knew him in different ways, but two Bush associates agree: He had grace Bakersfield Californian
● U.S. Postal Service to suspend mail delivery Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush Los Angeles Times
Gil Durán named to new post as California opinion editor for Sacramento Bee
Fresno Bee
Gil Durán, former communications director for Senator Dianne Feinstein and press secretary for Governor Jerry Brown, has been named California opinion editor for The Sacramento Bee.
Three-Minute Public Comment Period Doesn’t Violate Brown Act or First Amendment
PublicCEO
The decision falls in line with a string of rulings that strike a balance between the public’s right, and need, to address elected officials, while granting agencies the ability to efficiently manage meetings.
The Washington Post
A key British lawmaker alleged Wednesday that Facebook maintained “whitelisting agreements” that gave select companies preferential access to valuable user data, echoing a key claim from an app developer that has been embroiled in a lawsuit with the social network in a California court.
The Case for Protecting Small Firms From Cyber Lawsuits
The Wall Street Journal
Small companies, they say, are covered by the same cybersecurity laws as big companies, but they don’t have the same resources to manage security and can’t afford big fines or payouts in lawsuits.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, December 9, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Nothing Extravagant: California’s Spending Plan for 2018-19” –Guest: California's Legislative Analyst, Mac Taylor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, December 9, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “State Budget: How the State Spends Your Money” – Guests: Scott Graves, Director of Research for the Calif Budget & Policy Center and Mac Taylor with the LAO. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, December 9, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” –Guest: Joe Hayes, Investigator PPIC and Liam Dillon with LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Dairy farmers mix in family roots to spin out Italian gelato in Tulare County
abc30
A south Valley dairy family has found a creative twist on the milk they cultivate everyday. They've turned it into gelato. Tasty ice cold Italian gelato is being churned at curtimade dairy in Tulare County.
New report urges drastic changes to global food production and consumption
San Francisco Chronicle
With the global population set to rise to 9.8 billion by 2050, a report published Wednesday by the research organization World Resources Institute calls for a daunting set of aggressive changes to agriculture, land use and consumption to feed the world’s booming population without destroying Earth in the process.
Final Farm Bill Would Make Hemp Legal, Other Details Revealed
Roll Call
The top House Agriculture Democrat says a final farm bill agreement rejects controversial House provisions to tie food stamp benefits to expanded work requirements, greenlights hemp cultivation and tweaks programs important to farmers and ranchers.
The Little Town That Pot Built
PEW
Garden City isn’t much of a city; it’s smaller than a square mile and has fewer than 300 residents. But it could afford to spend $3 million on downtown infrastructure upgrades thanks to its four bustling marijuana retailers.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
California's Historic Drop In Arrests Still Imperils Blacks
Capital Public Radio
Despite California seeing a historic drop in arrests, a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that blacks are still far more likely to be arrested in the state, especially in the Bay Area.
See Also:
● New Insights into California Arrests PPIC
● Toward Understanding Racial Disparities in Arrests PPIC
Here are your options if these Visalia cops were involved in your case
Visalia Times-Delta
In response to charges filed against Bryan Ferreira and Shane Logan, prosecutors have created a conviction review application. The review is for defendants who believe that investigations performed by the officers affected a legal resolution, prosecutors said.
Public Safety:
A tax on California gun sales? It's worth considering
Los Angeles Times
AB 18 would direct the new revenues to the state’s existing $9.2-million California Violence Intervention and Prevention Program that offers grants to community organizations mounting effective gun-violence prevention programs.
Fire:
‘It’s scary.’ Deadly Camp Fire raises hard questions in eastern Madera County communities
Fresno Bee
On the heels of the Camp Fire in Paradise, the deadliest wildfire in history, should the Sierra Nevada communities in eastern Madera County be weary of a similar wildfire in their own backyard?
See also:
● Simultaneous blazes, like California's Camp and Woolsey Fires, have become the new normal SFGate
● These Wild Conspiracies on YouTube Are Really, Really Wrong About California's Fires Science Alert
State takes over Merced insurance company unable to pay out claims after Camp Fire
abc30
Known as one of the deadliest fires in California history, The Camp Fire left thousands of people without homes. The damage so devastating, it put a Merced county insurance company out of business.
See Also:
● Insurer goes bust from Camp Fire with millions in claims unpaid. How will it affect Paradise homeowners? Modesto Bee
● Insurer Merced went belly up after Camp fire. Here's what policyholders need to know Los Angeles Times
New proposal would allow California to issue bonds for wildfire prevention efforts
Los Angeles Times
State Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica) introduced the Wildfire, Drought and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2020 as another tool the state can use to offset a pattern of increasingly destructive and deadly blazes.
Butte County Sheriff: 11 Still Missing After Deadly Camp Wildfire
Capital Public Radio
The Butte County Sheriff's Office says only 11 people remain on a list of missing people following the Camp Fire. The number of missing at one point hit 1,300 amid the chaos and confusion after the Nov. 8 wildfire.
See Also:
● Many of the dead in Camp Fire were disabled. Could they have been saved? Merced Sun-Star
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Up big one day, down a lot the next. What's driving the stock market volatility?
Los Angeles Times
One day the Dow Jones industrial average drops 500 points, then it shoots up 600 points and a few days later it plummets 800 points — 799 to be exact Tuesday. What in the name of Warren Buffett is going on?
See Also:
● Wave of selling swamps Wall Street; Dow slides nearly 800 points Los Angeles Times
● U.S. stocks are battered in one of their worst days in 2018 as U.S.-China trade deal appears to sputter The Washington Post
Trump-appointed panel wants Postal Service to raise shipping rates. That would hit Amazon
Los Angeles Times
President Trump’s administration is recommending the U.S. Postal Service raise prices for shipping packages, a move that would hit online retailers such as Amazon.com Inc.
See Also:
● Postal Service Review Proposes Sweeping Changes Likely to Hit Amazon The Wall Street Journal
Reading the Tea Leaves on Trade With China
The Wall Street Journal
Much will be at stake during the next three months, and little information will be publicly available. So if you want to keep up with how things are going, you’ll have to read between the lines.
See Also:
● China's Unipec to buy U.S. oil after Xi-Trump tariff truce Reuters
● OPINION: ‘I Am a Tariff Man’ The Wall Street Journal
Robot Reality Check: They Create Wealth—and Jobs
The Wall Street Journal
The more robots a country has, the higher its gross domestic product and, on average, the richer its citizens. On the other hand, a country that resists automation loses out not just on wealth creation but on new jobs as well.
Jobs:
Stanislaus supervisors vote on project that could bring 15,000 jobs. What’s next?
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County supervisors approved a rezone Tuesday for the latest game plan for reusing the former military airfield near Crows Landing.
Marriott strike yields 40% pay hike for Westin housekeepers
San Diego Union-Tribune
Details of the new four-year contract were made public Tuesday following the end this week of the last of the hotel walkouts that had targeted Marriott International properties involving 7,700 workers across eight cities in the U.S.
Who wants to be a police officer? Job applications plummet at most U.S. departments.
The Washington Post
Although the U.S. population has risen from 267 million in 1997 to 323 million in 2016, the number of full-time sworn officers per 1,000 U.S. residents has dropped from 2.42 in 1997 to 2.17 officers per 1,000 residents in 2016.
EDUCATION
Appreciating the ‘powerful good’ of the public library
PBS NewsHour
Libraries serve the public by — get this — actually serving the public. If patrons don't use our services, they inevitably get cut.
K-12:
Yosemite Unified board member helps educate California’s newest board members
Sierra Star
Yosemite Unified School District Board of Trustees member Monika Moulin spent part of last week in the Bay Are helping educate the 400 newly elected school board trustees across California.
Sacramento Lawmaker Introduces 'Pre-K For All' Bill Package
Capital Public Radio
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty introduced three pieces of legislation on Tuesday aiming to provide free preschool to 100,000 more children from low and middle-income households. Similar programs exist in other states — but could it work in California?
See Also:
● More California kids would attend preschool under push in Legislature Merced Sun-Star
Back to School in Butte County
Capital Public Radio
Thousands of students who lost their homes in the Camp Fire headed back to school with the help of school districts in neighboring counties.
21st-Century Education Policy Enters Its Afternoon Rerun Stage
EducationNext
Meanwhile, the search is now on for the new “new thing.” And plenty of pilots are being avidly pushed for the part. There’s career and technical education, social and emotional learning, personalization, early childhood education, and much else.
Higher Ed:
Application Window Open Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Deadline 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.
‘They’re working their tails off’: Why lawmakers say students need 2 years of free community college
Fresno Bee
Assembly Bill 2 would add a second year of community college tuition for full-time students in California. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago explain why.
See Also:
● Free community college could soon be a reality in California Sacramento Bee
● EDITORIAL: Tuition-free City College is a great idea, but locked-in taxes aren’t San Francisco Chronicle
BC gets $115K to increase support for undocumented students
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield College was given a $115,000 Catalyst Grant this fall to support undocumented students. The college is one of 32 campuses across the state to be selected as a recipient of the California Campus Catalyst Fund.
See Also:
● California’s undocumented students face roadblocks on the path to higher education California Budget & Policy Center
Los Angeles Times
USC vowed to improve accountability and transparency in the wake of a scandal earlier this year in which the longtime campus gynecologist was accused of sexual misconduct against hundreds of students.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
California lawmakers move to get tough with feds on wild horse slaughter
Fresno Bee
In response to the U.S. Forest Service’s decision to sell hundreds of wild horses to slaughterhouse buyers, California lawmakers are weighing a bill that would strengthen the penalties for selling horses for human consumption.
West Coast fishermen are suing oil companies for climate change damages
Los Angeles Times
Fishermen are still waiting for permission to catch Dungeness crabs off California’s northernmost coast this season — and they want oil companies to pay for the delay.
‘Trump insurance’ for the CA environment
CALmatters
Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins pointedly put her imprimatur on far-reaching state environmental legislation that would serve as a hedge against any environmental roll-back by President Donald Trump.
See also:
OPINION: Climate Denial Was the Crucible for Trumpism The New York Times
OPINION: Press Is the Enemy of Climate The Wall Street Journal
World Bank to invest $200bn to combat climate change
The Guardian
The World Bank is to make about $200bn (£157bn) available to fund action on climate change from 2021-25, helping countries adapt to the effects of warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
EDITORIAL: California needs one single-use plastic law to rule them all
Los Angeles Times
California needs consistency not just on straws, but on all single-use plastic items.
Energy:
Oil rises more than 1% before OPEC meeting
Reuters
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers will meet in Vienna this week to discuss a potential cut in production. Saudi Arabia has indicated it wants OPEC and its allies to cut output by at least 1.3 million barrels per day.
My turn: We shouldn’t have to pay for gas company’s lobbying
CALmatters
When your gas bill arrives, you probably think you’re paying to warm your home and light your stove. Though that’s largely true, families in some parts of California are footing the bill for a multi-million dollar lobbying effort to stop California’s clean energy progress.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
It’s looking a lot like flu season could be heading to the Valley for the holidays
Fresno Bee
Hospitals in the Fresno CA area are reporting an increase in the number of flu patients they are seeing, especially children. And it’s not too late in the season to get a shot of the influenza vaccine.
See Also:
● Unsure About The Flu Shot? Learn About It Alongside FM89 Reporters VPR
● Kaweah Delta Staff Recognized For High Vaccination Rate The Business Journal
Diabetes can be diagnosed by an eye exam?
The Business Journal
Agencies partnered together to host a Diabetes Clinic Day to help educate and ensure diabetic patients have at least an annual visit with their doctor.
Surgery to remove wisdom teeth puts some teens and young adults on a path to opioid abuse
Los Angeles Times
For older teens and young adults, the extraction of so-called wisdom teeth is a painful rite of passage. A new study suggests it’s likely made more perilous by the package of narcotic pain pills that patients frequently carry home after undergoing the common surgical procedure.
Fentanyl overdose deaths may have peaked
AEI
The peak may have occurred in September 2017 at a staggering 73,143 deaths and been as low as 70,859 more recently. Although still appalling, the reverse may be cause for optimism.
Human Services:
Interviews underway for county’s first Medical Examiner
Stockton Record
San Joaquin County supervisors conducted a closed-session job interview Tuesday afternoon with an unknown candidate for the newly created medical examiner position, County Administrator Monica Nino confirmed.
Duke University Press
In particular, Medicaid shifted county hospitals from the realm of allocational politics to that of redistributive politics. Subsequently, reforms at the state and federal levels further encouraged this development. Because of this shift, many counties decided to close their hospitals.
Bakersfield Memorial has resumed normal operations following false alert of active shooter
Bakersfield Californian
For the second time in five months, a Bakersfield hospital was put on lockdown for hours Tuesday as police searched the premises for a possible active shooter but ultimately found no evidence of one.
No mail delivery, stock markets closed Wednesday for day of mourning
Bakersfield Californian
There will be no mail delivery and all U.S. Postal Service locations will be closed Wednesday as the federal government closes for a national day of mourning in honor of President George H.W. Bush. However, some package delivery will still take place, the U.S.P.S. web site said.
IMMIGRATION
Newsom vows to withdraw Guard from border, seeks help for humanitarian crisis
POLITICO
A month out from his inauguration, California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom is staking out his own ground when it comes to immigration policy and relations with Mexico, signaling he’s not interested in keeping National Guard troops at the border and that he intends to seek more state resources to address humanitarian concerns.
See Also:
● Did California's border closure cost $5.3M in economic loss? Are 'billions’ at stake? PolitiFact
The Recorder
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday struck down a federal law that made a potential felon out of anyone who “encourages or induces” undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. in violation of the country’s immigration laws.
See Also:
● U.S. court strikes down law that makes it a felony to encourage someone to violate immigration law Los Angeles Times
● Court tosses law that makes advice to immigrants a crime San Francisco Chronicle
What will happen to caravan members who cross illegally into the U.S.?
San Diego Union-Tribune
While some are determined to wait out the ballooning asylum line at the San Ysidro port of entry, other members of the caravan see crossing illegally as a way to set foot on U.S. soil more quickly.
Is it legal for tear gas to be used against migrants?
PolitiFact
Riot control agents were "the topic of long and heated debates" during negotiations of the convention. In the end, a compromise was reached to allow the use of tear gas for riot control but prohibiting it for warfare.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
California legislator revives bill to boost apartment complexes near transit
Los Angeles Times
Under the new proposal from Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), developers would be allowed to build four- to five-story apartment complexes in neighborhoods surrounding Los Angeles Metro stations, Bay Area Rapid Transit and other rail stops around the state.
See Also:
● New California bill would spur housing development near transit, job centers POLITICO
Housing:
California lawmakers pitch substantial new spending on low-income housing
Los Angeles Times
Low-income housing developments in California could receive a continued infusion of public subsidies under proposals unveiled this week by state lawmakers.
California would guarantee a bed for every homeless person under new bill
San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Democrat plans to announce SB48 on Wednesday, although key details of the bill — including how much the added shelters will cost, how they will be paid for and who will be responsible for ensuring enough beds are made available — will not be worked out until at least next year.
How Northern California's destructive wildfires could exacerbate the state's housing crisis
Los Angeles Times
Northern California’s recent wildfires have burned homes at a greater pace than developers are building them, deepening a housing shortage that already has left millions struggling to find affordable places to live.
Best and worst metro areas to be a first-time homebuyer
AEI
A new study from the AEI Center on Housing Markets and Finance ranks the affordability of 50 metropolitan regions in the US for first-time homebuyers by using the ratio of home prices to incomes, with Pittsburgh being the most affordable and San Jose the least.
EDITORIAL: California's housing crisis needs bold solutions. Here's one.
San Diego Union-Tribune
The state Legislature convened its new session on Monday, and for the third straight year there is — rightly — plenty of early focus on legislation addressing the housing crisis.
PUBLIC FINANCES
’There’s going to be a lot of very nervous public employees:’ Court to hear pension case
Sacramento Bee
The California Supreme Court this week will hear a lawsuit that could unravel a piece of Gov. Jerry Brown’s marquee pension law by reinstating a perk he eliminated five years ago.
Bakersfield Californian
Measure N — the one percent sales tax increase — was a major win for city officials as well as those hoping to see improvements to Bakersfield’s quality of life.
See also:
● Bakersfield sales tax passes in final vote update Bakersfield Californian
Los Angeles Times
Democratic Assemblywomen Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher of San Diego and Cristina Garcia of Bell Gardens have reintroduced bills to exempt purchasers from paying sales tax on the products.
SALT Still Rubs the Democrats’ Tax Wounds
Roll Call
Most households, including 87 percent of those earning between $50,000 and $200,000, will benefit from the law in 2019, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. But they’re not necessarily feeling it yet.
TRANSPORTATION
Report: Add $1.6 billion to high-speed rail in the Central Valley
Visalia Times Delta
Rushed construction and poor management have cost the California High-Speed Rail Authority $600 million in budget overruns, according to a recent report published by State Auditor Elaine Howle.
See Also:
● Gas-tax repeal backers’ next target: high-speed rail Merced Sun-Star
● After Spending $5.4 Billion, California’s Bullet Train Is Still Going Nowhere Hoover Institution
● Proposed California initiative to divert billions from state, kill bullet train faces uphill climb CNBC
● Frazier releases statement on High Speed Rail Authority The Press
San Francisco Chronicle
Drivers of plug-in vehicles who freely coast through California’s carpool lanes may get a shock in January, when regulators roll out new rules — and new stickers for cars that qualify.
In America's 'Worst Bike City,' Laws To Protect Cyclists Are Rarely Enforced
Laist
When it comes to actually ticketing drivers who violate the provision, KPCC/LAist found enforcement was happening very, very rarely.
WATER
Modesto Irrigation District justifies power prices with new study
Modesto Bee
Modesto Irrigation District board members on Tuesday embraced an important new report justifying prices for both electricity and farm water.
Let it flow: In about-face, state breaks and shifts levees to restore natural floodplains
CALmatters
At the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers, a winter of heavy rains could inundate about 1,200 acres of riverside woodland for the first time in 60 years. That’s by design: Here, a few miles west of Modesto, work crews removed or broke several miles of levee last spring and replanted the land with tens of thousands of native sapling trees and shrubs.
“Xtra”
'Toys For Tots' collecting toys for 50,000 children in Fresno County
abc30
It's the Merry, in Merry Christmas and the Happy, in Happy Holidays. The Dolls, stuffed animals and other new and unwrapped the Toys For Tots boxes are all going to children who need them most.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo prepares for next big exhibit
abc30
Crews are now preparing the infrastructure for the Chaffee Zoo's next big exhibit and the flamingos didn't seem to mind the noise. The African Adventure exhibit has been a big hit with so many animals for families to enjoy.
Livingstone’s is officially back. Tower District hot spot set for grand reopening
Fresno Bee
The popular bar and restaurant in the Tower District held a low-key soft opening Tuesday night, which drew back many loyal patrons. And now, Livingstone’s will hold a grand reopening Wednesday and officially debut its new look — almost two years since the place was destroyed from a fire.
Free cheesecake: How to get it from Cheesecake Factory Wednesday
Fresno Bee
Of all the free food deals that restaurants come up with, this one might be the sweetest. Or is it the cheesiest? The Cheesecake Factory is giving away free slices of cheesecake Wednesday, Dec. 5 to people who order through the online delivery service Doordash.
Winter tips for anglers who are storing their boats are staying on the water
Fresno Bee
Roger George is The Fresno Bee’s fishing expert. In this week’s Roger’s Remarks, he talks to boat mechanic Bill Manuszak at Ed’s Marine Service in Fresno, CA, about best practices for winter storage and care.