POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
UC Merced professors studying COVID-19 impact on rural, Latino health
Merced Sun-Star
The coronavirus has impacted everyone in different ways and three public health professors are examining specifically how rural, Latinx communities in Calif have been affected in a new study funded by the University of Calif Office of the President.
Stanislaus County is in danger of falling back to most restrictive coronavirus tier
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County officials are not confident of meeting the criteria of the state’s stringent program for limiting coronavirus outbreaks, and the county could slide back to the most restrictive tier.
See also:
Central Valley has a doctor shortage. Kaiser to train ER physicians in Modesto
Modesto Bee
Kaiser Permanente Central Valley is starting a new residency program to train emergency medicine doctors based in Modesto. The health care giant considers the program a “win-win-win” for the hospital, the trainees and the community.
Stockton Mayor Micheal Tubbs Faces Political Newcomer Kevin Lincoln In Runoff
Capital Public Radio
Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs faced seven candidates in the primary election and garnered 40% of the vote. Now comes the runoff between Tubbs and political newcomer Kevin Lincoln on Election Day.
Central SJ Valley:
As new coronavirus cases arise, what could it mean for Fresno County restaurants, churches?
Fresno Bee
Almost 400 new confirmed COVID-19 infections were reported in Fresno County, keeping the county on an upward trend that may forecast a future increase in hospitalizations and deaths – and jeopardize progress in reopening more sectors of commerce and community life.
See also:
Is purple tier on Fresno County’s horizon? Fresno Bee
Survivor group slams Fresno Catholic churches for withholding names of accused priests
Fresno Bee
It remains unknown when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno may release its list of credibly accused priests of sexual misconduct two years after it began to ponder what to release to the public.
Fresno to get millions from Calif to convert another motel into homeless housing
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that Fresno County and local developers will receive $15.3 million to purchase and rehabilitate a motel complex on Blackstone Avenue to house people experiencing homelessness.
Warszawski: Fresno’s most unlikable local politician pushes himself deeper into a corner
Fresno Bee
Congratulations to Garry Bredefeld. After years of trying, Fresno’s most unlikable local politician finally succeeded in alienating all six of his fellow city council members.
EDITORIAL: Election 2020: The Fresno Bee Editorial Board’s local and state recommendations
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee Editorial Board recommends the following candidates and choices for local measures and Calif state propositions. This list will be updated as editorials are published.
South SJ Valley:
Kern Public Health reports 47 new coronavirus cases Monday
Bakersfield Califn
Kern County Public Health Services reported 47 new coronavirus cases Monday, but no new deaths.
See also:
COVID-19 update: County heading in wrong direction Porterville Recorder
Mangone's success in fundraising still a drop in the bucket in race against McCarthy
Bakersfield Califn
Kim Mangone, the Democratic challenger taking on Kevin McCarthy in the 23rd Congressional District race, has made more headway against her seven-term opponent than anyone before her.
State:
Calif to receive 11.9 million rapid COVID-19 tests from federal government
abc30
Calif will soon receive nearly 12 million rapid coronavirus testing kits from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to use for its teachers, students, first responders, and other essential employees within the state.
Newsom, Calif district attorneys seek tighter standards for application of death penalty
SF Chronicle
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has already declared a moratorium on executions in Calif, went a step further Monday with an unprecedented court filing that asserted the state’s death penalty law is applied in a racist manner against African Americans.
See also:
Calif Planning & Development Report
The population is going down for the first time ever. But Calif planning -- and its entire local government structure -- is based on the assumption of growth.
See also:
Opinion: If You Soak the Rich, Will They Leave? The Atlantic
Federal:
GOP senators power Amy Coney Barrett toward high court confirmation
LA Times
Overpowering Democratic opposition, Senate Republicans are set to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, approving President Trump’s nominee a week before election day and securing likely conservative court dominance for years to come.
See also:
GOP senators power Barrett toward high court confirmation SF Chronicle
Barrett confirmed by Senate for Supreme Court, takes oath Sac Bee
Tensions high but drama largely absent at Barrett’s Senate confirmation Roll Call
Senate confirms Amy Coney Barrett but controversy follows her to the Supreme Court Roll Call
The Supreme Court's next major case starts the day after the election The Hill
Chemerinski: How Democrats can fight the new, far-right Supreme Court LA Times
Opinion: Trump’s conservative imprint on the federal judiciary gives Democrats a playbook — if they win Washington Post
Opinion: If the Supreme Court is going to make voting harder, it must explain why Los Angeles Times
House already won? Nancy Pelosi thinks so, and reaches for more
LA Times
Speaker Nancy Pelosi once predicted she’d have the 2020 House Democratic majority secured by November — of 2019. Now, days before the Nov. 3 election, she seems to have done it, and she’s expanding her reach.
Senate packs up with coronavirus relief bill on ice until after elections
Roll Call
Senators prepared to leave town Monday night for their October recess with virtually no prospect of passing new COVID-19 aid legislation before the Nov. 3 elections..
Coronavirus Trackers:
As the coronavirus surges, it is reaching into the nation’s last untouched areas Washington Post
Few places would seem better able to ride out an infectious-disease pandemic than Petroleum County, Mont., whose 500 people spread over 1,656 square miles, much of it public lands and cattle ranches. Then came October.
See also:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.
See also:
John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University
Tracking coronavirus in Calif Los Angeles Times
Coronavirus Tracker San Francisco Chronicle
Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times
How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico
Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Fin Times
Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters
Elections 2020:
Applications for electronic voting now available for those who did not receive mail-in ballots
Bakersfield Califn
Tuesday is the last day for voters to request a mail-in ballot be sent to them. For those concerned a mail-in ballot may not reach them by the Nov. 3 election, the Remote Accessible Vote By Mail system is now available to everyone.
Before the pandemic, Calif’s polling places were already disappearing
CalMatters
Standing in line at their local polling place, a longtime ritual for many Califns, will be a thing of the past this Election Day for half of the state’s voters.
See also:
When will my ballot be counted? The perks of voting early CalMatters
Here’s why election officials say no need to hand deliver mail ballot CalMatters
A procrastinator’s guide to the 2020 Calif general election Sac Bee
Wealthy Donors Spend Big to Expand Voting Access Pew Trusts
Officials Promise Electoral Integrity, Despite Fears Of Voter Intimidation
Capital Public Radio
President Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of invigorating a base of far-right extremists, particularly with his rhetoric around voting in this year’s election.
See also:
Searching for women’s votes, Trump mixes insults with flattery
LA Times
President Trump added a new complaint about Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, on Monday — her laugh.
See also:
With all the chaos, the shape of the Trump-Biden race is unchanged Roll Call
Trump and Biden Take Different Tacks in Campaign’s Final Week WSJ
A Trump Election Comeback? With These Pieces, It’s Still Possible WSJ
5 Things To Watch In The Final Week Of The 2020 Presidential Campaign VPR
Will Kamala Harris increase turnout among Black voters? Some Democrats see encouraging signs
Sac Bee
Harris is pushing hard to get out the Black vote, and voters and analysts see evidence that the first woman of color on a major party presidential ticket could make a difference in some of the nations’ most closely-contested swing states.
‘Essential worker’ Pence stays on campaign trail after COVID-19 outbreak on his staff
Fresno Bee
Vice President Mike Pence has been declared an “essential worker” and will continue on the campaign trail despite a coronavirus outbreak in his office, the White House says.
No, Really -- Don't Pay Attention to Early Voting Data
Real Clear Politics
It’s that most wonderful time of year. After endless speculation, analysis, and hedging, we are tantalizingly close to having actual new election data to work with.
See also:
Are Asian Americans the Last Undecided Voters? The New Yorker
When we’ll find out election results: Here’s what we know about swing states, ballot counting and more Washington Post
How Police, National Guard & Military Are Preparing For Election Day Tensions
VPR
Nov. 3 promises to be an Election Day unlike any other, and public safety entities say they're preparing for tensions and the possibility of violence.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Election 2020: The Fresno Bee Editorial Board’s local and state recommendations
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee Editorial Board recommends the following candidates and choices for local measures and Calif state propositions. This list will be updated as editorials are published.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Prop 16 would rightly restore affirmative action hiring for state government Fresno Bee
EDITORIAL: Vote yes on Prop 18 to encourage young Californians to become lifelong voters Fresno Bee
EDITORIAL: Prop. 20 is a retrograde and racist prison spending scam. Californians should vote no Fresno Bee
Other:
Washington Post
In a three-part documentary, The Washington Post explores a failed response to the coronavirus pandemic that’s left 225,000 Americans dead, despite decades of preparation in Washington.
Public Trust In Government Is Waning As The Pandemic Wears On, Survey Show
Capital Public Radio
Sacramento-area residents have less faith in their local, state and federal governments than they did at the start of the pandemic, according to a community survey from CapRadio and nonprofit Valley Vision
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, November 1, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "The November 2020 Propositions" - Guest: Ben Christopher, CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, November 1, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Nov Props: Valley Implications” - Guests: Jessica Trounstine, UC Merced; Greg Soydemir, Stanislaus State; Lisa Bryant, Fresno State; Ivy Cargile, CSU Bakersfield; Mary Roaf, Stanislaus State; Sebastian Sclofsky, Stanislaus State. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Many Calif farmworkers fear a winter of hunger and homelessness amid the pandemic
LA Times
In a year without pandemic, fire and extreme heat, Jose Luis Hernandez by now would have saved enough money picking summer fruit from Calif fields to make it through the slow winter months ahead.
Grocery stores prepare for shoppers to stockpile ahead of another coronavirus wave
Fresno Bee
Many of us won’t soon forget what we saw in grocery stores at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic — aisles and aisles of bare shelves, check-out lines stretching through stores and shopping carts filled to the brim.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Fresno first responders seeing surge in call as violence continues
abc30
As city leaders find ways to combat crime in Fresno, first responders are seeing the surge in calls to service. The impact goes beyond police resources.
Juvenile justice overhaul: How the Governor’s plan shifts care of serious offenders to counties
CalMatters
The state’s Division of Juvenile Justice will no longer accept newly convicted young people after July 2021 in a shutdown quickly signed off on by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Carjackings, Delivery Vehicle Thefts Spike During Pandemic
Pew Trusts
“Criminals aren’t dumb,” said Officer Rick Goodale, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland. “These are crimes of opportunity. They see a delivery driver’s car unattended and say, ‘OK, this is easy. We’ll just snatch it.’”
EDITORIAL: Prop. 20 is a retrograde and racist prison spending scam. Californians should vote no
Fresno Bee
Should Calif abandon its historic criminal justice reforms and return to the bad old days of overcrowded prisons full of Black and brown people?
Public Safety:
Calif prison staff showed ‘indifference’ to masks even after COVID-19 deaths, report says
Fresno Bee
Calif prisons have done little to enforce mask requirements amid a COVID-19 outbreak that has killed 10 prison employees and 76 inmates, according to a watchdog report published Monday.
Calif gun sales up 500% amid COVID-19 pandemic fears, study finds
abc30
It appears a lot more people are buying guns during the coronavirus pandemic. A new report by the researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine says gun sales have surged up to 500% during the crisis.
Replacing cash bail: Fairer justice or robopocalypse?
CalMatters
Calif is either about to right decades of inequality between rich and poor defendants by eliminating cash bail, or it’s about to turn over its justice system to robots.
Prop. 20: Should Calif’s DNA bank expand to shoplifters, opioid offenders?
CalMatters
Tens of thousands of people convicted of misdemeanors would have their DNA stored. District attorneys disagree about whether it would help solve violent crimes.
Opinion: How should Calif support prisoners released amid COVID-19?
CalMatters
Calif lacks a comprehensive strategy to assist prisoners released during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving them and their communities vulnerable.
Fire:
70,000 in Southern Calif to evacuate after blaze grows
Fresno Bee
A fast-moving wildfire forced evacuation orders for 70,000 people, seriously injuring two firefighters in Southern Calif as powerful winds across the state prompted power to be cut to hundreds of thousands to prevent utility equipment from sparking new blazes.
See also:
As 60,000 are told to evacuate Silverado Fire in Southern Calif, another fire ignites Fresno Bee
Silverado Fire: Blaze near Irvine doubles in size to 4,000 acres, prompts mandatory evacs abc30
Silverado Fire may have been sparked by Southern Calif utility equipment San Francisco Chronicle
2 firefighters critically injured as blazes burn out of control in Irvine, Yorba Linda LA Times
60,000 in Southern Calif to evacuate after blaze grows Business Journal
Thousands Forced to Evacuate From Calif Fires New York Times
360,000 Customers Lose Power In Calif Amid Fire-Safety Shutoffs VPR
Creek Fire update: Strong winds keep red flag warning, power outages in effect
Fresno Bee
Due to strong wind conditions, a red flag warning has been issued in the central and southern Sierra Nevada foothills until Tuesday, says the National Weather Service.
See also:
Creek Fire update: PG&E gives all-clear on outages; firefighters work on cleanup Fresno Bee
GrundFos Pumps Donate $65K for Creek Fire Relief Clovis Roundup
Water company pumps money into wildfire mitigation efforts Business Journal
PG&E issues ‘all clear’ in parts of Calif as fire risk eases. When will power return?
Fresno Bee
PG&E Corp. issued the “all clear” sign in parts of its service territory Monday, enabling the utility to start restoring power to some of the 355,000 homes and business that got blacked out Sunday night to reduce wildfire dangers during a severe windstorm.
See also:
PG&E Power Shutoffs: Some foothill schools closed Monday, thousands without power due to high winds abc30
PG&E takes Kern off list for power shutoffs this round Bakersfield Califn
Wind, wind, wind: The most dangerous fire conditions yet CalMatters
SQF Complex Fire: 169,688 acres burned, 75% contained, latest evacuation warnings
abc30
Fire crews are continuing to make progress on the SQF Complex Fire, which is now the largest wildfire in Tulare County's modern history. Crews held the line on the blaze which has burned 169,688 acres and is 75% containment as of Monday.
Dowd Fire: Fast-growing grass fire erupts in Placer County with ‘rapid rate of spread’
Modesto Bee
Firefighters were battling a fast-growing grass fire Monday as high winds swept through Placer County south of Sheridan.
Bulldozers were ready to fight Calif fires. Why did Forest Service turn them away?
Fresno Bee
Holland and other contractors say the Forest Service has been running the program a lot more stringently in the past year, turning what was already a complicated system into a bureaucratic mess.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Fed up: Calif restaurants seek booze, health fee refund
Bakersfield Now
Calif's financially battered restaurants filed government claims Monday to recover more than $100 million in fees for liquor and health permits and tourism charges that they say were assessed even though their businesses were shuttered under coronavirus orders.
See also:
You're Not Welcome Here: How Social Distancing Can Destroy The Global Economy
NPR
Stay out. It's what people are being asked to tell each other. Less than 10 days ago, London banned people who live in different households from meeting each other indoors, to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
U.S. Stocks Waver After Selloff
WSJ
U.S. stocks wobbled Tuesday, attempting to stabilize after worries about the coronavirus pandemic sent markets tumbling to start the week.
See also:
Stocks Slide on Coronavirus Uptick, Fading Stimulus Hopes WSJ
Stock Investors’ Bets Eye a Biden Victory, Robust Stimulus WSJ
Stocks have their worst day in a month as virus cases surge Business Journal
Jobs:
Uber’s rating system violates civil rights, says class action
LA Times
Uber Technologies Inc. was accused in a lawsuit of violating the Civil Rights Act by firing minority drivers based on how they’re rated by customers.
EDUCATION
K-12:
More schools approved for waivers as coronavirus cases increase in Fresno County
Fresno Bee
Schools are slowly reopening, but Fresno County may be inching its way back into the purple-tier. Fresno is currently in tier-2 meaning the district can reopen businesses with increased capacity according to Calif’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Fresno-area teachers say school district is ‘rushing’ to reopen. ‘Do I have a choice? No.’
Fresno Bee
Elementary students in Fresno County’s fourth-largest school district are going back to campus next week — but some teachers and parents say they have been shut out of the conversations leading up to the decision to reopen.
Baby steps. Turlock Unified resumes in-person with just TK and kindergarten students
Modesto Bee
Turlock Unified, the largest district in Stanislaus County so far to begin reopening TK-6 in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic under a waiver from the state, welcomed transitional kindergartners and kindergartners to school campuses Monday morning.
Why did it take a pandemic for Monterey County to remedy inequities in education?
Visalia Times Delta
Every corner of Nana Concha's apartment is filled with toys and stacked high with books and activities.Snacks clutter cabinets and countertops. The East Salinas babysitter has WiFi — something many of the children don't have at home.
Higher Ed:
UC Merced professors studying COVID-19 impact on rural, Latino health
Merced Sun-Star
The coronavirus has impacted everyone in different ways and three public health professors are examining specifically how rural, Latinx communities in Calif have been affected in a new study funded by the University of Calif Office of the President.
More than half of Calif State University campuses saw enrollment gains this fall, despite pandemic
EdSource
As Calif State University campuses shifted to mostly virtual classes this spring and closed their campuses, many college officials across the state worried that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic would devastate enrollments this fall.
Colleges Slash Budgets in the Pandemic, With ‘Nothing Off-Limits’
New York Times
As it resurges across the country, the coronavirus is forcing universities large and small to make deep and possibly lasting cuts to close widening budget shortfalls. By one estimate, the pandemic has cost colleges at least $120 billion.
Five ballot propositions that would affect students
CalMatters
Hundreds of thousands of college and university students are among the Califns expected to cast votes between now and November 3. Here’s a rundown of the ballot propositions most likely to impact higher education, students and other young people.
See also:
How much would schools, local governments get from Prop. 15? LA Times
How Prop 16 Could Reshape Higher Education Campuses Across Calif KQED
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Emissions Exposure May Increase COVID-19 Mortality
Pew Trusts
For years, the effort to reduce transportation emissions has largely centered on fighting climate change. But some advocates say the pandemic underscores the need to focus on human health as well.
Opinion: Additional measures, enforcement needed in San Joaquin Valley plan for clean air
CalMatters
I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley, and the air pollution there has had very real impacts on my own health and the health of my family.
Belching Cows and Endless Feedlots: Fixing Cattle’s Climate Issues
NY Times
Randy Shields looked out at a sea of cattle at the sprawling Wrangler Feedyard — 46,000 animals milling about in the dry Panhandle air as a feed truck swept by on its way to their pens.
Energy:
Calif Leading Push For Renewable Power
KPBS
The use of renewable energy is surging in Calif. A new analysis shows there’s been a huge jump in the use of solar, wind and other renewable technologies in the last decade.
Commentary: Can we have a power grid that is both renewable and reliable?
CalMatters
Solar, wind and batteries are critical to Calif’s clean energy future, but they are not enough. Here’s how to diversify the state’s renewable energy portfolio.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
US should consider national mask mandate for the winter: former FDA commissioner
abc30
As the US reports its second-highest day of new Covid-19 cases amid the continuing fall surge, a former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration says it may be time for a national mask mandate.
See also:
Kern Public Health reports 47 new coronavirus cases Monday
Bakersfield Califn
Kern County Public Health Services reported 47 new coronavirus cases Monday, but no new deaths.
See also:
Stanislaus adds 1 death; positive rate still troubling Modesto Bee
Is purple tier on Fresno County’s horizon? Fresno Bee
As the coronavirus surges, it is reaching into the nation’s last untouched areas Washington Post
Third wave of COVID-19 officially worse than the first two The Hill
Study Shows Covid-19 Antibodies Waning Over Time, Suggesting Immunity Might Wear Off
WSJ
A large English study showed the number of people with Covid-19 antibodies declined significantly over the summer, suggesting that getting the virus might not confer long-lasting immunity from future infection.
Human Services:
Central Valley has a doctor shortage. Kaiser to train ER physicians in Modesto
Modesto Bee
Kaiser Permanente Central Valley is starting a new residency program to train emergency medicine doctors based in Modesto. The health care giant considers the program a “win-win-win” for the hospital, the trainees and the community.
Central Valley is not spared from nation-wide blood shortage
Visalia Times Delta
In July, The Red Cross said its national blood supply was at its lowest level in 15 years because of severe storms, heatwaves and a pandemic that caused the cancellation of dozens of blood drives and kept many potential donors at home.
Calif is building its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. When could you get your shots?
Fresno Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a disappointing message last week for anyone hoping to get a COVID-19 vaccine in 2020: the majority of Califns will likely have to wait to get vaccinated until the second half of 2021.
See also:
The ‘speed of trust’: Calif wants statewide panel to review any COVID vaccine CalMatters
Opinion: The COVID-19 vaccines are coming. Here’s how they should be rolled out LA Times
State to allow visitors inside nursing homes in most Calif counties
CalMatters
The pandemic had limited loved ones to window or patio visits – if at all – but new guidance lifts restrictions in those 46 counties with better virus control.
How an insurer and health workers are tackling social issues to provide better care
Sac Bee
In an experiment on the front lines of health care, Blue Shield has trained community health advocates to use technology and their own creativity to solve the social issues that often keep patients from good care. Here's how it's working in Galt.
Hospitals Balance Covid-19 Care With More-Lucrative Services During Latest Virus Surge
WSJ
Hospitals are holding off as long as possible before halting procedures to make room for fresh waves of Covid-19 patients, a reversal from earlier this year when facilities postponed care, leading to steep financial losses and public-health risks.
IMMIGRATION
Under Trump, U.S. no longer leads world on refugee protections
LA Times
For decades, America led the world in humanitarian policies by creating a sanctuary for the oppressed, admitting more refugees annually than all other countries combined.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Council approves subdivision despite opposition
Porterville Recorder
On Tuesday night, during the regularly scheduled City Council meeting, the public urged the Council to reject the Citrus Blossom subdivision for various reasons.
Renaming state parks can tell a more inclusive history of Calif
CalMatters
A committee is embarking on an ambitious journey to identify discriminatory names and features of state parks and change the names to be more inclusive.
Housing:
Fresno to get millions from Calif to convert another motel into homeless housing
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that Fresno County and local developers will receive $15.3 million to purchase and rehabilitate a motel complex on Blackstone Avenue to house people experiencing homelessness.
Fresno-area renters: How to get a repair done when your landlord is not cooperating
Fresno Bee
The first thing you must do is to understand the laws that protect you as a renter. If you live in the city of Fresno and your landlord does not respond or refuses to fix repairs that threaten your safety and health, dial 311 for the code enforcement office.
CalMatters
Though legislators in Sacramento squandered the opportunity to advance sweeping housing reform this year, advocates of affordable housing should still take heart in the passage of Senate Bill 1079. But to truly save our housing, we need to go further.
See also:
Government needs to act fast to help affordable housing CalMatters
How many households can’t pay next month’s rent? That’s a tricky question. Brookings
Struggling Rental Market Could Usher in Next American Housing Crisis WSJ
PUBLIC FINANCES
IRS Tax Extension To Jan. 15 For Calif Wildfire Victims
Forbes
Victims of Calif wildfires that began Sept. 4 have until Jan. 15, 2021, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments, the IRS announced.
Why do we keep voting on this? Exploring Prop. 13’s ‘Tax Revolt Family Tree’
CalMatters
Four decades ago mad-as-hell voters banded together to pass Proposition 13, capping property taxes, slapping a constitutional muzzle on state government and wringing local budgets like a washcloth. The electorate’s anti-tax fever may have broken in the years since, but the legacy of Prop. 13 is still very much with us.
EDITORIAL: Prop 16 would rightly restore affirmative action hiring for state government
Fresno Bee
Calif voters should support the repeal of Prop. 209 by voting yes on Prop. 16. Here’s why: This country has been forced to reckon with the devastating effects of systemic racism in the wake of the senseless killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
See also:
Affirmative action has tons of endorsements — so why is Prop. 16 trailing? CalMatters
How Prop 16 Could Reshape Higher Education Campuses Across Calif KQED
Walters: It's déjà vu for affirmative action proponents CalMatters
Has the Paycheck Protection Program succeeded?
AEI
While our findings are informative, we believe it is too early to issue conclusive judgment on PPP’s success. We offer lessons for the future from the PPP experience thus far.
TRANSPORTATION
Do you want to improve Fresno streets and transit system? This agency wants your ideas
Fresno Bee
Tired of dangerous intersections, missing sidewalks and potholes? Want faster bus service and safer bike routes? Then share your ideas in this survey by Thursday, Oct. 22. There are also Spanish and Punjabi versions of the form.
See also:
2020 Transportation Needs Survey Fresno Council of Governments
Delta bans 460 people from flying for refusing to wear face masks, airline says
Fresno Bee
The memo from Delta CEO Ed Bastian to employees — posted online by Reuters reporter David Shepardson — said 460 customers had been added to the company’s no-fly list for “refusing to comply with our mask requirement.”
WATER
Setting Aside Environmental Water for the San Joaquin River
Public Policy Institute of Calif
Protecting the health of Calif’s rivers, estuaries, and wetlands has been the grandest—and perhaps thorniest—of the many challenges facing the state’s water managers.
Why Calif's complex water market faces new challenges
Business Insider
Calif has an intricate and multifaceted system of water management. The state's $1.1 billion water market allocates a concentrated supply to the areas that need it most.
“Xtra”
School holds Halloween drive-thru costume parade
Fresno Bee
West Park Elementary just west of Fresno holds a Halloween Drive Thru Costume Parade with the theme "We Say BOO to Drugs" to kick off Red Ribbon Week. Staff in costumes handed out candy, work packets and meals.
Museum hosts only spooky themed event for the season
Porterville Recorder
The Porterville Historical Museum was host to a fascinating event on Saturday evening, where over 30 people sat outside to listen to Dallas Pattee give a lecture on the mourning rituals of the Victorian Era.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of Calif’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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