Maddy Institute – July 1, 2020

01Jul

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus Co not closing bars to curb spread of coronavirus. Will the state do it?

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County leaders didn’t take any steps Monday to follow through with a state recommendation Sunday to close bars as a way to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Central SJ Valley:

284 new cases in Tulare County; how will Fresno spend $92.8M in aid?

Fresno Bee

The central San Joaquin Valley saw another major jump in coronavirus cases on Monday, as 722 new positive cases and seven related deaths were reported across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties.

507 inmates at Fresno County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19

abc30

Fresno County Jail officials say 507 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. In addition, 25 correctional officers have tested positive, along with one deputy who works in the court.

● What Ohio’s COVID-19 Outbreaks Can Teach California Prisons PPIC

● Calif Prisons Are COVID Hotbeds Despite Billions Spent On Inmate Health

Capital Public Radio

Fresno mayor announces new search for police chief

Fresno Bee

Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall will be forced to retire in spring 2021 because of a city retirement program.

Latinos shot by police at high rates locally. Fresno police say they don’t discriminate

Fresno Bee

“It’s overwhelmingly communities of color on the receiving end of use-of-force by law enforcement,” attorney says

Here’s how leaders will spend millions in COVID-19 relief money in south Fresno

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council on Tuesday approved a plan for spending federal COVID-19 relief money, which will add a significant amount of funding to the city’s poorest southern neighborhoods.

Fresno adopts $1.2B budget with funds for gang prevention, no job cuts — for now

Fresno Bee

Fresno City Council adopted a $1.2 billion budget with no layoffs on Tuesday with a continuing resolution, which means they’ll be back in a few months to adopt a long-term spending plan after they have a better idea how much the coronavirus hurt the economy.

● City Of Fresno Passes Budget, But Will Reconsider It In 90 Days VPR

Fresno Co bars are ordered closed, but confusion persists. Here’s why some are open

Fresno Bee

Questions arose over whether Fresno County would enforce bar closures.

South SJ Valley:

Coronavirus strikes deep into Kern County’s budget

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors will attempt to grapple with a coronavirus-sized hole in its budget during Tuesday’s meeting. The supervisors are slated to approve a preliminary budget that leaves many departments with 7.5 percent in reductions.

Key allies raise concerns over Measure N funding

Bakersfield Californian

A key ally of Measure N has raised concerns over the city of Bakersfield’s spending, questioning the continued support of the measure if the city’s pattern continues. In a letter written to the Bakersfield City Council, Kevin Burton, board chairman of the Kern County Taxpayers Association, said the city hasn’t lived up to promises it made before the 1 percent sales tax increase was passed by voters.

COVID-19 update: Numbers on rise, PDC facility to open, outbreak at Porterville Convalescent

Porterville Recorder

Tulare County Health and Human Services Director Tim Lutz’s first word of his weekly presentation on the status of COVID-19 at Tuesday’s Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting pretty much summed up everything he was going to cover.

State:

Gov. signs $202 billion pandemic budget

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $202 billion budget Monday with emergency pandemic funding, expanded unemployment aid and billions of dollars in cuts forced by the coronavirus-caused recession.

See Also:

● Newsom signs Calif’s $202.1 billion state budget San Francisco Chronicle

California ‘Wall of Debt’ Returns as State Bets on Federal Aid

Bloomberg

California’s “wall of debt” is returning.

Gov. Changes to California’s stay at home order on Wednesday

abc30

Gov. Gavin Newsom said during Tuesday’s press conference that he will announce changes to California’s stay at home order on Wednesday. He said there will be more enforcement on the order as the 4th of July weekend nears, with Newsom adding that family gatherings are a big concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

See Also:

● Newsom to ‘tighten things up’ as coronavirus cases rise Bakersfield Californian

● Coronavirus updates: Calif to ‘tighten’ restrictions amid surge, Newsom says Sac Bee

● Newsom warns of more coronavirus restrictions, enforcement ahead of July 4 holiday weekend LA Times

● ‘We’re surging again.’ Doctors, nurses angry as coronavirus strains California hospitals LA Times

● California enters a perilous phase as coronavirus spread intensifies LA Times

● July 4 will be a do-or-die moment for California as coronavirus rages LA Times

● California will ‘tighten things up’ on coronavirus heading into Fourth, Newsom says San Francisco Chronicle

● California breaks record — again — for most coronavirus cases in a day, exceeding 8,000 San Francisco Chronicle

State nursing board executives falsified data in report to state auditor, report finds

Sac Bee

Executives at the state Board of Registered Nursing falsified data in reports to the California State Auditor to make it look like the board was properly managing nursing investigations when it wasn’t, the auditor announced Tuesday.

In ‘Targeted Action’ Gov Closes Bars In 7 Counties, Including 4 In Valley

VPR
On Sunday, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered bars to close in seven California counties, including four in the San Joaquin Valley: Fresno, Kern, Tulare and Kings. He also recommended bar closures in eight others. Health officials in Kern County, however, say the order was made without consulting them.

After record-breaking day of coronavirus cases, California surpasses 6,000 deaths

LA Times

Three months after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an unprecedented statewide stay-at-home order designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, California recorded a new grim milestone: passing the threshold of 6,000 coronavirus-related deaths.

● California breaks record — again — for most coronavirus cases in a day, exceeding 8,000 San Francisco Chronicle

California bill would shield health officer addresses as death threats rise

Politico

Health officials struggling to contain the coronavirus have at times faced an intense backlash in California.

Gov. Dad: Family leave job protections expanded in bill backed by Newsom

CALmatters

California’s Democratic governor credits his wife and chief of staff for making paid family leave a priority in recent budget negotiations.

California State Auditor To Conduct Random Drawing of First Eight Members of 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission on July 2

Shape California’s Future

Every ten years, after the federal census, California must re-establish the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts to reflect new population data and shifting populations. The Voters FIRST Act gave this power to California citizens ensuring that new and fair political boundaries are drawn without special interests, politics and political influence.

Walters: Police unions’ power wanes, but how about teachers?

CALmatters

California police unions’ political clout may be waning but what about other unions?

Commentary: AG Becerra’s proposal to reform policing misses the mark – and community demands

CALmatters

Attorney General Becerra wants police reform, but in spite of #defundthepolice protests, that could mean more money for California police.

Dean Florez: The state must mandate a new workweek given COVID-19’s lessons

Bakersfield Californian

The COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders have given us a preview of the blue skies and cleaner air that we could experience more often if fewer gas powered vehicles were on our roads. In the past two and a half months, we have reduced traffic on our streets and highways, and almost everyone – from the California Air Resources Board employees to paralegals and software engineers – has been “teleworking.” At the peak of the COVID-19 induced shutdowns in April, the daily carbon dioxide emissions dropped by 17 percent globally, according to a study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change. In our state since the start of the pandemic, CARB estimates that the vehicle miles traveled for light/medium duty vehicles has been reduced by 70 percent to 80 percent.

Federal:

Fauci warns US could see 100k coronavirus cases per day: ‘I am very concerned’

abc30

The U.S. is “going in the wrong direction” with the coronavirus surging badly enough that Dr. Anthony Fauci told senators Tuesday some regions are putting the entire country at risk – just as schools and colleges are wrestling with how to safely reopen.

● Fauci says U.S. could see 100,000 new cases a day amid coronavirus outbreak LA Times

● Fauci says no guarantee U.S. will have effective COVID-19 vaccine, warns spread ‘could get very bad’ MSN

● Fauci testifies that new coronavirus cases could ‘go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around’ Washington Post

Senate Hearing On Reopening Schools, Workplaces Amid Coronavirus

VPR

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions convened on Tuesday to discuss plans for reopening schools and work offices that have been shuttered by the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The panel will hear from health officials on the White House coronavirus task force — Drs. Anthony Fauci, Robert Redfield and Stephen Hahn — as well as Dr. Brett Giroir of the Department of Health and Human Services.

McConnell: House infrastructure bill going nowhere in Senate

The Hill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Wednesday that an infrastructure bill set to get a vote in the House will not be taken up in the Senate.

Can Congress reform the police?

LA Times

Nationwide, people are calling for police reform and changes in use-of-force policies in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody. But Congress can’t seem to decide how to get it done. Will Democrats and Republicans be able to work together to enact effective change?

Opinion: Seila Law v. CFPB: Supreme Court Does Right, Could’ve Done Better

National Review

Is the president the nation’s chief executive? That was the question that lay at the heart of Seila Law LLC. v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the decision issued by the Supreme Court yesterday.

Opinion: Supreme Court Bolsters Religious Liberty in Overturn of Montana Law

Town Hall

The Supreme Court sided with a group of families in Montana that challenged a state law which banned scholarship money from being used toward faith-based schools in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

● Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO

● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University

● Tracking coronavirus in California LA Times

● Coronavirus Tracker San Francisco Chronicle

● Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times

● How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico

● Coronavirus Daily NPR

● Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Financial Times

● Coronavirus in California by the numbers CalMatters

Elections 2020:

As virus surge grips red states, Biden steps up attack on Trump

LA Times

As a resurgent coronavirus rips through America, tearing especially into states that voted for Donald Trump in 2016, Joe Biden is moving to further weaken the president’s hold by stepping up attacks on his handling of the crisis.

Old Biden quote about integration resurfaces

Politifact

In 1977, Joe Biden said that without “orderly integration,” his children would grow up in a “racial jungle, with tensions built so high that it is going to explode at some point.”

How inexperienced candidates and primary challenges are making Republicans the protest party

Brookings

“The Republican and the Democratic parties are taking on not only different ideological casts but different characters, in ways that may make the GOP the more disruptive, volatile party for years to come.” Raymond J. La Raja and Jonathan Rauch examine the trends of insurgent candidacies in the GOP and Democratic Party and what they mean for governance.

Q&A with Julián Castro: Why there’s no ‘going back’ for Dems on police reform

Fresno Bee

In an interview with McClatchy, former HUD secretary and 2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro discusses the ‘defund the police’ movement, whether Democrats can beat Donald Trump in Texas, and Joe Biden’s VP pick.

OPINION: True to 2020’s chaos, both Trump & Biden campaigns are struggling — and worried

Modesto Bee

It probably should not be surprising in this uniquely unusual political year that not one, but both presidential campaigns are at this stage riven with deep doubts and uncertainties. What’s certain anymore anyway, except that 2020 is unfolding in a dramatically unpredictable fashion that’s fascinating to watch, less so to endure, depending on your allegiance and employment status.

Other:

McClatchy followed rules in refinancing 2 yrs before bankruptcy, investigation finds

Fresno Bee

McClatchy Co.’s board of directors and senior executive leadership acted properly in 2018 when the company refinanced its debt, an investigation conducted as part of the local news company’s bankruptcy case has found.

Facebook removes hundreds of accounts and pages linked to the far-right boogaloo movement, declaring it a ‘dangerous organization’

Washington Post

Facebook took down 220 accounts, 28 pages, 106 groups and 95 Instagram accounts associated with the movement. It removed another 400 accounts and 100 groups that supported or praised the violent network.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Report: Covid-19’s direct toll on California wine industry at $4.21 billion

Business Journal

A new report pegs Covid-19-related losses to California’s wine industry at $4.21 billion, equating to the direct and induced loss of 42,376 jobs.

Kern County Fair livestock show will be held online this year

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Fair Board of Directors announced Monday evening that its Livestock Show and Sale competition will be held virtually in 2020.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

CA considering releasing more prisoners early amid COVID-19 outbreaks

abc30

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that more inmates may be released to mitigate coronavirus outbreaks in prisons. The announcement comes as more than 900 new cases of the virus have been confirmed in just the past two weeks at San Quentin.

● 80 inmates to be released to Stanislaus in state’s effort to reduce prison COVID cases Modesto Bee

● California to release some inmates as coronavirus ravages prisons LA Times

Public Safety:

507 inmates at Fresno County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19

abc30

Fresno County Jail officials say 507 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. In addition, 25 correctional officers have tested positive, along with one deputy who works in the court.

● What Ohio’s COVID-19 Outbreaks Can Teach California Prisons PPIC

● Calif Prisons Are COVID Hotbeds Despite Billions Spent On Inmate Health

Capital Public Radio

Fresno mayor announces new search for police chief

Fresno Bee

Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall will be forced to retire in spring 2021 because of a city retirement program.

What do police complaints trigger? Here’s how Modesto-area agencies investigate

Modesto Bee

Modesto Police typically take four months to investigate a citizen complaint about alleged misconduct, an Internal affairs lieutenant said.

Latinos shot by police at high rates locally. Fresno police say they don’t discriminate

Fresno Bee

“It’s overwhelmingly communities of color on the receiving end of use-of-force by law enforcement,” attorney says.

COVID-19 Reveals Need for More Research About Guns

RAND

Shortages of toilet paper at neighborhood grocery stores have become a symbol of the nation’s response to the COVID-19 virus, but recent reports suggest that people also reacted to the pandemic by purchasing firearms and ammunition in massive numbers.

Fire:

Supervisors cut firefighter overtime to address budget crunch

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors took a series of steps Tuesday to address a looming budget crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

How a PG&E Contractor With a Sketchy Past Made Millions After California’s Deadliest Fire

ProPublica

PG&E overlooked a contractor’s involvement in illicit dumping before hiring it to clean up after the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. PG&E later accused the vendor of fraud for bribing employees and overcharging for services.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Bar order raises concerns of more closures to come

Bakersfield Californian

A little more than two weeks after he got the OK to reopen, Bakersfield bar owner Richard Dao was placing “temporarily closed” signs on the door to VIP Lounge Monday in central Bakersfield.

Senate passes extension of application deadline for PPP small-business loans

TheHill

The Senate on Tuesday cleared legislation to extend the deadline for businesses to apply for coronavirus aid under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which will expire at the end of Tuesday.

Jobs:

Need an employee? This Fresno County program could foot the cost

Business Journal

The New Employment Opportunities (NEO) program was created in 2013 to incentivize employers to provide welfare-to-work participants with long-term and transitional employment opportunities in public, private and nonprofit organizations throughout Fresno County.

This essential worker wanted a coronavirus test. She ended up with a $1,840 bill

LA Times

Carmen Quintero works an early shift as a supervisor at a 3M distribution warehouse that ships N95 masks to a nation under siege from the coronavirus. On March 23, she had developed a severe cough, and her voice, usually quick and enthusiastic, was barely a whisper.

Black and brown tech workers share their experiences of racism on the job

LA Times

A Black career IT professional put himself forward for a promotion but was instead asked to help recruit another candidate, who was white. A Black Google engineer was confronted by a white co-worker demanding to see his ID badge. A Latino project manager pointed out his quickly growing start-up was almost all white, and the chief executive responded by telling him to invite his friends to apply for jobs.

When Essential Workers Earn Less Than The Jobless: ‘We Put The Country On Our Back’

VPR

When the government shut down the U.S. economy in a bid to tame the spread of the coronavirus, Congress scrambled to help tens of millions of people who lost jobs. The government rushed one-time relief checks to all families that qualified and tacked an extra $600 onto weekly unemployment benefits, which are usually less than regular pay and vary by state. But so far, lawmakers have not passed any measure to increase pay for workers who were asked to keep going to work during a highly contagious health crisis.

May 2020 Jobs Report

California Center for Jobs & the Economy

The May numbers provide a more complete picture of the extent of damage to the state’s economy stemming from the emergency social distancing measures.

Powerful union apologizes, withdraws ad after accusations of anti-Semitism

CALmatters

The State Building and Construction Trades Council placed a Facebook advertisement which members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus objected to. The union retracted the ad and issued an apology, but the incident illustrates the fraught tensions at play in state housing discussions.

Who are the potentially misclassified in the employment report?

Brookings

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 economic downturn, Americans have been closely monitoring U.S. unemployment numbers. However, there have been some unusual patterns in the data that complicate the picture. Lauren Bauer, Wendy Edelberg, Jimmy O’Donnell, and Jay Shambaugh explore potential misclassification errors in the reported unemployment rates.

Unemployment Payments by Treasury Hit Pandemic High in June

Bloomberg

The U.S. Treasury Department has paid out more than $100 billion in unemployment benefits in June, the most for a single month since the pandemic started and underscoring the importance of federal relief efforts to shore up a battered job market.

● Opinion: How Congress can scale back unemployment benefits Bloomberg

EDUCATION

K-12:

Clovis Unified School District re-opens Campus Club for the summer

abc30

A local school district is finding a way to provide an essential service to parents. When Clovis Unified parent Ryan Kampf got the news that Campus Club, the district’s before and after school program, would be open this summer, he said it was a game-changer.

‘Profound disappointment’: Clovis schools cancel graduation ceremony in Fresno

Fresno Bee

“It is with profound disappointment that I share with you today news that this last celebration will not be possible.”

KHSD board weighs community divisiveness on reopening schools, defunding district police department

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern High School District board of trustees heard various comments from district leaders and the community Monday night regarding reopening schools in the fall and providing funds for the district’s police department.

Panama-Buena Vista Union considering giving families option of in-person, online learning

Bakersfield Californian

The Panama-Buena Vista Union School District board of trustees discussed several back-to-school reopening options during Monday night’s meeting, but ultimately delayed making a vote.

So far, board members are leaning toward sending students back to school five days a week with safety guidelines, or utilizing distance learning this fall. Trustees said they’d give parents an option of which format they’d like to have their children return to school under.

Uncharted territory: SJ school leaders talk about preparations for fall classes at public meeting

Stockton Record

Public school leaders are faced with making among the most crucial decisions of their professional careers, affecting tens of thousands of lives in the midst of a surging pandemic and an uncertain future, with some Stockton schools scheduled to open in less than five weeks.

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond holds hearing on school police reforms

abc30

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a hearing regarding school police reforms. “Task Force on Safe Schools Hearing” included researchers, police organizations, and legislators discussing the impacts of school police programs on school campuses and strategies for school safety.

Supreme Court rules religious schools should get state grants given to other private schools

LA Times

The Supreme Court bolstered religious schools on Tuesday, ruling that states that give scholarships or tuition grants to children in private schools may not deny the same aid to parents who enrolled their child in a religious school.

U.S. Supreme Court endorses taxpayer funds for religious schools

Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the separation of church and state in a major ruling on Tuesday by endorsing Montana tax credits that helped pay for students to attend religious schools, a decision paving the way for more public funding of faith-based institutions.

Higher Ed:

Fresno State extends expiring coaching contracts, keeps ball rolling through COVID-19

Fresno Bee

With a majority of its contracts with assistant coaches and some head coaches expiring on Tuesday, Fresno State has extended those deals for a period of six months to keep intact leadership of its 21 sports programs and minimize disruption for its student-athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Should Fresno State remove Gandhi statue? Growing student movement pushing for change

Fresno Bee

Despite a growing movement asking Fresno State leaders to remove a Mahatma Gandhi bust from the Peace Garden because of the Indian activist’s prejudiced views, President Joseph I. Castro has refused, according to the university.

As Pandemic Rages On, Some Fresno State Nursing Grads Forced To Return To School

VPR

As coronavirus cases are surging, so are reports of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. But even as mental health professionals are needed more than ever, those who graduated from one Fresno State nursing program are being told to return to school. The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certificate program allows nurse practitioners to provide psychiatric care. But because of an administrative error, the Fresno State program was never accredited.

What More Than 300 College Admissions Deans Are Looking For During The Pandemic

VPR

If you’re worried about how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting your college applications, a statement endorsed by more than 300 college admissions deans might provide some relief. The statement from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education is titled “What We Care About in This Time of Crisis.” It emphasizes that admissions officers will understand if some normal avenues for beefing up a college résumé are curtailed by the pandemic.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Pandemic, inequality helped shape Democrats’ climate plan

Modesto Bee

The climate plan Democrats released Tuesday, the product of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, is a complicated tome: 547 pages compiled after 17 official hearings, a year and a half of work and hundreds of meetings.

Energy:

’No more business as usual,’ Newsom says in signing PG&E backstop bill

Politico

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday night that he signed a bill that would backstop Pacific Gas & Electric if the company misses upcoming bankruptcy milestones or commits certain safety violations.

PG&E Gets on Board With All-Electric New Buildings in California

GreenTech Media

Pacific Gas & Electric has become the first combined natural gas and electric utility in California to express support for an emerging plan to require “efficient, all-electric new construction” in the state, telling regulators that it wants to “avoid investments in new gas assets that might later prove underutilized” under the state’s long-term decarbonization goals.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno Co adds 337 COVID-19 cases as state closes bars. Jail has more than 500 cases

Fresno Bee

Fresno County reported another 337 positive cases of the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total to 4,811 cases since the pandemic began. The new cases are the latest Fresno County has reported since Saturday. No new deaths related to the virus were added Monday to the 72 tallied since March.

See Also:

● More than 100 new cases, two more COVID-19 deaths reported Bakersfield Californian

● Stanislaus County infection rate falls; hospitalizations rise Modesto Bee

Feds snap up nearly all Gilead’s key coronavirus drug — when will California get its share?

Fresno Bee

The California Department of Public Health said Tuesday that it is working to get more clarity on changes in how the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services wants it to distribute supplies of an antiviral drug that is crucial in the fight against COVID-19.

First signs of West Nile virus confirmed in Merced Co, joining 11 counties statewide

Merced Sun-Star

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, West Nile virus was recently detected in Merced County for the first time this year, the Merced County Mosquito Abatement District said Tuesday.

EDITORIAL: Wearing a mask is not about fear or liberty, and certainly not politics

Fresno Bee

The 4^th of July is a time for celebration and, especially now, reflection. Like many of you, I come from a family committed to service to our great country. My father is retired Air Force, my father-in-law retired Navy, and my husband a former Navy helicopter pilot. I honor their service through my work with the Veterans Health Administration.

EDITORIAL: Fresno residents should scale back July 4th social gathering plans. COVID-19 is why

Fresno Bee

As the Fourth of July holiday arrives, the temptation will be to have friends over to feast on backyard barbecue and then set off fireworks once the sun goes down.

Human Services:

State nursing board executives falsified data in report to state auditor, report finds

Fresno Bee

‘We’re surging again.’ Doctors, nurses angry as coronavirus strains Calif hospitals

LA Times

For a brief moment, California returned to bars, beaches and Botox. But after a few days, much of the state is reversing course as hospitals see an alarming spike in people sick with COVID-19, raising the specter of an overwhelmed medical system.

IMMIGRATION

5 (more) times California fought Trump on immigration — and what happened

Fresno Bee

California had two big victories this month with The Supreme Court ruling in favor of the state’s sanctuary laws and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

‘You Can Either Be A Survivor Or Die’: COVID-19 Cases Surge In ICE Detention

VPR

Shakira Najera Chilel feels like she’s faced death before. As a transgender woman, she dealt with violence and harassment back home in Guatemala and on her journey through Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S. She arrived last year and has been detained at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona ever since. The number of immigrants with COVID-19 in Immigration Customs Enforcement custody has risen rapidly. More than 2,700 detainees nationwide have tested positive, according to ICE data.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Conservation groups fill in ‘puzzle,’ acquire acres of Sierra lands for public use

Modesto Bee

The Northern Sierra Partnership finalized a $14 million land deal Monday in exchange for 2,914 acres of Sierra lands north of Donner Summit. The acquisition is the last major piece to a project to conserve the northern headwaters of the Truckee River.

Housing:

Half a billion in half a year: The ticking clock on California’s newest homeless plan

Sac Bee

“We need a new approach,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in February when he dedicated his State of the State address to California’s worsening homelessness crisis.

Small towns may be hardest hit by new development assessment

Business Journal

As California deals with an ongoing housing problem, a 2013 law designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions coming into effect Wednesday could make development in small towns more difficult.

A Case for Turning Empty Malls Into Housing

Bloomberg

As the pandemic hastens the retail apocalypse, some developers are betting that empty malls can mix housing with stores and community space.

OPINION: Calif’s diverse communities need real solutions to the housing crisis

LA Daily News

California is in the midst of a profound housing crisis. While reasonable people can debate solutions, no one can argue that today’s housing market works for anyone but millionaires. Even before the COVID-19 recession, skyrocketing rents made it difficult for even middle-income Californians to make ends meet, and astronomical home prices have pushed the dream of homeownership almost completely out of reach for people of color.

PUBLIC FINANCES

IRS could owe you interest if tax refund isn’t issued by certain date

abc30

The ABC 7 I-Team continues to investigate complaints about people waiting for months for their tax refunds. But that wait could eventually mean more money for you. A lot of people don’t know this, but just like you would owe the IRS interest if you’re late on paying your taxes, the IRS owes you interest if they don’t send your tax refund by a certain date.

Still no coronavirus stimulus check? You’re not alone

LA Times

Both my wife and I are on Social Security retirement benefits. We were told we had to do nothing to get our stimulus payment even though we don’t file tax returns. We’ve made two calls to the IRS and gotten no suggestions from them.

TRANSPORTATION

State road workers from at least nine Caltrans stations test positive for COVID-19 in 2 weeks

Fresno Bee

At least 10 state road workers at Caltrans maintenance yards have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks, according to notices sent to employees. The union representing the workers filed a grievance over the infections on Monday, saying the department isn’t doing enough to protect workers’ safety.

Ashley Swearengin Joins Caltrans for Virtual Town Hall on VMT Plan

GVWire

The first words on the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) virtual town hall announcement tell the story.

Meadows Field scores $11.1 million in federal grants

Bakersfield Californian

Meadows Field Airport has been notified it will receive $11.1 million in federal taxpayer money to rehabilitate its main taxiway and make other repairs expected to reduce the property’s maintenance costs.

NY, NJ, Connecticut restrict travel from California due to coronavirus cases

Modesto Bee

Californians looking to visit New York, New Jersey or Connecticut will be expected to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. The restriction applies to any state with a COVID-19 positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a rolling seven-day average, as well as any state with a 10 percent or higher positive test rate over a seven-day period, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

McConnell: House infrastructure bill going nowhere in Senate

The Hill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Wednesday that an infrastructure bill set to get a vote in the House will not be taken up in the Senate.

WATER

Reclamation provides $3.3 million to 52 WaterSMART Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects

California Water News Daily

The Bureau of Reclamation has selected 52 projects in 13 states in the West to share $3.3 million in WaterSMART grants for small-scale water efficiency improvements. These projects deliver on the Department of the Interior and Reclamation’s commitment to support local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply through investments to modernize existing infrastructure.

“Xtra”

Looking for Fresno-area Fourth of July firework shows? You’ll likely be disappointed

Fresno Bee

Celebrating Fourth of July in 2020 will be different, to say the least. For some it will be downright disappointing. As the coronavirus pandemic continues its spread through the central San Joaquin Valley, most of the long-running community fireworks displays have been canceled.

See Also:

● City of Bakersfield cancels July 4th celebration Bakersfield Californian

Minor League season shelved; Grizzlies, Rawhide look to 2021

Business Journal

It’s a sad day for Minor League Baseball fans everywhere, including Fresno and Visalia.