July 28, 2020

28Jul

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus County hits 90 deaths, nears 8,000 positive cases

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County reached 90 deaths and closed in on 8,000 positive cases in the new coronavirus data released on Sunday. The three deaths bring to 27 the total reported in the last week and 47 for the month of July.

See also:

·       Newsom sends strike teams, money to counties, including Stanislaus, seeing COVID-19 spikeModesto Bee

·       Despite complications due to COVID-19, census outreach in Stanislaus County continues Modesto Bee

·       Stanislaus County COVID-19 contact tracing faces big case load Modesto Bee

SJ knew coronavirus could ravage its farmworkers; why didn’t officials stop it?

Stockton Record

As coronavirus cases began to grow in San Joaquin County in June, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs proposed requiring citizens to wear a mask in his city in the center of the fertile valley, where agriculture is king and poverty pervasive. The response he received from the county emergency services director, a key figure in coordinating the pandemic response, was disquieting, he said.

See also

·       Newsom announces housing program for farmworkers with COVID-19 MSN

Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting anniversary: Remembering the victims 1 year after tragedy

abc30.com

One year ago Tuesday, three people lost their lives when a gunman entered the Gilroy Garlic Festival and began shooting.

Central SJ Valley:

Gov to send coronavirus ‘strike teams’ to fight outbreak in hard-hit Central Valley

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom is sending three coronavirus strike teams and $52 million in federal money to Calif’s Central Valley as the region battles a spike in COVID-19 cases. The region is seeing the virus spread particularly among Latinos, essential workers and people who live in group settings like jails and nursing homes.

See Also:

●     Central Calif is a COVID-19 hotspot, state investing $52M to help slow surge abc30

●     New Funding Coming To Curb Spread Of Coronavirus In Central Valley, Calif Gov. Gavin Newsom Announces Capital Public Radio

●     Hot spots in hard-hit Central Valley targeted in $52 million anti-coronavirus campaign SF Chronicle

●     Coronavirus ravages Calif’s Central Valley, following a cruel and familiar path LA Times

●     Central Valley to receive $52 million from state to fight coronavirus surge CALmatters

●     Calif’s Central Valley now a coronavirus hot spot MSN

●     How Central CA counties will use $50 million federal grant money to fight COVID-19 MSN

Fresno County adds 400-plus coronavirus cases

Fresno Bee

Fresno County reported more than 400 additional positive results for COVID-19 on Saturday. The latest 416 cases raised the county’s total to 12,564 since the first was reported in the region in March. The county has topped 300 cases in each of the past four days.

See Also:

●     Tulare County COVID-19 update: 4 new deaths as infections continue to spiral upward Visalia Times Delta

●     More Than 200 Community Medical Centers Staff Out Due to COVID-19 GV Wire

●     Fresno, Clovis cases by ZIP code; A second death in Mariposa Co Fresno Bee

A north-south divide? See where more people test positive for virus in Fresno, Clovis

Fresno Bee

An analysis of coronavirus cases in Fresno and Clovis indicates that areas in the southern part of Fresno not only have more confirmed infections of COVID-19 over the past few months of the pandemic — they also have a higher rate of people testing positive for the contagion than more northerly parts of the metropolitan area.

See Also:

·       The Color of COVID: Will Vaccine Trials Reflect America’s Diversity? Capital Public Radio

Kaweah Delta to hold online town hall, open to the public

MSN

As Kaweah Delta continues its efforts to better engage with the community, especially amid COVID-19, it will hold its fourth in a series of five town halls on Thursday, July 30.

Warszawski: Devin Nunes Podcast talks socialism in Fresno, COVID-19 

Fresno Bee

Journey with me, kind reader, to an alternate universe known as The Devin Nunes Podcast.

See also:

●      Devin Nunes Says Democrats Are ‘Against White People’ Because They Are ‘Always Talking About Racism’ GV Wire

South SJ Valley:

COVID-19 update: Rate of spread “likely increasing”

Porterville Recorder

There was an increase of 242 COVID-19 cases reported in the county over the weekend by Tulare County Health and Human Services. There have now been 8,534 cases in Tulare County. There were 8,210 cases reported on Friday. Over the three day period, that’s an increase more than 100 per day. But it should be noted not all cases over the weekend are processed until Tuesday.

See also:

·       More anxiety, more sickness, more stress: Inside Bakersfield Memorial as COVID-19 cases surgeBakersfield Califn

·       442 new COVID-19 cases reported Monday morning in Kern Bakersfield Califn

·       ‘This is what the virus is’: Two local hospital workers apply experience in NY to helping COVID-19 patients in Bakersfield Bakersfield Califn

State:

Calif Democrats unveil $100 billion coronavirus stimulus plan. Here’s what’s in it

Sac Bee

Top Calif Democrats announced on Monday a $100 billion stimulus plan that would borrow money from the federal government, expand tax credits for low-income Califns and offer help for small businesses in an attempt to prop up the state’s economy as the coronavirus-induced recession drags on.

Calif desperate for signs of turnaround after stunning coronavirus setbacks

LA Times

Coronavirus cases surging. Hospitals filling up. Reopening of schools postponed. Battles over wearing masks in public intensifying. July has brought a month of grim COVID-19 headlines for Calif, with a state once seen as a model of prevention enduring a new surge in cases as the economy rapidly reopened.

See also:

·       OPINION: Gavin Newsom’s ‘Calif miracle’ became a coronavirus nightmare. Can he fix it? Fresno Bee

·       ‘Underserved and underfunded’: Inside Calif’s county hit hardest by COVID-19 LA Times

·       Calif vs. NY: One state’s pandemic has been deadlier, but the numbers are more complex than case counts SF Chronicle

Rendon cancels Assembly hearings to address ‘imbalance’ between houses

Politico

Frustration between the Calif Assembly and Senate flared as lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday — culminating with the cancellation of Tuesday hearings in the lower house, which underscored the enduring challenges of making policy during a pandemic.

Latinos worry more than other Califns about how the coronavirus will affect them, poll says

LA Times

Latinos are much more anxious that they will become sick or affected financially by the novel coronavirus than their fellow Califns, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of Calif.

See also:

●      Many Latinos Couldn’t Stay Home. Now Virus Cases Are Soaring in Their Communities. NY Times

Fox: Calif’s Choice: New & Enriched Public Programs Or Freer Private Enterprise?

Hoover Institution

Change is coming to Calif following the double whammy of a pandemic eruption and police reform protests. Responses to the extraordinary dual events will initially flow into Calif’s current cultural and political liberal tide—a move toward more government involvement in our lives and more spending.

Federal:

Senate GOP unveils proposal for HEALS Act, next coronavirus stimulus package

abc30

The top White House negotiators are set to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Monday at the Capitol on the next coronavirus relief package with deadlines looming as they race to prevent unemployment assistance and an eviction moratorium from expiring for millions of Americans.

See Also:

●     Second stimulus bill introduced by Senate Republicans Monday Fresno Bee

●     GOP coronavirus plan includes another $1,200 check, cuts unemployment benefit to $200 LA Times

●     Senate GOP releases Covid proposal amid internal divisions Politico

●     Coronavirus Relief: How the Republican and Democratic Plans Compare WSJ

●     McConnell takes divided GOP into high-stakes stimulus talks Bloomberg

●      Want your next stimulus check faster? Congress needs to change just one line of law Brookings

●      GOP Releases Coronavirus Relief Proposal After Delay WSJ

Nancy Pelosi, others hail civil rights icon John Lewis as ‘conscience’ of Congress

abc30

In a solemn display of bipartisan unity, congressional leaders praised the late Democratic Rep. John Lewis as a moral force for the nation on Monday in a Capitol Rotunda ceremony rich with symbolism and punctuated by the booming, recorded voice of the late civil rights icon.

See Also:

●     Lawmakers pay tribute to John Lewis as he lies in state at U.S. Capitol LA Times

Fauci responds to Trump tweet: ‘I have not been misleading the American public under any circumstances’ 

TheHill

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said early Tuesday that he had not misled Americans “under any circumstances” after President Trump suggested that he had.

See also:

●      Fauci rebukes Trump’s renewed push for ineffective Covid-19 treatment MSN

After Reopening, Coronavirus-Hit States Chart Their Own Paths to Close Up Again

WSJ

New public-health analyses show majority of states don’t meet CDC’s criteria for lifting restrictions.

COVID-19 threatens Black middle-class gains

PEW

The Black middle class has made strides in recent years toward economic parity with whites in 34 states. COVID-19 is putting that progress at risk.

Opinion: The one question that still dogs Trump

Washington Post

The president has failed at the one task that could help him achieve all of his goals — confronting the pandemic with a clear strategy and consistent leadership.

Gallup: 65% in U.S. support protests after George Floyd’s death 

UPI.com

About two-thirds of Americans say they support the nationwide protests that came after the death of George Floyd in May and half say they feel connected to the cause, a Gallup survey said Tuesday.

See also:

·       Opinion: ‘Something’s got to give’: Trump stirs old racial hatred, but this time feels different LA Times

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif

Covid19.ca.gov

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 (COVID-19) CDC

●     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 NY 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 Fin. Times

●     Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters

Elections 2020:

Inside 100 Days To Presidential Election, 9 Things That Could Change The Race

VPR
Joe Biden has the clear advantage — for now. With a majority of Americans disapproving of the way President Trump is handling the coronavirus pandemic, Biden has jumped to an 8-point lead in an average of the national polls. That’s double what his advantage was at the end of February, and the presumptive Democratic nominee is at or near 50% in many surveys. Problematically for the president, the coronavirus isn’t going away and that threatens his prospects heading into the fall.

See also:

·       As Trump attacks Biden on China, he’s playing a weak hand LA Times

●      Trump’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Wealthy Suburbanites. It’s the White Working Class. Politico

Biden Tax Plan Targets Profitable Companies That Pay Almost Nothing

WSJ

Democrat’s proposal would require Amazon, others to pay at least 15% of reported profits. 

See also:

●      Biden announces plans to boost black and Latino finances to help overcome inequities in the economy Washington Post

●     Fox’s Chris Wallace says Biden campaign turned down interview request: ‘We’ll keep asking’TheHill

●     Chris Wallace Says Joe Biden ‘Not Available’ for Interview National Review

●     She had no remorse’: Why Kamala Harris isn’t a lock for VP POLITICO

●      ‘It’s absolutely serious’: Susan Rice vaults to the top of the VP heap POLITICO

Wealthy donors pour millions into fight over mail-in voting

Modesto Bee

Deep-pocketed and often anonymous donors are pouring over $100 million into an intensifying dispute about whether it should be easier to vote by mail, a fight that could determine President Donald Trump’s fate in the November election.

Democrats winning money wars in several Calif congressional races

SF Chronicle

Central Valley Democratic Rep. Josh Harder has opened up a huge financial lead in his re-election race against Republican Ted Howze, whose financial support virtually disappeared after reports of bigoted anti-Black and anti-Muslim posts on his social media accounts.

Other:

How Calif election officials are fighting disinformation

High Country News

Authorities expect widespread false information campaigns ahead of the November election.

See also:

●      Vote Safe Calif Kick-Off Week CA SOS

Questions for technology CEOs testifying before Congress

Brookings

Tomorrow, the most powerful technology leaders in the world—Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook—are scheduled to testify before Congress on competition policy and antitrust issues during an era where large companies exercise considerable market power. Darrell West poses important questions that members of Congress should ask these leaders about the technology controversies facing the United States and the world.

See also:

●      Google’s Top Search Result? Surprise! It’s Google The Markup

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farmers to Families supplies more than 1,800 boxes

Porterville Recorder

It was an exciting morning for Mimi Schuler, who helped to organize the Farmers to Families food box event on Saturday. The event served over 1,800 boxes of fresh oranges, grapefruits, plums and grapes to families in Porterville thanks to RJB Produce Inc. who sponsored the Farmers to Families event and supplied the produce.

Almond industry weighs measures for cutting harvest-related air pollution

Bakersfield Califn

As Central Valley almond growers gear up for the annual harvest in coming weeks, efforts are underway to reduce the amount of air pollution kicked up as part of the process.

Americans Receive Mystery Seeds in the Mail, Mostly From China 

WSJ

Agricultural officials investigate after U.S. residents get unsolicited packages, warn people not to plant them.

See also:

●      Someone is sending mystery seeds to Califns. Officials are Warning Not to Plant Them. SF Chronicle

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Are violent criminals getting out in second wave of early prison release?

abc30

Inmates released early from Calif prisons are trickling into Central Valley communities.

Public Safety:

Editorial: Defund warrior cops and give the money to guardian cops

LA Times

As we’re reconsidering and overhauling American policing, let’s be careful not to inadvertently make more “warrior cops” — police who are strangers to the communities they patrol, who burst into neighborhoods like they were enemy turf, bash heads, make arrests and retreat back into their patrol cars. This is 911 policing. This is the policing of “Dragnet,” “Robocop,” “The Thin Blue Line.”

Fire:

After Calif’s Camp Fire, Some People From Paradise Put Down Roots In Tennessee

NPR
Two days after the Camp Fire destroyed Paradise, Calif., in November 2018, Dan Wentland drove through the town. The former mayor and his wife, Sherry, had run a construction business there since the 1970s. Together, the Wentlands built more houses, businesses, and churches than they could count.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Salons can cut hair outdoors in Fresno. Here’s why more aren’t doing it

Fresno Bee

It’s a sign of the times: You can get your hair cut and eyebrows waxed outside in Fresno County now. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to grow in Calif, salons were initially ordered to close indoor operations earlier this month. But on July 20, Gov. Gavin Newsom allowed people to get haircuts, manicures and massages outside.

Jobs:

CalPERS got 10,000 calls about retirement as Calif leaders talked about pay cuts

Fresno Bee

A surge of Calif public workers called CalPERS to check their retirement options as Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature talked about pay cuts last month, according to call data. Newsom announced plans in May to temporarily reduce state workers’ pay to help close a projected $54 billion deficit caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Vallarta Supermarkets hiring hundreds for new store in Madera

abc30

Vallarta Supermarkets, one of the largest Latino-owned supermarket chains in Calif, is opening a store in Madera and they need employees. Vallarta is looking to fill hundreds of people for full- and part-time positions. They include: management, customer service, and cashier positions, among others.

Representatives demand extension of $600 weekly emergency unemployment payments

abc30

U.S. representatives are demanding the Senate extend $600 weekly emergency unemployment payments that are due to expire at the end of this month. Representatives Jared Huffman, Ted Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, and Ami Bera are calling for immediate action on the benefit.

See also:

●      Calif may offer $600 a week in extra jobless benefits if Congress doesn’t act  SF Chronicle

●      $600 A Week: Poverty Remedy Or Job Slayer? VPR

●     Yale study finds expanded jobless benefits did not reduce employment YaleNews

Calif child care providers vote to form union 

POLITICO

A unit will now be able to collectively bargain for wages and benefits on behalf of tens of thousands of Calif workers, and organized labor has made an important inroad into a yet-to-be-unionized workforce.

See also:

●      Calif’s newest union: 45,000 childcare workers to be represented in contract talks EdSource

Google to Keep Employees Home Until Summer 2021 Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

WSJ

Search-engine giant pushes back return to normalcy.

EDUCATION

K-12:

These Calif moms were never going to send their kids to school in a pandemic. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Sac mom Erin Gottis knew she wasn’t going to send her 9-year-old son Mason back into the classroom this fall well before his school district announced plans to start the academic year with distance learning.

See also:

●      COVID-19 Risk in Schools: What You Should Know KQED

Should Fresno Unified postpone the start of the school year? Why some teachers say yes

Fresno Bee

With the new school year just weeks away, the Fresno Unified School District has not finalized a distance learning plan. Fresno Unified teachers who spoke with The Bee on condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation, said they are anxious and don’t think there’s enough time to prepare for another semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

VUSD to discuss reopening plans with new meeting format Tuesday

Visalia Times Delta

The Visalia Unified School District office is now closed to the public and beginning with Tuesday’s board meeting, people must submit their comments online. 

Number of homeless students in Kern schools expected to rise due to pandemic

Bakersfield Califn

The Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program announced Monday it’s ramping up support to Kern County schools to identify and connect schools with families struggling with housing, especially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release.

What are ‘pandemic pods,’ and how will they help Calif parents teach their kids this fall?

Sac Bee

When Sac-area schools were ordered to start the next school year online, Lauren Davis of Folsom knew she had to take action. The experience for her 9-year-old daughter was not optimal when schools abruptly closed campuses in March amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

Teachers union authorizes strikes if schools reopen without certain safety measures

TheHill

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the nation’s second-largest teachers union, said it will back members to go on strike because of unsafe working conditions in schools.

Higher Ed:

Around 865 CSUB students will be back on campus for in-person instruction this fall

Bakersfield Califn

Cal State Bakersfield announced its fall 2020 plan, which includes allowing select students back on campus for in-person instruction, has been approved by the Chancellor’s Office.

Calif’s online community college still has much to prove

EdSource

Calbright College, Calif’s online community college, may have survived elimination in the state’s budget, but the pressure is on to prove its value to the state. The college faces a state audit and has yet to announce any employer partnerships it promised a year ago. Questions also remain whether Calbright’s students, the first of whom are 10 months into the program, will complete and find the employment the college promised.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

It’s been a landmark year for investor action on climate change

LA Times

As 2020 kicked off, Dan Gocher at the Australasian Center for Corporate Responsibility, a shareholder advocacy organization, was feeling “pretty optimistic” about its plans to force big Australian energy companies to tackle climate change.

E.P.A. Inspector General to Investigate Trump’s Biggest Climate Rollback

NY Times

The agency’s watchdog office said Monday it would investigate whether the reversal of Obama-era fuel efficiency standards violated government rules.

See also:

●      Trump’s vehicle emissions rollback faces EPA Inspector General probe MSN

Energy:

Geothermal company Ormat buys 80MWh ‘world record’ Calif energy storage facility

Energy Storage News

The 20MW / 80MWh Pomona battery energy storage facility, in operation in Calif since a fast-track process brought it online in partial response to the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak, has been bought by Ormat Technologies.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno County adds 400-plus coronavirus cases

Fresno Bee

Fresno County reported more than 400 additional positive results for COVID-19 on Saturday. The latest 416 cases raised the county’s total to 12,564 since the first was reported in the region in March. The county has topped 300 cases in each of the past four days.

See Also:

●     Tulare County COVID-19 update: 4 new deaths as infections continue to spiral upward Visalia Times Delta

●     More Than 200 Community Medical Centers Staff Out Due to COVID-19 GV Wire

A north-south divide? See where more people test positive for virus in Fresno, Clovis

Fresno Bee

An analysis of coronavirus cases in Fresno and Clovis indicates that areas in the southern part of Fresno not only have more confirmed infections of COVID-19 over the past few months of the pandemic — they also have a higher rate of people testing positive for the contagion than more northerly parts of the metropolitan area.

See Also:

·       The Color of COVID: Will Vaccine Trials Reflect America’s Diversity? Capital Public Radio

Stanislaus County COVID-19 contact tracing faces big case load

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County COVID-19 investigators are struggling to keep up with cases. The state of Calif is providing contact tracers, but the county reported a backlog of coronavirus recoveries.

More anxiety, more sickness, more stress: Inside Bakersfield Memorial as COVID-19 cases surge

Bakersfield Califn

From outside the sliding glass doors of an ICU room on the third floor of Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, nurse Jaclyn Moore peered in at a patient. The woman, a COVID-19 patient connected to a breathing machine, had been shifting her head back and forth moments earlier. Now, she seemed calm.

See also

●     442 new COVID-19 cases reported Monday morning in Kern Bakersfield Califn

Prevention: The CDC Updated Its Guidelines for When People With COVID-19 Can Be in Public Again

Apple News

There are three important criteria to meet.

Opinion: COVID-19 shows the need for a diagnostic stockpile

American Enterprise Institute – AEI

Congress can meet the current surge in demand for testing and be ready for the next pandemic.

Human Services:

Kaweah Delta to hold online town hall, open to the public

MSN

As Kaweah Delta continues its efforts to better engage with the community, especially amid COVID-19, it will hold its fourth in a series of five town halls on Thursday, July 30.

The coronavirus surge is back. Calif hospitals face familiar worries about PPEs and beds

Fresno Bee

Look at nearly any point on the map in Calif and you can see an area that has a hospital with a battle on its hands. Coronavirus cases are surging in the rural borderlands of Imperial County and in LA.

Calif law designed to keep generic drugs on market allowed to stand

SF Chronicle

A federal appeals court has refused to block enforcement of Calif’s groundbreaking “pay-for-delay” law, which prohibits pharmaceutical companies from paying competitors to keep generic drugs off the market.

COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Heads To Widespread Testing In U.S.

VPR
The COVID-19 vaccine candidate made by the U.S. biotech company Moderna and developed in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health starts its final phase of testing Monday.

See Also:

●     COVID-19 surge testing comes to the Kern County fairgrounds on Wednesday Bakersfield Califn

●     Final test of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine — in 30,000 volunteers — gets underway LA Times

●     Two coronavirus vaccines begin the last phase of testing: 30,000-person trials Washington Post

Flu Shot & Pneumonia Vaccine Might Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk, Research Shows

VPR

For years, public health officials have been trying to dispel the myth that people who get a flu shot are more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease. They are not. And now there is evidence that vaccines that protect against the flu and pneumonia may actually protect people from Alzheimer’s, too. The evidence comes from two studies presented Monday at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, which is being held as a virtual event.

Facebook Takes Down Viral Video Making False Claim That ‘Hydroxychloroquine Cures Covid’

Forbes

Facebook has taken down a video posted by right-wing news site Breitbart and retweeted by President Trump, showing a doctor vehemently making false claims that antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine is a “cure for Covid” that allegedly racked up 17 million views before being removed.

See also:

●      Twitter penalizes Donald Trump Jr. for posting hydroxychloroquine misinformation amid coronavirus pandemic Washington Post

Opinion: Calif Must Address a Statewide Latino Physician Shortage

Calif Health Report

Despite Calif’s leadership in expanding health coverage to a record number of Califns, we have a crisis that hardly anyone is addressing: Our state still fails to provide the quality—and quantity—of care needed by our largest ethnic group.

IMMIGRATION

US won’t expel migrant children detained in Texas hotel

Modesto Bee

The Trump administration has agreed not to expel a group of immigrant children it detained in a Texas hotel under an emergency declaration citing the coronavirus and will instead allow them to seek to remain in the U.S., the administration said Monday.

KCSO data shows drastic decrease in transfers to ICE 

Kern Sol News

Data released by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at Kern County’s third annual TRUTH Act Forum, held Monday evening, showed a significant decrease in the number of transfers to Immigration Customs Enforcement and release notification requests.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Yosemite employee has coronavirus. The national park hasn’t told the public

Fresno Bee

A Yosemite National Park resident has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an email from National Park Service leaders to some employees last week. It’s the first known case of someone testing positive for coronavirus at the popular Calif destination that had more than 4.5 million visitors last year.

Federal Bill Could Mean Huge Investment In Calif National Parks And Improved Access For Communities Of Color

Capital Public Radio

Congress passed perhaps one of the largest conservation bills in the past 75 years last week. The Great American Outdoors Act, if signed into law, would help prop up national parks and repair deteriorating infrastructure. For areas like Lake Tahoe this could mean upgrades for recreational facilities and more public access to the lake and trails. 

House approves bill to create Latino museum on National Mall

Modesto Bee

The House has passed a bill to establish a Smithsonian museum for American Latinos that would showcase Latino history, art and culture. The bill was approved Monday by a voice vote and now goes to the Senate, where it has bipartisan support.

Housing:

Number of homeless students in Kern schools expected to rise due to pandemic

Bakersfield Califn

The Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program announced Monday it’s ramping up support to Kern County schools to identify and connect schools with families struggling with housing, especially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release.

Newsom announces housing program for farmworkers with COVID-19

MSN

The state is expanding protections for essential workers who have risked their health to continue working throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday.

Mortgage relief and help for renters promised in Calif Democrats’ coronavirus plan

Sac Bee

Hundreds of thousands of Californians worry they won’t be able to make their next mortgage payments.

The hidden toll of Calif’s Black exodus

SF Chronicle

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 past three years building her dream home.

It’s nothing like the neighborhood where she grew up in South Central L.A. 

Calif laws likely to override Trump rule on transgender homeless shelter stays

SF Chronicle

The Trump administration’s proposal to allow single-sex homeless shelters to exclude transgender residents would impact a population that is already far more likely than others to be homeless. But even if it takes effect nationwide, the rule announced Friday will probably never be implemented in Calif because of state law.

Editorial: Just say ‘Yes in God’s backyard.’ Californians need homes, and houses of worship have land

LA Times

Rabbi Noah Farkas has a vision for how Valley Beth Shalom can use the synagogue’s giant parking lot to live out its values and fulfill its mission: Cover it with new affordable housing units for senior citizens.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Pro-business campaign criticizes ballot language on Calif property tax initiative

Sac Bee

A business-backed group fighting an initiative that would raise taxes on multi-million dollar commercial properties is criticizing how the measure is presented on the ballot language voters will see this fall, contending it obscures a tax hike.

CalPERS got 10,000 calls about retirement as Calif leaders talked about pay cuts

Fresno Bee

A surge of Calif public workers called CalPERS to check their retirement options as Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature talked about pay cuts last month, according to call data. Newsom announced plans in May to temporarily reduce state workers’ pay to help close a projected $54 billion deficit caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Last Calif state worker union reaches pay cut deal with Newsom administration

Modesto Bee

The one Calif state worker union that didn’t make a pay-cut deal with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration by a deadline this month has reached an agreement. A group of about 900 employees who maintain heating and air conditioning equipment in state buildings will take a pay cut of about 5.3% and receive two flexible days off in exchange.

Calif child care providers vote to form union 

POLITICO

A unit will now be able to collectively bargain for wages and benefits on behalf of tens of thousands of Calif workers, and organized labor has made an important inroad into a yet-to-be-unionized workforce.

See also:

●      Calif’s newest union: 45,000 childcare workers to be represented in contract talks EdSource

TRANSPORTATION

Will you ride a train after COVID-19? Calif transit agencies want you back on board

Sac Bee

How can the state’s public transit authorities woo passengers back to their trains, buses and metro lines in the middle of a pandemic? Ridership across Calif’s major transit agencies is down. Revenues have slumped.

High Speed Rail Regional Director leaves for a job at Caltrans

Your Central Valley

The Central Valley Regional Director of Calif’s High-Speed Rail Authority is taking on a new role at Caltrans.

Caltrans appoints new director in charge of state highway system in Kern County

KGET 17

The Calif Department of Transportation has appointed a new director in charge of the state highway system in Kern County.

WATER

Road trip: Lake Tahoe’s western shore in age of pandemics

Stockton Record

Four months into the COVID-19 pandemic and a month into summer, Lake Tahoe lies resplendent, as always, under a hot July sun. Winter’s snows can only be spotted at the highest Sierra elevations, melting into shady crevices, and motels, hotels and restaurants are running at reduced capacity and shortened hours (some are closed). Suffering cabin fever, we decided upon a one-day road trip.

Forging Connections to Provide Safe Drinking Water

PPIC

Providing reliable drinking water is a challenge for many small systems in the San Joaquin Valley. We talked to Laura Ramos and Sarge Green of Fresno State about an effort to connect a dozen at-risk systems to the City of Fresno’s water supply.

“Xtra”

Uncertainties swirl around Modesto’s Gallo Center, shut down by coronavirus pandemic 

Modesto Bee

When will the Gallo Center be able to open again?