POLICY & POLITICS
CNBC
California’s Central Valley continues to grow in population even though it
suffers some of the highest unemployment in the state. The state’s new
Democratic governor is pushing economic development in the agriculturally
dominated region, but a newly issued report from a think tank isn’t very
encouraging.
North SJ Valley:
Here’s when the new Stanislaus Superior Courthouse could open in downtown Modesto
Modesto Bee
The new Stanislaus Superior Courthouse in downtown Modesto could be completed and ready for use four years from now, and officials don’t anticipate any delays. The project is in the architectural design-working drawings phase, according to the Judicial Council of California.
Central SJ Valley:
Assemblyman Arambula’s defense in child abuse trial: He’s loving, doting, mild-mannered
Fresno Bee
Fresno Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, who is on trial for misdemeanor child abuse, was portrayed by several witnesses on Friday as a loving, doting and caring father who is doing his best to handle a strong-willed child.
See also:
● Joaquin Arambula trial: Brother-in-law takes stand, calls him ‘phenomenal father’ abc30
● Spanking is brutal, harmful and ineffective. Why is it still legal? Merced Sun-Star
Mayor Says Clovis Should be No. 1 City for Medical Care
GVWire
Citing examples such as the dramatic expansion of Clovis Community Medical Center, the city’s mayor said he wants to turn his community into the Valley’s “medical care destination.”
Are tiny homes the answer for affordable housing? Clovis is giving it a try
Fresno Bee
The program was launched in Old Town in 2017 to address affordable housing needs. Since then 10 cottages have been built and another one currently is under construction.
See also:
● What’s It Like to Live in Northern California’s First Tiny-Home Community? The Bold Italic
210 Connect: Your guide to PBIS told by those on the front lines
Visalia Times Delta
Visalia schools are in crisis. That’s been the tagline for more than a month now after a myriad of complaints around the district’s behavior policy.
VUSD: Crabtree says no ‘sweeping changes,’ Guerrero says ‘resignation was imminent’
Visalia Times Delta
The board members have stressed the decision to accept outgoing Superintendent Todd Oto’s resignation was mutual. It wasn’t. The board wanted to go another direction. Oto resigned because he had to.
South SJ Valley:
Bakersfield City Council considers ‘historic’ budget in first year of sales tax increase
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield officials have presented what they say is a ‘historic’ budget to the city council. For the first time since the Great Recession, officials say the city will be able to expand services offered to the community rather than just scraping by as costs have increased.
Kings County unemployment rate at 10.3%, employment increases year-over-year
Hanford Sentinel
Kings County closed out the first quarter of the year with a 10.3% unemployment rate, the California Employment Development Department reported recently.
State:
Governor, lawmakers share budget goals but details differ
Bakersfield Californian
California Gov. Gavin Newsom heaped praise on legislators as he revealed his updated $213 billion budget last week. The Democrat who is five months into the job applauded Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s focus on universal preschool.
Gavin Newsom wants to fix California’s housing crisis. So what are his options?
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom says California’s housing affordability crisis is so severe that he wants a bit of everything to solve it. That means seeding construction for millions of new residences, opening the door to a new rent control law and finding ways to protect low-income families from eviction.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: California’s extreme housing crisis calls for extreme measures. That includes SB 50 Los Angeles Times
California on track to lose at least one congressional seat after 2020 Census
Sacramento Bee
California’s population is growing more slowly than expected, making it increasingly likely it will lose at least one congressional seat in 2020 — and maybe more.
Walters: Demography is California’s destiny
Sacramento Bee
Who first declared that “demography is destiny” is uncertain, but that doesn’t detract from the aphorism’s validity—and what’s happening in California right now proves it.
Skelton: Some guys have all the luck. Just ask California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Los Angeles Times
Winning politics often turns on luck. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you’re already ahead of the game. That’s where lucky Gov. Gavin Newsom is now. No California governor in 44 years has begun presiding over the state at a better time.
Federal:
White House wants to update poverty thresholds. It could affect food stamps and Medicaid benefits
Roll Call
The White House Budget Office is considering its first update to inflation adjustment guidelines for poverty thresholds since 1978, with potential consequences for benefit programs serving low-income households.
Suddenly, conservative lawyers are condemning Trump for abuses of power
Los Angeles Times
Washington seems to be barreling toward a constitutional crisis. Democrats are barraging President Trump with demands for witnesses and documents. Trump has answered by stonewalling, vowing to fight “all the subpoenas.”
More women in Congress could be a good thing for family leave legislation
Los Angeles Times
The United States is the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee all workers paid parental leave. Lithuania, for example, offers parents a year of paid leave. And Finland sends new parents gift boxes with onesies and diapers.
Elections 2020:
White House hopefuls swarm rival’s home turf of California
Fresno Bee
The Democrats who want to be president are swarming California, competing for campaign cash and media attention while courting longtime allies of home-state Sen. Kamala Harris on their rival’s own turf.
See Also:
● Pete Buttigieg goes to Hollywood in latest presidential bid plot twist abc30
● Buttigieg sells out fundraiser at the Abbey Los Angeles Times
● LGBT voters in California have favorites: Harris and Buttigieg San Francisco Chronicle
● Kamala Harris says black press more important now than ever San Francisco Chronicle
● Kamala Harris says voter suppression kept Stacey Abrams, Andrew Gillum out of office. Really? PolitiFact
2020 candidates reflect on their moms for Mother’s Day
abc30
The 2020 presidential candidates took time on the trail they’re taking to reflect on the women who helped raise them and inspired them to seek higher office.
Furors around Trump don’t change many minds, but one group has shifted
Los Angeles Times
After a week packed with talk of constitutional crises, trade brinksmanship and foreign confrontations, let’s pause to ask whether the high-decibel headlines have changed any voters’ minds. The short answer: not many, but an important few.
What Do Native Americans Want From a President?
Washington Post Magazine
A gaggle of wannabe presidents crisscrosses the land, and some of them venture into Indian Country. For a little while, at least until the polls close, the future most-powerful-person-on-Earth may need Native Americans more than they need her or him.
Other:
John Paul Stevens looks back on nearly a century of life and law, but worries about the future
Washington Post
Heller and the Second Amendment, Stevens said in the interview, produce “such disastrous practical effects. I think there’s no need for all the guns we have in the country and if I could get rid of one thing it would be to get rid of that whole gun climate.”
Descendants Honor Chinese Workers On Transcontinental Railroad’s 150th Year
Capital Public Radio
A group of descendants of Chinese workers who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad are pushing to have their ancestors honored as the railroad marks the 150th anniversary of its completion on May 10, 2019.
New York Times
But the ceremony also marked the latest, and one of the most joyous, of the not-so-subtle ways in which the West Coast continues to live free and prosper under a president doing everything he can to hurt the 51 million Americans in the three lower-48 states that hug the Pacific shore.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Wow! Almond crop is expected to break records despite cold, rainy weather
Modesto Bee
The almond harvest will hit a record 2.5 billion pounds in California this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected Friday.
Hot Off The Grille: Is California Ready To Legalize Roadkill Cuisine?
Capital Public Radio
An advancing bill in California would legalize the “salvaging” or roadkill. Proponents promise safer roads, protected animals and less food waste. But will Californians stomach it?
Frustration Mounts Among Farmers as China Trade Talks Break Down
New York Times
The year was already shaping up to be difficult for Midwestern farmers. Incomes have slipped, farm bankruptcies have increased and widespread flooding has inundated the region, killing cattle and turning some fields into unplowable pits.
President Trump Says U.S. Will Buy American Farmers’ Crops to Offset China Trade Losses
Time
President Donald Trump said that the U.S. will boost its purchases of domestic farm products for humanitarian aid in an effort to offset lost demand from China as trade tensions flare between the nations.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Brawl at River Park leaves man unconscious. Many question shopping area’s safety
Fresno Bee
Is River Park becoming unsafe? That’s the question many wondered on social media after a brawl broke out a couple of weekends ago in front of the Regal Edwards Theater at the popular northeast Fresno shopping center.
SNAP, with its fiery brand of victim advocacy and support, has critics and controversy
Bakersfield Californian
Members of a nationwide group that advocate for victims of clergy sex abuse stood on a patch of a sidewalk Tuesday in front of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. This was, for many, an introduction to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, as the group is known.
SJ Collaborative Courts give hundreds of grads a new chance at a better life
Stockton Record
More than 350 graduates were there in cap and gown Thursday afternoon, each with a unique story to share of how they wrestled themselves free from the grips of alcohol and drug addiction.
A Capitol Crime: How a 16-year-Old Murder Reached California’s Highest Offices
Capital Public Radio
Gov. Jerry Brown’s grant of clemency to the brother-in-law of Speaker Anthony Rendon underscores not just Brown’s thinking, but California’s evolution on crime and punishment.
Pot smuggling arrests at LAX have surged 166% since marijuana legalization
Los Angeles Times
More smugglers are taking to the friendly skies in an effort to escape California’s glutted cannabis market, authorities and experts say.
EDITORIAL: A proper end to the tragic case of death-row inmate Douglas Stankewitz
Fresno Bee
The longest-serving death row inmate in California, Douglas Stankewitz, saw his extensive appeals end not with a bang, but with a smirk.
EDITORIAL: Jail is no place for mothers, or mothers-to-be
Los Angeles Times
The U.S. has approximately a quarter of a million women in jail and prison on any given day. More than half are mothers; many are pregnant. We can only hope that wardens and sheriffs generally offer them better care than Jackson got in Broward County; and yet, how is jail ever a good place to give birth?
Public Safety:
‘A black eye’ for Atwater police. Drugs, money missing from evidence room, audit says
Fresno Bee
The Atwater evidence locker until recently was maintained “sub-par at best” without any consistency, proper oversight and included a space at a mini-storage without an alarm, according to a state Department of Justice report made public on Thursday.
Community honors fallen law enforcement officers
Madera Tribune
Residents, families of the fallen and uniformed officers from all departments across Madera County gathered at the 12th annual Law Enforcement Memorial event on Tuesday to honor and commemorate the officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty, serving Madera since 1919.
Want to prevent gun violence in hard-hit communities? Invest in peace
Sacramento Bee
Programs like the one I run can reduce gun violence in our communities, but the state has failed to sufficiently invest in these programs. California has strong gun laws, but we must do more to combat gun violence in our cities.
See also:
● America’s Failure to Protect Its Children from School Shootings Is a National Disgrace The New Yorker
● 2018 has been deadlier for schoolchildren than deployed service members Washington Post
● OPINION: Students who charge shooters are heroes. It’s shameful they’re martyrs, too. Washington Post
How You (And Your Dog) Can Avoid Snake Bites — And What To Do If You Get Bitten
Capital Public Radio
It was a warm, wet winter this year across much of the U.S., which means more snakes and a higher risk of bites. Here are some tips for avoiding vipers and their venom.
Fire:
Tulare company under fire for Tubbs Fire rebuilds
abc30
South Valley construction company is feeling the heat. Complaints are mounting against Tulare’s Chiaramonte Construction and Plumbing, related to their efforts to rebuild in areas hit hardest by the Tubbs Fire a year and a half ago.
Oakdale is ending contract with Stanislaus Consolidated. What’s next for fire service?
Modesto Bee
The city of Oakdale is cutting ties with Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District. And less than two months remain on a service agreement between the fire protection agency and Oakdale’s rural fire district.
Only one California Republican defied Trump on disaster bill. He represents Paradise
Sacramento Bee
Rep. Doug La Malfa of Oroville was the only California Republican to defy President Donald Trump and vote for House Democrats’ disaster aid bill on Friday.
‘Absurd’ delay in Paradise: Endangered frog species blocking Camp Fire cleanup
Sacramento Bee
Environmental concerns, including fear of harming sensitive frog species, have forced Camp Fire crews to back away from cleaning some properties in the Paradise area.
See also:
● Endangered Frogs Delay Fire Cleanup In Paradise Capital Public Radio
Are You Prepared To Evacuate And Care For Your Animals?
Sierra News
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared May 11 as National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. This declaration stresses the importance of making advance plans to protect your pets if disaster strikes.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Dow plunges nearly 600 points as investors fear escalating trade war threatens economy
Washington Post
U.S. markets plunged Monday as China said it would raise steep tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods, raising the stakes of a trade war that threatens to imperil the global economy.
See Also:
● Trump threatens China over trade talks, contradicts top adviser on tariffs’ effect at home Roll Call
● Trump’s trade approach under attack as China retaliates on tariffs; markets open with big sell-off Washington Post
● U.S. Stocks Fall on Renewed Trade Anxiety Wall Street Journal
● OPINION: America’s Abusive Trade Practices Wall Street Journal
● AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s fog of misinformation on trade AP
U.S. and China break off talks without deal to end widening trade war
Los Angeles Times
With fresh tariffs in place and President Trump insisting he’s in no hurry for a trade deal, top U.S. and Chinese officials ended talks Friday in Washington without reaching an agreement or providing word on when they will continue negotiations.
Is breaking up Facebook the best option?
Brookings
In this episode, former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler reacts to Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes’ op-ed calling for the breakup of Facebook and recommends a broad set of tools beyond just anti-trust regulation to break open Facebook’s monopolization of information and ensure an open and competitive digital marketplace.
Yes, corporate tax cuts can raise wages. Here’s how.
Brookings
When congressional Republicans and the Trump administration pushed for their tax cuts in 2017, they promised American workers that slashing the corporate tax rate would raise their wages.
security and opportunities for Californians, while also fostering the state’s fiscal health.
OPINION: The Federal Reserve Is Flying Blind on Inflation
Wall Street Journal
I never bought into the “Maestro” description of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Mostly because of, well, lowering interest rates in the early 2000s to chase the ghost of deflation and then not raising them fast enough to stave off the mortgage mania, which led to the financial crisis and Great Recession.
Online retail reshapes U.S. shopping habits
Bakersfield Californian
There are profound changes in the way U.S. consumers shop. Many still favor shopping centers, and yet increasingly — some say inevitably — society is turning to e-commerce.
Jobs:
Good jobs and protecting the environment don’t have to be mutually exclusive
Fresno Bee
California Influencers this week answered the question: How can California create jobs without damaging the environment? Here are the Influencers’ answers in their entirety.
Schnur: Can California both create new jobs and protect the environment? The short answer is yes
Sacramento Bee
When making the case for clean energy jobs, Karen Skelton talked about polar bears
Co-working spaces: Not just for start-up bros anymore
Los Angeles Times
Co-working offices emerged a decade ago as offbeat, bare-boned affairs that served start-ups and the self-employed of the emerging gig economy. But now their appeal has broadened even to mainstream companies looking for the flexibility to ramp up or wind down operations.
Talking about fertility in the office is no longer taboo
San Francisco Chronicle
A growing number of women, especially in tech, are discussing family planning in the workplace — even while they are applying for jobs.
EDITORIAL: How Uber, Lyft accelerated into a traffic jam
San Francisco Chronicle
Their reliance on gig work, a staple of Silicon Valley’s success, is one source of strain. It was evidenced by Wednesday’s strike by Uber and Lyft drivers, including a demonstration in front of the former’s Market Street headquarters.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Washington Post
California’s Board of Education is revamping the guidance it gives for teaching sex education from kindergarten through high school in public schools. Even though the guidance is not mandatory, religious conservatives fought it all the way and said the subject should be taught at home.
Myers: California’s education funding is at a record high. So why are schools short on cash?
Los Angeles Times
There may be no greater paradox in California government these days than the fiscal health of the state’s public schools. Education funding is almost certain to hit a record high when a new state budget is enacted next month, and yet local school districts are hitting the panic button when it comes to their finances.
The teacher’s union spins, the mind reels. And the budget crisis still looms.
Sacramento Bee
The teachers not only got the raises they wanted in a labor deal, they got more. They have the most generous health care coverage of any teachers in the region by a wide margin. And the other disputes they have with the district could be solved with cooperative bargaining.
210 Connect: Your guide to PBIS told by those on the front lines
Visalia Times Delta
Visalia schools are in crisis. That’s been the tagline for more than a month now after a myriad of complaints around the district’s behavior policy.
VUSD: Crabtree says no ‘sweeping changes,’ Guerrero says ‘resignation was imminent’
Visalia Times Delta
The board members have stressed the decision to accept outgoing Superintendent Todd Oto’s resignation was mutual. It wasn’t. The board wanted to go another direction. Oto resigned because he had to.
Small act of kindness blossoms into huge west-side community event
Fresno Bee
It started as a simple gesture: Clovis North High School student Freddy Flores wanted to help western Fresno County children who live in a community hit hard by drought and economic challenges.
Drum circles for PE: It’s happening in some Fresno elementary schools – and helping
Fresno Bee
This drumming has been introduced at five Fresno Unified School District elementary schools – Homan, Heaton, Kirk, Olmes and Winchell – as part of meeting physical education requirements, which includes social and emotional development.
Top administrator in Merced County will take over as principal of Buhach Colony High
Merced Sun-Star
One of the top administrators in Merced County is taking over leadership at Buhach Colony High School in Atwater, according to the Merced Union High School District.
PEAAK Awards to honor best in activities, athletics across KHSD
Bakersfield Californian
Get the red carpet rolled out and awards shiny: it’s time for the ninth annual Kern High School District’s PEAAK Awards.
Want to prevent gun violence in hard-hit communities? Invest in peace
Sacramento Bee
Programs like Advance Peace can reduce gun violence in our communities, but the state has failed to sufficiently invest in these programs. California has strong gun laws, but we must do more to combat gun violence in our cities.
OPINION: Do Charter Schools Replicate?
Wall Street Journal
One critique of charter schools is that while a few energetic principals show success, it’s impossible to replicate. Not so, says a new study of Boston’s charters, which doubled from 16 schools to 32 in four years, even as they maintained their effectiveness.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State: A vision to become the ‘go to’ university for ag research
Fresno State Campus News
At IFA, Pheasant focuses on applied research opportunities specifically within agribusiness, food science and nutrition, animal science, ag education, child and family studies and entomology.
You can now earn a University of California MBA from home: UC Davis launches online program
Fresno Bee
UC Davis is expanding its nationally ranked business school to include an online-only MBA program, making it easier for working professionals or other nontraditional students to earn a degree.
Delta College trustees vote to open resource center for undocumented students
Stockton Record
It was an emotional win on Tuesday for many students and faculty at San Joaquin Delta College as the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to establish a dedicated resource center for undocumented students.
How to decipher those college financial aid offers
Los Angeles Times
With college acceptances in hand, now comes the hard part: understanding your financial aid offers. These letters are notorious for being laden with jargon that differs from offer to offer, making comparison difficult.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Schnur: Can California both create new jobs and protect the environment? The short answer is yes
Sacramento Bee
When making the case for clean energy jobs, Karen Skelton talked about polar bears.
Environmentalists want 1% charge on restaurant bills. Restaurants have reservations
Sacramento Bee
The voluntary program has attracted national media attention and caught the eye of several restauranteurs in Sacramento, including Mulvaney’s B&L co-owner Patrick Mulvaney. He is intrigued by the idea but not yet convinced.
Trump drags feet on climate treaty, and Republicans aren’t happy
Roll Call
When representatives of the world’s largest nations gathered in 2016 in the Rwanda capital city of Kigali, they agreed nearly unanimously to limit the gases, which are far worse for the climate than carbon dioxide but dissipate faster.
U.S. Pressure Blocks Declaration on Climate Change at Arctic Talks
New York Times
Under pressure from the United States, the Arctic Council issued a short joint statement on Tuesday that excluded any mention of climate change.
Energy:
California May Go Dark This Summer, and Most Aren’t Ready
Bloomberg
The plan by PG&E Corp. comes after the bankrupt utility said a transmission line that snapped in windy weather probably started last year’s Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end one problem, it creates another as Californians seek ways to deal with what some fear could be days and days of blackouts.
Trump administration moves closer to increasing oil and gas drilling in California
abc30
The plan is to sell oil and gas leases on more than 725,000 acres of federal land across 11 counties – including western Fresno and Merced counties.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Hollywood deaths bring strokes into focus. What are the numbers in Fresno County?
Fresno Bee
The recent deaths of two well-known and relatively young Hollywood celebrities have placed stroke in the spotlight, and Fresno is at the center of the deadly disease.Data from the California Department of Public Health shows Fresno County has one of the highest stroke death rates out of the state’s 58 counties.
California’s tightened rules pay off against measles
Sacramento Bee
California declared war on the disease. Legislators barred parents from opting out of vaccines due to their personal beliefs. The state cracked down on schools with low immunization rates and even took on one of the doctors most popular among anti-vaccine parents in California.
Measles cases have cost California counties more than $400,000 this year
Los Angeles Times
The figure reported Friday represents a fraction of the true cost because it does not include all of this year’s cases or the health expenses that patients may have incurred seeking medical treatment, officials said.
See Also:
● California counties have spent more than $400K tackling measles cases this year Sacramento Bee
States seek explicit patient consent for pelvic exams
Fresno Bee
Lawmakers in a number of states now want to eliminate any question about patient consent. Bills introduced in roughly a dozen states this year would require that women undergoing gynecological surgeries give explicit approval to a pelvic exam beforehand.
Human Services:
Gavin Newsom’s health care budget has more help for Covered California, less for undocumented
Sacramento Bee
The revised state budget Gov. Gavin Newsom released this week includes more subsidies for Covered California enrollees but doesn’t expand Medi-Cal to all undocumented adults as some lawmakers have pressed him to do.
Transplants A Cheaper, Better Option For Undocumented Immigrants With Kidney Failure
Capital Public Radio
Across the country, there are about 6,500 undocumented immigrants with kidney failure, according to the National Institutes of Health. What kind of care they get depends on where they live.
Across the US, rural hospitals struggle to stay open
Stockton Record
More than 100 of the country’s remote hospitals have gone broke and then closed in the past decade, turning some of the most impoverished parts of the United States into what experts now call “health-hazard zones.”
Conservative states enact abortion bans in hope of overturning Roe vs. Wade
Los Angeles Times
Emboldened by the rightward tilt of the U.S. Supreme Court, states are passing more severe restrictions and near-total bans in a deliberate attempt to trigger a lawsuit that could push the Supreme Court to overturn its landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.
This Mother’s Day Let’s Make Sure All Mothers Have a Chance to Celebrate
California Budget & Policy Center
In 2015, the United States had the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country. This is despite the fact that women in the US pay top dollar for maternity care compared to women in other countries.
Road ahead: House health care week again, as Senate tackles contentious nominations
Roll Call
It’s health care week, part two, in the House as the chamber will vote on a package of seven bills designed to strengthen the 2010 law and lower prescription drug prices — after passing a measure last week that Democrats said would protect people with pre-existing conditions.
OPINION: This New Democratic Plan Would Ban Private Medicine
Wall Street Journal
A few months ago, Sen. Kamala Harris raised eyebrows when she nonchalantly proclaimed her desire to abolish private health insurance: “Let’s move on.” Today, Ms. Harris’s quip seems quaint. The latest liberal policy idea would effectively end all private health care for many Americans.
IMMIGRATION
Newsom alters plan to divert public health dollars to cover unauthorized immigrants
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration Friday reversed course on his plan to divert public health dollars from several California counties to help provide health coverage to young adults who are in the country illegally.
Pentagon will shift $1.5 billion to help fund Trump’s border wall
Stockton Record
The reprogramming comes in addition to $1 billion the Pentagon pulled out of Army manpower accounts in March that allowed the administration to build another 80 miles of wall on the southern border.
Immigrant children in US custody soaring to record levels
San Francisco Chronicle
The number of undocumented immigrant children in U.S. custody is reaching breaking-point levels again, months after the Trump administration had reduced the total in shelters in response to anger over policies that kept children there.
See also:
· Wait Times for Migrant Children in U.S. Custody Spiked in Recent Years, Records Show KQED
· HUD says 55,000 children could be displaced under Trump plan to evict undocumented immigrants Washington Post
AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s misleading rhetoric on immigrants
AP
At a Wisconsin
rally , he suggested he’s launched his plan
to transport immigrants in the U.S. illegally to sanctuary cities in mass
numbers — “my sick idea,” as he proudly called it. There’s no evidence that’s
happening.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Planning Commission to talk zoning changes
Hanford Sentinel
The Hanford Planning Commission, which advises on the city’s physical development and zoning, will have a continuation Tuesday of a public hearing it started at its last regular meeting on April 23.
State parks standstill: Why California hasn’t opened a new state park in 10 years
San Jose Mercury
Despite growing population and development pressure, California’s state parks department has stopped adding new beaches, forests and historic sites.
Housing:
Are tiny homes the answer for affordable housing? Clovis is giving it a try
Fresno Bee
The program was launched in Old Town in 2017 to address affordable housing needs. Since then 10 cottages have been built and another one currently is under construction.
See also:
● What’s It Like to Live in Northern California’s First Tiny-Home Community? The Bold Italic
Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance accepting nominations for Housing Hero awards
Porterville Recorder
The Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance is hosting the third annual Housing Heroes Recognition Luncheon. The luncheon will honor the dedication of special people and groups who have made a significant contribution towards ending homelessness in Kings and/or Tulare County.
Loneliness And High Rent Prompt California Seniors To Look For Roommates
Capital Public Radio
A growing number of California seniors are moving in together to deal with the state’s affordability crisis and the solitude that comes with the death of a spouse.
Gavin Newsom wants to fix California’s housing crisis. So what are his options?
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom says California’s housing affordability crisis is so severe that he wants a bit of everything to solve it. That means seeding construction for millions of new residences, opening the door to a new rent control law and finding ways to protect low-income families from eviction.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: California’s extreme housing crisis calls for extreme measures. That includes SB 50 Los Angeles Times
State Senator Scott Wiener on The Michelle Meow Show
Commonwealth Club of California
Senator Scott Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. Elected in 2016, Senator Wiener focuses extensively on housing, transportation, civil rights, criminal justice reform, clean energy, and alleviating poverty.
PUBLIC FINANCES
How much do you and your neighbors pay in state taxes?
CALmatters
The state’s Franchise Tax Board breaks down personal income tax collections and total tax liability by ZIP Code. For the 2018 filing year, CALmatters took one step further: We’ve figured out, for each of those areas, what the typical tax filer made and paid.
Governor boosts school pension cost relief plan
Calpensions.com
School districts, some saying CalSTRS rates are forcing cuts in programs and teacher pay, would get more pension cost relief under a revised state budget proposed last week by Gov. Newsom.
California Budget & Policy Center
On May 9, Governor Gavin Newsom released the May Revision to his proposed 2019-20 state budget that continues to call for a series of bold investments in creating economic
OPINION: Tax Revenue Keeps Rising
Wall Street Journal
You wouldn’t know it from the press coverage, but there’s some modest good news about the federal budget. The deficit is rising, but not as much as feared because tax revenues are increasing due to faster economic growth.
OPINION: Our trillion-dollar problem deserves bipartisan attention
Roll Call
Our nation is now staring at trillion-dollar annual deficits. The Congressional Budget Office in a report this month warned the nation once again that our yearly red ink could top $1 trillion as soon as next year. Our national debt is projected to grow faster than the economy — forever.
OPINION: Tax Reform’s Blue-State Dividend
Wall Street Journal
Democrats claim that Republican economic policies are sinking blue-state budgets. But it turns out a rising economic tide from tax reform and deregulation is lifting tax revenue in most states, including those governed by Democrats.
TRANSPORTATION
California’s high-speed rail project and the feds are no longer on speaking terms
Fresno Bee
The California bullet train project, for much of the past decade, enjoyed no more important partner than the U.S. Department of Transportation.
California High Speed Rail: Board Meeting Details
California High Speed Rail Authority
Considering Accepting updated June 2018 Program Baseline (Cost, Schedule and Scope) for the 119-mile Central Valley Segment, Bookends and Environmental; Approving Adjustments to Existing Contracts; and Delegation to the CEO to manage the updated Program Baseline.
Santa Barbara Ranked Top Bike City in California
Santa Barbara Independent
The City of Santa Barbara ranked first in all California cities when it comes to bicycle ridership for both commuting and recreation, bicycle safety, demographic breadth of ridership, and infrastructure improvements on the way. The ranking was issued by PeopleForBikes, a bicycle advocacy organization made up of major players in the bicycle industry.
Yosemite’s road to Glacier Point (and this view) are now open
Los Angeles Times
Glacier Point Road, the pathway to one of the most treasured views in Yosemite National Park — the great granite bulk of Half Dome — opened for the season zone Friday. However, rangers warn that trails in the area are still under snow.
See also:
● Yosemite National Park opens Glacier Point Road San Francisco Chronicle
WATER
Stay out of the Kings River for now – it’s dangerous
abc30
Water is being released from Pine Flat Dam at 8600 cubic feet per second. Think 8600 basketballs per second.
California had a wet winter. But a satellite photo shows the state is drying out fast
San Diego Union-Tribune
NASA released a satellite image over the weekend that showed what a large swath of California look like during the winter, when the Sierra Nevada was heavily covered with snow. A second image shows what the same region looks like now. It’s a classic good news, bad news story.
What’s All This About a Water Tax?
New York Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom has made repairing hundreds of failing drinking-water systems in California a big priority since taking office, giving fresh momentum to an entrenched problem the state’s leaders have long struggled to resolve.
“Xtra”
What’s better than being a mother? Being one in Fresno, as countless adventures await
Fresno Bee
Being a mother is amazing. It is exhausting. It is constant. It is often worrisome. But it is also fun and exciting and gratifying and inspiring. You know what’s even better than being a mother? Being a mother in Fresno.
Opinion: Cherish your moms Madera Tribune
Where should you hike in Yosemite? These are the 8 best easy and moderate trails
Fresno Bee
The number of hikes in massive Yosemite National Park, encompassing nearly 1,200 square miles, can seem endless. So what to see on your next Yosemite vacation? Here’s a list of some of the park’s classic trails to help you decide.
Volunteer artists complete new city mural in southeast Fresno
abc30
Throughout the week the community has been beautifying southeast Fresno one brush stroke at a time.
Fresno Grizzlies celebrate Vietnam veterans with special event
abc30
Before the Grizzlies hit the diamond, it was time for a welcome home long overdue. Veterans were greeted by a line of current service members and supporters as they entered the park before the game.
Hiking With The Sierra Foothill Conservancy On The Bohna Preserve
Sierra News
This is one of those hikes that is not open to the public and you can only go on the property with the Sierra Foothills Conservancy.
Special-needs rodeo: ‘If this doesn’t warm your heart, there’s something wrong.’
Visalia Times Delta
The High-Five Rodeo gives developmentally-disabled folks around Tulare County an opportunity to participate in a thriving Western pastime.
Take me home! Dogs available for adoption
Bakersfield Californian
These eight dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?