November 12, 2109

12Nov

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Newsom outlines investment plan for San Joaquin Valley

CALmatters

"My commitment to you is to make it real," the governor said. He also announced $23 million in philanthropic investment for inland California nonprofits.

See also:

 

2020 Census: Counting the Central Valley

Public Policy Institute of California

Home to 4.3 million people, the San Joaquin Valley may be one of the state’s hardest-to-count regions. What are the key challenges for valley communities and how are leaders working together to ensure an accurate count?

See also:

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Incumbents emerge victorious in Keyes

Turlock Journal

Three hopefuls were on the ballot during Tuesday’s Consolidated District Election to represent their neighbors on the Keyes Community Services District Board of Directors, but in the end,  it was the two incumbents who held onto their seats.

 

Davis officials seek to renew 1 percent sales tax indefinitely with Measure Q

Sacramento Bee

Davis officials are campaigning hard for the renewal of a 1 percent sales tax on the upcoming March ballot. A “yes” vote for Measure Q would indefinitely extend an existing sales tax that was approved in 2014, setting the city’s overall sales tax rate at 8.25 percent.

 

EDITORIAL: Teamwork? Modesto leaders seem more committed to toxicity

Modesto Bee

Nobody who really cares about Modesto government would take joy in recent disturbing tales of deep distrust, dislike and dysfunction among top officials at City Hall.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Gov. Newsom will open office in Fresno, invest $10 million in education

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $10 million investment in Fresno’s education system and a new field office in Fresno during his visit to the city on Friday. Newsom delivered the​​ keynote speech during the second day of the eighth annual California Economic Summit, which brought together over 800 civic and business leaders in downtown Fresno.

 

Devin Nunes demands​​ Trump whistleblower testify at public impeachment hearings

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes is demanding the impeachment inquiry include the questioning of the whistleblower who originally called attention to President Donald Trump’s possible quid pro quo with Ukraine officials.

See also:

 

South SJ Valley:

 

'Jail Standards Are Voluntary' - ProPublica And Sacramento Bee Report On Kern County Jails

KVPR
Since 2014, Kern County sheriffs have been putting more inmates into isolating suicide watch cells. The effort is to reduce suicide risk, but it hasn’t helped. Instead, deaths by suicide have risen, although these deaths did not happen to inmates who were in suicide watch jails. Those who have died by suicide were not identified as having a suicide risk.

 

‘Second Chance PD.’ One California town’s history of hiring cops with troubling pasts (McFarland)

Fresno Bee

They hired a cop investigated in an FBI child porn probe, and another caught up in an LAPD burglary ring. They gave a job to an officer who filed a bogus insurance claim for a car his friends dumped in Mexico. And they brought in a cop with a conviction for pulling a gun on his stepdaughter’s friends.

See also:

 

In this California ‘Trump country’ town, folks hear the impeachment talk, but it feels a world away (Taft)

Los Angeles Times

On the road into Taft, fields of fruit trees give way to orchards of oil rigs nodding on golden hills that shimmer against a blue sky like creased velvet. This small oil town has one stoplight and a city center that seems to go dark well before the sun goes down.

 

Former Sheriff's Deputy announces bid for First District supervisor

Bakersfield Californian

Former Kern County Sheriff Deputy Daures Stephens has announced his bid for First District supervisor. Stephens, who retired from the Sheriff’s Office in 2012, first ran for supervisor in 2011, eventually losing out to the man who still holds the seat, Mick Gleason.

 

State:

How liberal or conservative is your community? Search every California city here

Sacramento Bee

You can make a decent guess about a Californian’s political beliefs based on his or her address. The odds of running into a Republican in Berkeley are ... slim. Point at a random voter in the Placer County suburb of Loomis, however, and there is a barely one-in-five chance you’ve found a Democrat.

See also:

 

In this California ‘Trump country’ town (Taft), folks hear the impeachment talk, but it feels a world away

Los Angeles Times

On the road into Taft, fields of fruit trees give way to orchards of oil rigs nodding on golden hills that shimmer against a blue sky like creased velvet. This small oil town has one stoplight and a city center that seems to go dark well before the sun goes down.

 

Walters: Legislating by whim

CALmatters

The Democrats who dominate the state Legislature have developed a very bad habit — legislating by whim. If they take a dislike to something or someone, they ban it. If they like something, they impose it on everyone and/or give it taxpayers’ money.

 

Federal:

 

Supreme Court weighs DACA, thousands of immigrants' futures hang in the balance

abc30

The future of about 660,000 immigrants is in the hands of the Supreme Court. The nine justices will hear oral arguments Tuesday on whether the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, better known as DACA, will stay in place. Some immigration attorneys are resigned to seeing it disappear.

See also:

 

Most Americans Say Things Have Changed So Much They Feel Like A 'stranger In My Own Country,' According To New Poll

Newsweek

A majority of Americans say that the political landscape has changed so much that they now feel like "a stranger in my own country," according to a new survey.

See also:

 

Too Much Democracy Is Bad for Democracy

The Atlantic

Americans who tuned in to the first Democratic presidential debates this summer beheld a spectacle that would have struck earlier generations as ludicrous. A self-help guru and a tech executive, both of them unqualified and implausible as national candidates, shared the platform with governors, senators, and a former vice president.

 

Elections 2020:

 

Senator Bernie Sanders reschedules campaign stop in Fresno

abc30

Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders has rescheduled his campaign stop in Fresno. Sanders will attend a Town Hall in the Veterans Peace Memorial Lawn at Fresno City College for his "Bernie 2020 Green New Deal Rally" on Friday, November 15th at 6:00 p.m.

See also:

 

Californians are warming up to Warren. Her campaign is ramping up efforts to win them over

Sacramento Bee

Elizabeth Warren’s campaign will greatly expand its California operations heading into the March 3, 2020 primary. With less than 100 days until early voting begins on Feb. 3, Warren’s team announced on Tuesday that the Massachusetts senator has hired eight additional staff members in the Golden State, bringing the total number of paid California workers to nine.

See also:

 

Biden Holds Slight Lead In New Hampshire Dem Primary, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 54 Percent Definitely Wouldn't Vote For Bloomberg In Primary

Quinnipiac Poll

With less than 100 days to go, former Vice President Joe Biden has an edge in New Hampshire's Democratic primary for president, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University poll released today.

See also:

 

Michael Bloomberg Makes Plans to Build Campaign Staff in March Presidential Primary States

Wall Street Journal

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is drawing up a strategy to build campaign staff in states that hold March 2020 primary contests, according to people familiar with his plans, as he leans toward entering the Democratic presidential race despite a difficult path to the nomination.

See also:

 

Opinion: Mayor Pete’s Latest Trillions

Wall Street Journal

If Joe Biden can’t perform better and Elizabeth Warren seems unelectable, then who’s on deck? Over the past month Mr. Buttigieg has risen steadily in the Real Clear Politics polling average to a solid fourth place, with about 7% support.

See also:

 

The Hollywood Primary

Los Angeles Times

Celebrities rarely stop talking politics. Now with the 2020 race heating up, they’ve started to open their wallets as well as their mouths. The Times pored over more than 15,000 entertainment industry contributions in search of stars.

See also:

 

Opinion: Fighting election disinformation is a bipartisan issue

Roll Call

As we head into 2020, Americans should turn to their state and local election officials for their election questions — anything from voter registration and polling locations to voting methods and more.

 

President’s Eldest Son Relishing His Part in 2020 Campaign

Wall Street Journal

Defending dad on the campaign trail, on social media and with a new book, the president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. is relishing his role as a political combatant heading into 2020.

 

Other:

 

California needs you: A veteran’s call to service

CALmatters

I am thankful on this Veterans Day. I had the honor to serve our country as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Now, as chief service officer for the state of California, I have the opportunity to bring home my experience and empower all Californians to serve our state and nation.

See also:

 

Opinion: Don’t abolish political ads on social media. Stop microtargeting.

Washington Post

Twitter’s surprise announcement on Wednesday that it would stop selling political advertising is an inflection point in paid political ads on the Internet. Twitter has made its move; pressure will build for the other Internet giants, particularly Facebook, to respond.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, November 17, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California Utility-Caused Wildfires: Who Pays? - Guests: Dr. Ross Brown, California Legislative Analyst Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, November 17, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: California Wildfires: Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later  - Guests: Pedro Nava, Chair of California Little Hoover Commission and Dr. Ross Brown, California Legislative Analyst Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, November 17, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy:  Concealed Weapons Permits – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office.Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

 

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Trade War’s Forgotten Farmers Get Crushed in U.S. Cotton Country

Bloomberg

American cotton farmers are having such a difficult year that even a potential trade deal between the U.S. and China is likely to offer them little comfort.

See also:

 

Fresno State To Sign Agreement Of Collaboration With Punjab Agricultural University

Fresno State News

In a spirit of international collaboration inspired by common objectives to promote cultural bonds and accelerate agricultural research, Fresno State and Punjab Agricultural University (India) will sign an agreement to formalize a relationship.

 

Professors receive USDA grant to study problematic weed

Fresno State

Fresno State had a record year of research funding with 393 awards in 2018-19 totaling about $45 million compared to 340 awards and a total of $37 million the year before. That's a 22% increase in funding.

 

Hemp researcher reportedly files $1 billion claim against Kern over crop eradication

Bakersfield Californian

A locally registered hemp researcher has reportedly filed a $1 billion claim against Kern County over what he says was the "illegal and unlawful taking" of close to 500 acres of plants the sheriff's office said were actually marijuana.

See also:

 

How Much Cannabis Do Californians Use? Researchers Want To Ask In Order To Set Safe Pesticide Limits.

Capital Public Radio

Researchers from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and Sacramento State are trying to calculate how much cannabis the average California user consumes on a daily basis.

 

Code Blue! California’s medical cannabis ID card system has collapsed

Leafly

Virtually none of the estimated hundreds of thousands of California patients entitled to purchase tax-free cannabis are getting those savings—because the state’s medical marijuana ID card system has collapsed.

 

Maps of American restaurant quality

AEI
In a recent contribution to a special issue of the Journal of Regional Science on cities and endogenous amenities, we investigate whether land use restrictions affect restaurant quality, and if so how. We argue that they do, but perhaps more interesting is how to measure restaurant quality nationwide.

 

Foster Farms fights local hunger with turkey donations

Turlock Journal

What can 800 donated whole turkeys do for local families in need?

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

'Jail Standards Are Voluntary' - ProPublica And Sacramento Bee Report On Kern County Jails

KVPR
Since 2014, Kern County sheriffs have been putting more inmates into isolating suicide watch cells. The effort is to reduce suicide risk, but it hasn’t helped. Instead, deaths by suicide have risen, although these deaths did not happen to inmates who were in suicide watch jails. Those who have died by suicide were not identified as having a suicide risk.

 

Ex-CEO Of Merced Clinic Sentenced Five Years In Federal Prison, Fined Millions In Health Care Scam

Valley Public Radio

The former chief executive officer of a Merced-area health care clinic was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison and fined millions of dollars for committing health care fraud and conspiracy to receive kickbacks.

 

California’s new “predatory lending” law, explained

CalMatters

In this video — the first in our series of New Laws in a Minute — CalMatters reporter Ben Christopher explains California's new law limiting interest rates on consumer loans.

 

Sacramento’s latest reckless law will give lighter sentences to 10,000 repeat felons

CalMatters

Instead of acknowledging this reality, Sacramento continues to peddle the myth that California prisons are filled with non-violent offenders. In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that will put more repeat offenders back on the street.

 

Public Safety:

 

‘Second Chance PD.’ One California town’s history of hiring cops with troubling pasts (McFarland)

Fresno Bee

They hired a cop investigated in an FBI child porn probe, and another caught up in an LAPD burglary ring. They gave a job to an officer who filed a bogus insurance claim for a car his friends dumped in Mexico. And they brought in a cop with a conviction for pulling a gun on his stepdaughter’s friends.

See also:

 

More than 1,000 California police accessed background check database for personal use

Sacramento Bee

On June 5, 2013, San Francisco police Sgt. John Haggett was working the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift in a third-floor office at the city’s Hall of Justice. At 11:48 that morning, someone logged into the department’s secure database inside that office and used Haggett’s sign-on and password to run a criminal background check on a San Francisco woman through the department’s local records.

 

Seattle’s Already Doing What California’s About To Do To Limit Police Use Of Force. How’s It Working Out?

Capital Public Radio

Working his beat on a rainy fall afternoon, Seattle Police Sgt. Eric Pisconski checked in with a man he knew was mentally ill. He wanted to see if he’d been taking his medication, a key piece of a court-supervised plan to improve his mental health.

 

Survey finds Hispanic community worries more than other groups mass shootings, healthcare: report

The Hill

Hispanic adults worry more than adults of other ethnic groups about both the threat of mass shootings and paying for health care, according to a new report.

 

Facebook Is Making Millions Off A Nationwide Gun Permit Scam

Huffpost

One of Facebook’s biggest political advertisers is running an elaborate scheme to trick people into believing that a legal “loophole” allows them to qualify for and purchase concealed-carry permits online.

 

Fire:

 

Tulare County grapples with low firefighter volunteerism

Visalia Times Delta

Increased training requirements, coupled with a decline in community volunteerism, have contributed to challenges recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters over the past 15 years, Tulare County Fire Chief Charlie Norman said.

 

Report: Fire Season in California expected to last through December

abc30

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) says with no rain expected in the foreseeable future, fire season in California is expected to last through December. The abnormally dry conditions have increased the fire potential in the southern part of the state.

 

For California firefighters, how ‘mindfulness’ can ease the deadly stress of their jobs

Sacramento Bee

About three and a half years ago, paramedic Susan Farren underwent major surgery for kidney cancer, and as she lay in the recovery room, one of her doctors told her that he had treated quite a few first responders with organ cancers. The comment stuck with her.

 

PG&E is offering $13.5 billion to California wildfire victims

Los Angeles Times

Bankrupt utility giant PG&E Corp. is offering $13.5 billion in compensation to the victims of wildfires sparked by its power lines as part of a restructuring plan, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

 

Growing fire threat makes California departments reluctant to help each other

Los Angeles Times

As catastrophic windblown wildfires strike with more frequency, California’s system of mutual aid is under stress, with fire chiefs sometimes reluctant to assist their counterparts or unaware help is needed because of outdated communications.

 

Have California’s renewable energy mandates hampered wildfire prevention efforts?

San Diego Union-Tribune

While California prides itself on its array of clean energy programs, large portions of the Golden State have been set ablaze and more than 2 million customers have had their power shut off in the past month to reduce the chances of utility equipment sparking wildfires.

 

With Blackouts, California's Electric Car Owners Are Finding New Ways To Charge Up

KVPR
It's an ironic conundrum in a state that's home to more electric cars than any other other. California has just under half of the electric cars in sold in the U.S., according to EV Volumes, a group that tracks electric car sales.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

U.S.-China trade uncertainty weighs on stock market

Los Angeles Times

U.S. stocks mostly fell Monday as uncertainty continued to hang over U.S.-China trade talks, or at least over investors’ perception of them. The stock market has been rallying for five weeks, in part on optimism that the United States and China are nearing a stopgap deal to calm their dispute.

 

Sandrini Solar Park developer signs power deal, energy summit tickets go on sale

Bakersfield Californian

The Houston-based developer of a 200-megawatt solar power installation near Bakersfield announced it has signed a 15-year deal to sell the plant's electricity to Shell Energy North America LP.

 

PG&E bankruptcy: Newsom tells judge California may propose its own plan

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing back on an $11 billion settlement agreement PG&E Corp. reached with a group of insurance companies as part of its bankruptcy and redoubling his threat to intervene in the case.

See also:

●     New owners for PG&E? A co-op would bear utility’s burdens San Francisco Chronicle

●     Could selling PG&E to its customers help solve California’s power problems? PBS

●     Fires and Blackouts Pose an $11.5 Billion Economic Hit to California Bloomberg

 

In a sign of changing economy, an iconic flower company closes its doors

CALmatters

The company will close after 110 years, leaving its nearly 200 employees without jobs, which mostly pay minimum wage. Labor cost is the main reason, owner says.

 

California Consumer Privacy Act and the future of the health data economy

Med City News

These new data privacy rules – covering the previous gaps – present an opportunity for healthcare industry organizations to enhance the trust within their data relationships.

Opinion: California’s Board Diversity Tax

Wall Street Journal

Democrats in California work hard to punish businesses and sometimes they succeed without trying. Consider a 2018 law that imposes gender quotas for boards of public companies based in the state, which a new study finds effectively destroyed $60 billion in wealth over night.

 

Jobs:

 

Update: Behavioral health workers postpone strike after sudden death of Kaiser CEO

Fresno Bee

A planned five-day strike this week by roughly 4,000 members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers was postponed Sunday after the sudden news of the death of Kaiser Permanente’s CEO Bernard Tyson.

See also:

 

City workers protest wages

Madera Tribune

About 60 to 70 rank-and-file city workers held a protest Wednesday night in front of the Madera City Hall, before the start of the 6 p.m. City Council meeting, to express what they called their frustrations over lack of progress with their stalled contract negotiations.

 

All Eyes Are on California as Uber and Lyft Fight Labor Leaders to Determine the Future of the Gig Economy

Fortune

“Drivers have lost their homes due to the shrinking pay from Uber and Lyft and can’t find new apartments because landlords don’t think we have stable jobs, this is the world we live in,” said Nicole Moore, a part-time Lyft driver in Los Angeles and organizer with Rideshare Drivers United.

See also:

 

WSJ Survey: Economists Split on Causes of Hiring Slowdown

Wall Street Journal

Economists are roughly split over whether the recent hiring slowdown reflects primarily a shortage of workers or softening demand for labor, a sign of continuing uncertainty about the outlook.

 

Coworking couples and the similar jobs of dual-earner households

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The extent to which married or cohabiting couples share an employer is important for many economic and demographic topics. For example, it is well known that members of couples often are similar in educational attainment or socioeconomic status.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Decision reached on cheerleader’s restraining order against Fresno Unified trustee

Fresno Bee

A Fresno County court commissioner has denied a Bullard High cheerleader’s request for a temporary restraining order against Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic. The cheerleader and her mother were seeking protection against Slatic over a meeting the board member had with the cheer squad at the Bullard High campus July 10.

 

Sanger Unified looking to build K-12 school south of Clovis

Business Journal

The Fresno County Panning Commission will consider on Thursday whether a proposal by the Sanger Unified School District to build a kindergarten-12th-grade school conforms to the county’s General Plan.

 

New BCSD elementary school proposed for northeast Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

A new Bakersfield City School District elementary school proposed for the southwest corner of Masterson Street and Paladino Drive in northeast Bakersfield is scheduled to open fall 2023, according to district documents.

 

New Kern High School District policy draws clear line on proper conduct between employees, students

Bakersfield Californian

The text messaging started about two months after school started in the fall of 2018, the girl told police. By early November, the messages implored the 16-year-old girl, a Liberty High student, to come to the home of the man sending the texts: the school's young and popular varsity basketball coach, Jeff Hicks, who was also a math teacher at the school.

 

How Ceres Unified, Second Harvest came together to feed students, community

Modesto Bee

Katherine Smith made her first visit last week to get donated food from the Mobile Fresh truck at Carroll Fowler Elementary School. “I came to help my family,” said Smith. “Times get hard, and it is the holiday time.” With a family of five, she said, it’s been a struggle to make ends meet.

 

Work on new THS science building to begin next month

Turlock Journal

While it’s no secret that Turlock High School will soon welcome a brand new, state-of-the-art science building to its campus, the public has a better idea of what to expect as plans for the learning center’s interior were revealed this week — just one month before construction is set to begin.

 

For better or worse, school construction bond on March 2020 ballot will be Prop. 13

EdSource

You don’t have to be superstitious to fear the number 13. Both supporters and opponents of a proposed $15 billion school and college construction bond headed for the March 2020 state ballot are somewhat apprehensive now that the Secretary of State has designated it Proposition 13.

 

State audit finds education money not serving high-needs students, calls for changes in funding law (Clovis Unified part of audit)

EdSource

In its first detailed examination of former Gov. Jerry Brown’s landmark school funding law, the California State Auditor sharply criticized the Legislature and State Board of Education for failing to ensure that billions of dollars have been spent on low-income children and other students targeted for additional state money.

 

New Data: Who Is Taking Art Classes?

EdSource

Of course, this one question about a single arts discipline — visual arts — can’t cover nearly as much ground as the NAEP arts assessment used to. (Another question introduced into​​ the math NAEP in 2017 addresses how many students play instruments outside of school. We analyzed those results, too.)

 

Higher Ed:

 

UC President Says ‘Stakes Are High’ For DACA Recipients In Upcoming Supreme Court Arguments

KVPR
University of California President Janet Napolitano addressed the Supreme Court’s upcoming arguments about the future of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Friday in Fresno at the Economic Summit.

See also:

 

Stan State students take advocacy to state stage

Turlock Journal

Two Stanislaus State students are raising political awareness through not only their own activism, but by serving as two of the youngest state delegates for the Democratic Party.

 

California changed its rules on college athlete pay. Now White House looking into it

Sacramento Bee

The White House is meeting with congressional offices as it considers a response to a new California law that permits college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. “There’s interest in the Hill on it, and we have some interest in it,” White House Domestic Policy Council Director Joe Grogan told McClatchy in an interview.

 

Predicting the impact of college subsidy programs on college enrollment

Brookings

While colleges may be subsidized in a variety of ways, such as through grants to institutions, we focus on college subsidy programs that directly reduce or eliminate tuition, fees, or other educational expenses incurred by students.

 

Opinion: Higher Education’s Enemy Within

Wall Street Journal

American higher education seems to be in a permanent state of crisis. Almost monthly, a federal court has occasion to reprimand some college or university for improperly chilling speech, even as some students continue to complain that campuses are too friendly to the wrong kind of speakers.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Icy cold weather hits mid- and eastern U.S. What are ripple effects in Fresno?

Fresno Bee

Airline passengers trying to get from Chicago to Fresno on Monday, at the end of the Veterans Day weekend, aren’t going anywhere soon as the lone daily nonstop flight between the two cities was canceled by icy weather that has blasted much of the eastern U.S.

 

Late start to rainy season could be record-setting

Bakersfield Californian

As we head into a bone dry mid-November, Bakersfield is moving into record-setting territory for latest start to the rainy season. Dec. 11 is the latest date on record for the first rainfall of the wet season locally, set in 1995, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. (The wet season is defined as Oct. 1 through May 1, according to NWS.)

See also:

 

EPA rule proposes to expand limitations on scientific studies

The Hill

The latest iteration of a controversial Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal mandates that scientists provide broadened raw data related to their studies, a move some fear could further limit the use of science in agency rulemaking.

 

New oil and gas drilling could start soon near popular California parks

USAToday

The Trump Administration is moving forward with a plan that could open roughly 1.2 million acres across nine counties in California’s Central Valley to new oil and gas drilling. The proposed area spans across the heart of America’s breadbasket, where a quarter of the nation’s food is grown, on land that borders beloved national parks and monuments including Yosemite and Sequoia.

 

Energy:

 

California might not require solar panels on new homes, after all

Los Angeles Times

California became the first state in the nation last year to require solar panels on newly built homes. But it’s starting to look like the mandate wasn’t quite a mandate. The California Energy Commission also gave home builders the option of supplying solar power from an off-site facility, mollifying critics who said rooftop solar would raise the cost of housing.

 

Some Wonder if Electric Microgrids Could Light the Way in California

PEW Trust

Calistoga, California, a city of some 5,300, lies tucked in the Napa Valley between wooded hills that state utility regulators classify as extremely susceptible to wildfires. The town was recently threatened by the Kincade Fire and has endured several blackouts since the largest utility in the state, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), last year began a policy of shutting down power lines to prevent its equipment from sparking blazes.

 

Glimpse of Kern's oil-free future at EPA workshop Nov. 13

Bakersfield Californian

The state's war on oil comes to the front lines this week. The California Environmental Protection Agency will host a public workshop Wednesday evening at Bakersfield College's Norman Levan Center, where EPA officials, along with representatives of partner agencies, will solicit public input on two state-funded studies that focus on California's quest to achieve ambitious carbon neutrality goals by 2045.

 

PG&E helped fund the careers of Calif. governor and his wife. Now he accuses the utility of ‘corporate greed.’

Washington Post

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has accused his state’s largest utility company of mismanaging funds he said it should have used to upgrade an aging electrical grid prone to deadly wildfires.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Valley Fever Costs California $700 Million Annually, Study Estimates

KVPR

The individual health care costs of a severe case of valley fever can be devastating. But with thousands of cases of the fungal disease each year in California, what’s the cost to society? A new study makes an astounding estimate.

 

Trump to meet with vaping industry as he weighs new regulations

Los Angeles Times

President Trump said he’s planning to meet with vaping-industry representatives and medical professionals as the White House considers new limits on the sale of e-cigarettes. The Monday announcement appeared to catch federal regulators as well as pro-vaping groups by surprise.

See also:

 

California bill would ban early surgery to ‘fix’ intersex children

San Francisco Chronicle

David Cameron Strachan never knew he had an extra female X chromosome until a doctor told him at age 29. He did realize there was something different about him. His smooth, hairless body didn’t fit binary notions of gender. He had small breasts and tiny testicles.

 

Despite Some Improvements, Higher-Than-Average Preterm Birth Rates Persist In Valley

Valley Public Radio

Throughout California, just shy of 9 percent of babies are preterm. That means they’re born before 37 weeks of gestation, which can put them at higher risk of long-term health complications and even death.

 

Human Services:

 

State finds out-of-date food, unsanitary conditions at Adventist Health Tulare

Visalia Times Delta

A California Department of Public Health investigation of Adventist Health Tulare found seven violations including the improper administration of a powerful narcotic, improperly storing a placenta, serving out-of-date food and operating a dirty kitchen.

 

Modesto recovery program settles with state. Addiction services to reopen soon

Modesto Bee

A Modesto residential recovery program will be open again Dec. 1 after reaching a settlement agreement with the California Department of Health Care Services over a state order to suspend the center’s license.

 

Kern County Asthma Summit to take place on Thursday

Bakersfield Californian

The Asthma Coalition of Kern County will host its annual Kern County Asthma Summit on Thursday at the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, according to a news release. The free summit will take place from 2 to 8 p.m.

 

College Students, Seniors And Immigrants Miss Out On Food Stamps. Here’s Why.

Capital Public Radio

A college student in Fresno who struggles with hunger has applied for food stamps three times. Another student, who is homeless in Sacramento, has applied twice. Each time, they were denied.

 

Commentary: California’s solution to stop surprise medical bills is working; it’s time to take it national

Bakersfield Californian

With Assembly Bill 72, advocates for consumers, business and labor passed protections for patients from surprise medical bills, and also from inflated premiums. It established a benchmark for provider payments, set at the average of what in-network providers are paid.

 

EDITORIAL: Health insurance reform is real in California, not in Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles Times

Open-enrollment season is now underway for health insurance plans across the country, which means many Americans will be receiving unpleasant news about how much more their coverage will cost in the coming year.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

ICE may circumvent California’s ban on private immigrant detention centers

Los Angeles Times

Last month, California became the first state to kick out privately run immigrant detention centers. A new law that also bans private prisons prohibits new contracts or changes to existing ones after Jan. 1 and phases out existing detention facilities entirely by 2028.

 

Bubble Watch: California’s outmigration gap to Texas doubles to 48,354

Orange County Register

California saw 48,354 of its residents move to Texas vs. those who came from the Lone Star State last year — a gap that is more than double 2017 and almost double the historical trend.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

5,600 homes, a Sac State campus: Major Placer County development in final planning stages

Sacramento Bee

A plan to transform more than 13 square miles of farmland sandwiched between Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville into a vast development has inched closer to reality. The final planning and environmental review reports for the Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan were released Oct. 31, designating new uses for the land west of Highway 65, including major hubs of entertainment, business, retail, industry and housing.

 

GUSS grows up: Factory for autonomous ag sprayer built near Kingsburg

Business Journal

A few months later, Schapansky — now lead engineer for Crinklaw —watched his 23-foot-long, 11,000-pound, stainless steel-covered baby, “GUSS,” take its first “steps,” rolling on massive tractor tires between rows of trees in a local grove for its test run.

 

Housing:

 

Emotions among homeless mixed as tent city closes and new shelter opens

Modesto Bee

Officials will give an update Wednesday on the effort to close the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter — the tent city that is home to about 450 people — in the coming weeks and relocating its residents to other shelters.

 

Caltrans grapples with spread of homeless camps along highways

San Francisco Chronicle

Sarah Teague has a system when workers for Caltrans come to clean up the homeless encampment where she lives, under the University Avenue overpass of Interstate 580 in Berkeley. She says if she doesn’t move her stuff, Caltrans will destroy it.

 

Why $4.5 Billion From Big Tech Won’t End California Housing Crisis

New York Times

A mile from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino lies the sun-faded carcass of the Vallco Shopping Mall. At the moment it consists of empty, buff-colored buildings, acres of black asphalt and a pile of rubble where the parking garage used to be.

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Boomers Want to Stay Home. Senior Housing Now Faces a Budding Glut.

Wall Street Journal

The rise of technologies that help the elderly stay in their homes threatens to upend one of commercial real estate’s biggest bets: Aging baby boomers will leave their residences in droves for senior housing.

 

Price: It's cold, they're homeless and we'll study it

Bakersfield Californian

It might be instructive, amid all this discussion about homelessness and emergency shelters, to get the perspective of the world's best-known homeless advocate, a man who was briefly a transient himself. He was not available for an interview, but a spokesman, Matthew son of Alphaeus, did provide a written statement on the issue.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

California passed a law letting troops buy CalPERS pensions. It has never worked

Modesto Bee

California National Guard Capt. Steve Sonza thought he found a good deal for his retirement earlier this year. He learned about a program that would let him buy into CalPERS and secure a state-backed pension for life. “It’s an awesome retirement benefit. It’s one of the best in the country,” Sonza, 38, said.

 

CalPERS candidate wants re-do in election he lost, saying pension fund broke the law. Read his letter

Sacramento Bee

J.J. Jelincic, a candidate and past board member of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, lost an election for a seat on the CalPERS board in October. Jelincic is​​ calling for the election’s result to be overturned, citing what he says are violations of election procedures in a protest letter filed Nov. 4. Read the letter below.

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Opinion: America's Deficit and Debt Problems Must Be Addressed

National Review

Republicans (54 percent) are in favor of reducing the deficit at higher rates than Democrats (44 percent), but concern has declined among all voters. And the politicians? Well.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

What you’re paying at the pump: Here’s how Valley gas prices are changing

Fresno Bee

For the first time in more than a month, the average price of regular unleaded gasoline has dropped to under $4 per gallon in Fresno, falling by three cents a gallon from a week ago to $3.97 on Monday.

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City council votes to put hold on Lime Scooters in Clovis

Clovis Roundup

While the city of Fresno recently approved a six-month trial period for 500 Lime scooters in the city starting next week, the Clovis City Council voted unanimously to be included in the scooter dead zone at its weekly meeting on Monday.

 

Workshop scheduled to discuss downtown main street designs

Madera Tribune

A community workshop will be held Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The workshop, conducted by the City of Madera, is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and run until 7 p.m. at the First 5 Madera County Building 525 E. Yosemite Ave.

 

High-Speed Rail Authority Completes Environmental Clearance into Bakersfield

California High-Speed Rail Authority

Today, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) issued the Record of Decision for the final 23-mile route between Shafter and Bakersfield in the Central Valley.  This completes the state’s environmental review process between Fresno and Bakersfield and allows the Authority to move toward project construction into Bakersfield.

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EDITORIAL: Newsom is right in saying he will oppose any raid on high-speed-rail funding

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom made it clear in an interview with The Bee’s EDITORIAL Board that he will oppose any attempts by Southern California and Bay Area legislators to take money from the high-speed-rail project and divert it to rail systems in their region.

 

Justice Department Issues Civil Subpoenas to Auto Makers in California Emissions Pact Probe

Wall Street Journal

The Justice Department has issued civil subpoenas to four auto makers that reached a tailpipe emissions deal this summer with the state of California, the latest development in a federal antitrust investigation that has generated political controversy.

 

The City That Cycles With the Young, the Old, the Busy and the Dead

New York Times

Nearly half of all journeys to school and work in Copenhagen take place on bicycles. And people like it that way.

 

WATER

 

California has six of the nation’s 1,680 high-hazard dams deemed in risky condition

Los Angeles Times

Get out of your house. Just a little over a quarter-mile upstream, the 92-year-old Spencer Dam was straining to contain the swollen, ice-covered Niobrara River after an unusually intense snow and rainstorm.

 

Big California water agency steps back from Shasta expansion. Environmentalists still worry

Sacramento Bee

The nation’s largest water agency signed an agreement that legally bars it from participating in a controversial plan to raise Shasta Dam, a move applauded by environmental groups that fiercely opposed the proposal out of fears enlarging the state’s biggest reservoir would swamp a stretch of a protected Northern California river and flood sites sacred to a Native American tribe.

 

Feds set to lock in huge water contract for well-connected Westlands Water District

Los Angeles Times

Westlands Water District, a sprawling San Joaquin Valley farm district with ties to the Trump administration, is poised to get a permanent entitlement to a massive quantity of cheap federal irrigation supplies.

 

Democrats’ Bernhardt probe has California’s TJ Cox in a tough spot

Roll Call

A draft report by the National Marine Fisheries Service concluded in July that giving farmers in California’s Central Valley more water would harm salmon, steelhead trout and killer whales. But after the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service intervened, the final report, released on Oct. 22, reached a new conclusion: The government could maximize water deliveries and protect the fish at the same time.

 

“Xtra”

 

Central Valley Veterans Day Parade centennial celebration in Fresno called largest in U.S.

Fresno Bee

The Central Valley Veterans Day Parade in downtown Fresno celebrated a major milestone Monday: 100 years of thanking U.S. military veterans and members for their service. The​​ centennial celebration parade was described as twice its usual size and the largest of its kind in the United States.

 

For Veterans Day, The Legacy Of The Nation's First African-American Colonel And Park Superintendent

KVPR
This Veterans Day a portion of Highway 198 next to Sequoia National Park is getting a new name in honor of Colonel Charles Young. He’s the first African American to serve as superintendent of a national park and achieve the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army.

 

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

 

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

                                                      

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

 

 

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