June 10, 2019

10Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

Preparing the Way for a Central Valley Renaissance

CAFWD

Commentary: Governor’s inland California initiative is welcome news in the region rich in agriculture and working to close economic gaps. Only 11% of the population ages 25+ in one college district possess an associate’s degree or higher.

Newsom’s Biz Adviser Visits, Earns Praise from Valley Leaders

GV Wire

It looks like the Central Valley is finally getting some love from the governor’s office, and the Valley business community is noticing.

North SJ Valley:

County ready to take $1.8B budget to supervisors

Stockton Record

The tidy sum of $1.8 billion sounds like a lot of money, but billions don’t go nearly as far as they once did. Just ask San Joaquin County officials, who will bring the proposed 2019-20 fiscal-year budget of just more than $1.8 billion before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Modesto sues broker it claims connected it with “sham” health insurer, seeks $8.3M

Modesto Bee

As Modesto grapples with roughly $8.3 million in unpaid employee medical claims after the financial meltdown of one of its health insurance providers, it has filed a lawsuit against the insurance broker that recommended the provider to the city.

Turlock looks to approve cannabis dispensaries, considers cuts to public safety

Modesto Bee

The Turlock City Council will consider giving its final approval Tuesday to an ordinance establishing a cannabis business pilot program, which would allow within the city as many as four dispensaries, as well as other types of cannabis businesses, including manufacturers and cultivators.

Central SJ Valley:

‘Somebody’s going to get killed.’ Can Fresno find money for program that cuts gun violence?

Fresno Bee

Community advocates are calling on the Fresno City Council to allocate $300,000 for a program geared toward reducing gun violence.

Editorial: Fresno’s police chief is running for mayor. Jerry Dyer should go on leave immediately

Fresno Bee

Dyer’s official final day with the police department is Oct. 16. He plans to take a leave well before then, however, likely sometime in August, so he can begin campaigning in earnest. That’s a good idea, but does not go far enough. He should start the leave now to avoid any appearances of conflict of interest while he wears his chief’s hat and is a candidate, too.

9-year-old among those nearly struck by Lemoore Councilmember’s car

abc30

A Lemoore Police Chaplain’s cross-country trip to raise awareness about mental health in law enforcement was supposed to start with a procession from Lemoore to Hanford on Wednesday afternoon. But Crystal Giles, the widow of a Lemoore officer who took his own life last fall, says it never happened – because of Lemoore City Councilmember Holly Blair.

Council to hold special meeting Monday to talk about city manager

Hanford Sentinel

Following the resignation of City Manager Darrel Pyle on Wednesday, the Hanford City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the city’s next steps.

South SJ Valley:

An agenda full of public hearings scheduled for Tuesday night in Lindsay

Porterville Recorder

The Lindsay City Council will be holding six different public hearings on Tuesday evening during their regularly scheduled City Council meeting. The public is encouraged to provide feedback to the Council, whether in support for or against, during each public hearing.

27 years later, Alan Tandy is ready for the next step

Bakersfield Californian

Twenty-seven years after he arrived in Bakersfield, City Manager Alan Tandy is ready to step down. During his time in the city, he has overseen the construction of projects that have fundamentally changed the city.

State:

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s First California Budget Deal Is Near. Here’s What To Watch For

Capital Public Radio

The first California budget deal under Gov. Gavin Newsom is just days away. Newsom and legislative leaders must finalize their spending plan for the coming fiscal year this weekend for lawmakers to meet their June 15 constitutional budget deadline.

See also:

●     Gov. Gavin Newsom abandons water tax, rejects some new spending in California budget deal Los Angeles Times

Undocumented immigrants to get health care in Gavin Newsom’s early California budget deal

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget won’t look exactly like he wanted, but a deal lawmakers released late Sunday largely fulfills the objectives he set six months ago when he first outlined his spending plan.

See also:

●     California to fund health benefits for undocumented immigrants after lawmakers reach deal on budget Stockton Record

●     California will give health coverage to undocumented young adults San Francisco Chronicle

●     California poised to go further than any state to insure the undocumented—too pricey, or about time? CALmatters

Keeping an eye on sheriffs: California Democrats want to empower investigators

Fresno Bee

The California Assembly voted to approve A.B. 1185, which authorizes counties to establish sheriff oversight boards, either by an action of the local Board of Supervisors or through a resident voting process.

California State Lottery director stepping down amid investigations

Sacramento Bee

California State Lottery Director Hugo Lopez is stepping down immediately, he announced in an email to lottery staff on Friday.

For Californians, the golden dream depends on where you live and how much you earn

Los Angeles Times

There was a swagger in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s message at last month’s California Democratic Party convention — an insistence that no state offers more promise than the one he leads.

California’s biggest problems: Legislature keeps some bills alive, kills others

San Francisco Chronicle

California lawmakers are moving into the closing stretch of their legislative session. Bills on major issues such as housing, police use of force and vaccine exemptions have until September to reach the governor’s desk.

If you protest implicit bias training, perhaps you haven’t suffered from discrimination

CALmatters

Well-intentioned individuals have undetected biases that impact their perceptions and decisions, producing discriminatory behavior and unequal treatment of people based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age and other characteristics.

2020 Census: Counting California’s Homeless Population

Public Policy Institute of California

Accurately counting the homeless population is notoriously difficult. People experiencing homelessness can be hard to find—they tend to move around a lot, and at any given time, they might be in a shelter, in a car, outdoors, or couch surfing with family and friends. They may also conceal their living arrangements for privacy reasons or to avoid law enforcement.

See also:

●      Homelessness Grows in California Despite New Government Spending WSJ

●     Where a citizenship question could cause the census to miss millions of Hispanics — and why that’s a big deal Washington Post

Watch the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission Application Launch Event

CA State Auditor

The initial application period for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission opens Monday, June 10, 2019!To celebrate this milestone, the California State Auditor will be hosting a series of press events on June 10th and 11th throughout California, starting in Sacramento and then in San Jose, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Diego.

Federal:

Case opened: Democrats begin public airing of Mueller report

Fresno Bee

President Donald Trump says it’s “case closed .” But Democrats are just getting started with Robert Mueller. House Democrats have scheduled a series of hearings this coming week on the special counsel’s report as they intensify their focus on the Russia probe.

Where a citizenship question could cause the census to miss millions of Hispanics — and why that’s a big deal

Washington Post

The Supreme Court is expected to decide in coming weeks whether next year’s decennial census will include a new and controversial question on citizenship added by the Trump administration. The question is already being asked each year of a small fraction of the nation’s population in the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

EDITORIAL: Court-packing isn’t the way to depoliticize the Supreme Court

Los Angeles Times

Egged on by progressive activists, some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are expressing interest in the idea of increasing the number of seats on the Supreme Court.

Elections 2020:

Democratic 2020 candidates swarm Iowa stage for ‘speed-dating’ version of campaigning

Fresno Bee

Nineteen candidates. Five minutes each. The math of an early, unwieldy field of Democrats added up to a long procession of White House hopefuls across an Iowa stage, where they wooed the voters and party activists who could decide their fates.

See also:

●     Democratic rivals take only veiled swipes at Biden in Iowa Fresno Bee

●     In Iowa, 19 Democrats times 5 minutes equals 2020 campaign ‘speed-dating’ Los Angeles Times

Why Democratic presidential candidates are so focused on California

CBS News

California is the wealthiest and most populous state in America. It’s also spent the last few decades as an afterthought when it comes to presidential politics, thanks to a mixture of its reliable partisan lean and its low standing in the primaries.

See also:

●      Schnur: Let’s face it, California, the Democrats just aren’t that into us  Los Angeles Times

Harris’ husband takes on growing public role in 2020 race

AP

Doug Emhoff was on the stage seconds after an activist rushed his wife, Kamala Harris, and snatched the microphone from her hands. Shortly after he helped remove the activist, Emhoff tweeted that he and Harris were “good” and that he would “do anything for her.”

See also:

●      Fact-Checking Kamala Harris on the Campaign Trail New York Times

●      Sen. Kamala Harris defends record as prosecutor but skips some details  Washington Post

Democrats running for president should run for the Senate. The state Senate.

Roll Call

Maybe it’s the book sales. Maybe it’s the national press. Maybe they really do think they’re just “born for it.” Whatever the allure of running for president is this year, about two dozen Democrats are giving it a shot.

The 8 Senate races likely to determine control of the chamber

Roll Call

Two in states won by Clinton and six in states that backed Trump.

Americans want more from the government, so Democrats are peddling fairy tales

Washington Post

When one watches the Democrats’ presidential campaigns, it’s hard not to be struck by the huge gap that has opened up between Kennedy’s goal and what ordinary Americans now believe and practice. Kennedy urged us to be unselfish, but broad sectors of the American public now repudiate Kennedy’s rhetoric.

Democratic Contenders Rake In Cash From Tech Antitrust Targets

WSJ

Several presidential hopefuls have harvested big campaign donations from employees of the technology companies they want to break up.

EDITORIAL: Don’t let Trump turn Fourth of July into a political rally

Los Angeles Times

In happier days, the suggestion that a president might put in an appearance at a Fourth of July celebration wouldn’t occasion much opposition. But it’s not surprising that a controversy is raging over news that Donald Trump will speak at Independence Day festivities in Washington.

Other:

Pride weekend culminates with parade, festival and protests against police presence

Sacramento Bee

Sacramento’s weekend of Pride festivities culminated Sunday with an hour-long parade through midtown in the morning followed by a festival spanning four blocks at Capitol Mall, where protesters reminded people of the event’s origins as a New York City riot.

Men can’t hear it, women don’t say it — the everyday importance of ‘no’

Los Angeles Times

We so often let the world be written by arrogant men, giving in to their windy confidence and inability to listen.

FCC Encourages Companies To Block Robocalls By Default

NPR

Your phone company may start blocking robocalls without your needing to ask for it.

Beware The Propagandist You See In The Mirror

Zocalo Public Square

Americans are overwhelmed by persuasive messaging, even as they bombard each other.

NRA money flowed to board members amid allegedly lavish spending by top officials and vendors

Washington Post

A former pro football player who serves on the National Rifle Association board was paid $400,000 by the group in recent years for public outreach and firearms training. Another board member, a writer in New Mexico, collected more than $28,000 for articles in NRA publications. Yet another board member sold ammunition from his private company to the NRA for an undisclosed sum.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, June 16, at 9 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: â€œAssessing State Policies on Climate Change” â€“ Guest: Ross Brown – LAO. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 16, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition:  â€œClimate Change Generally and Air Pollution Locally” â€“ Guests: Will Barrett, Director of Advocacy, Clean Air for the American Lung Association in California and Samir Sheikh, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 16, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy“Agua en el Valle de San Joaquin: Un reporte de PPIC” â€“ Guest: Alvar Escriva-Bou, investigador del PPIC. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Sweet corn back on sale at Fresno State’s Gibson Farm Market

abc30

Close to 200 people waited early Friday morning outside Fresno State’s Gibson Farm Market, for one thing. Sweet Corn. Every year people far and wide come to the market in droves hoping to get their hands on some.

See also:

●      How popular is Fresno State corn? 28,000 ears sold in first few hours  Fresno Bee

$3,000 In Cash Prizes For Celebrate Ag Arts Competition

Sierra News

The call to artists is out for an exhibit with deep roots, so now is the time to submit entries for the Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts Competition and Exhibition, taking place this fall from Sept. 12 through Oct. 25, at the Madera County Arts Council’s (MCAC) Circle Gallery.

Public Cannabis Companies Target California

Forbes

When California legalized at the beginning of 2018, there were few options for investors  in public companies to participate.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Report: 43 Diocese Of Fresno Priests Accused Of Sexual Abuse. At Least One Still Works For Church

VPR

There are at least 43 Catholic priests within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno who have been accused of sexual abuse or misconduct, according to a report released this week by a national law firm.

‘In a terror zone’: Residents air concerns on soaring violence in Stockton

Stockton Record

More than two dozen north Stockton residents on Saturday had a candid — at times emotional — conversation about ways to stop the recent surge of gun violence turning their neighborhood into a “terror zone.”

Juvenile justice: next steps for reform

San Francisco Chronicle

While incarceration is the most expensive and harmful part of the juvenile justice system, most youths are not locked up after being arrested. They are placed on probation. There are now more than 39,000 on probation statewide.

Public Safety:

Keeping an eye on sheriffs: California Democrats want to empower investigators

Fresno Bee

The California Assembly voted to approve A.B. 1185, which authorizes counties to establish sheriff oversight boards, either by an action of the local Board of Supervisors or through a resident voting process.

‘Somebody’s going to get killed.’ Can Fresno find money for program that cuts gun violence?

Fresno Bee

Community advocates are calling on the Fresno City Council to allocate $300,000 for a program geared toward reducing gun violence.

‘For the right people there’s no better job.’ Atwater CHP officer retires after 30 years

Merced Sun-Star

California Highway Patrol officer Don Davis recently retired after a 30-year career. Davis specialized in traffic collision investigations.

California prison guards kept getting paid after department moved to fire them, report finds

Merced Sun-Star

A California correctional officer kept getting paid for nearly three months after prison officials decided to fire him for beating an inmate without cause and then lying to cover it up.

‘Cops weren’t so nice,’ a Ceres student felt. This officer changed that outlook

Modesto Bee

Police officers who work their entire shifts on school campuses think Ceres has someone special in Lorenzo Beltran. He will receive the National School Resource Officer of the Year Award from a group that promotes these partnerships between police and educators.

Gun owners stockpile ammo before new California background check law begins

Los Angeles Times

California ammo buyers are making a run on gun shops ahead of a new state law, which on July 1 will require buyers of bullets to show identification and undergo a background check to screen out felons and people with illegal firearms.

Fire:

PG&E shuts off power Saturday because of fire danger

abc30

PG&E has shut off power to parts of three California counties to reduce the risk of fire in areas that have already seen some of the most destructive and deadliest wildfires.

See also:

●     PG&E Cuts Power To 20,000 In Butte, Yuba Counties Due To Continued Fire Danger Capital Public Radio

●     PG&E cutting power in California’s wine country to prevent fires Los Angeles Times

●     PG&E restoring power after intentional shut-offs affect 20,500 customers San Francisco Chronicle

●     At PG&E, a workforce on edge — and under attack — as fire season arrives San Francisco Chronicle

Cal Fire Plans Prescribed Burns At Night On Highway 41

Sierra News

Cal Fire aims to fulfill Governor Newsom’s Community Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Report (Executive Order N-05-19), issued on Jan. 9.

Where are fires burning in Northern California? Yolo County’s Sand Fire is largest

Sacramento Bee

Heavy winds and dry conditions are making for dangerous fire conditions as blazes pop up across northern California. The largest is the West Butte in Sutter County and the Sand Fire in Yolo County.

This Weekend’s Hot Weather Means High Fire Danger And Red Flag Warnings For Sacramento, San Joaquin Valleys

Capital Public Radio

The 2019 fire season is here, and the National Weather Service is issuing a “red flag” warning for this weekend in parts of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.

He feared being stung by wasps and accidentally started California’s biggest fire

Los Angeles Times

Investigators released a harrowing narrative of how the monster fire happened that experts say underscores how easy it is for fires to explode during hot, dry conditions in California.

California wildfire panel doubles down on push to ease liability rules for PG&E

San Francisco Chronicle

Despite resistance from the state’s top political leaders, California’s special wildfire commission doubled down Friday on its recommendation that the state loosen liability laws for utilities whose equipment ignites disastrous blazes.

How to reduce the risk of wildfire and climate change-related disasters

CALmatters

Millions of Californians face an unprecedented increase in natural disasters brought about climate change with an accompanying increase in risk. Unless.

California Reckons With the Cost of Wildfires to Come

New York Times

On a day when the latest California wildfire threat forced emergency precautions, a recently formed commission sent state officials a new blueprint for adapting to increasingly destructive fire seasons.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

How should California regulate a growing gig economy? Depends on who you ask

Fresno Bee

California Influencers this week answered the questions: How should California decide whether part-time workers in a gig economy should be classified as employees or contractors? How can we best provide job opportunities for part-time workers in a gig economy?

See also:

●     The gig is up for worker exploitation San Francisco Chronicle

●     Current regulations may not cater to gig economy workers Sacramento Bee

Trump still hangs tariff threat over Mexico despite deal

Fresno Bee

President Donald Trump on Sunday dangled the prospect of renewing his tariff threat against Mexico if the U.S. ally doesn’t cooperate on border issues, while some of his Democratic challengers for the White House said the last-minute deal to avert trade penalties was overblown.

See also:

●     Trump says the US and Mexico have reached an agreement to prevent tariffs Hanford Sentinel

●      Trump claims victory, but the U.S.-Mexico pact is a compromise, and tentative Los Angeles Times

●      Mexico Wearies of U.S. Approach WSJ

●     Tariff Dispute Complicates U.S. Ties With Mexico WSJ

●     Trump lashes out after his Mexico deal gets poor reviews Politico

●      Trump, Pelosi trade barbs on Mexico migration, USMCA deals Politico

●      Trump drops tariff threat on Mexico after migration deal reached Politico

●      Trump defends deal with Mexico that critics say will do little to curb migrant crisis Washington Post

●      An expanded ‘remain in Mexico’ policy may cause more suffering, not curb migration Roll Call

●     Mexico Never Agreed to Farm Deal With U.S., Contradicting Trump Bloomberg

●      Mexico Agreed to Take Border Actions Months Before Trump Announced Tariff Deal  The New York Times

●      Who pays for US tariffs on Chinese goods? You do  PolitiFact

Which state has the best economy in America? Well, it isn’t California, study says

Sacramento Bee

Despite having the largest gross domestic product in the United States, California’s economy was ranked fourth best in the country by a recent study.

Are ‘Opportunity Zone’ Tax Breaks Too Good to Be True?

Capital & Main

Critics of the federal program say that it provides questionable benefits for low-income communities.

How will we know when a recession is coming?

Brookings

While the U.S. labor market is strong, history tells us that the good times never last. Experts from the Hamilton Project at Brookings explain why a rapid increase in the unemployment rate may be the simplest, most accurate indication that a recession has arrived.

The fate of Trump’s economy now hinges on the Federal Reserve, the agency the president called ‘crazy’

Washington Post

President Trump has pummeled the Federal Reserve with insults in recent months, calling it “crazy” and blaming it for any stock market dives or ugly economic data. But now the president has thrust the fate of the economy into the hands of the organization — and the man — he has suggested he doesn’t trust.

See also:

●      Trump blasts Federal Reserve, U.S. Chamber over trade, interest rates Roll Call

The South’s Economy Is Falling Behind: ‘All of a Sudden the Money Stops Flowing’

WSJ

Policies that once drove the region’s growth have proven inadequate in an economy shaped by the forces of globalization.

Fiduciary Rule Fixer-Upper

WSJ

A new SEC Best Interest Rule protects investors and cleans up an Obama legal mess.

Capitalism used to promise a better future. Can it still do that?

Brookings

Capitalism is intrinsically futuristic. The ideas that underpin market economies – growth, accumulation, investment – express an unspoken assumption, that tomorrow will be different, and probably better, than today. The question that murmurs through markets is not “What is good?” or “What is fair”, but: “What’s new?”

EDITORIAL: Feds finally go after Google, Facebook for antitrust

San Francisco Chronicle

The federal government is coming after Big Tech. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have reportedly settled on a divide-and-conquer strategy for investigating the anticompetitive behaviors of Silicon Valley’s most important technology companies.

See also:

●      Overthrow the Prince of Facebook WSJ

●      Antitrust, Free Speech and Google WSJ

●      Tech Giants Google, Facebook and Amazon Intensify Antitrust Debate WSJ

●      Google Made $4.7 Billion From the News Industry in 2018, Study Says  The New York Times

●      The Making of a YouTube Radical  The New York Times

Jobs:

Modesto’s new flagship Save Mart is taking shape; hiring for 135 jobs starting soon

Modesto Bee

The walls are going up and the jobs are coming to what will be Save Mart’s new flagship store in Modesto. The grocery store will anchor the The Marketplace shopping center at the corner of Oakdale Road and Sylvan Avenue, which has been under under construction since early 2018.

Did CalPERS mislead policyholders on long-term care insurance? Trial begins on a $1.2 billion lawsuit

Sacramento Bee

A $1.2 billion lawsuit that could affect up to about 100,000 seniors who had CalPERS long-term care insurance plans goes to trial Monday.

Dynamism for the working class

AEI

Conservatives’ recognition that working-class Americans have been neglected in our politics for too long is a good thing. The shift away from dynamism as a policy goal is not.

A Jobs Warning for Trump

WSJ

Weak hiring in May joins other signs of slowing economic growth.

With Labor Market Tight, Some States Loosen Rules for Licensed Jobs

WSJ

Arizona and North Dakota have passed laws recognizing qualifications attained in other states.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Then and Now: A look at the last time VUSD dismissed a superintendent

Visalia Times Delta

Things are changing at Visalia Unified School District. Eerily enough, it’s not the first time the district has followed this path.

Firebaugh High graduates collected about $1 million in scholarships

Vida en el Valle

There was so much to celebrate at Firebaugh High School commencement ceremony on Thursday that not even a windy night would change that at Eagle Stadium.

Big results from a small, rural high school like Orosi

Vida en el Valle

The numbers are big for the small, rural high school that draws its heavily Latino enrollment from two unincorporated communities.

Package of bills could adversely impact Kern County charter schools, local advocates say

Bakersfield Californian

Since the Charter Schools Act of 1992 was passed, lawmakers in the state have been looking at ways how best to handle oversight issues and loopholes that have spawned from it. In recent years, some bad apples have emerged in the charter world.

See also:

●     Charter School Task Force Echoes Calls For Tighter Charter School Regs, More Local Control Capital Public Radio

Students From A Merced High School Help Create A Mental Health Course

VPR

When it comes to access to mental health care at public schools, California ranks at or near the bottom according to a Columbia University report. But one Merced high school is going against that tide with an entire course dedicated to mental health.

How Teacher Effectiveness Spills Over into Other Classrooms

RAND

Having good teachers in the classroom matters, and in recent years better data have helped researchers more accurately measure individual teachers’ effects on their pupils. A novel RAND study goes further,

Teacher unions may be more important than ever in 2020

Brookings

Aside from education’s increasing importance as a top policy issue for voters, Douglas Harris explains how new Democratic primary rules could strengthen the power of teacher unions in 2020, especially given the crowded field of candidates.

Higher Ed:

Fresno State fans inspired by latest marketing campaign. But will ticket sales increase?

Fresno Bee

Fresno State put its new marketing campaign out this week. The billboards featuring running back Ronnie Rivers at 99 and Shaw, 41 and Central, Blackstone and Shaw. The banners on campus of Mykal Walker and other Bulldogs. The Pride of the Valley lawn signs.

Plans to create medical school in Valley takes shape

abc30

Creating a medical school in the Valley brought dozens of leaders to UCSF Fresno. Assemblymember Adam Gray helped lead the first San Joaquin Valley Coalition for Medical Education. He’s currently working on AB 1606 to help fund the school.

Another Hidden Cost Of College? How Student Parking Fees Are Subsidizing Faculty, Staff

Capital Public Radio

At Cal State’s two dozen campuses, university labor contracts stipulate that faculty members pay less to park than students. Student advocates say that has meant that starving students subsidize parking for paid faculty, staff and administrators.

See also:

●      Here’s how California can become a tuition-free college state Los Angeles Times

Should community colleges build housing?

CALmatters

Think of a community college, and you’ll likely picture a commuter school with low-slung buildings and massive parking lots. And you’d be right—out of California’s 114 community colleges, only 11 offer on-campus housing. But some of those parking lots could soon become dormitories as community colleges look to build their own solutions to the state’s affordable housing crisis.

The Long Road to the Student Debt Crisis

WSJ

A series of well-intentioned government decisions since the 1960s has left us with today’s out-of-control higher education market.

EDITORIAL: California bill would help borrowers struggling with student debt

San Francisco Chronicle

It’s disturbing enough to know that 3.8 million student loan borrowers in California owe about $134.3 billion. The true cost of this debt load cannot be fully measured in those numbers.

See also:

●     I got through college the hard way — and I’m grateful for it Los Angeles Times

Opinion | The Anti-College Is on the Rise

The New York Times

Students, teachers and reformers are pushing back against the failures of mainstream higher education.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

It’s a bad idea to pick a fight with California on car emissions

SFChronicle

Though standards limiting vehicle emissions have played a critical role in controlling U.S. air pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have imminent plans to roll back emissions standards for model years 2021 and beyond. As part of the proposal, the agencies have put California in their crosshairs. But leaving California alone could help keep the air cleaner and avoid the political and legal uncertainty caused by picking that fight with California.

See also:

●      Automakers Tell Trump His Pollution Rules Could Mean ‘Untenable’ Instability and Lower Profits The New York Times

Companies See Climate Change Hitting Their Bottom Lines in the Next 5 Years

The New York Times

Many of the world’s biggest companies, from Silicon Valley tech firms to large European banks, are bracing for the prospect that climate change could substantially affect their bottom lines within the next five years, according to a new analysis of corporate disclosures.

The ‘Great Dying’ Nearly Erased Life On Earth. Scientists See Similarities To Today

NPR

There was a time when life on Earth almost blinked out. The “Great Dying,” the biggest extinction the planet has ever seen, happened some 250 million years ago and was largely caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Now scientists are beginning to see alarming similarities between the Great Dying and what’s currently happening to our atmosphere.

White House blocked analyst from testifying that human-caused climate change could be ‘catastrophic’

Washington Post

Officials sought to excise the State Department’s comments on climate science because they did not mesh with the administration’s stance.

Supreme Court Will Consider Limiting Pollution Cleanup Suits

Bloomberg

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to use a Montana case involving a BP Plc unit to consider shielding companies from environmental cleanup lawsuits that go beyond what federal regulators have ordered.

EDITORIAL: California has to stop thinking small in the fight against plastic trash

Los Angeles Times

There’s no doubt that the tiny plastic shampoo and lotion bottles provided to hotel customers are extravagantly wasteful. But they represent just a small drop in the ocean-sized environmental disaster of single-use plastic items that are piling up in landfills and clogging the seas.

A fire closed this natural wonder in 2015. Now, the Kings Canyon cave is finally reopen

Fresno Bee

One of the casualties of the Rough Fire in 2015 was Boyden Cavern, a marble cave deep in the Sequoia National Forest. This is a wondrous underground structure – stalagmites (growing up from the floor) and stalactites (hanging down from the ceiling) formed over 100,000 years.

Southern California earthquake swarm takes an unexpected turn, and that’s reason to worry

Los Angeles Times

A swarm of earthquakes has shown remarkable staying power in the area around the Southern California city. Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson said the chance that the series of tremors will turn into a large and destructive quake isn’t particularly high.

See also:

●      Buildings Can Be Designed to Withstand Earthquakes. Why Doesn’t the U.S. Build More of Them? The New York Times

Energy:

California Greens Have a Cow

WSJ

Methane emissions expose some anti-carbon contradictions.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Vaccine exemptions targeted by California bill

Fresno Bee

Sacramento Democrat Richard Pan’s Senate Bill 276 tightens medical exemptions to a narrow list of criteria outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and empowers the state health department to decide who gets them.

See also:

¡       EDITORIAL: Californians strongly support mandatory vaccination. Where does Gov. Newsom stand? Sacramento Bee

To stop a virus, California has euthanized more than 1.2 million birds. Is it reckless or necessary?

Los Angeles Times

Each morning, once the kids were off to school, Kerri Hand would slip out to her backyard, sit in a lawn chair and hang out with her feathered family.

EDITORIAL: Merced County cannot relax efforts to deal with childhood obesity crisis

Merced Sun-Star

Childhood obesity is a particularly difficult public health problem because if left unchecked, it will lead to many significant medical issues later in life.

Human Services:

Undocumented immigrants to get health care in Gavin Newsom’s early California budget deal

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget won’t look exactly like he wanted, but a deal lawmakers released late Sunday largely fulfills the objectives he set six months ago when he first outlined his spending plan.

See also:

●     California to fund health benefits for undocumented immigrants after lawmakers reach deal on budget Stockton Record

●     California will give health coverage to undocumented young adults San Francisco Chronicle

●     California poised to go further than any state to insure the undocumented—too pricey, or about time? CALmatters

4,000 Kaiser mental health clinicians call off open-ended strike planned for Tuesday

Fresno Bee

The union representing 4,000 mental health clinicians at Kaiser Permanente announced Sunday that its membership voted to call off the open-ended strike they planned to start Tuesday, saying they had made progress at the bargaining table.

See also:

●     Kaiser Permanente workers set to strike over patient care issues Bakersfield Californian

Porterville shelter gets a confidence boost

Visalia Times Delta

New Porterville Rescue Mission is on track to keep its doors open for those who have nowhere to turn. After months of uncertainty, rescue mission staff are hopeful for the future.

Hyde amendment, other abortion riders in the spending limelight

The Hill

The debate surrounding abortion access is about to spill over from the campaign trail to Capitol Hill as lawmakers begin debating must-pass appropriations bills.

See also:

●      Biden Flips Over Abortion Funding WSJ

●      Poll: 47 Percent Oppose Abortion Except in Extreme Cases  National Review

●      Abortion Poll: Majority Wants To Keep Abortion Legal, But With Restrictions NPR

Will health care’s immediate future look a lot like the recent past? More public-sector funding, but more private-sector delivery and administration, too

AEI

Shifting the share of public subsidies to become more market-like could provide some efficiencies.

Opinion | The Business of Health Care Depends on Exploiting Doctors and Nurses

The New York Times

One resource seems infinite and free: the professionalism of caregivers.

EDITORIAL: Trump’s fetal tissue research ban will hurt many more babies than it ‘saves’

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration this week made good on its threats to clamp down on the use of tissue derived from aborted fetuses in federally funded medical research, cancelling a $2-million-a year contract with the University of California San Francisco for HIV research.

IMMIGRATION

Central American migrants say deal doesn’t dash asylum hopes

Fresno Bee

At the small migrant Juventud 2000 shelter near the border, a Honduran expressed disappointment Sunday over the agreement between Mexico and the United States to more aggressively to curtail migration from Central America.

See also:

●      Migrant arrests at U.S.-Mexico border surge to largest monthly total in more than a decade Los Angeles Times

Call immigrant detention centers what they really are: concentration camps

Los Angeles Times

When a leader puts people in camps to stay in power, history shows that he doesn’t usually stop with the first group he detains.

Paying for Mexico’s Wall

WSJ

Trump’s use of tariffs as a bludgeon on migrants has economic costs.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Growth in Clovis, CA: Columnist has prime view of expansion

Fresno Bee

They are the longest-standing residents on my block: two majestic deodar cedar trees believed to be more than 100 years old.

Visalia begrudgingly set to open sidewalks to street vendors

Visalia Times Delta

Ice cream carts, taco stands and other street vendors could become a much more common sight across Visalia, as city council members begrudgingly moved toward approving a newSidewalk Vendor Ordinance.

Deal-making awaits as Tejon tribe plans casino project

Bakersfield Californian

Word last week that Hard Rock International will develop and manage the Tejon Indian Tribe’s proposed $600 million hotel and casino in Mettler is the latest in a series of steps laid out in laws regulating such collaborations — but by no means is the project a done deal.

New stadium at Kaiser Permanente Sports Village set to be unveiled Tuesday

Bakersfield Californian

A new six-acre stadium will soon be available for community use at the developing Kaiser Permanente Sports Village.

Housing:

How many people in Fresno and Madera are homeless? New numbers released

Fresno Bee

About 350 more people are homeless in Fresno and Madera this year compared to 2018, according to new numbers announced on Friday, but leaders hope with new funding sources they can provide new and better services to slow the growth or cut numbers.

See also:

●     Homeless population in Fresno, Fresno County rises abc30

Why does Clovis keep growing and building more houses on prime ag land? Blame me

Fresno Bee

That project, approved last month by the Clovis Planning Commission, is puny compared to what’s taking place a quarter-mile up the street, where acres of almond trees along Shepherd Avenue were ripped out to make way for what will eventually be 586 new homes.

Nearly 1 million Californians could face eviction under Trump’s housing plan, group says

Fresno Bee

Nearly 1 million people in California could lose their homes under a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development plan seeking to evict undocumented family members from public housing, data released by a housing advocacy group suggests.

6 in 10 Californians want to end single-family-only zoning near transit and jobs, poll says

Los Angeles Times

A strong majority of Californians want the state to force local governments to allow apartments in single-family-home neighborhoods near transit and jobs, according to a new statewide poll.

To Tackle Housing Crisis, Most Californians Would Limit Local Control

Capital Public Radio

By a significant margin, a majority of Californians want the state Legislature to force local governments to build more housing. They’re in for a disappointment.

Developers and unions “not close” on deal to spur housing construction

Public CEO

California developers and the construction unions that build their homes were reportedly near a deal that both sides hoped would unleash a bounty of homebuilding across the state.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Fed Begins Debate on Whether to Cut Rate as Soon as June

WSJ

Trade tensions darken economic outlook, raising possibility of interest-rate cut in weeks or months ahead

See also:

●      The Fed Should Ignore Trump and Contemplate Cuts for the Right Reasons  WSJ

Taxpayers paid over $90 billion more under Trump tax law

Finance Yahoo

Despite the majority of Americans receiving a tax cut, the IRS pulled in an additional $93 billion for 2018 from taxpayers on individual income taxes than it did for 2017, according to new data from the IRS. This is in part thanks to the Treasury Department processing 1.5% more individual returns for 2018 than 2017.

TRANSPORTATION

North Fork Roundabout Construction Begins

Sierra News

Construction activity will soon begin at the intersection of Road 274 and Road 225 in North Fork, the site of Madera County’s first public roundabout.

High-speed rail route took land from farmers. The money they’re owed hasn’t arrived

Los Angeles Times

John Diepersloot squinted under a bright Central Valley sun, pointing to the damage to his fruit orchard that came with the California bullet train.

See also:

¡       (Opinion) High-speed rail is still the best way to plan for California’s future San Francisco Chronicle

‘Clean’ freight traffic is elusive as California rolls toward zero emissions

CALmatters

Work used to be much simpler for the California Department of Transportation: widen highways, fill potholes, build new freeways. Alas, those quaint days are gone.

Automakers Tell Trump His Pollution Rules Could Mean ‘Untenable’ Instability and Lower Profits

The New York Times

The world’s largest automakers warned President Trump on Thursday that one of his most sweeping deregulatory efforts — his plan to weaken tailpipe pollution standards â€” threatens to cut their profits and produce “untenable” instability in a crucial manufacturing sector.

See also:

●      White House poised to relax mileage standards, rebuffing automakers and setting up probable fight with California Washington Post

WATER

Higher Temps, Swift Currents, Icy Waters Make Rivers Dangerous

Sierra News

The return of much warmer weather Sunday through Tuesday will cause an increase in snowmelt over the higher elevations of the Sierra — leading to a rise in water levels on rivers and streams during the early part of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

City Of Fresno Supports Safe Drinking Water Fund – With A Catch

VPR

Two Fresno City Councilmembers made an atypical move at a press conference today by throwing in their support for a clean water drinking fund—as long as it doesn’t involve a tax.

See also:

●      Gov. Gavin Newsom abandons water tax, rejects some new spending in California budget deal Los Angeles Times

●      1 million Californians use tainted water. Will state pass a clean-water tax? San Francisco Chronicle

Water Use in California

Public Policy Institute of California

Just the facts.

“Xtra”

Fresno residents find ways to prepare for upcoming heat wave

abc30

Whether they were sipping their favorite iced beverage or soaking up the sunshine, Valley residents got creative when it came to beating the heat.

See also:

●     Ready or not, here it comes. What you can do as ‘excessive heat’ hits Modesto this week Modesto Bee

Half Dome cables are back up in Yosemite. Here’s how to get a permit to reach the summit

Fresno Bee

Half Dome cables are back up for the 2019 summer hiking season.

Tyra Banks Coming to Central California Women’s Conference

abc30

She made millions modeling and with her business ventures. Now Tyra Banks will headline the Central California Women’s Conference.

Concert series kicks off at Mariposa Plaza, downtown Fresno

Fresno Bee

The Mariposa Music Series, which kicks off Saturday, June 8 in downtown Fresno, could serve as an introduction to Fresno’s music scene.

Nothing to do in Modesto region? Actually there are plenty of options in our calendar

Modesto Bee

Calendar.

Oakhurst Library Summer Reading Program focuses on seven weeks of books and more

Sierra Star

The Oakhurst Branch Library’s annual Summer Reading Program has begun with its first event set for June 19. Through the program, children and teens are encouraged to read vigorously for seven weeks in June and July in the hopes of winning prizes at the end of it all.

World of Wonders Science Museum’s expansion getting closer to reality

Stockton Record

What began as ideas drawn across blueprints now is closer to reality as the expected expansion of the World of Wonders Science Museum in Sacramento finally has an identity.