22Jul

POLICY & POLITICS

Inmates Who Contracted Valley Fever In California Prisons Petition U.S. Supreme Court For Relief

VPR

For more than a decade, lawsuits have been piling up against California from inmates who contracted the fungal disease valley fever while incarcerated in state prison. Most plaintiffs have lost. Now, many of them are turning to a higher court.

Foundation awards $1 million to 37 Latino-led organizations in the Valley

abc30

There was plenty of singing and dancing in Downtown Fresno Thursday in celebration of a $1 million investment in the Central Valley by the Latino Community Foundation.

North SJ Valley:

A Democrat outraised Tom McClintock more than two-to-one. Does it matter for 2020?

Sierra Star

Democrat Brynne Kennedy outraised Republican Rep. Tom McClintock more than two-to-one over the last three months, new fundraising reports show.

SJ County supervisors’ meeting focuses on homelessness policy

Stockton Record

What has been obvious in recent memory to anyone who lives in San Joaquin County became quantifiable fact earlier this year when the 2019 biennial census of unsheltered homeless residents showed a depressing spike over the 2017 numbers.

From high school dropout to Merced County candidate? District 2 gets a third candidate

Merced Sun-Star

Another challenger has announced intent to run for the District 2 seat of the Merced County Board of Supervisors. The Rev. Angel Barragan said he’s ramping up a run for the district that covers the bulk of the city of Merced.

EDITORIAL: Where Modesto school district stands at superintendent’s one-year anniversary

Modesto Bee

Running Modesto City Schools, by far the largest school district in these parts, is no small task. The sheer size of the district — 30,000 students, 4,000 employees — is daunting.

EDITORIAL: Why the Modesto City Council badly needs to get on the same page

Modesto Bee

They know when they’re being petty. They know they’re embarrassing themselves and the city of Modesto. But they can’t seem to help themselves.

Central SJ Valley:

Congressmen Costa & Cox To Face Strong Contenders In 2020 Election

VPR

Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria says she’s running against Democratic Rep. Jim Costa for the state’s 16th Congressional District. Meanwhile David Valadao filed yesterday to run against Democratic Rep. TJ Cox.

See also:

● David Valadao files candidacy papers Hanford Sentinel

Fresno Unified trustee Slatic hit by critical report, racism claim

Fresno Bee

A Fresno Unified investigation concludes that Trustee Terry Slatic violated three board policies when he dealt with an Army recruiter at Bullard High School in January.

● Controversial Fresno Unified trustee won’t resign. Voters need to recall this bullyFresno Bee

● Parents voice their concerns about Fresno Unified trustee’s actions abc30

● Fresno school board member violated 3 policies in one confrontation, investigator concludes abc30

● McEwen: Slatic Must Shape Up or Face Getting Shipped Out GV Wire

● EDITORIAL: Terry Slatic’s latest antics are ridiculous. He should consider resigning his post Fresno Bee

Fresno run event at Woodward Park abruptly postponed. Some believe it always was a scam

Fresno Bee

Bad news for those who wanted to run and drink and party Saturday at Woodward Park. The “5K Happy Hour Run” that was scheduled 3-8 p.m. Saturday in Fresno wasn’t just “postponed” as stated in an e-mail message sent out to entrants.

VUSD has boardroom problem

Visalia Times Delta

Students suffer when actions are based on personal and political struggles rather than student learning. Taxpayers suffer when a poor board process results in the buyout of a superintendent’s contract

Tulare DA makes dozens of arrests for welfare fraud

Fresno Bee

Thirty-two people were arrested this week for alleged fraud in Tulare Country. Of those, 28 were arrested on suspicion of committing welfare fraud. They were cited or booked into the Tulare County Jail pre-trail facility, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office.

City workers, police and residents voice concerns

Madera Tribune

About 50 city workers in the MACEA union held their hands up in response to a question whether they were now considering leaving Madera for employment elsewhere, Wednesday night at the city council meeting.

Wells Fargo taking Chukchansi tribe to court in dispute over $250M loan

Fresno Bee

A legal fight between the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians in Coarsegold and Wells Fargo Bank has erupted in New York state court.

South SJ Valley:

Could this ballot initiative wipe out the Board of Supervisors?

Bakersfield Californian

If one Kern County ballot measure is successful, time could be limited for members of the Board of Supervisors. A local group has filed an initiative that would introduce limits of two terms of four years each for the supervisors.

Bakersfield, once the butt of jokes, is booming. So are many other inland California cities.

The Washington Post

For this pass-through city, long a favorite target for jokes from late-night comedians, the small stuff turns out not to be small at all.

‘The Scale Of This Is Just So Shocking:’ Chevron Reports Massive Oil Seep In Kern County

VPR

Oil producing giant Chevron believes it has stopped a Kern County oil seep that had been quietly growing for two months. As of July 12, the company estimates nearly 800,000 gallons of a brackish oil-water mix had flowed out of the ground. The total volume is greater than what spilled from the Keystone XL pipeline in South Dakota in 2017.

● Chevron injected steam near well work before oil leak near McKittrick Bakersfield Californian

● After 800,000-gallon spill, Chevron site is still leaking oil Los Angeles Times

State:

In some states, GOP sees the recall as its way back to power

Fresno Bee

Republicans frustrated by losing their grip on political power in some Western states have begun deploying a new weapon: the recall. In 2018, Republicans recalled a freshman state senator in California as a way to temporarily undo a Democratic supermajority.

Fight to change California’s landmark consumer privacy law fizzles — for now

San Francisco Chronicle

A year ago, the Legislature passed the California Consumer Privacy Act, the most sweeping law of its kind in the nation, with lightning speed.

State insurance commissioner accepted contributions and intervened in cases affecting donor, records show

San Diego UnionTribune

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara intervened in at least four proceedings involving a company with ties to insurance executives and their spouses who donated tens of thousands of dollars to his re-election campaign, records show.

Walters: Criticism buries reading test bill

CALmatters

Many, if not most, wrongheaded bills continue to be pushed by their authors and advocates even when their deficiencies become obvious.

Walters: Trump and California at it again

CALmatteres

President Donald Trump and the Democrats who dominate California politics are locked into a rather bizarre, symbiotic relationship.

EDITORIAL: Bill to help public get state records is tabled by Democrats. It must get second try

Fresno Bee

A proposed bill that would help Californians get public records got unfortunately shelved for the year, a victim of partisanship in the state Senate. Here’s hoping it has a fairer treatment next year.

Federal:

AP Fact Check: Trump and Dems on an incendiary week

PBS NewsHour Weekend

President Donald Trump attributed statements to a Democratic congresswoman that she didn’t make as he set off an incendiary week of vilification with accusations that she and three other lawmakers of color hate America.

Trump renews attack on minority congresswomen; congressman offers sharp rebuke

Los Angeles Times

As President Trump launched a fresh Twitter attack Sunday on four minority congresswomen he said were “not capable of loving our Country,” a senior Democratic congressman who was active in the civil rights movement half a century ago offered a searing rebuke of the president.

See also:

● Trump criticism of US not same as 4 Democrats’ words Fresno Bee

● Trump resumes Twitter attack on 4 Democratic congresswomen Stockton Record

● Trump’s Attack On ‘The Squad’ Finds Nuanced Support Among Some Jewish Americans Capital Public Radio

● What do ‘Lock her up’ and ‘Send her back’ have in common? It’s pretty obvious.Washington Post

● Trump’s Omar Comments Degrade Our Sense of Citizenship National Review

● ‘Go Back Where You Came From’: Trump’s Racist Tweets Have Long Rhetorical RootsNPR

● Racism is not a distraction; it’s policy Brookings

● White racial resentment is a winning Republican strategy, this political scientist saysSacramento Bee

Trump Administration Revising U.S. Citizenship Test

Capital Public Radio

After a series of pilots, the administration says it will roll out the updated version by December 2020 or early 2021.

Germany paid Holocaust reparations. Will the U.S. do the same for slavery?

Los Angeles Times

The historic hearings in the House in June laid out powerful arguments in favor of reparations that should dispel the tired dismissal voiced by Sen. Mitch McConnell and his compatriots.

Trump Admin has gutted programs aimed at detecting weapons of mass destruction

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration has quietly dismantled or cut back multiple programs that were created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to help detect and prevent terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction, a Times investigation has found.

Supreme Court Justice Thomas the leading edge of conservative wing

San Francisco Chronicle

Justice Clarence Thomas’ perspectives could change the legal landscape if adopted by a conservative court majority that has been invigorated with the addition of President Trump’s appointees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Elections 2020:

Trump’s California Funders—Where They Are And What They’re Giving

Capital Public Radio

How much has President Trump raised from Californians this year? Which neighborhoods are giving him the most money? Could it be yours? We break it down in six graphs.

The Democratic Scramble For California’s Cash: A Deeper Dive In 5 Charts

Capital Public Radio

We still may be more than 16 months—yes, that’s 476 days—before election day in November 2020, but this year Californians have thrown more than $26 million at the two dozen candidates hoping to win the Democratic nomination and take on President Donald Trump.

● Democrats’ ratings of party’s 2020 field: Better than in 2016, similar to 2008 Pew Research Center

Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren are on a 2020 collision course

Sacramento Bee

Stephanie Ellis-Smith is one of many well-educated, female Democrats facing a new dilemma: She’s having trouble deciding between Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.

The philanthropic adviser from Seattle has long been impressed by Warren’s detailed policy agenda, but was also struck by Harris’s commanding performance in the first Democratic debate. She’s among hundreds of donors who wrote checks to both candidates in the last fundraising period.

Perils of Polling: Does Kamala Really Lead Joe?

Calbuzz

Fans of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris rejoiced last week when the well-known Quinnipiac University Pollfound her leading former Vice President Joe Biden in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in California.

Billionaire Tom Steyer needs your money, or his campaign is doomed

San Francisco Chronicle

The Democratic candidate says he’ll spend $100 million of his own money on his presidential campaign. But he needs 130,000 donors to secure a spot on the September debate stage.

Governor who? Hickenlooper, Inslee and Bullock are at 1%. Combined

Roll Call

It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for John Hickenlooper. He did everything you’re supposed to do to become a White House contender. First, he started a successful business in Colorado — one of the first brewpubs around. He then launched a long-shot bid for Denver mayor, which he won. He was reelected four years later with 86 percent of the vote.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar to lay out her vision for America as part of The Post’s 2020 Candidates series

Washington Post

Klobuchar, who has served three terms in the U.S. Senate as the first female senator from Minnesota, will discuss her campaign agenda in an interview one week before Democrats’ next televised debate.

Indian Americans, a rising political force, give $3 million to 2020 presidential campaigns

Los Angeles Times

Indian Americans are a sliver of the nation’s population but a growing political force. They have contributed more than $3 million to 2020 presidential campaigns — more than the coveted donors of Hollywood.

Other:

The best way to evaluate your beliefs? Engage with people who disagree with you

Los Angeles Times

Immigration. Abortion . Gun control . The seemingly impossible issue du jour is irrelevant. What is relevant: To justify your confidence you must sincerely engage people who have solid arguments against your position.

Americans say the nation’s political debate has grown more toxic and ‘heated’ rhetoric could lead to violence

Pew Research Center

President Donald Trump’s recent attacks on four lawmakers and an impassioned response from House Democrats are the latest chapter in a long-running debate over what language is appropriate – and what is out of bounds – in U.S. political debates.

Ag Hall of Fame awaits for Modesto company that helps care for cows

Modesto Bee

Etchebarne Dairy Consulting will join the Stanislaus County Ag Hall of Fame at a Nov. 15 banquet in Denair. The Modesto-based company advises farmers on cattle feed, comfort, reproduction and milk performance.

Hard work and early hours. Showing livestock at fair isn’t as easy as it might seem

Modesto Bee

Beyond the lights from the Stanislaus County Fair rides, food stands and various booths offering trinkets after a successful game, lies a world of its own: the livestock shows.

Gilroy Garlic Festival

July 26-28.

Target, Fresh Market recall salads, sandwiches over listeria concerns

abc30

Some salads and sandwiches sold at Target and Fresh Market are being recalled due to possible listeria contamination. Elevation Foods announced they are voluntarily recalling two brands, Archer Farms and Freskt, which are sold at Target and Fresh Market.

California’s Struggle To Get Food Stamps To The Hungry

Capital Public Radio

With full participation in California’s food stamp program, the state’s poor would receive an additional $1.8 billion in federal funds each year. Pending legislation would require the state to close in on that goal.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom OKs bill for restaurant patrons to bring reusable containers, cups

FOX News

In a bid to better reduce single-use packaging and plastics, California Gov. Gavin Newsomhas signed a bill giving the green light for restaurant patrons in the Golden State to use their own reusable containers and cups.

E.P.A. Won’t Ban Chlorpyrifos, Pesticide Tied to Children’s Health Problems

New York Times

The Trump administration took a major step to weaken the regulation of toxic chemicals on Thursday when the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would not ban a widely used pesticide that its own experts have linked to serious health problems in children.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Why Modesto man blames city after another suspected drunken driver plows into cars

Modesto Bee

Modesto, California homeowner wants City Hall to fix his street and reimburse him for his totaled vehicles after another suspected drunk driver smashed into his parked cars on his street.

Two riots in two days at California prison involve more than 200 inmates

Sacramento Bee

Thursday morning’s riot was the second in two days at Pleasant Valley State Prison, where 182 inmates rioted at noon Wednesday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

California Bail Industry’s Latest Effort To Stay In Business? Ask Voters For Constitutional Protection.

Capital Public Radio

The battle over whether the state should eliminate cash bail is moving toward a double-barreled showdown at the ballot box.

Death penalty trials have continued despite Newsom’s moratorium. The California Supreme Court could stop them

Los Angeles Times

The California Supreme Court essentially froze the death penalty trial of Jade Douglas Harris, which was set to start this month, as it decides whether it will consider an argument by his defense attorney that he can’t get a fair trial in light of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on executions in the state.

Public Safety:

Did Equifax expose your data? You can apply for part of a $600 million settlement

Fresno Bee

Millions of Californians whose personal data was compromised by the credit-monitoring company Equifaxcan now get money from a $600 million settlement states reached with the credit reporting bureau, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office announced Monday.

This is the deadliest year at the Oceano Dunes. What is State Parks going to do?

Fresno Bee

With six deaths so far, 2019 has been the deadliest year on record for the state park near Pismo Beach. Safety at the park has been a concern since the state took over management four decades ago.

MCSO Honors Search & Rescue Volunteer George Stillman

Sierra News

A local hero was recognized by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) as George Stillman retired from Madera County Search and Rescue last week after 18 years of volunteer service.

HPD Officer Nancy Gallegos receives School Resource Officer award

Hanford Sentinel

The award was given to Gallegos recently for her for contribution and dedication to the School Resource Officer program and the kids, parents and community she works with, going above and beyond what is normally expected of an SRO.

40 police dogs compete in BPD K-9 trials Saturday

Bakersfield Californian

Forty police dogs leaped, barked and sniffed their way through competitions to test their skills Saturday at the K-9 trials. Officers and their dogs from all over Southern California and even parts of Mexico traveled to Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield to compete at the family-friendly event.

Fire:

Out-of-control grass fire burning in Mariposa County, Cal Fire confirms

Fresno Bee

Cal Fire is battling an out-of-control grass fire in Mariposa County that already has consumed more than 100 acres of vegetation.

● Firefighters battling 130 acre fire in Cathey’s Valley CA Merced Sun Star

California utility customers sue over wildfire law

abc30

The lawsuit argues that the law violates the rights of utility customers and taxpayers by making it easier to raise electric rates to cover the costs of wildfires caused by power company equipment.

See also:

● PG&E Customers Sue Over Wildfire Law Capital Public Radio

● Wildfire crisis also burning homeowner wallets Madera Tribune

● ‘Sticker shock’ for California wildfire areas: Insurance rates doubled, policies dropped Sacramento Bee

Trump administration backs off threat to audit California wildfire fighting agreement

Los Angeles Times

After a series of tense exchanges over California wildfires, the Trump administration and the state have agreed to continue their firefighting partnership under existing reimbursement rates.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

California payrolls surged in June, but the labor force shrank

Los Angeles Times

California hiring surged in June, powered by especially strong growth in residential and commercial building as mortgage rates continue to drop.

Hispanics, Not Trump, Are the Biggest Engine Of U.S. Economic Growth

Forbes

In ground breaking research that has significant implications for U.S. policymakers and financial institutions, Peterson Institution for International Economics (PIIE) researchers found that “The Hispanic community in the United States has contributed significantly to US economic growth in recent decades and will continue to do so over the next 10 to 20 years.”

Searching for clarity: How much will automation impact the middle class?

Brookings

The long-run labor market consequences of advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other forms of automation technology remain uncertain. This uncertainty stems from a recognition that while many jobs will undoubtedly be affected, it is difficult to predict which jobs are at risk and in which sectors new jobs will be created. This is not an idle concern: One in six Americans think that robots and computers will take over many jobs now done by humans; only 25% believe that automation will bring new, better paying jobs. And the estimates of jobs at risk are quite variable.

Jobs:

Despite hiring surge, state says Kern unemployment rate rose to 8% in June

Bakersfield Californian

Even though hiring outpaced layoffs, Kern’s official unemployment rate actually rose to an estimated 8 percent in June from a revised 7.2 percent in May.

See also:

● California Employment Report for June 2019 Center for Jobs and the Economy

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office Says California Agencies Met Sexual Harassment Training Goal. But Dozens Of Departments Remain Out Of Compliance.

Capital Public Radio

A CapRadio investigation found that, in 2018, nearly 60 percent of agencies surveyed by the State Personnel Board did not provide this training. That compares to 25 percent of those surveyed in 2016.

When the Law Says Using Marijuana Is O.K., but the Boss Disagrees

New York Times

“My email was set up with the company,” she said. “My business cards were printed.” But after a pre-employment drug test came back positive for marijuana, a human resources representative told her the job was no longer hers.

EDUCATION

Republicans have doubts that colleges, K-12 schools open to differing views

Pew Research Center

Most Americans, including majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, see higher education as a gateway to good job opportunities.

K-12:

Fresno Unified trustee Slatic hit by critical report, racism claim

Fresno Bee

A Fresno Unified investigation concludes that Trustee Terry Slatic violated three board policies when he dealt with an Army recruiter at Bullard High School in January.

● Controversial Fresno Unified trustee won’t resign. Voters need to recall this bullyFresno Bee

● Parents voice their concerns about Fresno Unified trustee’s actions abc30

● Fresno school board member violated 3 policies in one confrontation, investigator concludes abc30

● McEwen: Slatic Must Shape Up or Face Getting Shipped Out GV Wire

● EDITORIAL: Terry Slatic’s latest antics are ridiculous. He should consider resigning his post Fresno Bee

VUSD has boardroom problem

Visalia Times Delta

EDITORIAL: Where Modesto school district stands at superintendent’s one-year anniversary

Modesto Bee

Running Modesto City Schools, by far the largest school district in these parts, is no small task. The sheer size of the district — 30,000 students, 4,000 employees — is daunting.

Principal leaving MSHS

Madera Tribune

After serving four years as principal of Madera South High School, Oracio Rodriguez has been appointed to a new position on Madera Unified’s administrative team — Area Assistant Superintendent.

It’s hard for homeless kids to prepare for school. Kindness as important as supplies.

Modesto Bee

Homeless kids at Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter, MOES, need the community’s help to get ready for the new school year, but they fear judgment by their schoolmates.

With early childhood education on CA’s agenda, preschool teachers ask why ‘cashiers at McDonalds’ get better pay

CALmatters

Preschool teacher Lorena Gomez’s work days begin at 6:30 a.m. when she welcomes a dozen 3-year-olds into her classroom. Every day, Gomez spends nine hours standing, sitting and crouching at the height of a toddler, passing out snacks, overseeing playtimes and teaching tiny Californians their numbers, shapes, colors, letters, and social niceties. She marvels, she says, at how quickly they grow—that is, when she has time.

Mayor Wants Fowler Families To Have Preschool Access, So He’s Encouraging An Online Option

VPR

Mayor David Cardenas of Fowler wants his small city to be at the forefront of education. That’s why he spends his lunch break passing out fliers, urging families who can’t afford preschool to consider an alternative.

Report: Students In Rural Regions Are More Likely To Be Absent Than Their Urban Counterparts

VPR

A Japanese-American from Baton Rouge, Louisiana recently visited Fresno for the first time in 78 years. In 1942, Walter Imahara and his family were ordered to leave their home in Sacramento and come to the Fresno Assembly Center per President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066.

How trashy TV in Italy made children dumber and enabled a wave of populist leaders

Washington Post

This is a story about how the lowest common denominator of popular media paved the way for the lowest common denominator of populist politics. And it’s got data.

Higher Ed:

By Forgiving Doctors’ Student Loans, State Hopes To Improve Access To Care For Valley Residents

VPR

Earlier this month, the state of California announced it’ll forgive student loans for hundreds of medical providers. The move should benefit underserved patients in the San Joaquin Valley.

Tuition increase proposed for UC schools

abc30

A new proposal could mean higher tuition for University of California schools. The plan presented at a UC Board of Regents meeting Thursday would increase tuition fees for incoming first-year students and transfer students.

UC Library’s hasty implementation of complex plan means academic researchers lose

CALmatters

Elsevier offered a compromise to University of California to continue publishing academic research. UC Library offered an alternative plan that was too complex.

CSUB offers new scholarship for teacher residents in high-needs districts

Bakersfield Californian

April and Jennifer Davis fell in love with education very early on, all thanks to their mother, who homeschooled them during their elementary days. It was no surprise when both of them decided to pursue the career path at Cal State Bakersfield. They were given the opportunity to interact with students in the Bakersfield City School District and learn more than just classroom rules.

EDITORIAL: State must redouble efforts to fully fund Merced, West Hills community colleges

Fresno Bee

The West Hills Community College District has grown its enrollment by 19 percent in the last five years. At Merced College, half of its 16,000 students are the first in their families to get higher education, and nearly 75 percent of those enrolled are on some form of financial aid.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

A Look Inside ‘The Big One,’ A KPCC Podcast About Earthquakes

VPR

Earthquakes have likely been on many Californians’ minds recently, ever since two big quakes focused in the rural Mojave Desert jolted California over Independence Day weekend.

● Long Beach lags in seismic safety database — but still considers itself proactive Press Telegram

EPA’s watchdog is scrutinizing ethics practices of agency’s former air policy chief

Washington Post

A key architect of the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken federal climate rules is under scrutiny by a federal watchdog for his dealings with industry players who lobbied the government to ease carbon pollution limits.

E.P.A. Won’t Ban Chlorpyrifos, Pesticide Tied to Children’s Health Problems

New York Times

Energy:

‘The Scale Of This Is Just So Shocking:’ Chevron Reports Massive Oil Seep In Kern County

VPR

● Chevron injected steam near well work before oil leak near McKittrick Bakersfield Californian

● After 800,000-gallon spill, Chevron site is still leaking oil Los Angeles Times

Asm. Gray: CA refuses to enlist clean, cheap hydropower in fight against climate change. It makes no sense

CALmatters

California should count hydropower in climate change fight. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 17 would require hydropower be counted as clean energy.

California’s new Public Utilities Commission president must lead us to a gas-free future

CALmatters

Incoming California Public Utilities Commission President Marybel Batjer must lead California in a transition from natural gas use to alternative energy.

See also:

● EDITORIAL: Berkeley Bans Natural Gas Wall Street Journal

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

CALmatters

If there is a war on coal—as President Trump claims—it’s long been decided in California. Only 3% of California’s electricity comes from coal.

A Reality Check for Solar and Wind

Wall Street Journal

All told, renewables produce a small fraction of recent years’ increased production of oil and gas.

EDITORIAL: Oil industry is not the ‘bad guy’ in this story

Bakersfield Californian

Should California’s oil industry be regulated by financially self-serving bureaucrats? No! Should California’s oil industry be shut down? No! The temptation to link the two questions is just plain wrong-headed.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Inmates Who Contracted Valley Fever In California Prisons Petition U.S. Supreme Court For Relief

VPR

Pot use among pregnant women on the rise, study shows. Do they know the risks?

Sacramento Bee

A growing number of women in Northern California are using marijuana before and during pregnancy. Kaiser surveyed women during prenatal screenings between 2009 and 2017 at facilities in Northern California.

See also:

· Weed and pregnancy CALmatters

‘Ship, ship, ship’: As opioid epidemic spread, some drug company workers eyed profits, emails show

Washington Post

Court filings unsealed in a landmark case contend the drug industry failed to control the diversion of opioids into the black market.

● Internal drug company emails show indifference to opioid epidemic Washington Post

War on youth vaping

CALmatters

The American Cancer Society’s political arm is denouncing legislation intended to stamp out youth vaping as a “complete sham.”

E.P.A. Won’t Ban Chlorpyrifos, Pesticide Tied to Children’s Health Problems

New York Times

Health Facts Aren’t Enough. Should Persuasion Become a Priority?

The New York Times

Those with the least understanding of science oppose it the most and also think they know the most, a study showed.

Human Services:

2 Valley hospitals are working hard to recruit young doctors

abc30

For the last three years Kaiser Permanente Fresno and Valley Children’s Hospital have been working together to train future doctors.

Administration pauses enforcement of abortion restriction

Fresno Bee

The Trump administration is giving taxpayer-funded family planning clinics more time to comply with its new rule that says they no longer can refer women for abortions.

See also:

● The Smart Way to Overturn Roe v. Wade Wall Street Journal

● What can we do to reduce unplanned pregnancies? Brookings

Rising health insurance deductibles fuel middle-class anger and resentment

Bakersfield Californian

Many wealthy Americans — already reaping most of the benefits of the last decade’s economic growth — have weathered the dramatic increase in deductibles in recent years in part by putting away money in tax-free Health Savings Accounts.

House Votes to Repeal Obamacare Tax Once Seen as Key to Health Law

New York Times

In the heat of the legislative fight over the Affordable Care Act, Obama administration officials argued that including a steep tax on high-cost, generous health insurance plans was critical to the law because it would hold down soaring costs while helping to pay for its expanded health benefits.

Drug price transparency prompts fight among Democrats

Roll Call

Dispute is partly a turf battle between two committees who want to produce legislation on a high-profile issue.

IMMIGRATION

Bakersfield Activist Detained After Reading Poem Critical Of ICE – Judge Strikes Down Lawsuit

VPR

A federal judge in San Francisco struck down a First Amendment lawsuit this week that argued Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a 22-year-old Bakersfield activist and farmworker as a way to retaliate against him

US hotels caught in fight over housing detained migrants

Fresno Bee

There’s a new target in the clash over immigration: hotels. Advocacy groups and unions are pressuring Marriott, MGM and others not to house migrants who have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

To folks in this Guatemalan town, success stories start with a trek to the U.S.

Los Angeles Times

For the moment, Mexican authorities, under pressure from the Trump administration, are cracking down on U.S.-bound migration from Central America, deploying Mexican National Guard troops along roads leading from the country’s southern frontier and stepping up deportations.

President Trump & Border Crisis — In Trump’s First Two Years, Border Deaths Declined

National Review

A tragic photograph of the bodies of Oscar Alberto Martínez and his 23-month-old daughter, Angie Valeria, who drowned attempting to cross the Rio Grande River from Mexico into Texas, renewed outrage about the border crisis. Politicians expressed their indignation at the image while, predictably, blaming the Trump administration.

Analysis: Terrorism does increase with immigration — but only homegrown, right-wing terrorism

Washington Post

That includes the attacker who killed German politician Walter Lübcke for his pro-refugee policies, the Christchurch mosque shooting, and more.

Trump has not built a single mile of new border fence after 30 months in office

Washington Examiner

The Trump administration has not installed a single mile of new wall in a previously fenceless part of the U.S.-Mexico border in the 30 months since President Trump assumed office, despite his campaign promise to construct a “big beautiful wall.”

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Housing:

Want a home near mall, freeway? New northwest Modesto development opens models

Modesto Bee

In real estate, location is king. In Modesto real estate, location near the mall, shopping and freeway is like the Iron Throne — tough to claim and a long time coming.

SJ County supervisors’ meeting focuses on homelessness policy

Stockton Record

Has Gavin Newsom Made Progress On His Pledge To Boost California’s Housing Supply?

Capital Public Radio

On the campaign trail, Gavin Newsom promised to rapidly expand California’s housing supply, saying he would “lead the effort to develop 3.5 million new housing units” by 2025 to address the state’s affordable housing crisis.

● Oregon vowed not to become California — and passed sweeping housing crisis legislation Los Angeles Times

U.S. home sales to foreigners sink on strong dollar and Trump’s trade wars

Los Angeles Times

Foreign purchases of U.S. residential real estate fell 36% to the lowest annual rate since 2013, as slowing overseas economies, the strong dollar and the White House’s anti-immigrant rhetoric put a chill on demand.

The Wages of Rent Control

Wall Street Journal

New York’s latest law, hardly a month old, is already chilling builders.

EDITORIAL: Lead paint makers will finally pay up to clean up thousands of California homes

San Francisco Chronicle

It’s taken too long — nearly 20 years — but lead paint manufacturers will finally pay up for selling a dangerous product rolled onto the walls of thousands of California homes.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California tax collections soared last year, giving the state an extra $1 billion

Sacramento Bee

California brought in $1 billion more than projected in its last financial year, the state’s Department of Finance announced Friday. It’s a sign the state’s unusually long period of economic growth is still going.

● Budget Decider: Making choices that impact millions CALmatters

● Glazer: Corporate tax manipulation steals $1 billion a year from public servicesFresno Bee

Gavin Newsom CA death penalty moratorium hasn’t cut costs

Fresno Bee

When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order halting the death penalty in California, he argued the system has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars. But without cooperation from prosecutors, there’s no evidence his action is saving the state any money.

California tightens rules for going back to work after CalPERS disability retirement

Sacramento Bee

A new California law tightens requirements for CalPERS pensioners who go back to work after retiring on disability.

After U.S. Tax Overhaul, Corporate Rates Fall but Unevenly

WSJ

Many companies have seen sharp reductions, while many with lightest loads are largely unaffected.

Trump praises ‘very good talks’ as White House, Pelosi close in on two-year budget deal

Washington Post

White House and congressional negotiators could announce a budget deal as soon as Monday that lifts spending levels by roughly $320 billion over the next two years and raises the debt ceiling through July 2021, a sharp reversal for White House officials who had sought to slash numerous programs just several months ago.

EDITORIAL: A Bad Budget Deal

Wall Street Journal

Trump can call Pelosi’s bluff over the federal debt ceiling.

See also:

TRANSPORTATION

Fresno EOC expanding its transportation services to Madera Co.

abc30

The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, known as EOC is expanding its transit services into Madera County. Now they’ll be able to help even more people at an affordable cost.

Madera neighborhood nearly inaccessible due to HSR construction

abc30

Emotions ran high Thursday night at a High-Speed Rail meeting in Madera. Many people there were outraged that a portion of the project has closed a major road for years now.

New diverging diamond interchanges coming to California

San Francisco Chronicle

A new kind of freeway interchange is coming to California — possibly to Berkeley, in time — and it’s likely to make drivers scratch their heads in confusion.

WATER

As the climate gets hotter and drier, state’s water plan must consider all options

Fresno Bee

Climate change presents a clear and present danger to California: Rising temperatures will continue to reduce the Sierra snowpack — essentially California’s largest bank of water — and will cause more frequent and dangerous droughts.

All Californians should have safe, clean water. But how do we make it happen?

Fresno Bee

When there are 1 million Californians without access to clean drinking water, doing the right thing shouldn’t be complicated.

● Kamala Harris proposes bill to invest in safe drinking water Sacramento Bee

Salmon study may foil Trump’s plan to boost water deliveries to Central Valley farms

Los Angeles Times

Federal biologists worked frantically this year to meet a deadline to assess the environmental impacts of Trump administration plans to send more water to Central Valley farmers.

“Xtra”

Get a sneak peek at River Park’s newest restaurant. It’s inspired by a theme park ride

Fresno Bee

Propellers are everywhere. There’s a replica of a P-51 Mustang warplane sticking out of the wall and employees wear shirts that say “I’m just plane crazy.” The Hangar, River Park’s newest restaurant, is heavy on the plane theme.

Program gives kids with disabilities the chance to water ski

abc30

Valley Children’s Adaptive Sports Program is making sure all kids and teens truly experience life. On Saturday, one by one they got a chance to water ski.

50 days till 2019 Madera Fair Concert Series

Madera Tribune

Madera Fair has announced the 2019 Madera Fair Table Mountain Concert Series presented by Tecate Light in the all free festival venue with paid gate admission.

What’s going on in the Modesto region? A lot, here’s a look

Modesto Bee

Entertainment.

Local police go pink to fight breast cancer

Visalia Times Delta

Pink police patches from across the United States covered a conference table at Tulare Police Department. Five local departments — Exeter, Farmersville, Porterville, Tulare and Visalia — have joined a nation-wide effort to help raise awareness of breast cancer.

Kidz Expo offers positive options for children and their parents

Stockton Record

The Smurfs danced on the stage. Spider-Man was on the go. And two young Disney Channel idols were the main attraction. But there also was some pretty good local talent at The Record’s second annual Kidz Expo on Saturday at Stockton Arena.

Filmmaker Ken Burns Brings ‘Country Music’ Home To Bakersfield, Fresno

VPR

Renowned PBS Filmmaker Ken Burns will visit the Valley next week as part of a national tour to preview and discuss his most recent long-form documentary “Country Music.”