September 10, 2020

10Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Merced County COVID-19 deaths hit 125. More aid for small businesses coming

Merced Sun-Star

Two additional Merced County residents died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the Merced County Department of Public Health reported on Wednesday. Total local fatalities now tally 125 since the coronavirus pandemic’s beginning.

Merced County meets step for reopening amid COVID-19. Will there be a Labor Day case surge?

Merced Sun-Star

The Merced County Department of Public Health on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of three additional residents due to the novel coronavirus since Labor Day weekend. The fatality count is now 123 since the pandemic started locally.

Placer health officer resigns in protest after supervisors lift COVID-19 state of emergency

Sacramento Bee

Placer County’s public health officer Dr. Aimee Sisson resigned Tuesday in protest over the county’s Board of Supervisors’ decision the same day to declare that the county no longer recognizes COVID-19 as an emergency.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno-area TV stations lost power amid Creek Fire. Here’s how they stayed on air

Fresno Bee

The transmitter that broadcasts Fresno-area channels KSEE24 and CBS47 lost power on Monday as the Creek Fire approached Meadow Lakes, according to KSEE general manager J.R. Jackson, but programming will not be affected.

City Council Returns from Summer Break

Clovis RoundUp

Back from summer break the Clovis City Council held their first meeting in more than a month.

Fresno Voices — How the city failed its Black residents, and the path forward

Fresno Bee

In Fresno, Black residents lag behind other races in all spheres of life — education, employment, economic participation, wealth, housing, health and even life expectancy. This is despite powerful efforts by individuals and community leaders.

See also: 

Fresno County DA Will Not File Charges for Breaking COVID-19 Regulations

KMJ Now

The Fresno County District Attorney declines to file any criminal charges against the Fresno County business recently cited by the state for failing to comply with COVID-19 mandated regulations.

Swearingen and McDonald: What inclusive economic recovery can look like – lessons from Fresno

CalMatters

Inclusive economic development catalyzes a diverse set of leaders to create a shared agenda that expands middle class opportunity.

South SJ Valley:

Kings County homelessness spikes 22%

Hanford Sentinel

A recently published report from the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance reveals homelessness in Kings and Tulare counties spiked 22% in the last year. Annually, the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance conducts a Point in Time count of individuals experiencing homelessness within Kings and Tulare counties. 

KHSD board hears about allegations of sexual harassment, assault at Ridgeview

Bakersfield Californian

Kern High School District trustees heard but took no action on an item Tuesday night that asked the board to reconsider the district’s sexual harassment policies. The item was brought to the attention of the board in response to several students from Ridgeview High sharing allegations of harassment and assault on social media. 

Bakersfield City Council rejects proposal to house medically vulnerable homeless at Rosedale Inn

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council unanimously rejected a permit approval during a meeting on Wednesday that would have allowed medically vulnerable homeless individuals to be housed at the Rosedale Inn over the next five months as part of Kern Project Roomkey. 

State:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed a bill to help struggling small businesses

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced the signing of a Senate bill aimed at providing financial relief to struggling small businesses in the state. Senate Bill 1447, now law, allows businesses with fewer than 100 employees to claim a credit against their personal and corporate income taxes each taxable year, beginning this year, of $1,000 for each net increase in qualified employees, up to $100,000.

See also:

Fires across California could accelerate home insurance crisis in wildfire zones 

Fresno Bee

Tens of thousands of homeowners in fire-prone areas are being forced to buy from the California FAIR Plan.

California wildfires growing bigger, moving faster than ever 

Associated Press

When it comes to California wildfires, it now takes days, not decades, to produce what had been seen as a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence

Pension cuts coming for some California retirees after court ruling on spiking 

Fresno Bee

Thousands of former California retirees are receiving pensions based on banned benefits.

California’s coronavirus stimulus was a bust…what now?

CalMatters

State lawmakers aimed for a $600-a-week unemployment extension and billions in tax vouchers. Federal inaction, economic anxiety and the pandemic derailed those plans.

How the state Supreme Court threw California cities into legal limbo

CALmatters

San Francisco, Oakland, and Fresno are getting sued—all because the California Supreme Court has yet to answer a simple question: How many votes does it take for a new tax to become law?

How This Bay Area Nonprofit — Led By A Former Google Nest Executive — Helped Broker California’s $990 Million PPE Deal

Capital Public Radio

When Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in early March as COVID-19 spread throughout California, state officials began their hunt for a precious commodity: protective masks.

Skelton: Forget a special legislative session. California lawmakers first need to get their act together

Los Angeles Times

This was the ideal time — politically and policy-wise — for the Legislature and the governor to authorize loads of extra spending on wildfire prevention and helping victims. But they botched it. Shame on them. 

Federal:

President Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

abc30

A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East.

See also:

Trump releases list of 20 new possible U.S. Supreme Court picks

abc30

Hoping to replicate a strategy that has long been seen as key to his appeal among conservative voters, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he is adding 20 names to a list of Supreme Court candidates that he’s pledged to choose from if he has future vacancies to fill.

See also:

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

See also:

Elections 2020:

Hear the candidates: Ceres Mayor contenders Durossette, Lopez debate the issues

Modesto Bee

The two candidates running for the mayor of Ceres, Bret Durossette and Javier Lopez, squared off in a debate on Tuesday. The two, vying to replace the outgoing Chris Vierra, discussed such topics as the Ceres City Council performance, whether the city should contract with the Modesto Fire Department and the shooting death of a teenage boy at the hands of a Ceres Police Officer.

See also:

California’s shift to vote-by-mail boosted turnout, but not for everyone

Modesto Bee

Vote-by-mail elections tend to increase turnout in California — but not for everyone, according to a new study by the Public Policy Institute of California. Young voters, Latinos and Asian Americans may require special outreach to ensure they have a chance to cast ballots, the study says.

See also:

California Election 2020 Voter Guide

CalMatters

Come rain, shine, pandemic or crippling recession, California voters can always count on one thing: a very long, very complicated ballot.

See also:

CA120: Voter registration at highest portion of eligibles in 80 years 

Capitol Weekly

California has now reached an historic high of over 21 million registered voters. The current PDI voter file, after a full refresh of county files, puts total voter registration at 21,086,077. As a share of eligible voters, this puts the state at 83%, a higher rate of registration than we have seen since the presidential election of 1940. 

See also:

Trump, Republicans Raise $210 Million In August — Far Behind Democrats’ Haul

VPR

President Trump and Republicans could’ve set a one-month fundraising record — had their Democratic counterparts not hauled in some $150 million more. The president’s campaign, the Republican National Committee and their joint fundraising efforts raised a combined $210 million last month, they announced on Wednesday.

Fact Check: Did VP candidate Kamala Harris laugh about violent protests? 

Sacramento Bee

Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, did not laugh at protesters. The laughter in the video was taken from a 21-month-old appearance on “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that had nothing to do with protesting.

See also:

Majority of voters don’t see either Trump, Biden as mentally fit to be president: poll

TheHill

A majority of voters in six swing states say neither President Trump nor Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is mentally fit to be president, according to a CNBC-Change Research poll released Thursday.

COVID-19 tests unions’ ability to deliver votes, manpower, money to Democrats

Roll Call

Democrats rely heavily on labor’s political support every November. That’s no different this year, but the coronavirus is. Laid-off workers don’t pay union dues, meaning the pandemic may cut into organized labor’s electoral spending.

Senior DHS official says he was told to stop providing intelligence analysis on threat of Russian interference in election

Washington Post

Brian Murphy, who until recently was in charge of intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, alleges in a whistleblower complaint that the order to stop assessments on Russia came in May, from the acting homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf.

Trump’s lead over Biden on the economy appears vulnerable, a potential turning point

Washington Post

Trump’s lead over Biden on the economy is suddenly fading, a potential turning point in the campaign.

See also:

How to vote in all 50 states: Read The Post’s guide to registering and casting your ballot by mail or in person

Washington Post

Across the country, states have changed their voting rules and procedures to prepare for an election unlike any other. The Post has compiled what you need to know about voting in your state so you can make sure your voice is heard this November.

Other:

The State Library celebrates California’s 170th anniversary of statehood 

Twitter

With 170 stories and essays about California and Californians. 

An agenda for reforming the rule of law

Brookings 

President Trump’s disregard for legal norms has revealed critical weaknesses in America’s constitutional systems. From reforming the presidential appointments process to requiring disclosure of presidential candidate tax returns, Paul Rosenzweig and Vishnu Kannan identify practical steps that the country can take to reinvigorate the rule of law and its system of checks and balances.

President Trump may have knowingly downplayed coronavirus risks, according to new Bob Woodward book

abc30

President Donald Trump seemed to understand the severity of the coronavirus threat even as he was telling the nation that the virus was no worse than the seasonal flu and insisting that the U.S. government had it totally under control, according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward.

See also:

Fact Check: What is the risk of getting coronavirus on a plane? 

PolitiFact Daily

There are a lot of variables to consider when making the calculated risk of flying during the pandemic.

Opinion: This Republican Party Is Not Worth Saving

The Atlantic

No one should ever get a second chance to destroy the Constitution.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 13, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: pre-empted

Sunday, September 13, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Poverty and the Economic Situation of California Latinos?”  – Guests: Sarah Bohn, Public Policy Institute of California and Mindy Romero, Director of USC Price School of Public School. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Can AI Address Real World Issues, such as Agriculture?

yahoo!finance

Ordinary people who are not familiar with AI and ML may consider them as fictional, but their applications are stepping out of the science community to address real life issues. According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the worldwide population will increase to 10 billion by 2050. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Justice Department’s push into Trump case could prompt dismissal

Los Angeles Times

Atty. Gen. William Barr on Wednesday defended the Justice Department’s move to intervene in a defamation lawsuit against President Trump, even as experts were skeptical of the federal government’s effort to protect the president in a seemingly private dispute.

Public Safety:

Gavin Newsom directs CHP to change permit rules in aftermath of Capitol Christian concert

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said that he is directing the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Public Health to develop new protocols for public safety in the aftermath of Christian concert at the Capitol that drew thousands of mostly unmasked participants.

See also:

Walters: Legislature fails on police reform promises

CALmatters

When the California Legislature folded up its tent 10 days ago, it left an extraordinary number of high-profile bills still awaiting final votes, and the finger-pointing has been underway ever since. 

Fire: 

What we know about the Creek Fire: Where it started, latest evacuations in California

Fresno Bee

The Creek Fire has been burning since sparking Friday evening in Fresno County, and on Saturday crossed the San Joaquin River to the east and made a run into the Mammoth Pool area in Madera County. The Creek Fire as of Wednesday morning had burned more than 163,138 acres and remained at 0% containment, according to Cal Fire.

See also:

Wildfires have burned record acreage in California. Here’s where the biggest fires are

Fresno Bee

Wildfires raged unchecked in California and other western states on Wednesday, with gusty winds forecast to drive flames into new ferocity. Diablo winds in Northern California and Santa Ana winds in the south state were stoking unprecedented numbers of fires that have already grown explosively.

See also:

Lower temperatures could equal more success for Creek, Sequoia firefighters

Visalia Times Delta

Poor weather conditions, strong winds, and an abundance of dead trees fueled the fast-growing Creek Fire. However, there are signs that the blaze may be inching toward containment. On Tuesday, crews saw a 50% reduction in fire growth and smoke compared to days prior.

Where is the ash in Stanislaus County coming from, and how long will it be here?

Modesto Bee

A giant plume of smoke detached from the Bear Fire in Orville overnight, creating what is known as a pyrocumulus cloud, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Eric Kurth.

Three dead, 12 missing after Bear Fire burns through Butte County foothills

Sacramento Bee

Three people are reported dead in the Bear Fire that swept through Butte County late Tuesday, and at least 12 other people are unaccounted for, officials said late Wednesday. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said three people have been found dead – two in one location, a third in another – but said their identities have not been determined and gave no further details.

See also:

Is this year worse than other wildfire seasons? Why?

New York Times

In a word, yes. More than 2.5 million acres have burned this year, far outstripping any previous record in the state’s history.

Opinion: I Need You to Care That Our Country Is on Fire 

New York Times

Would you feel more urgency about climate change if all you could see was smoke?

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

What inclusive economic recovery can look like – lessons from Fresno

Hanford Sentinel

How much is a gallon of milk? And where is it cheapest at the four closest stores? Charlotte Arellano knows. “It’s $4 for milk, and I’m surrounded by dairy farms,” she says. “I can’t put milk in the fridge for my kids, but we live in the fruit basket of the world. It makes no sense.” 

See also:

Valley Strong plans to reopen branch lobbies

Bakersfield Californian

Valley Strong Credit Union announced Wednesday it will resume regular business operations at all of its locations, including reopening branch lobbies closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, effective Monday.

Hundreds of Stanislaus businesses have had COVID-19 complaints filed. What were they for?

Modesto Bee

In frustrated emails and even tearful phone calls, Stanislaus County residents have reported hundreds of businesses for allegedly violating coronavirus health orders. Community members submitted more than 1,300 complaints against at least 680 businesses from late March through mid-August, according to public records from Stanislaus County. 

California small businesses will get COVID-19 relief with quickly drafted tax cuts

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a trio of laws on Wednesday intended to bolster struggling small businesses in California and encourage their owners to hire more workers, each of which received bipartisan support but only light scrutiny by the Legislature before its adjournment last week.

Coronavirus Shutdowns Are Hitting Vietnamese-Owned Nail Salons Hard

Capital Public Radio

Tracy Tran’s years of savings are gone. Most went into the nearly $13,500 monthly rent she says she’s been paying for her shuttered business since March, when coronavirus public health orders forced her to close. La Orquidea Salon and Spa has been sitting empty ever since on busy North Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos. So have most of the state’s roughly 11,000 other nail salons.

S&P 500 gains 2% as big tech bounces back

Los Angeles Times

Wall Street snapped back to life Wednesday, recovering from its worst stretch of losses in months, as the bloodletting for big technology stocks came to at least a temporary halt.

Pandemic Financially Imperils Nearly Half Of American Households, Poll Finds

VPR

Cynthia Maclin cannot get out of bed most days. Chronic lung disease leaves her short of breath and ended her 45-year career as a medical administrator. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in her hometown of Chicago, and Maclin’s already lost eight friends and family members to the virus, including the father of her two daughters. For the first time this month, she’s also unable to pay rent.

A Surprisingly Durable Recovery Faces Tougher Tests

WSJ

With the easy gains from reopenings behind us, recovery going forward may be slower.

Opinion: US productivity is soaring. Hold the applause.

AEI

Average wages aren’t growing because individual workers are getting raises. Instead, they are growing because so many low-wage workers have been laid off.

The GOP Is No Longer the Pro-Business Party

NY Magazine

The right’s contempt for climate science and Keynesianism makes it incapable of governing in capital’s long-term interests.

Jobs:

Amazon seeks to hire 33,000 people, holding online ‘Career Day’ Sept. 16

abc30

Amazon is on a hiring spree. In the latest sign of how it’s prospering while others are faltering during the pandemic, Amazon said Wednesday it is seeking to bring aboard 33,000 people for corporate and tech roles in the next few months.

California State Personnel Board members taking pay cuts along with public employees

Sacramento Bee

Four of the five members of the California State Personnel Board have requested pay cuts, according to the State Controller’s Office. The State Personnel Board oversees the state’s civil service laws such as its restrictions on nepotism and favoritism.

Biden Says Trump Broke Promise to Bring Jobs Back to U.S.

Bloomberg

Joe Biden accused Donald Trump on Wednesday of breaking his promise to bring jobs back to the U.S. as the Democratic presidential nominee laid out his plan to improve U.S. manufacturing with new taxes on companies that move operations offshore.

Public sector job loss is coming. Women will be hit hardest.

USA Today

Women have already lost more than 800,000 public sector jobs. That number could grow as state and local governments face budget shortfalls.

U.S. Job Openings Leveled Off Late in the Summer

WSJ

The number of available jobs in the U.S. leveled off late this summer, the latest sign momentum in the labor market is easing six months after the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S.

See also:

The labor market doesn’t have a ‘skills gap’—it has an opportunity gap

Brookings

The country had 11.5 million fewer jobs this August than in February, but, paradoxically, many business leaders continue to center the problem with labor markets on “unqualified” individuals without the right skills.

Commentary: Young Africans need more and better jobs, not more training

Brookings 

Even before the global pandemic, many young Africans struggled to find productive employment. Though the focus of policymakers has been on Africa’s “youth unemployment” crisis, Louise Fox and her co-authors argue that the real crisis is actually that of “missing jobs.” In their new research, they call for policies and programs that focus on the structural conditions of African economies and aim for comprehensive transformation.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Parents, Teachers, and Children Rally for Reopening Schools

Clovis Roundup

On September 9, between Fifth and Fourth in Old Town Clovis; parents, teachers, and kids rallied together for schools to open again. They were chanting with signs, and cars that drove past honked to give their support.  

Ruthie Quinto Out as FUSD Second-in-Command at End of Month

GV Wire

Fresno Unified deputy superintendent/chief financial officer Ruthie Quinto is resigning her position effective at the end of the month, superintendent Bob Nelson announced near the start of Wednesday’s board meeting.

California Supreme Court rules against Immanuel Schools bid to allow in-person classes

Fresno Bee

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied an attempt by Immanuel Schools of Reedley to allow in-person teaching on their campus, despite a Fresno County health order against it.

See also:

Who’s running: Elementary school district boards

Hanford Sentinel

Here’s a list of who’s running for local elementary school district governing boards in the November general election.

Here’s where Modesto City Schools stands on reopening amid coronavirus pandemic

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County’s largest school district is grappling with questions about reopening schools for young students in a county where coronavirus infections have slowed down but are still considered “widespread.”

Sierra Unified Suspending Distance Learning Amidst Creek Fire

VPR

Sierra Unified School District in the Fresno County foothills is suspending online instruction for the week due to the Creek Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest. Superintendent Alan Harris estimates up to 75 percent of district staff and students are being evacuated or have already been displaced by the fire. 

The next big hurdle: California schools grapple with how, when or if to reopen campuses

EdSource

Safety protocols, potential lawsuits, input from parents and teachers are among the factors affecting reopening plans.

California superintendents navigate how to reopen campuses while keeping students, teachers safe

EdSource

Complicated, ever-shifting set of unique factors will affect school reopening plans.

Commentary: Beyond reopening schools: How education can emerge stronger than before COVID-19

Brookings 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in at least one positive thing: a much greater appreciation for the importance of public schools.” Emiliana Vegas and Rebecca Winthrop say now is the time to capitalize on this newfound support. In a new report, they chart a vision for the future of education systems and propose five actions to guide the transformation.

Fresno Voices: Fresno schools need more Black educators. But that alone can’t fix long-standing issues

Fresno Bee

Angie Barfield worked hard and earned good grades as a top student in the late 1970s at Gibson Elementary School in Fresno. The racism she faced made her school years the worst experiences of her life.

Higher Ed:

BC awarded $1.3 million to address a rural teacher shortage

Bakersfield Californian

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Bakersfield College $1.3 million to support students preparing to be teachers as California continues facing a rising teacher shortage — a shortage that is especially dire in Kern County. 

College coronavirus testing varies by system, campus

CalMatters

With sometimes competing public health guidelines coming from the CDC and state and local sources, colleges and universities have made different decisions about how much coronavirus testing should be done, and when. Resources are a factor, according to experts.

Debate over California’s affirmative action ban rages anew at UC as voters weigh repeal

Los Angeles Times

Two months before California voters decide whether to again allow affirmative action, debate is heating up over how the 24-year state ban on it has affected Black and Latino students at the University of California. 

How forcing colleges to go online could change higher education for the better 

Vox

The Covid-19 pandemic has plunged American higher education into crisis as more and more colleges move to remote learning strategies to prevent the spread of the virus. But hidden within this crisis is an opportunity.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

California’s air quality is the worst in the nation right now. How to protect yourself

Fresno Bee

Californians continue to experience unhealthy levels air pollution from wildfires. Conditions have slightly improved in major cities including Sacramento and Fresno, still air quality officials continue to recommend residents stay indoors.

See also:

Think 2020’s disasters are wild? Experts see worse in future

Bakersfield Californian

A record amount of California is burning, spurred by a nearly 20-year mega-drought. To the north, parts of Oregon that don’t usually catch fire are in flames.

Where is the ash in Stanislaus County coming from, and how long will it be here?

Modesto Bee

A giant plume of smoke detached from the Bear Fire in Orville overnight, creating what is known as a pyrocumulus cloud, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Eric Kurth. The smoke cloud blew south where it hovered over parts of Stanislaus County for several hours Wednesday morning, causing ash to fall from the sky.

Sacramento skies turn orange, but here’s why the air quality readings aren’t always accurate

Sacramento Bee

In downtown Davis, normally busy with pedestrians and socially distanced coffee drinkers, streets were nearly empty on Wednesday morning as orange, smoky skies and large chunks of ash falling from the sky discouraged residents from venturing outside.

To Tame Huge Wildfires, California Needs To Battle Climate Change, Newsom Says

Capital Public Radio

With an historic 2.3 million acres burned so far in California’s 2020 fire season, Gov. Gavin Newsom says there is no question that climate change is real,and that what seemed like “radical” predictions of its effects a few years ago weren’t really radical at all.

How a Pacific storm fueled lightning that sparked California’s biggest-ever fire season 

Los Angeles Times

An outbreak of thunderstorms generated lightning that touched off dozens of fires in Northern California from Aug. 15-18. The driving force was a moisture surge from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fausto in the Pacific, southwest of Baja California. 

Earth’s warming is closing in on a crucial limit, U.N. report says

Los Angeles Times

The warming world is getting closer to passing a temperature limit set by global leaders five years ago and may exceed it in the next decade or so, according to a new United Nations report.

Climate Change Poses Major Risk to Financial Stability, Report Finds 

WSJ

Study commissioned by commodity futures regulator calls for better pricing of carbon emissions.

Energy:

PG&E plans to restore power this afternoon to all customers in Kern

Bakersfield Californian

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. expects to restore power by 3:30 p.m. today to all of its Kern County customers whose electricity was recently shut off as a wildfire precaution. Spokeswoman Katie Allen said the utility had a helicopter in the air at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday inspecting lines.

See also:

Why does California’s power grid keep flirting with disaster? We’ve got answers

Public CEO

Less than a month after the state experienced its first rolling blackouts in two decades, officials again urged residents to use less electricity.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

One new COVID-19 death, 169 new cases reported Wednesday

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported one new death and 169 new cases of coronavirus Wednesday. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 30,381 since reporting began in mid-March. Total deaths stand at 297.

See also:

Drug price spikes still unchecked, five years after controversy

Roll Call

When the price of a cheap, lifesaving drug was jacked by more than 5,000 percent in 2015, Congress, and later the president, used the ensuing public shock to push to lower drug prices more broadly. 

The Pandemic Has Researchers Worried About Teen Suicide

VPR

At the end of June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed almost 10,000 Americans on their mental health. They found symptoms of anxiety and depression were up sharply across the board between March and June, compared with the same time the previous year. And young people seemed to be the hardest-hit of any group.

Opinion: Joe Biden: Trump is worst possible leader to deal with coronavirus outbreak

USA Today

Trump’s demonstrated failures of judgment and his repeated rejection of science make him the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health challenge.

See also:

Human Services:

Fresno won’t have elite trauma services if CRMC hospital fails to meet new deadline

Fresno Bee

Community Regional Medical Center has until 5 p.m. Friday to restore neurosurgical trauma services, or it risks losing the hospital’s designation as a Level I Trauma Center, the hospital’s chief of trauma and surgery told The Bee.

Delano Hospital now officially Adventist Health Delano

Bakersfield Californian

Delano Hospital is now officially Adventist Health Delano. According to a news release, the facility received approval from federal agencies on Wednesday, hospital President David Butler said. As a result, signs and other materials will begin changing at the hospital, which has been serving the Delano community since 1974.

Providing Meals for School Children as COVID-19 Persists

Public Policy Institute of California

The US Department of Agriculture recently announced that it would continue to waive certain restrictions on school meals for the rest of 2020. This extends a key support for many California children, regardless of whether they are in school or learning remotely.

Some Hospitals Fail To Set COVID-19 Patients Apart, Putting Others At Risk

VPR

Nurses at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, Calif., were on edge as early as March, when patients with COVID-19 began to show up in areas of the hospital that were not set aside to care for them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had advised hospitals to isolate COVID-19 patients to limit staff’s exposure and help conserve high-level personal protective equipment that’s been in short supply.

Survey: Number of uninsured Americans increased in 2019

Roll Call

Roughly 33.2 million Americans, or 10.3 percent, lacked health insurance in 2019, according to new data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

$2,933 for ‘Girl’s Night’: Medicaid chief’s consulting expenses revealed

Politico

Seema Verma, a member of the coronavirus task force, spent more than $3.5 million taxpayer dollars on GOP-aligned consultants, a congressional report found.

IMMIGRATION

Newsom Weighs Aid For Undocumented Californians Weathering Pandemic With No Safety Net 

Capital Public Radio

Out of work for months in the spring, Mariana, who cleans houses, and her husband Gerardo, who is a door-to-door salesman, paid their landlord just $300 of their $1,200 rent for a one-bedroom apartment they crowd into with their 2-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, in National City.

Trump and Biden take sharply different paths on immigration

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to crack down on illegal immigration and reshape legal immigration was at the heart of the Republican’s winning 2016 campaign and has remained at the forefront of his White House agenda.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

‘Sunset on Mars.’ Smoke from California fires gives national parks ‘apocalyptic’ glow

Fresno Bee

Yosemite National Park — the nation’s fifth “most visited” national park — has taken on the qualities of an alien world as a 163,000-acre Creek Fire burns out of control 60 miles to the south. The blaze has been growing out of control since Sept. 4, generating a blanket of smoke and ash that has displaced colors and transformed day into dusk at nearby state and national parks.

All 18 California national forests close due to ‘historic fire conditions’

Visalia Times Delta

As wildfires rip through California’s wildlands, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced the temporary closure of 10 more National Forests in California.

See also:

Housing:

Ground broken on $24.6M Chinatown project in Fresno

Business Journal

On Wednesday the City of Fresno celebrated the “virtual” groundbreaking for the Monarch, a $24.6-million housing project in Chinatown under the supervision of the Fresno Housing Authority.

Bakersfield City Council rejects proposal to house medically vulnerable homeless at Rosedale Inn

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council unanimously rejected a permit approval during a meeting on Wednesday that would have allowed medically vulnerable homeless individuals to be housed at the Rosedale Inn over the next five months as part of Kern Project Roomkey. 

Calif. Supreme Court lets 2018’s Prop. C stand, frees up $300 million in homeless funds for SF 

SFChronicle.com

The state Supreme Court cleared the way Wednesday for San Francisco to fund programs for the homeless with hundreds of millions of dollars in business taxes approved by a majority of city voters in 2018 — it’s an important case for tax measures on local ballots throughout California.

Zoom Towns And The New Housing Market For The 2 Americas

Capital Public Radio

Truckee, Calif., is a mountain town just northwest of Lake Tahoe. It is sort of an outdoorsy paradise. It has great skiing, mountain biking and hiking opportunities, as well as a river and lakes. It also has some great restaurants and a budding art scene. And if you’re a Bay Area resident in the market for a house, it has another thing going for it: It has a median home price that’s roughly half that of San Francisco, about three hours away.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Virtual Event September 17 – Fiscal Realities for Local Government

Public Policy Institute of California

Local governments have been hit especially hard during the pandemic shutdown and resulting economic instability. How will they set priorities among competing needs? How can they partner with state and federal governments to chart a path forward? Join us for a conversation with local leaders from around the state.

The president’s payroll tax cut is really a loan that workers have to pay back. Let’s call it what it is.

Washington Post

President Trump brags about his payroll tax cut. But money-smart employees see it for what it is: a loan. With Congress deadlocked on another stimulus package, Trump decided that what workers need most is a break from paying the payroll tax that funds Social Security.

U.S. Stocks Bounce Back After Tech Selloff

WSJ

Oil prices edge up, a day after their biggest fall in months.

TRANSPORTATION

California bill intended to aid transportation projects

Landline

The California Legislature has approved a bill to benefit transportation work intended to get people off of the state’s roadways. Sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, the bill would speed up projects considered to be “sustainable.” Specifically, SB288 would exempt transit projects from stricter review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

WATER

Valley Water District Relocates Threatened Steelhead

California Water News Daily

Last month Valley Water biologists rescued federally threatened Central California Coast Steelhead from Coyote Creek and relocated them to a more suitable environment in the Coyote watershed ahead of the drawdown of Anderson Reservoir on Oct. 1.

“Xtra”

Classic Ceres Drive-In to reopen as COVID-19 keeps other movie theaters closed

Modesto Bee

Pack the family into the car, grab your lawn chairs and get ready for a night of big-screen entertainment served with a big bucket of buttered nostalgia. The Ceres Drive-In is coming back. The once iconic drive-in cinema has been closed for more than a decade, sitting idle while being used instead as a flea market and industrial yard since 2008. 

As virus lurks in Kern, Halloween festivities are in question

Bakersfield Californian

Will trick-or-treating go the way of Fourth of July fireworks and Easter egg hunts this year?

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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 California’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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