Maddy Institute – June 26, 2020

26Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

More COVID-19 patients are filling hospital beds in Stanislaus Co. Will it get worse?

Modesto Bee

Hospitals are holding up as the coronavirus becomes more widespread in Stanislaus Co, said representatives, who are concerned about a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Coronavirus claims first closure at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall; others could follow

Modesto Bee

Coronavirus has claimed its first reported business inside Vintage Faire Mall as the pandemic and its economic fallout continue largely unabated across the Central Valley.

State sending San Joaquin Co 30 tracers for COVID-19

Stockton Record

Gov. Gavin Newsom has said the state is providing technical assistance to counties with rising COVID-19 numbers. San Joaquin Co Public Health Officer Dr. Maggie Park has taken two recent calls that amounted to little more than a state worker asking if there is anything new to report and are there any new drivers.

Residents talk face coverings; Turlock trims spending

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus Co deaths to the coronavirus remained at 38 on Wednesday. Positive tests rose to 1,789, according to the Co Health Services Agency. Another 24,408 residents have tested negative.

Central SJ Valley:

Here’s what Fresno State students should expect for the fall semester amid coronavirus

Fresno Bee

Fresno State released its fall 2020 plans early Friday, including guidelines for daily health and temperature checks, masks and strategies for dorm living and food options.

Fresno City Council expected to delay new growth outside of city limits. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council is expected to approve on Thursday a resolution that would effectively halt new development outside of current city limits until a more equitable tax sharing agreement with the Co has been negotiated.

Madera school board president resigns following Confederate flag post on social media

Fresno Bee

The president of the Madera Co school board has resigned, just days after a post on her social media account displayed a Confederate flag and the phrase “I am proud to be white.”

Fresno has a plan for solar power. Here’s how much city leaders say it will save

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council on Thursday approved a renewable energy plan recommended by Mayor Lee Brand’s administration that officials said could save the city $100 million over two decades.

Coronavirus update: Social gatherings and increased cases; Fresno water park stays closed

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom blames birthday parties, children’s play dates and other private gatherings for much of the increase in coronavirus cases around the state. The number, but also the percentage, of Californians testing positive for the coronavirus is increasing as the state has reopened its economy, Newsom said Wednesday.

Warszawski: San Joaquin River near Fresno has been abused long enough. We can’t allow blast mining

Fresno Bee

Can we leave the poor San Joaquin River alone? Please? For once? Fresno and the San Joaquin River have been stuck in an abusive relationship for more than 100 years. We take and take and take — water, salmon, construction aggregate, every resource it has — and leave nothing but permanent scars.

Tulare Co creates COVID-19 coalition as cases continue to rise

Visalia Times Delta

Tulare Co experienced another dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases Thursday. Public health officials report there are now 3,646 cases, an increase of 113 new infections since Wednesday.

“Old IT system” slows financial help for unemployed

CalMatters

California began accepting unemployment insurance claims from millions of previously ineligible workers, including gig workers, independent contractors and the self-employed. Would the state unemployment agency’s overloaded and antiquated tech system be able to handle it?

South SJ Valley:

Kern Co admin official to businesses: ‘No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service’

Bakersfield Californian

Kern Co officials are asking businesses to make the wearing of face masks a requirement for service. The urgent request was made as the Co teeters in and out of compliance with state coronavirus guidelines that could result in measures being taken should cases rise.

Bakersfield City Council adopts budget following demands to defund BPD

Bakersfield Californian

A large contingency of the community showed up to the Bakersfield City Council meeting Wednesday to demand the Bakersfield Police Department be defunded. After discussing the issue at length, the City Council unanimously adopted the $630 million budget for fiscal year 2020-21.

Farmworkers at Wasco pistachio farm strike after dozens test positive for the coronavirus

LA Times

A group of about 50 farmworkers went on strike Thursday at a Central California pistachio farm demanding free face coverings, gloves and information from the farm’s owner after they said they learned from the media that dozens of their co-workers tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a union official said.

● Opinion: We have to get serious about protecting California farmworkers during COVID-19CalMatters

COVID-19: Overall outlook mixed, improving; CVS to offer testing

Porterville Recorder

The overall COVID-19 statistics reported by Tulare Co Health and Human Services on Thursday was more encouraging than what the department had been reporting over the previous couple of days.

State:

California declares emergency to draw down budget reserves

Visalia Times Delta

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a budget emergency Thursday that will allow California to take nearly $8 billion from a state reserve account to help plug a large budget deficit brought on by the coronavirus.

Calif ‘Still In First Wave’ Of Pandemic As COVID-19 Hospitalizations Continue To Rise, Newsom Says

Capital Public Radio

California avoided setting a record for COVID-19 patients during the past 24 hours, as the number of daily cases fell on Wednesday after setting a new high on Tuesday. But hospitalizations continue to increase in the state, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

● As COVID Cases Spike, California Shifts Its Strategy California Healthline

● Californians are desperate to see friends and family. Officials debate how to do so safely LA Times

● Charts show the hot spots driving California’s ‘sobering’ coronavirus surge San Francisco Chronicle

· Coronavirus updates: Over 5,000 more new cases in Calif; Fauci urges mask use Sac Bee

● Fauci to Calif: Good work so far, but state needs public buy-in for safe reopening CalMatters

Newsom: Calif won’t impose COVID-19 quarantines for out-of-state visitors ‘at this time’

Fresno Bee

California won’t be following New York, New Jersey and Connecticut’s example of mandatory quarantines for visitors from coronavirus hotspot states, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during his Thursday press conference.

California quietly inks second N95 mask deal with Silicon Valley company

Politico

California inked a $90 million respirator contract with a Silicon Valley retail display and packaging company this month just as a closely watched deal with another N95 supplier appeared at risk of falling apart because of federal certification delays.

See California’s forecast for how COVID-19 will affect your County

abc30

The state of California has launched a new date website outlining coronavirus cases with interactive maps, as the state’s positivity rate (the number of positive cases out of the number of people being tested), hospitalization and ICU rates gradually continue to increase.

Seven more weeks of unemployment benefits in California’s new budget plan

Fresno Bee

Millions of unemployed Californians could wind up with more weeks of jobless benefits as part of the budget deal Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders reached this week.

● U.S. Initial Unemployment Benefits Steady at 1.5 Million in June Wall Street Journal

● Are California’s Jobs Rebounding? Public Policy Institute of California

California to vote on 1st-in-US electric truck sales rule

Bakersfield Californian

California regulators are scheduled to approve new rules on Thursday that would force automakers to sell more electric work trucks and delivery vans, a first-of-its-kind rule aimed at helping the nation’s most populous state clean up its worst-in-the-nation air quality.

EDITORIAL: A Vote for Discrimination

Wall Street Journal

California’s Legislature votes to bring back racial preferences. The state Assembly previously passed the measure, which means the amendment will be on the Nov ballot.

Federal:

Trump Administration Moving To Close Federally Funded COVID Testing Sites

VPR

Federal officials say the sites have been closing or transferring to state or local control because it’s more efficient to run testing that way. In other instances they argue there are readily available testing sites nearby.

● The Trump administration is eyeing a new testing strategy for coronavirus, Anthony Fauci saysWash Post

Coronavirus spike rattles Senate Republicans

Politico

As coronavirus cases spike across the country, President Donald Trump and his top officials say everything is mostly under control. But Senate Republicans are pressing them to show a little urgency.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to strike down Obamacare

Wash Post

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court late on Thursday to overturn the Affordable Care Act, telling the court that “the entire ACA must fall.”

Watchdog calls for fraud crackdown at small business lending program

Wash Post

Congress’ watchdog arm called on the Trump administration on Thursday to step up efforts to police the government’s massive small business rescue program after finding a significant risk of fraud and resistance to oversight at the agency running the bailout.

● Small Businesses Raced to Spend PPP Funds but Covid-19 Pandemic Drags On Wall Street Journal

House Passes Democrats’ Policing Bill, but No Path Seen for Deal

Wall Street Journal

The bill passed 236-181 in the Democratic-controlled House, but the GOP-led Senate has called it a nonstarter. On Wednesday, Senate Democrats blocked a rival GOP bill from advancing in that chamber.

● US police registry would fail without changes in states LA Times

● Opinion: Democrats Play Politics on Police Reform Wall Street Journal

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

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

● Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO

● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University

● Tracking coronavirus in California LA Times

● Coronavirus Tracker San Francisco Chronicle

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

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

● Coronavirus Daily NPR

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

● Coronavirus in California by the numbers CalMatters

Elections 2020:

California’s consumer privacy law could get stricter under new Nov ballot measure

Fresno Bee

California legislators approved a landmark internet privacy law two years ago. Now, privacy advocates hope they can convince voters to pass an even stronger measure. Known as the California Privacy Rights Act, the initiative would add more teeth to existing legislation by creating a new, $10 million state agency dedicated to protecting online consumer privacy.

● Opinion: How Much is Our Personal Data Worth? GV Wire

California’s 2020 all-mail election, explained

CalMatters

How do you hold an election during a global pandemic? Without knowing it, California voters have been practicing for years.

Biden Is Getting a Lot of Advice on His V.P. Here’s What Voters Think.

New York Times

A large majority of voters say race should not be a factor in his decision, and none of the best-known candidates has emerged as a favorite.

EDITORIAL: The Trump Referendum

Wall Street Journal

Mr. Trump refuses to acknowledge what every poll now says is true: His approval rating has fallen to the 40% or below that is George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter territory.

Other:

Nonwhites are now a majority among the nation’s youngest, census shows

LA Times

For the first time, nonwhites and Hispanics were a majority of people under age 16 in 2019, an expected demographic shift that will grow over the coming decades, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday.

Gov. Abbott gambled Texas’ reopening on contact tracing. Here’s how it went bust.

Houston Chronicle

Gov. Greg Abbott was certain that contact tracing would help dig Texas out from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. As he prepared to reopen the state in late April, the governor boasted that more than 1,000 tracers were in place to track down infections and advise anyone exposed to stay home.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farmworkers at Wasco pistachio farm strike after dozens test positive for the coronavirus

LA Times

● Opinion: We have to get serious about protecting California farmworkers during COVID-19CalMatters

Helping local farmers and food-insecure families during pandemic

Fresno Bee

The Asian Business Institute and Resource Center helps local families during the coronavirus pandemic with its Micro Farmer Crop Buyback Program, purchasing crops that would likely go fallow due to the slowdown of farmer’s markets.

Coronavirus impact: Ag industry may suffer up to $8 billion loss this year

abc30

Some Fresno Co lettuce crop had to be discarded back into the ground in April after the pandemic caused a sudden drop in demand from restaurants and schools. A new report commissioned by the California Farm Bureau Federation shows ag losses have already topped $2 billion for farmers and ranchers.

‘Independence from Hunger’: Grocery Outlet kicks off food drive for St. Anne’s food pantry

Porterville Recorder

On Wednesday morning, Grocery Outlet kicked off their annual ‘Independence from Hunger’ food drive for St. Anne’s Food Pantry. This is Grocery Outlet’s 10th annual drive, but it is only the second year that the Porterville Grocery Outlet has participated.

Union says 93 meatpacking employees have died from coronavirus

The Hill

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the largest U.S. meatpacking union, said that 93 meatpacking and processing employees have died as a result of COVID-19, Reuters reports.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Clovis Walmart assistant manager arrested over $100,000 in fraudulent charges, FBI says

Fresno Bee

A Walmart assistant manager in Clovis was in jail Thursday on suspicion of making thousands of dollars in illegal credit card purchases, authorities said. According to the FBI, a federal grand jury brought a five-count indictment of credit card fraud.

Fresno adopts controversial gun violence program Advance Peace. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

The prevention program identifies the city’s most likely shooters and crosschecks them with police, according to Aaron Foster, who is behind the program in Fresno. Those potential shooters are asked to join a program run by advocates.

Public Safety:

108 Fresno Co Jail inmates test positive for the coronavirus. More results pending

Fresno Bee

At least 108 inmates inside the Fresno Co’s North Annex jail have tested positive for the coronavirus, the sheriff’s office said Thursday. The sheriff’s office said it administered 1,200 COVID-19 tests this week.

Does this Fresno police contract help victimize poor people of color? Critics say yes

Fresno Bee

Members of the board of commissioners of the Housing Authorities of the City and Co of Fresno voiced strong support for renewing the agency’s $194,363 annual contract with the Fresno Police Department, despite pleas from community members to reconsider during its Tuesday evening meeting.

Turlock ‘Back the Badge’ rally scheduled to show support for police, law enforcement

Modesto Bee

A rally to show support for law enforcement is scheduled in Turlock on Saturday morning in the wake of local protests against police brutality.

Fractured skulls, lost eyes: Police often break own rules using ‘rubber bullets’

Visalia Times Delta

Megan Matthews thought she was dying. “I thought my head was blown off,” said Matthews, 22, who was hit in the eye with a sponge-tipped projectile fired by law enforcement at a May 29 protest in Denver. “Everything was dark. I couldn’t see.”

California slow to adopt gun violence measure intended to prevent mass shootings

Modesto Bee

California passed a law in the aftermath of the 2014 Isla Vista mass shootings that allow judges to remove guns from the possession of people deemed at extreme risk of using them to harm themselves or others.

Video: ‘Defund the police’: What does it mean?

LA Times

Nationwide, protesters and activists have been calling to “defund the police.” But what does it actually mean? And why are so many people calling for it to happen?

Fire:

Grade Fire nears containment, chars 1,000-plus acres in Tulare Co

Visalia Times Delta

After nearly a week of battling back flames and trying to reduce the rate of spread, firefighters can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Cal Fire officials reported the Grade Fire is now 80% contained.

Del Puerto Canyon fire 50% contained, and better mapping has it at 200 acres

Modesto Bee

Better mapping since a helicopter flew the are in daylight has the Diablo Fire in Del Puerto Canyon at 200 acres, far less than the 300-plus reported earlier, said Michael Marcucci, deputy chief with the Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit.

PG&E Raises $5.5 Billion Selling Shares, Equity Units

Bloomberg

PG&E Corp. raised more than $5 billion in a common share and equity unit offering to help finance its exit from the biggest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Back on the big screen: Local movie theaters gear up for reopening

Bakersfield Californian

After three months of making the most of their home theaters, moviegoers can return to the real thing. Since California lifted the restriction on movie theaters June 12, these businesses have been hard at work meeting safety guidelines and training staff.

Coronavirus claims first closure at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall; others could follow

Modesto Bee

Coronavirus has claimed its first reported business inside Vintage Faire Mall as the pandemic and its economic fallout continue largely unabated across the Central Valley.

Opinion: America can’t act like a team, and it might cost us the return of sports

Wash Post

In April, the E.U. was just as big a health disaster as America. But the E.U. still operates like a team — one that believes in science and has the discipline to fight together against a pandemic. Now the results are in.

Jobs:

Seven more weeks of unemployment benefits in California’s new budget plan

Fresno Bee

Millions of unemployed Californians could wind up with more weeks of jobless benefits as part of the budget deal Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders reached this week.

● U.S. Initial Unemployment Benefits Steady at 1.5 Million in June Wall Street Journal

● Are California’s Jobs Rebounding? Public Policy Institute of California

T-Mobile wants state to drop mandate to add 1,000 more hires. What’s it mean for Valley jobs?

Fresno Bee

Wireless companies T-Mobile and Sprint are challenging a requirement that, as a condition of their merger, the combined companies increase their net full-time workforce in California by at least 1,000 employees within three years.

More than 400 people to lose their jobs as COVID-19 impacts local water parks

abc30

It’s June and over 100 degrees. Normally this would make for a busy day at the Island Water Park in Fresno, but instead, it’s barren and as dry as a bone. “It is a sad feeling to walk through here and not see everybody screaming and playing and running around,” says General Manager Bob Martin.

Macy’s slashing 3,900 white-collar jobs, roughly 25% of its corporate workforce

Wash Post

The layoffs announced Thursday come just months after the beleaguered retailer announced it would close 125 stores — about a fifth of its total — and shed 2,000 positions after a disappointing holiday season.

Tesla gave workers permission to stay home rather than risk getting covid-19. Then it sent termination notices.

Wash Post

Nonetheless, two Tesla workers say they received termination notices alleging a “failure to return to work” after they opted to take unpaid leave to protect themselves and their family members when the factory restarted production the second week of May.

Dean Florez: We can ditch office culture for a healthier future by teleworking

CalMatters

COVID-19 has produced a seismic shift in thinking about working from home and healthier lifestyles, while seeing a stunning impact on our air quality.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Which Fresno-area ed issues concern you the most? We want to hear from you

Fresno Bee

As we start summer, the Ed Lab wants to know what education stories you think we should cover heading into the fall semester. COVID-19 has changed the school experience in Fresno Co, perhaps forever.

Madera school board president resigns following Confederate flag post on social media

Fresno Bee

The president of the Madera Co school board has resigned, just days after a post on her social media account displayed a Confederate flag and the phrase “I am proud to be white.”

Back on campus: Handful of Bakersfield Christian students return for summer school

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield Christian High School campus is beginning to look a little more like its old self again, albeit on a smaller scale and with a few safety precautions in place.

BCSD employee tests positive for COVID-19

Bakersfield Californian

A Bakersfield City School District employee has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the district. Public Information Officer Tabatha Mills said the district was notified of a positive COVID-19 case from a member of the BCSD Ed Center late Wednesday afternoon.

Are students subject to the mask order? Gov says Calif doesn’t know yet

Sac Bee

California issued a mandatory mask order last week, but state officials are still debating whether students should have to comply once schools reopen.

Calif school districts should spend less on police, more on counselors, state leaders say

EdSource

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday that the state is contracting with WestEd, a San Francisco-based nonpartisan nonprofit research firm, to study the effects of police on campus.

Education Dept. Rule Limits How Schools Can Spend Vital Aid Money

VPR

In a new rule announced Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos signaled she is standing firm on her intention to reroute millions of dollars in coronavirus aid money to K-12 private school students.

Higher Ed:

Here’s what Fresno State students should expect for the fall semester amid coronavirus

Fresno Bee

Fresno State released its fall 2020 plans early Friday, including guidelines for daily health and temperature checks, masks and strategies for dorm living and food options.

Fresno State team researching how viruses spread in buses

abc30

A Fresno State research team is studying how viruses can spread aboard public transportation. The study aims to understand air circulation patterns inside buses while researchers work to keep passengers safe.

Virtual Event: New Realities for Higher Education

Public Policy Institute of California

How can California’s higher education systems address the challenges facing the state in the wake of COVID-19 and amid persistent concerns about racial inequality? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with the leaders of California’s public institutions.

Education Department Revives Website That It Said Made Applying for Loan Forgiveness Too Easy

US News & World Report

The Trump administration is set to revive a website that the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office designed to help students who have been defrauded by their colleges apply for loan forgiveness – a decision made less than 24 hours after a whistleblower complaint surfaced, accusing a high-ranking department official of initially rejecting it on grounds that the tool made the process too easy.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Valley Air District issues ‘health caution’ due to smoke from Reedley fire

abc30

The San Joaquin Valley Air District is issuing a “health caution” after pallets at a Reedley packaging company caught fire Thursday morning, emitting smoke into the air.

California to vote on 1st-in-US electric truck sales rule

Bakersfield Californian

Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Could Reshape What We Know About the Atmosphere

New York Times

Coronavirus shutdowns have cut pollution, and that’s opened the door to a “giant, global environmental experiment” with potentially far-reaching consequences.

See also:

● Podcast: Bill Magavern talks clean air Capitol Weekly

Energy:

California’s clean energy programs are mainly benefiting the rich, study finds

LA Times

Some low-income families often can’t afford to use enough energy to stay warm or cool. As a result, they “continue to live in less comfortable housing and pay a larger proportion of their income for that discomfort,” the researchers write.

Retrofitting homes, small businesses for clean energy appliances will stimulate economy and fight climate change

CalMatters

A stimulus plan to retrofit homes and replace gas appliances for low-income Californians and small businesses will help fight climate change and create jobs.

CRC reports $1.8 billion quarterly loss

Bakersfield Californian

In another sign of trouble for one of Kern’s largest oil producers, California Resources Corp. on Thursday posted a first quarter loss of $1.8 billion — 38 times more money than the company reported losing during the same three-month period last year.

Satellites reveal major new gas industry methane leaks

Reuters

Last fall, European Space Agency satellites detected huge plumes of the invisible planet-warming gas methane leaking from the Yamal pipeline that carries natural gas from Siberia to Europe.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

As COVID-19 devastates senior care homes, Fresno-area families struggle to help elders

Fresno Bee

As the COVID-19 threat grows, older Americans also face economic challenges that make surviving the pandemic more difficult, families and workers say.

More COVID-19 patients are filling hospital beds in Stanislaus Co. Will it get worse?

Modesto Bee

Hospitals are holding up as the coronavirus becomes more widespread in Stanislaus Co, said representatives, who are concerned about a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

● New alarms raised as California coronavirus hospitalizations jump 32% in two weeks LA Times

US health officials believe 20M Americans have had COVID-19, a number 10 times greater than 2.3M confirmed cases

abc30

U.S. officials believe as many as 20 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus, suggesting millions had the virus and never knew it. That’s nearly 10 times as many infections as the 2.3 million cases that have been confirmed.

· CDC says COVID-19 cases in U.S. may be 10 times higher than reported CBS

Parties — Not Protests — Are Causing Spikes In Coronavirus

VPR
As the U.S. begins to open back up, coronavirus clusters — where multiple people contract COVID-19 at the same event or location — are popping up all over the country. And despite drawing massive crowds, protests against police violence and racial injustice in Wash state weren’t among those clusters.

CDC broadens guidance on Americans facing risk of severe Covid-19

STAT

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday broadened its warning about who is at risk of developing severe disease from Covid-19 infection, suggesting even younger people who are obese or have other health conditions can become seriously ill if they contract the virus.

● Face masks, including homemade ones, are effective COVID-19 protection, experts say PolitiFact

Almost one-third of black Americans know someone who died of covid-19, survey shows

Wash Post

The nationwide survey finds that 31 percent of black adults say they know someone firsthand who has been killed by the virus, compared with 17 percent of adults who are Hispanic and 9 percent who are white.

More Younger People Are Testing Positive for the Coronavirus

The Cut

As coronavirus cases surge across the country, it seems the virus has shifted its aim. “It is obvious that we are seeing right now infections that are targeting younger individuals,” Dr. Robert Redfield.

Human Services:

When there’s a coronavirus vaccine, who will get it first?

abc30

Who would be the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Probably people in the country where the first effective vaccine is developed. About a dozen different vaccines are in various stages of testing worldwide, including in Britain, China and the U.S.

● This Coronavirus Doesn’t Change Quickly, And That’s Good News For Vaccine Makers VPR

Central California Blood Center needs plasma from recovered coronavirus patients

abc30

The Central California Blood Center needs plasma now more than ever as health officials see a spike in people going to the hospital for the coronavirus. Ersilia Lacaze with the blood center says convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients could be key in treating severe patients.

Cooling Centers activated in Madera through Friday

Madera Tribune

Due to anticipated excessive heat, the following City of Madera Cooling Center location is scheduled to open through Friday:

Virus testing, tracking still plagued by reporting delays

Bakersfield Californian

As part of the plan to restart its season next month, the NBA is preparing to test hundreds of players, coaches and others for the coronavirus each night inside a “basketball bubble” — a space at the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida, with extra protection against the disease.

Stockton businesses pledge to keep customers safe

Stockton Record

Opening businesses is one thing. Helping customers feel safe is another. More than 150 Stockton businesses have taken the Stockton Healthy Pledge, a free voluntary program adopted by the Stockton Business Recovery Coalition led by Visit Stockton.

State sending San Joaquin Co 30 tracers for COVID-19

Stockton Record

Coronavirus has cost California health insurers $2.4 billion so far

San Francisco Chronicle

Health insurers in California have paid an estimated $2.4 billion for coronavirus testing and COVID-19 treatment, and Bay Area counties have seen some of the highest costs in the state, according to a study published Thursday by researchers at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

IMMIGRATION

Justices rule for Trump administration in deportation case

abc30

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can deport some people seeking asylum without allowing them to make their case to a federal judge. The high court’s 7-2 ruling applies to people who fail their initial asylum screenings, making them eligible for quick deportation, or expedited removal.

● Supreme Court bolsters Trump deportation arsenal by upholding ‘expedited removal’ San Francisco Chronicle

● Supreme Court Eases Path to Deport Asylum Seekers Wall Street Journal

Trump’s Freeze On H-1B Work Visas Disproportionately Affects Indians

VPR

The executive order, signed by President Trump, extends a ban on green cards issued outside the United States and adds several types of work visas to the freeze, including the H-1B visa for skilled workers. Last year, 72% of those visas were granted to Indians.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Fresno City Council expected to delay new growth outside of city limits. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Planning Commission Approves 217-Lot Development at Loma Vista

Clovis Roundup

The City of Clovis Planning Commission unanimously approved plans for a 217-lot neighborhood on Wednesday, June 26. The development is yet another new project for the eastern portions of Clovis in the Loma Vista area.

Housing:

Housing index says inventory still a problem in Fresno

Business Journal

The demand for housing as well as home prices are stronger than they were in January, scoring 120.7 and 101.9 on the index, respectively. Median listing prices have grown 5.6% compared to 2019, more than a percentage point above pre-COVID pace.

California hotels are starting to open up, but is it safe to stay in one during coronavirus?

San Francisco Chronicle

As California counties progress through the state’s reopening plan, many are poised to begin receiving their first visitors since early March. And Californians, cooped up for three months of shelter-in-place, are looking to get out and vacation — if only for a few nights.

PUBLIC FINANCES

IRS sent stimulus checks to more than 1 million dead people, government watchdog agency says

Stockton Record

More than 1 million dead people got stimulus checks from the federal government under a new federal law designed to juice the economy during the coronavirus pandemic, a watchdog agency reported Thursday.

● The IRS thought it wasn’t allowed to withhold stimulus checks from the dead. So it paid more than 1 million of them. Politico

● IRS Paid $1.4 Billion in Stimulus Payments to Dead People, GAO Report Says Wall Street Journal

● GAO: Stimulus checks sent to dead people among coronavirus response problems Wall Street Journal

States need money. The Fed has it. Politics may be an obstacle

The Hill

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell hasn’t wavered in his warnings to lawmakers since the coronavirus crisis hit: Congress needs to bail out state and municipal governments to avoid an anemic economic revival.

TRANSPORTATION

California first in the nation to require diesel vehicle manufacturers to go electric

Fresno Bee

In a historic move, California on Thursday became the first state in the nation to require manufacturers of diesel trucks and vans to transition to all-electric sales by 2045.

● California’s Landmark Electric Truck Rule Targets ‘Diesel Death Zone’ VPR

● Opinion: Electric trucks rule will create jobs and cut cancer-causing pollution CalMatters

How airlines are making flying safe for passengers during Covid-19 health crisis

Fresno Bee

As summer travel season approaches during a coronavirus public health crisis, airlines have taken safety measures to protect passengers and employees. Some major policies from Alaska, American, Jet Blue, Southwest and United are broken down here.

DMV resumes behind-the-wheel tests this week

Visalia Times Delta

The California Department of Motor Vehicles will resume administering behind-the-wheel drive tests beginning Friday. Behind-the-wheel tests were suspended in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bicycles have enjoyed a boom during the pandemic. Will it last as car traffic resumes?

LA Times

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, young Danes took to the streets like their counterparts across the globe — protesting a political and societal system they believed was unjust, discriminatory and out of step with the times.

Hoping to take a vacation this summer? Why bike touring could be your safest bet

LA Times

Trek Travel has eliminated the extra fee — usually $500 per person — for private groups of six or more. It also has added self-guided and four-day options to meet changing customer demand.

WATER

How do you stop the spread of COVID-19 on a bus?

Fresno Bee

A team of researchers from Fresno State and UC Merced use colored smoke to study the spread and mitigation of COVID-19 in buses and other public transportation Wednesday, June 24, 2020 in Selma.

$71 million would be allocated for Friant-Kern Canal

Porterville Recorder

The Department of Interior has requested $71 million be spent on improvements for the Friant-Kern Canal for the 2021 fiscal year. The funding for the Friant-Kern Canal accounts for most of the $108.7 of funding for water storage projects in California the Department of Interior is requesting. Congress will now consider approving the funding in the 2021 fiscal year Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.

Warszawski: San Joaquin River near Fresno has been abused long enough. We can’t allow blast mining

Fresno Bee

“Xtra”

Island Waterpark to remain closed in 2020. Here’s why and the status of other local parks

Fresno Bee

Island Waterpark alongside Highway 99 in Fresno will remain closed for the rest of the year. The popular water park announced its 2020 season cancellation Wednesday, citing safety concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Disney to retheme Splash Mountain in Orlando and California to Princess and the Frog

Fresno Bee

Disney will retheme Splash Mountain to its only film to feature a Black princess, The Princess and the Frog. Disney announced Thursday that the ride — currently themed to a film some Disney fans say is the company’s most racist, “Song of the South” — will get a makeover at both Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.