February 27, 2019

27Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

Deadline extended: March 15, 2019

Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship

The Maddy Institute

Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships

North SJ Valley:

New California lawmaker puts his face on Medicare for all – and a target on his back

Sacramento Bee

California Rep. Josh Harder is the only Democrat from a moderate district who will be front and center as House progressives roll out their plan on Medicare for all Wednesday.

More disruptions plague city council meeting

Stockton Record

After another meeting filled with disruptions Tuesday night, Stockton City Council members are questioning what can be done to alleviate the problem.

State of County highlights struggles, promise of SJ

Stockton Record

The struggles and the promise of San Joaquin County were side by side at Tuesday’s meeting of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors.

Central SJ Valley:

How much good can be done in five years with $66 million in southwest Fresno?

Fresno Bee

The city is moving full steam ahead on its Transform Fresno plan, which is expected to pump $66.5 million into downtown, Chinatown and southwest Fresno.

South SJ Valley:

Why did David Valadao lose his congressional seat? One key is the Latino voter

Fresno Bee

Cox’s last-minute upset victory flipped the Central Valley district from red to blue for the first time in 38 years. Republican David Valadao, the three-term, Tea Party-endorsed incumbent, lost.

Perez trial vacated, lawyers slated to reschedule

Bakersfield Californian

The jury trial for Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez has been vacated. The trial had been set for late March, but lawyers for both sides are now scheduled to work out a new trial date on May 10.

Supervisors approve Lightning in a Bottle music festival

Bakersfield Californian

The Lightning in a Bottle music festival has been unanimously approved by the Kern County Board of Supervisors.

The vote was delayed after concerns over traffic and safety were brought up by law enforcement agencies when the decision first came before the board two weeks ago.

State:

GOP dodges bullet, but faces tough future

CALmatters

The California Republican Party, which has become virtually irrelevant in recent years, had a great opportunity last weekend to commit self-annihilation by electing an unrepentant, Donald Trump-loving right-winger as party chairperson.

See also:

Gov. Gavin Newsom uses the power of appointments to shape government in his image

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted a highly significant but less visible power of his office in his first State of the State speech earlier this month: selecting appointees who can reshape California government in his image and help deliver on his ambitious policy agenda.

Newsom tries to sidestep California’s clash with Trump in visit to Washington

Los Angeles Times

Instead, the Democratic governor invested time with top administration officials, hoping to smooth tense relations with the White House that could obstruct federal assistance in addressing crucial issues facing California.

See also:

New Regulations, Big Impacts Part I: Elections, Revenue, Property and Public Safety

PublicCEO

From increasing transparency in campaign finance reporting to legalizing sidewalk vending, California lawmakers passed a number of laws in 2018 that have a significant impact on how public agencies do business now.

Fox: Want to Draw CA Electoral Districts? Now’s Your Chance

Fox & Hounds

California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission jumps into it’s second line-drawing exercise with the process to select new commissioners beginning this Friday with a Town Hall at the State Auditor’s office explaining the ins-and-outs of being a commissioner.

Federal:

Democrats surge to lead House Intelligence after wasted years under Devin Nunes

Fresno Bee

Republican Representative Devin Nunes of Tulare, California, protected US President Donald Trump while chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and Democrats are moving the Russia investigation forward.

Political rules can change game’s outcome

Bakersfield Californian

Anyone who harbors the quaint notion that high-stakes politics are rational, much less ethical, should be disabused by two terms: “gerrymandering” and “ballot harvesting.”

House OKs Democrats’ bill blocking Trump emergency on wall

Sacramento Bee

Democrats have pushed legislation through the House to stymie President Donald Trump’s bid for billions of extra dollars for his border wall.

See also:

In Show of Bipartisanship, House Approves a Sweeping Land Conservation Bill

New York Times

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed its first significant public lands conservation bill in years, designating more than one million acres of wilderness for environmental protection and permanently reauthorizing a federal program to pay for conservation measures.

House Democrats Reveal Plan for Medicare for All

Wall Street Journal

House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled details of a Medicare for All bill that would create a new federally financed health system, a proposal likely to shape a debate between the party’s 2020 presidential candidates who back the plan and centrists campaigning for more limited expansion options.

In Vietnam, Trump and Kim Jong Un find symbolism, history — and a shared goal of keeping the press at arm’s length

Los Angeles Times

The reclusive North Korean leader’s journey to his second summit with President Trump, which begins Wednesday in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, had taken 2½ days to cover more than 2,000 miles.

See also:

Is Trump racist? 2020 Democrats are split on the question

Porterville Recorder

A pair of Democratic presidential candidates blasted President Donald Trump as racist on Tuesday, adding to a growing debate among the White House hopefuls over how far to go in criticizing the president.

See also:

Joe Biden inches closer to launching a 2020 presidential bid

Sacramento Bee

Former Vice President Joe Biden inched closer to announcing a long-awaited decision to run for president in 2020, saying Tuesday that his family wanted him to run but that there were “still a couple hurdles to go through” before he could commit.

See also:

Other:

Majority believe women should take husband’s last name, survey says

abc30

According to the survey, more than 70 percent of Americans believe a woman should change her last name to her husband’s after getting married.

‘VD is everywhere:’ Instead of ‘fake news,’ call it ‘viral deception,’ journalist says

Fresno Bee

The editor in chief of ProPublica says the term “fake news” has lost all meaning and Donald Trump’s reason for using it has become clear.

See Also:

Poll: How does the public think journalism happens?

Columbia Journalism Review

For decades, we’ve known that Americans don’t trust the press. What we haven’t known is how people view the makings of journalism, from the use of fact checkers and anonymous sources to the question of whether money skews journalistic decision-making. This new national poll for CJR answers those questions, and points to how big the trust gap remains.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Sun-Maid takes a ‘monumental step,’ moving headquarters from Kingsburg to Fresno

Fresno Bee

The move is expected to take place this summer and will involve more than 100 employees. Harry Overly, Sun-Maid’s chief executive officer and president, said that while Kingsburg has been the home of Sun-Maid for 55 years, it’s time for a change.

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.

Dispensaries ask for more time to gather evidence for appeals

Bakersfield Californian

Once again, Kern County Board of Supervisors did not grant the appeals of any of the medical marijuana dispensaries that came before them on Tuesday.

Will An Appeals Court Make The EPA Ban A Pesticide Linked To Serious Health Risks?

KVPR
Crops like apples, corn, soybeans and Christmas trees are sprayed with chlorpyrifos. The Environmental Protection Agency decided to phase the popular pesticide out of household use back in 2000, but it’s still allowed in agriculture.Now, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will decide whether the EPA has to ban it.

Organic food is a rich bounty. Policymakers can help it grow
CALmatters

A recent study found that more than four out of five U.S. consumers say they purchase at least some organic food. What was a $3.6 billion industry in 1997 soared to a $50 billion industry by 2017, and its growth continues to outpace that of overall food sales.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

New bill would lower blood alcohol content limit for CA drivers

abc30

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would reduce the amount of alcohol you can legally have in your system while driving. The current blood-alcohol limit is .08 percent. But proposed legislation would lower that level to .05 percent.

New law aims to increase penalties for porch pirates

abc30

It’s become one of the most well-documented crimes and infuriating for homeowners on the other side of the screen. Cameras are capturing more and more porch pirates in the act, but it’s not stopping thieves.

Inmates are demanding new sentences under California’s revised felony-murder law

San Diego Union-Tribune

It was 35 years ago but the brief exchange between former San Diego Superior Court Judge J. Perry Langford and the lawyer for David Leon Dew summarized a debate as relevant now as then over the state’s felony-murder rule.

California Keeps a Secret List of Criminal Cops But Says You Can’t Have It

KQED
Thousands of California law enforcement officers have been convicted of a crime in the past decade, according to records released by a public agency that sets standards for officers in the Golden State.

See also:

Public Safety:

New chief sworn in to Atwater Police Department

abc30

Michael Salvador is stepping into his new role as Chief of the Atwater Police Department, and his first order of business is to introduce himself to his new community.

Big Pharma companies sue CalPERS, state prisons to block disclosure of drug prices

Sacramento Bee

Three drugmakers’ lawsuits tested part of a landmark drug pricing bill in California that requires pharmaceutical companies to notify the state before the companies raise drug prices. The 2017 law aims to help the state find alternatives to paying surprise price hikes that in some cases have leapt to 2,000 percent or more in recent years.

News Network: Preparing For ‘The Big One’

Capital Public Radio

The host and producers of KPCC’s earthquake preparedness podcast, “The Big One,” join Insight to discuss what they’ve learned about the how to survive the eventuality of California’s next big tremblor.

Alameda County supes vote to overhaul controversial Urban Shield police training program

San Francisco Chronicle

Alameda County supervisors voted Tuesday to overhaul the controversial Urban Shield law enforcement training program run by the sheriff’s office, stripping the annual conference — attended by agencies throughout the Bay Area — of trainings that police say were vital.

House slated to vote on most significant gun control bill in years

The Hill

The House is slated to vote Wednesday on landmark legislation to require universal background checks for gun sales, a top priority for Democrats. It will mark the most significant gun control vote in years after the Senate failed in 2013 to pass similar bipartisan legislation to expand the federal background check system.

U.S. Cyber Command operation disrupted Internet access of Russian troll factory on day of 2018 midterms

Washington Post

The U.S. military blocked Internet access to an infamous Russian entity seeking to sow discord among Americans during the 2018 midterms, several U.S. officials said, a warning that the Kremlin’s operations against the United States are not cost-free.

Fire:

City officials work to protect businesses, historic buildings after Madera fire

abc30

A massive fire burned a historical downtown Madera building to the ground on Monday, leaving nothing behind but piles of charred debris along Yosemite Avenue. Going forward, mayor Andy Medellin plans to work with the fire department to perhaps get them retrofitted for smoke alarms.

Camp Fire Survivors Share Their Dreams For A Rebuilt Paradise At Community Meeting

Capital Public Radio

The meeting was the first of several listening sessions organized by the town of Paradise to initiate a public dialogue about how to rebuild the community after last year’s deadly firestorm.

See also:

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Watch work progress on Bitwise Industries’ latest project in downtown Fresno

Fresno Bee

Work has begun on Bitwise Industries’ latest project, converting the 100,000-square-foot, 1918 State Center Warehouse & Cold Storage in downtown Fresno, California. Office, tech start-ups and restaurant spaces.

Stockton Begins Guaranteed Income Pilot Program

Capital Public Radio

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs joins us to talk as his guaranteed income program kicks off in the city.

Stock indexes end slightly lower after wobbly day

Los Angeles Times

U.S. stock indexes capped a day of wobbly trading with slight losses Tuesday, erasing some of their modest gains from the day before.

Jerome Powell Affirms Fed’s Patient Approach to Interest-Rate Changes

Wall Street Journal

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank is in no rush to move interest rates while officials assess the impact on the U.S. economy of slower global growth and financial-market turbulence.

Senators Press Drug-Company Executives Over Prices

Wall Street Journal

Leaders from seven drugmakers representing $140 billion in U.S. revenue defended their pricing in a Senate hearing that showcased bipartisan support for what would be some of the most significant changes to the industry in decades.

Jobs:

Can a dead judge rule on a Fresno equal pay case? Supreme Court says no

Fresno Bee

The Supreme Court has vacated a ruling in favor of a Fresno woman who had sued the county Office of Education over unequal pay, because one of the judges whose vote helped swing the case in her favor died before the decision was handed down.

The Valley’s only Surf Ranch is now hiring

abc30

You could be hanging ten at work. The Central Valley’s only surf ranch will hold a job fair.  Pro surfer Kelly Slater opened the giant wave pool last year in Lemoore some 100 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.

Valley Republic names new president and CEO, county schedules Mojave job fair

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Department of Human Services’ 2019 Job Fest Series continues March 7 with an employment fair at the Mojave Air & Space Port’s Stuart O. Witt Event Center, 1247 Poole St., in Mojave.

California’s biggest state worker union kicks off contract talks with town halls

Sacramento Bee

California state government’s largest union is holding two dozen town halls over the next two months to hear from its members ahead of contract negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

As gig companies beg for relief from pro-labor Supreme Court ruling, the lobbying is fast and furious

CALmatters

That quandary is behind a ferocious battle quietly playing out in the Capitol in the final days of the legislative session, which ends Aug. 31. Lobbyists for ride-sharing companies and the California Chamber of Commerce are scrambling to delay until next year (and the next governor’s administration) a far-reaching California Supreme Court decision that could grant Arellano’s wish—and, businesses fear, undermine the entire gig economy.

EDUCATION

K-12:

These five Fresno-area schools were just awarded one of California’s highest honors

Fresno Bee

Three Fresno-area schools have been named Distinguished Schools for 2019 according to the California Department of Education. Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson praised the schools’ hard work and “commitment to academic excellence.”

Can kids wear black armbands to school but not MAGA hats?

Los Angeles Times

This week marks the 50th anniversary of Tinker vs. Des Moines School District, in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of students who had been suspended for coming to school wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War.

Three Kern schools make state’s 2019 Distinguished Schools list

Bakersfield Californian

Three Kern County schools made the California Department of Education’s Distinguished Schools list this year. Delano and Cesar Chavez high schools and Rosedale Middle School were among 162 schools across the state that got the recognition.

BCSD teachers voice concerns over raises, summer school cuts at board meeting

Bakersfield Californian

Months of controversy regarding the Bakersfield City School District’s salary negotiations and decision to cut the summer school program next year came to a head this week.

BCSD board approves restrictions to public comment time

Bakersfield Californian

Community members will now have a little less time to speak at Bakersfield City School District board meetings.

Why White School Districts Have So Much More Money

Capital Public Radio

According to a new report, predominantly white school districts receive $23 billion more than districts that serve mostly students of color in the U.S.

Charter schools are a flashpoint in California’s teacher strikes—here’s where and how they’ve grown

CALmatters

As teachers picket in the streets of Oakland in their second high-profile strike this year in California, state lawmakers are hearing their battle cry loud and clear.

Data exclusive: With California school bonds, the rich get richer and the poor, not so much

CALmatters

Disparities in local school bonds are also reflected in state school bonds, although experts say the differences aren’t as stark. Nonetheless, state bonds are often awarded as matching dollars for local bonds.

Proposed legislation would substantially curb growth of California charter schools

EDSource

Three of the bills would eliminate the ability of charter schools to appeal rejected applications to the county and state, place an unspecified cap on charter school growth and enable school districts to consider the financial impact of charter schools when deciding whether to approve them.

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.

UCSF Fresno receives more than $3 million grant

abc30

In this UCSF Fresno lecture hall the physicians of tomorrow are being taught, soon more medical residents will fill seats and they will have access to additional resources. The medical campus recently received a $3.375 million grant from the Physicians for a Healthy California foundation.

Community Forum With Architects On New Oakhurst College

Sierra News

Plans are progressing for the new Oakhurst Community College Center located on the west side of Westlake Drive, north of Highway 49 in Oakhurst. Once again, the public is invited to attend a community forum where architects will provide an update on the project.

Scholarship to aid local trade students

Stockton Record

A $20,000 scholarship fund has been created to support local trade students and go toward buying the work tools they need to succeed.

Concern for ‘defrauded and victimized’ students spurs calls for tighter for-profit college oversight

CALmatters

The turmoil in the for-profit college industry has affected California as much as any state, with the closures of major chains leaving thousands of students deeply in debt, their educations on hold. Meanwhile, the state agency in charge of regulating private colleges and vocational schools has struggled to enforce California law.

California’s for-profit college watchdog fails to police as feds back down

CALmatters

An investigation by CALmatters in partnership with The Sacramento Bee found the BPPE  has repeatedly failed or been slow to enforce laws meant to prevent fraud and abuse at the more than 1,000 schools it is charged with overseeing, leaving a serious gap in accountability as federal regulators back away from the job.

13th Annual Report: Student Debt and the Class of 2017

The Institute for College Access and Success

Nationally, about two in three (65 percent) college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2017 had student loan debt, a slight decrease from 2016. These borrowers owed an average of $28,650, which is only 1 percent higher than the 2016 average of $28,350.

Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

This February has been cooler than usual, even in a warmer decade

Bakersfield Californian

Have you donned a jacket more often than usual in Bakersfield this February? If so, there may be good reason as the second month of 2019 has been decidedly cooler than normal.

Wildlife and off-roaders gain room to roam in California’s new desert protection act

Los Angeles Times

In the latest round of a 25-year battle to save the California desert, House lawmakers approved a sweeping conservation bill Tuesday that designates more terrain for wildlife and off-roaders alike and sets the stage for a final signature by President Trump.

Our five biggest delusions about climate change

Los Angeles Times

The extreme weather of the last year has been so terrifying, and so very extreme, that it is tempting to look at the string of disasters around the world and think: Climate change is here.

State’s Progress on 5 Million Zero Emission Vehicles by 2030: Q4 2018 Results

California Center for Jobs & the Economy

The latest new vehicle sales data from California New Car Dealers Association indicates that sales once again exceeded 2 million units for the year. Although slowing 2.2% from the prior year, this indicator reflects the level of overall consumer confidence and continuing strength of the recovery.

2018 California Environmental Scorecard

California Environmental Scorecard

Breakdown of California’s effort to clean up the environment.

Nearly 200,000 people exposed to California’s volcanic hazard zones each day, report says

USA Today

While Californians widely recognize the damaging potential of earthquakes, wildfires and tsunamis, researchers say, far fewer consider the risks of volcanic eruptions, “despite the fact that they occur in the state about as frequently as the largest earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault.”

EDITORIAL: Feinstein gets schooled on climate change by young activists

San Francisco Chronicle

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., went viral on social media this weekend — and not for the right reasons.

Energy:

PG&E rebate checks bounce due to temporary bank freeze

abc30

Customers receiving energy-saving rebates from PG&E suffered a rude surprise: their checks bounced.  The bounced checks are tied into PG&E’s bankruptcy. Experts said those with rebates coming would have nothing to worry about — so what happened?  

Trump Said the Electric Grid’s Under Threat, But Regulators Aren’t Acting

Bloomberg

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has so far taken no public action to resolve what President Donald Trump and his officials have characterized as a grid emergency. In the meantime, the agency has received more than 200 comments on the matter, and shutdowns of coal-fired power plants have accelerated.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

More Babies Are Being Born With Syphilis. Blame Meth and Opioids.

PEW
Many opioid users have started to use meth, either in combination with opioids or as a cheaper, more accessible alternative. Stimulants such as meth are even more likely than opioids to promote risky sexual behavior that increases the likelihood of contracting syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Human Services:

Drug executives come to Washington as Republicans grapple with how to stop runaway prices

Los Angeles Times

But even as drug prices have emerged as one of the few areas of common concern for President Trump and congressional Democrats, the drugmakers made no firm commitments to lower prices, and lawmakers — particularly Republicans — are far from settling on a strategy to force or even encourage companies to lower their prices.

See also:

Saying no to the nurses: California Democrats aren’t pushing government-run health care this year

Sacramento Bee

Many California Democrats say they support government-run health care, but none introduced a new version of the state’s landmark single-payer bill before a key deadline last week in the Legislature.

Double-Booked Surgeons: Study Raises Safety Questions For High-Risk Patients

Capital Public Radio

Most patients do fine, research suggests, when the lead surgeon steps away to begin another procedure. But patients who are older or have underlying medical conditions sometimes fare worse.

House Democrats Reveal Plan for Medicare for All

Wall Street Journal

House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled details of a Medicare for All bill that would create a new federally financed health system, a proposal likely to shape a debate between the party’s 2020 presidential candidates who back the plan and centrists campaigning for more limited expansion options.

IMMIGRATION

How the Pentagon will find $2.5 billion for border security

abc30

The Pentagon will have to move $2 billion into a counter drug fund to be used for securing the southern border during national emergency.

California immigrant detainees face long periods of confinement and barriers to medical treatment, state audit reveals

Los Angeles Times

On Tuesday, Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra released findings from the first state inspection of California’s immigrant detention centers, designed to provide a deeper look into the conditions inside the system as the Trump administration takes a more aggressive approach to confining people who are in the country illegally. California is one of the first states to examine everyday operations at the facilities.

See also:

California nurses head to Arizona shelter to treat asylum seekers, immigrants

Sacramento Bee

Moved by deaths of immigrants at southern U.S. border, registered nurses from California, Florida and Texas travel to Arizona to provide basic medical support to migrants and asylum seekers this weekend.

To draw more foreign visitors to U.S., Visa Waiver Program may get tougher-sounding name

Los Angeles Times

In hopes of convincing lawmakers to allow more foreign visitors into the U.S., top tourism officials are turning to a marketing tactic more common in the business world: a rebrand.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Bitwise Renovating Historic Building For Next Project
The Business Journal

Built more than 100 years ago, the State Center building previously functioned as a produce warehouse and cold storage area. An elevator on the side also allowed for parking on the roof of the building. However, the elevator structure will be knocked down for the project, with demolition taking place this morning.

EDITORIAL: Fresno needs new access to the San Joaquin River. Riverview Drive does that and more

Fresno Bee

When it comes to the opportunity for Fresno, Clovis and Madera County residents to enjoy the San Joaquin River, more access is better. That’s why when the San Joaquin River Conservancy board meets on Wednesday to discuss the subject, it should favor an access point at Riverview Drive in north Fresno.

Housing:

Homeless issues a priority for Fresno County Board of Supervisors candidates

abc30

The problems facing the homeless are a priority for all three of the candidates for the open seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

Central Valley Home Sales Down In January

The Business Journal

Valley home prices and sales activity mirrored trends observed statewide, as California home sales for January reached their lowest level since April 2008, according to a news release.

See also:

Legislators Push Back Against Newsom Housing Plan

KQED

A proposal from Governor Gavin Newsom to encourage more housing development landed with a thud in a state legislative committee hearing on Tuesday, signaling a tough road ahead for one piece of the governor’s ambitious housing agenda.

A Groundbreaking Report Goes Deep On Black Homelessness In Los Angeles

Laist

Homelessness disproportionately affects black people in Los Angeles. Though about nine percent of Los Angeles County’s total population is black-identifying, black people make up about 36 percent of the county’s homeless population, according to the 2018 homeless count.

As California Loses People, a Las Vegas Suburb Grows

Wall Street Journal

For Karina Nasir, leaving California for this booming Las Vegas suburb was the chance to escape commutes up to three hours.

Oregon to Become First State to Impose Statewide Rent Control

New York Times

The legislation would generally limit rent increases to 7 percent annually plus the change in the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation. Some smaller and newer apartment buildings would be exempt.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Maxine Waters proposes consumer-friendly overhaul of credit reporting industry

Los Angeles Times

Rep. Maxine Waters on Tuesday called for a consumer-friendly overhaul of the nation’s credit reporting system as she brought the chief executives of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to testify before her House committee about what she called a “broken system.”

See also:

Government Probes Fidelity Over Obscure Mutual-Fund Fees

Wall Street Journal

The Labor Department is investigating Fidelity Investments over an obscure and confidential fee it imposes on some mutual funds, according to a person familiar with the inquiry.

TRANSPORTATION

Major California DMV account heading toward collapse, analyst says

Fresno Bee

The clock is ticking on a major funding source for California’s Department of Motor Vehicles. An account used to fund 95 percent of the DMV’s expenses will soon become insolvent, according to a nonpartisan report published on Tuesday.

You could register your car every other year under this plan to cut California DMV wait times

Fresno Bee

Customers frustrated by long wait times at California’s Department of Motor Vehicles may soon catch a break. A proposal from state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, calls on the department to reduce customer visits by allowing them to register their licenses every other year.

Highway 99 improvement work in Modesto expected to cause traffic delays through year

Modesto Bee

Beginning Monday, drivers on Highway 99 through Modesto should expect congestion and delays as Caltrans begins a months-long project to add acceleration and deceleration lanes, among other work.

Kings County nears legal settlement

Visalia Times Delta

Farmer and Kings County Supervisor Doug Verboon has fought hard against the high-speed rail that cuts through farms across the Central Valley. Joining with other farmers, Kings County has been fighting the controversial rail project in court and in countless other ways for almost a decade.

State analysts: Make up your mind on high-speed rail, Gavin

San Jose Mercury

In a report released Tuesday, the Legislative Analyst Office cautioned against any continued waffling about whether the state should complete its high-speed rail vision of 220-mph trains whisking passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours — a vision voters approved in 2008 under Prop 1A.

See also:

Is Sacramento in Russia’s nuclear crosshairs? Putin named this airport as a nuke target

Sacramento Bee

Fresh off of promising a new Cuban Missile Crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened a nuclear strike on key American targets, using a state-run television broadcast to identify the targets, which included the Pentagon, Camp David and Sacramento McClellan Airport.

WATER

Plan to combat drought in West hinges on California, Arizona

Sacramento Bee

A California irrigation district with high-priority rights to water from a major Western river says it won’t sign on to a multistate drought plan without securing money to restore California’s largest lake.

Water in the Kern River on city’s west side not ‘river water’

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield residents may have noticed more than a trickle of water in the city’s often-dry riverbed, especially near Coffee Road.

More rain coming as another atmospheric river-fueled storm rolls toward Los Angeles

Los Angeles Times

A fierce winter storm that has flooded roads, toppled trucks with high winds and created treacherous conditions throughout the Sierra Nevada in Northern California is expected to clip Los Angeles on Wednesday.

“Xtra”

This is how you make a cup of rolled ice cream

Fresno Bee

Rolled ice cream is officially a trend in the Fresno area. With the latest shop opening in Clovis a few weeks back, Fresno and Clovis now have five rolled ice cream shops. One more is coming to Fresno too.

Netflix’s newest comedy has Ray Romano, ostriches — and some Central Coast landmarks

Fresno Bee

Netflix’s newest buddy comedy has a Central Coast connection. Parts of “Paddleton,” which stars Ray Romano and Mark Duplass, were filmed in northern Santa Barbara County. The movie premiered Feb. 22 on Netflix.

Fresno Flats Friday Night Lecture Series: Sugar Pine Lumber Company Railroad

Sierra Star

The Sugar Pine Lumber Company’s Minarets and Western Railroad ran from Central Camp to Pinedale carrying timber to the sawmill in Pinedale. The railroad will be featured in the Fresno Flats Friday night lecture series at 6:30 p.m. on March 1 at the Fresno Flats Historical Park in Oakhurst.

Roll the dice at Volunteer Center’s Monopoly Mania

Bakersfield Californian

On Friday evening, the Volunteer Center of Kern County will hold its annual Monopoly Mania fundraiser, now in its sixth year. Thursday is the last day to buy tickets, so act fast if you want to go.

Honors set to go out to Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

These women honored by the Stanislaus County Commission for Women have been selected for the great lengths they’ve gone to to help others in the region. They include outstanding women and young women.

John Steinbeck on Falling in Love: A 1958 Letter

The Atlantic

Among his correspondence is this beautiful response to his eldest son Thom’s 1958 letter, in which the teenage boy confesses to have fallen desperately in love with a girl named Susan while at boarding school. Steinbeck’s words of wisdom—tender, optimistic, timeless, infinitely sagacious—should be etched onto the heart and mind of every living, breathing human being.