October 26, 2017

26Oct

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TOP POLITICAL STORIES​​​​​​​

Local/Regional Politics:

Trump opposes massive California water project

Fresno Bee

The Trump administration pulled support Wednesday from Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious plan to build California’s biggest water project in decades, casting the current form of the $16 billion proposal to build two giant tunnels as another unwanted legacy from the Obama era

Now That Fulton Street Is Open, What’s Next?

Valley Public Radio

Thousands gathered this weekend for a festival to mark the reopening of six blocks of Fulton Street that once made up the pedestrian-only Fulton Mall. The multi-million dollar reconstruction project was one of the most controversial in recent local memory, with critics on all sides. Some claim the new street won’t help revitalize the area, at the same time as others say it will cause gentrification, driving away existing businesses that cater to the largely Latino shoppers who never left downtown.

Fresno Unified: Efforts to give FUSD board president more power rejected

Fresno Bee

Fresno Unified trustees shot down a slew of proposed revisions to board bylaws that would have lessened the power of the superintendent and given more authority to the school board president. Revisions to 20 policies were submitted at Wednesday night’s board meeting, including changes that would have given embattled board president Brooke Ashjian more control over public meetings and agendas. In more than one instance, the revisions removed decisions currently in the hands of the majority of the board and gave that authority solely to the board president.

‘Vile racial hatred’ led to hate crimes charges for Goshen men

Visalia times-delta

Two Goshen men accused of targeting a black neighbor have been charged with hate crimes, District Attorney Tim Ward announced Wednesday. The charges follow a stabbing Sunday in Goshen that left a man in critical condition in Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center. The man, whose name wasn’t released, is black.

See also:

It’s a ‘miracle’: Caltrans to launch $270 million in local road projects with new state funding

Bakersfield Californian

Local drivers may soon start noticing smoother rides on Kern County roads. Gov. Jerry’s Brown’s controversial road tax, SB 1, is about to provide transportation funding that some might regard as nothing less than miraculous. Caltrans will be accelerating work on dozens of projects locally and statewide after funding from Senate Bill 1 goes into effect Nov. 1. The bill, approved in April, gives the state $52 billion over 10 years for road improvements. Kern County is set to get $270 million of that, with Bakersfield receiving $87 million.

Flooding causes damage to River Parkway Trail

Sierra Star

When the Fresno River overflowed its banks Feb. 7, the powerful flow of water flooded the lower parking lot at the Sierra Telephone Parkway building adjacent to the river. That same surging water washed away a 25-foot section of the Oakhurst River Parkway trail and damaged other portions of the trail.

State Politics:

Gas tax increase sparks campaign against two Democrats

Sacramento Bee

Let the gas tax wars begin. Joining a pair of 2018 ballot initiative campaigns to repeal the gas tax, an independent expenditure committee is dropping radio ads against two Democratic lawmakers for their votes in support of Senate Bill 1, the $5.2 billion a year fuel and vehicle registration increase that takes effect Wednesday. The ads, paid for by Family Farmers Working for a Better California, are against Assemblymen Joaquin Arambula of Fresno and Eduardo Garcia of Coachella. The lawmakers are on the hot seat for their votes to direct billions of dollars toward road and transportation improvements via a 12-cent increase in the base gasoline excise tax and an annual vehicle fee.

Skelton: California Republicans say raising gas taxes is a bad thing. GOP politicians in some red states don’t agree

Los Angeles Times

What do Republican politicians in many red states understand that the California GOP does not? Answer: That increasing gas taxes is good public policy and, potentially, winning politics.

What difference? Democrats for governor try to disagree

CALmatters

Twice this week, the Democratic candidates in the 2018 California governor’s race assembled to discuss state issues—and largely agree.They echoed one another, if sometimes vaguely, on the need for tax reform and more housing, on a successor program (of some kind) to replace local redevelopment agencies, on the wisdom of California’s new sanctuary state law, on the need for more resources for homeless people, and on the obligation to fight climate change and bolster the state’s cap-and-trade system.

Democrats running for governor face off in San Francisco over healthcare, charter schools

Los Angeles Times

Reflecting a growing divide among California Democrats on single-payer healthcare and charter schools, California gubernatorial candidates landed on separate sides of those issues during a candidate forum in San Francisco on Tuesday. Antonio Villaraigosa, who battled teachers’ unions when he was the mayor of Los Angeles, said he did not receive the teachers’ union endorsement because he refused to support a moratorium on charter schools. He also said the next governor must confront policies that the unions have long valued, such as seniority and tenure, because the state’s schools are failing children.

See also:

Walters: Health access too important for mere sloganeering

San Francisco Chronicle

Sunday’s initial quasi-debate among the four declared Democratic candidates for governor strongly indicated that access to medical care may be a dominant campaign issue.

TRUMPIFORNIA, Here They Come

fox and hounds

The Republican State Central Committee convened in Anaheim last weekend and gave every appearance of settling into a long-term tenure as a minor party in California.  The lack of enthusiasm among the GOP rank-and-file for Republican party prospects in the Golden State was palpable.

Six female California lawmakers back Dianne Feinstein in Senate race

Los Angeles Times

Six California Assembly committee chairwomen endorsed Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday over their state Capitol colleague, Senate leader Kevin de León. In a statement released by Feinstein’s campaign, Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) said the state needs Feinstein “in these uncertain and difficult times.”

How to say ‘Get lost!’ without saying ‘You’re old!’

San Francisco Chronicle

Of the many huge challenges Kevin de León faces in trying to unseat Dianne Feinstein, the toughest is this: How does the state Senate president say it’s time for the 84-year-old U.S. senator to go without saying she’s old? Oh, there are plenty ways to say “old” without saying “old” in that passive-aggressive language known as political-speak. “Time for a new generation.” “The status quo will not stand.” And, my personal favorite, “It’s time for new ideas.”

Kevin de León vows to back Medicare for all, signaling key issue in 2018 Senate campaign

Los Angeles Times

State Senate leader Kevin de León’s opening salvo in the U.S. Senate race against Sen. Dianne Feinstein takes on one of the main frustrations progressives have voiced with her, a refusal to support single-payer health care. “I believe that every family, it doesn’t make a difference who you are or where you come from, deserves to have quality healthcare. It is a universal right,” De León says in a video released by his campaign Wednesday. “It’s not the exclusive privilege of the elite and the wealthy.”

Follow CA’s political money: New rules in 2018

Capitol Weekly

Next year, Californians will learn more about who pays to influence their votes under a new law that requires more information about top donors on political ads. The Disclose Act, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed earlier this month, passed the Legislature after years of negotiations with labor unions and other interest groups. Supporters call it the strongest campaign money transparency law in the nation, but others say interest groups had too much sway over the bill.

Claims rejected for California police injured in Las Vegas

San Francisco Chronicle

Four Orange County sheriff’s deputies injured in the Las Vegas county music festival massacre have been denied workers’ compensation and court battles may be looming for dozens of other California law enforcement personnel who tried to help even though they were off-duty, it was reported.

Federal Politics:

House passes $4T budget in step forward for Trump tax plan

The Fresno Bee

The House on Thursday gave a significant boost to President Donald Trump’s promise to cut taxes, narrowly passing a GOP budget that shelves longstanding concerns over federal deficits in favor of a rewrite of the tax code that Republicans promise will jump-start the economy.

See also:

Republicans face Sophie’s choice between lowering debt and cutting taxes

PBS NewsHour

President Donald Trump ramped up his personal push for a tax system overhaul this week, making his first presidential appearance at a Senate Republican lunch Tuesday. But hovering over the tax debate is another significant issue: the national debt. Republicans are facing an internal divide as two central GOP pillars collide — cutting taxes and reining in the federal budget. Here are a few key points to keep in mind as this debate grows.

See also:

401(k): GOP tax leader threatens to break Trump’s promise to not change retirement plans

Fresno Bee

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady on Wednesday suggested a tax bill he is preparing to introduce could force changes to 401(k) plans and other retirement accounts, potentially bucking a promise from President Donald Trump that those accounts would be left alone. Brady, speaking at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, said “we think in tax reform we can create incentives for people to save more and save sooner.”

See also:

Ivanka Trump Takes Child Tax Credit Push to Capitol

Roll Call

It was hard to walk through the Capitol on Wednesday without stumbling upon Ivanka Trump. The White House senior adviser and daughter of President Donald Trump had a packed schedule on both sides of the Rotunda, largely promoting an expanded child tax credit that at least for now seems a sure bet to be included in the House and Senate tax code overhaul drafts.

See also:

Who pays U.S. income tax, and how much?

Pew Research Center

As Congress and the White House pivot from trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act to overhauling the U.S. tax code, it’s helpful to take a closer look at how the tax system works presently in the context of its recent history. Individual income taxes are the federal government’s single biggest revenue source. In fiscal year 2017, which ended Sept. 30, the individual income tax was expected to bring in nearly $1.66 trillion, or about 48% of all federal revenues, according to theOffice of Management and Budget. The corporate income tax was estimated to raise another $324 billion, or 9% of total federal revenue.

As G.O.P. Bends Toward Trump, Critics Either Give In or Give Up

NYTimes.com

Despite the fervor of President Trump’s Republican opponents, the president’s brand of hard-edge nationalism — with its gut-level cultural appeals and hard lines on trade and immigration — is taking root within his adopted party, and those uneasy with grievance politics are either giving in or giving up the fight.

See also:

Repatriated earnings won’t help American workers—but taxing those earnings can

Brookings Institution

As the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans attempt to overhaul the U.S. tax code, one focal point will be how to “repatriate” the $2.6 trillion of overseas profits accumulated by U.S. corporations. Given how we talk about these earnings, you could be forgiven for thinking U.S. companies have stashed their cash inside a mattress in France. They haven’t. Most of it is already invested right here in the U.S. To clear up a common misconception, ”repatriation” is not a geographic concept, but refers to a set of rules defining when corporations have to pay taxes on their earnings. For instance, paying dividends to shareholders triggers a tax bill, but simply bringing the cash to the U.S. does not. Indeed, nearly all of the $2.6 trillion is already invested in the U.S.

Judge refuses to block Trump’s order to end Obamacare subsidies

Los Angeles Times

A federal judge in San Francisco refused Wednesday to require the Trump administration to restore healthcare subsidies called for in the Affordable Care Act, saying the president’s action is likely to be lawful and will cause little immediate harm. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, an Obama appointee, appeared to castigate California and 17 other states for seeking to block Trump’s action and even questioned their motives.

See also:

CBO: Bipartisan Obamacare bill would cut deficit, keep coverage stable

POLITICO

A bipartisan bill to stabilize Obamacare would cut the federal deficit by $3.8 billion but wouldn’t do much to change health insurance premiums for 2018, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. It would not substantially change the number of people who are covered. The report is about the bipartisan bill negotiated by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) which has broad support in the Senate but is unlikely to get a swift vote given opposition from President Donald Trump as well as from House Republicans.

ACA ‘silver plan’ premiums up an average of 34 percent, new analysis finds

PBS NewsHour

An analysis of newly released government data finds that premiums for the most popular health plans under the Affordable Care Act are going up by an average 34 percent next year. The independent analysis by the consulting firm Avalere Health finds that the Trump administration’s actions are contributing to the price hikes, adding instability to the underlying problems of the health law’s marketplaces.

Trump to declare opioid public health emergency

Sacramento Bee

President Donald Trump will direct his Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency under the Public Health Service Act. That’s according to senior White House officials, who were not authorized to publicly discuss plans before the announcement and briefed journalists on condition of anonymity.

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Sessions ‘Can’t Comment’ On Rumors Of Marijuana Crackdown Plans

Forbes

U.S Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a longtime opponent of marijuana legalization. But in an interview on Thursday he was guarded about the Trump administration’s plans to push back against the growing number of states that are ending cannabis prohibition. “I can’t comment on the existence of an investigation at this time,” he said, adding that he doesn’t think changing state laws have taken away the Department of Justice’s power to enforce the ongoing federal ban.

‘Nothing Going On’ With Trump Voter Fraud Commission Due To Multiple Lawsuits

NPR

The work of President Trump’s commission studying voter fraud and other voting problems has been stalled by the eight lawsuits filed against it, according to one commission member. Indiana’s Republican Secretary of State Connie Lawson says the suits, which seek release of all of the commission’s correspondence, among other things, have had a “chilling” effect.

Poll: Trump Is Hardest Working President Since WW2, Say Republicans

Newsweek

A majority of Republicans believe Donald Trump is working harder than any other president since World War II despite the fact he has spent nearly one in four days playing golf. When asked by the pollster YouGov to compare Trump’s work ethic to other Presidents, 58 percent of Republicans said that Trump is a “harder worker” than any of them, including Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and war hero Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Other:

Poll: Most Americans Say They Are Discriminated Against, Regardless Of Race

NPR

Majorities in many ethnic, identity and racial groups in America believe that discrimination exists against their own group, across many areas of people’s daily lives, according to a poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The poll asked a wide range of questions about where Americans experience discrimination — from the workplace to the doctor’s office — and people’s perception of it. The groups polled include whites, blacks, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans and LGBTQ adults.

How Black Americans See Discrimination

NPR

One of the paradoxes of racial discrimination is the way it can remain obscured even to the people to whom it’s happening. Here’s an example: In an ambitious, novel study conducted by the Urban Institute a few years ago, researchers sent actors with similar financial credentials to the same real estate or rental offices to ask about buying or renting a home or apartment. In the end, no matter where they were sent, the actors of color were shown fewer homes and offered fewer discounts on rent or mortgages than those who were white.

Podcast: Women’s Political Power in the Age of Trump.

Roll Call

Donald Trump’s presidency has encouraged women to make campaign contributions in unprecedented numbers. Will more women run for Congress, too? CQ lobbying reporter Kate Ackley and Roll Call political reporter Simone Pathé explain.

Twitter plans to make political ads more transparent amid Russia revelations

The Guardian

Twitter has announced the launch of an advertising “transparency center” with stricter rules for political ads in the wake of revelations that social media sites were used to spread Russian propaganda during the 2016 US presidential election. “In the coming weeks, we will launch an industry-leading transparency center that will offer everyone visibility into who is advertising on Twitter, details behind those ads, and tools to share your feedback with us,” said Twitter’s Bruce Falck in a blogpost.

EDITORIALS

Here’s how to make California’s justice system a little more fair

Fresno Bee

The money bail system may be obscure to most people. But few who are familiar with it justify it as it now exists. It needs to overhauled.

Sexual misconduct goes far beyond Harvey Weinstein and Hollywood. How do we make it go away for good?

Los Angeles Times

It all started, of course, with a handful of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, but in the days since then, there’s been nothing less than an uprising of women going public with stories of sexual harassment and assault. More than 50 women have now spoken out about their alleged experiences with…

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Worker shortage challenges California

San Francisco Chronicle

It takes three main elements to bring food to your table: land, water and people. In California, all three are under stress.

Urban development continues to push onto California farmland. The multiyear drought and the hundreds of thousands of acres of land left idle as a result underlined the need to improve California water supplies. The third element — the people — has also been stretched to its limits.

How fish and farms can both survive in California

San Francisco Chronicle

Fish or farm lawsuits are common in California and typically end with legal decisions that create more bureaucracy but don’t make a significant difference for struggling native fish populations. And no matter who wins in court, giving water to one interest never feels like a solution. So when water resources dwindled during the drought, many braced for a new wave of courtroom battles. Instead, farmers and fish advocates chose to pursue solutions that benefit both fish and farms. This shows us that a better future for both people and the environment is possible even in the era of climate change and ever-increasing pressures on limited water supplies.

San Francisco votes to require records on antibiotics used in meat

San Francisco Chronicle

A new San Francisco city ordinance signed into law on Tuesday will require some grocery stores that do business in the city to report which antibiotics are used in the raw meat they sell.

Ceres leaders consider a pot dispensary, as marijuana business gravitate to the city

Modesto Bee

Ceres is considering a proposal for a marijuana dispensary off Mitchell Road in another action that could put the city on the weed map in Stanislaus County. Pacafi Cooperative, Inc. wants a permit for a medical pot dispensary at 1442 Angie Avenue, near East Hatch and Mitchell roads. The site is next to 5 Star Auto Sales, a Jack in the Box and KFC restaurant. City staff recommended the City Council approve a development agreement for the 6,000-square-foot medical cannabis business at Monday’s meeting. The council approved the dispensary on a 5-0 vote.

Sessions ‘Can’t Comment’ On Rumors Of Marijuana Crackdown Plans

Forbes

U.S Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a longtime opponent of marijuana legalization. But in an interview on Thursday he was guarded about the Trump administration’s plans to push back against the growing number of states that are ending cannabis prohibition. “I can’t comment on the existence of an investigation at this time,” he said, adding that he doesn’t think changing state laws have taken away the Department of Justice’s power to enforce the ongoing federal ban.

AG Sessions blocks progress on medical cannabis research

Brookings Institution

Last week, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions a question about cannabis. It wasn’t about legalization or enforcement. It was about science. Sen. Hatch asked the Attorney General for a status update on applications to grow cannabis for federally-approved medical and scientific research. The Attorney General offered a weak response that highlighted his own biases on the issue, a division of opinion between him and the president he serves, and a federal government effort to stand in the way of the free conduct of research.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

‘Vile racial hatred’ led to hate crimes charges for Goshen men

Visalia times-delta

Two Goshen men accused of targeting a black neighbor have been charged with hate crimes, District Attorney Tim Ward announced Wednesday. The charges follow a stabbing Sunday in Goshen that left a man in critical condition in Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center. The man, whose name wasn’t released, is black.

See also:

He’s 75 and molested children as young as 3 for years. He’ll die in prison

Fresno Bee

A 75-year-old man has been sentenced to 330 years to life in prison for molesting several children, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday. Alex Lopez of Visalia committed lewd acts on four girls and a boy over a nearly 16-year period ending in May 2009. All victims were 10 or younger. On Aug. 1, a jury found him guilty of 22 felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 involving multiple victims. All but one count involved substantial sexual conduct.

Chop shop found in Corcoran

Hanford Sentinel

A probation check at a home in Corcoran led to the discovery of a “chop shop” operation, said California Highway Patrol officials. During the probation check, law enforcement personnel said they found the chop shop operation in the back of the home and located two reported stolen pickup trucks. Officials said they found a stolen Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that was stripped to its bare frame on the premises and another stolen Chevrolet pickup truck that was still operable. They also located a loaded firearm.

San Francisco public defender challenges bail system –

San Francisco Chronicle

Public Defender Jeff Adachi said his office has filed 282 challenges on behalf of clients since Oct. 10 — 14 times the number of challenges that would typically be filed over that time period. His disclosure comes as the state’s cash-bail system has come under increasing criticism as unfair to those who can’t afford to post bail while awaiting a court appearance.

Public Safety:

LA lawmakers delay voting on plan to criminalize flouting rules at city buildings

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles lawmakers say they want to protect people from harm when they go to a protest or come to City Hall. But a pair of proposed laws have stirred alarm among activists and civil rights groups, who say the city is threatening freedom of speech. At a committee meeting Wednesday, lawmakers held off on voting on a hotly contested law that would make it a crime to violate any posted rules that govern what people can do in city buildings, libraries and parks.

Protesters need safe spaces to demonstrate, not the right to carry tiki torches and glass bottles

Los Angeles Times

Hoping to head off the violence that’s arisen at protests in Charlottesville, Berkeley and other cities, the Los Angeles City Council is drafting a long list of items that would be banned from rallies, demonstrations and public assemblies. The council’s move, however, has triggered a protest of its own — from some civil liberties groups. They argue that preventing people from taking potential weapons to a protest that they would be legally entitled to bring to other events may be unlawful, because it would strip rights from people engaged in a constitutionally protected activity.

Civil rights groups worry about government monitoring of social media

San Francisco Chronicle

“Let’s say someone is applying for a visa from a country with minimal human rights. They’re not going to want to use their real name in their online speech or activism,” said Christina Sinha, staff attorney and program manager of the national security and civil rights program at the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco.

Fire:

California wildfires: Drone video of a lonely mailman reveals California’s post-wildfire dystopia

Quartz

The wildfires in northern California this past month have been some of the deadliest and destructive in the state’s history, burning across over 200,000 acres and killing dozens. A viral drone video of a US Postal Service mail carrier shows him making his rounds, driving past the charred skeletons of cars still parked on the street, melted garbage cans, and block after block of flattened neighborhoods, to arrive at mailboxes standing in front of a houses still smoldering remains. The video was taken by Douglas Thron, a California-based, real-estate aerial videographer.

See also:

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

UberEATS will make its way to Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

Do you every get hungry late at night? The last thing you want to do is cook. And you certainly don’t want to hop in your car and drive somewhere to pick up food, considering you’re probably in sweats and looking your worst. You don’t want to risk running into someone you know, right? What’s the solution? A bowl of cereal? Not any more, because UberEATS is coming to Bakersfield.

Wilbur Ross on pre NAFTA Mexico trade

businessinsider.com

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross claims the US was running a trade surplus with Mexico “every year” before the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect.

Amazon and Google could test more drones under Trump’s new policy

Recode

Amazon, Google and other tech giants could soon partner with U.S. cities and states to test more self-flying, package-delivering drones under a new policy put forward by President Donald Trump on Wednesday. These and other experiments still must obtain the blessings of the federal government, but the new effort — to be officially unveiled by Trump at the White House — aims to speed up the arrival of more drones that can aid law enforcement, monitor crops, study traffic and more.

Republicans Overturn Arbitration Rules That Would Have Protected Consumers

Forbes

Although Congress has still yet to reauthorize a number of programs to help healthcare for the poor — the body let measures like the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, run out at the end of September, closing on a month ago — it finally took an action on something. The Senate voted Tuesday night to rescind the so-called arbitration rule of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency created in recognition of the lack of necessary protections of consumers in the wake of the financial meltdown. Donald Trump previously has indicated that he would likely sign such a quashing of the measure.

Fortune 500 firms 1955 v. 2017: Only 59 remain, thanks to the creative destruction that fuels economic prosperity

AEI

The list of Fortune 500 companies in 1955 is available here and for 2017 here (based on sales for the fiscal year ended on or before Jan. 31, 2017). Comparing the 1955 Fortune 500 companies to the 2017 Fortune 500, there are only 59 companies that appear in both lists (see companies in the graphic above). In other words, fewer than 12% of the Fortune 500 companies included in 1955 were still on the list 62 years later in 2017, and more than 88% of the companies from 1955 have either gone bankrupt, merged with (or were acquired by) another firm, or they still exist but have fallen from the top Fortune 500 companies (ranked by total revenues). Many of the companies on the list in 1955 are unrecognizable, forgotten companies today (e.g., Armstrong Rubber, Cone Mills, Hines Lumber, Pacific Vegetable Oil, and Riegel Textile).

Jobs:

Jobless rate here falls

Hanford Sentinel

EDD says the unemployment rate in the Kings County was 7.5 percent in September 2017, down from a revised 8.5 percent in August 2017, and below the year-ago estimate of 8.2 percent. Figures show the county has 800 more non-farm jobs than a year ago while farm jobs remain flat. Construction jobs are up 11 percent year-over-year. The 7.5 percent jobless rate is the best September number in Kings County since 2007, before the recession.

Now hiring: Adecco Staffing job fair on Thursday

KMPH Fox 26

If you’re looking for a job, Adecco Staffing could help you. On Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. at Dinuba Proteus Inc. at 400 W Tulare Street, Adecco will be hosting a job fair.

How employer-sponsored rainy day savings accounts can help workers prepare for emergencies

Brookings Institution

Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, carry credit card debt, and have little or no money set aside for emergencies such as sickness, car or home repairs, job loss, or economic downturns. One consequence of this financial vulnerability is that many individuals use a portion of their retirement savings during their working years. Research suggests that for every $1 that flows into 401(k)s and similar accounts, between 30¢ and 40¢ leaks out before retirement. Helping American households build up their emergency savings would increase their financial security today and in retirement. A new working paper by John Beshears, James Choi, Mark Iwry, David C. John, David Laibson, and Brigitte C. Madrian explores the possibility of using employer-sponsored rainy day savings accounts to help workers prepare for an emergency.

 EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno Unified: Efforts to give FUSD board president more power rejected

Fresno Bee

Fresno Unified trustees shot down a slew of proposed revisions to board bylaws that would have lessened the power of the superintendent and given more authority to the school board president. Revisions to 20 policies were submitted at Wednesday night’s board meeting, including changes that would have given embattled board president Brooke Ashjian more control over public meetings and agendas. In more than one instance, the revisions removed decisions currently in the hands of the majority of the board and gave that authority solely to the board president.

Fresno Unified approves emergency plan in case of teacher strike

abc30

You have probably heard the ad on the radio–asking you to apply to be a Fresno Unified substitute teacher. The district has over 3,000 educators. So far, they have only received 1,000 applications and only 400 have been approved. The first thing parents should know is your child has to come to class. All Fresno Unified schools will remain open, but what happens inside these classrooms is murky. “I think it’s immature to assume how many teachers we are going to need to replace, that implies a lack of a commitment to make this work and I’m not prepared to do that yet,” said Bob Nelson.

Clovis Unified shares ways it will combat racism in schools

Fresno Bee

Clovis Unified officials say the district will re-evaluate and refine its Intercultural Diversity Advisory Councils as a first step to address concerns after students sent racist Snapchat messages about slaves that used the N-word. At its Wednesday night meeting, the school board unanimously passed a resolution “affirming expectations and policies to create a learning environment characterized by mutual respect and dignity for every student” to signify it’s beginning the process to address race issues on campuses.

See also:

Sanger schools superintendent asks to end contract

Fresno Bee

Sanger Unified School District superintendent Matthew Navo wants to meet with the board to discuss an early release from his contract, according to school board president Marcy Masumoto. But why he wants to leave remained a mystery Wednesday. Navo, who has served as superintendent for five years, made the request during the regular board meeting Tuesday night after a heated and emotional discussion with the Sanger Unified Teacher’s Association. The union is in contract negotiations with the district.

Pain behind their smiles: North High art students try to lift spirits of Syrian refugee kids

Bakersfield California

When Khensa Mejias saw the little girl in the hijab, she knew she was the one for her. The little girl in the photo lives a world away from Mejias, a North High School sophomore art student. Mejias doesn’t know much about her beyond some rudimentary information typed on a strip of paper slipped into an envelope along with the snapshot.

Democrats running for governor face off in San Francisco over healthcare, charter schools

Los Angeles Times

Reflecting a growing divide among California Democrats on single-payer healthcare and charter schools, California gubernatorial candidates landed on separate sides of those issues during a candidate forum in San Francisco on Tuesday. Antonio Villaraigosa, who battled teachers’ unions when he was the mayor of Los Angeles, said he did not receive the teachers’ union endorsement because he refused to support a moratorium on charter schools. He also said the next governor must confront policies that the unions have long valued, such as seniority and tenure, because the state’s schools are failing children.

See also:

See how black students are performing in your school

CALmatters

The searchable database below allows you to explore how African-American students in your school district and school are performing on standardized tests, and how the achievement gap has expanded or narrowed in your school over time. Simply search the name of your district or school to find results.

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It’s Hard To Learn on an Empty Stomach

CAFWD

There is such a thing as a free lunch (and breakfast) and millions of California kids skip it

Higher Ed:

UC, roiled by 1st Amendment controversies, to launch national free speech center

Los Angeles Times

The University of California, where the free speech movement started and students now argue over how far unrestricted expression should go, announced plans Thursday to launch a national center to study 1st Amendment issues and step up education about them.

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California community college tuition still the lowest nationally; UC above average, study finds

EdSource

While California continues to have the lowest community college tuition in the county, the costs for UC rank above the average of other research universities, a new report shows. Listed at $1,430 for a full-time student, the tuition and fees for California’s community colleges are the lowest nationwide in 2017-18, as they have been for years, according to the study by the College Board. That annual price, before being adjusted for financial aid, is less than half the $3,570 national average, the survey found.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Southern California stews in the most extreme heat the nation has seen so late in the year

Washington Post

A mere week before the calendar flips to November, temperatures in cities and towns across Southern California surged to unthinkable levels — on the verge of 110 degrees. Not one but two locations hit 108 on Tuesday — matching the hottest weather observed on record in the United States so late in the calendar year. According to the National Weather Service, both Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (formerly known as Miramar Naval Air Station, about 15 miles northeast of San Diego) and San Luis Obispo topped out at 108 degrees.

Energy:

Interview: Lois Henry On Chevron, Oil Industry Job Cuts, BizFed

Valley Public Radio

Last week oil industry giant Chevron announced it would cut around 26 percent of the workforce in its San Joaquin Valley Business Unit. That’s the part of the company that produces oil from fields in Kern and Fresno Counties. It’s not the first big job cut in the industry but it could hurt the local economy, especially in Bakersfield. But is this latest news the result of low oil prices, or other factors? Longtime valley journalist Lois Henry joins us Valley Edition to talk about the news, as well as her new venture, working with an industry group called BizFed.

U.S. oil prices extend decline on crude inventory build

Reuters

Oil slipped on Thursday, pressured by an unexpected increase in U.S. crude inventories, high U.S. production and exports, but stayed near multi-month highs on support from tighter crude markets.

Brent crude LCOc1 was down 35 cents at $58.09 a barrel by 1335 GMT. The global benchmark is not far below its 26-month high of $59.49 hit in late September.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Valley Children’s founder celebrates its 65th anniversary

Fresno Bee

Sipping wine at her winery earlier this week, 89-year-old Carolyn Peck perks up when someone suggests approaching a couple at the wine bar to ask for a donation to Valley Children’s Hospital and its many clinics throughout the central San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast. “It’s OK with me!” Peck responds enthusiastically with a sly smile.  The “boss” of Sumner Peck Ranch Winery in Friant and the only surviving member of Valley Children’s five founders, Peck has never stopped advocating for children. As Valley Children’s celebrates its 65th anniversary on Thursday, she remains incredibly proud of the way hospital staff continues to care for kids.

HCCA is out at Tulare Regional Medical Center

Visalia Times-Delta

A federal judge granted a motion to allow Tulare Regional Medical Center officials to break from a contract with the people who run the hospital. Judge Rene Lastrero told Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, HCCA, its days are numbered.

Questions about single-payer health care still need answers, says Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon

Press Enterprise

Months after he shelved a plan to deliver single-payer health care in California, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said Wednesday that questions persist about how such a system would work in the state. “I definitely see a path forward toward universal health care,” Rendon, D-Lakewood, said in an interview at the Riverside Convention Center, where he gave remarks at the annual economic forecast delivered by the UC Riverside business school’s Center for Economic Forecasting & Development.

Democrats running for governor face off in San Francisco over healthcare, charter schools

Los Angeles Times

Reflecting a growing divide among California Democrats on single-payer healthcare and charter schools, California gubernatorial candidates landed on separate sides of those issues during a candidate forum in San Francisco on Tuesday. Antonio Villaraigosa, who battled teachers’ unions when he was the mayor of Los Angeles, said he did not receive the teachers’ union endorsement because he refused to support a moratorium on charter schools. He also said the next governor must confront policies that the unions have long valued, such as seniority and tenure, because the state’s schools are failing children.

See also:

Democrats pitch Medicaid ‘public option’ for states

Washington Post

Progressive Democrats, more confident that the legislative threat to the Affordable Care Act has passed, are adding a new bill to their stack of health-care legislation — one that would allow people to buy into a Medicaid “public option” in their states. The State Public Option Act, sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) in the Senate and Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in the House, would expand Medicaid from a program available only to Americans at or slightly above the poverty level, to a universal program anyone could buy into. Already, 18 Democrats in the Senate have co-sponsored the bill, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and most of the party’s potential 2020 presidential candidates.

Hatch Moves to Reclaim Health Care Turf

Roll Call

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch is trying to reclaim his committee’s ownership over health care issues. The Utah Republican — who chairs the Senate Finance Committee — on Tuesday announced joint legislation with House Ways and Means ChairmanKevin Brady of Texas aimed at stabilizing the individual health insurance market created by the 2010 health law.

Trump to Declare Opioid Crisis a Nationwide Public Health Emergency

Roll Call

President Donald Trump will declare the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency on Thursday, according to senior administration officials. The declaration would direct all federal agencies to make the crisis their number one priority. It would include awareness and prevention programs and allow the federal government to work with states to redistribute already-available grants that support substance abuse efforts.

Hepatitis A outbreak among homeless a byproduct of California’s housing crunch

Washington Post

California’s exorbitant housing costs are driving a public-health crisis here, as a ­developing-world disease is racing through homeless encampments in cities along the coast. The hepatitis A outbreak in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and San Diego, long considered a model of savvy urban redevelopment, is the extreme result of a booming state economy, now driving up home prices after years of government decisions that made low-cost housing more difficult to build.

Team Approach to Health Care Means New Role for Doctors

pewtrusts.org

When patients go to see Dr. C.T. Lin for a checkup, they don’t see just Dr. Lin. They see Dr. Lin and Becky. Becky Peterson, the medical assistant who works with Lin, sits down with patients first and asks them about their symptoms and medical history — questions Lin used to ask. When Lin comes into the room, Peterson stays to take notes and cue up orders for tests and services such as physical therapy. When he leaves, she makes sure the patient understands his instructions.

What’s Foster Care Like? Learn From the Youth Who Lived Through It.

KQED

A San Francisco Bay Area museum is taking an unusual tack with an exhibition about foster youth in California. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History invited a team of former foster youth and advocates to help put the show together. Five months before the show Lost Childhoods went up, around a hundred former foster youth and advocates began meeting at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History to talk about what the exhibition would look like.

IMMIGRATION

Some immigrant fire victims forgo aid, fearing language on FEMA forms

San Francisco Chronicle

Members of the immigrant community displaced by the Wine Country fires are facing a new dilemma, fearing that information they provide on forms seeking federal disaster relief could be shared with immigration agents. And some say they will avoid applying altogether as a result.

San Diego mayor met with Steve Jobs’ widow to discuss DACA, the day after Trump’s order

San Diego Tribune

One day after President Donald Trump ordered an end to protections for unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as children, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer met privately with Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Transformation underway at Old Town Clovis, mixing trendy with traditional

Abc30

It has been 15 years since Old Town Clovis saw the new development and now it is growing in a new direction. “This is great for the Old Town, great for Clovis, but it brings business south of Fifth Street. Old Town really stopped at Fifth Street– so now we’re going south so we call this this the SOFI District,” said Miller. Shawn Miller is with the City of Clovis and says new six new businesses are going into the Realty Concepts and Peterson Buildings.

Housing:

This Sacramento housing development is offering $300000 homes with no down payment

Sacramento Bee

The Mill at Broadway, central Sacramento’s largest infill housing development, has begun offering mortgage loans with no down payments, hoping to entice more young first-time buyers who don’t want to pay high rents, but don’t have cash for upfront payments on a house, its developer said. The densely packed project – expected to eventually have 800 to 1,000 homes – occupies the former site of a lumber mill just south of Broadway near Interstate 5. Since it opened 20 months ago, The Mill has sold 175 units, mainly to young singles, said developer Kevin Smith of Ranch Capital, a Southern California-based investment company.

Hepatitis A outbreak among homeless a byproduct of California’s housing crunch

Washington Post

California’s exorbitant housing costs are driving a public-health crisis here, as a ­developing-world disease is racing through homeless encampments in cities along the coast. The hepatitis A outbreak in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and San Diego, long considered a model of savvy urban redevelopment, is the extreme result of a booming state economy, now driving up home prices after years of government decisions that made low-cost housing more difficult to build.

PUBLIC FINANCES

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

IRS backtracks, says it will reject tax returns that ignore health mandate

San Francisco Chronicle

In another about-face, the Internal Revenue Service has decided it will begin rejecting electronically filed tax returns that do not indicate whether the household met the health insurance coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Fiscal Rules, Bailouts, and Reputation in Federal Governments

NBER

Can fiscal rules correct local government’s incentives to overborrow?

TRANSPORTATION

It’s a ‘miracle’: Caltrans to launch $270 million in local road projects with new state funding

Bakersfield Californian

Local drivers may soon start noticing smoother rides on Kern County roads. Gov. Jerry’s Brown’s controversial road tax, SB 1, is about to provide transportation funding that some might regard as nothing less than miraculous. Caltrans will be accelerating work on dozens of projects locally and statewide after funding from Senate Bill 1 goes into effect Nov. 1. The bill, approved in April, gives the state $52 billion over 10 years for road improvements. Kern County is set to get $270 million of that, with Bakersfield receiving $87 million.

Volaris will launch flights between Fresno and Morelia in Mexico

Fresno Bee

Mexican airline Volaris, which has offered nonstop flights between Fresno and Guadalajara since April 2011, will add nonstop flights from Fresno to Morelia, Mexico, in December. The airline announced the Fresno service this week as part of a broader expansion of its service to and from Morelia, which is the capital of the Mexican state of Michoacan. The flights will be offered twice a week, on Mondays and Saturdays, starting Dec. 16.

Electric buses are coming, and they’re going to help fix 4 big urban problems

Vox

There is a ton of hype around electric cars right now, for understandable reasons. Several snazzy new models have been released recently, range continues improving, and ambitious cities are pledging to get rid of gas and diesel cars altogether. It’s a heady time. But here’s a little appreciated fact: Personal vehicles are probably the most challenging to electrify cost-effectively. (Dragging one or two passengers around over long distances in a 2-ton vehicle takes a lot of energy.) The case for electrification is actually stronger for other types of vehicles.

California’s Bullet Train Can’t Sidestep CEQA, Court Says

PublicCEO

As physical signs of California’s $64 billion railroad project come into focus across the State, a potential faceoff with the federal government regarding its jurisdiction over state environmental laws, at least with regard to publicly owned and funded railways, may be laid to rest. The California Supreme Court recently held in Friends of the Eel River v. North Coast Railroad Authority that the federal Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995 does not preempt the application of the California Environmental Quality Act to state-owned railroad projects.

WATER

Interior Department clarifies, says it will continue to work on delta tunnels project

Los Angeles Times

After several hours of confusion over the Trump administration’s position on a massive water delivery project, the Interior Department said Wednesday it would continue to work with the state on California WaterFix. California officials were scratching their heads over a department statement that the Trump administration does not support the project, which the federal government has helped plan.

See also:

Flood experts say California levees need much more money

San Jose Mercury News

California needs to spend another $100 million a year to keep the state’s levee system sound, according to state flood control experts. At a press conference marking flood preparedness week Monday at a levee repair site near Sacramento, Bill Edgar, president of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board said the levees will need a $17 billion to $21 billion investment over the next 30 years to protect the seven million Californians at flood risk. That number includes $130 million a year annually for repairs and maintenance, up from the $30 million currently spent.

Orange Cove testing new rates and residents saw a significant jump in cost of water

abc30

At the bottom of every water bill in Orange Cove, there are two sets of numbers–the current price and a predicted price. Jesus Figueroa has several bills dating back to June–some with a difference, he just cannot believe. “It’s too much money, it’s like four to five times more than we pay before,” said Figueroa. The higher end bills do not seem to add up, possibly because of new billing software. Figueroa’s most recent one is likely more accurate. It includes the new metered rate on top of a base fee, plus garbage and sewage. In the future, the first 10,000 gallons a month could cost him $40.51, which is an increase of about $10.

Priorities for California’s Water

Public Policy Institute of California

This past year was a prime example of California’s highly variable climate—and a precursor of the challenges to come. This conference looks at issues that are front and center for managing California’s water supply and natural environment, including legislative priorities for cities, farms, and rural communities; partnerships for healthy ecosystems; and critical decisions for the Colorado River and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta.