23Mar

TOP POLITICAL STORIES

Valley Politics:

March 21-22 central San Joaquin Valley storm recap

The Fresno Bee

The storm, which caused areas of flooding during drenching downpours Wednesday and Thursday, dropped 2.71 inches of rain in the Fresno area from Tuesday to Friday morning. Other totals were 2.42 inches in Madera, 1.33 inches in Visalia and 1.31 inches in Hanford, according to the weather service.

· Storm slams Valley with hail, mudslides, flash flooding Fresno Bee

· Heavy rain taking a toll from Tuolumne County into Stanislaus The Fresno Bee

· Tulare County gets two inches of rain in two days Visalia Times-Delta

● Mountain Area receives 3.6 inches of rain in past 24 hours Sierra Star

● Merced County bridges, highways closed because mudslides, floodingMerced Sun-Star

● Tuolumne County feels brunt of storm as roads wash away; Modesto relatively unscathed Modesto Bee

● What is an atmospheric river? 5 things to know ahead of California stormsThe Sacramento Bee

Fresno housing market is booming

ABC30

Sold and for sale signs are popping up across the valley. It’s an enticing time for home buyers and sellers. Paul Salazar is a loan officer who has seen the market over the years. He says interest rates just went up, but it’s still the time to buy, “Interest rates are starting to go up a little bit, property values at starting to go up a little bit, and inventory is starting to get a little bit lower.”

Fresno Council’s Chavez targets Ventura corridor for incentives

The Business Journal

A few years ago, when Fresno was in the throes of the Great Recession, the Ventura/Kings County Corridor was on the verge of becoming a blighted area.Back then, the more than four-mile stretch along Ventra Avenue and Kings Canyon Road between First Street and Clovis Avenue had about a 30 percent vacancy rate among its various businesses.

Local leaders come out in favor of initiative to crack down on repeat offenders

ABC30

Supporters of the “Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018” held a news conference in Fresno Thursday as they work to collect enough signatures to get their crime-fighting measure on the November election ballot.

Turlock police and fire confront an emergency: Their radios are not so good anymore

The Modesto Bee

The radio system has failed twice since October for the Turlock police and fire departments, prompting the City Council to approve a replacement Thursday night.The council voted 5-0 for a $6.4 million project that includes the radios, new equipment for dispatchers, and a new computer system for storing information about crime and related matters.

High-profile city government firings leave Tulare with questions

Visalia Times-Delta

Following back-to-back announcements of the firing of the Tulare Police Chief Wes Hensley and City Manager Joe Carlini, Tulare residents are left wondering what led to the decisions. On Tuesday afternoon, former Tulare City Manager Joe Carlini informed Hensley’s attorney, Mike Lampe, that the chief’s employment had been terminated.

· Lawyers push forward with Tulare sign lawsuit Visalia Times-Delta

City’s executive management team to get wage increase

Hanford Sentinel

On the heels of a proposed salary raise for several city employees, firefighters and citizens alike showed their support to the local firefighters union. Members of the Hanford Professional Firefighters Local 3898 have been working without a contract for almost two years, with members saying the city is trying to reduce salary and benefits for firefighters by using a bad salary study and refusing to compromise with the union.

Ex-Stockton Mayor Silva arrested on felony charge

Stockton Record

Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva, already facing embezzlement and money-laundering charges, was arrested and booked into the county jail tonight.According to the jail booking records, the 43-year-old Silva was arrested for violating California Penal Code 3035(A)(1), which reads:

Fitzgerald: Promising new start for the marina?

Stockton Record

Stockton’s marina is a study in how dumb city government used to be. Officials opened it in 2009 with fanfare — then sheepishly admitted it would lose $700,000 a year. Why is ancient history. I put it on my blog, if you’re interested. The latest twist involves marina management. That used to be a company called Westrec.

Fresno State students approve construction of new Student Union

ABC30

Fresno State student leaders announced that a new Student Union building has been approved by students. They say the new building will serve as a central hub for student life at Fresno State.

Stanislaus State welcomes U.S. Senate hopeful

Turlock Journal

Just one day before stepping down from the California Senate’s top job as president pro tem, Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Kevin de Leon visited Stanislaus State Tuesday to talk about his campaign to replace Senator Dianne Feinstein this fall.

Clovis rejects plan for dual-language charter school

Fresno Bee

The Clovis Unified School District Board unanimously rejected a proposal Wednesday to establish an English-Punjabi charter school in the district.Supporters of the school, including members of the Punjabi community, made upmost of the audience at the March 21 meeting. Many wore stickers with the name of the school, “One and Only Academy,” and over a dozen speakers voiced their support for the petition.

Modesto City Schools rejects 2 girls from Afghanistan again

Modesto Bee

Modesto City Schools again refused to enroll two Afghan girls at Davis High School, a decision that could lead to legal action by a group representing the students. California Rural Legal Assistance said in a letter Monday the school district was obligated to provide public education to Morsal and Nargis Amini and demanded their enrollment at Davis.

As more than $1 billion in school construction projects begin, districts attempt to lure local contractors to work

Bakersfield Californian

When Fairfax Elementary School District, a small district on Bakersfield’s east side, requests bidders for construction projects, Superintendent Michael Coleman already knows what to expect — the same two or three contractors. The minimal competition drives up the cost of the project, Coleman said.

State Politics:

Nancy McFadden, Jerry Brown’s chief of staff, dies

Sacramento Bee

Four years ago, Nancy McFadden returned to her alma mater to receive an honorary doctorate and deliver the commencement address. Though at the pinnacle of her career, working as the chief of staff for Gov. Jerry Brown, she urged the graduating students of San Jose State University not to forget kindness and gratitude as they changed the world.

· Nancy McFadden, a key architect of Gov. Jerry Brown’s political renaissance, loses her battle with cancer Los Angeles Times

New Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins pledges change in the Capitol on sexual misconduct

Los Angeles Times

As she became the new leader of the California Senate, Toni Atkins used her remarks after taking the oath of office as Senate president pro tem to make a direct promise to change the culture of the statehouse when it comes to workplace behavior.

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

Public Policy Institute of California

The PPIC Statewide Survey delivers objective, advocacy-free information on the perceptions, opinions, and public policy preferences of California residents. PPIC invites input, comments, and suggestions from policy and public opinion experts and from its own advisory committee, but survey methods, questions, and content are determined solely by the PPIC survey team.

· Poll: Newsom surges ahead of Villaraigosa in governor’s race ABC30

· Survey: GOP’s Cox hitting 2nd place in gov’s race Capitol Weekly

● Newsom leads and Cox in second in new poll of California governor’s raceOCRegister

● Gavin Newsom’s file PolitiFact California

● Familiarity, Not Policy, Drives Voter Support Fox and Hounds Daily

Bullet Train Is Not Top Priority, a Candidate for Governor Says

New York Times

Delaine Eastin, a former Democratic member of the State Assembly and onetime superintendent of public education, is one of nearly 30 candidates running to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. California Today is planning occasional Q. and A. sessions with candidates for office, and we’re starting with Ms. Eastin.

Antonio Villaraigosa says he’s not a “partisan warrior,” but he’s ready to fight

CALmatters

If there’s one thing Democratic contender for governor Antonio Villaraigosa wants voters to know about him, it’s this: “I’m not afraid to take on tough issues.” In a conversation at CALmatters on a day when a new poll showed him dropping into third place, the former Los Angeles mayor talked education, health, fiscal policy—and how his views depart from the Democratic Party orthodoxy because he’s a “small d” Democrat.

In SF, Treasurer Chiang touts his fiscal savvy in his quest to be governor

SFGate

Democratic state Treasurer John Chiang has a little over 10 weeks before the June 5 primary to convince voters that the state needs a numbers guy as California’s next governor. “Fiscal policy is social policy,” he told a crowd at the University of San Francisco Thursday evening. “People care about money. We don’t want people homeless. We don’t want people starving.”

Some will say there are no easy answers in politics. Not Travis Allen.

CALmatters

California may face its share of thorny policy problems and political conflicts, but for Republican gubernatorial candidate Travis Allen, the solutions are actually “very simple.” That’s been one of the Huntington Beach Assemblyman’s favorite responses to policy questions on the campaign trail—an unofficial slogan verging on verbal tic.

The Former College Dropout Who Would Be Dianne Feinstein

Politico

For de León and his supporters, the convention marked a turning point not only in his quixotic campaign to unseat Feinstein, but also in a generational struggle among Democrats in the nation’s most populous state. For decades, Feinstein and her centrist brand of politics have appeared as immovable as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and California’s fourth-term governor, Jerry Brown.

Schwarzenegger and Kasich back Republicans looking for a ‘new way’ for California’s party

Los Angeles Times

A gymnasium in East Los Angeles is an odd setting for a Republican summit, but it offered the kind of symbolism former Assembly Republican leader Chad Mayes is seeking these days: For the GOP to stay relevant in California, it has to try something new.

Walters: Politicos can’t pick and choose on civil rights

CALmatters

California’s Democratic politicians frequently proclaim their fervent support for tolerance and acceptance of those outside the cultural mainstream. Increasingly, however, they exhibit intolerance of those who disagree with their party’s orthodoxy, even to the point of infringing on their constitutional rights.

California lawmakers hope to stymie ballot initiative that would hand taxpayers the bill for lead paint cleanup

Los Angeles Times

A group of state lawmakers announced legislation Thursday to fight a proposed November ballot measure that would allow three national paint companies to hand California taxpayers the bill for cleaning up hazardous lead paint in homes. The six bills, introduced by Democratic members of the Assembly from across the state, would add legal protections for homeowners with lead paint in their residences, increase the number of lead paint inspectors and make it easier to sue the companies, among other proposals.

Little Hoover Commission Elects New Chairman and Vice Chairman

Little Hoover Commission

On Thursday, March 22, 2018, the Little Hoover Commission unanimously re-elected Pedro Nava as chairman and unanimously re-elected Sean Varner as vice chairman. This will be Mr. Nava’s fifth consecutive year term as chair and Mr. Varner’s second year term as vice chair.

California campaign watchdog panel divided over proposed dramatic oversight changes

Los Angeles Times

At the request of California Gov. Jerry Brown, the state’s political watchdog panel on Thursday delayed action on a controversial plan that could transfer power from its full-time chairwoman to give other, part-time commissioners a greater say in key decisions.

Police shootings raise plenty of outcry. Why California lawmakers don’t act.

Sacramento Bee

In the waning days of the 2015 legislative session, activists staged a massive die-inat the California Capitol and crowded the halls outside Gov. Jerry Brown’s office, chanting for him to sign a bill that would require law enforcement to gather and report data on police stops.

Your pension questions answered

CALmatters

Thank you for reading! We received a lot of great questions and feedback from ourRetirement Debt explainer, an ongoing resource to highlight the fiscal challenges associated with the growing long-term debt of pensions and retiree health care for public employee workers throughout the state.

What to know about the housing bill that has people freaking out

CALmatters

Memes of a mild-mannered California legislator photoshopped as a Star Trek villain. A San Francisco supervisor suggesting the city should sue the state, to “thunderous applause.” Wealthy Marin County homeowners and South Los Angeles tenants’ rights groups working as political bedfellows. All inspired by a wonky state housing bill yet to receive a single vote—and faces tough odds of passing the Legislature.

Federal Politics:

White House confident Trump will sign omnibus despite veto threat

TheHill

White House officials are confident President Trump will sign the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill approved by Congress despite his surprise threat via Twitter to veto the bill. “I think we’ll be OK,” White House director of legislative affairs Marc Short told CNN.

● U.S. Congress approves $1.3-trillion spending bill, sends to Trump Reuters

● 15 important measures buried in the 2,000-page omnibus bill PBS NewsHour

● Senate Sends 2,232-Page Omnibus Spending Bill to Trump Roll Call

● Analysis: Omnibus Bill Signals Policy Areas Congress Will Punt On Roll Call

● Opinion: Congress’ Bush-League Omnibus Provision an Embarrassment Roll Call

● Medical Research, Drug Treatment And Mental Health Are Winners In New Budget Bill NPR

● Congress votes to expand deficit — and many in GOP are unhappy TheHillTrump threatens to veto omnibus bill because it does not address DACA recipients, fully fund border wall Washington Post

● Trump Threatens to Veto Omnibus over DACA and Border Wall Roll Call

‘Dreamers’ fix blocked in Senate

TheHill

“We have this 2000 page bill which addresses every subject imaginable, but doesn’t address the looming deadline that we face in America where [we’re] one court decision away from hundreds of thousands of young people being deported,” he said.

Judge allows questioning of ICE director in California suit

San Francisco Chronicle

A federal judge on Thursday granted California’s request to question the nation’s top immigration enforcer in a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration over California laws to protect immigrants in the country illegally. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall Newman ordered the administration to make U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Thomas Homan available for up to four hours of testimony no later than April 13.

Why Democrats won’t have a unified health care message in the midterms

Washington Post

It’s unclear how Democrats can leverage health care to their advantage on the campaign trail this year, even as Republicans face a difficult conundrum in how to talk about the issue with their repeal-replace message now deflated.

Opinion: Feinstein’s clout needed to address ADA lawsuits

Fresno Bee

When I opened my first business 29 years ago in Fresno, I carefully reviewed the multitude of rules and regulations governing my industry, and made sure to contact all relevant agencies to schedule the required inspections. There was a parade of inspectors from local entities such as Fresno’s fire and city planning departments, to state based regulators OSHA, health, and economic development departments.

Exclusive: Trump official quietly drops payday loan case, mulls others – sources

Reuters

The top cop for U.S. consumer finance has decided not to sue a payday loan collector and is weighing whether to drop cases against three payday lenders, said five people with direct knowledge of the matter. The move shows how Mick Mulvaney, named interim head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by U.S. President Donald Trump, is putting his mark on an agency conceived to stamp out abusive lending.

Other:

Beyond Gun Control, Student Marchers Aim to Upend Elections

The New York Times

On Saturday, Rebecca Schneid plans to pull on her sneakers, sling a camera over her shoulder and march down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington with thousands of other students demanding an end to the gun violence that has cut through so many American communities.

● Fresno schools locked down after suspect, possibly armed, runs on campusThe Fresno Bee

● March for Our Lives – list of venues March for our Lives

● Los Angeles – March 24th – Defend the 2nd Amendment (counter demonstration) Facebook Page

● Parkland survivors appear on Time magazine cover ahead of March for Our Lives ABC30

● Pitts: Parkland kids are rewriting the playbook Modesto Bee

● ‘We Should Have Been The Last’: Kentucky Shooting Survivors Inspired By Parkland NPR

● Parkland victim’s father: We will get gun reform in the U.S. PBS NewsHour

● Poll: Most U.S. Teachers Want Gun Control, Not Guns To Carry NPR

● AP-NORC Poll: Support soars for stricter gun control laws The Sacramento Bee

● How to Bring Facts into the Gun Policy Debate RAND

Fake news from Sinclair attacks real journalism

Modesto Bee

In these ginned-up, rashly opinionated times in the United Statesof America, with the press under fire, no citizen we know of is crying out for some new national voice criticizing those who bring us our news.

Russia, the NRA and Fake News

The Wall Street Journal

Washington in 2016 saw one of most audacious dirty tricks in political history: the Donald Trump-Russia collusion claim. Now it’s happening again—same partisans, same media; new conspiracy, new victims, including the National Rifle Association.

House Intel Republicans shoot down hearing with Zuckerberg (Nunes Chairs)

Politico

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee voted down a Democratic proposal to hold a hearing with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs, according to the panel’s ranking member, Adam Schiff. The Democratic effort came amid a firestorm over revelations that Trump-linked Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained information on some 50 million Facebook users.

See also:

● The Facebook Apology Tour The Weekly Standard

● Cambridge Analytica and Our Lives Inside the Surveillance Machine The New Yorker

● The Facebook scandal could change politics as well as the internet – Digital privacy Economist

● Comparing Facebook data use by Obama, Cambridge Analytica PolitiFact

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, March 25, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: Reducing Recidivism: Do Prisoner Rehabilitation Programs Actually Work? – Guest: Jonathan Peterson, California Legislative Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, March 25, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition “Project Rebound: Breaking the Cycle of Crime” – Guests: CSU Fresno Professor Emma Hughes, Project Rebound Director Jennifer Leahy, and Project Rebound Rebound Arnold Trevino. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, March 25, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy:Fresno Bridge Academy: a Model to replicate Statewide – Guests: Pete Weber, Fundador y Dir. Junta Directiva de Fresno Bridge Academy & Arasely Linares, Directora de Programas de Reading and Beyond. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

Support the Maddy Daily

HERE.

Thank you!

Topics in More Detail…

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Dairy farmers welcome rain, despite sloppy conditions

ABC30

Cows aren’t always content in wet weather. It can make for some sloppy conditions on dairy farms. But things are in order on Joey Airoso’s farm near Pixley. The last 24 hours have been especially wet here.

I’m a fourth-generation California farmer. My research is one reason to support UC

Sacramento Bee

I might be just the kind of person the state’s founders envisioned when on March 23, 1868 – 150 years ago Friday – they chartered the University of California. A fourth-generation California rice grower, I was able to go to a world-class university and pursue an advanced degree, thanks to California’s system of public higher education.

The Little Berry that Could: How Strawberries Contribute to the Vitality of Southern California’s Urban Economy

Fox and Hounds Daily

While urban and rural California may be miles apart geographically and politically, they could not be more interdependent economically. That’s what we found with a recent research project that determined nearly $3-billion of Southern California’s urban economy is directly linked to the state’s strawberry farming operations.

Everything you need to know about Bay Area asparagus season

San Francisco Chronicle

When it comes to asparagus, the name Zuckerman’s is beloved by Bay Area chefs and food lovers. Come spring, you’ll find it on the menus at many of our region’s finest restaurants, from Nopa to Saison.

Weed is legal. But this map shows just how much of California is a ‘pot desert’

Sacramento Bee

Three months into the rollout of commercial marijuana, residents in about 40 percent of the state have to drive 60 miles or more to find a licensed dispensary to buy legal marijuana. These areas can be considered “pot deserts,” borrowing from a term often applied to healthy food and grocery stores.

Uruguay’s cannabis law: Pioneering a new paradigm

Brookings

Uruguay is the first country to legalize and regulate its domestic non-medical cannabis market. In light of this pioneering role, the choices and experiences of Uruguayan authorities hold important lessons for other jurisdictions that may consider whether and how to regulate cannabis.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

For stories on ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – Other Politics,” above

Crime:

Local leaders come out in favor of initiative to crack down on repeat offenders

ABC30

Hate crimes rose the day after Trump was elected, FBI data show

Washington Post

Reported hate crimes with racial or ethnic bias jumped the day after President Trump won the 2016 election, from 10 to 27, according to an analysis of FBI hate crime statistics by The Washington Post. There were more reported hate crimes on Nov. 9 than any other day in 2016, and the daily number of such incidents exceeded the level on Election Day for the next 10 days.

Public Safety:

Worried about being on top of an earthquake fault? New California maps will let you know on a smartphone

Los Angeles Times

It’s now way easier to find out if you live in a California earthquake fault zone.The California Geological Survey has published an easy-to-use interactive map online — type in your address or share your location on your smartphone, and, voila, you’ll know if you stand in a fault zone.

Turlock police and fire confront an emergency: Their radios are not so good anymore

The Modesto Bee

Fire:

Northern California utility says it will turn the lights off when fire risk spikes

Sacramento Bee

PG&E has long resisted the idea of shutting off electrified power lines to prevent wildfires, saying the public safety risks of putting communities in the dark was too high. Until now. Stung by accusations that its power lines may have sparked last October’s disastrous wine country fires, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced Thursday it will begin switching off the juice during

periods of “extreme fire conditions.”

● It’s time to rethink wildfire — a disaster like hurricanes and tornadoes San Francisco Chronicles

Budget deal includes wildfire disaster fund to end borrowing

A spending bill slated for a vote in Congress includes a bipartisan plan to create a wildfire disaster fund to help combat increasingly severe wildfires that have devastated the West in recent years.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Trade war approaches: China plans tariffs on $3 billion of U.S. imports, retaliating against Trump

Los Angeles Times

China announced plans for reciprocal tariffs on $3 billion of imports from the U.S. — including wine and fruit, which are California specialties — after President Trump’s move to order levies on a variety of Chinese goods sent markets plunging.

● Trump Hits China With Stiff Trade Measures The New York Times

● Tariffs on China could spark a response, hitting agriculture, tech and aerospace in the US Los Angeles Times

● Trump’s China tariffs get bipartisan support, reflecting widespread U.S. disillusionment with Beijing Los Angeles Times

● Trump Country May Be Hit Hardest by Chinese Tariff Retaliation Bloomberg

● China Can’t Be Seen as Weak Against ‘Bully’ Trump, Stiglitz Says Bloomberg

● China responds to Trump tariffs with proposed list of US products to targetCNBC

● Responding to Trump, China Plans New Tariffs on U.S. Goods The New York Times

● Tariffs on China could spark a response, hitting agriculture, tech and aerospace in the U.S.

● Can the US actually win a trade war? Brookings

A helpful guide to trade terminology

Marketplace

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will impose tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminium in a move intended to protect domestic manufacturing. Below is a glossary of some common terms that have come up in the discussions and debates that followed the announcement

EDUCATION

K-12:

Clovis rejects plan for dual-language charter school

Fresno Bee

The Clovis Unified School District Board unanimously rejected a proposal Wednesday to establish an English-Punjabi charter school in the district.Supporters of the school, including members of the Punjabi community, made upmost of the audience at the March 21 meeting. Many wore stickers with the name of the school, “One and Only Academy,” and over a dozen speakers voiced their support for the petition.

As more than $1 billion in school construction projects begin, districts attempt to lure local contractors to work

Visalia Times-Delta

Afghan girls rejected again by Modesto City Schools. Is case headed for courtroom?

Modesto Bee

California has at best a C+ school budget system. Why not let kids do school finance?

Sacramento Bee

California education finances are an unholy mess – with incomprehensible budget formulas, equity funding that doesn’t produce equity, and cuts to schools even during the current economic expansion. And our state’s so-called education leaders refuse to fix the system. We should let the kids fix it instead.

Money matters in education, as long as you spend it at the right time and on the right students

Los Angeles Times

Half a century ago, when sociologist James Coleman was tasked by the U.S. Department of Education with studying educational inequality, a good school was regarded as one that featured teachers with advanced degrees, a well-stocked library, state-of-the-art science labs and the like.

Poll: Most U.S. Teachers Want Gun Control, Not Guns To Carry

NPR

Nearly three-fourths of U.S. teachers do not want to carry guns in school, and they overwhelmingly favor gun control measures over security steps meant to “harden” schools, according to a new Gallup poll.

California tops in suspension reform, but still not properly targeting disparities, report says

EdSource

California in recent years has arguably become the best state in the nation at holding school districts accountable for their suspension rates — but a number of districts are still lagging considerably when it comes to addressing suspension disparities among specific groups of students and supporting alternatives to traditional discipline, according to a new statewide report.

Higher Ed:

Court: California colleges have duty to protect students

Fresno Bee

Colleges in California have a responsibility to protect students from foreseeable acts of violence in the classroom and other settings connected to their studies and can be held liable for failing to do so, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a lawsuit by a UCLA student who was stabbed by a classmate.

I’m a fourth-generation California farmer. My research is one reason to support UC

Sacramento Bee

California bill aims to spur affordable housing for college students

San Jose Mercury News

Amid a torrent of state bills attempting to ease California’s housing crisis, a new proposal aims to help one group that is struggling mightily: college students.

Students rejected from a UC or CSU are leaving California in droves — and may never come back

89.3 KPCC

High school seniors across the state are waiting on news that will shape the rest of their lives. This month they find out whether they are among the thousands being admitted to the University of California or California State University. Both UCs and CSUs are struggling to find space for qualified residents at overcrowded campuses, and tens of thousands of eligible students will be turned away. If they leave the state for college, and don’t come back, it could be trouble for the state’s economy.

The University of California is 150 and tuition and enrollment are rising

OCRegister

The University of California system will be 150 years old on Friday, March 23. That’s the date in 1868 when Gov. Henry Haight signed the university’s charter. The system has become one of the world’s most-respected public school systems, but tuition hikes have been nearly four times the rate of inflation since the 1990s.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now nearly 4 times the size of California

San Francisco Chronicle

The giant mass of floating plastic that has imperiled birds and wildlife between San Francisco and Hawaii contains 1.8 trillion pieces of trash covering an area nearly four times the size of California — significantly bigger than previously thought — and it is growing, a study published Thursday concluded.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Single-payer health care: what Californians need to know

CALmatters

The concept of universal health care has gained steam in recent years because of skyrocketing medical costs and the idea that health care is a right for all. In California, the debate over one type of universal care, known as a single-payer system, has continued after a failed effort in the Legislature to pass such a plan last year, largely due to its expense and a lack of specifics about how it would work.

Priority: Boosting Denti-Cal reimbursements

Capitol Weekly

Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature strengthened California’s commitment to low income working families by investing $140 million of Proposition 56 tobacco tax revenue to support access to critical dental care for more than 13 million Medi-Cal children and seniors.

Battery Blood: How California Health Agencies Failed Exide Workers

KQED

For nearly a century a hulking industrial plant near downtown Los Angeles melted down car batteries to reclaim their lead. The facility, most recently owned by Exide Technologies, was shut down in 2015 in a deal the company made with the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid criminal prosecution for polluting nearby residential communities.

Rethinking Medicare

National Affairs

Proposals to reform Medicare have tended to focus on improving the program’s operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The goal of these reforms has not been to change how Medicare works in any fundamental way but to make adjustments within the program’s existing structure to facilitate the provision of higher-quality and lower-cost medical services.

Poll: Both parties need to do more on drug prices

TheHill

A majority of voters thinks that both parties need to do more to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, according to a poll released early Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. An overwhelming majority, 80 percent, said prescription drug costs are unreasonable, and about half said passing legislation to bring down prescription costs should be a “top priority” for President Trump and Congress.

IMMIGRATION

Afghan girls rejected again by Modesto City Schools. Is case headed for courtroom?

Modesto Bee

CA Senators call for investigation into resignation of SF ICE spokesman

The Mercury News

California’s U.S senators and other Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the resignation of former Bay Area ICE spokesman James Schwab, who abruptly left his post earlier this month over false statements he said the agency made.

More OC cities, supervisors may be leaning against state ‘sanctuary’ laws

Los Angeles Times

Los Alamitos was the first government agency in Orange County to fire a salvo against California’s so-called sanctuary laws, which aim to shield immigrants here illegally from deportation, but it might not be the last. Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Allan Mansoor — who in 2010 spearheaded a City Council action to declare Costa Mesa a “rule-of-law city when it comes to support for upholding immigration laws” — said he’s open to looking at ways to work more closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

‘Dreamers’ fix blocked in Senate

TheHill

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Travel center in Madera County foothills opens

ABC30

The Chukchansi Crossing Fuel Station and Travel Center is now open to drivers. It sits downhill from the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, right off Highway 41. The travel station has 18 fuel pumps and includes the Willow Glen Smoke Shop.

Fresno City Council debates Producers parking project

The Fresno Bee

After outcry from residents and activists, the Fresno City Council voted Thursday to let the mayor work with Producers Dairy and find a site to park refrigerated trailers and trucks, rather than allow the business to demolish two historic buildings and add parking and truck activity in a residential neighborhood.

Fresno Council’s Chavez targets Ventura corridor for incentives

The Business Journal

Train buffs will fight Sacramento bike trail plan that would remove old tracks

Sacramento Bee

Train advocates say the city better buckle up for a fight over its plans to build a bike and walking trail in an old rail corridor that stretches through South Land Park. Former Sacramento Kings co-owner Gregg Lukenbill, a member of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, says his group and others will contest any city effort to rip out train tracks in order to make room for a planned 4.5-mile recreational trail.

Housing:

Fresno housing market is booming

ABC30

California bill aims to spur affordable housing for college students

San Jose Mercury News

Amid a torrent of state bills attempting to ease California’s housing crisis, a new proposal aims to help one group that is struggling mightily: college students.

California eviction law is pushing working families out of their neighborhoods or worse — onto the streets

Los Angeles Times

Every weekday, poor people in Los Angeles are herded by the dozens into a downtown courtroom so they can be evicted. The process goes something like this: A judge calls the day’s roster of cases, and landlord and tenant attorneys start haggling over how much time and money it will take to move the tenant out. When horse-trading and judicial pressure don’t convince the tenant to leave his home, the case goes to trial. If the landlord wins, the tenant is evicted. If the tenant wins, the landlord can wait a few days, sue again and haul the tenant back into court. If the tenant wins a second time, the landlord can again wait a few days and restart the process. In other words, sooner or later, the landlord almost always wins.

What to know about the housing bill that has people freaking out

CALmatters

Who was California’s best governor for housing?

OCRegister

Who was California’s best governor for housing supply? To be fair, political leaders should never get all the credit, or blame, for any economic pattern — good, bad or indifferent. Everything from the power structure of the state legislature to national and global business trends is a factor in any California financial metric, too. But the buck does stop at the boss’s desk, so I wondered what my trusty spreadsheet might tell me about the past half-century.

Politifact CA: TRUE: California ranks 49th in per capita housing supply

Politifact CA

Runaway rents and out-of-reach home prices typify California’s housing landscape. To ease extreme costs, there are politicians who say they’re increasingly focused on boosting supply. Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is one.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Your pension questions answered

CALmatters

We received a lot of great questions and feedback from our Retirement Debt explainer, an ongoing resource to highlight the fiscal challenges associated with the growing long-term debt of pensions and retiree health care for public employee workers throughout the state. We understand it’s a politically sensitive topic, and we aim to be a useful resource for the public. Below we answer a handful of the questions you submitted.

TRANSPORTATION

KCAG presents scenarios for transportation plan

Hanford Sentinel

A representative of the Kings County Association of Governments gave a presentation at Lemoore’s and Hanford’s study sessions Tuesday about the different scenarios available for the regional transportation plan.

The promise of smart transportation networks

Brookings

According to UNICEF, 70 percent of people around the world will live in cities by the year 2050. As cities grow in density, they will increasingly suffer from vehicular congestion, poor urban planning, and insufficient highway designs—all of which contribute to accidents, unnecessary time and money spent commuting, and lost productivity and economic growth. However, recent advancements in technology could offset these consequences and change the way we travel.

WATER

Fresno State appoints Esqueda to lead Water and Sustainability

Fresno State News

In its quest to solidify its reputation as a national leader in applied research on water, Fresno State has appointed Thomas C. Esqueda as its first associate vice president in Water and Sustainability. Esqueda is a native of the Central Valley. “Thomas Esqueda brings a wealth of water experience in private industries, local and state government and higher education,” said Fresno State Provost Lynnette Zelezny.

How ‘Miracle March’ is going to make Oakdale Irrigation District $10 million richer

Modesto Bee

The Oakdale Irrigation District will sell up to $10 million worth of river water to outside buyers this year, board members decided this week on a 3-2 vote. Board members Linda Santos and Gail Altieri dissented because OID hasn’t studied how shipping water elsewhere might affect the local groundwater table. They were outvoted by Herman Doornenbal, Brad DeBoer and Tom Orvis, who noted that such studies are not required when one-time water releases also benefit migrating fish, helping propel them toward the ocean.

California water policies ignore hard truths

The San Diego Union-Tribune

Every brief rain brings hope that California is not slipping back into drought. And local water officials assure us that we have enough water to get us through the year, even if the drought resumes. They point to state and local reservoirs filled to their historic averages or more, a deal to access water from the Imperial Valley and added supply from a new desalination plant in Carlsbad.

One Year In, A New State Policymaker Assesses the Salton Sea, Federal Relations and California’s Thorny Water Issues

Water Education Foundation

Joaquin Esquivel learned that life is what happens when you make plans. Esquivel, who holds the public member slot at the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento, had just closed purchase on a house in Washington D.C. with his partner when he was tapped by Gov. Jerry Brown a year ago to fill the Board vacancy.

World Water Day through a California Lens

Public Policy Institute of California

Happy World Water Day―a day that brings attention and, hopefully, action to some of the world’s most pressing water challenges. This year’s theme is “exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.” It’s a concept that shows the deep linkages among many water problems—and the need to tackle these problems jointly.

“Xtra”

Blind and visually impaired hunt audible Easter eggs at Bakersfield Police Activities League

The Bakersfield Californian

Angeline Garcia, 8, bounced up and down as she talked about the Third Annual Audible Easter Egg hunt at the Bakersfield Police Activities League on Thursday. Rain pelted down outside, but inside the PAL gym 14 children and their families were treated to a traditional celebration in a special way.

Take me home! Dogs available for adoption

Bakersfield Californian

These four dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?

Worth Noting: Bach in the Subways coming to Amtrak station

Bakersfield Californian

If you’re at the Bakersfield Amtrak station this Sunday and you hear classical music, you’re not imagining things. Local nonprofit organization Music of Bakersfield is participating in an international effort called Bach in the Subways. In honor of Johann Sebastian Bach’s birthday on March 25, musicians will be performing selections of his music in subways, parks and other public places.

Valley Cultural Calendar

Valley Cultural Coalition

Great things are happening in the Valley. Here’s a list of VCC member offerings to keep you busy and entertained!

EDITORIALS

As Jerry Brown’s most powerful adviser, Nancy McFadden shaped California and the world

Sacramento Bee

Our world and the way we view it don’t just happen. There are people behind our government, our laws, our priorities. Nancy McFadden, who died Thursday night at age 59, was one of those people, and one of the good ones. You will be forgiven if you don’t know her name; a gifted political and policy adviser for most of her adult life, she rarely emerged from the background.

Are driverless cars safe enough to be on the road? No one knows. That’s a big problem

Los Angeles Times

Driverless cars offer a future with fewer deaths on the roadways. Today, roughly nine out of 10 car crashes are caused by human error; autonomous vehicles, with their sensors, radars and undistractable computer-driven system, should be much safer. That is, they should be much safer eventually.

Trump ups the ante by $60 billion in his doomed trade war with China

Los Angeles Times

President Trump was evidently just warming up when he ordered global tariffs on steel, aluminum, solar panels and washing machines in recent weeks. The main event came Thursday, when the president announced plans to impose up to $60 billion in tariffs on China. This time, the president is focused on the right problems: China’s abuse of U.S. companies that do business there, its pursuit of technology developed here, and its support for hackers who steal trade secrets online.

Spending bill passes for progress

San Francisco Chronicle

Barring a Senate roadblock, Congress’ omnibus spending bill will, like its namesake vehicle, get us to the next stop with limited excitement or time to spare. In an era of dead-end populism and partisan gridlock, however, getting somewhere does pass for progress

Facebook data privacy protections need everyone’s attention now

San Diego Union-Tribune

Like many movements, the modern consumer protection movement in the United States has its roots in the 1960s. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proposed what he called the Consumer Bill of Rights: the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose and the right to be heard in government decision-making. Some of Kennedy’s ideas made it into law and affect consumer regulations to this day. But the consumer protection debate was broadly reframed in 1965 by crusading trial lawyer Ralph Nader. He argued that there was an ominous imbalance of power between influential corporations — safety-resistant General Motors was then his main target — and individual Americans without the same access as big business to information, resources, regulators and elected leaders.

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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.

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