Top Policy/Political Stories
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TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional Politics:
The Bakersfield Californian The fellowship, funded by The Wonderful Company, is focused on helping students get a degree from a graduate program and encouraging them to come back to the Valley to apply what they’ve learned. The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship, now in its fourth year, is made possible by a gift from Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners of The Wonderful Company. See also: · Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship – DEADLINE EXTENDED – Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, March 16th, 2018 The Maddy Institute
Amazon jobs – Hundreds seek position at Fresno warehouse The Fresno Bee The first day of a three-day job fair in downtown Fresno Tuesday marked the kickoff for people hoping to find work at Amazon’s huge order-processing center under construction at the city’s south edge. Hundreds of hopeful job-seekers showed up at the DoubleTree hotel. Some waited outside for hours on a foggy, chilly morning for a chance to apply and interview for work.
High-speed rail | Bullet train cost up $2.8 billion in Valley The Fresno Bee A slew of delays and higher-than-expected costs are driving the anticipated price of high-speed rail construction in the central San Joaquin Valley by more than one-third, to about $10.6 billion. That’s a $2.8 billion jump from the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s estimate in 2016 of $7.8 billion for the 119-mile section of the route from Madera to Bakersfield. The increased figure was a reality check for the authority’s board members, who received a report on the rising costs at their meeting Tuesday in Sacramento. See also: · California bullet train cost surges by $2.8 billion: ‘Worst-case scenario has happened’ Los Angeles Times · Audit the High Speed Rail Fox and Hounds Daily · Drone flyover of recent California High-Speed Rail construction in Fresno The Modesto Bee · California High-Speed Rail Authority Names New CEO California High-Speed Rail Authority
Unprecedented six bills introduced within days of each other to address valley fever Bakersfield Californian Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, will introduce two bills Wednesday aimed at combating valley fever, the orphan disease which infected Californians at epidemic levels last year. His proposed legislation promises to provide more accurate case counts while standardizing testing for valley fever, Fong told the Center for Health Journalism Collaborative in an exclusive interview.
Fresno Study Broadens Links Between Air Pollution, Health, DNA Valley Public Radio Last week, we brought you a report about the San Joaquin Valley’s recent bout of smoggy air, which in Bakersfield was the longest consecutive episode of unhealthy PM2.5 levels in decades.
Denham helps pitch bipartisan DACA solution Modesto Bee Jeff Denham and 39 other congressional representatives from both parties joined Tuesday to announce legislation aimed at protecting Dreamers from deportation as well as strengthening border security.
State Politics:
Walters: Brown’s worries about killing California’s golden geese Calmatters To intertwine cliches, Gov. Jerry Brown let the cat out of the bag last week and acknowledged that he’s concerned about killing the golden geese. See also: · Should your California taxes be charitable? OCRegister · California utilities’ tax breaks will go to customers, regulators say San Francisco Chronicle
CA120: North versus South in 2018 primary Capitol Weekly With five months to the 2018 gubernatorial primary election, there is a natural tendency to try and find the single major factor that will determine the outcome. Will it be Donald Trump, absentee voters, young people, the gas tax, racially polarized voting, the open primary, North versus South, the growing number of independent voters, the new registrants since President Trump was elected, or 25% of the electorate who registered to vote in 2016?
What you missed during the first gubernatorial forum last weekend The Sacramento Bee In case you missed it: Leading gubernatorial candidates met for their first town hallevent. While Democrats blasted Donald Trump as a racist, John Cox said immigrants are needed to pick fruits and vegetables. Sen. Tony Mendoza sought spring interns despite sexual harassment allegations. California joined a lawsuit to restore net neutrality rules.
California Says No Decision On Trimming Delta Tunnels Plan California water officials say the state has not yet made any final decision on scaling back the size of a troubled water project. State water officials filed papers Friday saying they were considering cutting immediate plans for a $16 billion project to carry Northern California southward from two tunnels to one, with the second tunnel postponed indefinitely. They asked state builders vying to build the project to submit proposals on the pared-down one-tunnel project. See also: · State moves step closer to downsizing Delta tunnels project Sacramento Bee
The Affordable Care Act in California Public Policy Institute of California Passed in 2010 with most provisions going into effect in 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurers to offer coverage to all individuals regardless of their age or health status. The law also requires nearly everyone to have comprehensive health insurance or pay a tax penalty. To improve affordability, the ACA provided federal funds to support the expansion of state Medicaid programs and to subsidize health plans purchased through new insurance marketplaces.
California nurses and Anthony Rendon are still sparring over single-payer bill Sacramento Bee Time has not healed all wounds between Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and the California Nurses Association.
California wildfires: New bills aim to ease insurance headaches The Mercury News California lawmakers on Tuesday took aim at the insurance industry after hearing “horror stories” from homeowners struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of a record-setting wildfire season that caused more than $9 billion in damages. See also: · California lawmakers propose bills to beef up disaster insurance coverage San Francisco Chronicle
Secret settlements are endangering the public. This California bill will fix that Sacramento Bee California should join several other states in prohibiting settlement agreements that keep secret information about dangerous products and environmental hazards.
State attorneys general want Congress to give banks the go-ahead to work with marijuana companies Los Angeles Times California’s top law enforcement official and his counterparts in 18 states and territories say Congress must act to end the banking industry’s prohibition on serving the marijuana industry, calling the current state of affairs a public safety threat and a hindrance for law enforcement.
Migrants from African countries disparaged by Trump among best-educated in California The Sacramento Bee African migrants to California are far more likely to have a four-year college degree than Californians born in the United States, census figures show. Last week, President Donald Trump reportedly asked why the United States should accept migrants from “shithole countries” including African nations and Haiti. He reportedly made the comments during a discussion with legislators about a bipartisan immigration bill. The exact words used by the president are a matter of some dispute. Trump said reports about his statements at the meeting are wrong.
California says false emergency alert unlikely here San Francisco Chronicle On Saturday morning, a warning message blasted on cell phones across Hawaii telling people to immediately take shelter from an incoming ballistic missile. The alert — which caused widespread panic — was supposed to be a test.
Pensions: Should Americans have to work into their 70s? The Sacramento Bee
Federal Politics:
California, 20 other states sue over net neutrality rules The Sacramento Bee California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, 20 other states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Federal Communications Commission to restore net neutrality rules. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, challenges the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality last month. The commission’s repeal paved the way for internet service providers to charge websites fees for faster internet speeds and to slow down or block other sites. See also: · California, 21 other states sue FCC over net neutrality repeal The Mercury News
Trump’s revenge on California: The Census Politico Fear is rising among Democrats over the prospect that President Donald Trump’s hard line on immigration might ultimately cost California a seat in Congress during the upcoming round of reapportionment. Top Democrats here are increasingly worried the administration’s restrictive policies — and the potential inclusion of a question about citizenship on the next U.S. census — could scare whole swaths of California’s large immigrant population away from participating in the decennial count, resulting in an undercount that could cost the state billions of dollars in federal funding over the next decade and, perhaps, the loss of one of its 53 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Trump seeks to bypass Ninth Circuit court in DACA immigration debate The Sacramento Bee Federal lawyers on Tuesday said they plan to go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court – bypassing a California appeals court that President Donald Trump dislikes – to overturn an injunction that forces the administration to keep in place an immigration program that protects some people from deportation who were brought to the United States illegally as children. See also: · Feds planning massive Northern California immigration sweep to strike against sanctuary laws San Francisco Chronicle · DHS asked prosecutors to charge sanctuary city leaders Washington Times · Fearing DACA’s Return May Be Brief, Immigrants Rush to Renew New York Times · Migrants from African countries disparaged by Trump among best-educated in California The Sacramento Bee
Essential Politics: When a president’s physical becomes big news Los Angeles Times Even in an era when the discourse surrounding the presidency has been remarkable, this sentence in the White House press briefing room stands out. “There’s no indication whatsoever that he has any cognitive issues.”
U.S. Chamber of Commerce to push Trump, Congress to raise the gas tax to fund infrastructure The Washington Post With President Trump and Congress turning their attention to infrastructure in the coming weeks, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is preparing for an uphill battle: a push to raise the federal gas tax by 25 cents per gallon to help pay for the initiative.
The federal government may shut down Friday: What will that mean for you? The Mercury News The federal government has shut down more than a dozen times in the last four decades and the next could begin Friday at 9 p.m. California time if lawmakers hung up on immigration differences cannot reach an agreement on a spending plan.
Analysis: It’s a Blue House Wave, but Not Yet a Senate One Roll Call “The odds are greater than half we will take back the Senate.” — Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on Monday night Democrats ought to temper their optimism about the fight for the Senate this year. Yes, Doug Jones’ victory in Alabama’s special election gives their party a path to a Senate majority in November.
Dianne Feinstein rival Kevin de Leon hits her on immigration The Sacramento Bee State Sen. Kevin de León took a subtle shot at Sen. Dianne Feinstein as he lobbied on Capitol Hill on Tuesday for protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children known as “Dreamers.” “Whether through incompetence or intolerance, we delay justice,” de León said at a press conference in Washington.
Feinstein criticizes Trump administration’s immigration actions The Washington Post Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) spoke out against the Trump administration’s recent steps to constrain immigration to the U.S. during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Jan. 16.
Californians take lead on proposal for slimmed-down ‘Dreamer’ bill Los Angeles Times Congress is considering a handful of deals to address the legal status of people brought to the country illegally as children. Some include money for a wall along the Southern border, others would rewrite major chunks of immigration law. See also: · Denham helps pitch bipartisan DACA solution Modesto Bee
Why Democrats Don’t Want to Talk About Legalizing Marijuana Roll Call As the Trump administration begins to crack down on states that legalized marijuana, advocates for legalization hope Democrats will take their side. But many Democrats are still squeamish about fully embracing the drug. Earlier this month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Justice Department would reverse the policy from the Obama administration that restricted federal prosecution of marijuana offenses in states where it was legalized.
Xavier Becerra | Florida Isn’t the Only State That Will Be Hurt by Offshore Drilling The New York Times It was a stunning demonstration of politically motivated policymaking that has provoked nearly a dozen coastal states, both red and blue, to protest. Perhaps no state faces more potential harm than California
Other:
Americans Have Little Confidence In Political Institutions, Poll Finds NPR Trust in the institutions that have been the pillars of U.S. politics and capitalism is crumbling. That is one finding from the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, which shows that Americans have limited confidence in its public schools, courts, organized labor and banks — and even less confidence in big business, the presidency, the political parties and the media.
OC Register and other Digital First Media newspapers face ‘significant’ layoffs Los Angeles Times Southern California News Group, which includes newspapers such as the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Daily News, will be hit with “significant” layoffs in the coming months, the group’s management announced Friday in newsroom meetings that took place across five publications.
Google foe’s lawyer has history fighting for right-wing views San Jose Mercury News To understand lawyer Harmeet Dhillon’s passion for the controversial case of James Damore, who is suing Google for allegedly discriminating against him as a conservative white man, it’s helpful to look back — way back.
Topics in More Detail…
EDITORIALS
Denham signs on to bipartisan plan that could save DreamersModesto Bee President Donald Trump believes any solution to the crisis he created involving nearly 800,000 Dreamers is “dead.” So it’s up to Congress to forge a solution. Stop the insanity: Californians in Congress should back Dreamers compromiseSacramento Bee President Donald Trump toys with the lives of 700,000 Dreamers, while partisans threaten a government shutdown and federal agents hint at arrests for local officials who dare defy them. And yet, a few members of Congress are seeking common ground.
Our View: Not nice to not meet with youStockton Record Stockton City Council last year reduced its number of 2018 meetings from two a month to one a month. Council meets on the second Tuesday of the month.
Trump’s right — churches should be eligible for disaster aidLos Angeles Times After three churches in Texas were damaged last year during Hurricane Harvey, they discovered they were ineligible for federal disaster aid under a policy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Last week, the Trump administration came to their rescue — by abolishing a rule that prohibited federal aid for the repair or rebuilding of facilities used primarily for religious activities.
It’s up to Congress to save the internetLos Angeles Times Congressional Republicans breathed new life last year into the all-but-ignored Congressional Review Act, using it to reverse a wide range of Obama administration regulations on the environment, consumer protection and workplace issues. Now Senate Democrats are trotting out the act to undo a Republican effort to let cable and phone companies meddle with the internet. This particular turnabout is most definitely fair play.
LA’s port truckers are stuck in a race to the bottom Los Angeles Times Since 2011, trucking companies at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been ordered by the state to pay drivers more than $45 million in wages and restitution for illegally classifying the workers as “independent contractors” instead of employees — a move that allowed the companies to avoid paying payroll taxes, benefits and even the minimum wage.
Editorial: Trump is bringing on a government shutdownSan Francisco Chronicle If any proof is needed of Washington’s gridlocked politics, this week is prime evidence. Come midnight Friday, a government shutdown could occur, cutting off all but emergency programs. Think park closures, darkened offices and worried global markets.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Program encourages food stamp users to stock up on fruits and vegetables Los Angeles Times Rebeca Gonzalez grew up eating artichokes from her grandmother’s farm in the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala. But for years after emigrating to the U.S., she did not feed them to her own kids because the spiky, fibrous vegetables were too expensive on this side of the border.
State attorneys general want Congress to give banks the go-ahead to work with marijuana companies Los Angeles Times California’s top law enforcement official and his counterparts in 18 states and territories say Congress must act to end the banking industry’s prohibition on serving the marijuana industry, calling the current state of affairs a public safety threat and a hindrance for law enforcement.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Patients at psychiatric hospital protest over crackdown The Bakersfield Californian A California state psychiatric hospital housing mostly sexually violent predators has been locked down and visits canceled after a weekend protest over a crackdown on devices, like flash drives, that officials say are often used to smuggle child pornography.
Family justice center to focus on survivors, not perpetrators, of violence Bakersfield Californian On the surface it seemed all show, with speeches, a ceremonial ribbon cutting — and yes, dog and pony included. But the opening of the Kern County Family Justice Center on Tuesday was more than that. It represented a new way of doing justice in Kern County that focuses on survivors, not perpetrators, of violence.
Fire:
California wildfires: New bills aim to ease insurance headaches The Mercury News California lawmakers on Tuesday took aim at the insurance industry after hearing “horror stories” from homeowners struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of a record-setting wildfire season that caused more than $9 billion in damages. See also: · Lawmakers introduce package of insurance safeguards in wake of Northern California wildfires Santa Rosa Press Democrat .
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
U.S. Manufacturing Output Rose in December for a Fourth Month Bloomberg U.S. factory production rose for a fourth straight month in December, capping the strongest quarter since 2010 and underscoring a resurgence in manufacturing that’s primed for further advances, Federal Reserve data showed Wednesday.
Consumer watchdog agency considers repealing payday lending rules Los Angeles Times The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has decided to reconsider a key set of rules enacted last year that would have protected consumers against harmful payday lenders.
Can capitalism be saved from itself? Brookings The world economy is entering 2018 on a high note. Economic growth in the United States, the European Union, Japan, and China accelerated in 2017, and large emerging economies are regaining momentum. Global growth forecasts for 2018 are upward of 3.1 percent. Stock markets have reached record highs. Unemployment is down and wages are starting to rise.
Jobs:
Amazon jobs – Hundreds seek position at Fresno warehouse The Fresno Bee The first day of a three-day job fair in downtown Fresno Tuesday marked the kickoff for people hoping to find work at Amazon’s huge order-processing center under construction at the city’s south edge. Hundreds of hopeful job-seekers showed up at the DoubleTree hotel. Some waited outside for hours on a foggy, chilly morning for a chance to apply and interview for work.
California Dairies in Los Banos to close, 63 to lose jobs The Fresno Bee Visalia-based California Dairies Inc., the largest milk cooperative in the state, is shutting down its Los Banos factory, citing a decline in milk volume. The plant that first started out as San Joaquin Valley Dairymen has been in operation since 1925. The shutdown will displace 63 workers and take about 60 days to ramp down production.
Managing pension funds isn’t easy, but should we be forced to work into our 70s? Sacramento Bee What happens when employers start chipping away at their workers’ promised retirement benefits? This is a timely question in California as a high-profile case involving public employee pensions wends its way to the Supreme Court. The government’s position in the case is that government agencies ought to be allowed to eliminate retirement promises that were made at the time an employee was hired.
Where California ranks for women-owned businesses The Mercury News The #MeToo movement has thrown a spotlight on the sexual harassment women often endure in the workplace. But despite that challenge, women entrepreneurs are gaining serious traction in the world of business, according to a new report from FitSmallBusiness.com. In fact, female-owned businesses grew five times faster than the national average over the past nine years, and California is ranked as the fourth best state for women-owned enterprises.
The new economics of jobs is bad news for working class Americans—and maybe for Trump Brookings Many political observers still seem flummoxed by the fact that millions of working-class Americans voted for Donald Trump after supporting Barack Obama not once but twice. One important reason may lie in certain large-scale changes in America’s job market over the last decade. The growing role of a college degree in landing a job is well documented.
EDUCATION
K-12:
California to explain but not change school improvement plan federal officials criticized EdSource Despite significant criticisms last month by the U.S. Department of Education, California will likely make clarifications but no substantial changes to the state’s plan for complying with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal law that requires states to improve low-achieving schools.
No rules for California home schools, where 13 found captive AP The Southern California home where authorities say two parents tortured their 13 children had doubled as a private school for the siblings but faced no government oversight and was never inspected by education officials.
Schools become a ‘safe haven’ for Salvadoran students in wake of crackdown OCRegister California schools are bracing for the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to oust thousands of Salvadoran immigrants, many of whom have been in the U.S. since the early 2000s and whose children are U.S. citizens.
REPORT: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Challenges Congress to Tackle Inequity in America’s Schools Colorlines A new report from the United States Commission on Civil Rights—an independent, bipartisan agency created by Congress—says that inequitable distribution of education funding combined with highly segregated schools puts students of color and kids living in low-income households at a major disadvantage.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State meets and exceeds enrollment Abc30 A new semester means new students at Fresno State, and just like past years, the university said it is meeting and even exceeding enrollment. “We probably get anywhere from 400 to 1,000 new students that are transfers depending on the year,” said Frank Lamas Vice President of student affairs and enrollment management.
Hilmar couple leaves CSU Stanislaus a record amount Modesto Bee Helen and Lou Yecny lived a frugal life. But the Hilmar couple’s attention to saving and their desire to help educate local students led to the biggest single gift ever received by California State University, Stanislaus.
Some UC regents push to delay vote on possible tuition increase Los Angeles Times Controversy is brewing over whether University of California regents should vote next week on another possible tuition increase — or delay a decision to allow more people to weigh in.
Why the next UC regent should be from the Central Valley Sacramento Bee The San Joaquin Valley is the heart of California’s fertile agricultural region. It is home to more than 4 million Californians, and to diverse, distinctive and dynamic communities.
Fitzgerald: Overflowing CSUs should look to, not laugh at, Stockton Stockton Record The spokesman for California’s State University system seemed to scoff at Stockton in a recent interview, drawing a tart response from Assemblywoman Susan Eggman.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Don’t let EPA and Monsanto hide the truth on Roundup Sacramento Bee In the waning days of 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency quietly announced it had concluded that Roundup does not cause cancer.
Bill introduced banning gasoline-powered vehicles in California by 2040 San Diego Tribune A bill introduced this month in the California Legislature calls for every new passenger vehicle sold in the Golden State to emit zero exhaust emissions by 2040. If passed, it would effectively ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fresno Study Broadens Links Between Air Pollution, Health, DNA Valley Public Radio Last week, we brought you a report about the San Joaquin Valley’s recent bout of smoggy air, which in Bakersfield was the longest consecutive episode of unhealthy PM2.5 levels in decades.
As small riots rage at Coalinga State Hospital, details begin to emerge Fresno Bee Patients at Coalinga State Hospital remained on lockdown Tuesday as a few details began to emerge about violent protests that have erupted since new rules restricting the use of personal electronic devices were put into place.
CCMC’s HealthQuest seminar teaches how to save a life Clovis Roundup If you were in a situation where you could help someone suffering from uncontrolled bleeding, would you know what to do? Could you save a life? On Thursday evening, Jan. 11, about 200 people attended Clovis Community Medical Center’s (CCMC) “Stop the Bleed” seminar in the H. Marcus Radin Conference Center.
Unprecedented six bills introduced within days of each other to address valley fever Bakersfield Californian Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, will introduce two bills Wednesday aimed at combating valley fever, the orphan disease which infected Californians at epidemic levels last year. His proposed legislation promises to provide more accurate case counts while standardizing testing for valley fever, Fong told the Center for Health Journalism Collaborative in an exclusive interview.
Should California Voters OK $5 Billion More for Stem Cell Research? KQED The year was 2004, and great medical breakthroughs were supposedly right around the corner.
The Affordable Care Act in California Public Policy Institute of California Passed in 2010 with most provisions going into effect in 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurers to offer coverage to all individuals regardless of their age or health status. The law also requires nearly everyone to have comprehensive health insurance or pay a tax penalty. To improve affordability, the ACA provided federal funds to support the expansion of state Medicaid programs and to subsidize health plans purchased through new insurance marketplaces. See also: · Number of Americans without health insurance grows in Trump’s first year, new figures show Los Angeles Times · ‘Safety Net’ Hospitals Face Federal Budget Cuts Pew Charitable Trusts | Stateline
A Work Requirement for Medicaid Isn’t ‘Cruel’ Bloomberg “The Trump administration’s action today is cruel,” said Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey. The new policy is “the latest salvo of the Trump administration’s war on health care,” according to a health-care advocacy group. “The pain is the point” of the policy, wrote columnist and economist Paul Krugman.
Opioid Crisis Blamed For Sharp Increase In Accidental Deaths In U.S. : The Two-Way NPR Accidental deaths in the United States rose significantly in 2016, becoming the third-leading cause of fatalities for the first time in more than a century – a trend fueled by the steep rise in opioid overdoses, the National Safety Council reports. Accidents — defined by the council as unintentional, preventable injuries — claimed a record 161,374 lives in 2016, a 10 percent increase over 2015. They include motor vehicle crashes, falls, drowning, chocking and poisoning, a category that encompasses accidental overdoses.
Obese patients lived longer if they had weight loss surgery, study finds Los Angeles Times Bariatric surgery has become the medical profession’s go-to solution for meaningful weight loss, and new research shows why: It saves lives.
IMMIGRATION
For stories on “DACA” See: “Top Stories – Federal Politics,” above
Migrants from African countries disparaged by Trump among best-educated in California The Sacramento Bee African migrants to California are far more likely to have a four-year college degree than Californians born in the United States, census figures show.
‘In my heart it is home’: UC-Berkeley student detained by Border Patrol Washington Post They just missed the turn. Luis Mora, a 20-year-old student at the University of California at Berkeley, and his girlfriend were driving home from a birthday party near San Diego on their recent winter break. It was dark, and they didn’t know the road.
“Diversity Is Our Strength”: Is It True? National Review What if diversity isn’t our strength? Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) says he scolded the president for saying something scatological about certain countries and their emigrants. “Diversity has always been our strength,” Graham allegedly said. By my very rough count, this makes Graham the bazillionth person to proclaim some variant of “diversity is strength.”
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
When it Comes to Urban Planning, Strategy Isn’t Enough PublicCEO When it comes to addressing the most urgent priorities of our urban communities — issues like job creation, brain gain, affordable housing, and racial equality — city governments often look to strategy as their first order of business. While this is a wise, albeit necessary, step for any urban development project, it is not responsible for keeping a vision alive.
SF breaking ground on wastewater recycling plant San Francisco Chronicle The sprawling lawns of Golden Gate Park and two major San Francisco golf courses are very thirsty places, and in the coming years, recycled wastewater will satisfy that thirst, thanks to a new treatment plant being built by the city’s water agency.
Housing:
New Bay Area housing trend: Living in the backyard San Jose Mercury News Bay Area homeowners are taking advantage of changing laws and an intense demand for housing by building, and renting out, small dwellings known as granny flats or in-law units in their backyards, converted basements or garages
What if LA’s homeless population were a city? Los Angeles Times Fifty-seven thousand eight hundred. That’s approximately how many people are homeless in Los Angeles County on any given night. If they all came together, they would constitute a city the size of Arcadia.
PUBLIC FINANCES Cost of high-speed rail project in the Valley leaps by $2.8 billion Fresno Bee A slew of delays and higher-than-expected costs are driving the anticipated price of high-speed rail construction in the central San Joaquin Valley by more than one-third, to about $10.6 billion. See also: · California bullet train cost surges by $2.8 billion: ‘Worst-case scenario has happened’ Los Angeles Times · Audit the High Speed Rail Fox and Hounds Daily
California utilities’ tax breaks will go to customers, regulators say San Francisco Chronicle Money that California utility companies save under the new federal tax overhaul will be returned to their customers in the form of lower rates, state regulators said Tuesday.
Pensions: Should Americans have to work into their 70s? The Sacramento Bee
TRANSPORTATION
Bill introduced banning gasoline-powered vehicles in California by 2040 San Diego Tribune A bill introduced this month in the California Legislature calls for every new passenger vehicle sold in the Golden State to emit zero exhaust emissions by 2040. If passed, it would effectively ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce to push Trump, Congress to raise the gas tax to fund infrastructure The Washington Post With President Trump and Congress turning their attention to infrastructure in the coming weeks, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is preparing for an uphill battle: a push to raise the federal gas tax by 25 cents per gallon to help pay for the initiative.
WATER
California Says No Decision On Trimming Delta Tunnels Plan California water officials say the state has not yet made any final decision on scaling back the size of a troubled water project. State water officials filed papers Friday saying they were considering cutting immediate plans for a $16 billion project to carry Northern California southward from two tunnels to one, with the second tunnel postponed indefinitely. They asked state builders vying to build the project to submit proposals on the pared-down one-tunnel project. See also: · Delta tunnels project could be downsized The Sacramento Bee
Why millions of dead trees in the Sierra may have helped save water during the drought Sacramento Bee The millions of trees that died in the Sierra Nevada during California’s five-year drought may have actually helped the state’s water supply once the historic dry spell finally ended, according to a new study.
Oroville Suing State Water Agency Over Spillway Emergency KQED Signaling what could be a wave of lawsuits arising from last year’s spillway crisis, the city of Oroville is planning to file a complaint Wednesday against the state Department of Water Resources for damages it says it suffered during and after the emergency.
Information Gaps Hinder Progress on Safe Drinking Water Public Policy Institute of California The short answer to the question, “How many Californians lack access to safe drinking water?” is, “Too many.” Everyone deserves to have ready access to clean water. But understanding the extent of the problem is less straightforward. Some recent strides have been made in compiling data on communities with drinking water violations, but more work is needed to help scope solutions, prioritize actions, and track progress.
“Xtra”
Valley woman takes Miss California Visalia Times-Delta Initially, Tara Broderick didn’t want to join the pageant industry. Then she found a picture of her mother in the International Junior Miss pageant. It perked her interest. Growing up, Broderick was bullied. She was often told things that made her feel unworthy, she said.
First (official) Women’s March coming to Kern County Bakersfield Californian For last year’s first national Women’s March, Kimberly Kirchmer arranged for buses to take people from Bakersfield to the march in Los Angeles, where around 750,000 people took to the streets for women’s rights. When she asked L.A. organizers if she could arrange another caravan for this year’s march, she was told no. |