Maddy Institute – January 29, 2019

29Jan

POLICY & POLITICS

Deadline FAST APPROACHING:

Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship

The Maddy Institute

Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships

Due Friday, February 22^nd, 2019.

North SJ Valley:

Patti facing possible censure by supervisor colleagues over Omalu comments

Stockton Record

Published comments made early last month by Supervisor Tom Patti about San Joaquin County’s search for its first independent chief medical examiner have sparked a series of political reactions and may result in his censure by his colleagues.

Central SJ Valley:

Nunes makes Democrats’ initial target list for 2020. Will Janz be there to meet him?

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes will be a prime target for Democrats in 2020. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released on Monday its initial target list of 33 Republican and open congressional seats for the upcoming presidential election, and the Tulare Republican is one of just two Californians on the hit list.

Amazon Quietly Expands with 2nd Fresno Facility

Business Journal

The new facility has likely created upwards of 400 new jobs, as evidenced by a permit filed with the city.

Robots coming for your job? Study says potential is greater in Fresno and the Valley

Fresno Bee

Robots may not be coming for your job – yet. A new national study, however, suggests that Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley have a greater share of job tasks that could potentially be taken over by automation than much of the rest of California, over the next decade or so.

South SJ Valley:

Bakersfield labeled as ‘sinkhole city’ in nonprofit report on financial health, but still fares better than many others

Bakersfield Californian

Truth in Accounting analyzed the financial health of the 75 biggest cities in America, giving Bakersfield a “C” due to a $180.2 million budget shortfall the report found, equaling a $1,500 burden for each taxpayer.

Kern Medical Center seeking participants for valley fever research study

Bakersfield Californian

The Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Center launched a new study Monday to learn more about the deadly disease.

State:

Should convicted felons on parole be allowed to vote? Californians may soon decide

Fresno Bee

48,000 Californians on parole for felony convictions are unable to cast a ballot. Some joined lawmakers and civil rights activists in Sacramento on Monday to promote a plan that would restore parolees’ voting rights.

● Proposed ballot measure would let California parolees vote Associated Press

● Kim Kardashian West visits California Capitol for criminal justice reform Los Angeles Times

Gavin Newsom Policies: Is California getting things done?

CALmatters

“I just don’t think the world demands timidity,” Gavin Newsom told CALmatters last year. Back then, becoming California’s governor was just his (highly likely) dream.

‘Trump effect:’ California Latino voters showed up in force in 2018

Sacramento Bee

Data obtained by McClatchy show that the proportion of Latinos voting in the seven California congressional districts that Democrats targeted last year rose to levels normally seen in presidential elections.

Commentary: California’s Elected Sheriffs Are Accountable To No One—And That’s A Problem

PublicCEO

Once elected, sheriffs in all 58 counties have power over jails and policing, and act pretty much as they please. When sheriffs do wrong, as there is little that Californians can do to stop them.

Editorial: Secret investigation weakens trust in state auditor

Sacramento Bee

State Auditor Elaine Howle – responsible for rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in state government – refuses to confirm the existence of a report on her investigation into nepotism allegations at the Department of Industrial Relations.

Editorial: Why sexually harassing pols, unfortunately, should be able to use campaign funds for their legal defense

Los Angeles Times

Distasteful as it may seem, state law allows elected officials and candidates to raise money from donors — or even to use previously donated campaign contributions — to pay for their defense when they are accused of crimes committed in the course of their official duties or while running a campaign.

Federal:

Shutdown cost economy $11B, $3B of which won’t be recovered, report estimates

abc30

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the longest-running government shutdown in U.S. history came at a price: costing the economy $11 billion.

● CBO: Shutdown Will Cost Government $3 Billion of Projected 2019 GDP Wall Street Journal

● For Democrats, Shutdown Success Also Brings Danger Wall Street Journal

Did Trump’s tax cuts boost hiring? Most companies say no

PBS NewsHour

The vast majority of American businesses haven’t boosted hiring or investment as a result of the Republican tax law, according to a survey by the National Association for Business Economics.

● Will Your 2019 Tax Refund Be Sweeter Than Usual? Wall Street Journal

Pelosi officially invites Trump to deliver State of the Union address

abc30

It’s on: Speaker Nancy Pelosi has officially invited President Donald Trump to give a State of the Union address next month in the House Chamber.

● Trump’s State Of The Union Rescheduled For Feb. 5 After New Pelosi Invite Capital Public Radio

● Nancy Pelosi invites Trump to give State of the Union speech on Feb. 5 Los Angeles Times

● Wow, does it feel good to be wrong about Nancy Pelosi Los Angeles Times

● Pelosi and Trump agree on Feb. 5 for rescheduled State of the Union Roll Call

Acting attorney general: Special counsel investigation nearly done

abc30

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker said the special counsel investigation is nearing its completion during a press conference on Monday.

● Where the investigations related to President Trump stand Sacramento Bee

● Mueller probe is ‘close to being completed,’ acting AG says Stockton Record

● Mueller Investigation ‘Close To Being Completed,’ Acting Attorney General Says Capital Public Radio

● Mueller investigation ‘close to being completed,’ says acting attorney general Los Angeles Times

● Barr says he’d resign rather than fire Mueller without cause Roll Call

● Michael Cohen to Testify Before House Intelligence Committee on Feb. 8 Washington Post

Trump doubts negotiators will strike budget deal he’d accept

Sacramento Bee

With government temporarily reopened, Trump says he doubts negotiators will strike a budget deal that he’d accept.

● Trump is a fraud Washington Post

● How President Trump Is Like A Terrible Poker Player FiveThirtyEight

● Discussing the end of the government shutdown AEI

Could Donald Trump declare a national emergency for a border wall? Here’s what we know

PolitiFact

Trump has floated the possibility of declaring a national emergency as a resort for building the border wall, to the chagrin of Democrats who say he’s inventing a crisis.

Sacramento Bee

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris defended positions she took as California’s attorney general that are unpopular with some Democrats, saying they reflected her duty as the state’s top law enforcement officer.

● Political Junkie Ken Rudin On Kamala Harris’s 2020 Rally Capital Public Radio

● In Iowa debut, Kamala Harris lays out vision of big government Los Angeles Times

● What to watch in marathon 2020 presidential campaign Sacramento Bee

● Democrats’ 2020 presidential contest is wide open as danger mounts for Trump, new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Washington Post

The rebirth of industrial democracy

San Francisco Chronicle

The shutdown is over for now, but for five weeks 800,000 employees and 1.5 million contract workers were pawns in Trump’s game of brinkmanship.

Most Americans think the nation is on the wrong track, poll shows

PBS NewsHour

A large majority of Americans say they are pessimistic about the state of the country and few expect things will get better in the year ahead, according to a poll released Tuesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Other:

Kicking Off Black History Month In California’s Capital

Capital Public Radio

Kick off Black History Month with an “A Taste of Africa” at the State Capitol. The event will focus on the role of Black Californians during the Gold Rush.

What’s in a position? This is how caucuses show their strength
Roll Call

The New Democrat Coalition has amended its bylaws to make it easier for the group of centrist Democrats to take official positions on policy ideas or legislation — a tool used by congressional caucuses to show their strength as they try to line up support behind specific policy ideas or legislation.

Facebook Moves to Block Ad Transparency Tools

ProPublica

Our tool had let the public see exactly how users were being targeted by advertisers. The social media giant urged us to shut it down last year.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, February 3, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Fed Courts with Judge O’Neill” – Guests: Lawrence O’Neil, Chief U.S. District Judge; McGregor Scott, U.S. Attorney General for the Eastern District; Daniel Jamison, Dowling Aaron; and Richard Watters with Miles, Sears & Eanni. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, February 3, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: Valley Views Edition: “More Issues, Fewer Federal Judges: What Will it Mean for the Valley?” – Guests: Lawrence O’Neil, Chief U.S. District Judge; McGregor Scott, U.S. Attorney General for the Eastern District; Daniel Jamison, Dowling Aaron, Richard Watters with Miles, Sears & Eanni; and California’s Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, February 3, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” – Guests: Joe Hayes, Investigator PPIC and Liam Dillon with LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

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AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Fruit sold at Walmart, Costco and Aldi recalled because of Listeria concerns, FDA says

Fresno Bee

Thousands of pieces of fruit have been recalled, according to a news release from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The fruit — peaches, plums and nectarines — are being recalled because “they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria,” the FDA said in the news release.

● Fruit recalled from Aldi, Walmart, Costco stores Visalia Times Delta

Many say legal cannabis is too expensive. California lawmakers want to help

Modesto Bee

A new California bill would lower the tax on legal marijuana in California. Lawmakers believe black market cannabis has led to a shortfall in state revenue.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Bipartisan bill seeks to make animal cruelty a federal felony

abc30

A bipartisan bill has been introduced to make animal cruelty a federal felony. Democrat Rep. Ted Deutch and Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan have brought forth the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act.

2018 homicides: What Stanislaus County city broke a record? Was Modesto up, down?

Modesto Bee

The 42 homicides in Stanislaus County, CA, in 2018 is about average for the last decade but among those were nine homicides in Turlock, a record for the city. Modesto and Stanislaus County homicides were down.

Two ballot measures will test crime attitudes

Sacramento Bee

Over the last few decades, Californians have seen crime spike upwards to crisis levels and then decline just as sharply. Their attitudes about crime have been just as volatile, translating into ever-changing waves of policy.

Prisons’ use of solitary confinement violates settlement

San Francisco Chronicle

California prison officials have systematically violated the rights of inmates spelled out in an agreement more than three years ago to limit the use of solitary confinement by crafting dubious procedures to classify prisoners as rule-breakers who must remain in isolation cells, a federal magistrate has ruled.

Public Safety:

The CHP Wants Your Input On Their Job Performance

Sierra News

In an ongoing effort to monitor and improve the services provided to the public, the CHP is requesting your assistance in evaluating their performance. Please take a few moments to carefully and thoroughly answer the questions in their survey.

California driver cell phone use rose in 2018

Sacramento Bee

The number of California drivers illegally using their cell phones while behind the wheel increased in 2018, a state observational study has found. Notably, use is highest among people driving alone.

Trump Administration Begins Production Of A New Nuclear Weapon

Capital Public Radio

The submarine-launched missile is a smaller variant of an existing weapon. The administration says it’s needed to deter Russia.

Peter Stavrianoudakis: Calif. must stop criminalizing falcon owners

Sacramento Bee

Like many Americans, I’m an animal lover who enjoys a deep and caring bond with my pet. But my closest animal relationship isn’t with a dog or a cat—it’s with a 4-year-old aplomado falcon named Ares, which I’ve trained to hunt small game.

Fire:

California wildfire damages top $11.4 billion for 2018

abc30

Costly and deadly: Insurance claims from California’s deadly November 2018 wildfires have topped $11.4 billion, making the series of fires one of the most expensive in state history according to officials.

● PG&E Regulators OK Utility’s Request to Borrow $6 Billion Amid Bankruptcy Crisis KQED

● California wildfires: $12.4 billion in insured losses and growing San Jose Mercury

● Insurance Claims From Deadly California Wildfires Top $11.4B Capital Public Radio

● Insured losses from California wildfires top $11 billion as claims keep rolling in Los Angeles Times

● A judge wants to impose strict fire-safety rules on PG&E. Why the state is objecting Sacramento Bee

● More than 250 file claims with Caltrans, Redding over 2018 Carr Fire Sacramento Bee

● This Paradise Couple’s Home Survived — But Their Insurer Dropped Them, Anyway Capital Public Radio

California utility equipment sparked more than 2,000 fires in over three years

Los Angeles Times

Equipment owned by California’s three largest utilities ignited more than 2,000 fires in three and a half years — a timespan in which state regulators cited and fined the companies nine times for electrical safety violations.

Camp Fire debris cleanup in Butte County to launch this week

Sacramento Bee

Saying they feel an urgency to act fast, California officials this week will launch the main phase of wildfire debris removal in Butte County, scene of November’s devastating Camp Fire.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Amazon Quietly Expands with 2nd Fresno Facility

Business Journal

The new facility has likely created upwards of 400 new jobs, as evidenced by a permit filed with the city.

Shutdown cost economy $11B, $3B of which won’t be recovered, report estimates

abc30

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the longest-running government shutdown in U.S. history came at a price: costing the economy $11 billion.

● CBO: Shutdown Will Cost Government $3 Billion of Projected 2019 GDP Wall Street Journal

● For Democrats, Shutdown Success Also Brings Danger Wall Street Journal

California regulators clear way for PG&E bankruptcy filing

Porterville Recorder

California utility regulators on Monday removed a major hurdle to a planned bankruptcy filing by Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. at a raucous, last-minute meeting where protesters repeatedly denounced and spoke over members of the panel.

● State regulators let PG&E obtain credit and loans while under bankruptcy protection Los Angeles Times

● PG&E stops honoring settlements with fire victims as bankruptcy nears Los Angeles Times

● Amid protest, utility regulators let PG&E access key bankruptcy financing San Francisco Chronicle

● California protests judge’s PG&E wildfire safety plan Sacramento Bee

● What happens if PG&E goes bankrupt? CALmatters

● Battered by wildfires and scandals, PG&E files for bankruptcy Los Angeles Times

● PG&E wants to walk away from California dams as bankruptcy looms Sacramento Bee

● PG&E Files for Bankruptcy Following California Wildfires Wall Street Journal

Chico’s to close 250 stores, including Soma and White House Black Market locations

Sacramento Bee

250 Chico’s, White House Black Market and Soma stores will close over the next three years to improve profitability and focus on online presence, according to a release from the stores’ parent company.

Did Trump’s tax cuts boost hiring? Most companies say no

PBS NewsHour

The vast majority of American businesses haven’t boosted hiring or investment as a result of the Republican tax law, according to a survey by the National Association for Business Economics.

● Will Your 2019 Tax Refund Be Sweeter Than Usual? Wall Street Journal

The Fleecing of Millennials

New York Times

For Americans under the age of 40, the 21st century has resembled one long recession. Not as many new companies have been forming since 2000 — for reasons that experts don’t totally understand — and existing companies have been expanding at a slower rate.

Against economic pessimism

AEI

In this “Conversation with Bill Kristol,” Michael Strain challenges the widespread notion that America is in decline economically and reflects on the importance of innovation and dynamism in the American economy.

Jobs:

Robots coming for your job? Study says potential is greater in Fresno and the Valley

Fresno Bee

Local federal employees back to work, cautious of temporary reopening

abc30

Workers have been notified they will be receiving back pay within the next few days. But some are still nervous since the current reopening of the government is, at this point, temporary.

California union membership drops to lowest level in decades

Sacramento Bee

Fewer than 15 percent of California workers were members of a union in 2018, the lowest union membership rate in at least 35 years, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sacramento County may soon employ the homeless to clean up the American River Parkway

Sacramento Bee

Sacramento County may soon employ homeless residents to clean up trash and debris on the American River Parkway, as part of an agreement with local employment services provider PRIDE Industries.

The Green New Deal promises jobs, but workers need to be ready to fill them

Brookings

The Green New Deal raises more questions than it answers at the moment, but nevertheless, one vision it holds is exciting and solid—the notion that the transition to a cleaner economy can be expected to bring jobs for all kinds of workers.

EDUCATION

K-12:

FUSD awarded $1 million grant to expand dual language program

abc30

What may look like an ordinary daycare center or preschool filled with students in Fresno actually has several children that know two languages. Fresno’s Unified Early Learning Center created the blueprint for The Language Learning Project.

There’s a shortage of high school referees. Some feel parents are to blame

Modesto Bee

Eighty percent of officials call it quits after two years, according to the National Association of Sports Officials. Why? Seventy-five percent of officials said “adult behavior” is the primary reason. “The CIF does a really good job of getting their message to their schools,” Avila said. However, it often does not translate to the fans, namely parents.

Arresting parents when kids miss too much school? It works in Merced, report says

Sacramento Bee

Officials and investigators from the Merced County Office of Education and Merced County District Attorney’s Office have found bringing parents of chronically absent students in front of a superior court judge has been one of the best motivators for school attendance.

SJ students make small gains in literacy

Stockton Record

While the number of San Joaquin County third-graders who can read at or better than grade-level improved slightly, there is much more work to be done. University of the Pacific released its sixth annual Literacy Report Card on Monday morning.

Will the Governor’s Budget Reduce the Heat on School Districts?

Public Policy Institute of California

The 2019–20 spending plan proposes $3 billion in one-time payment to CalSTRS, the main teachers’ retirement system, on behalf of schools (separate from the General Fund K–12 spending determined by Proposition 98).

Education: Tony Thurmond’s silver bullet

Capitol Weekly

Thurmond said he was able to succeed because he had extended family who stepped into raise him and because he went to schools where teachers believed in him and pushed him.

Higher Ed:

Deadline FAST APPROACHING: Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship

The Maddy Institute

Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, February 22^nd, 2019. Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. The Maddy Institute will award two $56,000 Fellowships to Valley students who are accepted into a nationally ranked, qualified graduate program in the fall of 2019.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Smog gets bad quickly in the San Joaquin Valley. Images taken just days apart show the dramatic shift

Fresno Bee

Sight of the Sierra Nevada from Tulare County all but disappeared within days at the end of January as the San Joaquin Valley floor became choked with soot and dust, creating air pollution ranking the worst in the nation.

Your Brain On Exhaust: New Study Shows Pollution Could Increase Obesity Risk In Kids

Capital Public Radio

California kids living in traffic polluted areas may be at higher risk for obesity than those who grow up around clean air, according to new research from the University of Southern California.

New pollution measure offers incentives for restaurants, farmers, manufacturers to lower emissions

abc30

The newest plan from the Valley Air Pollution Control District calls on some of your favorite restaurants to reduce their smoke output.

Yosemite staff going to work after shutdown. But when park will be normal is ‘day-to-day’

Fresno Bee

After more than a month in a partial federal government shutdown, workers were starting to trickle back into nearby national parks over the weekend, as officials expected the seasonal visits to resume and workers to get paid again.

● Joshua Tree may not recover from 35-day shutdown for 300 years, former ranger says Fresno Bee

● Yosemite National Park resumes full operations abc30

● After shutdown, Joshua Tree reopens with ‘irreparable’ damage abc30

● Yosemite National Park Resumes Normal Operations Sierra News

● Sequoia, Kings Canyon to resume normal operations Visalia Times Delta

● Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks resume full operations Porterville Recorder

Update On Tree Mortality Work In Madera County

Sierra News

Blue Ridge Services (BRS), is partnering with Madera County to oversee and implement their tree mortality mitigation project. Throughout the life of this project, they have dedicated a lot of time and energy to making sure that their workers and members of the public remain safe.

Judge upholds protection for gray wolves in California

Sacramento Bee

A California judge on Monday upheld protection for gray wolves under the state’s Endangered Species Act, rejecting a legal challenge from ranchers and farmers who fear the predators will threaten their livestock.

Ban on fur-trapping? California lawmakers consider shutting down shrinking industry

San Jose Mercury

New bill would ban commercial fur trapping statewide; more than 1,500 mink, foxes and other animals killed annually.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Weed cookies stopped 4-year-old’s tantrums but cost doctor his license, Calif. board says

Fresno Bee

A Hollywood, California, doctor lost his license after telling a dad to give his 4-year-old cannabis cookies to treat temper tantrums and ADHD, a medical board decision effective Jan. 4 said. The school told police.

Kern Medical Center seeking participants for valley fever research study

Bakersfield Californian

The Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Center launched a new study Monday to learn more about the deadly disease.

Your Brain On Exhaust: New Study Shows Pollution Could Increase Obesity Risk In Kids

Capital Public Radio

California kids living in traffic polluted areas may be at higher risk for obesity than those who grow up around clean air, according to new research from the University of Southern California.

Obesity, climate change and hunger must be fought as one, health experts declare

Los Angeles Times

Maybe, when it comes to finding a way out of a global crisis of obesity, we’re just thinking too small. Maybe the steps needed to reverse a pandemic of unhealthy weight gain are the same as those needed to solve two other crises of human health: malnutrition and climate change.

See also:

● Soaring healthcare costs: Oh, my aching feet! Los Angeles Times

Human Services:

Lock Up Those Opioids: Sheriff Margaret Mims On Preventing Overdoses

VPR

Earlier in January, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced a case of a mistaken drug in Fresno. Three men who thought they were snorting cocaine turned out to have been using pure fentanyl, an opioid that’s 100 times as potent as morphine and many times stronger than heroin.

● EDITORIAL: The Government Opioid Raid Wall Street Journal

● Moms of the dead from drugs: “Where is the outrage for us?” Fresno Bee

Kern Medical Center seeking participants for valley fever research study

Bakersfield Californian

The Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Center launched a new study Monday to learn more about the deadly disease.

Kaweah Delta announces partnership with Cleveland Clinic

Porterville Recorder

At a news conference Friday, January 25, Kaweah Delta Hospital joined forces with Cleveland Clinic’s Heart & Vascular Institute, the top ranked heart program in the U.S., to increase services for cardiovascular care in the Central Valley.

Newsom Healthcare

CALmatters

It was way easier for candidate Gavin Newsom to endorse single-payer health care coverage for everyone than it is now for Gov. Newsom to deliver it. Yet hardcore advocates say they’re pleased with the moves he’s made thus far—even if it may take years to come to fruition.

Rural Hospitals in Greater Jeopardy in Non-Medicaid Expansion States

Pew Charitable Trusts

Nearly a hundred rural hospitals in the United States have closed since 2010, according to the Center for Health Services Research at UNC Chapel Hill. Another 600-plus rural hospitals are at risk of closing, according to an oft-cited 2016 report by iVantage Health Analytics.

IMMIGRATION

Immigrants affected by government shutdown could wait years for new day in court

Los Angeles Times

The shutdown has not only resulted in thousands of canceled court hearings but also generated chaos for everyone involved in the immigration system.

See also:

● Shutdown Compounds Woes for Immigration System Wall Street Journal

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

$25.4M Fresno Lease Tops 2018 Real Estate Deals

Business Journal

At a cost of more than $24.4 million, you might expect that in the Valley’s most expensive real estate transaction of 2018, you’d get to keep the building.

California construction workers, builders are near deal that could mean a flood of new building

Los Angeles Times

California developers and construction workers have long been fighting over wages for carpenters, plumbers, electricians and others who build homes. Now, statewide business and labor groups are working on a deal that both sides hope could lead to a flood of new building.

Housing:

There’s an upscale housing boom in Clovis, but it’s not of the tract home variety

Fresno Bee

With the economy improving and the demand for apartments growing, the city of Clovis is undergoing a boom in new apartment construction.

Some tenants remain at closed Modesto motel as its operators try to pay off debt

Modesto Bee

Some tenants remained in their rooms at the Budgetel Inn & Suites on Monday, two days after they were told the motel was abruptly closing and they had to leave the premises immediately.

‘Hot market’ or not, Bakersfield’s home market may need job growth to keep warm

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield’s single-family home market has a lot going for it, especially when you compare it with high-priced communities along the coast. But is it about to be, as some contend, one of the hottest markets in the entire country?

Gavin Newsom takes wealthy Southern California city to court over its lack of housing

Sacramento Bee

Wealthy Huntington Beach in Orange County is facing a lawsuit from California Gov. Gavin Newsom that alleges its housing plans lack options for low-income residents.

See also:

● Huntington Beach says housing law is unconstitutional San Francisco Chronicle

● Will ‘blue wave’ Dems stave off Newsom’s housing suit against Huntington Beach? CALmatters

● EDITORIAL: Newsom’s line in the sand on housing San Francisco Chronicle

California construction workers, builders are near deal that could mean a flood of new building

Los Angeles Times

Why Do These 4 Myths About Homelessness Persist?

KQED

This time of year, many California counties are conducting point-in-time counts to figure out who is homeless and why. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires these counts from any community that wants federal funding for housing and other services for the homeless.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Bakersfield labeled as ‘sinkhole city’ in nonprofit report on financial health, but still fares better than many others

Bakersfield Californian

TRANSPORTATION

First study of e-scooter ER visits reveals exactly how riders (and walkers) get hurt

Fresno Bee

Almost no electric scooter riders taken to Los Angeles area ERs with injuries were wearing helmets, UCLA researcher find in the first study on the devices’ public health impact. Almost 1 in 10 injuries impacted non-riders.

City of Visalia alerts drivers of possible delays while streets are repaired

abc30

As part of its annual “Measure N” street maintenance program, several roads in the southwestern part of the city are scheduled to receive crack sealing.

City announces road closures due to construction

Bakersfield Californian

A street closure has been scheduled for the Westside Parkway on-ramp from Truxtun Avenue. It is expected to begin Friday at 9 p.m. and continue until Monday at 5 a.m. The closure is needed to allow for the safe removal of falsework above the on-ramp.

These California drivers are still on cell phones, despite state’s get-tough law

Sacramento Bee

The number of California drivers illegally using their cell phones while behind the wheel increased in 2018, a state observational study has found. Nearly 5 percent of drivers were seen on their phones, the study found.

Your Brain On Exhaust: New Study Shows Pollution Could Increase Obesity Risk In Kids

Capital Public Radio

California kids living in traffic polluted areas may be at higher risk for obesity than those who grow up around clean air, according to new research from the University of Southern California.

State officials delaying request for $40.4 million to help DMV

San Francisco Chronicle

California’s Department of Finance is delaying a request for $40.4 million to reduce wait times and process Real IDs at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

WATER

As bankruptcy looms, PG&E will walk away from 2 dams it owns. What about the other 167?

Sacramento Bee

With bankruptcy looming, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is citing “challenging financial circumstances” as one reason it will no longer try to renew its federal license for two dams it owns in Northern California.

Reducing Drought Risks in Rural Communities

Public Policy Institute of California

Rural residents are more vulnerable to running out of water during droughts because they are more likely to rely solely on groundwater from small community wells or domestic wells.

“Xtra”

Hidden inside a hotel, you might not know this restaurant exists. Here’s what you’re missing

Fresno Bee

Sometimes you stumble upon a little restaurant that’s right under your nose and it’s so charming and different, you wonder why you haven’t been there before. Mochuelo is one of those places.

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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.

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

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