October 1, 2020

01Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

Your Calif mail ballot is coming. 5 things to do to make sure it gets counted

Sac Bee

Calif has hit a record number of registered voters this year, and thanks to an executive order issued this year from Gov. Gavin Newsom, all 21 million of them will be receiving a ballot in the mail starting Oct. 5.

North SJ Valley:

Foster Farms officially removed from Merced County’s coronavirus outbreaks list

Fresno Bee

Merced County’s most severe COVID-19 outbreak to date — the Foster Farms plant in Livingston — was officially cleared from the list of locally active outbreaks.

Merced Co could be 2 weeks away from next reopening phase under COVID-19 rules

Merced Sun-Star

More businesses in Merced County could soon get the thumbs up to reopen, if the trend of decreasing coronavirus infections continues locally. Amalia Madrigal-Hernandez, public information officers for Merced County Department of Public Health, confirmed Tuesday the county could be two weeks away from exiting the strictest of state-mandated closures for nonessential businesses.

Coronavirus update: Stanislaus barely misses another step on reopening

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County on Tuesday barely missed moving from the state’s most restrictive level for businesses. The day also brought three more deaths to COVID-19, bringing the total to 359 residents, according to the Health Services Agency.

Cong. Josh Harder talks about issues impacting Stanislaus County residents

Modesto Bee

In a discussion with The Bee’s Editorial Board, Congressman Josh Harder, D-Turlock, running for reelection as the U.S. Representative in Calif’s 10th District, talked about the issues important to Northern San Joaquin Valley residents on Wednesday.

Seeking to represent west Turlock districts, city council candidates share priorities

Modesto Bee

Voters in City Council Districts 2 and 4 — which cover southwest and northwest Turlock respectively — will choose from candidates with a range of experience in the November election.

Central SJ Valley:

Next chief of Calif State University Joe Castro will push to raise graduation rates

Wash Post

A veteran higher education leader named Wednesday to become the next chancellor of Calif State University is pledging an effort to lift graduation rates in the nation’s largest four-year university system.

Fresno State takes step toward Oct. 24 football opener. Here’s what’s left to make it happen

Fresno Bee

Fresno State can move ahead with football players working out and practicing in larger groups and throwing around a football, with Fresno County moving forward from purple to red on the state’s color-coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Tuesday.

Fresno Co’s coronavirus cases slow down. Eyes shift to reopening more businesses

Fresno Bee

Fresno County had 104 new cases of confirmed coronavirus infections on Wednesday, which makes for a total of 28,621 since the pandemic’s start, according to numbers from state health officials.

Clovis Shares Details on New Loma Vista Community

Clovis Roundup

In a couple of years, a 3,300 acre urban center in southeast Clovis will be constructed. In the next 20 years, it will be home to over 30,000 residents. The City of Clovis Planning and Development is ready to start building the self-sustaining community, Loma Vista.

Devin Nunes banner, haystack burned down in ‘suspicious fire.’ Supporters undeterred

Visalia Times Delta

A deeply contentious election season turned fiery in Tulare County this week after a haystack with a Devin Nunes banner on it burned down along a busy intersection outside Dinuba. Tulare County Stockyard owner Jon Dolieslager said it was the third time in as many weeks that signs on Avenue 384 and Road 80 supporting his favorite Republican candidates had been targeted by vandals and thieves.

South SJ Valley:

A golden opportunity to celebrate CSUB

Bakersfield Califn

Thursday’s official kickoff of CSUB’s yearlong 50th anniversary is — like most things these days — virtual. But the entertainment and inspiration will be very real as the university hosts business magnate and visionary Sir Richard Branson, Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Gregory Porter and Bakersfield’s favorite showman, Monty Byrom, among other talents.

Demand swells for housing assistance in Kern County

Bakersfield Califn

Kern County’s 2-1-1 information and referral service received more than 1,300 calls about rental and mortgage assistance during the program’s first week of availability, indicating a strong demand for the financial aid.

Four-story apartment building may rise at Greyhound station

Bakersfield Califn

A local developer has confirmed plans to demolish and replace Bakersfield’s Greyhound station with a four-story apartment building, giving downtown its second high-density housing project in recent decades.

Politics boiling over in CD 21 race (TJ Cox v. David Valadao) where water is key

E&E News

One of the country’s most hotly contested House races is being waged over water in Calif’s Central Valley, garnering the attention of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and sparking allegations of a right-wing conspiracy among Democrats. Freshman Democratic Rep. T.J. Cox is locked in a rematch with former Rep. David Valadao, the Republican he defeated in 2018 in one of that year’s closest contests.

Meet the candidates: Jacob Sanchez

Hanford Sentinel

In preparation for the Nov. 3 general election, the Sentinel asked candidates in local city council races a few questions so voters can get to know them. Jacob Sanchez is running for Hanford City Council District B, which extends from Fargo Avenue to Lacey Boulevard, and near 12th Avenue to 10th Avenue.

State:

Coronavirus updates: 10 Calif counties cleared for more reopening as tiers are upgraded

Fresno Bee

Numerous Calif counties comprising several million residents were cleared this week to proceed further in the economic reopening process, but state and local health officials continue to urge people to follow mask and social distancing protocols to prevent another surge in coronavirus activity, and also to get their flu shots.

See also:

Here’s a look at some of the key measures Newsom signed into law and what they mean for Californians.

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom has just three days left to sign or veto some of the most high-profile and controversial bills of the legislative session — including a spate of proposals to police the police, a bill that would establish a state reparations committee, and a bill that would mandate the racial makeup of corporate boards.

See Also:

Newsom signs law requiring Calif companies to name minority or LGBTQ leaders

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Wednesday aimed at compelling public corporations headquartered in Calif to appoint minority or LGBTQ directors to their boards of directors. It mirrors legislation signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018 that requires Calif-based corporations to appoint women to their boards of directors.

See Also:

Calif to study reparations for Black residents under new law signed by Gov. Newsom

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Wednesday that opens the door to the state paying reparations of some kind to Black Califns, especially those who are descendants of slaves. The law does not commit to any specific kind of payment. It calls for a nine-member task force that will be asked to make recommendations for how reparations could be provided, such as through compensation or restitution.

See Also:

Hiring sprees and unending IT problems: What Calif budgets say about unemployment agency

Fresno Bee

Calif budget documents show the state’s last three governors plugged resources into its unemployment agency during crises, but did not manage to launch systemic changes that would prepare for it the surge in jobless claims it received in the early months of the coronavirus outbreak.

See also:

In CA: Newsom gets high approval rating in new poll

Visalia Times Delta

Results of a poll released by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies show that 64% of likely Calif voters approve of the job Gov. Newsom  has done. Another 36% disapprove. 

Uber, Lyft look to kill Calif law on app-based drivers

Business Journal

Uber and Lyft have fought a losing battle in the Legislature and courts. So now — with help from app-based food delivery companies DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart — they are spending more than $180 million to take their fight directly to voters in the Nov. 3 election.

Calif’s Census Response Is Strong, but Concerns Remain

Public Policy Institute of Calif

Calif’s Census 2020 response rate is currently ahead of the rest of the country. Still, a number of challenges—including uncertainty as to the census deadline for completing field work—could put a complete count at risk.

See also:

·       U.S. appeals court blocks Trump from shutting down the census count early LA Times

New State Broadband Action Plan Seeks Community-Based Input

CAFWD

Across Calif, regional and community-based leaders have been working tirelessly to address the digital crisis gripping Calif. On Tuesday, more than 100 leaders gathered during an online session to help guide and shape a new state Broadband Action Plan under development by the state of Calif.

Nominate Outstanding Calif Leaders Today!

CAFWD

The 2020 Calif Steward Leader Awards will be presented at this year’s Calif Economic Summit to individuals who have contributed significantly to promoting economic, social and environmental progress.

Federal:

Senate approves bill to avoid federal government shutdown, sending it to Trump

abc30

By a sweeping bipartisan vote Wednesday, the Senate sent President Trump a bill to fund the government through Dec. 11, averting the possibility of a government shutdown when the new fiscal year starts Thursday.

How Amy Coney Barrett’s Confirmation Would Compare To Past Supreme Court Picks

VPR

President Trump’s selection of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to fill the open Supreme Court seat came just 38 days before the presidential election on Nov. 3. The move to have her on the court by then has ignited a major partisan battle on Capitol Hill.

See also:

Analysis: Why Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death is unlikely to shake up the presidential race

Roll Call

While Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death will go down as yet another historic event in 2020, it’s unlikely to change the fundamental trajectory of the elections.

See also:

7 former FDA commissioners: The Trump Admin is undermining the FDA’s credibility

Wash Post

If the White House tries to tip the scales on how safety and benefits will be judged, the impact on public trust will render an effective vaccine much less so.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

See also:

Elections 2020:

Your Calif mail ballot is coming. 5 things to do to make sure it gets counted

Sac Bee

Calif has hit a record number of registered voters this year, and thanks to an executive order issued this year from Gov. Gavin Newsom, all 21 million of them will be receiving a ballot in the mail starting Oct. 5.

EDITORIAL: Calif must cancel secretive voter outreach contract with firm linked to Biden 

Sac Bee

What is Calif Secretary of State Alex Padilla hiding? His decision to award a $35 million contract to a public affairs company connected to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign raises serious questions about Padilla’s judgment — and about whether his office is breaking the law.

Commission on Presidential Debates says it will make changes to debate format after the spectacle in Cleveland Wash Post

The nonpartisan group, which sponsors the presidential debates, said Tuesday’s debate “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”

See also:

Here’s the reality behind Trump’s claims about mail voting

Bakersfield Califn

President Donald Trump continued his assault on the integrity of the U.S. elections during the first presidential debate Tuesday, spreading falsehoods about the security of voting and misrepresenting issues with mail ballots.

See also:

Endorsement: Yes on Proposition 25 to end bail and the poverty penalty

LA Times

There is something repugnant, and corrosive to our collective notion of justice, about allowing people without money to stay locked up in jail while others, accused of the same crimes but with money to spend, can buy their way out. That’s bail in a nutshell. 

See also:

Democrats and Republicans believe their opponents’ policies threaten the national interest

American Survey Center

Partisans no longer believe their political opponents offer differing policy solutions to the same problem—they believe the policies themselves are the problem.

See also:

Other:

How to spot disinformation in U.S. & Calif elections: A Guide

Fresno Bee

Voters, this year will see more misleading claims than ever before. We’ve pulled together tools to help you identify disinformation so you can focus on the facts. Please read on, and share with friends.

See also:

·       Tripepi Smith: Facebook cracking down on fake accounts Public CEO

EDITORIAL: Why The Fresno Bee will continue to provide its readers with election recommendations

Fresno Bee

A caller left a message recently that was equal parts surprise and scorn. “I just learned that you tell voters how to vote in the election,” the man said. “I don’t think that’s right. You are a NEWSpaper,” he went on, with the emphasis. “Stick to the news and leave your opinion out of it.”

Essential Calif: Who are the Proud Boys?

LA Times

They are categorized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center but prefer to think of themselves as a drinking club “for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, October 4, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “What Have We Learned About Distance Learning?” – Guests: Sydney Johnson, EdSource; E. Toby Boyd, Calif Teachers Association; Amy Li, Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the Legislative Analyst’s Office; Sunne McPeak, President & CEO of the Calif Emerging Technology Fund. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler. 

Sunday, October 4, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Can Distance Learning Close the Valley’s Digital Divide?” – Guests: Dr. Tamara Ravalin, Superintendent of Visalia Unified; Dr. Sara Noguchi, Superintendent of Modesto Unified; Dr. Eimear O’Farrell, Superintendent of Clovis Unified; Kurt Madden, Chief Technology Officer at Fresno Unified.. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler. 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Out of milk? In Modesto, robots can now deliver groceries right to your doorstep

Fresno Bee

While we may not have those promised flying cars yet, grocery delivering robots have arrived in Modesto. Modesto-based Save Mart supermarkets has partnered with SF firm Starship Technologies to bring autonomous, touchless grocery delivery to the Central Valley.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs first-in-the-nation farmworker protections package

Visalia Times Delta

Calif lawmakers are looking to protect one of the state’s most valuable workforces with a new COVID-19 relief package. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the farmworker relief package, which promises farmworkers stricter enforcement of health guidelines, paid sick leave for COVID-19, and prioritizes farmworkers for both PPE and testing, among other things.

See also:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Newsom signs police accountability laws, pledges more: ‘We are just getting started’

Modesto Bee

Fresh off a summer of national protests against police violence, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Wednesday a handful of accountability measures that will ban officers from using chokeholds, increase independent investigations into officer-involved killings and establish sheriff oversight boards.

See also:

COVID-19 Curbs Community Policing at a Time of Diminishing Trust

PEW Trusts

In the seven months since the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 has emerged as the nation’s deadliest police killer, felling far more officers than violence or accidents. It also has changed the way police do their jobs.

Organizer of Calif rally tried to kill Trump supporters, prosecutor says

The Hill

The organizer of a demonstration against police brutality in Southern Calif is accused of trying to kill President Trump’s supporters, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. 

Old Town Shop Vandalized with Hate Messages

Clovis Roundup

On an early Saturday morning of September 26, a small store in Old Town Clovis was discovered, vandalized wall to wall. The shop’s inventory was either stolen or destroyed, items were thrown across the room, water everywhere. Hateful slurs were spray-painted on the walls for the owner to discover.

Public Safety:

Childhood lead poisoning prevention bill signed into law

Hanford Sentinel

Assembly Bill (AB) 2276 was passed, which will improve the rate of blood lead level testing and lead poisoning prevention for children.

See also:

In latest clash with NRA, Newsom signs bill to help police trace guns

LA Times

New pistol models sold in Calif will eventually have to include micro-stamping technology that will make them easier to trace by law enforcement if they are used in crimes, under legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Judge halts work of Trump commission on law enforcement for failing to include members with outside views, open meetings to public

Wash Post

Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Bates in Wash concluded the commission violated federal law by failing to empanel members who represent views outside of law enforcement and failing to provide public access to its meetings.

Fire: 

Creek Fire updates: Additional evacuations lifted; crews near Kaiser Pass; 307,051 acres burned

Fresno Bee

The Creek Fire on Wednesday morning had consumed another 1,800 acres and destroyed 855 structures as it continued to burn near Big Creek, Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, Mammoth Pool and the San Joaquin River canyon.

See Also:

SQF Complex Fire: 151,426 acres burned, 61% contained, latest evacuation orders

abc30

The SQF Complex Fire is now the largest wildfire in Tulare County’s modern history, according to fire officials. The blaze has grown to 151,426 acres with 61% containment as of Wednesday morning. Tulare County Fire Chief Charlie Norman says the complex fire surpassed the 2002 McNally Fire which burned 150,696 acres.

See also:

Gusty winds, another red flag warning loom as crews battle Glass Fire in Wine Country

Fresno Bee

Crews are fighting to get a handle on the Glass Fire, a nearly 50,000-acre blaze in the Napa Valley region that sprinted earlier this week through Wine Country to the eastern edge of Santa Rosa, before winds kick up again starting Thursday.

PG&E launches $1 million program to aid in fires

Business Journal

As more than two dozen active wildfires continue to burn across Calif, Pacific Gas and Electricity Co. and the PG&E Foundation have both announced a commitment to provide $500,000 each to help victims of the fires.

Trump slams Calif forest management during 1st debate as wildfires rage on

abc30

President Donald Trump took aim at Calif’s “forest management” during Tuesday’spresidential debate, saying every year he gets a call that the state is burning, and that just isn’t something that should continue to happen.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Fresno gyms, fitness centers reopening this week at 10% capacity

abc30

Fresno County businesses are starting to reopen, but just at limited capacity. As the area moves into the ‘red tier’ of the state’s color-coded system, more non-essential businesses open for indoor services for the first time in months.

See Also:

Bethany Clough: Fresno restaurants resume some indoor dining, but hardship not over. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Limited indoor dining began returning to restaurants across Fresno this week as COVID-19 numbers improved enough to push the county into a less restrictive tier of state regulations. Now that it’s in the red tier, restaurants can serve people inside at 25% capacity or 100 people — whichever is fewer.

See also: 

Study finds Fresno-area small biz revenue fell by half in April

Business Journal

A recent study says employment rates for low-wage workers in the Fresno area have dropped dramatically since January.

Chambers of Commerce stay committed to mission during COVID-19

Business Journal

Since the first Covid-19 shutdowns in March, area chambers of commerce have had to shift their operations to stay safe while continuing to serve members — some of whose industries are faring better than others.

The covid-19 recession is the most unequal in modern U.S. history

Wash Post

Job losses from the pandemic overwhelmingly affected low-wage, minority workers

most. Seven months into the recovery, Black women, Black men and mothers

of school-age children are taking the longest time to regain their employment.

See also:

An expected drop in U.S. household income could pose a hurdle for the economy.

WSJ

Though economists expect the August snapshot of household finances to show increased consumer spending, they also anticipate a drop in income, mainly because of reduced government aid for unemployed workers.

Jobs:

Employees and business owners hit by Creek Fire qualify for unemployment benefits

Fresno Bee

Assemblyman Jim Patterson met with Shaver Lake employees and business owners impacted by the Creek Fire to provide information on unemployment benefits available to them. These same benefits are available to those affected by the SQF Complex Fire.

Calif wants to wind down its gas and oil industry. What does it mean for jobs?

Sac Bee

For tens of thousands of Califns, a job in the oil and gas industry has been a ticket to a middle-class life.But as the state seeks to wind down its gas and oil industry, those jobs are at risk.

Child care workers protest cuts to state reimbursement funding

Fresno Bee

A caravan of vehicles honked horns and waved signs in downtown Fresno on Wednesday as child care workers protested cuts to state-subsidized programs for child care beginning on Oct. 1, which will force many to shut down.

Disneyland’s push to reopen sets up critical moment in Calif’s coronavirus fight

LA Times

The Walt Disney Co., one of the world’s largest entertainment companies, partially blamed Calif’s strict reopening rules for massive layoffs in its theme park division after trying unsuccessfully to get officials to allow the gates of Disneyland to swing open again.

U.S. Jobless Claims Hold Steady for Fifth Straight Week

WSJ

New applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. fell slightly last week but remained between 800,000 and 900,000 for the fifth straight week, reflecting a labor-market recovery that is losing momentum.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Gov Newsom vetoes high school ethnic studies bill

LA Times

A bid to make a one-semester ethnic studies course a high school graduation requirement was vetoed late Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cited the ongoing controversy over the appropriate curriculum in his message on the legislation.

Many Fresno-area schools could reopen within two weeks. Here’s what needs to happen

Fresno Bee

Tuesday morning, the Calif Department of Health moved Fresno County from the purple to red tier, which means fewer restrictions for businesses, and the county has an average of fewer than seven new cases each day per 100,000 residents.

Will Fresno judge hold Immanuel Schools in contempt for in-person classes? State hopes so

Fresno Bee

Immanuel Schools in Reedley could be forced to pay financial penalties for ignoring a state health order to stop in-person teaching, a Fresno County judge ruled Wednesday.

See Also:

Sanger Unified welcomes back small number of students in need of in-person instruction

abc30

A Valley school district is bringing back small groups of students that are most in need of in-person instruction. It was a warm welcome for Laura Siqueiros’s high school students this morning and amid COVID-19 precautions, there are some extra lessons on the syllabus.

What Modesto City Schools’ draft plan says about reopening elementary schools

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Schools district has released the draft of its plan to reopen in-person learning for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. It is seeking feedback through an online survey and plans online community forums Thursday evening and Monday afternoon.

MUSD schools among nation’s healthiest

Madera Tribune

The Madera Unified School District’s 23 comprehensive schools are being recognized as “America’s Healthiest Schools” by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for promoting nutritious meals, physical activity and mental wellness.

See also:

St. Joachim School opens to students

Madera Tribune

Since becoming the principal at St. Joachim school, former Chowchilla resident Heather Forcey had to figure out a way to keep her students involved with online learning while also trying to find a way to get students into the classroom. 

Here’s what will happen with high school leagues next year. Also, some practice resumes

Modesto Bee

Like a presidential election cycle, every four years some high school coaches, fans, and players are happy and some are sad when the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section releases its realignment of schools to different leagues.

Calif one of few states without top school nurse during pandemic

CalMatters

School nurses across Calif have tried to get the state to again hire a statewide nurse consultant, especially as they grapple with COVID-19.

Opinion: American Families Want More School Choice

National Review

A new survey of likely voters in five key swing states found that respondents, especially nonwhite Americans, tend to favor expanded school-choice options.

The Other Branch: Exploring Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

EdNote

On June 30, 2020, the Supreme Court’s decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue continued a line of prominent rulings with important implications for education policy, school choice, and the separation of church and state.

Higher Ed:

Next chief of Calif State University Joe Castro will push to raise graduation rates

Wash Post

A veteran higher education leader named Wednesday to become the next chancellor of Calif State University is pledging an effort to lift graduation rates in the nation’s largest four-year university system.

Fresno State takes step toward Oct. 24 football opener. Here’s what’s left to make it happen

Fresno Bee

Fresno State can move ahead with football players working out and practicing in larger groups and throwing around a football, with Fresno County moving forward from purple to red on the state’s color-coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Tuesday.

A golden opportunity to celebrate CSUB

Bakersfield Califn

Thursday’s official kickoff of CSUB’s yearlong 50th anniversary is — like most things these days — virtual. But the entertainment and inspiration will be very real as the university hosts business magnate and visionary Sir Richard Branson, Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Gregory Porter and Bakersfield’s favorite showman, Monty Byrom, among other talents.

Applications due Friday for local energy, Ag career program

Bakersfield Califn

Applications are due at 5 p.m. Friday for any high-school and college students hoping to participate in a local program providing insights into energy and agricultural careers.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Unhealthy air quality is spreading throughout Northern Calif. How bad will it get?

Fresno Bee

With mostly uncontained wildfires burning and billowing smoke, air quality is once again deteriorating throughout several large parts of Northern Calif, which is also facing yet another round of windy conditions and potential record-setting heat to open October.

See Also:

Industrial farms leave water wells ‘high and dry’ despite regulations, Madera residents say

Fresno Bee

Even as groundwater basins have been in decline, land use continues to change to more water-intensive activities, contributing to over-tapped water basins and threatening farms and residents who rely on relatively-shallow well pumps for their water.

City project to illuminate Madera with 150 solar powered streetlights begins

Madera Proud Newsletter

The City of Madera is excited to announce that it has begun installing the first of 150 new solar streetlights throughout the City.

As rats swarm Calif cities, Gavin Newsom bans popular poison to protect wildlife

Sac Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Tuesday that seeks to protect mountain lions and other wildlife from being poisoned by a popular form of pesticide.

No more gas-powered cars? Why Calif’s shift to zero-emission vehicles is ‘huge’

LA Times

Phasing out gas-fueled vehicles is a huge shift for the nation’s car capital. It’s also a logical next step for a state that has long struggled with air pollution, and increasingly, the effects of global warming.

See also:

Energy:

Calif power grid manager issues Flex Alert for Thursday heat, rise in demands

Fresno Bee

Calif’s electrical supplies are tightening up again, and consumers are being asked to cut back their energy consumption to avoid rolling blackouts. The Independent System Operator, manager of the state’s power grid, issued a Flex Alert notice starting Thursday at 3 p.m.

See also:

Calif wants to wind down its gas and oil industry. What does it mean for jobs?

Sac Bee

“Can we immediately start talking about jobs? We can hate on oil, but the truth is our refinery jobs are really good middle class jobs,” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, tweeted Sept. 24 after Newsom’s announcement. “Jobs can’t be an afterthought to any climate change legislation.”

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Calif leaders unveil tool aimed at reducing inequity in COVID-19 tests and deaths

Sac Bee

Calif’s top public health officer announced Wednesday that counties will have to demonstrate that they have invested in testing and other resources to eliminate disparities in test positivity rates for COVID-19 before they can advance to a less-restrictive tier of the statewide lockdown.

1 death, 55 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kern Wednesday

Bakersfield Califn

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 1 new death and 55 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. That brings total deaths to 370 and total cases to 32,138. In an estimated 21,000 of those cases, the individual has recovered from the illness, according to county public health data.

Can The U.S. Use Its Growing Supply Of Rapid Tests To Stop The Virus?

VPR

A new generation of faster, cheaper coronavirus tests is starting to hit the market. And some experts say these technologies could finally give the U.S. the ability to adopt a new, more effective testing strategy.

See also:

FDA puts 6 hand sanitizers for kids, including Barbie and Minions, on the Do Not Use List

Miami Herald

Packaging that the FDA thinks can get hand sanitizer confused with food got six products on the agency’s Do Not Use list.

Human Services:

Free community COVID-19 testing available on BC campus this Friday

Bakersfield Califn

Free COVID-19 testing will be available at Bakersfield College’s Panorama campus this Friday. The testing site will be located in the parking lot on the corner of Haley St. and University Avenue from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pre-registration is encouraged before the event at https://doineedacovid19test.com. Those who register will receive self-swab tests, which are less invasive. Limited walk-up testing will be available as well.

Kaiser offers free flu shots for the community this Saturday

Bakersfield Califn

Kaiser Permanente will be offering free flu shots to the community in a “drive thru” clinic this Saturday at CAIN AME Church. The clinic is not just for Kaiser Permanente members but the entire public. Anyone above the age of 6 months old is eligible for a shot. Kaiser said they specifically chose a location that was underserved in Kern County.

See also:

Hospitals can’t handle Covid-19 surges because they’re flying blind.

WSJ

Hospitals and government agencies rely on a range of real-time metrics to respond to emergencies quickly—but today there is still no viable way to broadly track what’s happening inside hospitals.

Calif lacks centralized suicide prevention response

CalMatters

Newsom recently signed a bill to create a state Office of Suicide Prevention, but noted there currently isn’t any funding for it — yet another roadblock as Calif attempts to establish strong centralized leadership on suicide prevention.

IMMIGRATION

Gov. Newsom vetoes bill that would give low-income immigrants $600 to buy groceries

abc30

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have authorized Calif to give low-income immigrants $600 to buy groceries. The bill was aimed at helping people, including those living in the country illegally, who have been impacted by the coronavirus but are not eligible for other state and federal assistance programs.

Trump set to miss required deadline for 2021 refugee quota

Bakersfield Califn

President Donald Trump appears to be ignoring a deadline to establish how many refugees will be allowed into the United States next year, raising uncertainty about the future of the 40-year-old resettlement program that has been dwindling under his administration.

See also:

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Clovis Shares Details on New Loma Vista Community

Clovis Roundup

In a couple of years, a 3,300 acre urban center in southeast Clovis will be constructed. In the next 20 years, it will be home to over 30,000 residents. The City of Clovis Planning and Development is ready to start building the self-sustaining community, Loma Vista.

Housing:

COVID-19 credited with Tulare Co adding 100 units for homeless at record speed

Visalia Times Delta

In an unlikely turn of events, Tulare County will have added more than 100 permanent supportive housing units for those experiencing homelessness in just six months. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week that the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency was awarded $5.2 million to purchase a 45-room motel in Visalia.

Four-story apartment building may rise at Greyhound station

Bakersfield Califn

A local developer has confirmed plans to demolish and replace Bakersfield’s Greyhound station with a four-story apartment building, giving downtown its second high-density housing project in recent decades.

Demand swells for housing assistance in Kern County

Bakersfield Califn

Kern County’s 2-1-1 information and referral service received more than 1,300 calls about rental and mortgage assistance during the program’s first week of availability, indicating a strong demand for the financial aid.

Walters: New housing goals stir opposition

CalMatters

Calif has many crises, including COVID-19 and recession, but its housing shortage continues and a showdown is looming.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Juggling Financial Stress And Caregiving, Parents Are ‘Very Not OK’ In The Pandemic 

VPR

Back in early spring, Khristan Yates worked as a quality assurance analyst at a marketing company and loved her job. “I had one of the best jobs of my career,” recalls Yates, 31, a resident of Chicago. Yates, who’s a mother of two children, had moved into a bigger apartment just before the pandemic hit because she wanted to give her kids more space. At the time, she felt like she was “at the top of her world.”

TRANSPORTATION

2020 Transportation Needs Survey

Fresno Council of Governments

Have a say in how future transportation dollars are spent.  The Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) is looking for transportation project suggestions that could become part of its 20-year Regional Transportation Plan or RTP. 

WATER

Farms over-pump Madera CA groundwater, private wells go dry

Fresno Bee

Yet even as groundwater basins have been in decline, land use continues to change to more water-intensive activities, contributing to over-tapped water basins and threatening farms and residents who rely on relatively-shallow well pumps for their water.

Dominoes from the massive Creek Fire teetering over San Joaquin Valley farmers

Fresno Bee

When the Creek Fire erupted on Sept. 4 and chewed through the forest toward Southern Calif Edison’s Big Creek power system, little did anyone know how that might affect grape growers in Delano nearly a month later.

Virtual Event: Building a Water-Resilient Calif

Public Policy Institute of Calif

In 2020, Calif’s water landscape experienced major disruptions from the pandemic, economic downturn, ongoing drought, and wildfires. Water issues that were high priorities pre-pandemic are now competing with many urgent priorities.

Commentary: 3 Lessons for Calif’s Water Funding Challenges in Today’s Recession

Public Policy Institute of Calif

Calif’s water managers have been busy keeping water systems safe and operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. But addressing the fiscal consequences of the economic recession is just beginning.

See also:

“Your Delta, Your Voice” Community Survey Launched

Department of Water Resources

The Calif Department of Water Resources (DWR) today launched an environmental justice community survey to gather input to inform Delta Conveyance Project planning.

“Xtra”

Playgrounds can reopen across Calif, regardless of county’s tier placement

Visalia Times Delta

Calif playgrounds can now welcome visitors, regardless of a county’s status under the state’s coronavirus reopening protocols, health officials announced. Playground visitors must wear masks unless they are younger than age 2 and must have caregiver supervision, according to state guidelines released Monday.

Yosemite National Park announces end to day-use reservations needed to enter park

Sierra Star

Reservations will no longer be needed to enter Yosemite National Park beginning Nov. 1, park officials announced Tuesday. Yosemite has been using a new day-use reservation system since reopening in June with limited visitors and services due to COVID-19. The park closed again this month due to wildfire smoke and reopened Friday.

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

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of Calif’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.

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