POLICY & POLITICS
$56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships
Deadline Fast Approaching! (Feb. 28)
The Maddy Institute
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. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place.
North SJ Valley:
See where Merced County Supervisors candidates stand on homeless crisis, other topics
Merced Sun-Star
Nearly all eight candidates vying for three Merced County Board of Supervisors seats attended a debate hosted by the Merced County Association of Realtors Tuesday night.
Plans for Valley medical program moving closer to fruition, says Assemblyman Gray
Merced Sun-Star
Assemblymember Adam Gray, D-Merced, last week convened the San Joaquin Valley Coalition for Medical Education at UC Merced to discuss burgeoning plans of a San Joaquin Valley medical school.
Turlock library will close soon for year-long expansion. Here’s the plan for patrons
Modesto Bee
The Turlock branch of the Stanislaus County Library is scheduled to close March 14 for its long-awaited expansion. Patrons can use a “pop-up” library at the adjacent Turlock Senior Center during the expected year-long construction project.
See also:
Groundbreaking set for Turlock’s new library Turlock Journal
Central SJ Valley:
Andrew Janz avoids political labels. How will that look if he’s Fresno’s mayor?
Fresno Bee
In an editorial board meeting with The Fresno Bee, Janz speculated he may be the most progressive candidate to ever run for Fresno mayor. Yet he passed up an endorsement interview with Fresno’s most progressive group – the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
See also:
Jerry Dyer is running for Fresno mayor. As police chief, he’s long been a political force
Fresno Bee
So far, Dyer has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and garnered support from many big Fresno names. His campaign also has been met with loud opposition from people who say his failures as a police chief make him unfit to be mayor.
Warszawski: Who else is running for Fresno mayor? Long-shot candidates have good (and wacky) ideas
Fresno Bee
For the five long shots in the Fresno mayoral race, the challenge is steeper than pedaling a single-speed bike up Tollhouse Road. Janz and Dyer have in their corners the political machinery of both major parties. They have paid staff and large numbers of volunteers. They’re the only ones filing campaign disclosure forms.
Esmeralda Soria and Jim Costa fighting for votes as March primary nears
abc30
Esmeralda Soria did support Jim Costa in his previous congressional run, but this time, she feels ads against her have been done in poor taste.
Wrong Madera County voters sent ballots by elections office
abc30
The Madera County Elections office is working to correct a ballot error that affects some Mountain-area voters. Ballots including two bond measures for a local school district were delivered to people living outside the district.
Madera Tribune
The local complete count committee consisting of County and City of Madera, City of Chowchilla, local agencies, community-based agencies, faith communities and businesses will hold a press conference outside of Courthouse Park to kick off the Census 2020 campaign in the County of Madera.
Hanford City Council to discuss city projects
Hanford Sentinel
The Hanford City Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss several items of general business, including a few contracts for city projects.
Tulare County election video series
Visalia Times Delta
Still trying to decide who to vote for? The Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register candidate video series may be able to help. We introduced this series during the 2018 primary election as a way for voters to hear from candidates.
South SJ Valley:
California congressman owes $145,000 in unpaid income tax, according to new IRS lien
Fresno Bee
Rep. TJ Cox owes nearly $145,000 in unpaid federal income tax, according to a new lien the Internal Revenue Service placed on him and his wife earlier this year.
Trump's visit to Bakersfield remains a mystery after White House confirms travel plans
Bakersfield Californian
Days after the White House confirmed President Donald Trump would be traveling to Bakersfield next week, details remained scarce about his visit.
See also:
Next-generation wireless revolution takes root in Bakersfield
Bakersfield Californian
The launches mean people with the right kind of cellphone and the right mobile service plan should be able to receive data faster — perhaps 20 percent faster than they did under the previous best technology, known as 4G LTE.
See also:
Cash-strapped Central Valley city weighs plan to convert prisons into immigration detention centers
Desert Sun
The proposal is forcing local leaders to weigh the private prison company's promise to continue providing high-paying jobs, tax revenue and scholarships for the next 15 years against the outcry of the community's immigrant residents, who are concerned the facilities would lead to increased immigration enforcement, arrests and deportation.
State:
Mathis: Lawmaker says High-Speed Rail Authority needs oversight
Visalia Times Delta
Once again, the California High-Speed Rail Authority bumped its overall cost estimate for completing the rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles to $80.3 billion.
See also:
Valley lawmaker questions where daily $6.2 million for High-Speed Rail is actually going KMPH
New bullet train plan paints optimistic picture, but opposition continues to grow Los Angeles Times
Opinion: Cancel the bullet train Orange County Register
California to apologize for internment of Japanese Americans
Hanford Sentinel
On Thursday, California's Legislature is expected to approve a resolution offering an apology to internment victims for the state's role in aiding the U.S. government's policy and condemning actions that helped fan anti-Japanese discrimination.
See also:
California lawmakers to consider apology for World War II internment of Japanese Americans Merced Sun-Star
‘History repeating itself’: California lawmakers consider apology for internment of Japanese Sacramento Bee
California to apologize officially for historical mistreatment of Japanese Americans Los Angeles Times
Reject Newsom's $1 Billion Green Loan Fund, California Legislature's Analyst Says
KQED
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office is recommending the state legislature reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal for a $1 billion green loan fund.
A California lawmaker wants to punish registered voters who don't cast a ballot
CNN
Voting in the United States has long been considered both a right and a responsibility. But one California lawmaker hopes to make casting a ballot a legal obligation.
See also:
Californians would be required to vote under Marin lawmaker’s bill Press Democrat
The new thing for California politicians? Sweet charity
CalMatters
Steak dinners with lobbyists, overseas trips, favors for spouses — nonprofits set up by California legislators and their staffers are testing campaign finance laws even as they underwrite good works by elected officials. Here as elsewhere, they're on the rise.
CalMatters
In 2019, California lost more residents to other states than it gained from foreign and domestic immigration combined. This continues a worrisome trend of California losing residents to domestic migration for each of the last 19 years.
See also:
Opinion: California Takes Revenge on Trump New York Times
Walters: Newsom’s spending more, saving less
CalMatters
During his first year as governor, Gavin Newsom largely hewed to Brown’s cautious approach to state finances. However, his second budget, unveiled last month, deviates from that course in a way that could spell fiscal calamity should the state be hit by the recession that Brown always saw on the horizon.
Federal:
Young Republicans push party to act on climate change
Roll Call
On Wednesday at a news conference led by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., House Republicans released the first few in what is expected to be a series of modest climate-related bills that they hope will demonstrate the party can acknowledge and act on climate change.
See also:
Kevin McCarthy faces uneasy right flank over climate push Politico
Courting young conservatives, Republicans speed up ‘evolution’ on climate change McClatchy DC
Opinion: The new GOP climate plan isn’t a Green New Deal. And that’s perfectly OK. AEI
Opinion: This is how democracy dies — in full view of a public that couldn’t care less
Washington Post
So much bad has happened since Trump was unjustly acquitted by the Senate of two articles of impeachment on Feb. 5 that it’s hard to keep it all straight.
EDITORIAL: It’s the president’s day indeed
San Francisco Chronicle
Trump’s escalating efforts to misuse federal law enforcement and other powers are a direct consequence of Senate Republicans’ abdication of duty in his impeachment trial.
Elections 2020:
Pete Buttigieg makes stop at Central Valley
abc30
Pete Buttigieg made a stop in the Central Valley on Friday, boarding his flight to Seattle from the Castle airport in Atwater. The candidate didn't answer questions at the airport.
See also:
Pete Buttigieg visits Turlock. ‘Are we ready to put this chaos behind us?’ Modesto Bee
Pete Buttigieg ‘swiped right’ to find the love of his life, he tells Sacramento on Valentine’s Day Sacramento Bee
Pete Buttigieg’s next test: Winning over minority voters Fresno Bee
Pete Buttigieg finds enthusiasm, skepticism in California campaign swing San Francisco Chronicle
How Prop 13 Could Help Repair Aging Schools
VPR
The sole proposition before voters in March is Proposition 13, a $15 billion bond that would help to upgrade the state’s K-12 schools, colleges and universities.
See also:
Information on Prop 13 (Public Preschool, K-12 and College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2020) Fresno State News
Skelton: To help California schools, this new Prop. 13 warrants a ‘yes’ Los Angeles Times
Opinion: There’s another Proposition 13 The Daily Journal
EDITORIAL: Paying taxes isn’t fun. But voters must support our schools by passing these bonds Fresno Bee
EDITORIAL: Clearing up confusion over Prop. 13 — and why CA voters should support it Modesto Bee
‘This race is really wide open’: Uncertainty hangs over final sprint to Nevada
Fresno Bee
Bernie Sanders is the favorite. Amy Klobuchar is untested, but riding a wave of momentum. And Joe Biden desperately needs to turn his campaign around.
See also:
Nevada Voters Begin Early Caucusing On Saturday. Here's What You Need To Know Capital Public Radio
Democratic presidential candidates ramp up efforts in Nevada as early voting begins Los Angeles Times
Infrastructure week hits the presidential campaign trail Roll Call
Medicare and 'Free College' – Why Are Democrats So Split? KQED
Democrats Plan to Highlight Health Care and Jobs Over Investigating Trump New York Times
A snapshot of the top 2020 Democratic presidential candidates’ supporters Pew Research
Large majority of Americans expect that foreign governments will try to influence the 2020 election Pew Research
Opinion: All Eyes on March Fox & Hounds
Watch: Alex Padilla explains process for no party preference voters
Sacramento Bee
California Secretary of State explains how no party preference voters can vote in the state's 2020 presidential primary election. They can request a Democratic ballot but would need to switch their registration to Republican to vote in the GOP races.
Walters: How’s the March 3 primary working out for California?
Modesto Bee
The more or less official rationale offered by the state’s Democratic politicians for moving our presidential primary election to March 3 was that the nation’s most populous and diverse state should play a major role in choosing a challenger to President Donald Trump and compel candidates to pay attention to our issues.
See also:
Rural California's delegate gold mine suddenly matters in Democratic primary Politico
Hiltzik: Is Trump's tax bill driving residents from California? No one knows. Los Angeles Times
Some say it's time California had statewide rules for provisional ballots
Los Angeles Times
But the wide use of provisional ballots has not been matched by any broad statewide oversight, with rules changing from one county to the next dictating when they are used and how elections officials decide whether to count them as valid votes.
Why some Democrats are worried Bernie Sanders could be unstoppable for the 2020 nomination
Stockton Record
Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire’s Democrat primary with just over one-quarter of the vote. He has fewer delegates than Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. So why are many center-left Democrats worried that the self-described democratic socialist is the favorite to win the nomination?
See also:
Opinion: How a Biden collapse could benefit Sanders Washington Post
President Mike Bloomberg: Here’s what it would mean for California
San Francisco Chronicle
Mike Bloomberg would give California a centrist president from the tech world, someone who prides himself as a pragmatic decision maker guided by hard data and not political expediency.
See also:
Ahead of Nevada caucuses, Dem candidates focus on Bloomberg abc30
Bernie Sanders continues attacks on Michael Bloomberg in Bay Area rally Los Angeles Times
Bloomberg drops $124 million on ads in Super Tuesday states. Rivals go on the attack Los Angeles Times
Bloomberg News’s Dilemma: How to Cover a Boss Seeking the Presidency New York Times
Poll: Mike Bloomberg Qualifies For Debate, Bernie Sanders Leads Democratic Race NPR
Bloomberg lays out plans for Social Security, retirement savings CNBC
Mike Bloomberg in 2010 called Obamacare legislation 'a disgrace' CNN
Bloomberg’s Billions: How the Candidate Built an Empire of Influence New York Times
Democrats gaining voter edge in California House battles
Business Journal
Republicans hope to recapture seven California U.S. House seats lost in a 2018 rout, but Democrats are gaining ground among registered voters as the party looks to hold districts that could be critical in the fight to control Congress.
Pew Research Center
Many political issues are highly polarized across partisan lines, but Americans’ confidence in the public’s willingness to accept election results regardless of who wins – a fundamental underpinning of our electoral system – is only modestly tied to party identification.
Opinion: Amy Klobuchar, Insurgent From the Inside
Wall Street Journal
Yet as the progressive left tightened its hold on the Democratic Party in 2019, Ms. Klobuchar’s candidacy turned into a rebellion. Her supporters see her as an attractive alternative to both the radical Sen. Bernie Sanders and the bellicose President Trump.
Opinion: Voters need and deserve information on candidates’ health
Washington Post
Coming off victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is increasingly described as the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Inevitably, questions will arise about the health of the 78-year-old senator as well as that of the 73-year-old incumbent, President Trump.
Other:
‘A year to celebrate’: SJ Women of Achievement honored
Stockton Record
Women’s rights activist and suffragette Susan B. Anthony would have been 200 years old on Saturday. This August also marks a century since women in the U.S. were finally allowed to vote. “This is really a year to celebrate,” said Beverly Fitch McCarthy, 2019 Stocktonian of the Year.
CalMatters Names Three Media and Industry Leaders To Its Board
CalMatters
KQED president emeritus John Boland, Voice Media Ventures founder Paulette Brown-Hinds, and author and farmer David “Mas” Masumoto have joined CalMatters as the newest board members, the nonprofit media venture announced today.
Truman and Coolidge, Jefferson and Jackson. How history remembers presidents
Los Angeles Times
On Presidents Day, it’s worth noting that the way we remember our chief executives says more about the present than the past.
Why the Fastest Growing Population in America Is The Least Likely to Fill Out the Census
New York Times
Asian-Americans are the fastest growing population in the nation. In a survey, Asian-Americans reported a lower likelihood of filling out their census forms than any other demographic group.
Commentary: How can the United States fix its democracy? Look to the north.
Washington Post
Canada is nobody’s utopia. But the United States’ northern neighbor sometimes imagines itself as such — perhaps, in part, as a reaction to being snuggled up against a global hegemon, with all the benefits, liabilities and responsibilities that entails.
Commentary: The future of local newspapers just got bleaker. Here’s why we can’t let them die.
Washington Post
It’s no exaggeration to say that much of the American newspaper industry is in a death spiral. One in 5 newspapers has shuttered since 2004; newspaper employment is down by nearly half.
See also:
Fast facts about the newspaper industry’s financial struggles as McClatchy files for bankruptcy Pew Research
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, February 23, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California’s Legislation in Review: 2019 - Guests: Dan Walters with CALmatters and John Myers with Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 23, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Who are the Key Valley Influencers? - Guests: Robert Price, Bakersfield Californian; Paul Hurley, formerly with Visalia Times Delta & now with the College of the Sequoias; Joe Keita, Fresno & Modesto Bee; and Nate Monroe, UC Merced. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 23, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State - Guests: Joe Hayes, Investigator PPIC and Liam Dillon with LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Fresno County is rated No. 1 in the nation in agricultural production
Fresno Bee
For the first time since 2013, Fresno County leads the nation in agricultural production. Producing nearly $7.9 billion worth of agriculture in 2018, Fresno County edged out Kern County ($7.47 billion) for the coveted crown.
“Almonds don’t lactate” stop calling it milk
Visalia Times Delta
As people drink less dairy milk and some turn to plant-based alternatives such as oat, soy and almond milk, dairy farmers say they’re struggling. That's why the Central Valley is renewing calls on the Food and Drug Administration to restrict the use of the word milk for marketing purposes.
Porterville Recorder
Dairy farm families and cows have long been part of Tulare County life. The area remains the nation’s leading county in dairy production.
‘Invaluable Resource’: Resource Fair held for farm workers
Porterville Recorder
Well over 200 people attended the 6th annual Farm Worker Appreciation Day and Resource Fair at Santa Fe Elementary School on the morning of Friday, February 14.
As Warm Winters Mess With Nut Trees' Sex Lives, Farmers Help Them 'Netflix And Chill'
Capital Public Radio
Many fruit and nut trees need cold weather to bloom, which is becoming less common in a warming climate. So, farmers and scientists are teaming up to find ways to help orchards chill out and cope.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Feds Giving County $136K to Combat Illegal Pot Grows
Sierra News
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is receiving some help from the federal government in its fight to wipe out large-scale, illegal marijuana grows in the county.
Capital Public Radio
California is the first state in the nation to ban the practice of charging parents for the cost of their children’s time in the juvenile justice system. But its new law, enacted in 2018, doesn’t require counties to forgive fees that parents were charged before 2018.
Boy Scouts Of America Files For Bankruptcy As It Faces Hundreds Of Sex-Abuse Claims
NPR
The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy, a sign of the century-old organization's financial instability as it faces some 300 lawsuits from men who say they were sexually abused as Scouts.
How California got tough on guns
CalMatters
The modern American gun debate began on May 2, 1967, when 30 protesting members of the Black Panther Party marched into the California Capitol with loaded handguns, shotguns and rifles.
Public Safety:
Audit criticizes privacy of some California police data
AP News
Four police departments in California have compiled massive amounts of data while tracking drivers’ movements through their jurisdictions, but a new audit says those agencies aren’t following the law when it comes to protecting people’s privacy.
Jody Jones talks Walmart lawsuit
Visalia Times Delta
A Tulare County man seeking justice for his slain brother is taking the nation's largest retailer to court. Jody Jones believes Walmart is partly responsible for the 2018 shooting death of his brother, Rocky Jones.
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council could approve a spending allocation on Wednesday to outfit all city police officers with body cameras by the middle of the year.
Fire:
US agency to pay for 11,000 miles of fuel breaks in 6 states
Hanford Sentinel
The Bureau of Land Management has announced plans to fund 11,000 miles (17,703 kilometers) of strategic fuel breaks in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and Utah in an effort to help control wildfires.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Madera Among Fastest-Growing Counties in Western U.S.
Sierra News
According to the latest government data, Madera County is outpacing other similar-sized counties, both in California and around the western U.S., in terms of economic growth.
Many Low-Income Californians Don’t Use Credit Cards. Should Stores Be Required To Accept Cash?
Capital Public Radio
One state lawmaker says cash-free stores are discriminating against low-income customers, who often don't have bank accounts.
U.S. Consumer Spending Picks Up, While Manufacturing Declines
Wall Street Journal
Consumer spending in the U.S. picked up slightly in January after a weak holiday season, while manufacturing started the year on a decline, suggesting forces that slowed 2019 growth continued at the start of this year.
Economic Inequality is Both a Cause and Consequence of the Housing Crisis
CityWatch
A few data points reveal how massive economic inequality has become in the United States, how it is getting worse, and how it prices out millions of Americans from housing in good times, and even more in bad times, such as the Great Recession.
Five-star reviews, one-star profits: The devaluation of businesses in Black communities
Brookings
Research on small business outcomes finds that location matters. However, in the United States, residential segregation patterns by race have created peculiar neighborhood conditions for businesses to work within.
Blog: CalChamber warns of new workplace regs in the pipeline
Business Journal
According to the CalChamber’s Alert publication, exposure to lead, wildfire smoke and indoor heat in the workplace will receive more scrutiny from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA).
Column: Great news! A relative you never heard of left you $10 million!
Los Angeles Times
The inheritance scam takes many guises, but the river that runs through all of them is preying on the victim’s desire for it all to be true — that there really is a pile of money literally with their name on it.
Jobs:
Fresno Grizzlies to host annual job fair
Business Journal
The Fresno Grizzlies is hosting its annual job fair at Chukchansi Park March 7 from 9 a.m. to noon. Chukchansi Park employs roughly 500 game-day workers for the Grizzlies baseball season and several special events.
New California labor law AB 5 is already changing how businesses treat workers
Los Angeles Times
But as critics demand exemptions and even a repeal of the statute, many California businesses, large and small, are quietly adopting strategies to comply with the law, which took effect last month. It hasn’t been easy.
See also:
Opinion: Regulating the ‘gig economy’ is more complex than Legislature anticipated San Francisco Chronicle
Opinion: Promoting gig economy won’t help low-income workers Canadian HRReporter
EDUCATION
K-12:
Parents threaten to pull their children from Modesto school over campus proposal
Modesto Bee
At a meeting Thursday, parents at Garrison Elementary School in Modesto were strongly opposed to giving up their campus to an alternative school.
Newsom wants more dyslexia screenings, services for California students
EdSource
A new plan by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who struggled with dyslexia as a child, would pay for more screenings and services for the thousands of California students with dyslexia — a condition that advocates say has not received enough attention in schools.
See also:
Gov. Newsom’s big bet: community schools, competitive grants and new teacher incentives EdSource
College costs, teacher shortage still top concerns in poll of California voters
EdSource
Perhaps reflecting a rise in pessimism about education, fewer voters gave schools high grades this year, and the proportion of people who said they’d encourage young people to become a teacher dropped significantly compared with four years ago.
Accelerating Educator Capacity: How Can States Reimagine Ed Tech Professional Learning?
EdNote
State leaders, including Wyoming’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, are learning that access to technology alone does not guarantee improved pedagogy.
Opinion: Children will achieve as much as we expect of them
AEI
Although parents themselves have faced structural barriers around race and fear that their children will as well, they know that a great education can make all the difference. They do not believe that their children are doomed to be shackled by the horrors of America’s legacy of slavery.
CalMatters
Support for each and every child from the start: A call for affordable, high-quality care and education for babies and toddlers across the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom has drawn increased attention to early childhood care and education in California. And for good reason.
EDITORIAL: Do active-shooter drills in schools hurt students more than they help?
Los Angeles Times
In 2015-16, more than three-fourths of the public schools around the country conducted drills to teach students how to react to a shooter on campus, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Higher Ed:
Resnick Student Union groundbreaking ceremony is on Thursday
Fresno State News
The Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union will transform the University by supporting a central hub for students on campus and will accommodate the student body for years to come.
Plans for Valley medical program moving closer to fruition, says Assemblyman Gray
Merced Sun-Star
Assemblymember Adam Gray, D-Merced, last week convened the San Joaquin Valley Coalition for Medical Education at UC Merced to discuss burgeoning plans of a San Joaquin Valley medical school.
ROC students gets hands-on learning at new education centers
Bakersfield Californian
Just a few months ago construction crews were working on drywall, light fixtures and plumbing at the Kern High School District Regional Occupational Center's newest educational centers.
Robots taking over the classrooms
Business Journal
It’s not the sort of classwork many people might expect to have available to them at a community college in the Central Valley. But the truth is, instruction on working with and maintaining industrial robots is a growing venture in high schools and community colleges here.
California's community colleges chancellor defends new online college
EdSource
Despite a bumpy start and an abrupt change in its leadership, California’s new online college is on track and moving in the right direction, the chancellor of California’s community college system told state senators Thursday.
Opinion: In choosing, and paying for, college, choice has benefits
AEI
The “typical” undergraduate is nearly impossible to define: young adults attending a university full time and living on campus make up just a small share of today’s college-going population.
See also:
College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise National Bureau of Economic Research
Apprenticeships:
Commentary: Vocational ed makes a comeback
CalMatters
Somewhere along the way, California’s public schools became enamored with the notion that all students will — or at least should — acquire degrees from four-year colleges.
Analysis: Trump places a big bet on career and technical education
PBS NewsHour
President Donald Trump has proposed one of the largest increases in funding for career and technical education in recent history.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
California adopts first air pollution measures targeting local emissions in Central Valley
Fresno Bee
The California Air Resources Board met there following a tour in Shafter and another earlier in the day in south Fresno. After several hours, and at times battling over details and ideas, the board approved plans for both communities that outline ways to reduce emissions, including working with local industries.
Will California get another wildflower super bloom? Here’s what the experts predict
Fresno Bee
A lackluster winter rain season has left much of California on the cusp of a drought — so what does that mean for the state’s much-Instagrammed wildflowers?
As Economic Concerns Recede, Environmental Protection Rises on the Public’s Policy Agenda
Pew Research
For the first time in Pew Research Center surveys dating back nearly two decades, nearly as many Americans say protecting the environment should be a top policy priority (64%) as say this about strengthening the economy (67%).
Column: How to Halt Global Warming for $300 Billion
Bloomberg
$300 billion. That’s the money needed to stop the rise in greenhouse gases and buy up to 20 years of time to fix global warming, according to United Nations climate scientists. It’s the gross domestic product of Chile, or the world’s military spending every 60 days
Opinion: San Joaquin River Chinook salmon made history last year – sort of
SJV Water
An unexpected number of Chinook salmon swam up the San Joaquin River last spring, prompting surprise and giddy pronouncements that the river’s long dead spring-run population had been resurrected.
Energy:
Nation’s largest solar farm planned south of Porterville
Business Journal
The nation’s largest solar farm is in the works south of Porterville. The big facility is planned on farmland with a water deficit, perhaps a glimpse of the future for some marginal ag land here.
Grove still hopeful for California’s oil industry
Taft Midway Driller
State Senator Shannon Grove said she is still hopeful that the state’s oil industry can be saved despite strict new regulations that went into place last fall designed eventually put it out of business.
Would a California takeover of PG&E make energy cheaper and safer? Maybe not
Los Angeles Times
Trinity County did in the 1990s what Gov. Gavin Newsom is threatening to do today: It wrested control of the power grid from Pacific Gas & Electric. As Newsom considers a government takeover of PG&E, Trinity’s experience illustrates both the promise and the perils of public ownership.
Drop in Energy Prices Slowed U.S. Inflation in January
Wall Street Journal
A sharp drop in energy prices slowed U.S. consumer inflation at the start of this year. Energy prices fell 0.7% from the previous month, with gasoline down by 1.6% as global fuel demand ebbed amid China’s coronavirus outbreak.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fresno woman returns to U.S., still in coronavirus quarantine
abc30
A Fresno woman stuck in a coronavirus quarantine on a cruise ship for two weeks has returned to the United States, but stepped right into a new quarantine.
See also:
Hand-washing comes to the spotlight amid coronavirus fears Turlock Journal
American cruise passengers quarantined at US military bases Porterville Recorder
Coronavirus patients will not stay at Travis AFB in Fairfield, Air Force officials say San Francisco Chronicle
Preparing for pandemics such as coronavirus—will we ever break the vicious cycle of panic and neglect? Brookings
Does the United States Need to Strengthen the System of Care for Infectious Diseases?
RAND
While the current system of care for treating rare but serious infectious diseases—which was developed in response to the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak—provides an important foundation, a number of issues remain.
Human Services:
Jessica’s House new facility aims to serve more local grieving children and families
Modesto Bee
Turlock’s Jessica’s House is raising funds to build a permanent structure to meet the growing demand for its services for grieving youth.
Tulare County hospitals get low ratings
Visalia Times Delta
The latest national quality study by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) gave Tulare County hospitals mediocre or poor grades.
Boots on the ground: 'Street medicine' team serving Bakersfield's homeless
Bakersfield Californian
Headed by Dr. Matthew Beare, the Clinica team met at 8:15 Thursday morning on Baker Street. By 8:45, they were walking into a hulking, abandoned corrugated metal structure in east Bakersfield — with Beare leading the way.
California nursing regulator resigns after sexual harassment complaints from state workers
Sacramento Bee
The executive director of the state Board of Registered Nursing resigned Friday after women who worked with him mounted a public campaign accusing him of sexual harassment.
Facing doctor shortage, will California give nurse practitioners more authority to treat patients?
CalMatters
As California faces a growing shortage of primary care physicians, the Legislature is considering what backers believe could be a partial solution: allowing nurse practitioners who get additional training and certification to work independently.
Americans’ confidence in science and views of scientists’ role in society: Key findings
Pew Research Center
Science issues – whether connected with climate, childhood vaccines or new techniques in biotechnology – are part of the fabric of civic life, raising a range of social, ethical and policy issues for the citizenry.
IMMIGRATION
U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in California doubled in two years. But trend is slowing
Fresno Bee
The U.S. Border Patrol last year apprehended the highest number of immigrants trying to cross from Mexico into California in nearly a decade, though the trend is already shifting following Trump administration policy changes meant to discourage asylum seekers from entering the United States, the latest federal statistics show.
Border Patrol will assist ICE in immigration crackdown in sanctuary cities
San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Bay Area may be among the regions targeted by a renewed effort to arrest undocumented immigrants.
See also:
First Asian American sheriff in California vows to protect immigrants from Trump policies Visalia Times Delta
New ICE crackdown in sanctuary cities sparks backlash in L.A. Los Angeles Times
Border Patrol Will Deploy Elite Tactical Agents to Sanctuary Cities New York Times
Path to legal status for the unauthorized is top immigration policy goal for Hispanics in U.S.
Pew Research
Establishing a way for most unauthorized immigrants to stay in the country legally is the top immigration policy goal for Hispanics in the United States, with more than half (54%) saying it is very important, according to a national Pew Research Center survey.
After delays, Trump on track to build more than 450 miles of border wall
Politico
After years of setbacks, President Donald Trump is on track to build more than 450 miles of a wall along the southern border within the year, the White House says, making good on a campaign pledge as he seeks reelection.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Turlock library will close soon for year-long expansion. Here’s the plan for patrons
Modesto Bee
The Turlock branch of the Stanislaus County Library is scheduled to close March 14 for its long-awaited expansion. Patrons can use a “pop-up” library at the adjacent Turlock Senior Center during the expected year-long construction project.
See also:
Groundbreaking set for Turlock’s new library Turlock Journal
Modesto’s Century Center sold again. Here’s what new owners envision for its future
Modesto Bee
East Modesto’s Century Center has new owners with deep valley roots who hope to keep the shopping center viable for generations to come.
Housing:
Is Fresno’s next homeless shelter coming to your neighborhood? City OKs action plan
Fresno Bee
Fresno, California is set to open the city’s first shelter outside of the southwest District 3 in its latest attempt to deal with the homelessness crisis in Fresno County and the Central Valley.
New round of Trump budget cuts could force more Californians into homelessness, advocates say
Sacramento Bee
The Trump administration is proposing a cut in homeless assistance funding next year, frustrating advocates who say the crisis in Sacramento and other cities is worsening.
Newsom Offers Vacant Land For Homeless Shelters, But Local Officials Worry: Who Will Pay?
Capital Public Radio
The governor's plan puts much of the burden on cities and counties. “That’s just wrong,” said one mayor.
As leaders spar over homelessness in Austin, California becomes a punching bag
Los Angeles Times
‘No SF in TX,’ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, tweeted. He has feuded over homelessness with Steve Adler, Austin’s Democratic mayor.
Multifamily Owners Brace For Another Rent Control Battle
Bisnow
Earlier this month, the Rental Affordability Act, backed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation owner Michael Weinstein’s Housing Is A Human Right organization, gathered 1 million signatures to qualify its latest measure that, if passed, would expand rent control in the state.
See also:
Opinion: Arresting people who are homeless will make a bad problem worse
CalMatters
Forcing people into institutions is imprisonment by another name. Zero-tolerance approaches like this only exacerbate racial and class disparities in our overly aggressive criminal justice system.
Opinion: A simple solution for sheltering Californians who are homeless
CalMatters
Other than being prohibited from assaulting each other, there should be no other requirements for those camping at the ranch outside Rancho Murieta.
PUBLIC FINANCES
County to Gauge Voter Support for Potential TOT Hike
Sierra News
Madera County supervisors continue to explore the possibility of asking voters in November to OK hiking Madera County’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) rate by 2 percent.
An Introduction to Police and Fire Pensions
Center for Retirement Research
Pension and retiree health benefits for public safety workers are more expensive than those of other local government workers, largely due to earlier retirement ages.
The Federal Budget Under Trump, Per Person
Washington Post
Total federal spending has increased by $1,441 per person since 2016. Most of that has contributed to the nation’s deficits, because revenues went up by just $125 per person during that same period.
TRANSPORTATION
Why are hundreds of Fresno-area community college students about to lose free bus rides?
Fresno Bee
The money that would’ve gone toward maintaining parking lots was used for the free bus pass program, said Lucy Ruiz, the SCCCD public information officer, and that’s why the district can’t sustain the program anymore. SCCCD could end up paying eight times the amount to fix its parking lots if it doesn’t keep up regular maintenance, she said.
See also:
Mathis: Lawmaker says High-Speed Rail Authority needs oversight
Visalia Times Delta
Once again, the California High-Speed Rail Authority bumped its overall cost estimate for completing the rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles to $80.3 billion.
See also:
Valley lawmaker questions where daily $6.2 million for High-Speed Rail is actually going KMPH
New bullet train plan paints optimistic picture, but opposition continues to grow Los Angeles Times
Opinion: Cancel the bullet train Orange County Register
Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Are Just Around The Corner
Forbes
When EV owners juice up, they plug into an outlet at home or to a charging station that is wired to the grid — a power source that is dependent on how the local utility fuels its generators. But the origin of electrons produced by Envision Solar is coming solely from the sunshine, all collected by a solar array that rotates as the sun rises and sets.
WATER
Mariposa Utility District Upgrades Wastewater Treatment Facility
Sierra News
Upon completion of the current retrofit and upgrade, MPUD officials say the wastewater treatment facility could easily handle three times as much capacity as it now processes.
The Valley is dry, drought returns
Visalia Times Delta
Drought conditions have returned to much of the San Joaquin Valley, including Tulare County, while the Sierra snowpack struggles to bounce back to December highs.
See also:
California May Be Sliding Back Into Drought, Lawmakers And Advocates Warn Now Is The Time To Prepare Capital Public Radio
Is California headed back into drought, or did we never really leave one? Los Angeles Times
As Droughts Ebb, California’s Water Issues Remain Capital & Main
Dry conditions push state into drought Turlock Journal
EDITORIAL: It’s time for Gov. Newsom to take a firm stand to protect the Delta
San Francisco Chronicle
It’s time for Gov. Gavin Newsom to own up on water policy. He can either play nice with a roughshod plan from President Trump to divert crucial water flows or craft his own blueprint that balances both wildlife and California’s economy.
“Xtra”
New Clovis indoor playground helps kids play all year long
abc30
We may not be talking about a chocolatey treat, but this M&M is sure to be just as big of a hit with the kids. M&M Indoor Playground, off Shaw Avenue in Clovis, is making sure the little ones can enjoy outdoor play all year long.
Petco donation will aid some of the tiniest kittens at the Stanislaus shelter
Modesto Bee
The Petco Foundation has donated $225,000 for a new effort on behalf of kittens sheltered at the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency.
Turlock Journal
The City of Turlock is less than one month away from Go Green Week 2020! Go Green Week will take place March 9-13. This will be the 12th year the City has highlighted ‘green’ activities throughout the week.
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