POLICY & POLITICS
● Check voter registration status
● Online Voter Guide and Printable Voter Guide
● List of county elections offices
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.
North SJ Valley:
Hear the candidates running for Turlock City discuss the issues
Modesto Bee
Three Turlock City Council candidates in District 2 (Gil Esquer, Rebecka Monez and Ruben Wegner) and two in District 4 (Pam Franco and Bob Puffer) discuss the issues before The Bee’s Editorial Board on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno Co 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.
An improving COVID-19 outlook? Charts show trends in Fresno and nearby counties
Fresno Bee
More than 330 new coronavirus cases surfaced in Fresno County since Friday, but the number of patients being treated in hospitals for the respiratory disease is nearly at its lowest point in three months.
2020 Transportation Needs Survey (Fresno County)
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.
Tulare County in top 10 in state in COVID death rate
Porterville Recorder
While the trend concerning the status of COVID-19 in Tulare County has been improving, the county now has a dubious distinction of having one of the top death rates in the state due to the coronavirus.
South SJ Valley:
25 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kern on Monday
Bakersfield Califn
Just 25 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths were reported Monday by Kern County public health officials. That brings total cases to 30,219 while the number of virus-related deaths remained the same at 369. In an estimated 20,000 of those cases, the individual has recovered from the illness, according to county public health data.
See also:
· So far, no Labor Day bump in local COVID-19 cases Bakersfield Califn
As temperatures cool, Bakersfield waives fee allowing restaurants to expand outside
Bakersfield Califn
The city of Bakersfield says it is helping restaurants and other businesses be in as good of a position as possible to take advantage of this potential shift in behavior. The Bakersfield City Council recently waived an $86 fee for a COVID-19 special event permit that allows businesses to expand into the sidewalks or streets.
BC gets $1.1 million for career technical training
Bakersfield Califn
Bakersfield College has received a federal grant for over $1.1 million to provide students with career technical training and guidance. The grant from the U.S. Department of Labor will go toward training 80 Job Corps-eligible students, according to a release from the college.
State:
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:
● If voters raise taxes on corporate landlords, will small biz foot the bill? CalMatters
● Creating a Homelessness Czar CalMatters
● Creating a Student Loan Bill of Rights CalMatters
● Expanding Mental Health Parity CalMatters
● SB-132 Corrections. Calif Legislative Information
Governor updates Calif on big, new wildfire threat
Fresno Bee
Calif Governor Gavin Newsom updated the state September 28, 2020, on the progress and road ahead as new wildfires break out, Zogg Fire and Glass Fire, in Shasta and Napa counties.
Governor Gavin Newsom sees counties moving into new COVID-19 tiers
Sac Bee
Calif Governor Gavin Newsom updated Califns on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, pointing out some good news in the colored tier system but also cautioned on the R-effective, a key measure of how fast the virus is growing.
Newsom urges Californians to get flu shot as state braces for next COVID-19 wave
abc30
While Calif’s COVID-19 positivity rate has continued to decrease over the last 14 days, and more counties moved into less restrictive levels of the state’s four-tiered, color-coded system, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a word of warning to Califns as we head into flu season.
See also:
● No flu shot for your child? A third of parents will refuse despite COVID-19, poll says Fresno Bee
Calif’s gas-fueled car ban: Can we really all drive electric cars?
SF Chronicle
With the flick of a pen on the hood of a metallic-red electric Ford Mustang, Gov. Gavin Newsom set in motion the elimination of the internal combustion engine in Calif. But turning Newsom’s vision of a cleaner-air future into reality will require 15 years of tough policy decisions to make electric cars affordable and charging stations ubiquitous.
See also:
● Trump’s EPA asks Newsom to rethink gas car ban: ‘You can’t even keep the lights on today’ Fresno Bee
● EPA Raises Legal Questions About Calif’s Plan to Ban New Gas-Powered Cars Starting in 2035 WSJ
● Opinion: Is Gavin Newsom serious about banning gas-powered cars? Modesto Bee
● ‘It’s almost a joke.’ In rural Calif, Newsom’s gas-powered car ban is a stretch Fresno Bee
Federal:
How much did past presidents pay in federal taxes? A lot more than Trump, data show
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump paid just $750 in income taxes during his first year in office, an exclusive report from The New York Times found — a stark difference compared to what his recent predecessors paid.
See also:
● Report of Trump’s tax-dodging bolsters Biden’s ‘Scranton vs. Park Ave.’ campaign LA Times
● Column: Let’s put Donald Trump’s $750 annual tax payment in perspective LA Times
● How to watch the debates like a pro Washington Post
What Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court Nomination Means For the 2020 Election
VPR
Supporters and opponents of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court wasted no time launching a high-pitched battle over her confirmation, with just 37 days until the election.
See also:
● In Context: Is there a ‘Biden Rule’ on Supreme Court nominations in a presidential election year? PolitiFact
● Opinion: Remember Kamala Harris? Now, she’s center stage for the Supreme Court fight Modesto Bee
Federal gov’t to ship millions of coronavirus tests in push to reopen K-12 schools
abc30
President Donald Trump planned to announce Monday that the federal government will begin distributing millions of rapid coronavirus tests to states this week and urging governors to use them to reopen schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
US official: 2020 census to End Oct. 5 — despite court order
Modesto Bee
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross says the 2020 census will end Oct. 5, despite a federal judge’s ruling last week that the head count of every U.S. resident should continue through the end of October, according to a tweet posted on the Census Bureau’s website Monday.
US judge orders stop to Postal Service cuts, echoing others
Bakersfield Califn
A federal judge in Philadelphia joined others Monday in ordering a halt to recent Postal Service cuts that critics say are causing mail delays and threatening the integrity of the presidential election.
See Also:
● Federal judge orders U.S. Postal Service to stop operations that slowed mail in Calif and the nation LA Times
● Postal Service workers quietly resist DeJoy’s changes with eye on election Washington Post
US Latino civil rights group moves 2021 convention online
Bakersfield Califn
The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Latino civil rights group in the U.S., has decided to move its 2021 national convention online amid concerns and health orders caused by COVID-19.
Coronavirus Trackers:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif
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 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 Financial Times
● Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters
10 of Donald Trump’s biggest falsehoods about COVID-19
PolitiFact
President Donald Trump has faced many adversaries, but none as unbending and deaf to his words as the coronavirus.
Elections 2020:
The first presidential debate brings high stakes for Trump and Biden
LA Times
The first presidential debate between Joe Biden and President Trump has a strong chance of being the most-watched political event in U.S. history, and the enormous potential audience on Tuesday is just one factor that has heightened the stakes for both candidates.
See Also:
● Califns and the Presidential Debate Public Policy Institute of Calif
● Here’s what to expect in the first 2020 presidential debate between Trump and Biden LA Times
● 6 Questions Ahead Of The 1st Trump-Biden Presidential Debate VPR
● Opinion: The presidential debate has outlived its usefulness LA Times
● Opinion: In the upcoming presidential debate, can Biden pull a Reagan? Brookings
● Opinion: Trump — not Biden — is being underestimated going into the debate Politico
Calif favors Biden, but Trump still raised $61 million. Who are the donors?
LA Times
Democratic nominee Joe Biden tops Trump in total fundraising — $105.5 million to $61.1 million — but the president is only slightly behind in total donors, and he outraises Biden in nearly 1,000 of the state’s 1,600 ZIP Codes, according to a Times analysis of donation data.
Four Important issues in the 2020 election
Pew Research
With the country in the midst of a recession, nearly eight-in-ten registered voters (79%) say the economy will be very important to them in making their decision about who to vote for in the 2020 presidential election – the top issue of 12 included in the survey.
See also:
● Trump vs. Biden: Comparing their policies on race, immigration, climate and more LA Times
Opinion: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
The New Yorker
Trump’s Presidency, and the risk that it will recur despite his persistent unpopularity, reflects a deeper malignancy in our Constitution that must be addressed.
Calif NAACP president aids corporate prop campaigns — collects $1.2 million and counting
CalMatters
Alice Huffman, who is both a professional campaign consultant and long-time NAACP leader, was especially sought after this year as political campaigns respond to the national reckoning over race.
Calif Democrats are spending public money on voter outreach. Are they breaking the rules?
Sac Bee
Calif is spending $35 million on ads now airing to tell state voters that mail-in voting is “simple, safe” and “secure” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Information on Voting:
● Check voter registration status
● Online Voter Guide and Printable Voter Guide
● List of county elections offices
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.
Other:
RSVP to ‘Disinformation in Local Elections: How to spot it and what you can do’
Fresno 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.
Pew Trusts
The pandemic has increased the visibility of evidence-based policymaking as well as tools such as “data dashboards,” which provide integrated views of key information at a glance for both public officials and citizens.
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, Calif Teachers Association; Amy Li, Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the Legislative Analyst’s Office; Sunne McPeak, President & CEO of the Calif 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
A Crisis Within A Crisis: Food Insecurity And COVID-19
VPR
Over the summer, like many parents, I was looking to keep my kids productive after their summer jobs and summer sports camps were canceled. Together we came up with a project we’ve undertaken before — collecting books that our well-read and generous neighbors were ready to hand over — and delivering them to students and families who could use something new to read.
Households across Stanislaus Co 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.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Walters: Three measures test attitudes on crime
CalMatters
Three ballot measures test whether Calif voters endorse criminal justice reforms or believe they’ve gone too far.
Public Safety:
Fresno sheriff breaks ground on new substation
Fresno Bee
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, joined by local officials, broke ground on the office’s new Area 2 substation east of Fresno on Monday. The $14 million facility is expected to be completed by summer of 2021.
See also:
· Fresno Co investing millions to build new sheriff substation abc30
Deaths linked to fentanyl on the rise in Stanislaus Co, due partially to fake pills
Modesto Bee
Counterfeit oxycodone pills, heavily laced with fentanyl, are on the streets of Stanislaus County, and they’re killers. By mid-September, 27 deaths linked to fentanyl occurred in the county, far exceeding the total number of fentanyl overdose deaths of 17 in 2019 and 11 in 2018.
Calif prison union wants to be ‘800 pound gorilla’ in politics. Can it win over voters?
Fresno Bee
The bad news keeps coming for Calif correctional officers. They took a pay cut amid a pandemic that has infected more than 3,500 prison employees, killing nine.
Newsom declares state of emergency in 3 counties: Napa, Sonoma and Shasta, as fires rage
SF Chronicle
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Monday in Napa and Sonoma and Shasta counties, and sent a letter to President Trump asking him to declare a “major disaster” that would send fire assistance grants into the state.
Fire:
Creek Fire live updates: Weather expected to fuel fire; animal shelter moves
Fresno Bee
The Creek Fire, already the largest single wildfires in state history, grew by 1,770 acres overnight, officials reported Monday morning. Cal Fire officials said the fire remained 39% contained, with 304,604 total acres burned. The containment date has been pushed back to Oct. 31, and its cause remains under investigation.
See Also:
● Creek Fire: Shaver Lake businesses prepare for customers to return abc30
● Henry: Dominoes from the massive Creek Fire teetering over Central Valley farmers Bakersfield Califn
SQF Complex Fire: 150,286 acres burned, 50% contained, latest evacuation orders
abc30
The SQF Complex Fire has grown to 150,286 acres as of Monday morning and is 50% contained. The Castle and Shotgun fires combined destroyed or damaged 244 structures, but is no longer threatening any structures, CAL FIRE said. Fifteen firefighters have been injured while battling the blaze.
See Also:
● Sequoia Complex up to 50 percent contained Porterville Recorder
Gusty winds, 100-degree temperatures: Fire danger on the rise again throughout Calif
Visalia Times Delta
Much of Calif will be at greater-than-usual risk from fire this weekend, and into mid-fall. Fire weather watches are in effect this weekend throughout most of Northern Calif, and meteorologists expect to issue watches for parts of Southern Calif next week when temperatures soar into triple digits.
See also:
● ‘Our community pulls together.’ Turlock volunteers help family hit by fire, racist slur Modesto Bee
● Opinion: Concrete steps Calif can take to prevent massive fire devastation LA Times
● Why did Calif fires suddenly roar? Weekend winds topped freeway speeds Sac Bee
More fires in Calif wine country prompt evacuations
Bakersfield Califn
Northern Calif’s wine country was on fire again Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already scorched region, prompting evacuation orders involving more than 50,000 people. Residents of the Oakmont Gardens assisted living home in Santa Rosa boarded brightly lit city buses overnight, some wearing bathrobes and using walkers. They wore masks to protect against the coronavirus as orange flames marked the dark sky.
See Also:
● ‘We just don’t have words’: Two Calif wildfires explode in wine country, forcing thousands to flee Visalia Times Delta
● Calif wildfire updates: Flames whipped by wind gusts force evacuations of 74,000 Modesto Bee
● ‘Over and over again.’ Calif Wine Country hit by another year of devastating wildfires Modesto Bee
● Nearly 50,000 facing evacuations as fires besiege Calif wine country LA Times
● ‘Horrifying’ Glass Fire burns homes, with more than 53,000 evacuated from Santa Rosa to Napa SF Chronicle
‘Is this ever going to end?’ New round of blazes rattles wildfire-weary Californians
Sac Bee
As wildfire warnings escalated Sunday, Napa Valley resident Amy Bordeau grabbed the same bag she’d packed for an earlier evacuation, KPIX reported. “It’s a bit traumatizing,” said Bordeau, who lives in Calistoga, according to the station. “I feel like I’m constantly fight or flight.”
See also:
● How Calif’s Wildfires Are Changing Public Policy Institute of Calif
● Calif’s ancient ‘asbestos’ forests no longer seem immune CalMatters
● ‘Unprecedented’ Wildfire Season Threatens Calif’s Wine Region VPR
Agencies that help us recover from wildfires and prepare our lands
CalMatters
As Calif battles a destructive wildfire season, the state’s Resource Conservation Districts can help communities protect themselves.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
What businesses thrive during a pandemic? These 5 industries are booming in Fresno
Fresno Bee
When Fresno first went under shelter-in-place restrictions in March, small retailers had to close, but many big-box stores could stay open because they sold food or other essentials. Many people also turned to online shopping.
Jobs:
Pay cuts persist for many Americans during pandemic
LA Times
Pay cuts introduced by U.S. employers in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — meant to stave off layoffs and retain key employees — have proved less temporary than perhaps originally envisioned.
Around Kings County: Jobless rates improve
Hanford Sentinel
EDD has announced that the unemployment rate in Kings Co was 10.7 percent in August 2020, down from a revised 13.0% in July 2020, and above the year-ago estimate of 6%.
Jobless Claims Rise in Most States
Pew Trusts
Most states saw increases in jobless claims for the week ending Sept. 19 as layoffs continue, increasing pressure on finances as more and more states are forced to borrow money to pay benefits.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Here’s why VUSD hasn’t applied for a waiver to reopen elementary schools
Visalia Times Delta
Nearly 700 elementary schools across Calif applied for waivers to reopen for in-person instruction. Where do Visalia public schools fit in?
Distance learning has teachers thinking of ways to engage students
Fresno Bee
Robert Vasquez, a math and science teacher at Tioga Middle School tells how he has helped students learn when they can’t be in class due to the coronavirus.
See Also:
● Fresno students are ‘already’ falling behind, teachers say despite good attendance Fresno Bee
Cybercriminals Strike Schools Amid Pandemic
Pew Trusts
The attacks have placed a heavy burden on school administrators as they grapple with whether it’s safe for students and teachers to return in person and whether schools are prepared to handle social distancing and other requirements.
Feds to ship millions of coronavirus rapid tests in bid to reopen K-12 schools
LA Times
President Trump announced Monday that the federal government will begin distributing millions of rapid coronavirus tests to states this week and urged governors to use them to reopen schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State finding a way to play fall football, but it won’t be with fans in attendance
Fresno Bee
But after first postponing the season, the Mountain West announced its fall football plans on Friday morning – eight games with a championship game, pending approval from state, county and local officials.
Opinion: Welcome to Zoom University. That’ll be $500.
CalMatters
Some University of Calif campuses are charging new students hundreds of dollars for orientation sessions even though they take place entirely online.
BC gets $1.1 million for career technical training
Bakersfield Califn
Bakersfield College has received a federal grant for over $1.1 million to provide students with career technical training and guidance. The grant from the U.S. Department of Labor will go toward training 80 Job Corps-eligible students, according to a release from the college.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Calif passes first-in-nation law requiring minimum recycled content in plastic bottles
abc30
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law, the first of its kind in the nation, that will require that plastic beverage containers be made of more recycled material. Under AB 793, companies that make bottled beverages must use 15% recycled plastic in their bottles by 2022. That number would up to 25% by 2025 and then to 50% recycled plastics by the year 2030.
U.S. Emission Reductions Slowed After Trump Pulled Out Of Paris Accord
VPR
The United States is the only country to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Other nations remain in the pact because they feel adapting to climate change is in their best interests, says Christiana Figueres, the former United Nations climate chief who helped draft the agreement.
Opinion: Joe Biden Wants to Make Almost Every Policy a Climate Change Policy
WSJ
Joe Biden’s plans to make climate change a major focus across his administration if he wins the White House would have significant ramifications for both businesses and consumers.
Energy:
PG&E outages leave tens of thousands without power as fires tear through Northern Calif
LA Times
About 87,500 Pacific Gas & Electric customers in 16 Calif counties were without power Monday morning after the state’s largest investor-owned utility preemptively de-energized some of its equipment to avoid sparking wildfires and shut off power at other locations because of blazes already burning.
Calif’s gas-fueled car ban: Can we really all drive electric cars?
SF Chronicle
With the flick of a pen on the hood of a metallic-red electric Ford Mustang, Gov. Gavin Newsom set in motion the elimination of the internal combustion engine in Calif. But turning Newsom’s vision of a cleaner-air future into reality will require 15 years of tough policy decisions to make electric cars affordable and charging stations ubiquitous.
See also:
● Trump’s EPA asks Newsom to rethink gas car ban: ‘You can’t even keep the lights on today’ Fresno Bee
● EPA Raises Legal Questions About Calif’s Plan to Ban New Gas-Powered Cars Starting in 2035 WSJ
● Opinion: Is Gavin Newsom serious about banning gas-powered cars? Modesto Bee
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
25 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kern on Monday
Bakersfield Califn
Just 25 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths were reported Monday by Kern County public health officials. That brings total cases to 30,219 while the number of virus-related deaths remained the same at 369. In an estimated 20,000 of those cases, the individual has recovered from the illness, according to county public health data.
See also:
· So far, no Labor Day bump in local COVID-19 cases Bakersfield Califn
Newsom urges Californians to get flu shot as state braces for next COVID-19 wave
abc30
While Calif’s COVID-19 positivity rate has continued to decrease over the last 14 days, and more counties moved into less restrictive levels of the state’s four-tiered, color-coded system, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a word of warning to Califns as we head into flu season.
See also:
● No flu shot for your child? A third of parents will refuse despite COVID-19, poll says Fresno Bee
Is A Third COVID-19 Surge Coming? Experts Say It’s Likely, Unless Behaviors Change
VPR
After spring and summer brought persistent surges in COVID-19 cases, Calif’s rates appear to be on the decline for the fall. But as businesses reopen with modifications, some children go back to school and the weather slowly cools, health experts have a uniform message: It’s not over.
See also:
● As some push for faster COVID-19 reopenings, Newsom warns of a possible second wave LA Times
● Calif Shows Signs Of Potential New Surge Of COVID-19 Cases KPBS
When Young People Get COVID-19, Infections Soon Rise Among Older Adults
VPR
In a survey of data published on the health department websites of 49 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, a total of 624,890 child cases of COVID-19 were reported from the start of the pandemic through Sept. 24, or 10.5% of all cases in states reporting infections according to age.
See also:
● More Than 600,000 Child Cases Of COVID-19 Reported In U.S., But Severe Illness ‘Rare’ VPR
COVID-19 was twice as contagious as experts thought when pandemic started, study says
Sac Bee
During the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization estimated that each sick individual was infecting an average of two others. This “basic reproductive number” — or (R0) and pronounced “R naught” — reveals how contagious a disease is.
Washington Post
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was created to stop deadly pathogens. It battled malaria and polio. It helped eradicate smallpox. It sent intrepid disease doctors to Africa to fight Ebola. Over the course of seven decades, it became the world’s most admired public health agency.
New law paves way for Calif to make its own insulin, generic drugs in effort to lower costs
Sac Bee
Calif could make its own insulin and other prescription drugs in an effort to lower costs under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he signed into law Monday.
Human Services:
Federal gov’t to ship millions of coronavirus tests in push to reopen K-12 schools
abc30
President Donald Trump planned to announce Monday that the federal government will begin distributing millions of rapid coronavirus tests to states this week and urging governors to use them to reopen schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
See also
· Opinion: Trump can take credit for vaccine progress but shouldn’t rush it AEI
Opinion: Medi-Cal’s system for children’s health care is broken; Newsom can help fix it
CalMatters
By championing real reform, Gov. Gavin Newsom has an opportunity to reform Medi-Cal’s managed health care system for children.
EDITORIAL: The GOP’s ObamaCare Self-Sabotage
WSJ
A week after Election Day, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in another challenge to ObamaCare. The political timing couldn’t be better for Democrats who are using it to claim that Amy Coney Barrett has been nominated to overturn that law.
See also:
● Opinion: Obamacare Mandate Failed to Make Health Insurance More Affordable National Review
IMMIGRATION
Detainees at Calif’s for-profit ICE detention centers will soon be able to sue over abuse, harm
LA Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Sunday backed by immigrant-rights advocates that mandates greater accountability by the companies that operate federal detention facilities in Calif.
The past decade’s foreign-born population gains will be the smallest since the 1970s
Brookings
Newly released Census Bureau statistics reveal that from 2010 to 2020, the nation’s foreign-born population will experience the smallest growth for any decade since the 1970s.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Retail construction continues locally despite pandemic
Bakersfield Califn
Judging only by construction of new retail buildings around Bakersfield, it would be easy to conclude the pandemic has hardly disrupted the local economy.
If voters raise taxes on corporate landlords, will small biz foot the bill?
CalMatters
When supporters of a November property tax ballot measure talk about soaking the state’s faceless corporate giants and its wealthiest landlords, they are not talking about people like John Kevranian.
Housing:
They Were Evicted, Then the Pandemic Hit: One Bakersfield Family of Six Is Making Do In A Hotel Room
VPR
On a weekday afternoon, Elvia Baies’ two teenage daughters finish up their school day while her younger children, a 4 and 5-year-old, play on tablets. Baies asks them to turn the tablets down and then points out the tight space where they’ve lived for nine months. “This is obviously the room that we’re sleeping in, our two beds, we have a TV across from the beds,” Baies says.
Recruiting property owners to rent to homeless is aim of third-annual landlord summit
Bakersfield Califn
Convincing 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 an important tool in the fight against homelessness.
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.
Where States Get Their Money Will Shape Pandemic’s Fiscal Fallout
Pew Trusts
States have lost revenue, for example, from income not withheld from furloughed workers’ paychecks, tolls not collected from traffic absent from state highways and bridges, and sales taxes not tacked on to bills for hotel rooms that have sat empty.
Opinion: Fiscal federalism and the COVID-19 shock in the US
AEI
The COVID-19 shock has significant negative consequences for the finances of US state and local governments, especially since they are bound by balanced-budget requirements.
Opinion: A VAT-financed universal basic income can still be progressive
AEI
In reality, a UBI is a highly progressive policy, even if funded by a regressive tax such as a VAT. A VAT-financed UBI would still impose net burdens on the wealthy (and would still provide net benefits to low-income households), although not to the same extent as an income-tax-financed UBI.
TRANSPORTATION
‘It’s almost a joke.’ In rural Calif, Newsom’s gas-powered car ban is a stretch
Fresno Bee
Electric vehicle companies say battery technology is improving, but as it stands, the best electric car batteries currently on the market have a range of no more than 250 miles.
See also:
● Calif’s gas-fueled car ban: Can we really all drive electric cars? SF Chronicle
● Trump’s EPA asks Newsom to rethink gas car ban: ‘You can’t even keep the lights on today’ Fresno Bee
● EPA Raises Legal Questions About Calif’s Plan to Ban New Gas-Powered Cars Starting in 2035 WSJ
● Opinion: Is Gavin Newsom serious about banning gas-powered cars? Modesto Bee
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.
Hawaiian Air to offer drive-through COVID-19 testing near SFO, LAX
Fresno Bee
Hawaiian Airlines passengers flying out of SF and LA will soon be able to get drive-thru COVID-19 tests before their flights to the Aloha State, the carrier announced over the weekend.
These airlines are still blocking seats for social distancing
Washington Post
If you’re considering flying (or need to) any time soon, the airline you choose will almost certainly have a big impact on the social distancing involved in your flight.
WATER
Drinking water is contaminated in rural Calif. Why is it taking so long to fix?
Fresno Bee
It’s been four years since safe drinking water flowed from the tap at Jovita Torres-Romo’s home. When the well at her rental house went dry in 2016, the only running water available to her family came through a hose stretched across the street from a neighbor’s house.
“Xtra”
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 Sac area, lodged as it is in a restrictive state tier.
Planners of Graffiti museum in Modesto now own the building. Here’s a look inside
Modesto Bee
The planners of a Graffiti museum in Modesto now have their building in hand and hope to welcome the first visitors next June.
Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth
Think you can tell the difference between True and False?
Do you really know what is fake news?
Support the Maddy Daily
Thank you!
Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of Calif’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: amyboam@csufresno.edu