POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
A Look Inside The 40-Page Nunes Mailer Targeting The Fresno Bee
Valley Public Radio
It refers to The Fresno Bee as a “propaganda machine” and critiques specific reports by The Bee, in some cases calling out staff with names and photos. It also implicates Bee reporters in organizing rallies and siding with Nunes’s opponent, Fresno County Prosecutor Andrew Janz.
See also:
● Just how ‘politically explosive' is the Devin Nunes secret that Esquire uncovered? The Washington Post
● House Intel Chairman Nunes’ Democratic Challenger Raises $4.3M Roll Call
TJ Cox signed document claiming Maryland as residence; campaign calls it ‘honest mistake’
Fresno Bee
TJ Cox “made an honest mistake” when he marked a second home in Maryland as his principal residence, the Fresno Democrat’s campaign said Tuesday.
OUR VIEW: We recommend: Salas for 32nd, Fong for 34th Assembly districts
Bakersfield Californian
Rudy Salas for 32nd AD.
14th SD challenger Hurtado: What happened to Vidak's vision for the valley?
Bakersfield Californian
The race for the state's 14th Senate District seat pits incumbent Andy Vidak, a Hanford Republican, against Democratic challenger Melissa Hurtado, a member of the Sanger City Council.
Stanislaus Supervisor Kristin Olsen formally charged with DUI
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County Supervisor Kristin Olsen has been formally charged with driving while intoxicated and is set for arraignment Oct. 17 in Sacramento Superior Court.
4th District, attracting a lot of smoke, is a test case
Bakersfield Californian
Not a single vote has been cast in the closely watched race for 4th District Kern County supervisor, but Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo has a big lead in the second-most important measure of electoral success — money.
Residents want to talk about Fresno’s divide and they want everyone to have a voice
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee is convening a dialogue about Fresno’s north-south divide with residents who live north and south of Shaw Avenue, the city’s historical dividing line.
CUSD, Clovis City Council hold joint meeting
Clovis Roundup
The City gave updates about current construction projects and future plans, while the district provided information about current events and expectations for Clovis schools.
Valley Public Radio Announces Alice Daniel As News Director
Valley Public Radio
Valley Public Radio’s interim President Joe Moore said Daniel is the right fit to lead the station’s journalism efforts. “Alice is a talented reporter and educator, who always finds a way to bring out something special or unexpected in her stories,” said Moore.
State:
California's voter registration has hit an all-time high
ABC30
California's voter registration has hit an all-time high ahead of the November election, with more than 19 million people on the voting rolls, Secretary of State Alex Padilla reported Tuesday.
See Also:
● California Sets Record As Voter Registration Tops 19 Million Capital Public Radio
● California voter registration hits all-time high of 19 million San Francisco Chronicle
● Record number of Californians ready to vote in midterm election Sacramento Bee
● Poll: One-third of voters don't know name of their party's congressional candidate TheHill
Video: Californians and Their Government
PPIC
As the November election approaches, Democrat Gavin Newsom has a 12 point lead over Republican John Cox in the race for governor. In the US Senate race, Dianne Feinstein leads fellow Democrat Kevin de León by 11 points. Half of likely voters see this election as more important than past midterms; most lean toward Democratic candidates in US House races.
PolitiFact California
John Cox is a Republican businessman who lives in San Diego. He is a candidate in the 2018 race for California governor.
Where Sen. Dianne Feinstein and state Sen. Kevin de Leon stand on the issues
Los Angeles Times
Early voting begins this week, and Californians will again choose between two Democrats to represent them in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is seeking a fifth full term in the Senate. State Sen. Kevin de León is challenging her from the left.
Trump can't stop calling out Gavin Newsom at rallies, and Gavin Newsom can't stop responding
San Franscisco Gate
California gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom appears to have become one of President Trump's go-to punching bags at campaign rallies.
As Experts Predict A Second 'Year Of The Woman,' Female Candidates In California Set Record
Capital Public Radio
In the first general election since the inauguration of President Trump, nearly one-third of the top two vote-receiving candidates across all statewide, federal, and legislative races in California are women.
Polls trending Democrats’ way in key California House races
San Francisco Chronicle
With just over a month to go before the Nov. 6 midterms, a flurry of polls and independent studies shows there’s movement going on in the California congressional races — and most of it favors the Democrats.
See also:
● The 15 House seats most likely to flip are almost all trending toward Democrats Washington Post
● Two California Republicans, poles apart on Trump's immigration stance, have their jobs on the line in midterm vote Los Angeles Times
● Vandals dress Democrat as a Nazi and deface Republican’s signs in California House race Sacramento Bee
● CA Democrats take a run at a GOP leader CALmatters
Pets, pot and privacy: 10 new California laws that could affect you
Sierra Star
California Gov. Jerry Brown has finished acting on all the bills on his desk, signing 1,016 of the 1,217 that came his way in 2018. Here are 10 that could have an affect on you.
See Also:
● Governor Brown Signs Flurry of Bills Capital Public Radio
● California lawmakers wrote 1,016 new laws this year. Here's some of what did and didn't make it Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers wrote 1,016 new laws this year. Here's some of what did and didn't make it
Los Angeles Times
Some of the new laws are momentous, others minuscule. Taken together, they are a grab bag of limitations and expectations on the personal and professional lives of Californians. Few residents will agree with all of them; some might not pass legal muster.
Brown paddles his canoe on left, then right
CALmatters
Four decades ago, during the early years of his first governorship, Jerry Brown described his “canoe theory” of politics.
California tests limits of state power
San Francisco Chronicle
California has long sought to lead the nation through what its legislators see as progressive regulations that curb corporate misbehavior. But pending challenges to two new laws show the limits of the state’s power, particularly when California’s measures seek to cross state lines.
DealBook Briefing: How Not to Increase Board Diversity
New York Times
The Golden State hopes to increase the number of women sitting on corporate boards by requiring companies based there to meet a quota for female directors. It’s a worthy goal, but Andrew worries that this is the wrong approach.
See also:
● Nearly 100 California companies have no women on their board of directors CBS News
Texas’ Ted Cruz says California ‘is hemorrhaging population’
Politifact
If bigger is better, are we talkin’ population or geographic area? The longstanding feud between California (larger population) and Texas (larger area) rages on.
EDITORIAL: To move California forward, vote for this team of statewide officials
Sacramento Bee
Voters have good and clear choices on Nov. 6, 2018 for statewide officials who will work with the next California governor.
Los Angeles Times
Voters should support him because he is the better choice to fill an important job that has a steep learning curve for newcomers.
Federal:
Envelopes suspected of containing ricin poison sent to president, defense secretary
ABC30
Two envelopes suspected of containing ricin poison, one addressed to Defense Secretary James Mattis, were identified in the Pentagon's Central Processing Center, according to a U.S. official.
See Also:
● Defense official: Packages sent to Pentagon tested positive for ricin Hanford Sentinel
In Mississippi, Trump mocks Ford’s claims against Kavanaugh
Sacramento Bee
President Donald Trump ignited a crowd at a campaign rally in Mississippi on Tuesday by mocking a woman who has claimed she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh decades ago.
See Also:
● Trump mocks Ford's claims about Kavanaugh at Mississippi rally Los Angeles Times
● Trump ridicules Ford’s testimony against Kavanaugh San Francisco Chronicle
FBI investigation of Kavanaugh leads to fresh acrimony as McConnell pushes for vote
Los Angeles Times
The FBI investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual assault generated new schisms among Republicans on Tuesday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pushed for a vote on the nomination this week.
See Also:
● McConnell Is in the Middle of Kavanaugh Fight The Wall Street Journal
● How TV cameras made that awful Kavanaugh Senate hearing even worse Modesto Bee
● How the Kavanaugh Allegations Are Rallying Conservatives Behind Trump The Atlantic
● Could Brett Kavanaugh be angry because maybe — just maybe — he has been wrongly accused? Los Angeles Times
● If Republicans want to lift the toxic cloud around Kavanaugh, they need to let the FBI do its job Los Angeles Times
● Anonymous accusation from Oceanside woman further roils Kavanaugh confirmation San Diego Union-Tribune
● Brett Kavanaugh: Real Issue Now Temperament? National Review
Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father
The New York Times
President Trump participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents, an investigation by The New York Times has found.
See Also:
● New York tax department reviewing reported allegations against Trump ABC30
● NYT investigation unearths new details about Trump’s early millions PBS NewsHour
● 11 Takeaways From The Times’s Investigation Into Trump’s Wealth The New York Times
● N.Y. tax agency weighs probe after report that Trump family built wealth through tax-avoidance schemes and fraud Washington Post
● New York Tax Department Probes Trump Taxes From Decades Ago Bloomberg
● Showtime to air documentary on NYT Trump tax story TheHill
● New York Times destroys Trump's $1 million origin story, WH doesn't deny Business Insider
● Trump engaged in fraud and dubious tax schemes as he inherited $413 million from his father, report says Los Angeles Times
Congress falls flat on election security as midterms near
TheHill
A key GOP senator predicted to The Hill last week that a bipartisan election security bill, seen as Congress's best chance of passing legislation on the issue, wouldn't pass before the midterms. And on Friday, House lawmakers left town for the campaign trail, ending any chance of clearing the legislation ahead of November.
It’s Baaaccck! Health Care Law Again Front and Center in Midterms
Roll Call
“There is no question that the No. 1 issue in this country right now is what are we doing to relieve the anxiety about increasing prices and the uncertainty as to whether or not you’ll be able to get insurance for your child who has cystic fibrosis or for your husband who has diabetes,” McCaskill said at a press conference this summer.
See Also:
● What’s Missing in the Health Care Debate? Roll Call
Campaign Wire: A Guide to the 2018 Midterm Elections
The Wall Street Journal
THE FUNDRAISING RACE ahead of the midterm election is in full sprint, and both Republicans and Democrats are boasting about their hauls. Several Democratic candidates raised more than $1 million in the third quarter—Josh Harder, a Democrat challenging Rep. Jeff Denham (R., Calif.) raised $3.5 million in the third quarter, according to the campaign.
Other:
Hey California quitters, your future neighbors wish you would stay home
Los Angeles Times
A report from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office earlier this year confirmed the obvious: People are leaving California. Between 2007 and 2016, we lost 6 million residents to domestic migration.
Companies Curb Their Political Spending
The Wall Street Journal
About 36% of the S&P 500, or 176 companies, have said they won’t engage in at least one form of spending on political activity, up from 32% a year ago and a quarter in 2015, the report found.
OPINION: The American Civil War, Part II
The New York Times
That’s why our generation’s civil war is so hard to bring to a truce. There’s the battle between those who feel the American dream has slipped from their grasp and those who can easily pass it on to their kids. There’s the one between rural small-town Americans and “globalized” city slickers, who, the small-town folks are sure, look down upon them.
How to Have Bullfights in California? Use Velcro.
The New York Times
Every year in the Central Valley, Portuguese-Americans bring bullfighters from overseas and put on huge festivals — but shed no blood.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
24 more people sickened in the second salmonella outbreak of the year linked to eggs
Fresno Bee
Tuesday’s update from the CDC on the salmonella outbreak connected to Gravel Ridge Farms showed another 24 people ill, bringing the number of sick to 38 in seven states.
Rain in the forecast worries Kern's late-harvest grape, nut growers
Bakersfield Californian
Nervous that early-season precipitation could bring mold and rot to still-unharvested nuts and grapes, some Kern County growers are weighing their options in case lingering moisture threatens to lower the quality and price of their crop.
More than 1 in 3 Americans eat fast food on a typical day, and we eat it all day long
Los Angeles Times
New survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 36.6% of us eat some kind of fast food on any given day.
Prop. 12: Vote yes on cage-free housing for hens
San Francisco Chronicle
The Farm Animal Confinement initiative is a reasonable ballot measure would prohibit the cruel factory farming practice of locking mother pigs, egg-laying hens and calves in cages so small they can barely move an inch for their entire lives.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Tulare DA hosts Rural Crime School
ABC30
Law enforcement members from around the state are in Tulare County this week, for a very specialized type of training. The Tulare County District Attorney's Office is hosting the Rural Crime School.
US on verge of breaking its own record for kids who've died in hot cars within a year
ABC30
The United States is on the verge of breaking its record for the number of children who died in hot cars within one year, the National Safety Council warned on Tuesday.
Catholic churches move to name molesting priests, but victims say it's too little, too late
Los Angeles Times
Victims often feel a double betrayal, he said — first by their abuser, and then by the church when it hides the abuse. So releasing priests’ names can alleviate some pain wrought by decades of clerical negligence, Romo said.
Public Safety:
California legislature passes laws for more police transparency
ABC30
A lack of transparency lies at the root of many recent protests and complaints surrounding the police. A new pair of laws signed in Sacramento hopes to mend that broken trust. It begins with the release of long, carefully guarded information.
See Also:
● New laws, new light on police misconduct Stockton Record
● Police shootings will get more public scrutiny as California opens access to investigations Sacramento Bee
● EDITORIAL: Jerry Brown launched the era of police secrecy. Forty years later, he is partially correcting that mistake Los Angeles Times
Putting a stop to crime 'virus' in the Central Valley
Visalia Times Delta
The goal of the program is to reduce gun and gang violence across California by networking existing local programs that target these crimes and providing additional tools, said U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott during a press conference held Monday in Fresno.
House passes bill allowing concealed carry across state lines
ABC News
The House of Representatives passed a controversial measure Wednesday that would allow gun owners with concealed carry permits from one state to carry them in other jurisdictions. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, one of the National Rifle Association's top legislative priorities, passed in a largely party-line vote, 231-198, sending the measure to the Senate.
Presidential alert test notification will be sent Wednesday
ABC30
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will test Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, Oct. 3.
See Also:
● Emergency alert test going out to mobile phones nationwide Los Angeles Times
● No Cellphone Left Behind: U.S. to Test ‘Presidential Alert’ System The Wall Street Journal
Facebook Hack Puts Thousands of Other Sites at Risk
New York Times
The impact could be significantly bigger since those stolen credentials could have been used to gain access to so many other sites. Companies that allow customers to log in with Facebook Connect are scrambling to figure out whether their own user accounts have been compromised.
The Atlantic
He was 8 years old, and the signs of abuse were obvious. Yet time and again, caseworkers from child-protective services failed to help him.
Big Fresno Fair carnival rides and food vendors go through inspections
ABC30
The Big Fresno Fair officially opens on Wednesday. Food vendors are settling in and crews are building the carnival rides. However, before the fair opens several inspections are done not only on the carnival rides but the food vendors as well as livestock.
Fire:
Hanford Fire Department to hold open house
Hanford Sentinel
Hanford Fire Department’s Station 1 is currently going through renovations, but that won’t stop firefighters from holding their annual open house event.
Is PG&E going too far in cutting trees for fire safety? A Sacramento group says yes
Sacramento Bee
Criticized for its role in several catastrophic California wildfires, state utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric is on a mission to clear trees near power lines that could topple and hit lines causing fires. But is the giant utility going too far? A group of Sacramentans is saying yes.
California’s Worsening Wildfire Conditions Putting Firefighters At Risk
Valley Public Radio
September is over, and that used to signal the end of wildfire season. But as 2017’s massive Thomas Fire showed us, wildfires in California can rage on well into December.
Cal Fire Announces $155 Million In Grants To Reduce Wildfire Risk
Capital Public Radio
New grants and workshops from Cal Fire aim to reduce the risk of wildfires to communities in and near forested areas.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Women in Business: Cora Shipley, Old Town Clovis Business Owner
Clovis RoundUp
Omall Business Month. All month long we will be featuring local female business leaders to celebrate their success and contributions to the community. First up is Cora Shipley.
Where does the American middle class live?
Brookings
In a new analysis and interactive dashboard, Alan Berube examines patterns of growth and decline among the American middle class and the local factors that shape them across 382 metropolitan areas.
5 things to know about USMCA, the new NAFTA
Brookings
Geoffrey Gertz discusses how the new trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico differs from its original version, the impact on U.S. interests in the long term, and the long road ahead to implementing the agreement.
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell Says Tax Cuts, Spending Increases Could Hobble Response to a Downturn
The Wall Street Journal
Recent federal tax cuts and spending increases could limit the U.S. government’s ability to combat a future economic downturn, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday.
See also:
Federal Reserve chair: Labor market is not at risk of overheating L.A. Biz
Jobs:
Amazon warehouse workers hail uptick to $15 hourly wage. City of Fresno loves it, too
Fresno Bee
Amazon’s announcement it will raise the minimum wage for all employees to $15 an hour sent a wave of excitement into the ranks of those working at the company’s fulfillment center in Fresno, CA.
See Also:
● Amazon to raise wages for more than 350,000 employees ABC30
● Amazon's $15 minimum wage gives a lift to California's vast warehouse region Los Angeles Times
● Amazon and Whole Foods are boosting workers’ pay San Francisco Chronicle
● Amazon’s Wage Increase Adds Pressure for Employers to Boost Pay The Wall Street Journal
Recode
That implies a driver working 40 hours per week would make an annual salary of almost $31,000 before vehicle expenses, and about $20,000 after expenses (but still before taxes). That’s below the poverty thresholdfor a family of three.
California Clears Way for Legal Sidewalk Vending
Public CEO
Senate Bill 946 Limits Cities’ Abilities to Regulate Street Vending, Tosses Criminal Penalties.
EDUCATION
Student state test scores are out. See how your school and neighborhood did
Fresno Bee
Central San Joaquin Valley students and schools received their state testing scores Tuesday, with most local districts showing gains, particularly over the last three years.
See Also:
● Test scores stalled for SJ students Stockton Record
● Small rise in California’s math and reading scores in 2018 EdSource
● California’s test scores are so stagnant, it could take a generation to close the achievement gap CALmatters
● California test scores have barely improved. What to do about it is hotly debated Los Angeles Times
● To close California’s achievement gap, spend a lot more on preschool CALmatters
How A Law On Lead In School Drinking Water May Not Go Far Enough
Valley Public Radio
In January of this year, a state law went into effect that requires public schools throughout California to test their drinking water for lead by July of 2019.
Fresno County students take part in National Manufacturing Day
ABC30
Tuesday Morning a small group of Sunnyside High School Ag engineering program students toured the Duncan Enterprises manufacturing facility in East Central Fresno.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Climate Change Is Forcing the Insurance Industry to Recalculate
The Wall Street Journal
The effects of the planet’s slow heating are diffuse. Predictions of the fallout are imprecise, and the drivers are debated. But faced with the prospect of a warming planet, the world of business and finance is starting to put a price on climate change.
Floods. Wildfires. Yet Few Candidates Are Running on Climate Change.
New York Times
In an election year that has included alarming portents of global warming — record wildfires in the West, 500-year floods in the East, a president walking away from a global climate accord — the one place that climate change rarely appears at all is in the campaigns of candidates for the House and Senate.
Energy:
How fighting climate change will raise California gas prices even higher
Sacramento Bee
Last year the California Legislature raised gasoline taxes by 12 cents a gallon, and conservatives were so outraged they launched an effort to repeal it at the ballot box. Proposition 6 comes up for a vote in November.
An Additional Fund for Solar Power
The New York Times
With a measure signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the state has made a new commitment of $800 million for clean-energy technologies including home storage. The goal is to capture electricity generated by solar panels during daylight hours to help keep the lights on after the sun goes down.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Public Health announces flu clinic schedule
Hanford Sentinel
The Kings County Health Department wants to make sure that everyone gets their flu shots this year.
See also:
Kern Public Health to offer low-cost, free flu shots Bakersfield Californian
Covered California kicks off plan renewal period for 2019
Bakersfield Californian
People who currently have health coverage under Covered California can now renew their health plans for next year.
Veterans Take State To Court Over California Aid-In-Dying Law
Capital Public Radio
Residents of live-in veterans facilities in Yountville want the right to use California’s End of Life Option Act while staying in the homes. They filed a lawsuit against the state department of veterans’ affairs Tuesday.
Human Services:
Mental health facility opening up in Southeast Fresno
ABC30
For families dealing with a mental health crisis, an option to hospitalization or incarceration is a welcome one. A new treatment center in Southeast Fresno will offer crisis intervention as well as a place for people to stay.
Tulare Regional Medical Center to reopen October 15 after nearly one year closure due to bankruptcy
ABC30
The doors of Tulare Regional Medical Center will reopen to patients on Monday, October 15 after Tulare Local Healthcare District and Adventist Health agreed to lease terms.
Almost 1 in 11 students has vaped cannabis, report says
The Business Journal
Health experts say this finding adds to evidence that a growing vaping trend is affecting kids' developing brains and acting as a gateway to other drugs.
One man’s quest to prevent drug abuse
CALmatters
The history: On Oct. 26, 2003, a Mercedes driven by a woman who got prescription pills from six different physicians jumped a sidewalk and killed Pack’s children, Troy, 10, and Alana, 7, and injured his wife, Carmen.
See also:
● Reduced opioid marketing could limit prescribing information for physicians AEI
Federal proposal threatens CA’s progress reducing teen pregnancy
CALmatters
If implemented, these regulations would create barriers to time-sensitive family planning services for low-income patients.
Denti-Cal ‘Remains a Seriously Troubled Program’, Commission Report Finds
Capital Public Radio
The Department of Health Care Services has made improvements to the Medicaid dental program in recent years, but an independent commission says the changes don’t go far enough.
Valley Children's opens 2nd Bakersfield clinic
The Business Journal
Valley Children’s Medical Group has expanded its care in Kern County with the opening of their second clinic in the City of Bakersfield.
State-of-the-art Veterans Affairs clinic coming to Bakersfield
Bakersfield Californian
After years of delays, local military veterans and their families learned Tuesday the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic on Westwind Drive in Bakersfield will be replaced with a new $40 million, state-of-the-art facility.
Jobs overseeing Social Security and Medicare's financial health have sat empty for 3 years
Los Angeles Times
Key posts overseeing the financial health of Social Security and Medicare have been vacant for more than three years, leaving the programs without independent accountability in the face of dire predictions about approaching insolvency.
Senate Republican tax plan hurts the poor while cutting taxes for the rich, CBO finds
AOL News
The CBO found that negative impact for Americans earning less than $30,000 a year begin as soon as 2019. According to the report, that’s because the Senate Republican tax plan would eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate — a move the CBO says would raise premiums by 10% a year and cause the poor to be unable to afford insurance.
Why some people are worried about drug patent protections in the new NAFTA
Marketplace
That's because one piece of the deal gives years of extended patent protection to high-end, expensive drugs known as biologics. That means the trade deal could delay the time it takes for cheaper generics to get to market.
IMMIGRATION
Tulare County officials review ICE access in 2017 at public meeting
ABC30
The group called ICE Out of Tulare County has made their message clear. They want local law enforcement to be upfront about their interactions with ICE, and abide by state immigration laws, such as The Truth Act, which requires that they provide inmates with certain paperwork if ICE wants to talk to them.
Nooses in cells, rotting teeth — report details harsh conditions at Adelanto immigration facility
Los Angeles Times
A Nicaraguan man who was detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center died in March 2017 after he was found hanging in his cell from his bedsheets. Not long after, two other detainees also used sheets in an attempt to hang themselves.
See also:
Federal investigators find many failures in Trump's family separation policy Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: Sending migrant kids to Trump's tent city is atrocious. So is the Congressional cowardice that got us here Los Angeles Times
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
KHSD set to break ground this week on pool facility
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern High School District has announced that it will be starting construction on an Olympic-size, 27-lane pool facility just north of Independence High School. The district will start construction on Thursday as part of a groundbreaking ceremony.
More Museums Are Popping Up, Annoying Their Neighbors
New York Times
Museums offer information, cultural awareness, a high-toned meeting place and personal enlightenment. But for the people who live or work near them, they can also bring noise and traffic congestion and can become a sinkhole for public money.
This City Wants to Reverse Segregation by Reviving Neighborhoods
PEW Trusts
Should cities invest in neighborhoods with the greatest need, or those likely to prosper?
Housing:
It's expensive to be a tenant in California. Will Prop 10's rent control expansion help?
Los Angeles Times
In less than five weeks, California voters will decide on Proposition 10, a ballot initiative that would allow cities and counties across the state to expand rent control.
PUBLIC FINANCES
State Fiscal Health Index: August 2018
LAO
Bottom Line: Little change from July. Economic conditions continue to be consistent with historically strong state revenues. Conditions have improved consistently over the past year.
California’s war against Trump is costing taxpayers millions
Modesto Bee
California has sued the Trump administration 44 times since President Donald Trump took office, on health care, immigration and the environment. Costs to sue the federal government have more than tripled.
Thousands in wages owed by this popular Clovis restaurant, workers say
Fresno Bee
The abrupt closure of REV’S restaurant in Clovis has left a bad taste in the mouths of several of its servers who say they are owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages, tips and overtime.
TRANSPORTATION
California DMV warns customers about private websites charging unnecessary fees
Fresno Bee
California’s DMV says websites are charging customers applying for driver licenses and IDs with bogus fees. The DMV said the websites might include a disclaimer saying they’re not official government sites.
See Also:
● DMV warns Californians to stay away from unofficial fee-charging websites San Francisco Chronicle
Carbon costs to drive California gas prices higher
The Sacramento Bee
Now, with considerably less fanfare, the state’s air-pollution agency has enacted a regulation that will raise gas prices as much as 36 cents a gallon by 2030 – and diesel by 44 cents. Californians already pay an average $3.73 a gallon for gas, or 85 cents above the national average.
See also:
● The U.S. is cutting carbon emissions despite Trump policy Marketplace
Direct flights to Dallas beginning at Meadows Field in March
Bakersfield Californian
Direct flights to Dallas from Meadows Field have been announced by Kern County Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Alsop.
Los Angeles Times
California’s transportation agency will remove a website address from roadside construction signs that proponents of Proposition 6 say are an improper use of taxpayer resources to campaign against the gas-tax repeal initiative, officials said Tuesday.
Auto provisions were a major U.S. focus in revamping NAFTA, but analysts say the changes will have modest impact
Los Angeles Times
Negotiators from the U.S. focused much of their effort in reworking the North American Free Trade Agreement on provisions affecting auto manufacturing, touting the final deal with Canada and Mexico as a boon to domestic carmakers and their employees.
Lawmakers to airlines: Stop squeezing seats
San Francisco Chronicle
Last week, lawmakers in the House passed a bill that addresses some of the biggest quality-of-life issues related to air travel, including rules to keep seats from getting smaller, a ban on bumping passengers after they’ve already boarded the plane, and an overdue rule that clearly bans talking on a cell phone during the flight.
WATER
Of course some well permits should require impact studies, others not so much
Modesto Bee
The common assumption that you can pump all the water you want from beneath your property ignores hydrologic reality and has allowed a legal theft of groundwater from many neighbors.
First rains in more than five months. Any more in our future?
Fresno Bee
Rain started falling around California’s central San Joaquin Valley on Tuesday morning, Oct. 2, 2018, making roads slick.
“Xtra”
Everything’s looking up at The Big Fresno Fair
Fresno Bee
The Big Fresno Fair is set to begin a 12-day run Wednesday with new attractions including a “Tractor Tree” sculpture.
Dozens of Valley veterans take off for Washington D.C. on the 17th Central Valley Honor Flight
ABC30
68 Valley veterans got a heroes departure Monday morning, as they made their way through the Fresno Yosemite International Airport and onto the 17th Central Valley Honor Flight.
See Also:
● These 8 Visalia and Tulare veterans are heroes Visalia Times-Delta
Celebrity Chef hopes to bring new life to Downtown Fresno
ABC30
You may recognize him from the fierce "Top Chef" competition or serving up a food rush on ABC's Live Well Network. And soon we may be able to call celebrity chef Ryan Scott a Downtown Fresno business owner.
This downtown corner keeps sprouting new restaurants. Here’s the latest on where you can eat
Fresno Bee
Call it Renoir Corner. Or the corner of Fulton and Mariposa streets. But lately, plenty of people are calling it a place to eat lunch. The corner is fast becoming a little hub of restaurants since Fulton Street reopened to cars.
Oktoberfest returns
Hanford Sentinel
It’s October, meaning not only the resurgence of pumpkin spice lattes, but perhaps the much more anticipated return of the Hanford Police K-9 Foundation’s Oktoberfest craft beer fundraiser.
Let patriotism bloom by aiding local knitting guild with veterans red poppy project
Bakersfield Californian
The local knitting guild is at it again, lending their talents to a good cause and asking for the community to join its efforts.
Fair sees slight decrease in attendance
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Fair saw a slight decrease in attendance compared to last year.