September 11, 2018

11Sep


POLICY & POLITICS


Valley:


McClintock and Morse headed to a debate in Mariposa. Why not Oakhurst, too?

Sierra Star

She has him running scared. Tom McClintock’s shiny new headquarters in the heart of Oakhurst stands as a loving tribute to Jessica Morse. He’s never had to spend any serious campaign money before.


Clovis film debuts in Los Angeles, sheds light on domestic abuse

Clovis RoundUp

A Clovis short film is up for nine awards after making its debut in Los Angeles. The film, titled “Impossible” and directed by KP Phagnasay, premiered at the 168 Film Festival last month.


State:


Assemblyman Travis Allen weighing run for chairman of California Republican Party

Los Angeles Times

Having fallen short in his recent campaign for governor, conservative state Assemblyman Travis Allen said Monday he is weighing a possible run for chairman of the state GOP with the goal of “leading California Republicans back to statewide relevance.”


A generation plans an exodus from California

The Orange County Register​​ 

California is the great role model for America, particularly if you read the Eastern press. Yet few boosters have yet to confront the fact that the state is continuing to hemorrhage people at a higher rate, with particular losses among the family-formation age demographic critical to California’s future.


California Shows Why Congress Needs to Eliminate Food Stamp Work Requirement Loophole

Daily Signal

Despite a booming economy and a record-low unemployment rate nationally, at least one state has been working overtime to ensure its work-capable food stamp recipients don’t have to work.


Federal:


Analysis: Harris, Feinstein play to different Democratic Parties

San Francisco Chronicle

Democratic progressives have grabbed the party’s attention, and they want to aggressively confront not just the Trump administration but the political status quo.


Trump vents over leaks as Woodward pushes back on criticism

Sacramento Bee

Trump vents over White House leaks as a new tell-all book commands attention, an anonymous writer detailing a "resistance" in the administration remains at large and an ex-staffer reveals more private recordings of the commander-in-chief.


The hidden key to the midterms: the police vote

Sacramento Bee

In a year when Democrats are widely expected to make gains in Congress, one question is leaving some among them uneasy: Will the boys in blue block the blue wave in 2018?


Political Junkie: Kavanaugh Hearings Wrap Up And “Fear” Is Released

Capital Public Radio

What we learned about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh through last week’s hearings; Bob Woodward releases his newest book about the inner workings of the Trump White House.

See Also:


A top Republican fires back at ‘Anonymous’

The Bakersfield Californian

This week The Times took the extraordinary step of publishing an anonymous Op-Ed essay written by a senior official in the Trump administration. This official is part of a quiet resistance within the Trump administration that is working diligently from within to frustrate President Trump’s agenda and keep his decisions contained to the West Wing.


Justice Probe Into Bias At Tech Companies Should Include Democrats, California AG Says

Capital Radio

California's top lawyer is calling on the Department of Justice to invite Democratic as well as Republican attorneys general to an upcoming meeting on alleged bias against conservative views on social media.


The Daily 202: Playing ‘catch-up,’ progressive groups to spend $10 million on digital ads for state legislative races

The Washington Post

A trio of progressive groups will spend $10 million between now and Election Day on digital ads to boost 75 largely obscure candidates running for state legislature.


Donald Trump wrongly says Social Security and Medicare are stronger

PolitiFact

President Donald Trump is rejecting the image of policy chaos and bitter staff infighting captured in the latest book by Washington Post editor Bob Woodward.


House Republicans Unveil Plan to Make Individuals’ Tax Cuts Permanent

WSJ

House Republicans have introduced legislation to lock in cuts to individual tax rates beyond 2025, a proposal that will have trouble advancing in the Senate but which sends a signal about GOP priorities ahead of​​ competitive midterm elections.


Bernie Sanders billionaire welfare taxation defies all economic logic

AEI

Bernie Sanders has officially introduced legislation in Congress aimed at forcing large companies to reimburse the government for providing public benefits to their employees


Polling Places Remain a Target Ahead of November Elections

PEW center

In the five years since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act, nearly a thousand polling places have been shuttered across the country, many of them in southern black communities.


Other:

 

Can Mark Zuckerberg Fix Facebook Before It Breaks Democracy?

The New Yorker

At ten o’clock on a weekday morning in August,​​ Mark Zuckerberg,​​ the chairman and C.E.O. of​​ Facebook, opened the front door of his house in Palo Alto, California, wearing the tight smile of obligation


Even progressive academics can be racist. I’ve experienced it firsthand.

The Washington Post

This was supposed to be my moment. Instead, an eminent national security scholar was confusing me with hotel staff.


What Have We Learned Since 9/11?

WSJ

It's not an exaggeration to say that everything changed in America on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, I reflect on three big lessons we've learned.

See also:


Opinion | To Restore Civil Society, Start With the Library

The New York Times

This crucial institution is being neglected just when we need it the most.


Is democracy safe in the age of big data?

The Economist

Christopher Wylie tells Kenneth Cukier why he blew the whistle on Cambridge Analytica. They discuss whether platforms are doing enough to protect users’ privacy and what governments can do to safeguard independent elections

AGRICULTURE/FOOD


Hundreds of Sun-Maid workers go on strike over wages and benefits

Fresno Bee

Sun-Maid workers went on strike Monday afternoon after talks between the company and its workers broke down.

See Also:


Is your pot shop still open? County amends permit process for cannabis retailers

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County amended its permitting process for marijuana dispensaries after an outcry from existing shops. Modesto is also nearing the end of its permitting process and hopes to have up to 10 cannabis retail shops permitted by October.


Oakdale gets its first marijuana dispensary

Modesto Bee

Oakdale’s first marijuana dispensary has opened and a second is on the way, right across the street.


Pistachio harvest calculator provides free forecast tool

Fresno State

Fresno State research staff and plant faculty have created an online pistachio predictor to assist San Joaquin Valley growers in predicting harvest yields for one of the area’s most popular crops.


Preparing Agriculture For The Climate Of The Future

Capital Public Radio

UC Davis and the California Department of Conservation host symposium on the effects of climate change on agriculture in advance of Gov. Jerry Brown’s climate summit.


Big safety testing failure rate for California pot products

AP News

Nearly 20 percent of marijuana products in California have failed tests for potency and purity since the state started requiring the checks on July 1, a failure rate some in the industry say has more to do with unrealistic standards and technical glitches than protecting consumer safety.


Backfire Economics: Trump’s trade war cripples Minnesota farmers and even taxpayer aid won’t cover the losses

AEI

The escalating trade war is imposing new burdens on Minnesota’s vast and economically important agricultural sector. Farmers have already endured almost five years of marginal profits as they produced record volumes in summer after summer of good weather. Now, the trade war appears likely to tip them from small profits to sizable losses.


Take Two Carrots and Call Me in the Morning​​ 

PEW center

Half a century after Americans began fighting hunger with monthly food stamps, the nation’s physicians and policymakers are focusing more than ever on what’s on each person’s plate.


CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:


Cities banned from punishing homeless who sleep on public property

Modesto Bee

An appellate court ruled that if homeless people who have no other alternatives are sleeping on public property, cities are prohibited from punishing them, as it would violate the Eighth Amendment.​​ 


Governor vetoes mandatory minimum penalties for pot shops that sell to minors

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday vetoed a bill that would have set mandatory minimum penalties for California pot shops that sell to minors, including revocation of the state license for a third violation in three years.


Before bail reform: Thousands in San Diego County are jailed each year; most are out within a week

The San Diego Tribune

Most days, more than 5,000 people sit in San Diego County jails. Most of them — roughly 80 percent — have already been convicted of a crime, according to the District Attorney’s Office.


Imprisoned by algorithms: the dark side of California ending cash bail

The Guardian​​ 

Under a new California law passed last week, however, the same arrest would have played out differently.​​ That’s because an algorithm would have determined her fate – and probably imprisoned her indefinitely.


Public Safety:


Want a $4,000 bonus to work for Fresno police? Here’s how you can be eligible

Fresno Bee​​ 

Fresno Police Department will offer an incentive up to $4,000 to dispatchers currently working with another agency to fill vacancies.


Madera businessman creates headliner for construction workers to keep them cool

ABC30

Contractors are hard at work in Madera and often dealing with intense Valley heat. Local business owner Sergio Madrigal designed an Insulated layer that fits inside hard hats.


CHP conducting pedestrian safety operations in Bakersfield on Friday

Bakersfield Californian

The California Highway Patrol will be conducting pedestrian safety operations Friday at two Bakersfield locations.


In Quake-Prone California, Alarm at Scant Insurance Coverage

New York Times

The ravages of wildfires in California have kept Dave Jones, the state’s insurance commissioner, very busy over the past year. But that’s not what keeps him up at night.


California Tries New Tack on Gun Violence: Ammunition Control

New York Times

Sold from vending machines in Pennsylvania, feed depots in Nevada, pharmacies in Georgia and jewelry stores in Texas, ammunition is in many states easier to buy than cold medicine. But in California, which already enforces some of the nation’s most restrictive gun laws, there is a movement underway against the unfettered sale of bullets.


Fire:​​ 


I-5 reopens in Shasta County; Delta Fire grows to 40,903 acres

ABC30

Officials say a major interstate near the California-Oregon border has reopened six days after a wildfire roaring along the roadway forced its closure.

See Also:


California Utility Proposes Wildfire Safety Measures

Capital Public Radio

Southern California Edison plans to replace 3,400 miles of overhead power lines with insulated wire to reduce the risk of them sparking when hit by tree limbs or other objects, the company announced Monday.

See Also:


More than 1 million homes planned for high-risk fire areas in California. Should they be built?

The Sacramento Bee

Not long after she bought her home in the grassy hills of western Stanislaus County, Julie Davis watched as a helicopter filled buckets of water from a nearby pond and attacked a windswept wildfire burning just outside her community.


ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:


Top economic chief admits Trump tweet on GDP growth was incorrect

Los Angeles Times

One of Donald Trump’s top economic advisors said the president erred in a tweet that asserted growth in U.S. gross domestic product was higher than the unemployment rate for the first time in over a century.


When will Trump learn to shut up and let the economy do the talking for him?

Los Angeles Times

President Trump’s recent claims about the economy have been so outlandish, even Fox News is correcting him.​​ 


A decade after the financial crisis, many Americans are still struggling to recover

Los Angeles Times

Amid the chaos caused by Lehman’s collapse, the big banks got hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts. But there were no big bailouts for lower- or middle-income Americans.


Led by industrial companies and retailers, U.S. stocks break four-day losing streak Monday

Los Angeles Times

U.S. stocks broke a four-day losing streak Monday as industrial companies and retailers rose. Technology companies recovered some of their steep losses from last week.


Millennials don’t want to own things. Startups want to help

San Francisco Chronicle

Feather, founded last year and based in New York and San Francisco, is among a growing number of companies catering to people who want to have things without owning them.​​ 


States Face Crunch If Fed’s Tool Kit Is Limited in Next Recession

WSJ

When the next recession comes, some states are likely to suffer much more than others if the Federal Reserve lacks ammunition to make economic downturns less severe, new research shows.


As midterm elections near, smaller, redder places show more economic growth

Brookings

Mark Muro and Jacob Whiton examine the causes of rapid employment growth in rural America over the last two years and whether it may boost Republican prospects this November.​​ 

Railing Against Corruption Could Backfire on Democrats

Roll Call

Democrats are running like it’s 2006 again. That strategy may help them win races in November, but it isn’t risk-free.


Economic Confidence Is Really High. Perhaps It’s Time to Sell.

WSJ

Rarely have gauges of the American economy been stronger. It’s time for investors to worry.


U.S., Canada Face Tough Issues as They Resume Nafta Talks

WSJ

The U.S. and Canada will resume efforts on Wednesday to resolve issues holding up a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

See Also:


Public opinion 10 years after the financial crash

AEI

With the distance of a decade, we review how the public reacted to the crash in 2008 and what has changed since that time. Did these government leaders lose the country?​​ 


Show Me the Money: Sports Betting Off and Running

PEW center

Are you ready for some football? How about some football bets? With the opening of the NFL season, states that recently legalized sports gambling are hoping to cash in through increased tax revenue.


‘Company unions’ deepen post-Janus threat to labor

Capitol Weekly

You’d be hard pressed to find a more challenging threat to America’s labor movement than the Supreme Court’s recent Janus decision—which overturned 40 years of established legal precedent and the laws of 23 states in forcing public sector unions to represent non-members for free.


Jobs:


Once again, most ‘job killer’ bills rejected

CALmatters

Driven by their party’s anti-Donald Trump fervor, the Legislature’s majority Democrats drafted and passed hundreds of bills, many of them openly aimed at setting California apart from what Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress have been doing.


EDUCATION


K-12:


New report reaches unsettling conclusion on Sacramento child literacy

Sacramento Bee

A new report about literacy came to an unsettling conclusion about students in Sacramento County schools: about three out of every five third-graders do not read at their grade level.


Sac City Schools May Have To Make Big Cuts

Capital Public Radio

Sacramento City Unified School District needs to find a way to chop $24 million from the 2018-2019 budget.


Dollars for Child Care and Preschool in 2018-19 Near Pre-Recession Levels With Boost From One-Time Funding

California Budget and Policy Center

For the fifth year in a row, funding for California’s subsidized child care and development system has increased.​​ 


Teacher Pay Lags Badly Compared to Other Jobs, Study Finds

Route Fifty​​ 

Wages and compensation for public school teachers in the U.S. have eroded over the past two decades relative to other comparable professions, according to new research.


Higher Ed:


Fresno’s universities are some of the best in the nation in new ranking

Fresno Bee​​ 

Fresno State and Fresno Pacific University have again landed on the U.S. News & World Report rankings of top national and regional schools.

See Also:


McEwen: Fresno State's Performance Trumps Jarrar & Other Dust-Ups

GV Wire

National recognition for classroom performance keeps on coming for Fresno State.


UC Merced creating new center aimed at researching smoking habits in the Central Valley

ABC30

A multi-million dollar grant is creating a new center aimed at improving public health in the Central Valley, and it will be based at UC Merced.3


UC Berkeley cannot patent gene editing research

San Francisco Chronicle

UC Berkeley’s​​ breakthrough research on gene editing, the transfer of genetic material between living organisms with the potential to cure diseases, did not give the university exclusive rights to patent and use the technology, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.


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 nation’s colleges and universities are extraordinarily insightful.


Thousands of students storm Rabobank Arena for College Night

The Bakersfield Californian

Future college students packed Rabobank Arena Monday evening for the 19th Annual Kern County College Night.


Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:


Fresno sits at the crossroads of California’s climate-change policies

Fresno Bee​​ 

Delegates at the San Francisco Global Climate Action Summit should come to Fresno. Our city is at the crossroads of California’s climate change policies, in the heart of a valley that has been trying unsuccessfully for nearly three decades to reduce ground-level air pollution to safe levels.


Want to combat climate change? Take care of our oceans

Sacramento Bee

To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, state and business leaders, climate advocates and philanthropists must collectively recognize the vital role of the oceans when they gather this week for the​​ Global Climate Action Summit​​ in San Francisco.


Jerry Brown welcomes the world's climate change experts to California​​ 

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown made a call to arms last summer  as he launched the effort that will draw some 4,000 delegates — many of them the world’s leading climate change experts — to San Francisco this week.

See Also:


EPA to Roll Back Obama-Era Methane Rules

WSJ

The Trump administration is about to propose its latest rollback of Obama-era climate rules, moving to ease requirements for oil and gas companies that were designed to limit leaks of the heat-trapping gas methane, administration officials said.


De LeĂłn gets an encomium

CALmatters

Sen. Kevin de León got high praise, but still no big money from billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer at Gov. Jerry Brown’s press conference marking the signing of de León’s legislation weaning California off fossil fuel-generated electricity.


Energy:


Gov. Jerry Brown signs law that aims to get all CA electricity from clean sources

ABC30

California would set a goal of phasing out fossil fuels from the state's electricity sector by 2045 under legislation signed Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

See Also:


A blind spot in Gov. Jerry Brown’s green worldview? Critics say yes — it’s oil​​ 

Bakersfield Californian

Jerry Brown has championed regulations supporting clean energy, energy efficiency and a broad suite of laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. But even as they acknowledge those gains, some fault Brown for a persistent and significant blind spot in his green worldview: oil.


The California Public Utilities Commission says you should trust it. Not yet.

San Diego Union-Tribune

The​​ California Public Utilities Commission​​ has long had a reputation for being far too chummy with the giant investor-owned electrical utilities it regulates — as well as being hostile to lawmakers, activists and journalists trying to understand its decision-making process.


HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:


Climate change influencing poisonous snake bites in California

YourCentralValley

Scientists recently put this belief to a test. A new study examined 20 years of documented bites in California correlating weather patterns and climate changes.


The ‘S’ Word: How Suicide Is Devastating Amador County And Rural Communities

Capital Public Radio

Amador has the third-highest suicide rate of any county in California — about three times the state average and the top 20 counties on the list are some of the most remote and least populous places in the state.


Timekeeping software won’t let Dignity Health nurses log any overtime, lawsuit says

Sacramento Bee

A recent lawsuit alleges that up to 1,200 Sacramento-area nurses with Dignity Health worked as many as 50 minutes per 12-hour shift of unpaid overtime, three times a week — and that Dignity’s restrictive timekeeping software was part of the reason those hours couldn’t be logged properly.


EDITORIAL: California is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars for mental health programs. Let's put it to use

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:


Adventist welcomes Tulare hospital employees ahead of October reopening

ABC30

This summer, the Tulare Local Healthcare District's board of directors chose to lease the recently closed Tulare Regional Medical Center facility to Adventist Health.


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.

Coalinga Hospital Officials File For Bankruptcy Protection

The Business Journal

The board of Coalinga Regional Medical Center announced the district has filed for chapter 9 bankruptcy protection.


Parlier Settles With Childcare Providers Over Devices

The Business Journal

The City of Parlier has agreed to reimburse childcare providers for wrongly requiring them to install a backflow device in their facilities.


Doctor’s legal fight highlights medical industry pressures

San Francisco Chronicle

An ongoing legal battle between a neurologist and her ex-employer is shedding light on financial pressures that could intensify as more doctors’ practices get absorbed by health systems.


Kaiser health system vows to be carbon neutral in 2020

San Francisco Chronicle

Kaiser Permanente, Northern California’s largest integrated health system, will be carbon-neutral in 2020, its leaders announced Monday.


We can't make economically rational choices on healthcare. Our brains won't let us

Los Angeles Times

When it comes to our health, we are convinced that more expensive is better. But why do we perceive that expensive is more effective?


IMMIGRATION

It’s an immigration crisis few know of. And Fresno County might be at the center of it

Fresno Bee​​ 

Thousands of immigrants in the Fresno region and nation could face deportation to a country that’s rarely discussed in the daily news cycle, and in some respects has been forgotten.

Sessions: Immigration judges must be efficient with backlog

Sacramento Bee

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a group of new immigration judges they have an obligation to decide cases efficiently in a system besieged by ballooning dockets and lengthy backlogs.


The Spanish-Language Voice of Resistance

Politico​​ 

Around midday on a recent Thursday morning, a group of 20 Central Valley farm workers walked out of a kale field, untied the bandanas they usually wear as facial protection and lined up to collect a free lunch.


How immigration boosts American economic growth and innovation

AEI

And how, exactly, does immigration boost growth? First, there is a labor market impact. More immigrants means more hours worked in the economy.


My turn: How to fix broken immigration system: Vote

CALmatters

Marches and demonstrations of leadership do matter, but so does voting. Voting is our pathway to fundamentally change immigration policies and so much more.


LAND USE/HOUSING


Land Use:


Bakersfield tops off with more gas stations

Bakersfield Californian

Gasoline stations and their sidekicks — fast-food and convenience-stores — 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.


SF tower leased to Facebook could set price record

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco’s Park Tower broke the record for the city’s largest single lease deal in May, when Facebook took all 755,900 square feet of office space in the building.​​ 


Strange bedfellows? Westlands and San Francisco share common ground

The Fresno Bee

It’s rare that Westlands Water District and San Francisco face identical problems, but plans to keep more water flowing in the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers – leaving less for irrigators and cities – is bringing the two together.



Housing:


New development underway in 52-acre parcel in Clovis

ABC30

Clovis city leaders will consider zoning changes to be in compliance with state law regarding affordable housing. Clovis City Manager Luke Serpa says the state is demanding more high-density housing.


Sacramento homebuyers are among the most financially stretched in the nation, study shows

Sacramento Bee

Recent Sacramento homebuyers are among the most financially stretched in the country, having squeezed into the market in the late stages of a seven-year housing boom.


More than 1 million homes planned for high-risk fire areas in California. Should they be built?

Sacramento Bee

As many as 1.2 million new homes will be constructed “in the highest wildfire risk areas” of California between 2000 and 2050, according to​​ a 2014 research report​​ by environmental scientists from around the state and country.


California should expand loans that help lower-income borrowers. This bill would do that

Sacramento Bee

Hard-working Californians have long been the target of predatory lenders, which the California Supreme Court recently ruled can no longer offer loans with “unduly oppressive terms” and interest rates so high they are“unconscionable.”​​ 


PUBLIC FINANCES


Greenstein: House Republican Tax Proposal Repeats Flaws in 2017 Tax Law

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Today’s tax proposal from House Republican leaders doubles down on the fundamental flaws of the 2017 tax law by further expanding deficits and once again favoring people with the highest incomes. The proposal calls for making permanent the 2017 law’s individual tax provisions. Those provisions benefit households in the top 1 percent twice as much as households in the bottom 60 percent, measured as a share of income.

TRANSPORTATION


Highway 99 rated deadliest in nation, study​​ 

Sacramento Bee

Highway 99 in the Central Valley is the deadliest major highway in the country, according to an analysis released Thursday.


Business looking to help revitalize Downtown Fresno with four-wheel bikes

ABC30

A new business made their debut in Downtown Fresno during ArtHop. Cecil Morris, the owner, is renting out four-wheel bikes called Surreys.


President Trump is 'the big saboteur' of electric cars, says Gov. Jerry Brown​​ 

Los Angeles Times

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday accused President Trump of undermining the nation’s efforts to produce more electric vehicles, arguing that efforts to slow down the focus on clean energy will ultimately hurt the U.S. auto industry.


Pasadena foundation and state senator to host fundraiser for President Barack H. Obama Highway signage​​ 

Los Angeles Times

One year after the Legislature passed a resolution to rename a portion of a Southern California highway after President Obama, community leaders are raising money to make it official.


$10.4-billion lawsuit over diesel emissions scandal opens against Volkswagen

Los Angeles Times

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System and other shareholders squared off against Volkswagen in a German court Monday, seeking $10.4 billion in damages over the automaker’s emissions-cheating scandal.


Injuries are the untold part of the scooter trend, doctors and victims say

San Francisco Chronicle

Injuries are the part of the electric scooter story that hasn’t yet been fully told. No one has an official count, but doctors in many cities are sharing anecdotes about people being sideswiped, brakes failing and riders colliding with cars or hitting pedestrians when they illegally scoot on sidewalks.


How a transportation safety net could keep more people off the streets

CALmatters

While housing costs in California have skyrocketed, what is often the second biggest expense for a household is commonly overlooked and is contributing to the surge in​​ homelessness.


WATER


Strange bedfellows? Westlands and San Francisco share common ground

Fresno Bee​​ 

It’s rare that Westlands Water District and San Francisco face identical problems, but plans to keep more water flowing in the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers – leaving less for irrigators and cities – is bringing the two together.


Westlands board member resigns. Alludes to sexism, blames general manager for unfair scrutiny

Fresno Bee​​ 

Sarah Woolf, a member of one of Fresno County’s most prominent farming families and a longtime agriculture advocate, has abruptly resigned from the board of the Westlands Water District.


EDITORIAL: If this meeting isn’t about financing Delta tunnels, then put it in writing

Sacramento Bee

Critics say that a hearing Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on a proposal to extend long-term contracts for the State Water Project will pave the way to financing the tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.


“Xtra”


Justin Timberlake coming to Save Mart Center in December

ABC30

The Save Mart Center has announced that Justin Timberlake will be making a stop in Fresno December 3rd.


Tulare County Museum exhibit honors Korean American history

Visalia Times-Delta

A new Tulare County Museum exhibit honors the contributions of Korean Americans to the development of early Tulare County.


Everything you need to know about the 2018 Tulare County Fair

Visalia Times-Delta

Once again, it’s time for all the sights, sounds and smells of delicious fried foods that the Tulare County Fair brings.​​ 


On The Road: Your best Northern California road trips for fall color

Stockton Record

Need a perfect reason for a road trip? The early to late fall season, with its changing colors of yellows, oranges and intense red in Northern California and our Central Sierra, provides an excellent adventure, capped by those stunningly colorful displays.


Meetings, club events in and around Modesto

The Modesto Bee

Club meetings in and around the Modesto area.


Hundreds honor Gold Star families at opening of 'Warrior Gallery' in Bakersfield

The Bakersfield Californian​​ 

There were tears at the sight of lost faces and hugs to help ease the pain. But there were also smiles at memory’s sweetness and gratitude for sacrifices made.