POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
As pandemic causes budget to crater, Modesto looks to cut 30 open police jobs
Modesto Bee
Police chief says that could mean roughly 10 fewer cops on the street. Department’s civilians will help pick up the slack.
Stanislaus County records its highest case total in a day
Modesto Bee
Get the latest on the coronavirus pandemic in Stanislaus County
See also:
● Stanislaus Co health officer issues COVID-19 warning Modesto Bee
● Stop getting together: Stanislaus health officer pleads with residents amid coronavirus Modesto Bee
● Editorial: Stanislaus Co residents fail coronavirus test Modesto Bee
EDITORIAL: Let’s face it, Stanislaus residents, we could have done better in coronavirus approach
Modesto Bee
How did Stanislaus County end up on the state’s watch list for dangerous COVID-19 hot spots? It’s easy to point a finger of blame at officials. Maybe Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, our public health officer, should have issued her order mandating mask wearing in public long before June 17.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno councilmember at odds with County leaders for not making COVID-19 info available
Fresno Bee
Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez said Friday he’s asked the city attorney to draft a formal request for information from Fresno County about efforts surrounding the coronavirus, saying the county has not been forthcoming.
Since City of Fresno ended sheltering in place, COVID-19 has hit Fresno Co big time
Fresno Bee
In about one month since the city of Fresno ended its shelter-in-place orders, Fresno County’s coronavirus-related death total as well as confirmed cases of COVID-19 have almost tripled.
Positive tests in Tulare Co, death at Avenal prison add to coronavirus inmate toll
Fresno Bee
Coronavirus outbreaks in central San Joaquin Valley detention facilities spread this week to Tulare County and also apparently claimed the life of another Avenal State Prison inmate.
See Also:
● ‘Shocking, Heartbreaking’ Coronavirus Outbreak In Calif. Prison Alarms Health Experts Capital Public Radio
Northeast Fresno church brings local leaders together to discuss community changes
MSN
A church in northeast Fresno is bringing local leaders together to discuss solutions for moving forward as a community.
A City (Fresno) Innovates for Its Survival
FUSE Corps
Long before COVID-19, Fresno had been pushing toward economic revitalization. Its downtown had recently become a vibrant spot for locals, with restored sculptures and murals, food trucks drawing diverse crowds, and public gatherings for artistic, cultural, and music events.
Swearengin: The Fresno Bee’s importance to its community must be honored in bankruptcy sale
Fresno Bee
I have a confession. Before serving as mayor of Fresno, I did not understand the importance of local journalism to our community. I took it for granted. Local journalism was like daily background noise — I knew it was there but didn’t focus much on its impact.
South SJ Valley:
Police reforms have been long-sought locally
Bakersfield Californian
Night after night, recently, Michele Holiwell has been standing on street corners around town, sometimes with dozens of others, sometimes just a few others, demanding reform of local law enforcement and raising awareness of police brutality.
Black leaders in Bakersfield call for police advisory board
Valley Public Radio
It’s been one month since the death of George Floyd and communities across the country are debating the reallocation of funding from law enforcement agencies to social services. But in Bakersfield this week, the city council voted to increase its police budget and hire more officers.
McCarthy acknowledges concerns about Trump’s sagging popularity hurting Senate Republicans
Wash Post
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) acknowledged concerns Friday that President Trump’s sagging popularity could possibly hurt Republican chances in races key to maintaining the party’s majority in the Senate. McCarthy, speaking during a television interview, was quick to add that he thinks Trump will ultimately prevail against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and that prospects would brighten for Republicans once the campaign comes into fuller view.
State:
‘I refuse to bow to anybody.’ Rural California defies Gov. Newsom’s order to wear masks
Fresno Bee
Perched behind the counter of his cramped memorabilia shop in downtown Placerville, co-owner Lorenzo Smith isn’t about to tell his customers they have to put on a mask.
See also:
● Rural California more likely to defy Gov. Newsom’s mask order |Fresno Bee
● Ace is the place with the ‘Mean Mask Lady’ Bakersfield Californian
● California’s mask order tests the limits of Newsom’s executive power LA Times
● A ‘face mask exempt card’ does not exempt you from wearing a mask in public Politico
● Why simple cloth masks without valves are better at fighting the spread of covid-19 Wash Post
● Making men feel manly in masks is, unfortunately, a public-health challenge of our time Wash Post
● Q&A: Are Face Mask Requirements Legal? VPR
● Walters: Newsom’s confusing COVID-19 decrees CalMatters
Governor orders bars in 7 California counties to close
Fresno Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday ordered bars that have opened in seven California counties, including LA, to immediately close and urged bars in eight other counties to do the same, saying the coronavirus was rapidly spreading in those parts of the state and that bar settings create a higher risk of transmission.
See Also:
● Gov. Newsom forcing bar closures in Fresno, Kings and Tulare Counties due to rise in COVID-19 cases abc30
● Newsom orders all bars to close in Tulare County, 6 other counties as COVID-19 spikes Visalia Times Delta
● Governor orders bars in 7 California counties to close Bakersfield Californian
● SJ County bars remain closed Stockton Record
● Coronavirus cases continue to climb in L.A. County as bars are ordered to close LA Times
● California targets coronavirus scofflaws, delays reopenings LA Times
● Bar owners worry as virus surges in their workplaces AP News
Southern California county told to reinstate stay-at-home order, Newsom says
abc30
Gov. Gavin Newsom said a Southern California county had been told by the state to reimpose stay-at-home orders to mitigate the coronavirus’s spread within their community.
Gavin Newsom left out as California Democrats pick convention delegation leaders
San Francisco Chronicle
A pair of Bay Area representatives is in and Gov. Gavin Newsom is out as California Democrats chose the leaders of their delegation to the Democratic National Convention in August.
Federal:
More than 500,000 people worldwide have now died from the coronavirus
Visalia Times Delta
More than a half-million people have now died from COVID-19 worldwide, and the death toll has doubled in just over seven weeks. That grim milestone – marked Sunday by Johns Hopkins University – is particularly unsettling given warnings by health experts that the pandemic is still in its infancy. The U.S. with more than 125,000 deaths makes up approximately 25% of the total fatalities.
See also:
● Coronavirus cases top 10 million worldwide with 500,000 confirmed deaths LA Times
● America’s Shifting Covid-19 Epidemic in Five Charts Bloomberg
● Only 26% of Americans Trust Trump for Coronavirus Info, Poll Shows MSN
● After Asking Americans to Sacrifice in Shutdown, Leaders Failed to Control Virus NY Times
● With Trump leading the way, America’s coronavirus failures exposed by record surge in new infections Wash Post
● Bill & Melinda Gates Have Sharp Words For U.S.’ Lack Of Leadership Role In Fighting PandemicForbes
● Trump official: ‘The window is closing’ to stop coronavirus spread TheHill
● Data is key to fighting the coronavirus. Here’s why it’s so hard to find PBS NewsHour
Pelosi urges Trump to issue national face-mask order. ‘Real men wear masks’
Sac Bee
Nancy Pelosi says a national order to wear face masks in public is “long overdue” in the United States, ABC News reported. “My understanding is that the Centers for Disease Control has recommended the use of masks but not required it, because they don’t want to offend the president.” Pelosi said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
AIDS activists sense of déjà-vu as they watch the coronavirus policy battle unfold
LA Times
The federal government’s response to the novel coronavirus feels all too familiar to Tom Sheridan. Thirty years ago, as the national director of public policy for the powerful AIDS Action Council, he helped to force the Reagan Administration to acknowledge the existence of that disease.
Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion law in surprising ruling
LA Times
The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a surprising setback to abortion opponents, striking down a Louisiana law that was expected to result in the closing of all but one of its abortion providers.
See Also:
● Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion clinic law
Trump struggles as furor grows over reported Russian bounty offer to kill U.S. troops
LA Times
President Trump, confronted with a damaging report that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill American and allied troops in Afghanistan, declared Sunday on Twitter that he was never briefed about the finding by U.S. intelligence.
See also:
● Trump denies he was briefed on reported bounties on US troops TheHill
● Republicans Want Answers From Trump’s White House About New Russia Claims MSN
● Congress Unites To Demand Answers From Trump On Russian Bounties In Afghanistan VPR
● Biden slams Trump over reported Russian bounties placed on U.S. troops LA Times
Congressional Black Caucus seizes on push for racial justice to wield greater influence
Wash Post
The Congressional Black Caucus is seizing the national moment of reckoning over systemic inequality and racial injustice to wield its greatest level of influence inside the Capitol and in national politics.
Reopening America: How division and vulnerability hamper our response
Brookings
“One way to frame our efforts to address the crisis and heal our nation is to focus on our society’s well-being rather than solely on the state of our economy.” For their Reopening America & the World contribution, Carol Graham and Sergio Pinto argue that an adequate response to COVID-19 means also addressing the vulnerability of low-income populations and inadequate health and social safety nets.
Coronavirus Trackers:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.
See also:
● California Department of Public Health
● 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 NY 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:
Police unions donate heavily to Sac politicians. Are our leaders ‘rolling over’?
Sac Bee
Flojaune Cofer sat at the front of an empty Sac City Council chamber earlier this month. She was disgusted. The City Council had passed a budget weeks earlier that included $157 million for the Sac Police Department – an all-time high, despite officials calling it a “status quo” pandemic spending plan.
Gavin Newsom left out as California Democrats pick convention delegation leaders
San Francisco Chronicle
A pair of Bay Area representatives is in and Gov. Gavin Newsom is out as California Democrats chose the leaders of their delegation to the Democratic National Convention in August. Rep. Ro Khanna of Fremont and Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland will join LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis as the co-chairs of the 495-member state delegation rather than Newsom, who as California’s highest-ranking Democrat would normally lead the state contingent.
Props to you, Californians: A preview of what’s on your November ballot
CALmatters
After a bit of last-minute legislative maneuvering, the list of propositions that California voters will be asked to weigh in on has been — more or less — finalized.
Wait weeks to tally Nov’s votes? One ex-official says that ‘could be generous’
Roll Call
This week’s key primary contests in Kentucky and NY have provided yet more evidence that Election Day will last beyond the first Tuesday in November. In both states, the abundance of absentee ballots that did not need to be received by Tuesday is leading to lengthy delays in reporting of election results.
See also:
● Supreme Court won’t force Texas to allow absentee ballots for all voters Wash Post
Trump Faces Mounting Defections From a Once-Loyal Group: Older White Voters
NY Times
No Democrat has won or broken even with voters over 65 in two decades. But seniors’ dismay about President Trump could change that.
Trump Holds Back on Outlining Second-Term Agenda
Wall Street Journal
White House advisers work on policy blueprint; president hasn’t directly answered questions about what he hopes to accomplish if re-elected
See also:
● Trump’s job disapproval reaches all-time high in new poll TheHill
● Trump campaign scrambling to revive the president’s imperiled reelection bid Wash Post
Biden campaign is 35% people of color & 53% female, new diversity data shows
Wash Post
Thirty-five percent of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign operation are people of color, and just over half are women, according to figures released Saturday under public prodding, after months in which his campaign declined to make that information public.
Opinion: Juan Williams: Time for boldness from Biden
TheHill
You are doing great. You are up in the polls. Money is starting to come in. You’re even breaking through with some GOP figures — Carly Fiorina and Colin Powell are voting for you.
Other:
Wash Post
While Facebook announced a new policy on political speech Friday, it came years after struggles to accommodate the boundary-busting ways of President Trump, according to more than a dozen former and current employees and previously unreported documents obtained by The Post.
Facebook to Label Posts That Violate Its Rules
Wall Street Journal
Unilever to halt ads on Facebook, Twitter for remainder of year.
Opinion: How Much is Our Personal Data Worth?
GV Wire
Regulations proposed on June 1, 2020, to implement the recently enacted California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), provide that consumers will now have the right to know what personal information businesses collect, use, share or sell; the right to delete personal information; the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information; and the right to direct a business to stop selling that information.
The data is in: Fox News may have kept millions from taking the coronavirus threat seriously
Wash Post
It’s another one of those Trump Era realities best described as unsurprising but nevertheless shocking.
Frederick Douglass delivered a Lincoln reality check at Emancipation Memorial unveiling
Wash Post
On April 14, 1876, Frederick Douglass arrived at the unveiling ceremony for the Emancipation Memorial, the statue now under attack by some protesters in Wash’s Lincoln Park.
Opinion: Why the lopsided House vote in favor of D.C. statehood was so historic
Wash Post
Before Friday, the last time Congress considered the question of the District of Columbia becoming a state was 27 years ago. The measure failed in 1993 by nearly a 2-to-1 margin, with all but one House Republican and 40 percent of the Democrats voting against.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Do you savor high-end tequila? Gallo Winery of Modesto is importing another brand
Modesto Bee
Gallo has several liquor brands along with its wine portfolio
State investigates Agriculture’s COVID-19 safeguards
Bakersfield Californian
The state Attorney General’s Office is investigating whether California agricultural employers are doing enough to protect their workforce from the spread of COVID-19.
Bakersfield Californian
Things are looking up for Kern County’s top crop. After a difficult two years for California table grape growers, conditions seem to be aligning nicely just in time for the start of the Central Valley harvest.
California cities begin embracing cannabis in desperate search for cash
Politico
It has been almost four years since voters legalized recreational marijuana in California.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Images of brutality against Black people spur racial trauma
Porterville Recorder
Since Wanda Johnson’s son was shot and killed by a police officer in Oakland, California, 11 years ago, she has watched video after video of similar encounters between Black people and police.
Prison reentry programs are more critical than ever amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Modesto Bee
Amid the sweeping responses to the coronavirus pandemic is the release of thousands of prisoners across California. With these releases, the issue of prisoner reentry takes on a new urgency. Now, more than ever, we need critical support for programs addressing the steep challenges facing people coming out of the system and restarting their lives.
Coronavirus grant helps Modesto target domestic violence, auto theft, break-ins
Modesto Bee
Modesto police have started doing more to help domestic violence victims and now have money from a federal grant to help in that effort. The City Council on Tuesday accepted $468,128 from the Department of Justice, part of the more than $2 trillion CARES Act that Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law in March to help families, businesses, government and others respond to the new coronavirus pandemic.
Public Safety:
Positive tests in Tulare Co, death at Avenal prison add to coronavirus inmate toll
Fresno Bee
Coronavirus outbreaks in central San Joaquin Valley detention facilities spread this week to Tulare County and also apparently claimed the life of another Avenal State Prison inmate.
See Also:
● ‘Shocking, Heartbreaking’ Coronavirus Outbreak In Calif. Prison Alarms Health Experts Capital Public Radio
Some California courts resume jury trials after 3-month delays
KTLA
California courts have started to hold jury trials and summon residents for jury service after a three-month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Friday.
Wash Post
The Supreme Court said it would not take up a challenge to new federal death penalty protocols proposed by the Justice Department, which is set to resume executions in July for the first time since 2003.
‘A problem that we need to solve’: Harris takes on policing
AP
When pressed to take a position on tough issues during the Democratic presidential primary, Kamala Harris often replied with a variation of “we need to have that conversation.” But as the U.S. is roiled by police killings of Black men and women, the California senator is done hedging.
See also:
● Kamala Harris’s Police Reform Push Becomes Running Mate Tryout MSN
● Who Polices The Police? Bakersfield Californian
● What the Data Say About Police Wall Street Journal
Opinion: Black America needs new protections from police violence
Fresno Bee
The Founding Fathers were concerned that at some time in history there would be a group of men that would desecrate the rule of law so severely that the safety and welfare of our union would be unrecognizable. Not a single one of them would have told you that #BlackLivesMatter, though they may have been concerned about the president’s tweets.
Fire:
Firefighters work to contain large grass fire west of Los Banos
Fresno Bee
The Pass Fire, near Highway 152 along the Pacheco Pass in Merced County, has burned about 1,900 acres and is about 25% contained, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brian White Sunday night.
See Also:
● CAL Fire crews battling Pass Fire in Merced County, currently at 10% containment abc30
Strong winds & low humidity will bring critical wildfire danger to much of the West
LA Times
Red flag fire warnings are in effect for large portions of the West on Sunday and Monday, the National Weather Service said. Strong winds and low relative humidity will cause a high risk that any fires that develop will spread rapidly.
Growing Damages from Wildfires Burn the Insurance Industry
PPIC
Devastating fires in recent years have roiled the insurance industry. We talked to Rex Frazier of the Personal Insurance Federation of California about how the industry is addressing growing wildfire risk.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Newsom orders bars closed in Fresno, several Valley counties. Here’s what owners are saying
Fresno Bee
Bar owners in Fresno weren’t happy with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order Sunday to close again amid a coronavirus flare-up, and at least one said he will consider taking his business outside the state.
Trump policy and coronavirus leave agency bankrupt, tens of thousands of potential voters in limbo
LA Times
Azra Nazir had a dress picked out, gray and blue. She had the subway directions. And in a rarity over two decades as an emergency room nurse, the 59-year-old had a few days off — her first in months of battling the coronavirus at its epicenter in Brooklyn.
Opinion: How the coronavirus could crush the US economy
American Enterprise Institute – AEI
It is difficult to overstate how serious a threat a second wave of the pandemic would be to the prospects for a strong U.S. recovery.
Jobs:
Manteca’s new Great Wolf Lodge water park is hiring 590 jobs — here’s how to apply
Modesto Bee
Great Wolf Lodge, Manteca’s long-anticipated and coronavirus-delayed new water park resort, will begin hiring this week. The massive new development just off Highway 120 — which includes a six-story hotel, attached 95,000-square-foot indoor water park and 45,000-square-foot family entertainment center — will hold virtual and in-person hiring events from June 29 to July 10.
Many Americans forced to change their plans for retirement due to COVID-19, survey says
Fresno Bee
Some reported plans to delay retirement, the survey found.
‘It breaks your heart.’ Calif should audit embattled unemployment agency, lawmaker says
Sac Bee
Citing relentless consumer anger over delays and confusion in dealing with the state’s unemployment agency, Assemblyman Jim Patterson on Friday formally requested an audit of the state’s beleaguered Employment Development Department.
See also:
● IT system warnings preceded CA unemployment insurance delays Sac Bee
As California opens up, companies want workers back. Some are afraid to return
San Francisco Chronicle
Companies are reopening in California, and employees are returning to work. But with the global pandemic still raging and cases of coronavirus infection rising disturbingly in San Francisco and other parts of the state, many are worried about exposure on the job.
The gender revolution is stalling—what would reinvigorate it?
Brookings
The last century saw the steady rise of female employment and wages—until about 20 years ago when employment and wages plateaued. In their new essay for the 19A Brookings Gender Equality Series, Paula England, Andrew Levine, and Emma Mishel explore how to reinvigorate women’s economic revolution.
Black essential workers’ lives matter. They deserve real change, not just lip service.
Brookings
Black Americans are overrepresented among COVID-19’s frontline essential workers and have played a critical role in keeping the country running during the pandemic. Molly Kinder and Tiffany Ford call on leaders in both government and business to move beyond statements of solidarity and take meaningful actions to support them.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Petition calls for KHSD to defund its police force before Monday budget adoption
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern Education Justice Collaborative has launched a petition demanding the Kern High School District defund the KHSD Police Department ahead of KHSD’s Monday board of trustees meeting in which the district will adopt its 2020-2021 district budget.
Fresno Math Circle applications due
Fresno State Campus News
The Fresno Math Circle is a free enrichment program for children in grades three through 12 interested in mathematics.
Online or in classroom–teachers & students must show up every day, new rules say
LA Times
When it comes to education, the new state budget goes beyond providing $70.5 billion in funding for K-12 schools — it sets fundamental accountability rules for a new era of distance learning in California by requiring teachers to take online attendance and document student learning.
California schools must provide daily live interaction, access to technology this fall
EdSource
California schools will need to offer daily live interaction and regular communication with parents, among other requirements, in order to receive state funding for the upcoming school year.
School Closures Hamper Monitoring of Child Welfare
PPIC
With schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about students go beyond educational progress. Teachers can readily observe and report potential cases of child abuse and neglect when students are in the classroom. But from mid-March through the end of the school year children had no in-person interactions with educators and staff who could monitor threats to student mental and physical wellbeing.
The Need for Upskilling and Reskilling in a Time of Crisis
Ed Note
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, we have seen many changes to daily life and work. The past few months brought school and business closures along with a record number of unemployment claims. With the unemployment rate continuing upward, states may need to re-assess the needs of individuals without employment and determine how to help them reenter the workforce into good jobs as part of economic recovery.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State announces plan for fall semester, but what about football?
Fresno Bee
In unveiling a plan to reopen campus Fresno State president Dr. Joseph I. Castro said on Friday that a decision on football and fall sports is pending further guidance from the Governor’s Office, California Department of Public Health, Mountain West Conference and California State University Chancellor’s Office.
See Also:
● Here’s what Fresno State students should expect for the fall semester amid coronavirus Fresno Bee
● Fresno State announces plan for fall semester, but what about football? Fresno Bee
Fresno Pacific University plans for mostly in-person instruction this fall
abc30
A Central Valley university is already hard at work to get its campus ready for the fall semester. An electrostatic sprayer, masks and hand sanitizer may not be the welcome back students were expecting at Fresno Pacific University. Still, incoming freshman, Rachel Culver, says she’s thrilled at the idea of coming to campus this fall.
UC Students Must Ready For An Online, Socially Distanced Fall
Capital Public Radio
Yadira Rayo-Peñaloza, an incoming senior at UC Berkeley, nearly sat out the fall term. She didn’t want to spend another semester learning online, where she expects all her classes to be when school starts up again late August.
The Wild Card For An In-Person Fall: College Student Behavior
VPR
Around the U.S., coronavirus cases are rising among young people. The spread of the virus has been connected to college-related events such as fraternity parties, drinking at off-campus bars and athletic practices. For colleges planning to bring thousands of students together in the fall, student spread is a real worry.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Dangerous heat & dusty winds prompt health warnings across Central Valley
Fresno Bee
This weekend could be dangerous to people’s health in the Fresno area as temperatures could hit 107 degrees and forecasts of blowing dust and air pollution are prompting caution from the local air district.
Fewer miles driven during pandemic contributed to improvement in Valley air quality
Bakersfield Californian
Nobody likes a pandemic.
$10.8M grant will fund environmental justice efforts in downtown, south Stockton
Stockton Record
The state has approved more than $10.8 million in grant funding to support environmental justice efforts in downtown and south Stockton neighborhoods.
Energy:
More than 3,000 residents without power in northeast Fresno
abc30
PG&E says 3,124 customers in northeast Fresno lost power around 7:45 Saturday night. According the utility company’s outage map, the cause is unknown and a crew was assigned to assess the outage. The estimated time for power to be restored is 11:15 p.m.
Walters: PG&E faces an uncertain future
CalMatters
California’s largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, is about to emerge from bankruptcy with a depressed stock price and a very high debt load. If it cannot operate safely and profitably, a state takeover may be the option.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fresno Co sees largest single-day coronavirus case spike; four more Valley deaths
Fresno Bee
Fresno County reported its largest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus infections on Friday, adding 321 new cases to its total since Thursday.
See Also:
● Kern County Public Health reports 138 new coronavirus cases, 2 more deaths Sunday Bakersfield Californian
● Nursing home deaths rise; infection rate climbs Modesto Bee
● Two coronavirus-related nursing-home deaths reported in latest Kings County update Fresno Bee
● Outbreak of coronavirus at Community Bible Church in Waterford Modesto Bee
● Modesto Gospel Mission reports COVID-19 outbreak among homeless, with 9 cases Modesto Bee
CDC Director: Could be 10 hidden coronavirus cases for every reported one
Fresno Bee
The estimate is based on antibody testing data, he said.
Low-income California zip codes see spike in virus cases
Fresno Bee
Beachgoers packed Orange County’s shoreline on Saturday and not everybody wore masks, worrying public health and elected officials who say people were letting their guard down even as the coronavirus surges across California.
See Also:
● Outreach project to decrease COVID-19 spread in Hispanic community launched in Lodi Stockton Record
● California Latino, Black residents hit even harder by coronavirus as white people see less dangerLA Times
● U.S. Virus Surge Likely to Continue for Weeks, Experts Say Bloomberg.
Gargling saltwater multiple times a day studied as way to fight coronavirus in UK
Fresno Bee
Washing hands, wearing masks, and social distancing are still the best way to avoid coronavirus.
CDC: Here Are 3 ‘New’ Covid-19 Coronavirus Symptoms To Make 12
Forbes
New is a relative term. A planet that was formed a couple years ago could still be new. A piece of sushi that was formed a couple years ago, not so much.
See also:
● Covid-19 treatment remdesivir priced at $3,120 for the typical patient Wash Post
Studying how viruses can spread in public transportation
Fresno State Campus News
Clouds of white and pink smoke loom from the windows of a large Fresno County Rural Transit Authority electric bus in a Selma transportation yard during an airflow simulation study.
Why your phone has ‘COVID-19 exposure logging’
PolitiFact
You may have noticed there are new settings on your phone for tracking COVID-19. What’s that all about?
Covering Coronavirus: United States of Conspiracy
PBS
As COVID-19 has spread, so, too, have misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus — amplified by figures like Alex Jones, and proliferating on social media and even at the highest levels of government.
This coronavirus mutation has taken over the world. Scientists are trying to understand why.
Wash Post
When the first coronavirus cases in Chicago appeared in January, they bore the same genetic signatures as a germ that emerged in China weeks before.
Young people urged to take virus more seriously as pandemic worsens in U.S.
Wash Post
Health officials are imploring young people to wear masks and practice social distancing as coronavirus transmission among younger Americans continues to drive record outbreaks in several states.
Federal officials allowed distribution of COVID-19 antibody tests after they knew many were flawed
60 Minutes – CBS News
A 60 Minutes investigation has found that federal officials knew many COVID-19 antibody testing kits had flaws, but allowed them to enter the U.S. market.
Commentary: Being on a ventilator is not pleasant
Fresno Bee
People of Fresno and the Central Valley, please wear a mask! Numbers of coronavirus, (COVID-19) cases continue to rise locally and throughout California. It has been scientifically proven that face coverings help slow the spread of the virus.
Human Services:
Fresno Co gets a third high-volume coronavirus test site. Here’s where you can be checked
Fresno Bee
Over the past couple of months, the state of California has opened two high-volume coronavirus testing sites in Fresno County, each capable of collecting nasal swabs from more than 130 people a day to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
See Also:
● CVS in Visalia and Tulare to offer rapid COVID-19 testing Visalia Times Delta
Fresno Co hospitals are almost full. What does new high in hospitalizations mean?
Fresno Bee
The steady climb in the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Fresno County is higher now than at any point since the first local cases of the global pandemic were reported in early March.
See also:
● Health care workers forced to reuse masks due to shortage AP
Madera deputies teaming with health workers in COVID-19 contact tracing
Fresno Bee
Madera County officials are combining resources from the health department with sheriff’s deputies, probation officials and other agencies in a contact-tracing effort to control the spread of COVID-19 in the far-ranging, largely rural county.
LA Times
Time and again, inspectors sent to assess nursing homes’ ability to contain coronavirus found no deficiencies at facilities that were in the midst of deadly outbreaks or about to endure one. State officials conducted five surveys this spring at Kingston Healthcare Center in Bakersfield, which is on a federal shortlist of the worst nursing homes in the country. Each time, the surveyors found the home in compliance with infection control protocols, even as the virus would eventually spread to 158 residents and staff, killing 21.
Kaiser Permanente initiative will put $100 million toward fighting systemic racism in U.S.
Sac Bee
Kaiser Permanente is leading a $100 million effort to expand economic opportunities, combat systemic and structural racism, and break the cycle of trauma for African Americans and people in other underrepresented communities.
Is There A Polite Way To Remind Someone To Follow Pandemic Rules?
Capital Public Radio
Fingering various food items — whether bagged or unbagged — isn’t the only way people break the rules of preventing viral spread during a pandemic. Maybe they’re failing to maintain distance from other customers or letting their mask slip. Yikes! There are so many new no-no’s in the age of COVID-19.
Fauci warns of risk if too many people refuse coronavirus vaccine
TheHill
Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said Sunday that he’s “cautiously optimistic” that a coronavirus vaccine will be available by the start of 2021, but warned that the U.S. would likely not reach herd immunity if a substantial portion of the population refused to take it.
Mathews: Why Medi-Cal is such a big part of California
SFChronicle
“Medicare for All,” extending federal health coverage for the elderly to everyone, makes headlines. But in California, it is Medicaid — or Medi-Cal, as the federal health program for the poor is called here — that rules. Medi-Cal is already California’s most important anti-poverty program — and it holds even greater possibilities.
Supreme Court strikes down restrictive Louisiana abortion law that would have closed clinics
Wash Post
The Louisiana law was virtually identical to a Texas statute the Supreme Court struck down in 2016. But the court’s membership has grown more conservative since then, and partisans on both sides of the controversial issue saw the case as a test of whether the court is going to stand by its precedents on abortion rights.
See also:
● Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion restrictions Politico
● Supreme Court Hands Abortion-Rights Advocates A Victory In Louisiana Case VPR
Trump Admin’s move to end Obamacare amid pandemic reignites political fight
Wash Post
The Trump administration touched off another politically charged battle over the future of Obamacare with its latest maneuver to dismantle the law amid a pandemic — a move that Democrats immediately weaponized for competitive campaigns this fall and few Republicans defended.
This Firm Settled a Federal Fraud Suit—Then Got a $45 Million Bailout
Time
This Health Care Company Settled With the Feds Over Fraudulent Billing Claims—Then Got a $45 Million Federal Bailout Anyway
IMMIGRATION
How Trump’s visa suspension could affect California businesses, universities
Fresno Bee
Mehmet Dogan expected to spend the next few months working for a UC Berkeley computational physics lab, crunching numbers, collaborating with other scientists and making up for losses from the coronavirus pandemic.
Wash Post
Confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed 2.5 million on Sunday as a crushing new wave of infections continued to bear down throughout the country’s South and West. Across the nation, 40,587 new daily cases were reported.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Sequoia, Kings Canyon National Parks reopening some campgrounds on July 6
abc30
Some of the campgrounds at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will reopen to visitors on July 6, officials announced. The Potwisha, Lodgepole and Sunset campgrounds will be available through the summer. More will be added in the next few weeks and months.
Department of Social Services to Move to Clovis Business Park
Clovis Roundup
The City of Clovis Planning Commission on June 26 approved a conditional use permit to allow the County of Fresno Department of Social Services to operate in a business park on the northwest corner of Dakota Ave. and Peach Ave.
Housing:
Rent relief bill that cleared Calif Senate could give tenants until 2034 to pay rent
Fresno Bee
California tenants behind on rent could soon get 14 years of emergency relief under a controversial bill approved on Friday by the state Senate that Democrats say would soften the financial blow to the state’s most vulnerable renters.
San Joaquin’s Continuum of Care releases housing project report
Stockton Record
The San Joaquin County Continuum of Care has released its housing project report. The report requested and developed by the Shelter Subcommittee shows the ongoing development of permanent housing for the homeless in the geographic area of the SJCoC.
Some homeowners struggled to pay PACE improvement loans. The coronavirus made it harder
LA Times
It wasn’t until the work was done that Marcelino and Josefina Rodriguez said they learned the truth. They had been signed up for a roughly $45,000 PACE home improvement loan at nearly 10% interest — even though they said a woman working with the contractor told them their new roof and water heater would be free through a government program.
Failed “experiment” to house homeless in trailers cost Calif city $1.3 million
CBS News
San Jose homeless advocates are demanding answers on how a city program to house people in trailers during the coronavirus pandemic failed.
PUBLIC FINANCES
‘It’s a game changer’: Calif budget includes tax breaks for undocumented families
Fresno Bee
Undocumented immigrants with young children will now have a chance to get two tax breaks in the California budget now headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his expected signature.
Where to get financial help during coronavirus in Calif — and is it enough?
CALmatters
From hotel rooms for people who are homeless to restaurant meals for seniors isolating for their lives, California has rapidly expanded its safety net in an attempt to catch millions of residents impacted by the coronavirus and its economic aftershocks.
TRANSPORTATION
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.
DMV behind-the-wheel tests are starting up again — with restrictions
Fresno Bee
After the California Department of Motor Vehicles reopened almost all of its field offices across the state, officials said they’ve begun tackling a backlog of behind-the-wheel tests.
California’s recovery efforts should include clean transportation
CALmatters
California can continue to lead in the transportation energy markets of the future by making investments that stimulate green transportation.
WATER
Nevada mulls EPA reversal of Obama era drinking water rules
Modesto Bee
The Trump administration has decided a chemical with a notorious legacy in Nevada will not be regulated in drinking water, but state officials say the reversal of the Obama-era policy shouldn’t result in any decline in drinking water standards across the state.
“Xtra”
Oakhurst Library plans busy summer of reading and more for children, teens and adults
Sierra Star
Oakhurst Library’s Summer Reading Program goes virtual for children, teens and adults sheltered at home because of the coronavirus.The 2020 Virtual “Dig Deeper: Read, Investigate, Discover” summer reading program which began June 24 will continue through Wednesday, July 29.
Shows can’t go on yet for Modesto region performing arts groups, but hope remains
Modesto Bee
The crystal balls are cloudy, but the optimism clear amid Modesto region performing arts groups, shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. The companies that are institutions in Modesto and the Mother Lode have had to cancel numerous shows and remain uncertain about when or even where they might be able to perform again.
While Gallo Center closed, its repertory group keeps entertaining with virtual plays
Modesto Bee
See what plays are streaming, how to watch.