POLICY & POLITICS
California can help provide opportunity for its heartland. Here’s how
CALmatters
While we aspire to build a #CaliforniaForAll, our state faces serious divides between regions of enormous wealth and regions of deep poverty.
See also:
● Calif governor looking to turn around region with persistent poverty CNBC
North SJ Valley:
Eliza Garza set to become Stockton’s next city clerk
Stockton Record
Nearly a year after Bret Hunter’s retirement from the position of city clerk, the city is poised to choose his permanent replacement.
California labor unions say thousands of Central Valley jobs may never be created after the latest setback for the state’s high-speed rail project.
See also:
· L.A. politicians covet bullet-train funds PublicCEO
Where will Modesto’s homeless go when shelter opens and there’s not enough room?
Modesto Bee
They expect to open a homeless shelter with 180 beds by late summer or early fall that will replace the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter, an encampment with about 400 residents. And officials say they will close the outdoor shelter by the end of the year.
Central SJ Valley:
Few left unscathed in Arambula trial, which cleared lawmaker of child cruelty charge
Los Angeles Times
A Fresno jury rejected a charge of child abuse against Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula this week, but the case left Central Valley officials bitterly divided and could dog both the Democratic legislator and the local prosecutor for years to come.
Does mystery Michael Flynn recording expose Devin Nunes to obstruction of justice charges?
Visalia Times-Delta
Is Devin Nunes the member of Congress caught on a recording urging former national security adviser Michael Flynn to give the Trump Administration a “heads up” about the investigation into Russian interference of the 2016 election?
There’s an empty seat on Fresno City Council. One of these six people will fill it
Fresno Bee
Six people are vying for the northwest Fresno City Council seat left vacant by Steve Brandau, who now is a Fresno County supervisor. The following candidates filed their paperwork by Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline and met the city’s residency requirements.
Alan Pierrot: Fresno Measure P got most support from poorer areas
Fresno Bee
You might find the demographics of the Measure P vote to be surprising. I certainly did and the results are worthy of community reflection.
Council ponders building 2.5 million-gallon tank
Madera Tribune
A presentation to the Madera City Council Wednesday evening focused on current water usage, projected peak water demands and highlighted the immediate need for a new 2.5 million-gallon concrete water storage tank to meet the water needs of today’s users.
South SJ Valley:
Few answers in mysterious disappearance of McFarland city manager
Bakersfield Californian
Details remained scarce on the disappearance of McFarland City Manager John Wooner as the case entered its second full day.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy calls Alabama’s anti-abortion law too restrictive
Bakersfield Californian
McCarthy, the House minority leader, speaking at his weekly news conference on Thursday, said he opposes the law’s ban on abortions even in cases of rape and incest.
See also:
● California bill expands abortion access on UC, CSU campuses Sacramento Bee
● Trump tells anti-abortion activists to stay united for 2020 Sacramento Bee
● New far-reaching abortion bans too extreme for some Republican leaders Los Angeles Times
● Trump outlines support for three exceptions to abortion bans UPI
● The politics of abortion surge to forefront of 2020 debate Roll Call
● Toobin: The Abortion Fight and the Pretense of Precedent The New Yorker
State:
California floats idea of banning gas-powered vehicles
USA Today
California without gasoline-burning cars? The idea is starting to be floated.
Nanny state or progressive politics? In ‘Ban Francisco,’ the debate rages on
San Francisco Chronicle
To San Franciscan Chris Chin, the owner of a vape shop in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood, the proposed e-cigarette ban being considered by city officials would be tantamount to becoming the ultimate “nanny city.”
Sexual harassment lawsuits against California Democratic Party prompt credibility crisis
Los Angeles Times
The California Democratic Party has staked its brand and platform on principles of diversity, equality and inclusion in the era of Trump and the #MeToo movement.
Jerry Brown’s wisdom and oratory still needed in Sacramento
Sacramento Bee
An oddity in the long history of commencement addresses at California universities.
Federal:
Trump threatens to cut millions from fire departments in California after deadly wildfires
Sacramento Bee
Officials in California are crying foul over a Trump administration plan to slash firefighting assistance payments to the state.
Public Housing Funding: Trump Administration Wants To Cut Funding For Repairs NPR
Mold. Leaks. Rodents. Crime. These are just some of the things the nation’s 2 million public housing residents have to worry about. Many of the buildings they live in have been falling into disrepair for decades. Public housing officials estimate that it would cost $50 billion to fix them up.
Companies That Rely On Census Data Worry Citizenship Question Will Hurt
VPR
Some critics of the citizenship question the Trump administration wants to add to the 2020 census are coming from a group that tends to stay away from politically heated issues — business leaders.
House of Representatives approves sweeping Equality Act to expand gay rights
abc30
Democrats in the House approved sweeping anti-discrimination legislation Friday that would extend civil rights protections to LGBT people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Senate OK’s Trump’s nominee to 9th Circuit over objections from Democratic home-state senators
Washington Examiners
The Senate has confirmed Kenneth Lee to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals despite opposition from California’s two Democratic home-state senators.
EDITORIAL: Trump is politicizing (and personalizing) the pardon process
Los Angeles Times
The pardon power must be exercised for good reasons and free of political favoritism, or else its legitimacy is degraded. Donald Trump doesn’t seem to understand that.
Elections 2020:
Why California Will Matter More in the 2020 Election
Zocalo Public Square
With an Earlier Primary Date, the Golden State May Sway National Debates and Even the Presidential Contest.
Map: California 2020 primary visits by Democratic candidates
Sacramento Bee
Democratic presidential candidates are flocking to California to raise money and campaign. The state has the most delegates, making it an important battleground for those seeking the party’s nomination.
For 2020 Democrats, a bull market for bashing Wall Street?
Roll Call
In 2016, a New York City real estate developer who inherited hundreds of millions of dollars managed to win the presidency after convincing thousands of Rust Belt voters that the daughter of a textile salesman was an untrustworthy elitist because she gave a few paid speeches to a Wall Street investment bank.
Presidential candidate Rep. Seth Moulton unveils national service proposal
abc30
Rep. Seth Moulton, a 2020 presidential candidate and Iraq war veteran, released his “National Service Education Guarantee” plan Sunday to encourage young Americans to serve their country — in the military, in AmeriCorps, in FEMA Corps or, in what he would create if elected, the “Federal Green Corps” tasked with combating climate change and helping the environment.
Biden Eschews Anger, Hoping ‘Unity’ Can Lift Him To The Presidency
VPR
Many Democrats are angry. So it would make sense that the person running for the Democratic nomination for president would channel that anger. Not Joe Biden.
See also:
● In key swing-state rally, Joe Biden condemns Trump as a ‘divider’ Los Angeles Times
● Joe Biden discusses why he didn’t run in 2016, the field for 2020 and drag-racing Colin Powell Los Angeles Times
● Hewitt: Sorry, Mr. Vice President, it’s Harris’s race to lose in 2020 Washington Post
Pete Buttigieg Dismisses President Trump’s Acceptance of His Marriage
VPR
Pete Buttigieg isn’t giving President Trump much credit for saying the South Bend, Ind., mayor’s marriage to a man is “absolutely fine” and “good.”
Elizabeth Warren is on a roll, but still facing big obstacles in 2020 presidential bid
Los Angeles Times
The polls may be middling, the fundraising so-so, but Elizabeth Warren has one key asset in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination — a campaign plan more clearly defined than that of just about any other candidate.
Bernie Sanders unveils plan to overhaul public education
Los Angeles Times
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders wants to suspend taxpayer funding of new charter schools and ban those that are for-profit, according to his plan to overhaul public education that he released on Saturday.
Kamala Harris would toughen penalties on employers who underpay women
Los Angeles Times
Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris released a plan Monday to overhaul U.S. discrimination laws to ensure women and men are paid equally for the same work.
Faced with ‘electability’ question in 2020, women point to 2018 wins
Roll Call
There are six women running for the Democratic presidential nomination, but early polls show two men — former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — at the head of the pack. Female Democratic voters at a recent town hall in Virginia countered suggestions that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss means a woman can’t win by pointing to last year’s midterms.
Other:
Social Media Pollution, a Huge Problem in the Last Election, Could Be Worse in 2020
New York Times
The House recently passed a bill requiring platforms to keep public logs of political advertisers and tightening restrictions on activity originating outside the United States.
See also:
● RAND’s Analysis of News in the Digital Age: Three Takeaways RAND
● Facebook’s A.I. Whiz Now Faces the Task of Cleaning It Up. Sometimes That Brings Him to Tears. New York TImes
● White House campaign to collect data on social media bias raises free speech, privacy alarms, experts say Washington Post
Attention Young People: This Narcissism Study Is All About You
The New York Times
For more than two millenniums, older adults have claimed that their younger counterparts are uniquely self-absorbed. Young people today, it seems, agree.
Top U.S. tech companies begin to cut off vital Huawei supplies
Los Angeles Times
Top U.S. corporations including chipmakers and Google have frozen the supply of crucial software and components to Huawei Technologies Co., complying with a Trump administration crackdown that threatens to choke off China’s largest technology company.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, May 26, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Assessing State Policies on Climate Change” – Guest: Ross Brown from the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, May 26, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Climate Change Generally and Air Pollution Locally” – Guests: Will Barrett, Director of Advocacy, Clean Air for the American Lung Association in California and Samir Sheikh, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, May 26, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Agua en el Valle de San Joaquin: Un reporte de PPIC” – Guest: Alvar Escriva-Bou, investigador del PPIC. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
How California wine sales are being hurt by trade war with China
Fresno Bee
The Chinese government announced that it would be increasing the tariff on U.S. wines in response to the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S. For sure, the increase is good news for American competitors.
See also:
● California farmers plead for China tariff relief from USDA Sacramento Bee
● Fruit and nut farmers in California plead for Trump tariff relief: ‘It snowballed’ Fresno Bee
● Trump agrees to lift steel tariffs on Canada and Mexico, boosting chances for trade accord Los Angeles Times
● Price hikes from rising tariffs loom ahead of busy shopping seasons Los Angeles Times
● The markets think the trade war stinks. A California garlic grower disagrees San Francisco Chronicle
● Trump-China trade war: farmers are desperate for a deal Vox
● If U.S.-China Marriage Can Be Saved, Huawei Is the Key Wall Street Journal
Bakersfield Californian
A company that has been described as the “Uber Eats for cannabis” hopes to deliver marijuana products to a market of 13 million people from a base in California City.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: California lawmakers already want to roll back a key promise of marijuana legalization Los Angeles Times
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Vast majority of officer-involved shootings in Bakersfield involve people of color
Bakersfield Californian
Officer-involved shootings in Bakersfield have hit communities of color the hardest, raising some question about whether city policing has been evenhanded in its enforcement.
Public Safety:
California AG Becerra must release police records, court says
Sacramento Bee
A superior court judge said Friday the issue of whether California’s new police transparency law applies to records created before this year has been decided and ordered state Attorney General Xavier Becerra to turn over records regardless of how old they are.
See also:
● Judge Orders AG To Release Pre-2019 Police Misconduct Files Capital Public Radio
Stockton Police Department honors 10 officers, three civilians for courage, heroism
Stockton Record
The men and women of the Stockton Police Department who proudly wear the uniform to protect and serve must react to dangerous and chaotic situations at a moment’s notice.
California’s prison parole rules might hinge on quiet fight over ballot measures
Los Angeles Times
What if voters, by enacting a ballot measure, end up violating existing law? Should the courts weigh in after the campaign? Or should the courts have kept the proposal off the ballot in the first place?
EDITORIAL: Two-thirds of recently expanded Juvenile Hall in Modesto sits empty
Modesto Bee
Just about the time Stanislaus County, with help from the state, sunk $16 million into a major expansion of Juvenile Hall, in 2013, we suddenly had fewer youthful offenders to house.
See also:
● L.A. County juvenile halls are so chaotic, officers are afraid to go to work Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: When it comes to violent crime, it takes a village to make a village safer
Stockton Record
In March there was a 100 percent increase in the number of criminal homicide cases reported in Stockton. That, according to the city’s Police Department, was the increase from February.
Fire:
Trump threatens to cut millions from fire departments in California after deadly wildfires
Sacramento Bee
Officials in California are crying foul over a Trump administration plan to slash firefighting assistance payments to the state.
Road ahead: Will Congress get a disaster relief deal before Memorial Day?
Roll Call
The big question for the week is whether Congress will actually act on long-awaited disaster relief before lawmakers head out for Memorial Day.
Tubbs fire rebuild: Santa Rosa survivors accuse Tulare contractor of negligence and fraud
Visalia Times-Delta
A Tulare contracting company hired to rebuild 40 homes destroyed by the October 2017 Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa is facing allegations of blown deadlines, broken promises on construction start dates and improper charges on unfinished work.
Will PG&E face criminal charges for California’s Camp Fire?
Fresno Bee
The answer may hinge, legal experts say, on whether PG&E was reckless in failing to replace aging or damaged equipment and on whether prosecutors feel they can prove that in court beyond reasonable doubt.
See also:
● Californians are expected to plunge into darkness Bakersfield Californian
● Fire danger could force SF blackout, PG&E says San Francisco Chronicle
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
California labor unions say thousands of Central Valley jobs may never be created after the latest setback for the state’s high-speed rail project.
See also:
· L.A. politicians covet bullet-train funds PublicCEO
Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is here to help
Hanford Sentinel
It’s been almost a year since Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore opened in Hanford, and employees are eager to remind the community who they are and what they do.
California to pay businesses who got recession IOUs
Sacramento Bee
A group of business owners who received IOUs instead of checks from the state of California during the recession could be paid $2.7 million a decade later.
Why service matters. Local independents rise to e-commerce challenges
Bakersfield Californian
Three-quarters of his sales come from the Internet. Stinson is among many Bakersfield-based retailers thriving in the face of challenges from e-commerce. A common thread is their sharp focus on customer needs.
Local retail industry makes modest progress since the recession
Bakersfield Californian
While it might be a matter of perspective — as evidenced by the empty storefronts and long-delayed shopping center developments — there’s no doubt local retail conditions have improved in recent years.
Price hikes from rising tariffs loom ahead of busy shopping seasons
Los Angeles Times
Major retailers are sounding the alarm: The U.S.-China trade battle could be coming to a mall near you in the form of higher prices in time for the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons.
California can help provide opportunity for its heartland. Here’s how
CALmatters
While we aspire to build a #CaliforniaForAll, our state faces serious divides between regions of enormous wealth and regions of deep poverty.
See also:
● Calif governor looking to turn around region with persistent poverty CNBC
Price: Rat droppings can be fun, but today let’s salute perfect kitchens
Bakersfield Californian
In the eyes of the Kern County Public Health Services Department’s Environmental Health Division, her downtown restaurant is golden. Hens Roost, two blocks from the historic Fox Theater, has not just one inspection score of 100 but three of them in a row.
Smith: The truth about Bakersfield’s millennial boom
Bakersfield Californian
Late last month, Bakersfield was included in a top-10 list of what the National Association of Realtors is calling the “Most Popular Areas for Millennials: Where they Move and Stay.” Bakersfield is burgeoning, and mobile millennials are catching on.
Edward Conard: Economic Growth, Innovation, & Middle-Class Prosperity
Conversations with Bill Kristol
Video
‘Playing Catch-Up in the Game of Life.’ Millennials Approach Middle Age in Crisis
Wall Street Journal
New data show they’re in worse financial shape than every preceding living generation and may never recover.
Forbes: Capitalism Will Save Us — If Only We Let It
Forbes
Hardly a day goes by without some eminence from business or finance proclaiming with furrowed brow and seeming sorrow that capitalism is in crisis and must be overhauled if it is to survive and not be replaced with some variant of socialism.
See also:
● Socialism: A short primer Brookings
● Of Socialism and Human Nature National Review
● Central Planners Cannot Know Enough National Review
● American Free Markets: A Defense National Review
● Socialism Destroys the Human Character National Review
Recession ready: Fiscal policies to stabilize the American economy
Brookings
Recessions may be inevitable but they don’t have to be devastating. In a new book, experts from the Hamilton Project at Brookings and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth offer policymakers actionable reforms for stabilizing the U.S. economy in the event of another downturn.
Jobs:
Bakersfield Californian
A surge in farm hiring helped pull Kern County’s unemployment rate down to a seasonally unadjusted 8.4 percent in April from 10 percent the month before, the state reported Friday.
Sorry, class of 2019: Paychecks for new U.S. college grads are barely rising
CBS News
Tough luck, class of 2019. The U.S. unemployment rate may be the lowest it’s been in decades, but that doesn’t mean salaries for new college graduates are taking off.
See also:
● Most out-of-work young adults face bleak job prospects Brookings
Letters From Washington: Your Employees Could Be Undocumented
The New York Times
The Trump administration is notifying tens of thousands of employers that the names of some of their employees do not match their Social Security numbers, a move that is forcing businesses across the country to brace for the loss of thousands of workers who lack legal status.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Amid #MeToo, states debate teaching consent to kids
Fresno Bee
Since January, dozens of new sex ed bills have been floated in statehouses, but only five have passed and just two of those require specific instruction about consent, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks sexuality and reproductive health issues.
See also:
● In defining consent, there’s a gap between the law, culture Fresno Bee
● Sacramento parents, students join statewide rallies against new sex education approach Sacramento Bee
● Gov. Newsom promotes California’s reproductive health rights during San Diego rally San Diego Union Tribune
Earlimart teachers threaten strike: ‘I am worth more than zero’
Visalia Times Delta
Visalia Unified isn’t the only Tulare County school district battling controversy.
Stockton Record
Nine worthy individuals in their own right have been named by the San Joaquin County Office of Education for this year’s Classified Employees of the Year winners and Teacher of the Year finalists.
Jackie Goldberg Explains the Coming War to Save Public Education
Capital & Main
After winning a Los Angeles school board seat, Goldberg speaks about charter schools, money and what it means to fight the good fight.
School Improvement Plans: Is There Room for Improvement?
RAND
School Improvement Plans (SIPs) have been a central feature of American school reform for over two decades.
Higher Ed:
No rain on this parade: Fresno State graduates celebrate commencement rain or shine
abc30
With storm clouds looming outside, University President Dr. Joseph Castro addressed Fresno State’s largest graduating class on record. Inside the Savemart Center more than 6,000 turned the page to the next chapter in their lives.
See also:
● Fresno State celebrates largest class in history Fresno State Campus News
Fresno State is raising student fees to help fund additional mental health staff
Fresno Bee
Fresno State will raise student health fees by $52 per year to fund the hiring of additional mental health counselors. The new student health fee of $278 will go into effect in fall 2020.
UC Merced grad’s viral photo shows truth of immigrant “merit”
Sacramento Bee
Anna Ocegueda graduates from UC Merced on Sunday. The 22-year-old will receive her degree in psychology while enjoying an unexpected moment of national fame.
First group of CSUB doctoral students prepares to graduate
Bakersfield Californian
Cal State Bakersfield has several reasons to celebrate as commencement approaches: it will be graduating its highest number of graduates ever and its first class of doctoral students.
“We’re Facing Extinction” – Why UC Workers Are Striking
Capital & Main
Critics of outsourcing say the rush to replace the wages and benefits of public employees with lower-paying, private-sector jobs has taken its toll on America’s middle class.
Is the SAT’s new ‘adversity score’ a privilege check or blow to faith in college admissions?
Fresno Bee
This week’s revelation that the producer of the SAT entrance exam is adding an “adversity score” to boost disadvantaged students added gas to the bonfire of public faith and anxiety over college admission fairness.
See also:
Making HEA work: Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act to improve employment for the disadvantaged
Brookings
The Higher Education Act (HEA) is the primary law through which the federal government regulates and helps finance postsecondary education in the United States.
CFPB’s Kraninger Says Education Department Is Blocking Student Loan Oversight
NPR
The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says the Trump administration’s Education Department is getting in the way of efforts to police the student loan industry.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Trump’s EPA shifts more environmental enforcement to states
Fresno Bee
Around the country, the EPA under Trump is delegating a widening range of public health and environmental enforcement to states, saying local officials know best how to deal with local problems.
Legislature won’t have power over PG&E when it comes to raising rates on customers
Sacramento Bee
A proposal that would have given California lawmakers authority over PG&E rate hikes was effectively killed on Thursday, after a key budget committee decided to hold the bill.
CRC posts $67-million first-quarter loss
Bakersfield Californian
California Resources Corp., one of Kern’s largest oil producers, reported a $67-million loss in the first quarter, up from a $2-million loss during the same period a year before.
Despite Sharp Growth In Electric Cars, Vehicle Emissions Keep Rising
Bakersfield Californian
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office concluded in a report released a few months ago: “The overall effects of the state’s policies aimed at reducing transportation (greenhouses gases) are largely unclear.”
See also:
● Is California ready to ban gas-powered cars? Not yet. But they’re thinking about it Visalia Times-Delta
● By 2040, more than half of new cars will be electric CNN
What if Green Energy Isn’t the Future?
Wall Street Journal
There’s a reason Warren Buffett decided to bet $10 billion on the future of oil and natural gas.
Trump Likes Fossil Fuels. Investors Don’t.
Bloomberg
Shares of sustainable-energy companies are soaring. Oil, gas and coal? Not so much.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
4 in 10 students would have their vaccine exemptions rejected, California estimates
Los Angeles Times
California public health officials estimate four in 10 children would be denied a waiver from vaccines required to attend school under a contentious bill to tighten medical exemptions in the state.
Calories, Carbs, Fat, Fiber: Unraveling The Links Between Breast Cancer And Diet
VPR
During the study, some women in both groups were diagnosed with breast cancer, but those who had changed their diets had a 21 percent lower risk of dying from the disease.
Human Services:
More patients leave California ERs prematurely as wait times grow
Fresno Bee
Emergency room patients increasingly leave California hospitals against medical advice, and experts say crowded ERs are likely to blame.
Gavin Newsom turns to Obamacare playbook for census outreach
Sacramento Bee
With millions of dollars in federal funding at stake, California is trying some unusual strategies to encourage hard-to-count populations to participate in the census and exploring ways to link them with other public outreach efforts, including ones aimed at uninsured Californians.
Kaiser health workers rally this week in Sacramento region as part of statewide push
Sacramento Bee
More than 55,000 union-represented health care workers at Kaiser Permanente are holding rallies around the state through mid-June.
is just like a care home, but better’
Stockton Record
Since opening earlier this year, Stockton PACE, or Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, has experienced significant growth, doubling its census to 51 seniors in need of a little extra help staying in their own homes.
Wall Street Journal
Direct primary care provides high-quality basic services for a flat, low monthly fee.
Socialized Medicine Is Bad for Your Health
National Review
Of all the forms of socialism that persist in the West, socialized medicine may well be the most persistent — and the most consequential.
EDITORIAL: About That ‘Junk’ Health Insurance
Wall Street Journal
New evidence that short-term plans offer good coverage for many.
RAND
Large price discrepancies exist between what private health plans pay for hospital services and what Medicare pays.
‘Surprise! I’m your sister!’ Many unprepared when genetic results arrive
San Francisco Chronicle
Genetic testing can reveal unexpected results about families, and many people are not prepared for the fallout.
Industry aims to extinguish bills that would make California first state to ban flavored tobacco
CALmatters
Despite skyrocketing teen use of e-cigarettes, a proposal to make California the nation’s first state to ban flavored tobacco is struggling in the Legislature—and health advocates blame the political potency of the tobacco industry.
Asbestos in your makeup? Legislature rejects proposal to ban toxics from cosmetics
CALmatters
Vivian Song of Sacramento tries to keep up with the latest makeup trends. While she pays attention to the ingredients in her beauty routine, she says others are clueless.
The good that can come when we stop seeing cancer as a battle to win or lose
Los Angeles Times
This militaristic approach to sickness is perhaps rooted in the notion that our personal outlook on disease can change our biological outcomes. But in my experience, these words just as often stand in the way of honest, vulnerable conversations about fear and anxiety, and the peace and dignity most people want as an illness worsens. For some, fighting words are armor that doubles as a veil. What they mask is what interests me.
IMMIGRATION
Who will help set Fresno immigration policy? This ex-Congressional candidate, a CEO and others
Fresno Bee
Fifteen members for Fresno’s Immigration Advisory Committee — which some consider to be long overdue — were appointed Thursday.
Immigrants — many highly educated — are changing California for the better
Los Angeles Times
Distracted by President Trump and his riled resisters, it’s easy to miss the big picture of foreign migration to California.
See also:
· EDITORIAL: Want immigrants with ‘merit’? Here’s where to find them Sacramento Bee
ICE scouting locations across California for detention centers to hold 5,600
San Francisco Chronicle
As the Trump administration scrambles to process record levels of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border, federal immigration officials are looking to add new detention centers across California.
With pardons, Democratic governors try to halt immigrant deportations
The News Tribune
Democratic governors looking to push back on hardline Trump administration immigration policies have few options.
Pregnant women, other vulnerable asylum seekers are returned to Mexico to await hearings
Los Angeles Times
Rather than being released in the U.S. pending an immigration court hearing, Hernandez would have to wait in Mexico as her case progressed. She can enter the U.S under guard only for court hearings and then return to Mexico until her case is decided.
The little-noticed surge across the U.S.-Mexico border: It’s Americans heading south
Washington Post
It started with just a few American retirees. These days, two dozen players fill the courts at the municipal sports center most mornings, swinging paddles at plastic balls. There are so many clubs in Mexico dedicated to the U.S. sport that a tournament was held here last year.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Alan Pierrot: Fresno Measure P got most support from poorer areas
Fresno Bee
You might find the demographics of the Measure P vote to be surprising. I certainly did and the results are worthy of community reflection.
Council seeking public feedback on New Porterville Rescue Mission
Porterville Recorder
Porterville’s City Council will be holding a public hearing about modifying or revoking the current conditional use permit for The New Porterville Rescue Mission (NPRM) Tuesday night at their regularly scheduled City Council meeting.
High street repair costs could delay San Jose pavement projects
San Jose Mercury News
Labor and material costs have risen sharply in recent years.
Housing:
California housing bill died. What’s next for Gavin Newsom?
Fresno Bee
After California’s most sweeping housing reform proposal died in the Legislature last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom has few options as powerful as Senate Bill 50 to fulfill his campaign pledge to address the state’s affordability crisis.
See also:
● California bill to add housing in single-family home neighborhoods blocked by lawmakers Los Angeles Times
● California’s big housing bill is dead for the year. Here’s what’s left San Francisco Chronicle
● Walters: Can California crack its housing nut? CALmatters
● Making local and regional housing and infrastructure funding more effective California Economy, California Economic Summit
● Debate needs broadening to find solutions to California’s housing crisis California Economy, California Economic Summit
● What’s next in CA’s housing crisis debate? CA FWD
● Housing in San Francisco Is So Expensive Some People Live on Boats Wall Street Journal
● Ben Metcalf: Where does CA housing go from here? YouTube
● EDITORIAL: California puts off dealing with its housing crisis for another year Los Angeles Times
Where will Modesto’s homeless go when shelter opens and there’s not enough room?
Modesto Bee
They expect to open a homeless shelter with 180 beds by late summer or early fall that will replace the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter, an encampment with about 400 residents. And officials say they will close the outdoor shelter by the end of the year.
HCV (Section 8) Interest List Opens June 5, 2019
Fresno Housing
Those interested in receiving a voucher can submit a pre‐application for both the City HCV Interest List and the County HCV Interest List. Eligible applicants may receive a voucher from either the City Housing Authority or County Housing Authority, and have the option to live anywhere in the County of Fresno.
● Public Housing Funding: Trump Administration Wants To Cut Funding For Repairs NPR
PUBLIC FINANCES
California to pay $47 million for state payroll lawsuits filed in Jerry Brown era
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal requests about $47 million to settle two state payroll disputes he inherited from his predecessor.
Walters: California gets a hollow win in tax battle
CALmatters
California officials have pursued Gilbert Hyatt for nearly three decades, trying to force him to pay state income taxes on royalties he began receiving in the early 1990s from his groundbreaking technology inventions.
Opinion: California needs to cut spending. Let’s start with the ALRB
Fox&Hounds
The Golden State isn’t exactly the gold standard of fiscal policy. California consistently ranks at or near the top of U.S. states with highest costs of living, highest tax burdens, and highest levels of government spending.
Why a Tax the U.S. Hasn’t Embraced Has Found Favor in Much of the World
New York Times
You may not like paying taxes, but your burden will be even higher if others don’t pay their fair share. That, in a nutshell, goes a long way toward explaining why a value-added tax, or VAT, is used by just about every major country in the world except the United States.
U.S. Fines Billions for Wall Street Fraud. Nearly Half the Time It Doesn’t Collect.
Wall Street Journal
SEC collected just 55% of the $20 billion levied for securities cases in last five years.
Eyeing hotter future, industry lays carbon tax groundwork
Roll Call
Representatives from credit card firm Capital One, tech giant Microsoft, home-goods maker Johnson & Johnson and dozens of other companies are coming to Capitol Hill this week to do something unusual: Call for a new tax.
Phillip Swagel will be an excellent CBO director
AEI
I’m thrilled that my colleague Phillip Swagel is set to be the next director of the Congressional Budget Office.
1 year after Janus, unions are flush
Politico
One year after the Supreme Court dealt government employee unions a severe financial blow, the country’s biggest public employee unions remain surprisingly flush.
See also:
· Scott Walker: Big-government union bosses revel in collective bargaining Washington Times.
TRANSPORTATION
How do we solve California’s traffic problem? Come at it like a ‘four-layer cake’ Fresno Bee
California Influencers this week answered the question: What can California do to make traffic less of a nightmare? Below are the Influencers’ answers in their entirety.
You can take a Lyft to or from Fresno’s airport. Now there will be another choice
Fresno Bee
Travelers needing a ride to or from Fresno Yosemite International Airport will have one more option starting in July. Uber is returning.
Capital Public Radio
California labor unions say thousands of Central Valley jobs may never be created after the latest setback for the state’s high-speed rail project.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: Trump’s petty takeback on high-speed rail San Francisco Chronicle
California agency says market manipulation could be factor for high gas prices
abc30
At the end of April, the difference between California’s gas and the national average jumped to a dollar and 10 cents, the “highest increase ever seen,” according to the California Energy Commission.
See also:
● Why are gas prices so high? California will probe possible ‘market manipulation’ Los Angeles Times
Safety is key to riding a motorcycle in California. Here are key tips to avoid harm
Fresno Bee
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, there are more than 900,000 registered motorcycles in the state and an additional 1.4 million licensed riders.
Ford adds 270,000 cars to recall for unintended rollaways
abc30
Ford is adding 270,000 vehicles to a recall in North America to fix a gearshift problem that could cause them to roll away unexpectedly.
Yes, you can ride in a bow tie, and other lessons from Bike to Work Day
Roll Call
We caught up with Rep. Earl Blumenauer as he whizzed down the street during his Friday commute to Capitol Hill.
California floats idea of banning gas-powered vehicles
USA Today
California without gasoline-burning cars? The idea is starting to be floated.
WATER
Rain and hail in Fresno County – and more wet weather on its way this week
Fresno Bee
A winter storm warning was in effect Sunday for the Sierras, kicking off a week of anticipated rain showers and thunderstorms in the Sierras and Fresno County.
See also:
● Trump issues disaster declaration for 17 California counties hit by winter storms Visalia Times-Delta
● Wild Weather: Funnel cloud spotted as severe weather moves across the Valley abc30
● Miles of power lines knocked down by strong winds in Lemoore area abc30
● Thunderstorms move across the Valley. More rain expected in the afternoon abc30
● Thunderstorm brings hail, heavy rain to north Stockton Stockton Record
● It’s that time of year: Snowmelt has Tuolumne River running high Modesto Bee
“Xtra”
Valley Focus: Learning about Indian American Traditions
Abc30
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and ABC30 is highlighting the Indian American community.
Bluegrass and beyond: Molly Tuttle ready to wow at Guitar Masters show
Bakersfield Californian
At just 26 years old, Molly Tuttle has already made history. Tuttle will bring her exceptional guitar skills, beautiful vocals, and a backing band featuring some of the best musicians in Nashville to Guitar Masters at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace this Thursday.
Special Friends Day at Porterville Fairgrounds
Porterville Recorder
Pouring rain and freezing weather didn’t dampen the spirits of Porterville Breakfast Rotary members and other volunteers who set up activities and fun events for about 800 developmentally disabled people to enjoy at the Porterville fairgrounds.
‘Soak Up the Sun,’ youth rockers sing, as mostly rain-free Modesto Porchfest goes ahead
Modesto Bee
Organizers of Modesto Porchfest had their ears on the music and their eyes on the weather radar Sunday afternoon. The third annual free music event in the college and La Loma neighborhoods and downtown came a day after the clouds dumped 0.47 inches of rain.