June 5, 2019

05Jun


POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Ralph Lee White, who is planning town hall on violence, says he’s running for mayor

Stockton Record

Septuagenarian Ralph Lee White, a participant in Stockton politics for nearly one-half century either as a council member or a thorn in the side of officeholders, said Tuesday afternoon he will challenge incumbent Michael Tubbs in next year’s mayoral election.

Central SJ Valley:

‘This case is done.’ Former Fresno Unified trustee beats trade lawsuit

Fresno Bee

A Fresno County Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of former Fresno Unified trustee Brooke Ashjian in a lawsuit over the trade name, “Fresno Watchdogs for Ethical Bidding.”

Will Rep. Ocasio-Cortez visit Fresno? Councilmembers extend invite – and give Grizzlies swag

Frenso Bee

Fresno City Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Esmeralda Soria presented a special gift to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C.: Fresno Grizzlies swag.

Former Sanger mayor pocketed money from developer, voted to help it, FPPC says

abc30

A former Sanger mayor is facing punishment four years after he left office for voting on issues that could affect his own pocketbook.

Pete Buttigieg tries to diversify his campaign’s support by visiting Fresno

San Francisco Chronicle

On Monday, Buttigieg headed to Fresno for what was billed as a meet-and-greet with voters in the Latino-dominated Central Valley city that is five times as large as the one he’s mayor of — South Bend, Ind., population 102,245.

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South SJ Valley:

Councilman wants to sue CA over street vendors

Visalia Times Delta

Ice cream carts, taco stands and other street vendors could become a much more common sight across Visalia, as city council members begrudgingly moved toward approving a new Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance.

Porterville City Council seeking representative from District 5

Porterville Recorder

Due to the recent resignation of Vice Mayor Brian Ward, effective July 17, the Porterville City Council will have a vacancy with a term to expire in November 2020.

Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy says he will retire in December

Bakersfield Californian

Longtime Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy has announced his intention to retire on or around Dec. 1 of this year.

Full agenda for Hanford City Council

Hanford Sentinel

The Hanford City Council has a full agenda set for Tuesday, complete with recognitions, a public hearing and several items of new business to discuss.

Assemblymember Salas Recognizes June as Portuguese National Heritage Month

Hanford Sentinel

Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) and the State Assembly unanimously passed Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 30, which declares June 2019 as Portuguese National Heritage Month.

Top GOP lobbyist named McCarthy’s chief of staff

TheHill

Dan Meyer, the president of the lobbying firm, the Duberstein Group, on Monday was named House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (Calif.) chief of staff.

The American Family

The Pew Charitable Trusts

A series from ‘After the Fact,’ Pew’s podcast

State:

Gavin Newsom wants to spend 22 percent more on his staff than Jerry Brown did. Here’s what he’s adding

Sacramento Bee

In his proposed $213 billion state spending plan, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend more on plenty of programs, from health care to early childhood education. He also wants a big boost for his own office budget.

GOP Rivals Face Off In Nasty State Senate Special Election

Capital Public Radio

California Assemblymen Brian Dahle and Kevin Kiley are like-minded colleagues, but the two conservative Republican lawmakers are engaged in a nasty fight Tuesday.

See also:

Federal:

White House directs former Trump aide Hicks to not comply with Democrats’ subpoena

abc30

House Democrats are planning a series of hearings to showcase Robert Mueller’s findings as they hold out hope for the special counsel’s testimony.

Listen: Will new documents sway the Supreme Court on the Census citizenship question?

Brookings

As the Supreme Court deliberates whether to allow a question about citizenship on the 2020 census, Alan Berube argues that new evidence in the case, recovered from a deceased Republican strategist, has confirmed the Trump administration’s true political motives.

It’s tempting for the Fed to move slowly. That would be a grave error.

Washington Post

The Federal Reserve will over the next several months make monetary policy decisions that are as consequential as any it has made since the financial crisis and Great Recession of 2007-2008. The temptation in a highly uncertain and politicized environment will be to move cautiously. Yet this would be a grave error in the current context, where a recession could be catastrophic and the odds of one beginning in the next year, while still less than 50-50, now appear significant and increasing.

EDITORIAL: Washington’s Anti-Growth Turn

WSJ

Policies matter, and they’re changing for the worse in both parties.

Elections 2020:

Four Undecided California Democrats Explain What They Want In A Presidential Candidate

Capital Public Radio

At this past weekend’s California Democratic Party convention CapRadio’s Ben Adler sat down with four undecided voters and asked them about who they like, who they don’t, and what they’re looking for in a nominee.

Study says Democrats prefer younger candidates, yet Biden and Sanders top polls

abc30

Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters say they prefer a younger more diverse candidate for president, yet Biden and Sanders top the polls.

Biden and Warren propose ambitious plans on climate change, reflecting Democratic urgency

Los Angeles Times

Climate change got relatively little attention in the 2016 campaign. By contrast, this year, there is almost a race by Democratic candidates to outdo one another in environmental ambition.

See also:

Say goodbye to your local precinct. Voting in California is about to change dramatically

Los Angeles Times

If you are a voter in Los Angeles County or Orange County, you’ve already cast the last ballot that you’ll ever hand in at a neighborhood polling place in a statewide election. California lawmakers crafted a new policy to modernize elections, shifting voters to voting by mail or at new vote centers spread throughout a county, rather than at polling places located in every neighborhood.

8 reasons why education may be pivotal in the 2020 election and beyond

Brookings

Douglas Harris shares several reasons—from tight state budgets to Betsy DeVos—why education issues may be top of mind for voters in 2020 and for many years to come.

Other:

Chowchilla Police celebrate National Animal Control Appreciation Week

abc30

The Chowchilla Police Department made sure to show some love to their animal control officer during National Animal Control Appreciation Week.

Facebook’s fraud policies raised red flags. It still hasn’t changed them

Reveal News

Facebook continues to put users at risk of being duped into spending money on games.

New York’s Privacy Bill Is Even Bolder Than California’s

WIRED

As tech giants and lobbying groups race to defang california’s landmark consumer privacy law before it takes effect next year, lawmakers on the other side of the country are considering a bill that’s even more drastic.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, June 9, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” – Guest: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of Calif., Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee and Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 9, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition:  “Income Inequality and Immigration: Are They Related?” – Guests: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of Calif., Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee, Dan Walters with CALmatters, California Budget Center Policy Analyst Luke Reidenbach, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) California State Director Tom Scott. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 9, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” – Guests: Joe Hayes, Investigator PPIC and Liam Dillon with LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Nearly one million pounds of food saved through UC Merced program

abc30

A program at UC Merced is looking to solve two issues at once: food waste and food insecurity.

Beekeepers facing various challenges in 2019

abc30

Between the stings, shrinking land and the threat of thieves, beekeeping in the Central Valley has its challenges.

FDA tests highlight rising concerns about potentially harmful chemicals in food

abc30

Government tests have found high levels of potentially harmful chemicals used in nonstick surfaces and firefighting foams in foods that are produced near contaminated sites, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Stanislaus County to allow hemp cultivation. Tests will make sure it’s not really pot

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County leaders approved a pilot program Tuesday allowing for cultivation of industrial hemp on small farm parcels.

New privacy law puts California wineries at a competitive disadvantage

Modesto Bee

The California Consumer Privacy Act is intended to help consumers safeguard their online identities and sensitive information. In e-commerce, where many digital platforms are funded through personalized ads, there should be greater transparency in how data is used, and greater protection of sensitive consumer information.

Eat your way up and down California

Los Angeles Times

If it’s grown in California, there’s more than likely a festival celebrating it. Here are seven events dedicated to the Golden State’s fruits and vegetables. Garlic ice cream, anyone?

How Legal Weed Is Killing America’s Most Famous Marijuana Farmers

Politico

In the forests of Northern California, the regulatory state—not the DEA—is forcing thousands of growers out of business, or back underground.

From Marilyn Monroe to ‘Stranger Things’: Celebrating the artichoke in U.S. pop culture

The Californian

The Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival kicks off today, celebrating the humble artichoke.

How A Fight Over Beef Jerky Reveals Tensions Over SNAP In The Trump Era

Capital Public Radio

Retailers that accept SNAP benefits must stock a variety of staple foods, including a minimum number of fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy and grain options. Now there’s a fight over what counts.

Can chicken fight climate change? New company bets on carbon-friendly chicken

San Francisco Chronicle

Regenerative chicken, or chicken produced via agriculture that aims to combat climate change, is a new one from Cooks Venture.

Food Banks Win in Trump Trade War

PEW

Trump’s farmer bailout sends beef, grapes, lentils and other items to food banks.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Report released on UC Merced stabbing rampage. Here’s what’s missing

Merced Sun-Star

The University of California released reports and other documents on Tuesday related to the 2015 stabbing rampage at UC Merced but redacted the attacker’s handwritten plan of attack and so-called “manifesto.”

In historic move, SF supervisors vote to close juvenile hall by end of 2021

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco will close its juvenile hall by the end of 2021, a nearly unanimous decision made by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that ends the longtime practice of holding children in cells while they await their judicial fate.

Public Safety:

Local woman creates quilt to raise money for police dogs

abc30

A local woman with a love for quilting and animals has chosen to use her talents to help the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in a very unique way: a quilt with pictures of police K-9 officers.

California prison guards get a raise in tentative deal with Gavin Newsom’s administration

Merced Sun-Star

California state correctional officers would get a 3 percent raise under a tentative agreement the officers’ union has reached with the state.

Gun violence has sharply declined in California’s Bay Area. What happened?

The Guardian

In California’s Silicon Valley, the boom and the bust are playing out simultaneously. Tech companies have made the Bay Area one of the wealthiest places on earth. But on the streets of San Francisco and the cities around it, desperation is increasingly visible. A spiraling housing crisis has made it unaffordable for many people to live in the cities where they work. More than 30,000 people across the region are now homeless, many living in sprawling tent encampments or sleeping in their cars.

He spent his career putting gangs in jail. A radical idea changed everything

The Guardian

Despite years of tough policing, Oakland couldn’t get a handle on gun crime. Was the solution a community-based approach?

Barack Obama was wrong on limits of U.S. gun laws and machine gun sales

Politifact

When Barack Obama was asked at a recent event in Brazil about the most difficult moment of his presidency, he talked about the slayings of 20 young children at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Watchdog says FBI has access to about 640M photographs

AP News

A government watchdog says the FBI has access to about 640 million photographs — including from driver’s licenses, passports and mugshots — that can be searched using facial recognition technology.

Fire:

House sends long-stalled California wildfire relief bill to Trump

San Francisco Chronicle

The House passed a disaster relief bill that includes billions in aid for California wildfire victims, sending the long-delayed legislation to President Trump to sign into law.

See also:

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Clark Pest Control sold to owners of Orkin Pest Control

Stockton Record

Clark Pest Control of Stockton Inc., based in Lodi, was purchased recently by Atlanta-based Rollins Inc., perhaps best known for its ownership of industry leader Orkin Pest Control.

Dow jumps over 500 points amid hopes of Fed rate cut

Stockton Record

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 500 points Tuesday as investors welcomed signs that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates to help buttress U.S. economic growth in the face of escalating trade wars.

See also:

White House’s About-Face On Mexican Trade A ‘Gut Punch’ To U.S. Businesses

Capital Public Radio

U.S. industries, from grocers to clothing-makers, say President Trump’s threatened tariffs on goods from Mexico raise uncertainty. The turmoil comes just as a new trade agreement seemed near.

See also:

Dems split on anti-poverty bill

CALmatters

Both Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democratic lawmakers agree an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit would be one of the most effective ways of helping California’s working poor.

Koch tackles poverty by coaching nonprofits on business

AP News

If a billionaire’s approach to philanthropy is a reflection of himself, Charles Koch’s latest initiative tackling poverty embodies both the wealthy industrialist’s business acumen and his distaste for big government.

Americans may be strapped, but the go-to statistic is false

Bloomberg

The assertion that four in 10 Americans can’t cover a $400 expense misreads the survey evidence. That this misconception persists suggests that while the economic recovery from the Great Recession is largely complete, the psychological recovery is still ongoing.

Opinion: More Companies Exit Business-Bashing California for Business-Friendly States

Fox&Hounds

If your business is in California and you’re wondering if companies continue to leave the state, the answer is, “Yes, and anecdotal evidence is that the numbers are growing.”

EDITORIAL: The siren song of the Sprint-T-Mobile deal

Los Angeles Times

Promises, promises. T-Mobile and Sprint, the third- and fourth-most popular mobile phone networks, respectively, have made a series of alluring pledges to federal regulators as they seek approval for their $26.5-billion merger.

Jobs:

This grocery store is hiring 1,500 people nationwide, including some in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Sprouts Farmers Market stores are scheduled to hire employees at two local stores at an event Tuesday, June 11. The grocery stores in Fresno and Clovis are participating, part of a hiring event for 300 stores looking to fill 1,500 positions nationwide.

Looking for a job? California State Parks is hiring rangers, lifeguards and more

Sacramento Bee

California State Parks is looking to hire full-time rangers and lifeguards — and they’ve extended the deadline to apply for the State Parks Peace Officer Cadet Academy.

California’s job engine is slowing as U.S. nears recession, UCLA predicts

Los Angeles Times

California’s low unemployment rate should persist through the next two years, but the state’s generation of new jobs will lose steam, a new UCLA economic forecast predicts.

Automation Could Force Millions of Women to Find New Jobs

WSJ

Women are at nearly equal risk to men to lose their jobs to automation by 2030 as labor-saving technology spreads, study says.

EDUCATION

K-12:

BCSD trustee Michael Horne resigns, board has 60 days to find replacement

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City School District has 60 days to find a replacement for Area 4 Trustee Michael Horne, who announced his resignation last month.

Lifelong learners

Porterville Recorder

For the 82 graduates of Summit Charter Collegiate Academy’s Class of 2019, Friday night’s commencement ceremony was an occasion full of happy tears, smiles and unwavering hope in a bright future.

See also:

There’s value but also limitations to students’ grading their own interpersonal skills, study finds

EdSource

Researchers who examined data from five large California school districts have concluded that measures of students’ personal strengths and interpersonal skills are not reliable enough at this point to include in states’ and districts’ school accountability systems.

Higher Ed:

Fresno Adult Transition Program celebrates student promotion ceremony

abc30

With Smiles and mixed emotions, a group of Fresno Adult Transition Program (ATP) students took steps towards a more independent future.

West Hills College Lemoore celebrates 2019 graduation

Hanford Sentinel

It was a night of pomp and circumstance for the over 300 students who participated in West Hills College Lemoore’s May 23 commencement ceremony.

Stockton Scholars hosting event to help high school grads navigate college

Stockton Record

Recent high school graduates interested in a crash course into navigating the first year of college can attend a seminar hosted by Stockton Scholars.

More Universities Shut Down Traditional M.B.A. Programs as Popularity Wanes

WSJ

Applications to full-time M.B.A. programs have been falling in the strong job market, leading business schools to shift resources online.

Apprenticeships:

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

It’s that time of year — temperatures expected to hit triple digits Wednesday

Bakersfield Californian

Get ready, Bakersfield: that summer heat is finally around the corner.  For the first time this year, Bakersfield is expected to reach triple digits Wednesday with a high of 102 degrees.

See also:

The ‘Great Dying’ Nearly Erased Life On Earth. Scientists See Similarities To Today

Capital Public Radio

It was the biggest extinction in Earth’s history. A new Smithsonian exhibit notes that some of the same things that killed over 90% of ocean species 250 million years ago are happening now.

Young people suing government over climate change try to move suit forward

San Francisco Chronicle

A federal appeals court seemed torn Tuesday by young people’s suit over climate change, and uncertain about judicial authority to chart a new course.

See also:

Donald Trump’s EPA Chief Insists ‘We Take Climate Change Seriously’ Despite President’s Climate Change Denials

Newsweek

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler has insisted that Donald Trump’s administration is taking the threat of climate change “seriously,” despite the president’s routine denial of the well-established science pointing to a warming planet.

Earth’s carbon dioxide has jumped to the highest level in human history

Axios

The monthly peak amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere in 2019 jumped by a near-record amount to reach 414.8 parts per million (ppm) in May, which is the highest level in human history and likely the highest level in the past 3 million years.

Energy:

Tulare County to use solar energy at several facilities

abc30

With a flip of a switch, Tulare County is one step closer to using solar energy at several facilities. The project has been several years in the making with ENGIE Service.

Businesses urged to help Valley set its energy future

Business Journal

The City of Hanford is on track to become the first Valley community to take more control of its energy sources and costs when it launches its Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program next year.

California has too much solar power. That might be good for ratepayers

Los Angeles Times

California set two renewable energy records last week: the most solar power ever flowing on the state’s main electric grid, and the most solar power ever taken offline because it wasn’t needed.

More PG&E leadership changes: Top gas executive is out

San Francisco Chronicle

Two Pacific Gas and Electric Co. executives have left, the latest in a long series of leadership changes at California’s largest and most acutely challenged utility.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Here’s how to avoid heat-related illnesses

abc30

The rise in temperatures means a higher probability of experiencing heat-related illnesses like heat cramps and heat exhaustion.

Study finds red and white meats are equally bad for cholesterol

abc30

Eating red and white meats are equally bad for your cholesterol, according to scientists.

House Committee Votes To Continue Ban On Genetically Modified Babies

Capital Public Radio

A congressional committee has upheld a prohibition against the Food and Drug Administration considering using gene-edited embryos to establish pregnancies.

Gov. Newsom stepped into a vaccine debate we shouldn’t be having. Big mistake

Los Angeles Times

Over the weekend, a reporter asked Gov. Newsom his opinion of a Senate bill to tighten the regulations concerning medical exemptions for child vaccinations. His answer was a huge blunder.

See also:

Human Services:

Former cancer patient gives back, forms nonprofit to help survivors

abc30

At Valley Children’s Hospital, 85% of children diagnosed with cancer are cured, but they’re missing out on years of life and experiences inside a hospital. Peyman Moghaddam knows the feeling all too well.

As ER wait times grow, more patients leave against medical advice

Business Journal

About 352,000 California ER visits in 2017 ended when patients left after seeing a doctor but before their medical care was complete. That’s up by 57%, or 128,000 incidents, from 2012, according to data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.

Researchers pose as heroin users to to find treatment gaps

Business Journal

Posing as heroin users seeking help, researchers contacted hundreds of treatment clinics in U.S. states with the highest overdose death rates. The “secret shoppers” were denied appointments much of the time, especially if they said they were insured through Medicaid.

California’s budget omits money for air ambulances, putting us at risk

CALmatters

California’s 70 emergency air ambulance helicopters and airplanes cover nearly 164,000 square miles and serve more than 37 million Californians in their time of need.

Pfizer had clues its blockbuster drug could prevent Alzheimer’s. Why didn’t it tell the world?

Washington Post

A team of researchers inside Pfizer made a startling find in 2015: The company’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis therapy Enbrel, a powerful anti-inflammatory drug, appeared to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 64 percent.

Reforming Medicare payments for Part B drugs

AEI

The Trump administration has proposed a test of a new Medicare Part B payment system for drugs administered in physician offices and hospital outpatient clinics. The effect of this policy is an arbitrary payment cut. The authors propose an alternative market-based approach.

EDITORIAL: A Merger Cure for Bigger Government

WSJ

A CVS-Aetna tie would provide competition for hospital networks.

IMMIGRATION

Republicans said they made a mistake on immigration. Democrats are doing the same thing

Fresno Bee

Democrats on Tuesday passed an immigration bill that would provide protections for millions of immigrants, including the so-called Dreamers who were brought to the country illegally as children.

See also:

Trump administration cancels English classes, legal aid, recreational programs for unaccompanied child migrants in U.S. shelters

Washington Post

The Office of Refugee Resettlement has begun discontinuing the funding stream for activities — including soccer — that have been deemed “not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety, including education services, legal services, and recreation,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The immigration influx at the southern border has created critical budget pressures, with more than 40,800 children being placed into HHS custody this year.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

New restaurants, grocery store, winery coming to Fresno area. Here’s the inside info

Fresno Bee

The Fresno-area restaurant scene is zooming along lately, with lots of new restaurants coming.

Yoga, horseshoes, activities for seniors planned for troubled downtown Modesto park

Modesto Bee

Modesto has secured the rest of the money it needs to upgrade Ralston Tower Park.

Looking for a job? California State Parks is hiring rangers, lifeguards and more

Sacramento Bee

California State Parks is looking to hire full-time rangers and lifeguards — and they’ve extended the deadline to apply for the State Parks Peace Officer Cadet Academy.

Hard Rock International signs on to develop Tejon Indian Tribe’s casino project in Mettler

Bakersfield Californian

Hard Rock International, the global hospitality company known for its rock ‘n’ roll-themed restaurants, has agreed to develop and manage a $600 million hotel and casino the Tejon Indian Tribe has proposed on farmland just west of Highway 99 half an hour south of Bakersfield.

Bakersfield ordinance change could bring more breweries to downtown

Bakersfield Californian

A change to a city ordinance could bring more microbreweries to downtown Bakersfield. On Wednesday, the Bakersfield City Council will vote to eliminate a requirement in the city’s municipal code that requires microbreweries to have onsite kitchens.

Nation’s most ambitious project to clean up nuclear weapons waste has stalled at Hanford

Los Angeles Times

The Energy Department’s most environmentally important and technically ambitious project to clean up Cold War nuclear weapons waste has stalled, putting at jeopardy an already long-delayed effort to protect the Columbia River in central Washington.

Housing:

Looking for affordable housing in Fresno? Here’s your chance to apply for some options

Fresno Bee

If you’re looking for affordable housing in Fresno and hope to receive rental assistance, you have about two weeks to submit your application to the lottery system.

Emergency triage centers approved to help Fresno County homeless

abc30

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved three new triage centers Tuesday. The emergency shelters passed on a 3-2 vote by board members.

Lemoore Council to meet Tuesday

Hanford Sentinel

The Lemoore City Council will meet Tuesday to hold one public hearing. The public hearing is in regards to a request by Woodside Homes for a planned unit development in the existing Brisbane East residential subdivision.

California lawmakers seem to think our housing crisis can wait. It can’t

CALmatters

California’s lawmakers continue to ignore the root cause of the housing crisis, one of the most serious threats to our state’s future.

Homeless Populations are Surging. Here’ Why

New York Times

In Alameda County, the number of homeless residents jumped 43 percent over the past two years. In Orange County, that number was 42 percent. Kern County volunteers surveying the region’s homeless population found a 50 percent increase over 2018. San Francisco notched a 17 percent increase since 2017.

See also:

PUBLIC FINANCES

California Democrats want to give poor immigrants a tax break. Gavin Newsom isn’t on board yet

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom has a plan to triple spending on a tax break that puts money in the pockets of low-income families, and top Democrats in the Legislature are pushing him to open the program to undocumented immigrants.

See also:

Casinos fight to keep tax break

CALmatters

Say you have a good night at the casino and win $10,000, only to have your luck run out the next night and lose $12,000.

The Implications of Social Security’s “Missing Trust Fund”

Center for Retirement Research of Boston College

New brief.

TRANSPORTATION

Chief program officer for High-Speed Rail investigated for conflict of interest

abc30

California’s high-speed rail project is already behind schedule and over budget. Now a project consultant has been removed pending an investigation for conflict of interest. The High-Speed Rail Authority maintains it takes conflict of interest concerns very seriously.

See also:

WATER

Fresno County portion of lower Kings River closed due to rapid release of water

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County portion of the lower Kings River was closed to recreational users Tuesday, following similar actions by officials in Kings and Tulare counties.

See also:

Flowing rivers are dangerous but another water danger lurks closer to home

abc30

Fresno Fire’s swift water training covers both rivers and canals, but the canals could be more dangerous.

Toxic drinking water is a public health crisis. Here’s a path to urgent action

Sacramento Bee

Many of those affected by the lack of safe water live in poorer and more rural areas, and a big portion of those communities are here in the Central Valley.

California snowpack 202% of average for this time of year

KATU

California water officials say the amount of snow blanketing the Sierra Nevada is even bigger than the 2017 snowpack that pulled the state out of a five-year drought.

“Xtra”

Nationally-known glassblowing company celebrates 25 years in Fresno

abc30

You don’t stay in business for a quarter century without having fun doing it. Kliszewski Glass is in the back corner of Chris Sorensen studios in Downtown Fresno, where they’ve been creating art from molten glass for decades.

Yosemite’s Big Trees Lodge to host annual Independence Day Spectacular! Concert

Sierra Star

The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra will once again kick off the Fourth of July celebration a little early with their annual Independence Day Spectacular! Concert.

Classic Rock And Motown At Bass Lake Live

Sierra News

The Bass Lake Live Summer Concert Series continues its season at The Pines Resort with a mix of classic rock and Motown on Friday, June 7, as Three 4 All takes the stage from 7 – 10 p.m.

Spicer Reservoir is a good spot for trout anglers

Stockton Record

Spicer Reservoir, one of my favorite fisheries in the Sierra Nevada, offers anglers a chance to catch square-tailed rainbows grown out from fingerlings or naturally spawned in Hobart Creek, a tributary to the lake.