POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Heng improperly claimed D.C. residency, tax credits while campaigning, voting in California
Fresno Bee
Elizabeth Heng, the Republican challenging Democrat Jim Costa in California’s 16th Congressional District, appears to have violated several tax and election laws stemming from a Washington, D.C., property she claimed as her principal residence, a review of various public documents shows.
See also:
Heng ad accuses Jim Costa of walking in Nancy Pelosi’s shoes, depicts him in red heels Fresno Bee
Kevin McCarthy on Social Media Hunt for Rock-Throwing Suspects
Roll Call
A large slab of rock was thrown through the window of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s district office in Bakersfield Monday — and he’s hitting social media to find the culprits.
California hopefuls blame incumbents as farm towns struggle
AP News
California may be famous for its wealth, but there is a distinctly different part of the state where poverty prevails: places like this one halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Measure P ballot language in limbo as City Council weighs Yes on P attorney letter
Fresno Bee
Yes on P advocates arrived at Fresno City Hall Monday afternoon hoping to leave knowing the city of Fresno would correct its error on the Measure P ballot language. Instead, they left with more questions after a special Fresno City Council meeting was canceled for lack of quorum.
See Also:
● Supporters of Measure P claim City of Fresno left out wording in ballot description abc30
League of women looks to recruit a league of voters in Tulare County
Visalia Times-Delta
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political advocacy group, was on campus Thursday and Friday to educate and inform students at Tulare Western High School about the importance of voting and how they can get involved.
Nearly 75% of eligible voters registered in SJ ahead of midterm election
Stockton Record
With the 2018 midterm election two weeks away, nearly three of every four eligible voters in San Joaquin County is registered to vote, according to the Registrar of Voters.
Innovative report offers ideas for Stockton’s future
Stockton Record
If the city of Stockton wants to boost its economic development, it should bring corporate leaders from the San Francisco Bay Area to mentor its aspiring entrepreneurs.
EDITORIAL: The Modesto Bee weighs in on Nov. 6 ballot choices
Modesto Bee
Newspapers have been endorsing candidates for office since their inception in colonial America when they were the only form of mass media. Times have changed, but newspapers continue to make endorsements in an effort to to help readers put candidate positions and ballot proposals into perspective – not to “tell” people how to vote.
State:
November 2018 General Election Information
California Choices
California Choices is a one-stop-shop for nonpartisan voter information in the Golden State. The California November 6th election has 11 statewide ballot propositions and general elections for both Gubernatorial and Senatorial candidates, among others.
VIDEO: Ed Hernandez, Eleni Kounalakis on issues facing the next Lieutenant Governor
CALmatters
Candidates Ed Hernandez and Eleni Kounalakis are vying to become California’s next lieutenant governor. The “lite gov,” in the parlance, chairs the California State Lands Commission and the California Commission for Economic Development, sits on the University of California Board of Regents and California State University Board of Trustees and, most importantly, steps in if the governor cannot serve or leaves the state.
#MeToo scandal becomes election strategy for California Republicans
Sacramento Bee
Following a tumultuous year at the California Capitol during which half a dozen lawmakers were publicly accused of sexual misconduct, several Republican challengers in legislative districts are using Sacramento’s #MeToo moment as a campaign issue to attack their Democratic opponents.
Enthusiasm Bump Not Reflected In Early California Voting
Capital Public Radio
The enthusiasm both parties say exists in the electorate hasn't yet translated into early voting in California, where the percentage of people who have voted so far is similar to this time four years ago.
See also:
● California Voter Foundation Shares Tips On Final Day Of Registration Capital Public Radio
Motor Voter lives on at DMV, but California adds extra review to prevent registration errors
Sacramento Bee
With the midterm elections quickly approaching, California officials are taking extra steps to prevent people from being improperly registered to vote.
Dems are winning money race in key contests
San Francisco Chronicle
Jim Brulte, chairman of the state Republican Party, could only shake his head at the campaign finance numbers released this week for California congressional races.
See also:
● Will billionaire Tom Steyer's big bet on young voters pay off in midterm election? Los Angeles Times
A Red-Meat Rallying Cry for National Republicans: California
New York Times
Adam Laxalt, the Republican candidate for governor of Nevada, knows how to rile up a crowd this election season: Just point to the state to the west.
California company that hires protesters is accused of extortion
Sacramento Bee
Paid protesters are real. Crowds on Demand, a Beverly Hills company that’s an outspoken player in the business of hiring protesters, boasts on its website that it provides its clients with “protests, rallies, flash-mobs, paparazzi events and other inventive PR stunts.”
California Transgender Groups Poised To Fight Possible Trump Proposal
Capital Public Radio
California advocates say a draft Trump administration proposal would roll back important protections for transgender people, especially students — though the state’s own legal protections would stand.
See Also:
● Transgender advocates decry Trump administration proposal to define gender as fixed at birth Los Angeles Times
● EDITORIAL: The Trump administration’s attack on transgender existence San Francisco Chronicle
Federal:
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross can't be deposed in suit over census question, Supreme Court finds
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court is siding with the Trump administration to block the questioning of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross about his decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
See also:
● Supreme Court Blocks Commerce Secretary Questioning In Census Lawsuits For Now NPR
● Supreme Court shields Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from being deposed in lawsuit over census citizenship question Washington Post
Wave election or not, there will be more moderate voters in the water
Los Angeles Times
There are two consistent messages in recent national polls about the coming midterm election. One, as seen is that significantly more Americans plan to vote for Democrats than Republicans. The other is that surging voter enthusiasm in both parties could lead to a huge turnout.
GOP cuts to entitlements ‘will not happen,’ Feinstein tells seniors
POLITICO
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, locked in an unusually competitive race for reelection, vowed at a campaign event packed with seniors on Monday that any efforts by President Donald Trump and Republicans to corral the federal deficit by slashing Social Security and Medicare “will not happen.”
Los Angeles Times
The last year has seen the enactment of a major tax cut, the first-ever summit between a U.S. president and the leader of North Korea, felony convictions and guilty pleas from two of the president’s former top aides and a bitterly fought battle over confirmation of a Supreme Court justice.
See also:
● House Midterm Outlook: Look for a Democratic Flip Roll Call
● Battleground House districts remain close in new poll The Washington Post
● Trump and G.O.P. Candidates Escalate Race and Fear as Election Ploys New York Times
● Interest in Midterms Has Surged Among These Demographic Groups Wall Street Journal
Donald Trump’s strategy as midterms approach: lies and fear-mongering
The Star
Democrats will kick seniors off their health insurance. Democrats will end insurance protections for people with health problems. Democrats will destroy the Social Security retirement system. Democrats will give illegal immigrants free cars. Democrats will abolish America’s borders. Democrats are behind the latest migrant caravan from Latin America. That caravan includes people from the Middle East.
See also:
● Trump should be able to close news outlets, Republicans say in poll. USA Today
Rob Portman’s Report on Trump Trade Policy to Feature Mixed Results
Roll Call
A key Republican senator sees positive signs in the Trump administration’s trade discussions with Canada and Mexico, but he still has plenty of criticism for the White House, too.
The complete list of L.A. Times endorsements for the November 6 election
Los Angeles Times
With the contentious and consequential Nov. 6 election looming, here are The Times’ recommendations in the races we followed.
See Also:
● Here are The Sacramento Bee’s endorsements for California’s election Sacramento Bee
● The Bee weighs in on Nov. 6 ballot choices Modesto Bee
Opinion | What if the Republicans Win Everything Again?
The New York Times
The end of Robert Mueller’s investigation. The loss of health insurance for several million people. New laws that make it harder to vote. More tax cuts for the rich. More damage to the environment. A Republican Party molded even more in the image of President Trump.
Other:
Washington Post
Retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who became the first female justice in 1981 and then one of the court’s most influential members, announced Tuesday that she suffers from dementia and is “no longer able to participate in public life.”
New Progressive Respect for Checks & Balances
National Review
It’s not because they now share the Founders’ concerns about pure democracy; it’s because they’re not in the majority.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Sun-Maid not happy with record-setting price for 2018 raisin crop. New CEO explains why
Fresno Bee
Sun-Maid Growers, the world’s largest marketer of raisins based in Kingsburg, CA, has rejected a proposal by the Raisin Bargaining Association growers group to sell the 2018 crop for a record-setting price.
Check those taquitos. Possible salmonella contamination causes massive Ruiz recall
Fresno Bee
More than 2.4 million pounds of frozen taquitos from Dinuba-based Ruiz Food Products Inc. are being recalled due to possible contaminations.
See Also:
● Nearly 2.5 million pounds of frozen taquitos recalled abc30
Valley Air District providing millions to help farmers buy newer, cleaner tractors
abc30
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control district is providing millions to help growers buy newer, cleaner running tractors. Valley farmers are being encouraged to get newer, cleaner burning equipment with a major grant from the local air district.
Eating organic foods frequently can keep cancer away, new study suggests
Modesto Bee
Frequently eating organic foods can lower the overall risk of developing cancer, a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests.
See Also:
● Can organic food help you reduce your risk of cancer? A new study suggests the answer may be yes Los Angeles Times
Judge upholds Monsanto verdict but cuts award to $78 million
Los Angeles Times
A Northern California judge on Monday upheld a jury's verdict that found Monsanto's weed killer caused a groundskeeper's cancer, but she slashed the amount of money to be paid to $78 million from $289 million.
See Also:
● Judge slashes award by jury in Monsanto weed-killer cancer case San Francisco Chronicle
California hopefuls blame incumbents as farm towns struggle
AP News
California may be famous for its wealth, but there is a distinctly different part of the state where poverty prevails: places like this one halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Man pleads guilty to working with Bakersfield police officers to distribute illegal drugs for sale
Bakersfield Californian
A man prosecutors say conspired with two Bakersfield police officers to distribute drugs for sale pleaded guilty to the crime Monday.
Judge Reduces Jury Award Against Bayer’s Roundup to $78.5 Million
Wall Street Journal
A California judge on Monday reduced by more than $200 million a jury verdict linking Bayer AG’s Roundup weedkiller to cancer but upheld the jury’s findings that the company acted with malice.
Public Safety:
Study: California is among the worst for human trafficking
Visalia Times-Delta
A new federal study revealed California is one of the top five states leading the way in human trafficking. In 2017, 55 human trafficking cases worked their way through the federal court system, according to the Federal Human Trafficking Report.
More whistleblowers emerge in fight over secret report on prison psychiatric care
Sacramento Bee
With lawyers for state inmates insisting that a secret report prepared by California’s top prison psychiatrist must be made public, attorneys in the case say more whistleblowers are beginning to come forward.
Fire:
EDITORIAL: Was PG&E right to leave thousands in the dark to prevent wildfires? The jury is still out
Sacramento Bee
As a last resort during extreme fire danger, Pacific Gas & Electric is temporarily cutting off power to prevent its lines from sparking fires that turn into deadly infernos. The first test showed there’s clearly room for improvement, as well as some big questions.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Big Oil’s Flood of Cash Underwhelms Investors
Wall Street Journal
Soaring crude prices have put the oil industry on track to churn out huge cash piles this year. Even so, investors aren’t buying it. Literally.
Dow drops sharply as two industrial giants warn of trouble
The Washington Post
U.S. markets opened in a steep slide on one of the busiest earnings days of the year as a global sell-off and a disappointing report by 3M — a major industrial company that is a window into the U.S. economy — had nervous investors fleeing stocks.
Jobs:
Need a holiday job? Kohl’s is planning a hiring event at these 3 stores this weekend
Sacramento Bee
With 64 shopping days left before Christmas, Kohl’s is ramping up for the holidays with hiring events later this week at two Sacramento-area stores and its Vacaville location.
Sweet contracts, tricky rules help California unions hold on after court loss
Sacramento Bee
California public employee unions can celebrate a little good news in the months since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling thatstripped them of millions of dollars in revenue and threatened their influence in the state.
Uber, Airbnb could make gig workers part-owners
San Francisco Chronicle
Airbnb, Uber and Postmates have written to the Securities and Exchange Commission, urging it to modernize rules so they can reward hosts, drivers and couriers with stakes in the companies.
Faraday Future hit with layoffs, salary cuts in attempt to stay alive
The Verge
More side effects of the company’s recent fight with Evergrande, its main investor
EDUCATION
K-12:
Merced County middle school recognized for counseling program
abc30
Livingston Middle School is being recognized for its counseling program. It was the only school in the state to receive a special award.
Fresno League of Women Voters
The Education Committee studied the charter schools within Fresno Unified's boundaries. The report was completed in October 2018.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State receives $3.75 million grant to increase Hispanic teacher pipeline
abc30
According to the California Department of Education Hispanic teachers represent 25% of public schools in Fresno County, meanwhile, students make up 65% of the population.
Fresno State nursing students provide free healthcare services for underserved communities
abc30
Nursing students at Fresno State provided access to free healthcare for under-served Central Valley communities.
Gomez-Heitzeberg, Alvarez, welcome new endorsements in KCCD race
Bakersfield Californian
Former Kern County Supervisor Barbara Patrick is supporting Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg for the Kern Community College District's board of trustees' Area 1 seat. Lorenzo Alvarez, also candidate for the KCCD's Area 1 seat, announced Monday that he has secured the endorsements of former Assemblywoman Shannon Grove and Assemblyman Vince Fong.
UCSF delays over 4,000 appointments ahead of union strike
San Francisco Chronicle
Thousands of unionized University of California workers plan to begin a three-day strike Tuesday morning that has forced three major UC-run medical centers in San Francisco to cancel or reschedule thousands of appointments.
See Also:
● Three-day strike planned for UC hospitals San Diego Union-Tribune
The Student Loan Debt Crisis Is About to Get Worse
Bloomberg
The next generation of graduates will include more borrowers who may never be able to repay.
Characteristics of College Graduates, with a Focus on Veterans
National Science Foundation
The number of college graduates in the United States exceeded 61 million in 2017, with more than 48 million of these graduates employed.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Earthquake rolls under Oakhurst. Residents share the sound and shake they felt
Fresno Bee
A 3.1-magnitude earthquake shook eastern Madera County late Sunday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, rattling some residents.
See Also:
● 3.1 magnitude earthquake reported in Oakhurst abc30
Stop sale and slaughter of wild horses in California, lawsuit says
Fresno Bee
Two animal rights advocacy groups have filed to block the federal government from selling wild horses gathered in the Devil’s Garden herd at Modoc National Forest. The lawsuit cites concern that the horses could be sold for slaughter.
Trump touts U.S. air quality — under Obama
Politico
President Donald Trump on Monday tweeted that the U.S. has the best air quality in the world “BY FAR!” — but the map he shared on Twittershowed the air quality from 2016, the final year of Barack Obama's presidency.
Energy:
California and the Trump administration rarely agree on energy policy. Here's an exception.
San Francisco Gate
Under President Donald Trump, the federal government and the nation's largest state have clashed on a number of fronts when it comes to energy and environmental policy.
Plugging California’s Renters into Energy Efficiency Programs
Public CEO
For McAllister, one means of reducing emissions is top of mind, a means that has the added benefits of boosting incomes for some low-income households and creating tens of thousands of new jobs: funding energy-efficiency improvements for multi-family rental properties across California.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Bakersfield Californian
Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome was the leading cause of preventable deaths among children in Kern County for 2017, according to a recent report by the Kern County Public Health Services Department Child Death Review Team.
JAMA Network
An association between frequent use of the emergency department (ED) and mental health diagnoses is frequently documented in the literature, but little has been done to more thoroughly understand why mental illness is associated with increased ED use.
Human Services:
Kaweah Delta opens cardiology clinic in Visalia
abc30
Officials at the South Valley's largest hospital say Tulare County patients have a new option for heart care. The Kaweah Delta Sequoia Cardiology Clinic recently opened on Akers Street in Visalia.
Prop. 11 would require paramedics to stay on-call during breaks
San Francisco Chronicle
Ambulances parked outside fast food restaurants or coffee shops are a common sight as uniformed paramedics and medical technicians take a break between calls.
Trade Commission Blocks Two Unapproved Stem Cell Clinics In California, But Experts Say There Are Many More
Capital Public Radio
There’s a growing black market for unapproved stem cell treatments.The federal government is cracking down, starting with two California clinics.
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration Monday took new steps to broaden the availability of health plans that don’t have to cover patients’ preexisting medical conditions, signaling that the federal government would support state proposals to promote more sales of these skimpier plans.
See also:
● Trump administration plans to revamp employer-based health care TheHill
Washington Post
Nancy Pelosi famously said in 2010 about the Affordable Care Act that “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.” Republicans chopped off the last clause, took the quote out of context and claimed that Pelosi was hiding something, when in fact the bill had been available for some time for anyone to read, and Pelosi only meant that once it became law and the “fog of the controversy” — the negative ads, the insane GOP lies about “death panels” and the like — faded away, Americans would come to understand the benefits it actually provided.
New Health Options for Small-Business Employees
Wall Street Journal
As we have traveled around the country talking to small-business owners and American workers, we’ve consistently heard that health insurance is unaffordable and workers need more options.
States Are Cleared to Allow Less-Comprehensive Health Plans
Wall Street Journal
States will be allowed to offer less-comprehensive health plans yet still qualify for federal subsidies under a new Trump administration policy that will let them skirt key regulations under the Affordable Care Act—including pre-existing conditions.
My turn: My son lives his best life because of a children’s hospital
CALmatters
Max’s extraordinary life is made possible by extraordinary medical technology and by the exceptional care provided by his doctors and medical staff. On Nov. 6, Proposition 4, the Children’s Hospital Bond, will give Californians the opportunity to ensure that children’s hospitals in our state continue to offer that kind of high-quality care to young patients like Max.
IMMIGRATION
Over 7,000-strong, migrant caravan pushes on; still far from US
Bakersfield Californian
Thousands of Central American migrants resumed an arduous trek toward the U.S. border Monday, with many bristling at suggestions there could be terrorists among them and saying the caravan is being used for political ends by U.S. President Donald Trump.
See Also:
● Migrant caravan pushes north as Trump threatens to cut aid to Central American nations Los Angeles Times
● A migrant caravan heads for the border just in time for Trump to exploit it for the midterms Los Angeles Times
● Trump blasts caravan, says he's cutting Central American aid San Francisco Chronicle
● What happens when migrant caravan arrives at border San Francisco Chronicle
● Migrants on the march are a huge gift for Trump, GOP San Francisco Chronicle
● Migrant Caravan Moves North in Mexico as Trump Warns of Foreign-Aid Cuts Wall Street Journal
● PolitiFact Sheet: What we know about the caravan heading to the United States PolitiFact
I spent a Sunday at California's largest immigrant detention center
Los Angeles Times
Adelanto is the largest immigration detention center in California and the largest privately-run adult immigration detention center in the country. The facility can house nearly 2,000 people.
With fewer refugees coming, resettlement agencies may be forced to close
San Diego Union-Tribune
President Donald Trump set the annual cap last year at 45,000 refugees. The U.S. resettled just under half of that at 22,491. That’s also lower than the planned cap for fiscal 2019, proposed at 30,000.
LAND USE/HOUSING
New SPCA center coming to eastern Madera County
abc30
Eastern Madera County is about to get its first SPCA shelter thanks to the community. The shelter is currently under construction in Ahwahnee off Highway 49, near Wasuma Elementary School.
Clovis Commons Shopping Center sold for 145M
Clovis RoundUp
The Clovis Commons Shopping Center at Herndon and Willow avenues has been sold.
This shopping center sign could loom over residential rooftops. Should city allow it?
Sacramento Bee
The Crocker Village developer Paul Petrovich has asked the city of Sacramento to allow him to build a commercial sign that could stand more than six stories tall along Sutterville Road — nearly twice the 35-foot height that city rules allow.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Taxpayers Revolt: The History Of Prop. 13
Capital Public Radio
Forty years ago California voters passed Prop. 13 and reshaped the California dream for generations.
Property Tax Exemptions Saved Californians $30 Billion in 2018
Zillow Research
A complex series of tax exemptions and caps likely saved California taxpayers around $30 billion in property taxes this year compared to what they would have paid had those limits not been in place, according to an analysis of local tax assessments by Zillow and CALmatters.
Will Brown Get Chance to Defend Pension Reform?
Public CEO
The state Supreme Court told lawyers last month that oral arguments may be held as soon as November in a case challenging part of Gov. Brown’s pension reform, which some think could result in a major ruling allowing pension cuts.
See also:
● The Pension Gamble PBS
TRANSPORTATION
Tired of being stuck in traffic on Highway 41 in Madera County? Relief is on the way
abc30
Highway 41 will undergo a major expansion through southeastern Madera County as traffic from new home developments, commuters and visitors to Yosemite National Park continue to clog this rural two-lane highway.
Continued road work worsens traffic delays inside Sequoia National Park
Visalia Times-Delta
Planning a trip to Sequoia National Park anytime soon? Make sure to schedule at least two more hours to your travel time for traffic delays. Construction along a main strip of the park’s road is coming to an end.
Construction industry and labor groups are plowing millions into campaign to defeat Proposition 6
Los Angeles Times
In the pitched battle over Proposition 6, the stakes are high for firms such as Granite Construction Inc., which has contributed $1 million to defeat the initiative that would repeal new fuel taxes and vehicle fees earmarked for road and transit improvements.
John Cox pushes for repeal of CA gas tax hike at Bay Area rally
San Francisco Chronicle
John Cox, the Republican candidate for governor, made a brief stop in Santa Clara on Monday to boost efforts to repeal the state’s recent gas tax increase and, not incidentally, slam Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, his Democratic election rival.
Labor shuns Democrat challenging indicted GOP Congressman Duncan Hunter
CALmatters
The California Labor Federation, the state’s major labor organization, is abandoning Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar’s campaign to unseat indicted Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter over his ambiguous stand on California’s gasoline tax.
WATER
Trump wants to cut red tape, hasten water projects in West
Bakersfield Californian
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the government to speed up environmental reviews and streamline regulations that he says are hindering work on major water projects in California and other Western states.
Tackling Safe Drinking Water in the San Joaquin Valley
PPIC
Unsafe drinking water is a significant problem in parts of California, especially in small, disadvantaged rural communities. We talked to Maria Herrera—a California water commissioner and community development manager at Self-Help Enterprises—about how to tackle this ongoing problem.
Water bond would spread money across the state — but pour it on the Central Valley
Los Angeles Times
Excessive groundwater pumping by San Joaquin Valley farmers has caused a stretch of the Friant-Kern Canal to sink so much that it has interfered with irrigation deliveries to more than 300,000 acres of cropland.
“Xtra”
Halloween Events across Central California
abc30
We have gathered up a list of all the best Halloween events and pumpkin patches across Central California!
Bulldogs staying focused amidst national attention
abc30
After the 38-7 win in Albuquerque, Fresno State (6-1, 3-0 MW) received the 29th most votes in the country (AP Top 25). But even before the game, Kirk Herbstreit said on College Gameday that of the "Group of Five" teams, Fresno State might have the better case to make a New Year's Six Bowl than 10th ranked UCF.
Night Ranger, All Hallows Faire, haunted museum, more in Modesto, Mother Lode regions
Modesto Bee
Classic arena rock band Night Ranger brings its many hits to the Turlock Community Theatre on Sunday.