POLICY & POLITICS
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North SJ Valley:
Newsom budget includes $15 million for UC Merced, Valley medical education
Merced Sun-Star
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s suggested budget offers $15 million in ongoing funding to expand medical education at UC San Francisco School of Medicine Fresno Branch Campus in collaboration with UC Merced.
10th Congressional District candidates ‘Debate at the State’ in Modesto
Modesto Bee
Six candidates running for the 10th Congressional District will be in Modesto on Wednesday for The Bee’s “Debate at the State” at the State Theatre. We’ll be streaming it live for those who cannot make the debate.
See also:
What do you want local candidates to talk about this election? Tell us in our reader survey Modesto Bee
Sparks fly amid charges of lying in tense Congressional debate in Modesto
Modesto Bee
These three California cities are the most racially diverse in the US, study says
Fresno Bee
Stockton, Oakland and Sacramento are the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the country, according to a new study by U.S. News & World Report.
Central SJ Valley:
Bill could add a medical school to Downtown Fresno
Business Journal
In an effort to alleviate the doctor shortage in the Valley, several local and regional lawmakers have stepped forward with a new bill to create a full-fledged medical school with public funding.
LAFCO to consider LSID annexation
Porterville Recorder
The Tulare County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) will host a meeting in the Tulare County Board of Supervisors Chambers in Visalia, and on its agenda is two items concerning the Lindsay-Strathmore Irrigation District (LSID).
City adopts Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Hanford Sentinel
To the sound of some objections from the audience, the Hanford City Council adopted Tuesday the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
Rep. TJ Cox releases year in review report
Hanford Sentinel
One year into his two-year term, Congressman TJ Cox released Tuesday his first ever Year in Review for 2019.
South SJ Valley:
Study: Bakersfield named America's hardest place to grow up
abc23
In a new report, Brandeis University named Bakersfield the worst place for children to grow up in America. The Child Opportunity Index 2.0 took a look at how neighborhood conditions affect the health and development of children across the United States.
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders to open Bakersfield office
Bakersfield Californian
Democratic president hopeful Bernie Sanders' campaign is setting up shop in Bakersfield with an office opening this Saturday. The office will be located at 1420 19th St. Suite B.
‘Where Is Kevin?’ McCarthy Finds His Voice as Trump’s Mouthpiece
New York Times
Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, has made his mark during impeachment by stoking the anger of liberals while keeping the president happy.
State:
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top strategist retiring after decades shaping California policy
Fresno Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top strategist Daniel Zingale announced Wednesday that he will retire from full-time state service to focus on his health and family.
See also:
Gavin Newsom wants California to be a no-kill state. How would we end animal euthanasia?
Fresno Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants the Golden State to become a “no-kill state,” ending the euthanasia of adoptable and treatable animals for good in shelters from Yreka to Chula Vista. He’s dedicating $50 million in his 2020-21 state budget proposal to figure out how to achieve his goal.
Gavin Newsom apologized to Native Americans. Now he’s ready to fund a healing council
Fresno Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants nearly half a million dollars per year to fund the Native American council he created in June, according to public documents detailing the governor’s state budget plans.
Ready to move, Californians tour their top destination: Texas
Los Angeles Times
More than half of California voters have considered moving out of state. Many who do choose Texas, where lower housing costs come with trade-offs.
Why the idea of a ‘home state’ paper in California is absurd
Los Angeles Times
The absurdity was in the framing, and the meaningless designation of the Bee as Nunes’ “home state” newspaper. That absurdity — and how well it illustrates the way California differs from so many other states — is what makes the headline worth discussing.
Los Angeles Times
A big part of effective legislative leadership is knowing when and how to exercise extraordinary power. The answer is rarely but emphatically.
Federal:
No coffee, no cell phones: Kamala Harris, Feinstein adjust to Trump’s trial
San Francisco Chronicle
Sen. Kamala Harris, her California colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein and 98 other senators returned to their wooden desks for another marathon session Wednesday in President Trump’s impeachment trial. It could be their routine for a while.
See also:
House and White House impeachment legal teams offer stark contrast on facts and style Fresno Bee
Democrats finish day of presentations in Trump impeachment trial Visalia Times Delta
House Democrats argue to remove Trump from office for abusing office ‘to cheat an election’ Los Angeles Times
Sen. Dianne Feinstein leaves Trump impeachment trial early Wednesday night San Francisco Chronicle
EDITORIAL: The jury is out on whether Republican senators will take their impeachment oath seriously Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: Mitch McConnell’s rigged trial tests the limits of partisanship San Francisco Chronicle
Trump Opens Door to Cuts to Medicare and Other Entitlement Programs
New York Times
President Trump suggested on Wednesday that he would be willing to consider cuts to social safety-net programs like Medicare to reduce the federal deficit if he wins a second term, an apparent shift from his 2016 campaign promise to protect funding for such entitlements.
Yes, Congress has disproportionate share of millionaires, but claim's numbers are off
PolitiFact
A key analysis showed that close to half of the House and Senate members are millionaires. We couldn’t find a source that said 1% of the American public are millionaires, but we do know that it’s far less than in Congress.
Elections 2020:
Would Biden pick a female running mate? ‘At least 9 women I can think of,’ he says
Fresno Bee
Former Vice President Joe Biden last year floated a handful of women he would consider inviting onto his ticket if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination — and now he has suggested that there a few more women he would mull for the job.
See also:
Biden and Sanders’ rift could define closing days in Iowa
Fresno Bee
The rivalry between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders is deepening as the Democratic presidential candidates are increasingly at loggerheads over their support of Social Security, signaling a battle ahead that could last well beyond the Iowa caucuses.
See also:
Biden And Sanders Amp Up Criticism As Polls Show Them Separating From Field Capital Public Radio
The fight between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders over Social Security, explained PolitiFact
Bernie, Bloomberg, Booker, and the new politics of education AEI
Warren built a vaunted Iowa team early. Now she’s counting on it for a comeback.
Fresno Bee
Now, less than two weeks from the lead-off Iowa caucuses, Warren’s vaunted political machinery is under pressure to prove it can help engineer an Iowa comeback — especially with the candidate stuck in Washington for the Senate’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Warren’s Banana Republic Wall Street Journal
Does Tom Steyer have real momentum or just a ton of money?
Los Angeles Times
Steyer knows something about organizing in minority communities. In the years before running for president, he built a national advocacy machine that galvanized community activists, registered young voters and persuaded Californians to raise billions in taxes — all to advance the causes of social justice, action against climate change and affordable healthcare.
See also:
Bios of the Democratic presidential candidates
PolitiFact
As part of part of PolitiFact’s ongoing coverage of the 2020 campaign, we are writing profiles of major candidates. These reports will be updated as the campaign continues.
Commentary - Mathews: Why Did We Want an Early Primary Again?
Fox & Hounds
It’s finally worked. California moved up its presidential primary, again, for 2020, and it is getting more attention from candidates and the media.
See also:
Opinion: Voters beware of our populist threat. It comes from the right and left
Fresno Bee
The speedy rise of populism in both parties marks the end of bilateral political discourse. The two-party system is no longer equipped to address the complexity of our social, economic and political institutions.
Other:
Opinion: In the Trump era, news too has become predictably partisan
Fresno Bee
Once upon a time, news in these United States was, well, new. And people wanted to know the latest happenings. Now, however, much of the nation’s news and the people in it — even what they end up saying during these events — are pretty predictable.
EDITORIAL: Google wants the government to regulate AI. Why?
San Francisco Chronicle
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is the head of what may be the world’s most prominent artificial intelligence company. Why is he calling for government regulation now?
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, January 26, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: pre-empted
Sunday, January 26, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: California’s Housing Crisis: Are Granny Flats the Answer? - Guests: Monica Davalos, Aureo Mesquita, and Adriana Ramos-Yamamoto from the California Budget and Policy Center; Matt Levin with CALmatters; Dan Dunmoyer with California Building Industry Association; John Myers with LA Times; and Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, January 26, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: State Auditors Nurses: Workers Comp Fraud - Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Untreatable fungal infections threatens local almond orchards
Bakersfield Californian
The video that a pair of plant-disease researchers played for the audience at a state almond conference last month would have worried almost anyone in the business of growing Kern County's second highest-grossing crop.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Justice Department message about child porn: Exploiting a minor is a major offense
Modesto Bee
A U.S. Department of Justice public service announcement talks about the serious consequences of downloading child porn. A Stanislaus County, California man was sent to prison for downloading child pornography using Zoom video conferencing rooms.
Sexual harassment claims now tracked across California state government for the first time
Sacramento Bee
All California state departments are now required to log every claim of sexual harassment and discrimination into a new centralized system overseen by the California Department of Human Resources.
Public Safety:
New charges filed against Visalia Police officers during different approach to case
abc30
About a year after filing a long list of felony charges against Visalia Police officers Bryan Ferreria and Shane Logan, the Tulare County District Attorney's office decided to take a different approach in the case.
See also:
Sexual assault added to cop’s case, grand jury indicts Visalia Times Delta
Street racers, law enforcement discuss solutions on illegal street racing at community forum
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield Police Department and local street racers opened a dialogue toward finding a solution to illegal street racing at the first community forum regarding the issue on Tuesday evening at Independence High School.
Littler
More states are enacting so-called “red flag laws,” which allow certain entities and/or individuals to obtain restraining orders to remove firearms from an individual deemed by the courts to be a threat to themselves or others.
Fire:
Why tech has been slow to fight wildfires, extreme weather
Porterville Recorder
For three years running, California’s wildfires have sent plumes of smoke across Silicon Valley. So far, though, that hasn't spurred much tech innovation aimed at addressing extreme-weather disasters associated with climate change.
Man charged with insurance fraud after 2018 wildfire
Porterville Recorder
A Northern California man allegedly schemed to get an unearned $43,000 insurance payout after a wildfire destroyed his home and vehicles, even though he was going to receive more than $1 million for his properly insured property, officials said Wednesday.
See also:
Redding man charged with felony insurance fraud after Carr Fire claims Sacramento Bee
Victim who lost home, vehicles in Carr Fire faces fraud charges San Francisco Chronicle
Court to decide if firms responsible for fires must pay state costs
San Francisco Chronicle
The California Supreme Court will decide whether the state can bill corporations, including PG&E, for the costs of fighting fires that were carelessly started by corporate employees.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Stocks end flat as health authorities focus on China virus
Los Angeles Times
Major U.S. stock indexes ended little changed Wednesday after an early rebound rally faded in the final minutes of trading.
See also:
The Old Boys' Club: Schmoozing and the Gender Gap
UCLA Anderson Review
Women are half the workforce, yet they don’t get promoted at nearly the same pace as men. At one bank, the cumulative effect of male bonding accounts for 39% of the gender pay gap.
Jobs:
California state worker pay database updated with 2019 raises, promotions
Sacramento Bee
Investment experts and leaders at CalPERS and CalSTRS remained at the top of the list for pay in 2019. California’s rules for paying people in those jobs differ from the rest of the state’s civil service, to enable the retirement funds to hire in the competitive world of finance.
California unions expand as national labor organizing stagnates
Los Angeles Times
The number of Californians represented by unions rose by 139,000 last year in the wake of successful organizing campaigns across occupations as varied as nurses, electricians, animation artists, scooter mechanics and university researchers.
See also:
U.S. Union Membership Hits Another Record Low Wall Street Journal
Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Report
Littler
On December 17, 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Report for 2018.
California Supreme Court Grants Review of Dynamex Retroactivity – Again
Littler
On Wednesday, January 15, 2020, the California Supreme Court agreed to review a second case raising questions as to the scope and retroactivity of its landmark 2018 Dynamex decision.
Opinion: U-Haul’s ban on hiring nicotine users is discriminatory, senseless and wrong
Fresno Bee
Smoking is awful, a creator of tragedy and a drain on America’s health. It also happens to be legal, and that’s where the line should be drawn in the sand when it comes to an employer’s ability to dictate the behaviors of its employees.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Opinion: To protect children, schools must lead the effort to prevent lead poisoning
Fresno Bee
Fresno County contains eight of the top 50 census districts in California with the highest numbers of kids with lead poisoning, according to a recent article in The Fresno Bee. This is completely unacceptable.
Measured approach: Two bonds could provide PUSD $64.4 million
Porterville Recorder
The Porterville Unified School District has provided information on its Facebook page about the $33.4 million bond that will be placed on the March 3 ballot during the primary election for voters in the district to consider.
Supreme Court sounds ready to support public aid to religious schools
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court justices on Wednesday sounded ready to rule that states offering scholarships or subsidies to private schools must include those operated by churches.
Higher Ed:
Newsom budget includes $15 million for UC Merced, Valley medical education
Merced Sun-Star
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s suggested budget offers $15 million in ongoing funding to expand medical education at UC San Francisco School of Medicine Fresno Branch Campus in collaboration with UC Merced.
Bill could add a medical school to Downtown Fresno
Business Journal
In an effort to alleviate the doctor shortage in the Valley, several local and regional lawmakers have stepped forward with a new bill to create a full-fledged medical school with public funding.
UC and 8,000 service workers reach tentative deal on labor dispute over outsourcing, wages
Sacramento Bee
More than 8,000 service workers at the University of California announced Wednesday that they have negotiated a tentative contract agreement with their employer, ending one of the university system’s longest-running labor dispute.
No consensus on UC tuition hike as students protest and regents express mixed views
Los Angeles Times
University of California regents voiced starkly different views Wednesday on a proposed tuition increase for fall 2020, as consensus on the controversial issue failed to emerge.
UC San Diego looking to see if any students are infected by coronavirus
San Diego Union-Tribune
UC San Diego — which has one of the largest Chinese populations in American higher education — is trying to identify students who might have been infected by the pneunomia-like virus that has killed at least 17 people in China and has spread to other countries, including the U.S.
CSU trustees delay formal vote on requiring extra year of high school math
EdSource
The California State University is delaying a vote to formally approve a plan to require a fourth year of high school math for freshman admissions, allowing for more time to study the impact of the change.
EdSource
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is assembling a panel to recommend alternatives to the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment, or RICA, while state legislators are considering a bill that would replace it.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Are wolves finally migrating to Fresno County from Northern California? Here’s what experts say
Fresno Bee
It’s not unreasonable to question whether there could be a wolf in the central regions of California. The animals are known to walk incredible distances in search of new packs and mates.
Why Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum wants California to ban even more plastics
Fresno Bee
Goldblum visited the California Capitol on Wednesday to advocate for a pair of bills that would more aggressively push the state toward ending single-use packaging by 75 percent in the next decade.
See also:
Celebrities back California bill to cut single-use plastics Porterville Recorder
Some CA restaurants to implement 1% climate change surcharge
abc30
Some high-end California restaurants are now adding a new surcharge onto their bills to help fight climate change.
Evacuations lifted after chemical leak at California plant
Porterville Recorder
Authorities urged evacuations within 6 miles of a manufacturing plant Wednesday after a chemical release in a rural area of California's San Joaquin Valley.
See also:
Chemical leak at Kern Co. manufacturing plant prompts evacuations abc30
Chemical leak prompts evacuation notice in Taft Visalia Times Delta
Taft chemical spill prompts evacuation recommendation Bakersfield Californian
Taft Area Evacuation Still In Effect After Chemical Leak At Taft Manufacturing Co. VPR
Evacuations ordered after chemical is released at Kern County manufacturing plant Los Angeles Times
Energy:
PG&E offers Kern County residents energy-saving tips for cold winter temperatures
Bakersfield Californian
For those Kern County residents who like to use more natural gas to heat their home up during the cold temperatures Pacific Gas and Electric Company is offering tips for customers on how to help save energy and money.
PG&E makes breakthrough bankruptcy deal, but Gov. Newsom slams California utility again
Fresno Bee
PG&E Corp. made a landmark agreement with its bondholders Wednesday that wards off a hostile takeover attempt, but the utility encountered fresh headwinds from Gov. Gavin Newsom over its plans to exit bankruptcy.
See also:
California governor aims to block PG&E's bankruptcy plan Porterville Recorder
Gov. Gavin Newsom urges judge to reject PG&E bankruptcy, threatens state takeover again Los Angeles Times
PG&E, bondholders settle; Newsom renews takeover threat San Francisco Chronicle
PG&E Announces Deal to Exit Bankruptcy, but Governor Balks New York Times
California governor aims to block PG&E’s bankruptcy plan AP News
California needs clean energy after sundown. Geothermal could be the answer
Los Angeles Times
After years of playing third fiddle to solar and wind power, geothermal energy is poised to start growing again in California.
See also:
PG&E plan to limit blackouts clashes with clean energy groups San Francisco Chronicle
California begins planning for transition away from natural gas
San Francisco Chronicle
Could your gas stove become a thing of the past? As cities in California ban natural gas appliances in new homes and the state slashes emissions, gas-powered technology will increasingly become obsolete over the next quarter-century, regulators predict. And they’ve started to plan for that future.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fentanyl and heroin deaths double in San Francisco as US sees drop in fatal overdoses
Fresno Bee
The number of heroin and fentanyl overdose deaths in San Francisco more than doubled in 2019, according to the city’s medical examiner’s office statistics obtained by The San Francisco Chronicle.
See also:
‘It’s a wake-up call’ — fentanyl crisis grips SF as body count skyrockets San Francisco Chronicle
Flu has killed 105 Californians so far this winter
Stockton Record
The flu has killed more than 100 people throughout California so far this season — an alarming increase compared to recent years and a 50% rise in fatalities in the second week of January alone, state public health data released Friday show.
See also:
Flu has killed over 100 Californians so far this winter Visalia Times Delta
UC San Diego looking to see if any students are infected by coronavirus
San Diego Union-Tribune
UC San Diego — which has one of the largest Chinese populations in American higher education — is trying to identify students who might have been infected by the pneunomia-like virus that has killed at least 17 people in China and has spread to other countries, including the U.S.
‘Swallowed by Opioids’? A New Look at Appalachian ‘Deaths of Despair’
Real Clear Policy
In some of the hardest-hit regions of the Appalachian coal-belt, declining employment may not have been the principle source of opioid-related mortality. The “origin story” of addiction and death, they say, was not the absence of work but the coal jobs themselves.
Human Services:
Health insurers take on Big Pharma, plan to manufacture their own drugs
Los Angeles Times
A group of leading U.S. health insurers, frustrated by the high cost of prescription drugs, plan to start manufacturing versions of popular generic medications, hoping the competition with pharmaceutical companies will bring down costs.
Middle class income growth is lagging the rich and the poor—how much is due to healthcare subsidies?
Brookings
The top 20 percent has seen their incomes double. But much more surprisingly, the bottom 20 percent has seen income growth of 84 percent, far outpacing the middle class. Plus, these trends are predicted to continue.
IMMIGRATION
McFarland meeting on expanding ICE detention capabilities draws huge protest and counter-protest
Bakersfield Californian
A huge crowd of protesters and counter-protesters showed up to a McFarland Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday in which the city took the first steps in allowing the private prison company GEO Group Inc. to expand immigration detention capabilities.
State Department to Issue Rules Restricting U.S. Travel for Pregnant Foreigners
Wall Street Journal
The State Department is adopting a new set of rules that will make it tougher for pregnant foreigners to visit the U.S. on tourist visas, an effort to prevent individuals from coming to the U.S. to give birth.
Laguna Beach pays DACA-holder $18,750 after police detained him for ICE
OC Register
Police in Laguna Beach pulled over Edgar Torres Gutierrez in June, 2018, on suspicion that he was driving under the influence and took him to their local jail. But when it was time to release Torres Gutierrez, police didn’t let him go. Instead, they held him for federal immigration agents to pick him up, according to a claim filed with the city.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Commentary: How investments in innovation districts can combat the country’s regional divides
Brookings
The “growth center” construct was originally conceived in the 1950s, but this 21st century version acknowledges that in today’s economy, federal support for more widespread diffusion of innovative activity will not be enough to combat the entrenched economic divergence between regions.
Housing:
The Hotel Fresno undergoing renovation project to assist low-income families
abc30
The $27 million plan to refurbish a dilapidated hotel is quickly taking shape. The Hotel Fresno's 200 rooms are being re-worked into 79 1,2 and 3 bedroom apartments for low-income families.
Tulare confronts challenges related to homelessness
abc30
Tulare city councilmembers called a special meeting on homelessness on Thursday night. Community members shared their concerns about the worsening situation, and councilmembers decided to create a strategic action committee to focus on short and long-term solutions.
Low-income housing project in Visalia sparks debate
Business Journal
For years, the former Copeland Lumber Yard in downtown Visalia has sat vacant. But there are big plans for the 1.54-acre parcel, as the City of Visalia has agreed to sell the property to the nonprofit Self-Help Enterprises.
Merced hotel, housing part of Yosemite Ave at G Street project approved by City Council
Merced Sun-Star
That vacant swatch of land at the northeast corner of Yosemite Avenue and G Street is set to receive an extensive upgrade — and the property won’t be vacant for much longer.
Bakersfield City Council to purchase Calcot for new homeless shelter site
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council narrowly voted to purchase the headquarters of Calcot Limited for a new homeless shelter site at a meeting on Wednesday.
California asks for surplus federal land to house homeless
Porterville Recorder
California is asking the Trump administration to provide surplus federal land that could be used to build housing for the homeless, mirroring a new state program.
See also:
Gavin Newsom asks Trump’s HUD to turn over California land for homeless housing San Francisco Chronicle
Newsom reaches out to Trump administration for homelessness help Politico
Opinion: California must get serious about housing supply in 2020 CalMatters
Opinion: California legislators should take a breath on housing ‘crisis.’ Looking at you, Scott Wiener CalMatters
Homeless advocates see increased policing days before annual count
San Diego Union-Tribune
A homeless advocate who regularly follows police enforcement in downtown San Diego said arrests and encounters with people on the street have increased in the weeks leading up to Thursday morning’s homeless count.
Capital Public Radio
California housing bill SB 50 would require cities and counties to allow higher-density housing near job and transit centers.
More details on new SF and California renter-protection laws
San Francisco Chronicle
Associations representing tenants and landlords are getting flooded with questions about the statewide rent- and eviction-control law that took effect in California Jan. 1. The most common one is: “Does this apply to me?”
See also:
What landlords and tenants need to know about new rent-control law San Francisco Chronicle
PUBLIC FINANCES
US-French tax truce a respite in tense relations with EU
Fresno Bee
France will delay its tax on big tech firms like Google and Facebook in exchange for the United States's promise to hold off retaliatory tariffs — a potential sign of goodwill in the U.S. and European Union's increasingly tense relations over trade.
Walters: Voters face hundreds of local tax measures
CalMatters
California voters have seen a deluge of local government tax and bond measures in recent elections and will face even more this year.
Commentary - Senator Brian Jones: Statewide Audit of Homelessness Funding Is Necessary
Fox & Hounds
This is the reason why I am requesting the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) to conduct a statewide audit of homelessness spending in California. Even the Governor’s Homelessness Task Force recognized the need to evaluate past and current homelessness spending.
TRANSPORTATION
Only service dogs allowed on flights in new DOT rules
abc30
The days of passengers bringing rabbits, turtles and birds on planes as emotional-support animals could be ending. The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday announced plans to tighten rules around service animals, the biggest change being that only dogs could qualify.
See also:
U.S. seeks to limit emotional support critters on planes Los Angeles Times
Oakhurst Sewer Replacement Project to Cause Delays, Rerouting
Sierra News
The Madera County Public Works department has started a major construction project that will impact traffic along Oakhurst’s main artery — Highway 41.
Ceres takes a step toward a new 99 interchange. The design might baffle you at first
Modesto Bee
The $133.5 million project would include a full interchange at Service Road, which now has a bridge across the highway but does not directly connect with it. The work also would involve upgrades to the current Mitchell Road interchange, about half a mile to the south.
FAA Lowered Bar for Southwest Airlines Approvals, Complaint Alleges
Wall Street Journal
U.S. air-safety regulators likely acted improperly in the way they authorized Southwest Airlines Co. to begin flights between California and Hawaii last year, according to the main government agency that handles federal whistleblower complaints.
Washington Post
President Trump has said his plan to weaken federal mileage standards would make cars cheaper and “substantially safer.” But the administration’s own analysis suggests that it would cost consumers more than it would save them in the long run, and would do little to make the nation’s roads safer.
WATER
Precipitation total continues to lag below normal
Porterville Recorder
There hasn’t been enough moisture this year so far to keep up with what’s normal. The Southern Sierra 6-station index which covers the Tulare Basin, stood at 78 percent of normal as of Tuesday as far as the precipitation level. The Tulare Basin covers the San Joaquin Valley.
See also:
A California region’s response to global warming, floods and drought: Raise the dam
Sacramento Bee
Federal officials have launched work on a five-year, $373 million project to raise the Folsom Dam 3½ feet by adding rock and soil to its earthen dykes and seals on the gates at the top of the concrete portion of the dam.
California will be hit hard as Trump administration weakens clean water protections
Los Angeles Times
Defying environmentalists and public health advocates, the Trump administration on Thursday will announce the replacement of Obama-era water protections with a significantly weaker set of regulations that lifts limits on how much pollution can be dumped into small streams and wetlands.
See also:
Tickets on sale for 2020 Kern County Water Summit
Bakersfield Californian
Discussions about California's most critical water issues will be the main topics with keynote speaker Armando Quintero, Chair of the California Water Commission, according to a news release.
“Xtra”
Efforts being made to bring more attention to Merced art
abc30
From the jazz mural on the side of a Main Street restaurant to the sculpture called "A Day without Grandma" outside the Social Security building, Merced is filled with art that people may not even notice.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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