POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Merced has to pay the county nearly $10 million, court says. Here’s why
Merced Sun-Star
The city of Merced lost a legal appeal recently and must now pay out $9.5 million to the Merced County controller, according to Sacramento County Superior Court records.
Council members question Modesto’s spending on food for employee meals, events
Modesto Bee
Modesto spent $80,753 on food and beverages in one year for such occasions as feeding officers at crime scenes, community events, working lunches, employee recognition and snacks for employee training.
EDITORIAL: What can happen when people want to get along (Stanislaus Co and Paterson & Newman)
Modesto Bee
At a time of pitched political rancor, when it’s common strategy to fight fight fight, it’s nice to see someone instead patch things up with a potential enemy. Such is the case with Stanislaus County and its two West Side cities, Patterson and Newman.
Central SJ Valley:
VP Mike Pence is coming to the Valley for trade and fundraising. Here’s where he’ll be
Fresno Bee
Pence is making two stops in Fresno and Kings counties; he is also scheduled for a campaign fundraising luncheon near Coalinga hosted by prominent farmer/rancher John Harris.
What a great idea: Fresno residents want new parks, so they take it on themselves
Fresno Bee
Some great news was announced recently in Fresno: Neighborhoods and community organizations are setting out to build new parks in parts of the city where they are badly needed, and they are not using city money to do it.
See Also:
● SF Judge’s Ruling Offers Hope for Fresno Parks Tax Backers GV Wire
South SJ Valley:
Sen Melissa Hurtado: $50 million in state funds secured for South San Joaquin Valley
KGET
As Governor Newsom’s $214.8 billion 2019-2020 budget went into effect Monday,
Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) announced she has secured millions of
dollars from the budget for the South San Joaquin Valley.
Lemoore councilmember in hot water again – facing new charges following second arrest
Fresno Bee
Holly Evelyn Blair, who sits on the Lemoore City Council, was arrested Saturday afternoon for allegedly threatening to kill her husband and punching him in the head, Lemoore police say.
See also:
● Police: Lemoore Councilmember Holly Blair arrested for domestic violence abc30
● Lemoore Councilmember Blair makes court appearance abc30
● Lemoore Councilwoman Holly Blair arrested on suspicion of domestic violence Hanford Sentinel
Will money help find missing Central Valley official? Bakersfield police offer $5,000 reward
Fresno Bee
Investigators now hope money will help turn up missing McFarland City Manager John Wooner. Bakersfield police on Tuesday rolled out a reward of up to $5,000 for information on the rural city manager who vanished without a trace in May.
Gurrola replaces Ward on Council
Porterville Recorder
The battle for the soon-to-be vacant District 5 City Council seat has been settled, and at Tuesday night’s meeting the Council appointed previous Council member and mayor Virginia Gurrola to fill the vacancy. Gurolla was chosen out of a trio of potential candidates for the seat.
State:
Update: Six months in, here’s how Gavin Newsom is doing on 10 campaign promises
Fresno Bee
Democrat Gavin Newsom vowed while running for governor to tackle many of California’s biggest problems, from health care to homelessness to wildfires. We’re watching his efforts to keep his campaign promises.
Declaring emergency, Gavin Newsom says Trump administration will help in quake response
Fresno Bee
After touring damage wrought by back-to-back earthquakes, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that the Trump administration has committed to helping the state with its disaster response in Southern California’s high desert.
See also:
● Gov. Newsom says Trump wants to help California abc30
Trump loves tradition, but California has vibrant diversity, experimental attitude
Fresno Bee
Commentary: President Trump and Russia’s Putin are traditionalists, so they oppose the liberal ideas that come from California, writes Andrew Fiala, Fresno State philosophy professor.
Capital Public Radio
You might not be working Friday, but California lawmakers are. They’re expected to vote on the final pieces of the state budget package. They’re also coming to collect expense money known as “per diem.”
Can California Crack Down On Deepfakes Without Violating The First Amendment?
Capital Public Radio
As technological developments make it increasingly difficult to sort fake videos from real news, California lawmakers are struggling to find some way to fight back. Will the U.S. Constitution let them?
California Becomes 1st State To Ban Hairstyle Discrimination
Capital Public Radio
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Wednesday that made California the first state to ban workplace and school discrimination against black people for wearing hairstyles such as braids, twists and locks.
See also:
● California bans bias against black people based on natural hairstyles San Francisco Chronicle
California lawmakers took thousands from Big Tobacco before they wrote this anti-vaping bill
Sacramento Bee
Two California lawmakers with a history of taking money from tobacco giant Philip Morris USA have introduced a bill aimed at curbing teen vaping by creating new penalties on retailer and teenage buyers.
Prop. 13 reform headed to California ballot could swamp counties
San Francisco Chronicle
Progressives are excited about an initiative to change Proposition 13 that could generate billions of dollars every year for schools and local government — and it’s already qualified for the November 2020 ballot.
Rent control could be back on the California ballot in 2020
Los Angeles Times
The new initiative, backed by the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, would similarly allow cities and counties to implement stricter rent control policies than currently allowed under state law. Michael Weinstein, the foundation’s president, said continuing increases in rents are leading to California’s recent surge in its homeless population and hurting millions of struggling tenants.
Gun groups sue over California law banning firearms sales to those under 21
Los Angeles Times
Gun-owner groups on Monday filed a federal lawsuit challenging California’s new law banning the sale of firearms to people under the age of 21, arguing that those 18 and older are adults with legal rights to possess pistols and rifles.
Make California sports betting legal? Lawmakers propose measure to go on 2020 ballot
Los Angeles Times
Joining a national wave, California lawmakers on Thursday proposed a ballot measure that would legalize sports betting in the state in response to last year’s Supreme Court ruling allowing states to permit wagering.
San Diego Union-Tribune
Soon after becoming California’s eighth insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara organized a reelection committee that began accepting tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions from people with ties to companies he regulates, campaign disclosures show.
California: Shining example or third-world state?
CALmatters
Recent weeks have seen a debate of sorts about the image and reality of contemporary California. Is it, as Gov. Gavin Newsom contends, a nation-state proving that economic prosperity, multiculturism and social progress can advance together? “California is what America is going to look like,” he told a television interviewer. “California is America’s coming attraction.”
Fire bills, big quakes, super-charging EV purchases, and teachers
CALmatters
“The heat is on. The state can either ignore what science is telling us or we can respond to this challenge in a responsible way.”—Then Assemblyman Byron Sher, 1989. The L.A. Times’ Julia Rosen quoted Sher for a storyabout 1988 legislation he wrote that required a study warning about global warming, 30 years ago.
The California Census Office Events
CA Census
The California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office is committed to engaging its many partners, from counties to Tribal Governments, education institutions, community-based organizations, and more, through events, webinars, meetings, convenings, and consultations.
Will California’s New Bot Law Strengthen Democracy?
New Yorker
On July 1st, California became the first state in the nation to try to reduce the power of bots by requiring that they reveal their “artificial identity” when they are used to sell a product or influence a voter.
Federal:
A New Team of Government Lawyers Will Take Over Census Fight
Wall Street Journal
A new team of government lawyers will be taking charge of the census fight, the Justice Department said, as the Trump administration continues to search for a legally acceptable way to include a citizenship question in the 2020 survey despite a recent Supreme Court decision barring it.
See Also:
● Where a citizenship question could cause the census to miss millions of Hispanics Washington Post
● Reversing course, Trump administration will look for a way to add citizenship question to 2020 Census Washington Post
● OPINION: How to Put Citizenship Back in the Census Wall Street Journal
● OPINION: The census should remain in the hands of the president Washington Post
● Trump administration weighing path forward on citizenship question: Court filing abc30
● DOJ Still Looking To Add Census Citizenship Question, Official Tells Court Capital Public Radio
● Trump may add citizenship question to census with executive order, hoping to sway chief justice Los Angeles Times
Senators call for government’s American flags to be made in USA
abc30
Under the proposed law, flags would have to be produced entirely with U.S.-made materials and manufactured in the U.S.
Crunch Time Looms for Trump’s New NAFTA
Bloomberg
Signed by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. more than seven months ago, the new Nafta agreement isn’t so new anymore. But it may be close to grabbing the spotlight again.
Aided by a strong economy, Trump approval rises, but a majority also see him as ‘unpresidential’
Washington Post
Aided by a strong economy and perceptions that he has dealt with it effectively, President Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest point of his presidency, though a slight majority of Americans continue to say they disapprove of his performance in office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
See also:
· OPINION: Face facts, America, Donald Trump is a success. Let’s count the ways. USA Today
· OPINION: Accusing the New York Times of ‘Treason,’ Trump Crosses a Line Wall Street Journal
OPINION: Trump, Social Science and Media Bias
Wall Street Journal
“Why does President Trump ignore facts and experts?” CNN asked in a panel discussion last fall hosted by Jake Tapper. Mr. Trump’s media critics often accuse him of ignoring inconvenient facts, while they grant academics and other scholars the status of arbiters of truth and falsehood.
OPINION: Why American conservatism failed
Washington Post
Today’s crisis of conservatism has produced surprisingly few books that try to understand what exactly has happened to the venerable creed. For decades, conservatism was a dominant ideology in the Western world, championed by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
Elections 2020:
2020 candidates pitch African American voters at Essence Fest
abc30
Five 2020 presidential candidates will make a direct appeal to African American women at Essence Fest, one of the largest annual African American events in the country.
Q&A with Elizabeth Warren: Why she thinks she can beat Trump and won’t attack Bernie
Sacramento Bee
In an interview with the California Nation podcast, Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren discussed her approach to the Golden State, friendship with opponent Bernie Sanders and left-leaning policy proposals on immigration and health care.
See Also:
● Elizabeth Warren is running for president. Five things Californians need to know about her Sacramento Bee
Yes, she stuck it to Biden, but Harris’ positions are tough to pin down
Los Angeles Times
Who is the real Kamala Harris? Ten days ago, the senator from California dominated the Democratic presidential debate when she excoriated Joe Biden for his opposition to mandatory busing to achieve school desegregation.
See also:
● Joe Biden apologizes for comments about segregationists, after weeks of criticism Los Angeles Times
● Kamala Harris raises $12 million in second quarter, far below some of her rivals Los Angeles Times
● Why Biden still leads and why that might not last Los Angeles Times
● Don’t romanticize busing. It was an imperfect tool in the fight against segregation Los Angeles Times
● Kamala Harris on race and electability in 2020 Sacramento Bee
● Kamala Harris proposes $100 billion plan for black homeownership Politico
Other:
What makes a good citizen? Voting, paying taxes, following the law top list
Pew Research Center
In a Pew Research Center survey in early 2018, around three-quarters of Americans (74%) said voting in elections was very important to what it means to be a good citizen, and around seven-in-ten said the same about paying taxes (71%) and always following the law (69%).
Facebook says private groups are its future. Some are hubs for misinformation and hate.
Washington Post
Facebook’s failure to monitor problematic groups surfaced again this week after an investigation by ProPublica revealed that a secret, members-only group of current and former Border Patrol agents joked callously about the deaths of migrants and used a vulgar illustration of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) being forced to engage in a sexual act by President Trump.
Can’t see KSEE24 or CBS47 on DirecTV? Here’s why, plus how you can still see your shows
Fresno Bee
A contract dispute between national corporations has television viewers in the Merced/Fresno/Visalia region wondering why two stations suddenly became unavailable.
Arthur Brooks on why we hate our political enemies — and how to stop
PBS
Arthur Brooks is the former president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington, D.C., think tank. Troubled by the level of animosity in the current U.S. political landscape, he’s analyzed why we increasingly hate those with whom we disagree — and how to use love to try to persuade them instead. Brooks joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his latest book, “Love Your Enemies.”
Lessons learned from more than 20 years of asking about Americans’ online news habits
A Medium Corporation
At Pew Research Center, we’ve been asking Americans about their online news habits since the mid-1990s. Since then, the ways people get news online have changed a lot — and so have the ways we ask about it.
Reflecting On Japanese American Internment Camps, Reparations, And Serving The Nation
KVPR
This week, a Japanese-American from Baton Rouge, Louisiana visited Fresno for the first time in 78 years.
Hispanics with darker skin are more likely to experience discrimination than those with lighter skin
Pew Research Center
About six-in-ten U.S. Hispanic adults (58%) say they have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity, though their experiences vary by skin color, according to a recently released Pew Research Center survey.
Ginsburg Passing The Liberal Torch: Takeaways From A Big Supreme Court Term
NPR
This past term, the Supreme Court decided cases dealing with thorny issues such
as a citizenship question on the U.S. census, political gerrymandering and the separation of church and state. Here are six takeaways from what happened, including a look ahead to
what’s coming next term.
EDITORIAL: Happy Birthday, America: At age 243, you remain the hope of freedom for all
Fresno Bee
These 243 years later, some say America is horribly messed up with a bitter, partisan political divide, urban ills like crime and rampant drug abuse, and a growing haves/have-nots economy. There is no question our nation faces major challenges. But when has it not?
See also:
● Happy Birthday, America! Sierra Star
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Valley Agribusiness Job Fair | August 1, 2019 – Fresno, CA
Downtown Fresno
Looking for a job in the Agribusiness industry? Meet face-to-face with hiring manager at the Valley Agribusiness Job Fair on Thursday, August 1. Available positions include executive, specialty-trained and semi-skilled career opportunities and more! Registration is free!
Ag housing bill would help fieldworkers
Visalia Times Delta
It’s a California story that goes back to the Dust Bowl, and even earlier, about a state agricultural industry that produces more than $50 billion a year in sales but still falls short when it comes to providing adequate housing for a labor force of 800,000 who work the fields, dairies, and packing sheds at peak season.
Giumarra Vineyards CEO, John Giumarra Jr, dies at 78
KGET
John Giumarra, Jr, a giant in Kern County’s agriculture industry has died at
the age of 78. Giumarra Jr. Died Sunday afternoon of natural causes. He was the
president and CEO of Giumarra Vineyards, one of California’s leading producers
of table grapes.
Judge To Reassess $80 Million Award In Monsanto Cancer Case
Capital Public Radio
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said at a hearing Tuesday that he will reduce but not entirely eliminate punitive damages for what he called the company’s “reprehensible” conduct, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
All that online grocery shopping is causing a cold storage shortage
Los Angeles Times
Changes in the way people shop have the “cold chain” scrambling to keep up. Consumers, particularly younger buyers, are turning more and more to online grocery shopping and prepared meal services, which means more refrigerated warehouses are needed to keep that stuff cold.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Excessive force? Fresno police chief says Facebook video isn’t the full story
Fresno Bee
Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer on Thursday addressed a video that appears to show officers using excessive force to detain a man who was allegedly high on methamphetamine.
Can Merced County’s aging jails deal with ultra-violent, problem inmates? Some say no
Merced Sun-Star
For years, county and state officials have been planning an expansion and renovation of another Merced County jail facility in order to house violent criminals like Carrillo — the John Latorraca Correctional Center, located at 2548 W. Sandy Mush Road near El Nido.
Kern County is No. 1 in homicides for second straight year
Bakersfield Californian
For the second straight year, Kern County’s homicide rate led the state. According to a report released by the California Department of Justice, there were 11.1 homicides in Kern County per 100,000 residents in 2018.
DOJ Cracks Down on Stockton’s ‘School-to-Prison Pipeline’ After Discrimination Findings
KQED
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced on Tuesday an agreement
with the Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) aimed at ending systemwide
discrimination against minority and disabled students after an investigation
found schools frequently referred students to the district’s police department
for issues that could have been handled by administrators or teachers.
Proposed reform of bail system needs more study
Visalia Times Delta
California Senate Bill 10, passed by the California legislature and signed by California’s governor in 2018 provides for a drastic change in pretrial detentions of criminal defendants.
California ends its long, costly shift of prisoners to other states
Los Angeles Times
For an issue that received so much publicity at its peak — images of prisoners in triple bunk beds and overflowing into multipurpose rooms — the end of California’s prison crisis came quietly last week, when the state brought home the last of its inmates held in a private lockup northwest of Tucson.
Public Safety:
Fresno fire crews help survey damage after second big earthquake hits Ridgecrest Fresno Bee
The City of Fresno’s Regional Task Force 5 is among the crews in Ridgecrest to help examine the damage and provide assistance following Friday’s powerful earthquake, according to Fresno Fire Department spokesman Robert Castillo.
See also:
● Valley first responders help with aftermath of Ridgecrest Earthquake abc30
Are you prepared for an earthquake? Here’s how easy it is to make an emergency kit
Sacramento Bee
After Ridgecrest was hit with two major earthquakes over the Fourth of July weekend, scientists say to expect more to come. The American Red Cross recommends having enough food, water and other supplies to last at least three days in the event of an emergency evacuation.
See Also:
● ‘We need to be prepared.’ Few in CA Central Valley buy earthquake insurance, officials say Sacramento Bee
● California Today: How to Prepare for the Next Big Quake New York Times
Cop just one job at Modesto Police Department. Many others keep organization running.
Modesto Bee
There’s a breadth to law enforcement agencies far beyond the most visible position of sworn officer. Crime analyst is among many nonsworn jobs, also including clerks, police assistants, property and evidence technicians, animal control officers and community service officers.
Deadly encounters involving police use of force decline in California, report finds
Los Angeles Times
A new report spurred by national concern over fatal shootings by police shows 146 civilians and three officers died during law enforcement confrontations in California last year, with fewer violent encounters and deaths of suspects than in previous years.
Hate crimes targeting Jews and Latinos increased in California in 2018, report says
Los Angeles Times
Despite a slight decline in the overall number of hate crimes reported statewide, incidents targeting Latinos and Jewish people in California surged last year, an uptick experts have blamed on vitriolic rhetoric over immigration and emboldened hate groups.
How NCAA athletes and your privacy are linked
CALmatters
In selling sports jerseys with someone’s name attached or using real athletes and their statistical history as characters in video games, money is made off the athletes’ unique qualities just as money is made off individual’s distinctive data and interests that is captured by Internet companies.
New York Times
A recent study analyzed 52 metrics to determine the safest states in the country, as well as the least safe. The results might surprise you. States like New York and California didn’t even make the top 10 — on either list.
Fire:
Flood of July 4 fire calls leaves Fresno firefighters ‘challenged’ to respond
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Fire Department responded to 85 fire calls in a 12-hour period, beginning on Fourth of July and into early Friday, two of those calls involved structure fires.
SJ supes will hear PG&E’s power outage plan
Stockton Record
At some point this summer — when there is little humidity, the winds are gusting and the heat is broiling — don’t be surprised if the electricity goes out where you live and doesn’t come back on for several days.
San Diego Union-Tribune
Between 2010 and 2018, Cal Fire conducted hundreds of thousands of inspections but issued just 780 fines. By comparison, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which does its own inspections, issued more than 1,900 citations in fiscal 2013-14.
Trump administration still holding on to $9 million owed to California fire departments
Fresno Bee
California still has not heard from the Trump administration about $9 million the state believes local fire departments are owed for work fighting wildfires last year, according to the Office of Emergency Services.
Communities prepare for wildfires with help from federal program
San Francisco Chronicle
Jackson Oaks in Santa Clara County is one of 222 communities working to prevent disasters. The residents have joined Firewise, a federal program that helps neighborhoods adjacent to wilderness prepare for wildfires.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
As Congress struggles with trade deal, here are the lawmakers to watch
Sacramento Bee
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement could mean more jobs around the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and at ports around the country. But it might hurt the produce industries in Florida and Georgia.
Hedge funds’ proposal to ‘rescue’ PG&E is probably too good to be true
CALmatters
The Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom are grappling with the most significant utility-related public-policy issue our state has faced in some time–California’s wildfire vulnerability and the bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Is the U.S. economy working for everyone? What the data shows
PolitiFact
During the recent Democratic presidential debates, most of the candidates at one point or another rejected the notion that the economy is going gangbusters, taking issue with one of President Donald Trump’s most frequent talking points.
See also:
· ‘This doesn’t look like the best economy ever’: 40% of Americans say they still struggle to pay bills Washington Post
· Amid long economic expansion, why so many Americans are still struggling PBS
Jobs:
U.S. employers add robust 224,000 jobs in June
PBS
U.S. employers sharply stepped up their hiring in June, adding a robust 224,000
jobs, an indication of the economy’s durability after more than a decade of
expansion.
1 in 4 don’t plan to retire despite realities of aging
Fresno Bee
Nearly one-quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals’ retirement plans and the realities of aging in the workforce.
Modesto nonprofit and its disabled workers get second chance to vie for city work
Modesto Bee
United Cerebral Palsy of Stanislaus County will get another chance to compete for an agreement with Modesto that helped pay for a UCP program that employed disabled adults, providing them with a paycheck and self-worth.
Employee Activism Is Alive in Tech. It Stops Short of Organizing Unions.
New York Times
For more than three months, the workers had battled the company’s new management over their hours, a changing workplace culture and diversity issues, said seven current and former NPM employees. So to give themselves more say, they moved to organize.
Do I want to work for that CEO? New rules show the gap between chief executive, worker pay
USA Today
Americans will be hearing a lot more about the wealth gap, income inequality and related topics as the presidential election campaign ramps up. These issues tend to crop up every election cycle.
EDITORIAL: California legislators could save gig workers — or ruin the part-time economy
Los Angeles Times
California’s Silicon Valley created the “gig economy,” in which on-demand services are powered by on-demand workers, typically working part-time.
OPINION: Call Uber and Lyft drivers what they are: employees
Los Angeles Times
Uber and Lyft are mounting a full court press to convince policymakers in California that their drivers should be classified as independent contractors and not employees. Uber’s chief executive and Lyft’s founders claim that the designation is critical for the companies.
OPINION: Jobs and the Federal Reserve
Wall Street Journal
The American labor market rebounded in June after a lull in May, but that doesn’t mean the economy or the Federal Reserve get an all clear. Wage growth has stabilized and there looks to be enough workers still on the sidelines to warrant a focus on growth over fear of inflation.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Lead found in CA school drinking water, state says. Is your local campus on the list?
Sacramento Bee
Almost two years of tests have revealed excessive levels of lead in drinking fountains and faucets in California’s schools. But state officials and an environmental organization can’t agree on how pervasive the problem is.
If the courts won’t give us fair elections, maybe our high schools will
CALmatters
The Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld partisan gerrymandering as a political practice for which there is no federal judicial remedy will be taken as a green light by some state legislatures to draw political maps to favor the party in power.
Fifty years after desegregation, wide racial and ethnic achievement gaps persist in Berkeley
Ed Source
Fifty years after Sen. Kamala Harris was bused to Thousand Oaks Elementary School from her home in the Berkeley flatlands, the district is still grappling with persistent racial and ethnic disparities that decades of concerted efforts have failed to eliminate.
Teacher credentials come in for tough grading as CA rethinks charter school rules
CALmatters
Charter advocates and local school officials say the ability to expand limited applicant pools to include, say, professional artists, helps ensure a breadth of course offerings in areas such as dance, theater and music.
About one-in-six U.S. teachers work second jobs – and not just in the summer
Pew Research Center
Among all public elementary and secondary school teachers in the U.S., 16% worked non-school summer jobs in the break before the 2015-16 school year. Notably, about the same share of teachers (18%) had second jobs during the 2015-16 school year, too, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
All school and no work becoming the norm for American teens
Brookings
From 2000 to 2018, the labor force participation rate of 16- to 64-year-olds fell 3.6 percentage points. In previous work, we have shown that declining labor force participation among young people contributed substantially to this decline.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State Real Estate Program Among Best In Nation
Business Journal
The Craig School of Business’ real estate program at California State University, Fresno has been ranked 34th among the 40 top comparably-sized university real estate programs in the country.
Fresno State’s Fall 2019 Career & Internship Fair
Fresno State
Are you are looking to fill full-time, part-time and internship opportunities in 2019? Connect with over 1500 Fresno State students and alumni at our Fall 2019 Career & Internship Fair on Wednesday, October 9th, from 1:00-4:00 pm in the Save Mart Center.
Students shut out at CSUs due to overcrowding receive a second chance at CSUB
Bakersfield Californian
They say, “It ain’t over till it’s over,” and it looks like it’s not the end of the line for thousands of students who applied to a Cal State University but were not admitted due to overcrowding.
How Do You Prepare Students For College When They’re The First In Their Family To Go?
KVPR
Going to college is hard enough, but what if no one in your family can tell you how to study, help you choose classes, fill out financial aid forms, or even apply in the first place? What if you’re the first in your family to experience this?
California wipes out $58.6M in student debt – and helps poor patients get access to doctors
Sacramento Bee
The state of California will be paying off $58.6 million in student loans this year for 247 physicians who, in exchange, committed to serve a greater percentage of the state’s poorest and frailest residents: those covered by Medi-Cal.
See also:
· College should be affordable, but free tuition for all is not the way Sacramento Bee
· Summer Financial Aid: A Tool for Boosting Low-Income Students’ Graduation Rates California Budget & Policy Center
Should College Athletes Profit From Their Prowess? NCAA Says No, But California May Say Yes
Capital Public Radio
A bill to let student athletes be paid for use of their names and images could most benefit women, walk-ons and players in less high-profile sports.
Career Pathways and Economic Mobility at California’s Community Colleges
PPIC
Career education programs in California’s community colleges are a critical component of public higher education in the state. Also known as career technical or vocational programs, career education trains individuals for middle-skill jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree.
Inside Higher ED
It’s not every day that colleges and universities and their adjuncts wholeheartedly agree on something. But legislation in California regarding the exempt status of adjunct workers has the backing of both the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and the Service Employees International Union.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
7.1 earthquake felt widely across California, in Fresno, Los Angeles and Sacramento
Fresno Bee
For the second straight day, an earthquake could be felt in the Fresno, California, area and beyond. The latest quake occurred around 8:19 p.m. Friday and lasted at least a minute, causing a lengthy sway around town.
See also:
● Is the ‘Big One’ coming? Here’s what California quake experts say Fresno Bee
● ‘We need to be prepared.’ Few in CA Central Valley buy earthquake insurance, officials say Fresno Bee
● How can a 7.1 earthquake be 10 times stronger than a 6.4? Quake magnitudes explained Fresno Bee
● 7.1 earthquake was the strongest in two decades. A list of the biggest quakes in CA history Fresno Bee
● ‘Scared to death’: Surviving a 7.1 earthquake Visalia Times Delta
● Quakes push Californians to prepare for the next big jolt Bakersfield Californian
● Seismologist says be prepared for more quakes Bakersfield Californian
● Is the ‘Big One’ coming? Here’s what California quake experts say Sacramento Bee
● Southern California Jolted By Biggest Quake In 20 years Capital Public Radio
● In the ‘earthquake capital of the world,’ some forced out of their homes are wary of what’s next Los Angeles Times
● 11% chance of another huge earthquake in Southern California, scientists say Los Angeles Times
Volunteer Clean Up Crew Bags Bass Lake Trash
Sierra News
About 40 good-hearted local residents volunteered to tidy up around Bass Lake on Friday, July 5, after a local youth minister put out the call to pull on the gloves, grab the trash bags and get busy taking care of the annual post-holiday mess.
See also:
· The United States is No. 1 — when it comes to garbage output, new report finds Miami Herald
Extremely Dry Soil Connects Forest Die-Offs To Prolonged Drought, Says New UC Study
VPR
The U.S. Forest Service estimates 147 million trees in California died following the state’s prolonged drought. New research out of UC Merced suggests a culprit: Extremely dry soil.
The California coast is disappearing under the rising sea. Our choices are grim
Los Angeles Times
California’s coastline is eroding with every tide and storm, but everything built before we knew better is fixed in place with nowhere to go.
Best way to fight climate change? Plant a trillion trees
Associated Press
The study calculated that over the decades, those new trees could suck up nearly 830 billion tons (750 billion metric tons) of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That’s about as much carbon pollution as humans have spewed in the past 25 years.
OPINION: How the Media Corrupted Climate Policy
Wall Street Journal
It’s hard to credit people who say they care about climate change when they don’t bother to know anything about the subject. Or when they applaud proposals that would be extraordinarily expensive yet have no effect on the alleged problem and can only teach the public to become cynical about those who come bearing climate-related proposals.
Energy:
Offshore oil drilling threatens our health and economy. We need a permanent ban
Fresno Bee
Americans up and down our nation’s beautiful coasts know that offshore drilling is a direct threat to the health of the environment and to the economic vitality of coastal communities.
State budget funds study on cutting petroleum supply, demand
Bakersfield Californian
In a clear threat to one of Kern County’s economic pillars, California took a tentative first step toward cutting in-state oil and gas production with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature last week on a budget that includes $1.5 million for finding ways to reduce petroleum supply and demand.
The U.S. Is Overflowing With Natural Gas. Not Everyone Can Get It.
Wall Street Journal
Earlier this year, two utilities that service the New York City area stopped accepting new natural-gas customers in two boroughs and several suburbs. Citing jammed supply lines running into the city on the coldest winter days, they said they couldn’t guarantee they’d be able to deliver gas to additional furnaces. Never mind that the country’s most prolific gas field, the Marcellus Shale, is only a three-hour drive away.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Leadership shakeup at Stanislaus County mental health. Officials promise an overhaul
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County leaders have appointed a new mental health director with the expectation of getting better results from a county department whose annual budget exceeds $130 million.
California vaccination rate drops as doctors grant more exemptions. Is there a link?
Los Angeles Times
California’s kindergarten vaccination rate dropped again in the most recent school year as more parents sought permission from doctors to not immunize their children, according to new state data. The troubling trend comes amid a national measles outbreak as well as intense debate over whether California should strengthen its school immunization laws.
Parents need to get children away from their screens. Here are healthy alternatives.
Modesto Bee
Because of money constraints, kids are sitting inside this summer engaged with screens, not friends, and missing the benefits of outdoor physical play. So, local agencies are stepping up.
Human Services:
California is on the verge of a ‘gray wave.’ Health care needs to keep up
Fresno Bee
As the baby-boom generation ages, the number of senior citizens in the state is about to explode. The 65-and-over population will nearly double within a decade, which means a larger percentage of seniors here in California than in Florida.
See Also:
● How should we care for the state’s rapidly-growing senior population? Sacramento Bee
Possible Kaweah Delta mergers complicated
Visalia Times Delta
A study commissioned by Kaweah Delta Medical Center found expanding its taxpayer area outside of its current Visalia, Ivanhoe, and Goshen base would be complicated but could bring in more revenue to the medical district as it tries to finance a hospital seismic retrofit in the aftermath of the 2016 defeat of Measure H.
California Pays Down Their Student Loans, Doctors Agree To Treat Poorer Patients
Capital Public Radio
California this week said it will help repay the student loans of 247 selected doctors in exchange for their promise that at least 30 percent of their caseload will be people enrolled in Medi-Cal.
With Rural Health Care Stretched Thin, More Patients Turn To Telehealth
Capital Public Radio
Advances in online tech are revolutionizing health care, with patients now emailing doctors, filling prescriptions or even getting therapy via a video session.But what if you can’t afford broadband?
High-stakes lawsuit makes health care law a 2020 issue
Roll Call
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit will hear oral arguments in the high-profile Texas v. Azar lawsuit on Tuesday, which could spell the future of the health care law and become a major issue in the 2020 election cycle.
See also:
· Trump officials tell one court Obamacare is failing and another it’s thriving Los Angeles Times
· In court, it’s red Texas vs. blue California in the battle over Obamacare Sacramento Bee
IMMIGRATION
Did Madera County violate the state’s sanctuary law? ACLU seeking $750K in damages
Fresno Bee
The state’s sanctuary law is the focus of a complaint filed in Madera County, where jail officials are accused of illegally detaining a man for pick up by federal immigration agents.
California inmates’ removal to leave room for ICE detainees
Sacramento Bee
The departure of California prison inmates from an Arizona correctional center is expected to leave more room for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.
Medi-Cal enrollment among immigrant children stalls, then falls. Is fear to blame?
Sacramento Bee
As California prepares to expand Medicaid coverage to young adults here illegally, the number of undocumented immigrant children in the program is slowly declining, new state data show.
Trump administration ending in-person interpreters at immigrants’ first hearings
San Francisco Chronicle
The Trump administration is preparing to replace in-court interpreters at initial immigration court hearings with videos informing asylum seekers and other immigrants facing deportation of their rights, The Chronicle has learned.
See also:
· Amid fears of mass deportation of immigrants, State Bar warns of potential legal fraud Sacramento Bee
· Ken Cuccinelli Takes Reins of Immigration Agency With Focus on Migrant Vetting Wall Street Journal
EDITORIAL: We hold this truth to be self-evident: Immigration helped build this nation
Los Angeles Times
We need to remember the benefits of immigration and the contributions of those who have come to this country from elsewhere.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Property Manager Says 1 of 3 Oakhurst Hotels Will Open In September
Sierra News
While officials from Madera County and Cal Trans continue to work out the details of a formal plan to connect the town’s three new hotels to the main sewer line beneath Highway 41, negotiations are currently taking place that could allow one of the hotels to open later this year using the existing sewer system infrastructure.
Waterfront Warehouse hits capacity as new businesses move in
Stockton Record
The historic Waterfront Warehouse in downtown Stockton is seeing an infusion of life with the arrival of new building owners and with it more businesses to the downtown scene.
EDITORIAL: What a great idea: Fresno residents want new parks, so they take it on themselves
Fresno Bee
Some great news was announced recently in Fresno: Neighborhoods and community organizations are setting out to build new parks in parts of the city where they are badly needed, and they are not using city money to do it.
Housing:
Here’s how state money is helping the homeless in Fresno
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, Turning Point of Central California, Mental Health Systems and the Poverello House will open new or previously shuttered shelters and provide new housing options. The organizations will provide youth shelters and housing, a women’s shelter and three other 24/7, come-as-you-are, emergency shelters that connect people experiencing homelessness to other services.
EDITORIAL: California just added baby teeth to its housing laws
Los Angeles Times
In January, not even a week into his new job, Gov. Gavin Newsom made a big, bold threat to cities that have stalled or shirked their responsibility to build enough housing to meet their community’s needs.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: The houses Newsom hasn’t built San Francisco Chronicle
PUBLIC FINANCES
Prop. 13 reform headed to California ballot could swamp counties
San Francisco Chronicle
Progressives are excited about an initiative to change Proposition 13 that could generate billions of dollars every year for schools and local government — and it’s already qualified for the November 2020 ballot.
Mathews: California should miss this opportunity
Bakersfield Californian
Who says California opposes everything Trump does? Our state’s leaders are embracing at least one lousy presidential idea: opportunity zones. Trump’s 2017 federal tax law allows investors to defer or eliminate federal taxes by transferring capital gains into investments in designated “opportunity zone”.
See also:
● Where Trump and Newsom agree — and are both wrong San Francisco Chronicle
Walters: New state budget a windfall for unions
CALmatters
The state budget package that Democratic legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom just enacted is sprinkled with billions of dollars in extra goodies for their most important political constituency, labor unions.
Escaping California’s tax auditors is tough even after leaving the state
Los Angeles Times
California, like other higher-tax states, has residency auditors whose specialty is asserting that affluent people who have left the state are still legal residents and thus are subject to its taxes.
Effort to end triple-digit interest rates on small loans in California clears major hurdle
Los Angeles Times
Legislation to cap interest rates on high-cost small loans in California cleared a major hurdle Wednesday in the state Senate despite strong opposition from deep-pocketed lenders. The Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee approved Assembly Bill 539, which would set an annual interest rate cap of 36% plus a 2.5% federal funds rate on loans of $2,500 to $10,000, with a 6-0 bipartisan vote.
Wall Street Journal
Debt-collection lawsuits have increased in some state and municipal courts, following a decline during a regulatory tightening after the financial crisis. Debt purchases by collectors are also rising, according to data by large publicly traded debt-collection companies.
TRANSPORTATION
Emergency repairs underway on major highway after Ridgecrest quake. Could cost millions
Fresno Bee
Caltrans crews on Sunday began repairing damage to Highway 178 caused by the recent earthquakes that rocked the Ridgecrest area and beyond. An emergency order signed by Interim Caltrans Director Bob Franzoia allocated $3.1 million for needed repairs to Highway 178, according to a Caltrans news release.
City blames poor Caltrans maintenance for CarMax fire, issues emergency resolution
Bakersfield Californian
A fire that burned 86 vehicles in a CarMax lot has sparked frustration among local leaders, who say the damage could have been prevented if Caltrans had better maintained the median where the fire began.
State bill taking aim at city bikeshare, scooter regulations stalls in Senate
San Francisco Examiner
Assembly Bill 1112, authored by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), has sputtered to a stop in the state Senate along with some other shared mobility-related bills after it met with growing opposition from California cities.
Amtrak Has Lost Money for Decades. A Former Airline CEO Thinks He Can Fix It.
Wall Street Journal
The signs are aimed at the thousands of train passengers who rumble each day through North Philadelphia—two banners 14 feet high by 26 feet wide, mounted outside an old package-sorting facility built in the heyday of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
EDITORIAL: A moment of distraction can mean death on the highway. Here’s how you can save lives
Sacramento Bee
Honestly, though, how many of us have not allowed ourselves to become distracted behind the wheel of an automobile? Our smartphones are designed for distraction – with GPS navigation systems, music, social media and texting all located on one screen.
WATER
Fresno County’s portion of Kings River to reopen for recreation as heavy water flows subside
Fresno Bee
The Kings River will reopen on Saturday for recreational use from Pine Flat Dam to the Tulare and Kings County lines, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims announced Friday.
See also:
● Fresno Co., Tulare Co. reopen Kings River Saturday abc30
● Kings River will reopen to public Visalia Times Delta
Market-based program would encourage farmers to buy, sell local groundwater
Bakersfield Californian
A local water district is developing a novel, market-based groundwater trading program that, if successful, could be expanded or copied to help Central Valley farmers cope with new state restrictions against over-pumping the region’s aquifers.
After More Than A Decade, Lanare’s Water Is Finally Safe To Drink
KVPR
The unincorporated Fresno County community of Lanare has long been a poster
child for California’s widespread
contaminated drinking water. For the past 13
years, Lanare’s water had tested higher than the state limit for arsenic, but
that changed in February, when the water received a passing grade after a $3.8
million state grant paid for two new drinking water wells.
California needs Sites Reservoir. Here’s why
CALmatters
We need a broad portfolio of solutions that includes storage above and below ground, conservation, and other options such as traditional recycled and potable reuse to help ensure we can better manage this vital resource when the next inevitable drought comes along.
California’s Growing Demand for Recycled Water Has Ripple Effects
PPIC
Wastewater agencies produce highly treated water that is increasingly being reused as a water supply. While it’s still only a small portion of overall water use, the use of recycled water has nearly tripled since the 1980s―and is continuing to rise as water agencies seek to meet the demands of a growing population and improve the resilience of their water supplies.
“Xtra”
‘Art does not need to be just on gallery walls.’ Fresno intersection gets new life
Fresno Bee
Style and color has arrived to a crosswalk at a historic Fresno intersection. Once the paint dries where Echo and Weldon avenues meet, the intersection will offer a reflection of the Fresno High School neighborhood.
Activities & Recreational Programs
City of Fresno
The City of Fresno offers numerous programs with the focus of bringing community members together for recreation, science education, computer training, fitness, and more.
CCSPCA reducing fees to reclaim animals lost on the 4th
abc30
The Central California SPCA is reducing reclaim fees on all lost and stray animals that ended up at the shelter during the Fourth of July holiday. It says more pets become lost as a result of the Fourth of July holiday than any other time of year.
Ladies And Gentlemen Grab Your Axes: 60th Annual Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree
Sierra News
Get ready for the North Fork Boosters Club 60th Annual Loggers Jamboree! This event at the North Fork Recreation Center pays tribute to the loggers of time past and those still keeping the tradition alive today.
Mariposa County Library Buzzing with Summer Activities for All Ages
Sierra Sun Times
From strumming ukuleles to felting wool, making slime and goop to climbing the family tree, the opportunities to learn and explore at the Mariposa Library go on all summer… and beyond.
Residents celebrate Veterans Park renaming ceremony
Hanford Sentinel
Dozens of Lemoore residents and veterans gathered in City Park Thursday to celebrate its new name: Veterans Park. The ceremony began after the annual Firecracker 5K Run/3K Walk to for the Fourth of July.
What’s going on in the Modesto region? A lot, here’s a look
Modesto Bee
GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS
“SINGING IN THE RAIN” ▪ July 19-28
YES Company presentation of musical classic. 7:30 p.m. July 19, 25-26; 3 p.m. 20-21, 27-28, 31. $14-$45.
Stapley: A look at fireworks from both sides now
Modesto Bee
Some places, like Tuolumne County and many Bay Area counties, have thrown in the towel and outlawed even those deemed safe and sane. Others likely will never give them up, noting crucial financial support for nonprofits who sell them. Plus, they can be a lot of fun.