Maddy Institute – January 12, 2021

12Jan

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Stanislaus has 11 more deaths, 365 more positive tests Modesto Bee

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, councilmembers sworn into office this week

Stockton Record

Stockton City Council members were sworn in this past week. But like most things during the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic altered how these celebrations took place.

Gallo finalizes $810 million purchase. Here’s what it means for Modesto wine giant

Modesto Bee

E. & J. Gallo Winery announced Tuesday that it has finally completed an $810 million purchase from Constellation Brands Inc. The Modesto-based company got 30-plus labels at various price levels, along with winemaking capacity in the Lodi area and four other locations.

Merced Fire set department record in 2020 for calls responded to. What’s behind the rise?

Merced Sun-Star

The Merced Fire Department responded to a record number of calls in 2020 — all while navigating new safety challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 11,218 calls for service last year reflected a growth in volume that was a bit higher than typical, said Chief Derek Parker. The new Merced fire chief began his role Jan. 4 on the heels of the new year

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Fresno County adds over 800 COVID-19 cases following large weekend surge of infections Fresno Bee

● Fresno County adds more than 2,000 new cases over the weekend Fresno Bee

What kind of police chief will Paco Balderrama be? Many say Fresno hit the jackpot

Fresno Bee

As Paco Balderrama becomes Fresno’s new police chief, he will be a lot of things to a lot of people. Besides Mayor Jerry Dyer, the city manager and the Fresno City Council, Balderrama said he will have many other bosses in his new job.

● New Fresno police chief Paco Balderrama to be sworn in Monday abc30

Fresno County school trustee who attended Capitol riot won’t resign. Critics pledge recall

Fresno Bee

A mountain community school board trustee who was part of the group that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week refused to resign from his position on Monday night, despite calls that he does not deserve to hold the seat.

Before Appleton’s remarks, Cumulus warned hosts they could be fired for election comments

Fresno Bee

A day before Ray Appleton called for news editors to be “hanged,” his Fresno radio station’s corporate parent ordered hosts to stop saying the presidential election was stolen. The longtime KMJ talk show host on Thursday said “Certain news editors should be hanged. Maybe.” while addressing media coverage of the invasion of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump.

Why Fresno Unified doesn’t support California’s school reopening plan

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently unveiled his Safe Schools for All Plan. He proposed a budget of $2 billion to reopen many elementary schools in February. Last week, seven superintendents from across California — including Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson — criticized his plan, saying it fails to consider high-poverty communities.

Clovis teachers say district is rushing students back to campuses. Will they unionize?

Fresno Bee

As more Clovis students plan a return to campuses, more teachers must return as well. But unlike students, some teachers say the school district has given them little to no choice but to teach in-person even as coronavirus cases continue to surge in Fresno County.

Shakeup in leadership at Fresno Chamber of Commerce. See who’s out and who’s in

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Chamber of Commerce has a new CEO — for now. Chamber leadership announced Monday that Nathan Ahle, who was president and chief executive officer for five years, has left. Scott Miller, CEO of Gazebo Gardens, will serve in the role as interim.

Warszawski: Poor Devin Nunes. Fresno congressman is being censored by Big Tech, and it’s so unfair

Fresno Bee

Poor Devin Nunes. He’s a victim of censorship. The congressman for California’s 22nd District is being silenced. He and other like-minded political thinkers no longer have the means to exchange information, news and ideas.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health reports 896 new coronavirus cases Monday Bakersfield Californian

Amid calls to resign, McCarthy straddles a divided party

Bakersfield Californian

As a vote on impeaching President Donald Trump looms, many will be watching Bakersfield Republican and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in the coming days as he navigates a growing schism in his party between those ready to abandon Trumpism and a large portion of the party's base still energized by the outgoing president and what he stands for.

Police arrest former assembly candidate Julie Solis at McCarthy's office

Bakersfield Californian

A former Democratic candidate for California's 34th Assembly District seat, Julie Solis, was arrested Monday after refusing to leave Rep. Kevin McCarthy's Bakersfield office — an episode she live-streamed on social media for 45 minutes while calling for the congressman's resignation.

State:

California near 30,000 COVID deaths amid post-holiday surge

Fresno Bee

California’s official coronavirus death toll is closing in on 30,000 — and closing in on it rapidly, as COVID-19 fatalities pour in at their fastest pace yet of the pandemic during the state’s unrelenting surge

● Valley Voices: Republicans in Congress as guilty as Trump in causing insurrection, damaging democracy Fresno Bee

● California governor, state Assembly support removing Trump Bakersfield Californian

● California Republicans in battleground districts face no-win vote on impeachment San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial: These fascist Republican Party leaders have deep roots in California’s state Capitol

Sacramento Bee

The California Republican Party once spawned American presidents and held sway in Sacramento. These days, it seems to produce a disturbing number of wannabe fascists.

California exodus intensifies as retirees, teachers, musicians seek cheaper, less-crowded pastures

Los Angeles Times

The California dream has been fading for a long time, and people have been voting with their feet. In the last few years, the exodus has accelerated, with tens of thousands more people leaving than moving in.

Federal:

Trump Still Falsely Blaming Antifa—But Allies Now Pushing Back, Report Says

Forbes

President Donald Trump on Monday privately blamed "antifa people" for the violent riots and deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, Axios reported, despite the FBI confirming there is no evidence that antifa activists were involved…

● House GOP leader tells members to quit spreading lies on riot, antifa The Hill

● Capitol riots: Trump says his speech was totally appropriate BBC

● Incitement to Riot? What Trump Told Supporters Before Mob Stormed Capitol New York Times

McCarthy says Trump accepted some responsibility for Capitol riot

Politico

GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy told House Republicans Monday that President Donald Trump bears some blame for last week’s deadly Capitol riots and has accepted some responsibility, according to four Republican sources on a private call.

● Tom McClintock asks Biden, Pelosi to halt impeachment after voting to uphold election Fresno Bee

● In Wake Of Capitol Attack, House Begins Moves To Impeach Trump — Again VPR

● Democrats balance impeachment with Biden’s first 100 days as clock ticks toward Trump exit Los Angeles Times

● This could be an impeachment like no other. Here’s what to expect Los Angeles Times

● 22 retired GOP members of Congress call for Trump's impeachment The Hill

● Democrats scorn GOP warnings on impeachment The Hill

● Trump calls second impeachment effort a continuation of a ‘witch hunt,' offers no regret for inciting mob attack on Capitol Washington Post

● House Plans Trump Impeachment Vote for Wednesday Wall Street Journal

● Republicans Weigh Trump Censure, Impeachment Wall Street Journal

● Trump is heading for second impeachment. Here's what to expect Reuters

● Editorial: Joe Biden’s Impeachment Moment Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Once Trump Leaves, Who’s Left to Blame? Wall Street Journal

FBI report warned of ‘war’ at Capitol, contradicting claims there was no indication of looming violence

Washington Post

A day before rioters stormed Congress, an FBI office in Virginia issued an explicit internal warning that extremists were preparing to travel to Washington to commit violence and “war,” according to an internal document reviewed by The Washington Post that contradicts a senior official’s declaration the bureau had no intelligence indicating anyone at last week’s pro-Trump protest planned to do harm.

● Six hours of paralysis: Inside Trump’s failure to act after a mob stormed the Capitol Washington Post

Inside the remarkable rift between Donald Trump and Mike Pence

Washington Post

Vice President Pence was in hiding from a violent mob of Trump supporters in the Capitol last Wednesday when the presidential tweet attacking him posted.

Supreme Court Rejects Trump Plea to Expedite Election Appeals

Wall Street Journal

The Supreme Court rejected pleas from President Trump and his allies to expedite their pending challenges to November’s election, all but assuring the justices won’t consider the appeals before Joe Biden assumes the presidency Jan. 20.

2020 election interference: US announces new sanctions over released edited audio recordings of President-elect Joe Biden

abc30

The Trump administration on Monday sanctioned more than a half-dozen associates of a Ukrainian lawmaker blamed by U.S. officials for interfering in the 2020 presidential election by releasing edited audio recordings of President-elect Joe Biden.

Joe Biden receives second dose of COVID-19 vaccine on camera

abc30

Joe Biden on Monday received the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on camera, as part of an effort by the President-elect's incoming administration to reassure the country of the safety of the vaccines.

Trump Regulator's Rule Would Force Banks To Lend To Gun-Makers And Oil Drillers

VPR

The Trump administration is trying to push through a last-minute rule that could force banks to offer loans to gun-makers and oil exploration companies or to finance high-cost payday lenders.

Other:

70K QAnon Twitter accounts suspended in the wake of Capitol riot

The Hill

Twitter on Monday announced that it has banned over 70,000 accounts that share content surrounding the QAnon conspiracy theory in the wake of the riot that erupted at the Capitol last week.

● Talk radio company orders hosts to stop suggesting election was stolen from Trump The Hill

● Facebook says it's now removing content containing the phrase 'Stop the Steal' The Hill

● President Trump lashes out at social media companies following Twitter ban Washington Post

● These are the platforms that have banned Trump and his allies Washington Post

● Facebook removing 'Stop the Steal' posts before Biden's inauguration Politico

● Democrats fume at tech companies, but legislation may be elusive Roll Call

● Opinion: Why Everyone Should Be Concerned About Parler Being Booted From the Internet Slate

● Warszawski: Poor Devin Nunes. Fresno congressman is being censored by Big Tech, and it’s so unfair Fresno Bee

The US must now repair democracy at home and abroad

Brookings

Repairing democracy at home is not incompatible with standing up for democracy abroad; they are mutually reinforcing. The threats to democracy are not unique to the U.S.

See also:

Opinion: We must end the post-truth society Washington Post

A call for the voices of local government leaders

PublicCEO

Today, we live in an information-saturated, pop culture-dominated society. A public agency’s press release about an energy initiative that saves millions of taxpayer dollars, reduces hundreds of thousands of greenhouse gas emissions, creates new jobs and improves health and safety can go unseen by the general public and mainstream media; replaced by the latest viral TikTok or Tweet from an official.

States of Innovation: In Depth With Sue Urahn, Pew’s President and CEO

PEW
In the first episode of our season “States of Innovation,” Sue Urahn, Pew’s new president and CEO, discusses the role of state governments as “laboratories of our democracy,” where innovative thinking can be paired with policies informed by data to address long-standing problems.

Event: A Conversation with Leon Panetta

Public Policy Institute of California

Former Secretary of Defense and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta will join PPIC President and CEO Mark Baldassare for a wide-ranging discussion about leading through the critical challenges facing the state and nation. Register here to watch.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Gallo finalizes $810 million purchase. Here’s what it means for Modesto wine giant

Modesto Bee

Need funding continues for citrus, agriculture

Porterville Recorder

The recently $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package for this fiscal year for government programs approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump continues to fund programs to battle citrus disease.

Interim ag burning allowed until rules are set

Porterville Recorder

Agricultural burning is being allowed on an interim basis and under certain circumstances until a more permanent plan for agricultural burning is put into place.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Local court will no longer limit public access during pandemic, according to settlement

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Superior Court has settled a lawsuit with civil liberties groups that would allow public access to court proceedings, according to a news release from the First Amendment Coalition.

New ABA study explains why civil and criminal jury trials are disappearing

ABA

As jury trials disappear from American courtrooms, lawyers, judges and legislators should consider changing four factors that are suppressing such trials: civil damage caps, mandatory arbitration, criminal sentencing guidelines and mandatory minimum sentences.

Opinion: More criminal justice reforms will create a just and safe California

CalMatters

Reducing California’s corrections budget is the right strategy, and efforts should be made to overturn extreme sentencing laws.

Public Safety:

COVID outbreak explodes at California Men’s Colony — nearly 1 in 3 inmates now has virus

Fresno Bee

Nearly one in three inmates at California Men’s Colony state prison on the outskirts of San Luis Obispo now has COVID-19, the prison reported over the weekend amid an outbreak that began last month.

FBI, Sacramento-area law enforcement prepare for possible violence at California Capitol

Fresno Bee

Federal law enforcement officials, hate-crime specialists and social media platforms are warning of the possibility of nationwide attacks at state capitols and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Opinion: Without statewide testing data California will fall short in supporting student learning

CalMatters

To rectify the growing education equity gap in California schools, we need testing data about how students are doing academically.

Higher Ed:

University of California announces plans to resume on-campus instruction in fall 2021

Fresno Bee

The University of California plans to return to a system-wide, largely in-person instructional model in the fall of 2021, according to a statement from the school president.

● UC students will be back on campus this fall for mainly in-person classes Los Angeles Times

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Here's How Newsom's Proposing to Spend $4.1 Billion on the Climate and Environment

KQED
The $227 billion budget proposed on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom includes $4.1 billion in spending on a suite of environmental initiatives meant to fight climate change, gird California against devastating wildfires, reduce smog, and bolster the adoption of clean vehicles on the state’s roads.

Coronavirus linked to largest drop in greenhouse gas emissions since World War II: research

The Hill

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions experienced a more than 10 percent drop amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the largest decrease in annual emissions since World War II, according to a report released Tuesday by the research firm Rhodium Group.

Energy:

Oil companies lock in drilling, challenging Biden on climate change

Los Angeles Times

In the closing months of the Trump administration, energy companies stockpiled enough drilling permits for western public lands to keep pumping oil for years and undercut President-elect Joe Biden’s plans to curb new drilling because of climate change, according to public records and industry analysts.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

California near 30,000 COVID deaths amid post-holiday surge

Fresno Bee

● Fresno County adds more than 2,000 new cases over the weekend Fresno Bee

● Kern Public Health reports 896 new coronavirus cases Monday Bakersfield Californian

● Coronavirus: Numbers Rising In Nearly Every State; Capitol Siege Put Members At Risk VPR

● Stanislaus has 11 more deaths, 365 more positive tests Modesto Bee

Trump administration reverses stance, will no longer hold back second shots of coronavirus vaccine

Washington Post

The Trump administration will announce sweeping changes to its vaccination rollout on Tuesday, including making many more doses of the coronavirus vaccine available and urging states to provide shots to anyone 65 and older. The steps are an effort to speed up a delayed and disjointed rollout.

Coronavirus shutdowns have quashed nearly all other common viruses. But scientists say a rebound is coming.

Washington Post

Veteran virus trackers say they are chronicling something never before seen — the suppression of virtually every common respiratory and gastrointestinal virus besides the novel coronavirus. They theorize that is largely due to global shutdowns, mask-wearing and a host of other health protocols aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus.

Walters: How did California lose control of COVID-19?

CalMatters

The big question: Why has California gone from being a leader in controlling COVID-19 to an epicenter of infections and deaths?

Human Services:

Going big: US dispensing shots at stadiums and fairgrounds

Fresno Bee

The U.S. is entering the second month of the biggest vaccination drive in history with a major expansion of the campaign, opening football stadiums, major league ballparks, fairgrounds and convention centers to inoculate a larger and more diverse pool of people.

● CDC to recommend states give Covid vaccine to anyone 65 and older NBC

Kern Latino COVID-19 Task Force launches test sites in partnership with BCSD

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force announced two free coronavirus testing sites this week in partnership with Bakersfield City School District.

Surprising number of frontline workers skeptical of vaccine. Can the state force them?

Sacramento Bee

Pat Withrow, the San Joaquin County sheriff, survived a bout with COVID-19 last summer. Dozens of inmates and staff at the county jail also have tested positive. So it was with a good deal of alarm that Withrow reported last week that many of his deputies are reluctant to take the new coronavirus vaccines. The same is true, he said, for a shocking number of healthcare workers in the region.

Hospitals Seek Relaxed Rules For Nursing, Patient Discharge

Capital Public Radio

Facing the largest “surge on top of a surge” of patients since the start of the pandemic, California hospitals today begged state officials for more relief from the “red tape” they say is hampering patient care.

‘No One Knew the Plan’: States Struggle to Increase Vaccinations

PEW
Weeks into the national rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, states have inoculated just a fourth of the number of Americans they expected to—hamstrung by a lack of federal and state leadership, too little money and the dovetailing public health crises of surging hospitalizations and case numbers.

Can You Still Spread Covid-19 After You Get Vaccinated?

Wall Street Journal

Do the Covid vaccines prevent you from spreading the virus, or do they just protect you from getting sick? Scientists don’t know yet—and the uncertainty has big implications during the rollout of the vaccines.

IMMIGRATION

Federal judge blocks rule that turns away refugees because of late tax returns

AEI

The Trump administration recently finalized a regulation that imposes numerous new restrictions on refugees seeking asylum. I singled out a provision of the regulation that would generally bar asylum based on tax noncompliance, even if the noncompliance was unintentional and caused little or no revenue loss.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update - January 2021

JDSupra

During the 2020 legislative session, many housing bills ended up on the cutting room floor. One bill that did make it through, AB 2345, amended the State Density Bonus Law to increase the maximum density bonus from 35% to 50% as of January 1.

Housing:

Are robot-made ‘printed’ buildings a solution to California’s housing crisis?

Orange County Register

In a cavernous warehouse near the Oakland Coliseum, a 3D printer extrudes a secret blend of minerals and plastic polymer that’s hardened into a heavy stone-like form under ultraviolet light.

Finally, rent relief for a graduate starting out in the job market

CalMatters

Brady feared, though, that California politicians aren’t as stressed about the looming threat of evictions as they should be or as many renters like her can’t help but be.

Pandemic-Driven Economic Slowdown Puts Renters at Risk of Housing Loss

PEW
The 44 million U.S. households in rental housing face myriad challenges when landlords file eviction cases against them in housing court—challenges that can create increasingly grave consequences as the coronavirus pandemic wears on and unemployment remains stubbornly high nationwide.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Unemployed Californians to get extra $300 weekly from COVID stimulus. What you need to know

Fresno Bee

Millions of Californians are due to get $300 a week added to their weekly unemployment payments — but some will get the extra benefit sooner than others.

Editorial: Newsom is right: Let’s get more money in poor Californians’ pockets now

Los Angeles Times

Here’s some welcome news for California’s working poor: Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed giving millions of low-income taxpayers a $600 Golden State Stimulus payment. The checks would be paid out of the state’s unexpected multibillion-dollar surplus.

How Budget Stress Tests Help Utah Prepare for and Manage Economic Downturns

PEW
States benefit from conducting budget stress tests during a recession, given the competing demands for limited resources facing leaders at times of fiscal distress, according to Utah’s legislative fiscal analyst, Jonathan Ball.

TRANSPORTATION

Senate Considering $10B for Highway Removal

StreetsBlog USA

Cities might soon get federal money to tear down inner-city highways that federal dollars built in the first place — and use that money to reinvest in communities of color that those highways destroyed.

Commentary: Budget proposal can send a clear signal on clean transportation

CalMatters

Gov. Newsom should prioritize clean transportation and incentive funding for buyers of zero-emission vehicles to achieve his executive order.

WATER

Climate change causing one-third of flood damage in United States, Stanford study finds

San Francisco Chronicle

Increasingly strong storms are responsible for more than a third of the nation’s flood costs, swelling the tab by billions of dollars a year — and growing — as climate change continues to fuel more extreme weather, according to new research at Stanford University.

Turning the Page on a Disruptive Year in the Water World

Public Policy Institute of California

These crises have exacerbated longstanding inequities in access to water services, and made it that much harder to accomplish important work to improve the resilience of the state’s water system and vulnerable ecosystems.

“Xtra”

This abandoned Tower District bank in Fresno has a new tenant. It’s a cannabis dispensary

Fresno Bee

The former Bank of America branch in Fresno’s Tower District has a new tenant. If all goes as planned, the building, which has been vacant since 2017, could become one of the city’s first cannabis dispensaries.