June 24, 2019

24Jun


POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

EDITORIAL: Carson Case: How Stanislaus County DA could lose in the court of public opinion

Modesto Bee

As the most exhausting local court case in memory finally winds toward a close, it feels almost like the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office is on trial as much as Frank Carson. D.A. Birgit Fladager’s reputation is on the line.

Central SJ Valley:

After Heated Debate, Fresno City Council Advances Unconventional Gun Violence Prevention Program

VPR

Fresno moved a step closer Thursday to fund an unconventional program that aims to reduce gun violence. After a fiery debate, the Fresno City Council voted to partially fund Advance Peace.

EDITORIAL: To actually separate church and state, it’s time to stop voting inside churches

Fresno Bee

A church’s free-speech rights to proclaim that “Black Lives Matter” vs. the county’s obligation to provide a politically neutral place for voters to cast ballots. That is what is at issue in a lawsuit filed by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno against the county of Fresno.

South SJ Valley:

Interim city manager hired – Mike Olmos will lead city until January

Hanford Sentinel

The Hanford City Council has found the person that will lead the city through the end of the year.

Council approves 2019/2020 budget

Porterville Recorder

After discussing the proposed 2019/2020 city budget at the Porterville City Council meeting on June 4, the Council scheduled a public hearing for their most recent meeting on June 18 to gain the community’s feedback on the document.

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy Wants a Data-Privacy Law

WSJ

Bipartisan support for regulation of Google and Facebook grows after strict California rules passed.

State:

4% pay raise authorized for Gov. Gavin Newsom, lawmakers and other top California officials

Merced Sun-Star

California lawmakers, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other constitutional officers will be eligible for a 4% pay raise after a state commission voted Friday to increase their salaries.

See also:

California’s Population Is Majority-Minority. The Attorneys Who Represent It Are Overwhelmingly White.

Capital Public Radio

California is one of the most diverse states in the country, but the lawyers in the Attorney General’s office are mostly white. Some experts say this lack of diversity may impact the department’s ability to represent the needs of all Californians.

The Global California Dream, In 5 Charts And Maps

Capital Public Radio

The California Dream has appeal well beyond the state’s borders. In the mid-20th century, many new Californians came from states in the Midwest and South. By the 1990’s, immigrants from Latin America and Asia dominated new arrivals.

Gavin Newsom to California’s critics: State is ‘still the envy of the world’

San Francisco Chronicle

California is getting a bad rap from businesses and the national media, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday, and he’s getting mighty tired of it.

California’s budget offers new help for millions — but with an expiration date

Los Angeles Times

There’s long been praise for politicians who “under promise and over deliver,” a way to simultaneously temper expectations and sidestep future disappointment. But the rhetoric in Sacramento this year, in the wake of historic electoral victories last November, has rarely been that cautious.

See also:

Newsom got some national media love with an Axios interview

Axios

In an interview with Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei, California governor Gavin Newsom says his state is the future of America.

Victor Davis Hanson: California Is ‘America’s First Third-World State’

RealClearPolicy

Historian Victor Davis Hanson described why he feels his home state of California is America’s first “Third World state” during a Monday night appearance on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

Gavin Newsom to California’s critics: State is ‘still the envy of the world’

San Francisco Chronicle

California is getting a bad rap from businesses and the national media, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday, and he’s getting mighty tired of it.

EDITORIAL: California’s story was written with Native American blood. Let’s finally admit it

Los Angeles Times

On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom finally did what should have been done a long time ago. During a blessing ceremony at the site where the California Indian Heritage Center will be built, Newsom formally apologized for the state’s historical role in atrocities committed against thousands of native Californians.

See also:

Two California Images

Fox&Hounds

Is California a shining star of social togetherness, booming economy, and an envy to the world or a place that’s too expensive to live or do business while suffering with ugly problems of homelessness, disease, filth and poverty? Both pictures contain truth and the public relations feud over the state’s image is in high gear. Just ask Governor Newsom.

Federal:

Support impeachment, lose a seat: Why some California Democrats go easy on Trump

San Francisco Chronicle

For California’s congressional Democrats, it’s easy to stand strong for impeaching President Trump when there’s no chance they will have to pay a political price.

See also:

Trump says he’s open to Iran talks without preconditions

Los Angeles Times

President Trump, who says he made an eleventh-hour decision last week to call off a retaliatory military strike against Iran, declared in an interview aired Sunday that war would mean “obliteration” for the Islamic Republic. But he also said he was open to talks without preconditions with Tehran.

Predicting the Effect of Adding a Citizenship Question to the 2020 Census

Ideas

The addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census could affect the self-response rate, a key driver of the cost and quality of a census.

Partisans divided on whether they associate news media or Trump with ‘made-up’ news

Pew Research Center

While most Americans are concerned about the negative impact made-up news and information has on the country, Republicans and Democrats are particularly divided on how closely they connect it to the news media or to President Trump, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Feb. 19 to March 4, 2019.

EDITORIAL: The Supreme Court wrongly blesses a religious symbol on public property

Los Angeles Times

If the United States aims to be a tolerant, pluralistic country that treats all its citizens with respect, the Supreme Court shouldn’t be giving its blessing to the display of one faith’s sacred symbols on property that belongs to the public.

Elections 2020:

Who is Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris?

Fresno Bee

Kamala Harris has made a career of upending conventional political wisdom. Harris is the biracial daughter of immigrants who met at the University of California, Berkeley, and were active in the civil rights movement.

See also:

Buttigieg criticized at emotional town hall after shooting

Fresno Bee

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg faced criticism Sunday from angry residents of South Bend, Indiana, at an emotional town hall meeting a week after a white police officer fatally shot a black man in the city where he is mayor.

See also:

It’s time to stop voting inside churches

Fresno Bee

A church’s free-speech rights to proclaim that “Black Lives Matter” vs. the county’s obligation to provide a politically neutral place for voters to cast ballots. That is what is at issue in a lawsuit filed by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno against the county of Fresno, and more specifically, County Clerk-Registrar of Voters Brandi Orth.

Can Biden hold onto his lead?

Brookings

Though Joe Biden has a commanding lead in the Democratic primary, a series of unforced errors may undermine his support base among African Americans. William Galston examines public polling data to assess whether the former vice president will be able to preserve his enviable position atop the crowded 2020 pack.

The stakes are high as Democratic presidential hopefuls prepare to debate

Los Angeles Times

With so many candidates onstage, the Democratic presidential debates risk becoming a stilted, parallel-play affair, with candidates trying to squeeze scripted messages into tiny scraps of airtime.

See also:

2020 candidates show unity in South Carolina, wooing black voters and easing up on Biden

Los Angeles Times

Black voters will play a key role in choosing Democrats’ 2020 nominee, and South Carolina, which holds the fourth contest of the nominating fight and the first in the South, will present candidates an important early test of their strength in the African American community.

See also:

California political parties couldn’t use ‘independent’ in their names under proposal

Los Angeles Times

With potentially hundreds of thousands of California voters under the mistaken belief that they are registered as independent from partisan affiliation, newly drafted state legislation could end the confusion by forcing one minor political party to change its name.

Meet the candidates: Cory Booker and Bill de Blasio

Politifact

All candidate bios will eventually be findable on this page.

Republicans Don’t Understand Democrats—And Democrats Don’t Understand Republicans

The Atlantic

A new study shows Americans have little understanding of their political adversaries—and education doesn’t help.

Other:

Aerial photos help census officials pinpoint faraway people

Fresno Bee

The U.S. Census Bureau is using new high-tech tools to help get an accurate population count next year as its faces challenges tallying people of color who live in remote places and can be wary of the federal government.

American democracy has withstood crises before, but an educated citizenry is key

Fresno Bee

Misuses of “traitor” for opponents and “constitutional crisis” for the president’s defying congressional subpoenas are needlessly inflammatory.

Are young people ‘lazy’? No, but we must step up to fix failures of older generations

Sacramento Bee

It’s getting old. Patronizing generalists like to say that young people have “coddled minds . . . and (an) inability to understand the way the world works.” We’re told that we’re apathetic and self-centered. I can tell you they’re wrong.

Frustration, confusion as Bakersfield Californian faces layoffs and new ownership

Bakersfieldnow

The Bakersfield Californian has always been family owned and operated, a rare feat for a newspaper with a 122 year history. But come July 1, California New Sound Media will take the reins, and changes for the paper’s print production and staffing have already been announced.

Community Citizen Science: From Promise to Action

RAND

Citizen science is the use of scientific methods by the general public to ask and answer questions and solve problems.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, June 30, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Veterans Programs and Services” – Guests: Carole D’Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission and Jacqueline Barocio from LAO. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 30, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition:  “Valley Vets: Challenges and Opportunities” – Guests: Carole D’Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission; Jacqueline Barocio from LAO; Julie Cusator with Fresno Veterans Home; and Lorenzo Rios with Clovis Veterans Memorial District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 30, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Senior Citizen Boom” – Guest: Marisol Cuellar, PPIC Analyst. Host: Ana Melendez.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California fishermen report the biggest salmon season in a decade

San Francisco Chronicle

California commercial fishermen are reporting the biggest king salmon season in a decade, on the heels of three years of disastrously low catches because of the drought. The sudden bounty has resulted in a price drop for the coral-pink, fatty fillets to $20 per pound in many markets, down from the $30- to $35-per-pound range of recent years.

Cannabis control bureau launches campaign targeting illegal operators

Politico Pro Content

The six-week campaign — which comes with a $1.7 million price tag — will include targeted social media ads and billboards in areas with high concentrations of illicit operations.

EDITORIAL: Marijuana should be legal, but there are still good reasons to curtail pot advertising

Los Angeles Times

A new study raises questions about how many legal pot shops should be clustered in a community — and whether there should be more restrictions on marijuana advertising.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

‘Tower rapist’ attacked 8 women decades ago. Is he about to get out of prison early?

Fresno Bee

Known as the “Tower rapist,” Rudolph M. Acosta, now 53, admitted to raping at least seven women and a teenage girl in Fresno’s Tower District in 1991. CDCR’s website notes that Acosta is eligible for parole as a “youth offender” because he committed his offense when he was 26 or younger.

Demolition on Fresno County’s old Juvenile Hall begins

abc30

Section by section, a dark portion of city history is being torn down. The old Juvenile Hall sat right in the middle of Southeast Fresno on Ventura. Neighborhood kids grew up being told you don’t want to end up there.

Family law ‘chaos’ puts pressure on families, court

Visalia Times Delta

“Chaos” is a common word used to describe the current state of family law in Tulare County’s judicial system. The supervising judge resigned her post earlier this year. She was said to have “revolutionized” the way family drama was resolved.

Officer’s slaying shines spotlight on domestic abuse

Stockton Record

Among experts who work with the victims of domestic abuse, the moment when a woman attempts to get away from her batterer is considered the most perilous, a time when violence often intensifies, sometimes to fatal proportions.

See also:

California’s high court walks high wire on initiatives, 2 ex-justices say

San Francisco Chronicle

The one institution that stands above the process is the judiciary — neutral, independent, and free to override voters’ decisions that conflict with the state or federal constitutions.

California must close gap in law on reporting sex abuse

San Francisco Chronicle

California has a law on the books that requires those who observe crimes against children to notify authorities. But that duty-to-report law does not apply when the victim is older than 14.

Any spike in repeat crimes after California sped prisoner release? New research says no

CALmatters

When the U.S. Supreme Court ordered California to disgorge tens of thousands of inmates from its overcrowded prison system in 2011, Justice Antonin Scalia warned in his dissent of “the terrible things sure to happen as a consequence” including the “inevitable murders, robberies, and rapes to be committed by the released inmates.”

EDITORIAL: Probation and parole are supposed to be alternatives to incarceration, not engines for it

Los Angeles Times

Probation too often ends up being a gateway into incarceration instead of an alternative. Parole is frequently a return ticket.

Public Safety:

California gun owners, get ready. July brings several new firearm laws and regulations

Fresno Bee

California gun owners will face a slate of new firearm ammunition laws and regulations this July, including restrictions on using lead rounds while hunting and a REAL ID requirement.

After Fiery Debate, Fresno City Council Advances Unconventional Gun Violence Prevention Program

Valley Public Radio

Fresno moved a step closer Thursday to fund an unconventional program that aims to reduce gun violence. After a fiery debate, the Fresno City Council voted to partially fund Advance Peace.

Ground breaking held for new Selma Police headquarters

abc30

After decades of using an old train depot as headquarters for Selma Police, city leaders broke ground Friday on a facility that will better serve the department and the community.

Water/Boating Safety On The Sierra National Forest

Sierra Star

Hot summer weather has arrived, prompting many of us to get out and enjoy the rivers, streams, and lakes on the Sierra National Forest. These water ways continue to be fed by the melting snows over the High Sierra.

Got a Beef With Code Enforcement? A New ‘Sheriff’ Is in Charge.

GV Wire

Cars parked in the front yard, broken-down RVs seemingly anchored to the street, and junk stockpiled by hoarders have driven residents and Fresno City Council members bonkers for years.

Police departments are younger and less experienced. Why that matters in the field

Sacramento Bee

Natalie Corona: 22 years old.Tara O’Sullivan: 26 years old.

As deputy ranks dwindle, Kern County Sheriff’s Office reaches a staffing ‘crisis’

Bakersfield Californian

Due to relatively low salaries, retention rates for deputies are dangerously low, and recruitment of new employees cannot keep up with the flow of deputies outside the county.

What are the proper limits on police use of facial recognition?

Brookings

“It’s one thing for facial recognition to misidentify a friend on Facebook; it is quite another for it to misidentify a suspect.” Nila Bala and Caleb Watney discuss the challenges posed by facial recognition technology and outline how government agencies can establish safeguards to prevent abuse and protect privacy.

Fire:

Gavin Newsom unveils $24 billion plan to tackle wildfires, PG&E bankruptcy

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed creating a $21 billion fund to pay for future wildfire costs Friday, with the costs split evenly between ratepayers and shareholders of PG&E Corp. and California’s two other major utilities.

See also:

Cal Fire Training Burn At Lake McClure Fireworks Launch Point

Sierra Star

The Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit (MMU) in cooperation with Merced Irrigation District (MID) is scheduled to conduct a vegetation management training burn during the week of June 24 at Lake McClure.

Fire restrictions begin in the Sequoia National Forest

Porterville Recorder

Campfire and smoking restrictions will be implemented for areas 5,000 feet and below in the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, beginning June 21 through November 30.

How DNA tech used in Golden State Killer case could help ID last two Camp Fire victims

Sacramento Bee

Their bones lie in a refrigerated morgue in Sacramento, waiting to be identified. Seven months after California’s deadliest wildfire devoured most of Paradise, the names of two of the Camp Fire’s 85 victims remain a confounding mystery.

Tracking Wildfires: Where To Find Information During California Fire Season

Capital Public Radio

When a wildfire starts, it’s important to know where to turn for accurate information. We’ve assembled a list of the places you can find official updates on everything from fire size and location, to evacuation orders and road closures.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Fresno takes center stage in making the California dream work for all: California Economic Summit comes to Fresno in November

Fresno Bee

The impact of California Forward and the California Stewardship Network’s recent integration may have been lost on many who don’t know the two organizations.

Getting ready for recession, California’s $215 billion budget fills reserves. But is it enough?

Sacramento Bee

Stung by severe cuts to services in the Great Recession, California lawmakers are riding the state’s booming economy to put more money than ever.

Bitwise’s expansion plans fuel debate over local tech market

Bakersfield Californian

A Fresno tech center’s planned expansion to downtown Bakersfield has raised concerns among some industry professionals that the arrival of an outside job-training organization could worsen a local glut of computer workers unable to find good career opportunities in town.

See also:

Tourism dollars still growing as Visit Stockton turns 40

Stockton Record

Wes Rhea, executive director of Visit Stockton said possible reasons for growth in local tourism could stem from more travel spending by businesses and Stockton’s affordability when compared to the Bay Area.

Facebook’s Libra Is a License to Print Money

WSJ

On some reasonable-sounding assumptions, Libra could be insanely profitable for its founders, but a lot less appealing for users.

More than half of the world’s poor are children

Brookings

Experts from the World Data Lab find that while child poverty is declining across the world, there are still 301 million children living on less than $1.90 per day, with the vast majority in Africa.

A large share of Republicans hold progressive economic views

The Economist

In recent decades, the word “democrat” has become synonymous with progressive economics and “republican” with fiscal conservatism.

California and Texas are both failing their neediest citizens

The Economist

Texan leaders are proudly thrifty. They also believe that cowboy boots are a legitimate fashion choice and that bootstraps are tools by which people should pull themselves up. Visitors to the website of the department overseeing welfare are encouraged to share their ideas for cost savings. Texas’s constitution, unusually, specifies a spending cap on aid for poor families and children (at 1% of the annual budget). “It seems like California measures success by the number of people who are dependent on government programmes,” quips Greg Abbott, the governor. “We define success by the number of people who are employed.”

Jobs:

California adds 19,400 jobs, a quarter of all U.S. employment growth in May

Los Angeles Times

California job growth continued apace in May, buoyed by expanding opportunities in tourism, technology and construction.

See also:

Patterson High truck driving course empowers teen job seekers

Modesto Bee

Everyone from parents to principals, teachers to future employers need to stop making young adults who clearly aren’t on the college path feel less worthy and instead focus on providing them opportunities to forge happy, meaningful careers.

Treat workers as employees? Uber, Lyft and others are scrambling for a compromise

Los Angeles Times

Faced with a looming threat to their way of doing business, Uber, Lyft and other major on-demand companies are trying something they’ve historically been reluctant to do: seeking compromise.

Deliv switching California couriers to employees — ‘start of a wave’

San Francisco Chronicle

San Jose resident Lynne Richardson drives her Volkswagen Jetta around the South Bay to pick up cupcakes, flowers, wine, electronics and clothes from stores and bring them to consumers via Deliv, a Menlo Park startup that works with stores to get goods to people the same day they buy them.

Wait, Where Did Our New Hire Go?

WSJ

An abrupt change of heart after saying yes to a job can have career repercussions years later—here’s how to navigate this delicate decision.

The $15 Minimum Wage Will Put Me Out of Business

WSJ

My employees already make $22 an hour with tips. A new bill will force me to fire them all.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Passing of the torch: New principals at Bakersfield, West ready for their dream job

Bakersfield Californian

As two longstanding education leaders prepare to say their goodbyes and begin retirement, two new principals are ready to begin their journeys.

See also:

The Valley Has Its Share Of Childcare Deserts – UC Merced Thinks Teens Can Help Change That

VPR

Preschoolers played with a robot in the hallway outside of their classroom at the Huggins Early Education Center at Fresno State. They chased it and laughed as it rolled down the long corridor.

A transgender barrier

CALmatters

A bill would require school districts to update records for transgender alumni.

Does spending more on schools pay off?

CALmatters

As Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget was being wrought, the perennial issue of spending on K-12 education was thrashed out once again.

Building blocks: California’s proposed early education legislation

EdSource

California is on the brink of making huge investments in young children. EdSource is tracking 27 early childhood bills introduced in the Legislature this session that focus on a host of issues, from expanding paid family leave to improving access to preschool.

What’s new and novel in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first education budget

EdSource

Billions in relief from rising school pension costs. Hundreds of millions more for child care and preschool. College grants for thousands of new teachers committing to teach subjects in high demand.

Charter Schools Don’t Fiscally Distress Regular Public Schools

Fox&Hounds

In their continuing war against charter schools, teacher unions have persistently argued that charter schools, which are mostly non-union, have a large negative financial impact on the regular public school system.  New research, however, contradicts this claim.

Some practical advice for school leaders facing familiar challenges

AEI

Here are four common pitfalls for school leaders and how to avoid them.

Time for Change? Educators’ Perceptions of Discipline Reform in Their Schools

RAND

Beginning in the late 1980s, policymakers concerned about violence in schools began to enact “zero-tolerance” policies in districts and states across the country.

Higher Ed:

New UCSF Fresno residents take part in clinical boot camp

abc30

From sutures to life support, new physicians at Medical school UCSF Fresno learned some of the most vital life-saving techniques Friday morning.

Does California State University Have A $1.5 Billion Slush Fund?

Capital Public Radio

A state audit found CSU failed to fully disclose the existence of a budget surplus to legislators and students even as it raised tuition and lobbied for more funding. CSU disputes the audit’s conclusions.

See also:

Can California export enough students to shore up college enrollment in other states?

PBS NewsHour

Busloads of boisterous high school students from across the Los Angeles basin poured into the Pasadena Convention Center, where colleges from around the world were poised to pitch them.

Campus Free-Speech Protections: New South Dakota Law Could Be Model for Nation

National Review

A new law strengthening First Amendment protections at state universities is among the first to tackle this growing problem.

Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Valley Teens Lobby For Climate Change Reform In D.C.

VPR

Just last week, three Valley teenagers were in Washington, D.C. with the grassroots organization Citizens Climate Lobby.

Air quality dips in downtown Sacramento. Officials discourage strenuous outdoor activity

Sacramento Bee

The air quality in downtown Sacramento reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups Sunday evening, according to officials.

Yosemite National Park: Rules, crackdown reduce bear problems

San Francisco Chronicle

The numbers this week show that bear incidents are down 99 percent in 20 years at Yosemite, from a peak of 1,500 in 1997 to a low this year of three. The consensus is that new rules, enforcement and wildlife education have largely solved what was an epidemic.

How is climate change affecting oceans? Check the tide pools

San Francisco Chronicle

California’s intertidal zone is home to an intricate web of marine life that evolved over millions of years but remained largely static since the last Ice Age — until recently.

Congress needs to start over on nuclear waste

CALmatters

Marooned along the Pacific Ocean are thousands of tons of radioactive waste, awaiting a resting place that would take it far from the threat of tsunami, and far from millions of Californians.

Plastic Bans: What You Need to Know

WSJ

Single-use plastics have become a focal point for lawmakers seeking to reduce waste, but the industry is pushing back.

See also:

Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change

Politico

The Trump administration has stopped promoting government-funded research into how higher temperatures can damage crops and pose health risks.

How climate change exacerbates the refugee crisis – and what can be done about it

World Economic Forum

Climate-related displacement and migration is set to be the greatest challenge of our era. While there is a general consensus that global warming impacts us all, the role it will play in future human migration is often underestimated. Climate change disproportionately impacts developing countries, and more specifically fragile states.

Energy:

PG&E owns land across California. What will happen to it?

San Francisco Chronicle

If Ken Holbrook has his way, the Humbug Valley, a sprawling tract of alpine meadow high in the northern Sierra, will become California’s first American Indian tribal cultural park. That distinction doesn’t yet exist, but it would apply to tribal land open for public recreation.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

California looks to tighten vaccine exemption rules

Visalia Times Delta

Against the backdrop of a national measles outbreak, California lawmakers weigh legislation aimed at cracking down on vaccination exemptions.

See also:

Treatment for psychosis—and other mental illness—differs drastically by county

CALmatters

In California, geography creates significant barriers to people getting early psychosis treatment, as it does for array of other evidence-based mental health treatments. That’s partly because California’s 58 counties have 58 different public mental health programs, each with their own set of covered services.

Heart Attack at 49—America’s Biggest Killer Makes a Deadly Comeback

WSJ

Younger people, women and nonsmokers are more likely to be victims of the crisis in cardiovascular health, driven by skyrocketing obesity and diabetes.

Teens of ‘Anti-Vaxxers’ Can Get Their Own Vaccines, Some States Say

PEW

Critics say the move would stir up family conflict.

Trump to sign executive order to compel disclosure of health care prices

The Washington Post

President Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday intended to give Americans more information about the cost and quality of health-care services to help them comparison shop before they get care.

Polls: Medicare For All Is Popular – But Misunderstood

New York Magazine

Voters believe that Medicare for All would raise their taxes without eliminating their premiums, co-pays, or deductibles. And most voters think that sounds great.

EDITORIAL: San Francisco’s e-cigarette ban isn’t just bad policy, it’s bad for public health

Los Angeles Times

Anyone over 21, and with an ID to prove it, can purchase cigarettes, booze and even marijuana in retail establishments across San Francisco. But as soon as next month, one age-restricted product won’t be available for purchase, not even online. That’s because San Francisco officials, in a misguided attempt to curb teen vaping, are moving to ban sales of all electronic tobacco products to anyone within the city until the federal government adopts regulations on them.

See also:

Human Services:

Horses are healers at Lemoore riding center

Hanford Sentinel

Equine-assisted therapy is used to develop skills like communication, awareness, social responsibility and more, according to CRC Health.

Adventist opens second Rapid Care location in north Hanford

Hanford Sentinel

After a couple years of planning, Adventist Health Physicians Network opened on June 10 its second Rapid Care location in north Hanford.

Visalia doctor thinks outside the box for amputees

Visalia Times Delta

Prosthetist Thomas Cutler likes to think outside the box. He wants to help his patients. One amputee went through six legs in three years. The bucket holding the leg in place around his stump was rubbing him raw.

Would you let a robot operate on your heart? It’s now an option at Modesto hospital

Modesto Bee

Coronary artery bypass operations, using a surgical robot, can result in less pain and faster healing for the patient. But the advanced service is offered in few communities across the country.

See also:

Sanctuary Clinics Offer Respite For Undocumented Residents Amid Immigration Raids

Capital Public Radio

As tougher immigration enforcement has become more common under the Trump administration, some undocumented immigrants avoid seeking healthcare for fear of being intercepted by ICE. Sanctuary clinics are trying to close this gap.

Access to Medical Treatment for Injured Workers in California: Year 3 Annual Report RAND

The California workers’ compensation program provides medical care and indemnity benefits to workers who suffer on-the-job injuries or illnesses. California law mandates an annual assessment of whether injured workers in the state have adequate access to quality care, and the RAND Corporation was asked to help answer that question over three years.

$12 billion lawsuit over Obamacare payments to health insurance companies headed to Supreme Court

CNN

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal from health insurance companies who say the federal government owes them $12 billion from losses sustained under the Affordable Care Act.

The swamp strikes back — health-care edition

TheHill

President Trump wants you to see upfront prices for health care. That’s why a few months ago, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently published a request for comments about whether and how to end secret prices in health care. The deadline for comments was last week, and the submissions from the industries most threatened by consumers knowing and comparing prices — hospitals and insurance companies — are an exercise in Swamp-o-nomics.

IMMIGRATION

The ICE deportation crackdown expected to start Sunday has been delayed, Trump says

Fresno Bee

After speaking to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi late Friday night, President Donald Trump decided to delay mass deportation raids by two weeks, a White House official confirmed.

See also:

Mexico officials detain more migrants as crackdown steps up

Fresno Bee

Authorities reinforced efforts over the weekend to deter Central Americans and others from crossing Mexico to reach the United States, detaining migrants in the south and stationing National Guardsmen along the Rio Grande in the north.

Immigrants as Economic Contributors: Immigrant Tax Contributions and Spending Power

National Immigration Forum

Immigrants play an increasingly pivotal role in the U.S. economy. Every American benefits from the taxes that immigrants pay and from the money they spend on consumer goods and services.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Council agrees to some zoning changes

Hanford Sentinel

There were no clear winners Monday night as proponents on both sides of Hanford’s zoning issues pleaded their cases in front of the Hanford City Council at its special meeting.

Asians are now largest group in these two Bay Area counties, new data shows

East Bay Times

Hispanics are the second-largest ethnic group in Contra Costa County.

In heart of troubled neighborhood, Heroes Park dedicates new amphitheater

Stockton Record

Heroes Park, the privately funded recreational area that is slowly transforming an 80,000-square-foot dirt lot into a functional community park for all Stocktonians, just took another step toward that goal with Sunday’s dedication of the new Rotary Pavilion Amphitheater.

Housing:

How can California solve its homeless crisis? Zero in on what’s causing it

Fresno Bee

California Influencers this week answered the question: As the number of homeless in California continues to grow, what else can we be doing to address this worsening crisis? Here are the Influencers’ answers in their entirety.

See also:

Want to rent an average apartment in Modesto? Here’s how much it’ll cost you

Modesto Bee

The cost of renting an apartment in Modesto continues to climb, rising 5.5 percent in the past 12 months, according to RentCafe, a nationwide apartment search website.

California mayors solving homelessness with tiny homes and trailers

Business Insider

If you want to know how bad the homelessness crisis has gotten in California, just turn to 4 squares miles east of Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. The area, known as Skid Row, has long been inhabited by the city’s poorest residents. These days it resembles something akin to a nightmare.

Downtown project offers sliver of progress against SJ’s homeless, housing crisis

Stockton Record

Interior demolition had begun at the Housing Authority’s dilapidated former headquarters on El Dorado Street two blocks south of the Crosstown Freeway.

EDITORIAL: SoCal leaders either haven’t gotten the memo on the housing crisis or don’t care

Los Angeles Times

The fight over the total amount of housing needed is really a fight for the future of California. Far too many leaders want to preserve a landscape of cars and freeways and single-family homes forever, no matter the environmental and economic consequences for the next generation.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Are taxpayers stuck with $4 million bill? It’s Fresno’s ‘worst’ deal, city leaders say

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council approved a one-year contract with the Central California SPCA for more than $4 million.

The National Debt Is Still a Problem

The New York Times

The debt rises when the government borrows to finance a budget deficit, and in some circumstances, running a budget deficit is reasonable.

Walters: Arbitrary tax policy spawns an offspring

CALmatters

History has proven that no political decrees are more arbitrary than those about taxation. We hear a lot about “tax fairness,” but what is taxed and the level of that taxation follow no logical or moral course. Rather, those decisions are driven by ideology, political clout and the perceived need for revenue.

TRANSPORTATION

California’s share of these grants for roads, rail and bridges is shrinking under Trump

Fresno Bee

California’s Central Valley has had only meager success winning federal TIGER/BUILD grants for roads and transportation projects. Here’s a look at some of the region’s winners and losers among grant applications since 2009.

Electric vehicles in every driveway is the future. But let’s be smart about it

Sacramento Bee

Note to readers: Each week through November 2019, a selection of our 101 California Influencers answers a question.

Uber’s classification of drivers may violate Calif. antitrust law – judge

Reuters

A federal judge in San Francisco has ruled that Uber Technologies Inc’s treatment of drivers as independent contractors rather than employees could significantly harm competition and may violate California antitrust law.

EDITORIAL: California Legislature must extend clean-air checks to trucks

San Francisco Chronicle

Californians who endure the hassle and expense of having their vehicles smog-checked every other year might be surprised and irritated to learn that those big-rig diesels are exempt from such thorough scrutiny.

WATER

Bottled water showing high levels of arsenic sold at major retailers

abc30

Water sold at Target, Walmart and Whole Foods contains levels of highly toxic arsenic that are above the legal limit, study says.

Success Dam renamed for Richard Schafer

Porterville Recorder

On June 10, the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 2695 to name Success Dam, located in Tulare County, after Richard L. Schafer, the longtime Tule River Water Master.

California fishermen report the biggest salmon season in a decade

San Francisco Chronicle

California commercial fishermen are reporting the biggest king salmon season in a decade, on the heels of three years of disastrously low catches because of the drought. The sudden bounty has resulted in a price drop for the coral-pink, fatty fillets to $20 per pound in many markets, down from the $30- to $35-per-pound range of recent years.

Farmers selling water to one another? Bad idea

Fresno Bee

In our economy, we commoditize things. We buy and sell potato chips. We buy and sell computers, coffee, cars and spring rolls. On the world wide web, you can even buy cans of “unicorn meat.” Some items, however, should not be left to the market. They are too sensitive or too important to be commoditized. One of those precious items is our groundwater.

“Xtra”

12 Fresno restaurant openings you may have missed: From tacos to lobster corn dogs

Fresno Bee

New restaurants have opened in Fresno and Clovis, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The list of places to eat serve food that is Mexican, Japanese, Mediterranean, seafood, teppanyaki, poke, pho, tri tip and more.

Fresno State looking for Victor E. Bulldog’s next handler

abc30

Talk about a dream job! Fresno State is taking applications for the next person to take care of the mascot, Victor E. Bulldog.

Hidden Adventures: Stevenson Falls

abc30

If you’re looking to escape the noise of the city and get back to nature’s sound, you don’t have to go far with Stevenson Falls. The eleventh tallest waterfall in the state of California, Stevenson Falls is by far the biggest in Fresno County.

Hanford Chamber of Commerce gears up for annual firework show

Hanford Sentinel

The Fourth of July is less than two weeks away and the Hanford Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for its annual firework celebration.