POLICY & POLITICS
Deadline FAST APPROACHING:
Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships
Due Friday, February 22nd, 2019.
North SJ Valley:
Here’s why Foster Farms will be adding new jobs at its Livingston chicken plant
Merced Sun-Star
Foster Farms on Thursday announced a multimillion-dollar capital investment project to support an expansion and upgrade of the company’s poultry processing facility in Livingston. The company that supports 2,032 jobs in Merced County will expand the facility’s product lines and add jobs.
Central SJ Valley:
Audit raises questions about bookkeeping practices at Granite Park
abc30
Just over three years ago, Fresno real estate developer Terance Frazier and his group, Central Valley Community Sports Foundation, made a deal with the city to reopen Granite Park.
South SJ Valley:
Carlton Jones called a ‘coward,’ fights back
Visalia Times Delta
Where in the world is Carlton Jones? Tulare city staff, his fellow council members and hospital administrators aren’t sure. Jones’ absence at Tuesday’s city council meeting and refusal to return phone calls, emails or texts since, has delayed a $9 million loan that would help Tulare Regional Medical Center pay off debts and bills and create an action plan for the future.
Air quality regulators visit Lamont to explore new avenues toward cleaner air
Bakersfield Californian
Despite measurable improvements in air quality, some valley communities continue to experience disproportionate effects from exposure to air pollution.
City talks possible cannabis changes
Hanford Sentinel
With the ever-changing landscape of cannabis regulations and laws across the state, the Hanford City Council is moving forward with some possible changes to the city’s own ordinances.
City Council selects mostly business leaders for sales tax oversight committee
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council largely followed the advice of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and associated groups in selecting the makeup of a sales tax oversight committee Wednesday evening.
State:
Sick of robocalls? This California bill would force phone companies to crack down on them
Fresno Bee
A California lawmaker has submitted a bill that would require telecommunications companies to crack down on “neighbor spoofing” robocalls that are designed to appear as a local caller.
How Democrats hope to protect California flood money if Trump declares a national emergency
Sacramento Bee
California Rep. John Garamendi, for example, has written a bill that would restrict the president’s power to divert funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects — such as the ones underway to improve flood protection in the Sacramento region.
Sick of robocalls? This California bill would force phone companies to crack down on them
Sacramento Bee
Senate Bill 208, sponsored by Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, gives telecom companies until July 1, 2020, “to take the steps necessary to stop these illegal scams.” It also calls on the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Attorney General’s Office to collaborate in punishing companies that fail to stop the calls, according to a statement from Hueso’s office.
In Style And Substance, Gavin Newsom Goes His Own Way
Capital Public Radio
Gavin Newsom is proving to be a very different California governor than Jerry Brown. At least, the second Gov. Jerry Brown.
See Also:
- Newsom becomes a main face of anti-Trump ‘resistance’ Porterville Recorder
California Attorney General Refuses To Release Misconduct Records For Department Of Justice Officers
Capital Public Radio
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is tasked with enforcing and upholding the state’s laws. But when it comes to a new measure that requires the release of law enforcement misconduct records, Becerra is refusing to budge.
California voters don’t know much about government. But they do have common sense
Los Angeles Times
Voters can be weird. They’re often dead wrong on public policy details, but still instinctively arrive at a sensible conclusion.
Can’t live with Trump, can’t live without him: California Republicans’ challenging future
Los Angeles Times
Still smarting from historic losses in the November “blue wave,” Orange County Republicans gathered last month to consider a new leader and direction for the state party.
Change California’s Proposition 13? Poll shows an uphill climb
San Francisco Chronicle
There’s only middling support for changing part of Proposition 13, according to a new poll.
Trump’s offer to revisit popular California tax deduction hits GOP resistance
McClatchy DC Bureau
President Donald Trump’s off-hand offer to revisit a popular tax deduction that benefited millions of Californians met quick opposition from the Republican leader of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.
Poll: Harris, Biden generate most excitement among California Dems
San Francisco Chronicle
Sen. Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden generate the most excitement among Democratic voters in California when it comes to the field of 2020 candidates.
Opinion: California needs to keep its ballots spin-free
Los Angeles Times
This has become an issue for a group of Republicans who have proposed a ballot initiative to repeal a recently passed package of gas taxes and vehicle fees. On Friday, they sued California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, claiming his office put a partisan spin on the title it gave their initiative.
Fox: PPIC Poll: What do Voters Know?
Fox & Hounds
An annual ritual around this time each year accompanies the Public Policy Institute of California poll release. PPIC asks voters how the state budget prioritizes spending and I point out that the poll respondents continually get the order wrong. Which begs the question: How much weight to put in the other responses recorded by the poll on state spending issues?
California Today: Is California Affordable? Here’s Who Says Yes
New York Times
Do you feel like you can afford to live in California? If you said no to that question, you’d be in good company: 43 percent of Californians would agree with you.
See also:
- Most Californians can’t afford living there, poll shows Visalia Times Delta
Federal:
Whitaker confirmed to appear before panel as scheduled
Fresno Bee
The Justice Department says Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will testify before the House Judiciary Committee.
See Also:
- Whitaker agrees to testify before Congress, ending standoff Los Angeles Times
Border security deal seems near, easing shutdown concerns
Sacramento Bee
Congressional bargainers seem close to clinching a border security agreement that would avert a new government shutdown.
See Also:
- Border security deal could reverse Trump administration’s strict asylum rules Fresno Bee
- Trump-GOP meeting boosts optimism about reaching border deal Stockton Record
- Trump Is Walling Off the GOP The Atlantic
Hill Dems’ quest to undo Trump begins this week. This is what will unfold.
Sacramento Bee
Democrats begin their first big formal looks into Trump administration controversy Thursday. First comes a hearing on presidential tax returns. Friday features Michael Whitaker before Judiciary and later this month, Michael Cohen is expected to appear before Intelligence.
See Also:
- EDITORIAL: Trump has earned his ‘harassment’ San Francisco Chronicle
Republicans name 55 House Democrats as 2020 targets
Roll Call
The lengthy target list, shared first with Roll Call, includes all 31 Democrats in districts President Donald Trump carried in 2016. The list also includes 20 districts that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 that were previously represented by Republicans
The insiders: Roll Call’s people to watch in 2019
Roll Call
The third year of Donald Trump’s presidency promises to be a time like no other in American history. Never before have both the legitimacy and the competency of the president been so vigorously challenged, and the questions will increase exponentially as House Democrats and the special counsel probe deeper.
See Also:
- The lobbyists: Roll Call’s people to watch in 2019 Roll Call
- The change-makers: Roll Call’s people to watch in 2019 Roll Call
- The outsiders: Roll Call’s people to watch in 2019 Roll Call
Why conservatives should avoid government shutdowns
Brookings
After the three most recent and longest shutdowns—the one in 1995-6 that lasted 21 days, the one in 2013 that lasted 16 days, and this year’s record-breaking, 35-day shutdown—no one was clamoring for smaller government, and no one was insulting civil servants.
Democrats must act now to avoid an undemocratic 2020 outcome
Brookings
The problem is the juxtaposition of what promises to be massive candidate field and delegate-selection rules adopted long ago by the Democratic National Committee. It is too late for the DNC to change those rules. But states can solve the problem on their own.
Hill Dems’ quest to undo Trump begins this week. This is what will unfold.
McClatchy DC Bureau
A House subcommittee will hear witnesses Thursday discuss whether presidential tax returns should be released, something Trump refuses to do. Judiciary hopes to hear from Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Friday.
Whitaker says he did not discuss Mueller investigation with Trump
Washington Post
From the opening minutes of a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Whitaker was pressed by Democrats to explain his role in overseeing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Washington Post
Other former employees of President Trump’s company live nearby: men who once raked the sand traps and pushed mowers through thick heat on Trump’s prized golf property — the “Summer White House,” as aides have called it — where his daughter Ivanka got married and where he wants to build a family cemetery.
House Democrats to Probe How Trump’s Associates Influenced the VA
Wall Street Journal
House Democrats are beginning an investigation into how three men affiliated with President Trump, but who held no official government positions, wielded influence at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a letter released Friday morning.
DID BILLIONAIRES PAY OFF REPUBLICANS FOR PASSING THE TRUMP TAX BILL?
Center for Public Integrity
From the looks of it, GOP politicians got what they wanted, too. From the time the tax bill was first introduced on Nov. 2, 2017, until the end of the year, a 60-day period, dozens of billionaires and millionaires dramatically boosted their political contributions unlike they had in past years, giving a total of $31.1 million in that two months, a Center for Public Integrity analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics found.
EDITORIAL: Confirm William Barr, even though it requires a leap of faith
Los Angeles Times
On Thursday the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on President Trump’s nomination of William P. Barr to be attorney general, a position Barr held in the George H.W. Bush administration.
Other:
Trapped inside mobile home park, senior residents wait for help
abc30
While many folks welcome the snow, dozens of trapped Oakhurst residents want it out. They say their complex is full of snow, and they haven’t been able to leave to get medications. The residents are now worried it’s only going to get worse with more expected snow heading this way.
Arvin, Taft, Cal City make 50-worst places to live list
Bakersfield Californian
Three Kern County cities were listed among the top 50 worst places to live in America by USA Today. Through a partner news organization, 24/7 Wall Street, the newspaper ranked Arvin, Taft and California City as being some of the most violent, poor and jobless parts of the country.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Citrus growers keep an eye on cold temperatures
abc30
Valley citrus growers were on high alert, keeping a watchful eye on the falling temperatures. “Cold temperatures this time of year can be detrimental,” said Ryan Jacobsen with the Fresno County Farm Bureau.
City talks possible cannabis changes
Hanford Sentinel
With the ever-changing landscape of cannabis regulations and laws across the state, the Hanford City Council is moving forward with some possible changes to the city’s own ordinances.
Popularity of pot brownies calls for childproof packaging law
Sacramento Bee
To avoid risk to children, we must increase awareness of the dangers of cannabis ingestion in children and establish safety legislation to protect them.
What’s Growing On: Garden for bounty and health
Stockton Record
Recently, gardening projects have been started as a healthy way of connecting children with the environment as schools have added gardening to their curricula. Teaching math and science along with the practical aspects growing food is a hands-on dynamic approach to learning that connects children with soil and plants.
‘Journey For Justice’ Highlights Life And Work Of United Farm Worker Co-Founder Larry Itliong
VPR
When you think of civil rights leaders from the Central Valley, names like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta probably come to mind, but another fundamental figure in the farm-labor movement was Larry Itliong.
FDA targets Walgreens as biggest youth tobacco sale violator
Los Angeles Times
U.S. health officials plan to ask for a meeting with top management from Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. to discuss what they said was a pattern of illegal tobacco sales to minors at the pharmacy giant’s stores.
California Counties Ranked By Ag Sales
The Business Journal
Now Kings and Madera counties have their rankings, ninth and 11th places, respectively, according to the latest summary or county agricultural crop reports issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Crop data from each county’s ag commissioner submitted to CDFA comes from the previous publishing year.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Porterville police, DEA agents uncover large-scale drug trafficking ring in Tulare County
Visalia Times Delta
A two-year investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking ring in Porterville has ended in the arrest of 38 people. More arrests are expected. Roughly 150 pounds of drugs were also taken off the streets of Tulare County.
Public Safety:
Update: Clovis High School on lockdown due to threat
Clovis Roundup
The Sheriff’s Dept. conducted an investigation. In order to allow for law enforcement to conduct their work without interference from regular school activities, the campus was on lockdown without students being allowed off campus or out of school buildings until law enforcement completes their work.
See Also:
Stanislaus County shakes up emergency response system to get to patients faster
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County will seek competitive proposals from ambulance providers for the county’s exclusive response zones, and that could change the landscape of emergency medical response for years.
Correctional Officers Ask for Money Back From Controversial Ballot Measure
KQED
The state union representing correctional officers is asking for the return of a $2 million donation to a ballot measure committee that is trying to roll back many of the criminal justice reforms championed by Democrats in recent years.
Capital Public Radio
Law enforcement and civil liberties groups have introduced rival bills, but are open to continue discussions.
See Also:
- Competing Approaches To Curb California Police Shootings Capital Public Radio
- When should police be allowed to shoot? San Francisco Chronicle
House Democrats start push for new gun control laws
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.
See also:
- Why California is so strict on guns CALmatters
- My son survived one mass shooting. He didn’t survive the second. Washington Post
Fire:
Camp Fire death count drops to 85 while missing list drops to 2 following arrest
Fresno Bee
After holding steady at 86 for many weeks, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office dropped the death toll of November’s deadly Camp Fire down by one Thursday.
See Also:
- Officials lower death toll from Paradise wildfire to 85 Los Angeles Times
Pacific Gas & Electric Vows To Improve Wildfire Prevention
Capital Public Radio
In a regulatory filing Wednesday, Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. proposes building new weather stations, fireproofing more miles of electrical wires and shutting off power to more customers more often when wildfire danger is highest.
Cal Fire says PG&E doesn’t have to remove all trees above its lines
San Francisco Chronicle
State fire officials have told the federal judge overseeing Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s criminal probation that California law requires the utility to remove all tree limbs that may topple onto a power line during times of high fire danger — but does not mandate removal of all overhanging trees or limbs, as the judge contended.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Valley Republic Bank posts record earnings
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield parent company of Valley Republic Bank posted record earnings for the 12 months ended Dec. 31.
Democrats go bold on economic plans, a deliberate contrast to 2016
Los Angeles Times
Candidates in primaries battle with their personalities and life stories. Campaigns, however, also serve as contests of ideas, especially for a party trying to redefine itself after a traumatic defeat.
See Also:
- Booker taking 2020 campaign, call for social justice to Iowa Merced Sun-Star
- In key primary states, activists nervously eye Warren’s troubles over ancestry Los Angeles Times
California’s biggest utilities are losing their monopolies. Is that a good thing?
Los Angeles Times
California’s three big investor-owned utilities — Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric are the other two — are losing a growing number of customers to government-run power providers called community choice aggregators, or CCAs.
Anchor Brewing Workers Unionize
SF Weekly
On Thursday, about 70 of the brewery’s workers filed their intent to unionize. If successful, Anchor will be one of the first craft breweries nationwide to do so.
Pressure Grows on U.S., China to Forge Trade Deal
Wall Street Journal
As a deadline approaches for a high-stakes trade deal between the U.S. and China, some top American business figures who fear the economic and market consequences of a failure are pushing both sides to compromise.
Jobs:
Here’s why Foster Farms will be adding new jobs at its Livingston chicken plant
Merced Sun-Star
Foster Farms on Thursday announced a multimillion-dollar capital investment project to support an expansion and upgrade of the company’s poultry processing facility in Livingston. The company that supports 2,032 jobs in Merced County will expand the facility’s product lines and add jobs.
Where does a tip to an Amazon driver go? In some cases, toward the driver’s base pay
Los Angeles
Amazon at times dips into the tips earned by contracted delivery drivers to cover their promised pay, a Times review of emails and receipts reveals.
AB-5 Worker status: independent contractors.
California Legislative Information
Existing law, as established in the case of Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903 (Dynamex), creates a presumption that a worker who performs services for a hirer is an employee. Existing law requires a 3-part test, commonly known as the “ABC” test, to establish that a worker is independent contractor.
More than 100 in Lathrop affected by Tesla layoffs
Recordnet.com
According to required filings with the Employment Development Department, Tesla on Jan. 29 notified the state, San Joaquin County and Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal that about 137 employees who work at its Lathrop facility will be impacted.
EDUCATION
K-12:
CUSD police officer seen taking a student to the ground on video. District will investigate
Fresno Bee
A Clovis Unified police officer seen in a video taking a student to the ground at Clovis East High School will not return to campus until an investigation is completed, according to the district.
See Also:
Big Picture High School students getting a jump start in the career field
abc30
About 30 students are getting real-world experience while still attending high school. It is part of the Big Picture High curriculum. Students get matched with an internship based on their interests.
BCSD accepting nominations for 2019 Hall of Fame
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City School District is now accepting nominations for inductees into its 2019 Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes former students for their professional accomplishments as well as community members for their service to BCSD.
California child care providers renew push for collective bargaining rights
Sacramento Bee
California child care providers are renewing a push for collective bargaining rights, hoping that Gov. Gavin Newsom will grant them the power to negotiate they could not obtain from Gov. Jerry Brown.
Sacramento City Teachers Union Requests State Investigation Into District Superintendent
Capital Public Radio
The union sent a letter of request to the Department of Education on Wednesday detailing a list of concerns about potential conflicts of interest and misallocations of district resources by Superintendent Jorge Aguilar.
California quietly publishes list of 781 lowest-performing schools
EdSource
Under a federal education law that requires states to identify the lowest performing schools, districts with these schools will get a modicum of federal aid — about $150,000 per school per year — along with the obligation to figure out how to make the schools better. Only this time there will be fewer dictates from Washington and less interference from Sacramento.
See also:
- Database: California’s lowest-performing schools. EdSource
Higher Ed:
Deadline FAST APPROACHING: Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, February 22nd, 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.
#MeToo movement founder encourages Fresno State students to push for change
Fresno Bee
The founder of the “Me Too” movement on Wednesday told Fresno State students she hasn’t been to one college campus that doesn’t have sexual violence issues.
Neighbors call for solutions to parking issues near Fresno City College
abc30
More than 50 neighbors complained to Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria Monday night. They say it’s not just students from Fresno City College. Teachers from Fresno High School are parking on their streets too.
Auditor: Napolitano has not implemented transparency reforms
San Francisco Chronicle
Nearly a year after a deadline for the University of California to overhaul business practices at its headquarters, UC President Janet Napolitano has made improvements but is still doing business in a way that lets her office amass “virtually an unlimited amount” of money.
Not-so-free college: The limits of California’s Promise program
CALmatters
As student government president for the California Community Colleges, Iiyshaa Youngblood represents millions of people who scrape to pay for, and complete, even a two-year degree program. So you might expect the Inland Empire psychology major to be excited about a proposal to offer Californians two years of community college tuition-free. You’d be wrong.
Apprenticeships:
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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Democrats propose ‘Green New Deal’ to counter climate change
abc30
What’s being called a “Green New Deal,” a wide-ranging effort to tackle climate change was unveiled by Democrats Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Thursday on Capitol Hill.
See Also:
- Democrats seek Green New Deal to address climate change Sacramento Bee
- How the Green New Deal is shaping the race for president Los Angeles Times
- Why Democrats say the U.S. needs a Green New Deal to combat climate change PBS
- ‘Green New Deal’ Democrats Position Climate Change as Central Issue in 2020 Wall Street Journal
- Liberal Democrats Formally Call for a ‘Green New Deal,’ Giving Substance to a Rallying Cry New York Times
Air quality regulators visit Lamont to explore new avenues toward cleaner air
Bakersfield Californian
Despite measurable improvements in air quality, some valley communities continue to experience disproportionate effects from exposure to air pollution.
A brief history of the Kern National Wildlife Refuge
Bakersfield Californian
Over the last near 60 years, the Kern has been one of the top producing refuges for hunters in the state year after year. The current project leader, or manager, is Nick Stanley. He is in his 20th year at Kern trying to establish land conservation and habitat restoration, as well as looking after endangered species and migratory birds.
Capital Public Radio
A new Sierra Club report says cement production is responsible for 5 percent of carbon pollution globally. Researchers also found that California’s cement factories are more polluting than their counterparts in China and India.
Development plans test a decade-old conservation deal
High Country News
This raw landscape is the heart of a controversial agreement designed to conserve the biggest chunk of undeveloped private land left in California. But now, the environmentalists who brokered the deal are staring at the payback: three large housing projects totaling 34,780 houses on 30,000 acres.
Business Insider
Arbuckle, a town of 3,000 people known for its almond orchards, has sunk more than two feet in the past nine years, according to the survey. Like many towns in the Central Valley, Arbuckle is home to a number of Hispanic families who rely heavily on agriculture to make a living.
PG&E’s Wildfire Plan Includes More Blackouts, More Tree Trimming and Higher Rates
New York Times
The company and other California utilities, whose equipment has been blamed for starting fires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed dozens of people, detailed those plans in filings with state regulators in advance of the 2019 wildfire season, which starts in June.
See Also:
- PG&E must honor clean energy commitments Sacramento Bee
- San Francisco pipeline blast puts spotlight on PG&E’s shutoff abilities San Francisco Chronicle
Opinion: Michael Bloomberg: PG&E bankruptcy is a wake-up call on financial risks of climate change
Los Angeles Times
If the president’s cluelessness doesn’t ring alarm bells in statehouses and boardrooms around the country, the bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric should. According to the company, it could no longer afford the increasing liability costs of wildfires fueled by the hotter, drier weather that climate change is bringing to California.
Energy:
Crimson Midstream buys Shell pipeline connecting Kern oilfields to Bay Area refineries
Bakersfield Californian
Denver-based Crimson Midstream LLC has agreed to buy Shell Pipeline Co. LP’s 600-mile California oil pipeline system, which includes a key, state-regulated conduit — the San Pablo Bay Pipeline — linking oilfields in western Kern with Bay Area refineries.
Capital Public Radio
“We are always being attacked,” one expert says. If computer hackers hijack California’s electricity network, the entire state could be held hostage.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
African Americans at greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease
abc30
African Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to any other racial groups, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The reason why is still unclear.
Merced County has a childhood obesity problem. Want to do something about it?
Merced Sun-Star
Data shows children in Merced County are three times more likely to be obese than the average California kid. Also, one out of every four children between the ages of 5 and 12 in Merced County are obese, according to a 2016 assessment.
Future Health Workforce
The California Future Health Workforce Commission has spent nearly two years focused on meeting this challenge, issuing a new report with recommendations for closing California’s growing workforce gaps by 2030.
See Also:
Divided Supreme Court Blocks Louisiana Regulations on Abortion Providers for Now
Wall Street Journal
A divided Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Louisiana from implementing abortion regulations that could limit the availability of the procedure in the state, in an interim action that could set the stage for the court to weigh in on abortion rights in the near future.
Human Services:
How protected is the Central Valley from Measles?
abc30
From New York to nearby Washington, ten states across the country are grappling with the measles. Even though high vaccination rates protect Fresno County, doctors at Valley Children’s Hospital feel uneasy.
See also:
- California made it hard to avoid vaccinating kids. Medical waivers have tripled. Now what? CALmatters
Fresno hospital fined after gauze sponge left inside patient
abc30
Five California hospitals, including one in Fresno, were fined by the California Department of Public Health on Thursday for issues surrounding patient care.
New data show how each of 146 VA medical centers compares with non-VA care
Visalia Times Delta
At roughly 70 percent of VA hospitals, the median time between arrival in the emergency room and admission was longer than at other hospitals, in some cases by hours, according to a USA TODAY analysis of the department’s data.
Physicians Automated Laboratory changes name as part of move to larger organization
Bakersfield Californian
Physicians Automated Laboratory, a blood-testing company with three offices in Bakersfield, is now part of WestPac Labs after joining in January with two similar organizations outside the area.
My turn: Here’s how to avert California’s next health care crisis
CALmatters
Now we must turn our attention to the next big health care challenge: a growing shortage of workers who provide care for Californians. This is the aim of the California Future Health Workforce Commission, which has released recommendations for closing the state’s health workforce gap by 2030.
IMMIGRATION
US to waive environmental reviews for San Diego border wall
Fresno Bee
The Trump administration said Thursday it would waive environmental reviews to replace up to 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) of border barrier in San Diego, shielding itself from potentially crippling delays.
See Also:
- There Are Holes In President Trump’s Claim About The San Diego Border Wall Capital Public Radio
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Audit raises questions about bookkeeping practices at Granite Park
abc30
Just over three years ago, Fresno real estate developer Terance Frazier and his group, Central Valley Community Sports Foundation, made a deal with the city to reopen Granite Park.
Panera comes to Riverbank’s Crossroads shopping center, site readies for construction
Modesto Bee
Panera Bread is coming to Riverbank’s bustling Crossroads shopping center. The new standalone restaurant will be built from the ground up, just to the west of the Save Mart.
Housing:
Fresno has some of the lowest apartment rents. It’s still not cheap for low-income renters
Fresno Bee
Renting an apartment in Fresno got more expensive in the past year — though it’s still cheaper to live here than most other California cities. A new report on apartment rental rates by RENTCafe.com showed the average apartment rent in Fresno in January was $1,048 per month.
Most Californians can’t afford living there, poll shows
Visalia Times Delta
A new poll has found nearly half of California voters believe they can’t afford to live in the state. The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday reports that 43 percent of California voters said they can’t afford to live there. That number was driven by younger voters.
See also:
Arvin, Taft, Cal City make 50-worst places to live list
Bakersfield Californian
Through a partner news organization, 24/7 Wall Street, the newspaper ranked Arvin, Taft and California City as being some of the most violent, poor and jobless parts of the country.
See Also:
Los Angeles Times
That provision — Article 34 — was adopted in 1950 amid a racist, classist backlash against public housing. It requires that cities get voter approval before they build “low-rent housing” funded with public dollars.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Most Californians like Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $209 billion budget proposal, survey says
Fresno Bee
Most Californians support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget proposal, especially his early childhood and higher education plans, according to a survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.
Trump’s offer to revisit popular California tax deduction hits GOP resistance
Fresno Bee
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, said he will not revisit the cap on the state and local tax deduction, less than a day after President Donald Trump said he was willing to consider such a move.
City Council selects mostly business leaders for sales tax oversight committee
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council largely followed the advice of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and associated groups in selecting the makeup of a sales tax oversight committee Wednesday evening.
Corporations Pay Far Less of Their California Income in State Taxes Compared to the Early 1980s
California Budget & Policy Center
In late 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) providing corporations substantial cuts in tax rates and other tax breaks. The TCJA means corporations will pay substantially less in federal taxes at a time when they already contribute far less of their California income in state taxes than they did a generation ago.
Financial watchdog to gut its payday lending rules
PBS
The nation’s federal financial watchdog said Wednesday that it plans to abolish most of its critical consumer protections governing payday lenders.
Trump Tax Law Spurs Job Creation…for Tax Lawyers and Accountants
Wall Street Journal
Business is unusually strong and should remain robust for years as a result of the law, executives say.
TRANSPORTATION
More errors at the DMV: Thousands of customers can’t get licenses after paying early
Fresno Bee
Bogged down by long customer wait times, California’s Department of Motor last fall tried to ease the pressure in its offices by sending license renewal notices much earlier than usual. It backfired.
See Also:
- EDITORIAL: Want to put companies profiting from DMV failures out of business? Then fix the agency Los Angeles Times
More sidewalks and bike paths are coming to one of Modesto’s low-income neighborhoods
Modesto Bee
Modesto’s airport neighborhood will get $6.1 million worth of sidewalks and bicycle paths. The Stanislaus County Public Works Department will carry out the work between now and May 2022.
High-speed Rail Could Transform Fresno’s Poorest Neighborhood. Will Trump Get On The Train?
Center for Public Integrity
Trump would ultimately offer $25 million for the 400-acre Running Horse plot — far less than would fill the financial hole the project found itself in, and much lower than what the land’s private owner would accept. Fresno city and county officials soon began to balk at Trump’s government-incentive wish list, which they considered far too rich for taxpayers.
My turn: Self-driving cars must not leave the rest of us behind
CALmatters
Low-income Californians cannot lift themselves out of poverty if they lack reliable transportation. Without it, they cannot gain access to jobs, education and other opportunities. Too often, transportation decisions prioritize the movement of personal vehicles that are often out of reach of low-income households. We must break this cycle.
WATER
Porterville Recorder
Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from the Sacramento District hosted a public meeting Monday evening at the Veterans Memorial Building to introduce the Success Dam enlargement project to the public.
Californians with bad water ask for help while opposition mounts to Newsom’s proposed tax
Sacramento Bee
Californians with unhealthy drinking water pleaded for help from lawmakers this week but opposition quickly developed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to pay for system improvements with a new fee.
Lawsuit claims corruption, racism, sexual harassment contributed to Oroville Dam crisis
Sacramento Bee
Workers were patching Oroville Dam’s weathered concrete spillway, nearly four years before a massive crater would tear it open. Michael Hopkins, an employee at the Department of Water Resources, alleges he saw something he would never forget.
Wet winter greatly reduces California drought conditions
Stockton Record
In a matter of weeks, a very wet winter has greatly reduced drought conditions that have plagued California. A series of storms have coated mountains with blankets of snow and unleashed drenching rains that have even greened up landscapes recently blackened by wildfires.
See also:
- More frosty weather on the way for California, and the snow might stick awhile Los Angeles Times
- Rainy weather washes away drought conditions in LA Curbed LA
- Drought concerns lessen in wake of latest rain, but experts still Riverside Enterprises
“Xtra”
Gorge on chocolate and wine, or eat cupcakes to fight cancer this weekend
abc30
It’s going to be cool this weekend, but don’t let that stop you from having fun. Whether you want to drink a little vino and taste chocolate or find the perfect vendors for your wedding, there is something for everyone.
See Also:
What’s your ‘chocolate wish’? This Clovis bakery and candy shop can make it come true.
Fresno Bee
Two Clovis women have opened a chocolate store and bakery in Sierra Vista Mall. The store is called Chocolate Wishes and Treats. The owners are doing a soft opening this week for Valentines.
Dierks Bentley set for Central Valley concert
Visalia Times Delta
You can see his creativity first hand when Bentley’s “Burning Man 2019 Tour” stops on Feb. 15 at the Save Mart Center at Fresno State.
Hispanic business chamber names new directors, award recipients
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has named its new board of directors and the recipients of its annual awards.
Unmasked: Local Heroes Get Some Limelight
VPR
Sometimes courageous, noble, hard-working people grab the headlines — but most of the time their work goes unnoticed by the public. They’re the teachers, organizers, artists, and more who help to make places like Fresno better.