POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
California’s housing crisis is government’s fault, group says with ‘Golden Fleece’ award
Modesto Bee
California’s sky high housing prices and rents have led the Independent Institute to bestow its latest “Golden Fleece Award” on “the state and local politicians, government planners and regulators, and anti-development activists who obstruct new housing.”
Central SJ Valley:
Does your family live in one of 8 Fresno areas where children test high for lead?
Fresno Bee
Fresno County is home to eight of the state’s 50 census tracts with the most children who test high for lead poisoning — and all but one of those are in the city of Fresno.
Should people visiting Fresno City Hall carry guns inside? Elected officials disagree
Fresno Bee
A proposed policy that would prevent anyone from legally carrying a concealed gun in Fresno City Hall has drawn ire and skepticism from councilmembers.
Fresno senator appoints California’s first Hmong chief of staff at the state Capitol
Fresno Bee
A California state senator has appointed the first Hmong chief of staff at the Capitol. Shery Yang, a first-generation American, has joined the office of state Sen. Melissa Hurtado, who represents the 14th Senate District covering cities in Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties.
Fresno Mayoral Candidate Forum
CMAC
GV Wire and CMAC present a 2020 Fresno Mayoral Candidate forum from the CMAC studios.
2020 Foresight: What Will be Big This Year
Clovis Round Up
A new university, home décor stores, an additional Rodeo day and more jobs are just a few things Clovis has to look forward to in 2020.
South SJ Valley:
30,000 split recycle cans to avoid landfill
Visalia Times Delta
The eye-catching scene is the result of the city's long-planned pivot from split cans to a traditional three-can system last summer.
Bakersfield City Council allocates federal dollars to three affordable housing projects
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council approved a plan to commit millions of federal funding to affordable housing in three locations on Wednesday.
Bakersfield bids goodbye to City Manager Alan Tandy after 27 years
Bakersfield Californian
He has to turn in the keys to the front door, but he’s gained the key to the city. On Wednesday, City Manager Alan Tandy attended a City Council meeting for the final time, capping a career in which he has sat through more than 500.
State:
California could launch generic prescription drug label to help lower costs
abc30
California could become the first state with its own prescription drug label under a proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Thursday. Newsom wants California, home to nearly 40 million people, to contract with generic drug companies to make prescription medications on its behalf so it could then sell them to the public. The goal, according to the governor's office, is to lower prices by increasing competition in the generic market.
See also:
California could launch generic prescription drug label Modesto Bee
Gavin Newsom wants California to have its own prescription drug label Modesto Bee
California eyes selling its own brand of generic prescription drugs to battle high costs Los Angeles Times
Sen. Beall reintroduces affordable housing bill vetoed by Gov. Newsom
Mercury News
SB 795 would create ongoing funding and a statewide committee aimed at adding more housing.
This bill would let new homeless shelters and affordable housing bypass environmental law
Los Angeles Times
Aiming to speed up the construction of affordable housing and homeless shelters in California, new legislation would make all new low-income housing projects exempt from a key environmental law that has been used to restrict development.
See also:
California to house homeless people on vacant state land Mercury News
Newsom makes homelessness his first 2020 priority Politico
Gov. Gavin Newsom Announces Plans to Address California’s Homelessness Crisis US News
Homeless women who took over California home gain support AP
Seeking to preserve Proposition 13
CalMatters
Business groups and taxpayer advocates are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect California’s Proposition 13 property tax cap approved by voters more than 40 years ago.
‘Not the Golden State anymore’: Middle- and low-income people leaving California
CalMatters
Many who have left say they simply couldn’t afford to stay. One report found that the majority of people leaving earned less than $100,000.
California governor declines to call a special election to replace Duncan Hunter
Roll Call
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he would not call a special election to replace Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is resigning next week after pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds. Newsom’s decision means the seat will remain vacant until 2021.
First Partner Siebel Newsom to focus on women's leadership, tech influence on kids
Politico
Signaling a more activist role in policy issues, California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom has launched a nonprofit initiative aiming to "ensure women have seats at the tables of power," while also tackling issues like the impacts of tech on children.
Federal:
Los Angeles Times
The White House on Thursday is expected to unveil a proposed revision of the federal environmental review process, a move that would fast-track the construction of some infrastructure projects, including pipelines, highways and airports.
See also:
Trump to move to exempt some major pipeline, drilling and other projects from environmental review Washington Post
Senate Democrats break with Pelosi over impeachment trial
Politico
"If it’s serious and urgent, send them over. If it isn’t, don’t send it over," says Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
See also:
Dianne Feinstein calls on Nancy Pelosi to send articles of impeachment to Senate San Francisco Gate
EDITORIAL: While Trump tweets about California’s homeless crisis, Gavin Newsom offers solutions
Sacramento Bee
There’s been a lot of chatter about whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will keep his promise to appoint a state “czar” to deal with California’s apocalyptic crisis of homelessness. So far, Newsom has refused – and perhaps we should all be fine with that.
Elections 2020:
Did you get a text from an unknown number? It might be Bernie Sanders’ campaign
Fresno Bee
If you’re trying to avoid 2020 politics, you can screen your phone calls, delete your emails without reading them and avoid answering the door when a canvasser knocks. But campaigns have figured out one form of communication you are unlikely to ignore: texting.
California cares about health care. Where do key 2020 candidates stand?
Modesto Bee
California Democrats most want to hear candidates presidential candidates talk about health care as the state’s March 3, 2020 primary approaches. It’s the top issue among likely voters, according to the most recent survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California.
Iowa’s small Latino population looms large in 2020 election
Los Angeles Times
Bernie Sanders sounded awkwardly gringo in naming the Latino politician he thanked for introducing him, and he bungled the Spanish title of his own event, dropping the “con” from “Unidos con Bernie.” Yet it only seemed to endear “Tio Bernie” to the Latino voters gathered in this Iowa town to see him.
Elizabeth Warren’s Base Is Getting Anxious
Wall Street Journal
Supporters at a town hall in Brooklyn say they are concerned the Massachusetts senator isn’t connecting with more moderate Democrats.
See also:
Bloomberg Puts Geographic Inequality on the 2020 Agenda
Wall Street Journal
Former mayor looks to equip more cities with the assets that make New York wealthy.
Facebook to Keep Targeted Political Ads but Will Give Users More Control
Wall Street Journal
The social-media giant breaks with rival tech firms, says regulators—not private companies—should make decisions on political ads.
See also:
Facebook won’t limit how politicians target ads or lie to voters under new rules Washington Post
Facebook Says It Won’t Back Down From Allowing Lies in Political Ads New York Times
Commentary: Twitter’s ban on political advertisements hurts our democracy Brookings
Biden may not be the only beneficiary of endorsements he is getting
Roll Call
A few vulnerable House Democrats have started backing Joe Biden to be their party’s presidential nominee. Backing Biden early may help them fend off GOP attacks tying them to more liberal lawmakers and could also indicate who is seen by more centrist House members as the best candidate for the top of the Democratic ticket.
EDITORIAL: These California Assembly races are already settled. That’s not good for democracy
Fresno Bee
California’s Legislature is a representative form of government based on the ideal of candidates competing to win the office. But what happens when an incumbent does not have a challenger? That very thing is happening in nine of the 80 Assembly districts being contested in the March 3 primary.
Other:
Fresno Bee moves to digital Saturdays in January 2020
Fresno Bee
In October, we announced that The Fresno Bee will no longer deliver a Saturday printed newspaper beginning Jan. 11.
Winnowing legislative grain from chaff
CalMatters
The term is also quite applicable as the state Legislature resumes its biennial session.
Where political action is — and isn’t — in 2020
CalMatters
It’s a presidential election year, so what can California voters anticipate between now and Nov. 3?
Mike Rowe for California Governor 2022
Forbes
Please consider the following as advice – a plea, actually – from a fan.
Is seeing still believing? The deepfake challenge to truth in politics
Brookings
From spreading disinformation to tipping elections, deepfake technologies pose a threat to America’s domestic politics and national security. William Galston discusses actions from the government and private sector to combat deepfakes and explains what needs to be done immediately to help protect the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
James Madison and republican statesmanship, part 2: A road map from tribalism
American Enterprise Institute - AEI
Many argue that American politics today is hopelessly beset by tribalism—or the dead-ended opposition of different social, economic, political, and religious factions set against each other.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, January 12, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California’s Housing Crisis Hits Home - Guest: Matt Levine from CALmatters and Dan Dunmoyer with California Building Industry Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, January 12, 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 Myer with LA Times and Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, January 12, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: State Auditor Report on Charter Schools - Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
After nearly a decade showcasing California’s best food, Fresno expo ceasing operations
Fresno Bee
The expo started in 2011 as an economic development initiative spearheaded by then-Mayor Ashley Swearengin.
See also:
After nine years, former Fresno Food Expo is no more The Business Journal
New technology aimed at protecting bees during local almond bloom
Bakersfield Californian
Computer technology designed to protect honeybees from chemical threats is about to get its first big test as beekeepers from across the country prepare to descend on Central Valley almond orchards for the world's largest annual pollination event.
Cannabis grower Goldenseed breaks new ground with public stock offering
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz-area company may be first of its kind to earn SEC approval.
What Are The Implications of Taxing High-THC Weed?
East Bay Express
Should California follow Illinois' lead and tax according to potency?
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Tulare County woman arrested at vacation home on charge of embezzling from ag business
Fresno Bee
A Tulare County woman was arrested Tuesday at her Morro Bay vacation home and later booked by deputies on charges of embezzling more than $300,000. A spokesman for the sheriff’s office identified her as Denise Franks. She reportedly is the vice president of Best Agri Marketing in Traver.
A Massive Project Sheds Light on California’s Criminal Cops
CAL Alumni Association – UC Berkeley
In May of last year, Laurence Du Sault and Katey Rusch stood hunched over a single desk in a records room in a courthouse in Lancaster, California, carefully parsing and then photocopying court files they had pulled on numerous police officers convicted of crimes.
Public Safety:
Capital Public Radio
Stockton’s Police Chief has announced a three-year strategic plan to combat crime, reduce blight, and increase trust within the community. The plan will focus on reducing gun violence and homicides with the continued use of gang sweeps. It also calls for hiring a more diverse workforce and increased training for officers.
Fire:
20 firefighters who battled California blazes head to Australia to help
Los Angeles Times
A group of 20 firefighters, including several who battled October’s Saddleridge fire near Sylmar, will travel to Australia on Monday to help combat the wildfires that have ravaged roughly 12.4 million acres of land and killed at least 24 people and millions of birds, reptiles and mammals.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
After nearly a decade showcasing California’s best food, Fresno expo ceasing operations
Fresno Bee
After close to a decade spotlighting and connecting local, regional and state-wide food producers and products, the California Food Expo is no more. The board of directors has voted to dissolve the organization and cease operations, effective Jan. 31.
See also:
Local business owners, city leaders shocked by California Food Expo dissolve abc30
California Food Expo dissolves operations as financial and organizational constraints prove challenging Hanford Sentinel
Fresno, Visalia Sears stores closing in mid February
Business Journal
The Sears department stores in Visalia and at Manchester Center in Fresno, are expected to close in mid February, but an exact closing date hasn’t yet been set in Fresno.
China’s economy czar going to Washington to sign trade deal
Los Angeles Times
China’s economy czar will visit Washington next week for the signing of an interim trade deal, the government said Thursday. Vice Premier Liu He, Beijing’s chief envoy in talks with Washington over their tariff war, had been expected to attend the signing but the Commerce Ministry’s statement was the first official confirmation.
Taft losing Chase Bank, biggest such closure in 20 years
Taft Midway Driller
Chase Bank is closing its Taft Branch, leaving the community with only two full-service banks and a credit union. Chase notified its customers by letter in late December that the bank at Fourth and Kern would close on March 17. It is the biggest bank closing in Taft since Bank of America closed its downtown branch 20 years ago.
What the ‘crazy rich Asians’ myth is hiding: Many struggle with poverty
CalMatters
These are common stereotypes that reinforce a mythology that Asians—a catchall term that refers to a diverse array of people who come from countries thousands of miles apart with distinct cultures and languages—are an affluent monolith.
CBO projects $39B deficit rise in first quarter of 2020
The Hill
The federal deficit is projected to have risen 12 percent in the first three months of the fiscal year, according to Wednesday projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Op ed: Do Americans really need to be more thrifty?
Washington Post
Few economic virtues are more universally applauded than thrift.
Jobs:
She was battling cancer when she says Harris Ranch fired her. Now she’s suing
Fresno Bee
A Tulare woman is suing the Harris Ranch Beef Company for allegedly firing her after taking medical leave while undergoing chemotherapy, following breast cancer surgery. However, the Selma-based company is denying the firing.
He exposed nepotism and questionable hiring at a California tax agency. Then he lost his job
Modesto Bee
Three years ago state Treasurer Fiona Ma asked a California public employee to help uncover wasteful spending and nepotism at a tax agency that was collecting more than $60 billion a year in revenue.
Taking an Uber? It just got harder to figure out the final tab in California
Merced Sun-Star
Uber has rolled out a new ride-hailing app for California as it fights a state law which more strongly regulates gig workers, Bloomberg News reports. The changes include removing upfront pricing in favor of a pre-trip estimate, with the final tally to be determined at the end of the ride, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
See also:
Uber makes major changes to California rides as gig-work law takes effect San Francisco Chronicle
Uber pumps the brakes CALmatters
Uber Adjusts App in California as Response to New Labor Law Bloomberg
Uber’s secret project to bolster its case against AB5, California’s gig-worker law Washington Post
Expanded family leave, revisited
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom, aka “Governor Dad,” used his budget proposal last year to pitch the idea that California workers should get more paid time off to care for new babies.
Low unemployment isn’t worth much if the jobs barely pay
Brookings
Ahead of this Friday’s jobs report, Martha Ross and Nicole Bateman argue that recent positive headlines on U.S. employment obscure a key point: America’s economy is simply not working well for tens of millions of people.
3 charts showing good news about American wage growth
AEI
Democratic presidential candidates remain dismissive of the American economy and its record-long expansion. They fail to recognize that wages are rising, and they're rising fastest for those at the bottom.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Shakeup in Burton Schools principals
Porterville Recorder
Burton School District has made some changes to the staff at three of their schools, much to the surprise of parents and students as students returned to school from Christmas vacation on Tuesday.
Follow the money: Are changes coming for California’s school funding law?
CalMatters
A critical state audit has made oversight of spending on disadvantaged students a first order of business for California lawmakers.
Lincoln trustees reject controversial charter school proposal
Stockton Record
The Lincoln Unified School District has voted to reject Aspire Public Schools’ petition to open a charter school in the district in a meeting that went late into the night.
Higher Ed:
$550 million for community colleges? Here’s how much it could cost home owners
Modesto Bee
The Yosemite Community College District is considering a large bond measure for renovating or replacing older classroom facilities, construction of new facilities, equipment replacement and removal of safety hazards from its campus facilities.
Voters could be asked to approve up to $550 million for facilities at MJC, Columbia
Modesto Bee
The Yosemite Community College District is considering a large bond measure for renovating or replacing older classroom facilities, construction of new facilities, equipment replacement and removal of safety hazards from its campus facilities.
Gornick named 'Citizen of the Year'
Hanford Sentinel
“It’s been a good career,” West Hills Community College Chancellor Emeritus Frank Gornick said Monday before sipping from a mug of hot tea.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
30,000 split recycle cans to avoid landfill
Visalia Times Delta
The eye-catching scene is the result of the city's long-planned pivot from split cans to a traditional three-can system last summer.
How to see Yosemite’s ‘firefall.’ Waterfall glows for a limited time in February
Sierra Star
A thin ephemeral waterfall in Yosemite National Park that’s barely noticed by many visitors to the popular Yosemite Valleybecomes the California park’s star attraction each February. Horsetail Fall over the eastern edge of El Capitan can glow golden or orange at sunset from mid- to late-February when its water is flowing and skies are clear.
This bill would let new homeless shelters and affordable housing bypass environmental law
Los Angeles Times
Aiming to speed up the construction of affordable housing and homeless shelters in California, new legislation would make all new low-income housing projects exempt from a key environmental law that has been used to restrict development.
Los Angeles Times
The White House on Thursday is expected to unveil a proposed revision of the federal environmental review process, a move that would fast-track the construction of some infrastructure projects, including pipelines, highways and airports.
See also:
Trump to move to exempt some major pipeline, drilling and other projects from environmental review Washington Post
California’s largest private giant sequoia stand saved from development
San Francisco Chronicle
The long-awaited purchase of a vast grove of giant sequoias once targeted for homes and a ski resort has been completed by the San Francisco conservation group Save the Redwoods League, which plans to open trails and eventually make it a federal park.
See also:
Group raises nearly $16 million to buy Alder Creek giant sequoia grove Los Angeles Times
CalMatters
It’s not about cap and trade. A non-partisan report says California's renewable energy mandate is the star of the state's greenhouse gas goals, just as some propose to stop it.
When science fiction becomes environmental fact, it might be time to worry
Roll Call
Scientists and researchers have said that climate change has worsened the effects of the Australian wildfires, which have killed dozens of people, destroyed thousands of homes and devastated flora and fauna. Australia’s leaders, however, including its prime minister, insist the country does not need to cut carbon emissions.
Earth Is Hotter Than at Any Time Since Steam Engine Was Invented
Bloomberg
The last five years on Earth have been hotter than at any time since the industrial revolution kicked off almost two centuries ago.
Energy:
CalMatters
California senators will consider legislation next week that would impose a new 10% state tax on oil extracted within the state, a move that would raise pump prices that already are second highest in the nation.
California Could Mandate Backup Power at Cell Phone Towers
VOA News
When the nation's largest electric utility preemptively shut off power last fall to prevent wildfires in California, customers lost more than just their lights — some lost their phones, too.
EDITORIAL: Judge agrees with what The Bee has said for years — MID power rates are unfair
Modesto Bee
The judge got it right in a lawsuit challenging the Modesto Irrigation District’s long and wrong practice of overcharging for electricity. More than five years ago, The Modesto Bee Editorial Board (turnover has entirely changed its members since) decried the injustice of charging one set of customers (power) too much in order to keep artificially low the prices paid by another set, in this case farmers buying irrigation water.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Does your family live in one of 8 Fresno areas where children test high for lead?
Fresno Bee
Fresno County is home to eight of the state’s 50 census tracts with the most children who test high for lead poisoning — and all but one of those are in the city of Fresno. Seven of the tracts are in or near downtown Fresno, while a single tract in southern Selma also tested high for lead poisoning in children younger than 6, according to the state audit from California State Auditor Elaine Howle.
California could launch generic prescription drug label to help lower costs
abc30
California could become the first state with its own prescription drug label under a proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Thursday. Newsom wants California, home to nearly 40 million people, to contract with generic drug companies to make prescription medications on its behalf so it could then sell them to the public. The goal, according to the governor's office, is to lower prices by increasing competition in the generic market.
See also:
California could launch generic prescription drug label Modesto Bee
Gavin Newsom wants California to have its own prescription drug label Modesto Bee
California eyes selling its own brand of generic prescription drugs to battle high costs Los Angeles Times
No more menthols? New California bill would ban all flavored tobacco products
Modesto Bee
California lawmakers reintroduced a bill that would ban sales of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes that have been associated with vaping-related lung illnesses.
EDITORIAL: Unleash nurse practitioners to improve Californians’ access to healthcare
Los Angeles Times
One of the fundamental problems with the U.S. healthcare system is that it’s costlier than just about any other country’s, and yet it does not deliver notably better results. Millions of Americans are forced to skimp on or go without care, either because they can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs required by their insurance or because the coverage is too costly to begin with.
Human Services:
Should virginity tests be illegal? California lawmaker wants to ban them
Modesto Bee
A California Democrat introduced legislation on Wednesday to ban so-called “virginity testing” on women. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez’s Assembly Bill 1909 is in response to rapper T.I.’s November interview with Buzzfeed News, during which the entertainer said he goes with his teenage daughter to the gynecologist to make sure she’s still a virgin.
UC Merced Ph.D. Student Gets to the Root of Health Disparities Facing Hmong Farmers
UC Merced Newsroom
Thao, a Public Health Ph.D. student in UC Merced Professor Nancy Burke’s lab, received the inaugural Central Valley Graduate Fellowship this fall to help support her research into how exposure to environmental factors leads to poor health outcomes of Hmong farmers in the Valley.
Dignity Health estimates Elk Grove hospital will cost at least $327 million to build
Sacramento Bee
Dignity Health estimates that it will spend roughly $327 million to construct a new 200,000-square-foot hospital in Elk Grovethat will replace south Sacramento’s Methodist Hospital, Methodist President Phyllis Baltz said Wednesday.
NEJM study on Camden Coalition reveals how hard it is to care for America's sickest patients
Business Insider - KHN
Improving health and lowering costs for the sickest and most expensive patients in America is a dream harder to realize than many health care leaders had hoped, according to a study published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.
IMMIGRATION
For decades, this city was a haven for refugees. Then residents tried to ban them
Los Angeles Times
For decades, this conservative, predominantly white capital city has played host to refugees from around the world. Immigrants greet shoppers at Walmart, process beef at the Cloverdale Foods plant, run the register at Arbys, clean the Holiday Inn and drive for Uber.
‘Not the Golden State anymore’: Middle- and low-income people leaving California
CalMatters
Many who have left say they simply couldn’t afford to stay. One report found that the majority of people leaving earned less than $100,000.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Popular Merced hotel receiving big makeover as part of downtown renovation efforts
abc30
A model space inside the Tioga gives prospective renters a glimpse of the luxurious lifestyle GSF Properties is promoting.
Tule River Tribe breaks ground on Porterville housing
Visalia Times Delta
Forty Tule River Tribe families will have a new home in Porterville in early 2021 if all goes to plan.
Young-gun developers remaking Visalia’s downtown
Business Journal
Visalia businessman Marc Dwelle will be buying Ralph Bookout’s vacant, burned-out property in the 200 block of West Main Street in downtown Visalia, according to both parties. A massive fire destroyed three buildings across from the Fox Theater about year ago, and the site has been boarded up since.
California’s largest private giant sequoia stand saved from development
San Francisco Chronicle
The long-awaited purchase of a vast grove of giant sequoias once targeted for homes and a ski resort has been completed by the San Francisco conservation group Save the Redwoods League, which plans to open trails and eventually make it a federal park.
Business Insider
Even if we succeed in sending humans to Mars someday — NASA hopes to do that in the 2030s — astronauts would need a place to stay once they arrive.
Housing:
‘It’s go time.’ Could 2020 finally be the year Sacramento turns the tide on homelessness?
Sacramento Bee
Subscriber Exclusive: Why there’s reason to believe Sacramento can make progress on homelessness
California’s housing crisis is government’s fault, group says with ‘Golden Fleece’ award
Modesto Bee
California’s sky high housing prices and rents have led the Independent Institute to bestow its latest “Golden Fleece Award” on “the state and local politicians, government planners and regulators, and anti-development activists who obstruct new housing.”
Capital Public Radio
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Wednesday that would fast-track the use of government land near highways, travel trailers and vacant state hospitals to urgently get people off of California’s streets.
Bakersfield City Council allocates federal dollars to three affordable housing projects
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council approved a plan to commit millions of federal funding to affordable housing in three locations on Wednesday. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the express purpose of creating community housing.
California’s homelessness crisis — and possible solutions — explained
CalMatters
California’s most vexing issue is also its most shameful: the large and rising number of residents who lack a safe place to call home. In a state with vast amounts of wealth, more than 150,000 of its residents sleep in shelters, cars, or on the street.
EDITORIAL: While Trump tweets about California’s homeless crisis, Gavin Newsom offers solutions
Sacramento Bee
There’s been a lot of chatter about whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will keep his promise to appoint a state “czar” to deal with California’s apocalyptic crisis of homelessness. So far, Newsom has refused – and perhaps we should all be fine with that.
PUBLIC FINANCES
He exposed nepotism and questionable hiring at a California tax agency. Then he lost his job
Sacramento Bee
Three years ago state Treasurer Fiona Ma asked a California public employee to help uncover wasteful spending and nepotism at a tax agency.
CalMatters
California senators will consider legislation next week that would impose a new 10% state tax on oil extracted within the state, a move that would raise pump prices that already are second highest in the nation.
What Are The Implications of Taxing High-THC Weed?
East Bay Express
Should California follow Illinois' lead and tax according to potency?
TRANSPORTATION
Taking an Uber? It just got harder to figure out the final tab in California
Merced Sun-Star
Uber has rolled out a new ride-hailing app for California as it fights a state law which more strongly regulates gig workers, Bloomberg News reports. The changes include removing upfront pricing in favor of a pre-trip estimate, with the final tally to be determined at the end of the ride, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
See also:
Uber makes major changes to California rides as gig-work law takes effect San Francisco Chronicle
Uber Adjusts App in California as Response to New Labor Law Bloomberg
Uber’s secret project to bolster its case against AB5, California’s gig-worker law Washington Post
Electric scooter injuries surge as more riders mangle their legs and skulls, study shows
Modesto Bee
Hospitals nationwide are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of electric scooter injuries, particularly in the last three years as companies and cities push for alternative forms of transportation, according to a new study published in JAMA Surgery.
Opinion: Stop calling Elon Musk’s Boring tunnel public transit
Curbed
Does this look like a “people mover” to you?
WATER
Fecal bacteria in California’s waterways increases with homeless crisis
Sacramento Bee
President Donald Trump, a self-described germophobe, has made no secret of his disgust with California's growing homeless problem, which he has called a "disgrace" and "inappropriate" and equated to "living in hell."
Myth about huge California fines for shower and laundry usage won’t die. Here’s what’s true
Sacramento Bee
California will impose new limits on water usage in the post-drought era in the coming years — but a claim that residents will be fined $1,000.
California Groundwater Technical Assistance Network
Application Union of Concerned Scientists
California communities are undertaking a behemoth challenge—create a plan to manage our groundwater sustainably into the future. Engaging diverse stakeholders is critical to ensure that the economic, environmental, recreational and life-giving properties of this shared natural resource are protected against future damages.
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