October 13, 2017

13Oct

TOP POLITICAL STORIES​​​​​​​ 

Local/Regional Politics:

Bredefeld apologizes for remarks on NFL protests and race

Fresno Bee

After a nine-minute speech two weeks ago in which he criticized NFL athletes for kneeling during the national anthem, City Councilman Garry Bredefeld was confronted Thursday by a two-hour backlash over his remarks that Fresno’s African-American community described as “divisive,” “inflammatory” and “ignorant.”

See also:

An ‘open door’: Gay and Lesbian Center celebrates new facility

Bakersfield Californian

The Gay and Lesbian Center of Bakersfield celebrated the opening of its new home with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.
New sex, labor trafficking law could make ‘huge difference’ in Salinas, advocates say

The Salinas Californian

A new law requiring hotels and other lodgings to post information on resources for victims of human trafficking could greatly help combat it in Salinas, advocates say.

Governor signs Assemblyman Salas’ bill to reduce air pollution

KBAK

Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assemblyman Rudy Salas’ bill to reduce air pollution. AB 188 requires the California Air Resources Board to make older pickup trucks eligible for replacement under the state vehicle retirement and replacement program.

State Politics:

California governor responds to deadly wildfires from afar

The Bakersfield Californian

Gov. Jerry Brown has remained a background player as one of the worst series of wildfires in California history tears across the state’s wine country and beyond.

Jerry Brown recall campaign launches in California

Fresno Bee

Could California have two gubernatorial elections in 2018?

Will Garcetti run for governor? It’s not an easy question

LADaily News

If running for governor of California were as obvious a next step for a popular mayor of Los Angeles as some might think, Eric Garcetti could have made an announcement this week.

Easton: Get big money out of California politics

San Francisco Chronicle

California has proudly declared itself the leader of the resistance, a progressive counter to the Trump administration’s continual assault on the rule of law and the most vulnerable among us.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is running for reelection again, but ‘the resistance’ thinks she’s too bipartisan

Los Angeles Times

Sen. Dianne Feinstein kept many in suspense for months over her decision to seek reelection, but since announcing her plans Monday to pursue a fifth full term, she’s made clear there will be no more waiting.

See also:

California Senate leader Kevin de León is said to be leaning toward challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Los Angeles Times

California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León is strongly considering challenging U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat, in her 2018 reelection bid, according to sources close to the Los Angeles legislator.

See also:

Sen. Kamala Harris vows to fight for Central Valley

Stockton Record

Freshman U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, pledged Thursday to fight for Stockton and the San Joaquin Valley while acknowledging that the region has suffered from long-term neglect that has deepened poverty, damaged the environment and contributed to the steep hurdles facing its young people.

This new super PAC says it’s going after all 14 California Republicans in Congress

Los Angeles Times

As the 2018 midterms approach, most Democrats in California are focused on the seven Republican-held congressional districts where Hillary Clinton won last year.

California lawmakers call Trump immigration chief comments on ‘sanctuary state’ law ‘reprehensible’

Los Angeles Times

Several lawmakers in California’s congressional delegation are asking Trump’s top immigration official for a meeting, pointing to what they called his “reprehensible” statement on a new so-called sanctuary state law that will limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

See also:

Bannon to speak at California GOP convention

POLITICO

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon will address the California Republican Party next week, a source familiar with the details said, as Republicans in heavily Democratic California seek to defend several contested congressional seats.

GOP alliances rip over gas tax repeal: Anti-taxers vs. business establishment

CALmatters

Business groups are threatening to wage a pricey campaign to stop California’s Republican officials from trying to repeal a new state gas tax—warning them not to “create new political adversaries.” But the politicians aren’t flinching.

Federal Politics: 

Trump to halt subsidies to health insurers

Fresno Bee

In a brash move likely to roil insurance markets, President Donald Trump will “immediately” halt payments to insurers under the Obama-era health care law he has been trying to unravel for months.

See also:

Trump issues order expanding access to loosely regulated health plans

POLITICO

President Donald Trump today signed an executive order aimed at allowing trade associations and other groups to offer their own health plans — a move seen as expanding cheaper insurance options while also threatening to destabilize the Obamacare markets.

Trump’s salvo on Obamacare unlikely to result in quick changes

POLITICO

President Donald Trump may be eager to dismantle the Affordable Care Act after months of failed GOP repeal efforts, but his promise to provide millions of Americans “with Obamacare relief” with the executive order he signed Thursday is sure to collide with the slow grind of the federal bureaucracy.

Trump pitches tax reform plan saying “confidence in our country is back”

CBS News

President Trump pitched his tax plan Wednesday to truckers just outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as his administration tries to persuade Congress to pass legislation.

See also:

2020 Census needs major cash infusion, commerce secretary will tell Congress on Thursday

The Washington Post

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross plans to ask Congress for a major increase in funding Thursday to salvage the 2020 Census, a program beset by cost overruns, poor preparation and a population of Americans who are less likely than at any point in recent history to self-report their existence to the federal government.

Facebook’s Sandberg meets with lawmakers about Russia probe

PBS NewsHour

One of Facebook’s top executives met Wednesday with House members investigating the company’s Russia-linked ads and told them the social media giant is serious about dealing with the issue.

Donald Trump’s Twitter: Damaging the Republican Character

National Review

The vast majority of commentary about Donald Trump’s tweets centers on Trump: What do they say about his state of mind? Do they signal a change in American policy? Will he follow through on his threats? Is he a master media manipulator or just angry? Is he playing nine-dimensional chess or is he simply undisciplined and impulsive?

Other:

Now entering America’s fact-free zone

Fresno Bee

You could call it a moment of truth, except that what actually came out of that moment was a realization of how little truth now matters.

Podcast: The misinformation war gets out of hand

To the Point

Journalism’s battle to stand out amidst a flood of fake news and conspiracy theories, and what, if anything, Silicon Valley is doing to help.

Memorial services set for Las Vegas shooting victim Bailey Schweitzer

Bakersfield Californian

Memorial services have been set for a local victim who lost her life this month after a gunman opened fire into a crowd at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas.

See also:

EDITORIALS

‘Adult day care’ isn’t enough. We need a law to keep Trump’s hands off nuclear button

Fresno Bee

Donald Trump keeps lobbing warmongering statements. That makes the case for a bill by Rep. Ted Lieu of California to require the president to get congressional authorization for a nuclear first strike.

Did PG&E adequately maintain power lines before fires?

San Jose Mercury News

The PUC also shouldn’t be waiting until a disastrous fire to inspect and report on California utilities’ maintenance records

Wildfires, like drought, grow more intense

Merced Sun-Star

Climate change models have predicted worse fires, droughts, hurricanes; this is no time to cut funding.

Oil industry and ex-legislators find a new way to peddle influence

Sacramento Bee

The oil industry saw the reality that Gov. Jerry Brown was determined to push through legislation to extend cap-and-trade until 2030. The industry, having hired former legislators, worked to mold it.

Where to now on L.A. water, Mr. Mayor?

Los Angeles Times

After Tuesday’s vote by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to participate in a giant water delivery project more than 300 miles to the north, Los Angeles is left to wonder: Are we all in on the delta tunnels and their $17 billion price tag ($4.3 billion for Southern California)?…

Bail reform on track for California, with an early assist from Santa Clara County

The Mercury News

Bail reform is the kind of revolutionary idea people often associated with the Left Coast, but not this time. States like New Jersey and Kentucky are way ahead of California on experiments to help ensure that people’s lives aren’t ruined by an arrest — not a conviction — for a non-violent crime, as routinely happens.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD 
Californians should cherish farms, not go to war against them

Sacramento Bee

You wouldn’t think I’d need to say this in a state that has proudly led the nation in agricultural production for 70-plus years, but I guess I need to: California agriculture represents a crucial asset to this state, economically and environmentally.

Farmworker group awards scholarships

The Madera Tribune

Four children of United Farm Workers members recently accepted $1,000 ¡Si Se Puede! Scholarships in Madera.

Hunger Free Summit targets food access in SJ County

Stockton Record

Community leaders and professionals working to increase food access in San Joaquin County met Thursday morning.

Vineyards may have kept wine country fire from getting worse

Los Angeles Times

Christian Palmaz used hoes, shovels and rakes to keep flames from his family’s 19th-century vineyard estate home on the flanks of Mt. St. George in eastern Napa County.

County Planning Commission supports allowing, regulating cannabis in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Planning Commission voted Thursday night to permit and regulate commercial marijuana in Kern County. Now it sends that recommendation to the Kern County Board of Supervisors for its consideration on Oct. 24.

Marijuana Crop Is Burning in the California Wildfires

New York Times

Fatal fires that have consumed nearly 200,000 acres in Northern California, devastating the region’s vineyards particularly in Napa and Sonoma Counties, are also taking a toll on a fledgling industry just months before its debut: recreational marijuana.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​ ​/​ ​FIRE​ ​/​ ​PUBLIC SAFETY

For stories on Las Vegas mass shooting and ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – Other,” above 

Crime:

California law enforcement agencies will have to count and preserve all of their untested rape kits 

Los Angeles Times

The three measures are part of ongoing efforts in Sacramento to tackle rape kit backlogs at law enforcement agencies and to increase the number of victims who report sexual assault and seek treatment.

10 months after Valley teen’s assault, bill targeting social media-driven attacks becomes state law 

Los Angeles Daily News

When Ed Peisner got the call that “Jordan’s Law” had been signed into law Wednesday, he was “moved to tears.” That’s because Peisner thinks that Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing of the bill, which aims to deter social media motivated attacks planned for the purpose of filming and posting online for attention, sends a strong message to youth.

Ex-inmates behind push for California employers to “ban the box”

CALmatters

Many of the 7 million Californians with a prior arrest or conviction can likely relate to Sandra Johnson’s job hunting experience nearly a decade ago. On every employment application, she checked a box that inquired about criminal history.

Fire:

At least 31 dead in horrific California wildfires, hundreds missing

abc news

Massive wildfires sweeping through California have killed at least 31 people and damaged thousands of homes, businesses and other buildings, authorities said.

See also:

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy: 

More California small businesses get a crack at state contracts

Central Valley Business Times

More California small businesses will be eligible to participate in the state’s small business contracting program under a new law authored by state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton.

Here’s what the wage gap looks like

Marketplace

International Women’s Day kicks off today with the aim of promoting gender equality across every arena, including workplace pay. Overall, women get paid 83 cents for every dollar that men do. But that wage gap can be even wider for women with different levels of education and for women of color, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Jobs:

Brown extends unpaid parental leave to small business workers

Sacramento Bee

Nearly 2.8 million small business workers in California will be eligible to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn without losing their jobs next year.

See also:

Sonoma County’s Latino Workforce Faces Job Losses From Fires 

KQED

The Tubbs Fire, which has destroyed wineries and hotels in Santa Rosa and nearby, is only 10 percent contained. Evacuees who work in agriculture and tourism in wine country worry if they’ll have a job to return to.

EDUCATION

K-12:

California joins trend among states to abandon high school exit exam

EdSource

This week Gov. Jerry Brown made official what has been state policy for several years: he signed a bill abolishing the California High School Exit Exam.

California will provide free tampons to poor students

Fresno Bee

In an effort to keep poor students attending class during their periods, California schools will provide free tampons and pads.

Unpaid school lunch fees? New California law will put an end to ‘shaming’ students 

Los Angeles Times

California schools will not be able to deny or delay food to students if their parents haven’t paid lunch fees under a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday.

Sacramento teachers OK strike if standoff persists. District may hire temporary replacements

Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento City Unified School District is inching closer to a teachers strike.

Impact of Wine Country fire felt in schools far outside fire zone because of air quality concerns

EdSource

Smoky skies and poor air quality from the Northern California fires has prompted nearly 600 school closures across a wide swath of the San Francisco Bay Area, affecting about 260,000 students.

Higher Ed: 

Fitzgerald: It takes a village to raise a college

Stockton Record

Stanislaus State Stockton Center President Famous Harrison has embarked on a long-overdue expansion of the college satellite.

Elevate CA: Life experience shaped UC regent’s passion for expanding access to higher education

CAFWD

Maria Anguiano aims to make a UC degree more affordable and valuable in 21st century economy

Which public colleges have the top graduation rates for students in financial need?

Washington Post

For disadvantaged students, getting into a top college is a significant feat. But getting a diploma matters far more.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Governor signs Assemblyman Salas’ bill to reduce air pollution

KBAK

Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assemblyman Rudy Salas’ bill to reduce air pollution. AB 188 requires the California Air Resources Board to make older pickup trucks eligible for replacement under the state vehicle retirement and replacement program.

War on the EPA | FRONTLINE

PBS

How Scott Pruitt went from fighting the Environmental Protection Agency to running it and rolling back years of policy.

Energy:

UPDATE: Power restored to most in Tulare County

Visalia Times-Delta

6 p.m. Lights are back on throughout Tulare County, according to Southern California Edison.

5 big things Trump is doing to reverse Obama’s climate policies

POLITICO

The Trump administration is gutting President Barack Obama’s climate legacy with a series of moves designed to favor the fossil fuel industry while punishing solar and wind energy producers — and Tuesday’s proposal to repeal an Environmental Protection Agency rule on power plants is just the most visible.

Paris Mayor Plans To Eliminate All Non-Electric Cars By 2030

NPR

If the mayor of Paris holds sway, gas-powered cars will be gone from her city by 2030. Instead, citizens will get around via public transport, bicycles, and electric cars — and Paris will be on its way to carbon neutrality by 2050.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

For stories on how Pres. Trump’s Exec. Order will impact the ACA, See: “Top Stories – Federal,” above 

Judge: HCCA stays in Tulare, for now

Visalia times-delta

It’s clear the dispute between Tulare Regional Medical Center and the people who oversee its operations won’t be over anytime soon.

This Week’s Air Quality Is Worst On Record For San Francisco Bay Area

capradio.org

Air pollution in counties of the San Francisco Bay Area this week has been the worst since 1999 when officials began collecting data.

See also:

Anthem eases up on 2018 health insurance premium hikes

Los Angeles Times

Insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross agreed to reduce two planned premium increases for 2018 after California regulators questioned the company’s rationale for raising rates by as much as it had initially proposed.

CalViva-Kaiser Split Highlights Health Care Complexities, Patient Confusion

Valley Public Radio

Earlier this summer, a contract between CalViva health and Kaiser Permanente left 9,000 Medi-Cal patients in the San Joaquin Valley to find all new doctors. We were curious how that transition happened, so we set out to find out how significant this change was in the healthcare world and how doctors and patients experienced it.

These 5 States Just Got a Little Money to Continue CHIP

Pew Charitable Trust | Stateline

Congress still hasn’t reauthorized the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but the Trump administration is sending $230 million to five states and four territories to help them keep going a little longer.

Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. adults are now obese, CDC says

Los Angeles Times

Americans’ obesity rates have reached a new high-water mark. Again. In 2015 and 2016, just short of 4 in 10 American adults had a body mass index that put them in obese territory. 

IMMIGRATION

California lawmakers call Trump immigration chief comments on ‘sanctuary state’ law ‘reprehensible’

Los Angeles Times

Several lawmakers in California’s congressional delegation are asking Trump’s top immigration official for a meeting, pointing to what they called his “reprehensible” statement on a new so-called sanctuary state law that will limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

See also:

 LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

How Trump Built His National Golf Club In California

NPR

Ten years ago Fresno rejected an attempt to build a Trump golf course (Running Horse)

Housing: 

Short-Term Rental Boom Causes Housing Headache For Yosemite Workers

Valley Public Radio

Over the past month we’ve brought you stories about how online short-term rental sites are changing the communities near Yosemite National Park. The booming vacation rental market is creating a shortage of places for locals to rent for the long-term and in some cases contributing to the area’s homeless problem. And now the growing lack of long-term rentals is causing a hiring issue in Yosemite.

Forecast: California home prices will continue to rise in 2018 

Los Angeles Times

Home prices in California will continue to increase next year, but at a slower pace, said a forecast released Thursday by the California Association of Realtors. The median price of a home is expected to rise 4.2 percent in 2018 to $561,000, less than the expected 7.2 percent increase this year.

These small pods could bring a big solution for LA County’s homeless crisis 

Los Angeles Daily

The futuristic mini-modular home sitting inside a church parking lot in Van Nuys holds only a single bed, a small desk, and some shelves. But for the team of fourth year USC architecture students who designed it, the modest 92-square-feet structure could become key to temporarily easing homelessness across Los Angeles — and even the Golden State — until people find permanent housing.

PUBLIC FINANCES

For stories on “tax reform” See: “Top Stories – Federal Politics,” above

BOE hiring investigation finds favoritism

Sacramento Bee

John Calzada wishes he’d never taken the job that placed him directly in between a California tax agency and one of the politicians who was elected to lead it.

Commentary: Pensions vs. Split Roll

PublicCEO

I guess I should use the old vaudeville line: Stop me if you’ve heard this one: the push to increase commercial property taxes is about government pension costs. Returning to this subject at this time (I wrote on the same subject for the Sacramento Bee last April) is prompted by the coming together of a couple of recent events.

Trump says the U.S. is the highest taxed country in the world. No, it’s not.

CNN Money

President Trump on Wednesday told Fox’s Sean Hannity, “We are the highest taxed nation in the world.” At this point, Trump has publicly made this claim at least 20 times. And it’s still not true.

TRANSPORTATION

Gas tax repeal isn’t going to save California Republicans

Sacramento Bee

California Republicans have a taxing problem: Should they rest their party’s sagging fortunes on voters’ desire to reject higher gasoline taxes via a referendum next fall? 

GOP alliances rip over gas tax repeal: Anti-taxers vs. business establishment

CALmatters

Business groups are threatening to wage a pricey campaign to stop California’s Republican officials from trying to repeal a new state gas tax—warning them not to “create new political adversaries.” But the politicians aren’t flinching.

Paris Mayor Plans To Eliminate All Non-Electric Cars By 2030

NPR

If the mayor of Paris holds sway, gas-powered cars will be gone from her city by 2030. Instead, citizens will get around via public transport, bicycles, and electric cars — and Paris will be on its way to carbon neutrality by 2050.

WATER

Kern County farmers commit about $1 billion to tunnels project

Fresno Bee

A bloc of San Joaquin farmers tentatively endorsed the Delta tunnels project Thursday, becoming the first significant agricultural group to support the struggling plan.

See also:

 “Xtra”

Interview: Fresno Philharmonic’s Rei Hotoda Ready For First Performance

Valley Public Radio

It’s a new era for the Fresno Philharmonic as Rei Hotoda, the new music director and conductor of the orchestra, is set to lead the orchestra in her first concert with that title Sunday October 15 at the Saroyan Theatre. Valley Edition host Joe Moore caught up with about what to expect. To listen to the interview click play above.

Central California SPCA rescues 50 cats hoarded in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Fifty cats that were being hoarded in a Fresno home were rescued on Tuesday by the Central California SPCA, who found the floor of the home covered in about 6 inches of old and new feces.