POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Devin Nunes sets new deadline for DOJ, FBI to hand over materials on Trump campaign informants
Washington Examiner
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., called on Sunday for the Justice Department and the FBI to provide the House Intelligence Committee outstanding information about the use of FBI informants to make contact with members of the Trump campaign, setting a Monday deadline for his latest request.
See also:
● The DOJ has turned over additional FISA records to Republicans, and former intelligence officials say the implications could be 'catastrophic' Business Insider
Opinion: Nunes blames "radical environmentalists", but immigration crackdown a bigger threat to ag
Visalia Times-Delta
The real harm to farmers is coming from his own party.
Fellow Democrats in Janz's race against Nunes slow to offer support, Janz says
Fresno Bee
It’s been almost three weeks since Andrew Janz took a comfortable lead in the race to face high-profile Rep. Devin Nunes in the November general election, but the first-time candidate said he has yet to feel the love from his race’s fellow Democrats.
See also:
● Confusion surrounds immigration crisis, locals want reform Visalia Times-Delta
Adam Gray, UC admins advocate initiatives for more doctors
Merced Sun-Star
Assemblyman Adam Gray told a gathering of health, education and business professionals Friday the San Joaquin Valley is in need of more medical professionals.
These local races would be totally different if voters completed their ballots
Fresno Bee
The latest Fresno County election results, which could be certified as early as next week, show that thousands of voters left their ballots blank in two contentious races: Fresno City Council District 3 and Fresno County Auditor-Controller.
SJ County cities lack ethics policies, civil grand jury finds
Stockton Record
Seven governmental agencies in San Joaquin County have been given until the end of October to develop and adopt ethics policies for not only elected officials, but administrative staff as well.
EDITORIAL: Will Kern County adopt new voting system in 2020?
Bakersfield Californian
Immediately following the June 5 primary voting, Kern County elections officials estimated voter turnout to be 22 percent. But as vote-by-mail and provisional ballots were processed and counted, turnout increased to 30 percent.
State:
Turnout in the California Primary was Good
Epic Journey
News reports right after the 2018 California primary suggested that turnout was low. Now that we have nearly-final results, it is clear that turnout was actually quite strong, at least by midterm standards.
Vanquished in Attorney General's race, Dave Jones plotting his next move
Sacramento Bee
Coming off an unsuccessful run for attorney general, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is considering what to do after his second term expires at the end of the year.
Local soda taxes would be banned in California under developing deal
Sacramento Bee
California would ban its cities and counties from creating taxes on soda and other sugary drinks for more than a decade if the Legislature approves a budget trailer bill introduced Sunday.
As major reform of California's initiative process nears its anniversary, the record is mixed
Los Angeles Times
Ballot initiatives, the voters’ power to write laws on election day, are considered by many Californians to be a political birthright. But they have a love-hate relationship with propositions, which four years ago led to an overhaul that promised big improvements.
Opinion: The problem with Three Californias is that the split should be by state of mind
Sacramento Bee
All proposals to split California into multiple states share the same defect: a fixation with geography.
Opinion: Is it OK to wish Dianne Feinstein would retire?
Los Angeles Times
It’s hard to be critical of Feinstein’s tenacity — or really, that of any woman with a decades-long history in politics — without raising the specter of sexism.
Kamala Harris is coming to Puerto Rico's aid. Will Puerto Ricans in Florida return the favor?
Sacramento Bee
Puerto Ricans make up less than 1 percent of California's population. Yet California Sen. Kamala Harris has emerged as one of the most vocal champions of the American territory in Congress as the island struggles to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria.
Federal:
Garofoli: MS-13 is scary, but Trump may be exaggerating the threat
San Francisco Chronicle
As the fight over immigration policy intensifies, President Trump and Republican allies in California paint a frightening picture of what they say could happen without stricter controls on the southern border — with members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13 pouring into the U.S. to commit crimes.
EDITORIAL: Trump’s government overhaul is undercooked
San Francisco Chronicle
The trouble for the Trump administration, besides a probably resistant Congress, is its own stewardship of the government so far, which doesn’t inspire confidence in its readiness to reshape it.
EDITORIAL: The Supreme Court protects privacy in the digital age
Los Angeles Times
On Friday, Roberts and four of his colleagues admirably rose to the challenge by holding that the 4th Amendment requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant to obtain a suspect’s cell phone location records.
See also:
● The Supreme Court Just Put a Ding in the Surveillance State New York Magazine
Other:
Los Angeles Times
Twice-failed Mexican presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador looked out at the supporters packed into the main plaza in this northern desert city to hear his vision for what he calls “radical transformation.”
Political 'Counterculture': Young Republicans Hold Unique Space In The Trump Era
NPR
Research has consistently shown that on LGBT rights, climate change and immigration, young Republicans are adopting more socially liberal policies than their elders.
See also:
● The Frustration of the Anti-Trump Republicans National Review
● We Still Need Liberalism National Review
● George Will Urges Conservatives to Vote Against Donald Trump Fortune
● EDITORIAL: How to Re-Elect Trump Wall Street Journal
Silicon Valley distrusts social media with personal data, poll finds
San Jose Mercury
From their vantage point in the cradle of high tech, Bay Area voters deeply distrust social media companies with their personal and financial information and favor government regulation of internet privacy and security more than the rest of the country, according to a new poll.
See also:
● Ransom Demands and Frozen Computers: Hackers Hit Towns Across the U.S. Wall Street Journal
Regulatory State Has a Bad Day in Court
Wall Street Journal
Opinions from Justices Kagan and Kennedy speak to the need to restore constitutional constraints.
What Tocqueville Can Teach Us about Presidential Scandals
National Review
In the aftermath of Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz’s report on FBI misconduct during highly sensitive investigations of Hillary Clinton’s emails, we might turn to an unlikely source for wisdom: Alexis de Tocqueville.
When The White House Can't Be Believed
NPR
This essay isn't about spin, or splitting hairs, or differing opinions. This involves a reality check about our expectations of the people who act in our name.
Fresno Bee
Thumbs up to Fresno Mayor Lee Brand and county Supervisor Sal Quintero for leading a new effort to help homeless people move from the streets of Fresno to better homes and lives.
ROBERT PRICE: If I were king, here's how I'd run things
Bakersfield Californian
I have been crowned king.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, July 1, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – 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, July 1, 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, July 1, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Senior Citizen Boom” – Guest: Marisol Cuellar, PPIC Analyst. Host: Ana Melendez.
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Trump’s GOP is looking to deeply cut food stamps — hitting his voters hard
The Washington Post
If Republicans succeed in their multi-front campaign to cut back on food stamps, the burden will fall heaviest on the working-class, rural white voters on whom President Trump has
staked the future of their party.
See also:
● House farm bill passes with restrictions on food stamps Politico
Sierra Sun Times
“Congress must move forward to forge a solution that would work well for farmers, ranchers and their employees throughout the nation,” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said.
See also:
● California farmers prod Congress on immigration reform Bakersfield Californian
More space for pigs, calves and hens? California voters will soon decide
Sacramento Bee
A new initiative aimed at expanding living space for egg-laying hens, pigs and calves has made its way onto the November ballot, the secretary of state's office announced Friday.
See also:
● Cage-Free Egg Initiative Qualifies for California Ballot New York Times
Confession of an Anti-GMO Activist
Wall Street Journal
Genetically modified crops have been vilified and banned, but the science is clear: They’re perfectly safe. And what’s more, the world desperately needs them.
Ballot initiative for medicinal marijuana shops in Bakersfield approved for November
Bakersfield Californian
Voters in Bakersfield will get the opportunity this November to overturn a citywide ban on medicinal marijuana shops.
Efforts to Regulate California’s Cannabis Capital Spark Legal Fight
News Deeply
In Humboldt County, a conservation group is suing the government, arguing that a new ordinance regulating the local marijuana industry doesn’t adequately address the environmental impact of an estimated 15,000 cannabis grow operations.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Report: Prop. 47 Reduced Recidivism, Did Not Cause Spike in Violent Crime
Public CEO
Despite debates over the wisdom of criminal justice reforms in recent years, Proposition 47 succeeded in reducing recidivism and did not cause a spike in violent crime, according a report released last week from the Public Policy Institute of California.
EDITORIAL: Money bail punishes the poor and makes a mockery of California's justice system
Los Angeles Times
Low-risk criminal defendants could get out of jail before trial by depositing 10% of their bail amount with the court instead of with a private bond agency, under a bill approved by the state Senate.
Public Safety:
California ranked 3rd-most psychopathic state
Mercury News
The ranking craze comes to psychology. A new study by Ryan Murphy of Southern Methodist University ranked the collective mental health of the contiguous 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia by psychopathy.
EDITORIAL: Don't be so fast to dismiss that California use-of-force bill
Sacramento Bee
Members of the Senate Public Safety Committee raised eyebrows last week when they brushed off objections from powerful law enforcement groups and, by a 5-2 vote, advanced a bill that would put strict new limits on when cops can use deadly force against suspects.
Fire:
Sequoia National Park postpones prescribed fires near famed big trees
Fresno Bee
Plans for a 295-acre prescribed burn in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park, known as the Sherman Prescribed Burn, have been postponed until further notice.
California wildfires destroy buildings, force evacuations
Washington Post
Wind-driven wildfires destroyed buildings and threatened hundreds of others Sunday as they raced across dry brush in rural Northern California.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Goshen businesses on the brink of shuttering as Betty Drive project continues
Visalia Times-Delta
Last May, construction on the heavily-used Betty Drive overpass, located just north of Visalia, began. Businesses felt the crippling effect almost immediately.
China Eases Credit Policy as U.S. Tariffs Near
Wall Street Journal
Cut in reserve requirement is meant to support growth as expansion slows and a trade war heats up.
See also:
● Trump Plans New Curbs on Chinese Investment, Tech Exports to China Wall Street Journal
● How to think about the US-China trade war: A long-read Q&A with Derek Scissors AEI
● Harley-Davidson To Move More Production Oversees Amid U.S.-EU Trade Tensions NPR
Trump Administration Rejects Study Showing Positive Impact of Refugees
New York Times
Trump administration officials, under pressure from the White House to provide a rationale for reducing the number of refugees allowed into the United States next year, rejected a study by the Department of Health and Human Services that found that refugees brought in $63 billion more in government revenues over the past decade than they cost.
How Income Equality Helped Trump
Wall Street Journal
When the ballots were counted, not only did income inequality fail to move voters, but a massive shift in voting preference among lower-middle and middle-income Americans led to the election of the wealthiest president since George Washington.
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress have embarked on a mission to reduce federal support for the poor.
Wall Street Regulator Coddles Big Banks but Clobbers Small Firms
Roll Call
Massive fines extracted from banks like JPMorgan for their role in the Wall Street meltdown have done little to deter other types of misconduct.
Jobs:
Does California’s hot job market justify a fatter state budget?
OC Register
Politics and economic analysis are a bad mix. Take the debate over California’s budget. What’s seemingly lost in the dialogue is why there’s this pot of gold to fight over in the first place.
California’s Government Unions Take Steps to Obliterate Janus Impact
California Policy Center
Within days the U.S. Supreme Court is going to issue its ruling on the case Janus vs AFSCME. This case, if the ruling goes as expected, is going to overturn current law that requires public employees to pay union dues.
See also:
● What Is At Stake In Supreme Court Ruling On Janus Vs. Afscme San Francisco Chronicle
Gender Imbalances in STEM Majors
PPIC
In California and the United States as a whole, women have made strong educational progress over many decades. In 2006, for the first time ever in California, women became more likely to hold a bachelor’s degree than men.
‘What’s Your Current Salary?’ ‘None of Your Business!’
Pew Charitable Trusts
Next time you get asked, “What’s your current salary?” in a job interview, check your ZIP code. It is now illegal for employers to ask job applicants about their previous salary in at least eight states and eight counties and cities.
A Generation of Americans Is Entering Old Age the Least Prepared in Decades
Wall Street Journal
Low incomes, paltry savings, high debt burdens, failed insurance—the U.S. is upending decades of progress in securing life’s final chapter
See also:
● Growth in Retiring Baby Boomers Strains U.S. Entitlement Programs Wall Street Journal
‘The Future of Work’ and ‘Human + Machine’ Review: Reckoning With the Robots
Wall Street Journal
Automation rarely outright destroys jobs. It instead augments—taking over routine tasks while humans handle more complex ones. Oren Cass reviews “The Future of Work” by Darrell M. West and “Human + Machine” by Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson.
See also:
● Short of Workers, Fast-Food Restaurants Turn to Robots Wall Street Journal
Do work requirements work? A debate
AEI
Amidst labor force participation concerns in the United States, work requirements in safety net programs are receiving heightened attention. But what some view as the fulfillment of a reasonable expectation of work in exchange for benefits others view as punitive.
See also:
● Do work requirements work? Part 2 of the debate AEI
EDUCATION
K-12:
Dan Hydash investigation continues, costs VUSD over $10,000
Visalia Times-Delta
Visalia Unified School District has spent more in private investigator fees looking into Redwood's head baseball coach than it pays the seasoned coach each year.
Teachers in Oakland among others pushing for pay raises from California districts in fiscal crisis
EdSource
Some school districts across California are facing deficit budgets along with demands from teachers for higher salaries and improved classroom conditions. The result is tense contract negotiations that could lead to teachers striking when school resumes in the fall.
Special education costs add up for parents, schools as federal law remains underfunded
Marketplace
In 1975, Congress promised to pay 40 percent of the extra cost of special education. Since then, Congress has never come close to fulfilling that promise, often leaving schools and districts to figure out how and what services they can pay for.
See also:
'Cutting Edge' Program For Children With Autism And ADHD Rests On Razor-Thin Evidence NPR
To Answer Hollywood's Diversity Problem, California Program Hands Kids The Camera
NPR
The Youth Cinema Project is a program devoted to teaching students of color, from fourth grade through high school, about filmmaking.
Higher Ed:
Is Jerry Brown's Chipotle model the right recipe for California universities?
CALmatters
Was there any truth to the idea that students weren’t graduating in four years because California’s colleges just have…too many courses?
Military Veterans May Get More Credit At California Community Colleges
CBS Sacramento
Assembly Bill 1786 would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to expand the course credit offerings for students with “prior learning”.
Opinion: If community colleges want more funding, they have to graduate more students
Los Angeles Times
California’s community colleges have done a bang-up job of getting students in the door, but a terrible job of making sure they graduate.
Why I changed my mind about diversity in academia
Washington Post
Harvard University is under pressure to stop discriminating against Asian Americans, who make up a smaller percentage of its student body (22.2 percent) than their grades and test scores would warrant.
How Social-Media Trolls Turned U.C. Berkeley Into a Free-Speech Circus
The New Yorker
Public universities have no choice but to welcome far-right speakers seeking self-promotion. Should the First Amendment be reinterpreted for the digital age?
Colleges Can Hire Adjunct Faculty Cheap — but Does that Harm Education?
National Review
Over the past 40 years, college administrators have been economizing more and more on the expense of faculty by hiring adjunct instructors who are paid a small fraction of what full-time professors are paid.
Student-Debt Forgiveness Is a Wonderful Boon, Until the IRS Comes Calling
Wall Street Journal
Education analysts, student advocates warn of impending crisis from one-time tax bills individuals may not be prepared to pay off
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Giant sequoias on view at Yosemite after 3-year project
CNN
In an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and tribal blessing, the newly restored Mariposa Grove, home to 500 mature giant sequoias, was unveiled on Thursday, June 14.
A Leading Climate Agency May Lose Its Climate Focus
New York Times
The Trump administration appears to be planning to shift the mission of one of the most important federal science agencies that works on climate change — away from climate change.
Environmental progress driven by motives big and small
Mercury News
It has become commonplace for people and industries to take eco-friendly actions, yet more often than not, they aren’t inspired by a desire to help the environment. Oftentimes, something must push them to get them going.
Thirty Years On, How Well Do Global Warming Predictions Stand Up?
Wall Street Journal
James Hansen issued dire warnings in the summer of 1988. Today earth is only modestly warmer.
Nearly wiped out by mystery illness, California starfish make stunning recovery
San Francisco Chronicle
Starfish are again brightening up tide pools along the California coast after being ravaged by a mysterious wasting disease, and the colorful invertebrates have undergone a remarkable genetic adaptation that is protecting them from the deadly pathogen.
‘Super cute and super ferocious’ Humboldt marten may get endangered species status
Eureka Times-Standard
Don’t let the furry face of the Humboldt marten fool you — it’s not harmless. But threats from cannabis grows, timber harvest and other larger species, put the species’ survival at risk.
See also:
● California officials call for endangered listing for marten Associated Press
Energy:
Nation’s first hydrogen fuel-cell ferry to be built in Bay Area
Mercury News
It’s called the “Water-Go-Round.” When it’s built, it will be the first passenger ferry in the United States powered purely from hydrogen fuel cells, a zero-emissions technology whose only byproduct is water.
Car fuel from trees? Cutting-edge plant coming to Riverbank
Modesto Bee
Sometime next year, a first-of-its-kind biofuel plant three miles north of Modesto will begin turning old almond and walnut trees into transportation fuel.
Large Methane Leaks Threaten Perception Of 'Clean' Natural Gas
NPR
Methane emissions from U.S. oil and gas operations are 60 percent higher than previous estimates from the federal government. This comes at a time when U.S. is getting more and more of its power from natural gas.
Energy Panel Advances Bills to Support New Nuclear Plants
Roll Call
A quartet of bills meant to ease the path to commercialization of new nuclear reactors moved out of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee Thursday.
The Social Benefits of Fossil Fuels Far Outweigh the Costs
Wall Street Journal
Inexpensive power enables technological marvels, and even global warming has positive effects.
A California Billionaire Sets Michigan's Energy Policy
Wall Street Journal
Tom Steyer cuts a deal with utilities to promote alternative fuels, obviating the need for voter input.
Don’t put all your anti-climate-change eggs in the electric-car basket
New York Post
Erich Sixt, chairman and chief executive officer of the Pullach, recently described electric cars as a “costly political error” given their still inferior range, long charging times and the huge investment necessary to expand the charging infrastructure.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Unhealthy air quality can cause breathing problems for some
ABC30
If it is over 100 degrees outside, chances are the air quality is not at it's best.
'Start paying attention, folks, this could be your child.' HIV increasing among youths
Fresno Bee
HIV infections among teenagers and young adults in Fresno County are at their highest levels in years and there's concern of an outbreak or epidemic if the trend continues.
California Agency Says Coffee Doesn't Need a Cancer Warning
Bloomberg
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment proposed Friday to exempt coffee from a state regulation that require businesses to warn consumers about carcinogens in their products.
Palliative care can sharply reduce medical costs, so why aren't doctors ordering it?
Sacramento Bee
Doctors can improve the quality of life for their seriously ill patients while also reducing the patients' medical expenses if they make use of one particular care model, so why aren't they using it?
Treating genetic disease: Is a cure a cut away?
San Jose Mercury
On the cusp of moving from the lab to patients, genetic surgery offers new hope to those suffering from debilitating disorders.
High earners need to watch out for Medicare surcharge
Los Angeles Times
Many high-income retirees are unaware of “IRMAA,” or Medicare’s income-related monthly adjustment amounts, so they can come as a bit of a shock.
Medicare Allows More Benefits for Chronically Ill, Aiming to Improve Care for Millions
The New York Times
Congress and the Trump administration are revamping Medicare to provide extra benefits to people with multiple chronic illnesses, a significant departure from the program’s traditional focus that aims to create a new model of care for millions of older Americans.
Hundreds Of Terminally Ill Californians Are Using The State’s End Of Life Act
Capital Public Radio
Nearly 600 terminally ill Californians received drugs under the state's aid-in-dying law in 2017, according to data released Friday by the California Department of Public Health.
'Cutting Edge' Program For Children With Autism And ADHD Rests On Razor-Thin Evidence
NPR
In the dozen years since its inception, Brain Balance says, it has helped roughly 25,000 children. The company says it is currently taking in over $50 million in annual revenue.
Podcast: Health Care in America—What Happens Now?
iTunes
Listen to Health Care in America—What Happens Now? from Commonwealth Club of California Podcast in Podcasts.
AEI
On May 24, 2018, AEI resident fellow Thomas Miller spoke on the opening panel of the Alliance for Health Policy’s “Summit on Health Care Costs.” Below is an edited transcript of his opening and later remarks.
Opening School-Based Health Clinics Can Lower Teacher Health Costs
RAND
Opening onsite health clinics to provide comprehensive primary care to teachers and their families can lower a school district’s health care costs and decrease teacher absenteeism.
EDITORIAL: Well-meaning proposals to change California's mental health law fall short
Los Angeles Times
At the core of the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles and around California is the simple fact that thousands of people spend their nights beneath overpasses, beside freeways and on the street because they cannot afford other places to live.
Human Services:
Golden Valley bringing healthcare to Modesto's homeless
Modesto Bee
Homeless people can see a doctor through a new Golden Valley Health Centers' initiative, which consists of a licensed vocational nurse and a community health worker who go out in a van and work with homeless people in parks, along rivers and creeks, and the other places where they gather.
Homeless patients discharged to the streets? Hospitals can do better. Here’s how
Sacramento Bee
Being discharged to the streets without a plan not only hinders recovery, but often makes the health issues worse, resulting in readmission to the hospital, or worse.
CALmatters
On one side sit scientists and LGBTQ advocacy groups who say California must protect its citizens from a harmful, prejudice-driven practice. On the other are First Amendment purists and a group of religious conservatives who argue that a ban curtails personal liberty
Supreme Court looks set to strike down California disclosure law for pregnancy centers
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court sounded ready Tuesday to strike down a California disclosure law that requires pregnancy centers — including those that are faith-based — to notify women that the state offers subsidies for abortion.
IMMIGRATION
3 Charts That Show What's Actually Happening Along The Southern Border
NPR
The total number of people apprehended for illegally crossing the southern U.S. border has been steadily falling for almost two decades. It's a long-term trend that sociologists, economists and federal officials have been tracking for years.
See also:
● Podcasts: Answers Your Questions About Immigration iTunes
● Thousands Cross the U.S. Border Seeking Asylum. Most Won’t Get It. Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: Enough of Border Crackdowns. Try Staffing Up the Courts Roll Call
● Inside the California facilities holding children separated from their parents at the border Los Angeles Times
● California vows immediate inspections of facilities housing children separated from parents Los Angeles Times
● California housing large number of detained immigrant children ABC7
● California housing about 100 immigrant children separated from parents at the border SFGate
Department Of Homeland Security Releases Plan To Reunify Families
NPR
The Trump administration has released its plan for reuniting children who have been separated from their parents as a result of the president's "zero tolerance" immigration policy, but in a fact sheet issued on Saturday, it provided no timeline for when those reunifications will happen.
See also:
● Trump Retreats on Separating Families, but Thousands May Remain Apart New York Times
● Homeland Security says it has 'well-established' plan to reunite immigrant families ABC
● Administration says it has a plan to reunite immigrant families; Democrats are skeptical Los Angeles Times
● Arguments, confusion, second-guessing: Inside Trump’s reversal on separating migrant families Washington Post
Trump's immigration agenda forces California GOP candidates to navigate a tricky course
Los Angeles Times
Trump changed his mind Wednesday with an executive order. But reuniting thousands of children with their parents could be a months-long saga, and Trump’s new policy — detaining families together — is problematic legally and politically.
See also:
● Trump Supports Plan to Cut Legal Immigration by Half The New York Times
● Trump Calls for Depriving Immigrants Who Illegally Cross Border of Due Process Rights New York Times
● How Donald Trump killed the immigration bill with 1 tweet CNN
● Divided GOP Lawmakers Seek Another Vote on Immigration Wall Street Journal
● Trump claims immigration laws are 'a mockery,' seeks to deprive migrants of due process by deporting them without trial Washington Post
● House GOP ‘Uphill Fight’ on Immigration About More Than Trump Roll Call
● Democrats Have Zero Tolerance for Solutions to Illegal Immigration National Review
● Sinclair segment criticizes outrage over Trump's separation policy The Hill
● Media Dishonesty on Immigration Contributes to Gridlock National Review
● Trump, again and again, describes a world detached from reality CNBC
● Time Stands by Misleading Cover Photo National Review
● Donald Trump wrongly claims border wall is under construction PolitiFact
● Fact Check: Trump, Illegal Immigration And Crime NPR
● No, Donald Trump’s separation of immigrant families was not Barack Obama’s policy PunditFact
Kamala Harris Joins Fellow Democrats in Calling for Re-examining ICE
The Daily Beast
On Sunday, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), an outspoken progressive in the Senate who is increasingly whispered about as a potential 2020 presidential candidate, joined a growing cadre of Democrats willing to discuss major alterations to the agency.
See also:
● Senator Kamala Harris ‘Heartbroken’ After Immigration Detention Center Visit KPBS
● California farmers prod Congress on immigration reform Bakersfield Californian
U.S. centers force migrant children to take drugs: lawsuit
Reuters
Immigrant children are being routinely and forcibly given a range of psychotropic drugs at U.S. government-funded youth shelters to manage their trauma after being detained and in some cases separated from parents, according to a lawsuit.
See also:
● Cummings: The administration's policy has created 'child internment camps' Washington Post
The nation’s first minority-white generation emerges amid overall white population decline
Brookings
The diverse and rapidly growing Generation "Z-Plus"—children born after 2007—is offsetting the first absolute decline in the American white population since the first Census was taken in 1790.
Moving For Prosperity: Global Migration And Labor Markets
Worldbank
Migration presents a stark policy dilemma. Research repeatedly confirms that migrants, their families back home, and the countries that welcome them experience large economic and social gains.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
The economic value and benefits of walkability
Bakersfield Californian
Walking is powerful. Studies show that the more densely urban and walkable an area is, the more economically valuable. It follows, then, that cities would be smart to promote urbanism and walkability in their central core; it helps the entire city thrive.
Fitzgerald: Hey, SJ County, stop neglecting your parks
Stockton Record
People consistently rank parks as one of the most important parts of a livable community. Someone please tell the County of San Joaquin.
The Economist
Accusations levelled at gentrification in America lack force, meanwhile its benefits go unsung.
EDITORIAL: Clovis council makes poor choice on senior housing project, but it has a final chance
Fresno Bee
Any middle-aged Valley resident facing the decision of what to do with an aging parent knows that finding care can be challenging. So it was disheartening to watch the Clovis City Council last week signal that it will likely deny a proposed senior living center.
Housing:
Fresno woman's quest to find answers to city of San Joaquin CDBG loan leads to lawsuit
Fresno Bee
Delia Montana’s lawsuit accuses the City Council and city officials of misappropriating the Community Development Block Grant program for low-income families. She wants a judge to order the city to hire an independent auditor for the program.
Study: Lack of housing means more traffic, not less
Mercury News
The numbers for San Mateo County are striking — jobs are booming, but housing growth has stalled and commuters are spending more and more time stuck in traffic.
EDITORIAL: It's time for L.A. to put up or shut about building denser housing around transit
Los Angeles Times
Land-use decisions, council members said, should be made at the local level, not Sacramento. Well, here’s their chance.
California home prices called ‘rational’ when climate is factored in
Mercury News
Everyone knows a key reason you pay up for California housing is the impressive climate. Chapman University researchers now have some math to prove it.
Southern California home prices hit another record high
Los Angeles Times
The Southern California median home price surged 8.2% in May from a year earlier, hitting a new all-time high of $530,000, according to a report Thursday from CoreLogic.
See also:
● California's median home price just set a new record — and SLO's is even higher The Tribune
● Is California’s expensive housing scaring away job seekers? KPCC
● Housing in the U.S. is too expensive, too cheap, and just right. It depends on where you live. Brookings
● New Home Sales Post Weak Spring Start The Wall Street Journal
● Big Tech Isn’t the Problem With Homelessness. It’s All of Us Wired
Measure to allow more rent control appears headed to California ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
Proponents of a November ballot measure that would let California cities expand rent control say negotiations for a compromise have collapsed and that the issue will now be decided by voters.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Here's what the Fresno City Council wants to add in next year's budget
Fresno Bee
Fresno City Council members over a series of budget hearings this month have proposed millions of dollars in changes to the city's 2019 budget.
What you need to know about California's gas tax repeal initiative
Sacramento Bee
Get ready for a big fight this fall over the condition of California's roads. An initiative to repeal the recent increase to state gasoline and diesel taxes, which is raising billions of dollars for repaving and other transportation projects, officially qualified on Friday for the November ballot.
See also:
● Fox: Gas Tax Repeal Vote Will be Close Fox & Hounds
Walters: California can’t sidestep federal tax impact
Sacramento Bee
When President Donald Trump signed an overhaul of the federal tax system six months ago, there was much complaining from politicians in California, New York and other high-taxing – and politically blue – states.
Supreme Court lets states force online retailers to collect sales tax
Reuters
States may force online retailers to collect potentially billions of dollars in sales taxes, the U.S. Supreme Court said in a major ruling on Thursday that undercut an advantage many e-commerce companies have enjoyed over brick-and-mortar rivals.
See also:
● Supreme Court online tax decision sends smaller businesses reeling NBC
● The Supreme Court Just Gave States Power to Tax Online Sales National Review
● Why Big-Ticket Items May Soon Cost You More Online Wall Street Journal
TRANSPORTATION
High-speed rail construction on Kent Avenue
Hanford Sentinel
The California High-Speed Rail Authority announced work taking place in Kings County that is likely to cause road closures and detours.
Sacramento asked Trump for $100 million for streetcar. It's still waiting.
Sacramento Bee
Streetcar advocates have been waiting, fingers crossed, for the federal government to see fit to give them a critical boost, a $100 million grant to put the $208 million system on track. They're still waiting. And wondering.
Their Friend Died in a Hit-and-Run. Can They Take on Car Culture in Los Angeles?
New York Times
Cyclists have long risked danger in Los Angeles, where a loose network of bike lanes means they often ride next to speeding cars. Now they want to change that.
California and Eight Other States Push Plan to Boost Zero-Emission Vehicles
Wall Street Journal
Recommendations are aimed at pressuring auto makers and increasing adoption of environmentally friendly cars
Is the e-scooter craze more bubble than business?
Marketplace
Venture capitalists have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in scooters — electric scooters, specifically. Paul Kedrosky, with SK Ventures, spoke with Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood about how the scooter investment craze goes back to Segway.
WATER
This one issue could make splitting California into three states virtually impossible
Sacramento Bee
Of all the gargantuan tasks facing Californians should they choose to divide themselves by three — a proposal that has qualified for the November ballot — none is arguably more daunting than carving up the state's water supply.
A New Groundwater Market Emerges in California. Are More on the Way?
News Deeply
The pilot program is kicking off in Ventura County, but experts say that it may be replicated in other parts of the state as California works to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and curb overpumping of aquifers.
Five things to know about efforts to repeal Obama's water rule
The Hill
The Trump administration is working to repeal former President Obama’s Clean Water Rule. Here are five things to know about where things stand in the effort to repeal the Obama-era rule.
“Xtra”
The Mission to Build the Ultimate Burger Bot
Wired
Alex Vardakostas has been on a decade-long quest to build a robot that can prepare the perfect cheeseburger. It could also put his family out of work.
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