February 24, 2020

24Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Deadline THIS FRIDAY! $56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships

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:

 

Modesto, other cities were overpaid thousands due to county errors. Will they pay it back?

Modesto Bee

An internal review determined that Stanislaus County overpaid almost $1 million in tax money to its nine cities over a two-year period. Now, the county is asking the cities to give the money back. And cities seem to have a difference of opinion about what they owe.

 

SJ primary preview: New tech boosts transparency, security

Stockton Record

San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters Melinda Dubroff held an election transparency and observation workshop Saturday at the ROV warehouse near Stockton Metropolitan Airport.

 

State selects 19 SJ sites as potential affordable housing, emergency shelters

Stockton Record

The California Department of General Services released an updated map showing the 286 properties that Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned in his recent State of the State address that focused on the state’s homeless crisis.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Voting centers in Fresno open as California primary nears

abc30

We're still 10 days away from Calif's primary election, but you can start voting in Fresno County. In accordance with California's Voter's Choice Act, several vote centers opened at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. They will be open each day until Election Day on March 3.

 

Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against Trump research firm dismissed by Virginia judge

Fresno Bee

A federal judge in Virginia dismissed Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against the investigative research firm behind the so-called Steele dossier, citing shortcomings in the California Republican’s legal complaint.

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New legislation calls for $32 billion funding to help complete High-Speed Rail

abc30

Congressman Jim Costa announced legislation on Friday calling for additional federal funding to help complete California's High-Speed Rail, along with projects in other parts of the country.

See also:

 

Congressional Candidates Jim Costa and Esmeralda Soria Talk Homelessness, Water And TV Ads

VPR

As the race to represent the 16th congressional district heats up between incumbent Jim Costa and fellow democrat Esmeralda Soria, both candidates stopped by the KVPR studio to talk with FM89's Kathleen Schock about the key issues facing the district, and the attention grabbing television ads from the Costa campaign. 

 

Warszawski: Bashing serves Andrew Janz well. Just wish Fresno mayoral hopeful would do more inspiring

Fresno Bee

As mayor, Janz pledges to end cronyism and political favoritism at City Hall. Rather than give in to growth, as generations of Fresno’s elected leaders have done, Janz would focus on improving existing neighborhoods — a nod to his “no developer money” ethos.

 

University celebrates the Resnick Student Union groundbreaking

Fresno State Campus News

Fresno State students, leaders and community members celebrated the construction of the new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Feb. 20.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Bernie Sanders supporters come out full throttle at The Park at River Walk

Bakersfield Californian

Much can be said about the various candidates eyeing the White House, but when one of them stops by to visit their supporters, local residents come out in flocks and go wild. That certainly was the case Friday afternoon as Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders rolled through Bakersfield to hold a Get Out the Early Vote rally.

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Ambitious Air Improvement Program Brought Community to The Table - Here's How It's Working So Far

VPR

The San Joaquin Valley lies underneath one of the two most polluted air basins in the country. That’s why, in 2018, two communities here – one in Shafter and one in south-central Fresno – were selected among the first to participate in Assembly Bill 617, an ambitious state law that enables local involvement in air protection.

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Bakersfield Californian election endorsements: Yes on school funding and medical marijuana

Bakersfield Californian

Kern voters are being asked to weigh in on three countywide measures appearing on the March 3 ballot. Two are dueling measures that will decide the fate of medical marijuana sales in Kern County. One is a statewide proposition to authorize the sale of $15 billion in bonds to fund improvements to schools, including community colleges and universities, throughout California.

 

Law firm alleges fraud as Huerta pushes back against claims he does not live in Fourth District

Bakersfield Californian

Fourth District candidate Emilio Huerta is fighting back against allegations he does not live at the Delano residence he claims to rent.

 

Rep. Kevin McCarthy: End California’s illegal discrimination against pro-lifers

Daily Signal

On Aug. 22, 2014, the California Department for Managed Health Care issued a directive mandating that all health plans under the agency’s jurisdiction immediately include coverage for abortions. In addition to grossly devaluing human life, this abortion mandate is so radical and far-reaching that millions of people—among them, nuns and pastors and pro-life advocates—have no choice but to include abortion in their health insurance plans.

 

State:

 

2020 Primary Election Voter's Guide

abc30

California's primary election is on March 3, 2020, and this year, there are a lot of changes. The expansion of the "Voter's Choice Act" means that voters in many counties across the state, including Fresno and Madera counties, will get a ballot in the mail, even if they are used to going to a polling place.

See also:

 

Skelton: Newsom hopes to broker a peace treaty in California’s water war. Some worry he’ll cave to Trump

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom may be piloting a lifeboat that will rescue the sinking California Delta. Or he may be in water over his head on a doomed mission. The governor gets angry with skeptics who say he’s being delusional. But history sides with the doubters.

See​​ also:

 

California’s new labor law is a work in progress. Here’s how lawmakers could change it

Fresno Bee

The California Legislature is considering nearly three dozen bills to clean up or repeal the landmark gig economy law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom just months ago.

See also:

 

Still need a Real ID? Here’s how you can save time on your next trip to the DMV

Sacramento Bee

The clock is ticking for the roughly 16 million California drivers who are expected to come to the Department of Motor Vehicles by the end of the year for a Real ID.

 

California’s presidential primary hinges on big voting changes in LA

Los Angeles Times

When Los Angeles County set out to build a new voting system from scratch more than a decade ago, election officials knew the challenges in serving an electorate larger than those found in any of 39 states.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez jumps into California politics to help House Dems

San Francisco Chronicle

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a hero to many progressives and a prodigious fundraiser, is singling out a California Democrat as one of a handful of “bold swing district” House members worthy of her supporters’ campaign donations.

 

Becerra v. Trump

CALmatters

How California is using the courts to fight the administration.

 

Brace for the deluge: Special interests are spending millions to get the California legislators they want

CALmatters

Nearly half of all unlimited outside spending comes from old-guard industries: Oil and gas. Realtors. Car dealers. Also some very rich folks.

 

Opinion: Newsom ignores Assembly Bill 5 blowback at his own peril

Orange County Register

We cannot recall a single political decision in the past 17 years that has given California Democrats the kind of political blowback caused by Assembly Bill 5. That new law forbids companies from using contract labor, but already has resulted in widespread job losses for freelance writers, photographers, sign-language interpreters and other moderate-income Californians who could not carve out exemptions for their particular industries.

 

Federal:

 

Supreme Court allows 'public charge' rule to take effect nationwide

The Hill

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration on Friday night in a case that contested the president’s “public charge” rule, which critics have called a “wealth test” for legal immigrants.

 

Supreme Court to hear case of religion vs. gay rights over fostering

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court said Monday it will decide another clash between religion and gay rights, this time involving Philadelphia’s refusal to contract with Catholic Social Services over the group’s refusal to place foster children with same-sex couples.

 

Trump has flipped the 9th Circuit — and some new judges are causing a ‘shock wave’

Los Angeles Times

When President Trump ticks off his accomplishments since taking office, he frequently mentions his aggressive makeover of a key sector of the federal judiciary — the circuit courts of appeal, where he has appointed 51 judges to lifetime jobs in three years.

 

Off The Record: Trump Admin Criticized For How It Keeps Documents

NPR
The Trump administration is coming under fire for its handling of certain government records. Historians and activists charge that the White House has failed to keep notes of the president's meetings with foreign leaders, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that other papers, including records of alleged abuses of undocumented immigrants, could be destroyed.

 

Elections 2020:

 

Filling out that presidential ballot? Here’s a quick look at candidates and key California issues

Merced Sun-Star

As California Democrats weigh their options in the presidential race ahead of the state’s March 3 primary, many are looking for a candidate they believe is likeliest to beat President Donald Trump in the general election.

 

Joe Biden unveils new plan on housing, homelessness ahead of California primary

Fresno Bee

Joe Biden unveiled a new $640 billion housing plan on Monday that includes certain homeowner and renter protections already in place in California.

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Sanders wins big in Nevada, rolls toward Calif. with momentum

San Francisco Chronicle

Sen. Bernie Sanders scored an easy win in the Nevada caucuses Saturday, giving him momentum going into California’s Super Tuesday primary and putting him potentially on a path to the Democratic presidential nomination.

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Commentary: Why California needs Elizabeth Warren as president

CALmatters

To us, the choice is absolutely clear. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren would be the best president for our country, and she would be an outstanding partner for California. That’s why we urge Californians to vote for her in the March 3 primary.

 

Steyer pours money into black organizations ahead of primaries

Politico

Steyer’s latest campaign finance report includes donations totaling more than $60,000 to black organizations and institutions.

 

Winning California’s Democratic presidential primary isn’t as simple as it sounds

Los Angeles Times

Voters in California, like others across the country, have long assumed that only one candidate can win an election. And in most cases, they’re right.

 

Voting In California's Primary When You Have No Party Preference Gets Complicated

NPR

We're now looking ahead to California, where early voting is underway ahead of the state's March 3 primary. It's the single biggest prize in the Democratic presidential primary.

 

Reliability of pricey new voting machines questioned

PBS NewsHour Weekend

In the rush to replace insecure, unreliable electronic voting machines after Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential race, state and local officials have scrambled to acquire more trustworthy equipment for this year’s election, when U.S. intelligence agencies fear even worse problems.

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Other:

 

Our Actions Determine What We Read and See Online. Algorithms Are Only a Part of That Process

RAND

When the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke in early 2018, people were surprised to discover the extent to which their personal data, online behaviours, and preferences had been used to target them for political advertising on Facebook.

See also:

 

5 questions policymakers should ask about facial recognition, law enforcement, and algorithmic bias

Brookings

In the futuristic 2002 film “Minority Report,” law enforcement uses a predictive technology that includes artificial intelligence (AI) for risk assessments to arrest possible murderers before they commit crimes.

 

Lincoln Healed a Divided Nation. We Should Heed Him Today.

Time

Abraham Lincoln repeatedly tops polls as our greatest and most revered president. But few people thought so on March 4, 1865, when he took the oath of office for the second time.

 

75th anniversary of iconic photo of Iwo Jima flag raising

abc30

Sunday marks the 75th anniversary of U.S. forces raising a flag on Iwo Jima, a brief moment in time captured in an iconic photograph that both recognized one of the World War II's bloodiest battles and became a symbol synonymous with the Marine Corps.

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MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, March 1, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California Latinos: An Economic Analysis - Guests: Mindy Romero, Director of California Civic Engagement Project, Price School of Public Policy at USC. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 1, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Poverty and the Economic Situation of California Latinos? - Guests: Sarah Bohn, Public Policy Institute of California and Mindy Romero, Director of USC Price School of Public School. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 1, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Immigration: Opportunities for New Businesses in the Valley - Guests: Dora Westerlund, CEO - The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation; Yeru Olivares, CFO -  The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, Yolanda Garcia, Owner - YO'MAMMAS!; Robert Zapata, Opportunity Fund. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

The coming water fight

CALmatters

California’s water wars flared last week when Donald Trump signed an order decreeing that the federal Central Valley Project would deliver a “magnificent amount” from the Delta to San Joaquin Valley farms.

 

Lack of snow in mountains impacting agricultural operations in the Valley

abc30

Pictures from space say it all. Around this time last year, there was plenty of snow in the Sierra Nevada. This year, there's not much to speak of.

 

Ripon’s Almond Blossom Festival sights and sounds

Modesto Bee

The Almond Blossom Festival is the big event of the year for Ripon, CA, and is always held on the last weekend in February

 

Study highlights sustainability gains in dairy production

Bakersfield Californian

California dairy operations cause much less harm to the environment than they used to because of various advances during about the last half-century, according to a new report by UC Davis.

 

Where Democrats in primary stand on pot, weed legalization

Fresno Bee

As Democrats vying for their party’s nomination for president get ready for Super Tuesday on March 3 — when 14 states and more than a third of all delegates are up for grabs — Sen. Elizabeth Warren released a plan for federal marijuana legalization.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Valley water district official dismissed from embezzlement case. Two others to stand trial

Fresno Bee

A Fresno County judge dismissed all charges Friday against one of the defendants accused of embezzling from the Panoche Water District — and threw out several other charges against two former employees.

 

As California death row inmates get possible reprieve, brother mourns loss of sister in 1981 Kern County murder

Bakersfield Californian

The Condemned Inmate Transfer Pilot Program is expected to become effective by the end of March. The two-year pilot program will allow eligible condemned inmates at San Quentin State Prison to voluntarily transfer to one of the designated institutions consistent with their case factors and security level.

 

Wells Fargo agrees to pay $3 billion to settle criminal, civil cases stemming from fake-accounts scandal

Washington Post

The settlement with the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission is the latest of several penalties levied against the San Francisco-based bank since it admitted in 2016 its employees had opened millions of bank accounts customers didn’t request.

 

Public Safety:

 

Downtown businesses eye voluntary contributions for private security

Bakersfield Californian

A new, private-security model emerging in downtown Bakersfield proposes to supplement city-funded efforts by allowing individual business and property owners to pool their money in support of regular patrols and alarm response-type attention.

 

Fire:

 

Loved ones of Jones, Figueroa express gratitude

Porterville Recorder

The loved ones of fallen Porterville City Firefighters Patrick Jones and Ray Figueroa expressed their gratitude over the weekend for all the support they have received. Jones and Figueroa died battling Tuesday's fire that virtually destroyed the Porterville Public Library.

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Low Sierra Snow Pack Could Mean Early Start to Fire Season

Sierra News

NASA satellite images taken this past week from more than 400 miles above Earth show snow pack levels in the Sierras at just 54 percent of their historical average for this time of the year.

 

Bill would require California insurers to incentivize fire prevention

San Francisco Chronicle

A group of state lawmakers, regulators and consumer advocates hope the insurance industry can encourage homeowners and communities to harden their homes and neighborhoods against wildfires.

 

PG&E union resists Bernie Sanders’ calls for public takeover

San Francisco Chronicle

“Sen. Sanders, you’re just plain wrong on this”: PG&E’s largest union is fighting back against calls for a public takeover of the company.

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ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

California Divide   

CALmatters

A statewide media collaboration to raise awareness and engagement about poverty and income inequality.

See also:

 

Almost every Californian would get $1,000 a month under universal basic income proposal

Fresno Bee

It’s been tried in Stockton. Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang pitched a national version of it. Now California lawmakers are considering whether to adopt a Universal Basic Income.

 

This chart is the best explanation of middle-class finances you will ever see

Washington Post

Economists and financial experts have been telling us for years how great things are for U.S. workers and consumers. The stuff we buy is dirt cheap, and living standards are higher than ever. Wages are keeping pace with inflation. Inequality probably isn’t as bad as you’ve been led to believe. The stock market is booming!

 

Markets tank on concern about virus impact on world economy

abc30

U.S. stocks fell sharply in early trading Monday, following a broad sell-off in overseas markets, as a surge in virus cases and a worrisome spread of the disease outside the epicenter in China sent investors running for safety.

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Gold at a 7-yr high and bond yields flirt with record lows as fear grips Wall Street

CNN
Fear has returned to Wall Street. The spread of coronavirus cases in Italy and South Korea is shaking investors out of their recent complacency. Investors are nervous that the global economy will slow dramatically in the first quarter because of coronavirus. And they are piling into classic safe haven fear trades as a result and shunning anything that seems risky.

 

Commentary: Unintended consequences: Trump and Warren’s bipartisan plan for the US dollar

Brookings

Republicans and Democrats didn’t agree on much in 2019, with one exception: that a high U.S. dollar is bad for America. President Trump repeatedly called on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to devalue the dollar, while presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren

 

Michael Bloomberg’s Troubling Record on Unions and Workers

The American Prospect

Expired contracts, no paid sick leave policy, and an un-unionized presidential campaign staff.

 

Continued surge in strike activity signals worker dissatisfaction with wage growth

Economic Policy Institute

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that there was an upsurge in major strike activity in 2018 and 2019, marking a 35-year high for the number of workers involved in a major work stoppage over a two-year period. Further, 2019 recorded the greatest number of work stoppages involving 20,000 or more workers since at least 1993, when the BLS started providing data that made it possible to track work stoppages by size.

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Commentary: One Last Chance to Fix Capitalism

Harvard Business Review

Roughly two-thirds of the way through Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire, Rebecca Henderson’s prescription for reversing some of the damage business has done in the past half-century, the Harvard Business School professor rates the chances that environmentally iffy industries might effectively self-regulate. “This is a story of hope followed by despair,” she says, “followed by the glimmerings of renewed hope.”

 

Jobs:

 

California’s new labor law is a work in progress. Here’s how lawmakers could change it

Fresno Bee

The California Legislature is considering nearly three dozen bills to clean up or repeal the landmark gig economy law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom just months ago.

See also:

 

PG&E union resists Bernie Sanders’ calls for public takeover

San Francisco Chronicle

Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s main union is pushing back forcefully against efforts to make the company, which is currently owned by investors, controlled by the public instead — something Sen. Bernie Sanders, state Sen. Scott Wiener and the city of San Francisco have proposed in various forms.

 

Kickstarter Becomes First Major Tech Company to Unionize

Next City

Employees at crowdfunding platform Kickstarter voted Tuesday 46-37 to form a union, the first major tech company to do so, the New York Times reports.

 

As the Start-Up Boom Deflates, Tech Is Humbled

New York Times

Layoffs. Shutdowns. Uncertainty. After a decade of prosperity, many hot young companies are facing a reckoning.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Armona Elementary to host grand opening for new building

Hanford Sentinel

After a year of construction, Armona Union Elementary School District is ready to unveil its new multi-use facility at Armona Elementary School.

 

Teachers notice rise in homelessness among kids

CALmatters

Homelessness among students is the highest it has ever been, according to a national report released last month. But advocates say that one major reason for the increase is that teachers and other school officials are more aware and better prepared to identify homeless kids.

 

Gov. Newsom’s big bets: community schools, competitive grants and new teacher incentives

EdSource

Governor reveals plan to address teacher shortage, fix high-poverty schools.

 

The hidden housing measure on your March ballot

CALmatters

Tucked into a $15 billion school bond measure is a break to encourage developers building apartments around transit. Some fear it could hurt certain school districts.

 

Higher Ed:

 

University celebrates the Resnick Student Union groundbreaking

Fresno State Campus News

Fresno State students, leaders and community members celebrated the construction of the new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Feb. 20.

 

Former students able to complete degree online

Fresno State Campus News

A new program allows those who were unable to complete their education an opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree online.

 

Work will start soon to repair MJC aquatic center damaged in 2018 explosion

Modesto Bee

The work to repair the Modesto Junior College aquatic center is expected to start in early March, about 21 months after an explosion in the pool supply room closed the center and its two swimming pools.

 

Top Colleges in the West for Student Outcomes

WSJ

Stanford heads this list from the WSJ/THE College Rankings, followed by Caltech, UCLA and Berkeley.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Ambitious Air Improvement Program Brought Community to The Table - Here's How It's Working So Far

VPR

The San Joaquin Valley lies underneath one of the two most polluted air basins in the country. That’s why, in 2018, two communities here – one in Shafter and one in south-central Fresno – were selected among the first to participate in Assembly Bill 617, an ambitious state law that enables local involvement in air protection.

See also:

 

California Fish and Game ends striped bass population mandate, allowing decline

Sacramento Bee

The California Fish and Game Commission on Friday voted unanimously to amend its decades-old policy regarding striped bass, beginning a process that could allow the population to decline.

 

Fridges hurt the environment. Here’s how California wants to regulate them.

San Francisco Chronicle

Refrigerators — especially big ones used by supermarkets — emit potent greenhouse gases, as do air conditioning units and dehumidifiers. California is cracking down.

 

US pushes changes to Western land plans that judge blocked

Hanford Sentinel

U.S. Interior Department officials are seeking to bolster their case for easing restrictions on energy development, mining and grazing in Western states inhabited by a declining bird species.

 

EDITORIAL: No, a trillion more trees and baby-step oil company reforms won’t fix global warming

Los Angeles Times

Of course, baby steps by a handful of oil and gas companies aren’t going to do much to combat overall emissions. Similarly, the Trillion Trees Initiative, which President Trump touted in his State of the Union address, won’t do an awful lot, either.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

White House readying coronavirus response request

Fresno Bee

The White House is readying an urgent budget request to address the deadly coronavirus outbreak whose rapid spread is spooking financial markets and restricting international travel.

See also:

 

Judge halts plan to move virus patients to California city

Bakersfield Californian

A court temporarily blocked the U.S. government from sending up to 50 people infected with a new virus from China to a Southern California city for quarantine after local officials argued that the plan lacked details about how the community would be protected from the outbreak.

See also:

 

Marijuana use is rising sharply among seniors over 65, study says, and there are serious risks

CNN

The numbers of American seniors over age 65 who now smoke marijuana or use edibles increased two-fold between 2015 and 2018, according to research published Monday in JAMA.

 

Vape crisis forced cannabis sector to increase focus on technology, testing and transparency

Marijuana Business

Though it happened in the second half of the year, the vaping crisis commanded the marijuana industry’s attention in 2019.

 

Human Services:

 

Kaweah Delta Medical Center partners with USC

Visalia Times Delta

Kaweah Delta’s medical education programs are partnering with the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.

 

Local nonprofits help young adults transition to independent living after foster system

Bakersfield Californian

What happens to foster youth once they reach the age of 18 and are too old for the system? How many people actually stop and think about those young adults?

 

Medi-Cal Expansion for Undocumented Seniors

PPIC

A proposed expansion of Medi-Cal would boost access to health services, including preventive care and disease management, for eligible undocumented seniors.

 

How Healthcare Costs Hurt American Workers and Benefit the Wealthy

TIME

Americans spend vast sums on health care. Certainly, health care is expensive all over the world, and it makes good sense for rich countries to spend large amounts to extend their citizens’ lives and to reduce pain and suffering. But America does this about as badly as it is possible to imagine.

 

Millions of Americans Donate through Crowdfunding Sites to Help Others Pay for Medical Bills

NORC

Approximately 50 million—or 20 percent—of American adults reported donating to a crowdfunding campaign to help raise money for a medical bill or treatment.

 

As Suicide Rates Climb, Crisis Centers Expand

PEW

Arizona police are guaranteed a drop-off time of no more than 10 minutes

 

Opinion: Just say no to California’s drug-making plan

San Francisco Chronicle

If Gov. Newsom’s new drugmaker is going to undercut existing generic prices, it will have to sell its wares at loss-inducing prices.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

‘Families will be broken’: Fear grows as Trump administration moves to deport Laotian refugees

Fresno Bee

In 2018, the Trump administration sanctioned Laos to pressure the Southeast Asian country to take back its deportees. Talks between both governments have now intensified, leaving many in Fresno’s large Hmong community in fear.

 

Greyhound to stop allowing Border Patrol agents on buses without warrants

New York Times

Greyhound Lines will no longer allow Border Patrol agents to conduct immigration checks on its buses without warrants, the company announced on Friday — one week after a leaked government memo revealed that agents could not board buses without consent.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Huerta’s $20 million downtown cultural center looks ‘promising’

Bakersfield Californian

The Dolores Huerta Foundation is undertaking a $20 million fundraising effort to build a community cultural center near 21st and H streets downtown on property owned by the Self-Help Credit Union.

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New California coastal state park planned for 2022 opening

Sacramento Bee

The first new state park campground on the California coast in 30 years is expected to feature ocean frontage on Monterey Bay when it opens in 2022.

 

Housing:

 

See which Fresno area sites have been identified for potential new homeless programs

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced 286 state-owned properties this week that will be made available to local governments who could use them as solutions to the state homeless crisis, and five of them are in the Fresno area.

See also:

 

Investors who let California homes sit empty could face fines under proposed law

Sacramento Bee

Corporations that own California properties could soon be fined for keeping homes vacant for more than three months under a proposed law to give tenants, nonprofits and cities more say over what happens to empty buildings.

 

The hidden housing measure on your March ballot

CALmatters

Tucked into a $15 billion school bond measure is a break to encourage developers building apartments around transit. Some fear it could hurt certain school districts.

 

Opinion: Standing up to powerful developers and their allies isn’t deplorable, it’s laudable

Sacramento Bee

Many of California’s elites are making it very clear they think you are deplorable if you don’t agree that developers should be given free-reign to bulldoze single-family neighborhoods in California to build luxury condominiums.

 

Trump’s new tough-love homelessness czar might surprise skeptics

San Francisco Chronicle

Robert Marbut sees common ground with California by emphasizing recovery, services and personal responsibility over “housing first.”

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Commentary: Does the US really need a corporate minimum tax?

AEI

If the administration is concerned about how the tax code treats certain transactions, it should address them directly rather than layer a new tax on top of an existing one.

 

Opinion: Trump's trillion-dollar-plus deficits put America on path to fiscal ruin

USA Today

Though no one in Washington will admit it, our nation's finances are in deep trouble. Spending is up, revenue is down, and this will only get worse.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

New legislation calls for $32 billion funding to help complete High-Speed Rail

abc30

Congressman Jim Costa announced legislation on Friday calling for additional federal funding to help complete California's High-Speed Rail, along with projects in other parts of the country.

See also:

 

Could free transit for kids help California beat climate change?

CALmatters

The Legislature is considering giving everyone age 18 and under free rides on public transportation. But will that really create a generation of lifetime riders?

 

WATER

 

Self-Help Enterprises has Emergency Services to get water to families

abc30

If a natural disaster strikes, families can be left high and dry. One organization has a new program that offers relief to local families. Self-Help Enterprises has a new Emergency Services program designed to get safe drinking water to families in need.

 

A record high temperature, and still no rain in sight for Modesto

Modesto Bee

Some Modesto residents looked out their windows Saturday morning to an encouraging sight: raindrops darkening pavement or making ripples in their swimming pools. Unfortunately, any hopes for a rainy day (no precipitation was in the forecast, by the way) dried up within minutes.

 

FEMA reverses itself on Oroville Dam funds, but still denies millions to California

Sacramento Bee

The federal government, in an unusual reversal, has agreed to reimburse California officials for millions of dollars in additional costs from the 2017 Oroville Dam crisis — but is continuing to deny millions more.

 

Despite California drought fears, resorts aren’t too worried about the ski season

Sacramento Bee

Mary Jo Gorton readied her snowboard gear Tuesday in the Sugar Bowl parking lot surrounded by more white snow than brown dirt.

 

Skelton: Newsom hopes to broker a peace treaty in California’s water war. Some worry he’ll cave to Trump

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom may be piloting a lifeboat that will rescue the sinking California Delta. Or he may be in water over his head on a doomed mission. The governor gets angry with skeptics who say he’s being delusional. But history sides with the doubters.

See​​ also:

 

“Xtra”

 

Armenian-American Musical Heritage event on Saturday

Fresno State Campus News

The Armenian Studies Program will hold a special event, “Armenian-American Musical Heritage of the San Joaquin Valley,” from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, at the University Business Center.

 

Merced’s plans to expand arts scene may include new downtown district

Merced Sun-Star

Merced’s arts and culture scene could be on the precipice of a renaissance — one that may have official backing from the city.

 

CSUB hosts second annual Techstars Startup Weekend

KBAK

The three-day event is designed to give people the chance to come up with their own business concepts and build a prototype, before presenting the final results to a panel of judges.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

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