October 25, 2019

25Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

 

These are California’s most financially strapped cities. Is yours on the list?

Modesto Bee

The state budget is flush with a $21 billion surplus. The longest-ever economic expansion in California history has unemployment at historic lows. But the wealth is not spread evenly among California cities, where some local government budgets are straining with debt and declining revenue.

See Also:

     Atwater is second-most financially distressed city in California, state auditor says Merced Sun-Star

     State auditor ranks Modesto low, which is not good, in fiscal health assessment Modesto Bee

     These Bay Area cities are in financial trouble, state says San Francisco Chronicle

     Is your city ready for California’s next recession? CALmatters

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Merced County employment hits highest point in decades. Which jobs saw the most gains?

Merced Sun-Star

More people were working last month in Merced County than at any time in almost 30 years, and the number of people out of work was at its second-lowest point in September – a combination that drove the county’s unemployment rate to its lowest point in decades.

 

Ripon working on transit station for ACE service

Manteca/Ripon Bulletin

The City of Ripon is hoping to someday have a Multi-Modal Station, especially with the Altamont Corridor Express looks to extend commuter rail service south to Ceres — with stops in downtown Manteca, Ripon and Modesto — by 2023.

 

EDITORIAL: Rep. Josh Harder shouldn’t exploit a Newman cop’s death, even if he was a hero

Modesto Bee

The idea of naming Stanislaus County’s future courthouse after Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh feels more like a publicity stunt than appropriate recognition for the fallen officer.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Video shows officer shoot an unarmed 16-year-old as he runs away. Police say it was justified

CNN

Newly released video of a fatal police shooting in April 2017 shows an officer firing a deadly shot at an unarmed 16-year-old who had jumped over a fence and was running away. Police in Fresno, California, say that three different official departments have ruled the shooting justified.

See Also:

     Video Surfaces Of Fresno Police Officer Shooting Teen In The Back Of The Head KVPR

     U.S. presidential candidate outraged by Fresno police shooting of murder suspect Fresno Bee

 

Apartment rents are up almost 19% in Fresno since 2016. What does it cost to rent here?

Fresno Bee

The average cost to rent an apartment in Fresno rose slightly between August and September, as the city remained one of the least-expensive California cities in which to rent. At $1,089 per month, the average apartment rent reported this week by RentCafe.com for the Fresno market was the sixth-lowest price among 79 cities in the state for which apartments represent a significant share of the housing.

 

Fresno’s got a plan to level the playing field for cannabis. Does it go far enough?

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council on Thursday heard the potential changes to its retail cannabis ordinance, but advocates say it doesn’t go far enough to benefit people of color. In the proposed ordinance, which was presented as information and did not require a vote, at least one of the first seven retail weed dispensaries would be awarded through a social equity plan.

 

Tulare City Council continues to hash out weed debate

Visalia Times Delta

Tulare City Council is on the road to allowing recreational cannabis storefronts in Tulare, but still figuring out the exact way to get there. The place to start, according to city staff, is scrapping the existing city ordinance related to cannabis and replacing it.

Selma Voters Could Decide How Many Districts The City Gets In March 2020 Election

KVPR
Voters in Selma may end up voting on how the city will be redistricted in the March 2020 election, but for now the city is moving forward on its current plan to create districts.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

More than 5,000 Kern customer lose power amid wildfire conditions — and 4,000 more could be shut off soon

Bakersfield Californian

Southern California Edison cut off power to more than 5,000 Kern County customers Thursday morning — and it put several thousand more on notice that they, too, could lose electricity — as hot, dry and windy weather conditions raised the risk of wildfires.

See Also:

     PG&E won’t reimburse customers affected by blackouts, rejecting appeal from Gavin Newsom Sacramento Bee

     Kern County mountain communities brace power shutoffs KGET

     Huge swath of California could go dark with widest power outages yet expected this weekend Los Angeles Times

     California’s huge, humiliating power outages expose the vulnerabilities of PG&E’s power grid Los Angeles Times

     PG&E Preparing for ‘Large-Scale’ Shutoffs Across Northern, Central California This Weekend KQED

     Californians Are Angry at PG&E Over Blackouts — And They’re Not Sparing Newsom KQED

     PG&E outages: Newsom assails ‘corporate greed meeting climate change’ San Francisco Chronicle

     PG&E outages: Blackouts could hit nearly every zone of service area by Sunday San Francisco Chronicle

     Is it fair to blast PG&E for not managing blackouts like SDG&E? CALmatters

     What didn’t get discussed when PG&E turned out the lights, and what must change CALmatters

 

Henry: Kern groundwater shortfall numbers closer to reality

Bakersfield Californian

New numbers coming in from water districts to the Kern Groundwater Authority show a groundwater overdraft of 249,644 acre-feet a year — and that’s a good thing. “At the last meeting, I admonished water managers to get serious about this, and I’m pleased to report that they have,” said Dennis Mullins, chair of the KGA during Wednesday’s meeting.

 

Bakersfield embarks on massive effort to replace plants lost by drought

Bakersfield Californian

A massive effort is underway to plant tens of thousands of trees and shrubs throughout Bakersfield as part of the city’s effort to beautify areas of town devastated by the drought. Beginning this week, contractors for the city of Bakersfield began work on the city’s $1.5 million effort to plant 3,550 trees and 32,100 shrubs along the city’s roadways.

 

Attorney: Delay in David Abbasi gun violence restraining order could be 'benefit to community'

Bakersfield Californian

As the saying goes, you might want to be careful what you wish for. On Monday, local political activist and cannabis advocate David Abbasi filed a motion to have the judge in his case disqualified. On Wednesday, it went nowhere due to procedural reasons. But on Thursday it got some traction.

 

State:

 

California governor “owns” blackouts, takes political risk

Modesto Bee

With hundreds of thousands of Californians again in the dark amid high wildfire danger Thursday, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom had a message: "I own this." Newsom again blasted California's utilities — most notably Pacific Gas & Electric — for failures to modernize electrical systems. He said shutting off power shouldn't have to be the alternative in a state that is the most technologically advanced.

 

Gavin Newsom raked in campaign money amid Trump feud, legislative deadlines

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom likely won’t be on the ballot again until 2022, but since August, his reelection campaign has seen a significant boost. The timing coincides with high profile fights between Newsom and President Donald Trump over everything from homelessness to fuel emissions standards, which Newsom’s campaign has touted in fundraising emails.

 

Federal:

 

Trump pledged to protect VA whistleblowers. He’s falling short, watchdog finds

Los Angeles Times

A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs office created by the Trump administration to boost accountability and strengthen whistleblower protections within the VA has failed to do so, a report by the agency’s inspector general concluded.

See Also:

     Trump’s heralded whistleblower office at VA is failing in its most basic mission, watchdog says Washington Post

     Veterans Affairs Investigators Fault Whistleblower Office Created by Trump Wall Street Journal

 

Elections 2020:

 

U.S. presidential candidate outraged by Fresno police shooting of murder suspect

Fresno Bee

A video showing a Fresno police officer fatally shooting a teenage murder suspect has caught the attention of a U.S. presidential candidate. Democratic candidate Julian Castro, the former U.S. Housing Secretary under the Obama administration, tweeted Thursday night about the shooting of 16-year-old Isiah Murrietta-Golding in Fresno in 2017.

 

Sanders plans to release health records by end of year

Hanford Sentinel

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is planning to release his health records by the end of the year. The White House hopeful addressed his health Thursday in Iowa ahead of his first appearance in an early voting state since suffering a heart attack earlier in the month.

 

California’s tough-on-crime past haunts Kamala Harris

Los Angeles Times

The Zodiac killer struck first. Then came the Manson family. Later, the Hillside Stranglers, the Night Stalker and the Golden State Killer terrorized California. Starting in the late 1960s, one lurid murder after another fed public perceptions that crime in California was spiraling out of control. Gang shootings turned neighborhoods into combat zones. The crack epidemic ravaged communities.

See Also:

     Harris Loses Ground in California to Front-Runners Warren and Sanders KQED

 

Can Elizabeth Warren afford to be all in on ‘Medicare for all’?

Los Angeles Times

Elizabeth Warren built her brand on confronting government’s most vexing challenges with plans that sell sweeping change as common sense. But every day that a workable solution to the nation’s healthcare woes eludes Warren, that brand risks erosion.

See Also:

     Wall Street Frets Privately About Warren’s 2020 Campaign Wall Street Journal

     OPINION: Warren’s math on Medicare-for-all better add up Washington Post

 

OPINION: Mayor Pete’s Supreme Pivot

Wall Street Journal

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg didn’t register in Democratic presidential polls at the start of this year. Then came his breakthrough: In response to a question in Philadelphia in February, Mr. Buttigieg suggested he was open to packing the U.S. Supreme Court.

See Also:

     Pete Buttigieg Is Making the Democratic Race More Unpredictable National Review

     OPINION: The rise and stall of Pete Buttigieg Washington Post

 

Rep. Tim Ryan drops out of Democratic presidential race

Los Angeles Times

Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio is dropping out of the presidential race. Ryan, who failed to gain traction and qualify for recent Democratic debates, announced his withdrawal Thursday on Twitter. The political moderate said he will instead seek reelection next year to his U.S. House seat.

 

2020 Primary: Funding Higher Education Facilities

PPIC

The state legislature recently passed a $15 billion bond measure to fund upgrades to education buildings and facilities. Voters will decide whether to support this bond as part of the March 2020 primary ballot.

 

Other:

 

Civil rights leaders thought they’d figured out how to deal with Facebook. But now they are ‘livid.’

Washington Post

As civil rights leaders prepared for a town hall event in Atlanta last month featuring Facebook’s second-in-command Sheryl Sandberg, optimism ran high that company officials would address long-standing concerns about racism on the platform.

 

Fact Check: Online ads claiming AARP backed federal funding for Planned Parenthood are wrong

PolitiFact

In Facebook ads that launched in August featuring Sebastian Gorka, a former deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, and conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager, older Americans are urged to forgo their AARP memberships for another organization: the Association of Mature American Citizens, otherwise known as AMAC.

 

  

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Fresno’s got a plan to level the playing field for cannabis. Does it go far enough?

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council on Thursday heard the potential changes to its retail cannabis ordinance, but advocates say it doesn’t go far enough to benefit people of color. In the proposed ordinance, which was presented as information and did not require a vote, at least one of the first seven retail weed dispensaries would be awarded through a social equity plan.

 

Tulare City Council continues to hash out weed debate

Visalia Times Delta

Tulare City Council is on the road to allowing recreational cannabis storefronts in Tulare, but still figuring out the exact way to get there. The place to start, according to city staff, is scrapping the existing city ordinance related to cannabis and replacing it.

 

Why Wine Country isn’t attracting Millennials

San Francisco Chronicle

The tasting room at Ashes & Diamonds, a 2-year-old winery just off Highway 29, does not feel very Napa.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Video shows officer shoot an unarmed 16-year-old as he runs away. Police say it was justified

CNN

Newly released video of a fatal police shooting in April 2017 shows an officer firing a deadly shot at an unarmed 16-year-old who had jumped over a fence and was running away. Police in Fresno, California, say that three different official departments have ruled the shooting justified.

See Also:

     Video Surfaces Of Fresno Police Officer Shooting Teen In The Back Of The Head KVPR

 

Public Safety:

 

New Fresno initiative targets human trafficking

Fresno Bee

The latest tools in Fresno's fight against human trafficking will be introduced to the City Council on Thursday. Fresno is regarded as a major hub of human trafficking, with many victims taken here from the Bay Area or southern California and forced into a life as a sex worker.

 

Police face dilemma over when to take a suicidal officer’s gun

Los Angeles Times

A law enforcement think tank wants police departments dealing with a suicide crisis in their ranks to rethink how they make one of their toughest decisions: when to take guns away from troubled officers.

 

Fire:

 

More than 5,000 Kern customer lose power amid wildfire conditions — and 4,000 more could be shut off soon

Bakersfield Californian

Southern California Edison cut off power to more than 5,000 Kern County customers Thursday morning — and it put several thousand more on notice that they, too, could lose electricity — as hot, dry and windy weather conditions raised the risk of wildfires.

See Also:

     PG&E won’t reimburse customers affected by blackouts, rejecting appeal from Gavin Newsom Sacramento Bee

     Kern County mountain communities brace power shutoffs KGET

     Huge swath of California could go dark with widest power outages yet expected this weekend Los Angeles Times

     California’s huge, humiliating power outages expose the vulnerabilities of PG&E’s power grid Los Angeles Times

     PG&E Preparing for ‘Large-Scale’ Shutoffs Across Northern, Central California This Weekend KQED

     Californians Are Angry at PG&E Over Blackouts — And They’re Not Sparing Newsom KQED

     PG&E outages: Newsom assails ‘corporate greed meeting climate change’ San Francisco Chronicle

     PG&E outages: Blackouts could hit nearly every zone of service area by Sunday San Francisco Chronicle

     Is it fair to blast PG&E for not managing blackouts like SDG&E? CALmatters

     What didn’t get discussed when PG&E turned out the lights, and what must change CALmatters

 

Editorial: California should ramp up a promising new data tool to forecast fires

San Francisco Chronicle

Widespread power outages. Fast-burning, frightening fires. It’s been an exhausting, terrifying month in the Bay Area, and fire season isn’t even over yet.

See Also:

     California pursues a holy grail: high -tech data to predict how wildfire will spread CALmatters

 

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

As California economy booms, cities struggle with pensions

Hanford Sentinel

While California's economy is booming, a new analysis shows pension obligations continue to weigh on the state's cities as nearly three quarters of them don't have enough money to pay the future health benefits for retired workers.

 

What You Need to Know About the AB 5 “Business-to-Business” Exemption

AALRR

California Assembly Bill 5 (“AB 5”), which codified significant changes to the test for independent contractor status, has caused substantial upheaval for California businesses.  As the statute will likely result in significant litigation over the next several years, California companies are scrambling to guard against its impact where possible. 

 

Businesses Fear U.S., China Won’t Reach Deal on Core Issues

Wall Street Journal

American companies cheered when the U.S. and China called a cease-fire in their trade war this month, but as both sides work toward drafting an initial deal some worry that a more meaningful, long-term pact may never be reached.

See Also:

     Lawmakers Push to Pass Revised Trade Deal as Year’s End Approaches Wall Street Journal

 

Jobs:

 

Merced County employment hits highest point in decades. Which jobs saw the most gains?

Merced Sun-Star

More people were working last month in Merced County than at any time in almost 30 years, and the number of people out of work was at its second-lowest point in September – a combination that drove the county’s unemployment rate to its lowest point in decades.

 

Companies still need more women leaders a year after California diversity law, study says

Sacramento Bee

A year after California lawmakers passed a bill requiring gender diversity on corporate boards, researchers say some companies are lagging behind. The study also found that publicly traded companies took a stock hit after the law passed.

 

Cal/OSHA Revises the Definition of “Serious Injury and Illness” for Reporting Requirements

AALRR
Cal/OSHA recently adopted a major change in its definition of a “serious injury or illness” as it relates to an employer’s duty in California to report injuries and illnesses to Cal/OSHA.  Labor Code Section 6409.1 requires employers to immediately report every case involving a serious injury or illness, or death to Cal/OSHA.

 

Now Hiring: Digital Literacy Skills Required

Urban

In 2019, a janitor needs to fill in her timecard online and a parking attendant needs to use a tablet to log cars in a database. It’s a reflection of the increasing digitization of jobs. More and more jobs now require digital skills, including many that traditionally did not require them. But many American adults still lack foundational digital skills.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Tulare County students gear up for Manufacturing Day

Visalia Times Delta

Dozens of Monache High School and Visalia Technical Early College students toured the Perfection Pet Foods plant in Visalia's Industrial Park for Manufacturing Day. The manufacturer ships 5 million pounds of dog food to Walmart and retailers across the country.

 

The Smartest People in the Room? What Silicon Valley’s Supposed Obsession with Tech-Free Private Schools Really Tells Us

LA Review of Books

In The Past Several Years, The Media Has Produced A Steady Stream Of Stories About Silicon Valley Tech Executives Who Send Their Children To Tech-shunning Private Schools. Early Coverage Included A Widely Discussed 2011 New York Times Article About The Preponderance Of “Digerati” Offspring, Including The Children Of Ebay’s Chief Technology Officer, At The Tech-adverse Waldorf School Of The Peninsula.

 

California rural schools struggling to hire teachers could get help from $9.4 million in grants

EdSource

The U.S. Department of Education awarded the five-year grants to the California Center on Teaching Careers, an organization started in 2016 to help solve the persistent teacher shortage. The center is run by the Tulare County Office of Education, in partnership with California State University Bakersfield.

 

Better serving the needs of America’s homeless students

Brookings

With President Trump’s recent attacks on the California homeless population and talk of a related policy “crackdown,” this is a good time to consider the opportunities and resources available to homeless students in America.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Fresno State to unveil premium End Zone Club at Bulldog Stadium for homecoming game

Fresno Bee

Fresno State will unveil on homecoming Saturday a new level of premium seating at Bulldog Stadium with the addition of an open-air club in the south end zone.

 

Retiring CSU Chancellor Says He's Leaving University "As Stable And Focused As Ever"

KVPR
The California State University system is searching for its next chancellor. Timothy White announced Tuesday he’ll retire next June after more than 7 years running the 23-campus system. In an interview with Capital Public Radio, White says he’s leaving the university “as stable and focused” as ever — on students.

 

Higher Education in California

PPIC
Higher education is a key driver of economic growth and individual opportunity in California. But the state has not been keeping up with a strong and growing demand for skilled workers. Recent investments and initiatives have helped increase enrollment, graduation rates, and the number of degrees awarded.

 

2020 Primary: Funding Higher Education Facilities

PPIC

The state legislature recently passed a $15 billion bond measure to fund upgrades to education buildings and facilities. Voters will decide whether to support this bond as part of the March 2020 primary ballot.

 

Trump student loan official quits after calling for debt forgiveness

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration’s point person for overhauling the federal student loan system abruptly resigned Thursday after calling for the government to wipe out most of the nation’s $1.6 trillion of student debt.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Bakersfield embarks on massive effort to replace plants lost by drought

Bakersfield Californian

A massive effort is underway to plant tens of thousands of trees and shrubs throughout Bakersfield as part of the city’s effort to beautify areas of town devastated by the drought. Beginning this week, contractors for the city of Bakersfield began work on the city’s $1.5 million effort to plant 3,550 trees and 32,100 shrubs along the city’s roadways.

 

Ten facts about the economics of climate change and climate policy

Brookings

The world’s climate has already changed measurably in response to accumulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These changes as well as projected future disruptions have prompted intense research into the nature of the problem and potential policy solutions.

 

Americans would rather reduce oil and gas exploration than ‘drill, baby, drill’

Washington Post

A large majority of Americans say drilling for oil and natural gas off the coasts and on public lands should decrease or remain at current levels, a viewpoint at odds with the expansion promoted by President Trump as part of his “energy dominance” agenda.

 

OPINION: Trump’s Gift to California

Wall Street Journal

Amid horrific wildfires and rolling blackouts, the Trump Administration this week brought welcome relief to the Golden State by allowing more water to be sent to farmers and folks in the south. Will California liberals accept the deregulatory gift?

 

Energy:

 

Upgrade To California’s Energy Management System Should Help Avoid Blackouts During Future Heat Waves

Capital Public Radio

The organization that keeps electricity flowing through most of California's power lines says it’s upgraded its system, which should help the state avoid blackouts during future heat waves. When temperatures soar, Californians often push the limits of the state's ability to access electricity.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Is vaping safer than smoking?

PolitiFact

E-cigarette manufacturers originally marketed vaping devices as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. Now government regulators are cracking down on the multibillion dollar industry amid a spike in vaping-related injuries and death.

 

Human Services:

 

California woman is unable to get insurance — so she took her health into her own hands

Fresno Bee

A red bandana holds back Judit Garcia’s hair as sweat stains become visible on her pink shirt. Her face and arms are sweaty, and she looks tired. But she’s not giving up.

 

Opinion: Paying for ‘Medicare for all’? No problem

Los Angeles Times

Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have struggled to explain how they would pay for “Medicare for all.” This is puzzling. A single-payer approach like Medicare for all can reduce overall health spending.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Criminal misconduct by US border officers has reached a 5-year high

Quartz

Criminal misconduct by US border officers has reached a five-year high, according to an internal US government report obtained exclusively by Quartz. The offenses range from fraud to capital murder.

 

ACLU says 1,500 more migrant children were taken from parents by the Trump administration

Washington Post

The American Civil Liberties Union said Thursday that the Trump administration separated 1,556 more immigrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border than has previously been disclosed to the public.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Sacramento’s downtown could double in size. Here’s why

Sacramento Bee

For a quarter century now, Sacramento leaders have pushed to make the shuttered downtown railyard something more than an oily and empty ghost of Sacramento’s railroad past – and at times wondered if it would ever happen.

 

Housing:

 

Apartment rents are up almost 19% in Fresno since 2016. What does it cost to rent here?

Fresno Bee

The average cost to rent an apartment in Fresno rose slightly between August and September, as the city remained one of the least-expensive California cities in which to rent. At $1,089 per month, the average apartment rent reported this week by RentCafe.com for the Fresno market was the sixth-lowest price among 79 cities in the state for which apartments represent a significant share of the housing.

 

‘A tragic example.’ Baby’s death shows Fresno’s homeless with children need more help

Fresno Bee

Akifa Frost was without a home to call her own for nine months. Her eldest child, now 2 years old, was also homeless in Fresno with her, along with her baby girl – who died this summer.

 

Newsom says he’s done a good job fixing California’s housing crisis. Facts say otherwise

Los Angeles Times

On the campaign trail and during his first months in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an unprecedented response to California’s housing crisis. He pledged that his administration would help spur the biggest wave of homebuilding in modern history. And he promised to launch a statewide affordable housing program on par with the nation’s effort to rebuild Europe after World War II.

 

Pilot project: Housing homeless people cuts state’s health care burden

KPCC
The reality of California’s homeless crisis is that there is little social safety net

to catch the very poorest residents before they fall to the streets. As more than 100,000 people find homes on California’s sidewalks, roadways and parks, the costs mount for local and state governments.

 

Ahead of renter protection law, reports of an eviction rush

CALmatters

The new law, championed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom as the strongest statewide renter protection in the country, caps annual rent increases at 5% plus inflation, while also forcing landlords to specify a legitimate reason for evicting tenants and to offer relocation assistance for no-fault evictions.

 

Can factory built apartments solve California’s housing woes?

CALmatters

Larry Pace is giving a tour of a construction site ... kind of. He’s near the entrance of a 258,000 square foot factory in Vallejo, on the outskirts of the Bay Area. The Navy built submarines here during World War II.

 

The case for local control over housing

PublicCEO

Cities and homeowner groups — often reluctant to allow the building of denser housing in their backyards — are frequently blamed for California’s soaring housing costs. But advocates for local control argue that state housing interventions, including many supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom, risk eroding the character of their neighborhoods.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

CalPERS board members are losing their iPads. Why the pension funds says data isn’t at risk

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS board member Margaret Brown has reported losing two state-issued iPhones and an iPad since she was elected to her seat overseeing the $380 billion pension fund two years ago, according to device records.

 

2020 Primary: Funding Higher Education Facilities

PPIC

The state legislature recently passed a $15 billion bond measure to fund upgrades to education buildings and facilities. Voters will decide whether to support this bond as part of the March 2020 primary ballot.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Tulare to Newsom: 'Investigate your own office' after Gov. calls for gas price investigation

Visalia Times Delta

Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked the attorney general to investigate why the California's gas prices are so high, pointing to a new report suggesting big oil companies are “misleading and overcharging customers” by as much as $1 per gallon.

 

Why are our gas costs so high?

CALmatters

It’s déjà vu all over again, to quote the inimitable Yogi Berra and pay homage to the baseball World Series that began this week. For the umpteenth time, California politicians are complaining about the high prices that the state’s motorists pay for gasoline and suggesting that it’s because of nefarious behavior by big bad oil companies.

 

Ripon working on transit station for ACE service

Manteca/Ripon Bulletin

The City of Ripon is hoping to someday have a Multi-Modal Station, especially with the Altamont Corridor Express looks to extend commuter rail service south to Ceres — with stops in downtown Manteca, Ripon and Modesto — by 2023.

 

Virgin Trains project gets approval for $3.25B in bonds

Las Vegas Review-Journal

The proposed high speed train between Las Vegas and Southern California continues its track toward becoming a reality as the Golden State has approved a $3.25 billion bond request to go toward the $4.8 billion project.

 

One ‘Valley Rail’ plan really worth a further look

Air Quality Matters

The intent of the California high-speed-rail program is to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco by high-speed train. If all goes according to plan, an express, non-stop train between the former and latter, will cover the 520-rail-mile distance in under three hours.

 

WATER

 

Trump rewrites Delta rules to pump more California water to Valley. Will Newsom fight him?

Sacramento Bee

President Donald Trump’s administration rolled out an aggressive plan Tuesday to ship more water from the Delta to farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, a move that’s certain to trigger lawsuits by environmentalists concerned about endangered fish species.

See Also:

     Trump Plan Weakens Protections For California Fish, Diverts Water To Farms KVPR

 

Central Coast project would raise water bills, endanger aquifer, opponents say

CALmatters

A costly desalination plant would provide water to affluent regions but could burden low-income farm communities. The utility says it's necessary to meet growing water needs.

 

Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority (DCA) Announces Members of the Stakeholder Engagement Committee

DCDCA

The DCA Board of Directors today announced members of DCA Stakeholder Engagement Committee (SEC), approved by the DCA Board after recommendations were made by an Ad Hoc Selection Committee. The SEC includes civic leaders and residents from the Delta region, small business owners, recreational boaters and kayakers, environmental activists, Tribal Government Representatives, conservationists and other interest groups across the region.

 

Understanding Streamflow Is Vital To Water Management In California, But Gaps In Data Exist

Water Education Foundation

California is chock full of rivers and creeks, yet the state’s network of stream gauges has significant gaps that limit real-time tracking of how much water is flowing downstream, information that is vital for flood protection, forecasting water supplies and knowing what the future might bring.

 

Henry: Kern groundwater shortfall numbers closer to reality

Bakersfield Californian

New numbers coming in from water districts to the Kern Groundwater Authority show a groundwater overdraft of 249,644 acre-feet a year — and that’s a good thing. “At the last meeting, I admonished water managers to get serious about this, and I’m pleased to report that they have,” said Dennis Mullins, chair of the KGA during Wednesday’s meeting.

 

“Xtra”

 

Off the beaten path: October is a perfect time to visit giant sequoias’ namesake park

Fresno Bee

Grand as they are, it’s easy to overlook giant sequoias, even for those who visit the Sierra Nevada range often. Tahoe skiers and Yosemite climbers don’t even pass close to the biggest clusters of the world’s largest trees in Sequoia National Park.

 

Canadian-based Start-up wins Top Prize at Entrepreneurship Forum in Clovis

Clovis RoundUp

The Clovis Veterans Memorial District hosted the annual Central Valley Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and a lot was on the line for a few business startups. Executives and leaders of five ventures pitched their companies to a panel of judges consisting of investors in order to receive a $10,000 award.

 

More laughs at the Gallo Center with show from one of the Original Kings of Comedy

Modesto Bee

One of the “Original Kings of Comedy,” Cedric the Entertainer is more than just a comedian. His varied career includes wrestling MC, game show host, voice-over artist, actor, racing team co-owner, video game voice artist, Broadway performer, commercial icon, fashion hat company owner, producer and philanthropist, according to the Gallo Center for the Arts website.

 

Love holiday craft fairs? Here’s where to find them in Modesto, Mother Lode regions

Modesto Bee

Weekends this time of year are meant for browsing. Browsing through the many holiday craft fairs that are about to set up shop across the Modesto and Mother Lode regions. Organizations, communities and churches will start peddling holiday wares and gifts beginning the day after Halloween right through early December.