Maddy Institute – June 22, 2020

22Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

State watches rising coronavirus numbers in Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County won’t have its own face-covering order to combat the local spread of coronavirus disease and a sharp rise in hospitalizations.

What would defunding police in Stanislaus County do? Activists, chiefs answer

Modesto Bee

“It’s not a matter of not having money, but a matter of, ‘What are your priorities?’”

Turlock peaceful protests for Black Lives Matter continue, focuses on next steps

Modesto Bee

As protests against police brutality and for racial equality continue across the country, Turlock has become a somewhat unlikely hub for Central Valley Black Lives Matter activity of late.

Central SJ Valley:

Sheriff, VPD say they won’t enforce Gov. Newsom’s mask order in Tulare County

Visalia Times Delta

Local authorities will not enforce Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Thursday order requiring California residents to wear masks in most indoor settings.

See also:

● The state now requires mask wearing, but who will enforce it? Bakersfield Californian

● Fresno Sheriff Mims says her deputies won’t enforce Newsom’s mask order Fresno Bee

● Stanislaus won’t have its own face mask rules. Will the state order flatten the curve? Modesto Bee

Fresno moves forward with police reform committee. Here’s who will be on it

Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno released the list of names for its newly formed commission for police reform, which is made up of Black leaders, local advocates and members of the Fresno Police Department.

● Opinion: It is now time to retrain gang members in Fresno with Advance Peace program Fresno Bee

Several Fresno businesses fined for lack of social distancing and mask violations

Fresno Bee

Angry customers are the biggest issue, says a general manager at one of the cited businesses.

Opinion: Fresno’s public safety ‘redesign’ can’t be dumped on underfunded fire department

Fresno Bee

Fresno Fire Department staffing levels are the same in 2020 as they were in 1980. That’s not a typo.

Fresno school leader accused of telling pastor to ‘go back to the barrio’ He says it’s not true

Fresno Bee

Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic is under fire once more after allegedly swearing at and insulting a church pastor in March, according to complaints filed with the district.

Central Unified trustee on social media: Go back to the country you came from

Fresno Bee

Central Unified trustee Richard Atkins made a controversial comment on social media that quickly sparked a public outcry in the community and prompted the school district to send a statement that went against the school board member’s opinion.

‘The times, they are a-changin’.’ Even Central Valley’s small towns see George Floyd protests

Fresno Bee

“I feel like it’s such a small thing to say that we matter, too,” said Maya Stewart of Reedley.

Woman allegedly attempts to deface Fresno Black Lives Matter street art

Fresno Bee

A woman allegedly intended to deface the Black Lives Matter street art in front of Fresno City Hall on Thursday evening. The painting remains intact.

Warszawski: Fresno budget hearings show divide among residents, city

Fresno Bee

It’s pretty hard to have a meaningful discussion about Fresno without talking about divisions.

Newsom Appoints Fresno’s Lee Ann Eager to Transportation Commission

GV Wire

Lee Ann Eager, a strong advocate for high-speed rail and president/CEO of the Fresno County Economic Development Corp. since 2009, was appointed to the California Transportation Commission by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.

South SJ Valley:

Kern County reports 97 new coronavirus cases Sunday

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 97 new confirmed COVID-19 cases Sunday morning. That brings the total cases to 3,900, along with 60 previously reported deaths.

State Sen. Grove: It’s time for Gov. Newsom to stop playing the blame game; own up to mismanagement

Bakersfield Californian

The number of coronavirus-linked deaths in California’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities for older adults account for nearly 43 percent of total fatalities reported as of June 16. It’s time for the state to stop playing the blame game. California must focus on making senior care centers its top priority for testing and service.

Price: Failed Confederate agent and scam artist declared himself ‘father’ of Kern

Bakersfield Californian

What Bakersfield needs now, to go with its state-mandated mask requirement, ever-climbing unemployment rate and still-simmering Black Lives Matter conversation, is a good Confederate monument debate.

State:

Newsom hopes a ‘bit of persuasion’ will convince Californians to follow mask order

LA Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday urged Californians to heed his new order requiring most residents to wear face coverings in public to help stem the spread of the coronavirus and said violators could face enforcement action.

● 5 Governors, 1 Message: “Wear a Mask” KQED

● Calif says people must wear masks in restaurants and bars. Will it actually happen? Sacramento Bee

● The battle over masks in a pandemic: An all-American story Washington Post

● Calif Dept of Public Health Amends Face Covering Guidance — Schools Are Subject to a Broad Face Covering Mandate Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

California just hit all-time high number of people hospitalized with coronavirus

CalMatters

Climbing over the past week, California’s numbers for statewide coronavirus-related hospitalizations this weekend exceeded the record levels set in late April, CalMatters’ hospital data tracker shows.

See also:

● Record number of Californians hospitalized with COVID-19 San Francisco Chronicle

● California now has second highest number of coronavirus cases in U.S., surpassing New JerseySan Francisco Chronicle

● How the U.S. and Italy traded places on coronavirus POLITICO

As focus turned to coronavirus crisis, insurers pushed for a sneaky rate hike on homeowners

LA Times

AB 2167 would strip the state’s elected insurance commissioner of many important powers, effectively eviscerating key consumer protection provisions of the state’s landmark Proposition 103 insurance reform measure, which has been the law for more than three decades.

CA lawmakers and tribal casinos battle over sports betting

Sacramento Bee

Legalized sports betting has flourished across the country, while California has watched from the sidelines. That could be changing for the largest and richest state.

Newsom open to making Juneteenth a paid state holiday,

POLITICO

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he is amenable to making Juneteenth a paid state holiday in California but noted the change would have to come through the collective bargaining process.

● Video: Juneteenth holiday brings leaders together to stand against racism and for equality Fresno Bee

Calif spent $900,000 protecting state buildings during Black Lives Matter protests

Fresno Bee

The California Department of General Services spent nearly $2 million in preparation and repair costs for state buildings in recent weeks amid protests against police brutality.

Ethnic studies to be required for Cal State University students

Students at California State University, the nation’s largest four-year public university system, will be required to take courses in ethnic studies under legislation advanced Thursday.

How a national health crisis fell on the backs of local leaders

Reveal News

With a leadership vacuum in Washington, the San Francisco Bay Area’s shelter-in-place orders led the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

California preparing clean truck rule for big rigs, vans

Sacramento Bee

Gas-powered work trucks — from the delivery vans bringing packages to your doorstep to the big rigs that roar along highways — may soon be fewer in number on California roads.

Federal:

Trump fires top federal prosecutor who investigated the president’s associates

LA Times

President Trump on Saturday fired a top federal prosecutor who has overseen sensitive investigations into the president’s allies, taking aim at yet another government official who has exposed misdeeds or maladministration by Trump or his appointees and associates.

Watchdogs: Treasury too secretive on small business loans

LA Times

The Trump administration has relented to public pressure and pledged to provide more details about which small businesses received loans from a $600-billion-plus coronavirus aid program. But government watchdogs say even more transparency is needed to get an accurate picture of who was helped, and who was left out.

In the nation’s biggest states, a spike in coronavirus comes with the economic reopening

Washington Post

California and some other large states are experiencing a sharp climb in new coronavirus cases just weeks into a gradual economic reopening, filling hospital beds and intensive care units in an uneven surge that many public health officers predicted months ago.

Timeline: How Donald Trump responded to the coronavirus pandemic

Politifact

In the span of three months, Americans went from hearing about a new virus in central China to being told they ought to stay home and avoid groups larger than 10. President Donald Trump went from telling people not to worry and everything was under control to leading daily press conferences on containing the outbreak in the United States.

See also:

● Coronavirus Politifact

● Editorial: Dept. of Coronavirus Good NewsWall Street Journal

● Opinion: The whole world is watching America’s failure Washington Post

Coronavirus Trackers:

Was a COVID-19 tracker really added to your phone? No. What to know about viral post

Fresno Bee

Phone users decide whether they want to use the exposure notifications feature by turning it on in settings then downloading a compatible app, the statement said. The system does not collect or use the phone’s location information.

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:

Trump wanted big crowds at his comeback rally in Tulsa. They didn’t show up

LA Times

President Trump’s first rally in months, full of grievances and racist remarks, failed to draw the huge crowds the president anticipated, deflating what was supposed to be a triumphant return to the campaign trail after the coronavirus forced nationwide lockdowns.

● Fact-checking Donald Trump in Tulsa Politifact

● Did TikTok teens and K-pop fans punk Trump’s comeback rally? LA Times

● Six Trump staffers setting up for Tulsa rally test positive for coronavirus LA Times

● ‘My biggest risk’: Trump says mail-in voting could cost him reelection POLITICO

● Trump said the Obama admin left him a bare stockpile. Wrong Politifact

● Trump exaggerates spending on U.S. military rebuild Politifact

● Trump correctly tweets that Democrats mistakenly tweeted photo of child migrants being held in 2014 Politifact

● Trump: GOP just passed veteran’s Choice after 44-year wait. Actually, it’s 4 years old Politifact

Trump, GOP place big bet on economy for 2020

TheHill

Republicans are betting on the economy as they try to hold on to the Senate and the White House in November.

Cash floods into pro-Biden super PAC

LA Times

Priorities and other super PACs for Democrats have been battering Trump on the airwaves while Biden was focused on winning the party’s nomination race and then shoring up his campaign infrastructure and fundraising as he reoriented toward the general election campaign against Trump.

● Here’s Who Joe Biden Is Considering For VP Forbes

● Possible vice president pick Kamala Harris often avoided controversy in California. Here’s howSacramento Bee

● No, Joe Biden didn’t confuse Idaho and Iowa Politifact

Editorial: Beware the Fall Ballot Harvest

Wall Street Journal

Too many states aren’t preparing for a potential vote-by-mail mess.

Other:

Most Americans Say This Is Lowest Point in U.S. History in Living Memory

Newsweek

The vast majority of Americans say the future of their country is a significant source of stress and that this is the lowest point in the nation’s history in living memory, according to research.

Book Review ‘The Plot to Change America’: The Intellectual Roots of Identity Politics

National Review

A new book explores the ideological wellsprings of ethnic and racial identitarianism.

Online content moderation lessons from outside the US

Brookings

Following Twitter’s decision to add warnings to tweets by the president, the Trump administration, Department of Justice, and Republican members of Congress have taken steps toward reforming the federal liability protections for online platforms. David Morar and Bruna Martins dos Santos offer lessons from countries around the world that have enacted, reformed, or invalidated their own liability legislation.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Lack of sales data hurts cotton farmers hoping for federal recovery money

Fresno Bee

Without firm market numbers showing what prices were between Jan. 15 and April 15, they’ve been unable to qualify for federal recovery money being awarded to farmers whose crops dropped at least 5 percent in value during the pandemic.

Poorest seniors shut out of California’s coronavirus meal program

LA Times

To help elderly people at severe risk from the coronavirus, California launched the “Great Plates Delivered” program to bring meals from local restaurants to their homes.

Community Action Partnership of Kern, CSF Medical Foundation to distribute meals to families impacted by COVID-19

KGET 17

The CSF Medical Foundation and the Community Action Partnership of Kern are teaming up to distribute meals to families impacted by COVID-19.

New report says California cannabis regulations don’t protect kids,

POLITICO

The report looked at cannabis regulations in California and compared them to regulations the state has put in place to prevent youth tobacco use. It found that many of the tactics undertaken to discourage kids from smoking were not applied to the cannabis industry.

Eskimo Pie to change ‘derogatory’ name and branding due to racial concerns

Fresno Bee

Eskimo Pie is getting a new name. The ice cream brand, owned by Dreyer’s, is changing its nearly 100-year-old name and branding due to racial concerns, CBS reported.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Woman allegedly attempts to deface Fresno Black Lives Matter street art

Fresno Bee

A woman allegedly intended to deface the Black Lives Matter street art in front of Fresno City Hall on Thursday evening. The painting remains intact.

Several Fresno businesses fined for lack of social distancing and mask violations

Fresno Bee

Angry customers are the biggest issue, says a general manager at one of the cited businesses.

Public Safety:

Calif’s African American police chiefs talk about proposed law enforcement reforms

Fresno Bee

African American police chiefs, with other Black leaders in California law enforcement, speak on race and policing at the state Capitol on Friday, June 19, 2020, including proposals for reform and calls for defunding the police.

· Opinion: Fresno’s public safety ‘redesign’ can’t be dumped on underfunded fire department Fresno Bee

· The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of the Police Protest Movement NY Magazine

Fresno Co sends COVID-19 infected inmates to state prison, locks down county jail

Visalia Times Delta

More than 1,000 inmates housed at Fresno County Jail were placed in quarantine Friday after 13 prisoners transferred to Wasco State Prison tested positive for COVID-19.

● Rising Valley Cases, Outbreak At Avenal State Prison: COVID-19 Update For June 15-19 VPR

As U.S. crime rates dropped, local police spending soared,

POLITICO

Many cities with similar homicide rates spend vastly different amounts on policing, POLITICO found. For example, both Long Beach, Calif., and Mesa, Ariz., saw 4.7 homicides per 100,000 population in 2017. That year, Long Beach spent about $1,500 per resident on police, while Mesa spent $800.

How COVID-19 is changing the gun debate

Brookings

As some states debate rolling back reopening following new spikes in COVID-19 cases, the United States could see a resurgence of anti-lockdown protests in some places. Rashawn Ray and Rebecca Shankman investigate the relationship between gun ownership and protests after a nationwide surge in both this past spring.

Fire:

Firefighters battle 120-acre fire near Three Rivers in Tulare County

Fresno Bee

The Forks Fire started Thursday night off of South Fork Drive and Salt Creek Fire Control Road, east of Three Rivers, and consumed 100 acres in the first 12 hours.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Report points to economic rebound in coming months

Turlock Journal

How quickly the region’s economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic depends entirely on how well the community follows public health guidelines, according to one local expert.

Black-owned businesses face a system set up against them. COVID-19 makes it worse

LA Times

It takes a lot to turn an idea into a small business: A storefront or some office space. Equipment, inventory, personnel, not to mention marketing, permitting and insurance.

Trump, GOP place big bet on economy for 2020

TheHill

Republicans are betting on the economy as they try to hold on to the Senate and the White House in November.

Jobs:

As unemployment dips, has Modesto area seen the worst of its coronavirus job losses?

Modesto Bee

But county jobless rate is still near a 20-year high.

See also:

● Unemployment makes modest gain in May Turlock Journal

● California Employment Report for May 2020 Center for Jobs and the Economy

California jobless rate 16.3% in May, down a bit from April

California added 141,600 jobs last month after losing an incredible 2.4 million jobs in April.

Disneyland worker’s union requests Calif governor delay reopening set for July

Fresno Bee

“We are not yet convinced that it is safe to reopen the parks on Disney’s rapid timetable.”

COVID-19 Job Losses Affect Undocumented Women Most, Report Shows

Fresno Bee

Before the pandemic hit, 59-year-old Maria had steady work cleaning houses in Merced and Winston. But COVID-19 changed everything. “When the governor told everyone to shelter in place, the homeowners called me and told me not to go to their houses until this is all over,” she said. That meant a huge loss in income.

U.S. Ranked Worst for Workers’ Rights Among Major Economies

Bloomberg

The U.S. has the worst record among major developed countries when it comes to workers’ rights, according to a survey of labor unions. The world’s largest economy is ranked a 4 in a scale by the International Trade Union Congress, meaning there are “systematic violations of rights.

Americans want to own their retirement, not expand Social Security

AEI

Americans prefer to save for retirement with accounts they own and control, rather than through an expanded Social Security program.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno school leader accused of telling pastor to ‘go back to the barrio’ He says it’s not true

Fresno Bee

Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic is under fire once more after allegedly swearing at and insulting a church pastor in March, according to complaints filed with the district.

Central Unified trustee on social media: Go back to the country you came from

Fresno Bee

Child care a primary concern for parents with proposed back-to-school options looming

Bakersfield Californian

A school reopening task force, made up of educational partners from districts small and large throughout the county, has been meeting for several weeks to discuss possible back-to-school scenarios for the county’s more-than 190,000 students.

Here’s how classroom experience beats distance learning, retiring Modesto teacher says

Bakersfield Californian

Not all students chose to or were able to participate. Some families are just trying to keep food on the table. There was a lot of stress in homes. People were not used to quarantining.

Garces, Bakersfield Christian announce reopening plans

Bakersfield Californian

Garces Memorial and Bakersfield Christian high schools announced some of their reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year Friday. Garces Memorial High School plans to reopen by the first day of school Aug. 4.

California public schools fear losing millions from lawsuits over masks, infections

Sacramento Bee

COVID-19 has introduced both new costs and threatened funding for California’s schools, which are facing unprecedented questions about classroom safety as they plan for fall reopening.

For some California teens, school closures led to work in the fields

CALmatters

When the coronavirus pandemic interrupted education across the state, and classes shifted online, many teenage students went to work picking strawberries or other crops. Advocates worry they’re falling behind.

EDITORIAL: Defund the school police? It’s not that simple

LA Times

The leadership of United Teachers LA is calling for defunding L.A. Unified School District’s police department and spending the money on more counselors (who would be members of UTLA). Similar demands are being made across the nation.

Higher Ed:

‘It’s just the beginning.’ Calif lawmakers send CSU ethnic studies bill to Newsom

Fresno Bee

A bill requiring college students to complete an ethnic studies course to graduate from the California State University system has been approved by the state Senate.

BC, CSUB see increase in summer school enrollment; KHSD decreases due to fewer offerings

Fresno Bee

Mike Giacomini, BC vice president of finance and administrative services, said enrollment has increased 10 percent with more than 14,000 students applying for one or more classes.

Students push UC to abolish police departments

CALmatters

Recent nationwide protests have re-ignited scrutiny of how the University of California polices its students.

California universities prepare for possible return of affirmative action in admissions

EdSource

As the movement to repeal the state ban on affirmative action reaches a crucial decision point, speculation is rising about the possible long-term impact on the enrollment of various racial and ethnic groups and low-income students at California’s public universities.

California schools turn to mindfulness to help students cope with stress

EdSource

As students face cascading uncertainties about school, the pandemic, racial unrest and their futures, some school districts are turning to a simple practice to help young people deal with stress: mindfulness.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

California preparing clean truck rule for big rigs, vans

Sacramento Bee

Gas-powered work trucks — from the delivery vans bringing packages to your doorstep to the big rigs that roar along highways — may soon be fewer in number on California roads.

Recession likely to hinder rebounding emissions levels

TheHill

The recession caused by the coronavirus could have a bigger impact on emissions than the earlier stay-at-home orders tied to the pandemic, experts say.

No, the Green New Deal doesn’t aim to end air travel, as Florida Sen. Rick Scott says

Politifact

False.

Opinion: Fresno writer finds timelessness among sequoias

Fresno Bee

Most American are ready to bury symbols of white supremacy. Let’s be done, already, with Confederate flags and rebel generals. Does anyone really care anymore about Braxton Bragg, Henry Lewis Benning, or Robert E. Lee, some of the Confederate generals whose names are fixed to American military bases?

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

2nd wave of virus cases? Experts say we’re still in the 1st

Fresno Bee

Scientists generally agree the nation is still in its first wave of coronavirus infections, albeit one that’s dipping in some parts of the country while rising in others. Saying a first wave has passed may give people a false sense that the worst is over.

● Opinion: We’re pretending the virus is gone. That’ll make it worse. San Francisco Gate

Coronavirus takes lives of three more in Kings County, including one prison inmate

Fresno Bee

Three more people died in Kings County due in part to COVID-19, including the first coronavirus-related death to occur at one of the state correctional facilities in the county, the Department of Health reported Saturday.

● Fresno County health officer ‘perplexed’ by spike in coronavirus cases this week Fresno Bee

Younger Adults Are Increasingly Testing Positive For The Coronavirus

Capital Public Radio

As much of the country presses forward with reopening, a growing number of cities and states are finding that the coronavirus outbreak now has a foothold in a younger slice of the population, with people in their 20s and 30s accounting for a larger share of new coronavirus infections.

● UC Davis study: Many Filipinos not tested for coronavirus Sacramento Bee

Mysterious deaths of infants, children raise questions about how early coronavirus hit California

LA Times

A cluster of mysterious deaths, some involving infants and children, is under scrutiny amid questions of whether the novel coronavirus lurked in California months before it was first detected.

Efforts for Coronavirus Vaccine Focus on Vulnerable Group: Older Adults

Wall Street Journal

Researchers explore different ways to ensure coronavirus shots in development protect elderly.

Using hand sanitizer during COVID-19 pandemic? FDA warns these 9 might be toxic

Fresno Bee

Though hand sanitizer remains a high demand product in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA issued a warning against nine hand sanitizers as possibly being toxic.

WHO reports largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases

The World Health Organization on Sunday reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by its count, at more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours.

What they don’t tell you about surviving COVID-19

San Francisco Gate

‘Recovered’ doesn’t mean healthy again.

How Exactly Do You Catch Covid-19? There Is a Growing Consensus

WSJ

Surface contamination and fleeting encounters are less of a worry than close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods

Human Services:

Dentists adjust to pandemic safety measures

Bakersfield Californian

The absence of magazines, toys and other people in the waiting room might come as a shock to some patients, but that won’t be their first indication that the coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed the experience of going to see a dentist.

IMMIGRATION

74% favor legal status for those brought to US illegally as children as Supreme Court weighs DACA

Pew Research Center

About three-quarters of U.S. adults say they favor granting permanent legal status to immigrants who came illegally to the United States when they were children, with the strongest support coming from Democrats and Hispanics, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted June 4-10, 2020.

● The DACA Ruling and California’s Dreamers PPIC

● Opinion: Supreme Court DACA decision a win for Trump TheHill

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

CEMEX wants to blast 600-foot open pit mine on San Joaquin River north of Fresno. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

CEMEX has applied for permits to continue mining north of Fresno for another 100 years — with a proposal to expand operations by blasting and drilling a 600-feet deep pit into hard rock near the San Joaquin River.

Protesters topple statues of Francis Scott Key, Ulysses Grant in California park

Fresno Bee

Protesters marking Juneteenth on Friday in Golden Gate Park toppled and defaced several statues, including one of Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, KPIX reports.

Housing:

As focus turned to coronavirus crisis, insurers pushed for a sneaky rate hike on homeowners

LA Times

Black Californians’ Housing Crisis, By The Numbers

Capital Public Radio

The legacy of New Deal-era redlining — which deemed Black neighborhoods undesirable for federally-backed mortgages — is demonstrably visible not only where Black Californians live now but where gentrification and displacement pressures across the state are most acute.

Webinar — Will commercial real estate rebound as the country reopens?

AEI

Join AEI as a panel of experts discusses the current outlook for commercial real estate and the financial instruments that finance commercial real estate investments.

Opinion: Local gov’ts are undermining state laws that encourage ‘granny flats’

TheHill

It’s well known that California is in the midst of a housing crisis that grows more severe all the time. For decades, we have seen too few homes built, and those that are built are too expensive. The poor and middle class suffer the most from the housing shortage, increasingly finding themselves priced out of homes and apartments located near good jobs and schools.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Calpers board member objects to $80bn leverage gamble

Financial Times

Expert insights, analysis and smart data help you cut through the noise to spot trends, risks and opportunities.

Walters: CalPERS gambles on risky investment move

CalMatters

The California Public Employees Retirement System, the nation’s largest pension trust, benefited greatly from the runup in stocks and other investments during the last few years, topping $400 billion early this year.

Calif’s largest state worker union accepts 2 furlough days in deal with Newsom

Fresno Bee

State workers represented by California’s largest public employees union will take two furlough days per month for two years under an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, according to details posted online Friday night.

Calif issues mask rules for state workers with warning: Leave enforcement to bosses

Fresno Bee

The Department of Public Health issued guidelines for state worker mask usage Thursday, including a warning to workers not to personally enforce the requirement.

Designing the Main Street Lending Program: Challenges and options

Bloomberg

The Main Street Lending Program(MSLP), authorized by the CARES Act, provides loans to small and mid-size firms and large below-investment-grade firms that were financially sound before the onset of the pandemic.

In Turnabout, SBA Says It Will Disclose Names of Big PPP Borrowers

Wall Street Journal

Bowing to bipartisan pressure in Congress, the Trump administration said it will release the names of borrowers who received Paycheck Protection Program loans of $150,000 or more, accounting for about 75% of funds lent through the program.

● These Fresno County businesses received CARES grants Business Journal

TRANSPORTATION

Newsom Appoints Fresno’s Lee Ann Eager to Transportation Commission

GV Wire

Safety problems increase calls for local highway work

Bakersfield Californian

A determination earlier this year that California has missed federal highway safety targets in recent years has renewed criticisms that Sacramento is prioritizing climate change policies over driver safety and jeopardizing completion of important transportation projects in Kern County.

Traffic has rebounded to 90% of pre-coronavirus levels

Washington Post

Three months after roads emptied amid the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. traffic has rebounded to about 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels as states lift more restrictions, “quarantine fatigue” continues to take a toll and summer weather draws people out, according to travel analysts.

WATER

Federal judge denies Democratic AGs’ bid to halt Trump WOTUS rule

POLITICO

The ruling leaves the new Trump rule poised to go into effect on Monday.

“Xtra”

Because of the virus, dads mark Father’s Day from a distance

Fresno Bee

The virus has made in-person visits with elderly and high-risk family members difficult and sometimes impossible in recent months, though parts of the country have begun loosening up.