March 2, 2020

02Mar

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Merced County’s election is Tuesday. Here’s what is on the ballot, plus last-minute tips

Merced Sun-Star

After months of debates and campaign promises, voters will go to the polls for the primary election Tuesday, March 3, and select among many candidates competing at the federal, state and local level.

 

Stockton gives residents $500 a month. Is this the future of progressive politics?

Stockton Record

Eight years ago, Stockton became the nation’s largest municipality to enter bankruptcy. Now, Stockton is in the news for a project that seeks to lift up low-income residents with a UBI, an oft-resurrected economic idea thrust into the national limelight by the recently shuttered presidential campaign of Andrew Yang.

 

Stanislaus elections makes it easier to vote in Tuesday’s primary

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County voters can get a head start on Tuesday’s presidential primary this weekend in Salida, Oakdale, Turlock and Patterson. The county election office opened satellite offices in the four communities, where voters can do everything they can do at the office in downtown Modesto while skipping the trip there.

 

Stanislaus County leaders could approve large cannabis facility promising 200 jobs.

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County staff are recommending permit approval for a large cannabis growing and processing facility in south Modesto that could create around 200 jobs. The county Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the use permit and development agreement Tuesday.

 

EDITORIAL: What does The Modesto Bee recommend in the March Primary? See our list here

Modesto Bee

Voters will soon head to polls for the California March Primary. A majority of voters in Stanislaus County have received ballots in the mail and may already have voted.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Report: Fresno a top location for freelancers

Business Journal

A new report is putting Fresno on a national list once again — this time for being one of the top 15 cities across the U.S. for freelancers in 2020.

 

Fresno City Hall is adding a security fence. It protects only the top officials

Fresno Bee

Fresno City Hall is undergoing a few new security measures in a time when mass shootings have become common in public places, but a planned security fence will protect only the members of the city council and the highest-ranking employees.

 

The procrastinator’s guide on voting in Fresno: It’s not too late to register

Fresno Bee

Fresno County is headed into the home stretch of the election and time is running out to vote on the mayor seat, presidential primary and several other important races.

See​​ also:

 

Andrew Janz avoids political labels. How will that look if he’s Fresno’s mayor?

Fresno Bee

What is the political identity of Andrew Janz? Supporters and those who have known him since before he was a Fresno County prosecutor say he’s a man of integrity who works hard and wants to serve his community.

 

Fresno Mayoral Candidate Jerry Dyer Defends His Plan For The Homeless

VPR

Fresno mayoral candidate Jerry Dyer came to the studio to talk with FM89's Kathleen Schock about his priorities for the city and the politically polarized nature of the campaign.

See​​ also:

 

Congressional Candidates TJ Cox and David Valadao Talk Health Care, Water and Energy

VPR

David Valadao is fighting to win back the congressional seat he narrowly lost to Congressman TJ Cox in 2018. FM89's Kathleen Schock spoke with both candidates about some of the key issues facing the district.

 

Opinion: Will Devin Nunes' Next Lawsuit Be Against Me?

GV Wire

Let me present my case.

 

What was Rudy Giuliani Doing in Fresno?

GV Wire

President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, was in Fresno on Thursday soliciting funding for a proposed documentary. The former New York mayor pitched small groups at Ovidio Ristorante Italiano and The Limelite in northwest Fresno on a film investigating alleged corruption in the Democratic Party and its connection to Ukraine.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Republican Todd Cotta challenges incumbent Rudy Salas in the race for AD 32

Hanford Sentinel

In the race for a seat that has been held by a Democrat for the last eight years, Hanford Republican Todd Cotta believes he has a fighting chance to win in the 32nd Assembly District.

 

What you need to know entering Tuesday's primary elections in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday for California’s primary elections and there are a variety of offices and issues to vote on and a number of ways to exercise those votes. Ballots in Kern County will feature presidential candidates, U.S. representatives, assembly members, county supervisors and, for Bakersfield residents, the mayor.

See​​ also:

 

Will Kern County save California's plans for a green future?

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County has been identified as a key component to the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, and the Board of Supervisors has taken a small step toward making that goal a reality. This week, supervisors voted to add carbon management industries to the county’s economic development program, Advance Kern, which offers incentives to certain industries county leaders hope to foster.

 

ROBERT PRICE: Hey, chill: Look how far we've come

Bakersfield Californian

I experienced a sort of deja vu the first time I drove through downtown Bakersfield. It was May 1988 and I had just moved up from Orange County. I looked out my driver’s side window and there, on H Street, I passed a scene from “The Last Picture Show,” the 1971 Larry McMurtry-Peter Bogdonovich teen-angst story set in west Texas.

 

State:

 

California Democrats fighting to hold onto 2018 gains in Congress

San Francisco Chronicle

In 2018, California Democrats (including Rep. Josh Harder and Rep. TJ Cox) grabbed seven Republican-held House seats. Now they have to hold onto them.

 

Oil and real estate groups are dishing out money on California Democrats. Here’s where

Sacramento Bee

It doesn’t matter who California power brokers like Gov. Gavin Newsom or the state Democratic Party have endorsed for this week’s primary election. They can’t stop big business, oil and real estate groups from pouring money into primaries to support the moderate Democrats lobbyists think will keep an open door for them in the Capitol.

See​​ also:

 

Last-minute special interest cash pours through California’s $50,000 loophole

CalMatters

If you’re a voter in east Los Angeles County, there’s a chance there’s a glossy ad sitting in your mailbox right now that touts Sylvia Rubio,  a candidate in one of the hottest races for the state Assembly, as a “passionate advocate for women and children” who has “lived our life” and “shared our stories.”

 

Skelton: The leader of the state GOP has a strategy for success: Never mention Trump

Los Angeles Times

If the leader of the California Republican Party had her way, GOP candidates in this state would never mention President Trump’s name.

 

Federal:

 

President's power to fire independent agency heads faces test

Porterville Recorder

The Supreme Court is about to tell President Donald Trump whether he has more power to use a favorite phrase: “You're fired.” A case being argued at the high court on Tuesday could threaten the structure of agencies that form an enormous swath of the federal government. It has to do with whether a president can fire the heads of independent agencies for any reason.

 

Road ahead: Emergency funding deal for coronavirus expected

Roll Call

Congress is aiming to strike a deal this week on an emergency spending package that could provide between $7 billion and $8 billion in funding to combat the spreading coronavirus. The COVID-19 illness has killed two people in the U.S. so far and with expanded testing capabilities, the number of cases is expected to grow this week.

See also:

 

House approves bill to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes

abcNews

Moving to stem a vaping epidemic among young people, the House approved a bill Friday to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products.

 

Trump-O-Meter: Fact Check

PolitiFact

Tracking President Donald Trump's campaign promises. “Real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing the disaster known as Obamacare."

 

A Supreme Court retreat from Roe vs. Wade could begin this week with Louisiana abortion case

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear its first abortion case since President Trump’s two appointees took their seats, a dispute that could mark the first step in a gradual retreat from Roe vs. Wade.

See​​ also:

 

Supreme Court will decide the fate of Obama health care law

Fresno Bee

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide a lawsuit threatening the Obama-era health care law, but the decision is not likely until after the 2020 election.

See​​ also:

 

Spread the Word on the U.S. Census

United States Census 2020

The 2020 Census is more than a population count. It's an opportunity to shape the future of your community. Through your social media channels, your voice can make a difference.

 

Elections 2020:

 

Klobuchar to drop out of 2020 campaign, endorse Biden

Politico

Amy Klobuchar is ending her presidential campaign and will endorse Joe Biden later on Monday, according to a campaign aide, making her the third Democrat in three days to exit the race after Biden's big win in the South Carolina primary.

See also:

 

Pete Buttigieg is out – along with many other candidates on California’s presidential ballot

Fresno Bee

The number of viable candidates on California’s presidential ballot shrunk Sunday afternoon as Pete Buttigieg planned to suspend his campaign just two days before Super Tuesday.

See​​ also:

 

Tom Steyer Drops Out Of 2020 Presidential Race

Capital Public Radio

The billionaire climate-change activist had staked his campaign on doing well in South Carolina but ended with a disappointing finish on Saturday.

 

Biden fights for momentum in Democrats’ shifting primary

Fresno Bee

An emboldened Joe Biden is trying to cast himself as the clear moderate alternative to progressive Bernie Sanders as the Democrats' shrinking presidential field races toward Super Tuesday.

See​​ also:

 

Undecided Democrat? Here’s how to make your vote count in California’s 2020 primary

Fresno Bee

If you’re planning on voting for a Democratic candidate for president whom you love, skip this piece. But if like many Californians, you’re looking to vote for someone you like in the March 3 primary, and you want your vote to count, read on.

See​​ also:

 

A Sanders blowout or a delegate split? California to shape outcome of 2020 primary race

Fresno Bee

The first wave of results in Tuesday night’s California presidential primary election will reverberate across the country and help shape the Democratic race for weeks and even months ahead.

See​​ also:

 

The 2020 race could become the coronavirus election. Is America ready?

Los Angeles Times

It’s hard to run an election during a pandemic, let alone stay healthy. In 1918, as Spanish influenza wreaked havoc in one of the greatest health disasters in United States history, politicians were sidelined as bans on public gatherings made it impossible to hold campaign rallies.

See​​ also:

 

Elizabeth Warren unveils farmworkers’ rights plan

Los Angeles Times

Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveiled a plan for farmworker and food chain employee rights Monday that would bolster federal safety protections and workers’ access to basic rights. The Massachusetts senator’s proposal comes the day before Super Tuesday, when voters cast ballots in 14 states including California, home to about a third of the nation’s farmworkers, many of whom are in the country illegally.

 

Trump and Sanders lead competing populist movements, reshaping American politics

Washington Post

About 17,000 people packed into a concert and sports arena at the center of this port city, pulsating with excitement and anger. They were there to see Bernie Sanders, whose rebellious presidential campaign has been bringing people in by the thousands for months.

See also:

 

Independents outnumber registered Republicans in U.S. for the first time

Washington Post

For the first time in history, there are more registered independents in the United States than there are registered Republicans.

 

Bloomberg tumbles heading into Super Tuesday

Politico

The Mike Bloomberg bubble has burst. After a steady, weekslong climb in national polls, fueled by extravagant spending on ads, staff and events, Bloomberg’s presidential campaign has plateaued.

See​​ also:

 

The health of presidential candidates: How much do we know?

PolitiFact

Differences in health policy weren’t the only bones presidential candidates had to pick recently. They also sparred over details of their personal health. And with the next debate and Super Tuesday primaries fast approaching, these skirmishes are likely to escalate.

 

This Could Make or Break the Election.' How States Are Battling Over Who Gets to Vote in the 2020 Election

Time

The winner of the 2020 presidential election will depend not only on who votes but also on who doesn’t. Four years after 77,744 ballots in three states gave the White House to Donald Trump, state lawmakers are battling over voting rules that will determine whether millions of Americans get a chance to cast a ballot in November.

 

Commentary: Democratic presidential candidates should focus on the issue that matters to California voters: health care, specifically Medicaid

CalMatters

In this Tuesday’s presidential primary, Democratic voters will be overwhelmingly focused on defeating President Donald Trump. Policy issues have taken a back seat. But to the extent that any other issue persists, it is health care policy.

 

EDITORIAL: Democratic contenders abiding by an awful Trumpian precedent

San Francisco Chronicle

The contenders to replace the president are sinking to the abysmal standard he set for transparency about his health.

 

Other:

 

New digital day dawns for The Fresno Bee in new downtown location

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee’s move to the Bitwise 41 building happens Monday, when employees show up for their first day of work in a sparkling new office on the opposite side of downtown.

 

Tech firms take a hard line against coronavirus myths. But what about other types of misinformation?

Washington Post

As misinformation about the coronavirus has spread online, YouTube has steered its viewers to credible news reports. Facebook has swept away some posts about phony cures. And Amazon has removed 1 million products related to dubious health claims.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, March 8, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California’s Concealed Carry Permits: The Wild West of Permitting? - Guest: California State Auditor Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 8, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Concealed Carry Permits:  Are Valley Standards the De Facto State Standards? - Guests: Fresno Co Sheriff Margaret Mims, Tulare Co Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, and Stanislaus Co Sheriff Adam Christianson. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 8, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Higher Education and Path in California - Guests: PPIC Olga Rodriguez and Marisol Cuellar. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

African American agriculture workers meet in Fresno for special conference

abc30

Dozens of African American agriculture workers went to southwest Fresno Saturday for a special conference. The Black Farmers conference provided a space for minority ag-workers to share, learn and grow together.

 

Proclamation of emergency due to potential for the increased accumulation of animal carcasses in Kings County

Hanford Sentinel

Supervisor Joe Neves, in his capacity as Emergency Services Director for the County of Kings, has issued a local emergency proclamation in response to the accumulation of animal carcasses, which need to be disposed of within Kings County.

 

Warm, dry bloom conditions give hope to local almond growers

Bakersfield Californian

If not for a certain nagging doubt, this year's nearly perfect almond bloom would be cause for celebration among local growers.

See​​ also:

 

Stop Milking It, Dairy Farmers Tell Plant-Based Competitors

PEW
What’s milk? For Jason Gallion, the only full-time farmer serving in the Maryland state Senate, the question is a no-brainer. “It’s always been assumed the definition of milk is that it’s from a mammal,” said Gallion, 43, whose first job at age 15 was milking cows on his uncle’s dairy farm.

 

How Can We Make Farm Work Healthier?

Zocalo Public Square

Farm work is vital to our society—and dangerous for the people who do it. Farmworkers are exposed to a variety of health hazards: noise, heat, harmful chemicals, and musculoskeletal injuries, to name a few. Farmworkers’ struggles with long hours, low wages, polluted air, overcrowded housing, and frequent relocations often add to their challenges, especially in mental health.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Gavin Newsom wants to close one state prison. Why not two? Analyst sees greater savings

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to close one state prison. The independent Legislative Analyst’s Office recommends closing two, the office announced Friday. The state could save $100 million more per year by closing two, the analyst’s office said in the report.

 

MS-13 gang leader in Fresno County faces lengthy prison term after pleading guilty

Fresno Bee

An MS-13 gang leader pleaded guilty Friday to assaulting a victim with a pipe outside a Mendota school, according to federal prosecutors.

 

Commentary: So Much for the Safeguarding of Crime Victims’ Rights

Fox & Hounds

In another exhibition of fluff and political grandstanding, George Gascón has promised that if elected District Attorney he would seek resentencing for the 229 inmates on death row who were tried and sentenced in Los Angeles County. Never mind that there is no legal authority for him to recall and resentence a person already on death row.

 

Public Safety:

 

California is one of the most dangerous states for pedestrians. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

Pedestrian deaths in California jumped 12% in the first half of last year, well above the national average increase of 3%, according to a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association released Thursday.

 

Commentary: New Coalition Launches to Fight for Safer Streets and Rider Privacy

Fox & Hounds

A new group called Communities Against Rider Surveillance (CARS) has formed to raise awareness of Mobility Data Specification (MDS), a dangerous technology that makes it easy for local governments to track people’s personal movements through cities.

 

Fire:

 

‘We’re here to shed a few tears.’ Porterville mourns firefighters killed in library blaze

Fresno Bee

More than a week after two firefighters were killed in a massive fire that destroyed the Porterville Library, the Tulare County community continues to mourn the losses.

See​​ also:

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

In Prosperous California, Anxiety Over Inequality Abounds

New York Times

Mark Marquez, a retired Border Patrol agent, had hoped to keep his extended family intact in the same part of central California where his parents and grandparents had worked the watermelon fields.

 

Income Growth Declines For Poor Americans Under Trump

Capital & Main

In the State of the Union speech last month, President Trump touted a “blue collar boom” that has benefited those at the bottom of the economic ladder. But a new analysis of U.S. Census data paints a different picture, showing how the poorest of the poor fared during the first two years of his presidency, a period of slowing income growth for the nation’s neediest households.

See also:

 

Stock indexes rise on Wall Street following a 7-day rout

Fresno Bee

Stocks rose in early trading on Wall Street Monday following a seven-day rout brought on by worries that the spreading coronavirus outbreak will stunt the global economy.

See​​ also:

 

US factories expand in February despite coronavirus

Fresno Bee

American factories expanded in February for the second straight month, despite disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

See​​ also:

 

Surrounded by new development, owners of downtown's Porterfield Hotel dig in

Bakersfield Californian

Owners of the Porterfield Hotel couldn't ask for a better bargaining position. Their two-story 1926 stucco, located across 18th Street from downtown's upscale Padre Hotel, is sandwiched between two other structures being converted into shared office space, a software company, coding classrooms and a public taproom.

 

Commentary: Being their own boss: A review of American demography and entrepreneurship

AEI

Economically beneficial entrepreneurship is declining in America. This decline is not caused by a change in individual-level desire to be an entrepreneur or by fewer people trying to​​ make entrepreneurship work, but rather by an inability to make new entrepreneurial endeavors take off.

 

Jobs:

 

Stanislaus County leaders could approve large cannabis facility promising 200 jobs.

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County staff are recommending permit approval for a large cannabis growing and processing facility in south Modesto that could create around 200 jobs. The county Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the use permit and development agreement Tuesday.

 

Report: Fresno a top location for freelancers

Business Journal

A new report is putting Fresno on a national list once again — this time for being one of the top 15 cities across the U.S. for freelancers in 2020.

 

Here's how a new labor rule could make things tougher for millions of employees

CNN

A new rule from the National Labor Relations Board could limit the responsibility of franchise operators, such as McDonald's, for the millions of employees who work for their franchisees.

 

Walters: The gig worker battle continues

CALmatters

When the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was awaiting final congressional action in 2010, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a speech to county officials, uttered 24 words that have haunted her ever since.

 

When A Higher Wage Is Not Enough

Capital & Main

Economists and politicians have celebrated income gains for people like Philadelphia resident Calvin Wongus, workers at the bottom of the income ladder who have seen gains in recent years. But Wongus, who is 23, is not rejoicing. For him and almost 26 million low-income households, the gains have been meager when matched to the crushing cost of living.

 

EDUCATION

 

On Education: What Democratic presidential candidates are promising

EdSource

Trying to decide who to vote for in the presidential primary on March 3? To help those of you for whom a candidate’s positions on education are important — as they are to us — EdSource has summarized key education positions on eight Democratic candidates on the ballot. For more detailed explanations, we encourage you to make use of the links provided below.

 

K-12:

 

Pumpkins and robots? How doctors inspire Modesto students to pursue health careers

Modesto Bee

Robots, pumpkins and high school students. Could they be part of the solution to the health care workforce shortage in Stanislaus County? That’s the hope of the Stanislaus County Medical Society.

 

Want to live to 100? Go teach in a California school

Modesto Bee

More California teachers are living to 100. CalSTRS recently updated its mortality tables to reflect male and female educators are living longer than projected. The pension fund pays retiree benefits.

 

State hopes to see half of all K-12 students in programs leading to multilingualism by 2030

Bakersfield Californian

Through the Global California 2030 initiative launched in 2018 by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the state also wants three out of four students to be proficient in two or more languages, earning them a State Seal of Biliteracy, by 2040.

 

Plan to cut PE test — and its body-fat measurement — in California sparks debate

EdSource

California’s physical fitness test, a fixture in schools for 25 years, is set to be eliminated because it measures students’ body fat, too often inciting shame and anxiety among students, under a proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Gandhi’s grandson visits Fresno State Peace Garden

Fresno State Campus News

Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of historic peace leader Mahatma Gandhi, took a stroll through the Fresno State Peace Garden on Feb. 21 while on campus for a special luncheon in his honor.

 

President's Lecture Series - Journalist Margaret Brennan

Fresno State Campus News

Margaret Brennan, senior foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News and moderator of “Face the Nation,” will be the guest speaker for the President’s Lecture Series, where she will speak about the "Political Outlook and News of the Day."

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Will Kern County save California's plans for a green future?

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County has been identified as a key component to the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, and the Board of Supervisors has taken a small step toward making that goal a reality. This week, supervisors voted to add carbon management industries to the county’s economic development program, Advance Kern, which offers incentives to certain industries county leaders hope to foster.

 

Gov. Newsom’s dad helped protect California mountain lions. Now his son faces the fallout

Merced Sun-Star

Thirty years ago, California voters approved a ballot initiative championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s father, William Newsom, that banned mountain lion hunting in the state. The initiative was approved in part because it secured protections for ranchers to shoot mountain lions that kill or maim their livestock. Now, the father’s crusade is a thorn in the son’s paw.

 

Walters: State losing its war on carbon

CalMatters

For the last decade, California has waged a crusade to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases in the name of fighting climate change. The state has set specific reduction goals, and spent many billions of dollars, in both taxes and added consumer costs, to achieve them.

 

Energy:

 

Will Kern County save California's plans for a green future?

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County has been identified as a key component to the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, and the Board of Supervisors has taken a small step toward making that goal a reality.

 

Are toxins in coal ash posing risks to nearby communities?

PBS

The U.S. each year produces more than 100 million tons of coal ash, a toxic substance made when coal is burned for electricity. Much of that waste is kept in active storage units around the country, where it can potentially leach into the groundwater and major waterways.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Adventist Health Tulare patient in isolation as precaution for coronavirus symptoms

Fresno Bee

Adventist Health Tulare has confirmed one patient had been placed in isolation as a precaution after showing symptoms similar to the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

See​​ also:

 

Is this normal? New tool helps parents assess child's development, identify delays

Bakersfield Californian

It's a situation countless parents of young children encounter — you suspect your child could be hyperactive only to be told by relatives to relax. Or you've tried potting training for months and are getting nowhere. Is that normal?

 

California parents seeking vaccine exemptions find freedom in the Mountain West

Deseret News

The mother of two loved California. The state’s health-conscious values resonated with her. She bought organic produce, tried to avoid food with GMOs and brought her own bags to the grocery store. But there was one thing the mother, who asked that her name be​​ withheld to protect the medical privacy of her children, did not like about California: its approach to vaccines.

 

Stock up on allergy medicine. Pollen may be especially bad this spring in much of US

Miami Herald

Spring is usually miserable for people who have allergies, but this season could be especially rough, forecasters say. More pollen than usual is expected in much of the United States this season, forecasters with AccuWeather predict, and the eastern part of the country should see the worst of it.

 

Human Services:

 

Supreme Court​​ will decide the fate of Obama health care law

Fresno Bee

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide a lawsuit threatening the Obama-era health care law, but the decision is not likely until after the 2020 election.

See​​ also:

 

Kaweah Delta hosts second of five town halls

Visalia Times Delta

Kaweah Delta Health Care District hopes to hear from a broad range of community members through a series of town halls over several months.

 

'Building Bridges: Celebrating Black History' looks to start conversation about mental health

Visalia Times Delta

The “Building Bridges: Celebrating Black History" event was hosted by New Life Ministries of Tulare County. The nonprofit has partnered with Tulare County HHSA Mental Health to work on connecting black community members to mental health services.

 

A tough job but someone's got to do it: Therapy dogs help relieve stress around Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

Therapy dogs volunteer everywhere from schools to juvenile halls to hospices with the goal to improve people's lives. Not to be confused with service dogs, therapy dogs aren't trained to assist people with disabilities.

 

Medical Groups Slam Trump Medicaid Rule

PEW
Hospitals, governors and medical professionals have gathered in opposition to a complex Trump administration Medicaid proposal that opponents fear would slash federal health care contributions and add administrative costs.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Judge rules head of immigration agency was unlawfully named

Porterville Recorder

A federal judge has ruled that Ken Cuccinelli was unlawfully appointed to lead the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency and, as a result, lacked authority to give asylum seekers less time to prepare for initial screening interviews.

 

Court temporarily blocks Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, then suspends its own order

Los Angeles Times

A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a Trump administration policy that requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases wind through U.S. immigration courts.

 

ACLU asks judge to stop Trump order to redirect funds for wall

San Francisco Chronicle

Another order by President Trump to redirect $3.8 billion in military funding to keep building his border wall has been met by another ACLU lawsuit.

 

US makes it harder to get H-1B skilled-work visas

San Francisco Chronicle

It’s harder than ever for skilled immigrants to get or renew a visa to work in the U.S., according to a recent report based on government data.

 

Opinion: Our immigration courts are broken. A jury trial option could give asylum seekers a fair chance

Sacramento Bee

President Trump has taken unprecedented steps to convert immigration courts into deportation assembly lines. He has installed anti-immigrant judges, incentivized adverse rulings, re-interpreted long-standing rules – all of which make it extremely difficult for immigrants to receive a fair trial when seeking asylum, and leading some fair-minded judges to quit because of the pressure.

 

EDITORIAL: Trump’s war against immigration is grinding on — with unfortunate success

Los Angeles Times

Over the last three years, the Trump administration has simply ignored Congress, and in some cases, federal law, to reshape U.S. immigration policy through a series of executive orders, departmental rulings and internal directives.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

North Fork CDC’s Annual Meeting Set for March 16

Sierra News

The North Fork Community Development Council will hold its annual meeting on Monday, March 16. The meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m., will be held at the Rancheria’s Community Center (up on the hill.)

 

Amazon's local real estate bump slow in coming

Bakersfield Californian

The excitement was almost palpable when news hit in August 2018 that Amazon was planning to build a massive distribution center near Meadows Field Airport. The best part for many was that the online retail giant would employ perhaps 2,000 people at its four-story "fulfillment center." But people in local industrial real estate circles celebrated for a different reason.

 

Housing:

 

US construction spending up 1.8% in January to record level

Fresno Bee

Spending on U.S. construction projects rose to an all-time high in January, helped by strong gains for home construction and government building projects.

 

Digital Housing Data Repository collaboration

Fresno State Campus News

In December 2017, the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State led the inaugural Fair Housing Data Conference to talk about housing issues in Fresno County. Through that effort, it was determined a centralized location to collect housing data was greatly needed in the community.

 

Faith community to offer promise of housing to homeless families in SJ

Stockton Record

Family Promise of San Joaquin County has brought together 29 congregations to plan and organize a program providing short-term housing, nightly meals, transportation and services including job preparation and financial planning to homeless families accepted into the program.

 

Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Pod

CalMatters

Why is it so expensive to live in California? And what can the state do about it? Every other week, Los Angeles Times housing reporter Liam Dillon and CALmatters' data reporter Matt Levin chat about the latest developments in California housing policy and interview a key housing newsmaker.

See also:

 

EDITORIAL: California housing prices are too damn high. Cities can help change that if they want to

Los Angeles Times

The cost of building new housing in California is too damn high. And one reason is all the pricey development fees layered on new apartments, single-family homes and even affordable housing projects.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

CalPERS fund drops by $15 billion amid market plunge and coronavirus fears

Sacramento Bee

The value of California’s largest public pension fund dropped by at least $15 billion this week as U.S. and international markets fell amid coronavirus fears. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s portfolio, which rode a hot stock market to reach a milestone of $400 billion last month, stood at $385 billion at the end of Thursday, according to a tracker on the fund’s website.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Fresno students, others work to save busing program. Most elected trustees are silent

Fresno Bee

The clock is ticking for hundreds of Fresno-area college students who are about to lose their ride to school. The State Center Community College District opted to no longer fund a program that since 2017 has provided free bus passes to Fresno-area community college students.

 

Calif is one of the most dangerous states for pedestrians. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

Pedestrian deaths in California jumped 12% in the first half of last year, well above the national average increase of 3%, according to a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association released Thursday.

 

Commentary: New Coalition Launches to Fight for Safer Streets and Rider Privacy

Fox & Hounds

A new group called Communities Against Rider Surveillance (CARS) has formed to raise awareness of Mobility Data Specification (MDS), a dangerous technology that makes it easy for local governments to track people’s personal movements through cities.

 

Stanislaus County’s first on-ramp meters will activate on Highway 99 in a few weeks

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County’s first on-ramp meters — a variation on the familiar stoplight — will start operating this spring on part of Highway 99. The meters at the Hammett and Kiernan interchanges in the Salida area will ease vehicles onto the highway during peak commute hours. One car per lane can proceed each time the signal changes from red to green.

 

Along a scenic highway, a road map of California’s hopes and anxieties

Los Angeles Times

For nearly 300 miles along dramatic curves and desolate straightaways, State Route 33 passes seamlessly through California’s interior, exposing the attitudes and interests that divide it.

 

WATER

 

Westlands Water District gets permanent U.S. contract for massive irrigation deliveries

Los Angeles Times

The Interior Department on Friday awarded the nation’s largest farm water district a permanent entitlement to annual irrigation deliveries that amount to roughly twice as much water as the nearly 4 million residents of Los Angeles use in a year.

 

Unusual warm temperatures in February means record-setting dryness for the Valley

abc30

With California rain totals falling short, February 2020 is now in the books for record-setting dryness. The unseasonably warm temperatures throughout the month prompted early blossoms bringing picturesque views found throughout the Valley.

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After a dry month, California recreation outlooks range from good to bad to ugly

San Francisco Chronicle

Behind the headlines of a dry February, here’s where the prospects stand, good and bad, for outdoor recreation.

 

“Xtra”

 

Camellias have deep history in Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

The annual camellia show at the Bakersfield Racquet Club — now in its 72nd year — is part pageantry and part a trip back in time. Tables are covered in blossoms, some poofy and flouncy, others tight and angular, like a geometrical design. The colors range from deep red and fuschia to pale pink and white.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                      

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

 

 

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