POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Merced candidate says registrar flubbed his statement and needs to do more to fix it
Fresno Bee
The Merced County Registrar of Voters Office left out a candidate’s statement from the guide supplied to voters, which the candidate says leaves him at a disadvantage. Voter guides for the Nov. 3 election began showing up at the home of voters on Thursday.
Candidates for Stanislaus Co board criticize COVID-19 response, discuss dam site
Modesto Bee
The Nov. 3 election will determine if Condit or Hallinan follows county Supervisor Jim DeMartini in representing Ceres, Patterson, Newman and part of south Modesto. DeMartini’s 16-year stint on the board sunsets in early January.
Stanislaus Co readies move to lower COVID-19 tier. Here are changes you’ll see
Modesto Bee
If Stanislaus County can slow the spread of COVID-19 enough to move out of the most restrictive tier of closures this week, as the numbers strongly suggest, business owners and customers won’t have to guess what reopenings will be like.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno GOP wrongly told voters to drop ballots at gun stores and other unauthorized sites
Fresno Bee
The Fresno County Republican Party said Monday it is removing unauthorized ballot drop boxes it promoted in violation of state law after the Secretary of State’s office cracked down on a GOP vote harvesting effort..
See also:
● Calif GOP says it owns unofficial ballot drop boxes Fresno Bee
● Calif orders state GOP to shut down ballot collection boxes at gun stores and churches Sac Bee
● Calif elections officials order GOP to immediately remove unofficial ballot boxes LA Times
● Calif orders defiant GOP to halt use of unofficial ballot boxes SF Chronicle
● Calif Republican Party Admits It Placed Misleading Ballot Boxes Around State LA Times
● Calif Election Official Demands State GOP Remove Ballot Drop Boxes WSJ
● Unofficial ballot drop boxes found in three Calif counties The Hill
Recently re-opened Fresno County businesses could be forced to close again
abc30
There is growing concern that some newly re-opened businesses could be forced to shut down again after seeing a spike in coronavirus case rates in Fresno County.
Toxic chemicals found at community center in southwest Fresno. Here’s what you need to know
Fresno Bee
The Maxie Parks Community Center in southwest Fresno has been evacuated and barred to the public since Sept. 3, after testing found contamination in and around the building, likely from toxic chemicals used by Imperial Cleaners, a former dry cleaning business.
See also:
● Two potentially harmful chemicals found in groundwater at Maxie Park Community Center abc30
● Video: The latest word from Fresno City Hall on West Fresno toxic contamination Fresno Bee
● Public Meeting To Address Contaminants Found In West Fresno Community Center Fresno Bee
Voting centers and races of note in eastern Madera County general election
Sierra Star
The election is less than a month away, and eastern Madera County residents can skip the lines Nov. 3 and mail in their ballots.
COVID-19 update: County no closer to red tier; Rockford can open K-6
Porterville Recorder
As far as the case rate needed for Tulare County to move into the red tier, the county has remained stagnant. Tulare County Health and Human Services reported on Monday the county’s case rate over the last seven days was 9.8 per 100,000 residents.
South SJ Valley:
BAKPAC rolls out candidate endorsements for 2020 election
Bakersfield Califn
The Greater Bakersfield Chamber Political Action Committee announced 2020 candidate endorsements for the Calif State Assembly and Bakersfield City Council races leading up to the Nov. 3 election.
See also:
● Central Calif Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors announce endorsements Bakersfield Califn
Bakersfield conservatives leave for less liberal states
Bakersfield Califn
Vernon “Vern” Marcois has had it with Calif — not his lifelong home of Bakersfield as much as Sacramento and the policies coming out of it. So, like 29 people on his phone’s personal contact list, he’s leaving the state.
Some county library branches expand services to include indoor express appointments
Bakersfield Califn
There’s no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has placed some roadblocks between patrons of the Kern County Library system and the traditional library services they have long enjoyed.
Mural of ‘Bakersfield’s daughter’ Patricia Alatorre unveiled downtown
Bakersfield Califn
Hoping to turn horror into love, a mural depicting “Bakersfield’s daughter,” Patricia Alatorre, was unveiled in downtown Bakersfield Monday evening.
State:
Calif suggests outdoor holiday gatherings with people from 3 households or less
abc30
As the holiday season looms near, getting together with family may look a little different as Calif health officials released new guidelines for holding private gatherings on Friday.
See also:
● Calif rules now allow for 3 households to socialize Bakersfield Califn
With federal aid stalled, no help for Calif budget cuts
Bakersfield Califn
When state lawmakers in July cut $150 million from the Calif court system, they offered this hope to stressed-out administrators: The cuts would vanish if Congress sent the state more money before Oct. 15.
See also:
● What no Trump stimulus means for Calif schools, unemployment and more CalMatters
● States Contemplate Borrowing to Help Manage Pandemic’s Fiscal Impact Pew Trusts
Walters: Misusing taxpayers’ money for campaigns
CalMatters
Local Calif officials routinely and illegally misuse taxpayer funds for political campaigns and only one agency tries to stop it.
Federal:
Kamala Harris says Supreme Court hearings are ‘reckless,’ Senate should focus on COVID-19 aid
Fresno Bee
Sen. Kamala Harris asked Monday why the Senate is considering Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court when it can’t figure out a way to help the millions out of work, suffering from COVID-19 or seeing their businesses suffer.
See also:
● Kamala Harris avoids confirmation hearing room as Senate panel takes up Amy Coney Barrett SF Chronicle
● SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett vows to interpret laws ‘as they are written’ in Senate hearing abc30
● How The Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings For Amy Coney Barrett Will Work VPR
● Watch Live: Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing VPR
● Democrats avoid talk of religion, keep focus on healthcare on day one of Barrett hearing LA Times
● Republicans, Democrats Clash at Confirmation Hearing for Amy Coney Barrett WSJ
● Barrett hearings become platform for COVID-19 risk debate Roll Call
● Opinion: Amy Coney Barrett Should Refuse to Recuse WSJ
● Opinion: Senate must end sham politics of precedent for Amy Coney Barrett The Hill
● Opinion: Lots of partisan sniping, but not a lot of mystery, at Supreme Court confirmation hearing Roll Call
Trump’s doctor says he has tested negative for COVID as president hits the campaign trail
LA Times
President Trump’s doctor said Monday that Trump had tested negative for COVID-19 two days in a row. The news came just as the president was airborne for his first out-of-town rally, in Florida, since contracting the coronavirus.
See also:
● Trump’s doctor says he has tested negative for COVID as president hits the campaign trail LA Times
● Trump Tests Negative for Covid-19 on Consecutive Days, White House Physician Says WSJ
● Defiant Trump defends virus record in 1st post-COVID rally Sac Bee
Pelosi stays firm on coronavirus relief as a few Democrats urge compromise
The Hill
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to keep her caucus together as she holds out for a better coronavirus relief package than the Trump administration’s latest $1.8 trillion proposal, but some Democrats are growing impatient.
See also:
● Here’s where stimulus talks stand after Trump administration’s $1.8 trillion proposal Modesto Bee
Coronavirus Trackers:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.
See also:
● Calif Department of Public Health
● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO
● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University
● Tracking coronavirus in Calif LA Times
● Coronavirus Tracker SF Chronicle
● Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count NY Times
● How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico
● Coronavirus Daily NPR
● Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Fin Times
● Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters
Elections 2020:
● Check voter registration status
● Online Voter Guide and Printable Voter Guide
● List of county elections offices
Calif’s vote-by-mail campaign could affect election results, taxpayer group’s lawsuit says
Fresno Bee
A Sacramento-based group that represents taxpayer interests is suing Calif Secretary of State Alex Padilla in order to stop his office from carrying out a $35 million voter outreach contract the group says unfairly targets certain voters.
See also:
● Your Calif mail ballot is coming. 5 things to do to make sure it gets counted Sac Bee
● Signature errors could disenfranchise a record number of voters in the election Los Angeles Time
● Fox: Consequences from the Ballot Harvesting Law Fox & Hounds
Joe Biden’s tax plan would likely hit wealthy Californians hard. Here’s why
Sac Bee
Because the rich in Calif tend to be richer than most and pay a higher share of state income taxes, Califns could feel more of a sting than other states from Joe Biden’s tax plan.
Trump, Biden Campaign Travels Show Expanded Battleground Map
WSJ
The president is in Florida while Biden and Pence hit Ohio, both states where Trump is playing defense after winning in 2016.
See also:
● Opinion: Make way for Slayer Pete. Buttigieg is the Biden campaign’s ruthless secret weapon LA Times
● Opinion: Biden’s Change Beats Trump’s Disruption WSJ
State & Local Officials Seek to Reassure Voters about Potential Poll Watcher Intimidation
Route Fifty
Following President Trump’s call to his supporters to deploy themselves as poll watchers, state and local government officials are working to ensure that voters can cast their ballots without intimidation.
See also:
● Alarm grows over Trump team’s efforts to monitor polls The Hill
How One Tribe Is Fighting to Vote Early
Pew Trusts
For the past two years, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe has lobbied unsuccessfully for the restoration of the sole early voting site on its reservation in the western reaches of Tucson, Arizona.
Mathews: Reading the Props: Would 21 Be Better With a Different Sponsor?
Fox & Hounds
Prop 21 is the one measure I struggle to read objectively, because I know too much about the person behind it. That’s Michael Weinstein, of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
Opinion: Californians have an opportunity to reverse Prop 209 and reinstate Affirmative Action
Sac Bee
Proposition 16 is a constitutional amendment repealing Proposition 209 passed in 1996. When the people of Calif approved Prop. 209, they effectively ended Affirmative Action in this state.
Video: A 2020 Election Preview
PPIC
Just weeks before the highly consequential November election, Politico’s Calif Playbook reporter Carla Marinucci moderated a lively conversation about the state and national political landscape with four other top journalists.
Other:
Experts: Disinformation poses greatest threat to the election
Roll Call
With less than one month to go before one of the most consequential elections in American history, experts are watching to see how well the complex and sometimes unwieldy U.S. election machinery performs across three areas: cybersecurity, physical constraints necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the danger posed by disinformation.
See also:
● Your guide to spotting disinformation in U.S. and Calif elections Sac Bee
Journalists’ right to remain at violent protests may be headed to Supreme Court
SF Chronicle
When violence occurs at a protest, can federal agents order journalists to leave the scene and use force if they refuse? No, says a divided federal appeals court, but the issue may be headed for the Supreme Court.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, October 18, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz: Valley Roots” – Guests: UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, October 18, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “The Valley’s Public Universities: An Update” – Guests: Fresno State President Joseph Castro; Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn; CSU Bakersfield President Lynnette Zelezny. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Confusion reigns on split roll’s impact to ag
Business Journal
A bill that has split families on its merits since 1978 has the potential to do the same for agriculture should a proposition pass this year.
Almond Board Leads the Way to Marketing Almonds
Calif Ag Today
Leading the charge in moving that big crop globally is the Almond Board of Calif, their mission: to expand the global consumption of Calif almonds through leadership and
strategic market development and innovative research.
The ‘Wine Country’ of weed? New Calif law gives regional title for marijuana branding
Sac Bee
Calif cannabis connoisseurs can celebrate — a new law inspired by the wine industry requires that marijuana must be grown in the “sun and soil” of a city or county in order to be labeled with a regional designation.
Wine Country under wildfire siege
CalMatters
For Wine Country residents, the conflagrations and evacuations reprise the nightmarish 2017 Tubbs and Nuns fires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed dozens of people.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
CHP: Dramatic increase of high speed violations observed locally, statewide
Bakersfield Califn
Speeding violations, particularly those over 100 mph, have as much as doubled in parts of Kern County and throughout the state during the COVID-19 pandemic when compared to last year.
‘Unconscionable.’ How a surge in domestic violence is saving the bail bond industry
Sac Bee
Domestic violence is keeping the bail bond industry alive in Sacramento. Roughly 42% of all of the people who bonded out of jail since April were released while facing at least one charge related to domestic violence.
EDITORIAL: In 2020, Californians can fight systemic racism, uphold justice reforms. Here’s how
Sac Bee
The right to vote is sacred for every American. Under current Calif law, people convicted of felonies are stripped of the right to vote until they finish their parole.
Public Safety:
As COVID-19 Cases Soar, Avenal Inmates Increasingly Concerned About Mental Health
VPR
On a bright afternoon in June, a group of protesters wearing masks gathered in a dusty parking lot outside a prison in rural Kings County. One of them held a megaphone up to a cell phone.
Want to advise Turlock police? Department seeks diverse applicants for community board
Modesto Bee
The Turlock Police Department is accepting applications for an advisory board designed to build community trust and bring diverse perspectives.
More cuts to Calif prisons: Eight inmate fire camps to close this year
Sac Bee
Calif’s corrections department is following through on a plan to close eight inmate firefighting camps, reflecting a steep decline in the state’s inmate population since the coronavirus outbreak.
Should Doctors Be Asking Patients About Gun Safety? These Calif Researchers Say Yes
Capital Public Radio
A group of University of Calif researchers have devised a training that teaches physicians how to broach the topic of firearms with patients.
Fire:
Creek Fire updates: Containment tops 50%; near-record heat, critical fire weather predicted
Fresno Bee
Firefighters took advantage of weather conditions on Saturday and Sunday in their battle against Creek Fire, which has been burning since Sept. 4. As of Monday morning, the fire has burned 333,350 acres and is 55% contained. Full containment is expected on Halloween.
See also:
● Creek Fire: 333,350 acres burned, 55% contained, latest evacuations orders abc30
● Creek Fire updates: With rising temperatures, firefighters expect increased activity Fresno Bee
Glass Fire 95% contained after burning nearly 800 homes in Napa, Sonoma counties
Fresno Bee
The Glass Fire, a destructive wildfire that burned close to 800 homes in Calif’s North Bay area and forced tens of thousands to evacuate after sparking in extreme wind late last month, is almost fully contained.
Sequoia Complex up to 70% contained
Porterville Recorder
The Sequoia Complex which began in the Golden Trout Wilderness is now up to 70 percent contained as of Monday morning, fire officials stated.
Calif wildfires get hotter and faster as state gets older and less mobile
Fresno Bee
Late on the night of Sept. 27, a bumper-to-bumper caravan of fleeing cars, horse trailers, RVs and overstuffed pickup trucks snaked east on Highway 12, the flames of the Glass Fire glowing orange in their rearview mirrors.
PG&E warns of power outages as high winds, extreme heat roll into Northern Calif
LA Times
Fierce Diablo winds are expected to kick up in Northern Calif this week, bringing an increased fire risk to the burn-scarred region and prompting Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to prepare for potential power shutoffs in parts of 43 counties, utility officials warned.
See also:
● About 50,000 PG&E Northern Calif customers may lose power in safety shutoffs Sac Bee
● PG&E warns of power outages as high winds, extreme heat roll into Northern Calif LA Times
Opinion: Climate Change, Forest Management and Wildfires
Fox & Hounds
Gov. Gavin Newsom likes to beat Califns over the head that every ill under his administration is due to climate change, including wildfires.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Fresno clothing retailer is closing some stores, filing for bankruptcy due to COVID-19
Fresno Bee
The coronavirus pandemic has caused Patrick James, the Fresno-based men’s clothing retailer, to file for bankruptcy with plans to close stores. The company has sold upscale men’s clothing – like Tommy Bahama and its own line of shirts and jackets – since 1962.
Workout workaround: How gyms are getting themselves reclassified as ‘essential’
CalMatters
As the pandemic forced Terry Delamater’s two Bakersfield-area fitness centers to shut down for months, the pharmacist-turned-gym-owner in desperation turned to his county supervisor for help. Maybe, Delamater suggested, the gyms could reopen as an essential business?
The Pandemic Depression Is Over. The Pandemic Recession Has Just Begun.
NY Times
In the details of government employment data — covering hundreds of industries — can be seen a jobs crisis that penetrates deeply into the economy.
Coronavirus pandemic to cost Americans $16 trillion, study finds
CBS
The coronavirus pandemic will end up costing Americans $16 trillion, far more than anyone predicted when the virus first emerged in the U.S. back in March, according to a new study released on Monday.
Jobs:
More cuts to Calif prisons: Jamestown among sites losing inmate fire camps
Modesto Bee
Calif’s corrections department is following through on a plan to close eight camps that trained inmates to fight wildfires, reflecting a steep decline in the state’s inmate population since the coronavirus outbreak.
See also:
● More cuts to Calif prisons: Eight inmate fire camps to close this year Sac Bee
Long-term jobless figures rise, underscoring economic pain
The Hill
The number of people who have joined the ranks of long-term unemployment has spiked to a record high in a worrying sign of the economic recovery’s health.
See also:
● Jobless Claims Strain States Pew Trusts
New frontier: How gig economy titans are lobbying their customers
CalMatters
An extra item may have slipped into your weekly grocery delivery: a campaign ad. It’s a dubious bonus from Instacart, the SF-based tech company that lets customers order groceries by app.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Clovis school district confirms ‘a small number’ of COVID-19 infections
Fresno Bee
As the Clovis community waits to hear when elementary schools might reopen, district officials on Monday confirmed “a small number” of COVID-19 infections, but didn’t say when those cases occurred.
Fresno schools confront systemic racism; and the latest on reopening efforts
Fresno Bee
This week, Fresno Unified’s Board of Trustees formally declared the district an anti-racist institution. The resolution also outlined steps to help curb racism within the school district and build a more inclusive educational experience.
More Central Valley elementary schools can now hold in-person classes
abc30
A total of 65 schools in Central Calif have been given the green light to reopen campuses after being closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parents are paying up to $100 an hour for tutors, driving up demand and worsening inequities
LA Times
For every parent who can pay for private tutoring, there are others who can’t, fueling a surge of start-up volunteer tutoring groups.
EDITORIAL: The unequal pace of school reopenings is exacerbating Calif’s educational inequity
LA Times
In Irvine, about two-thirds of the school district’s students are back in classrooms, at least to some extent. Others have opted to continue learning remotely.
See also:
● The key to students returning to school is not the science – it is the resources CalMatters
● Should we be sending K–12 students back to school in person? AEI
Brookings
Like presidents before him, President Trump has turned to executive and administrative actions to carry out his agenda instead of trying to go through Congress.
Higher Ed:
High-stakes college recruitment goes virtual, and it’s no fun thanks to Zoom fatigue
LA Times
In a normal year, Northern Calif high school senior Alain Kanadjian would be touring college campuses, attending college fairs in gyms or convention centers and meeting with college recruiters at his campus. All in person.
No Home, No Wi-Fi: Pandemic Adds to Strain on Poor College Students
NY Times
Trapped between the financial hardships of the pandemic and the technological hurdles of online learning, the millions of low-income college students across America face mounting obstacles in their quests for higher education.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Exide may be allowed to abandon toxic battery recycling plant and massive cleanup bill
LA Times
For decades, families across a swath of southeast Los Angeles County have lived in an environmental disaster zone, their kids playing in yards polluted with brain-damaging lead while they wait on a state agency to remove contaminated soil from thousands of homes.
Opinion: Climate Change, Forest Management and Wildfires
Fox & Hounds
Gov. Gavin Newsom likes to beat Califns over the head that every ill under his administration is due to climate change, including wildfires.
Energy:
Governor’s order on zero-emission vehicles leaves room for local producers of renewable fuel
Bakersfield Califn
The recent executive order accelerating Calif’s transition toward zero-emission vehicles may not have been the total death sentence some feared for Kern County’s petroleum industry.
Opinion: Is This What Calif Wants?
Fox & Hounds
Germany is the first country to try green energy policies, decarbonize, and works towards zero emissions throughout their entire economy. What’s actually taken place for Germany is they have the highest electricity prices in the world.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Coronavirus update: Fresno County enters critical week for reopening plans
Fresno Bee
At the start of a new week, the coronavirus outlook in Fresno County appears to improve slightly based on the number of cases and deaths reported.
See also:
● Fresno County adds more than 200 new COVID-19 cases a day before critical status update Fresno Bee
● Stanislaus County Infection rate inches up as county awaits tier designation Modesto Bee
● Coronavirus updates: As US cases spike, Calif COVID-19 rates still trending low Sac Bee
● Califns hospitalized with COVID-19 at lowest level in 6 months LA Times
Califns hospitalized with COVID-19 at lowest level in 6 months
LA Times
While the spread of the coronavirus accelerates in much of the nation, Calif is enjoying a moment of relief, as COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have dropped to the lowest levels in months.
See also:
● U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Hit Highest Level in Nearly Six Weeks WSJ
● As US cases spike, Calif COVID-19 rates still trending low Sac Bee
Most people try to avoid COVID-19. But thousands are signing up to be deliberately exposed
abc30
As most of us obsess with avoiding Covid-19 at all costs, a rapidly growing group of people around the world say they are prepared to deliberately take on the virus.
Covid-19 neurological symptoms emerge in most hospitalized patients, study says
CNN
The study “highlights the high frequency and range of neurologic manifestations, which occurred in more than four fifths of Covid‐19 patients hospitalized in our hospital network system,” the researchers wrote in the study.
Coronavirus Safety Runs Into a Stubborn Barrier: Masculinity
NY Times
When political leaders suggest basic precautions appear unmanly, men are less likely to follow health and safety advice, experts say.
Human Services:
Calif ramping up COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, Newsom says
abc30
The state is currently conducting an average of 125,000 tests per day, and the number of contact tracers in Calif has grown to nearly 11,000.
Adventist Health to offer drive-thru flu shots
Hanford Sentinel
To help protect the community this flu season, Adventist Health is hosting drive-thru flu shot events at three of its locations from Oct. 13-27.
Second COVID-19 vaccine trial paused over unexplained illness
LA Times
A late-stage study of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been paused while the company investigates whether a study participant’s “unexplained illness” is related to the shot.
See also:
● Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Trial Paused Due To ‘Unexplained Illness’ In Participant VPR
● Johnson & Johnson Pauses Covid-19 Vaccine Trials Due to Sick Subject WSJ
How federal rules for reporting COVID-19 data could threaten hospital funding
PBS
More than 6,000 hospitals nationwide received letters from the Department of Health and Human Services last week letting them know whether they are in compliance for reporting data during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus survives on phone screen, cash and other surfaces for 28 days, study says
Sac Bee
A new study out of Australia found that the coronavirus can survive on common surfaces such as money, phone screens and stainless steel for about a month in room temperature conditions — a time frame that surpasses those from other studies.
Scientists have a powerful new tool for controlling the coronavirus: Its own genetic code.
Washington Post
Already, the United Kingdom has sequenced at least 72,529 coronavirus genomes, nearly as many as the rest of the world combined.
COVID-19 ‘Long-Haulers’ Worry About Coverage, Costs
Pew Trusts
Advocates say it’s essential to begin grappling with these questions now as it becomes increasingly clear that for many, being ill with COVID-19 is not a transitory experience.
Six ways Trump has sabotaged the Affordable Care Act
Brookings
Donald Trump’s first term represents an extraordinary development in what political scientists have called the administrative or unilateral presidency: how presidents seek to transform domestic policy through executive initiatives without congressional approval.
IMMIGRATION
Federal appeals court rules Trump illegally issued border wall funds
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump illegally used Defense Department funds to build sections of border wall in Calif, Arizona and New Mexico, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled.
Immigrant Rights Advocates Hope Court Rules Against The Expansion Of Mesa Verde In McFarland
VPR
The Ninth Circuit Court heard oral arguments for the expansion of immigration detention centers in McFarland on Friday and immigrant rights advocates are hopeful the court will rule against the case.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Toxic chemicals found at community center in southwest Fresno. Here’s what you need to know
Fresno Bee
The Maxie Parks Community Center in southwest Fresno has been evacuated and barred to the public since Sept. 3, after testing found contamination in and around the building, likely from toxic chemicals used by Imperial Cleaners, a former dry cleaning business.
See also:
● Two potentially harmful chemicals found in groundwater at Maxie Park Community Center abc30
● Video: The latest word from Fresno City Hall on West Fresno toxic contamination Fresno Bee
● Public Meeting To Address Contaminants Found In West Fresno Community Center Fresno Bee
Housing:
Bakersfield conservatives leave for less liberal states
Bakersfield Califn
Vernon “Vern” Marcois has had it with Calif — not his lifelong home of Bakersfield as much as Sacramento and the policies coming out of it. So, like 29 people on his phone’s personal contact list, he’s leaving the state.
Homeless Fire Evacuees In Calif Face Further Displacement
Capital Public Radio
Glass Fire burning in Northern Calif wine country has forced thousands from their homes, among them the residents of a tiny home village built to help people transition out of homelessness.
Warszawski: Is Clovis truly anti-racism? Then end decades of discriminatory housing policies
Fresno Bee
Well, for starters, they could begin to rectify decades of policies and planning decisions that resulted in a city where low-income families of color are practically barred from living.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Federal stimulus checks must go to prison inmates, U.S. judge in Calif rules
LA Times
For months, incarcerated people across the country have received conflicting and confusing information about whether they can legally collect federal coronavirus stimulus funds, while the Internal Revenue Service flip-flopped on the question.
Remote Work Boom Complicates State Income Taxes
Pew Trusts
But now millions of additional people are working remotely, and business experts predict that many of them will continue to do so after the pandemic ebbs. That prospect could lead tax departments in more states to examine the feasibility of taxing remote workers.
What could additional fiscal policy do for the economy in the next 3 years?
Brookings
Although the fiscal boost that Congress enacted in March 2020 cushioned some of the economic pain resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is wearing off.
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
Thank Newsom’s childhood pet — an otter — for helping protect Calif land and waters
LA Times
Now we get it: Gov. Gavin Newsom was first inspired to fight climate change and protect the environment by his childhood pet — Potter, the river otter.
Ensuring Water Equity and Utility Solvency: Lessons from Phoenix
PPIC
Water utilities increasingly face a dilemma in these recessionary times: the challenge is to take in enough money to operate and maintain complex water systems while also providing safe and affordable water to all their customers—even those who have trouble paying.
“Xtra”
Halloween 2020: Families mull whether to modify traditions or skip them altogether
Bakersfield Califn
After the coronavirus put a damper on her 5-year-old daughter’s preschool graduation and took the fun out of birthday parties and the start of kindergarten, Bakersfield mom Morgan Marsh has gotten out in front of plans for Halloween.
How to have a safe Halloween in Fresno. Is trick-or-treating OK? Here’s what experts say
Fresno Bee
Halloween isn’t canceled. That’s what Fresno County’s top health officer has to say about the upcoming holiday, which is increasingly seeming like a chance to have some fun amid tedious coronavirus isolation and at-home schooling.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
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