POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Coronavirus update: Stanislaus Co single-day positivity rate drops below 10%
Modesto Bee
The single-day infection rate in Stanislaus County dropped below 10% for the first time since July 8, according to figures released Sunday. Of the 1,309 tests recorded, 124 came back positive for a rate of 9.47%, the county’s lowest since July 8 when 8.65% came back positive.
See Also:
● Coronavirus update: Stanislaus has 8 more deaths. Adult ICU beds fill up Modesto Bee
Two Central Valley hospitals in ‘dire’ COVID-19 situations. Do others face similar future?
Modesto Bee
Lodi Memorial Hospital, which sits in the heart of a Central Valley town framed by vineyards, suddenly has found itself front and center in the latest and perhaps most ominous phase of Calif’s viral epidemic — a sustained surge in coronavirus patients that is pushing some hospitals beyond the limit.
Central SJ Valley:
Coronavirus updates: Fresno city, county at odds over rules; Jail outbreak confusion
Fresno Bee
Fresno County hit what health officials called a “grim milestone” on Friday. In the second of the county’s two updates last week, it reported that nine more people had died of coronavirus-related illness, meaning that 100 people have now died in the county since the pandemic started.
See Also:
● Fresno County adds nearly 700 new cases in latest report. Hospitals fill up Fresno Bee
● COVID-19: Tulare County reports two new deaths, 213 new cases Visalia Times Delta
Fresno Co hospitals ‘fragile’ as doctors see shortage of drugs, beds amid COVID-19
Fresno Bee
Hospitals in Fresno County are struggling with their capacity as doctors worry about the shortage of drugs that have been effective in treating the coronavirus, health officials said Monday.
Fresno County Puts Out Call For Medical Personnel
Business Journal
As the pandemic continues, the Fresno County Department of Public Health is sending out a call for aid. To help support ongoing Covid-19 response efforts, Fresno County is seeking registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, certified nurse assistants and other medically trained personnel to help meet potential staffing needs at local skilled nursing care facilities and other alternate care sites.
Elected official from Fresno County dies suddenly in Mexico
Fresno Bee
The City of San Joaquin is mourning the loss of one of its council members who died unexpectedly over the weekend. In a statement released Monday, City Manager Elizabeth Nunez confirmed Councilmember Jose Ornelas died Sunday night in Mexico. He had been there for a few weeks.
Kingsburg chamber board won’t remove member who defended use of racist slur
Fresno Bee
The Kingsburg District Chamber of Commerce will take no formal actions against its board treasurer, Debbie Singh Forbes, in connection with controversial social media statements in which she appeared to defend the use of a racist slur describing Latinos.
Downtown Fresno church continues indoor services despite Gov.’s order
abc30
It’s going to take more than an order from the governor to stop Cornerstone Church in Downtown Fresno from conducting their Sunday service. “I think we need to come to church and if you are able to come to church, then you ought to get out and go to church,” said Cornerstone Church Pastor Jim Franklin during their Sunday service.
Valley Voices: Fresno’s sure-fire way to reopen the economy from COVID-19? Follow one simple step
Fresno Bee
As all of us continue to navigate the troubled waters of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing a concerning spike in positive cases that not only threatens the lives and health of the public, but the already fragile economy in our communities.
See Also:
● Coronavirus: Why are Americans so angry about masks? BBC
● What did people say about wearing masks in the 1918 pandemic? It sounds familiar Miami Herald
● Growing Body Of Evidence Suggests Masks Protect Those Wearing Them, Too NPR
South SJ Valley:
787 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kern Co on Monday
Bakersfield Califn
Nearly 800 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kern County on Monday, continuing a dramatic spike in new case counts that began over the weekend. On Saturday, nearly 500 new cases were reported and on Sunday more than 700 new cases were reported. No new deaths have been announced beyond the 105 reported last week.
Local hospitals seek ‘hundreds’ more workers as surge looms
Bakersfield Califn
Hospitals in Bakersfield in recent days have asked local public health officials to initiate a process to find additional workers as spiking rates of COVID-19 strain staffing levels at some facilities and others are preparing for an anticipated surge to hit soon.
Jesse Quijada announces bid for Ward 6 City Council seat
Bakersfield Califn
Jesse Quijada, a 21-year-old registered medical assistant working mostly in urgent care, has announced his candidacy for the Ward 6 seat of the Bakersfield City Council up for election this November. Originally from San Jose, He described himself as a lifelong public servant, and says he’s called Bakersfield home for the last five years.
State:
Calif needs $28 billion in taxes by the end of July
LA Times
Among the many unprecedented challenges faced by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Calif legislators in crafting the budget signed into law last month, few were as foundational as the lack of solid data about how much money the state government would have to spend.
State Issues Clear Guidance on School Reopening, Face Coverings and More
AALRR
At a press conference held on Friday, July 17, 2020, Governor Newsom announced a much anticipated Calif Department of Public Health (CDPH) Framework (located here) and Guidance (located here) for reopening schools in the 2020-2021 school year, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and in the face of rising infection rates in many parts of the state.
You can get your hair cut outside: Newsom eases coronavirus order for salons, barbershops
Fresno Bee
Calif hair and nail salons can operate outside under new guidance released by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office Monday afternoon, allowing many to do business as the coronavirus outbreak continues.
See Also:
● Newsom: Some Calif salons allowed to reopen outdoors abc30
● Need a trim? Newsom allows haircuts, salon services to resume outdoors Stockton Record
● Need a trim? Newsom allows haircuts, salon services to resume outdoors amid coronavirus LA Times
● Californians can get their hair done outdoors under new health order SF Chronicle
State workers trained as Calif contact tracers await assignment, even as counties struggle
Sac Bee
Most Calif state workers trained to be COVID-19 “contact tracers” still haven’t started tracking down people exposed to the coronavirus, even as many counties say they don’t have enough staff to do the work.
Commentary: Newsom may have erred on re-opening amid pandemic, but he has embraced accountability
CalMatters
A funny thing happened on Calif’s path to re-opening during the pandemic. We had about 100 miles ahead of us, and then Gov. Newsom told us it was safe to take a short-cut.
Calif churches defy lockdown orders as others rethink what services can look like
Fresno Bee
After Gov Newsom shut down indoor religious services for the majority of the state, some churches chose to defy the order while others have reimagined what services can look like during the pandemic.
See Also:
● Calif church defying shutdown order got PPP loan of at least $350,000 in April Sac Bee
Calif sues to protect Obamacare protections for LGBTQ residents
Sac Bee
Calif joined a lawsuit with 22 other states against the Trump Admin on Monday seeking to protect anti-discrimination language in the Affordable Care Act that the White House last month moved to eliminate.
Becerra v Trump: How Calif is using the courts to fight the Admin
CalMatters
Calif Attorney General Xavier Becerra has been using the courts to try and stop policies coming out of the White House that harm Califns, and it’s working.
Federal:
Some People ‘Have The Sniffles’: Trump Downplays The Coronavirus’s Severity
VPR
President Trump downplayed the danger of the coronavirus, claiming in an interview that aired Sunday that many cases are simply people who “have the sniffles.” “Many of those cases are young people that would heal in a day,” Trump said in his interview with Fox News Sunday. “They have the sniffles, and we put it down as a test.” He added that many of those sick “are going to get better very quickly.”
Trump, Congress square off over virus aid as crisis worsens
Modesto Bee
President Donald Trump acknowledged Monday a “big flare up” of COVID-19 cases, but divisions between the White House and Senate Republicans and differences with Democrats posed fresh challenges for a new federal aid package with the U.S. crisis worsening and emergency relief about to expire.
See Also:
● Republicans Put Down Marker on Next Coronavirus-Aid Bill WSJ
● Commentary: How to break the coronavirus-relief logjam AEI
Trump plans for second season of coronavirus briefings
LA Times
With the country setting records for new coronavirus cases, President Trump is belatedly and begrudgingly returning the deadly pandemic to his public schedule after weeks of appearing desperate to talk about anything else. He announced Monday that he would restart his regular briefings about the virus, probably Tuesday, three months after he stopped them following a backlash over his suggestion that injections of disinfectant could be used to kill the disease.
See Also:
Fact Check: Trump’s gripes about Fauci: A Guide
Wash Post
Over and over, the president has the same three complaints about Anthony S. Fauci, the renowned director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The three items of dispute all appeared in the Chris Wallace interview, but they have popped up in various interviews since April.
Tax bill cut taxes for most Americans, but not everyone
PolitiFact
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 will likely go down as President Donald Trump’s biggest legislative victory. But did it achieve his promise that “everybody is getting a tax cut, especially the middle class”?
Coronavirus Trackers:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.
See also:
● Calif Department of Public Health
● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO
● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University
● Tracking coronavirus in Calif LA Times
● Coronavirus Tracker SF 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 Calif by the numbers CalMatters
Elections 2020:
The Valley Votes – 2020 Elections Coverage
VPR
This year, Valley Public Radio is doing elections coverage differently. We’re asking listeners and residents, what do you want candidates to talk about? Are you concerned about healthcare, housing, or homelessness?
Trump Hunts for Hidden Voters—but Biden Does, Too
WSJ
Is there a hidden Trump vote? The good news for President Trump is this: There just might be. The bad news for the president: The universe of potential hidden supporters is heavily populated with the kinds of people who happen to be more comfortable with Joe Biden than they were with Hillary Clinton four years ago.
See also:
· Willie Brown: It’s not in the bag for Joe Biden. Far from it SF Chronicle
New Biden Plan Would Spend Nearly $800 Billion On Caregiving
NPR
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wants the United States to commit $775 billion to expand access for and lower the cost of caregiving. The proposal, which Biden will lay out in a speech Tuesday afternoon, would emphasize tax credits and state funding subsidies to make child care more affordable and accessible, and also make prekindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds universal.
Biden outlines priorities for next pandemic relief package
Modesto Bee
Joe Biden is calling President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic “inept” in a new statement that lays out his priorities for the next relief package in Congress. In the statement, shared first Monday with The Associated Press, Biden charged that Trump has “turned his back on the problem” and declared that “we are plainly a nation in crisis.”
See Also:
● Biden to Unveil Child-Care Plan to Help Families Struggling in Pandemic WSJ
Biden, lawmakers warn of foreign interference in election
Modesto Bee
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Monday that he is putting Russia and other foreign governments “on notice” that he would act aggressively as president to counter any interference in U.S. elections. The statement came hours after Democratic leaders issued a new warning that Congress appears to be the target of a foreign interference campaign.
See Also:
● Democrats raise alarm on election disinformation targeting Congress, seek FBI briefing Modesto Bee
Fact-Check: Trump on the Biden – Sanders unity platform
PolitiFact
Trump listed scores of what he called “extreme” recommendations that emerged from weeks of meetings between advisers to Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Sanders, the leading voice for the most progressive Democrats, released a sweeping 110-page document covering platform positions on immigration, health care, climate change and more
See also
· OPINION: Biden’s Climate Plan Is Serious—About Green Pork WSJ
Calif progressives want Barbara Lee, Karen Bass or Nina Turner to be VP
SF Chronicle
Calif Sen. Kamala Harris is widely believed to be on Joe Biden’s short list for vice president, but a group of Bernie Sanders supporters in the Calif Democratic Party wants the nominee-to-be to pick either Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee or one of two other Black women instead.
Majority of Voters Say U.S. Society Is Racist as Support Grows for Black Lives Matter
WSJ
Voters in growing numbers believe that Black and Hispanic Americans are discriminated against, and a majority of 56% holds the view that American society is racist, a new WSJ/NBC News poll finds.
See also:
· Workers protest racial inequality on day of national strike Bakersfield Califn
· Fact Check: No, Trump didn’t tweet this about the Confederate flag PolitiFact
Commentary: Lift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Duty Voting
Brookings
Imagine an American democracy remade by its citizens in the very image of its promise, a society where the election system is designed to allow citizens to perform their most basic civic duty with ease. Imagine that all could vote without obstruction or suppression. Imagine Americans who now solemnly accept their responsibilities to sit on juries and to defend our country in a time of war taking their obligations to the work of self-government just as seriously.
Other:
Wash Post
NPR reporter Kelsey Snell would normally have spent last week covering Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell as the congressional correspondent for “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.” But it wasn’t a normal week for Snell or anyone else at NPR.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Almond growers fret over expectations for another record harvest
Bakersfield Califn
As he prepares for the start of next month’s Calif almond harvest, McKittrick-area grower Don Davis is mindful of forecasts it may be the largest haul in state history. And he’s none too happy about it. “I think we’re going to have a good, big harvest,” he said. “I just don’t expect to make money.”
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Crime Has Declined Overall During The Pandemic, But Shootings & Killings Are Up
VPR
Across the country, we’ve seen massive change brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, including a dramatic drop in the overall crime rate. David Abrams, a University of Pennsylvania law and economics professor, has been keeping an eye on numbers across the country. The website he created details what’s been happening with crime in more than 25 major cities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Calif weighs steep new fines to combat illegal cannabis sellers
LA Times
Alarmed that unlicensed cannabis sellers continue to dominate Calif’s pot market, state lawmakers are moving toward imposing steep new fines on businesses that provide building space, advertising platforms and other aid to illicit operations.
Public Safety:
Inside Fresno Co Jail during coronavirus pandemic: ‘It’s sad and it’s scary’
Fresno Bee
With more than one in every three inmates at the Fresno County Jail infected with the coronavirus and a number of officers testing positive for COVID-19 also, their family members are demanding for more action to ensure the safety of those at the downtown facility.
Fire:
Calif requires back-up power for cell towers, after wildfire evacuation alerts failed
Fresno Bee
Calif is requiring all wireless carriers serving high-risk wildfire areas to provide 72-hour backup power for their cell phone towers and communications equipment, after a series of deadly fires left many residents without evacuation alerts.
Calif is trying to crack down on power line fires. Will it work?
SF Chronicle
After years of failing to stop fiery catastrophes caused by Calif utility companies, state regulators are taking a different approach this year that they hope will prevent power lines from burning more neighborhoods to the ground.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
How COVID is deepening Calif’s income inequality in 5 charts
CalMatters
The decade dawned on a Calif that was both “the richest and poorest” state in the nation, in the words of Gov. Gavin Newsom. Wages for the top 10% of Calif’s earners had grown three times as fast as those of the bottom 10% of earners since 1980 — all as the cost of buying or renting shelter skyrocketed.
Pandemic Threatens Black Middle-Class Gains
PEW
The Black middle class has made strides in recent years toward economic parity with whites in 34 states, a new Stateline analysis has found. But the pandemic threatens that progress, as Black professionals and businessowners lose their livelihoods at greater rates than their white counterparts.
Brookings
The impacts of the COVID-19 recession and the road to recovery differ widely across local economies. The Metro Recovery Index presents data across a variety of indicators to provide a picture of the impact of the crisis (compared to a pre-crisis state) and the trajectory of recent change, for both large and midsized U.S. metropolitan areas.
Commentary: How the pandemic is changing the economy
Brookings
The COVID-19 public health crisis, the economic shock triggered by the pandemic, and public policy, business, and individual responses to the pandemic together have provoked the sharpest and fastest economic downturn in U.S. history. Both the pandemic and the fiscal policy response have ebbed and flowed, and the economy remains fragile.
Commentary: Reopening the World: City leadership is fundamental to reopening the economy
Brookings
U.S. cities have been at the forefront of the national response to COVID-19, as global connections and high density make them especially vulnerable. Local decision-makers banded together early on and also looked to their global networks to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and support each other in managing through the crisis.
Jobs:
Workers protest racial inequality on day of national strike
Bakersfield Califn
Workers from the service industry, fast-food chains and the gig economy rallied with organized labor Monday to protest systemic racism and economic inequality, staging demonstrations across the U.S. and around the world seeking better treatment of Black Americans in the workplace.
Calif could reinstate affirmative action. Here’s what that means for hiring
Fresno Bee
A ballot initiative that would reinstate affirmative action in Calif could change the makeup of who gets hired in schools, police departments and other government agencies around the state.
Commentary: The nature of work after the COVID crisis: Too few low-wage jobs
Brookings
David Autor and Elisabeth Reynolds ask whether the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the conventional wisdom about automation and inequality in the United States over the past four decades.
EDUCATION
K-12:
‘Hope for kids to get out on the field’ Central Section commissioner Ryan Tos discuss plans
Fresno Bee
The Calif Interscholastic Federation announced modified plans for the 2020-21 season for high school sports on Monday, July 20, 2020. The Central Section has planned start dates for two seasons.
See Also:
● CIF delays Calif high school sports calendars, pushing fall sports to start in January Fresno Bee
● Start of high school sports pushed to 2021. Winter, spring seasons at same time Fresno Bee
● CIF announces delays for high school sports seasons due to COVID-19 pandemic abc30
● CIF officially pushes fall, spring sports back Bakersfield Califn
● High school sports in Merced County, state on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic Merced Sun-Star
● Sac-Joaquin Section sports will start in December with condensed schedule Stockton Record
● CIF announces high school sports season won’t begin until December or January LA Times
● CIF delays start of all high school sports; football will end in April SF Chronicle
Some Clovis teachers want a Union following school board’s COVID-19 decision
Fresno Bee
Angered by the Clovis school board’s recent decision to reopen campuses despite surging coronavirus cases, many teachers who spoke with The Fresno Bee said they’re considering forming the district’s first-ever teachers union.
Sampling of teachers, families shows the divide over reopening of schools
Modesto Bee
Hand-in-hand with the issue of distance learning is the question of the circumstances under which schools can reopen for in-person learning. It’s a matter that was taken out of counties’ hands last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered that all schools in a county on the state’s COVID-19 watch list is off the list for 14 days.
Burton board to discuss plan heading forward: Schools in county not permitted to reopen
Porterville Recorder
The Burton School District will now consider a phased in approach of reopening its schools — when it’s allowed — when its new school year begins on August 11. The Burton School District Board will consider the revised plan for the opening of the school year at its virtual meeting on Monday. The board meeting will begin at 5:15 p.m.
Will kids be stuck for hours at screens? Parents have lots of distance-learning questions
Modesto Bee
How will students and teachers be held accountable during distance learning? Will kids have to sit for hours on end in front of their computer screens? How will students and parents know to use the learning devices sent home?
Want to home-school your children? Here are six steps to start
Sac Bee
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted parents to consider home schooling as an option. Here are tips whether it is right for you and how to get started.
Walters: Calif tests at-home schooling
CalMatters
After weeks of uncertainty, it’s now obvious that the vast majority of Calif’s six million public school students will be staying, and presumably studying, at home this fall, rather than returning to the classrooms they hastily abandoned four months ago.
How easily can teens spread COVID-19, and are they a risk to others if school starts?
Miami Herald
Scientists know that children are less likely to become seriously sick from the novel coronavirus than adults, and are more likely to be asymptomatic, but what remains unknown is children’s role in spreading the disease.
Higher Ed:
A Year of Chaos and Flexibility
Inside Higher Ed
For recruiting and judging students, colleges face the reality that they may not be able to visit high schools or rely on their rubrics. The outcomes are expected to be particularly bad for disadvantaged students.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Calif wildfires bring air quality, visibility warnings
Fresno Bee
Authorities warned of poor air quality in central and northern parts of Calif on Monday due to wildfires in rural areas. In the northeastern region of the state, mandatory evacuations are in effect for the Hog Fire west of Susanville, which has grown to 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) in Lassen County. Cal Fire says about 170 structures are threatened.
Rich Americans spew nearly 25% more carbon pollution at home than poor
Fresno Bee
Rich Americans produce nearly 25% more heat-trapping gases than poorer people at home, according to a comprehensive study of U.S. residential carbon footprints.
Commentary: Boosting local climate resilience and economic opportunity in the COVID-19 era
Brookings
Summer usually marks a time of climate uncertainty, from hurricanes along the coasts to flooding in the Midwest to droughts seemingly everywhere. Once again, climate scientists are predicting an onslaught of major storms over the next few months. If last summer was any indication, states and localities remain unprepared to plan and pay for the damage, let alone the effects of daily rainfall.
Energy:
States try again to block coal sales that Trump revived
Bakersfield Califn
A coalition of states, environmentalists and American Indians on Monday renewed its push to stop the Trump Admin from selling coal from public lands after a previous effort to halt the lease sales was dismissed by a federal judge.
Trump Admin Takes On Settlement Deals with Polluters
WSJ
A tactic used to extract additional concessions from polluters in legal settlements is being challenged by the Trump Admin, which says the practice subverts Congress’s authority over spending.
Stirring in the oil patch, Chevron buys Noble for $5 billion
Bakersfield Califn
Chevron will take over Noble Energy for $5 billion in the first big deal announced since the coronavirus pandemic shook the energy sector. Chevron has been shopping for assets since last year and with crude prices down more than 30% this year, it jumped Monday with its all-stock offering for the independent Houston oil and gas driller.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fresno Co hospitals ‘fragile’ as doctors see shortage of drugs, beds amid COVID-19
Fresno Bee
Hospitals in Fresno County are struggling with their capacity as doctors worry about the shortage of drugs that have been effective in treating the coronavirus, health officials said Monday.
787 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kern Co on Monday
Bakersfield Califn
Nearly 800 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kern County on Monday, continuing a dramatic spike in new case counts that began over the weekend. On Saturday, nearly 500 new cases were reported and on Sunday more than 700 new cases were reported. No new deaths have been announced beyond the 105 reported last week.
See Also:
● Fresno County adds nearly 700 new cases in latest report. Hospitals fill up Fresno Bee
● COVID-19: Tulare County reports two new deaths, 213 new cases Visalia Times Delta
● Stanislaus reports 8 more COVID-19 deaths. Total over past week reaches 20 Modesto Bee
Valley Voices: Fresno’s sure-fire way to reopen the economy from COVID-19? Follow one simple step
Fresno Bee
As all of us continue to navigate the troubled waters of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing a concerning spike in positive cases that not only threatens the lives and health of the public, but the already fragile economy in our communities.
See Also:
● Coronavirus: Why are Americans so angry about masks? BBC
● What did people say about wearing masks in the 1918 pandemic? It sounds familiar Miami Herald
● Growing Body Of Evidence Suggests Masks Protect Those Wearing Them, Too NPR
How Deadly Is Covid-19? Researchers Are Getting Closer to an Answer
WSJ
Six months into the pandemic, researchers are homing in on an answer to one of the basic questions about the virus: How deadly is it? Researchers, initially analyzing data from outbreaks on cruise ships and more recently from surveys of thousands of people in virus hot spots, have now conducted dozens of studies to calculate the infection fatality rate of Covid-19.
Former CDC chief: Most states fail to report data key to controlling the coronavirus pandemic
Wash Post
Six months after the first coronavirus case appeared in the United States, most states are failing to report critical information needed to track and control the resurgence of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to an analysis released Tuesday by a former top Obama Admin health official.
Common sense health: Is it now safe to visit the dentist?
Bakersfield Califn
Visiting the dentist is rarely a high priority, even in the best of times. We can always find reasons for delay. But what level of coronavirus threat should justify more waiting? There is increasing concern that all these closures of “non-essential” healthcare service providers may, in some cases, be doing more harm than good.
A Mental-Health Crisis Is Burning Across the American West
The Atlantic
There’s a fire up north, the woman says, the Kincade Fire. It flickered into existence on the nighttime horizon, a shapeless brightness billowing into the sky. Now the wind’s whipping it south toward Santa Rosa. Evacuations are under way, and she worries her home will burn.
FDA calls for removal of fruity, disposable e-cigarettes
Bakersfield Califn
U.S. health officials are cracking down on fruity disposable electronic cigarettes popular with teenagers, saying the companies never received permission to sell them in the U.S.
Human Services:
Fresno County Puts Out Call For Medical Personnel
Business Journal
As the pandemic continues, the Fresno County Department of Public Health is sending out a call for aid. To help support ongoing Covid-19 response efforts, Fresno County is seeking registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, certified nurse assistants and other medically trained personnel to help meet potential staffing needs at local skilled nursing care facilities and other alternate care sites.
Local hospitals seek ‘hundreds’ more workers as surge looms
Bakersfield Califn
Hospitals in Bakersfield in recent days have asked local public health officials to initiate a process to find additional workers as spiking rates of COVID-19 strain staffing levels at some facilities and others are preparing for an anticipated surge to hit soon.
Two Central Valley hospitals in ‘dire’ COVID-19 situations. Do others face similar future?
Modesto Bee
Lodi Memorial Hospital, which sits in the heart of a Central Valley town framed by vineyards, suddenly has found itself front and center in the latest and perhaps most ominous phase of Calif’s viral epidemic — a sustained surge in coronavirus patients that is pushing some hospitals beyond the limit.
State workers trained as Calif contact tracers await assignment, even as counties struggle
Sac Bee
Most Calif state workers trained to be COVID-19 “contact tracers” still haven’t started tracking down people exposed to the coronavirus, even as many counties say they don’t have enough staff to do the work.
Baseline COVID-19 testing program
Project Baseline
Public health officials globally are working together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding access to reliable screening is critical to containment efforts. The Baseline COVID-19 Program is an effort to expand access to COVID-19 screening and testing.
See Also:
● US lab giant warns of new Covid-19 testing crunch in autumn Financial Times
Another Problem On The Health Horizon: Medicare Is Running Out Of Money
NPR
Everyone involved even tangentially in health care today is consumed by the coronavirus pandemic, as they should be. But the pandemic is accelerating a problem that used to be front and center in health circles: the impending insolvency of Medicare.
COVID-19 vaccine hopes rise after strong trial results in England
abc30
Scientists at Oxford University say their experimental coronavirus vaccine has been shown in an early trial to prompt a protective immune response in hundreds of people who got the shot.
Commentary: Here are four priorities for state’s new strategic plan for suicide prevention
CalMatters
COVID-19 has upended life as we know it, shuttering businesses, devastating families and fracturing communities. It has also left millions of people – many of them youth – more vulnerable than ever to suicide.
IMMIGRATION
Doctors were not part of Homeland Security’s review of migrant children’s deaths
LA Times
A government auditor did not employ medical professionals when his office cleared U.S. border agents of wrongdoing in the deaths of two Guatemalan children, the auditor said Wednesday.
Calif Budget & Policy Center
Calif is home to an estimated 2 to 3.1 million individuals who are undocumented immigrants, making up approximately 6% of the state’s total population. These workers, parents, children, and their family members – many of whom are US-born citizens – are deeply integrated in the state’s communities and vital to the state’s economy.
Brookings
On June 22, the Trump Admin announced expansive new bans on worker visas—in addition to an extension of restrictions on new green cards–under the premise of protecting American jobs and spurring economic recovery in the United States.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Want to stay socially distant on your hike? Try one of these Central Sierra destinations
Sierra Star
For many of us staying at home looking at four walls is not very exciting. Even if we venture outside there are many rules to follow during this adjustment to the coronavirus, including social distancing. But there are places remote enough that you can go a full day or more without worrying about crowds.
Tests reveal coronavirus in Yosemite National Park’s sewage
LA Times
With no confirmed case of the coronavirus, Yosemite National Park appeared to be a safe haven from the outbreak. But tests of the park’s raw sewage have confirmed the presence of the virus, the SF Chronicle reported Saturday, and dozens of people are believed to have been infected.
The Pandemic Has Pushed Aside City Planning Rules. But to Whose Benefit?
New York Times
One month into the coronavirus crisis this spring, Oakland, Calif., began to restrict car traffic on some streets — ultimately on 21 miles of them — to create outdoor space for residents who suddenly had nowhere else to go.
Housing:
Backyard homes could stem the state’s housing crisis. In Fresno, most can’t afford to build them
Fresno Bee
For Lorena Gonzalez, renting out her Fresno backyard cottage isn’t just a way of alleviating the state’s housing crisis — it’s an essential source of income. She and her husband are undocumented and have relied on farm work, packhouses and construction to provide for their three children.
Landlords feel the squeeze of eviction moratorium as renters stop paying
Bakersfield Califn
Local landlords have begun feeling the pinch of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s eviction moratorium. Since March 4, the state has prevented landlords from evicting tenants in an effort to allow vulnerable populations to self-quarantine.
The hidden toll of Calif’s Black exodus
CalMatters
In a quiet corner of Elk Grove, where the maze of subdivisions and shopping centers gives way to open fields, Sharie Wilson has spent the last three years building her dream home.
Staying Home During Calif’s Housing Affordability Crisis
Calif Budget & Policy Center
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, unaffordable housing costs represented one of Calif’s most pressing challenges – and the job losses triggered by stay-home orders necessary to address the public health emergency threaten to exacerbate this long-standing crisis.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Another Calif pension fund falls short of investment target after coronavirus downturn
Merced Sun-Star
Calif’s pension fund for teachers missed its investment target for the last fiscal year, reflecting a global market downturn brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. The Calif State Teachers’ Retirement System on Monday reported a 3.9% return on investments in the fiscal year that ended June 30, falling short of its 7% goal. The state’s largest pension fund for public employees, CalPERS, similarly came up short with 4.7% returns this year.
Unemployed workers’ extra $600 benefit is about to expire — but Democrats have new plans
Fresno Bee
Millions of unemployed Calif residents are facing a sudden $600 drop in their jobless benefits at the end of the month, but Democratic plans would keep the money coming in as long as the economy remains in turmoil.
Social Bonds are Fraying Fast in America’s Cities
The Dispatch
The evening cheers in support of health care workers during the worst of New York’s coronavirus outbreak were a rare bright spot in a day full of depressing developments. And accounts of people gathering on stoops with neighbors to get some precious social interaction harkened back to Jane Jacob’s writings about urban stoops as vital places where community can thrive.
The state and local budget crisis is here — and your finances could take a big hit
Bankrate
Recessions are like forest fires. Their flames hop effortlessly from one tree to the next, toppling entire wooded areas if they go unextinguished. That’s essentially been the synopsis for the coronavirus-induced downturn. What started as distress in tourism and hospitality soon engulfed retailers, restaurants, and now, state and local governments — one corner of the diverse ecosystem that is the U.S. economy at risk of adding more fire to the flame.
See Also:
● State, local governments look to raise taxes after coronavirus shutdowns The Center Square
● By the Numbers: A Look at Municipal Bankruptcies Over the Past 20 Yrs PEW
Commentary: Across metro areas, COVID-19 relief loans are helping some places more than others
Brookings
Last week, the Treasury Department and Small Business Admin (SBA) released the most detailed data to date on small business relief provided through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Congress’s central policy for keeping workers in their jobs amid widespread small business closures due to COVID-19.
TRANSPORTATION
Female military pilots: Getting more Black women to fly
Merced Sun-Star
The women who were the first to break gender and race barriers as military pilots understand the isolation that comes with being the only female in their squadron. They have spent years encouraging more women to fly, but as new data obtained by McClatchy shows, there are still few in the ranks, and even fewer who are Black.
WATER
Kern River’s 2020 death count already matches prior year, brings concern to first responders
Bakersfield Califn
Following two deaths in the Kern River last weekend, there have been as many suspected drownings this year as there were confirmed in all of 2019, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
High and Rising: Flood Risk in Calif Grows
PPIC
Northern Calif—where most of the state’s water supply originates—has been exceptionally dry this year, part of an unfolding decades-long “megadrought” affecting much of the West. While the focus of attention is naturally on managing drought, two new studies suggest that we have vastly underestimated the state’s flood risk.
Allterra Environmental settles with state over fraud allegations
Calif Water News Daily
A Santa Cruz-based consulting company accused of inflating invoices tied to work with the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund has agreed to pay more than $100,000 in penalties as part of a settlement agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board.
“Xtra”
Can’t Dive In: Dive In Theater set for August canceled
Porterville Recorder
Another popular summertime event has had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Porterville Parks and Leisure Services posted on its website last week the Dive-In Theater scheduled for August 7 at the Murray Park Pool has been canceled.
Kern County Fair canceled for 2020
Bakersfield Califn
The Kern County Fair won’t happen this year after the Board of Directors unanimously voted to cancel the event during a Monday meeting. The board put off the decision until nearly the last minute, holding out hope that coronavirus cases in Kern would reduce to a level that would allow the fair to go on.