September 24, 2020

24Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

Fresno State Pres. Joseph Castro Appointed Chancellor Of Calif State University

VPR

Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro has been appointed the eighth chancellor of the Calif State University, the CSU Board of Trustees announced Wednesday. Castro is the first Calif native and the first Mexican American to oversee the nation’s largest public university.

See also:

●     Joseph I. Castro Appointed Eighth CSU Chancellor CSU

●     Fresno State president named chancellor of Calif State University Fresno Bee

●     Calif State University picks Mexican-American as leader Fresno Bee

●     Calif State University picks Mexican American as leader Bakersfield Califn

●     Fresno State president Joseph Castro appointed chancellor of Calif State University system abc30

●     Cal State gets its first chancellor of color: Fresno State president Joseph I. Castro LA Times

●     Next chief of Calif State University will push to raise graduation rates Wash Post

●     EDITORIAL: Joseph Castro was right for Fresno State — and he’s the right choice to lead CSU system Fresno Bee

●     Cal State chooses first Mexican American chancellor CalMatters

North SJ Valley:

The COVID-19 pandemic could be a ‘tipping point’ for the Central Valley’s growth, innovation

Modesto Bee

Despite the challenges the Central Valley has faced in the past few months, the coronavirus pandemic could prove a “tipping point” for the region in terms of innovation and growth, according to speakers at the annual State of the Valley event.

Stanislaus County remains in the state’s purple tier

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus Co remained in the lowest, or purple tier, in the state rating system that decides how much restaurants and other businesses can loosen its coronavirus restrictions.

Modesto to narrow downtown’s J Street so restaurants can offer outdoor dining

Modesto Bee

Modesto will reduce traffic to two lanes and put in angled parking to create space for restaurants and stores to expand into part of the road along several blocks of J Street, a major downtown thoroughfare.

Hear the candidates: Modesto mayoral hopefuls discuss the issues

Modesto Bee

Seven Modesto mayoral candidates – Kristi Ah You, Ted Brandvold, Rick Countryman, Naramsen Goriel, Doug Ridenour, Erin Sommer Tenorio and Sue Zwahlen – squared off in a debate before The Bee’s EDITORIAL: Board on Wednesday night.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno police auditor said he withheld report on alleged misconduct to avoid protest

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s independent police reviewer for about four months sat on his report regarding accusations of police excessive force on a teenager, he recently told members of the city’s Commission on Police Reform.

How future Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer plans to take on Latino issues like immigration

Fresno Bee

September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month and that’s especially important in a city like Fresno, where more than half of the population identifies as Latino/a/x.

Council approves small business grant program

Hanford Sentinel

The Kingsburg City Council allocated funding and unanimously approved a small business grant program to provide aid for local businesses impacted by COVID-19 during its Sept. 16 meeting.

Asm Mathis denies allegations he lied about Assembly pay cuts. But his story keeps changing

Visalia Times Delta

Assemblymen Devon Mathis (R-Porterville) is calling a Sac Bee story reporting he was incorrect when he said he asked for COVID-19 pandemic-inspired pay cuts as not telling the entire story.

See VUSD trustee candidates talk school issues in virtual election forum

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia residents have the opportunity to question candidates vying for three seats on the Visalia Unified School District’s Board of Trustees.

South SJ Valley:

Kern officials slam Governor’s climate order

Bakersfield Califn

Kern County officials pilloried Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order Wednesday accelerating Calif’s transition away from oil and gas production and calling for a ban on most in-state sales of new internal-combustion vehicles within 15 years.

See also:

●     “No Oil or Gas?” Local Officials react to Newsom’s climate initiative KBAK

●     How does Governor Gavin Newsom’s new climate initiative impact Kern County? KGET

Calif ban on fracking by 2024 criticized as too late

Bakersfield Califn

Calif Gov. Gavin Newsom moved Wednesday to end issuing new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024, a delay criticized by many environmental groups but characterized as legally and politically realistic by another.

Report says Grimmway is courting potential buyers

Bakersfield Califn

A London-based business news service has reported Bakersfield-based produce giant Grimmway Farms is considering a sale. Relying on three unnamed sources, Mergermarket’s report Tuesday says the family-owned operation has reached out to prospective suitors through Goldman Sachs, the investment bank and financial services company.

Bakersfield City Council votes to allow backyard hens for most homeowners

Bakersfield Califn

Urban hens are now allowed in most backyards throughout Bakersfield after a vote by the City Council on Wednesday. The council chose to allow a scaled number of hens on each property depending on the size of the lot, approving an ordinance that goes as low as four hens on properties where the coop is 10 feet away from an offsite residential building.

McCarthy claims protests in Louisville, other cities are ‘planned, orchestrated events’

The Hill

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is seeking to paint antifa, the far-left antifascist movement, as an organized group that is behind the violence breaking out in U.S. cities amid social and racial unrest.

State:

All New Calif Cars, Trucks Must Be Zero-Emission By 2035, Newsom Announces In Executive Order

VPR

By the year 2035 all new passenger cars and trucks sold in Calif will not be allowed to emit fumes that warm the atmosphere. That’s thanks to an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday.

See also:

●     Can I keep my gas-powered car? What you need to know about about Newsom’s climate change order Modesto Bee

●     Gavin Newsom signs order banning sales of gas-powered cars in Calif by 2035 Fresno Bee

●     Gov. Gavin Newsom announces Calif will phase out all new gas-powered cars by 2035 abc30

●     Calif is ready to pull the plug on gas vehicles Bakersfield Califn

●     Kern officials slam governor’s climate order Bakersfield Califn

●     How does Governor Gavin Newsom’s new climate initiative impact Kern County? KGET

●     Newsom orders 2035 phaseout of gas-powered vehicles, calls for fracking ban LA Times

●     Newsom orders ban of new gas-powered cars by 2035 CalMatters

●     Calif to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars Starting in 2035 WSJ

●     Sales of new gas-powered cars banned in Calif by 2035: What you need to know LA Times

●     Here is Newsom’s plan to allow only zero-emissions car sales in Calif by 2035 LA Times

●     Gov. Newsom Bans New Gasoline-Powered Cars by 2035 The Business Journal

●     CalChamber Statement on Governor’s Executive Order Phasing Out Gasoline-Powered Cars CalChamber

●     Calif to require all new cars to be ‘zero emissions’ by 2035 Wash Post

●     Calif Today: What to Know About Newsom’s Big Climate Plan New York Times

●     Opinion: Calif’s climate change reality an opportunity for Gov. Newsom to quit fossil fuels Fresno Bee

●     Opinion: Gov. Newsom has taken a big step to solve the climate emergency, but more work remains Sac Bee

Calif could lose federal tax dollars for 10 years due to inaccurate Census

CalMatters

According to a new UCLA report, for every person missed in the census count in Calif, the state will lose $1,000 a year in federal funds.  That would amount to $10,000 per person lost over the next decade.

See also:

●     Local census organizers make final push to get as much of Kern registered as possible Bakersfield Califn

Health officials eligible for state confidentiality program

AP News

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday allowed health officials to hide their addresses under a Calif state program designed to protect people from harassment or violence. Newsom’s executive order permits the secretary of state to make the Safe at Home confidentiality program available to local health officers and other public health officials.

Calif sees steep drop in reports of child abuse since school campuses closed

EdSource

No group in Calif reports more suspected cases of child abuse than teachers. And with teachers no longer seeing students in-person every day in most parts of the state, advocates say thousands of cases of child abuse may be going unreported.

Federal:

Democrats worry Feinstein can’t handle Supreme Court battle

Politico

As the Senate prepares for yet another brutal Supreme Court nomination fight, one particularly sensitive issue is creating apprehension among Democrats: what to do with 87-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

How the Timeline for Confirming Trump’s SCOTUS Nominee Will Play Out

New York Magazine

President Trump has made it clear he would like the Senate to confirm his Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before Election Day, and Senate Republicans have, with only two exceptions, lined up behind him.

See also:

●     Ginsburg’s death sets up what could be the sharpest Supreme Court shift in three decades LA Times

●     Opinion: Hearings on the Supreme Court Nominee Will Be Good for Republicans National Review

●     Opinion: Maybe it’s time to expand the Supreme Court LA Times

●     Democrats plan their revenge if GOP Senate confirms Trump pick for high court SF Chronicle

●     Supreme Court Plays Bigger Campaign Role for Trump Than Biden WSJ

●     Opinion: What impact will the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg have on the 2020 Election? Brookings

Trump: 9th Justice Needed Before Election To Rule On Mail-In Ballot ‘Scam’

Forbes

President Trump made it known Wednesday that his motivation for nominating a ninth Supreme Court justice in the short window before the November election is both personal and political, particularly on the issue of mail-in voting.

See also:

●     Trump seeks to undermine election’s legitimacy with voting already underway ABC

●     Poll: 3 in 4 who strongly disapprove of Trump likely to vote by mail The Hill

Trump Won’t Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power After Election

WSJ

President Trump wouldn’t commit to a peaceful transfer of power after the November election and predicted the outcome would be decided by the Supreme Court, a reason he wants to quickly fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

See also:

·       GOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power The Hill

Adam Schiff: Why my colleagues and I are introducing the first major democracy reforms since Watergate

LA Times

Instead of being constrained by norms, Trump has acted as a stress test for our system of checks and balances, probing for where his powers are greatest and accountability is weakest.

House Democrats’ leadership races reflect coming generational change

Roll Call

Only one House Democrat in the caucus’s 14-member elected leadership team is exiting the chamber next year, but that opening has created a competitive race for assistant speaker and cleared opportunities for other ambitious Democrats to run for the lower-ranking positions those candidates are vacating.

For Democrats, infrastructure equals fighting climate change, creating jobs

Roll Call

In Democratic politics, infrastructure and fighting climate change have become increasingly synonymous: You can’t have one without the other.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif

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:

●     Calif Department of Public Health

●     Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

●     Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO

●     John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University

●     Tracking coronavirus in Calif LA Times

●     Coronavirus Tracker SF Chronicle

●      Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times

●     How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico

●     Coronavirus Daily NPR

●     Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Fin Times

●     Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters

●     Coronavirus update, Sept. 24: Stanislaus County Stanislaus County Health Services Agency

Elections 2020:

Creek Fire complicates voting for displaced residents, but counties have some solutions

abc30

The Creek Fire could complicate the presidential election for thousands of people who have lost their homes or were forced to evacuate. The COVID-19 pandemic has already drastically changed Election Day.

Your Calif mail ballot is coming. 5 things to do to make sure it gets counted

Sac Bee

Calif has hit a record number of registered voters this year, and thanks to an executive order issued this year from Gov. Gavin Newsom, all 21 million of them will be receiving a ballot in the mail starting Oct. 5.

See also:

Hispanic Voters May Provide the Margin in November

WSJ

President Trump has said he will nominate a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg later this week, and it’s no surprise that Judge Barbara Lagoa is high on his short list.

Biden is prepping for first debate. Trump is watching TV news and testing attack lines

LA Times

President Trump publicly insists he doesn’t rehearse for debates, claiming recently that he is preparing for his first debate on Tuesday in Cleveland with Democratic nominee Joe Biden “just by doing what I’m doing.”

Falsehoods about sex-offender law hit the campaign trail

CalMatters

For over a year a bill — signed into Calif law this month — that gives judges discretion over whether or not to require someone convicted of statutory rape to register as a sex offender, has been at the center of a storm of viral misinformation.

Fact Check: Trump exaggerates a North Carolina ballot mishap

Politifact

North Carolina could prove key for Trump in the upcoming election, and he has previously  tweeted questionable information about the state.

Opinion: What if something happens to Biden or Trump? Early voting creates another reason for the Electoral College

AEI

Thanks to the Founding Fathers, it’s not actually a big problem. That’s because voting for president doesn’t actually start on Friday. It starts on Dec. 14.

Other:

Virtual Event: Disinformation in Local Elections: How to spot it and what you can do

Sac Bee

Please join us for a live event exploring election disinformation at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 30. America’s architects viewed the press as essential to our democracy, including it in the first article of our Bill of Rights.

Opinion: Before Reporting Became ‘Journalism’

WSJ

Writers subdued their egos and encouraged readers to think. Nowadays it’s all about arousing emotion.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 27, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: Calif Utility-Caused Wildfires: Who Pays? – Guests: Dr. Ross Brown, Calif Legislative Analyst Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 27, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Calif Wildfires: Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later” – Guests: Pedro Nava, Chair of Calif Little Hoover Commission and Dr. Ross Brown, Calif Legislative Analyst Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Report says Grimmway is courting potential buyers

Bakersfield Califn

A London-based business news service has reported Bakersfield-based produce giant Grimmway Farms is considering a sale. Relying on three unnamed sources, Mergermarket’s report Tuesday says the family-owned operation has reached out to prospective suitors through Goldman Sachs, the investment bank and financial services company.

Bakersfield City Council votes to allow backyard hens for most homeowners

Bakersfield Califn

Urban hens are now allowed in most backyards throughout Bakersfield after a vote by the City Council on Wednesday. The council chose to allow a scaled number of hens on each property depending on the size of the lot, approving an ordinance that goes as low as four hens on properties where the coop is 10 feet away from an offsite residential building.

Not Enough to Eat: Calif Black and Latinx Children Need Policymakers to Act

Calif Budget & Policy Center

Right now, many families do not have enough food on the table, and this problem is particularly acute for Latinx and Black families in Calif. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 1 in 10 Califns sometimes or often lacked access to enough food to support a healthy lifestyle.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Fresno police auditor said he withheld report on alleged misconduct to avoid protest

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s independent police reviewer for about four months sat on his report regarding accusations of police excessive force on a teenager, he recently told members of the city’s Commission on Police Reform.

BPD warns about ‘virtual kidnapping’ phone scam circulating locally

Bakersfield Califn

The Bakersfield Police Department has put out a warning concerning a “virtual kidnapping” phone scam that’s circulated locally. The phone scam involves a victim being told their family member has been kidnapped and a ransom is demanded.

Opinion: Gov. Newsom must sign the Racial Justice Act to bar discrimination in Calif courts

Fresno Bee

Calif law prohibits racial discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation based on race, ethnicity or national origin. However, no such law exists for our criminal courts.

Public Safety:

McCarthy claims protests in Louisville, other cities are ‘planned, orchestrated events’

The Hill

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is seeking to paint antifa, the far-left antifascist movement, as an organized group that is behind the violence breaking out in U.S. cities amid social and racial unrest.

Which Police Departments Are as Diverse as Their Communities?

New York Times

Amid a national outcry over the lack of diversity in institutions across the United States, new federal data show that rank-and-file officers in hundreds of police departments are considerably more white than the communities they serve.

EDITORIAL: Another sign of the times: Mass shootings are spiking

LA Times

While overall violent crime has edged downward this year, homicides have increased in several major cities, including here in LA.

Fire:

Creek Fire: 289,695 acres burned with 32% containment, latest evacuations issued for Fresno, Madera, Mariposa counties

abc30

The Creek Fire was first sparked on Friday, September 4, and 289,695 acres have burned as of Wednesday morning with 32% containment. CAL FIRE officials say it is the largest single fire in Calif’s recorded history.

See also:

●     Residents who lost homes to Creek Fire seeing destruction near Shaver Lake for first time Sierra Star

●     85-year-old fled Creek Fire without husband’s ashes or pets. ‘My life is in that burnt area’ Sierra Star

●     Creek Fire updates: Blaze is largest single wildfire in state history; Yosemite to open Friday Merced Sun-Star

●     Creek Fire Burns 286K Acres, Largest Single Fire in State History Clovis Roundup

SQF Complex Fire: Containment nearly doubles to 33%; 1.5 million gallons of retardant dropped

Visalia Times Delta

Containment of the SQF Complex Fire has nearly doubled overnight to 33%, an increase of 15% over Monday. The big step in the fight against the 140,000-acre wildfire comes as firefighters say they are able to take a more offensive approach for the first time in more than a week.

See also:

●     SQF Complex Fire: 144,708 acres burned, 33% contained, latest evacuation orders abc30

Think this fire season is bad? ‘This isn’t the worst of it,’ retired U.S. Forest Service chief says

LA Times

Bad news, Califns, but 2020’s fire season may not be an aberration. In fact, we’re probably facing years of increasing fire, smoke, death and destruction both in rural towns and suburban foothills unless we and the rest of the country get on the same page on how to deal with this threat.

Skelton: It’s time for Calif to retrofit buildings for wildfires as it does for earthquakes

LA Times

Calif should put the same effort into preparing buildings to survive wildfires that it has retrofitting for earthquakes. That’s the view of UC Merced fire scientist Crystal Kolden, a former firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service. She makes sense. 

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Is a cash-free America in our future because of COVID-19? Here’s what a study finds

Fresno Bee

The coronavirus has dramatically altered our way of living, including how we look at money when it comes to paying for things. In a new study by Travis Credit Union, over half of Americans plan to stop using cash completely after the pandemic.

Planet Fitness reopens as essential business in Bakersfield

Bakersfield Now

Planet Fitness is now considered an essential business in Calif, so local locations can now bring members back inside to work out.

Thought no one was answering calls at Calif’s EDD? You were nearly right, report says

Modesto Bee

If you thought it was impossible to reach a human being about your Calif unemployment insurance claim in the last six months, you were nearly right, according to a recent report released by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

Cost Of Racism: U.S. Economy Lost $16 Trillion Because Of Discrimination, Bank Says

NPR

Nationwide protests have cast a spotlight on racism and inequality in the United States. Now a major bank has put a price tag on how much the economy has lost as a result of discrimination against African Americans: $16 trillion.

New look, new chance. But now mercaditos, like other Latino businesses, hang in the balance

LA Times

People have been dropping by Lupita’s corner for years. ¡Hola mija! they often shout as they walk past the front door. Qué hay de bueno? What’s new? For 27 years, the little market at West 3rd Street and Lucas Avenue in L.A.’s Westlake neighborhood has been far more than just a store.

Opinion: The second wave’s economic challenge

The Hill

With clear warning signs now coming out of Europe about the risk of a second wave in the pandemic, there’s no excuse for our policymakers to be caught flatfooted once again.

See also:

●     Opinion: Unemployment is Improving Far Faster Than Projected – Unlike After the Great Recession Real Clear Policy

Jobs:

Madera’s Newest Supermarket Opens, Creates 250 Jobs

The Business Journal

Madera Mayor Andy Medellin, along with county supervisors, development directors and one of the founding brothers of the company were on hand to commemorate the opening of the second largest store for Vallarta.

Endorsement: No on Prop. 22. It’s the wrong solution for Uber drivers and the gig economy

LA Times

Proposition 22, which would classify drivers for app-based services such as Uber and Lyft as independent contractors but guarantee them certain benefits, is an ink-blot test.

See also:

●     Fact check: Will Uber, Lyft drivers get paid less than minimum wage under Proposition 22? Sac Bee

●     Califns not sold on treating Uber, Lyft drivers as independent contractors, new poll shows LA Times

Domestic workers ask governor to extend workplace protections

CalMatters

Activists and domestic workers are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would extend safe work requirements to 13 million Calif households employing domestic help such as housekeepers and gardeners.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Without candidates running, Patterson Unified seeks school board member applications

Modesto Bee

The Patterson Joint Unified School District is accepting applications to fill two board member seats because no candidates filed to run for election. While the board has experienced high turnover with more than 20 trustees in the past 12 years, Superintendent Philip Alfano said this election cycle marks the first time no one ran for openings in that same period.

See also:

●     Patterson, Stanislaus school districts latest, largest to file applications to reopen Modesto Bee

Clovis Unified votes to submit waiver to bring students back to campus

abc30

Clovis Unified will be the Central Valley’s next school district to apply for permission to bring students back to campus. After almost five hours of discussion and public comment on Wednesday night, the board unanimously voted to move forward with the waiver application.

BCSD unveils plan to gradually reopen its doors for in-person learning

Bakersfield Califn

Bakersfield City School District released details about its plan to gradually open up its schools to special education, foster youth and homeless students, and English learners at a board meeting on Tuesday night.

Private Schools Dominate the Approval Process for Reopening

Public Policy Institute of Calif

As of September 18, the state had approved 550 (out of 557) waiver applications from 28 counties (full list below). The vast majority of the approved applicants are private schools (512, or 93%), while 38 are from public schools (9%).

Families Seek Educational Options in Pandemic

The Business Journal

As parents across the United States try to find different ways to help their children navigate virtual education, Roller Towne in Visalia has taken to combining fun with the provision of a necessary service.

Higher Ed:

Fresno State President Joseph Castro Appointed Chancellor Of Calif State University

VPR

Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro has been appointed the eighth chancellor of the Calif State University, the CSU Board of Trustees announced Wednesday. Castro is the first Calif native and the first Mexican American to oversee the nation’s largest public university.

See also:

●     Joseph I. Castro Appointed Eighth CSU Chancellor CSU

●     Fresno State president named chancellor of Calif State University Fresno Bee

●     Calif State University picks Mexican-American as leader Fresno Bee

●     Calif State University picks Mexican American as leader Bakersfield Califn

●     Fresno State president Joseph Castro appointed chancellor of Calif State University system abc30

●     Cal State gets its first chancellor of color: Fresno State president Joseph I. Castro LA Times

●     Next chief of Calif State University will push to raise graduation rates Wash Post

●     EDITORIAL: Joseph Castro was right for Fresno State — and he’s the right choice to lead CSU system Fresno Bee

●     Cal State chooses first Mexican American chancellor CalMatters

Fresno State returning to football? Athletic conference to vote Thursday night

abc30

It appears there may be a chance that we see Fresno State football in 2020. The Board of Directors of the Mountain West athletic conference, in which Fresno State plays, is set to vote Thursday night about a possible return to play for football next month.

See also:

●     Fresno State submits plan to county, taking next step to joining fall football season Fresno Bee

CSU Trustees endorse repeal of affirmative action ban

EdSource

Calif State University trustees voted Wednesday to join their counterparts in the University of Calif and Calif Community College systems in supporting the repeal of the state’s 24-year-old ban on considering race, gender and ethnicity in admissions and hiring decisions.

State auditor blasts UC for admitting unqualified students based on wealthy connections

CalMatters

The state auditor found a lot of holes in the way the University of Calif conducts its admissions process, from inappropriate donor influence to questionable student athlete decisions. The state audit also disagrees with the UC’s internal audit.

Local ‘Cash for College’ financial aid application assistance goes virtual

Bakersfield Califn

Beginning Oct. 1, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the Calif Dream Act Application for the 2021-22 academic year will be available for students to complete online.

State Supreme Court rejects students’ bid to practice law without passing exam

SF Chronicle

A petition by two recent graduates, signed by nearly 1,900 students, said an online exam using little-tested software would be unreliable and unfair to low-income and minority students who lacked equal access to computers and quiet space at home. The justices denied a hearing on their request without comment.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

1 in 7 Americans Have Experienced Dangerous Air Quality Due To Wildfires This Year

VPR

Wildfires near cities have become commonplace in the Western United States, but this year the reach and intensity of the dangerous air pollution they produce has been the worst on record.

The luxury air business is booming — as many Californians struggle to breathe

LA Times

For buyers at the upper reaches of the real estate market, peace of mind can be purchased in the form of deluxe air filtration systems that keep the world at bay.

Energy:

Calif ban on fracking by 2024 criticized as too late

Bakersfield Califn

Calif Gov. Gavin Newsom moved Wednesday to end issuing new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024, a delay criticized by many environmental groups but characterized as legally and politically realistic by another.

All New Calif Cars, Trucks Must Be Zero-Emission By 2035, Newsom Announces In Executive Order

VPR

By the year 2035 all new passenger cars and trucks sold in Calif will not be allowed to emit fumes that warm the atmosphere. That’s thanks to an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday.

See also:

●     Can I keep my gas-powered car? What you need to know about about Newsom’s climate change order Modesto Bee

●     Gavin Newsom signs order banning sales of gas-powered cars in Calif by 2035 Fresno Bee

●     Gov. Gavin Newsom announces Calif will phase out all new gas-powered cars by 2035 abc30

●     Calif is ready to pull the plug on gas vehicles Bakersfield Califn

●     Kern officials slam governor’s climate order Bakersfield Califn

●     How does Governor Gavin Newsom’s new climate initiative impact Kern County? KGET

●     Newsom orders 2035 phaseout of gas-powered vehicles, calls for fracking ban LA Times

●     Newsom orders ban of new gas-powered cars by 2035 CalMatters

●     Calif to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars Starting in 2035 WSJ

●     Sales of new gas-powered cars banned in Calif by 2035: What you need to know LA Times

●     Here is Newsom’s plan to allow only zero-emissions car sales in Calif by 2035 LA Times

●     Gov. Newsom Bans New Gasoline-Powered Cars by 2035 The Business Journal

●     CalChamber Statement on Governor’s Executive Order Phasing Out Gasoline-Powered Cars CalChamber

●     Calif to require all new cars to be ‘zero emissions’ by 2035 Wash Post

●     Calif Today: What to Know About Newsom’s Big Climate Plan New York Times

●     Opinion: Calif’s climate change reality an opportunity for Gov. Newsom to quit fossil fuels Fresno Bee

●     Opinion: Gov. Newsom has taken a big step to solve the climate emergency, but more work remains Sac Bee

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

‘These are hidden deaths.’ Over 1,000 likely died early due to Calif’s wildfire smoke

Fresno Bee

Dense wildfire smoke that blanketed the state for weeks in August and early September — contributing to dangerous air quality from the SF Bay area to Sac to Fresno and beyond — may have contributed to the deaths of hundreds of Califns and sent thousands more to the emergency room, Stanford University researchers say.

Fresno Co adds 101 cases of COVID-19 in midweek update. The latest numbers

Fresno Bee

Fresno County reported 101 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the county closer to nearly 28,000 cases.

In push to reopen, Kern Co public health urges residents to get COVID-19 tests

Bakersfield Califn

The Kern County Public Health Services Department sent another plea to residents, asking them to get tested for COVID-19 in part to help slow the spread of the virus and to also accelerate efforts in reopening the economy.

Massive genetic study shows coronavirus is mutating and potentially evolving amid its rapid spread in the U.S.

Wash Post

The largest U.S. genetic study of the virus, conducted in Houston, shows one viral strain outdistancing all of its competitors. Separately, the new study has found some additional mutations that it calls “disconcerting.”

Some Covid-19 Patients Show Signs of Heart Damage Months Later

WSJ

The new coronavirus can leave some patients with signs of heart inflammation and injury months after they get sick with Covid-19, even in cases where their illness wasn’t severe, researchers say.

Young adults are now the largest group of Americans getting COVID-19, CDC says

LA Times

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the median age of people with COVID-19 in the U.S. has declined over the spring and summer, with Americans in their 20s now accounting for more cases than people in any other age group.

See also:

·       College openings fueled 3,000 COVID-19 cases per day, researchers say LA Times

‘A wound that never closes’: Racism, police violence and the toll on Black mental health

Sac Bee

The drumbeat of it all has seemed never ending. Ongoing police violence against Black men and women has inflamed racial tensions. A global pandemic has killed Black people in

Human Services:

Anti-vaccine group aided effort to overturn COVID order in county where health officer quit

Sac Bee

As the Placer County Board of Supervisors was meeting Sept. 8 to discuss rescinding its emergency COVID-19 order, a Calif anti-vaccine group that’s promoted inaccurate coronavirus information online was rallying their followers – some from outside the county – to call in support for the effort.

Johnson & Johnson begins final-stage study of first single-shot COVID-19 vaccine

abc30

A huge international study of a COVID-19 vaccine that aims to work with just one dose is getting underway as top U.S. health officials sought Wednesday to assure a skeptical Congress and public that they can trust any shots the government ultimately approves.

See also:

●     EDITORIAL: Good Vaccine Progress, Bad Politics WSJ

●     Commentary: Calif officials must ensure COVID-19 vaccine is given first to those most vulnerable CalMatters

Flu could strain health system already burdened by COVID-19

Roll Call

A rough flu season could compound the problems the COVID-19 pandemic has already caused in the United States, and public health experts are warning that a mild flu season in the Southern hemisphere may not mean Americans will experience the same thing.

Column: The Supreme Court could kill protection for preexisting conditions. You should be terrified

LA Times

President Trump is putting out the word that he has a plan to protect Americans with preexisting medical conditions from losing their health coverage, especially if the Supreme Court invalidates the Affordable Care Act.

IMMIGRATION

EDITORIAL: Trump wants to invade your privacy in the name of immigration enforcement

LA Times

You might think that the massive collection of biometric data from legal immigrants seeking or holding green cards, as well as from some of their U.S. citizen sponsors, would be a bridge too far even for the Trump administration. But when it comes to intrusive immigration policy, no bridge is too far for this crew.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Kings Canyon, Yosemite parks reopen as air quality improves

Fresno Bee

Kings Canyon National Park reopened to visitors on Wednesday and Yosemite National Park will welcome back visitors on Friday as air quality improves. Both parks closed last Thursday when smoke from the sixth-largest wildfire in recorded Calif history created hazardous air quality.

See also:

●     Yosemite National Park announces reopening date amid Creek Fire closure Fresno Bee

●     Yosemite National Park to reopen Friday after closing due to poor air quality abc30

Housing:

Fresno unveils homeless shelter units to replace aging ones. These have air conditioning

Fresno Bee

The Poverello House in southwest Fresno on Wednesday unveiled new homeless housing that is roomier, temperature controlled and can serve more people than its almost 20-year-old digs, according to officials.

See also:

●     New homeless shelters at Poverello House announced Fresno Bee

$7M Grant Could Fund Motel Drive Housing for Fresno Homeless

The Business Journal

A  $7 million grant to the Fresno Housing Authority may allow the organization to purchase a hotel along what many have called “Motel Drive” as a permanent avenue for affordable housing.

Modesto’s housing market is ‘one to watch.’ Here’s what that means for buyers and sellers.

Modesto Bee

Zillow, the national real estate database, has ranked Modesto as one of its top dozen mid-sized markets to watch in 2020. Modesto is ranked 8th in the nation, and highest in Calif.

Bakersfield City Council votes to allow backyard hens for most homeowners

Bakersfield Califn

Urban hens are now allowed in most backyards throughout Bakersfield after a vote by the City Council on Wednesday.

There’s a pandemic, but Southern Calif home prices are at record levels

LA Times

In the middle of a global pandemic, Southern Calif home prices keep setting records. The six-county region’s median price reached $600,000 in August, up 12.1% from a year earlier, according to data released Wednesday by DQNews.

Calif Exodus: An online industry seizes COVID-19 to sell the Red State Dream

CalMatters

Disillusioned Calif residents are coming together by the tens of thousands on Facebook, YouTube and elsewhere online, fueling a cottage industry of real estate agents, mortgage lenders and political advocates stoking social division to compete for a piece of the much–discussed Calif Exodus.

Prop 21 rent control expansion faces steep hurdle to passage, new poll shows

LA Times

A bid to expand rent control in Calif faces a large hurdle to pass in November, a new poll of voters statewide has found. Just 37% of likely voters are supporting Proposition 21, which would give cities and counties greater authority to implement rent control in their communities.

See also:

●     Rent control is on Sac’s November ballot. Here’s what you need to know Sac Bee

Report: Does state tax policy discourage housing production?

CAFWD

Tax policy is one of the driving factors limiting the production of housing that is affordable in Calif. That’s the conclusion of “Does State Tax Policy Discourage Housing Production?,” a report from SPUR and Calif Forward (CA FWD).

PUBLIC FINANCES

Video: Fiscal Realities for Local Government

Public Policy Institute of Calif

Local governments have been hit hard by the pandemic and its economic consequences. Last week, two Calif mayors—Kevin Faulconer in San Diego and Libby Schaaf in Oakland—talked with Mark Baldassare about the challenges they are facing and the lessons we can learn from the current crisis.

Fox: Calif’s “Progressive Fiscal Values”

Fox & Hounds

In endorsing Proposition 15 that would raise property taxes on commercial property, Governor Gavin Newsom used an unusual turn of phrase when he said the measure was “consistent with Calif’s progressive fiscal values.”

Report: Does state tax policy discourage housing production?

CAFWD

Tax policy is one of the driving factors limiting the production of housing that is affordable in Calif. That’s the conclusion of “Does State Tax Policy Discourage Housing Production?,” a report from SPUR and Calif Forward (CA FWD).

TRANSPORTATION

Bill would infuse $5 billion into state roadwork program

L.A. Biz

A bill on the governor’s desk could generate $5 billion to fast-track roadwork projects and create tens of thousands of new jobs.

WATER

Gov. Newsom told this Calif town they’d get safe drinking water. It’s been a year

Fresno Bee

Newsom signed the law more than a year ago. Tombstone still doesn’t have drinkable water. The plan is to expand service to residents in Tombstone from the nearby water system in the city of Sanger.

District to Begin Temporary Removal of Kangaroo Rat from the Santa Ana River Wash

Calif Water News Daily

San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District (SBVWCD) recently announced they have been awarded a Safe Harbor Agreement by the Calif Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to temporarily remove the kangaroo rat and the Santa Ana River woolly star from its degraded habitat in order to restore it and save the local population.

“Xtra”

Fresno arts scene gets $1 million, three exhibits from James B. McClatchy Foundation

Fresno Bee

The foundation announced on Tuesday a grant-funded collaborative between the McClatchy Fresno Arts Endowment and three area arts organizations — Arte Américas, Fresno Art Museum and the Center for Creativity and the Arts at Fresno State.

CALM zoo reopens for visitors

Bakersfield Califn

The Calif Living Museum reopened its native zoo and gardens on Wednesday for folks looking to get out and see some animals and wildlife. CALM will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lace’n It Up fun run and walk set for virtual format, open for registration

Bakersfield Califn

Registration is now open for the 14th Annual Lace’n It Up 5k Fun Run and Celebration walk, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3. According to a news release from Links for Life, the event kicks off October as cancer awareness month and celebrates survivors and their families that helped support them.

‘No Surrender’ Fresno location reopens for first time in 4 months

abc30

A Fresno indoor playground, complete with a bounce house and ball pit, has re-opened to the public. The defiant move flies in the face of the state’s COVID-19 reopening guidelines businesses must follow.

Sac suburb makes Money Magazine’s best places to live

Sac Bee

Money Magazine released its 2020 list of best places to live in the U.S. Tuesday, and only one Calif city made the list. But it’s one you might not expect. The Sac suburb of Roseville.

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