POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
What about the Central Valley? Candidates share their thoughts on the California divide
Merced Sun-Star
The New York Times in an article this week explores "the sharp cultural divisions between the valley and more coastal regions" and how that split is affecting Democrats' efforts to defeat Republican congressmen in several targeted House seats. Here's what the major gubernatorial candidates had to say about California's coastal-inland divide and how they would address it.
Blue state, red valley: In this part of California, a new generation is more woke than ever
CNN
Calwa, a suburb of Fresno just 4 miles southeast of downtown, lies in the heart of California's Central Valley. Forgotten to the rest of California. Forgotten to America. Just forgotten.
McCarthy slams Google in ‘Nazism’ flap
Politico
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, long seen as a Silicon Valley ally before publicly souring on tech of late, took a fresh shot at the industry today. “Dear @Google, This is a disgrace,” McCarthy tweeted, alongside an image of a Google search naming Nazism as an ideology underpinning the California Republican Party in a list seemingly pulled from Wikipedia.
See also:
● Google Search Labeled the California GOP as Nazis, But It's No Conspiracy Wired
● Google blames Wikipedia for "Nazism" tag on California GOP CBS
Democrats fighting to unseat Jeff Denham in key congressional seat spar over Central Valley ties
Mercury News
In this key congressional district just over the Diablo Range from the Bay Area, there aren’t many policy issues on which the half-dozen Democrats running in next week’s primary disagree. So the race has instead been driven by questions of whose Valley roots go deeper, and who has the most authentic connection to a community that’s seen increasing numbers of newcomers priced out of the Bay Area.
See also:
● As Republican Jeff Denham Pushes to Extend DACA, How Do Voters Feel? KQED
● Vulnerable Republicans See Immigration as Political Salvation New York Times
Ex-staffer sues Visalia Assemblyman Devon Mathis for alleged harassment, bullying
Fresno Bee
A former staff member for Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, has filed a lawsuit against her ex-boss saying she was the victim of "severe sexual harassment and bullying" by a fellow staffer and Mathis himself.
See also:
● Mathis faces new lawsuit alleging harassment Visalia Times-Delta
LGBT advocate says council candidate should drop out for accepting Ashjian donation
Fresno Bee
An LGBT advocate is criticizing Tate Hill, who is running for the District 3 Fresno City Council seat, for accepting a campaign contribution from Fresno Unified trustee Brooke Ashjian, who is known for his anti-LGBT views.
Stanislaus County voter guide: Primary election 2018
Modesto Bee
Tuesday, June 5, is Election Day for the 2018 California Primary. Whether it's your first time voting, or you're a seasoned veteran, this Voter Guide will help you make the voting process go smoothly.
Tulare councilman calls mayor a bully, wants new leader
Visalia Times-Delta
For the fourth time since being on Tulare City Council, Jose Sigala is calling for a new mayor. This time, he's hoping to have the support of his constituents and fellow council members, who he says are concerned with the mayor's recent behavior.
Price: 11th-hour Zimmer ad buys have Spielman crying foul in DA's race
Bakersfield Californian
Cynthia Zimmer, locked in what would appear to be a close race with office colleague Scott Spielman for Kern County District Attorney, received some 11th-hour help this week that may not have been all that helpful after all: television commercials endorsing her candidacy that appeared to violate the spirit, if not the letter, of a local campaign spending ordinance.
EDITORIAL: Nunes can directly answer questions about ugly incident on winery yacht, but will he?
Fresno Bee
Here’s the point: Devin Nunes is the congressman representing the 22nd District. As such, he, like all his colleagues in Congress, is held to a different standard than regular citizens. Transparency is not a nice ideal – it is expected.
State:
Gov. Jerry Brown chooses Diana Dooley (former Maddy Institute Bd member) as chief of staff
Los Angeles Times
Two months after the death of his longtime chief of staff, Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday appointed the state’s top healthcare official to fill the post for his final months in office.
See also:
● Brown names Diana Dooley top aide Capital Weekly
● Jerry Brown appoints Diana Dooley Sacramento Bee
EdSource
The Democratic candidates for governor agree that California must increase education spending and expand access to child care. But the four candidates differ on how they would work toward their goals to improve education in California.
California has a new question: Who’s Number Two?
Sacramento Bee
Be first if you like. But in California, it’s better to be second best. This is the larger truth at work in the Golden State’s June 5 elections.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: So should we dump California’s top-two primary, or what? Sacramento Bee
● Sragow: Top Two Brought Campaign Wackiness; Will it Provide Typical Results? Fox & Hounds
Governor candidates barnstorm state as new poll predicts Newsom-Cox faceoff
Mercury News
From the Mexican border to a Palm Springs senior center to an Oakland soul food restaurant, the candidates for California governor rushed to meet voters in the final days before next week’s primary.
See also:
● California has never had a female governor. It will not happen this year, either Sacramento Bee
● California governor race heats up in days before primary AP News
● EDITORIAL: The complete list of L.A. Times endorsements in the June 2018 California primary Los Angeles Times
California Today: ‘The World Is Looking to Us,’ Gavin Newsom Says
New York Times
With less than a week to go until the primary, two Democratic candidates for governor — Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles — are engaged in border-to-border bus trips.
See also:
● Newsom tours San Diego senior center as voters prepare to go to polls San Diego Union-Tribune
Villaraigosa in the fight of his political life as primary election for California governor nears
Los Angeles Times
Antonio Villaraigosa, whose meteoric rise in California politics was viewed as the embodiment of burgeoning Latino political power, is now having to defend his own turf in the city he once led in hopes of advancing in next week’s gubernatorial primary.
See also:
● Antonio Villaraigosa hopes California Latinos dislike Donald Trump enough to vote Sacramento Bee
● Villaraigosa likely to be shut out of November general election, a new poll indicates Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
When John Cox started his gubernatorial run in March 2017, he offered a more unorthodox pitch. His campaign launch centered on an idea to revamp the state Legislature and add thousands more local representatives in order to squelch the influence of moneyed interests in politics.
See also:
● Cox leads GOP California governor primary; barely noticed when ran in Illinois Chicago Sun Times
John Chiang, campaigning in church, says faith helped his family overcome struggles
Los Angeles Times
In a Los Angeles campaign push ahead of next week’s primary, California Treasurer John Chiang spoke to parishioners at a Culver City church about his faith and why he believes that has prepared him to lead the state.
Capitol Weekly
More and more of them are flooding your mailbox. They are usually bright, colorful, and nonsensical. Political mailers. What else? It’s the season, after all.
Los Angeles Times
In the race for state superintendent of public instruction, standard party affiliations don’t much matter. The two major players here are teachers unions and charter schools — and their big spending tends to blur a clear picture of the front-runners.
California Senate passes bill to reinstate net neutrality rules
The Hill
The California Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would reinstate the net neutrality rules the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal last year.
See also:
● California moves closer to its own sweeping net neutrality rule CALmatters
Federal:
US Senator Dianne Feinstein talks about changing her position on the death penalty
Modesto Bee
Sen. Dianne Feinstein isn't moving to the left for politics' sake as she runs for re-election, she said Thursday during a stop in Sacramento. Instead, the six-term senator explained her changing views on issues like the death penalty and recreational marijuana as part of the natural evolution that policymakers go through.
See also:
● Race to battle Dianne Feinstein for U.S. Senate still wide open, poll shows Sacramento Bee
Los Angeles Times
At her first town hall in the San Fernando Valley U.S. Sen. Kamala D. Harris did not talk about her presidential prospects in 2020, but she did speak about what she’s doing to fight the Trump Administration’s policies — particularly around immigration and how she is addressing criminal justice reform, the environment, and gun violence.
Democrats on edge in California congressional races
Sacramento Bee
For Democrats, the line between triumph and nightmare in California's primaries is shaping up to be very, very thin.
See also:
● California Dems target Tom McClintock’s House seat for flipping San Francisco Chronicle
● Seven Republican Districts in California Favored Clinton. Can Democrats Flip Them in November? New York Times
● California Primary Rule May Hurt Democrats' Bid to Unseat GOP's Rohrabacher KQED
● Rep. Steve Knight: The Most Vulnerable Republican in California? Roll Call
Trump takes a backseat as candidates focus on local issues in California primary
CNN
One of the few things that Republican Rep. David Valadao and Democrat TJ Cox have in common is their desire to largely ignore the man in the White House on the campaign trail.
President Trump has made 3,251 false or misleading claims in 497 days
Washington Post
As Trump nears the 500th day of his presidency, his daily average number of false or misleading claims keeps climbing.
See also:
● Trump doesn’t just fail a moral standard. He enables cruelty and abuse. Washington Post
EDITORIAL: Fresh Air in the Swamp
Wall Street Journal
You wouldn’t know it from the media coverage, but only a few thousand government workers are political appointees. The rest are civil servants with nearly lifetime job security, which invites abuse that President Trump began to address last week with three new executive orders.
Other:
Noonan: We Must Improve Our Trust
Wall Street Journal
American institutions—and therefore democracy itself—are frailer than we often realize.
Millennials, Religion, and Politics in the United States
AEI
Millennials, the generation born between 1981 and 1996, will soon comprise the largest segment of the US adult population. They are a more liberal generation. How their views will translate into political action is yet to be seen.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, June 3, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Candidate for Governor: Antonio Villaraigosa” – Guest: Antonio Villaraigosa, Former LA Mayor and Candidate for Governor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 3, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Gubernatorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa & Cal Facts” – Guests: Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; James Mayer, President and CEO, CA Fwd; Fred Silva, Senior Fiscal Policy Advisor, CA Fwd; Matt Lege, Research Analyst, SEIU UHW; Cathy Martin, VP of Workforce Policy, California Hospital Association; Cathy Creswell, Housing Policy Specialist, Creswell Consulting. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 3, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “California's Top Ten” – Guest: Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee reporter. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Three Water Challenges for Almonds
Public Policy Institute of California
California’s farmers produce virtually the entire US almond crop and dominate the international market. As the market has grown, almonds have become California’s largest single crop—now accounting for about 12% of irrigated acreage.
Will the ALRB finally count ballots in election involving UFW and Gerawan Farming?
Fresno Bee
Workers at Gerawan Farming Company, who have been fighting for five years to oust the United Farm Workers, may get another shot to disconnect from the union, thanks to a ruling Wednesday by the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Fresno.
5 dead, nearly 200 sickened in romaine lettuce outbreak
Sacramento Bee
Four more deaths have been linked to a national food poisoning outbreak blamed on tainted lettuce, bringing the total to five.
California Senate passes bill to create banks for pot businesses
San Francisco Chronicle
The state Senate passed a bill this week to create a state charter for banks to serve California cannabis businesses, which would allow licensed merchants to write checks to pay taxes, fees and vendors — rather than use large amounts of cash, as they currently do.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
City of Tulare Seeks Qualified Police Chief
Public CEO
The City of Tulare is seeking a driven and motivated Police Chief who is approachable, outgoing and comfortable interacting with all members of City staff, City Council and community on a regular basis.
California Underreports Hate Crimes
Sacramento Bee
California is underreporting hate crimes to the FBI, state lawmakers and the public because local law enforcement agencies lack adequate policies and training, state auditors said Thursday. The audit largely blames the state Department of Justice, which oversees the data collection, for not requiring that local agencies do a better job.
See also:
● Agencies including Stanislaus sheriff underreporting hate crimes, audit finds Modesto Bee
● State auditors say California underreports hate crimes AP News
Public Safety:
It has been three months since Parkland. The NRA has already won
Los Angeles Times
Most causes eventually lose their steam, and I truly believe President Trump and the National Rifle Assn. were counting on this. Let the survivors demonstrate, and the gun lobby will just sit back.
EDITORIAL: California is on the verge of three important steps toward police accountability
Los Angeles Times
Californians have lost much of their former ability to monitor the performance of police officers and agencies. The Legislature now has taken up a modest yet valuable bill that would allow the public to learn which officers fired their weapons, used other serious force or lied about their actions.
Fire:
Burned out: How overwhelmed fire inspectors fail to protect us
Mercury News
Overwhelmed and often disorganized, fire departments across the Bay Area routinely fail to perform state-required safety inspections of buildings where hundreds of thousands of Californians live and go to school. And despite the potential for tragedy, there are no consequences — and nobody paying attention — to make sure fire inspectors are getting the job done.
Insurance relief measures for California fire victims yanked or gutted in Legislature
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
The state Legislature will provide little relief to North Bay fire victims who have found themselves underinsured and overly burdened by their insurance policies after two proposed bills encountered strong lobbying in Sacramento from the powerful property-and-causality industry.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
City of Fresno is taking a step into the 21st Century to be more business friendly
ABC 30
The City of Fresno launched a new online and mobile permitting and planning system Thursday. The new site will take the hassle away of waiting in line for anyone who needs a building permit or needs to submit plans to the city of Fresno.
KQED Political Breakdown: Irena Asmundson
KQED
California Chief Economist Irena Asmundson joins to discuss her path to the Brown administration, projecting the state's economic future, the secret about predicting recessions, and the future of work in California.
Washington Post
President Trump Thursday imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, triggering immediate retaliation from U.S. allies against American businesses and farmers.
See also:
● U.S. Tariff Moves Jolt Nafta Talks Wall Street Journal
● Trump’s Trade Policies Threaten Millions of Jobs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Says Wall Street Journal
● Tariffs Highlight U.S. Tilt Away From European Allies Wall Street Journal
● Today’s a mess: Looking ahead in US-China trade AEI
AEI
These charts showing rising investment hardly make it seem like technology companies are a drag on the US economy.
See also:
Economist: Bay Area, Silicon Valley boom will continue, but housing woes will worsen Mercury News.
The US remains the world’s most competitive big economy, by far
AEI
Nearly nine years into an economic expansion, most Americans continue to believe their country is headed in the wrong direction. But there’s some evidence that economic pessimism is unfounded.
The Federal Reserve’s Volcker Rule reform: A sensible step, but repeal would be better
AEI
The Federal Reserve’s modest reform of the Volcker Rule has attracted a great deal of media attention, with many statements from Congress and media commentators that it will open the gates for the same activities that caused the financial crisis.
Jobs:
The U.S. economy added 223,000 jobs in May, above expectations in a strong year for hiring
Washington Post
The U.S. economy added 223,000 job in May as U.S. companies continued their hiring spree, according to the Labor Department's monthly jobs report released Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent, the lowest since 2000
See also:
● Trump breaks protocol, sends markets a clear signal on jobs report before numbers are released Washington Post
Wall Street Journal
The number of small companies raising wages hit a record high in the U.S. this month. A full 35% of owners of small firms report increasing labor compensation, the highest percentage since NFIB started asking about it in 1986.
See also:
● Disney Offers to Raise California Park Worker Pay to $15 an Hour Bloomberg
Union Activity Ramps Up in Advance of Supreme Court Decision
Wall Street Journal
As organized labor braces for a Supreme Court ruling that could make it easy for public-sector workers to stop paying some dues, unions across the country are reaching out to hundreds of thousands of members to persuade them to keep paying dues.
Summer Jobs Teach Real-World Lessons
Wall Street Journal
The summer job, once as common among American teenagers as acne, is all but disappearing. This is a missed opportunity for today’s high schoolers, not just to earn money before college, but to learn about human nature.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Flip-flops, piercings may soon be allowed at Fresno Unified schools
Fresno Bee
Students at Fresno Unified may no longer face suspension or expulsion for dress code violations, according to a draft of a new policy released by Superintendent Bob Nelson.
An unexpected course: Tim Bowers retires as superintendent
Hanford Sentinel
Tim Bowers may be known for his colorful bowties, but his time spent as Kings County Office of Education superintendent of schools is the real legacy he will leave in the local education world.
Why California's track finals, in their 100th year, are unmatched in U.S. high school sports
Sacramento Bee
The CIF State Track and Field Championships turn 100 this weekend. What makes the CIF track finals perhaps the best of any track meet at this level in the country is the who's who list of stars who have run, jumped or thrown their weight around over the decades. No other state meet has witnessed more national records or served as a launching pad to more future Olympians.
K–12 Reforms and California’s English Learner Achievement Gap
Public Policy Institute of California
English Learner status is meant to be temporary, but students who remain ELs for longer periods without being reclassified as proficient in English generally have poor outcomes.
Asking the wrong question about personalized learning
AEI
What kind of personalization will make school engaging for students? My experience leads me to think that’s the wrong question.
EDITORIAL: School districts’ bond-cost obfuscation must end
Sacramento Bee
Could the days of irresponsible school bond financing schemes in the East Bay be ending? The bond measures put before voters in the fall 2016 election and the only one for the Tuesday election, the San Lorenzo school district’s Measure B, suggest there’s less reckless borrowing and tax-rate forecasting.
EDITORIAL: Another big reason for California teacher shortage
OCRegister
It turns out that it’s not just ordinary Californians who are priced out here and so leaving the state for more affordable places — our schools are short of teachers, and one reason is that thousands of them are moving to Texas.
Higher Ed:
Controversial professor will be back at Fresno State
ABC30
Randa Jarrar created controversy when on the day of the death of former first lady Barbara Bush, she tweeted Mrs. Bush was "an amazing racist" who along with her husband raised a "war criminal." Referring to Barbara's son, former President George W. Bush. Outrage followed with petitions and threats of boycotts against Fresno State.
Valley Lawmaker pushing for Valley medical school
ABC30
AB 2202 pushes for the expansion of UCSF Fresno. The goal is to create a fully developed medical school and bring more doctors to the area.
Burrito bowls for Jerry Brown: 'It's insulting' to compare UC to Chipotle, advocates say
Sacramento Bee
As Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers convened Thursday for negotiations over the state budget, a group of University of California students had a gift for them: burrito bowls from Chipotle.
UC faculty: Trump’s “hostility toward science” could cost us research grants
CALmatters
Calling the political vetting of federal research grant applications “a significant threat to academic freedom,” the letter, endorsed by UC’s Academic Council and sent earlier this month, urged the university to better track whether and why its proposals are turned down.
Living Homeless in California: The University of Hunger
Capital & Main
A January study found that 11 percent of students on the California State University’s 23-campuses reported being homeless during the past year. At Humboldt State nearly a fifth said they’d been homeless at one point during 2017.
Higher ed advocates to next California governor: increase funding, especially for non-tuition costs
EdSource
After years of chafing under pressure to do more with tight budgets from Gov. Jerry Brown, higher education advocates are looking to California’s next governor to set an agenda for the future of its colleges and universities and improve how the state helps low-income students.
Education Secretary Ready to Overhaul Higher Education Law Through Regulation
New York Times
The top Republican on the Senate Education Committee effectively killed on Thursday all hope for a highly anticipated overhaul this year of the law governing the nation’s 4,000 colleges and universities, paving the way for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to wield her deregulatory power.
The wrong fix for community college funding
Sacramento Bee
Two community college presidents are saying that if students who enroll from 2020 to 2023 do really well in attaining degrees and certificates, the next group to enroll will benefit from more money. Conversely, if the first group of students has to step out due to family or other life circumstances, the next group suffers the consequences. How does that make sense?
Apprenticeships:
Fresno Future of Work MeetUp turns focus to proposed online community college
California Economy Reporting
The last of nearly two dozen meetings to discuss the future of work in California was held in Fresno last week. But the important discussion on how to better train the state's workforce ahead of disruption from automation and other technology will continue.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Water Education Foundation
Even though invasive plants and animals long have been known to exist in California’ water hub, tracking their extent in an area as large as the Delta — 738,000 acres — is an uneven task that could benefit from greater coordination and funding.
Tree Mortality in the Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
California is experiencing tree die-off at an unprecedented scale, and the Sierra Nevada Region has been hit extremely hard. 129 million trees have died across the state due to drought and bark beetles since 2010, and 85 percent of those dead trees are in the Sierra.
See also:
● Going camping this summer? You can't tell the forest from the logs and stumps Fresno Bee
California Moves Closer to Banning Federal Offshore Drilling
KQED
On Wednesday, California's Senate and Assembly each passed nearly identical bills, effectively banning new offshore drilling by prohibiting the State Lands Commission from issuing new leases for oil-related infrastructure in the state's coastal waters.
The future of climate diplomacy one year after Trump’s withdrawal from Paris
Brookings
Todd Stern, Brookings senior fellow and the chief climate negotiator in the Obama administration, discusses his role in negotiating the Paris Climate Agreement and the implications of President Trump’s June 1, 2017 announcement of his intent to withdraw the United States from the agreement.
Energy:
Energy revolution: California approves $768 million for electric vehicles
San Francisco Chronicle
California’s electric utility companies will spend nearly $768 million on charging infrastructure for electric cars, trucks and buses, under a series of proposals approved Thursday by state regulators.
See also:
● California utilities commission OKs $776.5 million to boost electric vehicle use San Diego Union-Tribune
Rollback of auto mileage standards advances to White House, bringing conflict with California closer
Washington Post
The rollback of the Obama administration’s fuel efficiency standards for automobiles took another step forward Thursday when the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget.
See also:
● EPA Said to Seek End of California's Authority Over Car Rule Bloomberg
● EPA takes major step to roll back clean car rules Los Angeles Times
What happens to Mexico's energy reform — and Sempra — if the presidential front runner wins?
San Diego Union-Tribune
It’s hardly a trivial question, considering the reforms aimed at giving the sclerotic energy sector in Mexico a dose of free-market dynamism has attracted international and domestic companies bringing in projects totaling as much as $200 billion in the coming years.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Rep. Kevin McCarthy brings veteran medical care to Kern County
Bakersfield Now
Congressman Kevin McCarthy hosted a press conference on Thursday, May 31 to highlight the launch of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Convenient Care Initiative. The Convenient Care Initiative was created as a part of the Veterans Choice Program.
Kaweah Delta among four invited to help run TRMC
Visalia Times-Delta
Kaweah Delta Medical Center is among four hospitals that could potentially help Tulare Regional Medical Center reopen if its leadership chooses to respond to a request by the hospital board for help.
Federal Right To Try Law Could Mean More Access — And Risk — For California Patients
California’s Right to Try law is supposed to give terminally ill patients quicker access to drugs in clinical trials. Since it was enacted in 2017 drug companies have been reluctant to participate. A new federal law signed by President Donald Trump Wednesday could solve that problem, but opponents say it will undermine the FDA’s crucial drug-vetting process.
See also:
● Thank Republicans for your Right to Try AEI
California is now paying for people to test their drugs for fentanyl
Los Angeles Times
Fentanyl, an opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin, is responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths each year. Typically manufactured as a white powder, it can be mixed into other drugs such as heroin and cocaine without the user knowing, but with extreme consequences.
‘Unintended Consequences’: Inside the fallout of America’s crackdown on opioids
Washington Post
The story of prescription opioids in America today is not only one of addiction, overdoses and the crimes they have wrought, but also the story of pain patients like Kenyon Stewart and their increasingly desperate struggles to secure the medication.
Triclosan could be really harmful to your gut, and it's probably in your toothpaste
Los Angeles Times
Triclosan, an antimicrobial agent found in toys, toothpaste, cosmetics and more than 2,000 other consumer products, has been found to wreak havoc on the guts of mice whose blood concentrations of the compound are roughly equivalent to a typical level for humans.
Human Services:
Emergency room could reopen soon: Modesto company to manage hospital in Coalinga
Coalinga Regional Medical Center has signed with a Modesto-based health company to take over management of the partially closed hospital beginning June 1, with a goal of reopening the emergency room and other services.
White America’s racial resentment is the real impetus for welfare cuts, study says
Washington Post
White Americans are increasingly critical of the country’s social safety net, a new study suggests, thanks in part to a rising tide of racial resentment.
IMMIGRATION
California National Guard Keeping A Low Profile In Border Mission
KPBS
The Guard has released only short, written updates to the public. The troops, who are mainly volunteers pulled from around the state, have appeared publicly only briefly
ICE deports closest relative of Delano children orphaned following March car chase
Bakersfield Californian
The six orphaned children of the undocumented immigrants killed while fleeing ICE agents in Delano March 13 have been dealt another blow: the federal immigration enforcement agency has apprehended and deported their closest remaining family member.
Trump Presses Congress to Allow Fast Deportations, Jailing for Children
Wall Street Journal
The Trump Administration says it aims to close loopholes, but critics see existing law as providing humanitarian protections.
See also:
How Trump is really changing immigration: making it harder for people to come here legally Los Angeles Times
Hey, look at all those immigrants starting some of America’s most valuable tech firms!
AEI
As American policymakers think about US economic and productivity growth, innovation, and immigration, these two charts should serve as policymaking lodestars.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Housing:
People are fleeing Silicon Valley for Nevada, Texas and Idaho, report finds
Mercury News
Using property searches and census data, analysts at realtor.com found that a larger share of residents are leaving Santa Clara County — home to tech behemoths Google and Apple — than any other county in California. Nearby San Mateo County, where Facebook is headquartered, came in second, just ahead of Los Angeles County.
Hoover Institution
If you’re fortunate enough to find a home in California, good luck factoring it into your budget. As one might imagine, the high cost of housing in California comes with a very human price, one being the urge to flee.
The Government Creates Another Housing Bubble
Wall Street Journal
Since mid-2012, real home prices have increased 28%. Entry-level home prices are up about double that rate. In contrast, over the same period household income has barely kept pace with inflation.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Los Angeles Times
A California anti-tax group is suing California Treasurer John Chiang as it tries to put the kibosh on a program that would provide retirement savings accounts to millions of California workers whose employers don’t offer a pension or 401(k).
See also:
● Taxpayer group sues to block California retirement accounts Merced Sun-Star
'The knives will be out.' Gas tax vote threatens Democrat's job
Sacramento Bee
More than a year ago a Republican talk radio host launched a recall campaign against state Sen. Josh Newman, casting the Fullerton Democrat as the deciding vote to pass a $52 billion gas tax and transportation fee increase. It wasn't true, but that didn't stop the California GOP from repeating the narrative again and again to cement Newman's name to the unpopular transportation funding plan.
California Production Tax Credit Extension to Move Forward
Variety
California legislators have moved forward on extending the California Film and Television production tax credit for five years beyond its 2020 expiration. The State Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 951 by a 37-0 vote on Thursday.
TRANSPORTATION
New milestone on high-speed rail project: 2,000th construction job created
Fresno Bee
This week, the High-Speed-Rail Authority marks another significant milestone – announcing that since the start of building, 2,000 construction jobs have been created.
See also:
● You may want to avoid this high-speed rail construction zone in Fresno for a few weeks Fresno Bee
● 2,000 Construction Jobs Created on the High-Speed Rail Project California High-Speed Rail Authority
● You may want to avoid this high-speed rail construction zone in Fresno for a few weeks Fresno Bee
Regulators OK Test of Driverless Passenger Service on California Roads
KQED
When will Californians get to ride in fully autonomous vehicles -- cars navigating the roads with no driver behind the wheel and, perhaps, no wheel to be behind?
See also:
Rivals turned potential partners? Uber CEO extends ‘welcome’ to Waymo self-driving cars Mercury News
WATER
360,000 Californians have unsafe drinking water. Are you one of them?
Modesto Bee
An estimated 360,000 Californians are served by water systems with unsafe drinking water. In many communities, people drink, shower, cook and wash dishes with water containing excessive amounts of pollutants, including arsenic, nitrates and uranium.
See also:
● 5 most common toxins found in California drinking water Fresno Bee
● Does your water district fail to comply with drinking water standards? Sacramento Bee
● Avoiding tap water just part of life in Dos Palos Merced Sun-Star
● New technology can purify ‘dirty’ winter storm water Mercury News
Get ready to save water: Permanent California restrictions approved by Gov. Jerry Brown
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a pair of bills Thursday to set permanent overall targets for indoor and outdoor water consumption.
See also:
● Drought or no drought: Jerry Brown sets permanent water conservation rules for Californians Mercury News
“Xtra”
Valley Cultural Calendar, Thursday, June 1
Valley Cultural Coalition
Great things are happening in the Valley. Here's a list of offerings to keep you busy and entertained!
National Donut Day: Freebies, a new shop and an explanation of 'doughnut lassies'
Fresno Bee
You can eat a doughnut any day of the year, but Friday is National Donut Day. That means photos of doughnuts will take over your social media feeds as several doughnut shops offer free or discounted doughnuts Friday. We have a rundown of which shops are doing what below.
Take me home! Animals available for adoption
Bakersfield Californian
These four animals at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?
Could Beethoven rock like a greaser? Modesto Symphony Orchestra is ready to find out
Modesto Bee
The next Modesto Symphony Orchestra program introduces Beethoven to Graffiti Summer on Friday, June 1, and Saturday, June 2, at the Gallo Center for the Arts.
New conductor takes up baton for Valley Concert Band
Stockton Record
Michael Hernandez was recently named conductor of the Valley Concert Band, the third in the group’s 20-year history. He was one of three members who filled in as conductor last summer as the group recovered from the sudden death of director Chris Anderson the previous December.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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