September 28, 2020

28Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

TODAY: Maddy Associates Speaker Series:  “Closing the Valley’s Digital Divide” with Sunne McPeak, CEO & President of the California Emerging Technology Fund. 

Today, September 28 at noon, The Maddy Institute will be hosting Sunne McPeak, President and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, at a Maddy Associates Speakers Series event. Business and Community leaders have been invited to attend this private event in an online Zoom meeting. This event marks the first of several virtual speaking events The Maddy Institute has planned for the fall. 

North SJ Valley:

Modesto City Council mired in second costly investigation involving city clerk

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Council finds itself in another mess. This one has cost the city more than $39,000 in legal fees so far in an investigation of City Clerk Stephanie Lopez and sparked a revolt by two council members who claim the clerk is being treated unfairly.

Hear the candidates: Turlock City Council hopefuls discuss the issues

Modesto Bee

Five candidates running for two Turlock City Council seats discussed the issues Thursday night in the Zoom call with the Modesto Bee’s Editorial Board. Vying for seats are Gil Esquer, Rebecka Monez and Ruben Wegner in District 2 and Pam Franco and Bob Puffer in District 4.

Should Turlock raise sales taxes amid financial issues? Measure A lets voters decide

Modesto Bee

Turlock residents will decide whether the city enacts a three-quarter cent sales tax by voting on Measure A on their November ballots. If passed by a simple majority, the measure will raise the sales tax rate from 7.875% to 8.625%, generating about $11 million per year until voters repeal or amend it in another election.

OPINION: The Modesto Bee’s 2020 election candidate forum videos

Modesto Bee

The Bee takes its role as a provider of local journalism seriously, and that’s why we focus so much on elections. We have an important one coming in November, and for The Bee, it’s more about what’s happening here in Stanislaus County than the noise coming from Washington.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno County issues $3 million to help rural cities struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic

Fresno Bee

With the looming deadline for federally-issued coronavirus relief funds, Christmas came early for small Fresno County cities dealing with pandemic-related economic uncertainty. On Thursday, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors gathered mayors and city managers from 14 rural cities to formally announce a $3 million spending package to help local communities.

Clovis Ranks Top 10 Safest City in California

Clovis RoundUp

The City of Clovis can now add another accomplishment on their wall. 

South SJ Valley:

Four candidates vie to succeed Jacquie Sullivan as Ward 6 council member

Bakersfield California

The Ward 6 seat on the Bakersfield City Council will soon be filled by someone other than Jacquie Sullivan for the first time since 1995. The four candidates who have stepped up to try to succeed Sullivan, who is not running for reelection, come from varying backgrounds and have many differing ideas about how to take on the challenges facing the city. It will be up to the voters of Ward 6 to choose who they want to be their next representative.

Incumbents Andrae Gonzales and Bruce Freeman running unopposed for Bakersfield City Council seats

Bakersfield Califn

Bakersfield City Councilmen Andrae Gonzales and Bruce Freeman, who represent wards 2 and 5 respectively, will be running unopposed in the general election. Both Gonzales and Freeman are running for their second terms.

State:

California prison employing 1,100 to close in 2021 — and Newsom wants to shut another

Sac Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration on Friday announced a plan to shut Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy within a year, following through on Newsom’s pledge to close one or more state prisons while he’s in office.

See Also:

Federal judge rejects plan to end Census early, giving California more time for count

Sac Bee

A federal court in California ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to extend the 2020 Census count deadline by one more month, allowing community-based organizations to continue their outreach efforts through October.

The California Republican Party endorsed three candidates who say QAnon theories should be heard

Sac Bee

For years, the falsehoods of the QAnon movement lived on the fringes of the internet. It was a collection of conspiracy theories aimed at exposing a supposed deep-state cabal of pedophiles. But in recent months, despite being baseless and untrue, the theories have made their way to mainstream social media platforms, gaining traction with some celebrities and a swath of congressional candidates.

Newsom’s fast-approaching deadline

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom has just three days left to sign or veto some of the most high-profile and controversial bills of the legislative session — including a spate of proposals to police the police, a bill that would establish a state reparations committee, and a bill that would mandate the racial makeup of corporate boards.

California Enacts Major Expansion to the California Family Rights Act

aalrr

SB 1383 expands the California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”) to cover small employers and expands family leave rights to include care for siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.  Signed into law on September 17, 2020, SB 1383 represents a dramatic expansion of the CFRA, which is California’s state law version of the federal Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”).  SB 1383 will be effective on January 1, 2021. 

7 reasons Gavin Newsom has the worst job in politics

Politico

Ronald Reagan used the California governor’s office as a springboard to the White House. Jerry Brown and Pete Wilson tried to. But now, the governor of the nation’s most populous state has to contend with massive wildfires, unhealthy air, rolling blackouts, unchecked homelessness, social unrest and the constant threat of earthquakes — not to mention ideological attacks by the president.

Commentary: Bill to reduce probation time could help offenders successfully re-enter society

CalMatters

As states continue to grapple with fixing aspects of our criminal justice system from the top, they should keep an eye on California and a bill sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk that looks to modify how courts handle probation in the state. 

Federal:

Donald Trump paid $750 in US income taxes in 2016, 2017: NY Times 

abc30

President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House, according to a report Sunday in The NY Times. 

Ginsburg, Champion Of Gender Equality, Becomes 1st Woman To Lie In State 

VPR

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in state Friday at the U.S. Capitol, the first woman and the first Jewish person to be given that honor in the nation’s history. Ginsburg’s casket was carried into Statuary Hall, just outside the House of Representatives’ chamber, by an armed forces honor guard. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., presided over a brief ceremony.

See Also:

Trump Announces Amy Coney Barrett As His Supreme Court Nominee

Capital Public Radio

President Trump says he will nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court, spurring what’s likely to be a bitter confirmation fight just weeks before the presidential election.

See Also:

Trump administration rescinded Courage Award for woman who criticized Trump, then gave false explanation for its decision, watchdog finds

Wash Post

The Trump administration rescinded an award recognizing the work of a journalist from Finland last year after discovering she had criticized President Trump in social media posts, then gave a false explanation for withdrawing the honor, according to a report by the State Department’s internal watchdog.

Majority says winner of presidential election should nominate next Supreme Court justice, Post-ABC poll finds

Wash Post

A majority of Americans oppose efforts by President Trump and the Republican-led Senate to fill a Supreme Court vacancy before the presidential election, with most supporters of Democratic candidate Joe Biden saying the issue has raised the stakes of the election, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Poll: USPS should be run like a public service, not a business, Americans say 2-to-1

Wash Post

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was brought on, in part, to use his extensive private-sector experience to make the nation’s venerable mail service more efficient. But the net effect of DeJoy’s operational changes has been a slowdown in the pace of mail delivery.

The tit-for-tat Supreme Court game is about to reach a catastrophic conclusion

Wash Post

Everyone wants the wars over the Supreme Court to end, but no one wants to be the one to end them . . . everyone wants last licks, but no one is willing to take a licking. And thus the continuously escalating battles have continued for the simple, stupid reason that no one can take the high road, or even recognize this giant, multigenerational game of tit-for-tat is unwinnable.

See Also:

New survey: Yes, Americans will give up liberties to fight the coronavirus

Wash Post

Since the coronavirus pandemic began expanding in March, Americans have been battling over government measures to slow the virus’s spread, including business and school closures, limits on public gatherings and mask requirements. Opponents of these efforts have aggressively confronted lawmakers, harassed public health officials, flouted public health orders and litigated to reverse policies they claim restrict constitutional rights and freedoms.

See Also:

Redfield voices alarm over influence of Trump’s new coronavirus task force adviser

NBCNews

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has grown increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump, pushed by a new member of his coronavirus task force, is sharing incorrect information about the pandemic with the public.

Donald Trump’s executive order on preexisting conditions lacks teeth, experts say

PolitiFact

Protections for people with preexisting conditions is an issue that has followed President Donald Trump for his entire first term. Now, Trump has signed an Executive Order that he says locks in coverage regardless of anyone’s health history. 

Commentary: COVID outcomes update: Health and employment impacts in the US compared to other countries

Brookings

In the past three to four months, the U.S. economy has recovered somewhat from the COVID-19-induced employment troughs observed in April, while the virus caseloads and deaths at first declined and then surged again, starting in June. However, the partial recovery of U.S. labor markets in the late spring and summer, and more recent trends in virus cases and deaths, do not change the fundamental fact that both employment and health outcomes for the U.S. during the pandemic have been worse than in almost any other high-income country in the world.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

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

See also:

Elections 2020:

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

Sacramento Bee

California 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.

Here’s a look at some of the key measures Newsom signed into law and what they mean for Californians.

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom has just three days left to sign or veto some of the most high-profile and controversial bills of the legislative session — including a spate of proposals to police the police, a bill that would establish a state reparations committee, and a bill that would mandate the racial makeup of corporate boards.

See Also:

Northern California county strikes back after conservative pundit implies ballot dumping

Fresno Bee

Sonoma County election officials say they are setting the record straight after a popular conservative pundit suggested that they had dumped mail-in ballots ahead of the 2020 election. The county’s official social media accounts published a statement Friday saying that pictures circulating on the internet of election envelopes in dumpsters were actually from 2018 — not, as many Twitter users had claimed, 2020. 

Despite Trump attacks, both parties vow orderly election

Hanford Sentinel

President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses drew swift blowback Thursday from both parties in Congress, and lawmakers turned to unprecedented steps to ensure he can’t ignore the vote of the people. Amid the uproar, Trump said anew he’s not sure the election will be “honest.”

Ballots Are Hitting Mailboxes Soon: Here’s How To Ensure Your Ballot Is Counted 

VPR

The election is less than 40 days away and we want to make sure your vote gets counted. We checked in with registrars of voters throughout the San Joaquin Valley to ask what voters should do to make sure their ballot is cast properly.

California Voters To Decide On Affirmative Action and Property Tax Increases In November 

VPR

Propositions 13 and 209 were some of the most impactful in California’s history, but now their fates are back in the hands of voters, who come November will weigh in on whether to bring back affirmative action and potentially increase property taxes for some businesses. 

RSVP to ‘Disinformation in Local Elections: How to spot it and what you can do’

Modesto Bee

America’s architects viewed the press as essential to our democracy, including it in the first article of our Bill of Rights. And yet today we are faced with consistent attacks on credible news and information. Factual, accurate reporting is literally being replaced by Russian bots feeding us false information via our social media feeds.

CA120: California’s mail-in voting cranks up

Capitol Weekly

Vote-by-mail ballots have been sent to all registered voters in Amador County, with Solano reporting they will be mailing ballots today, while Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego counties — and maybe others – will be mailing next week. These counties are getting ahead of the Oct. 5 deadline for California counties to mail ballots.  In other states, meanwhile, voting has been taking place for weeks.

‘It’s going to be like war.’ Voters eye 2020 election outcome with fear and loathing

LA Times

When Jim Jackson looks ahead to November, he cringes at what he sees: a defeated President Trump refusing to leave the White House and his supporters waging war to keep him there.

California NAACP president aids corporate prop campaigns — collects $1.2 million and counting

CalMatters

Read through the voter handbook for California’s November election, and a name pops up over and over again: Alice Huffman. As leader of the California NAACP, Huffman has weighed in with positions that critics say run counter to the historic civil rights organization’s mission to advance racial equality in education, housing and criminal justice.

“Props to You”: A Q&A event series on California’s ballot measures

CalMatters

With 12 contentious propositions on your California ballot, you’ve probably got questions. From kidney dialysis and affirmative action to rent control and gig workers, CalMatters has you covered.

The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of the U.S. Electorate

PEW

The upcoming 2020 presidential election has drawn renewed attention to how demographic shifts across the United States have changed the composition of the electorate.

Interest in presidential election hits near-record high: poll

The Hill

Interest in this year’s presidential election has hit a near-record high for this point in the election cycle, according to a national poll released Sunday. The Wash Post-ABC News poll determined that nearly six in 10 registered voters – 58 % – said they are “very closely” following the 2020 presidential race between President Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.

Post-ABC poll: Biden maintains lead over Trump nationally in stable presidential race

Wash Post

After two political conventions, the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus, economic dislocation, more racial upheaval and a coming battle over a Supreme Court vacancy, the race for the White House remains stable, with former vice president Joe Biden holding a steady advantage over President Trump, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Trump, Biden Prepare for Debate on Coronavirus, Supreme Court Fight 

WSJ

President Trump has played down the need for traditional debate preparation and questioned former Vice President Joe Biden’s abilities, though allies say he is strategizing with advisers about how to highlight his record and rattle the Democratic nominee.

See also:

Biden, Democratic Victories Would Be Best Outcome For The Economy, Moody’s Says

Forbes

A victory for Joe Biden over Donald Trump and a Democratic sweep—where Republicans lose the Senate—would result in the biggest rebound in economic growth and employment, according to a recent analysis of both candidates’ economic proposals by Moody’s Analytics.

Between the economy and coronavirus pandemic, Biden keeps his advantage nationally: POLL

abcNews

In a race defined by economic views and pandemic fears, and riven by wide gender and education gaps, Joe Biden retains a 10-point lead nationally against Donald Trump in a new ABC News/Wash Post poll, contracting to six points with third-party candidates included.

Trump readies thousands of attorneys for election fight

Politico

A year before President Donald Trump alarmed Americans with talk of disputing elections last week, his team started building a massive legal network to do just that. Dozens of lawyers from three major law firms have been hired. Thousands of volunteer attorneys and poll watchers across the country have been recruited. 

Democrats Criticize Upcoming Debate For Not Including Climate Change 

NPR

When President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden face off Tuesday night in the first presidential debate, there’s one topic they’re not expected to get asked about: climate. Thirty-six senators, spearheaded by Ed Markey, D-Mass., signed a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, urging that climate change receive more attention.

See Also:

With Warnings Of Socialism, Trump Seeks To Boost Support Among Young Florida Latinos

NPR

Miguel Arango had just turned 18 when he voted for Barack Obama in 2012. Four years later, he was a passionate supporter of Bernie Sanders, but opted for a third-party candidate in the 2016 general election. “I was not going to vote for Trump either,” he said. “I thought all these things about him — that he was this, he was that. And slowly it started transitioning.”

Step Aside Election 2000: This Year’s Election May Be The Most Litigated Yet

NPR

The night of Nov. 7, 2000, was cold and wet in Austin, Texas. “Nobody cared,” remembers Republican lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who worked for Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s presidential campaign. “We had just won the presidency of the United States.”

Commentary: Will politics trump gender in California this election year?

CalMatters

There’s little doubt that California women have been on a political roll in recent years. A record 38 women now sit in the 120-member Legislature with one of them leading the state Senate; three daughters of Bay Area immigrants hold statewide constitutional offices; California has had two women serving simultaneously in the U.S. Senate for nearly 28 consecutive years; and, of course, a California woman is on the Democratic ticket for vice president. 

Commentary: Voter fraud fears and mail worries grab headlines, but the wait will be the worry in 2020

Brookings

Donald Trump has spent the last few months issuing dire warnings about the use of mail-in ballots in November’s election. None of them are supported by facts, but that hasn’t stopped him in the past and it won’t stop him now. So in light of the president’s false statements, let’s have a look at what to expect in November.

Other:

Fresno training program created to increase the number of journalists of color in San Joaquin Valley newsrooms

Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust

We believe that America’s newsrooms should reflect the diversity of the communities that they cover. Unfortunately, that’s mostly not the case, and we at the Institute for Media and Public Trust are working with partner organizations to launch a program that will mentor young journalists of color.

OPINION: Our reckoning with racism

LA Times

This year, across America, we’ve engaged in conversations about race and discrimination that have been candid, direct and consequential. They are happening among friends and co-workers, through protests and political debates, at athletic events and in pop culture. And they are happening at the LA Times.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, October 4, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “What Have We Learned About Distance Learning?” – Guests: Sydney Johnson, EdSource; E. Toby Boyd, California Teachers Association; Amy Li, Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the Legislative Analyst’s Office; Sunne McPeak, President & CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler. 

Sunday, October 4, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Can Distance Learning Span the Valley’s Digital Divide?” – Guests: Dr. Tamara Ravalin, Superintendent of Visalia Unified; Dr. Sara Noguchi, Superintendent of Modesto Unified; Dr. Eimear O’Farrell, Superintendent of Clovis Unified; Kurt Madden, Chief Technology Officer at Fresno Unified.. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler. 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California winery offers you a new way to take your wine on the go

Fresno Bee

Franzia’s new wine backpack ensures there will be no wine left behind at your next socially distant gathering. Yes, you read that right. The company, best known for its 5-liter boxes of wine, has released a new line of wine-related merchandise, with everything from party cups to beach towels and boxer shorts.

Air district considers alternatives to open burning of ag waste

Bakersfield Califn

Almost five years have passed since regional air quality regulators undertook a comprehensive analysis of pollution created by open burning of agricultural waste. What that means, under state law, is that it’s time to do it again.

School districts, nonprofits and government officials find ways to feed those in need

Modesto Bee

“Our first stop is with the triplets,” said bus driver John Lundell. “They’re good boys.” Lundell is a veteran bus driver for Hughson Unified School District, but he wasn’t picking up the triplets. He and food service staff were dropping off school meals to their house at the end of a dusty county road.

Households across Stanislaus County struggle to have enough food during coronavirus

Modesto Bee

Modesto resident Claudia Villagomez and her husband lost their jobs in the farm fields when the pandemic hit, and they haven’t been able to find work. They were out of money to feed their family. A friend told her about the Salvation Army food bank.

The Grandson of a Farmworker Now Heads the California Assembly’s Committee on Agriculture 

InsideClimate NewsInbox

Robert Rivas says he’s the least likely person to have become an elected official in Sacramento. He’s also a hot commodity. 

Grocers Stockpile, Build ‘Pandemic Pallets’ Ahead of Winter 

WSJ

Grocery stores and food companies are preparing for a possible surge in sales amid a new rise in Covid-19 cases and the impending holiday rush. Supermarkets are stockpiling groceries and storing them early to prepare for the fall and winter months, when some health experts warn the country could see another widespread outbreak of virus cases and new restrictions. 

Valley Voices: Farm workers in Fresno County need more than PPE to survive the COVID-19 pandemic

Fresno Bee

In April, in my final semester of high school, I joined my parents working in the grape fields. I had no other choice. My family still had to pay for rent, electricity, and we still needed to eat. I would start in the fields at 6 a.m. I was balancing farm work with online classes, and I was helping take care of my two younger siblings as well.

LOIS HENRY: Dominoes from the massive Creek Fire teetering over Central Valley farmers

Bakersfield Califn

When the Creek Fire erupted on Sept. 5 and chewed through the forest toward Southern California Edison’s Big Creek power system, little did anyone know how that might affect grape growers in Delano nearly a month later.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Fresno city manager to release report of alleged police misconduct withheld by auditor

Fresno Bee

Following pressure from Fresno residents and questions from the Fresno City Council, City Manager Wilma Quan announced Friday the report related to accusations of police violence against a teenager will be released next week.

With rise of shootings in Fresno, community members come together hoping for change

Fresno Bee

Amid a “crisis” of shootings and killings in Fresno this year, residents from the southwest side of the city gathered Friday evening for a town hall at the Hinton Community Center with a message: Stop the violence.

Old Town Clovis shop broken into, vandalized with racist graffiti

Fresno Bee

Racist graffiti was spray-painted inside an Old Town Clovis shop sometime Friday night in what police are calling a commercial burglary and hate crime. The shopkeeper, Chanel Wapner, said she was in shock Saturday morning when she went to open her store, Just My Essentials, at 421½ Pollasky Ave.

See Also:

Deputies investigate 2 Modesto-area shootings during the night that wounded 3 people

Modesto Bee

Three people were shot in two Modesto-area incidents being investigated by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. All were last reported to be in stable condition, a sergeant said.

Violent crime rises in Sacramento region’s largest cities. Did COVID shutdown play a part?

Sacramento Bee

The number of violent crimes in the Sacramento region’s three largest cities rose during the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period last year, new FBI data show. The violent crime increase in Elk Grove, Roseville and Sacramento was driven largely by a rise in aggravated assaults — the type of assaults that lead to serious physical injuries.

Warszawksi: Auditor’s chummy relationship with Fresno police proves he can’t be ‘independent’

Fresno Bee

Beneath the city manager heading on the city of Fresno website, there’s a page devoted to the Office of Independent Review. Which begs the question: Independent from what, exactly? Certainly not the police department it is charged with auditing.

Public Safety:

Clovis Ranks Top 10 Safest City in California

Clovis RoundUp

The City of Clovis can now add another accomplishment on their wall. 

California will house transgender inmates by gender identity

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Saturday requiring California to house transgender inmates in prisons based on their gender identity — but only if the state does not have “management or security concerns.”

Folsom State Prison reports first inmate death from COVID-19, California officials say

Fresno Bee

Folsom State Prison has reported its inmate first death due to COVID-19, according to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Until recently, viral activity at the Folsom facility has remained relatively low. But an outbreak in August skyrocketed infections at the prison, resulting in the death of one employee that month.

Sixth inmate at Avenal State Prison dies from COVID-19 complications

abc30

A sixth inmate at Avenal State Prison has now died from apparent coronavirus complications. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says the person passed away at an outside hospital yesterday. This is the 64th death related to the virus reported within the state prison system.

The long history of chemical weapons in civilian law enforcement

Wash Post

Recently, law enforcement officers have deployed chemical crowd control devices, such as tear gas and pepper spray, on protesters against racist injustice in cities across the United States. These technologies, which have generated controversy, are rooted in the military technology of World War I.

Fire: 

Northern California wildfire burns 1,200 acres, forcing evacuations, threatening homes

Fresno Bee

Another Northern California wildfire started Sunday morning in Napa County after weather forecasters warned of fire danger due to high winds. The wildfire, called the Glass Fire, was burning east of Calistoga and west of Angwin at 800 acres after Cal Fire first reported it at 4:45 a.m.

Creek Fire updates: Evacuees whose homes were destroyed to be given access to re-enter area

Fresno Bee

Fresno County officials and the sheriff’s office will be allowing certain residents who evacuated because of the Creek Fire to re-enter their area Sunday in identified safe zones. The designated areas, located inside evacuation order zones, will allow for short term visits by occupants and enable them to survey damage and salvage items.

See Also:

SQF Complex Fire: 149,888 acres burned, 47% contained, latest evacuation orders

abc30

The SQF Complex Fire has grown to 149,888 acres as of Sunday morning and is 47% contained.The Castle and Shotgun fires combined destroyed or damaged 226 structures and leave more than 1,000 threatened. Fifteen firefighters have been injured while battling the blaze.

See Also:

California wildfire updates: Thousands evacuated, homes threatened, winery and inn burn

Sacramento Bee

Wildfires whipped by gusting winds forced evacuations for thousands of residents and warnings for others to be prepared to flee throughout Sunday night and early Monday in Napa, Sonoma, Butte and Shasta counties as firefighters battled several new blazes.

We Made Wildfire an Enemy for 110 Years. It Could Have Been an Ally.

NY Times

Starting with the Big Blowup of 1910, the U.S. Forest Service’s strategy mostly has been to put out fires as fast as possible. With climate change and shifting populations, we’re losing that war.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Wildfire, climate, virus pose triple-threat to key California tourism, wine industries

Fresno Bee

In San Diego, tourism industry watchers are bracing for a bleak fall after a shut-in summer that has crushed that city’s businesses. Up the coast in Monterey County, once-optimistic wine growers now must contend with the smoky fallout of nearby wildfires and its effect on that county’s multi-million dollar industry.

What the Sizzler bankruptcy means for Modesto, Central Valley steakhouse restaurants

Modesto Bee

Is beef still what’s for dinner in the Central Valley now that Sizzler, the national chain of buffet steakhouses, has filed for bankruptcy due to the ongoing pandemic? The restaurant’s parent company, Sizzler USA, announced earlier this week it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

California Exodus: An Online Industry Seizes COVID-19 To Sell The Red State Dream

Capital Public Radio

At first, Stephanie Morris was nervous about leaving Modesto. She’d lived in the Central Valley her whole life, but her family couldn’t keep paying $850-a-month for her sons to share a living room while she, her husband and the baby slept in their apartment’s only bedroom.

Big companies are swallowing up smaller ones. Why that’s not good for the economy

LA Times

Rudy Heimark started hauling beer in the 1930s, driving a lone truck into Indio and later the Mojave Desert to slake the thirst of Army troops training under Gen. George S. Patton. From that modest, dusty beginning, Heimark and his family built a monument to American entrepreneurial spirit.

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

CalMatters

At first, Stephanie Morris was nervous about leaving Modesto. She’d lived in the Central Valley her whole life, but her family couldn’t keep paying $850-a-month for her sons to share a living room while she, her husband and the baby slept in their apartment’s only bedroom.

Is It Insane to Start a Business During Coronavirus? Millions of Americans Don’t Think So.

WSJ

The pandemic forced hundreds of thousands of small businesses to close. For Madison Schneider, it was a good time to start a new one. The 22-year-old in Haviland, Kan., opened Lela’s Bakery and Coffeehouse on Sept. 12, naming it after her grandmother. It has been busy every day since, she said. “It just felt like the right thing to do,” Ms. Schneider said.

Inflation Is Already Here—For the Stuff You Actually Want to Buy 

WSJ

If it feels like the price of everything you buy has been soaring, that’s because it has—even as central bankers everywhere worry about the danger of deflation. The gap between everyday experience and the yearly inflation rate of 1.3% in August is massive. The price of the stuff we’re buying is rising much faster, while the stuff we’re no longer buying has been falling, but still counts for the figures.

IPO Market Parties Like It’s 1999

WSJ

Many businesses are struggling. Millions of Americans are out of work. But the IPO market is the hottest it’s been in years—and 2020 could be its biggest year ever. With three months left on the calendar, U.S.-listed initial public offerings have raised nearly $95 billion through Wednesday, according to data provider Dealogic.

Investors Ramp Up Bets on Market Turmoil Around Election

WSJ

Investors are betting on one of the most volatile U.S. election seasons on record, wagering on unusually large swings in everything from stocks to currencies as they brace for what could be a weekslong haul of unpredictable events.

Commentary: How much is COVID-19 hurting state and local revenues? 

Brookings

State and local governments are significant players in the U.S. economy. Employment by state and local governments represents about 13 % of total employment in the U.S.—more than the federal government. State and local tax revenues represent about 9 % of GDP.

Commentary: From Survival to Revival: How to Help Small Businesses through the COVID-19 Crisis

Brookings

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an existential threat to small businesses, with more than 400,000 lost since the crisis began. Many small businesses are financially fragile and not equipped to weather a prolonged period of substantially reduced revenues. Further widespread business failures would destroy jobs and firm-specific capital, and hamstring the recovery. The main existing source of support, the Paycheck Protection Program, has had mixed success, and is not well suited to what now looks to be a prolonged contraction.

Commentary: Business credit programs in the pandemic era

Brookings

The Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program for small and medium-sized businesses should take more risks to meet the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests a paper to be discussed at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) conference on September 24.

Jobs:

Target set to hire 130,000 holiday workers, more than last year

abc30

Target is gearing up for the holiday season by growing its team of workers. The big-box retailer is announcing plans to hire 130,000 employees as it expects to see an increase in contactless shopping in the coming months.

People are hurting as unemployment boost runs out. Why don’t lawmakers have a deal?

Sac Bee

The $300 a week unemployment benefit has expired. States and cities can’t get the federal funds they say they desperately need to help pay for police, schools and other services. A lot of small businesses say they’re slowly dying and need help.

Unemployment crisis hits Latino, Black and Asian Californians at higher rates than whites

Sac Bee

As unemployment ticks down, some groups of Californians are still hurting worse than others. A new report from the California Budget and Policy Center shows unemployment rates for Latinos, Blacks, Asian Americans and other Californians of color continue to exceed jobless rates for white residents.

A Framework for Evaluating Approaches to Symptom Screening in the Workplace During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Rand Corporation

The authors of this Perspective assess five approaches to screening for symptoms of COVID-19 at the workplace: no screening, verbal screening, screening using a paper form or app, verbal screening plus a temperature check at the workplace, and screening using a paper form or app plus a temperature check at the workplace. 

Commentary: Corporate boards have been too slow to diversify; it’s time for bold change

CalMatters

Publicly held corporations have dragged their feet long enough when it comes to diversifying their boards. It’s 2020, and despite Latinos being the largest ethnic group in the state, they, along with African Americans, Asians and Native Americans, remain woefully underrepresented in the boardroom. And it’s not for a lack of talent. 

Commentary: Has the Paycheck Protection Program succeeded? 

Brookings

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) substantially increased the employment, financial health, and survival of small businesses during the COVID-19 lockdowns of April and May and as the economy began reopening in June, finds a paper to be discussed at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) conference on September 24.

Commentary: Unemployment claims have fallen faster since the $600 unemployment bonus expired

AEI

Before it expired the week ending July 25, the federal $600 per week unemployment bonus stimulated an intense debate. On one side, many Republicans, often citing reports from employers, argued the unprecedented payments were slowing returns to work, since most recipients collected more in benefits than they would from working.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Education Lab: Fresno students deal with trauma fatigue as schools work to reopen

Fresno Bee

Students all over the Fresno area are stressed. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, coupled with the California wildfires, the frustration of distance learning, and possible economic insecurity has caused upticks in phone calls from students seeking mental health services.

Children First: How Tulare County educators are finding solutions for distance learning

abc30

In the rural Tulare County town of Orosi, families are adjusting to life during a pandemic. Eight-year-old Heidi Gonzalez misses her classmates. “I’ve been telling my mom, ‘When are we going to go to school?'” Her mother helps the third-grader and her little brother learn from home. The day starts with logging into Zoom so they can communicate with their teachers.

VUSD board candidates struggle to set themselves apart during an online forum

Visalia Times Delta

Eight of the nine candidates vying for seats on the Visalia Unified School District Board of Trustees struggled to set themselves apart during an online forum on Wednesday night.

Setton Academy coming in 2021

Porterville Recorder

Setton Farms has announced it will build a school in Terra Bella that will focus on industrial robotics and technology. The new school will be called Setton Academy.

Teacher wins national recognition for her work with deaf, hard of hearing students during pandemic

Bakersfield Californian

Eighth grader Carolina Viga’s enthusiasm for school hasn’t lagged one bit now that she’s learning virtually. Though she no longer has to take a bus from Wasco to Chipman Junior High School, she wakes up her mom long before school starts at 5 a.m., eager to start her day and log on to school.

Patterson, Stanislaus school districts latest, largest to file applications to reopen

Modesto Bee

Past print deadline for this story, two more Stanislaus County public school districts submitted waiver applications Wednesday. They are Riverbank Unified, seeking to reopen three schools, and Hughson Unified, to reopen five.

California For All? Few Public Schools Pursuing Elementary Waivers

Capital Public Radio

Diana Marrone felt alone and out of options. The single mother of a 5-year-old kindergartener had struggled to balance her full-time job while guiding her daughter’s remote learning. Marrone’s mother would ordinarily assist with childcare, but coronavirus exposure concerns ruled that out. Still, Marrone balked at the idea of sitting her daughter, Sienna, out for a year, worried she would fall behind academically and resent school.

Commentary: Students of color most likely to be learning online: Districts must work even harder on race equity

Brookings

For many students, this year’s back-to-school supply list looks different—rather than pencils and paste, students are starting the year with a Zoom account and a keyboard. Remote learning has become the educational norm; most K-12 students look to be attending class only via a screen. But there are big race gaps.

Higher Ed:

FCC partners with Toyota in launching program for students 

Fresno Bee

Fresno City College partners with Toyota in launching a program, Technical Education College Support Elite for students interested in pursuing an automotive career. FCC is one of eight in the nation picked for the program.

Fresno State finding a way to play fall football, but it won’t be with fans in attendance

Fresno Bee

Fresno State didn’t waste any time getting after a fall football season with close to 70 players who were in town and had been through COVID-19 testing and health and safety protocols taking part Friday in conditioning work in small groups and some brief walk-throughs.

See Also:

Fresno State wins seventh HEED Award for excellence in diversity

Fresno State Campus News

Fresno State received the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. This is the seventh year Fresno State has been named as a HEED Award recipient.

BC launches emergency fund to help students during the pandemic

Bakersfield Califn

Bakersfield College announced it has launched the BC Student Emergency Fund to help students financially struggling during the pandemic. The fund was created by The Bakersfield College Foundation in collaboration with the college’s financial aid office, according to a release. The fund is meant to help students who need short-term housing or the technology and internet access that has become critical during the era of virtual learning.

Welcome to Zoom University. That’ll be $500.

CalMatters

Matthew Villongco stopped by the UCLA campus to see his friends on a Thursday night during his first year of community college. An airy lounge surrounded by a glass wall, packed to the brim with students, caught his eye — The Study.

Incoming California State University leader to take the helm at a “special moment” to address inequality

EdSource

Incoming California State University’s Chancellor Joseph Castro said he takes the helm at “a really special moment in time” when the 23-campus university system can address inequality. He was selected as the new chancellor Wednesday by the CSU Board of Trustees to replace retiring Chancellor Timothy White, and will take on the new role on Jan. 4.

See Also:

R.B.G. And The Future Of Higher Education

Forbes

It’s been a week since we lost Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A truly great American for her service on the Supreme Court, but equally for her groundbreaking advocacy in the decades prior, R.B.G. passed away on Erev Rosh Hashanah. Today she becomes the first woman and first Jew to lie in state in the Capitol.

Are colleges finally going to start training students for the workforce?

Hechinger Report

As record numbers of Americans lose their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic, Kathleen Perlmutter has been desperately trying to turn out enough graduates to fill a critical shortage of workers.

Community Voices: Join in celebrating CSUB’s first 50 years

Bakersfield Califn

Smart and driven, Dorothy Donahoe was meant for college. But there was no university in a hundred miles of her Kern County home, and her widowed mother needed her. So like thousands of others in her hometown, she put her college dreams away and relied on gumption and grit to make her way in the world.

Commentary: Inclusion of Jews in ethnic studies curriculum is essential

CalMatters

Much has changed in California since my family relocated here many years ago, when I was just 16. Our population today is exponentially more diverse, and people from all corners of the globe call California home. For the most part, these differing ethnic groups coexist in California in harmony, though some relationships have been strained as of late. 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Heat wave, dry winds stoke existing wildfires and raise threat of new blazes in fire-weary California

Wash Post

California’s unprecedented wildfire siege just won’t end. The blazes that began in mid-August have burned a record expanse of more than 3.7 million acres and killed 26, according to Cal Fire. Five of the state’s top 20 largest fires have occurred in 2020, including the largest, known as the August Complex.

California Forum: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s climate change orders reflect panic, will cost California families

Sac Bee

When you impose rushed changes in energy policy, as Gov. Gavin Newsom did this week, you will drive up the cost of living in a state that already has the highest energy costs in the nation and put even more people out of work. This is a fact.

Energy:

Power company plans series of shutoffs to prevent wildfires

Fresno Bee

One of California’s largest power companies announced Saturday it plans to temporarily shut off power to residents of 16 counties and a tribe to prevent wildfires sparked by electrical equipment.

See Also:

Oil and gas companies must monitor fracking emissions as Colorado adopts first-in-the-nation rules to reduce air pollution

Colorado Sun

Oil and gas companies will have to control and monitor emissions from fracking and meet tighter emission-performance standards on the electric motors used at drill sites, under some first-in-the-nation rules passed Wednesday night by Colorado air quality regulators.

California Will Ban New Gasoline Cars By 2035. The Grid Will Handle It

Forbes

California’s governor Gavin Newsom declared last week that the sale of new gasoline/diesel powered cars will be forbidden starting in 2035.This follows similar initiatives in Germany and several other countries, but is a first for the USA. Is it practical to go all electric in just 15 years?

See Also:

More Homes Are Going Dark as Moratoriums on Utility Shut-Offs End 

WSJ

Latoya Dandridge was laid off from her school cafeteria job in March during the coronavirus shutdown. Six months later, she is now anxiously waiting for the moment when her electricity will be shut off.

Solar, Tax Experts Reject Claim Prop. 15 Imposes ‘Massive Tax Increase’ On Solar In California

PolitiFact

Would California’s Proposition 15 really impose “massive property tax increases” on solar projects and drive up electricity costs? Tax and solar industry experts don’t think so. But those are the allegations made by the No on Prop 15 campaign in radio and social media ads, which ask voters to reject the measure this November.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno County adds 20 new deaths in coronavirus update. State nears 800K cases

Fresno Bee

Fresno County added another 20 deaths on Friday to its total number of people who have died related to the coronavirus pandemic, which has now reached 382. Another 87 infections were reported on Friday bring the total number of people diagnosed with the virus since the beginning of the pandemic to 28,106, Fresno County health officials reported. Of those, 18,204 patients have recovered.

See Also:

Only 10% of US adults may have COVID-19 antibodies: Study

abc30

More than 90% of U.S. adults remain susceptible to COVID-19, according to research published on Friday. Using data from dialysis centers in the United States, the study, published in The Lancet, estimates that less than 10% of U.S. adults have virus antibodies, meaning everyone else is potentially vulnerable to infection.

See Also:

Excessive drinking may worsen COVID-19 symptoms, study finds

abc30

A new medical study has revealed excessive drinking can increase the severity of COVID-19. UCSF Fresno was one of 21 medical centers, including Stanford and Georgetown, involved in the study. It showed patients with chronic liver disease were at significant risk of becoming severely ill if they contract the coronavirus.

Six months into COVID-19, change, uncertainty, fatigue are the norm for many

Bakersfield Califn

In June, Hortencia Cabral was in favor of her twins going back to school if proper precautions were taken. She and her husband both work and a classroom seemed a better fit than remote learning for the 10-year-old boys. Today, she’s not sure what to think.

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

Sac Bee

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

Wanted in Covid-19 Fight: ‘Superdonors’ of Convalescent Plasma 

WSJ

Blood banks and researchers are mobilizing to find recovered Covid-19 patients who could be blood plasma “superdonors,” people who have high levels of antibodies against the disease and are willing to donate regularly.

Fact check: Claim of double standards between COVID-19, swine flu responses is inaccurate

USA Today

A claim in the form of a meme about allegedly uneven responses to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic was shared nearly 5,000 times on Facebook. 

Human Services:

Addiction, PTSD treatments could be more accessible for Californians under new law

Sac Bee

Some Californians may have an easier time accessing treatment for mental health conditions like anxiety, PTSD and addiction under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Friday. The measure, Senate Bill 855, requires insurance companies to cover all mental health and addiction treatment deemed “medically necessary” by a doctor.

California’s Health Coverage Gains under the Affordable Care Act: What’s at Stake in California v. Texas?

UC Berkeley Labor Center

This fact sheet highlights the key health coverage gains made in California under the state’s robust implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since it was enacted over 10 years ago on March 23, 2010. These achievements show how much is at stake in California v. Texas, the case the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on November 10, 2020, under which the ACA could be overturned.

Local Health Officials Worry CDC Has ‘Lost Its Soul’ 

PEW

As Dr. Mark Wilson prepared to release advice in July that middle schools and high schools in Birmingham, Alabama, should not open for in-person learning this fall, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its position and issued the opposite recommendation.

Health officials scramble to explain details of Trump’s $200 drug discount card

Wash Post

Health officials scrambled Friday to explain President Trump’s plan to send $200 prescription drug discount cards to 33 million Medicare recipients as experts cast doubt on the proposal and Democrats accused the president of blatant political chicanery less than six weeks before the election.

Those Dying From Covid-19 Are Least Likely to Own Life Insurance 

WSJ

U.S. life insurers are paying out far fewer Covid-19 death claims than initially expected, largely because the virus is disproportionately killing people with little to no insurance.

A Key To Black Infant Survival? Black Doctors

NPR

In the United States, Black infants die at over twice the rate of White infants. New research explores one key factor that may contribute to the disproportionately high rates of death among Black newborns: the race of their doctor. Reproductive health equity researcher Rachel Hardeman explains the findings.

California Expands Privacy Protection to Public Health Workers Amid Threats

KHN

California will allow public health officials to participate in a program to keep their home addresses confidential, a protection previously reserved for victims of violence, abuse and stalking and reproductive health care workers.

Commentary: Latinos often lack access to healthcare and have poor health outcomes. Here’s how we can change that

Brookings

The Latino community has been disproportionally affected by COVID-19, with almost three times as many cases per head among Latinos than among whites, and a hospitalization rate 4.6 times higher. But the specific challenges faced by Latinos in terms of health outcomes and healthcare access long predate the pandemic.

IMMIGRATION

Even When They Lost Their Jobs, Immigrants Sent Money Home

NYT

Predictions were that immigrants would stop sending money home when the coronavirus took their jobs. But that did not take into account how determined foreign workers were to help their families.

Commentary: Our Nation of Immigrants

Brookings

Immigration is a foundation of America. No other nation has as large an immigrant population as does the United States. With the important exception of those descended from Native peoples and/or enslaved Africans, few people in this country cannot trace at least part of their ancestry to an immigrant—either recently or centuries ago.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

One dumping site is eliminated. But what about the trash on Highway 99 in Modesto?

Modesto Bee

A cleanup effort this week removed a trashy eyesore on Highway 132 at the San Joaquin River in western Stanislaus County. The project was part of California Coastal Cleanup, an annual program that tries to keep throwaways from marring state beaches and inland waterways in the Golden State.

Judge removes Trump public lands boss for serving unlawfully

AP News

A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s leading steward of public lands has been serving unlawfully, blocking him from continuing in the position in the latest pushback against the administration’s practice of filling key positions without U.S. Senate approval.

Housing:

New homeless shelters at Poverello House announced

Fresno Bee

Thirty new, state-of-the-art pallet shelters designed and built by people with life experience as homeless individuals, will replace the old Tuff sheds that have been in use for two decades at the Poverello House. 

Clovis Ranks Top 10 Safest City in California

Clovis RoundUp

The City of Clovis can now add another accomplishment on their wall. According to safety.com, Clovis ranks in at #10 for most safest city in California. Being the only city in the Central Valley to be in the Top 10.

Recruiting property owners to rent to homeless is aim of third-annual landlord summit

Bakersfield Califn

Recruiting property owners and landlords to rent to homeless individuals and families may not be the sole answer to Bakersfield’s homelessness crisis. But many believe it’s one important tool in the fight against homelessness. The Income Property Association of Kern will host its third annual California Landlords’ Summit on Homelessness from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday — and organizers hope to build on the successes they saw last year and the year before.

California’s rent strike: Who pays and how it works

CalMatters

As the pandemic stretches into its seventh month, tenants and landlords have found themselves facing the same question: Who’s going to pay the rent if unemployment continues to hover north of 11%?

I’m Leaving the West Coast

The Atlantic

Portland, Oregon, has its share of gloomy days, so waking up to darkness wasn’t that strange. When I looked outside, however, the sky wasn’t overcast. It was filled with smoke the color of pumpkin spice, the result of nearby fires. A soupy miasma. The most noxious air in the world. I’d had enough. I told my husband, “We need to move.”

WALTERS: New housing goals stir opposition

CalMatters

As this much-troubled year began, the twin crises of homelessness and a broader housing shortage were, by common consent, California’s most pressing political issues. Gov. Gavin Newsom devoted almost all of his State of the State address to them in February and legislators introduced dozens of housing bills.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Nearly Two-Thirds Of U.S. Households Struck By COVID-19 Face Financial Trouble 

VPR

COVID-19 has caused widespread damage to the economy — so wide that it can be easy to overlook how unevenly households are suffering. But new polling data out this month reveal households that either have had someone with COVID-19 or include someone who has a disability or special needs are much more likely to also be hurting financially.

Solar Industry, Tax Experts Reject Claim Prop. 15 Imposes ‘Massive Tax Increase’ On Solar In California

Capital Public Radio

Would California’s Proposition 15 really impose “massive property tax increases” on solar projects and drive up electricity costs? Tax and solar industry experts don’t think so. But those are the allegations made by the No on Prop 15 campaign in radio and social media ads, which ask voters to reject the measure this November. 

Tax Breaks: California’s $60 Billion Loss

California Budget & Policy Center

California loses a large amount of state revenues through tax breaks, also called “tax expenditures,” with much of the benefits going to high-income households and corporations. Personal income and corporate income tax expenditures combined are projected to amount to more than $63 billion in forgone state revenues in 2019-20 (the fiscal year that started on July 1, 2019), or an amount equivalent to more than 40% of the 2019-20 General Fund budget.

Modified Adjusted Gross Income under the Affordable Care Act – UPDATED WITH INFORMATION FOR COVID-19 POLICIES

UC Berkeley Labor Center

Under the Affordable Care Act, eligibility for income-based Medicaid[1] and subsidized health insurance through the Marketplaces is calculated using a household’s Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). The Affordable Care Act definition of MAGI under the Internal Revenue Code[2] and federal Medicaid regulations[3] is shown below.

Commentary: New data shows small businesses in communities of color had unequal access to federal COVID-29 relief

Brookings

Congress’s major COVID-19 relief program for small businesses, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), has so far distributed 5 million loans across the country. That distribution, however, has not been equal. Newly released data offers a comprehensive snapshot of how access to PPP loans varied considerably based on neighborhood demographics, with small businesses in majority-white neighborhoods receiving PPP loans more quickly than small businesses in majority-Black and majority-Latino or Hispanic neighborhoods.

TRANSPORTATION

2020 Transportation Needs Survey

Fresno Council of Governments

Have a say in how future transportation dollars are spent.  The Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) is looking for transportation project suggestions that could become part of its 20-year Regional Transportation Plan or RTP. 

Average US gas price falls a penny to $2.25/gallon

Fresno Bee

The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline fell penny over the past two weeks to $2.25 per gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday prices will likely continue falling due to lower wholesale gasoline prices and a decline in demand.

WATER

Commentary: Three lessons for California’s water funding challenges in today’s recession

CalMatters

California’s water managers have had their hands full keeping our water systems safe and operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. But their work on addressing the fiscal consequences of the deep economic recession is just beginning. 

“Xtra”

Volunteers can still sign up for upcoming Love Modesto

Modesto Bee

After postponing its spring date due to the coronavirus pandemic, Love Modesto will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3. According to an email from Jeff Pishney, Love Modesto executive director, organizers have used the time to “make important needed adjustments to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

Trick-or-treating doesn’t have to be scary this Halloween. How it can still be safe and fun

Modesto Bee

Can Halloween be saved in 2020? Yes, and it can be safe, too. Trick-or-treating during the coronavirus pandemic will be touch-and-go. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified trick-or-treating as “high risk,” and it remains on a high-risk level in the Sacramento area, lodged as it is in a restrictive state tier.

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