Political Stories
Top stories
John Myers: Revamped primaries changed California politics, but not like everyone thought â California has now conducted 469 regularly scheduled races under the top-two primary â elections for governor, Congress and every seat in the Legislature. The bottom line: changes, yes, but likely only on the margins. Myers column in LA Times
Dan Walters: How California became a very blue state — Californiaâs political evolution over the last four decades, from a mostly red state to a purple state and finally to a very blue state, corresponds to its powerful demographic trends, driven largely by equally powerful economic forces.  Walters column in Sacramento Bee
ImmigrationÂ
Kevin R. Johnson: Trumpâs immigration promises fraught with obstacles â The dean of the UC Davis School of Law writes, âThere are a number of ways that a Trump administration might seek to accomplish mass removals, but they are fraught with legal obstacles and potential public backlash.â Johnson op-ed in Sacramento BeeÂ
Victor Davis Hanson: With âsanctuary city,â enemies of language rebrand their biases â âSanctuary cityâ is a euphemism for the local and state nullification of federal law â a subversive tactic that dates back to the nullification crises during the Andrew Jackson administration and, later, in the years leading up to the Civil War. Hanson column in Fresno Bee
Other areas
âCalexitâ: Just some flaky California dreaminâ? — Weâve got more people than Canada, a bigger economy than France, and enough farms to feed half the world and leave the other half stoned out of their minds. So could California really go it alone? Or is this independence âCalexitâ thing just its latest pipe dream? San Jose Mercury News article
Donald W. Blount: Haters gotta hate, but by no means does anyone have to accept it â Dear Haters, Let me wish all of you a belated Happy Thanksgiving. In addition, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Holidays. I also want to thank you for calling and writing. I certainly I appreciate the feedback. Whenever I write about race, you feel the need to call me names, attack my family, attack my intelligence, sensibility, etc. Blount column in Stockton RecordÂ
Activists find solace in victories — One group turned out to express gratitude. The other turned out to have its voice heard with peaceful protest. The two small, separate groups took to the streets of downtown Stockton at the same moment last week, both seeking to raise awareness of issues recently in the news. Stockton Record article
Presidential PoliticsÂ
Letters threatening genocide against Muslims and praising Trump sent to multiple mosques — The Council on American-Islamic Relations has called for increased police protection of local mosques after letters that threatened the genocide of Muslims and praised President-elect Donald Trump were sent to multiple California mosques this week. LA Times article
Will Fidel Castroâs death offer Trump an opening on Cuba? — Fidel Castroâs death may offer President-elect Donald Trump an opening to back away from a sweeping pledge the Republican candidate made to South Florida voters to reverse U.S. rapprochement with Cuba. McClatchy Newspapers articleÂ
Clinton camp will join recount efforts â Nearly three weeks after Election Day, Hillary Clintonâs campaign said on Saturday that it would participate in a recount process in Wisconsin incited by a third-party candidate and would join any potential recounts in two other closely contested states, Pennsylvania and Michigan. New York Times article
How Nancy Pelosiâs daughter and Dianne Feinsteinâs granddaughter became part of Electoral College — Among the electors are Janine Bera, the wife of Rep. Ami Bera of Elk Grove; Christine Pelosi, the daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and chairwoman of the state partyâs womenâs caucus; Eileen Feinstein Mariano, granddaughter of Sen. Dianne Feinstein; and Olivia Reyes-Becerra, daughter of Rep. Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles. State Assemblywomen Susan Eggman of Stockton and Shirley Weber of San Diego, former state Sen. Christine Kehoe of San Diego, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez and Laphonza Butler, president of the Service Employees International Union chapter that represents home care employees, also are on the list. LA Times article
News Stories
Top Stories
Accurate valley fever counts elude health officials — Estimates of the number of valley fever cases recorded by local, state and federal agencies vary so widely that they call into question the accuracy of the figures released to the public, a Center for Health Journalism Collaborative investigation has found. Bakersfield Californian articleÂ
Sides brace for hearing on river flow plan â Fishing and environmental groups will get the first say Tuesday about how much water should run down the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers. Modesto Bee article
Jobs and the Economy
Customers flock to Old Town Clovis stores in support of Small Business Saturday — Inside the Fifth Street Antiques store at the corner of Fifth Street and Pollasky Avenue in Old Town Clovis on Saturday, owner Wanda Leon greeted customers who popped in. Leon was in on the effort to draw shoppers to her small antique shop, charging no sales taxes on items in her store as crowds flocked to Old Town Clovis for Small Business Saturday. Fresno Bee article
Sacramento Bee: We canât fix homelessness without regional strategy â To truly move the needle, an agreed upon, coordinated regional plan is needed to roll out services and manage spending. Sacramento Bee editorial
As soda taxes gain acceptance, your bottle could be next â Following successful measures on Election Day, advocates believe more cities will consider them, not just to fight obesity, but also to bring in more money. New York Times article
How costly are Sacramento Kings tickets? Itâs no longer just about where you sit — The price you pay for a Sacramento Kings ticket at Golden 1 Center doesnât just depend on where you sit. It also depends on which game youâre attending, how you buy the ticket and even when you make your purchase. Sacramento Bee article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
Mark Arax: Desert and farm, water drainage and a new deal in the Central Valley â The Fresno author writes, âCalifornia finally has begun the process of regulating groundwater. Sometime in the next decade, Westlands wonât be able to willy-nilly stick more 1,800-foot wells in the ground to make up for water that drought and fish take. And sometime beyond that, as the ancient Sumerians discovered, salt inexorably will have its way. The whale, these farmers will whisper, cannot be sustained.â Arax op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Don Curlee: Forests require farm technique — Talk about a huge spread! Californiaâs national forests occupy 20.8 million acres, all requiring hands-on maintenance. Some say they are not receiving enough of it. Dean Gould, who is Supervisor of the Sierra National Forest, headquartered in Clovis, talked about the sometimes conflicting, always demanding and usually difficult functions National Forest Servicepersonnel must perform. They extend from fighting raging fires to protecting chipmunks and children. All of them relate to farm life as well. Curlee column in Visalia Times-Delta
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Lois Henry: More cameras sneaking into daily local law enforcement â Kern and Bakersfield law enforcement are taking a wade-in, rather than cannonball, approach to cameras. I think thatâs a good thing. Henry column in Bakersfield Californian
When the driver couldnât hear that his pickup was on fire, the cop knew what to do next — Fresno police Officer Bernie Vizcarra was on a routine patrol Saturday evening in downtown Fresno when he noticed sparks and small flames erupting from beneath a blue Toyota pickup heading south on M Street. His first thought? âWow, that doesnât look good.â Fresno Bee article
Lewis Griswold: Gang graffiti is nasty stuff, and the new lieutenant at the sheriffâs substation wants to wipe it out — Lt. Gabriel Macias, the new commander of the Cutler-Orosi sheriffâs substation in Tulare County, surveyed the towns and saw that the time had come to do something about all the gang graffiti. âI come in with the attitude, letâs improve our communities,â Macias said. Griswold in Fresno Bee
Jeff Jardine: Riverbank package thief shamed on social media, but other crooks await Cyber Monday — Pilfer packages from porches, and expect no pity from the public. And also know that you soon could become an online celebrity in a very bad way. âItâs a great source for us,â Gingerich said. âWe catch lots of people through the social media.â But more get away with it because most folks donât install the surveillance cameras. And thieves tend to hit nearby communities where they donât think theyâll be as recognizable, though social media can be the great equalizer. Jardine column in Modesto Bee
Sacramento City Council to vote on police reform — Nearly five months after police officers shot and killed a mentally ill man in North Sacramento, prompting community demands for police reform, a proposal before the Sacramento City Council this week may increase oversight of the department. Sacramento Bee article
Education
Fresno Bee: Planned Clovis medical school deserves Valleyâs support — This medical school would be a life-changer for many. We urge Valley residents, and especially our leaders, to support this mission. There undoubtedly will be bumps and hurdles along the way, so it is vital that everyone focus on whatâs possible and whatâs best for our region.  Fresno Bee editorial
Energy/Environment
Is one small California city exempt from stateâs plastic bag ban? — As plastic bags are taken off checkout counters across California, one Placer County suburb says its businesses are protected from the statewide plastic bag ban. In August 2014, Lincoln passed a resolution intended to allow businesses to choose whether or not to follow a statewide bag ban. Sacramento Bee article
Health/Human ServicesÂ
Some fear Californiaâs tax on e-cigarettes may deter smokers â Smoking has dropped to historic lows nationwide, dramatically decreasing revenue from tobacco taxes. In search of funds, a growing number of states are taxing electronic cigarettes – a trend that is sparking a fierce public health debate over whether it will deter smokers from switching to a safer alternative. AP article
New tricks in canine cancer aim to treat humans, too — Flyer is part of a burgeoning field called âcomparative oncology.â It focuses on finding new ways to treat cancer in pets, mostly dogs, in an effort to develop innovative treatments for people and animals. The growing interest in dogs reflects researchersâ frustration with the standard approach to developing cancer treatments: testing them in lab animals, especially mice. Washington Post article
Land Use/Housing
General Plan meeting set for Monday — The local Sierra Club chapter will host a meeting Monday evening to inform residents about the work being done by the city to amend its General Plan for Stocktonâs growth over the next quarter-century. Stockton Record article
Valley Editorial Roundup
Fresno Bee â The planned Clovis medical school would be a life-changer for many. We urge Valley residents, and especially our leaders, to support this mission. There undoubtedly will be bumps and hurdles along the way, so it is vital that everyone focus on whatâs possible and whatâs best for our region.
Sacramento Bee â- To truly move the needle on homelessness, an agreed upon, coordinated regional plan is needed to roll out services and manage spending.