Maddy Institute – June 12, 2020

12Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Beyond COVID and social unrest, Valley’s big problem remains declining groundwater

Merced Sun-Star

In these extraordinary times, managing groundwater for long-term sustainability may not seem like a top priority. But in the San Joaquin Valley — where groundwater supplies have been declining for decades — excess pumping is a critical problem, with major implications for public health, jobs, the environment and local economies.

Merced leaders, NAACP to talk police excessive force policies at virtual town hall

Merced Sun-Star

In the wake of protests nationwide over incidents of police brutality, Merced County and city leaders are scheduled to participate in a virtual townhall discussion 6 p.m. Tuesday, organized by the Merced branch of the NAACP.

Coronavirus update: Rates of positive cases climb; a call for wearing masks

Modesto Bee

The number of county residents who have died of the virus remained at 33 on Wednesday, according to its Health Services Agency. Positive tests rose to 1,023. Another 16,354 residents have tested negative. The positivity rate was 5.9%, up from 5.8% Tuesday.

Mandatory face mask proposal rejected by Stockton City Council

Stockton Record

The Stockton City Council on Tuesday rejected a proposed temporary ordinance that would have mandated the wearing of face masks in public establishments until further notice to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

● New research shows how face masks can stop second & third coronavirus waves Fortune

● The mask rebellion and its dangers LA Times

● Study: 100% face mask use could crush second, third COVID-19 wave San Francisco Gate

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno nursing home deaths; dog parks, bars reopen; 2-day school week?

Fresno Bee

A dozen deaths have been reported in the central San Joaquin Valley this week, linked to the coronavirus. Fresno and Tulare counties reported two deaths each on Wednesday..

● ‘It’s precarious.’ How San Joaquin Valley became a worrisome COVID-19 hotspot in CaliforniaFresno Bee

● Valley hospitalizations peak for COVID-19, deaths rise in Tulare and Fresno counties Fresno Bee

Fresno leaders tout new Convention Center contract’s preference to local vendors

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council approved a new contract with the managers of the Convention Center that officials say now includes a local business preference. The five-year deal was adopted with a 6-1 vote on Thursday, about six months after an earlier proposed deal became controversial among local vendors.

Fresno-area church to hold first in-person service in months — and attendance could be high

Fresno Bee

The Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church is planning to host its first in-person church meeting in three months, following several churches seeking a return to regular services during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fresno city leaders launch police reform commission

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s mayor and city council on Thursday launched a commission for police reform that will make recommendations to the council within 90 days. The announcement came after a presentation from the Fresno State chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other leaders in Fresno’s black community.

● Fresno City Council forms commission to bring police reform to Fresno Police Department abc30

● Commentary: The Limits of Police Reform Wall Street Journal

Clovis, one of fastest growing cities in state

Clovis RoundUp

The city of Clovis has been ranked as one of the top 10 fastest growing in California, according to data from the state Department of Finance.

South SJ Valley:

Kern behind state in Census response; new push for participation begins

Kern Sol News

The U.S Census Bureau has begun dropping off 2020 Census questionnaire packets in Kern County. Census Bureau workers will make a stop at more than 9,000 homes throughout the County, according to the Census Bureau. Kern County is behind the state in response rates. Only 56 percent of Kern households have responded, while 62 percent of the state’s households have responded.

Kern is now on state watchlist due to increasing COVID-19 spread

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County is no longer meeting state thresholds for managing COVID-19 transmission as of Thursday morning and is now one of 11 counties on a state watchlist. “Kern County is experiencing elevated disease transmission and increasing hospitalization,” says an entry for Kern County on the California Department of Public Health’s “targeted engagement” list.

Bakersfield City Council flooded with Black Lives Matter emails

Bakersfield Californian

The city of Bakersfield has been flooded with nearly 2,000 emails regarding law enforcement reforms, including requests to defund the Bakersfield Police Department.

Sheriff and panelists debate views, make progress during community meeting

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood met with a panel of local African American leaders and pastors via Zoom conferencing on Wednesday to discuss relationships between the sheriff’s office and the black community in light of recent events both locally and nationally.

State:

Top Calif lawmakers urge state unions to make deals with Gov. on pay cuts

Fresno Bee

Legislative leaders are urging state unions to reach cost-saving agreements with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration by July 1 as they prepare to vote Monday on budget proposal.

California coronavirus deaths near 5,000, as cases rise to almost 140,000

Fresno Bee

In the next few days, California is likely to reach a grim milestone of 5,000 deaths from the new coronavirus, while the state also came close Wednesday to recording 140,000 total cases.

See also:

● Where are California’s outbreaks and why? San Jose Mercury

Did stay-at-home orders stop coronavirus? What study found in tiny Calif town

Sacramento Bee

The research team found in earlier diagnostic testing that Bolinas residents were negative for active infections with the new coronavirus. It’s more formally known as SARS-CoV-2, it causes COVID-19, and researchers were interested to learn how the new coronavirus spread such a small Marin County town.

California Senate OKs bill to mail ballots for fall election

Associated Press

Fearing a surge of coronavirus cases that could force a second statewide shutdown in the fall, the California Senate on Thursday approved a measure that would guarantee all registered voters get a ballot in the mail before the November election.

Stronger ‘Laura’s law’ wins Assembly approval

Capitol Weekly

Legislation to strengthen California’s 2002 “Laura’s Law,” which gives family members a legal tool to get treatment for their severely mentally ill relatives, has been approved 77-0 by the state Assembly, despite opposition from some California counties, behavioral health directors and a labor union representing employees in local mental-health programs.

African American reparations proposal passes CA Assembly

KCRA

A proposal to establish a task force to study and prepare recommendations for how to give reparations to African Americans passed the California Assembly on Thursday. The bill advanced with a 56-5 vote as protests nationwide over police brutality re-energized the movement for racial justice and activists pressed for sweeping reforms. It is a top priority for California’s Legislative Black Caucus.

Census Responses Lagging during COVID-19

Public Policy Institute of California

As of today, California’s self-response to the 2020 Census is lower than it was ten years ago. With 62.1% of households responding, the rate is about six points below the state’s final self-response rate in 2010 (68.2%). Even in the best of times, a strong self-response through mail or online minimizes in-person follow-up to nonresponding households. COVID-19 has now complicated such in-person operations.

Who died and made him king?’ Calif county health officers feel reopening pressure

POLITICO

A governor can issue an executive order and a governor can say this law needs to be followed, but if people are going to ignore you, they’re going to ignore you,” said Sean Walsh, a Republican strategist who advised GOP former Govs. Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. “At this juncture, there’s a level of public fatigue.

Walters: Two wins for governmental transparency

CalMatters

One victory, a May 28 state Supreme Court ruling, is especially timely since it stemmed from the fatal police shootings of two unarmed black men in 2014, Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, and Eric Garner in New York City.

Federal:

US showing signs of retreat in battle against COVID-19

TheHill

The moves suggest that many Americans — anxious to end two-plus months of lockdowns, smarting from the devastating economic toll they have already suffered and focused on the social justice protests that have roiled the nation — are ready to put the coronavirus behind them.

● CDC urges organizers of large gatherings to ‘strongly encourage’ use of face masks Washington Post

US reaches 2M confirmed COVID-19 cases as infection rates rise in 20 states, but vaccine trials give hope

abc30

The United States has confirmed more than 2 million cases of COVID-19, which has claimed the lives of around 113,000 Americans as of Thursday. Infections of the new coronavirus continue to rise in 20 states and Puerto Rico, and in Texas, hospitalization rates have increased by 40% since Memorial Day.

● As pressure for vaccine builds, regulators may face difficult decision ABC News

To protect frontline workers during & after COVID-19, we must define who they are

Brookings

“Frontline workers” and “essential industries” have been frequently discussed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but these terms have no set definitions. Joseph Kane and Adie Tomer explain why it is crucial for Congress to establish formal definitions as they create policies that target America’s most vulnerable workers.

Coronavirus Special Report: Pandemic politics

Roll Call

In this episode of Coronavirus Special Report, politics is back in full view when it comes to the coronavirus and Capitol Hill. Political ads are targeting vulnerable senators and their stances around relief, while one lawmaker goes on defense about money aimed at helping farmers.

Federal Arrests Show No Sign That Antifa Plotted Protests

New York Times

Despite claims by President Trump and Attorney General William P. Barr, there is scant evidence that loosely organized anti-fascists are a significant player in protests.

Eugene Robinson: Trump might go down in history as the last president of the Confederacy

Washington Post

It should have happened 155 years ago, when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, but maybe — just maybe — the Civil War is finally coming to an end. And perhaps Donald Trump, not Jefferson Davis, will go down in history as the last president of the Confederacy.

Pentagon’s top general apologizes for appearing alongside Trump in Lafayette Square

Washington Post

“I should not have been there. My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created the perception of the military involved in domestic politics,” said Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Editorial: Trump is trashing arms control treaties and making the world more dangerous

LA Times

Since 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has maintained a so-called Doomsday Clock designed to indicate how close the world was to a catastrophe caused by nuclear war or, more recently, other causes such as climate change.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

● Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO

● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University

● Tracking coronavirus in California LA Times

● Coronavirus Tracker San Francisco Chronicle

● Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times

● How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico

● Coronavirus Daily NPR

● Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Financial Times

● Coronavirus in California by the numbers CalMatters

Elections 2020:

Young people turned out to protest. Now, will they vote?

LA Times

Young adults have filled streets across the country on a scale not seen since the 1960s to protest for racial justice after the death of George Floyd. But whether that energy translates to increased turnout in November is another question.

Biden’s war chest swells as donors, many in Calif, grow increasingly alarmed by Trump

LA Times

It was another in an unrelenting procession of Zoom fundraisers — the script familiar, the donors determined not to be deterred by technical glitches, and the candidate about to go through the motions — when Joe Biden revealed an expression of shock.

● Biden Calls For Testing Every U.S. Worker As Worries About Second Wave Increase Forbes

● Joe Biden said he will pick a woman as his vice president. Who should it be? Wall Street Journal

GOP Moves Main Convention Events to Jacksonville, Fla., From Charlotte, N.C.

Wall Street Journal

The Republican National Convention will move its marquee events to Jacksonville, Fla., organizers said, ending weeks of uncertainty after President Trump battled with the governor of North Carolina over social distancing precautions that could have limited crowd size.

● GOP picks Jacksonville for convention keynotes POLITICO

Trump campaign asks supporters to waive COVID-19 liability to attend Tulsa rally

Roll Call

Supporters of President Donald Trump are being asked to immunize his campaign from COVID-19 liability claims if they want to attend his next rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the first for the president since the coronavirus pandemic started dominating the public’s attention.

Opinion: California Voters Must Protect App-Based Drivers and Services

Fox & Hounds

The new law, AB5, would prevent app-based drivers like me from working as independent contractors with control over our schedules. It would force drivers to become employees, and that means all the burdens that come with it – set shifts, flat wages and limits on who could drive.

OPINION: Could Trump really ‘cancel’ the 2020 presidential election? Yes, and here’s how

Fresno Bee

While it is true that the United States Constitution and (later) federal law requires that an election be held on the first Tuesday after the first Sunday in November, there is a catch: The Constitution allows the presidential electors to be chosen through means determined by the state legislatures, not by direct election of its citizens.

Commentary: Trump Is Beating Trump

Wall Street Journal

Biden wants to make the race a referendum. The president needs to make it a choice.

Other:

Black lives matter, but what happens after the protests end?

Sacramento Bee

America has once again been rocked by the brutal violence inflicted upon a helpless, non-threatening black man by our sworn-to-protect-and-serve law enforcement. George Floyd’s killing was indeed heinous and it follows a history of brutality inflicted on black people by American institutions of power.

A right to gather?: Balancing health risks and religious liberties during the COVID-19 crisis

ABA Journal

“There are manifold restraints to which every person is necessarily subject for the common good,” wrote Justice John Marshall Harlan I in Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905), upholding a Massachusetts law requiring smallpox vaccinations over the objection of a pastor’s right to a religious exemption.

● Many Faithful Say It’s Time to Gather. Some Governors Disagree. PEW

How New York’s Coronavirus Response Made the Pandemic Worse

Wall Street Journal

The hasty expansion of medical facilities by state, city and hospital leaders led to grave mistakes, a Wall Street Journal investigation found; ‘wartime conditions’

Editorial: America’s coronavirus response is as racist as its policing

LA Times

There are a gratifying number of private and public discussions underway this week in LA and elsewhere about how Black, Latino, and other communities of color have borne a disproportionate share of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, most notably deaths and financial hardships, and the role that systemic racism has played in such outcomes.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Order takeout? Proposed Calif law aims for truth in all online restaurant menus

Fresno Bee

The California Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would ban online food-delivery platforms from advertising restaurants’ menus without consent, potentially preventing companies like Grubhub and DoorDash from taking a cut of revenue from takeout orders.

Visalia farmers market posted signs denouncing racism. Then the complaints came in

Fresno Bee

The Visalia Farmers Market posted a sign at its entrance last Saturday that said “Racism & hate have no place here.” A few other signs with similar messages were posted as well.

Diamond walnut workers rally for hazard pay at Stockton plant

Stockton Record

Workers at Diamond of California’s Stockton walnut processing plant wanted to make a point: Their jobs are essential and they show up to work every day despite the health risks to them and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California’s controversial ‘zero dollar bail’ to end June 20th

abc30

In a matter of days, California’s ‘get out a jail for free card’ will no longer be in play. On Thursday, a majority of the state’s Judicial Council voted to remove the $0 bail policy. “I am thankful they voted to reinstate bail, this will make the citizens of Fresno County much safer,” said Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.

Protesters Demand Criminal Charges Against Fresno Police Officer For 2017 Shooting

VPR

Protesters demanded justice Tuesday for a 16-year-old boy who was shot by Fresno police in 2017. More than 50 people gathered at City Hall chanting “Say His Name” and “Don’t Shoot.” The protest was in honor of Isiah Murrietta-Golding who was shot in the back of the head by Fresno Police Sgt. Ray Villalvazo. A surveillance video of the incident from a nearby daycare was released in 2019.

Public Safety:

Should Calif prison guards wear body cameras? Lawyers demand them in disability case

Merced Sun-Star

Advocates for disabled California prison inmates are asking the state to require guards to wear body cameras, citing dozens of new court declarations describing alleged abuses that they should compel the corrections department to carry out policy changes.

Turlock Police Department committed to community safety

Turlock Journal

Your police department is committed to our community and the protection of life. We will always make sure that there is equality and justice for all.

In the face of calls to defund, Bakersfield slated to increase police budget

Bakersfield Californian

Calls to reform the Bakersfield Police Department are seemingly coming in from around the world.

Kern County Sheriff’s Office Suspends Chokeholds, Considers Community Advisory Board

VPR
The Kern County Library hosted a conversation between the Sheriff’s Office and local African American leadersWednesday afternoon. During the livestream meeting, a series of panelists asked Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood about different incidents and practices in the department.

PDC site reportedly being considered to house COVID-19 inmates

Porterville Recorder

Tulare County Health and Human Services Director Tim Lutz said he believed the idea of housing COVID-19 inmates from Avenal and Corcoran Prisons at Porterville Developmental Center was no longer being considered at Tuesday’s Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting. “I think that plan might have gone out the widow,” Lutz said at Tuesday’s meeting.

Prison Admissions Resume as COVID-19 Spreads

PPIC

California has resumed prison admissions after an eight-week moratorium, a change that – if it leads to increased crowding — could put the prison population at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.

Ron Davis on Reimagining Public Safety After a Career in Law Enforcement

KQED

Ron Davis, former Director of the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services under President Obama, talks with Scott and Marisa about reimagining public safety after the killing of George Floyd. He also discusses his current advising of the Newsom administration and reflects on following his father’s footsteps into law enforcement and his years with the Oakland and East Palo Alto police departments.

Senate panel would bar military force against peaceful protesters

Roll Call

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted to block the U.S. military from ever interfering with the right of Americans to peacefully protest. More than 60,000 National Guard troops were activated at the peak of the protests earlier this month.

Courts and lawyers struggle with growing prevalence of deepfakes

Aba Journal

Deepfakes have seeped into our culture and politics but are most often found in pornography. According to a Deeptrace Labs report, The State of Deepfakes: Landscape, Threats, and Impact, 96% of manipulated videos on the internet are pornographic.

Don’t abolish the police. Reform them.

AEI – The Bulwark

The decision in Camden, New Jersey, to disband and re-create its police force offers lessons for the rest of the country.

Opinion: Reimagining and Reinventing Public Safety Means Reforming POBOR

Fox & Hounds

For all the talk of “defunding the police” and whatever that actually means, why is nobody talking about POBOR?

Opinion: Califorians Want Law and Order But They Also Want Orderly Law

Fox & Hounds

Police tactics are once again under the microscope in California and around the nation as violent clashes between those who wear the blue uniform and lawless rioters is resulting in predictable calls for sweeping police reforms.

Opinion: A 3-point plan to help reduce police brutality and make cops better

ABC News

Emphasis has to be placed on training officers to work with their communities.

Fire:

Calif wants to get fire coverage for burned-out towns. Here’s why watchdogs are worried

Sierra Star

After several years of catastrophic burns — and the insurance industry pulling back from some fire-prone communities — many California homeowners will face the upcoming fire season without proper coverage.

Fighting California Wildfires During COVID-19

Capital Public Radio

Experts are predicting another dangerous fire season this year as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The National Interagency Fire Center issued an outlook for significant wildland fire potential over the next three months in Northern California and throughout various fire-prone regions of the state.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Stanislaus Co bars, gyms ready for reopening. Here’s what to expect when you go

Modesto Bee

This weekend you’ll be able to raise a glass or a barbell officially again as bars, gyms and close to a dozen other industries reopen across Stanislaus County from their nearly three-month coronavirus shutdowns.

Dow sinks 1,800 as virus cases rise, deflating optimism

LA Times

Stocks fell sharply on Wall Street Thursday as coronavirus cases in the U.S. increased again, deflating recent optimism that the economy could recover quickly from its worst crisis in decades.

A bad economic idea is back in fashion

TheHill

When something is unsustainable, it will eventually come to an end. Don’t expect unsustainable public debt to be any different.

Steven Mnuchin Says WH Considering Second Round of Stimulus Payments

Wall Street Journal

Treasury secretary noted it is premature to speculate on overall size of next relief package.

Jobs:

Jobs in Calif are coming back after coronavirus lockdown. But not for everyone

Fresno Bee

People in California are slowly returning to work in health care, manufacturing, food services and retail trade jobs, but lower-wage workers are often at risk of earning less than they did while receiving unemployment benefits.

· 1.5 million more laid-off workers seek unemployment benefits AP

To protect frontline workers during and after COVID-19, we must define who they are

Brookings

EDUCATION

K-12:

Frustrated father says Clovis Unified not doing enough to curb racist acts

abc30

Chris Milton, a father of two former Clovis Unified School district students, said he’s had enough, in a video he posted to social media, claiming the district isn’t doing enough to stop racist acts and speech.

Will Calif school districts eliminate campus police?

POLITICO

Teachers in LA and the Bay Area are calling for the elimination of school district police departments, echoing longstanding concerns from the ACLU about disproportionate discipline based on race and school transgressions leading to incarceration.

Despite pandemic, one struggling California elementary school saw bright spots

EdSource

For Richmond’s Stege Elementary, the end of this school year was about showing progress as it begins a complete overhaul to a safe and enjoyable school where children want to come to learn. But like many schools across the country, the pandemic forced the teachers and students to adapt on the fly.

Higher Ed:

Fresno City College creates anti-racism police academy task force. Here’s what it’ll do

Fresno Bee

Karla Kirk said she’s been pushing for years for the Fresno City College police academy to include more cultural studies in its training. The African American studies professor and academic senate president said she’s reached out before to offer her leadership.

Community college presidents aim to address ‘tremendous racial inequities’ on campuses

LA Times

The presidents of 60 California community colleges have formed an alliance that aims to combat racism and educational inequities on campuses where the majority are students of color.

Colleges Are Backing Off SAT, ACT Scores — But The Exams Will Be Hard To Shake

Valley Public Radio

As schools continue to revamp testing policies, Crys Latham has been updating her students. She says they are excited about the news: “I now have kids who would never have considered those schools seriously before, didn’t even see it as an option for them because they felt like the scores wouldn’t have given them a chance in admission,” she says, “but now, they say, ‘Oh wow! Maybe I have a shot … maybe it is possible for me.’ “

DeVos issues rule barring colleges from granting coronavirus relief funds to DACA recipients

TheHill

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a rule Thursday that would ban colleges from granting coronavirus relief funds to noncitizens, including those protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program.

Calif keeps plans for online bar exam, but test date may be pushed back again

ABA Journal

Following an earlier announcement that the California bar exam for July would be pushed back to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Supreme Court has announced that the test may be moved to October.

Opinion: We Need an Academic New Deal

The Nation

Higher education work is a public good, and we university workers are prepared to fight to make it better for all.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

In the Midst of the Coronavirus, California Weighs Diesel Regulations
insideclimatenews

Every day, nearly 18,000 diesel-powered trucks barrel along State Route 60 in Jurupa Valley, a small city 45 miles east of LA. The trucks come and go from over 40 square miles of warehouse space in the area, but a blanket of smog lingers behind.

Energy:

How to shut down urban oil drilling? This city has an unusual idea

LA Times

I don’t think about this too often, but I live near an oil field. Not so close that I’m really worried about air pollution affecting my health, especially when I live even closer to two major freeways. But I drive past the Inglewood Oil Field all the time — or I did, before the coronavirus came to town.

You can’t fight pandemics without power—electric power

Brookings

Last week’s U.N.-sponsored report on tracking Sustainable Development Goal 7 brought some good news. The number of people without access to electricity has fallen from 1.2 billion in 2010 to 789 million in 2018.

PG&E Launches Hunt for $20 Billion for Bankruptcy Exit

Wall Street Journal

PG&E Corp. has won approval from a bankruptcy judge for an order allowing it to go to market to sell $20 billion worth of new debt and equity as it awaits approval of its plan to exit chapter 11.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

The dos & don’ts of social distancing during coronavirus outbreak

Fresno Bee

Social distancing is all you’ve been hearing about when it comes to “flattening the curve” of the coronavirus outbreak. Here are the dos and don’ts of social distancing.

Are younger, healthier people behind California’s spike in cases?

Mercury News

Of California’s more than 136,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, about 83 percent are people younger than 65.

SARS antibodies block coronavirus infections, study shows

San Francisco Chronicle

Antibodies from people who recovered from SARS — a deadly respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus that emerged nearly 20 years ago — may be critical to fighting COVID-19, according to a study in the journal Nature.

The Impact of Police Violence on Health

VPR

The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers has sparked national outrage over police brutality and violence. Protesters have taken to the streets, demanding an end to police violence, and for some police departments to be defunded or abolished altogether. Explored on this episode is what better policing could look like, what role research and science might play in serious reform, and experts on the effects police violence is having on Black Americans’ health — both mental and physical.

Human Services:

Merced Co to demobilize coronavirus response center. New cases continue to rise

Merced Sun-Star

Merced County Department of Public Health officials at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting said their operation center dedicated to coronavirus will be demobilizing.

COVID-19 test facility is moved closer to Modesto neighborhoods with growing caseload

Modesto Bee

Residents in west Modesto now have a coronavirus testing location closer to home. The OptumServe testing facility in Keyes was moved on Monday to the Neighborhood Center at Marshall Park on Chicago Avenue, south of Paradise Road.

Calif sets new rules for rationing medical equipment during pandemic if hospitals run out

Fresno Bee

What happens if there isn’t enough medical equipment available to treat every person who gets sick with COVID-19?

The mask rebellion and its dangers

LA Times

The evidence shows face coverings help prevent the spread of coronavirus, yet some people push back against their use.

● New research shows how face masks can stop second and third coronavirus waves Fortune

● Study: 100% face mask use could crush second, third COVID-19 wave San Francisco Gate

● The Second Wave Covid Scare Wall Street Journal

Five Coronavirus Treatments In Development

VPR

Right now, there is only one drug shown by rigorous scientific testing to be helpful for treating COVID-19. That drug is the antiviral medication called remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences. But remdesivir’s proven benefits are modest: reducing hospital stays from 15 to 11 days. So there’s an urgent need for better therapies. The good news is there are some on the horizon.

Questions About How Crash Program Is Picking Coronavirus Vaccines To Back

Valley Public Radio

More than 100 coronavirus vaccines are being studied around the world, but less than a dozen have begun testing in humans.

30,000 blood drives have been canceled due to coronavirus

TheHill

The blood supply in the United States has dropped drastically after tens of thousands of blood drives nationwide have shut down amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. Nursing Homes Run Low On PPE As COVID-19 Deaths There Soar

NPR

Across the United States, nursing homes trying to protect their residents from the coronavirus eagerly await boxes of masks, eyewear and gowns promised by the federal government. But all too often the packages deliver disappointment — if they arrive at all.

IMMIGRATION

GAO report: Customs and Border Protection misspent funds on boats, ATVs, other expenses

UPI.com

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spent some emergency funds earmarked for humanitarian aid along the U.S.-Mexico border on things like transportation and computer upgrades, according to congressional auditors.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

‘Feeling great, beautiful day!’ Yosemite National Park reopens with changes

Fresno Bee

Gary Egorov didn’t let not being able to get a day-use reservation stop him from getting into Yosemite National Park on Thursday. The cyclist from Fresno parked in Oakhurst and rode his bicycle up Highway 41.

● Yosemite Reopens Thursday With Limited Camping, Half Of Usual Permits For This Time of YearCapital Public Radio

Campgrounds to reopen at 28 California state parks

Mercury News

Roughly 1,600 campsites to open, with more planned soon, officials say

Clovis, one of fastest growing cities in state

Clovis RoundUp

The city of Clovis has been ranked as one of the top 10 fastest growing in California, according to data from the state Department of Finance.

House aims to vote on public lands legislation by July 4

Roll Call

The House could vote on a massive public lands package before the Independence Day break, a senior Democratic aide told CQ Roll Call Friday. The Senate is scheduled to resume debate on the legislation Monday and vote as early as Tuesday.

Housing:

New proposal offers broader tenant protections for Californians

San Jose Mercury

Lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a measure for long-term eviction relief for renters struggling through the coronavirus pandemic, as a state judicial council delayed a decision on dropping a temporary ban on renter-landlord court hearings.

Bakersfield makes room for LA expats

Bakersfield Californian

New data shows what local real estate people have long understood: The vast majority of people considering a move to Bakersfield — by about a 6-1 margin — are from L.A.

Opinion: Common ground: At this time of social awareness, let us also help Fresno’s homeless youth

Fresno Bee

FCC was recently awarded two grants totaling more than $4 million to help establish the new HOPE — “Housing Opportunities Promote Education” — program to implement an intensive student support model on a large scale.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Top Calif lawmakers urge state unions to make deals with Gov. Newsom on pay cuts

Fresno Bee

Legislative leaders are urging state unions to reach cost-saving agreements with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration by July 1 as they prepare to vote Monday on budget proposal.

Opinion: Too Soon for Taxes in State Budget

Fox & Hounds

Despite facing a June 15 deadline to pass a state budget, Governor Newsom and legislative leaders are, prudently, deferring a number of major fiscal decisions until they receive better information on the intention of Congress on state assistance and the actual level of state income tax payments that were deferred for three months.

Why tax refunds are taking so long to arrive

LA Times

You mentioned that people who file electronically and use direct deposit generally get their refunds much more quickly than those who file paper returns. That has always been true for me, but this year I filed in February and got a message that there was a problem but not to contact the IRS for 60 days.

TRANSPORTATION

More flight options coming to Fresno. Who’s doing the flying, and where?

Fresno Bee

Travelers flying from Fresno to LA will have new options available in September as Alaska Airlines begins offering flights twice a day between the two cities.

In wake of Kobe Bryant’s death, House and Senate introduce helicopter safety bill

LA Daily News

Legislation introduced Thursday in the House and Senate would require terrain awareness and warning systems and crash-resistant flight data and voice recorders on all helicopters that carry six or more passengers, which the bills’ authors say would prevent tragedies like the Jan. 26 Calabasas crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter.

Caltrain to increase service starting June 15 as shelter-in-place restrictions ease

Climate News

Starting Monday, June 15, Caltrain will increase service to 70 trains per weekday, up from the current 42, as the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order restrictions ease.

Inside A Wall Street Tycoon’s Plan To Get Americans Off The Highway — And On His Trains

Forbes

As the world grapples with how to make travel safe in the age of coronavirus, private equity billionaire Wes Edens is betting $9 billion that America’s transportation future is passenger rail.

WATER

Beyond COVID and social unrest, Valley’s big problem remains declining groundwater

Merced Sun-Star

Fresno Irrigation District still flowing at 100

The Business Journal

Today, the Fresno Irrigation District oversees the now-680 miles of pipelines and canals that deliver river water to growers and cities.

Lake Tahoe’s clarity got worse in 2019, UC Davis scientists say in annual report

Sacramento Bee

Lake Tahoe’s water clarity significantly worsened in 2019 despite last year’s improvements, according to the latest study from environmental scientists at UC Davis’ Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

“Xtra”

Plans to reopen Disneyland ‘irresponsible and greedy,’ thousands say in petition

Fresno Bee

One day after Disneyland revealed plans for a phased reopening, an online petition calling for the resort to remain closed has gathered 13,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.