Maddy Institute – October 2, 2020

02Oct

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:

Hear the candidates: Patterson mayoral hopefuls discuss the issues

Modesto Bee

Three Patterson mayoral candidates – David Keller, Dennis McCord, Mark Miles – met with The Bee’s Editorial Board on Wednesday. They touched on issues regarding the proposed dam in nearby Del Puerto Canyon, the remaking of downtown and their endorsements in the races for the 10th Congressional District and the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors District 5 race.

3 newcomers, political veteran vie to represent northeast Modesto on City Council

Modesto Bee

Voters in northeast Modesto will choose among three political newcomers and a former council candidate in the November election to represent them on the City Council. The newcomers are Jessica Gonzalez, a 23-year-old office manager; Kelsten Obert, 31 and the owner of Knock-Out Landscape Services; and Hunter Sauls, a 23-year-old Army veteran and Willey Printing employee.

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.

Tori Verber Salazar: The Central Valley District Attorney Pushing for Criminal Justice Reform

KQED

What is going on in San Joaquin County?

Central SJ Valley:

Robert Costa (PBS Wash Week) Returns to Discuss 2020 Election in Virtual President’s Lecture Series (Free)

Fresno State

Costa will be the featured speaker for a first-ever virtual version of the President’s Lecture Series at Fresno State, less than a month before the 2020 presidential election. The President’s Lecture with Costa is scheduled from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. It’s free to participate, by visiting Zoom at the time of the event.

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.

● Fresno Co Advances In State’s Tiered COVID-19 Plan, Allowing More Businesses To Reopen VPR

● Calif adds COVID-19 equity requirement. It could trip up counties’ reopenings LA Times

● Gyms, restaurants, salons join ranks of Fresno’s thawing economy Business Journal

Has distance learning improved for Fresno-area students? Here’s what the early data shows

Fresno Bee

Elementary school students in Fresno could start going back to campuses in a few weeks, but that doesn’t mean distance learning is going away. The three largest school districts in Fresno County are transitioning small groups of students to in-person classes, but students won’t be on campuses full-time. Until positive coronavirus cases are more under control, distance learning is here to stay.

New State Broadband Action Plan Seeks Community-Based Input

Calif Economic Summit

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.

Commentary: Pressure DiFi to Quit—And Then Appoint 2 ‘War’ Senators

Fox & Hounds

As the national government enters a period of total political war, Calif needs two senators who will fight the feds full-time. Now we have zero such senators. Kamala Harris has been pursuing her own national political career—perhaps all the way to the vice presidency. And Dianne Feinstein seems not just old but out of touch, and too conciliatory for this era of combat.

Federal:

President Trump and First Lady Melania Test Positive for the Coronavirus

WSJ

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19, injecting fresh uncertainty into an already tumultuous final stretch of the 2020 campaign. His announcement, which he made on Twitter, came hours after the confirmation that Hope Hicks, a top adviser who traveled with him earlier this week, had tested positive for the virus.

● President Trump, first lady test positive for COVID-19. ‘We will get through this together’ Fresno Bee

● Trump, Melania test positive for coronavirus, president vows to begin quarantine ‘immediately’ Visalia Times Delta

● Trump Joins List Of World Leaders Who’ve Tested Positive For The Coronavirus VPR

● President Trump and first lady test positive for the coronavirus LA Times

● Trump, first lady test positive for COVID-19 Roll Call

● Trump says he and first lady have tested positive for the coronavirus Wash Post

● Live updates: Biden tests negative for coronavirus; Trump experiencing ‘mild symptoms’ after positive test Washinton Post

● Visual timeline of Trump’s movements before his positive coronavirus test Washinton Post

● Trump Infected: What We Know and Don’t Know NY Times

● Trump’s health and COVID-19: Here’s what we know PolitiFact

● Trump says he and first lady tested positive for coronavirus AP News

Trump is the ‘largest driver of misinformation’ during COVID-19 pandemic, Cornell study finds

Fresno Bee

A review of over 38 million articles about the coronavirus published in English-language media reveals that President Donald Trump was likely the “largest” spreader of misinformation since January when the virus first emerged in Wuhan, China.

Stimulus talks: White House ups bid in last-ditch COVID-19 relief negotiations with Congress

abc30

The White House is backing a $400 per week pandemic jobless benefit and is dangling the possibility of a COVID-19 relief bill of $1.6 trillion as last-ditch, pre-election negotiations hit a critical phase Thursday. But pessimism is again seeping into the talks and the two sides switched back to attacking each other in public.

● House Passes $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill in Absence of Bipartisan Deal WSJ

● With No GOP Agreement, US House Passes Stimulus Associated Press

● What unemployment benefits are in House Democrats’ latest coronavirus relief bill? AEI

Experts say Trump tax report shows aggressive tax avoidance, unusually persistent losses

PolitiFact

The NY Times reported President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017, and no taxes at all in 10 of the 15 years before that. The report also detailed huge losses incurred by the business empire Trump has cited as proof of his acumen.

Trump Supreme Court pick already ruled on pending Obamacare case — in a moot exercise

LA Times

Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, has already weighed in on one of the most significant and controversial cases it is scheduled to consider this fall — albeit in a mock exercise. And, contrary to what many Democrats fear, her position on the moot court that considered the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, went mostly against the Trump administration’s stance.

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:

● Calif Department of Public Health

● Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

● 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 LA 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:

● Register to vote

● Check voter registration status

● Online Voter Guide and Printable Voter Guide

● List of county elections offices

● “Where’s My Ballot?” tool

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

Sac Bee

A 2020 Election Preview

Public Policy Institute of Calif

With one month to go before a highly consequential election, what does the political landscape look like in Calif and the nation? A panel of top political journalists will discuss emerging themes and issues, and assess the nation’s readiness for a pandemic election.

Californians to vote on racial, gender preference programs

Bakersfield Califn

A Calif with vastly different political preferences and demographics is voting on whether to allow affirmative action in public hiring, contracting and college admissions — nearly a quarter century after voters outlawed programs that give preference based on race and gender.

Commentary: Making the case for ‘Yes’ on Prop 20

Fox & Hounds

As prosecutors who see how changes in the law actually play out in the justice system, we strongly support Proposition 20 which appears on the November ballot. Prop 20 will make reasonable changes to fix some of the unintended consequences caused by Props 47 and 57 and AB 109 to make them comport with what voters were told they were voting for.

Pete Wilson endorses Trump, says president has ‘very good judgment’

Politico

Former Calif Gov. Pete Wilson joined a list Thursday of prominent former Republican leaders who endorsed Donald Trump for reelection, arguing in an interview that the president has “brought a badly needed realism to American security policy.”

Valley Voices: Here is how voters should consider Trump’s inability to denounce white supremacists

Fresno Bee

The most memorable moment from Tuesday night’s presidential debate was when Republican President Donald Trump was asked a question that he could not bring himself to answer. Pressed multiple times, by both moderator Chris Wallace and Democratic candidate Joe Biden, to denounce white supremacist groups, Trump refused to do so explicitly.

Commentary: What COVID-19 may-or may not-change about swing state politics

Brookings

There are two vital maps for understanding America in 2020. First is the throng of Electoral College maps forecasting the presidential election outcome this November (real devotees can even create their own). Second are maps of COVID-19 hotspots in the U.S., as the coronavirus carves a devastating path through different communities.

Political spending in presidential, congressional races projected to hit nearly $11 billion, shattering records

abc30

This year’s political spending to elect a president and Congress is on pace to hit nearly $11 billion, smashing all previous records, according to a new estimate by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. That far exceeds the $6.5 billion that candidates, political committees and outside groups spent to influence presidential and congressional elections four years ago.

Other:

Pandemic and election offer those pushing misinformation opportunity to confuse public with fake news posted to phony social media accounts

Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust

News consumers have a huge challenge today sorting through fake news and misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Nov. 3 presidential election. Even in normal times, fake news has been ever growing through social media, fake news sites and other technological devices created to mislead the public about basic facts. But the pandemic and the election have made it even more difficult, with partisanship often becoming more important than truth.

Newsom vetoes bill that would have further protected journalists covering protests

LA Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have further protected journalists covering demonstrations from physical or verbal obstruction by a law enforcement officer. The state Senate bill proposed to protect “a duly authorized member of any news service” from intentional assault, interference or obstruction from law enforcement. The bill also would have protected a journalist from citation over “the failure to disperse, a violation of a curfew, or a violation of paragraph” while reporting in an area closed to the public.

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 Span 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

NIH awards $3.7 million to UC Davis to expand coronavirus testing among farmworkers

Fresno Bee

COVID-19 has spread among Central Valley farmworkers at an alarming rate and, on Thursday, the National Institutes of Health announced that it is awarding $3.7 million in grants to the University of Calif, Davis, to expand testing.

Merced County official: Feds tried to ‘intimidate’ staff into keeping Foster Farms open

Merced Sun-Star

Staff at Merced County Public Health Department have said U.S. government officials tried to intimidate them into keeping Foster Farms’ Livingston plant open despite a serious outbreak of COVID-19 outbreak, according to a story posted Thursday by CBS News.

Funding available for local farmers, businesses switching to ‘green’ machines

abc30

As Calif moves to using more zero-emission vehicles and machinery, millions of dollars in new funding will make it easier for local farmers and businesses to make the switch. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced over $11 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant funding to partners throughout Calif, including the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Report revealed: Fresno police auditor says officer who punched teen used excessive force

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s independent police reviewer found that a police officer used excessive force when he repeatedly punched a 17-year-old in the face during an incident caught on camera. Independent reviewer John Gliatta on Thursday released a report on the Jan. 23, 2019, arrest of London Wallace — a report he finished in May but admitted to withholding.

● Fresno police auditor finds unreasonable force, community members call for his firing over delay, decisions abc30

● Office Of Independent Review Says Fresno Police Used Excessive Force On Teenager VPR

He was detained by Modesto Police. Then, he died. Now, there’s an investigation

Modesto Bee

A 33-year-old Mexico native died while in Modesto Police custody on Sept. 27 after allegedly tightly twisting a seat belt around his neck while being detained in the backseat of a squad car, according to a department press release.

Tori Verber Salazar: The Central Valley District Attorney Pushing for Criminal Justice Reform

KQED

As Calif ballot measure campaigns heat up, CalMatters reporter Laurel Rosenhall joins Marisa and Scott to discuss her story about the ballot endorsementsof Alice Huffman, the Calif NAACP President who is also a professional campaign consultant.

WALTERS: Three measures test attitudes on crime

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom said earlier this year that as the state’s prison population continued to decline, he wanted to start closing down prisons. He made good on that intention last week when the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced plans to shutter Deuel Vocational Institution near Tracy, which had been constructed in the 1950s as a place where young felons could be transformed into solid citizens.

Commentary: Will Bail Bondsmen Go the Way of the Blacksmith?

Fox & Hounds

The bail bond business is trying to avoid demise by overturning a state law to eliminate money bail with a referendum, Proposition 25. Voters will have to decide if what replaces the money bail system is effective and keeps communities safe from crime.

Public Safety:

Police departments seeing modest cuts, but not ‘defunding’

Bakersfield Califn

The racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd earlier this year prompted calls to “defund the police” in cities across the country, a priority for activists that has now become a central point in the presidential contest.

See also:

· How Much Do Calif Cities Spend on Policing? Public Policy Institute of Calif

Judge rules federal law enforcement commission violates law, orders work stopped as attorney general prepares to issue report

Wash Post

A national commission on policing launched earlier this year by President Trump and Attorney General William P. Barr has violated federal law by seating only people in law enforcement and failing to include members with different perspectives such as civil rights activists, defense attorneys or mental health professionals, a federal judge ruled Thursday as he halted the group’s work.

Fire:

Creek Fire updates: Sequoia reopening; additional evacuations lifted; crews near Kaiser Pass

Fresno Bee

The Creek Fire grew little in a day, though containment stayed the same, based on the most recent statistics provided by Cal Fire on Wednesday night. The wildfire was at 307,051 acres and 44 % contained a day after it consumed 305,249 acres with 44% containment.

● Creek Fire updates: Hot and dry through the weekend; crews preparing for eventual rains Fresno Bee

● Fresno County Begins Process of Creek Fire Clean Up Clovis RoundUp

● Creek Fire: 309,033 acres burned with 44% containment, latest evacuations orders abc30

Glass Fire still active as red-flag winds reach Northern Calif’s wine country

Fresno Bee

The Glass Fire continues to burn actively in Napa and Sonoma counties, destroying more homes Wednesday and forcing additional evacuation orders and warnings Thursday as more critical wildfire weather arrives.

● Crews battling fires in Calif’s wine country brace for dangerously dry, windy conditions LA Times

● Glass Fire likely to grow CalMatters

SQF Complex containment up to 61 percent: Sequoia National Park opens today

Porterville Recorder

Firefighters and personnel fighting the Sequoia Complex (SQF Complex) fires had a productive day on the Sequoia Complex East Zone Wednesday. Containment of the complex has increased to 61%.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

H&M is closing 250 stores due to COVID-19

abc30

H&M is closing 250 stores next year because of the coronavirus pandemic, as people increasingly shop online. The fast-fashion retailer has 5,000 stores worldwide, so Thursday’s announcement accounts for 5% of its total store count.

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.

Nearly 20,000 Amazon workers infected with COVID-19. ‘Lower than the expected number’

Fresno Bee

Nearly 20,000 Amazon employees have been infected with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, the company says. Amazon announced Thursday that 19,816 workers tested positive or have been presumed positive. The company says the cases are fewer than expected when compared to the infection rate in the general U.S. population.

Layoffs at Calif prison slated for closure could displace workers at other sites

Modesto Bee

Closing Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy could set off a domino-like chain of job changes at other state prisons under Calif’s complex layoff process for public employees. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sent informational packets on layoffs to employees Friday, the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to close the 67-year-old facility that employs 1,080 people.

COVID-19 Recession at Six Months: Calif’s Unemployment Remains High

Calif Budget & Policy Center

Millions of Califns are struggling to pay for basic necessities like housing and food amid the worst recession in recent history. Calif’s unemployment remains extremely high, particularly for Black and brown Califns.

● Newsom vetoes bill to provide rehiring protections for workers laid off amid COVID-19 pandemic LA Times

U.S. layoffs remain elevated as 837,000 seek jobless aid

LA Times

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined last week to a still-high 837,000, evidence that the economy is struggling to sustain a tentative recovery that began this summer. The Labor Department’s report, released Thursday, suggests that companies are still cutting a historically high number of jobs, though the weekly numbers have become less reliable as states have increased their efforts to root out fraudulent claims and process earlier applications that have piled up.

U.S. Job Growth Slowed in September

WSJ

U.S. hiring gains slowed to 661,000 in September, suggesting labor-market improvements from the coronavirus downturn are moderating. The unemployment rate fell to 7.9%.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Newsom vetoes ethnic studies bill. What will that mean for the curriculum being planned?

Fresno Bee

Calif Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have required students to take an ethnic studies class to graduate high school. Newsom said that while he supports the concept of ethnic studies, he had concern about requiring a high school course when “there is much uncertainty about the appropriate K-12 model curriculum for ethnic studies.”

● Ethnic studies requirement for Calif high school graduation is vetoed by Newsom SF Chronicle

Has distance learning improved for Fresno-area students? Here’s what the early data shows

Fresno Bee

Measure A Bond Will Raise No Taxes Says CUSD

Clovis RoundUp

Fresno County schools taking time to prepare for safe return to campus

abc30

Fresno County schools are planning for a return to in-person instruction in the age of coronavirus. Because Fresno County moved from the purple tier to red, all schools will be eligible to reopen if the county stays out of purple for at least two weeks. But it’s not as simple as flipping the switch to classrooms.

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

Modesto Bee

Supporting English Learners During the COVID-19 Pandemic

EdNote

As state, district and school leaders transition back into learning this fall — whether in-person, distanced or both — they are working to ensure that instruction is accessible and meaningful for all students. It’s important that state leaders and educators provide English learners with a quality education regardless of the instructional model.

Higher Ed:

Bulldogs catch some breaks, will open fall football season at home against Hawaii

Fresno Bee

The Mountain West has at times presented Fresno State with some scheduling challenges – opening conference play with three road games in four weeks, road games at Hawaii and at Wyoming in back-to-back weeks.

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.

OPINION: The Coronavirus College Scam

WSJ

My 20-year-old son attends Villanova University. It is a fine school, but this year it costs $70,000 a year for room, board and tuition—for online classes. This fall most colleges are charging full tuition to families like mine to have kids on campus without real classrooms. This is like going to a restaurant and never getting served, but still getting handed the bill.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Northern Calif air quality still poor from wildfires. Will weekend be any better?

Fresno Bee

Wildfire smoke continues to make air quality poor across wide swaths of Northern Calif, including the Sac region. There’s no relief in sight the next few days, weather officials say.

PG&E is aggressively cutting trees across Calif. This woodsy town is fighting back

Sac Bee

How do you protect rural Calif from out-of-control wildfires and still keep the forested atmosphere that residents love?

Energy:

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

Fresno Bee

For tens of thousands of Califns, a job in the oil and gas industry has been a ticket to a middle-class life. The work can be dangerous. It can be unhealthy. Still, the industry has been among the few willing to employ Califns without a college degree and pay them well above average.

State-wide flex alert in effect for energy conservation

Bakersfield Califn

With hot temperatures forecast for Thursday, Calif’s grid operator has called for afternoon and evening energy conservation throughout the state as one way to make sure that the supply of power stays ahead of demand.

Commentary: Calif needs to accelerate efforts to achieve clean energy goals

CalMatters

As our state has suffered through a summer of record-breaking heat waves, blackouts and wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom has rightly pegged what’s principally behind these challenges: “If you are in denial about climate change,” he said recently, “come to Calif.”

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Mosquito-bite warning: Tulare Co has 2 human West Nile cases and more ‘probable’

Fresno Bee

Health officials in Tulare County are warning residents to take precautions against mosquitoes after several reported cases of the West Nile Virus. Two of the cases have been confirmed, according to the public health department. Another three cases are listed as probable.

● West Nile Virus infections found in Tulare County. Here’s what you can do to be safe Visalia Times Delta

Kern County public health unveils COVID-19 fatality data

Bakersfield Califn

For the first time, Kern County Public Health Services revealed the demographics of those who have died from coronavirus complications. The data shows the deaths largely followed statewide trends, with the majority of those who died being 65 or older. Still, the health department pointed out during a press conference on Thursday that several seemingly healthy people have died, and officials urged caution for all Kern County residents.

● Active cases on the rise: Recoveries continue to increase Porterville Recorder

● Coronavirus update: Stanislaus adds 3 deaths; September numbers lower Modesto Bee

● Coronavirus update: County reports its highest number of cases in several days Modesto Bee

No flu shot for your child? A third of parents will refuse despite COVID-19, poll says

Kansas City Star

Despite recommendations from public health officials, some parents are choosing not to get flu shots for their children this year, a new poll finds. Among the 2,000 parents polled by University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital, 32% say their child is unlikely to get vaccinated for the flu.

Human Services:

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

Fresno 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.

Calif nursing homes now required to staff for infection prevention and control

Visalia Times Delta

Plagued by some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks, skilled nursing facilities in Calif will now be expected to do more to prevent the spread of infectious diseases from spreading thanks to a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday.

Kern Radiology offering free mammograms in October

Bakersfield Califn

Kern Radiology is offering free screening mammograms in October, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In a news release, Kern Radiology said that free screening mammogram registration is required and appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested can schedule an appointment by calling or texting 281-8760.

Calif One Of Few States Without Top School Nurse During Pandemic

Capital Public Radio

When the first U.S. case of swine flu was detected in a child in San Diego County in 2009, Linda Davis-Alldritt — Calif’s “school nurse consultant” — flew south. She served as an influenza expert, guiding school officials there. She then helped other school districts and their nurses statewide, coaching them on symptoms, when to send students home and how to prepare for potential school closures.

Obamacare repeal would bring a huge tax cut for the rich, research shows

yahoo!finance

The fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, lies with the Supreme Court: The nation’s highest court will begin to hear arguments on Nov. 10 about the health care law’s constitutionality. A ruling on the ACA’s “individual mandate” provision, and potentially the entire law, is expected in the spring of 2021.

IMMIGRATION

Faith groups decry Trump’s plans for record low refugee cap

Bakersfield Califn

Refugee advocates, including faith-based groups that President Donald Trump is courting in his re-election bid, called on Congress Thursday to halt his administration’s plans to slash the limit on refugees allowed into the U.S. to a record low, saying it goes against America’s values.

Immigrant groups prepare for ICE raids targeting Calif, other ‘sanctuary’ states

Modesto Bee

A spokesperson for Calif Gov. Gavin Newsom said that reported plans for immigration raids across Calif this week were “cruel” and urged undocumented residents to become educated about their rights.

See also:

· Feds to crack down on Calif CalMatters

Judge Partially Blocks Trump Administration From Enforcing Visa Ban

WSJ

A federal judge in SF has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing its ban against many of the biggest U.S. companies bringing in foreign workers under H-1B and other employment-based visas.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

National forests in Calif closed; Sequoia National Park reopens

Mercury News

Seven national forests in Calif remain closed to all visitors under a revised order issued on Wednesday. Decisions on the closings will be evaluated daily, said the statement from the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region.

Housing:

‘More homes’ a primary tool in fight against homelessness — but getting them is the challenge

Bakersfield Califn

Homelessness is a complex problem that doesn’t often lend itself to easy solutions. But one crucial tool in the fight against this local scourge is kind of a no-brainer, said homeless advocate Ian Sharples. “The solution to ending homelessness is more homes,” Sharples said as he opened up the third-annual Calif Landlords’ Summit on Homelessness held Wednesday in Bakersfield.

Californians rejected rent control two years ago. Will a pandemic change their minds?

Sac Bee

For the second time in two years, Calif voters next month will decide whether more cities should be allowed to restrict rent hikes. The 2018 campaign to establish a state rent control law combusted after 59% of voters rejected Proposition 10.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Obamacare repeal would bring a huge tax cut for the rich, research shows

yahoo!finance

Commentary: This is not the time to propose more tax increases

CalMatters

This is a year most Califns would like to forget. Plans have been scrapped, the new “normal” is anything but normal, and we all know a coffee shop, deli, bar or restaurant that has closed permanently or may not survive the next six months.

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.

Caltrans removes ‘mountain of trash’ on highway in Modesto. ‘It looks better today.’

Modesto Bee

A cleanup this week is removing debris and litter from a section of Highway 99 in Modesto. The Calif Department of Transportation is working to clear debris from abandoned homeless camps and remove litter and vegetation alongside Highway 99 between the Carpenter-Briggsmore Avenue overpass and Tuolumne Boulevard.

WATER

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

Fresno Bee

The land east of Madera has changed in the 25 years since Rochelle and Michael Noblett built their home, four doors down from Rochelle’s parents, in River Road Estates. There are more houses, more acres of irrigated agriculture and less grazing land. There’s also been a significant decline in water availability, as the level of groundwater drops below what some residents’ domestic wells can reach.

“Xtra”

Guide to a safe Halloween: How to make trick-or-treating fun during coronavirus pandemic

Modesto Bee

Can Halloween be saved in 2020? Yes, and it can be safe, too. Trick-or-treating during the coronavirus pandemic will be touch-and-go. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified trick-or-treating as “high risk,” and it remains on a high-risk level in the Sac area, lodged as it is in a restrictive state tier.

State Theatre showing slate of drive-in movies, including fundraiser for Haven

Modesto Bee

Modesto’s State Theatre is back showing drive-in movies, including one screening that will be a fundraiser for Haven Women’s Center. That fundraiser, Walk a Mile Re-Imagined 2020, is replacing Haven’s Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event, when men annually don red heels and walk to raise money for the nonprofit that helps victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking.

Fair food in October? When to get it at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds

Modesto Bee

Some of the summer’s Stanislaus County Fair food will make an October appearance the next two weekends. “Sit tight, Fair bites” will have a fall return at the fairgrounds in Turlock, according to a press release. “We received a huge turnout when we provided Fair food in July and wanted to provide that again for the Fall season,” Adrenna Alkhas, marketing and communication director of the Stanislaus County Fair, said in the release.

Bethany Clough: This national chicken restaurant wants to come to the Fresno area. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

Popular national chain Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers wants to open a restaurant in Clovis. If all goes as planned, the company would be building a new restaurant with a drive-thru on the site of the now-closed Pier 1 store at the northwest corner of a Shaw and Cole avenues. That’s next to Cool Hand Luke’s Steakhouse and across the street from Sierra Vista Mall.

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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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