POLICY & POLITICS
Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships
Due Friday, March 15th, 2019.
North SJ Valley:
Modesto City Schools is moving to full-day schedule for kindergarten classes
San Luis Obispo Tribune
Ceres Unified School District began a conversion to full-day kindergarten in 2008, based on research touting benefits such as higher reading scores in early grades, more individual instruction and progress with social skills. It’s the model for Ceres schools today.
San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors to discuss lawsuit over 2016 crash
Stockton Record
But the bigger portion of the lawsuit, against San Joaquin County, remains unsettled and seems headed to trial in May. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to discuss the matter with County Counsel Mark Myles during closed session at Tuesday’s meeting.
Central SJ Valley:
Valley House Delegation Joins in Omar-less Anti-Hate Vote
GV Wire
The Central Valley congressional delegation all supported a House resolution Thursday (March 7) condemning hate — anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and just about all other forms.
Here’s when the DA’s decision on whether to charge Arambula is expected
Sacramento Bee
The Fresno County District Attorney’s office will decide whether to charge CA Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula with misdemeanor child abuse next week. Arambula was arrested in December. His court date is Wednesday.
Is the American Dream Drying Up in California’s Central Valley?
Capital & Main
Love and energy aren’t always enough to provide what Allensworth, a historic African-American town, needs most: clean water, accessible to all.
South SJ Valley:
Hanford Sentinel
The Lemoore City Council met briefly on Tuesday to discuss just a few items of business. The Council discussed a contract award and budget amendment for engineering services associated with city improvements.
‘Major problem’ floods Tulare County homes, crews work to pump water
Visalia Times-Delta
A “major problem” in southeast Tulare County forced hundreds of people out of their homes and endangered thousands of animals.
Dozens of residents were asked to evacuate beginning Friday night. Even more were forced out by water Saturday morning.
State:
Latino voting power is rising in the age of Trump. Will the surge continue in California?
Fresno Bee
During the 2018 November midterm election, the eligible turnout rate for Latinos (the percentage of adult citizens who voted) was 35.9 percent — an 18.6 percent increase from the 2014 midterm election, according to data released by the University of Southern California’s Civic Engagement Project.
Trump slams ‘grandstanding’ California governor on asylum shelters
Politico
President Donald Trump on Saturday continued to swipe at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, comparing taxpayers’ expense on newly built shelters for asylum-seekers to the state’s scaled-back high-speed rail project.
Californians voted for year-round daylight saving. Could this be our last spring forward?
Sacramento Bee
Californians set forward their clocks Sunday for daylight saving time, but it could be their last. The state voted overwhelmingly in 2018 to allow changes to daylight savings time.
See also:
● Year-round daylight-saving: Its time is now, lawmaker says San Francisco Chronicle
● In praise of the hated daylight saving time Los Angeles Times
● Springing forward to daylight saving time is obsolete, confusing and unhealthy, critics say Washington Post
● EDITORIAL: Time’s running out on daylight saving shift Los Angeles Times
California has become a battleground for the protection of consumer privacy rules
Los Angeles Times
A landmark California law signed last year to enact the strongest privacy rules in the country and regulate the online marketplace of personal data is caught in a tug of war between industry lobbyists who want to weaken it and consumer groups that say it doesn’t go far enough.
Cautious on police reform, Becerra risks losing progressives — and his political future
Los Angeles Times
Few California Democrats have garnered more praise from the party’s various constituencies than Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, who has led the state’s charge against the administration of President Trump with 47 lawsuits on issues including immigration and healthcare.
What Happens in the Last Part of the Legislative Session?
Fox & Hounds
Part III is focused on the last part of the Legislative Session, which is the last month that the Legislature is in session, followed by the month in which the Governor considers all of the bills sent to his desk. Part I is focused on the first part of the Legislative Session. Part II focuses on the middle part of the session.
California lawmakers accepted $810,000 in gifts and overseas trips in 2018
Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers were showered with more than $810,000 in gifts last year, many from powerful interest groups lobbying the state who handed out concert and professional sports tickets, spa treatments, gourmet dinners and trips to a dozen countries, new state reports show.
Misconduct Inquiries Cost California $1.8M, Records Show
Capital Public Radio
The California Legislature racked up more than $1.8 million in legal costs from sexual harassment investigations during 2018 and the first month of this year when at least nine current or former lawmakers faced allegations of misconduct.
California’s independent redistricting rules could offer some hope for Republicans
Los Angeles Times
California government auditors will begin accepting applications in June from citizens who would like to help redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps, a task with enormous political consequences
Federal:
Trump budget sets up another battle over wall funding
Fresno Bee
Trump budget sets up another battle over funding wall on southern border, proposes steep spending cuts to many domestic programs.
See also:
● Trump to demand $8.6 billion in new wall funding, setting up fresh battle with Congress Stockton Record
● Trump to demand $8.6 billion in new wall funding, setting up fresh battle with Congress Los Angeles Times
● Trump proposes $4.7 trillion budget with domestic cuts, $8.6 billion in new funding for border wall Washington Post
● Trump to Request $8.6 Billion for Border Wall in 2020 Budget Wall Street Journal
● Trump to seek $8.6 billion to finish border wall before 2020 election Politico
● Why presidential budget requests are usually dead on arrival, explained Roll Call
● White House Proposes $4.7 Trillion Budget for Fiscal 2020 Wall Street Journal
● Trump’s Budget Sets High Expectations for Economic Growth Wall Street Journal
● As budget deficit balloons, few in Washington seem to care AP
● Opinion: There’s a Crisis at the Border, but a Wall Won’t Help Wall Street Journal
Why do Republicans still back Trump? The answer is simple: Attitude and gratitude
Los Angeles Times
Why do Republicans stick with Donald Trump? It’s a question I’m asked again and again by Democrats, “Never Trumpers,” and journalists. But the answer is simple.
See also:
● Report on Fox News’s editorial decisions about Trump administration may give insight into GOP’s approval of president Washington Post
● FBI Director Wray says foreign influence campaigns targeting US have continued ‘virtually unabated’ CNN Politics
● Voters—Not Mueller or Congress—Will End Trump’s Presidency Zócalo Public Square
● Opinion: Trump’s support among Hispanics and Latinos is real. Don’t assume it will fade. Washington Post
● Opinion: Everyone is underestimating Trump. It could hurt Democrats and Republicans alike. Washington Post
The 10 personas of Donald Trump in a single speech
Washington Post
Even for a politician who never seems to stop talking, the tour-de-force performance at the Conservative Political Action Conference — the longest speech of Trump’s presidency — stands apart as a road map to understanding the 45th president’s id. It also offers a preview of the cacophonous 2020 campaign to come.
See also:
· Fact Check: Trump is wrong that Obama White House refused to turn over documents in congressional probes PolitiFact
House Democrats pass bill to make voter purges harder
Sacramento Bee
The House approved big changes in the nation’s voting system Friday, but the bill faces huge obstacles both in the U.S. Senate and back in the states.
Feinstein, Harris’ contrasts expose broader shift among Dems
San Francisco Chronicle
They’re two of the most prominent women in the Senate and the Democratic Party. They both were born and made their careers in California, specifically the Bay Area.
See also:
● What’s a Democratic Party without the Clintons? San Francisco Chronicle
A Democratic agenda for regulating tech: Follow the Republican Roosevelt
Brookings
The similarities between Roosevelt’s era and today are striking. Like today, the new technology of the early 20th century drove development of products that significantly improved individual lives. At the same time, the barons of industry amassed huge market power to crush competition and accumulate great wealth.
The Supreme Court Is Quietly Changing the Status of Religion in American Life
The New Yorker
During the past several decades, the Court has defined the establishment clause to limit the ability of churches and other religious institutions to receive subsidies from taxpayer funds. The receipt of government money, after all, defines a state religion.
Elections 2020:
Harris, Sanders chart diverging courses to 2020 Democratic nomination
Fresno Bee
Kamala Harris’ visit to South Carolina and Bernie Sanders’ return to New Hampshire offer a window into the distinctive paths to the nomination for two leading 2020 Democratic presidential contenders.
2020 Democrats try to make inroads in rural America
Sacramento Bee
Some Democratic presidential candidates are turning to a rural and small-town America as they navigate the early stages of the 2020 campaign.
Doers versus talkers: Governors compete with senators in Democrats’ 2020 field
Los Angeles Times
Wading into a crowd of U.S. senators running for president, governors have begun entering the field with a fresh line of argument: As executives, they are doers, not talkers.
Jay Inslee, potential 2020 contender, on climate: ‘We need to blow the bugle’
The Guardian
Jay Inslee, the gravel-voiced governor of Washington, is poised to enter the throng of Democrats vying to dislodge Donald Trump as president in the 2020 election. He’s made some exploratory moves, visiting Nevada and New Hampshire, and said a definitive decision on running will be taken in “weeks”.
See Also:
● Fact-checking presidential candidate Jay Inslee on climate change and ‘the worst air in the world’ PolitiFact
2020 Democrats flock to Texas for South by Southwest
Los Angeles Times
A big chunk of the 2020 Democratic field began making Texas an unlikely early-state stop Saturday and pushed back on big tech in front of young, social-media savvy crowds in a city where companies including Google and Apple have big footprints.
Warren wants to regulate tech — Silicon Valley is unimpressed
San Francisco Chronicle
Sen. Elizabeth Warren introduced a crowd-pleasing proposal Friday in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination: Break up the biggest technology companies.
Democratic debate on Fox News? Gillibrand ‘would not mind’
San Francisco Chronicle
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says her path to the White House “is a different one” from her more liberal Democratic competitors because she’s had to win over conservative voters to get elected.
DNC picks Milwaukee to host 2020 convention
Politico
The Democratic National Committee has selected Milwaukee, Wis., as the location for its 2020 presidential convention, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Milwaukee beat out Miami, which had mounted an unsuccessful final lobbying blitz to be the host city.
See Also:
● Democrats turn to blue-collar Milwaukee for 2020 convention PBS News
Other:
Communities lose when newspapers die or slide into decline
AP
Whether you follow the news or not, whether you trust journalists or not, the financial challenges slaying local newspapers will affect your community, your wallet, your quality of life. In some cities, they already have.
See also:
· Decline in readers, ads leads hundreds of newspapers to fold AP
· Loss of local news hinders ability to watchdog government Sacramento Bee
Walters: Politicians like to keep us in the dark
CALmatters
After many years of such shenanigans, some reformers finally placed a measure on the ballot to require 72-hour notice before bills can have their final votes. The Capitol’s politicians didn’t like it, and have managed to partially bypass it, but it’s still on the books.
Our cities need to help us participate in government
San Francisco Chronicle
Los Angeles is a city of 4 million people. And it might soon launch a tiny office — of as many as eight people — to help those residents better participate in their government.
See also:
· Big California City, Little Civic Engagement Office Fox & Hound
How a focus on national service can unify our divided country
Brookings
A proven technique in peace talks, labor disputes, and many other types of difficult negotiations is to begin by finding some type of common ground upon which antagonistic parties can agree. But in today’s political climate, everything seems difficult.
The Continued Resilience of Quiet America
National Review
The 1969 Vietnam War protests on the UC Berkeley campus turned so violent that National Guard helicopters indiscriminately sprayed tear gas on student demonstrators. Later that year, hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of major cities as part of the “Moratorium to the End the War in Vietnam.” In Washington, D.C., about a half-million protesters marched to the White House.
EDITORIAL: Facebook took a half step toward protecting user privacy
Los Angeles Times
If you didn’t read past the headline of Mark Zuckerberg’s 3,200-word blog post Wednesday — “A Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking” — you might think that the Facebook chief executive had decided to stop making bank off of the reams of personal information extracted from the social media network’s users. You would be wrong.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Sheriff’s office: Goats are being stolen in Fresno County, including from 4-H kids
Fresno Bee
Goat rustling has become a scourge across Fresno County. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday on social media that there have been seven cases of goat thefts since Jan. 7 from Easton to Riverdale.
Amaral Leaving Westlands For Friant Water Authority
The Business Journal
After almost four years of service to the farmers and communities on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley, Johnny Amaral, deputy general manager for external affairs, is leaving Westlands Water District.
‘This crop will change California.’ Can an Oakdale group make hemp a major cash crop?
Merced Sun-Star
A new Oakdale, CA., company is researching how to grow hemp in California with a research partnership with UC Davis. They hope to turn hemp into a major cash crop for California’s Central Valley.
California’s marijuana industry needs an intervention to avoid an ‘extinction event’
Sacramento Bee
An estimated 10,000 marijuana growers could lose their licenses in the coming months if California lawmakers fail to pass a bill designed to grant them an extension, according to Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, who has sponsored Senate Bill 67.
Study Finds One In Five Pieces Of US Seafood Could Be Mislabeled
Capital Public Radio
The seafood you order at a restaurant or a market isn’t always what the labels says. One in five samples of fish were mislabeled, according to a new study of 250 locations in 24 states by the conservation group Oceana.
Consumers Love Food Delivery. Restaurants and Grocers Hate It.
Wall Street Journal
Consumers expect to order books, toys, shoes and anything else they want online and have it show up at their doors quickly and inexpensively. Restaurants and grocers are rushing to satisfy the exact same demand. They’re having a hard time.
USDA digs in on farm bill outreach
Politico
Morning Ag is on the scene today at USDA headquarters, where senior officials are hosting a public listening session to gather input on new farm bill initiatives, including closely watched dairy program changes. Watch for clues from industry groups, and potentially USDA officials, on implementation priorities and timing.
Farms aren’t tossing perfectly good produce. You are.
Washington Post
If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest emitter of CO2, after China and the United States. In our nation alone, we throw away some 63 million tons of food a year, even as 40 million Americans are considered food insecure.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Merced CA DA declares conflict, sends Blake case to Mariposa
Merced Sun-Star
Citing an unusual set of circumstances from Merced Councilmember Kevin Blake’s 2013 run for office, Merced County District Attorney Kimberly Lewis said Friday she had to declare a conflict of interest, in terms of her handling of a recent brawl that may have involved sheriff’s deputies.
California Bill Would Seal 8 Million Criminal Convictions
Capital Public Radio
A Northern California lawmaker and district attorney announced Thursday a proposed law that would automatically clear some 8 million criminal convictions eligible for sealing but that remain public records.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: Automatic criminal record clearance: Its time has come San Francisco Chronicle
Fighting crime with Daylight Saving Time
Brookings
In a new paper forthcoming in The Review of Economics and Statistics, we find that shifting daylight from the morning to the early evening has pretty hefty returns for public safety. When DST begins in the spring, robbery rates for the entire day fall an average of 7 percent, with a much larger 27 percent drop during the evening hour that gained some extra sunlight.
Public Safety:
Police give tips to help prevent auto thefts as 2018 statistics reported
Bakersfield Californian
With multiple thefts occurring a day, Bakersfield police spokesman Sgt. Nathan McCauley urged residents not to make it easy for them. One easy prevention method: Don’t leave keys in the ignition.
California police report almost no racial profiling
Sacramento Bee
California’s first-in-the-nation attempt to track racial profiling complaints against police produced numbers so unrealistically small that the board overseeing the tally wants departments to make changes to encourage more people to come forward.
Capital Public Radio
The decisions not to charge the two Sacramento police officers who shot and killed Stephon Clark are pushing activists to focus on changing California’s use-of-force laws. While it may be the demand activists are most likely to achieve, they may need to be willing to compromise.
See also:
● Have Fatal Shootings By Police In California Dropped 40 Percent Since 2015? Capital Public Radio
● When it comes to police shootings, officers often the forgotten victims Merced Sun-Star
● EDITORIAL: Schubert decision followed current law. Whether the law changes is up to you Sacramento Bee
Care.com Puts Onus on Families to Check Caregivers’ Backgrounds—With Sometimes Tragic Outcomes
Wall Street Journal
On a warm July morning last year, Amelia Wieand left her twin toddlers at an in-home day-care center outside Knoxville, Tenn. She had read about the facility on Care.com, the largest online marketplace for babysitters and other caregivers.
Why changing juvenile corrections is critical to American criminal justice
PBS NewsHour
Prison reform is a major topic within the national political conversation. For many incarcerated people, the path to jail begins in the teen years; at any given time, roughly 50,000 young people are held in juvenile prisons. Johnnie McDaniels, former executive director of the Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center, shares a brief but spectacular take on the “revolving door” of juvenile corrections.
Report: Domestic Terrorism Is Still a Greater Threat Than Islamic Extremism
The New Yorker
According to FBI data, 150 Americans were arrested for planning to engage in acts of domestic terrorism in 2017, compared to 110 international suspects; in 2018, the ratio was 120 to 100. An FBI official claims that the decrease in the arrests of potential terrorists inspired by ISIS or Al-Qaeda in 2018 can be attributed to a growing number of Americans attempting to join the Islamic State abroad.
Prison Gerrymandering Distorts Our Democracy in the Worst Ways
The Nation
Congressman Mark Pocan just got the House to approve an end to Census counts that distort representation at local and state levels.
EDITORIAL: Legal wrangling must not undo the public good of the police-records law
Fresno Bee
When California’s Senate Bill 1421 became law on Jan. 1, it opened up the public’s right to see reports of whenever a law officer shoots at a suspect, uses force that either kills someone or causes great injury, commits sexual assault or lies in the course of an investigation.
Fire:
CAL FIRE working to improve safety of forests
Madera Tribune
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has recommended actions to maximize safety and improve forest health in the coming months and longer term.
See also:
● Plan to stop deadly wildfires may not be enough San Francisco Chronicle
● California’s ambitious plan to stop deadly wildfires may not be enough, experts say Politico
For these California fire survivors, hope grows amid the ashes of Paradise
Los Angeles Times
Months after the state’s most devastating wildfire killed 85 people and leveled the town, many former residents find the thought of returning unbearable. But others have come back to a life of surreal contrasts.
Bill would help inmate firefighters pursue career after release
San Francisco Chronicle
California lawmakers and activists are resurrecting a legislative effort to help inmate firefighters begin a career in the industry after they’re freed.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
New automated Visalia store will have no cashiers, no lines
Visalia Times Delta
Amazon just announced they will open a third cashierless store in San Francisco this year as young people seek fewer interactions as they shop. A California computer scientist is set to compete for millennial dollars right here in Visalia.
See alo:
● Look Ma, No Cashier! Automated Store Valley-bound The Business Journal
California Businesses Already Pay Their Fair Share
Fox & Hound
What tax-increase proponents don’t mention is that the corporation tax is a growing and vibrant source of state revenue. From 1960 to 2018, California’s corporation tax revenue grew from $272 million to $12.2 billion – an increase of more than 4,500 percent. Even after adjusting the 1960 number for inflation, the growth was 535 percent.
This bull market has hit the 10-year mark. Will it keep raging?
Los Angeles Times
Investors on Saturday celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the longest bull market on Wall Street since World War II — defined as at least a 20% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index from its previous low — and the rally has generated a gain of nearly $18 trillion in the index’s market value, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Retail Sales Declined in December at Fastest Pace Since 2009
Wall Street Journal
U.S. retailers registered a far worse December selling season than many analysts had realized, according to a government report Thursday that sent stocks lower and raised new questions about the vigor of economic growth.
Wall Street Journal
Over 1,000 companies, including Amazon, JPMorgan and Walmart, have disclosed how they compensate workers. Find out where your pay stands.
Opinion: A February Revenue Surprise
Wall Street Journal
A funny thing happened in February that you haven’t read about: Federal government tax receipts rose 10% to $171 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Jobs:
Fresno County’s seven-years streak of employment gains ends. What happened?
Fresno Bee
After seven years of year-over-year improvement in the monthly unemployment rate, Fresno County’s jobless rate ticked up in January compared to a year ago.
See also:
· Has job growth reached America’s struggling places? Brookings
State: 2019 Starts With Higher Unemployment
The Business Journal
The year started off with a rise in the unemployment rate for Fresno County, jumping to 8.9 percent in January, up from a revised 7.4 percent in December 2018 and above the year-ago estimate of 8.7 percent.
Some city salaries remain in limbo
Madera Tribune
In a surprising move, the Madera City Council pulled a scheduled public hearing from its agenda and did not vote to accept recently renegotiated contracts for city department heads, saying only the item was referred back to staff, after several months of reportedly intense and late closed session discussions.
State union contracts are expiring. Gavin Newsom is picking a new bargaining team
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom is replacing two top officials in charge of union negotiations as California enters a busy year for contract bargaining. CCPOA, SEIU Local 1000, IUOE, CSLEA and CAPT have expiring contracts.
California employers add only 3,000 jobs in January
Los Angeles Times
California added only 3,000 net jobs in January, a small increase compared with the rapid growth of recent years. Analysts said that could signal the job market is losing momentum, but they stopped short of predicting a contraction.
If Lyft can’t keep its drivers as independent contractors, it may never be profitable
Los Angeles Times
Lyft’s entire business model is predicated on its relationship with its drivers. Unfortunately for Lyft there is great uncertainty at each juncture of that driver relationship.
PG&E wants to pay $235M in 2019 performance bonuses
San Francisco Chronicle
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. wants permission from Bankruptcy Court to pay an estimated $235 million in 2019 performance bonuses to thousands of employees.
California DFEH Issues FAQ on New Sexual Harassment Training Obligations
AALRR Labor & Employment Law Blog
As the #MeToo Movement placed a glaring spotlight on sexual harassment in the workplace, outgoing California Governor Jerry Brown signed several bills aimed at curbing sexual harassment last year, including SB 1343.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Charter schools soon will have open meetings and records. Gavin Newsom says that’s just a ‘start’
Fresno Bee
California parents may soon be able to learn more about charter schools in their communities under a new law that forces those schools to hold open meetings and make records public. Charter backers say that’s a good thing in principle.
See also:
● ‘Common Sense Regulations’ Or ‘An Extended Middle Finger’—How Far Will California Go On Charter Schools? Capital Public Radio
● A charter school report card: They cause problems. But for many families they’re the solution Los Angeles Times
● Charter schools are a flashpoint in California’s teacher strikes—here’s where and how they’ve grown CALmatters
Valley students compete at robotics regional championship
abc30
The call to action at the FIRST Robotics regional championship stands as proof of how fun it can be to learn science. Student-made robots speed across the playing field, collecting hatch pins or cargo and moving them to a tower.
Madera Tribune
The American Civil Liberties Union has sued a local mountain high school and its district for allegedly violating the free speech of two students.
See also:
● ACLU Sues Madera County School For Calling Student Yearbook Quotes ‘Politically Divisive’ VPR
Half-day kindergarten long the norm. Why Modesto schools moving to keep kids all day
Modesto Bee
Ceres Unified School District began a conversion to full-day kindergarten in 2008, based on research touting benefits such as higher reading scores in early grades, more individual instruction and progress with social skills. It’s the model for Ceres schools today.
Visalia schools face ‘crisis’ as students ‘rage’ without discipline
Visalia Times Delta
Valley Oak Middle School teachers were asked to answer two questions about the school’s climate and culture. Overwhelmingly, the teachers said the school’s discipline model is broken.
Lawsuit Alleges Kern High School District Staff ‘Conspired To Cover Up’ Sexual Assault Allegations
VPR
Lawsuits were filed in Kern County Superior Court this week accusing Kern High School District staff members of enabling and conspiring to cover up sexual assault allegations.
Higher Ed:
Deadline THIS FRIDAY: Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, March 15th, 2019. Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. The Maddy Institute will award two $56,000 Fellowships to Valley students who are accepted into a nationally ranked, qualified graduate program in the fall of 2019.
Transforming science into a practical application
Fresno State Campus News
The strong industry support for viticulture in California led Dr. Stephan Sommer to Fresno State, where he enjoys the transformation of science into functional tools.
39,000 UC workers will strike again, protesting income gaps and job insecurity
Sacramento Bee
Union representing 39,000 research, service technical and health care workers at the University of California will soon go on strike amid concerns about job security, benefit erosion and income inequality.
Officials Say They May Be Unable To Get Rid Of UC Davis Professor Who Advocated Cops Should Die
Capital Public Radio
UC Davis Chancellor Gary May and UC President Janet Napolitano say there may be nothing they can do about a professor who has publicly advocated for the death of police officers.
Community colleges can cost more than universities, leaving neediest students homeless
Los Angeles Times
Whether living in cars, on couches or outside, homelessness is a persistent problem across California’s 114 community college campuses — a symptom of a larger crisis of affordability for the state’s most vulnerable higher education students.
March Match Up continues with community partnerships
Fresno State Campus News
Head to any Pieology restaurant location in the Central Valley, any time Monday, show the flyer below and 20 percent of your purchase will go to support theFresno State Student Cupboard. The offer excludes online orders and alcohol sales.
Help the Richter Center with survey about blood donation
Fresno State Campus News
Fresno State faculty, staff, and students help save hundreds — if not thousands — of lives every year by donating blood at Fresno State Blood Drives or at one of the many Central California Blood Center sites.
Opinion: Another university is imploding. The federal government must do more
Roll Call
As Congress ramps up discussions around reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, yet another large for-profit university chain is teetering on the verge of financial collapse. Last month, federal regulators revoked Argosy University’s ability to accept federal loans and grants, due to its shaky finances and failure to make financial aid payments to students.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Meet California’s new environment czar, who walked the state to ‘reset’
CALmatters
The agency oversees a half-dozen departments that regulate matters including air and water quality, which are among the state’s most contentious issues.
A Record Number of Americans Understand That Global Warming Is Happening
PBS
The findings show that national comprehension of climate change as an urgent problem is very much on the rise.
Vox
If the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is to be believed, humanity has just over a decade to get carbon emissions under control before catastrophic climate change impacts become unavoidable.
See also:
● The bogus number at the center of the GOP’s Green New Deal attacks Politico
Energy:
Solar power jeopardized by SoCal Edison
Visalia Times Delta
California leads the nation in renewable energy. Almost 20 percent of the state’s total energy is derived from renewable solar. We’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do for our communities.
America’s Light Bulb Revolution
The New York Times
Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention, but a more inconspicuous instrument is helping to reshape America’s energy economy right now: The humble light bulb.
Opinion: When There’s Too Much Sun and Wind
Wall Street Journal
President Trump mocked the Democrats’ Green New Deal and its renewable-energy aspirations in a recent speech: “When the wind stops blowing, that’s the end of your electric.” But the most destructive consequence of wind and solar power result from periods of oversupply.
IEA sees U.S. leading global oil supply growth to 2024
Reuters
The United States will drive global oil supply growth over the next five years, adding another 4 million barrels per day to the country’s already booming output, the International Energy Agency said on Monday.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Heart attacks are striking more Americans in their 20s and 30s, new study finds
Fresno Bee
US heart attack rates are falling across all ages thanks to less smoking and statin use, but in those under 40 cardiac arrest is growing more common, a new 16-year study by a Harvard researcher finds.
FDA Approves Esketamine Nasal Spray For Hard-To-Treat Depression
NPR
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug that can relieve depression in hours instead of weeks.
Esketamine, a chemical cousin of the anesthetic and party drug ketamine, represents the first truly new kind of depression drug since Prozac hit the market in 1988.
A Large Study Provides More Evidence That MMR Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism
NPR
A large study released Monday finds no evidence that the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella increases the risk of autism. The study of children born in Denmark is one of the largest ever of the MMR vaccine.
Walters: Both abortion factions try to silence opponents
CALmatters
The Democratic supporters of the 2015 “Reproductive Fact Act” tried to justify it as supporting women’s reproductive rights, but it was a very clear violation of constitutional free speech rights, as the U.S. Supreme Court declared last year.
See also:
· Opinion: America’s Extremist Abortion Industry Wall Street Journal
Human Services:
New Medi-Cal system expands access, services for substance use treatment in Kern County
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County has implemented a new system to provide a wider range of services to residents seeking substance abuse treatment. Medi-Cal is expanding services to its patients through its new Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System.
California looks to lead nation in unraveling childhood trauma
Sacramento Bee
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California’s newly appointed surgeon general, will tell you this is not a hypothetical scenario. She is a leading voice in a movement trying to transform our understanding of how the traumatic experiences that affect so many American children can trigger serious physical and mental illness.
California Raised Taxes To Pay Doctors For The Poor—And Is Still Waiting For Them
Capital Public Radio
The tobacco-tax hike passed in 2016, but it’s still unclear whether more medical providers will accept Medi-Cal, the state’s health plan for low-income Californians.
For families across California, a desperate struggle to get mental health care
CALmatters
A statewide poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the California Health Care Foundation found that the top health issue Californians want their governor and legislature to address in 2019 is ensuring mental health problems can get treated: 88 percent called it extremely or very important.
See also:
· Gaps in access to mental health care San Francisco Chronicle
Child Enrollment in Public Health Programs Fell by 600K Last Year
PEW
The number of kids enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIP) — two government health plans for the poor — fell by nearly
600,000 in the first 11 months of 2018, a precipitous drop that has puzzled and
alarmed many health policy analysts, while several states say it reflects the
good news of an improving economy.
White House And Ivanka Trump Propose New Spending On Child Care
Capital Public Radio
The president’s budget is expected to propose drastic cuts to government programs. But NPR has learned it will also call for increased spending on child care, something Ivanka Trump has championed.
How Federal Disaster Money Favors The Rich
NPR
Disasters are becoming more common in America. In the early and mid-20th century, fewer than 20 percent of U.S. counties experienced a disaster each year. Today, it’s about 50 percent. According to the 2018 National Climate Assessment, climate change is already driving more severe droughts, floods and wildfires in the U.S. And those disasters are expensive.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. tracked border activists, journalists and attorneys. Is it legal?
Los Angeles Times
Confirmation that the U.S. government has compiled dossiers on human rights activists, journalists and lawyers interacting with the migrant caravan in Mexico has reignited an age-old clash between civil liberties and government authority.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: The government has secret dossiers on border journalists, lawyers and activists Los Angeles Times
In another blow to Trump, judge rules in favor of ACLU in family separations case
The Washington Post
In a legal blow to the Trump administration, a federal judge ruled Friday that all migrant families separated during the government’s border crackdown should be included in a class-action lawsuit. But he stopped short of immediately ordering the Justice Department to track them all down.
See also:
● Judge rules thousands more migrants should be in lawsuit over family separations TheHill
Record Immigration Surge at U.S.-Mexico Border to Accelerate, Government Projects
Wall Street Journal
The Trump administration is preparing for nearly 180,000 migrants traveling as families to cross the southern border of the U.S. by May, continuing an already record-breaking year.
Opinion: Only legislation, not litigation, can fix our immigration challenges
Roll Call
Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration over its new requirement that asylum seekers remain in Mexico while their claims are processed in the United States.
Frum: If Liberals Won’t Enforce Borders, Fascists Will
The Atlantic
If you grew up in the 1950s, the 1960s, or even the 1970s, heavy immigration seemed mostly a chapter from the American past, narrated to the nostalgic strains of The Godfather or Fiddler on the Roof. The Ellis Island immigrant-inspection station—through which flowed the ancestors of so many of today’s Americans—closed in 1954. It reopened as a museum in 1990.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Do Real Estate Markets Make Our Cities Less Livable?
Institute for New Economic Thinking
Author Samuel Stein talks about how capitalism shapes housing and what economists have in common with city planners
Housing:
When a homeless shelter opened in my neighborhood, I was skeptical. Now I’m gratified
Sacramento Bee
When I first learned of the “low-barrier triage” homeless shelter being proposed on Railroad Drive in North Sacramento, I was skeptical. When the community met with Mayor Darrell Steinberg, he promised that Railroad would be the beginning of a city-wide effort to finally address chronic homelessness in Sacramento.
Hard truths about deinstitutionalization, then and now
CALmatters
The history of psychiatric treatment isn’t pretty. Too many people who were institutionalized for mental disorders suffered abuse, neglect and mistreatment. Gov. Reagan signed the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act in 1967, all but ending the practice of institutionalizing patients against their will.
America’s fastest-growing group of renters: Senior citizens
CBS News
Renters over the age of 60 who live in cities of at least 100,000 surged 43 percent during the decade ending in 2017, the study found. By comparison, the number of renters among people between 35 to 59 — largely members of Generation X — rose 17 percent. Renters under the age of 34, or millennials and members of Gen Z, rose just 7 percent, the analysis found.
PUBLIC FINANCES
High taxes be damned, the rich keep moving to California
Los Angeles Times
The long-speculated California tax escape was mentioned in lots of emails last week after I wrote about superstar baseball slugger Bryce Harper. He rejected competitive offers from the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants and signed a 13-year, $330-million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in low-tax Pennsylvania.
Commentary: California corporations pay enough taxes. Don’t raise corporate taxes more
CALmatters
With news of California companies moving to states where taxes and other operating costs are lower, it’s difficult to believe that some groups want to hit in-state employers with another tax increase.
TRANSPORTATION
Fresno Area Transportation Survey
Fresno Area Transportation Survey
You are invited to participate in a research study about transportation issues in the Fresno area. You were identified as a possible participant by members of the Advisory Board of the Fresno State Transportation Institute (FSTI) and/or local K-12 educators.
The heartbreaking consequences of our city’s road design
Bakersfield Californian
In Bakersfield, the attitude of many city officials and traffic engineers is that traffic volume is more important than pedestrian safety.
McCarthy wants high-speed rail funding to go to water projects
Bakersfield Now
Congressman Kevin McCarthy introduced legislation on Thursday to repurpose federal funding for the high-speed rail project.
See also:
· Gavin Newsom starts out as ‘Gov. Gaslight’ Madera Tribune.
WATER
Strathmore flooding water levels going down, but residents still impacted
Fresno Bee
Deputies have been able to mitigate rising waters after flooding forced some residents to evacuate their homes Friday night in Strathmore, says Tulare County Fire Department Capt. Joanne Bear.
See also:
● Flooding near Friant-Kern Canal forces fire department to evacuate 11 homes Fresno Bee
● Porterville area residents wake up to ugly mess after creek overflows abc30
● Canal spills over, residents evacuated Visalia Times Delta
● Modesto rain is mostly in the rearview, extended weather forecasts show Modesto Bee
● California’s Rainfall Totals Are Above Average Thanks To Latest Storms Capital Public Radio
Engineers design repairs to sunken section of Friant-Kern Canal while politicians look for funding
Bakersfield Californian
When it opened in 1951, the Friant-Kern Canal carried at least 4,000 cubic feet of water per second along its route from Millerton Lake, north of Fresno, to Bakersfield. Then something unfortunate happened.
Momentum builds for public investment in California water-storage projects
Bakersfield Californian
It won’t arrive in time for this wet winter, but hopes are rising that Central Valley politicians will soon deliver on one of their top political goals in recent years: investment in California water storage.
Sacramento Bee
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Friday it’s disallowing $306 million sought by California to fix Oroville Dam. It’s the latest rift between California and the Trump administration.
See also:
● US Disaster Agency Rejects $306M For Oroville Dam Repair Capital Public Radio
“Xtra”
Chowchilla Western Stampede begins
abc30
Dozens of cattle rolled through Main Street in Chowchilla on Friday. The cattle drive has become a tradition and is the official opening for the Chowchilla Western Stampede – now in its 62nd year.
Summer Arts at Fresno State a real gem
Fresno Bee
During the sun-soaked months of summer, a hidden gem lies in the heart of Fresno and it shines brightly on the Fresno State campus. That gem is Summer Arts: a national and international program of the California State University system, which serves not only students from California but also those from across the nation and abroad.
Oakhurst Community Concert Band Celebrates Spring
Sierra News
Among the bountiful offerings of the coming season is this: Oakhurst Community Concert Band presents their Spring Concert on Sunday, Apr. 7 at Mountain Christian Center.
Cast of Gallo Center show will be in Modesto for youth outreach, benefit for nonprofit
Modesto Bee
They’re 100 strong, multinational and coming to Modesto to entertain, empower and even benefit a local youth program. They are Up With People, currently on a world tour that will stop by the Gallo Center for the Arts on Friday, March 22.
Ready to see some beautiful blooms in Modesto? There’s a show coming up for you
Modesto Bee
The 58th annual Camellia Show, presented by the Camellia Society of Modesto, returns to its longtime stomping grounds, the E&J Gallo Winery Administration Building and adjacent gardens, on Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17.
Trout Fishing Derby unites firefighters, children
Bakersfield Californian
Children got to spend some quality time with their local firefighters on Saturday. The Bakersfield City Firefighters Relief Association held its annual Trout Fishing Derby & Pancake Breakfast at the Park at River Walk Park.
Ed Goldman: Girl Scouts create their own STEM initiative
Sacramento Business Journal
The last time I checked in with Linda Farley, CEO of Girl Scouts Heart of
Central California, the organization was prepping to launch a major STEM
initiative throughout its 18-county California council (there are eight such
councils in our state and 112 in the country). STEM’s the acronym for the study
of science, technology, engineering and math.