POLICY & POLITICS
Deadline February 28 for Two $56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships |
The Maddy Institute 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. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place. |
North SJ Valley:
Candidates forum 2020 – Stanislaus Superior Court Judge, Office 6
Modesto Bee
Welcome to today’s political forum featuring the Stanislaus Superior Court Judge, Office 6 candidates vying for the seat vacated by Scott Steffen, who is retiring.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno airport posts another 'FAT' year with 1.96M passengers
Business Journal
The number of passengers passing through Fresno Yosemite International Airport reached a record number last year — 1.96 million people. That’s an 11% increase over over the previous record of 1.77 million passengers in 2018, and 68% growth since 2010.
Madera County supervisor candidate booked on DUI, hit-and-run after crash into house
Fresno Bee
A candidate for Madera County Supervisor was booked on charges of hit-and-run and driving under the influence early Wednesday after he crashed into a house on Avenue 12, the California Highway Patrol reported.
See also:
New evidence points to embezzlement by water district officials
abc30
New evidence emerged Tuesday of officials accused of using a Valley water district's bank account like their personal piggy banks. When auditors dug into the books, they found a steady drip of credit card expenses for the administrator's personal items.
Fresno police sergeant alleges racial discrimination in lawsuit against city and chiefs
Fresno Bee
A Fresno Police sergeant has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall and former Chief Jerry Dyer racially discriminated and retaliated against him after he was twice passed up for promotion.
Gap donates land for $20M Fresno no-kill animal shelter
Business Journal
On Tuesday, city leaders announced Gap had returned the favor, agreeing to sell the city back a 4.6-acre section of the parcel off Airways Boulevard near Fresno-Yosemite International Airport, on which the city plans to build a new animal shelter.
Unpaid bills and legal discipline: Devin Nunes’ lawyer questioned over ethics in complaints
Fresno Bee
Republican Devin Nunes’ attorney in four separate defamation lawsuits is Steven Biss, a Virginia lawyer who has a record of bar discipline.
South SJ Valley:
Parlier: Bakersfield needs to up its game to compete on the state level
Bakersfield Californian
For a city to maintain its identity, its people must know and respect their history, but recognizing a city's very recent past might be more important. In Bakersfield's case, that story is one of remarkable growth: The city has effectively doubled in population and area in less than 20 years.
State of the County: 'We can withstand any obstacles that come our way'
Visalia Times Delta
Tulare County Board of Supervisors chairman Pete Vander Poel kicked off his speech by highlighting overall 2019 county-level accomplishments, such as the opening of the South County Detention Facility in Porterville, the completion of the biogas facility in Pixley and the installation of solar panels on county buildings.
KGET
Assembly Bill 2007 would ease restrictions on the use of telehealth services, removing a requirement that health centers establish that an individual is a patient through an in-person visit prior to receiving telehealth services.
Vander Poel lists achievements in State of County address
Porterville Recorder
Tulare County Board of Supervisors Chairman Peter Vander Poel said “we have achieved a lot in 2019” during his State of the County address on Tuesday.
See also:
Board of Supervisors deliver State of the County Visalia Times Delta
Bakersfield Californian
At a time when Kern County’s two economic powerhouses, oil and agriculture, are threatened by state cutbacks, local leaders spent much of the 22nd State of the County Dinner reveling in the county’s recent successes.
Valadao kickstarts 2020 with $1 million in the bank
Hanford Sentinel
David Valadao is kicking off the 2020 election season with more than $1 million in the bank before one of the hottest Congressional contests.
State:
California housing crisis bill fails, but it still has a slim chance to reach Gavin Newsom
Fresno Bee
A high-profile proposal to address California’s housing crisis by compelling cities to build more homes failed to pass the Senate on Wednesday, but lawmakers left the bill’s author one more chance to pass the measure.
See also:
California Senate rejects measure allowing apartment buildings in neighborhoods reserved for single-family homes Porterville Recorder
High-profile housing bill fails to pass California Senate Bakersfield Californian
Major California housing measure fails in state Senate Politico
California bill to dramatically increase homebuilding in the state falls short for third year in a row Los Angeles Times
California Senate defeats SB50 denser-housing bill San Francisco Chronicle
EDITORIAL: A vote against SB50 is a vote for California’s housing and homelessness crisis San Francisco Chronicle
California still expanding benefits to some immigrants, despite Trump public charge rule
Fresno Bee
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court siding with the Trump administration in a recent ruling on a controversial rule about undocumented immigrants who use public benefits, California this year expanded benefits to immigrant residents.
6.8 Million Californians have a REAL ID
Hanford Sentinel
With less than 10 months before the federal enforcement date, nearly 6.8 million Californians have a REAL ID as of Jan. 10, according to Department of Motor Vehicles data.
Here’s how California will award its delegates in the 2020 primary election
Fresno Bee
When Californians complete their ballots in the Democratic presidential primary election on March 3, they may be surprised to find their candidate of choice gains few delegates, if any.
Shenanigans? Under California’s Primary Rules, Some Campaigns Boggle The Mind
Capital Public Radio
A Central Valley state Senate race is the latest oddball illustration of how California's "top two" primary can distort the field, confuse voters and raise suspicions.
'Shooting ourselves in the foot': Democrats battle over State Senate special election
Desert Sun
On the Saturday before Christmas, Democrats Lisa Middleton, Elizabeth Romero and Joy Silver decided it was time to ditch superficial remarks about democracy, get down to business and discuss how to turn Riverside County more blue.
Ad industry seeks to delay new California data privacy law
Los Angeles Times
Starting Jan. 1, the California Consumer Privacy Act required most companies with websites and customers in the state to implement new data collection standards — though those more stringent rules won’t be enforced until July.
Opinion: With Washington hopelessly deadlocked, Sacramento acts boldly
San Francisco Chronicle
While politics-watchers tweet and jabber about the attention-grabbing car crash that is our national politics, they are missing something historic happening in California and what they are missing isn’t the Niners.
Federal:
Kamala Harris, Dianne Feinstein are heard from, but not seen, in Trump trial
San Francisco Chronicle
California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris were virtually invisible Wednesday in President Trump’s impeachment trial, and that’s exactly the way the proceedings were designed.
See also:
Trump Senate impeachment trial to resume with final questions to House Democrats, defense team Stockton Record
New witnesses unlikely, Trump impeachment trial could end quickly: GOP sources abc30
Impeachment Trial Q&A Enters Last Day Before Moving To Vote On Witnesses Capital Public Radio
GOP optimism grows on blocking impeachment witnesses Los Angeles Times
McConnell tells senators he doesn’t yet have votes to block witnesses in Trump impeachment trial Washington Post
Despite all the recent tumult surrounding the President, Trump’s job ratings remain unchanged in California UC Berkeley
House Democrats to Unveil $760 Billion Infrastructure Plan
New York Times
The framework will outline investment over the next five years and provide a foundation for legislation that is currently being drafted or debated in House committees.
Herring, other state AGs file lawsuit demanding addition of ERA to Constitution
Washington Post
The attorneys general for the last three states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment filed a lawsuit in federal court on Thursday arguing that the amendment must be added to the U.S. Constitution.
Elections 2020:
‘Mayor Pete’ adds Turlock to presidential campaign trail
Turlock Journal
The youngest contender in the race and first openly-gay candidate to build a major campaign for the presidency will speak during a Stanislaus County Democratic Party fundraiser at the Assyrian American Civic Club on Feb. 14.
See also:
Buttigieg endorsed by major California, Nevada LGBTQ group Porterville Recorder
‘California could be six states.’ Here’s why the Golden State is tough for presidential candidates
Fresno Bee
Bernie Sanders has surged to the top of the polls in California, overtaking Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren with the March 3 primary rapidly approaching. No matter how well he does statewide, however, the majority of the state’s 494 delegates will be awarded at the local level.
See also:
How Warren would fight election disinformation
Politico
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday unveiled a plan to combat the spread of election-related disinformation, which proposes criminal and civil penalties for online voter suppression efforts and urges social media companies and campaigns to bolster their policies against deception.
See also:
Warren issues new disinformation pledge, promising to hold Facebook, Google and Twitter responsible Washington Post
Biden campaign chases independent voters to catch Sanders in New Hampshire
Fresno Bee
While the 2020 Democratic campaigns kick into overdrive in Iowa, Biden’s New Hampshire team is aggressively courting independent voters, who are expected to comprise more than 40 percent of the Feb. 11 primary electorate, to make up ground in the state.
See also:
In Iowa, Biden Tries to Turn Impeachment Trial to His Advantage Wall Street Journal
President Joe Biden: Here’s what it would mean for California San Francisco Chronicle
Sanders’ rise fueling internal fight as some Democrats fear a November wipeout
Los Angeles Times
The senator’s rivals and top Democrats have begun aggressive efforts to slow the favorite of the party’s progressive wing.
See also:
Sanders surge worries some Democrats, but they fear a push to stop him would backfire Washington Post
Sanders Aims for Record Turnout in Iowa Caucuses Wall Street Journal
Trump allies are handing out cash to black voters
Politico
Allies of Donald Trump have begun holding events in black communities where organizers lavish praise on the president as they hand out tens of thousands of dollars to lucky attendees.
U.S. Elections 2020: Understanding What's At Stake For Health Care
NPR
Universal coverage is any method of ensuring that all of a nation's residents have health insurance. Other countries do it in various ways: through public programs, private programs or a combination.
Election 2020 Puts Business Taxes on the Line
Wall Street Journal
Several Democrats want to raise the corporate rate from 21% back to 35%, but Mr. Biden prefers 28% and Amy Klobuchar, 25%. Ms. Warren has proposed a 7% tax on profits over $100 million, above and beyond a 35% tax rate.
What Are 2020 Democrats Saying to Iowans in Facebook Ads?
New York Times
The five leading Democrats have used Facebook’s sophisticated targeting options to deliver millions of “impressions” — the technical term for when an ad appears on a user’s screen — to voters in Iowa.
See also:
How This Year’s Iowa Caucuses Are Different Wall Street Journal
Other:
Opinion: Asian American, Pacific Islander communities: You matter. Be counted in the 2020 Census
Fresno Bee
One of the lessons learned from my Grandma and Ma about rice was that every grain mattered, so never waste it. This same principle applies to the 2020 Census: Everyone matters, and you need to be counted.
The 2020s can end America’s generational divide in politics
Bloomberg
As the new decade begins, a generational divide stands at the heart of our political debate, impacting a raft of issues including the current question on impeachment.
Ring app shares your personal data with Facebook and others, report finds
Los Angeles Times
The information includes users’ full names, email addresses, IP addresses, mobile network carriers and data about sensors installed in the phone, according to the civil liberties group, whose work focuses on privacy and other digital rights.
Facebook to Pay $550 Million to Settle Facial Recognition Suit
New York Times
Facebook said on Wednesday that it had agreed to pay $550 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over its use of facial recognition technology in Illinois, giving privacy groups a major victory that again raised questions about the social network’s data-mining practices.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, February 2, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: State Auditor: Medi-Cal in Rural Areas - Guest: Elaine Howle, California State Auditor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 2, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Problems Surrounding California’s Medi-Cal Program - Guests: Elaine Howle, California State Auditor; Monica Davalos, Aureo Mesquita and Adriana Ramos-Vamamoto from the California Budget and Policy Center, Matt Levin with CALmatters and Dan Dunmoyer with California Building Industry Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 2, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Medi-Cal: miles de millones para pagos cuestionables - Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Local Ag Warns Corcoran – Suit Against Curtimade Dairy Will Have Statewide Consequences
Valley Voice
Corcoran is currently suing the Curti family for $65 million dollars for damages incurred when their dairy allegedly contaminated the city’s water supply at the height of the drought in 2015.
Opinion: Cow burps aren’t the problem. Bad herd management is
CalMatters
Cows—and nearly all livestock for that matter—can play a crucial role in resurrecting waning grasslands, regenerating degraded landscapes, sequestering Co2 back into the soil, and yes, helping end climate change. They could even help save the planet.
World Ag Expo organizers taking extra precautions with Coronavirus outbreak
abc30
The World Ag Expo is just days away from hosting thousands of visitors from all over the world to Tulare County. But with concerns over the new coronavirus outbreak, organizers are taking some extra precautions.
See also:
World Ag Expo braces for coronavirus Visalia Times Delta
No Shortage of Controversies for New FDA Commissioner
Wall Street Journal
Dr. Hahn, 60, takes over an FDA under fire for failing to adequately respond to the health threat from growing use of e-cigarettes and vaping products.
Wine and Liquor Makers Toast Excise-Tax Defeat for Treasury Department
Wall Street Journal
Under longstanding U.S. law, companies can get import taxes refunded if they have a matching or similar export. That system effectively lets them pay taxes only on their net imports for each product category.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Two MS-13 gang members convicted in connection with Fresno County crimes, DOJ says
Fresno Bee
Two MS-13 gang members have been convicted in connection with a high-profile law enforcement probe that made headlines a year-and-a-half ago for targeting street violence in Fresno County.
4,309-foot-long tunnel in San Diego is longest ever discovered along Southwest border
Visalia Times Delta
Authorities have uncovered a cross-border tunnel that stretches more than three-quarters of a mile, making it the longest of its kind ever discovered along the Southwest border, the U.S. Border Patrol announced Wednesday.
Facebook could be forced to remove videos of violent crime under California proposal
Los Angeles Times
Alarmed by a trend of people livestreaming violent crimes, a California state senator proposed Tuesday to require social media websites including Facebook and YouTube to remove photographs and videos of crimes posted by alleged perpetrators when a request is made by victims.
Public Safety:
Citizens on Patrol Seeking New Volunteers
Sierra News
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a few good men — or women — to join its Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.) team. C.O.P. is a community volunteer organization created and formed by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.
State Attorney General Must Disclose Police Misconduct Files on Local Cops, Appeals Court Rules
KQED
A California appeals court rejected Wednesday the state attorney general's withholding of thousands of records on police misconduct and shootings made public by a landmark transparency law last year.
Fire:
SNF Details Plan for Prescribed Burns in Bass Lake Ranger District
Sierra News
Sierra National Forest (SNF) fire officials will implement their winter/spring prescribed burning program over the next five months within the Bass Lake Ranger District, the agency announced this week.
PG&E and California governor at odds over bankruptcy plan
Porterville Recorder
Pacific Gas & Electric attorneys on Wednesday assured a federal judge the utility will emerge from bankruptcy by its June deadline, even as California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to follow through on his threat to have the state take over the nation's largest utility.
See also:
Walters: Who is too big to fail? CalMatters
Newsom says PG&E ‘no longer exists,’ doubles down on state takeover San Francisco Chronicle
PG&E: Judge approves Tubbs Fire settlements
San Francisco Chronicle
A trial, which had been scheduled for this month, about whether PG&E is responsible for the 2017 Tubbs Fire is no longer necessary.
‘Blatant manipulation’: Trump administration exploited wildfire science to promote logging
The Guardian
Political appointees at the interior department have sought to play up climate pollution from California wildfires while downplaying emissions from fossil fuels as a way of promoting more logging in the nation’s forests, internal emails obtained by the Guardian reveal.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
US economy grew at moderate 2.1% rate in fourth quarter
Fresno Bee
The U.S. economy grew at a moderate 2.1% rate in the final three months of 2019, capping a year when growth slowed significantly due to a weaker global economy and trade war uncertainties.
See also:
U.S. Economic Growth Slowed In 2019 To 2.3% Capital Public Radio
Trump touts USMCA trade deal in latest effort to upstage impeachment trial Los Angeles Times
U.S. Economy Heads Into 2020 With Steady Growth Wall Street Journal
U.S. economy grew 2.3 percent in 2019, the slowest of Trump’s presidency Washington Post
Trump shuns Democrats as he signs bipartisan USMCA
Politico
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed his signature trade deal with Mexico and Canada into law, sealing a big bipartisan win for him during his heavily partisan impeachment trial.
See also:
Trump: New trade deal with Canada, Mexico to boost US growth Stockton Record
Federal Reserve Holds Benchmark Rate Steady
Wall Street Journal
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday and reaffirmed its make-no-moves posture while it gauges how rate cuts last year cushioned the U.S. economy against a spell of weaker global growth.
Sixteen Leading Quants Imagine the Next Decade in Global Finance
Bloomberg
Humans beating back the machines. Value rising from the dead. Factor funds dethroning the bond kings. If the world’s top quants are right, get ready for another decade of disruption across investing strategies, business models and the very structure of markets.
Jobs:
Income Inequality in California
Public Policy Institute of California
The gap between rich and poor is especially wide in California. While California’s economy outperforms the nation’s, its level of income inequality exceeds that of all but five states.
New work program to help Fresno homeless
abc30
The city of Fresno is taking steps to combat homelessness by helping people get to work. Fresno city leaders are taking steps to change homelessness with a new workforce development program just announced Wednesday.
See also:
California lost more manufacturing jobs to China than any other state, report says
Los Angeles Times
California has lost far more jobs to China than any other state, with the San Francisco Bay Area accounting for more than any other region in the nation due to a long outflow of technology manufacturing.
California’s AB5 Leaves Women Business Owners Reeling
Forbes
Many independent workers in California say AB5’s complexity has scared away their clients, who are afraid of getting hit with fines by the state if they misinterpret it. Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2020 budget includes about $20 million for enforcement.
See also:
To fight new employment law, Uber pits California drivers against each other Washington Post
How AB5 has instilled fear and confusion in California’s arts community Los Angeles Times
UC Berkeley Labor Center
Although combined employers’ and workers’ expenditures on health insurance premiums are now reported on W-2 forms, the amount employers spend on insurance is less evident to workers than the health care costs they themselves pay directly.
Opinion: Immigrants Come to America to Work
Wall Street Journal
A Supreme Court ruling on Monday allows the Trump administration to start denying green cards to immigrants who might become economic burdens on society.
See also:
Opinion: Foreign Brains Help America Compete Wall Street Journal
EDUCATION
K-12:
Making Progress on Connecting Student Data across California
Public Policy Institute of California
California students may fall through cracks in the state’s public education system because K–12 data and college data are not connected. For example, the state and its public universities are currently unaware of students who do not apply to UC or CSU despite being eligible, making it impossible to encourage these students to apply.
We asked for your input in Ed Lab stories. Here is what you said
Fresno Bee
From our English survey, 60 percent of you said you wanted to see more stories about school discipline. The other top five issues from the surveys include health issues, immigration (health and immigration issues were a tie), state funding, and how charter schools affect our districts.
Porterville Recorder
Burton School District’s Board of Education called for a special meeting on Monday to discuss two major items in closed session.
Distinguished Company: MHS wins MTA ‘Distinguished’ Award
Porterville Recorder
Monache High School Multimedia and Technology Academy (MTA) Pathway was awarded the 2020 California Partnership Academies Distinguished Academy, one of only six CPAs in the entire state to earn the distinction.
Higher Ed:
San Joaquin College of Law celebrates golden anniversary
Business Journal
Over its nearly five decades, SJCL has graduated more than 1,600 people, about 80 percent of whom have stayed in the Valley and comprise about a third of the working lawyers in Fresno County alone, Pearson said.
Can’t get into UC? These colleges outside California would love to have you
Los Angeles Times
With a mother lode of more than 430,000 high school graduates annually, California is the nation’s richest source of prospective college students. Yet the UC and Cal State systems are overcrowded, while colleges in other states have been hit by declining birth rates and slumping enrollments.
Cal State board delays decision on extra math requirement until 2022 amid controversy
Los Angeles Times
Faced with intense opposition, the Cal State Board of Trustees decided Wednesday to wait two years before voting on whether to require a fourth class in math, science or quantitative reasoning for acceptance into any of the 23 campuses in the nation’s largest public university system.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Opinion: If humanity is to survive the rapidly warming climate, serious change has to start now
Fresno Bee
Judging from the latest climate news — that the decade just ended was the warmest in recorded history — we’re doing it wrong. All of us.
Can we get to space without damaging the earth through huge carbon emissions?
Los Angeles Times
When a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket blasts off on a plume of white smoke, hot gases shoot out of its 27 engines, creating a thrust equal to 18 Boeing 747 aircraft.
Energy:
California May Order Oil, Gas Setbacks Near Schools, Playgrounds
Bloomberg
California could set safety setback rules for oil and gas wells near schools, playgrounds, health care centers, and other public areas, under a bill moving through the state Legislature.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Valley Children’s conducting precautionary screenings for coronavirus
KGET
Valley Children’s Hospital says it is conducting precautionary screenings for any possible cases of coronavirus infection at its Madera facility.
See also:
Local hospitals making preparations for possibility of Coronavirus abc30
Have questions about the coronavirus? Get answers in our live Q and A on Friday Modesto Bee
Coronavirus outbreak: Americans returning from China being held at California air base Los Angeles Times
How prepared is the U.S. health system for a major coronavirus outbreak? Los Angeles Times
Neighbors confused as coronavirus map lists outbreak in Fresno County Fox News
Fed chief calls coronavirus threat a ‘significant’ factor in global economic outlook Los Angeles Times
New cases in China surpass SARS epidemic as infections grow abroad; WHO calls for emergency committee meeting Washington Post
Can the coronavirus be contained? Unknowns complicate response. Washington Post
Opinion: The Cure for the Chinese Flu Wall Street Journal
Opinion: A Communist Coronavirus Wall Street Journal
EDITORIAL: Misinformation has become a secondary infection in the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak Los Angeles Times
Capital Public Radio
Some Californians took their New Year's resolutions a step further this year and ditched drinking for an entire month. Addiction experts say the “sober January” trend is a good way to assess alcohol intake.
Life Expectancy Rose Slightly In 2018, As Drug Overdose Deaths Fell
Capital Public Radio
The turnaround is welcome news after rising drug overdose and suicide rates had pushed life expectancy down since 2014. Could America be turning the tide on opioid addiction?
See also:
U.S. life expectancy rises for the first time in 4 years — but just a little Los Angeles Times
U.S. life expectancy ticks up as drug fatalities and cancer deaths drop Washington Post
Lung-Cancer Screening Saves Heavy Smokers’ Lives, Study Finds
Wall Street Journal
Screening for lung cancer reduces deaths among current and former heavy smokers, according to a new study published Wednesday that adds to the evidence supporting wider testing.
Human Services:
Opinion: UC misses a chance to fix its egregious deals with Catholic hospitals
Los Angeles Times
The University of California had an excellent opportunity to establish the terms of its affiliations with Catholic hospitals, seizing back its authority to deliver science-based medical care from those who would restrict it on religious grounds. The university blew it.
IMMIGRATION
California still expanding benefits to some immigrants, despite Trump public charge rule
Fresno Bee
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court siding with the Trump administration in a recent ruling on a controversial rule about undocumented immigrants who use public benefits, California this year expanded benefits to immigrant residents.
Portion of US border wall in California falls over in high winds and lands on Mexican side
CNN
Newly installed panels from the US border wall fell over in high winds Wednesday, landing on trees on the Mexican side of the border. The area is part of an ongoing construction project to improve existing sections of the wall.
See also:
Winds topple border wall panels on California-Mexico border Porterville Recorder
Wind knocks over part of new US-Mexico border wall in California, video shows Sacramento Bee
Parts of a new California border fence weren’t yet anchored. Big winds blew them down Los Angeles Times
‘Remain in Mexico’ one year later: How a single policy transformed the U.S. asylum system
San Diego Union-Tribune
Prior to the program, asylum seekers who arrived at the southwest border would either be sent to detention centers or released into the U.S., often to family or friends across the country.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Madera medical training facility finding new home
Business Journal
They hope that by the middle of next month, they’ll have completed the move into their new, 2,500-square-foot facility in Madera. They also hope to expand the number of classes from 14 to 18 per month to between 20 and 50.
Clovis Unveils Plans For Loma Vista fire Station
Clovis Roundup
Clovis Fire Chief John Binaski and other city officials introduced plans for a new Loma Vista Fire Station at a neighborhood meeting Jan. 28 at Reyburn Intermediate School.
Fresno Sears location set to close after over 50 years
abc30
For decades the Sears store has occupied a corner at the Manchester Center. In the last few years, the retail business has changed a lot as well, and Sears hasn't been able to keep up with its competition.
House Democrats to Unveil $760 Billion Infrastructure Plan
New York Times
The framework will outline investment over the next five years and provide a foundation for legislation that is currently being drafted or debated in House committees.
Housing:
California housing crisis bill fails, but it still has a slim chance to reach Gavin Newsom
Fresno Bee
A high-profile proposal to address California’s housing crisis by compelling cities to build more homes failed to pass the Senate on Wednesday, but lawmakers left the bill’s author one more chance to pass the measure.
See also:
California Senate rejects measure allowing apartment buildings in neighborhoods reserved for single-family homes Porterville Recorder
High-profile housing bill fails to pass California Senate Bakersfield Californian
Major California housing measure fails in state Senate Politico
California bill to dramatically increase homebuilding in the state falls short for third year in a row Los Angeles Times
California Senate defeats SB50 denser-housing bill San Francisco Chronicle
EDITORIAL: A vote against SB50 is a vote for California’s housing and homelessness crisis San Francisco Chronicle
Opinion: ‘Roach motels’ beat being homeless. But why can’t California innovate on housing?
Fresno Bee
We called them “roach motels,” but not for the reason you might think. True, roaches usually infested the seedy motels my family sometimes called home. But the nickname came from the Roach Motel insect traps.
Bakersfield College Administrator Anna Laven picked to lead Homeless Collaborative
Bakersfield Californian
The newly reorganized Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative has appointed Bakersfield College administrator Anna Laven as the first executive director of the organization.
PUBLIC FINANCES
For Many California Cities, New Year Brings Higher Pension Bills
Yahoo Finance
Cities across California are beginning to draft their fiscal blueprints for the next year -- and for many of them, that means paying more to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.
U.S. National Debt Will Rise to 98% of GDP by 2030, CBO Projects
Wall Street Journal
The national debt and sustained federal budget deficits will hit the highest levels since World War II over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office projected on Tuesday, following multiple rounds of tax cuts and continued increases in federal spending.
See also:
· EDITORIAL: Trump’s tax cuts are exploding the deficit. The poor are going to wind up paying the tab Los Angeles Times
TRANSPORTATION
Fresno airport posts another 'FAT' year with 1.96M passengers
Business Journal
The number of passengers passing through Fresno Yosemite International Airport reached a record number last year — 1.96 million people. That’s an 11% increase over over the previous record of 1.77 million passengers in 2018, and 68% growth since 2010.
City wants feedback on possible one-way conversion
Visalia Times Delta
After a six-month traffic study, Visalia is looking for citizens' input on possibly converting Main and Center streets to one-ways between Santa Fe Street and Ben Maddox Way.
Carvana expands service to Hanford area
Hanford Sentinel
Starting today, those looking to buy a car in Hanford can shift into a new gear. Online auto retailer Carvana has announced that it has expanded its service to the Hanford area.
WATER
Friant-Kern, drinking water reviewed: Subcommittee hearing on two Cox bills
Porterville Recorder
Congress began the process of providing relief to the San Joaquin Valley when it comes to the Friant-Kern Canal and clean drinking water in rural communities when a subcommittee held a hearing on two bills sponsored by T.J. Cox.
Opinion: Why desalination can help quench California’s water needs
Visalia Times Delta
With a changing climate, growing population and booming economy, we need to include desalination in the water supply equation to help make up an imported water deficit.
“Xtra”
StoryCorps Mobile Tour To Visit The San Joaquin Valley In 2020
KVPR
The tour will offer Americans the simple yet singular opportunity to record meaningful conversations about their lives, to be preserved for posterity in the StoryCorps Archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Winter circus? Just one of many entertainment options coming up in Modesto region
Modesto Bee
Cirque Flip Fabrique’s “Blizzard” program takes a journey on stage through the dead of winter. The group is a circus company based in Québec. The troupe crafts contemporary circus shows to create visual poetry for the audience.
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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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