Maddy Institute – February 13, 2019

13Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

Deadline FAST APPROACHING:

Wonderful Public Service $56,000 Graduate Fellowship

The Maddy Institute

Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships

Due Friday, February 22^nd, 2019.

North SJ Valley:

Felicia Marcus removed from State Water Board. Who will lead this important panel?

Modesto Bee

Felicia Marcus, whose push for larger river flows angered farmers and community leaders in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, won’t continue as chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board.

Central SJ Valley:

Development, river access prove prickly at Fresno County supervisor candidate forum

Fresno Bee

The three candidates for the District 2 seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors met Monday in a crowded room near Fresno Yosemite International Airport for a candidate forum covering a wide variety of county issues including poverty, access to clean drinking water and job creation.

David Linn Drops Lawsuit Against County And Board Of Supervisors

Sierra News

The Madera County Counsel’s Office has announced that former District Attorney David Linn has voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against the County “and all individually named defendants, including the members of the Board of Supervisors.”

South SJ Valley:

Women’s groups lament lack of women on city committee, demands revote

Bakersfield Californian

Three CEOs, two lawyers, a Stanford-educated engineer and a manager of more than $3 billion in pensions were among the women who applied for a seat on the Measure N Citizens’ Oversight Committee. None of them were selected.

Board approves new home for Bakersfield College SouthWest

Bakersfield Californian

During a special meeting on Tuesday, the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees voted to give the district the go-ahead to enter into a 20-year, $40.5 million lease agreement with the University Office Center, a new development from Gregory D. Bynum & Associates, Inc. located on the Cal State Bakersfield campus.

Supervisors delay decision on Lightning in a Bottle festival

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors delayed a decision on allowing a five-day music and arts festival to take place at the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area amid concerns about drug use at the festival and impacts due large crowds.

McCarthy blames Republican loss of House majority on GOP health care bill

Washington Post

Speaking privately to his donors, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy squarely blamed Republican losses in last year’s midterm elections on the GOP push to roll back health insurance protections for people with preexisting conditions — and in turn blamed his party’s right flank.

State:

A governor ‘who’s leaning in:’ What they’re saying about Newsom’s State of the State

Fresno Bee

Gavin Newsom’s 2019 State of the State address cheered Republican and Democratic leaders who wanted to curtail costs on high speed rail. Water, health care and housing also drew his attention.

● Could you get a digital dividend? Gavin Newsom wants Californians to profit from tech data Modesto Bee

● Governor’s vision includes fish, farming Modesto Bee

● Newsom promises to unlock potential of the Valley Visalia Times Delta

● Newsom attacks Trump in State of the State: California will not be part of ‘political theater’ Visalia Times Delta

● ‘It can’t be either/or:’ What Gavin Newsom said at his 2019 state of the state speech Sacramento Bee

● Transcript And Analysis: State Of The State 2019 Capital Public Radio

● In State of the State, Newsom sprints out of the shadow cast by his predecessor Los Angeles Times

● Gavin Newsom wants California to be its own nation-state in the Trump era San Francisco Chronicle

● Five ways Gavin Newsom made it clear he’s not Jerry Brown CALmatters

● Newsom downgrades Brown’s pet projects CALmatters

● Newsom’s State of the State, Annotated CALmatters

● How future-proof is Gavin Newsom’s master plan for California? CALmatters

● Takeaways From a Wide-Ranging State of the State New York Times

● EDITORIAL: Will Newsom’s plans for train and tunnels fix problems – or just create new ones? Fresno Bee

● EDITORIAL: Newsom chops back troubled high-speed rail, delta water plans San Francisco Chronicle

California government lobbying rose again last year. Who spent the most?

Sacramento Bee

California businesses, unions and local governments spent about $361 million lobbying California officials in 2018, the highest outlay since at least 2001, according to the latest data from the Secretary of State.

See also:

· The state of lobbying is, well, pretty darn good Roll Call

GOP isn’t giving up on California House seats, but even Republicans say wins are unlikely

Sacramento Bee

Republican groups are itching to take back the seven congressional seats they lost to Democrats in California in 2018 as Democrats gear up to play defense and try to extend their majority further.

Alex Padilla talks California election security in Washington

Los Angeles Times

When Alex Padilla was elected California’s secretary of state in 2014, his goal was to boost the state’s sagging voter turnout. But Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign changed the job, making cybersecurity a high priority for Padilla and his counterparts in other states.

Federal:

Trump ‘not happy’ with congressional border deal but says shutdown unlikely

abc30

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he’s “not happy” with the deal announced by top congressional negotiators Monday night with just a small fraction of the money he wanted for a border barrier but he also said he did not think there would be another partial government shutdown.

● Democrats willing to pay for 55 miles of new barrier. Trump ‘not happy.’ Sacramento Bee

● President Trump’s not-so-carefully considered decisions have consequences Sacramento Bee

● ‘Finish the wall’? Facing failure, Trump tries rebranding Los Angeles Times

● There are two good reasons Trump should accept a no-wall deal Los Angeles Times

● Trump Is Expected to Sign Border-Security Deal Wall Street Journal

● EDITORIAL: Trump isn’t the artist, but he should take the deal San Francisco Chronicle

‘Finish the wall’? Facing failure, Trump tries rebranding

Los Angeles Times

For President Trump, chants and signs saying “Build the wall” are so 2016 — “Finish the wall” is his new rallying cry. Yet two years into his term, not one new mile of a barrier has been erected along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.

No disaster aid money included in Congress’ agreement to keep government open

Sacramento Bee

No disaster aid funding was included in the agreement both parties agreed to Monday in order to keep the government open, leaving funding for wildfire victims uncertain.

See also:

· California wildfire aid left out of shutdown deal San Francisco Chronicle

Despite his pre-election hype, Trump’s piling on the debt

Washington Post

Compared to the first two years of Obama’s tenure as president, debt has grown more slowly under Trump. During Obama’s first two years, the debt grew from $10.6 trillion to $14.1 trillion; under Trump, it has grown from $19.9 trillion to $22 trillion.

· U.S. National Debt Soars to a Record $22 Trillion: Chart Bloomberg

Opinion: President Trump’s not-so-carefully considered decisions have consequences

Sacramento Bee

Despite all the options afforded by social media, he conducts no equivalent to the thoughtful fireside chats that President Franklin D. Roosevelt employed so effectively using that newfangled radio thing. What we get from Trump are announcement bursts on Twitter that typically catch aides and departments off-guard.

Opinion: Trump, Immigrants and the Best Job Market Ever

Wall Street Journal

Today brought more news of a historically tight job market, as businesses have continued to respond to President Trump’s tax and regulatory reforms by going on a hiring binge. The problem is that they can’t find enough workers. Fortunately, today also brought more comments from President Trump suggesting that he knows how to fix it.

China, U.S. Seek Broad Outline of a Trade Pact This Week

Wall Street Journal

U.S. stocks rose Tuesday as President Trump said he is willing to delay next month’s deadline for resolving the U.S.’s trade conflict with China if negotiations with Beijing are progressing smoothly.

New Nafta Is Threatened by Partisan Split Over Enforcement

Wall Street Journal

A sharp divide between Democrats and the Trump administration over how to enforce trade rules is threatening to delay or derail a congressional vote on a new version of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Assessing Trump’s artificial intelligence executive order

Brookings

Yet most of the current AI impetus in the United States comes from the private sector. America has many of the most innovative technology firms in the world and our talent pool is quite strong. Our system of higher education is the envy of the world and thousands of foreign students come to the United States every year to learn science, math, and engineering.

Glowing coverage of Kamala Harris ignores reality

Sacramento Bee

If you’ve already had your fill of a presidential election still 21 months from fruition, here’s some good news: You needn’t worry about the nomination process. It seems California’s junior senator is well on her way to her party’s coronation.

Senate passes the decade’s biggest public lands package — 92 to 8

Los Angeles Times

The Senate on Tuesday passed the most sweeping conservation legislation in a decade, protecting millions of acres of land and hundreds of miles of wild rivers across the country and establishing four new national monuments honoring heroes including Civil War soldiers and a civil rights icon.

McCarthy blames Republican loss of House majority on GOP health care bill

Washington Post

Accusations of socialism drive GOP’s 2019 (and 2020) playbook

Fresno Bee

The Republican 2020 strategy in congressional elections: Paint Democrats are beholden to the far left. GOP strategists are gleefully attacking the “Green New Deal,” laws on late-term abortion and immigration.

Ginsburg’s absence from Supreme Court not as long as others

Fresno Bee

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has missed a month of Supreme Court arguments as she recovers from lung cancer surgery. But she’s not the first justice to be away for a while and her absence hardly compares with those of some of her predecessors.

Other:

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Almond growers hope for break in storms to protect blooms

abc30

It’s the time of year when almond growers start losing sleep. A year’s worth of work comes down to the weather in the next few weeks – and the forecast literally looks gloomy.

Combinations Of Pesticides May Prove Toxic For Honeybees

VPR

Almonds are a nearly $3 billion industry here in the San Joaquin Valley—but without honeybees to pollinate the trees, there would be no harvest. By some estimates, as much as 90 percent of the country’s bees are trucked to California for the almond bloom.

Bacteria-infected raw milk reaches 19 states

Visalia Times Delta

Federal and state health officials are investigating an outbreak of raw milk tainted with Brucella, a drug-resistant bacteria which can cause serious complications such as heart problems, arthritis and miscarriage.

My turn: ‘Green chemistry’ makes products safer. Here’s how California can do better

CALmatters

On Tuesday, the environment committees of the Senate and the Assembly convene to review the status of this important initiative, and its centerpiece, the Safer Consumer Products Program. This is a time to celebrate its successes—and call for stronger action to protect Californians.

Cannabis businesses to be discussed at tonight’s Council meeting in Lindsay

Porterville Recorder

Lindsay’s City Council will meet this evening for their first meeting in February. On the meeting’s agenda is two presentations, two public hearings, and four items that will require action from the Council representatives.

More dispensaries withdraw appeals in second round of supervisor hearings

Bakersfield Californian

More medical marijuana dispensaries withdrew their appeals to stay open at the Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, diminishing the chance that any cannabis storefronts will remain open in the county after May.

Kamala Harris, one-time weed opponent, says legalize it

San Francisco Chronicle

Kamala Harris publicly said — for what we believe is the first time in her political career — that she has smoked marijuana.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

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

Fresno Bee

In California, Stanislaus County ranks second in the state in number of child deaths by firearm in a study of data compiled by Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group, since the Parkland, Florida, mass shooting.

What clues do mass shooters leave? How to survive an attack? Symposium offers answers

Modesto Bee

There was nothing entertaining about the program at the State Theatre on Tuesday morning. But it just might save lives. The free Active Shooter Symposium was presented by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and Rank Investigation & Protection.

California law that rolled back felony-murder rule violates state constitution, judge says

San Francisco Chronicle

A new state law that bars murder prosecutions for many accomplices in fatal crimes violates the California Constitution because it conflicts with voter-approved ballot measures, an Orange County judge has ruled.

Science— and the law — says don’t try juveniles as adults

San Francisco Chronicle

Treat kids like kids. It’s not only good common sense, but good public policy. Yet, this simple starting point has failed to be applied consistently to our thinking around young people. Moreover, this failure has denied so many of the opportunity for rehabilitation that we should afford all youth.

What El Chapo’s Trial Revealed: The Inner Workings of a $14 Billion Drug Empire

Wall Street Journal

The trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, and his conviction Tuesday on drug-smuggling charges, brought to an end the decades long career of the notorious “El Chapo.” It also revealed in remarkable detail the inner workings of the criminal empire he built, one that rivaled governments and multinational companies in its power and sophistication.

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

New York Times

California may be one of the most liberal states in the nation — its politics have shifted substantially in recent decades amid sweeping demographic changes — but paradoxes abound, especially when it comes to police matters and criminal justice. The state has the largest death row in the country, and voters, in a ballot measure, have demanded that the state speed up executions.

Public Safety:

First responders stress importance of Safe Surrender program after newborn is found in street

abc30

Spray paint on Avenue 13 1/2 in Madera County marks where two lives were forever changed that of an hours-old newborn given a second chance and the young man that found her. First responders say the Safe Surrender Program was created to prevent situations like this.

ER Use in California: Demographics, Trends, and the Impact of the ACA

PPIC

In this report, we look at trends in ER use from 2005 to 2016, with a particular focus on rates of ER use since ACA insurance expansions were fully implemented in 2014. We find no evidence that the ACA was responsible for increased ER use—indeed, our analysis suggests that ER visit rates for non-elderly adults would have been higher in the absence of the coverage expansions.

Ex-Marjory Stoneman Douglas Student’s Quest To End Gun Violence

NPR

On Thursday, it will be 1 year since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. David Greene talks to David Hogg about the March for Our Lives movement that he co-founded.

Fire:

$30,000 donation helps Paradise firefighters heal

Stockton Record

In response to the thousands of needs created by the impact of November’s Camp Fire that swept through Paradise, several benefactors from the Stockton area got together and in just nine days organized a fundraising effort that generated more than $80,000 in donations from throughout Northern California.

No disaster aid money included in Congress’ agreement to keep government open

Sacramento Bee

No disaster aid funding was included in the agreement both parties agreed to Monday in order to keep the government open, leaving funding for wildfire victims uncertain.

See also:

● California wildfire aid left out of shutdown deal San Francisco Chronicle

What happens when the next big wildfire hits?

CALmatters

Don’t be fooled by the precipitation, the snowpack, the wildflowers. When winter ends, it’s unlikely that California’s iconic landscape will sustain the moisture to withstand the 100-degree summer and fall.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

New restrictions could hurt business for California card rooms

abc30

California’s gambling governing body is considering dramatic changes that could forever alter the landscape for table games played at cardrooms. State approved Blackjack, and player-dealer games have operated without much complaint from the public for decades, but that now appears to be up for debate.

More dispensaries withdraw appeals in second round of supervisor hearings

Bakersfield Californian

Gavin Newsom forms team to guide California on PG&E’s bankruptcy

Los Angeles Times

California has hired a team of advisors on PG&E Corp.’s bankruptcy and has given it 60 days to map out a plan to ensure the lights stay on, wildfire victims get justice and ratepayers and employees are protected.

Stocks Surge on U.S.-China Trade Hopes

Wall Street Journal

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed more than 370 points Tuesday as optimism that U.S. and Chinese negotiators were making progress toward a broad outline of a trade agreement eased some of investors’ trepidations.

Jobs:

Modesto’s medical insurance carrier in trouble with Labor Department

Modesto Bee

The firm Modesto has used to provide insurance to its workers is in trouble with the Labor Department. It’s not clear what this means for the city, which is cutting its ties with the firm.

Job Openings Push Further into Record Territory at End of 2018

Wall Street JournNumber of available jobs exceeds unemployed Americans by 1 million at end of 2018, according to the Labor Department. The number of job openings in the U.S. rose in December to the highest level since 2000.

See also:

· California solar jobs fall for second year San Francisco Chronicle

Are California’s unions dying? Membership falls to 14-year low

Riverside Press Enterprise

Unions here and across the nation are dealing with an increasingly hostile environment for growth. Penny-pinching bosses fight hard against unionized workplaces. And workers, scarred from the Great Recession’s mass layoffs, seem more concerned about having any job vs. one with bargaining power.

Why are out-of-work men so unhappy in the US?

Brookings

An important driver of these inequalities is the decline in the status and wages of low-skilled labor at the same time that high-skilled workers have experienced increases. Relatedly, we have seen an increase in prime-age males (ages 25-54)—and, to a lesser extent, women—simply dropping out of the labor force: Fifteen percent have already dropped out and this number will likely increase to over 20 percent in the next few years.

This Thriving City—and Many Others—Could Soon Be Disrupted by Robots

Wall Street Journal

Right in the center of Florida is a metro area that’s home to more than 600,000 people, along with some of the most technologically sophisticated distribution centers in the country.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Virtual liftoff

Porterville Recorder

Porterville Unified School District has teamed with the Air Force Research Lab at Edwards Air Force Base to purchase the flight simulator for the STEMPilot academy. The STEMPilot curriculum will be an elective program for ninth and tenth grade PMA cadets who want to pursue a career in aviation.

Gov. Newsom names new head of State Board of Education in California

EdSource

In his first State of the State speech Tuesday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom named Linda Darling-Hammond, a Stanford University professor emeritus and one of the nation’s most prominent education researchers, to head California’s State Board of Education.

Data Was Supposed to Fix the U.S. Education System. Here’s Why It Hasn’t.

Harvard Business Review

Data-based answers lead to further data-based questions, testing, and analysis; and the psychology of leaders and policymakers means that the hunt for data gets in the way of actual learning. The drive for data responded to a real problem in education, but bad thinking about testing and data use has made the data cure worse than the disease.

Higher Ed:

Deadline FAST APPROACHING: Wonderful Public Service $56,000 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.

Board approves new home for Bakersfield College SouthWest

Bakersfield Californian

EDITORIAL: #BulldogBornBulldogBred is a popular hashtag. Here is what to add to that: BulldogBacker

Fresno Bee

The Bulldog Foundation needs more donors to help it keep funding scholarships and living expenses for student athletes. The Fresno Bee editorial board encourages that investment.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

‘The science is clear.’ California lawmakers say Green New Deal will fight global warming

Sacramento Bee

California lawmakers have lent their voices in support of the Green New Deal to battle climate change now being considered in Congress. State Democrats argue global warming has led to a rise in wildfires.

See also:

● McConnell Plans To Bring Green New Deal To Senate Vote Capital Public Radio

● The Unrealistic Economics of the Green New Deal Wall Street Journal

● The press needs to ask hard questions on the Green New Deal Washington Post

● 7 questions about the Green New Deal PolitiFact

● Young People Really, Really Want a Green New Deal The Nation

Report: California’s tree die-off reaches 147 million

San Francisco Chronicle

Two years after California’s drought came to an end, the sweeping die-off of the state’s forests has slowed, yet vast tracts of dry trees continue to amplify the threat of wildfire.

How to Cut U.S. Emissions Faster? Do What These Countries Are Doing.

New York Times

The United States is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions far too slowly to help avert the worst effects of global warming. But what would happen if the country adopted seven of the most ambitious climate policies already in place around the world?

Energy:

PG&E Bankruptcy Puts California Renewable Energy Goals At Risk

VPR

Pacific Gas and Electric, the primary utility provider in the Central Valley, filed for bankruptcy last month leaving questions about what this means for California’s renewable energy industry.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Dignity Health joins prevention initiative focused on heart, brain health

Bakersfield Californian

Dignity Health is partnering with the American Heart Association to participate in its Life is Why: Kern County initiative. The three-year, $300,000 investment will fund education and outreach efforts promoting heart and brain health in the community.

Newsom calls on former California First Lady Maria Shriver to lead Alzheimer’s task force

Sacramento Bee

Former California First Lady Maria Shriver will lead a new Alzheimer’s Prevention and Preparedness Task Force, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in his first State of the State address Tuesday.

Opioid crackdown said to leave out chronic pain patients

Sacramento Bee

On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions met to discuss pain management. In the wake of the opioid crisis, patients who suffer from chronic pain struggle to access and afford treatment, witnesses said.

Drug-Price Debate Targets Pharmacy Benefit Managers

PEW

PBMs say they share all the financial gains with health plans. The companies’ national advocacy group estimates that their bargaining prowess will save health plans and consumers $654 billion between 2016 and 2025.

Opinion: Didn’t We Already Beat Measles?

Wall Street Journal

Many conservatives are fond of an old T.S. Eliot line: There is no such thing as a Lost Cause because there is no such thing as a Gained Cause. The latest proof of that second truth is the Pacific Northwest’s outbreak of measles, a disease scrubbed from the U.S. nearly 20 years ago.

Human Services:

Did Israeli spies toy with TRMC recall election?

Visalia Times Delta

Healthcare Conglomerate Associates and Dr. Yorai Benzeevi apparently spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a political consulting firm with ties to Israeli spy agencies in an unsuccessful effort to hang on to control of Tulare Regional Medical Center.

Opinion: Medicare for All Is a Trap

Wall Street Journal

A political party is asking for trouble when it embraces a position on a high-profile issue that most Americans oppose. But it isn’t easy to avoid this pitfall when a majority of the party’s own members endorse that position.

IMMIGRATION

California loses border wall challenge at appeals court

Associated Press

A federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration did not exceed its powers by waiving environmental rules to speed up construction of prototypes and replacement of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Under Trump, more kids separated at border than originally estimated: Report

abc30

Under President Donald Trump’s administration, more kids may have been separated from their parents at the border, according to an internal government report.

California gov. pulling Guard troops off border

Visalia Times Delta

Newly minted California Gov. Gavin Newsom doubled down Tuesday on his mission to resist White House policies that he says run counter to the interests of his state – and in his view, the nation.

● Fact-Checking What Gavin Newsom Had To Say On Immigration In His State Of The State Capital Public Radio

● EDITORIAL: Brown was right to send National Guard troops to the border. Newsom is right to withdraw them Los Angeles Times

Kern sheriff among law enforcement who met with President Trump

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said he was among a number of sheriffs who had a short conversation with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence regarding border control.

Senators Feinstein, Harris join Rep. Lowenthal, other legislators who wonder why DACA-holders can’t travel abroad

Orange County Register

California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris joined a growing number in Congress calling on the Trump administration to allow DACA recipients to travel abroad – a campaign spearheaded by a Cal State Long Beach professor and Southern California immigrant youth.

Opinion: Help wanted: Rural America needs immigrants

Washington Post

Young Latino men, mainly from the Mexican state of Jalisco, came in to work the meatpackers’ kill floors. Now, the pigs are raised in huge confinement buildings, not family farms, and Latinos keep them clean.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Bitwise teams up with FresYes Realty open third downtown location

abc30

Bitwise Industries is teaming up with Fres-Yes realty company and expanding to a new location in Downtown Fresno. It will be located at the Old Spaghetti Factory building on Ventura and R Streets.

The Senate just passed the decade’s biggest public lands package. Here’s what’s in it.

Washington Post

● The Senate just passed the decade’s biggest public lands package. Here’s what’s in it. Washington Post

How the Census Will Reach the New Urban Millennials

PEW Trusts

Young renters challenge states and cities looking to maximize 2020 census counts.

Housing:

New zoning nullification plan has same old flaws

Porterville Recorder

California’s housing crisis was bad enough last year, when Gov. Gavin Newsom – then a mere candidate – called for building 350,000 new units every year for the next decade.

Newsom calls out cities that fail to plan for housing

Riverside Press Enterprise

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday he plans to invite leaders of 45 noncompliant California cities and two counties to a “candid conversation” aimed at encouraging them to find “the political courage to build their fair share of housing.”

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg To Head California’s New Homelessness Commission

Capital Public Radio

Instead of traditional shelters, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants “navigation centers” where people can receive social services on the spot. He’s asked Steinberg to lead the Commission on Homelessness & Supportive Housing.

PUBLIC FINANCES

National debt hits new milestone, topping $22 trillion

Stockton Record

The Treasury Department’s daily statement showed Tuesday that total outstanding public debt stands at $22.01 trillion. It stood at $19.95 trillion when President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2017.

Shutdown Inflicted ‘Real Harm’ on Taxpayers, IRS Watchdog Says

Wall Street Journal

The recent government shutdown damaged the Internal Revenue Service, an agency already struggling with budget cuts and aging computer systems, according to the IRS’s in-house watchdog.

They’re Rich and They’re Mad About Taxes (Too Low!)

New York Times

The sweeping reorganization of the tax code is affecting Americans unevenly. Corporations benefited tremendously. Many have reported higher profits and increased payments to shareholders. Some companies offered workers bonuses.

Early tax filing statistics confirm fears about refunds

San Francisco Chronicle

The first numbers from this year’s tax-filing season seem to confirm fears that many workers had too little withheld from their paychecks last year, and will get a smaller refund or owe more than expected with their 2018 returns.

TRANSPORTATION

Newsom wants to see high-speed trains for Merced-Bakersfield, puts brakes on SF-LA vision

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom is promising a more realistic approach, greater accountability, and a change in leadership for California’s embattled high-speed rail project, announcing significant changes in his first State of the State address Tuesday in Sacramento.

● Supporters, critics of High-Speed Rail react to plan for continued Valley construction abc30

● Newsom wants to see high-speed trains for Merced-Bakersfield, puts brakes on SF-LA vision Fresno Bee

● Editorials: Three words change the fate of high-speed rail, and with it, the Valley’s future Fresno Bee

● Newsom’s high-speed rail a victory for Merced, supporters say. But who will it serve? Merced Sun-Star

● California governor pulls plug on LA-SF high-speed train Hanford Sentinel

● California governor abandons high-speed rail project, but not here Visalia Times Delta

● ROBERT PRICE: ‘Neglect’ no more? Scaled-down high-speed rail can help Valley, Newsom says Bakersfield Californian

● ‘Let’s be real.’ Gavin Newsom says he’ll cut back on California’s high-speed rail plan Sacramento Bee

● Governor Newsom Proposes Scaling-Back Of California Bullet Train Project In First State Of The State Address Capital Public Radio

● ‘Shocking’ cut to California’s troubled high-speed rail project solves some problems and creates others Los Angeles Times

● Gavin Newsom just threw high-speed rail under the political bus Los Angeles Times

● A $77 billion derailment Axios

● California just drastically cut its plan for high speed rail — and it’s the latest example of the US failing to do what the rest of the world has already figured out Business Insider

● High-speed rail and the Green New Deal Axios

● There’s Nothing Ridiculous About Trains Replacing Planes Slate

● EDITORIAL: Three words change the fate of high-speed rail, and with it, the Valley’s future Fresno Bee

● Editorial: Newsom’s bullet-train honesty a welcome change from Brown San Diego Union-Tribune

● Editorial: Abandoning high-speed rail would be a mistake for California, the country and the planet Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: Why the United States will never have high-speed rail Washington Post

Hit a pothole in Fresno lately? There’s 600 million reasons why there’s no easy fix

Fresno Bee

Amid the onslaught of rainstorms hitting the Valley, maintenance crews face a problem that’s a headache for motorists and city officials alike — potholes. Ugly and dangerous, potholes can wreak havoc on cars. But most of the city’s rough roads didn’t just suddenly appear during last week’s storms.

Program uses virtual reality to show drivers dangers of impaired driving

abc30

What may look like an ordinary Jeep, is actually part of a set up to teach anyone the dangers of impaired or distracted driving. The virtual technology of “Arrive Alive” puts you in the driver’s seat for a few minutes being distracted while texting or under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.

Merced County bridge closed due to safety concerns

Merced Sun-Star

A section of La Grange Road north of Snelling has been closed due to safety concerns of a bridge over Dry Creek, according to Merced County. Merced County spokesman Mike North said crews closed the road, which stretches about 10 miles from Highway 59 to Highway 132.

Why are auto insurance premiums growing more slowly in California than elsewhere?

MarketPlace

Want to save money on your car insurance? Forget about lizards, ducks or talking boxes, according to a new study from the Consumer Federation of America, and push for better regulation. The consumer advocacy group says that’s the way rates have been brought under control in California, where premiums have grown less than a quarter as much as they have nationwide. Other consumer advocates and researchers aren’t so sure about that, but they have suggestions.

WATER

California Gov. Gavin Newsom downsizes Delta water project: one tunnel, not two

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom, diving into one of California’s most contentious water issues, said Tuesday he wants to downsize the Delta tunnels project. The Democratic governor also set out to overhaul state water policy by naming a new chair of the state’s water board.

● California governor pulls plug on Los Angeles-San Francisco high-speed rail Bakersfield Californian

● Neglect’ no more? Scaled-down high-speed rail can help Valley, Newsom says Bakersfield Californian

● Flood and wind warnings issued this week in Sacramento as snow keeps blasting Sierra Sacramento Bee

● Storm fueled by atmospheric river to flood ‘pretty much everywhere’ San Francisco Chronicle

Felicia Marcus removed from State Water Board. Who will lead this important panel?

Modesto Bee

Felicia Marcus, whose push for larger river flows angered farmers and community leaders in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, won’t continue as chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board.

Governor Newsom Appoints CWC’s Laurel Firestone to State Water Board

Community Water Center

We are thrilled to announce that Community Water Center’s Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Laurel Firestone was appointed today by Governor Gavin Newsom as a Board Member of the State Water Resources Control Board.

Foothill communities brace for more snow

abc30

Foothill communities have only just thawed out and recovered from the previous round of snow. They’re bracing for round two.

● Freeze warning for Kern County Bakersfield Californian

Connecting the Drops in Watershed Management

PPIC

The interrelated nature of water issues has given rise to a management approach that integrates flood control, environmental water, and water supply. The Yuba Water Agency manages its watershed in this kind of coordinated manner. We talked to Curt Aikens, the agency’s general manager, about the lessons they’ve learned from this “integrated management” approach.

EDITORIAL: Governor’s vision includes fish, farming

Modesto Bee

In his State of the State speech, Gavin Newsom reveals changes to the state water board and an emphasis on creating clean drinking water.

“Xtra”

Here are six things to do on Valentine’s Day 2019 in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Looking for some unique gift to buy or things to do for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day here in Fresno, California? Options include breadstick bouquets, heart-shaped food, renting luxury cars and zoo adoptions.

52nd annual World Ag Expo boasts something for everyone

Fresno Bee

The 52nd annual World Ag Expo started its three-day run Tuesday at the International Agri-Center in Tulare under cloudy skies that threaten to turn to to rain the rest of the week.

● 52nd annual World Ag Expo kicks off in Tulare abc30