Maddy Institute – November 13, 2020

13Nov

POLICY & POLITICS

Valley Air District’s Emissions Bank Likely To Change Following Damaging State Review

VPR

Later this month, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is set to release a report detailing how well its clean air programs are meeting federal requirements for reducing emissions. It’s called an equivalency demonstration, and it’s released annually every November.

North SJ Valley:

With less than 1 week to turn COVID-19 metrics around, Merced County data gets worse

Merced Sun-Star

Following an absence of Merced County novel coronavirus updates on Wednesday due to the Veterans Day holiday, County Public Health’s Thursday report showed critical COVID-19 metrics have worsened notably.

How is Turlock spending CARES Act money? This coronavirus relief application is one way

Modesto Bee

Turlock businesses facing financial hardship because of COVID-19 can apply for grants this month through one of several city programs designed to provide relief to the community.

Best way to keep SJ restaurants, schools and businesses open? Get a COVID-19 test, officials urge

Stockton Record

Business owners are fighting to keep San Joaquin County from falling back into the purple tier or at least making a return trip as short as possible.

Central SJ Valley:

Is Fresno County Republican or Democrat? Here’s our 30-year voting record in big races

Fresno Bee

Over the past 30 years, Fresno County voters have gone back and forth between voting Republican and Democrat in presidential elections.

How’s Fresno Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer’s COVID recovery coming? He shares latest

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown both reached out with best wishes for Fresno Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer as he recovers from coronavirus. Dyer received his positive test result for COVID-19 earlier this week.

Clovis mayor self-quarantining after exposure to someone with COVID-19

abc30

The mayor of Clovis is self-quarantining after being in contact with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19. Mayor Drew Bessinger said he tested negative for the virus on Thursday morning.

Nine Businesses with a Fresh Vision for Downtown Fresno

Business Journal

The Downtown Fresno Partnership has released its slate of nine finalists for its annual Create Here Business Plan Competition. Now in its third year, the competition offers cash prizes to entrepreneurs who develop business plans for enterprises in Downtown Fresno.

Kings County could fall back into purple tier

Hanford Sentinel

After four weeks in the red “Substantial” tier 2, COVID-19 cases have begun to climb and on Tuesday it was announced that Kings County has fallen back to meeting the metrics for the more restrictive purple “Widespread” tier 1.

● Fresno hit with over 250 new COVID-19 cases. Doctors brace for strain on hospitals Fresno Bee

● Fresno reports 500 new cases in two days as death toll update looms Fresno Bee

● California approaching 1 million COVID-19 cases abc30

● COVID-19 update: Active cases continue to increase Porterville Recorder

EDITORIAL: Fresno has a rare chance to reform police department. City leaders must not fail to lead

Fresno Bee

Fresno has a rare opportunity to bring about meaningful reform of its police department. The stakes are high, because history shows it is hard for the city to reach these moments, and previous attempts have fallen short.

South SJ Valley:

Kern County, coronavirus, slim margins: Why this California House race doesn’t have results

Fresno Bee

Elections officials still have tens of thousands of ballots to count in the race between Democratic Rep. TJ Cox and former Republican Rep. David Valadao. Valadao is currently up in the ballot count, but it’s far from over.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy on new members who have backed QAnon: 'Give them an opportunity'

The Hill

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) defended the conference welcoming incoming GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (Colo.) despite their past positive comments about the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Kern County to hire temporary workers to do COVID-19 outreach in at-risk communities

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County public health will hire temporary workers to be deployed to disadvantaged areas of the county starting next week under a plan announced Tuesday to provide COVID-19 outreach and education to vulnerable populations.

Caught on Camera: Police Bodycams and Accountability in Kern County

KGET

Body cameras may be commonplace in other cities across the country, but in many parts of Kern County, there are not enough bodycams to go around, making the truth much harder to uncover.

State:

California Senate sweepstakes: Who gets Kamala Harris’ job?

Fresno Bee

Election Day is over, but California already is consumed with its next high-profile political contest — the competition to fill Kamala Harris’ soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat.

California Republicans argued Democrats would raise taxes. Did Prop. 15 prove their point?

Fresno Bee

Asked about California’s property tax law during a local radio interview in December 2019, Democratic legislative candidate Dawn Addis stopped short of endorsing a total repeal of Proposition 13.

Planet Fitness members urge Gov. Newsom to open gyms in California's purple counties

Visalia Times Delta

Planet Fitness members gathered outside the health club's Tulare location to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to allow gyms to reopen safely in California's purple counties.

Parolee feels ‘Emancipated’ as California votes ‘Yes’ on Prop. 17, allow right to vote

Sacramento Bee

Nearly 60% of California voters supported Proposition 17 and decided to restore voting rights to people with felony records immediately after they complete their prison term, despite being on parole.

Several California Counties Have Appealed Their COVID-19 Status, But Very Few Have Had Success

Capital Public Radio

When it comes to the gradual reopening of schools and businesses, California counties hang on the words of state health officials. Each week, they give counties approval to restart different sectors of the economy or not, based on the COVID-19 case rate and test positivity threshold established by the state’s color-coded tiering system.

How Uber and Lyft persuaded California to vote their way

Los Angeles Times

Just 39% of likely voters surveyed in a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll said they would side with Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig economy companies by voting yes on a California ballot measure that would override state law requiring them to treat workers as employees.

Opinion: California Has Work Ahead

California Budget & Policy Center

As California and our country move forward to tackle the challenges facing our communities and make life better for our families and neighbors, the California Budget & Policy Center continues our commitment to advancing public policies that improve the lives of Californians who have been blocked from sharing in the state’s prosperity.

Champion of California’s triple bottom line talks about win-win nature of California Economic Summit

CA Forward

One of the strengths of the ever-growing California Economic Summit network is the inspiring cross section of problem-solvers from every region who come together to not just talk about making California a better place for next generations, but put in the work.

Walters: Orange County’s stubborn conservative streak

CalMatters

Once a bastion of California Republicanism, Orange County is now purple with a stubborn conservative streak.

Federal:

A few cracks but no big GOP break with Trump on Biden’s win

Fresno Bee

The most powerful Republicans in Washington stood firmly behind President Donald Trump and his unsupported claims of voter fraud on Thursday, but new cracks emerged among GOP leaders elsewhere who believe it's time for the administration to treat Democrat Joe Biden like the president-elect he is.

● More Outlets Give Biden Arizona Win Wall Street Journal

Trump Campaign Presses Election Claims in Pennsylvania, Arizona

Wall Street Journal

The Trump campaign pressed ahead with its courtroom fight to contest election results, seeking to invalidate more than 10,000 votes in the Philadelphia area and asking an Arizona judge to block certification of the ballot count there.

● False claims spread online about election tech firm Dominion Voting Systems abc30

● Four viral videos falsely suggest ‘voter fraud’ led to Biden’s victory Washington Post

● Opinion: Voters of Color Decisive for Biden Despite Democrats’ Missteps Capitol and Man

Trump, still out of sight, focuses on his own future as pandemic worsens

Los Angeles Times

More than a week after his stinging electoral defeat, President Trump spent another day secluded in the White House on Thursday feverishly tweeting, watching television and telephoning allies — focused more on his own future than governing the nation as it struggles with a worsening pandemic.

See also:

● EDITORIAL: Joe Biden’s Lockdown Lobby Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: How to make Biden’s COVID task force better AEI

Stimulus talks: Post-election rancor clouds chances for COVID relief bill

abc30

President-elect Joe Biden's top allies on Capitol Hill adopted a combative posture on COVID-19 relief on Thursday, pressing their case for a $2 trillion bill that's a nonstarter for Republicans and faulting the GOP for dragging its feet on acknowledging Biden's victory.

Biden Can Pass His Agenda If He Gives Republicans What They Want Most

New York Magazine

The Democrats won the presidency, but they don’t have what a parliamentary system would call a “government.” Even if they win both Georgia Senate seats in the runoffs, they’ll have just 50 Senate seats and will need to rely on moderates to supply the deciding votes, with little prospect for ending the filibuster and no margin for error.

● Opinion: Elizabeth Warren: What a Biden-Harris administration should prioritize on its first day Washington Post

● Commentary: A memo to President-elect Biden: Don’t coddle white racial anxieties Brookings

Biden Names Longtime Aide Ron Klain As White House Chief Of Staff

VPR

President-elect Joe Biden has named his longtime aide Ron Klain to be White House chief of staff, the campaign announced Wednesday evening. The chief of staff is one of the most significant White House appointments.

House Can Securely Vote Remotely, Says Report

Wall Street Journal

Lawmakers could securely vote remotely from outside the Capitol using existing technology, Democrats on the House Administration Committee said in a report this week, but the idea faces resistance from Democratic leaders.

The Census Is Not Over: What's Ahead During The Biden Transition

VPR

Counting has ended, but the 2020 census is not over yet and it's likely to get tangled in the fraught transition to President-elect Joe Biden's administration. Some major final steps for this year's national head count are set to take place while President Trump is still in office.

Other:

California seniors, here’s what you need to know about renewing your driver’s license

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order temporarily waiving the requirement for drivers 70 or older to come in to a Department of Motor Vehicles field office to renew their license.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Valley farmers take first cold snap in stride

abc30

The Central Valley's first cold snap came on fast, but Valley farmers are taking it in stride. Dairy farmers do their best to protect the youngest animals from the harsh elements. Sudden shifts in weather can put them at risk of catching a cold or getting pneumonia.

Farmers Donate Money to Help Dairy in Fight with City

Business Journal

The Tulare County Farm Bureau presented a check for $65,000 to Ben Curti and Tessa Hall of Curtimade Dairy to assist in their legal fees as they defend against accusations of groundwater pollution from the Kings County city.

'BC in the Vineyards' recruits farmworkers on the job

Bakersfield Californian

Hernan Hernandez started noticing something worrisome about the crews that were coming out to work the fields and vineyards. “I was starting to see a lot of young faces,” said the executive director of the California Farmworker Foundation. “My concern was that we would see the second and third generation of farmworkers.”

20 sites distributing free food over next week

Stockton Record

In the next week, San Joaquin County Human Services Agency’s Food For You Program will be distributing free food at 20 sites throughout the county to eligible residents. Food includes shelf-stable canned vegetables, fruit, meat and dry foods such as rice or pasta.

Deemed essential, California farmworkers risk disease and deportation

PBS

As the United States grapples with the latest surge in coronavirus, some workers are trying to cope with illness and economic hardship while also facing the threat of deportation.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Caught on Camera: bodycams and accountability

KGET

Body cameras may be commonplace in other cities across the country, but in many parts of Kern County, there are not enough bodycams to go around, making the truth much harder to uncover.

Cash Bail Survived The Ballot, But Reformers Say The Battle To End It Isn’t Over

Capital Public Radio

The California bail bondsman lives to see another day. With upwards of 15 million votes counted, Californians rejected Proposition 25 by more than a 10 percentage points.

Public Safety:

Governor Newsom grants executive clemency

Orange County Breeze

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he has granted 22 pardons, 13 commutations and four medical reprieves. The California Constitution gives the Governor the authority to grant executive clemency in the form of a pardon, commutation or reprieve.

EDITORIAL: Fresno has a rare chance to reform police department. City leaders must not fail to lead

Fresno Bee

Fire:

Creek Fire update: Heavy smoke expected around Shaver Lake. Here’s what’s happening

Fresno Bee

Cal Fire officials battling the Creek Fire on Wednesday burned through brush and slashed piles collected during their suppression repairs on Southern California Edison property between Shaver Lake Village and Shaver Point on Thursday, according to a recent Facebook update.

California’s final frontier faces firefighter shortage

CalMatters

Nestled in California’s northeast corner, Modoc County calls itself the “last best place.” Home to the sprawling Modoc National Forest and graced with lava flows, cinder cones, juniper flats and pine forests, the county is one of California’s most sparsely populated places.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Fresno restaurant owners preparing for county to move back into 'purple' tier

abc30

Yosemite Ranch in northeast Fresno is fully remodeled and back open for business. Some seating is available inside but many guests are ushered to their seats in a large tent in the parking lot.

Costco requiring all customers, even those with medical conditions, to wear face coverings

abc30

Costco has changed its COVID-19 safety policy and now requires all customers, even those with medical conditions, to wear face coverings inside the store.

● Costco enforces a stricter Face Mask Policy Clovis RoundUp

As COVID cases rise, no need to stockpile supplies, expert says

abc30

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, consumers are stocking up, and grocery stores are responding. But before you go on a spending spree, there are some things to consider.

Stocks pull back from record highs as pandemic worsens

Los Angeles Times

U.S. stocks pulled back on Thursday, amid increasing worries about worsening coronavirus case counts across the country. Markets around the world have taken a pause after galloping higher this month, at first on expectations that Washington will continue several pro-business policies following last week’s U.S. elections.

● Opinion: A successful vaccine doesn’t mean we should fall in love with industrial policy AEI

Commentary: Biden-voting counties equal 70% of America’s economy. What does this mean for the nation’s political-economic divide?

Brookings

Even with a new president and political party soon in charge of the White House, the nation’s economic standoff continues.

Jobs:

Expired unemployment boost, EDD debacles sink jobless Californians

CalMatters

As the pandemic drags on into the winter, EDD blunders and slim unemployment benefits have left jobless Californians virtually fending for themselves.

See also:

● Unemployment Data Update: March through November 12, 2020 California Center for Jobs & the Economy

● ‘If I don’t go to work, I don’t get paid’: Pandemic still hitting California housekeepers Sacramento Bee

Oregon posts workplace outbreaks, California has no such plan

CalMatters

Oregon led with transparency in reporting workplace outbreaks. California shields businesses so as not to shame them. The distinction has workers and public health experts worried.

How Does the Job Recovery Look around California This Fall?

PPIC

Workers across the state are feeling the effects of the recession as California’s job market continues its slow path to recovery. The pandemic and its resulting economic downturn led to severe cuts for face-to-face service sectors, but job loss has hit many industries and affected all regions in the state.

● ‘Work from anywhere’ is here to stay. How will it change our workplaces? Los Angeles Times

U.S. Unemployment Claims Slip but Hold at High Levels

Wall Street Journal

New applications for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, suggesting layoffs are easing as the broader economy flashes signs of improvement. Initial claims for jobless benefits, a proxy for layoffs, declined to 709,000 last week from 757,000 a week earlier.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno High’s mascot is racist, Native Americans say. Push to change takes next step

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Unified School District held a virtual town hall on Thursday night to hear from both sides of the debate and help educate people on the pain and trauma such mascots can cause Native Americans.

With masks and music, smiles and social distancing, Modesto schoolkids return to class

Modesto Bee

Thursday, many of the youngest of them had their first day at school. Children got quite the welcome, with cheers, the waving of pompoms, noisemakers, mascots and music — including Sonoma Elementary’s piano-playing principal.

Here’s how Modesto area health officials feel about sending children back to campus

Modesto Bee

Some schools in Stanislaus County are offering only distance learning, a few have begun in-person learning for TK through sixth grade, and others are offering a hybrid model with a mix of the two. Nearly all districts are giving the choice to parents.

What Prop. 15’s defeat means for California schools

CalMatters

Voters narrowly defeated Proposition 15, the tax measure that aimed to eliminate decades-long protections for commercial properties – dashing hopes of billions of dollars flowing into California’s cash-strapped public schools and community colleges in the coming years.

State program opposes Trump’s call for ‘patriotic education’

Madera Tribune

President Donald J. Trump’s proposal to promote “patriotic education” through the recently created “1776 Commission” has generated opposition in Sacramento that runs all the way to Madera.

Improving Early Learning Outcomes During Unprecedented Times

EdNote

From research on early brain development to the benefits of high-quality pre-K education, the importance of the early years is hard to ignore. More recently, the K-3 years have come into focus because these years act as sustaining environments for gains made prior to kindergarten.

As Covid-19 Cases Surge, School Districts Ponder Closing Doors

Wall Street Journal

School districts nationwide are split on their closing plans as community infection rates vary and transmission in many locations has been relatively contained.

‘Bye, Betsy’: Educators Celebrate the End of the DeVos Era

U.S. News

After The 2020 Presidential Election Was Called For Joe Biden On Saturday, The Country's Educators Released A Collective Sigh Of Relief Knowing That, At Long Last, The Days Were Numbered For The Woman They Consider Public (School) Enemy No. 1: Education Secretary Betsy Devos.

Higher Ed:

Zoom forum at Stan State will revisit Modesto’s history of segregated neighborhoods

Modesto Bee

An online forum will reopen a painful topic – how people of color were barred from some Modesto neighborhoods. It will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, on a Zoom link sponsored by the geography department at California State University, Stanislaus.

UC Merced Interns Reflect on Their Summer Projects at JGI

Joint Genome Institute

Over the course of eight weeks this past summer, 10 students from UC Merced worked closely with JGI scientists on research projects that contribute to the larger mission of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Higher Education and Economic Opportunity in California

Public Policy Institute of California

With a robust higher education system and an ambitious goal of universal access, California is well-positioned to expand economic opportunity through higher education.

Cheating-detection companies made millions during the pandemic. Now students are fighting back.

Washington Post

When North Carolina A&T State University junior Arielle G. Brown took her International Marketing exam in September, a cheating-detection program analyzed her behavior through a computer webcam the entire time.

Education’s Evolution

Wall Street Journal

In our latest issue, The Future of Everything looks at what’s next for education, from Big Tech on campus to the decline of the four-year college degree and a push to reform high-school math

EDITORIAL: Harvard vs. Asian-Americans

Wall Street Journal

Harvard won its big racial preferences case in a Solomonic verdict by the First Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday that Harvard’s use of race isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough. We hope the Supreme Court will be the final judge of that.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Valley Air District’s Emissions Bank Likely To Change Following Damaging State Review

VPR

Boiling Point: Western voters weighed in on climate change, up and down the ballot

Los Angeles Times

We’ve known for five days that Joe Biden will be the next president, and there’s already a cottage industry of experts trying to predict what steps the Biden administration might take on climate change over the next four years.

Thanks to climate change, hurricanes pummel land longer

Los Angeles Times

Hurricanes are doing more damage to inland areas because they’re lasting longer after making landfall, and warmer ocean waters due to climate change are the likely cause, according to new research.

Energy:

California Is Trying to Jump-Start the Hydrogen Economy

New York Times

Dozens of hydrogen buses are lumbering down city streets, while more and larger fueling stations are appearing from San Diego to San Francisco, financed by the state and federal governments.

California ban on diesel opens new front in hydrogen vs. electric battle

FreightWaves

Another front opened in the battle to level the playing field for zero-emission vehicles this week when nine California legislators sent a letter to Newsom urging him to take a “technology-neutral” approach to decarbonization and not focus the state’s transportation sector investments solely on battery-electric vehicles, especially in medium- and heavy-duty trucking.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Virus surge breaking infection records across the US

Fresno Bee

Texas on Wednesday became the first state with more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, and California closed in on that mark as a surge of coronavirus infections engulfs the country.

● Fresno hit with over 250 new COVID-19 cases. Doctors brace for strain on hospitals Fresno Bee

● Fresno reports 500 new cases in two days as death toll update looms Fresno Bee

● California approaching 1 million COVID-19 cases abc30

● COVID-19 update: Active cases continue to increase Porterville Recorder

● Kern Public Health: 1 new COVID-19 death, 251 new cases on Thursday Bakersfield Californian

● Stanislaus details recent cases by ZIP code; trend poor Modesto Bee

● Making sense of recent COVID-19 stats in the U.S. PolitiFact

With Thanksgiving Ahead, Fresno County Supervisor’s COVID-19 Case A Reminder It’s A Risk To Gather

VPR

The Fresno County Health Department has asked more than 40 people to self-quarantine following the recent COVID-19 infection of Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau.

● How to have a safer — but not safe — pandemic Thanksgiving Vox

● At dinner parties and game nights, casual American life is fueling the coronavirus surge as daily cases exceed 150,000 Washington Post

● How to Minimize COVID Risk and Enjoy the Holidays Scientific American

Fauci doesn’t think COVID-19 will be eradicated but ‘help is on the way’ with vaccine

Fresno Bee

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said he believes “help is on the way” with a COVID-19 vaccine — but the virus won’t be completely eradicated.

● Why Pfizer’s ultra-cold COVID-19 vaccine will not be at the local pharmacy any time soon Reuters

● Biden COVID adviser proposes US lockdown of 4 to 6 weeks abc30

● As coronavirus soars, hospitals hope to avoid an agonizing choice: Who gets care and who goes home Washington Post

● As Covid-19 Surges to New Levels Across U.S., States Impose Flurry of Measures Wall Street Journal

● What Places Are Hardest Hit by the Coronavirus? It Depends on the Measure New York Times

● Opinion: We Don’t Need Government Mandates for Covid Vaccination Wall Street Journal

● China Is Inoculating Thousands With Unapproved COVID-19 Vaccines. Why? VPR

Human Services:

Supervisors delay approval of mental health facilities after two hospitals raise concerns

Bakersfield Californian

A proposal to build two new psychiatric health facilities has been delayed once again after concerns arose the county may be spending money where it's not needed.

Wearing a mask isn’t just about protecting other people, the CDC says. It can help you — and might prevent lockdowns.

Washington Post

When the White House coronavirus task force first recommended mask-wearing April 3, officials emphasized that this was not about you. It was about others. Your mom, dad, other family members. Friends.

Here’s what you need to know about getting a coronavirus test at the airport

Washington Post

The negative coronavirus test result is becoming the passport of Pandemic 2020. Many countries and states are requiring visitors to carry proof of a negative test. Without it, travelers may be denied entry or required to self-quarantine for up to two weeks.

Employers Craft Health Benefits to Cushion Covid-19 Shock

Wall Street Journal

In a year racked by the pandemic and economic turmoil, many companies are using the annual open-enrollment period for health insurance to provide employees with what some say they need: stability.

IMMIGRATION

After COVID-19 outbreak subsides at Mesa Verde, ICE seeks to remove court restrictions

Bakersfield Californian

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to remove a court order that was issued after more than half of the detainees at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center contracted coronavirus in August.

Biden plans sweeping reversal of Trump's immigration agenda, from deportations to asylum policy

CBSNews

While the COVID-19 public health crisis and its impact on the U.S. economy will preoccupy President-elect Joe Biden during his first weeks in office, the incoming Democratic administration is also expected to quickly start dismantling President Trump's immigration agenda.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update

JD Supra

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order last Wednesday to protect nearly a third of California’s land and coastal waters in his latest effort to fight climate change that he has blamed for recent record-breaking wildfires.

Housing:

Eviction concerns for motel residents during Fresno "Red Light District" reboot

abc30

A change of ownership and a possible attempt at eviction caused confusion and chaos for a few days for people living in a place they call a "motel of last resort." The Parkside Inn is a motel right along Highway 99 on Olive.

Reimagining California’s Housing Policy With An Equity Lens

CA Forward

“How do you start changing the systematic racism found in housing policies, when the systems you’ve put in place are not working? You repeal the laws. Take them off the books.”

Home Prices Are Rising Everywhere in the U.S.

Wall Street Journal

Home prices rose in every corner of the U.S. during the third quarter, as the pandemic boosted activity in a way not seen in recent history.

Opinion: Los Angeles is ready for single-family zoning reform

CalMatters

Legalizing duplexes, triplexes and quads in single-family neighborhoods seemed revolutionary a few years ago, but the political landscape has shifted.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California state worker pay database updated with 2019 raises, promotions

Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee has updated its State Worker salary database with new data up to this month. The update incorporates raises for about 46,000 workers in five state worker unions who received pay raises through new contracts last year.

Editorial: California had the chance to start fixing its broken tax system. It balked

Los Angeles Times

Proposition 15, the “split roll” measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, was always going to be a tough sell. The measure would have raised taxes on commercial and industrial property as much as $11.5 billion a year by exempting those parcels from the tax breaks in Proposition 13, which was enacted in a 1978 taxpayer revolt.

Monthly U.S. Budget Gap More Than Doubled in October

Wall Street Journal

The federal government ran a $284 billion budget deficit in the first month of the fiscal year. The U.S. budget gap rose 111% in October, due to higher federal spending last month on health-care and safety-net programs, and lower federal tax collection.

Economists suggest $10 daily tax for those who work from home

abc30

Should people who work from home face an additional tax? The idea is not close to becoming reality, but economists from Deutsche Bank made the argument in a report that is causing quite a stir online.

TRANSPORTATION

Direct flights to Mexico City now available at Fresno Yosemite International Airport

abc30

Local travelers can now go from Fresno to Mexico City faster than ever. Late on Wednesday night, passengers boarded the inaugural Volaris flight from the Central Valley direct to Mexico's capital city.

● Ahead of holiday travel season, West Coast states urge 14-day quarantine for anyone entering from out of state abc30

● Here’s what you need to know about getting a coronavirus test at the airport Washington Post

California seniors, here’s what you need to know about renewing your driver’s license

Sacramento Bee

So you’re a California senior who’s 70 or older and you need to renew your driver’s license. What do you do? Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order temporarily waiving the requirement for drivers 70 or older to come in to a Department of Motor Vehicles field office to renew their license.

WATER

California Is Making Progress On Safe Water For All, But Work Remains

Capital Public Radio

Benedicto Cazares does not turn on his tap. He and his neighbors of East Orosi, an unincorporated community of about 1,000 people in the San Joaquin Valley, have been dealing with unsafe levels of nitrates in their water supply for years — and paying for it.

WET Center Webinar Series: Navigating the State of the Irrigation Industry with Aric Olson, President of Jain Irrigation Inc.

The Water, Energy, and Technology Center

Join us on November 20 at 10:00 am to discuss the current and future state of the irrigation industry with Aric Olson, President of Jain Irrigation, Inc. We will be covering topics such as where irrigation innovation is needed in the areas of permanent crops and how technology could fill the gaps.

“Xtra”

COVID-19 can’t stop good, holiday food

Madera Tribune

More and more, I am hearing that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, families across the nation should not plan on having large gatherings for Thanksgiving.

Nine Businesses with a Fresh Vision for Downtown Fresno

Business Journal