TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional Politics:
Bill bans schools from allowing guns for staff
The Fresno Bee
Kingsburg Joint Union High School District teachers and administrators who have been carrying guns to class will not be allowed to do so starting Jan. 1. It is already illegal for a person to carry a firearm in a school zone unless they have permission from the superintendent, but AB 424 – signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday – will “delete the authority” of the superintendent to grant such permission, banning guns on campuses entirely.
See also: KHSD trustee urges residents to call legislators, demand that teachers be armed Bakersfield Californian
Fresno Unified preps for student walkouts over gun control
The Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified is urging students to “identify alternatives” to walking out of school in protest of the country’s gun laws, following last week’s school shooting in Florida. National campaigns scheduled for the coming weeks will urge students and teachers to peacefully protest by walking out of class in a call for stricter gun regulations.
18 year old faces up to 4 years in prison after threatening high school students on social media
ABC30
Asanté Freeman has been arrested and charged with making felony criminal threats after police learned of a recent Facebook post he made threatening gun violence at Fresno’s Cambridge High School.
Porterville student threatens middle school
Visalia Times-Delta
Another Tulare County student, accused of making threats against a school, has been arrested. Administrators at Sequoia Middle School, located at 1450 W. Castle Ave, called police Tuesday morning after a student made a threat against the school on social media.
Police on the lookout for Kraft plant shooter
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare Police are searching for a suspected shooter who left bullet holes in Tulare’s Kraft Foods plant. Officers were called just after 3 a.m. to the plant in the 10800 block of Ave. 184.
‘Left-wing’ marchers message falls on deaf ears
Visalia Times-Delta
Dressed in black, the South Valley Civics group marched through downtown Visalia Tuesday. They were mourning the lack of representation by Congressman Devin Nunes, they said.
Stockton Police Begin Using SPOT, A New Tool To Fight Crime
Stockton Police have a new tool to fight crime. It’s name is SPOT, which is short for Stockton Police Observation Truck.
Fresno’s newest rapid transit system – FAX Q
The Fresno Bee
“Quick” and “quality” are the traits that helped name Fresno’s newest mode of rapid transportation: the FAX Q. Making its debut on Monday, Q’s Route One took off at 6 a.m. on Clovis Avenue and Kings Canyon Road. The Q runs along Kings Canyon and Blackstone Avenue, two key thoroughfares in the city.
Council reject four injuries claims
Visalia Times-Delta
The city of Tulare is facing a lawsuit from a woman who claims city officials neglected to fix a portion of a sidewalk that caused her to fall. Council rejected five claims seeking at least $125,000 stemming from a trip and fall that happened last summer on a southeast Tulare sidewalk.
From Hanford To The White House: A Talk With NPR’s Tamara Keith
Valley Public Radio
Before Tamara Keith was a household name among NPR listeners, she was a household name among Valley Public Radio listeners. Now she’s NPR’s White House correspondent and host of the NPR Politics Podcast.
Elections dept. seeking vote center workers
Madera Tribune
Madera County is seeking people to work at vote centers for the 2018 election cycle. “Unlike traditional poll workers, Voting Center representatives will be county employees, who will work for approximately two weeks when vote centers open in May,” said Rebecca Martinez, Madera County Registrar of Voters.
Stockton City Council may get raises
Stockton Record
The Stockton City Council’s Salary-Setting Commission is holding a public hearing Thursday to review a recommended pay raise for council members.
Law enforcement leaders discuss bridging racial and cultural divides
The Bakersfield Californian
How often do you see three police chiefs, a California Highway Patrol commander, an FBI agent and an assistant district attorney all in the same room — and all there to answer questions about bridging the racial divide and facing challenges posed by 21st century law enforcement?
Water allocation for west side growers is going to be meager
Fresno Bee
With the threat of another drought looming, west San Joaquin Valley farmers received some dismal news Tuesday about this year’s water allocation.
California farmers told to expect little water from federal project this year
The Sacramento Bee
It’s starting to look like a drought year for California farmers who depend on water from the federal government. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Tuesday that most farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta who get water from the federal Central Valley Project will receive just 20 percent of their requested allocation this year.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue gets grounded in California
Los Angeles Times
“You might already know this …,” Central Valley farmer Sarah Woolf offered politely, before launching on a primer on California’s convoluted water system. “No, I don’t,” Sonny Perdue, Trump’s secretary of Agriculture, interrupted. “I need all the education I can get.”
State Politics:
California law that blocked posting actors’ ages struck down
Fresno Bee
A California law that sought to prevent age discrimination in the entertainment industry by blocking a popular Hollywood website from posting the ages of actors was struck down Tuesday as unconstitutional.
California’s gun violence restraining orders can save lives
The Sacramento Bee
A man armed with an AR-15 assault weapon made serious threats, not in Parkland, Fla., but in La Jolla. There, authorities had the power to act.
CA Sen. Tony Mendoza ‘likely’ misbehaved toward six women
The Sacramento Bee
A California Senate investigation found that Sen. Tony Mendoza likely engaged in “unwanted flirtatious or sexually suggestive behavior” toward six women, a panel of lawmakers announced Tuesday.
See also: Six women were likely subject to unwanted behavior by a California senator, investigation findsSacramento Bee
Senate investigation concludes Mendoza ‘more likely than not’ made inappropriate advances on staffersLos Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
For Martha Camacho-Rodriguez, a special-education teacher and a trustee of Cerritos Community College, a monthly education roundtable convened by her Assembly member provided crucial insight into legislation, grant opportunities and other important things happening in Sacramento.
California attorney general joins push to end money bail
The Sacramento Bee
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Tuesday that he will not appeal a recent court decision on excessive bail, adding his voice to the growing statewide push to overhaul a money bail system that criminal justice advocates argue is discriminatory to poor Californians.
California Capitol annex needs a $543 million replacement, report urges
Sacramento Bee
Knock it down and build a better one. That’s the recommendation of a long-awaited study on the Legislature’s options for remaking its 66-year-old annex, the warren of offices attached to the 19th century Capitol.
After sputtering out of the gate, Amanda Renteria launches bid for California governor
Los Angeles Times
After staying mum for a week after filing to run for California governor, former Hillary Clinton aide Amanda Renteria confirmed Tuesday she is launching a “grassroots” campaign, saying she will offer a “new voice” to voters who have soured on big-money politics. Renteria, a Central Valley native and Democratic insider, shocked the political establishment last week by filing a statement announcing she was running for governor without speaking publicly about her bid.
See also: Amanda Renteria says she’s no one’s pawn after entering California governor race Fresno Bee
Renteria: ‘It’s time to make politics about people again’ Visalia Times-Delta
After sputtering out of the gate, Amanda Renteria launches bid for California governor Los Angeles Times
New governor’s race candidate Amanda Renteria releases video about ‘warriors’ Los Angeles Times
Amanda Renteria explains her surprise candidacy for California governor San Francisco Chronicle
Emily’s List announces two more endorsements in California House races
Los Angeles Times
Abortion-rights group Emily’s List has thrown its weight behind two more Democrats challenging GOP incumbents in California. The group announced Wednesday that it’s endorsing Rachel Payne’s candidacy against Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in Orange County, and Virginia Madueño in the race to unseat Rep. Jeff Denham in the Central Valley.
Walters: California’s public pension crisis in a nutshell
Calmatters
The essence of California’s pension crisis was on display last week when the California Public Employees Retirement System made a relatively small change in its amortization policy.
Los Angeles Times
One thorny topic you won’t be hearing Democratic candidates for governor talking much about is California’s essential need for public pension reform. You’ll hear them berating President Trump and defending immigrants here illegally, and for good reason. They’ll debate each other over a state-run, single-payer medical insurance proposal.
Here come the big government Republicans!
AEI
Trumpublican conservatives love to compare America’s 45th president to their revered Ronald Reagan. Both were populist. Both were scorned by the media. And both, of course, delivered bigly cut taxes.
Orange County Register
Perhaps only in California can a politician who has championed single-payer health care, a “sanctuary state” bill and a 100 percent clean energy mandate be tarred for not being liberal enough. But for some die-hard activists, Kevin de León’s history of taking money from corporations and his ties to the Democratic Party establishment make him a nonstarter in his insurgent bid to take on Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Los Angeles Times
Those who want to blame a California environmental law for the state’s housing problems should instead point their fingers at cities and counties, according to a new report from researchers at UC Berkeley and Columbia University. The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, a 1970 state law, requires developers to analyze and eliminate a project’s effect on the environment before building.
Bill Would Let Californians Choose Driver’s License Pictures
Capital Public Radio
An effort by a state lawmaker to generate more money for driver’s education in California schools is banking on people’s vanity. Democratic Senator Josh Newman of Fullerton has introduced a bill that would let drivers take more than one photo at the DMV and then choose which photo goes on their license.
See also: Want to pick your driver’s license photo? California bill aims to give you that power KCRA Sacramento
Federal Politics:
Interior chief tells Jerry Brown he’ll listen on offshore oil drilling
The Sacramento Bee
The Trump administration promised Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday that it will listen to California’s objections to its plans to dramatically expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, traveling to Sacramento for a private meeting at the Capitol, “made it clear that California’s views will be taken into account,” Brown’s press secretary Evan Westrup said in an email.
Feinstein urges Trump to back her ‘bump stock’ ban: ‘We need meaningful action’
Los Angeles Times
Sen. Dianne Feinstein is urging President Trump to back her gun-control legislation rather than have the administration try to do it alone.
See also: After Florida Shooting, Trump Calls For New Regulations On Bump Stocks capradio.org
Trump directs Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to propose regulations banning gun devices like ‘bump stocks’ Los Angeles Times
Trump ‘supportive’ of tougher gun law, but his record suggests that may not mean much Los Angele Times
Assault Weapons Ban Return Not Likely National Review
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court made clear again Tuesday that the government has broad power to restrict and regulate firearms, dismissing a 2nd Amendment challenge to California’s 10-day waiting period for new gun purchases.
Rep. Adam Schiff ready to release Democratic memo on Russia meddling
SFGate
Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday that he expects to release a memo this week about surveillance and the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Other:
Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times Columnist, Has a Bad Idea on Guns
National Review
Andrew Ross Sorkin is peddling a batty idea to have credit-card companies act as regulatory proxies to shut down the sale of so-called assault weapons. The proposal is for Visa, Mastercard, et al. to shut out any firearms dealer that sells scary black guns of the sort Sorkin does not like.
Brooks: Building bridges in a time of division
Modesto Bee
It was an emotional week. We greeted tragedies like the school shooting in Florida with shock, sadness, mourning and grief that turns into indignation and rage. The anger inevitably gets directed at the NRA, those who support gun rights and the politicians who refuse to do anything as children die.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, February 25, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: Voters Rights – Guests: Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee reporter and Sec. of State. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 25, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report: “Are Education Reforms & Charter Schools the Answer?” – Guests: California State Auditor Elaine Howle, Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California, & Dan Walters with CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 25, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – Informe Maddy: Voters Rights – Guest: Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee reporter and Sec. of State. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
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Topics in More Detail…
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Freezing temperatures had farmers on edge as many try to protect crops
Fresno Bee
Citrus growers, whose crops are among the most susceptible to subfreezing temperatures, saw the thermostat drop to the low 20s for up to five hours in the coldest areas of the central San Joaquin Valley. Many deployed frost-protection measures including wind machines and irrigation water to try to prevent any damage.
See also: Temperatures dip into low 20s, freeze causing Ag damage ABC30
Freezing temps have Merced County farmers on edge as many try to protect crops Merced Sun-Star
Freeze turns California almond orchards into fields of icicles, threatens $5 billion industry San Francisco Chronicle
Water allocation for west side growers is going to be meager
Fresno Bee
With the threat of another drought looming, west San Joaquin Valley farmers received some dismal news Tuesday about this year’s water allocation.
See also: California farmers told to expect little water from federal project this year The Sacramento Bee
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue gets grounded in California
Los Angeles Times
“You might already know this …,” Central Valley farmer Sarah Woolf offered politely, before launching on a primer on California’s convoluted water system. “No, I don’t,” Sonny Perdue, Trump’s secretary of Agriculture, interrupted. “I need all the education I can get.”
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
For stories on ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – State Politics,” above
Survivors put gun lackeys to shame
Stockton Record
School shootings have multiplied to the point of social insanity. Yet many Republicans and gun rights people fight adamantly not to protect us but to protect the gun industry.
Stockton Police Begin Using SPOT, A New Tool To Fight Crime
Stockton Police have a new tool to fight crime. It’s name is SPOT, which is short for Stockton Police Observation Truck.
Public Policy Institute of California
Most of California’s jail inmates are unsentenced defendants awaiting arraignment, trial, or sentencing—and this heavy reliance on pretrial detention has come under scrutiny in recent years. But California’s high pretrial detention rates have not been associated with more defendants appearing in court or lower levels of rearrest.
California attorney general joins push to end money bail
The Sacramento Bee
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Tuesday that he will not appeal a recent court decision on excessive bail, adding his voice to the growing statewide push to overhaul a money bail system that criminal justice advocates argue is discriminatory to poor Californians.
See also: Bail reform headlines statewide rallies; AG gets behind effort The Mercury News
Trump hates California, again slashes earthquake budget
OCRegister
It’s not news that the White House doesn’t care for California. Or Californians. But does its resident in chief really want us dead? That would seem to be the case as for the second year in a row the president’s budget proposal this week zeroed out funding for the ongoing rollout of the earthquake early warning system that will serve the West Coast.
Fire:
Three-alarm fire at Paul Evert’s RV cost millions in damages
Visalia Times-Delta
The grounds of Fresno’s Paul Evert’s RV Country were flooded late Tuesday night. Endless lines of fire hose covered the wet cement.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Trump’s formula for growing the U.S. economy—what will work and what won’t
Brookings
President Trump and his economic team have made big promises about boosting future economic growth. Though official budget estimates assume growth will rise to 3 percent a year, the president suggests growth could be much faster.
Jobs:
Fresno County Addresses Psychiatry Shortage With New Training Program
Valley Public Radio
A study published last week by UC San Francisco argues the San Joaquin Valley has some of the lowest ratios of behavioral health providers like psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers in the state.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Porterville student threatens middle school
Visalia Times-Delta
Another Tulare County student, accused of making threats against a school, has been arrested. Administrators at Sequoia Middle School, located at 1450 W. Castle Ave, called police Tuesday morning after a student made a threat against the school on social media.
KHSD trustee urges residents to call legislators, demand that teachers be armed
The Bakersfield Californian
In the wake of last week’s mass school shooting in Florida, Kern High School District Trustee Mike Williams is calling on state legislators to reverse a bill passed last year that revoked local superintendents abilities to allow Concealed Carry Weapon permit holders to bring firearms on public school campuses — a move he contends makes schools less safe.
School districts can prevent another massacre if they’re proactive
The Bakersfield Californian
What happened Feb. 14 at a Florida high school may not have been preventable. Yet, proactive risk management best practices — implemented in advance — perhaps could have been prevented, if not at least greatly mitigated, its tragic outcome.
Price: Peace on campus remains an elusive goal
The contract negotiation team of the Kern High School Teachers Association is bringing the issue of health and safety conditions back to the 2018-19 bargaining table amid a growing undercurrent of anger and frustration.
Teacher shortages persist in California and getting worse in many communities
EdSource
Despite an improving economy and new efforts to recruit teachers, California’s teacher shortage is showing no signs of easing up.
Higher Ed:
UC students lobby for more state funding to avoid a tuition hike
Los Angeles Times
University of California students plan to lobby state legislators Tuesday for more state funding in order to avoid a tuition increase in the upcoming academic year.
Resisting the Federal Temptation
AEI
School choice advocates were heartened by the ascent of a president who supports their cause and an education secretary who has advocated for it over a long career—and many hope Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos will use the power of the federal government to advance this issue.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Cold snap brings freeze, frost warnings to California
The Bakersfield Californian
Temperatures plunged throughout California early Tuesday, triggering freeze warnings in agricultural areas and finally bringing a wintry chill to a season more notable for unusual warmth and lack of storms.
Interior chief tells Jerry Brown he’ll listen on offshore oil drilling
The Sacramento Bee
The Trump administration promised Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday that it will listen to California’s objections to its plans to dramatically expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, traveling to Sacramento for a private meeting at the Capitol, “made it clear that California’s views will be taken into account,” Brown’s press secretary Evan Westrup said in an email.
Plague of giant, buck-toothed rodents invades California
New York Post
No populated area is without its share of mice, rats, and other pesky pests, but the West Coast is dealing with an influx of supersized rodents that are unlike anything you’ve seen scurrying down a dirty alley. Nutria, a type of large, rat-like rodent with large bucked teeth, has decided to make California its newest home, and researchers have discovered that the pests are breeding in massive numbers all along the coast.
Energy:
State must stop feds issuing more offshore drilling leases
The Mercury News
California has seen firsthand the horrific damage caused by climate change, from record droughts to deadly wildfires and mudslides. Now to add insult to injury, taxpayers are footing the bill for shuttering drilling facilities abandoned by bankrupt fossil companies.
BP: Demand for oil could peak by late 2030s
CNN
Global demand for crude is likely to “plateau” during the late 2030s, mostly because of the rise of electric cars and trucks, BP predicted Tuesday in its annual outlook. BP thinks 320 million electric vehicles will be on the road by 2040, compared with about 2 million in 2016. The company thinks electrics will hit a tipping point and really take off after 2035.
The Duplicity Of California’s Oil Collapse
Forbes
The collapse of the oil industry in California, once our second-most-important producing state, is a very sad thing to see.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
These 5 bills before California lawmakers seek to expand health coverage, lower costs
89.3 KPCC
Early this month, advocates of moving California to a single-payer health care system renewed their push in Sacramento. Hundreds of them crowded into a hearing of a special state Assembly committee that’s exploring whether and how to bring universal health care to the state.
Your DNA won’t determine the best diet to help you lose weight
Los Angeles Times
Trying to lose weight? Researchers have some good news: You can choose either a low-fat or low-carb diet. As long as you stick with it, you can slim down no matter what your genetic make-up or metabolic particulars.
Now That Pot Is Legal, Should You Worry About Secondhand Smoke? California Scientist Says Yes
KQED
Commercial sales of cannabis to recreational users began Jan. 1 in California. It hasn’t been even two months in this brave new world, but new questions about marijuana’s health impacts are already popping up.
Bloomberg
Yet again, the U.S. has come in last in a survey measuring the state of health in developed countries. This latest piece of disheartening news put the spotlight on people over 65 — the age when Americans become eligible for Medicare.
Reducing Red Tape For Traveling Nurses
Washington Post
Lauren Bond, a traveling nurse, has held licenses in five states and Washington, D.C. She maintains a detailed spreadsheet to keep track of license fees, expiration dates and the different courses each state requires.
IMMIGRATION
For stories on Sanctuary State” and immigration laws signed by Gov. Brown See: “Top Stories – State Politics,” above
H-1B visas: How the Trump administration is ‘freaking people out’
San Jose Mercury News
The Trump administration is bringing a new level of scrutiny to a temporary work visa popular among technology firms, costing employers more time and money as they seek to bring foreign workers to the United States.
Answers to your questions about immigration inspections at Southern California workplaces
OCRegister
Immigrant-rights organizers have for months been preparing employers in Southern California for the day that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents enter their workplace to verify employment eligibility.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Sacramento’s housing crisis won’t be solved without rent control
Sacramento Bee
In the Jan. 31 editorial “Unsure About Rent Control? Here’s Another Way to Protect California Tenants,” the columnist Erika Smith presented repetitive myths about the key role rent control plays fighting our local and statewide housing crisis.
Los Angeles Times
Those who want to blame a California environmental law for the state’s housing problems should instead point their fingers at cities and counties, according to a new report from researchers at UC Berkeley and Columbia University.
After a week without food, skid row activist still hungry to make a statement about housing shortage
Los Angeles Times
Kaleb Havens could have given up candy, pizza or tacos for the 46 days of Lent. That would have been reasonable, right? Instead the 30-year-old Catholic Worker activist gave up all food last week, on Ash Wednesday, and began a hunger strike.
Judge approves shutdown of large California homeless camp
Sacramento Bee
Southern California authorities took steps Tuesday toward shutting down a large homeless encampment and relocating hundreds of tent-dwellers to motel rooms under a court-supervised deal with lawyers who sued to protect their rights.
PUBLIC FINANCES
For stories on “tax reform” See: “Top Stories – Federal Politics,” above
Walters: California’s public pension crisis in a nutshell
Calmatters
The essence of California’s pension crisis was on display last week when the California Public Employees Retirement System made a relatively small change in its amortization policy.
States where Americans pay the least (and most) in taxes
USA Today
In the U.S. federalist system, each state government decides how to generate revenue — that is, which taxes to collect, and how. No state tax code is identical and, largely as a result, what the average American pays annually in taxes varies from state to state.
Small CalPERS Rate Hike Continues Debt Reform
PublicCEO
CalPERS is speeding up payment of new pension debt, a step toward reforming a policy that pushes current worker pension costs to future generations and helped delay a recovery from a huge investment loss a decade ago.
Come the Recession, Don’t Count on That Safety Net
New York Times
What will President Trump’s first recession look like? The question is not that far-fetched. The current economic expansion is already the third longest since the middle of the 19th century, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. If it makes it past June of next year it will be the longest on record.
TRANSPORTATION
Fresno’s newest rapid transit system – FAX Q
The Fresno Bee
“Quick” and “quality” are the traits that helped name Fresno’s newest mode of rapid transportation: the FAX Q. Making its debut on Monday, Q’s Route One took off at 6 a.m. on Clovis Avenue and Kings Canyon Road. The Q runs along Kings Canyon and Blackstone Avenue, two key thoroughfares in the city.
Sacramento Trying Not To Leave Low-Income Drivers Behind In Push For 70,000 More Electric Vehicles
Susan Brown lost access to her car last year. So, when two electric vehicles appeared at her low-income senior living complex in downtown Sacramento, she was all ears.
WATER
Water allocation for west side growers is going to be meager
Fresno Bee
With the threat of another drought looming, west San Joaquin Valley farmers received some dismal news Tuesday about this year’s water allocation. The initial allocation from the Central Valley Project is 20 percent, the U.S Bureau of Reclamation announced on Tuesday.
See also: California farmers told to expect little water from federal project this year The Sacramento Bee
Some fear state drought cuts may erase water rights Fresno Bee
Facing specter of drought, California farmers are told to expect little water Sacramento Bee
California drought: State considering $500 fines for wasting water The Mercury News
California winter now third driest on record OCRegister
Some fear California drought cuts could erase water rights AP
Bureaucrats are blocking badly needed reservoirs
Fresno Bee
Four years ago, California voters directed the government to update our state water system by passing Proposition 1, a $7 billion water bond that included clear guidelines for investing $2.7 billion in new reservoirs. Voters expected billions of gallons of water to be added to our surface storage system. Sadly, with a dry start to winter and another drought looming, the state hasn’t spent a dime on the new storage it promised.
“Xtra”
Art Song Festival Comes To Fresno State
Valley Public Radio
Fresno audiences will get a special taste of the classical world of art songs this weekend at Fresno State.
Major renovations for Playland entrance at Roeding Park
ABC30
Construction crews are busy making a new gateway to Playland. “We are working right now to do a brand new entrance to Playland I think for years if you went to the zoo and looked across the street you might not even know what Playland was,” said Bruce Batti. Batti is on the Playland-Storyland board of directors. He is hoping the new way in and a new ride will attract more visitors. “We are bringing at no small expense a teacup ride back to Playland,” said Batti.
EDITORIALS
Here’s a California gun law that saves lives. If only Florida had such a law
Sacramento Bee
A man armed with an AR-15 assault weapon made serious threats, not in Parkland, Fla., but in La Jolla. There, authorities had the power to act.
A handy clip-and-save editorial for America’s next gun massacre
Los Angeles Times
Print this editorial and hang onto it for the next time someone shoots up a school or a workplace or a country-western music festival. We can fill in the blanks together as political leaders compose thoughts and prayers before doing nothing about gun violence.
The Trump administration wants to cut premiums for the healthy at the expense of the sick. Again
Los Angeles Times
Despite the Trump administration’s best efforts to undermine and bad-mouth Obamacare, it is not collapsing, as the president often claims. The state exchanges where insurers sell policies to Americans who don’t get health benefits at work are stabilizing, and enrollment remained about the same last year even after administration actions drove up premiums, slashed marketing efforts and shortened the sign-up period.
Drought? What drought?
Los Angeles Times
At about this time last year California was reveling in good news: The drought was over. Some parts of the state actually had so much water they were flooding. The governor ultimately lifted emergency regulations that restricted things like watering lawns during a rainstorm or letting the hose spew into the gutter while soaping down the car.
Trump’s order to ban ‘bump stocks’ is a good thought, but Congress has to do the job
Los Angeles Times
President Trump was right Tuesday in insisting that the federal government ban “bump stocks.” But there’s less than meets the eye to the directive he sent to the Justice Department to rush through a new regulation, already in the works, that would ban the devices, because sure as shooting there will be a legal challenge that probably will succeed. That’s why this problem needs to be addressed by Congress in the form of a more expansive law barring devices crafted by creative gun makers to circumvent the intent of federal gun laws.
California must make water conservation restrictions permanent
San Francisco Chronicle
California’s drought is coming back. Now it’s time for the state Water Resources Control Board to enforce conservation measures on a permanent basis.
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