Maddy Institute – February 12, 2019

12Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

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North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus County ranks No. 2 in California in youth gun deaths. Is it a trend?

Fresno Bee

Children are being shot and killed at a staggering rate in California, according to a McClatchy review of data compiled by nonprofit news organization The Trace, which focuses on gun violence.

Downtown Stockton affordable housing project could move forward

Stockton Record

Developers of a long-planned downtown affordable housing project are hoping to finally break ground next year.

Water board chair has lost our trust

Merced Sun-Star

Felicia Marcus appears to be working for her old employers in the environmental movement, not the people of California. With her vote to ignore agreements made with the state, Marcus “flipped the bird” to Gov. Newsom.

Central SJ Valley:

Costa throws support behind Yemen resolution amid mobile criticism at home

Fresno Bee

Rep. Jim Costa has thrown his weight behind a House joint resolution authored by fellow California congressman Ro Khanna that could lead to an expedited withdrawal of U.S. troops from Yemen, where civil war and human rights violations rage.

Parlier City Manager continues job despite facing federal indictment on fraud charges

abc30

A federal indictment on fraud charges isn’t stopping the Parlier City Manager from continuing to serve the city in that position. Antonio Gastelum is facing several counts, alleging while working for an ag labor contracting business he and a business partner falsified documents and collected millions.

Visalia’s annual public survey looks for opinions on weed, affordable housing

Visalia Times-Delta

Since the 1970s, Visalia city officials administer a yearly public survey to gauge residents’ opinions on city policies and procedures. They then take those opinions and use them to improve policies or implement new projects.

Petition urges Jones to vote on hospital loan

Visalia Times Delta

Tulare Mayor Jose Sigala asked residents for help contacting Councilman Carlton Jones after Jones failed to attend last week’s council meeting and avoided calls. Now, Sigala is rallying residents another way — through a petition.

The world’s biggest farm show opens in Tulare on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know

Fresno Bee

Valentine’s Day is not why farmers are getting excited. The 2019 World Ag Expo is just days away. The three-day event opens Tuesday at the International Agri-Center in Tulare where the massive grounds will be carpeted with more than 1,500 exhibitors and well over 100,000 visitors from as far away as Italy.

● Here are the Top 10 New Products featured at World Ag Expo abc30

● Seven cool things to check out at the World Ag Expo Bakersfield Californian

● Sneak peek of this week’s World Ag Expo in Tulare Bakersfield Californian

● Cows in space? NASA to open 52nd World Ag Expo in Tulare Visalia Times-Delta

South SJ Valley:

Music festival that could come to Kern County has troubled history at its former home

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County General Services Division is recommending that supervisors approve a multi-day music festival in May that has a troubled history in Monterey County, including the deaths of two people in successive years.

State:

Here’s who invested in Gavin Newsom – and what they want him to do

Sacramento Bee

California governor Gavin Newsom says he can’t be bought with campaign contributions. Now that he’s in office, top donors like teachers, nurses and housing developers are pushing him on policy.

How Future-Proof Is Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan For California?

Capital Public Radio

On Tuesday, Newsom will deliver his first State of the State speech in the Capitol. Odds are he’ll talk in his speech about his plans to restore the California Dream. But how does all that money prepare us for that dream—not just next year, but 5, 15, 30 years from now?

● What to Know About Gavin Newsom’s State of the State New York Times

Gavin Newsom has been more antagonistic to Trump than Jerry Brown was. And he’s just getting started

Los Angeles Times

Gavin Newsom’s decision to reassign National Guard troops from the Mexico border is likely just the beginning of a more aggressive stance by California and its new activist governor against President Trump’s policies.

Former state Sen. Kevin de León will run to replace Jose Huizar on L.A. City Council

Los Angeles Times

Former state Sen. Kevin de León is looking to shift his political base of operations to Los Angeles City Hall, by seeking the Eastside council seat being vacated by Councilman Jose Huizar.

How to find out if some of California’s $9.3 billion in unclaimed property is yours

abc30

The state of California is sitting on $9.3 billion that it would love to give away. The property comes from forgotten bank accounts, stocks and items in safe deposit boxes.

Fox: Exploring the Socialism Experiment in California

Fox & Hounds

President Trump’s declaration during the State of the Union address that the United States will never be a socialist country set off rounds of debate and articles dealing with proposals from a number of Democrats that would move the country solidly to the left.

Should 17-year-olds vote? California lawmaker tries again to lower voting age

Fresno Bee

In an effort to boost low youth voter turnout, a California lawmaker introduced a constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 17. Right now, 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote.

Stakes are high for cities and regions ahead of an unsettled 2020 census

Brookings

A little over one year from now, the United States will participate in a democratic tradition that stretches back to the founding of the republic: the once-a-decade census of its population.

Federal:

Congressional lawmakers reach deal on border wall funding

Fresno Bee

Congressional negotiators reached agreement Monday night to prevent a government shutdown and finance construction of new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, overcoming a late-stage hang-up over immigration enforcement issues that had threatened to scuttle the talks.

● Congressional leaders reach deal to avoid shutdown abc30

● In Texas, Trump backs wall while O’Rourke rallies opponents Merced Sun-Star

● Congressional lawmakers reach deal on border wall funding Porterville Recorder

● Lawmakers reach deal on border wall funding Stockton Record

● ‘Agreement In Principle’ Reached On Border Security Funding, Top Republican Says Capital Public Radio

● Days From Another Shutdown, Here’s What The Negotiators Are Facing Capital Public Radio

● Lawmakers announce a deal to prevent another government shutdown, but prospects remain uncertain Los Angeles Times

● Trump and Beto O’Rourke hold dueling rallies on immigration in El Paso Los Angeles Times

● Lawmakers reach deal ‘in principle’ on border wall funding San Francisco Chronicle

● Leland: DACA still stands, but Congress must act Los Angeles Daily News

● Flight attendant union calls for general strike if government shuts down again The Hill

● Lawmakers Reach Agreement in Principle to Fund Border Security, Avoid Shutdown Wall Street Journal

● Lawmakers say they have reached an ‘agreement in principle’ to avoid government shutdown Washington Post

● Congress’s deal on immigration detention, explained Vox

● Trump’s failed shutdown strategy produced an even worse deal than he started with Washington Post

● EDITORIAL: Congress must make a deal to avoid another shutdown San Francisco Chronicle

McConnell steps out of the shadows and becomes top Democratic enemy

Sacramento Bee

Democrats are painting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as the face of opposition to voting rights legislation. And McConnell is happy to play the role, charging that the package of measures amount to a “power grab” by Washington Democrats.

These are the Democrats winning the ‘Never Trump’ Republican primary

Sacramento Bee

As Democrats debate which presidential contender could beat Donald Trump, anti-Trump Republicans and ex-Republicans can think of a few names. They’re just not names that thrill Democratic activists. They like Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, and Amy Klobuchar.

● Kamala Harris embraces Oakland, but the feeling isn’t necessarily mutual Sacramento Bee

● Klobuchar shakes up 2020 Democratic race in Iowa Sacramento Bee

● Trump can’t win in 2020. But Democrats can lose, and they’re showing us how Los Angeles Times

● 2020 Democrats search for California whisperers Politico

● The Case for Amy Klobuchar WSJ

● How Left Will Democrats Go in 2020? The Cook Political Report

EDITORIAL: Investigating Trump should be a bipartisanship affair

Los Angeles Times

The public’s interest in these issues is clear. A president shouldn’t be influenced in his policy decisions by his financial pursuits; it’s legitimate for Congress to ask if that is the case with Trump.

Other:

Is State and Local Cybersecurity Maturing Fast Enough?

Los Angeles Times

State cybersecurity programs continue to mature with more expected to shift focus from operations to strategy in 2019, according to security experts.

Getting the Boot in High-Tech Fashion

Pew Research

Local governments and universities are placing SmartBoots on more than 150,000 vehicles a year, according to Justin Kennedy, CEO of PayLock, the Somerville, New Jersey-based company that builds the devices, takes motorists’ calls and processes the payments.

Google and Facebook Worsen Media Bias

WSJ

Silicon Valley’s advertising monopoly translates into editorial influence.

In this age of glossy art fairs and mega-galleries, can public museums survive?

Los Angeles Times

As arts nonprofits struggle to stay solvent and art magazines falter, mega-galleries are pouring money into both ventures.

Deadline FAST APPROACHING:

Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship

The Maddy Institute

Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships

Due Friday, February 22^nd, 2019.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, February 17, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Occupational Licensing: Worth the Cost?” – Guest: Carole D’Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, February 17, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: Valley Views Edition: “Closing the Valley’s Income Inequality Gap” – Guests: Carole D’Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission; Tom Scott, National Federation of Independent Business, California; and Luke Reidenbach, California Budget and Policy Center. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, February 17, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Fighting Fire with Fire: Rethinking Forest Management” – Guest: Little Hoover Commission Representative, Julissa Delgado. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

ValleyPBS introduces new show ‘American Grown: My Job Depends on Ag’

abc30

By now, you’ve probably seen a bumper sticker for the popular ‘My Job Depends on Ag’ Facebook group, or maybe you’re even a member. While their audience is already large, it’s about to get even bigger with a new PBS show out this fall called ‘American Grown: My Job Depends on Ag.’

Visalia’s public survey looks for opinions on weed, affordable housing

Visalia Times Delta

Marijuana sales are banned in Visalia. That may change. Since the 1970s, Visalia city officials administer a yearly public survey to gauge residents’ opinions on city policies and procedures. They then take those opinions and use them to improve policies or implement new projects.

Sacramento gathering throws light on vexing changes in nation’s wine business

Sacramento Bee

After a quarter of a century of generally positive growth that has paralleled the popularity of the symposium itself, the wine industry is entering a new era of uncertainty and challenge.

Kamala Harris supports legal pot: ‘Half my family’s from Jamaica. Are you kidding me?’

Fresno Bee

Presidential hopeful and California senator Kamala Harris said she supports legal marijuana and has smoked, joking with Charlamagne tha God on “The Breakfast Club” that “half my family’s from Jamaica.”

● ‘Progressive Prosecutor’: Can Kamala Harris Square the Circle? New York Times

● Glowing coverage of Kamala Harris ignores reality Sacramento Bee

● Democrats in 2020 are at risk of turning into Republicans in 2016 Washington Post

Residents fear marijuana nurseries west of Modesto will change their way of life

Modesto Bee

Residents in the rural area around Shiloh School west of Modesto strongly opposed two permits for marijuana nurseries last week.

Pot is legal in 10 states, but the industry still can’t use banks. Will Congress change that?

Sacramento Bee

Cannabis retailers have been unable to use banks the entire time marijuana has been legal in certain states. Congress may open financial services to the industry, helping licensed companies pay tax.

FDA launches tougher oversight of dietary supplements

Los Angeles Times

The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it plans to beef up oversight of the sprawling, $50 billion-a-year dietary supplements industry, warning that the sector’s explosive growth has resulted in risks to consumers.

See also:

● FDA Challenges Supplement Makers’ Marketing Claims Wall Street Journal.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California judge will keep Planned Parenthood names sealed

Fresno Bee

Planned Parenthood is making an unusual legal demand to join California’s criminal prosecution of two anti-abortion activists charged with invasion of privacy for secretly making videos as they tried to buy fetal material from the organization.

Public Safety:

Are porch pirates preying on your unattended packages? Try these tips to beat the odds

Fresno Bee

Blair Looney of Better Business Bureau writes a weekly column addressing consumer concerns. This week: Tips on beating porch pirates.

California jail guards would get help with urine-hurling inmates under new bill

Sacramento Bee

Prison and jail workers could get new protections from inmates who hurl bodily fluids at them under a proposal from Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez, D-Pomona.

Atwater offers police chief job to law enforcement veteran

Fresno Bee

While Coalinga Police Chief Michael Salvador accepted the tentative offer, it still must be approved by the Atwater City Council. Salvador has been chief in the Fresno County city of nearly 17,000 since October 2015.

Stanislaus County ranks No. 2 in California in youth gun deaths. Is it a trend?

Fresno Bee

Children are being shot and killed at a staggering rate in California, according to a McClatchy review of data compiled by nonprofit news organization The Trace, which focuses on gun violence.

● 12 months, nearly 1,200 deaths: the year in youth gun violence since Parkland Sacramento Bee

California Has a High Rate of Police Shootings. Could a New Open-Records Law Change That?

New York Times

After her son, Eric, was killed by the police in Los Angeles two years ago when officers mistook a water pistol he was holding for a real gun, Valerie Rivera channeled her grief into activism. She joined Black Lives Matter and lobbied the state legislature to open to the public California’s records on police shootings, which have long been hidden.

Police Departments Waive Tattoo Bans, Enlist Wookiees to Fill Ranks

PEW Research

In Florida, the Clearwater Police Department hopes to entice potential job candidates with a video that plays at outdoor concerts, this one pitching the coastal region’s surf, sandy beaches and majestic sunsets.

Fire:

California’s strict wildfire liability rule hangs over PG&E

San Francisco Chronicle

While bankruptcy will help PG&E address its immediate financial challenges, it may do little to alleviate longer-term headwinds posed by California’s relentlessly devastating wildfires.

Agencies’ actions hampered firefight, nearly cost lives

San Francisco Chronicle

A lack of communication and coordination, coupled with a rivalry between state and federal fire agencies, left members of a firefighting crew in last summer’s Mendocino Complex Fire trapped and then running for their lives, according to a report on last summer’s conflagration.

What happens when the next big wildfire hits?

CALmatters

California has yet to recover from the 5-year drought that began in 2012. For four years, record wildfires have ravaged the state, including the Tubbs Fire in Napa and Sonoma in 2017 and the Camp Fire last year that wiped out the town of Paradise in Butte County.

● Drought’s Over But the Dead Tree Toll in California Keeps Rising KQED

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Payday loans making a comeback? Lenders praise Trump proposal, consumer advocates worry

Fresno Bee

The sight of payday lenders packing the streets of Valley communities has become more rare – though they are far from going extinct.

Deep snow pack means booming business in Shaver Lake area

abc30

A deep snowpack has allowed China Peak to thrive this time of year and that’s translating into big business not only for the ski resort but further down the mountain for communities like Shaver Lake who rely on travelers passing through town before hitting the slopes.

New Toys R Us emerges, aims to be selling before the holidays

Los Angeles Times

Toys R Us fans in the U.S. should see the iconic brand reemerge in some form by this holiday season. Richard Barry, a former Toys R Us executive and now CEO of a new company called Tru Kids Brands, told the Associated Press that he and his team are still working on the details.

U.S. Banks Win $21 Billion Trump Tax Windfall Then Cut Staff, Loaned Less

Bloomberg

While banks vowed to use a portion of their savings to reward employees, help needy communities and support small businesses, how the money was divvied is likely to fuel debate over whether the law was an effective way to stoke the economy.

Trump’s trade war could cost 2M jobs, -1% GDP drag and $2K/yr. higher costs per family

AEI

Beginning in March 2018, the United States began to impose a series of tariffs and then quotas on imports of selected steel and aluminum products from all countries except Australia.

See also:

● Pressure Grows on U.S., China to Forge Trade Deal Wall Street Journal

Jobs:

T-Mobile Announces Service Center for ‘Central Valley,’ 1,000 New Jobs

Business Journal

T-Mobile and Sprint Corp. have selected the “Central Valley” as a location for one of their jobs-heavy “Customer Experience Centers.”

Nursing licenses delayed, public protection at risk without more money, state board says

Sacramento Bee

Nearly five years after the state poured almost $100 million into a new computer program meant to improve efficiency, the Board of Registered Nursing wants millions more to employ more workers, in part to reduce delays caused by the program.

McClatchy upgrades CEO’s housing stipend to $35K a month amid buyouts

Columbia Journalism Review

On Friday morning, McClatchy President and CEO Craig Forman emailed employees to let them know 450 staffers across the enterprise, all aged 55 and over, would be offered early retirement.

Working-class agony: Who is to blame?

AEI

Why do so many people believe the American dream is dead? Growing inequality, rising rates of deadly addiction, and heightening political strife are the disturbing realities threatening American lives today, especially the working class.

How Educators and Employers Can Align Efforts to Fill Middle-Skills STEM Jobs

RAND

As the demand for workers with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills grows ever higher, employers face stiff competition for qualified employees—and with retirements, the pool of employees grows ever smaller. Meanwhile, U.S. education and workforce systems could be failing to keep pace with the needs of the STEM economy, leaving talented people out of the running for STEM jobs because they lack the proper training or credentials.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Gov. Newsom and his school spending ideas are popular with Californians, poll finds EdSource

Immigration also concerns California residents, although Trump’s ratings are low.

Walters: Newsom wants more accountability for schools

CALmatters

Former Gov. Jerry Brown held an oddly bifurcated attitude toward how California educates six million elementary, middle and high school students.

Feds must prioritize K-12 education

San Francisco Chronicle

Public school educators are demanding living wages, and these strikes are only the first symptom of justified frustration. A full-scale public education system shutdown and litigation over compensation may be on the horizon.

How Educators and Employers Can Align Efforts to Fill Middle-Skills STEM Jobs

RAND

Higher Ed:

Deadline FAST APPROACHING: Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship

The Maddy Institute

Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, February 22^nd, 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.

California’s New Online Community College Taps Tech Entrepreneur For Top Job

Capital Public Radio

Heather Hiles, founder of Pathbrite and a Newsom appointee when he was San Francisco mayor, will run the controversial new online college signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Not-so-free college: The limits of California’s Promise program

CALmatters

The scholarship covers a year’s worth of fees—usually $46 per credit hour—for first-time, full-time students in community college districts that meet certain requirements, such as participating in the federal student loan program and offering counseling services.

Giving to Colleges Jumps 7.2% to Record $46.7 Billion

Capital Public Radio

U.S. colleges and universities brought in a record $46.7 billion in donations last fiscal year, fueled by stock market gains and strategically timed gifts allowing donors to prepare for changes in tax laws.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

They’re big, furry and could destroy the Delta. California has a $2 million plan to kill them

Fresno Bee

California’s San Joaquin River Delta is in danger of being overrun by voracious beagle-sized rodents. The state has a plan to deal with them, but it’s going to take a lot of time and money.

18 Million Trees Died In California Last Year, But Experts Say This Is Encouraging

Capital Public Radio

The state’s multiyear drought killed millions of trees, and the total number dead has grown to 147 million since 2010. But this year’s number is an improvement.

● Report: California’s tree die-off reaches 147 million, boosting fire threat San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Newsom can confront climate change by restoring what we once had

CALmatters

Close to the geographic heart of California, a California Conservation Corps crew experienced climate change ground zero last July.

See also:

● Triaging Climate Change RAND

GOP Launches Attacks on Democrats Over ‘Green New Deal’

Fresno Bee

Republicans have seized on the “Green New Deal” in an effort to paint Democrats as extreme and out of touch on energy policy, attacking the proposal and launching advertisements tying swing-district Democrats to the idea.

See also:

● Democrats Face Great Opportunity—and High Peril Wall Street Journal

● Green New Deal: A Cautionary Tale Wall Street Journal

● Vote on the Green New Deal Wall Street Journal

More Republicans say stricter environmental regulations are worth the cost

Pew Research

The share of Americans who say stricter environmental laws and regulations are “worth the cost” has ticked up in recent years, with a significant shift coming among Republicans.

Plummeting insect numbers ‘threaten collapse of nature’

The Guardian

The world’s insects are hurtling down the path to extinction, threatening a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, according to the first global scientific review.

Energy:

Seeking ‘trust and credibility’ after fires, PG&E to dump at least half its board members

Sacramento Bee

PG&E said Monday it will replace many of its board members as it deals with bankruptcy, wildfire liabilities and mounting criticism of its safety record.

See also:

● PG&E To Reshape Board In Aftermath Of Wildfires Capital Public Radio

● Bankrupt Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. Will Replace Half Of Its Board Of Directors Capital Public Radio

● PG&E to replace half of its board in wake of bankruptcy filing San Francisco Chronicle

● Should California bail out Pacific Gas & Electric? Los Angeles Times

California Warms to Solar Homes; Other States May Give a Cold Shoulder

Pew Research

California’s first-in-the-nation requirement that all new homes have solar panels is a giant leap toward its goal of a fossil-free future, but the challenge of managing a surge of electricity to the grid could keep other states from following suit.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

An Alzheimer’s epidemic is coming. Here’s how to prepare

Los Angeles Times

Mention the words “women’s health,” and Alzheimer’s disease may not immediately come to mind. It should. The greatest emerging risk to women’s health can be summed up in this stark statistic: Every 65 seconds in the United States a new brain develops Alzheimer’s.

Stress is hurting kids’ health. California’s new surgeon general has a plan to help

Conversation

The US medical system isn’t particularly good at preventing illness. Once someone is sick, doctors hopefully know how to treat them. But historically, there’s been far less focus on preventing people from needing treatment in the first place.

Human Services:

Kinesiology researchers give firefighter renewed life

Fresno State

Pechter’s determination to find out what was causing his heat strokes led him to Drs. Riana and Luke Pryor from the Department of Kinesiology, researchers who specialize in heat and hydration and its effects on the human body.

California judge will keep Planned Parenthood names sealed

Sacramento Bee

A California judge ruled Monday that the names of 14 Planned Parenthood workers and others will remain sealed during the prosecution of two anti-abortion activists charged with secretly recording them.

Recent health-care consolidation deals reflect drive for efficiencies, profits — and sometimes survival

Bakersfield Californian

One by one over the past month, local health-care providers changed hands: a radiology company, a chain of blood-testing clinics, a hospital.

SJ’s Public Health Services could be getting a new home

Stockton Record

Nearly 30 years after officials first pointed out the “inadequacy” of the main facility of the San Joaquin County Public Health Services department, a new replacement finally may be in the offing.

An Alzheimer’s epidemic is coming. Here’s how to prepare

Los Angeles Times

Mention the words “women’s health,” and Alzheimer’s disease may not immediately come to mind. It should.

Robots can diagnose kids almost like a human doctor, UCSD study finds

San Diego Union-Tribune

Common childhood diseases as well as dangerous conditions can be diagnosed with an artificial intelligence system just about as accurately as an experienced pediatrician, scientists in San Diego and China report Monday.

Why the US has higher drug prices than other countries

Conversation

The Trump administration’s proposal to lower drug prices focuses on discounts. A health policy scholar argues that the US could learn from Europe’s system of measuring drug value and effectiveness.

● Why the US has higher drug prices than other countries PhillyVoice

New Rules Could Ease Patients’ Access to Their Own Health Records

Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration is proposing steps aimed at improving patients’ access to their own health data, bolstering efforts to bring information including insurance claims, hospital and doctor records to digital devices such as smartphones.

See also:

● It’s Time to Fire Your Doctor Wall Street Journal

‘Medicare for All’ Bill Puts Pressure on Democrats’ 2020 Field

Wall Street Journal

House Democrats are planning to unveil Medicare for All legislation soon, turning up the heat on Democratic presidential candidates facing questions over how far they want to go in embracing a national government health system.

● Is Medicare for All a trap for Democrats? Brookings

Verdict Is In: Food Stamps Put Poor Kids on Path to Success

Bloomberg

Last year, more than 40 million low-income working families, people with disabilities and poor seniors received assistance, averaging about $125 a month

IMMIGRATION

Governor Gavin Newsom to defy Trump, withdraw National Guard troops from border

abc30

California Governor Gavin Newsom is withdrawing several hundred National Guard troops from the nation’s southern border and changing their mission.

● Newsom pulls California National Guard troops from border, slams Trump’s ‘absurd’ policies Sacramento Bee

● California Gov. Newsom Mostly Ends State’s National Guard Border Deployment Capital Public Radio

● Slamming Trump’s ‘political theater,’ California Gov. Gavin Newsom pulls National Guard from border Los Angeles Times

● Newsom pulling National Guard troops from border San Francisco Chronicle

● EDITORIAL: Newsom’s troop move may anger Trump, but will please Californians San Francisco Chronicle

More than 70 detainees condemn conditions at San Diego immigration facility

Los Angeles Times

More than 70 people being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center while they wait for immigration court hearings have signed a letter decrying conditions at the facility.

Suit seeks to stop deportation of previously protected immigrants

San Francisco Chronicle

More than 100,000 migrants from Honduras and Nepal who were granted temporary refuge in the United States because of disasters in their homelands have sued the Trump administration in San Francisco federal court for seeking to deport them.

Trump’s border wall: Fed court rejects some of California’s environmental objections

San Francisco Chronicle

President Trump’s proposed border wall cleared one legal hurdle Monday when a federal appeals court rejected environmental objections by the state of California and advocacy groups to the construction of prototype walls and the replacement and strengthening of some border fences in San Diego and Imperial counties.

The Border Patrol’s recruiting crisis

Politico

When President Donald Trump visits the Texas border town of El Paso on Monday, he’ll celebrate the work done by a law enforcement agency whose employees venture to desolate landscapes, receive lackluster overtime pay and encounter dangerous situations every day.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

FresYes Realty Announces Big Downtown Expansion

Business Journal

The new Downtown Fresno location, which will be on the top floor of the three-story building, will span 18,000 square feet and serve as the home for 150 new employees, according to a FresYes news release.

Clovis City Council considers plan for larger senior activity center

abc30

Landmark Commons will offer a much different look in downtown Clovis. It would include a senior center, a transit center and eventually a new public library. The land sits behind the old Gary O’s furniture store on Clovis Avenue and Third Street.

Like Riverbank’s Crossroads? A companion development with stores, housing is planned

Modesto Bee

Riverbank is taking a big step forward in an ambitious plan to extend the city’s limits and build a companion development across from the busy Crossroads shopping center.

2,288 shopping carts makeup ‘graveyard’ in Visalia, ordinance enters 6th year

Modesto Bee

In 2018, Visalia Code Enforcement collected 2,288 carts from the city streets. Since the Shopping Cart Ordinance was passed into city code in 2013, more than 10,000 carts have been reclaimed.

The rising Western skyline

Washington Post

Once flat and wide, Western cityscapes such as Denver’s are becoming tall and sleek, changing the character of the cities

Housing:

Downtown Stockton affordable housing project could move forward

Stockton Record

Developers of a long-planned downtown affordable housing project are hoping to finally break ground next year.

Gavin Newsom’s Housing Tax Credit Promise Is ‘In The Works’

Capital Public Radio

On the campaign trail, Gavin Newsom promised a “Marshall Plan” to confront California’s affordable housing crisis.

Special Report: A Closer Look At California’s Cobalt Economy

California Center for Jobs and the Economy

Through a series of regulatory mandates, Executive Orders and high-profile laws, California has begun to transform its economy through energy policy.

Finding Home in a Parking Lot

City Lab

The number of unsheltered homeless living in their cars is growing. Safe Parking programs from San Diego to King County are here to help them.

Mortgage risk since 1990

AEI

This paper provides a comprehensive account of the evolution of default risk for newly originated home purchase loans since 1990.

Housing Lawsuits Pit the State vs. Huntington Beach

PublicCEO

The city of Huntington Beach and the state government are suing each other over the state’s attempts to require that local governments step up housing construction.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Average tax refund down 8.4% so far in 2019, according to IRS data

abc30

So far in 2019, the average refund clocks in at $1,865, a decrease from the average $2,035 refund at this point in 2018.

The wealthy are fleeing high-tax California

Modesto Bee

Reality – a new reality – is hitting home as Californians work on their 2018 federal income tax returns.

Criticism of sales tax oversight committee mounts following council’s vote

Bakersfield Californian

Criticism of the composition of a sales tax revenue oversight committee has mounted since its first members were appointed by Bakersfield City Council last week.

Middle-Class Californians: Here’s What’s In Gov. Newsom’s Budget For You

Capital Public Radio

Health insurance and higher education could become more affordable — but probably not the cost of caring for aging family members.

CalPERS Sued to Identify Retirees with Disability

PublicCEO

Now Transparent California, a website listing the pay and pension of state and local government employees, has filed a lawsuit to force CalPERS to identify retiree pensions with a one-word label as “service” or “disability.”

TRANSPORTATION

150,000 Californians who paid for driver’s licenses aren’t getting them yet

Fresno Bee

If you renewed your driver’s license in the last six months and haven’t received it yet, you may finally get it in the mail soon from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Vehicles stuck in snow north of Oakhurst force highway shutdown. Chaotic day on area roads

Fresno Bee

Caltrans worked to quickly reopen a stretching of Highway 41 north of Oakhurst that was shut down Feb. 10, 2019. The closure was caused by several vehicle accidents in the area.

Is high-speed rail in the US ever going to happen?

CNET

After decades of languishing development and stagnated projects, true high-speed rail in the US could be just around the corner.

What? Women Pay More Than Men for Auto Insurance? (Yup.)

Pew Charitable Trusts

Several studies in 2018 and 2017 revealed that women over 25, particularly those between 40 and 60, often pay more than men — not less — for auto insurance, all other rating criteria being equal.

WATER

You made it through last week’s Central Valley storms. But are you ready for another round?

Fresno Bee

Another Central Valley storm is on its way this week, on the heels of what was a wet and cold weekend.

● Freeze warning for Kern County Bakersfield Californian

● Snow on the coast. White-out conditions in the Sierra. California’s wild winter continues with new storms Los Angeles Times

● Atmospheric river to blast California — heavy rain and gusts up to 50-70 mph expected San Francisco Chronicle

● Atmospheric river could raise flood risk in California, has dam operators on alert Merced Sun-Star

Water board chair has lost our trust

Merced Sun-Star

Californians deserve safe drinking water. It’s time for the Legislature to deliver it

Sacramento Bee

Californians know how to face down disaster – together. From earthquakes to floods to community-scorching fires, lifting each other up in the face of crisis defines us as Californians.

“Xtra”

One of Fresno’s favorite ice cream shops opened its second location. See what’s different

Fresno Bee

Jeff and Amelia Bennett, owners of the popular Ampersand ice cream shop in the Fresno High neighborhood, launch their second shop at northeast corner of Marks and Herndon.

Freshman congressman, ex-Navy SEAL Crenshaw to speak at Feb. 22 Lincoln Day Dinner

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Republican Party will host its annual Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 22. Newly elected Congressman Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, will be the featured speaker. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield will also speak at the event, which is the local GOP’s primary annual fundraiser.

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