POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
High-Speed Rail CEO: People Will Ask How They Lived Without It
GV Wire
First, HSR needs to build its initial segment, from Bakersfield to Merced through Fresno. Kelly anticipates that to be completed by 2026. Kelly is not worried that the train will be outdated when the project is completed.âI have no fear of that. I know there is a lot of technology in transportation, like autonomous vehicles,â Kelly said following a speech to the Maddy Institute.
Cannellaâs parting shot: Fixing CEQA a life-or-death issue
Modesto Bee
Anthony Cannella used his last two minutes on the California Senate floor to make the case for bringing sanity to CEQA. He considers it nothing less than a matter of life or death.
Whatâs a real town hall? Denham and Harder quarrel persists
Modesto Bee
Transparency is at the heart of a bitter dispute between Republican Jeff Denham and Democrat Josh Harder.
Justin Mendes endorsed by farm bureaus
Hanford Sentinel
Last week, Justin Mendes received the endorsement of the Kern County Farm Bureau. On Tuesday, he was officially endorsed by the Kings County Farm Bureau, successfully earning endorsements from both farm bureaus in his district.
Tulare councilman refuses to turn in economic interest form
Visalia Times-Delta
A Tulare councilman could be in hot water with a state agency tasked with tracking public officials and their conflicts of interest.
Supervisor David Couch announces new office hours in Delano, Shafter and Lamont
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County Supervisor David Couch has announced new office hours in the cities of Delano and Shafter.
EDITORIAL: Jim Costa has the experience and desire to return bipartisanship to Washington, D.C.
Fresno Bee
Incumbent Jim Costa has the experience needed to return to Congress in the 16th District. Challenger Elizabeth Heng has potential for a strong career, but needs more experience.
See Also:
State:
CA DMV registration shows unusual spike in âno partyâ voters
The Fresno Bee
Nearly a million voters registered through Motor Voter between April 23 and Aug. 3. The majority of them were listed with no party preference, including 182,000 new voters, 101,000 who had previously been Democrats, 56,000 who had previously been Republicans and 112,000 who already were no party preference voters.
Newsom, Feinstein have single-digit lead in new poll
The Sacramento Bee
While the statewide poll from Probolsky Research showed Newsom leading with 44 percent of respondents, his Republican opponent John Cox had 39 percent support; a further 17 percent of those polled were unsure whom they would support.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Why Newsom, Feinstein need to accept debates San Diego Union-Tribune
OPINION: To weed through California candidates, here are two key questions to ask
The Modesto Bee
It is in this vein that I encourage my fellow voters to look beyond initial ideas, and seek answers to two important and interdependent questions: What are the candidateâs core values? And what is their world view?
See also:
How eight elite San Francisco families funded Gavin Newsomâs political Los Angeles Times
PolitiFact statements about The 2018 California Governor's Race PolitiFact
California voters can prepare for the election deluge. Hereâs how
The Modesto Bee
Knowing whatâs coming is the first step in managing your participation and ensuring you donât get turned off. Donât wait for your mailbox or Twitter feed to fill up with campaign ads before you get informed about the issues and candidates.
See also:
Every voter must know these things Bakersfield Californian
Barack Obama speaks at Democratic rally in Anaheim, says midterms chance at political 'sanity'
ABC30
Barack Obama jumped back into campaign mode with a visit to Orange County, a once-solid Republican stronghold.
See Also:
Obama, on campaign swing, urges âsanity in our politicsâ Modesto Bee
Obama fires up crowd of Democratic activists with campaign stump speech Los Angeles Times
Obama implores Californians to rise up against âanger and divisionâ of Trump and GOP Los Angeles Times
Sacramento Bee
California is seeing an unusual uptick in voters registered without a party preference through the stateâs new Motor Voterprogram.
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Jerry Brown is likely to soon sign a bill that attempts to cancel a $331-million court ruling against the state, legislation that looks a lot like two branches of Californiaâs government telling the third to take a hike.
See also:
The California Legislature adjourned for 2018, and we've got a breakdown of some of the biggest last-minute debates on police accountability and wildfire prevention  Los Angeles Times
Jerry Brown's second governorship unmasked the irreverent iconoclast's inner traditionalist
Los Angeles Times
The spirit of the self-proclaimed troublemaker has remained constant across the decades â a radical traditionalist, with a sentimental attachment to the state.
Two newly enacted laws allow Californians to legally change their gender
Los Angeles Times
Two new laws allowing Californians to legally change their gender went into effect over the Labor Day weekend, simplifying the process of obtaining state-issued documents and court orders for the identity designation.
Hunter defense involving prosecutors at Clinton fundraiser likely a non-starter, experts say
San Diego Union-Tribune
With midterm elections approaching and Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter staring down fraudulent campaign spending charges, he and his attorney are attacking the criminal prosecution as being politically motivated.
Walters: Once again, most 'job killer' bills rejected
CALmatters
The just-ended biennial session of the California Legislature was arguably the most liberal in California.
COMMENTARY: Jerry Brownâs judges
CALmatters
In recent months, attention has focused on the vacancy on the California Supreme Court, a fourth appointment that will give Brown a majority on the seven-member court. But arguably, his broader, long-lasting impact will be in dozens of courtrooms across the stateâa system with more than twice the number of judges as the entire federal judiciary.
âThe Browns of Californiaâ
Miriam Pawel
Young people are often surprised to learn that California elected only four Democratic governors in the 20th century. Only two completed more than one term; both were named Brown, and one begat the other. Miriam Pawelâs new book, âThe Browns of California,â features those two governors along with their ancestors, spouses, siblings, allies and adversaries.
Federal:
Dianne Feinstein says Kavanaugh views Trump as an 'oligarch' who is above the law
Los Angeles Times
Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Sunday accused President Trump of holding himself âabove the law,â and warned that Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Trumpâs Supreme Court nominee, viewed the president as an âoligarchâ who cannot be investigated or tried for crimes.
See Also:
Kavanaugh superbly qualified for Supreme Court San Francisco Chronicle
Dianne Feinstein defends âpoliteâ approach to Kavanaugh The Sacramento Bee
Analysis: Harris, Feinstein play to different Democratic Parties
San Francisco Chronicle
The difference between Californiaâs two Democratic senators was evident when Sen. Chuck Grassley was only 13 words into his introduction to the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Pence denies claim that Cabinet members talked of invoking 25th Amendment to remove Trump
Los Angeles Times
Vice President Mike Pence might have the most to gain from a premature end to Donald Trumpâs presidency, but in an interview aired Sunday, he forcefully denied engaging in any discussion about invoking the 25th Amendment to eject Trump from office.
Trump wants to toughen the nation's libel laws. Here's why he isn't likely to succeed
Los Angeles Times
Changing our libel laws is easier said than done and, upon reflection, Trump might not want to push for change. Neither the president nor Congress can easily change defamation laws, and Trumpâs own inflammatory rhetoric would most certainly be a casualty were libel laws toughened.
Los Angeles Times
Former President Obama didnât mince words denouncing âthe politics of divisionâ during a South Africa speech in July.
AP FACT CHECK: Trump's not-so-strong Medicare, economy myths
AP News
Eager to dismiss his critics, President Donald Trump is fabricating the circumstances regarding jobs, the economy and the social safety net.
Trump Says Heâs Preparing Tariffs on Further $267 Billion in Chinese Imports
The Wall Street Journal
President Trump said Friday that tariffs on another $267 billion in Chinese goods are ready to go and could be rolled out on short notice, reinforcing earlier threats and signaling no end in sight for the growing trade dispute.
See Also:
Chinaâs Trade Surplus With U.S. Hits New Record The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post
Republicans are only defending nine of the 35 Senate seats up in November. They have to play far less defense than the Democrats. Second, many of the most competitive Democratic-held seats are in states Trump won easily in 2016: West Virginia by 42 points; North Dakota by 36 points; Montana by 20 points; Indiana and Missouri each by 19 points.
WSJ
Democrats need to pick up about two dozen seats to capture the House, as the 2018 battlefield moves to the suburbs
PODCAST: Anti-Trump Fervor Puts Senate in Play
Roll Call
Democrats "definitely have a chance to win the Senate,'' election analyst Nathan Gonzales tells CQ on Congress. He maps out where Democrats can pick up Senate seats in the midterm elections as well as which races they are most likely to lose.
Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections: An Overview
Congressional Research Service
Conventional wisdom holds that the federal government plays relatively little role in U.S. campaigns and elections.
How Donald Trump could tweet his way out of a 25th Amendment challenge
Brookings
In light of this weekâs anonymous New York Times op-ed claiming that senior White House officials had considered removing Trump from office, John Hudak explains why the Constitutionâs 25th Amendment is not a viable avenue for ousting an erratic president, nor is impeachment likely to be a politically realistic option anytime soon.
The warning signs for Republicans ahead of the 2018 midterm elections
Axios
The punditocracy is being cautious about 2018 because it has fresh memories of how humiliating it felt to wake up on Nov. 9, 2016, with Donald Trump as president.
Other:
EDITORIAL: Answering frequently asked questions about The Beeâs coverage of politics
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee is dedicated to providing its audience with thorough, accurate, fair and complete coverage of local issues. Political coverage is a key component of our work, and itâs frequently under scrutiny in a hyper-partisan political environment.
Want peace and quiet? Move to a totalitarian country, where silence reigns
Fresno Bee
These days everyone is screaming at everyone else. It would be better if we yelled less and listened more. But all this racket is preferable to the silence of an authoritarian society where such protests are not allowed.
A Senate Barnburner in Farm Country
The Wall Street Journal
For a red-state Republican in a tight election, these rolling visits are the arrival of the cavalry. Mr. Cramer is asking voters to promote him to the Senate this fall, and his success will be pivotal if the GOP is to keep majority control.
Nonbelievers Seek Political Power to Match Their Growing Numbers
The Wall Street Journal
A coalition has kicked off a national voter-registration drive for ânonesâ ahead of the midterms
OPINION: Fake news is about to get so much more dangerous
The Washington Post
âDeep fakeâ video will be able to show people saying, with the authentic ring of their own voices, things they never said. It will show them doing things they never did, by melding their images with other video or creating new images of them from scratch.
Veterans donât get to decide what ârespecting the flagâ means
The Washington Post
If kneeling for the anthem and the flag is a direct offense toward the military, that means veterans have a stronger claim to these symbols than Americans in general do.Yet the flag is not a symbol reserved for the military. It is a symbol of the United States of America, and it belongs equally to all citizens, including Americans who kneel during the anthem.
Why we donât prepare for the future
Washington Post
Thatâs what I wrote more than 20âyears ago. Americans would solve their most pressing problems through either consensus or crisis.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Celebrate agriculture at a new venue
Madera Tribune
The occasion is the 25th anniversary of Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts, a competition and exhibition that started in 1994 with a grant from the California Arts Council.
Calaveras to repay some fees paid by pot growers
Stockton Record
Calaveras County announced Thursday that it will be repaying some renewal fees paid by commercial cannabis growers.
Convenience shops go healthy as millennials choose wellness
Sacramento Bee
A new crop of niche stores aimed at millennials who can afford to pay more are featuring gluten-free and organic food as their staple products.
For many, time is money â but does that include farmworkers?
San Francisco Chronicle
âToday, in the agricultural hub of Central California, farmers tell me theyâre paying $30 per hour to pick tomatoes and $40 per hour to pick melons. On the coast, theyâre paying $60 per hour to pick avocados. They still canât find enough workers.â
Rosedale school district beefs up lunch program
Bakersfield Californian
The district is making some significant changes to its meal program, including partnering with the Kern High School District to provide fresher meals to students. Since the start of the new school year, KHSD has been making the food and delivering it to the schools.
Closing argument on farm bill: Work requirements in SNAP will reduce poverty
AEI
There is a pervasive attitude within government assistance programs that helping recipients find work is not their job, but such an attitude only keeps the poor trapped in a cycle of poverty. Work requirements can change that.
See also:
The Farm Billâs Threat to Food Security The Atlantic
How digital technology is cutting food waste, hunger, and emissions
Brookings
Direct sales from farms to retailers using mobile platforms and farmers cell phones in remote areas in India bring supply costs down by 15 to 25 percent. By linking farmers to markets and significantly reducing carbon emissions, digital platforms are increasingly interesting for commercial banks and international finance institutions.
Marijuana-Research Applications Go Nowhere at Justice Department
WSJ
Sessions is longtime critic of pot use, though he has voiced support for research on drug
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
What prosecutors think about California's changing criminal justice laws
YourCentralValley
Fresno County Assistant District Attorney Steve Wright sits down to discuss recent changes to bail reform, pre-trial diversion and the felony murder law.
Who will defend, prosecute Golden State Killer suspect? These lawyers are on the case
Sacramento Bee
The names earned over the decades â the East Area Rapist, the Visalia Ransacker, the Original Night Stalker, the Golden State Killer â finally had a face. And, for the attorneys involved, it promises to be the biggest case of their careers.
California has ended money bail. Who will bail out the industry?
Los Angeles Times
Under the glare of neon signs and unforgiving fluorescent office lights, bail agents are spending time processing a new California law signed just days ago by Gov. Jerry Brown that could decimate their industry.
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County prosecutors could soon be reviewing hundreds if not thousands of cases if a bill seeking to reverse California's felony murder rule is signed into law.
In commuting 20 murder convictsâ sentences, California governor draws praise, condemnation
The Washington Post
Brown has handed out more than 1,100 pardons benefiting a wide array of individuals, including those convicted of dealing drugs, driving while intoxicated and forgery. The tally is staggeringly greater than the totals of his immediate predecessors. Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger granted 15 pardons, and Democrat Gray Davis ended with zero.
Public Safety:
This is where California needs to catch up on gun safety
Sacramento Bee
Generally, when it comes to gun safety, California leads the nation. We require criminal background checks on every gun sale, and we were one of the first states to adopt a strong âred flagâ law that allows family members and police to seek a court order temporarily blocking someone from having guns if they show signs of violence.
Sanger law enforcement prepare for the worst through active shooter drills
ABC30
It's a call no police department ever wants to get. But it's one they have to prepare for--an active shooter on a school's campus.
Surcharge To Boost 911 System Fails To Clear California Legislature
The Los Angeles Times
A new surcharge on landlines, cellphones and data plans meant to bolster 911 operations sputtered in the Legislature on Friday, even as lawmakers cited the need for an improved system in the wake of the stateâs deadly wildfires.
California Tries New Tack on Gun Violence: Ammunition Control
The New York Times
Gun control advocates here have pushed to limit internet sales, ban large-capacity magazines, require sellers to have licenses, raise taxes on bullets, and mandate serial numbers or other traceable markings on ammunition so that the police can more easily track them.
Fire:
California wildfires: What new fires are burning and where are they?
Fresno Bee
A new round of CA wildfires includes the Delta, North, Snell and Sliger fires as work continues to fully extinguish earlier fires including the Mendocino Complex fires.
New tech upgrades to assist firefighters in future wildfires
ABC30
The next two months can be the most dangerous during fire season so a record year is not out of the question. Attacks from the air will get an upgrade. Cal Fire is set to replace its aging fleet of 12 Vietnam era Huey helicopters with Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.
Wildfire threat keeps California highway closed Sunday
Sacramento Bee
A highway running the length of California remained closed for a fifth day Sunday near the Oregon border as a wildfire smothered rural forestlands in smoke and flame.
See Also:
I-5 remains closed as Delta fire continues to grow in Northern California Los Angeles Times
Firefighters battle to gain on Northern California blazes San Francisco Chronicle
Hold property owners accountable for their contributions to wildfires
San Francisco Chronicle
We depend on all property owners to manage these materials to prevent small local fires from becoming conflagrations. If one property filled with dead wood and leaves burns, it is much more likely that the neighborâs property will burn.
California Approves Measures To Pass On Wildfire Costs
Fox Business
The California Legislature voted Friday to allow power companies to raise electric bills to cover the cost of lawsuits from last year's deadly wildfires amid fears that Pacific Gas & Electric Co., would otherwise face financial ruin.
The New York Review of Books
By the end of June, three times as much land had already burned in California as burned in the first half of 2017, which was the stateâs worst fire year ever." How did this happen? William Finnegan reviewed three books about wildfires, our increasingly flammable world, and what can be done to forestall "catastrophic overheating."
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
What impact will e-commerce warehouses have on our air and roads?
Bakersfield Californian
Reader: How can you report the news about Tejon Ranch's wonderful new L'Oreal distribution center?
Trump: Apple should move production to US to avoid higher prices because of tariffs
ABC30
President Trump acknowledged on Twitter that Apple prices could go up as a result of the "massive tariffs" he's proposing on China, but rather than accepting blame for a potential hike on popular consumer items, he said the company should move production to U.S. shores.
The economy is booming. But are Americans ready for the next recession?
Los Angeles Times
A decade after the financial crisis, many households are no more prepared for an economic downturn today than they were then. And though thereâs less risky lending in some areas, new worries have emerged.
Wages Are Growing Faster Than You Think, White House Says
The Wall Street Journal
White House economists say common measures of how much Americans earn have been undershooting the pace of compensation growth, both during President Trumpâs time in office and his predecessorâs.
Trump trillion-dollar-plus deficits are putting America on a path to fiscal ruin
USA Today
Though no one in Washington will admit it, our nation's finances are in deep trouble. Spending is up, revenue is down, and this will only get worse.
U.S. Factory Sector Clocks Strongest Growth in 14 Years
The Wall Street Journal
The Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday said its manufacturing index rose to 61.3 in August, the highest level since May 2004, from 58.1 in July. Sales of factory-made products, or new orders, output and employment all grew at a faster pace in August.
Jobs:
Amazon's coming â but what kind of jobs will it bring?
Bakersfield Californian
For a community anxious to diversify its job base, news that one of the world's most valuable and innovative companies is coming to town sounded almost like an answer to prayer.
Annual Kings County Job Fair returns
Hanford Sentinel
Relief may just be one trip to the Civic Auditorium away for those seeking employment. The Kings County Job Fair Committeeâs annual job fair is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 13.
Minimum wage rise hasnât meant restaurant job losses
San Francisco Chronicle
How is the rising minimum wage impacting the restaurant industry? According to a new study, the answer is: not much.
See also:
The New Wave of Local Minimum Wage Policies: Evidence from Six Cities Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics
Strong Economy Drove Wages Higher in August as Hiring Heats Up The Wall Street Journal
California's New Contractor Test Will Impact The Gig Economy
San Francisco Business Times
As California employers grapple with the state high court's new misclassification test, they will need to review their current business relationships to ensure everyone is properly classified as either an employee or an independent contractor. Employers in the gig economy need to be particularly careful, as the new test could challenge their business models, which often rely heavily on contractors' work.
See Also:
Bottle & Barlow Barbers Quit Over State High Court's Ruling On Independent Contractors The Sacramento Bee
COMMENTARY: Hereâs how to grow jobs: Fight climate change
CALmatters
Clean economy jobs provide real opportunity across the employment spectrum for current and future workers in the state. By comparison, thereâs only one job thatâs on the rise due to escalating carbon emissions: firefighting.
Job-Market Boost in the Midterms? Evidence Suggests No
The Wall Street Journal
Republicans and Democrats are arguing about who gets credit for a strong job market that has sent the unemployment rate to lows rarely seen in the past half century. But it might not matter all that much for upcoming midterm elections because the jobless rate alone shows little connection to who wins and loses when voters go to the polls.
See also:
Workers with low levels of education still havenât recovered from the Great Recession
Brookings
Ten years ago this week, the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank sparked a financial crisis that would contribute to what is now considered the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression.
U.S. Worker Productivity Rose in Spring at Best Pace Since 2015
The Wall Street Journal
The productivity of nonfarm workers, measured as the output of goods and services for each hour on the job, increased at an annualized and seasonally adjusted rate of 2.9% in the second quarter from the prior three months, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the best quarterly growth rate since the first three months of 2015.
California Manufacturer To Move HQ, 40 Jobs To Central Texas
Austin Business Journal
AEND Industries Inc. plans to move its HQ from Huntington Beach, Calif., to Hutto in 2019. The company manufactures wheels for skateboards, long boards, scooters, wheelchairs, derby cars and other vehicles.
Gov't Spends $18 Billion On Jobs Programs, But Can't Tell If They Work
Investorâs Business Daily
Last week, The New York Times reported that one of the biggest and oldest federal job training programs â the $1.7 billion Job Corps â is failing those it's supposed to help.
See Also:
$1.7 Billion Federal Job Training Program Is âFailing the Studentsâ The New York Times
EDUCATION
K-12:
Would more money close our education gap?
Fresno Bee
Reading, math and other vital skills are especially lacking among Latino and black students, creating a long-standing âachievement gapâ that appears to be wider in California than elsewhere.
Atwater students developing work skills, one bouquet at a time
ABC30
Atwater High Students are learning how to run a business while working at a new school floral shop.
California bans for-profit charter schools
Mercury News
California has just kicked for-profit management companies out of the charter school business. A bill signed into law Friday afternoon prohibits companies from managing or running the state's taxpayer-funded, independently run charter schools
Deep In Red, Sacramento City School District's Budget Rejected By County. Cuts Are Coming.
The Sacramento Bee
For the first time, the county Office of Education has disapproved Sacramento City Unified School Districtâs budget for the fiscal year due to deficits. The district now has one month to file a revised budget for 2018-19, as announced during the districtâs Thursday night board meeting.
Rosedale school district beefs up lunch program
Bakersfield Californian
Students in the Rosedale Union School District may have noticed a few changes to their lunch menu this year.
Californiaâs pension crisis hits disadvantaged students the hardest
Orange County Register
As California prepares to spend $68 billion â $2.2 billion more than it spent last school year â to educate more than 6 million students in the 2018-2019 school year, funding intended for students, especially the neediest students, will continue to be diverted to pay for long-term debts.
As School Year Begins, California Ends Practice That Uprooted Migrant Students
Capital Public Radio
Many migrant families will be able to take advantage of a newly enacted exemption that allows migrant farmworkers with children to stay put for the duration of the school year. Up to half of subsidized migrant housing may now be allocated to farmworkers with families.
As kids go back to school, these are the education story lines experts are watching
Brookings
From school safety, to the midterm elections in November, to the possibility of more teacher strikes, there will be a lot of important developments to monitor over the coming months.
EDITORIAL: Why Brown must approve later school start times
San Diego Union-Tribune
The evidence that early school start times are horrible for middle and high school students is overwhelming and has been for decades.
Higher Ed:
California Teaching Fellows looking to hire more than 100 college level tutors
ABC30
Teaching Fellows is the largest youth employer in the Central Valley. They are staying true to that title, as they look to fill over 100 paid positions across the Central Valley. College students assist another grade K to 12, in the morning and after-school programs.
UC Merced wins grant to study tobacco, cannabis use
Madera Tribune
UC Merced has been awarded a $3.8 million grant to establish the UC Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC), positioning UC Merced and the San Joaquin Valley region as a center for the study of public health and policy matters related to tobacco and marijuana.
UC Merced Rises Nearly 30 Spots in U.S. News Rankings
University of California Merced
In just its 14th academic year, UC Merced took a major leap in U.S. News and World Reportâs Best Colleges rankings (released today) jumping 29 spots to No. 136 overall among National Universities and jumping 20 spots to No. 67 for Top Public Schools.
VFW post provides Army veteran with tools for learning at MJC
Modesto Bee
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3199 in Modesto, CA, has launched a program that provides a laptop computer and printer for a veteran or spouse attending Modesto Junior College.
East Bay college district embroiled in tumult over money, ethics as election nears
San Francisco Chronicle
It looks like a routine request of voters: a ballot proposal to extend the $48-per-parcel property tax that raises $8 million a year for the areaâs community colleges.
Don't apply to college until you read our guide to how U.S. News ranks schools
San Diego Union-Tribune
U.S. News & World Report will tell you that its annual rankings of the nationâs colleges and universities are extraordinarily insightful.
My turn: What the next governor should do for UC
CALmatters
As a professor at UC Berkeley for over 30 years, Iâve seen the University of Californiaâs life-changing impacts on studentsâmany of whom are the first in their family to attend college.
COMMENTARY: Extend community collegesâ 4-year degree program
CALmatters
The community college baccalaureate movement is reaching a crucial juncture in California. Two years after a limited number of community colleges began offering bachelorâs degrees in applied workforce preparation areas, a sunset provision is threatening to reverse the programâs success.
Today's College Students Aren't Who You Think They Are
NPR
So here's a snapshot of the 17 million Americans enrolled in undergraduate higher education, according to numbers culled by the National Center for Education Statistics.
Apprenticeships:
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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Tarantulas are appearing across the Central Coast. What does that mean for the rainy season?
Fresno Bee
This time of the year, most folks are yearning for the cold and rain of winter. It reminds me of the time frame between the end of February into the beginning of March where everyone canât wait for the sun and heat of summer.
How California and China are collaborating to fight climate change
Los Angeles Times
From Silicon Valley to its public universities, California is incubating the next generation of clean energy technologies.
New book 'Local Warming' ranks Bakersfield first in nation in 2011-2017 heat
Bakersfield Californian
From January through December, including unseasonably mild winters, scorching summers, and warm springs and autumns, the San Joaquin Valley's southernmost big city is warming rapidly.
Climate fight comes to SF with new resolve
San Francisco Chronicle
When President Trump announced last year that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, many feared that international momentum for tackling global warming would be lost.
See Also:
Angry activists plan to crash Jerry Brownâs SF climate summit San Francisco Chronicle
Jerry Brown to host summit with heavy hitters on climate CALmatters
EDITORIAL: A climate summit that bypasses a do-nothing president San Francisco Chronicle
Only the powerful get relief from environmental law
CALmatters
Cannellaâs point is that while Capitol politicians have eagerly granted special CEQA treatment to wealthy sports team owners, such as the Clippersâ Steve Ballmer, big corporations such as Facebook and megaproject developers, theyâve been unwilling to undertake a broader CEQA reform for more vital projects.
See Also:
How The War On Climate Change Slams The World's Poor The New York Post
The California Sun
The ground is literally sinking beneath our feet in California. Over more than a century, the stateâs inhabitants have sucked up vast quantities of water from underground basins to fill our drinking glasses and irrigate the Central Valleyâs croplands.
Thousands 'Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice' in San Francisco
NBC Bay Area
Thousands of activists marched Saturday morning in San Francisco in what organizers call "the largest climate march the West Coast has ever seen" to demand action against climate change from elected officials.
Californiansâ Views on Climate Change
PPIC
A majority of Californians say it is very important (54%) that the state is a world leader in fighting climate change; 24% say it is somewhat important. Democrats (67%) are much more likely than independents (48%) and Republicans (23%) to say it is very important.
Energy:
CCA 101: How does Community Choice Aggregation work? What you need to know
San Diego Union-Tribune
The name may sound clunky, but Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA, is one of the hottest energy topics in California and may upend the long-time relationship between utilities and customers.
Gov. Brown Signs Bill To Block Drilling Expansion
Capital Public Radio
Jerry Brown has signed legislation that would ban docks, pipelines or other onshore infrastructure needed to support new offshore drilling rigs.
Oil Market Turns Turbulent Heading Into Fall Season
The Wall Street Journal
Adding to pressures, the oil market is entering a season when demand typically weakens. Autumn is considered to be a so-called âquiet periodâ for oil, with prices often declining as the summer driving season ends and refineries shut for maintenance.
OPINION: 100% Certifiable California
The Wall Street Journal
Californiaâs power generation accounts for less than 0.2% of global CO2 emissions, so the mandate wonât matter to the climate. But green groups are hoping Californiaâs fossil-fuel purge will coax politicians elsewhere to follow.
See Also:
California wants 100% clean power by 2045. Wishful thinking? San Francisco Chronicle
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
California's stem cell bet: After 14 years and $3 billion, has it paid off?
San Francisco Chronicle
It was an extraordinary proposal: Approve a $3 billion bond measure to fund the science of stem cell therapy, and soon some of the worldâs cruelest diseases and most disabling injuries could be eradicated.
Market Effects of Adverse Regulatory Events: Evidence from Drug Relabeling
NBER
The FDA maintains post-approval safety surveillance programs to monitor the safety of drugs. As adverse events are reported, the FDA may choose to intervene and change the safety labeling associated with a drug.
Los Angeles Times
Like much of the rest of the nation, California went only halfway toward keeping its promise to improve mental health care.
Human Services:
Tulare's 9/11 blood drive is biggest in the Valley
Visalia Times-Delta
A remembrance ceremony and day-long blood drive will give Tulare residents a chance to observe the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America.
HHSA impostor posts 'racially charged hate speech' on social media
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare County Health and Human Services officials are warning the public of a man claiming to be an employee with the agency.
Valley Children's Hospital opens new pediatrics facility location in Clovis
ABC30
The new primary care practice is called Magnolia Pediatrics and is located on Herndon and Temperance Avenues. The 19,000 square foot complex will help increase access to medical care, for families in the Clovis and Fresno area.
Business groups sue SF over universal childcare measure on June ballot
San Francisco Examiner
The measure, which aims to subsidize early education by raising the gross receipts tax on commercial rents by 3.5 percent starting January 1, was narrowly approved by 50.87 percent of San Francisco voters in the June 5 special election. Once implemented, it is expected to generate some $150 million in revenue annually.
Liberal Health Care Group Launches Seven-Figure Campaign
Roll Call
âElection Day is around the corner, and every GOP incumbent who supported this reckless agenda will face a reckoning at the ballot box. Health Care Voters are mobilizing to make sure of it,â spokesman Tim Hogan said in a statement.
Cheap Custom-Made Versions of High-Cost Drugs Spur Backlash
The Wall Street Journal
The conflicts underscore a central challenge as policy makers, industry and the FDA itself seek to ease regulation and bolster competition to lower drug pricesâbalancing access to less-expensive drugs against safety concerns and legal protections for innovative medicines.
IMMIGRATION
Why most deported parents decline reunification with their children
Stockton Record
About two-thirds want their children to stay in the U.S. rather than reunite as a family in their homelands, saying itâs just too dangerous.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Modesto could look for alternate spots for homeless shelter
Modesto Bee
The Modesto City Council could direct the city manager to look for possible locations for a temporary homeless shelter while a permanent access center can be opened.
Enchanted Playhouse fails to pay rent, loses after âvagueâ bid
Visalia Times-Delta
Visalia City Council rejected a proposal from the Enchanted Playhouse Theater Company to purchase the Main Street Theatre.
Bakersfield tops off with more gas stations
Bakersfield Californian
Gasoline stations and their sidekicks â fast-food and convenience-stores â are the hot new development trend in Bakersfield, as investors make up for a recessionary lull in building what for many have become a central feature of daily life.
Road now clear for city to finish all TRIP projects
Bakersfield Californian
Work on the 24th Street Improvements project, which had been held up in court for years with a lawsuit, can also move forward now that the lawsuit has been won by the city.
Housing:
If youâre a renter, odds are youâre paying more. See just how much more
The Fresno Bee
The Census Bureau estimated that more than half of Fresno County renters paid at least 35 percent of their household income for rent. Among low-income households, however, the proportion of income spent on rent was almost 75 percent, according to the California Housing Partnership Coalition/Fresno Housing Authority report.
See also:
Sacramento Had State's Second Highest Rent Increase. But There's Good News For Tenants, Too The Sacramento Bee
UC Berkeley Professor Blames Rent Control For California's Housing Shortage San Francisco CURBED
Rent Control Could Change Dramatically As Millions Of Dollars Pour Into Proposition 10 Debate Capital Public Radio
Homes in rural enclaves offer stunning views â and severe fire risk. Should they be built?
Modesto Bee
As large wildfires ravage Northern California, all the blame shouldnât be placed on climate change and public utilities â weâre also building too many homes in the fire zones, experts say.
Governor Brown Signs Bill Giving Tenants More Time To Stave Off Eviction
San Francisco Business Times
State law maintains that tenants have three days to comply with lease terms or pay rent, and five days to respond to eviction proceedings. The new provision swaps calendar days to court days â no longer counting weekends and holidays in the respondentâs timeline.
Across much of Southern California, home prices are setting records. But the crunch still lingers for the Victor Valley
Los Angeles Times
Across much of Southern California, home prices are setting new records. But in inland stretches like the wind-swept Victor Valley, some 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, the lingering effects of the housing crash are more deeply felt.
See Also:
Have you rebounded? Track the recovery of home prices in Southern California Los Angeles Times
Californians Still Really Like Prop. 13. Except For The Big Parts They Donât Like.
Capital Public Radio
Since 1978, Prop. 13 has been blamed for everything from the poor performance of California public schools to a shortage of affordable homes to the perpetuation of racial inequality. In progressive quarters, the initiative has become a poster child for bad ballot-box policy.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Relax: Federal law wonât raise your California income tax
San Francisco Chronicle
Not surprisingly for a state of nonconformists, the Legislature adjourned Sept. 1 without conforming California state income taxes to any part of the Republican-crafted federal tax law passed in December.
Los Angeles Times
Small business owners could avoid a new federal limit on state and local tax deductions after the Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday that rules it released last month to prevent efforts in California and other states to circumvent the cap apply only to individuals.
Required vote for local tax increases in legal limbo
CALmatters
As dozens of local governments ask their voters for tax increases this year, the laws governing tax elections are in a state of legal flux. A test case on the vote requirements for local taxes involves a tax for childrenâs services approved by San Francisco voters in June.
At-risk House Republicans say no to new tax bill
Politico
The White House and GOP House leaders are pushing a second tax reform before the midterms.
TRANSPORTATION
City of Fresno issues cease-and-desist letter to Bird scooter company
Fresno Bee
The city of Fresno has issued a cease-and-desist letter for the Bird scooters left around the city last month. City officials said Bird Rides Inc. didnât approach the city to get the proper permission and licenses to operate here. Â
See Also:
As fatal truck crashes surge, U.S. government wonât make an easy fix.
Fresno Bee
Technology could be the key to preventing hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries annually from rear-end truck crashes. But federal regulators havenât acted to require these safety systems.
Valley residents eligible for up to $9,500 to replace high polluting vehicles
ABC30
The Valley Air District's 'Drive Clean in the San Joaquin' program launched a new vehicle replacement option, to replace 1999 or older high polluting vehicle for a newer, fuel-efficient powered vehicle, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicle.
Caltrans making repairs to Fresno area highways
ABC30
Caltrans crews are hard at work making repairs to Fresno County bridges thanks to a $3.1 million project to fix Valley highways. The safety improvements will take place on 28 bridges along Highways 41, 168 and 180.
A Scourge for California Drivers: Hours on a Sidewalk to Renew a License
The New York Times
They were lined up by the dozens clear down the street on a recent afternoon â hot and frustrated in the sun, trying to attend to the most routine (and unavoidable) encounters with local government: renewing a driverâs license.
EDITORIAL: It's audit time. California needs to hold its dysfunctional DMV accountable
Los Angeles Times
Not only has the deeply dysfunctional California Department of Motor Vehicles failed in its basic responsibility to process applications for new or renewed driverâs licenses and state identification cards in a timely manner, but the agency just revealed that it has bungled the stateâs new âmotor voterâ program as well.
WATER
Push For Drinking Water Tax Dies In The California Legislature
The Sacramento Bee
An effort to impose a âvoluntaryâ water tax on residents to pay for safe drinking water projects died in the Legislature on Friday. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said âa piecemeal funding approachâ to the problem âwonât work.â
Proposition 3: An $8.87 billion water and habitat bond
CALmatters
Proposition 3 will provide that water supply for people, agriculture, and our native fish and wildlife. Proposition 3 is a general obligation bond, and will not raise taxes. Some of its most important features include: Providing safe drinking water for disadvantaged people who lack clean water.
CALmatters
A legislative hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, a step toward extending State Water Project contracts for another 50 years.
âXtraâ
Best surfers in the world competing for World Surf League title in Lemoore
ABC30
The best surfers in the world are in the Central Valley, competing in the World Surf League championship.
See Also:
Fans take in first day at Surf Ranch Hanford Sentinel
The wall is done. Graffiti artists awarded for murals in downtown Modesto
Modesto Bee
Finishing touches were put on the wall of new murals created this weekend during the Fasm Creative Battle in downtown Modesto.
Intellectual and cultural achievers: the Bakersfield edition
Bakersfield Californian
The dominant narrative about Bakersfield is often inaccurate, and at the very least, incomplete. Thereâs a richer depth to the people that were born and nurtured here. Our history is full of fascinating and innovative individuals.
A century ago, a Sicilian immigrant carved a subterranean wonderland in the San Joaquin Valley
The California Sun
For 40 years he carried on, until what started as a cellar where he would seek refuge from the afternoon heat grew into a spectacular subterranean palace with passageways, living rooms, patios, a chapel, and a simple earthen home.
PHOTO GALLERY: CALM reopens its Coast Room
Bakersfield Californian
CALM Zoo's Coast Room exhibit re-opened Saturday after months-long closure for improvements. Two new aquariums opened, one for an octopus and the other for seahorses.
PHOTO GALLERY: Village Fest 2018 is Bakersfield's 'party of the year'
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Museum hosted Bakersfieldâs âparty of the yearâ on Saturday. Attendees of the annual Village Fest got to sample food from more than 30 eateries, most of them local. There also were more than 80 breweries and wineries on tap, along with music from more than a dozen bands.