POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Eggman says she will seek Galgiani’s state Senate seat
Stockton Record
State Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman has declared her candidacy for the state Senate seat currently held by Cathleen Galgiani, who will be termed out in 2020.
Central SJ Valley:
Brandau proposal would ticket Fresno drivers for giving to street-corner panhandlers
Fresno Bee
A new ordinance proposed for the city of Fresno takes aim at drivers who stop at traffic signals to give money – or anything else – to panhandlers.
See also:
- EDITORIAL: Fresno council should turn down proposed law aimed at intersection panhandling Fresno Bee
By suing Twitter and parody account @DevinCow, Nunes makes himself a laughingstock
Fresno Bee
Did you hear the one about Devin Nunes being so angry at a make-believe cow that he’s suing Twitter for $250 million? Now that’s a lot of mooooo-la.
See also:
- Nunes speech sparks suggestions to attend and dress like a cow Fresno Bee
- Devin Nunes discovers the joy of regulating the internet Los Angeles Times
- EDITORIAL: Don’t have a cow, Devin Nunes Los Angeles Times
South SJ Valley:
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State:
We’d love to help, Pence tells California. Here’s how a top Democrat replied
San Francisco Chronicle
Vice President Mike Pence sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon wishing California a successful legislative session. Rendon’s response was less diplomatic.
Ninth Circuit recommended for expansion. Could it mean shift to the right?
San Francisco Chronicle
U.S. judicial leaders are proposing to add five more judges to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, an expansion that could potentially shift the majority from Democratic to Republican on a federal appellate court whose liberal rulings have long made it a favorite target for conservatives.
California goes all in for the census
Capitol Weekly
The state already has set aside $100 million for the event, far more than either the $2.3 million in today’s dollars it committed in 2010 or the $28.8 million in today’s dollars it did in 2000, according to the state legislative analyst’s office report.
Federal:
Trump’s criticism of McCain raises ire of some Republicans
Merced Sun-Star
Trump’s latest tirade against John McCain comes after several leading Republicans defend the longtime Arizona senator.
See also:
- Trump Carries On Criticism Of McCain, As A Republican Calls His Words ‘Deplorable’ Capital Public Radio
- Veterans to Trump: Enough already with the attacks on late Sen. John McCain Los Angeles Times
Trump says public should see ‘ridiculous’ Mueller report
Merced Sun-Star
President Donald Trump says he believes special counsel Robert Mueller’s report should be released to the public, even as he disparaged its very existence as “ridiculous.”
See also:
- Trump says Mueller’s report should be made public: ‘Let people see it’ Los Angeles Times
- As Washington awaits Mueller’s report, here’s what we know about the investigation Los Angeles Times
The military’s new transgender policy is a ban, no matter how the Pentagon spins it
Los Angeles Times
The Pentagon last week released its latest policy memo on transgender military service, an effort to bring President Trump’s tweeted ban in line with court rulings that had blocked the administration from implementing it.
Tips and calls to the Office of Congressional Ethics spiked last session
Roll Call
Citizen outreach to the Office of Congressional Ethics more than doubled in the 115th Congress, but the agency’s pre-election blackout period means they didn’t take action on any cases in the last quarter of 2018.
Elections 2020:
Who the heck is Andrew Yang? Five things Californians need to know as he runs for president
Fresno Bee
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, 44, is a venture capitalist who launched his bid for president in November 2017. He began gaining traction when he appeared on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in February, prompting a boost in his Twitter followers and a flood of donations.
If Trump wants to get on California’s 2020 ballot, he might need to release his tax returns
Sacramento Bee
Under Senate Bill 27, presidential candidates from all parties would need to publicly disclose the last five years of their tax returns if they want to have their name on the state’s primary ballot.
Beto O’Rourke’s $6.1 million haul in first 24 hours came from 128,000 contributions
abc30
Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke’s record $6.1 million fundraising haul in the first 24 hours of his campaign came from 128,000 unique contributions, the candidate said Wednesday, a number later confirmed by ABC News.
Bernie Sanders, at UCLA, highlights his longtime support for organized labor
Los Angeles Times
Bernie Sanders’ first appearance in California as a 2020 presidential candidate was not at a mega-rally like the ones that defined his previous bid, but at a speech before sun-baked picketers in front of UCLA’s medical center.
Most 2020 Democrats say capitalism is a system that needs fixing
Los Angeles Times
In these early weeks of the presidential campaign, Democratic candidates have faced a battery of unusual questions, prompted partly by President Trump’s dark warning in his State of the Union address against “new calls to adopt socialism in our country.”
See also:
- Democratic Candidates, Pressured by Party Base, Split on How Liberal to Be Wall Street Journal
- ‘High-level fear-mongering’: Trump’s economic team drives ‘socialism’ attack Politico
‘No PAC money’ pledges leave corporations in a partisan bind
Roll Call
Even as candidates and voters alike malign these PACs, they are unlike their big-money cousin super PACs. Corporate campaign coffers are bastions of bipartisanship. Many of the top PACs connected to businesses maintain roughly balanced giving ratios.
Brace Yourself for the 2020 Medicare Wars
Bloomberg
Democrats called President Donald Trump’s budget “dead on arrival” when it landed in Congress last week, and they are almost surely correct. After all, Congress, not the president, controls actual spending levels.
Other:
Commentary: Daily Struggle for the People’s Right to Know
Public CEO
This predilection for secrecy clashes on a daily basis with Californians’ fundamental right to information about how their government is working—a right granted by statute and enshrined in the state Constitution.
Here’s why there’s more than one first day of spring
abc30
March 20 marks the first day of astronomical spring, the spring we recognize most. However, meteorological spring begins March 1.
What AI Is Still Far From Figuring Out
Wall Street Journal
Everybody’s talking about artificial intelligence. Some people even argue that AI will lead, quite literally, to either immortality or the end of the world. There is a remarkable amount of debate about just what AI can do and what it means for all of us human intelligences.
The Illogic of Slavery Reparations at This Late Date
Wall Street Journal
Compensating black Americans for past oppression has been a subject of discussion for decades. The senator’s problem is that large majorities of the public have consistently opposed reparations, not that we don’t talk about it.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, March 24, at 5 p.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Cal Facts: Everything You Need To Know About California” – Guest: Carolyn Chu, Legislative Analyst Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 24, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “California Facts, Valley Economic Opportunities” – Guests: Former Fresno Mayor, Ashley Swearengin and Pete Weber, co-chair of CalFwd and Director of the Fresno Bridge Academy; and Carolyn Chu, Legislative Analyst Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 24, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Nuevas Leyes y Legislacion futura” – Guest: Alexei Koseff, Reportero de Sacramento Bee. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Farmworker supporters believe pesticide violations happening in Fresno, Tulare counties
Fresno Bee
Farmworker supporters from the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition and the Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety announced they believe hazardous pesticide violations are happening in Fresno and Tulare counties on March 20, 2019.
See also:
- These fruits and veggies have the most pesticides Visalia Times Delta
- UCLA pesticides study finds California, counties not doing enough to keep us safe Visalia Times Delta
- Study presses for more active pesticide review by county ag commissioners Bakersfield Californian
- Shares in Germany’s Bayer plunge on US weed killer ruling Sacramento Bee
- California’s Pesticide Regulators Are Supposed to Consider Safer Alternatives. Many Don’t. Civil Eats
California olive growers facing losses get offer of new buyer
Fresno Bee
California olive growers saw some contracts from Bell-Carter Foods canceled, while the Musco Family Olive Company says it has offered to buy olives, particularly ones that are mechanically harvested.
See also:
- Struggling Valley olive farmers find relief Visalia Times Delta
- Musco Family Olive Co. offers new contracts to olive growers Porterville Recorder
Five-hour public hearing ends with Stanislaus County decision on cannabis nurseries
Modesto Bee
In a five-hour public hearing Tuesday night, Stanislaus County supervisors heard a near-endless chorus of neighborhood opposition to permit applications for cannabis nurseries southwest of Modesto.
See also:
- Hanford Council makes U-turn on cannabis Business Journal
New produce guide shows eating kale is a lot dirtier than you think
Los Angeles Times
Kale, strawberries and spinach top the Environmental Working Group’s list of the 12 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue. The list, called the Dirty Dozen, is released each year by the nonprofit consumer advocacy group.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Gun violence in Fresno could be reduced with this fellowship. But will city support it?
Fresno Bee
The Peacemaker Fellowship — backed by city leaders in Sacramento, Oakland, Richmond and Stockton — mentors young adults most likely to participate in gun violence. Could it work in Fresno?
See also:
Unsolved murder: Is our mental health system to blame?
Visalia Times Delta
Doctors Cameron Quanbeck and Gary Tsai published a study finding that 5 percent of all mentally ill people are “severely” ill. Of those, half were unable to recognize their own condition — about 1.45 million people nationwide.
KCSO has busted roughly 100 illegal video gambling parlors in past 14 months
Bakersfield Californian
They set up business in abandoned storefronts and cover the windows with butcher’s paper. Underground gambling casinos want no one but their patrons knowing of their existence. Unfortunately for them, Kern County sheriff’s personnel have caught on.
Supreme Court Justices Seem Incredulous At Repeated Racial Bias In Jury Selection
Capital Public Radio
In a Mississippi death penalty case, the justices were skeptical of the way the state picked and dismissed black jurors and appeared ready not to uphold the conviction.
See also:
- Supreme Court appears set to overturn Mississippi murder case based on racial bias Los Angeles Times
Civil Rights And Faith Leaders To FBI: Take White Nationalist Violence Seriously
Capital Public Radio
Civil rights and faith leaders are demanding a meeting with the FBI director. The message: time to prioritize white nationalist violence.
Public Safety:
Arvin names Scot Kimble as new police chief
Bakersfield Californian
McFarland Police Chief Scot Kimble will be switching cities and departments soon. The city of Arvin has announced that it’s hired Kimble to be its new police chief.
Paralyzed California man settles police shooting lawsuit
Merced Sun-Star
Three California police departments have reached a settlement with a man who was paralyzed after being shot by officers. The Fresno Bee reported Tuesday that 19-year-old Adonis Serna has reached a $2.5 million settlement over injuries sustained when he was shot in Woodlake in 2017.
Stockton Record
San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow entered Fat City Boxing Gym and while he didn’t suit up to get in the ring, he was there to give dozens of young fighters in training a valuable lesson.
Even With New Disclosure Law, Fight Continues To Unseal California’s Secret Police Files
Capital Public Radio
A coalition of over 30 news organizations, including CapRadio, has made requests to 675 police agencies in all 58 California counties since Jan. 1. It’s not just journalists who are seeking out these records, however.
See also:
- EDITORIAL: Becerra must support police transparency law San Francisco Chronicle
Death Penalty Opponents Gain Unlikely Allies: Republicans
Pew Research
The repeal efforts, which in most cases would replace the death penalty with sentences of life without parole, reflect a steep two-decade decline in executions nationwide, as well as growing overall opposition to the practice.
See also:
Fire:
California National Guard to leave border, help stop fires
abc30
California is calling in the National Guard for the first time next month to help protect communities from devastating fires like the one that largely destroyed the city of Paradise last fall.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
California businesses hold billions in forgotten funds – and they’re not telling the state
Sacramento Bee
When employees forget to cash their checks, or bank accounts go untouched for years, California businesses are supposed to let the state know. But because so few comply with a state law to report the “forgotten funds,” there’s an estimated $24 billion in unclaimed property sprinkled across the state that the controller’s office is trying to put back in Californians’ pockets.
Fed Signals Rate Hikes May Be Over For 2019
Capital Public Radio
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged Wednesday and signaled that no more rate hikes may be necessary this year amid signs of economic slowing.
See also:
- Fed downgrades U.S. growth forecast and signals no more rate hikes until 2020 Los Angeles Times
- Stocks end the day lower after brief rally set off by Fed’s decision to halt interest rate hikes Los Angeles Times
Gig economy, e-scooters, straws and tax breaks
CALmatters
Business lobbyists are trying hard to delay a far-reaching California Supreme Court decision that would require gig economy firms to treat independent contractors as employees, CALmatters’ Antoinette Siu writes.
Skip the slip? California lawmaker wants email receipts to replace paper ones
CALmatters
California lawmakers are considering just such a proposal— a bill by Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco that would make emailed receipts the default for businesses grossing more than $1 million beginning in 2022.
Tariffs did not make the American economy great
AEI
US trade policy had different objectives in different eras. Before the Civil War, it was revenue. After the war, the goal was industry protection. And since the Great Depression, it has been to reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers through reciprocal agreements.
Jobs:
RIOT button in elevator of California office building alarms state workers
Sacramento Bee
The Department of General Services is removing new elevator buttons with the word “RIOT” from an office building of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration after employees expressed alarm.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Selma school installs ‘buddy bench’ to promote friendship
abc30
A new bench at Washington Elementary School in Selma was dedicated Wednesday. The school installed what they call a “buddy bench” that’s meant to promote friendship, inclusion and help with their social well being.
Why Tulare County is seeing a burst of butterflies
Visalia Times Delta
The black-and-orange insects that suddenly seem to be everywhere in California aren’t monarchs and they aren’t moths. They are called painted ladies, and these butterflies are migrating by the millions across the state.
More California students may be banned from using cellphones at school under new bill
Los Angeles Times
California students could be restricted or banned from using smartphones at school under a bill by a state lawmaker who says the devices can interfere with classroom learning.
What teacher strikes are really about — opposition to charter schools
San Francisco Chronicle
In reality, the primary motivation behind the strikes was organized opposition to charter schools, which have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional public schools.
See also:
- It’s time to limit charter schools San Francisco Chronicle
- How Charter Schools Became Such a Big Player in California’s Education System KQED
Walters: School accountability good for some, not others?
CALmatters
Last year, in his final budget as governor, Jerry Brown proudly proclaimed a new policy to encourage the state’s 114 community colleges to pay more attention to how their students are faring.
Higher Ed:
California Lawmakers Debate How To Prevent Another College Admissions Scandal
Capital Public Radio
When state legislators grilled University of California staff at a hearing Tuesday about the university’s response to the recent college admissions scandal, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty asked the question that’s been reverberating since the story broke last week.
See also:
- Wealthy parents in admissions scandal under intense pressure to make deals. Here’s why Los Angeles Times
- College admissions scandal shows how desperate the privileged are to keep it that way Los Angeles Times
- USC selects Carol Folt as new president as university tries to move past scandals Los Angeles Times
- Is Elite College Worth It? Maybe Not Wall Street Journal
Workers hit picket line at UC Davis Medical Center as strike unfolds at campuses statewide
Sacramento Bee
The clamorous honks of vuvuzelas, a staple of South African soccer matches, disrupted the usual stillness of the UC Davis Medical Center on Wednesday as unionized workers called attention to their strike over stalled contract negotiations with the University of California.
See also:
- Workers Strike At UC Davis Medical Center And Other Campuses Across California Capital Public Radio
UC Berkeley in spotlight as Trump expected to issue campus free-speech order
San Francisco Chronicle
Berkeley’s battles over free-speech are moving to the White House. President Trump is expected to issue an executive order mandating free speech on campuses that receive federal funds.
See also:
- Trump to Issue Order Tying Federal Grants to Free Speech on Campus Wall Street Journal
Free community college is not always affordable. New bill could help poorest students
Sacramento Bee
Financial aid — especially the aid available to community college students — generally does not cover the cost of rent, gas, food or textbooks. Inability to afford these costs can derail community college students.
See also:
- The Case for a Statewide Higher Education… California Competes
EDITORIAL: Trump has some suggestions to help student loan debt, for better and worse
Los Angeles Times
Crooked admissions schemes aren’t the only problem plaguing colleges and their students these days. The cost of a degree from a private college continues to rise, moving well beyond what most families can dream of paying, even with financial aid.
Apprenticeships:
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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Lee calls Green New Deal ‘bargaining chip’ to work with
Fresno Bee
U.S. Rep. Susie Lee says the “Green New Deal” embraced by many 2020 Democrats is a framework and “first bargaining chip to work with” to tackle climate change but there’s many parts of it that she doesn’t necessarily agree with.
EPA chief says water issues a bigger environmental crisis than climate change
abc30
EPA chief Andrew Wheeler says unsafe drinking water and other water issues are a bigger global crisis than climate change, in remarks for World Water Day.
As Southern California cougars near ‘extinction vortex,’ a radical rescue plan emerges
Los Angeles Times
The future is looking increasingly bleak for some Southern California mountain lions. Urban encroachment, inbreeding, vehicle strikes, rat poison and wildfire have all taken their toll on cougars living in the Santa Monica and Santa Ana mountains.
Energy:
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HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Health Watch: Babyleo helps the tiniest patients
abc30
Babies born too early are often hospitalized for weeks or months in specialized neonatal intensive care units or NICUs. Now, a cutting-edge system is helping the tiniest patients thrive in an environment- much like the one they just left.
Sutter, Anthem Blue Cross reach Medi-Cal agreement after months of contract dispute
Sacramento Bee
Sutter Health and Anthem Blue Cross have reached an agreement that will allow Blue Cross Medi-Cal, HMO and PPO users to continue receiving care via Sutter Health facilities and doctors, Sutter announced Wednesday.
Fentanyl overdose deaths in the U.S. have been doubling every year
Los Angeles Times
If you want to know what it means for something to grow exponentially, consider the death toll of fentanyl. This powerful synthetic opioid seemingly came out of nowhere and is now killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.
Health Care’s Killer App: Life Insurance
Wall Street Journal
Imagine a scenario in which a 57-year-old man with an individual health-insurance policy is diagnosed with cancer. As soon as the diagnosis is made, the incentives of the man and those of his health insurer diverge.
Human Services:
City officials approve transfer site to stop illegal dumping in Merced
abc30
Mattresses, TV ‘s, and refrigerators, these are all items that have been spotted on roads and in alleyways throughout the city of Merced. Now officials say a new multi-use site will fix the problem.
Coalinga’s hospital could reopen by later this year
abc30
It’s been more than ten months since Coalinga Regional Medical Center announced it would close its doors. But thanks to the results of a recent special election, the hospital could reopen as soon as later this year.
Death by 1,000 clicks: Where electronic health records went wrong
Sacramento Bee
The U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts into electronic records would make health care better, safer, and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the system is an unholy mess.
Yes, Americans spend a ton on health care, and the outcomes aren’t so good
PolitiFact
In 2016 the United States spent nearly twice as much on medical care as the average of the other 10 highest-income countries. We also found evidence that the United States ranks poorly in health care outcomes.
Third Lawsuit Filed Over Medicaid Work Requirements
Wall Street Journal
Several Medicaid enrollees in New Hampshire sued the Trump administration over the state’s work requirements for program participants, marking the third such lawsuit and raising pressure on the administration to justify its support of the new rules.
States Seek Financial Relief for Family Caregivers
New York Times
Lawmakers in California and at least seven other states want to provide state income tax credits for families that need help with home caregiving.
IMMIGRATION
New US asylum policy dealt setback in immigration court
Fresno Bee
Scheduling glitches led an immigration judge to deny the Trump administration’s request to order four Central American migrants deported because they failed to show for initial hearings Wednesday in the U.S. while being forced to wait in Mexico.
Rep. TJ Cox meets with local advocacy groups to discuss immigration reform
abc30
The Dream and Promise Act of 2019 has the potential to change thousands of lives in the Valley. And that’s why local representative TJ Cox (D-Fresno) thought it was important enough to meet with immigrant advocacy groups in Sanger.
New border wall plan could cut military funding
abc30
In a 20 page document sent to Congress, the Pentagon lists the military construction projects that could be on the chopping block with the president’s decision to declare a National Emergency and repurpose military construction funds.
See also:
- EDITORIAL: Real security projects threatened by Trump’s fake emergency San Francisco Chronicle
Kern County Detention Facility Will Stay Open Without Local Government Buy-In
VPR
After months of speculation as to whether The Mesa Verde Detention Facility in Bakersfield would shutter, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement say it will stay open for at least another year.
Border Patrol Starts Releasing Asylum-Seeking Migrants To South Texas Streets
Capital Public Radio
The move is an apparent return by the government to the practice President Trump has called “catch and release” and promised to end when he was a presidential candidate.
See also:
Proposition 187’s real impact: A generation that will never forget
CALmatters
For California to bounce back, so thought Gov. Wilson, the state needed to deny “illegal aliens” access to education and health care.
Californians’ Views of Immigration Policy—Now and Then
Public Policy Institute of California
How do Californians—who live with the nation’s highest share of immigrants—view such proposals? And more broadly, how have their views of immigration policy changed over time?
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Madera County Donates Land For New EMC SPCA Shelter
Sierra News
Madera County is giving 75 acres in Awhawnee to the Eastern Madera County SPCA to help the organization complete its new, no-kill animal shelter. On Tuesday, the board of supervisors OK’d the donation of 75.33 acres of “surplus” county land to EMC SPCA.
New Turlock retail development, and Dutch Bros Coffee, proposed next to Stan State
Modesto Bee
A plot of newly vacant land in Turlock next to Stanislaus State is in development to become a new shopping center with restaurants, retail and the region’s first Dutch Bros Coffee kiosk.
Housing:
Gov. Newsom has a $500 million plan for homelessness. Steinberg, other CA mayors want more
Fresno Bee
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and a dozen other California mayors asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to spend more state money from the budget for homelessness Wednesday.
See also:
- California mayors push Newsom for more funding to address homelessness Los Angeles Times
- ‘The Budget Just Changed’: Governor Gavin Newsom Responds To Big City Mayors’ Call For More Homelessness Funding Capital Public Radio
Can Newsom housing campaign succeed?
Porterville Recorder
It turns out Gov. Gavin Newsom was deadly serious when he insisted as a candidate last year that California needs to build 3.5 million new housing units each year for the next ten in order to solve its affordable housing crisis.
City and county step up efforts to battle homelessness as numbers rise
Bakersfield Californian
The 50 percent increase in homelessness shown in the most recent point-in-time count came as no surprise to those on the front lines of the county’s battle against extreme poverty.
Bay Area leads charge on fixing housing crisis. Will it work for the rest of California?
Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers have unveiled a far-reaching package to stem the state’s housing affordability crisis, from new protections against surging rents and evictions to more apartments near public transit and in coastal communities.
CA needs 1.4 million affordable rental units, report finds
Sacramento Bee
Despite recent laws and new funding to boost housing construction, California still needs 1.4 million more affordable rental units. That news comes two years after the Legislature passed a slate of bills to expedite construction and subsidize affordable housing.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Fed Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged; Signals No More Increases Likely This Year
Wall Street Journal
Federal Reserve officials indicated Wednesday they are unlikely to raise interest rates this year and may be nearly finished with the series of increases they began more than three years ago now that U.S. economic growth is slowing.
See also:
- The Fed’s New ‘Normal’ Looks Worrisome Wall Street Journal
Trump Budget Relies on Up to $1.2 Trillion in Potentially Phantom Revenues
Wall Street Journal
President Trump’s budget blueprint for the next decade relies on up to $1.2 trillion in revenue that might not materialize. Up to $390 billion comes from taxes created by the Affordable Care Act, which president wants to repeal.
The Debt Crisis Is Coming Soon
Wall Street Journal
The most dangerous domestic problem facing America’s federal government is the rapid growth of its budget deficit and national debt. To avoid economic distress, the government has to reduce future entitlement spending.
TRANSPORTATION
Road 800 Repairs Finished Ahead Of Schedule And Under Budget
Sierra News
Repair work on Road 800 north of Raymond was completed late Monday and the road has reopened, according to Madera County Public Works Director Ahmad Alkhayyat.
How dangerous are electric scooters? Two deaths in California show the risks are real
Modesto Bee
Two people have died in the last week in electric scooter crashes in California, prompting new safety concerns as the mobility devices become more common on city streets.
‘Passenger activity … has outstripped our facilities.’ Here’s what Sacramento’s airport needs next
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento County Airports Director Cindy Nichol talks about how Sacramento International Airport needs to plan for new facilities – including gates, parking and runway maintenance – on Monday, March 19, 2019.
Pentagon to investigate whether Shanahan used office to help Boeing
Los Angeles Times
A watchdog group alleges that the acting defense secretary has used his office to promote his former employer, Boeing Co.
See also:
- Boeing Brings 100 Years Of History To Its Fight To Restore Its Reputation Capital Public Radio
WATER
Wet winter provides more water for Valley crops
abc30
For decades Valley growers have been working to save water. Drip systems are efficient but don’t leave enough water to seep back into the ground, where it could later be pumped up.
See also:
California governor pushes for fee to clean up tainted water
AP News
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to charge California water customers up to $10 per month to help clean up contaminated water in low-income and rural areas, but he will face resistance from some legislative Democrats hesitant to impose new taxes.
Why President Trump’s Fast-Tracked Water Allocations Are Raising Alarm
Valley Public Radio
“Fish vs farms”: It’s the perennial tug-of-war for water between environmentalists, who want to see stable ecosystems in the Sacramento-San-Joaquin River Delta, and farmers, who feel slighted that they need to fight with endangered fish in order to irrigate their fields.
“Xtra”
Annual FresYes Fest is an ode to Fresno and proof of concept for a revitalized downtown
Fresno Bee
Last year’s FresYes drew a crowd of 13,000 — 10 times the number that came out for year one. A similar crowd is expected at this year’s event, which starts at 1 p.m. Saturday.
See also:
Iconic Central Coast ice cream shop plans 100 new parlors. Sacramento, Fresno top the list
Fresno Bee
Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab, an Arroyo Grande-based chain, has announced plans to add 100 more parlors around California, starting in Sacramento, and then hopefully in Fresno and the Bay Area.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo announces name of baby rhino
abc30
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has announced the name of its newly born southern white rhino. Say hello to Kito!
Young Artists Spotlight 2019: Soloists from Bakersfield Youth Symphony
VPR
On this week’s Young Artists Spotlight, we hear a performance from students from the Bakersfield Youth Symphony.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
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