POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
California lawmaker under investigation for alleged sexual harassment
Merced Sun-Star
A California lawmaker is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment, according to the leader of the state’s Republican Party and people familiar with the investigation.
Denair bests Turlock in fight over which district gets students from new development
Modesto Bee
The California State Board of Education unanimously sided with the Denair Unified School District on Wednesday in a boundary dispute involving the neighboring Turlock school district.
Homeless families need emergency shelter. Stanislaus County has a new plan for them.
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County supervisors on Tuesday could approve a five-year lease for a Ninth Street motel to serve as an emergency shelter for homeless families.
See also:
Trump sees ‘liberal policies’ fueling California homeless crisis. What can he do about it? Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide whether to give newspapers a one-year break from new labor rules
Merced Sun-Star
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide whether to give newspapers a one-year reprieve from new labor rules that would otherwise require them to treat delivery workers as employees after lawmakers voted to send him the bill early Saturday morning.
Central SJ Valley:
Former Fresno leader joins high speed rail board, will vote on Valley-Bay Area route
Fresno Bee
Fresno County Supervisor Henry R. Perea, a longtime supporter of the high-speed rail project, was appointed to the board in August by state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and the Senate Rules Committee. Tuesday’s board meeting in San Jose will be Perea’s first since his appointment.
Costa and Cox: Best way to improve California’s water situation is Newsom plan, not Senate Bill 1
Fresno Bee
Creating a sustainable water future for all Californians is one of the defining challenges of our time. As members of Congress from California, we have been at the center of efforts to solve the difficult problems of providing reliable water supplies for California’s people, its economy, and our environment.
Cuenta Conmigo Campaign Focused on 2020 Census
abc30
Through a program called Cuenta Conmigo, community organizers are educating families about the process of filling out the Census form. They stress it is easy, accessible and confidential.
South SJ Valley:
Lemoore City Council to consider new purchase, territory annexation
Hanford Sentinel
The Lemoore City Council will consider four consent calendar items including the purchase of a sludge-reducing solution and an annexation resolution during its meeting Tuesday.
Water wars: Exeter, Tooleville feud for clean water…
Visalia Times Delta
The fight for clean water in eastern Tulare County turned "ugly" this week.
State:
California adds an 11th state to its travel ban. No taxpayer-funded trips to Iowa
Merced Sun-Star
Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Friday extended California’s ban on taxpayer-funded trips to an 11th state, adding Iowa to the list based on the Midwestern state’s passage of a law that removed gender protections under Medicaid.
California governor plans to veto environmental rules bill
Bakersfield Californian
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Saturday he will buck Democratic legislative leaders by vetoing legislation aimed at stopping the Trump administration from weakening oversight of longstanding federal environmental laws in California.
See also:
Newsom breaks with Democrats on environmental ‘Trump insurance’ bill CALmatters
On bill to blunt Trump’s environment aims, it’s farms or endangered species — and Newsom must choose CALmatters
Gavin Newsom says he’ll veto Trump-defying California environmental bill Merced Sun-Star
Newsom plans to veto bill that would have blocked Trump’s rollback of endangered species protections Los Angeles Times
Later start times for California schools? Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide
Sacramento Bee
Don’t hit the snooze button yet, kids. A proposal to roll back school start times still needs Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature to become law.
Path to Real ID isn’t always easy
Stockton Record
Obtaining a Real ID requires proofs of identity; Social Security number, if eligible; residency; and a trip to the DMV office. The DMV is doing what it can to make the process as easy as possible, but some have run into difficulty.
Capital Public Radio
California lawmakers adjourned for the year in the wee hours of Saturday morning, but not before sending hundreds of bills to Governor Gavin Newsom.
See also:
California lawmakers tackled health care, wildfire costs Sacramento Bee
California’s Dreaming About Paying Student Athletes
Wall Street Journal
A union-backed law would sow Commerce Clause chaos and render the NCAA irrelevant.
Federal:
Lawmakers demand internal documents from Big Tech in antitrust probe
abc30
A House Judiciary subcommittee on Friday demanded internal documents from Big Tech companies in probe into whether they're stifling competition.
Trump rallies to Kavanaugh’s defense after new sexual misconduct allegation surfaces
Los Angeles Times
President Trump vigorously defended Brett Kavanaugh on Sunday following a new allegation of sexual misconduct during the Supreme Court justice’s college years, as some leading Democratic presidential contenders raised fresh suspicions that Kavanaugh was untruthful during last year’s Senate hearings leading to his confirmation to the high court.
See also:
Dem presidential candidates call for Kavanaugh’s impeachment Fresno Bee
Dem presidential candidates call for Kavanaugh's impeachment abc30
Democratic candidates: Oust Justice Kavanaugh on harassment allegation Stockton Record
EDITORIAL: Democrats are and should be conducting an impeachment inquiry
San Francisco Chronicle
From the moment Democrats became a majority in a divided Congress under a compromised presidency, the foremost question facing them has been whether to impeach the president. So what’s their answer? Don’t ask them.
Elections 2020:
Biden on racism: Whites ‘can never fully understand’
Fresno Bee
Visiting a black church bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in the civil rights era, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Sunday the country hasn't "relegated racism and white supremacy to the pages of history" as he framed current tensions in the context of the movement's historic struggle for equality.
See also:
Biden shrugs off age chatter, pledges to release medical records abc30
Say What? Biden’s ‘record player’ just 1 of his vintage references Hanford Sentinel
Medicare for All or single payer: Here's how the 2020 Democrats differ on health care
abc30
Here's how 2020 Democrats former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and others differ on health care.
Struggling 2020 candidates make their mark: Takeaways from the third Democratic debate
Merced Sun-Star
10 Democratic presidential candidates—Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Julian Castro and Andrew Yang—debated in Houston.
Swearing is now a presidential campaign strategy. Will it work?
Los Angeles Times
Over the last several years, we’ve seen a substantial uptick in public political profanity. As a candidate, Donald Trump’s early stump speeches were often punctuated by swear words — words that require some creativity to write about in a family newspaper.
Democrats wary of litmus tests inch back from the cliff on their left
Los Angeles Times
At the outset of the presidential campaign, Democratic Party elders worried about an epidemic sweeping from one primary state to the next: a sudden plague of litmus tests.
Sanders inflates the number of uninsured due to job changes
Politifact
The moderators kicked off the third Democratic debate with health care, teeing up another round of the ongoing "Medicare for All" debate.
Kamala Harris Was Ready to Brawl From the Beginning
New York Times
In her first race, she defied her old boss, a fund-raising pledge — and the implication that she owed her career to her ex-boyfriend.
See also:
Other:
Fresno woman behind ad targeting AOC faces backlash
abc30
An ad showing a picture of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bursting into flames is sparking outrage. Elizabeth Heng, the woman behind the ad, is facing backlash after comparing the congresswoman to the Khmer Rouge regime.
Can You Cover The News Fairly While Also Working On Jerry Dyer's Campaign? This Journalist Says Yes
VPR
If you’re a news junkie, you may have noticed a new online media outlet called the San Joaquin Valley Sun. The editor in chief is Alex Tavlian. Now, on top of publishing The Sun, he’s also doing some campaign work for Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, who is running for mayor.
Eric Trump’s Four-Pinocchio claim that the Obamacare website cost more than Trump’s border barrier
Washington Post
Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, has quite a following on social media, so his posts attract a lot of attention. This particular one achieved nearly 80,000 likes within days.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Hanford Council may award first dispensary permit
Hanford Sentinel
The Hanford City Council will meet Tuesday to hold three public hearings and discuss several items of general business.
For older people struggling to get enough food, CalFresh can help. Here’s how to apply
Sacramento Bee
Older, low-income adults have suffered for too long when it comes to reliable access to nutritious food. But now, with the recent expansion of CalFresh benefits, we have an opportunity to give them the resources they need to eat healthy and lead more independent lives.
'We're Tightening Our Belt': Trump's Midwest Support Tested As Farmers Struggle
Capital Public Radio
Farmers in the rural Midwest say they are hurting because of President Trump's ongoing trade war and a recent decision on renewable fuels.
Hemp pavilion eyed for World Ag Expo
Business Journal
In its more than 50-year history, the annual World Ag Expo in Tulare has been the place where the agriculture industry has introduced new products.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Man serving life for ’88 Fresno double murder granted clemency by Gov. Newsom
Fresno Bee
A 52-year-old man who had been serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for two Fresno murders was among 21 inmates granted clemency Friday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
See also:
4 convicted in Sacramento County killings receive clemency from Gov. Gavin Newsom Sacramento Bee
California bill to clamp down on semiautomatic rifles heads for vote this week
Inside Kern County's plan to reduce homelessness by jailing misdemeanor drug offenses
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County law enforcement agencies are working to enact a new policy that would lead to stricter punishments for some convicted of low-level crimes.
The future of corrections is rehabilitation. It’s working in this California prison
Sacramento Bee
Citizens of California and the United States at large are losing interest in punishment for punishment’s sake. The future of corrections is in rehabilitation, not only in policy with a few window-dressing programs but in practice.
Public Safety:
Gun control must include background checks, Dems tell Trump
Fresno Bee
Congressional Democratic leaders warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any proposal on gun control must include a House-passed bill to expand background checks for gun purchases — or else risk no legislation at all.
See also:
California could expand use of gun violence restraining orders under bill sent to governor Los Angeles Times
Democrats Press Trump to Back House Bill on Background Checks Wall Street Journal
Love shopping online but hate stolen packages? Amazon, Walmart offer Modesto pickup
Modesto Bee
Now that online shopping has become a staple of everyday life, a decidedly less magical side-effect has emerged — rampant package theft. So two retail giants have begun fighting that problem in Modesto by installing new delivery methods.
K9 helps Merced County deputies arrest 3 suspects in 2 days. ‘It’s a game for her’
Merced Sun-Star
One of the best trackers in Merced County helped law enforcement find and arrest three suspects in the last two days, deputies said.
Officials: Fair is the ‘safest place in Tulare’
Visalia Times Delta
The 100th Tulare County Fair anniversary is underway. As the weekend approached, fair officials reminded the public of the safety precautions taken to protect fairgoers.
Mercury News
Recent Bay Area cases in which authorities obtained gun violence restraining orders suggest they may have headed off at least three horrific threatened massacres — and possibly more.
Fire:
‘They’re not home free:’ PG&E cuts deal with insurers but angers wildfire victims
Fresno Bee
PG&E Corp. has reached an $11 billion settlement with insurance companies over the 2017 and 2018 wildfires in California. The announcement marks a major turning point in its efforts to exit bankruptcy.
See also:
PG&E Agrees To Pay $11 Billion Insurance Settlement Over California Wildfires Capital Public Radio
Red flag conditions in Northern California pose a high fire risk, Cal Fire says
Sacramento Bee
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Northern California to last through Monday afternoon, including the area surrounding Lake Tahoe and part of the Sierra Nevada.
A Fire Lookout On What's Lost In A Transition To Technology
Capital Public Radio
The number of manned fire lookouts in the U.S. is dwindling, as technology is increasingly used to spot and monitor wildfires. But can technology replace a human watch?
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
More Americans are prepared for a recession, thanks to painful lessons of the last one
Los Angeles Times
When the Great Recession struck in 2007, business was so slow at the Dodge dealership here that Brett Woodruff and his fellow salesmen played football on the empty car lot. Woodruff lost his 3,300-square-foot home by a golf course, his marriage and a prized 2004 black Dodge Viper.
California still No. 1 in poverty
CALmatters
As the California Legislature churned toward adjournment last week, its members received another reminder that the state’s most vexing — and shameful — socioeconomic malady persists.
2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens
CAFWD
Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.
Jobs:
Modesto workers remain on leave, collecting pay, 5 months after city sent them home
Modesto Bee
Modesto placed three workers on paid leave in April pending their potential discipline and as a result of its investigation of the 2018 on-the-job electrocution of a co-worker.
Union votes to strike at General Motors’ US plants
Fresno Bee
The United Auto Workers union announced Sunday that its roughly 49,000 workers at General Motors plants in the U.S. would go on strike just before midnight because contentious talks on a new contract had broken down.
See also:
UAW says its 49K members at GM plants will go on strike Hanford Sentinel
UAW Votes For Nationwide Strike To Begin Before Midnight Sunday Capital Public Radio
Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide whether to give newspapers a one-year break from new labor rules
Merced Sun-Star
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide whether to give newspapers a one-year reprieve from new labor rules that would otherwise require them to treat delivery workers as employees after lawmakers voted to send him the bill early Saturday morning.
CALmatters
California’s pushback against the gig economy intensifies pressure on Silicon Valley flagships such as Lyft and Uber.
EDUCATION
K-12:
FUSD asks students and staff to go fragrance free this school year
abc30
Fresno Unified is asking their students and staff to go fragrance-free this school year. This means no strongly scented personal care items, cleaning supplies or even air fresheners.
Gov. Newsom to decide on later start times for California schools
abc30
High school and middle school students in California may get a later start to the school day. State lawmakers on Friday approved a bill that would prohibit middle schools from starting before 8 a.m., while high schools couldn't start before 8:30 a.m.
Ethnic studies remains controversial. But keeping the conflict positive can produce results
Sacramento Bee
Join The Fresno Bee on Sept. 18 as we search for solutions in education policy.
Later start times for California schools? Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide
Sacramento Bee
Don’t hit the snooze button yet, kids. A proposal to roll back school start times still needs Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature to become law.
Register for educational leadership conference
Fresno State Campus News
The annual Exemplary Practices in Educational Leadership Conference brings Central Valley leaders together from schools, districts, businesses and community organizations to learn and share ideas, best practices, challenges and latest perspectives.
Kennedy appointed to MUSD board
Madera Tribune
Madera Unified School Trustees appointed former Madera County Supervisor J. Gordon Kennedy Tuesday evening to replace Ricardo Arredondo on the MUSD school board to represent trustee Area Six.
Fuller school in Chowchilla plants seeds of patriotism
Madera Tribune
A UH-60 L/Blackhawk helicopter landed at Fuller Elementary School in Chowchilla Wednesday to kick off the annual Patriotic Assembly.
Denair bests Turlock in fight over which district gets students from new development
Modesto Bee
The California State Board of Education unanimously sided with the Denair Unified School District on Wednesday in a boundary dispute involving the neighboring Turlock school district.
12-week program an eye opener for Girls Who Code
Stockton Record
Inland California Rising is a collaboration of leaders statewide from cities like Stockton whose goal is to “turbo-charge progress” in the state’s inland communities. Any progress will rely to a large degree on how prepared the region’s young people are to play a significant role.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State student told she had to ‘cover up’ at gym. Is school’s dress code sexist?
Fresno Bee
Fresno State student Leila Mori was on her second treadmill mile at Fresno State’s Rec Sports & Fitness center, when last month a male employee approached with a request. “Cover up.”
Names of Note: Harvest Luncheon comes through again for Modesto JC ag students
Modesto Bee
The annual Harvest Luncheon raised about $20,000 in scholarship money for Modesto Junior College agriculture students. About 500 people turned out Friday in the big pavilion on the West Campus for the usual meal of Mapes Ranch tri-tip, beans and more.
Abortion pills will be available on California college campuses if Gavin Newsom signs this bill
Sacramento Bee
A bill to require California’s public universities to offer abortion medication through campus clinics now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.
'I'll prove you wrong': CSUB gives those formerly incarcerated a second chance through education
Bakersfield Californian
Enter Cal State Bakersfield's Project Rebound. The program is a campus-based re-entry program that helps formerly incarcerated students prepare, apply, enroll and graduate with degrees from CSUB.
CA College Students Shell Out $2k A Month For Housing, Books, Food Alone
Capital Public Radio
The price of college has become a hot-button issue at both the state and national level, but data has been scarce about how much, beyond tuition, California students actually spend on the housing, food, textbooks and other non-tuition items that they also need to earn a degree.
California lawmakers tried to cut the cost of college. Here’s what they did and did not accomplish
LAist
As California's lawmakers rushed to wrap up their work before Friday's midnight deadline, the state Senate and Assembly voted on hundreds of bills. Some didn't make it across the finish line, including two big reform measures designed to address the high cost of getting a college degree.
EDITORIAL: SJCOE’s software program takes downtown development to school
Stockton Record
The Kendall is about to become the new home of SJCOE’s Center for Education Development and Research department and Code Stack Academy, the city’s first accelerated not-for-profit software engineering school.
EDITORIAL: Jail warranted in Felicity Huffman case
San Francisco Chronicle
The scale of actress Felicity Huffman’s efforts was less and her contrition was markedly greater than many of the other parents who have been charged in the college admissions scandal.
Apprenticeships:
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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Multi-million dollar project aims to clean Fresno's air, improve neighborhoods
Abc30
From the soon-to-be cleaner air, you can see workers installing a landmark.
The world is watching as California weighs controversial plan to save tropical forests
Merced Sun-Star
Smoke is still rising from the Amazon as fires smolder in the world's largest rain forest. The blazes triggered a wave of global outrage over the loss of precious trees. But California says it has a plan to keep tropical forests standing.
It’s still littering: Park rangers debunk myth on tossing apple cores, banana peels
Modesto Bee
Nature is not your compost pile. That’s the message that rangers from Glacier National Park in Montana shared on Facebook Wednesday, busting the common myth that it’s all right to toss “natural” foods such as apple cores and banana peels on the ground because animals will eat them or they’ll decompose.
Desert Sun
California has issued no permits for fracking since late June, according to records reviewed by The Desert Sun and watchdog groups.
California governor plans to veto environmental rules bill
Bakersfield Californian
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Saturday he will buck Democratic legislative leaders by vetoing legislation aimed at stopping the Trump administration from weakening oversight of longstanding federal environmental laws in California.
See also:
Newsom breaks with Democrats on environmental ‘Trump insurance’ bill CALmatters
On bill to blunt Trump’s environment aims, it’s farms or endangered species — and Newsom must choose CALmatters
Gavin Newsom says he’ll veto Trump-defying California environmental bill Merced Sun-Star
Newsom plans to veto bill that would have blocked Trump’s rollback of endangered species protections Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers fail to act on recycling bills to phase out single-use plastics
Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers adjourned early Saturday without acting on bills that would have made their state the first to partially phase out single-use containers, with supporters unable to overcome lobbying from industry opponents.
How to live with the climate crisis without becoming a nihilist
Los Angeles Times
The evidence that human-caused global heating is dangerously disrupting Earth systems is unequivocal, and it no longer takes a scientist to see this. Denying this reality puts billions of lives at risk, and will surely come to be condemned by history.
See also:
Most American teens are frightened by climate change, poll finds, and about 1 in 4 are taking action Washington Post
Campaign 2020: What candidates are saying on climate change Brookings
EDITORIAL: Climate change is already here. 2020 could be your last chance to stop an apocalypse Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: Wealthy countries are responsible for climate change, but it’s the poor who will suffer most Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: Surviving climate change means an end to burning fossil fuels. Prepare yourself for sacrifices Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers stall on landmark legislation to curb plastic trash
CALmatters
A trio of proposals would have tackled California’s waste crisis by slowing the flow of disposable goods —and single-use plastics — from manufacturers to landfills.
Energy:
San Joaquin County hosts home energy assistance fair
Stockton Record
San Joaquin County will host a free home energy assistance fair Sept. 17 with the goal of helping residents manage and reduce their energy costs.
A swift fall from political power for PG&E, California’s largest utility
Los Angeles Times
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. once had no shortage of political influence or friends willing to step up at California’s state Capitol when the company wanted something.
Crude prices jump, Wall Street recoils after drone strike erases half of Saudi Arabia’s oil output
Washington Post
Oil prices were up significantly across global markets Monday after a wave of weekend drone strikes instantly erased half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production, raising the possibility it would slow economic growth.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
‘Blood is on your hands’: Anti-vaccine activist who tossed menstrual cup on senators released
Fresno Bee
An anti-vaccine activist who traveled to the Capitol to demonstrate on the final day of the legislative year threw a menstrual cup with blood at state senators on Friday afternoon, splashing several lawmakers and forcing the lawmakers to finish session in a nearby hearing room.
See also:
Five things to know now about California’s new vaccine law CALmatters
Woman arrested after throwing liquid on California Senate abc30
Feminine hygiene device tossed at Calif. Lawmakers Visalia Times Delta
EDITORIAL: Throwing a menstrual cup at legislators isn’t a form of anti-vaxx protest. It’s bloody terrorism Fresno Bee
Fake pills laced with deadly levels of fentanyl becoming common in Valley
abc30
In the past 6 months, Fresno County authorities have seized more than 7,000 of these fentanyl-laced pills made to mimic popular pain killer oxycodone.
FDA panel backs experimental peanut allergy treatment
abc30
The treatment is daily capsules of peanut powder that gradually help children build up a tolerance.
Cases of West Nile virus in Kern increase to 10
Bakersfield Californian
Ten cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in Kern County this year — 7 of them in the past week — according to the California West Nile Virus website.
See also:
Merced County reports its first human West Nile virus case of 2019 Merced Sun-Star
‘Some Good Out Of Some Tragedy’ – Kern County Suicide Survivor Tackles Prevention Head-On
VPR
Ellen Eggert works with Kern County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services as a project supervisor and head of its crisis intervention hotline. And three decades ago, she attempted suicide herself, something she partially blames on bipolar II disorder that was diagnosed later in life.
Vaping Industry Breathes Easier: For Now, California Lawmakers Won’t Restrict Its Business
Capital Public Radio
Juul and other companies that produce and sell vaping products lobbied hard — and seem to have gotten what they wanted out of the 2019 legislative session.
See also:
What new federal action on e-cigarettes means for Juul San Francisco Chronicle
Human Services:
How can California communities attract doctors and other qualified medical practitioners?
Fresno Bee
Most of the political debate over health care reform focuses on expanding coverage for the uninsured and making care affordable for working Californians and their families. But an even more fundamental question for many communities across the state is simply ensuring that there are enough doctors and other medical professionals to serve their health needs.
Financial Pressures Of LGBTQ Community Centers In The Valley
VPR
LGBTQ+ Community Centers serve as safe spaces to access resources, engage with peers and feel a sense of belonging. Here in the Valley, financial pressure has made it difficult for many to stay open.
IMMIGRATION
Trump official urges end to medical exemption for deportations
Politico
An internal memo prepared by a top Trump immigration official recommends that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services be stripped of its authority to delay deportations for undocumented immigrants receiving treatment for serious medical conditions.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
First phase of big improvements to Enslen Park underway in Modesto
Modesto Bee
Work has begun to add a concrete plaza and a small playground to Enslen Park near downtown Modesto.
Price: Bitwise's ambitions go well beyond downtown Bakersfield
Bakersfield Californian
Jake Soberal, co-founder and CEO of Bitwise Industries, is a believer in the real and symbolic advantages of occupying a downtown space. So Bitwise will, without question, move into the city's central corridor, he reaffirmed.
This ‘serious chunk’ (600,000 acres) of the wild west is for sale for $36 million
Fresno Bee
An enormous piece of the wild west has just hit the market.
Housing:
Merced sees boom in construction of homes
abc30
The sounds of new construction can be heard all over the city of Merced these days. So far this year, there have been nearly 500 new homes built. Several new apartment buildings are also in the works to help keep up with growing enrollment at UC Merced.
Rent Control: What to know about California's newly-approved bill
abc30
The rent cap bill, AB1482, essentially makes rent control the law of the land in California. There's only one other state in the country do this and that's Oregon.
See also:
Homeless families need emergency shelter. Stanislaus County has a new plan for them.
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County supervisors on Tuesday could approve a five-year lease for a Ninth Street motel to serve as an emergency shelter for homeless families.
See also:
Trump sees ‘liberal policies’ fueling California homeless crisis. What can he do about it? Sacramento Bee
Homeless Residents Got One-Way Tickets Out of Town. Many Returned to the Streets.
Mercury News
As cities offer transportation passes to get homeless people to a more stable destination, some worry whether they are sending people to insecurity in a new place.
Open Forum: Four ways to fix the California housing crisis
San Francisco Chronicle
Last week, I stepped down as director of California’s Housing and Community Development department after almost four years. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in housing — as a housing developer, senior official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and, most recently, state housing director.
Can Bakersfield and Kern County officials work together on proposed homeless shelter?
Bakersfield Californian
As both Bakersfield and Kern County officials move forward with plans to construct a low-barrier homeless shelter, a potential showdown has appeared on the horizon over where the facility will be located.
Walters: Housing action just half-a-loaf
CalMatters
Gavin Newsom’s first legislative session as governor began with promises to vigorously confront California’s huge and ever-growing housing shortage.
Los Angeles Times
The California Legislature takes a back seat to no one when it comes to regulating business — for the sake of labor, the environment, consumer protection, minority hiring, pay equity, you name it. So you might think state lawmakers would jump on the chance to slam lenders who charge more than 100% interest for a loan. And yet they have been curiously reluctant to do so, beguiled by the claims of high-cost lenders that people with poor credit in desperate need of cash should be able to take on loans that are proven debt traps.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California tax collectors to focus on vaping in e-cigarette crackdown ordered by Newsom
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom is signing an executive order Monday morning requiring stores selling vaping devices to post warnings about the health
Wall Street Journal
A smaller labor force will force the taxman to turn to consumption and wealth to fund old-age benefits.
TRANSPORTATION
Former Fresno leader joins high speed rail board, will vote on Valley-Bay Area route
Fresno Bee
Fresno County Supervisor Henry R. Perea, a longtime supporter of the high-speed rail project, was appointed to the board in August by state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and the Senate Rules Committee. Tuesday’s board meeting in San Jose will be Perea’s first since his appointment.
California HSR Authority issues report on route in Valley
KFSN-TV
The California High Speed Rail authority issued a new report on a route in the Central Valley.
California bullet train’s mishandling of land deals adds to mounting costs and delays
Los Angeles Times
California’s bullet train project confronts an array of political and financial challenges, but its biggest problem involves mismanagement of land acquisitions, which has contributed to construction delays, cost increases, litigation and the launch of a federal audit.
Pedestrians die every 90 minutes in the U.S., and low-income areas are hurt most
Los Angeles Times
The memorial to Christian Vega near a busy Los Angeles intersection is a serene arrangement of flowers and votive candles offset from the busy sidewalk by a row of bushes.
New partnership formed in commitment to bring high-speed rail to Southern California
Global Railway Review
EDITORIAL: Here’s why Modesto should fully support Stockton Airport
Modesto Bee
Instead of fighting miserable traffic to catch flights in the Bay Area or Sacramento, we all need to give Stockton Metropolitan Airport a chance.
(opinion) Cars rule the road, but other ways to get around need to be used in California
Fresno Bee
Cars rule in California. But many of its inhabitants are thinking about the broader use of mass transit systems, electric vehicles, and bike and walking trails that lead to community hubs. Are such ecologically friendly goals reasonable in a state that holds 40 million people within its 163,000 square miles?
WATER
Costa and Cox: Best way to improve California’s water situation is Newsom plan, not Senate Bill 1
Fresno Bee
Creating a sustainable water future for all Californians is one of the defining challenges of our time. As members of Congress from California, we have been at the center of efforts to solve the difficult problems of providing reliable water supplies for California’s people, its economy, and our environment. There is no silver bullet to that will solve these problems, but what we know is this: all parties must be at the table; the legislative process must be transparent; the goals must be clear and achievable.
Rain may fall in Modesto on Monday, but summertime temperatures aren’t over
Modesto Bee
Modesto might get some rain Monday, just a week before fall begins. The National Weather Service predicts a 50 percent chance of showers Monday, mainly after 11 a.m. Less than a 10th of an inch is expected, but the weather service reminds that even light rain can make roads slick.
Water wars: Exeter, Tooleville feud for clean water…
Visalia Times Delta
The fight for clean water in eastern Tulare County turned "ugly" this week.
Water dispute bedevils bill to blunt Trump’s environment aims
Public CEO
The debate follows a well-worn script: Protected species require water also needed by cities and farms. The new element is Trump.
“Xtra”
Our food writer spent hours tasting local food at the Fresno expo. Here are her favorites
Fresno Bee
As the lucky reporter who got to cover the California Food Expo this week, it was literally my job to taste chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, gin and more. Fun, right?
Sudz in the City celebrates beer and music in Clovis
Fresno Bee
The 25th anniversary of Sudz in the City goes on the road this year with more than 20 craft breweries and music in Old Town Clovis.
Lemoore surfing contest bringing in world’s best competitors. Also, the Raconteurs
Fresno Bee
The World Surf League returns to the central San Joaquin Valley next week for the Freshwater Pro.
Squaw Valley winery creates unique wines
abc30
Tasting and toasting are now happening in the foothills. The wine deck is open at Sierra Peaks Winery as wine club members get a sip of the foothill's creations.
Children’s Museum of Stockton celebrates 25 years as a safe place for kids to explore and learn
Stockton Record
As a nonprofit, the museum is strictly dedicated to providing quality education for children through interactive exhibits. More than 40 exhibits are spread across 22,000 square feet.
What's new at the fair? Season passes, bugs and more
Bakersfield Californian
There’s always something new at the Kern County Fair and this year is no different. Along with metal detectors at the entrances, there is more in store for the fair’s 103rd year, from entertainment and rides to new food and places to eat it.
Fresno's Reel Pride Film Festival: 30 years of LGBTQ Films, A Sanger Native's Debut Film
VPR
This year, the Reel Pride Film Festival is celebrating its 30th year in Fresno. It’s the sixth largest and sixth longest running LGBTQ film festival in the country.