POLICY & POLITICS
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Between our elected officials and Newsom’s appointments, the Valley is in the spotlight
Modesto Bee
You can either throw up your hands in despair … or dig deeper to find a better way. Several people in high-profile jobs are doing just that. It’s too soon to celebrate many victories, but they’re on the right track.
See also:
· Smith: An open letter to California’s new governor Bakersfield Californian
Walters: San Joaquin Valley — California’s poor stepchild?
CALmatters
Technically, California’s San Joaquin Valley – the drainage plain of the San Joaquin River – begins a few miles south of Sacramento and ends a few miles south of Fresno. However, in political and economic terms, it stretches even further south to the Tehachapi Mountains, south of Bakersfield.
North SJ Valley:
After three years in office, Modesto mayor to give state of city talk
Modesto Bee
Modesto Mayor Ted Brandvold will do something he has not done in the three years since he took office: give a state of the city address.
See also
· City, county propose 180-bed homeless shelter for Modesto Modesto Bee
Mathews: Merced — the city of California’s unfinished dreams
San Francisco Chronicle
Have any grand but unfocused ambitions? Have an idea but no strategy to execute it? How about any half-finished projects clogging up your garage? Send them to Merced. That’s what the state of California does.
New president selected for Modesto Junior College
Modesto Bee
James Houpis, dean of academic support and learning technologies at Skyline College in San Bruno, has accepted the offer to become president of Modesto Junior College, the Yosemite Community College District announced Thursday.
Stanislaus County takes hard look at cannabis permits. Could see dollar signs soon.
Modesto Bee
Cannabis businesses are advancing, and stumbling, through the permit process in Stanislaus County, giving county leaders some hope of seeing significant revenue from the legal marijuana industry.
In Garlic Capital, Tariffs And Immigration Crackdown Have Mixed Impacts
NPR
Gilroy, Calif., is known as the garlic capital of the world. And two Trump administration policies — one on trade, the other on immigration — are having a mixed impact on this agricultural community south of San Francisco.
Central SJ Valley:
They were injured in a cycling accident on Auberry Road. Jury rules county at fault
Fresno Bee
David Bray and Melissa Ann Rose were riding on Auberry Road, a mile and half north of Millerton Road, with a group of five others from the Fresno Cycling Club around 9 a.m. March 19, 2017 when they came across sand and gravel covering the bike lane during a descent along their route.
See also:
● Warszawski: Message to Fresno County is clear: Maintain bike lanes, or lose again in court Fresno Bee
Bitwise Industries adding a new campus in Downtown Fresno
abc30
At the moment the State Center Warehouse building near R and Ventura in Downtown Fresno sits empty and dark, but Bitwise Industries has big plans.
Hanford Sentinel
Council held a public hearing Tuesday involving a proposal to remove the future alignment of Cedar Lane as a collector street from the circulation element of the Lemoore General Plan between Vine Street and Lemoore Avenue.
See also:
● Downtown East Precise Plan to be repealed Hanford Sentinel
South SJ Valley:
The Ku Klux Klan and Visalia: A legacy of racism that hasn’t died
Visalia Times-Delta
As Visalia schools face charges of racial harassment of black students, the Times-Delta takes a look back at intolerance in Tulare County.
WORTH NOTING: City says snowpack accumulation exceeds average by 138%
Bakersfield Californian
This is higher than last week’s estimate, which showed accumulation at 120 % above average.
Recently, city data show that the 2016-17 season exceeded the average by 260 %.
State:
Democrats are ‘the enemy’: California GOP elects leader less focused on Trump
Fresno Bee
California’s Republican Party took a small step on Sunday in an effort to regain political power, selecting a person to lead the party who is less vocally supportive of President Donald Trump.
See also:
● California Republican Party elects first woman, Latina to be its leader Los Angeles Times
● California Republicans elect Millennial Latina as new leader San Francisco Chronicle
● California Republicans Select First Woman to Chair State Party KQED
● California GOP elects millennial Latina as new chair CALmatters
● California Republicans Just Elected Their First Female Party Chairperson, But The GOP Still Faces A Daunting Comeback Capital Public Radio
● California Republicans Are At Historic Low. This Weekend In Sacramento, The Party Seeks A Path Forward Capital Public Radio
● “Travis, just go away”: Carl DeMaio says Travis Allen would be unfit to next CAGOP chair CALmatters
● California GOP hammers on Democrats’ ‘socialism’ to try to win back voters San Francisco Chronicle
● ‘Build the Wall’ dinner at Claim Jumper: California Tea Party fights GOP ‘establishment’ Sacramento Bee
● My turn: Not to say I told them so, but I did tell CA Republicans so CALmatters
● My turn: GOP is dead in California. A new way must rise CALmatters
● My turn: California Republicans missed the future CALmatters
Gavin Newsom joins other governors to confront — and dine with — President Trump
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom arrived in Washington this weekend seeking ways to shield California from the administration’s policies while at the same time searching for common ground on issues including disaster relief.
See alo:
● Gavin Newsom should welcome war with Trump — he can’t lose San Francisco Chronicle
● California Gov. Gavin Newsom puts distance between himself and Jerry Brown San Francisco Chronicle
● Newsom raises $2.5 million to pay the bills for parties around inauguration San Francisco Chronicle
California lawmakers and lobbyists hustle to write hundreds of bills, many not fully cooked
Los Angeles Times
Former Gov. Jerry Brown famously wrote in a veto message that “not every human condition deserves a law,” a viewpoint worth pondering in light of the fact that a staggering 2,576 bills were introduced in the Legislature before last week’s deadline.
CAFwd
Chiang is a Democrat and will join Republican Pete Weber of Fresno as Co-Chairs of the bipartisan public policy organization. Chiang succeeds Lenny Mendonca on the Leadership Council after Mendonca joined the Newsom Administration as chief economic adviser.
California is setting up new Citizens Redistricting Commission
CALmatters
California State Auditor Elaine Howle’s office must do the spade work necessary to create a new California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw district lines for legislative, congressional and Board of Equalization seats. And she wants your help.
Federal:
Los Angeles Times
Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s debate with a group of school children over climate change policy, captured in a video that went viral late Friday, underscored tensions brewing within the Democratic Party between its restive liberal activists and more moderate, pragmatic elected officials.
Dems launch bid to scuttle Trump’s national emergency over border wall money
abc30
House Democrats on Friday took the first step in a long-shot bid to stop President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration aimed at getting more money to build his proposed border wall after congressional Democrats refused to give it to him.
See also:
● Democrats say military projects are at risk as they prepare to defy Trump on wall Sacramento Bee
● Trump warns fellow Republicans as Congress prepares to vote on rejecting his national emergency LA Times
● ‘No factual basis’ for a wall emergency, former national security officials declare Los Angeles Times
● Former senior national security officials to issue declaration on national emergency Washington Post
Rants aside, Trump scores big with Congress
Roll Call
The latest edition of CQ’s study of congressional voting comes out in CQ Magazine on Feb. 25 and the authors, CQ reporters John Bennett and Jonathan Miller, explain that Congress voted as Trump wanted at record levels in 2017 and 2018, while representatives and senators who crossed party lines more than their peers paid at the ballot box.
EDITORIAL: Love-hate relationship with press is nothing new
Stockton Record
The current occupant of the White House is just as harsh, albeit with cruder language, as Thomas Jefferson. Point in fact, elected officials always have had an uneasy, if symbiotic relationship with the press. They need each other.
Political rules can change game’s outcome
CALmatters
When Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in 2010 and maintained it for three subsequent election cycles, Democrats complained loudly that it was the result of gerrymandering – drawing districts in a way to favor one party – by GOP-controlled state legislatures.
Dems move toward first vote to crack down on gun violence
Politico
In the most high-profile congressional vote on gun control in years, House Democrats are set to pass a bipartisan measure this week that mandates federal background checks on all gun sales, including private transactions.
Other:
Gilbert: Community steps up to help Stocktonian who leads with his heart
Recordnet
The hotographer of Stockton, who probably spends more time volunteering at community events than he does running his business, was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia on Jan. 22 and will begin five days of chemotherapy on March 4, followed by an expected 90 days of recovery, mostly isolated from others.
Restrictions On Deployed U.S. Troop Data Could Put 2020 Census ‘At Risk’
Capital Public Radio
New security measures at the Department of Defense that limit the release of military records about U.S. troops deployed abroad could put the accuracy of the 2020 census “at risk,” according to a newly released internal Census Bureau document.
Mayors or the FCC: Who understands the broadband needs of metropolitan residents?
The development of new digital telecommunications capabilities combined with a persistent digital divide leaves the public sector with enormous responsibilities to promote network quality and deliver equitable access—but it can only do so by sensibly splitting regulatory responsibilities between the national and local levels.
A Seat at the Head of the Table
New York Times
Women aspired to leadership as much as men did. But organizations often funneled women into jobs that didn’t have much of a career ladder.
EDITORIAL: Pinterest strikes back at online disinformation. Are you paying attention, Facebook?
Los Angeles Times
In the two years since the fake-news problem on Facebook and other major social media networks burst into the spotlight, the companies have taken one dramatic action after another to try to rid themselves of disinformation.
EDITORIAL: Some say The Bee has a political agenda. We’re pursuing the truth, like we always have
Fresno Bee
The Bee’s mission is to serve the central San Joaquin Valley by reporting news fairly and accurately and offering opinions that advocate for the region and enhance it. It is not a “liberal” or “conservative” issue.
See also:
· EDITORIAL: Love-hate relationship with press is nothing new Stockton Record
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, March 3, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Retrospective: Former State Senate Minority Leader Jean Fuller” – Guest: Former State Senate Minority Leader Jean Fuller (R). Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 3, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: TBD
Sunday, March 3, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “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
CalFresh benefits released ahead of schedule to offset impact of government shutdown
Visalia Times-Delta
On Friday, Tulare County Health and Human Services officials announced that to help offset February CalFresh benefits being released early, benefits for March are being issued on March 1, county officials announced on Friday.
In Garlic Capital, Tariffs And Immigration Crackdown Have Mixed Impacts
NPR
Gilroy, Calif., is known as the garlic capital of the world. And two Trump administration policies — one on trade, the other on immigration — are having a mixed impact on this agricultural community south of San Francisco.
How farmers are using greenhouses to protect their tropical fruit from the cold
abc30
The Valley might not seem like a tropical paradise but some farmers have been able to grow pineapple, guava and papaya. But recent cold winter conditions have put some of those crops in jeopardy.
Massive Loss Of Thousands Of Hives Afflicts Orchard Growers And Beekeepers
Valley Public Radio
Many beekeepers across the U.S. have lost half their hives — they call one with no live bees inside a “deadout.” Some beekeepers lost as many as 80 %. That’s unusual. And many of the hives that did survive aren’t strong in numbers.
Stanislaus County takes hard look at cannabis permits. Could see dollar signs soon.
Modesto Bee
Cannabis businesses are advancing, and stumbling, through the permit process in Stanislaus County, giving county leaders some hope of seeing significant revenue from the legal marijuana industry.
Cannabis Leaders Say California’s Recreational Pot Market Faltering
KQED
Leaders in the cannabis industry say California’s recreational marijuana market is not working. On Thursday, a group of them sent Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration a list of recommendations on how to fix it.
Los Angeles Times
Before he was elected governor, Gavin Newsom was instrumental in legalizing marijuana for recreational use in California. Now, as he settles into office, he faces the challenge of fixing a system that has been slow to bloom.
Black Farmworkers in the Central Valley: Escaping Jim Crow for a Subtler Kind of Racism
KQED
When the Marshall siblings’ father moved to the Central Valley from Mississippi in 1944 to work for the railroad, his goal was twofold: make enough money to provide for his wife and children, and put distance between his family and the racist laws of the South.
U.S. farmers receive $7.7 billion in trade aid to date: USDA
Reuters
U.S. Department of Agriculture has paid out $7.7 billion so far to farmers, William Northey, Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, said on Friday, in aid designed to offset the negative impact of tariff imposition.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Bomb scare closes Home Depot in Tulare
Visalia Times-Delta
The Tulare Home Depot was evacuated at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday when a bomb threat was phoned into the home improvement retailer. After searching the building for more than two hours, police gave the all-clear. No explosive devices were found.
Gavin’s Law: Bill introduced in honor of beloved Clovis hit-and-run victim
abc30
A proposed bill called Gavin’s Law was introduced to the State Assembly on Friday. Gavin Gladding’s family believes the current hit-and-run statute incentivizes drivers to run away instead of staying behind to help – something that could have saved their son’s life.
California must double-down on prison rehabilitation
CALmatters
Rehabilitative programming and educational opportunities were very important to me and other people who are incarcerated in state prisons. I spent my first 11 years in institutions that provided little or no rehabilitative programming at all.
EDITORIAL: To save lives, deadly force policy needs serious reform – not window dressing
Sacramento Bee
For the second year in a row, law enforcement groups are fiercely opposing a bill by that would establish tighter rules specifying the circumstances in which officers can use deadly force.
Public Safety:
They were injured in a cycling accident on Auberry Road. Jury rules county at fault
Fresno Bee
David Bray and Melissa Ann Rose were riding on Auberry Road, a mile and half north of Millerton Road, with a group of five others from the Fresno Cycling Club around 9 a.m. March 19, 2017 when they came across sand and gravel covering the bike lane during a descent along their route.
See also:
● Warszawski: Message to Fresno County is clear: Maintain bike lanes, or lose again in court Fresno Bee
House Democrats start push for new gun control laws at emotional hearing
San Francisco Chronicle
Newly empowered House Democrats convened the first congressional hearing on gun violence in nearly a decade Wednesday, setting the stage for likely passage of gun control legislation sponsored by a Bay Area lawmaker.
See also:
● N.R.A. Magazine Draws Criticism for ‘Target Practice’ Headline With Photo of Pelosi and Giffords New York Times
● Armed and Dangerous: How the ATF Retrieves Guns From Banned Buyers Wall Street Journal
Judge rules men-only military draft unconstitutional in court win for San Diego men’s group
San Diego Union-Tribune
A federal judge has ruled that a men-only draft is unconstitutional, but he stopped short of ordering the Selective Service System to register women for military service.
See also:
● Judge Rules Male-Only Draft Violates Constitution Capital Public Radio
Scientists Release Controversial Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In High-Security Lab
NPR
Scientists have launched a major new phase in the testing of a controversial genetically modified organism: a mosquito designed to quickly spread a genetic mutation lethal to its own species, NPR has learned.
ROBERT PRICE: Opioids are already killing us, and now look what’s coming
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County’s opioid overdose rate of 8.5 per 100,000 population dwarfs the state rate of 5.2, according to the California Opioid Overdose Surveillance Dashboard, a collaboration of four state agencies and nonprofits.
Fire:
PG&E cancels $130 million in bonuses, cites ‘greater’ hardships of wildfire victims
Sacramento Bee
PG&E canceled $130 million in bonuses to thousands of employees Friday, telling them it couldn’t justify the payments when wildfire survivors are facing “significantly greater” hardships.
See also:
● Higher rates for PG&E? New bill would require state approval for increases on customers Sacramento Bee
● California considers wildfire insurance fund to avoid repeat of PG&E’s woes San Francisco Chronicle
Race to rebuild: Odyssey of three Santa Rosa families at different points of fire recovery
Press Democrat
Thousands of fire survivors are racing to finish homes by October, two years after the 2017 fires, when coverage expires for replacement housing.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Trump extends China tariff deadline, cites progress in talks
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump said Sunday he will extend a deadline to escalate tariffs on Chinese imports, citing “substantial progress” in weekend talks between the two countries.
See also:
● Trump again delays tariff increase on Chinese goods, claiming progress in trade talks Los Angeles Times
● Trump ‘always changes his mind,’ say exporters wary of trade deal San Francisco Chronicle
● Trump to Delay Tariff Increases on Chinese Imports Wall Street Journal
● Trump delays increase in tariffs on China, citing progress in trade talks Washington Post
Supreme Court overturns 9th Circuit equal-pay decision because of judge’s death
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court on Monday overturned a 9th Circuit Court decision on equal pay because Judge Stephen Reinhardt from Los Angeles died 11 days before the ruling was announced.
Investors Get Burned After Betting on Electric-Car Metals
Wall Street Journal
Markets from stocks to crude oil have staged a comeback in 2019 after tumultuous stretch at the end of last year. But cobalt and lithium – metals that are key to making the rechargeable batteries used in electric car vehicles and smartphones – are missing out on the rebound across risky assets.
The Political Playbook of a Bankrupt California Utility
New York Times
Eight years ago, federal investigators announced that a “litany of failures” by California’s largest utility had caused a massive gas explosion that killed eight people, injured 58 and incinerated a neighborhood in the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno.
U.S. deficits and the debt in 5 charts: A 2018 midterm report
PolitiFact
New government numbers show the deficit is on the rise.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that the preliminary federal budget deficit was $782 billion in fiscal year 2018 — $116 billion more than shortfall in FY 2017.
See also:
· Don’t ignore the national debt. It will only get worse if we don’t act now Brookings
Jobs:
Looking for a job? Fresno bosses want ‘independent thinkers.’ Here’s what else employers want
Fresno Bee
Fresno and Bakersfield, California, employers like certain jargon words in help wanted job ads when hiring workers. These are the most over-used word was for Fresno, Bay Area and elsewhere in California.
Skills Gap A Big Challenge For Employers
The Business Journal
A lack of technical or software skills isn’t the biggest problem in hiring workers, which is surprising, considering how fast technology is changing and being incorporated into businesses, said Budke, executive director of Sierra HR Partners in Fresno, a provider of human resources services and consulting for businesses.
Are you an employee or a contractor? Carpenters, strippers and dog walkers now face that question
Los Angeles Times
The California court set a strict new test: It assumes anyone is an employee if his or her job is central to a company’s core business or if the bosses direct the way the work is done.
More business coming to Madera
Madera Tribune
The Madera Planning Commission recently approved the plans for a third Starbucks coffee store, with drive-thru and outdoor patio seating area in the Bethard Square shopping center on west Olive Avenue and south I Streets.
Despite Tight Job Market, Labor Force’s Income Is Squeezed
Wall Street Journal
With U.S. unemployment near lows seen a half-century ago and labor so scarce that companies routinely complain of shortages, you might think American workers, with more bargaining power, are getting a bigger slice of the nation’s economic pie.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Only Armenian School in the Central Valley is expanding
abc30
A small school in Clovis is making big plans for the future. Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School was just approved to increase enrollment to 220 students.
New West High food-sharing program aims to reduce waste, food insecurity
Bakersfield Californian
In early February, a sharing table was set up where students can place their unused food from breakfast or lunch in one of several bins separated by food type. Students in need of more food can come to the bins and grab as much as they need.
BCSD, teachers union in stalemate over raise negotiations
Bakersfield Californian
Salary negotiations between the Bakersfield City School District and its teachers association appear to be at a standstill. Teachers feel they are not getting a fair shake from the district.
See also:
● Teachers have been striking all over California. Could this local district’s union be next? Fresno Bee
● Oakland teachers strike continues after talks break down San Francisco Chronicle
● Are California’s teachers’ strikes part of a coordinated ‘wave’? Not exactly Los Angeles Times
● Charter Schools Are A Flashpoint In California’s Teacher Strikes—Here’s Where And How They’ve Grown CALmatters
Gaspar: Did Bakersfield City Schools jump the gun by canceling summer school?
Bakersfield Californian
Last Dec. 20, the Bakersfield City School District sent a letter to its teachers letting them know that summer school for the 2019 school year was being canceled.
Blending tech, traditional teaching helps kids hit stride in Newman-Crows Landing district
Modesto Bee
Stride, brought into the Newman-Crows Landing district about five years ago, is one of several tools educators use to create a learning environment that blends technology with traditional teaching.
Milestone moment for Edison High: Alumni get firsthand look at $89M modernization projects
Stockton Record
Hundreds of school alumni reunited and took tours throughout campus on Saturday morning to see the progress already made of Edison High’s modernization projects.
Charter schools are a flashpoint in California’s teacher strikes—here’s where and how they’ve grown
CALmatters
The state’s charter schools—privately operated public schools that are mostly non-union—are all over the Capitol agenda. Lawmakers are fast-tracking transparency legislation that would treat charter trustees like regular school boards.
Support, strengthen education reforms in California, new report urges
EdSource
Taking stock five years into landmark changes for California’s schools, a new report calls for doubling down on efforts to deepen and strengthen “one of the country’s most ambitious equity-focused education reforms.”
Even when districts want more school nurses, they have trouble finding them
EdSource
When walking off the job in Los Angeles, and now Oakland, teachers have made demands not only for themselves but also for others who they see as overworked and under-supported in schools. High on the list are school nurses.
Higher Ed:
Deadline FAST APPROACHING: Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, March 15th, 2019. Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. The Maddy Institute will award two $56,000 Fellowships to Valley students who are accepted into a nationally ranked, qualified graduate program in the fall of 2019.
New president selected for Modesto Junior College
Modesto Bee
James Houpis, dean of academic support and learning technologies at Skyline College in San Bruno, has accepted the offer to become president of Modesto Junior College, the Yosemite Community College District announced Thursday.
Fresno State students will have to wait to graduate this May. That may be a good thing
Fresno Bee
Fresno State students won’t need to be awake, dressed and ready to graduate by 8 a.m. anymore. The university announced Friday that commencement will be held in the afternoon for the first time since the ceremony moved indoors to the Save Mart Center.
Racist posters re-emerge at Stanislaus State in Turlock, removed by campus police
Modesto Bee
More posters supporting the white nationalist group Identity Evropa were found and removed from the Stanislaus State University campus in Turlock this week.
Cal State remedial education reforms help thousands more students pass college-level math classes
Los Angeles Times
The first results are in for the Cal State system’s controversial move last year to eliminate non-credit remedial classes and replace them with regular courses, buttressed with extra support, that count toward an undergraduate degree.
Come Work For Us: We’ll Help Pay Down Your Student Loans
Capital Public Radio
Student loan debt has not only become more common, the size of the average loan has nearly doubled over the past decade or so. Collectively, Americans carry more than $1.5 trillion in student loan debt.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Climate Science: Adapting To Change In the San Joaquin Valley
Valley Public Radio
Since 2006, California has been releasing periodic reports on how the state should adapt to the potential impacts of climate change. The most recent report is unique in that it also looks at key climate risks from a regional perspective.
Eucalyptus: How California’s Most Hated Tree Took Root
KQED
Depending on whom you ask, eucalyptus trees are either an icon in California or a fire-prone scourge.
Bay Curious heard from two hikers wanting to know about the past and future of California’s eucalyptus trees.
The Hard Lessons of Dianne Feinstein’s Encounter with the Young Green New Deal Activists
The New Yorker
Because—to put it bluntly—older generations will be dead before the worst of it hits. The kids whom Feinstein was talking to are going to be dealing with climate chaos for the rest of their lives, as any Californian who has lived through the past few years of drought, flood, and fire must recognize.
See also:
● Role of carbon tax in Green New Deal The Hill
EPA regulator skirts the line between former clients and current job
Washington Post
Less than a month into his tenure as the top air policy official at the Environmental Protection Agency, Bill Wehrum hopped into the EPA’s electric Chevy Volt and rode to the Pennsylvania Avenue offices of his former law firm.
Trump halts talks with California over rules for fuel-efficient vehicles
Washington Times
The White House said Thursday it cut off talks with California over a proposed rollback of Obama-era fuel efficiency standards, a move hailed by conservatives as pro-consumer and criticized by liberals worried about climate change.
See also:
· White House to set up panel to counter climate change consensus, officials say Washington Post
· Scientist says some pollution is good for you — a disputed claim Trump’s EPA has embraced Los Angeles Times
Energy:
Higher rates for PG&E? New bill would require state approval for increases on customers
Fresno Bee
California lawmakers are considering a plan that would require PG&E to get their approval before increasing customer rates. State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, introduced Senate Bill 549 on Friday to make it more difficult for the company to pass along bankruptcy costs to customers.
Offshore wind industry could mean thousands of jobs, report says
Times Standard
The offshore wind industry could support almost 18,000 new jobs in California, according to a new report. The sector is projected to grow as the cost of production falls overtime with generation efficiency estimates “two to three times that of solar, nearly twice that of land-based wind, and even greater than that of coal.”
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Price: Opioids are already killing us, and now look what’s coming
Bakersfield Californian
When prices drop and supply increases, even in the face of steady demand, the consumer benefits. There are exceptions to the rule, of course. One is when the commodity in question is killing people.
High-stakes trial over Roundup cancer claim to begin
Associated Press
A jury in federal court in San Francisco will decide whether Roundup weed killer caused a California man’s cancer in a trial starting Monday that plaintiffs’ attorneys say could help determine the fate of hundreds of similar lawsuits.
EDITORIAL: Soda taxes work. That’s why the soda industry fights so hard to defeat them
San Francisco Chronicle
A new UC Berkeley study found that, three years after the city of Berkeley implemented a tax on soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, Berkeley residents slashed their consumption of these drinks by a whopping 52 %.
Human Services:
Did HCCA violate campaign finance rules when it hired spies to influence recall election?
Visalia Times-Delta
Healthcare Conglomerate Associates apparently violated California campaign finance regulations when the company failed to report a $230,000 payment to a political consulting firm hired to help the company hang on to a lucrative contract to run Tulare Regional Medical Center.
See also:
● ‘A Coen Brothers Movie In The Making’ – Inside A Failed Attempt At Election Meddling In Tulare Valley Public Radio
County debuts new mobile clinic designed to take health services directly to communities
Bakersfield Californian
After years of low turnout at its satellite offices, Kern Public Health has embarked on a new strategy to bring health care to underserved areas.
A record number of babies have been surrendered in California. Some say that’s ‘hopeful’
Bakersfield Californian
The number of babies who have been safely surrendered spiked in 2017 to a record. The number of illegally abandoned baby cases has dropped and slowed overtime. The last three years on record show that out of just nine abandoned babies, all survived.
VA hospital care in Palo Alto can be a hassle for Modesto families. This place helps
Modesto Bee
Another site has opened in Palo Alto to provide free lodging for families of veterans and active service members getting hospital care.
New resource for SJ’s LGBT+ community
Stockton Record
The San Joaquin Pride Center unveiled the debut of the “I Am” mobile application during a news conference Friday morning at Stagg High School.
Clinics that provide abortion referrals barred from federal program under Trump admin
abc30
The Trump administration announced Friday that family planning clinics will be prohibited from providing women referrals for an abortion if they want to continue to receive federal money, a move that sets the stage for a protracted court battle.
See also:
● Under-the-radar Trump admin idea: Will it undermine Obamacare, abortion in California? CALmatters
● Trump administration bars clinics that provide abortions or abortion referrals from federal funding Washington Post
A New Plan Aims To Train Thousands of First Responders in Rural Areas
Capital Public Radio
Trauma victims in rural areas are more at risk than those in cities where medical help is closer at hand. An ambitious plan from Dr. Dinesh Vyas with San Joaquin General Hospital aims to change that by training tens of thousands of first responders in California to save lives.
California could be first state to bar drug makers from paying competitors to delay release
Los Angeles Times
Legislation by Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) attempts to end a practice known as “pay for delay,” in which a drug company stalls the release of a generic drug that would cut into its profits by paying the competitor to slow research, marketing or the sale of lower-priced prescriptions.
The High Cost of Child Care Underscores the Need for Supporting Families With Children of All Ages
California Budget & Policy Center
Statewide, the median annual cost of care for an infant in a licensed child care center is over $15,000. In a family with two working parents earning low wages, each parent would have to work 147 hours per week to avoid paying more than the federally recommended 7% of income on the cost of child care for their infant.
See also:
● Subsidized Child Care Can Help Reduce Barriers to Success for Children of Color, but Few Receive It in California California Budget & Policy Center
New “Strong Start Index” Designed to Help California’s Children to Thrive and Succeed
CAFwd
The Index is based on the premise that all children deserve a strong start in life. First 5 Association of California, partner to the 2018 California Economic Summit, and Children’s Data Network developed the Index to help policymakers, service providers and government agencies support children and families more effectively and to ensure that resources go where they are needed most.
More Retirees Find Themselves Taking Care Of Mom And Dad
Capital Public Radio
At a time in life when 60- or 70-something seniors anticipate retirement, and maybe some downtime, some are becoming caregivers and guardians of their parents. No stats exist on how widespread this is but the trend is expected to intensify.
Is a More Generous Society Possible?
Scientific American
Today, through this project, more than 20 participating researchers use an array of tools, including economic simulations and computer modeling, to study altruism and cooperation at nine field sites.
IMMIGRATION
California’s new ‘sanctuary’ battle could be keeping immigrant data away from ICE
Los Angeles Times
After California’s landmark “sanctuary state” law limited police from collaborating with federal immigration agents, one legislator wants to prevent local government from doing business with companies that he says play a role in the Trump administration’s “deportation machine.”
Worker visas in doubt as Trump immigration crackdown widens
Modesto Bee
Immigrants with specialized skills are being denied work visas or seeing applications get caught up in lengthy bureaucratic tangles under federal changes that some consider a contradiction to President Donald Trump’s promise of a continued pathway to the U.S. for the most talented foreigners.
See also:
· Approval Rate Declines for H-1B Visas Wall Street Journal
Trump plan fails to cut immigration court backlog, as caseload soars more than 26%
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration’s controversial plan to shrink the ballooning backlog of immigration cases by pushing judges to hear more cases has failed, according to the latest data, with the average wait for an immigration hearing now more than two years.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Hanford Sentinel
Council held a public hearing Tuesday involving a proposal to remove the future alignment of Cedar Lane as a collector street from the circulation element of the Lemoore General Plan between Vine Street and Lemoore Avenue.
See also:
● Downtown East Precise Plan to be repealed Hanford Sentinel
Bitwise Industries adding a new campus in Downtown Fresno
abc30
At the moment the State Center Warehouse building near R and Ventura in Downtown Fresno sits empty and dark, but Bitwise Industries has big plans.
Big plans and constant delays for major shopping centers awaiting construction in Bakersfield
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield shoppers have heard for years construction was about to begin on three major shopping centers across the city. And every time there’s been a delay, often despite what appear to be favorable economic conditions.
Housing:
City, county propose 180-bed homeless shelter for Modesto
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County and Modesto are poised to take a big step toward providing more services for the homeless through a partnership with The Salvation Army that will cost several million dollars and includes opening a 180-bed shelter with services at the army’s Berberian Center near downtown.
See also:
· EDITORIAL: Why not let homeless college students park in campus lots? Los Angeles Times
New downtown Escalon housing development invites you to live in an old police station
Modesto Bee
An innovative new housing development is coming to Main Street, which will renovate the city’s former police station and city hall buildings to become new moderate-income housing.
Here’s how presidential candidates want to help solve the housing crisis
Mercury News
As California and other states face dramatically rising rents and home prices, three of the top Democratic contenders in 2020 — Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren — have already introduced major proposals in the Senate that would reshape affordable housing in America.
See where California teachers have the toughest time paying rent, mortgage
Sacramento Bee
California is suffering a persistent teacher shortage. One reason: As home prices rise, teachers in California struggle to afford to live in many of the areas where they work. Many workers in other professions — public and private — face similar problems living in the state’s high cost areas.
Does “upzoning”—allowing taller, denser housing to be built—actually work?
CALmatters
For most California housing experts, the solution to the state’s housing crisis is pretty intuitive: Build more housing. Study after study has indicated that too much demand and too little supply has led to the state’s exorbitant rents and sky-high home prices.
If California pursues a cap on rent increases, how many tenants will it actually help?
CALmatters
Legislators who have backed rent control expansions in the past say they’re working on proposals to help tenants stay in their homes. Newsom, in his State of the State address earlier this month, called on the Legislature to send him tenant protections he could sign into law, although he didn’t offer any specifics.
See also:
● Is Your Rent Through the Roof? Oregon Wants to Fix ThatNew York Times
PUBLIC FINANCES
An error-free state payroll? It’ll be at least four more years, controller says
Sacramento Bee
Five of the state’s 21 bargaining units have contracts expiring in July. Any pay or benefit changes that come with new contracts will once again test the error-prone system, instituted in the Vietnam War era when the state had 40 % fewer employees and wasn’t engaged in collective bargaining.
This board used to collect billions in California taxes. Voters might get to kill it.
Sacramento Bee
A California tax agency that used to collect tens of billions of dollars a year could be snuffed out for good if the Legislature moves forward with a pair of bills that would kill what’s left of the Board of Equalization.
Google seeks tax breaks for $600M data center in Minnesota
Modesto Bee
Google’s plan to build a $600 million wind-powered data center in central Minnesota may hinge on the tech giant’s request for officials to waive 20 years’ worth of future taxes.
Average tax refund down 17%, IRS reports
Politico
The agency released data late Friday showing refunds are down for the third consecutive week, with the typical payment made through Feb. 15 totaling $2,703, compared to $3,256 during the same period last year.
See also:
● As tax refunds shrink, Republicans scramble to defend Trump tax cut Politico
Opinion: How the Upper Middle Class Is Really Doing
New York Times
The only real winners in today’s economy are at the very top, according to this side of the debate. When Bernie Sanders talks about “the greed of billionaires” or Thomas Piketty writes about capital accumulation, they are making a version of this case.
TRANSPORTATION
Feel the need for speed? Local reactions mixed to no speed limit proposal on Hwy. 99
Modesto Bee
A Southern California legislator has proposed a bill to add new lanes to Interstate 5 and Highway 99 without speed limits, an idea that has drawn mixed reactions from Central San Joaquin Valley representatives and residents.
See also:
● California’s own Autobahn? Valley reps have mixed reaction to no speed limit on Highway 99 Merced Sun-Star
A new generation of flying cars is taking to the air. But without the cars
Los Angeles Times
No fewer than 70 companies are designing, building and testing this era’s version of the flying car. Just don’t expect much “car.” Thanks to advances in electric propulsion technology, the new designs look more like many-rotored helicopters.
Newsom tackles the bullet train with a new leadership team but no friends in the White House
Los Angeles Times
But the $77-billion train project — facing new hurdles and potentially longer odds of success — is much further along than when earlier governors had to make key decisions. And for Gov. Gavin Newsom, the decisions are unlikely to be his alone.
See also:
● Can America Still Build Big? A California Rail Project Raises Doubts New York Times
● Governor Newsom and High Speed Rail Fox and Hound
● EDITORIAL: All aboard for the ‘Railroad to Nowhere! Bakersfield Californian
What’s more popular than Uber? Shockingly, it’s Jump bikes
Sacramento Bee
An October study found more Sacramentans were renting Jump bikes than using Uber’s car service by a 53 % to 47 % margin. That makes Sacramento the first of 16 Uber cities that have both bike and car service where the bikes are more popular, company officials said.
WATER
Feds announce initial Central Valley Project water allocation. Westlands isn’t pleased
Fresno Bee
San Joaquin Valley farmers on the east side will be getting their full allocation of San Joaquin River water, while farmers on the west side will be getting only 35 % to start, according to the 2019 initial water supply allocation released Wednesday by the federal Bureau of Reclamation.
See also:
● Westlands receives 35 % water allocation Hanford Sentinel
Flood watch ahead for Modesto as rain hits already wet soil
Modesto Bee
The National Weather Service predicts a wet week for Modesto, even putting a flood watch in effect from 10 a.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Thursday. The area could get up to 2 inches of rain during that period, according to an NWS map released Sunday.
Fishermen rejoice, Lake Kaweah could hit capacity this spring
Visalia Times-Delta
The Central Valley has seen several inches of rain — and snow this winter. Starting Sunday, though, temperatures will slowly begin to rise, and now at lower elevations with melt away. How full will Lake Kaweah get? That’s still to be seen.
See also:
● Bass Lake spillage levels steadily dropping, PG&E reports Sierra Star
Skelton: How can California capture more water? Competing interests will have to compromise
Los Angeles Times
Storm water has been rampaging down the Sacramento River, carrying ripped out docks, uprooted trees and homeowners’ backyards, hellbent for the Golden Gate. But very little of this precious water can be saved.
See also
· EDITORIAL: What’s Gavin Newsom’s plan for sustainable water in California? We still have little idea Los Angeles Times
Supreme Court will consider letting groundwater pollution escape regulation under Clean Water Act
USA Today
The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide if contamination of groundwater that seeps into rivers, lakes and oceans violates the Clean Water Act.
Dumping pollutants directly into navigable bodies of water is prohibited by the 47-year-old law, but it is less clear about indirect sources.
“Xtra”
Black American History Parade brings community together
Bakersfield Californian
School bands, dance groups, local dignitaries and representatives from various businesses and organizations participated in the event, which took place in the Eastchester portion of downtown Bakersfield.
Final decision on Lightning in a Bottle scheduled for Tuesday
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Board of Supervisors is set to make a final decision on allowing the Lightning in a Bottle music festival take place at Buena Vista Lake at Tuesday’s meeting.
Hands in the Community plans annual golf tourney
Hanford Sentinel
Hands in the Community (HNC) announces its sixth annual Golf Tournament on May 3, 2019 at the Ridge Creek Golf Course in Dinuba.
Pancakes and Visalia firefighters…what else could you ask for?
Visalia Times-Delta
On Saturday, Visalia Fire Department is hosting a community breakfast at Station 51 to celebrate its 150th year in service. Anyone is welcome to attend the free event.
Runners head out to Woodward Park for ‘Support Blue’ race
abc30
Fresno police chaplains launched this “Support Blue” race four years ago when officers felt sentiment growing against them. Officers in the race or on the sidelines feel the support from the Woodward Park crowd, and they raise money for chaplain programs.
Oscars 2019: ‘Green Book’s’ best picture win caps off an unpredictable awards season
Los Angeles Times
Heading into the night, the best picture race seemed unusually wide open, with no clear and sustained front-runner, and yet the win for “Green Book” was not entirely unexpected.
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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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