17Jul

POLICY & POLITICS

Central Valley could see more ‘dangerously hot’ days from climate change. Here’s how many

Sacramento Bee

California’s Central Valley is no stranger to heat, but human-caused climate change could soon see the region hitting boiling temperatures at greater frequency than before.

● This Will Be a Sweltering Century in California and the Nation KQED

North SJ Valley:

Fire risk leaves Tuolumne County residents scrambling to find affordable insurance

Modesto Bee

Verisk, a risk-assessment company used by many insurance companies to determine a home’s potential threat for damage by a natural disaster, puts 80 percent of homes in Tuolumne County in “high and extreme wildfire risk” areas.

Homelessness tops downtown Stockton’s issues

Stockton Record

Homeless residents who live in or frequent downtown Stockton continue to top the list of troubles plaguing the city’s central core.

Central SJ Valley:

Clovis Secures Its Future Growth With FID Water Deals

GV Wire

The Clovis City Council has approved landmark water deals with the Fresno Irrigation District that officials say will secure the city’s growth for decades to come.

City of Fresno Seeks Qualified Assistant City Controller

Public CEO

Fresno is seeking an experienced and strong leader who can implement the long-range vision for the Finance Department. The salary for the Assistant City Controller is dependent upon qualifications

South SJ Valley:

Former Congressman David Valadao won’t rule out 2020 run for 21st District seat

KGET

Rumors are swirling that former Congressman David Valadao will make another run to represent the 21st District in 2020.

State Senator Melissa Hurtado Hosted an Open House in Hanford

Hanford Sentinel

State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), representing the 14th Senate District in California, which includes cities in Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties, hosted an open house event today in Hanford, California.

Hanford City Council to discuss hemp

Hanford Sentinel

The Hanford City Council will meet to hold two public hearings and discuss several items of new business.

A major Kern County oil spill in environmentally conscious California

Los Angeles Times

The duality of the “two Californias” is a shopworn cliché, but, like many clichés, it prevails for a reason. There is the California of electric cars, kitchen compost bins and vocal opposition to President Trump’s climate policies. Then there is the California of Kern County, where oil and gas production remain a pillar of the local economy and more than 70% of California’s oil and natural gas is produced.

Robert Price: ‘Stay out of Oildale’: Did that ugly, racist sign truly exist?

Bakersfield Californian

I have been hearing about this alleged sign and its threatening and racist message for many years now — and from so many people who seem likely to have been in a position to know that it’s hard to fathom that it’s fiction.

Four area groups to receive grants from Latino Community Foundation

Bakersfield Californian

As the number of Latinos in California’s Central Valley nears 50 percent of the total population of the region, the Latino Community Foundation has announced a new initiative to fund Hispanic-led organizations up and down the valley to the tune of $1 million.

State:

Personal information at risk due to state government’s spotty oversight, audit finds

Sacramento Bee

A California state government office under the military department didn’t change the default passwords that came with some of its IT systems.

See also:

● Report finds California government IT security flaws Bakersfield Californian

● Personal information at risk due to state government’s spotty oversight, audit finds Sacramento Bee

● Report finds California government IT security flaws AP

Census forms with a citizenship question are being mailed to residents, but they’re only a test

San Jose Mercury

The mailers are part of a test to see what impact the question could have on response rates. Some already have been delivered to households in the Bay Area, where cities and counties were among the first to join the fight to stop the Trump Administration from asking a citizenship question.

Federal:

House condemns Trump’s tweets against 4 congresswomen of color

abc30

In a remarkable political repudiation, the Democratic-led House voted Tuesday night to condemn President Donald Trump’s “racist comments” against four congresswomen of color, despite protestations by Trump’s Republican congressional allies and his own insistence he hasn’t “a racist bone in my body.”

See also:

● House Votes To Condemn Trump’s ‘Racist Comments’ Capital Public Radio

● House votes to condemn Trump’s tweets as racist Los Angeles Times

● House Passes Resolution Condemning Trump Tweets as Racist Wall Street Journal

● McConnell: Trump isn’t a racist, and everyone should tone down their rhetoric Fresno Bee

● Republicans’ choice: Stand with Trump or risk his wrath Politico

● Schwarzenegger calls Trump attack on minority lawmakers ‘un-American’ and ‘crude’ The Hill

● House’s condemnation of Trump may just be the beginning Roll Call

● Texas Dem introduces articles of impeachment Fresno Bee

● AOC and the Democrats gave Trump the fight he was looking for Los Angeles Times

● Trump racist tweets: McCarthy, House GOP brass don’t condemn president USA Today

Trump Officials Face Cover-Up Allegations After Failed Citizenship Question Push

Capital Public Radio

Challengers of the Trump administration’s push for a census citizenship question are asking a federal judge in New York to impose penalties for allegedly false or misleading statements by officials.

Elections 2020:

The Democratic scramble for California’s cash: A deeper dive in 5 charts

CALmatters

By the numbers: Which Democratic presidential challenger has raised the most from Californians this year-to-date? This past quarter? Last month? Who’s leading in donations from more zip codes—and in each zip code? We break it all down for you.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie

● Pete Buttigieg outraises Kamala Harris in California as new presidential numbers released Sacramento Bee

● Pete Buttigieg — not Kamala Harris — raised the most money in California and Bay Area in recent months San Jose Mercury News

● Harris, Warren surge in new California poll Politico

Kamala Harris took money from Epstein’s law firm

Visalia Times Delta

Kamala Harris bemoaned the influence of the powerful and connected elite last Tuesday when she called on top Justice Department officials to recuse themselves from any matter related to Jeffrey Epstein.

With racist tweets and comments, Trump signals bare-knuckle reelection fight

Roll Call

“Quiet! Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!” With those four words, President Donald Trump threw onto the 2020 canvas the political boxing gloves he ripped off Sunday with two racist tweets.

The New Biden Tax

Wall Street Journal

Just because he’s not as radical as his Democratic rivals doesn’t mean he won’t cost you.

Fox: Tom Steyer Wants a National Referendum

Fox & Hounds

I’m trying to imagine how the national referendum proposed by Tom Steyer as part of his presidential platform would work. He said he trusted the people to make the laws, and that he had success using initiatives in California. Of course, his great wealth spurred those law changes in the Golden State. It would take even more money to campaign for a national initiative.

It’s time for a cease-fire in the latest war of words

Roll Call

Voters understand that the kind of skirmishing we’ve seen escalate in recent weeks is all about politics and positioning, and they don’t like it. When they make their decision in November 2020, the question most of them will be asking themselves will be: “Is the economy beginning to work for me and my family — finally?”

Other:

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens dies at 99

Fresno Bee

John Paul Stevens, the bow-tied, independent-thinking, Republican-nominated justice who unexpectedly emerged as the Supreme Court’s leading liberal, died Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after suffering a stroke Monday. He was 99.

● John Paul Stevens, retired Supreme Court justice, dead at 99 Los Angeles Times

● Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Dies Wall Street Journal

Opinion: Preaching Civility Won’t Save American Democracy

Zócalo Public Square

Only by Learning to Communicate as Citizens, Not Propagandists, Can We Avert Political Tragedy

Nationalism Doesn’t Fit the American Nation

Wall Street Journal

No ethnic or religious group can expect to impose its view of American identity.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, July 21, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Reducing Recidivism: Do Prisoner Rehabilitation Programs Actually Work?” – Guest: Jonathan Peterson, California Legislative Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, July 21, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Project Rebound: Breaking the Cycle of Crime” – Guests: CSU Fresno Prof. Emma Hughes, Project Rebound Director Jennifer Leahy, and Project Rebound Rebound Arnold Trevino. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, July 21, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “State Auditors Nurses: What Would California Do With A Nurse Ratched” – Guests: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor’s Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Inspections shut down more Fresno restaurants. Here’s why they were closed

Fresno Bee

Four restaurants were closed – some for a few hours, some for a few days – by Fresno County health inspectors in May and June, bringing to 39 the number of closures since July 2018.

State: Pesticides in the air could be a problem in Parlier

The Business Journal

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released air-monitoring data indicating that most of the pesticides monitored in its network in 2018 were found below levels that indicate a health concern, but other data suggests a potential problem area in Parlier.

Hanford City Council to discuss hemp

Hanford Sentinel

The Hanford City Council will meet to hold two public hearings and discuss several items of new business.

California pot seller asks court to void county delivery ban

Porterville Recorder

Another legal fight is underway over home marijuana delivery in California. A licensed cannabis company has sued Santa Cruz County, claiming that it’s violating state law by prohibiting deliveries from out-of-county retailers into a swath of unincorporated areas.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Do you know California’s marijuana DUI law? Chances are you don’t, survey says

Sacramento Bee

Quick, how much marijuana can you legally smoke before you drive? If you’re like a majority of Californians, odds are you don’t know the answer.

Delays in California jail construction cost lives, dollars while money goes unspent

Sacramento Bee

This story is part of an ongoing investigation into the crisis in California’s jails

CA execution moratorium could affect jurors, lawsuit says

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s death penalty moratorium hasn’t stopped district attorneys from pursuing capital punishment in California, but the state Supreme Court is considering a case that could change that.

Study: California’s 12 oldest prisons need major fixes

Porterville Recorder

California’s 12 oldest prisons, some dating to the mid-1800s, need major repairs or replacements if they are to continue housing about a third of the state’s inmate population, according to a new state-commissioned study made public Tuesday.

House Judiciary subcommittee meets on growing population of women behind bars

abc30

Women are now the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population and initiatives to slow and even reverse the growth of the prison population have had disproportionately less effect on women, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

How States Are Improving Probation, Parole

PEW Trusts

Violations of community supervision drive nearly half of all prison admissions. Take a look at how states are working toward policy solutions.

Public Safety:

County Code Enforcement Officers On Lookout For ‘Bad Neighbors’

Sierra News

What can a mountain area property owner do when a neighbor’s grass grows head high or a rusty old junker has been parked out front since the 1990s? Call the Madera County code enforcement department — or better yet, file a complaint online.

Visalia Fire Department will add EMS vehicles to fleet

Visalia Times Delta

When Visalia residents dial 911 for a medical emergency they may soon experience quicker response times. At least that’s what city and fire staff are hoping for.

Editorial: Fresno City council should back program to end gun violence

Fresno Bee

For some Fresno residents, that illustrative scenario is absolute reality. Some young men are growing up here without knowing there is more to live for than settling some score or controlling a territory for criminal enterprise. It is not a new story in Fresno, but it is an urgent one.

Fire:

Wildfire northeast of Fresno forces campground evacuation in Sierra National Forest

Fresno Bee

A campground has closed in the wake of a wildfire burning in the Sierra National Forest, more than 60 miles east of Fresno.

● Fish Fire Burning East of North Fork On Sierra National Forest Sierra News

● Crews Make Good Progress On Fish Fire East Of North Fork Sierra News

Fire risk leaves Tuolumne County residents scrambling to find affordable insurance

Modesto Bee

Will wildfires derail California’s clean energy goals? Let’s get back on track

Sacramento Bee

California is charting the course toward a clean energy future. Now, the state’s ability to achieve its climate goals could be derailed by a climate-driven disaster – the massive wildfires that have devastated communities across our state.

Southern California’s heat wave winds down, but fire danger remains in some areas

Los Angeles Times

The first summer heat wave in Southern California showed signs of breaking Tuesday, with the start of a cooling trend expected Wednesday thanks in part to increased onshore flow.

California’s Wildfires Are 500% Larger Due to Climate Change

The Atlantic

“Each degree of warming causes way more fire than the previous degree of warming did. And that’s a really big deal.”

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Bitwise acquires $27 million in funding, expanding to Bakersfield

abc30

Local technology company Bitwise Industries is expanding. Bitwise Industries in Downtown Fresno has reached a major milestone for its growing technology hub. Major money that will help it grow.

Millennials expect parents’ financial help until their 30s: study

abc30

When it comes to financing your kids, is there a cutoff? Most young Americans say they expect to be on the family payroll into their 30s.

Facebook’s currency plan gets hostile reception in Congress

Bakersfield Californian

Under sharp criticism from senators, a Facebook executive on Tuesday defended the social network’s ambitious plan to create a digital currency and pledged to work with regulators to achieve a system that protects the privacy of users’ data.

A Growing Latino Middle Class: One Family’s Journey From Have-Not To Have

Capital Public Radio

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the poverty rate among Latinos in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest recorded level in history. It continues to drop in California, too. Meanwhile, the median income for Latinos in the U.S. and in California continues to rise.

Global digital trade negotiations: Outlook has dimmed, but the US has options

AEI

The US should resist the trend toward a fractured internet, first through the World Trade Organization negotiations, and if all else fails, then leading a smaller group of like-minded countries in defense of an open, balanced set of digital trade rules.

Why America could be growing faster than you think — maybe much faster, thanks to Silicon Valley

AEI

The economics team at Goldman Sachs believes that “technological change is not fully reflected in the real output statistics.”

IRAs in Political Sights

Wall Street Journal

Forcing some heirs to empty accounts in 10 years will raise revenue, but it’s a bad precedent.

California As a Place to Do Business

CNBC

Companies come here to get in on the gold rush of venture capital, but high costs and regulation can stifle the dream.

Jobs:

As temperatures climb in California and nationwide, a new push aims to keep workers safe

Fresno Bee

It’s a scene that plays out on airport tarmacs, in farm fields and on construction sites across the country: workers falling ill after laboring in hot or humid conditions for long hours without enough water and rest.

Safeway reaches tentative contract with union representing thousands of California workers

Sacramento Bee

Grocery union leader Jacques Loveall announced Tuesday that the bargaining team for UFCW 8-Golden State has negotiated an agreement with Safeway and Vons, and he is strongly recommending union members vote yes on the deal.

The Sad Lesson From California

New York Times

New York State, take note: Even the most pro-worker law in the country is ineffective if no one uses it.

EDUCATION

K-12:

‘They terrorized the kids.’ Teachers demand consequences for active shooter drill

Fresno Bee

Raisin City Elementary teachers are calling for the removal of the superintendent after a janitor reportedly wore a mask and held a fake rifle while shaking classroom doors during an active shooter drill.

● After Realistic Active Shooter Drill, Raisin City School Board Considers Fallout VPR

Fresno trustee under fire for talk with cheerleaders says superintendent knew about meeting

Fresno Bee

Before Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic allegedly scolded Bullard High cheerleaders during their practice last week.

Clovis Unified’s Special Education Department is hiring

Clovis RoundUp

Clovis Unified is now hiring part-time Instructional Assistant II positions for the upcoming school year.

State bill demands high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

abc30

Should school start times be delayed? There’s a state bill demanding high schools start no earlier than 8:30 in the morning and middle schools start no earlier than 8.

Gavin Newsom Promised College Savings Accounts For Kindergarteners. He’s Taken A $50 Million Step

Politifact CA

During his campaign for governor, Gavin Newsom promised to address the problem, in part by creating a “financial foundation for college beginning in kindergarten.”

Can school districts achieve racial integration by pursuing socioeconomic integration?

Brookings

When racially integrating schools is politically impossible, some districts have resorted to integrating students on the basis of their socioeconomic status, in hopes that racial integration will follow. Evidence from one such school district in Wake County, North Carolina shows just how hard it is to achieve racial integration without pursuing it directly.

What Goes Into Improving School Climate?

EdNote

States want to ensure students and teachers feel safe and supported in classrooms and schools. There are countless ways education leaders try to make this happen, and many fall into what is often considered school climate, or the quality and character of school life. We have found that policymakers asking questions about school climate tend.

Supporting STEM Education From Preschool to Workforce

EdNote

The United States is experiencing a supply and demand mismatch in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, with roughly 3 million more open jobs than there were trained professionals to fill them in 2016. To address this issue, we are embarking on a new project to support education policymakers in their efforts to fill these STEM jobs by focusing on the preschool-through-third-grade years.

Higher Ed:

University of California looks at changing how it raises tuition — and who’d get the higher bills

San Francisco Chronicle

In its latest effort to find a fair way to raise tuition — and avoid student protests every time it happens — the University of California wants yearly price hikes, but only for incoming freshmen and transfer students. The UC regents don’t yet have a plan to do that. But at their mid-summer meeting in San Francisco Thursday, university officials will float a trial balloon to see what the governing board thinks.

California doesn’t have enough doctors. To recruit them, the state is paying off medical school debt

Los Angeles Times

Bryan Ruiz’s hands were still shaking an hour after he learned the $300,000 in medical school loans he took out to become a dentist were being wiped away by California taxpayers.

How many students cheated to get into USC? A look inside the admissions investigation

Los Angeles Times

Shortly after federal authorities took down a national college admissions scam in March, officials at USC launched their own investigation with emails to dozens of students.

Bakersfield College earns Student Success award

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College was awarded the 2019 Student Success Award during the 19th annual Dr. John W. Rice Diversity and Equity Award Ceremony Tuesday.

Higher ed groups ask lawmakers to prioritize graduate education

Bakersfield Californian

A coalition of higher ed groups asked key Senate and House lawmakers in a letter Monday to make graduate students a priority in a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

A major Kern County oil spill in environmentally conscious California

Los Angeles Times

Central Valley could see more ‘dangerously hot’ days from climate change. Here’s how many

Sacramento Bee

California’s Central Valley is no stranger to heat, but human-caused climate change could soon see the region hitting boiling temperatures at greater frequency than before.

● This Will Be a Sweltering Century in California and the Nation KQED

California pledges millions to battle enormous, destructive swamp rats

San Jose Mercury

A growing menace in the form of 15-pound swamp rodents is threatening Delta waterways, and the state is throwing money, hunting dogs and birth control at the invasive pests which have the potential to destroy crops and wetlands.

Ridgecrest earthquake aftershocks move toward dangerous faults, sparking concerns of triggered temblors

Los Angeles Times

Aftershocks of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake near Ridgecrest have been creeping into areas close to two major earthquake faults, a development that is generating interest and some concern among seismologists over whether it could trigger another huge temblor.

● 2014 Fresno Bee story on Central Valley earthquake chances Fresno Bee

‘Toxic Stew’ Stirred Up by Disasters Poses Long-Term Danger, New Findings Show

New York Times

New research shows that the extreme weather and fires of recent years, similar to the flooding that has struck Louisiana and the Midwest, may be making Americans sick in ways researchers are only beginning to understand.

Energy:

PG&E says power line inspections revealed 10,000 problems

abc30

PG&E says power line inspections revealed 10,000 problems with its equipment. Among the issues found were broken, damaged and burned electrical parts.

Los Angeles is finally ditching coal — and replacing it with another polluting fuel

Los Angeles Times

The coal plant has been L.A.’s single-largest power source for three decades, supplying between one-fifth and one-third of the city’s electricity in recent years. It’s scheduled to shut down in 2025, ending California’s reliance on the dirtiest fossil fuel.

See also:

● In California, we long ago ended the ‘War on Coal’ CALmatters

With blackouts from Manhattan to California, it’s time for a new energy system

This past weekend in New York City, 72,000 people were without power for more than three hours. It would not be surprising if the culprit is our outdated energy system. It was heartwarming to watch Broadway performances spill into the streets and to see videos of regular people stepping up to help by directing traffic. This human resilience, however, is not being met with 21st century energy resilience that puts people, and our planet, first.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Recovering addicts helping Fresno’s addicted at CAP

abc30

Comprehensive Addiction Programs – or CAP – provides a place for people struggling with addiction to recover. Nearly all of the staff members have walked in their shoes.

Human Services:

A retired Modesto doctor explains why MediCal doesn’t work for most physicians

Modesto Bee

There are at least two large problems with the current MediCal system. First, reimbursement. MediCal pays only a dozen dollars or so for a standard office visit. The second problem is specialist coverage.

Common Space and UCSF Fresno to offer free medical clinic to LGBT+ community

VPR

t’s called the HeaL Clinic, and for a day it’s taking over Common Space, a non-profit that serves the LGBT+ community in downtown Fresno.

California doesn’t have enough doctors. To recruit them, the state is paying off medical school debt

Los Angeles Times

Bryan Ruiz’s hands were still shaking an hour after he learned the $300,000 in medical school loans he took out to become a dentist were being wiped away by California taxpayers.

Federal Judge Orders Release Of Dataset Showing Drug Industry’s Role In Opioid Crisis

Capital Public Radio

As addiction has soared, drugmakers, distributors and pharmacies profited off opioids. Newly released data details who made the pills, where they were sold, and which communities were hit hardest.

● Largest U.S. drug companies flooded the country with 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pain pills, federal data shows Washington Post

Rising health insurance deductibles fuel middle-class anger and resentment

Los Angeles Times

Denise Wall, a Fresno area school teacher with more than $2,000 in medical bills, was outraged to hear she could get free care if she quit her job and enrolled her family in Medicaid.

Planned Parenthood to defy Trump abortion referral rule; the group’s president is out

Los Angeles Times

Federally funded family planning clinics, including Planned Parenthood, are defying the Trump administration’s ban on referring women for abortions, drawing a line against what they say amounts to keeping patients in the dark about legitimate healthcare options.

Bipartisan House Coalition Strikes Against Health Law’s Cadillac Tax

Wall Street Journal

Backed by business and labor, lawmakers eye repeal of a tax on high-cost employer health insurance.

Public Option Kills Private Insurance

Wall Street Journal

If you like your plan, you can keep your plan, Biden assures voters. Where have we heard that before?

U.S. health care would collapse without foreign-trained nurses like me, so why did the House vote to ban us?

Roll Call

The motivations of the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act are virtuous, but good intentions don’t absolve it of its profound unintended consequences. This will devastate patient access in virtually every corner of the country as it makes it virtually impossible for qualified, foreign-trained nurses to come here.

IMMIGRATION

Trump administration diverts Central America aid to U.S.-backed opposition in Venezuela

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration plans to divert more than $40 million in humanitarian aid from Central America to the U.S.-backed opposition in Venezuela, according to an internal memo and interviews.

● ACLU sues to stop new policy blocking asylum seekers at U.S.-Mexico border Los Angeles Times

● A Day After It Was Filed, New Trump Asylum Policy Gets Hit in Court New York Times

● EDITORIAL: Trump asylum policy outsources American values San Francisco Chronicle

It’s taking longer and longer to become a legal immigrant

Axios

The number of immigrants waiting on a judge to decide whether they can stay in the U.S. keeps climbing, according to Justice Department data. Immigration-court backlogs “are basically crippling the whole system,” Georgetown Law professor and former immigration judge Paul Schmidt told Axios.

Majority of Mexicans say immigrants are a burden on their country, favor deporting migrants who travel through Mexico to reach U.S., poll finds

Washington Post

More than 6 in 10 residents say they are frustrated by the heightened migration from Central America, because migrants take jobs and benefits that should belong to Mexicans, according to a Washington Post-Reforma survey.

Sanctuary Cities Get a Census Bonus

Wall Street Journal

Localities where migrants live—or are detained—will get a decadelong windfall of federal dollars.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Input Needed For SNF Project Within Miami OHV Riding Area

Sierra News

The Sierra National Forest (SNF) is in the process of performing environmental analysis on the proposed Kamook Staging Area Project on the Bass Lake Ranger District (BLRD) and would like the public’s input.

Federal land bureau is moving West, closer to its territory, GOP lawmakers say

Los Angeles Times

Some Westerners have long complained that the U.S. government is an absentee landlord, managing vast tracts of public lands in their states from the nation’s capital instead of closer to the properties themselves.

People cried when Yosemite restored historic names like the Ahwahnee. Here’s why

Los Angeles Times

Life went on at Yosemite as the landmarks got new names, though some visitors still used the old ones out of habit and defiance. But this week, to the joy of many, the old names returned as part of a multimillion-dollar settlement in the trademark case.

If You Live Near A Park, You’re More Likely To Be Happy

Fast Company

If you want to be happy, living near a park could be a good idea. More and more research shows a relationship between green space and higher levels of mental health.

The Most Beautiful California Town You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of

Forbes

Just a ferry hop from San Francisco, but world’s away from the city hustle, Tiburon is arguably California’s best kept paradise—where un-hurried New England charm meets Italian riviera seascapes, miles of unspoiled coastal trails, and laid-back luxury that’s refreshingly un-flashy (aka the world’s wealthiest live here….but keep it on the down-low). Not to mention a quaint downtown so adorable it’s straight out of a storybook. Here’s how to take the perfect weekend escape in this bucolic Bay Area haven.

Top 21 Wonders of the Sierra Nevada

Sunset

Many of the mountains’ best sights—unlikely as it seems—are waiting for you to discover them.

Housing:

Homelessness tops downtown Stockton’s issues

Stockton Record

Homeless residents who live in or frequent downtown Stockton continue to top the list of troubles plaguing the city’s central core.

Sacramento rents are up, but aren’t so bad elsewhere in California. Here’s a look at how much

Sacramento Bee

Sacramento apartment rents have increased modestly so far this year, and it remains one of the more affordable Northern California cities — though there are still cheaper options, according to a recent report.

No one-size-fits-all solution will fix California’s affordability crisis. Here’s what we can do

Sacramento Bee

It’s no secret that California is facing an affordability crisis. Even with the longest economic expansion in U.S. history powering our economy, more than 40 percent of California voters say they can’t afford to live in the Golden State.

California needs to build more apartments

Brookings

What can be done about California’s high housing costs? Jenny Schuetz and Cecile Murray explain how restrictive zoning laws have contributed to the problem by limiting the development of multifamily apartment buildings in high-rent neighborhoods.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Corporate tax cuts blocked at least 15,000 affordable homes in California. Here’s how

Sacramento Bee

Affordable housing advocates warned that the corporate tax cuts passed by Republicans in 2017 could have disastrous effects on the development of more affordable housing. More than two years later, independent data shows it has meant at least 15,000 delayed or killed affordable housing units in California alone.

The capital gains tax indexation debate is back

AEI

It might be desirable for Congress to adopt comprehensive tax indexation legislation that applies to both capital gains and interest. But the administration should not selectively index capital gains by executive fiat

Bipartisan House Coalition Strikes Against Health Law’s Cadillac Tax

Wall Street Journal

Backed by business and labor, lawmakers eye repeal of a tax on high-cost employer health insurance.

TRANSPORTATION

Gas prices lower but still higher than last year

Visalia Times Delta

If you’re planning on taking a summer road trip this summer, now is the time to head to the pump and fill up. California gas prices have fallen 3.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.79 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 10,526 stations.

California readies $1.6B high-speed rail design contract

Fresno Bee

California officials on Tuesday moved toward awarding a $1.65 billion contract to design and construct the tracks and system for the first segment of its beleaguered high-speed rail project.

California High-Speed Rail Authority Issues Progress Video and Improved Photo and Video Access

California High-Speed Rail Authority

The California High-Speed Rail Authority released the newest construction video highlighting the progress the Authority continues to make along the first 119-miles of high-speed rail infrastructure in Central Valley.

The Race to Make Airplane Wi-Fi Less Terrible

Wall Street Journal

Prices and quality vary wildly depending on airlines and types of planes, but Wi-Fi that’s more dependable and free could soon become the standard.

WATER

Clovis Secures Its Future Growth With FID Water Deals

GV Wire

The Clovis City Council has approved landmark water deals with the Fresno Irrigation District that officials say will secure the city’s growth for decades to come.

4 SLO County beaches make the honor roll for best water quality in California

Fresno Bee

Four San Luis Obispo County beaches have made the statewide honor roll for excellent year-round water quality, according to a report by environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay.

California pledges millions to battle enormous, destructive swamp rats

San Jose Mercury

Be safe out there

Porterville Recorder

Lake Success is a popular destination for summer fun, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers temporary park manager Charlie Mauldin shared a few tips about staying safe around waterways, specifically rivers and lakes.

National Geographic’s Documentary ‘Water and Power: A California Heist’

Capital Public Radio

Filmmaker Marina Zenovich and attorney Adam Keats talk about the 2017 National Geographic documentary “Water and Power: A California Heist.”

“Xtra”

New cocktail bar coming to Downtown Fresno

Abc30

A new cocktail bar is set to open up by next year in Downtown Fresno. It’s along the Ale Trail in the heart of the Brewery District. ‘Modernist’ is a cocktail bar getting ready to stir up drinks and business.

Time Travel On The Sierra Vista Scenic Byway

Sierra News

Travel up the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway with USFS Archaeologist Erin Potter, who will provide fascinating insights along the way. Interested parties will want to meet at the Forest Service Office in North Fork at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 20 and then explore parts of the Scenic Byway (4281) as far as Fish Creek.