TOP POLITICAL STORIES
State Politics:
LA Mayor Garcetti could run for California governor
Sacramento Bee
Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, on Oct. 10, 2017 told the Sacramento Press Club that he is still thinking about running for governor in 2018.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti plays coy on possible runs for governor, president
LA Times
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made clear from the outset of his appearance at the Sacramento Press Club on Tuesday that he would not be offering definitive pronouncements on his future.
California State Senator Newman recall effort uncertain as deadline for rescinding signatures passes
KPCC
Those who signed a petition supporting a recall election for California Sen. Josh Newman faced a deadline by close of business Tuesday if they wanted to withdraw their support for the effort. Opponents of Newman, a Democrat from Fullerton representing the 29th Senate District, want him out because of his support for the new gas tax increase set to take effect Nov 1.
See also:
- Lawsuit alleges fraud by California GOP in recall campaign against state Sen. Josh Newman Los Angeles Times
Sen. Dianne Feinstein once thought she might ‘just walk away’ from another race, she tells donors
Los Angeles Times
A day after announcing she would seek a sixth term in office, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Tuesday fundraiser that she had considered retiring but decided that she just couldn’t because of President Trump.
See also:
- California’s old guard Democrats under siege Politico
- California’s Bernie voters stay angry at Dem establishment Capitol Weekly
Federal Politics:
Nunes signs off on new subpoenas to firm behind Trump-Russia dossier
CNNPolitics
The chairman of the House intelligence committee has issued subpoenas to the partners who run Fusion GPS, the research firm that produced the dossier of memos on alleged Russian efforts to aid the Trump campaign, according to sources briefed on the matter.
VP Mike Pence touches down in Bakersfield, faces protesters
The Fresno Bee
Vice President Mike Pence salutes upon his arrival at Mather Airport. Pence attended a tax relief event in Rancho Cordova and was accompanied by his wife, Karen, Congressman Kevin McCarthy and his wife Judy.
Trump Brushes Off Corker Feud, Vows Tax Changes in Weeks
Bloomberg
President Donald Trump said he plans to make changes to his tax plan within the next few weeks, while dismissing concerns that his public spat with Senator Bob Corker would scuttle an overhaul. Bloomberg’s Kevin Cirilli reports on “Bloomberg Markets.”
See also:
- You could actually end up owing more taxes under Trump’s plan. Business Insider
- Analysis: How tax reform could impact charitable giving PBS NewsHour
- Key Principles to Achieve Tax Reform that Grows the Economy, Not the National Debt Peter G. Peterson Foundation
SCOTUS Will Hear a Case About Public-Sector Unions, and Democrats Are Terrified
The Weekly Standard
Unions spend millions donating to Democrats, and this case threatens their ability to collect dues from non-members.
Other:
Conference focuses on SJ Valley challenges
Stockton Record
California Senator Kamala Harris will be among the speakers Thursday at an all-day conference downtown, an event that aims to bring together San Joaquin Valley cities from Stockton south to Bakersfield to address the region’s challenges.
After Las Vegas shooting, Congress debates gun control again
Las Vegas Review-Journal
A debate over bump stocks — devices that allowed semi-automatic rifles to fire at rapid speed during the Las Vegas shooting — will continue this week on Capitol Hill as lawmakers grapple with the politically stinging issue of gun control.
See also:
- Sensible center needs to reclaim gun debate Sacramento Bee
- Hillary Clinton’s False claim on mass shootings PolitiFact California
- Counties may regulate the location of gun shops, 9th Circuit Court rules LA Times
- Why gun sales in California spiked in 2016 The Mercury News
How Sinclair Broadcasting puts a partisan tilt on trusted local news
PBS NewsHour
And now for a different kind of media story, and a question: Does it matter who owns the TV station that delivers your local news? Polls show that many Americans trust local news more than other sources. The largest owner of local stations in the country, Sinclair Broadcasting, planning a merger that would make them even bigger.
EDITORIALS
Cheers and jeers: No respect, justice needed
Stockton Record
Jeers It was a sad sight to see: an elderly man robbed while waiting for a bus Tuesday afternoon in central Stockton. Adding the odd to this oddity was that the robber made his getaway in a black Mercedes. The scene would merely have been absurd if not for the degradation of a senior citizen…
On fire from Disneyland to Wine Country, California must rethink disaster risk
Sacramento Bee
Global warming is worsening storms and lengthening fire seasons, and the future isn’t going to disaster-proof itself.
Weinstein was appalling, but so was his company for ignoring his behavior
Los Angeles Times
With horrific allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault swirling around co-chairman Harvey Weinstein, the company that bears his name fired him Sunday. But by waiting so long to take a step that should have been taken, frankly, years earlier, the company fostered a climate in which his
Editorial: Renew funding for California kids’ health insurance
San Jose Mercury News
If the program is not reauthorized, more than 200,000 kids in the Bay Area will lose their health care coverage.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Here’s how rice farmers prevent flooding and help wildlife
Sacramento Bee
Last winter’s heavy rains were a welcome relief for Central Valley farmers after years of drought. But the high water that came with them also made it clear that we must upgrade the flood control system designed to protect people, farms and cities from catastrophic flooding.
For the love of jerky: Kern man starts business
Bakersfield Californian
Meeting a personal need and a nationwide demand and having a passion for a product are three powerful incentives for any entrepreneur beginning a new business. But for Steven Tibbs, the founder of Tibbs Beef Jerky, these are the foundations of a business with a bright future.
California wildfires destroying pot farms just before legal sales begin in state
Los Angeles Times
The Northern California wildfires this week have destroyed at least seven marijuana farms just months before the state begins licensing legal sales of cannabis, making it the “worst year on record” for loss of crops, an industry leader said Tuesday.
Organic Food Scams: Congress Should Investigate
National Review
Several lawmakers just introduced a bill that would nearly triple the budget for the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), the federal agency in charge of overseeing the U.S. organic market. But before we hand over more tax dollars to this feckless bureaucracy, Congress should demand hearings about NOP’s complicity in what might be the biggest consumer scam in decades: the sale of phony organic food.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
For stories on Las Vegas mass shooting and ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – Other,” above
Crime:
Tulare Police Chief Hensley wants administration appeal hearing open to the public
Tulare Police Chief Wes Hensley said he wants his administration appeal heard by all.
Public Safety:
Why gun sales in California spiked in 2016
The Mercury News
2016 was a record-setting year for gun sales in California. More than 1.3 million guns were sold.
Fire:
Toll from Northern California firestorms sharply rise: 2,000 structures destroyed, at least 17 dead
LA Times
The toll from Northern California’s ranging wildfires continued to grow Tuesday evening as officials said the fires destroyed up to 2,000 structures and killed at least 17 people.
See also:
- Pence: major disaster declaration approved for California wildfires Los Angeles Times
- Essential Politics: In all things, fire and fury Los Angeles Times
- California fires coverage: Officials hope winds will let up today as 115,000 acres burn Los Angeles Times
- Fire…Hell! Fox and Hounds Daily
- Scientists say climate change one of several factors that contributed to California fires Fresno Bee
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
For the love of jerky: Kern man starts business
The Bakersfield Californian
Meeting a personal need and a nationwide demand and having a passion for a product are three powerful incentives for any entrepreneur beginning a new business. But for Steven Tibbs, the founder of Tibbs Beef Jerky, these are the foundations of a business with a bright future.
California exports surge 4 percent in August; running 5.3% ahead of last year
Sacramento Bee
California export trade, which has seen an up-and-down pattern throughout 2017, was up in August. Golden State businesses exported merchandise valued at $14.69 billion in August, up 4 percent from $14.12 billion in August 2016.
High Housing Costs, Scarcity Of Skilled Workers Slow Economic Growth
Capital Public Radio
California’s economic growth will continue to expand at a steady rate over the next couple of years. That’s according to the latest forecast from economist Jeff Michael who heads the Center for Business and Policy Research at the University of the Pacific. He says a growing scarcity of skilled workers and extreme housing costs will prevent faster economic growth.
California Economy, California Economic Summit
2017 California Economic Summit Registration
The California Economic Summit is a two day event designed to accelerate coordinated implementation of the Roadmap to Shared Prosperity and strengthen the Summit network.
California Economy – California Economic Summit
Three regional public-private partnerships for workforce development will be honored at the 2017 California Economic Summit next month in San Diego. The three winners of the Partnership for Industry and Education (PIE) contest were selected from over two dozen nominees from across California.
Brown-Khanna Proposal to Expand EITC Would Raise Incomes of 47 Million Working Households
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
A proposal to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Ro Khanna, along with 52 House cosponsors, would advance what should be a leading tax-reform goal — increasing the incomes of low- and moderate-income workers.[2] It would benefit 47 million households and help to address the income stagnation that has plagued ordinary workers over the last several decades.
Jobs:
Central Valley partnership readies underserved locals to fill construction workforce demand
California Economy – California Economic Summit
Beatrice Siaz already had plans to change her life when her husband threw her and their children out of their Corcoran home. She was about to start a pre-apprenticeship training program and nothing was going to stop her. She was able to stay with a relative and find assistance through the Owens Valley Career Development Center, making it possible to complete the 12-week Valley Apprenticeship Connections training and become one of the first women the program has sent to become a union laborer.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Emails show Ashjian praising support from anti-LGBT groups
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified trustees will discuss the censure or removal of Brooke Ashjian as board president on Wednesday. The meeting comes just after the district released emails that show the embattled official praising anti-LGBT advocates who support him and saying that Christians are under attack and “must unite.”
Record number of VUSD graduates eligible for college
Visalia Times-Delta
Of the more than 1,800 Visalia Unified School District seniors who threw their graduation caps into the air this spring, half had completed the required courses for entrance to University of California and California State University schools.
California’s high school exit exam is officially a thing of the past
Los Angeles Times
Eighteen years after lawmakers agreed that California high school students should prove their skills on a final exam before earning diplomas, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Tuesday to permanently repeal the requirement.
San Bernardino parole program helps its “students” reenter the community successfully
CAFWD
Partnership with state corrections and a university provides classes and keeps parolees on track.
RAND
Amid questions about the future of state standards and assessments, this report provides a critical perspective for district and state policymakers to consider: U.S. teachers’ perceptions of and support for current standards and assessment. Our nationally representative data suggest that nearly all U.S. mathematics and English language arts teachers support use of state standards in instruction.
Study: Teachers like state education standards, not state tests to measure success
The vast majority of U.S. teachers favor the use of state standards for academic achievement, but most oppose the tests that states are using to measure student success, according to survey results released Thursday.
Higher Ed:
Plans to build community college in Southwest Fresno, key to revival of the community
abc30
The goal of the TCC Program is to help disadvantaged communities and reduce air pollution. The new campus, along with a park and transportation improvements is seen as a big boost to Southwest Fresno
Californians favor more college aid for both low- and middle-income students, poll finds
EdSource
California voters strongly support increasing state-funded financial aid for both low-income and middle-income students at public colleges and universities, according to a Berkeley IGS/EdSource poll. However, that support is uneven depending on party affiliation and geographic region.
Chancellor to tell students UC education is attainable, affordable
University of California
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal will address hundreds of students at Pajaro Valley High School to deliver the message that an education at the University of California is attainable as part of an annual ‘Achieve UC’ outreach effort.
Testimony: Cybersecurity Needs and Higher Education
Public Policy Institute of California
Hans Johnson, director of the PPIC Higher Education Center and PPIC senior fellow, testified at the Joint Legislative Oversight Hearing on Cybersecurity Education and the Needs of the Workforce before the Assembly Committee on Higher Education in Sacramento today (October 10, 2017). Assemblymember Jose Medina chairs the Higher Education Committee and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin chairs the Select Committee on Cybersecurity. Here are Johnson’s prepared remarks.
Public Higher Education is California’s Engine of Social Mobility
California Economy – California Economic Summit
California is in growth mode. Many cities and towns have bounced back from the Great Recession and companies across the state have grown and added new jobs. Much like the days of the Gold Rush, people from around the world are heading to California in search of opportunity afforded by the world’s sixth largest economy.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Valley air pollution district says smoke from NorCal, Sierra fires could cause problems
Fresno Bee
San Joaquin Valley air pollution officials are warning that smoke from the Northern California wildfires coupled with smoke from a big Tulare County wilderness fire could affect local skies.
See also:
- Smoke from Northern California wildfires prompt health caution San Joaquin Valley Air District
Gov. Brown signs Bill to Reduce Air Pollution
Bakersfield Now
California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assemblymember Rudy Salas’ Bill to Reduce Air Pollution on Tuesday.
See also:
- More zero-emission vehicles will mean better air quality, Gov. Jerry Brown promises while signing new laws Los Angeles Times
Scott Pruitt Says That EPA Will Repeal the Clean Power Plan – War on the EPA
FRONTLINE – PBS
The Trump administration took its first formal step on Tuesday to repeal the Clean Power Plan, the signature Obama-era climate policy, but did not offer an immediate replacement — leaving little indication as to how the Environmental Protection Agency plans to meet its obligation to regulate the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
See also:
- EPA’s Clean Power Plan reversal opposed by medical coalition CBS News
- What revoking the Clean Power Plan means, from both sides PBS NewsHour
Here’s how rice farmers prevent flooding and help wildlife
Sacramento Bee
Last winter’s heavy rains were a welcome relief for Central Valley farmers after years of drought. But the high water that came with them also made it clear that we must upgrade the flood control system designed to protect people, farms and cities from catastrophic flooding.
Energy:
First hydrogen fuel station in Contra Costa County opens in San Ramon
East Bay Times
Even a facility that represents the cutting edge of clean transportation technology doesn’t get an easy pass from California regulators.
Newsweek
There is so much magnificence in the ocean, including, apparently, untapped kinetic energy. It turns out that wind turbines over open ocean could generate three times as much power—that’s right: three times as much—as placing them on land. This was the major finding of a new study Monday in PNAS authored by Anna Possner and Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institute and Stanford.
OPEC pressures US oil firms over high production
TheHill
OPEC is asking American oil producers to meet with members of the group and to play a role in cutting global oil production.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Suicide rates among Kern children startles kids’ advocates
Six children took their own lives last year in Kern County.
River Park Golf Center closing, sells land to Valley Children’s
Fresno Bee
River Park Golf Center will close at the end of the year after nearly two decades in operation.
California Governor Signs Law To Make Drug Pricing More Transparent
NPR
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday, signing the most comprehensive drug price transparency bill in the nation that will force drug makers to publicly justify big price hikes.
Obamacare 101: How Trump might ‘use the power of the pen’ to overhaul healthcare
LA Times
President Trump, who has been unable to get Republicans in Congress to roll back the Affordable Care Act, is promising to issue an executive order this week that he says will offer relief to consumers facing rising insurance premiums.
See also:
- Trump promises health care that ‘will cost the United States nothing’ The Washington Post
- White House Watch: Trump Announces He Will Fix Health Care By Himself The Weekly Standard
Will Federal CHIP Coverage Continue For California Kids?
Alla Moraru of Sacramento says she doesn’t know how she would keep her four children covered without the federally subsidized Children’s Health Insurance Program.
See also:
IMMIGRATION
AP-NORC Poll: Most don’t want young immigrants deported
Fresno Bee
Just 1 in 5 Americans want to deport young immigrants brought to the United States as children and now here illegally, the focus of a politically fraught debate between the White House and Congress.
Fearing deportation, many domestic violence victims are steering clear of police and courts
Los Angeles Times
The woman on the other end of the line said her husband had been beating her for years, even while she was pregnant.
As the immigration debate ramps up, here are the leading bills already pending in Congress
LA Times
When President Trump withdrew deportation protection for people who illegally came to the United States as children, he tasked Congress with crafting an immigration plan to overhaul the system.
See also:
- Democrats confident that they have the power in the Dreamer debate McClatchy Washington Bureau
- Will Trump’s immigration wish list derail the DACA deal? PBS NewsHour
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
A key change to a major state environmental law again misses a deadline
Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers keep passing bills to ease the burden of environmental lawsuits against big developments. And they keep ignoring the fact that the deadline they set for the end of the litigation is never met.
Housing:
Tulare County experiencing ‘astronomical’ increase in homelessness
The city is facing an “astronomical” increase in homelessness, said Machael Smith, Kings and Tulare Homeless Alliance’s executive director.
See also:
From Small Steps to Giant Leaps: What Must Come Next for the California Housing Agenda?
California Economy – California Economic Summit
On Friday, September 15th, the California Legislature approved a package of 17 bills aimed at putting a dent in the state’s housing crisis. While the votes came down to the wire, in the end, the need for solutions won the day, and in the coming weeks the Governor is expected to sign each piece of legislation, officially ushering in the most significant housing policy changes in recent memory. You can read our recap of these bills in an earlier blog post here.
PUBLIC FINANCES
For stories on “tax reform” See: “Top Stories – Federal Politics,” above
Council’s closed-session discussions about tax increase may have violated open-meetings laws
City of Bakersfield staff and City Council members may be in violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act for discussing city finances behind closed doors, open meeting law advocates say.
Tax board leader urged quick hiring to get state workers better pensions
Sacramento Bee
The elected leader of a California tax agency urged its executives to speed hiring for a project in late 2012 so new employees would benefit from more generous pension plans, according to documents obtained by The Bee.
CalPERS Critic Makes Runoff for CalPERS Board
Public CEO
The underfunded California Public Employees’ Retirement System faces daunting challenges in coming years, with local governments increasingly vocal about not being able to afford the ever-growing cost of their CalPERS-managed pension programs, as CalWatchdogreported July 20.
TRANSPORTATION
City Council to consider eliminating 24th street crosswalks, approve project contracts
Two crosswalks on 24th Street could soon become a thing of the past.
America’s commuting choices: 5 major takeaways from 2016 census data
Brookings Institution
While Americans travel for a variety of reasons, there’s arguably no more important trip each day than their commute to work. Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau updates its national statistics on commuting habits. These statistics—which extend down to large cities—enable consistent benchmarks about how the American commute may be changing or simply staying the same.
WATER
This project will supply farmers with treated water from kitchen and bathroom drains
Modesto Bee
Work is well under way on a project that will provide West Side farmers with highly treated water from sewage treatment plants in Modesto and Turlock.
SoCal water district says ‘yes’ to tunnels
Stockton Record
A behemoth Southern California water agency voted Tuesday to pay its share of the $17 billion Delta tunnels, a decision that keeps the project alive after some San Joaquin Valley farmers earlier gave an emphatic “no.”
See also:
- Despite some opposition from Los Angeles, giant Southern California water agency approves Delta tunnels project Sacramento Bee
- Los Angeles mayor on Jerry Brown’s tunnels plan: Just build one Sacramento Bee.
Effort to plug Tijuana sewage flows gets $2.1 million bump from state bill
San Diego Union-Tribune
The effort to prevent sewage from flowing from Tijuana into San Diego County got a small boost Monday when Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation to provide about $2.1 million in funds for the effort.
“Xtra”
Celebrating the Fall Festival this weekend
Sierra Star
The Oakhurst Community Park is guaranteed to be a hopping spot this Friday and Saturday – with specialty booths offering everything from collectibles to area wine samplings and hand-crafted beers, and lively entertainment for adults and children alike – all part of the 25th Annual Oakhurst Fall Festival.
Taste the Arts returns to downtown Visalia
Visalia Times-Delta
The diversity of the Central Valley attracts a broad spectrum of cultures to our region, each with its own distinctive arts and traditions. Taste the Arts celebrates this multi-cultural background with an event just as unique.
Heaviest is best: Pumpkin sets record at California contest
Bakersfield Now
The winner of the 44th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off had the heaviest pumpkin recorded in the history of the San Francisco Bay Area competition.
House of JuJu gets ready to relocate and welcome Papa’s Place
Clovis Roundup
When you’re in the mood for a juicy burger or a hefty salad full of fresh leafy greens and vegetables, House of JuJu in Old Town Clovis is the place to go.