POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Stanislaus County’s Head Start receives big boost in $26 million federal funding
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County Office of Education received renewal of their $26 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee Head Start programs for eight counties in the region.
UC Merced Student Podcast Gets Picked Up By National Science Foundation in Podcasts
VPR
Listen to UC Merced Student Podcast Gets Picked Up By National Science Foundation from Valley Public Radio in Podcasts.
See also:
● U.S. News releases best colleges list. Here’s where Central Valley schools rank Fresno Bee
● New college rankings place California universities at top Sacramento Bee
● UC Merced Takes Another Giant Leap in U.S. News Rankings UC Merced Newsroom
Fine for illegal dumping in Modesto now as much as $2,000
Modesto Bee
The city is raising the fine to as much as $2,000 for people it catches dumping busted couches, broken refrigerators, used tires and other trash along streets and in alleys as it cracks down on blight.
Central SJ Valley:
Results of Measure P stand, Fresno Co, Superior Court judge says
abc30
A Fresno County Superior Court Judge decided Thursday special taxes proposed by a voter initiative, like Measure P, are not exempt from the state constitution's two-thirds voter approval requirement.
Fresno State again ranks 3rd in U.S. News for graduate-rate performance
Fresno State News
For the third consecutive year, Fresno State has placed among the top three best public universities for graduate-rate performance in U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 Best College rankings issued today.
Fresno Co. committee's event brings awareness to 2020 census
abc30
The Fresno County Complete Count Committee is making sure as many people as possible know about the 2020 census. The committee hosted a "Know your Census Rights" event at the Mosqueda Center in southeast Fresno on Sunday.
Warszawski: Why this Paso Robles brewery owes Fresno an apology - and maybe even a beer
Fresno Bee
On the other, some insults need to be called out. Particularly when they come from PR flaks who work for corporations that pretend to like us and desire our business. Especially when said PR flak lobbed her insult while sucking up to a celebrity on social media.
Selma Is Moving To District Elections. Some Say The Proposed Districts Don’t Represent The Community
VPR
The Selma City Council wants to change the way people vote for council members by creating districts versus at-large voting. But mapping those districts is a complicated process and community and council members have different ideas on how to make it fair.
South SJ Valley:
Community gives input on future city manager
Hanford Sentinel
The Hanford City Council met with community members Thursday to discuss what residents would like to see in the city’s future city manager.
Lindsay Council to discuss recruitment options for City Manager
Porterville Recorder
Tuesday night’s Lindsay City Council meeting should be a relatively short one as the agenda for the night sits at only five items up for discussion.
CSUB geology department leading the pack
KBAK
For students at the CSUB geology department, times have never been busier. While they look at a wide variety of topics, much work is also being done studying things that have an impact on the everyday lives of people right here in the Central Valley.
Price: Kern oil industry under siege; forgive us for covering it
Bakersfield Californian
Why don’t you just move on, John Cox? Find some serious pollution. Maybe focus on landfill emissions or possibly litter on our highways. This company (Chevron, which operates the field) does 1,000,000 more things for this community than your organization does.
Bakersfield Californian
City staff will brief the Bakersfield City Council on efforts the city is taking to mitigate homelessness during its Wednesday meeting.
Gaspar: Talk of mayoral, city council recalls in Shafter
Bakersfield Californian
Accusations of a hidden agenda. Disarray in the city. These were among the charges levied by some residents against Shafter Mayor Gilbert Alvarado, Mayor Pro-Tem Cesar Lopez and City Councilman Manuel Garcia at a recent city council meeting.
State:
Legislative session enters final week in California, with gators and gigs
CALmatters
As California lawmakers return for the final week of the 2019 legislative year, the issues they take up will be sweeping and eclectic, as end-of-session to-do lists usually are. More than 600-plus bills await final votes before Friday. Most have narrow potential impact.
See also:
● Skelton: Lawmakers and lobbyists scramble as California’s legislative session draws to a close Los Angeles Times
● Walters: Dems ignore voters' decisions CALmatters
AB 5, as of now, threatens your newspaper
Visalia Times Delta
A recent California Supreme Court decision combined with inaction by the Legislature could spell disaster for the newspaper industry and the communities newspapers serve.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: Newspapers are already struggling. California might make things even worse Los Angeles Times
SB 276: California vaccine bill heads to Newsom for approval
Los Angeles Times
The state Senate gave final legislative approval to controversial vaccine legislation Wednesday, prompting a chaotic scene among protesters in the chamber as the bill was sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a signature.
See also:
● California Lawmaker, Gov. Newsom Reach Deal On Vaccine Bill Capital Public Radio
● Proposed California vaccine law has Gavin Newsom’s support, again Merced Sun-Star
California Bill Puts Recycling Onus on Plastic Manufacturers. They’re Not Happy About It
KQED
As soon as this week, California lawmakers could vote on legislation aimed at dramatically reducing plastic pollution from common manufactured goods like utensils, packaging and beverage lids.
Walters: Tone-deaf Lara and his critics
CALmatters
During his first months as the state’s elected insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara was rocked by disclosures that he had accepted more than $50,000 in campaign contributions from insurance industry sources after pledging to shun such dealings during his campaign.
California’s likely voters: They’re older, richer and whiter
San Francisco Chronicle
More than eight of 10 likely voters in California have attended college. Two-thirds own their own home. Almost half have annual family incomes of more than $80,000.
California GOP opens alternative pathway for 2020 delegates
AP News
California Republicans have approved a rule change intended to ensure the party can send delegates to the GOP’s national convention next summer, even if President Donald Trump is kept off the state’s 2020 primary ballot.
See also:
● California GOP opens path to send delegates to 2020 convention even if Trump isn't on ballot The Hill
● Fresh Face, Fresh Start for the California GOP? KQED
● Trump’s Campaign Manager Headlined California Republican Convention Despite President’s 32% Approval Rating. Here’s Why. Capital Public Radio
● Recruiting African Americans to the GOP: Bay Area woman says she can do it San Francisco Chronicle
Federal:
Trump Administration Challenges California And Automakers On Fuel Economy
Capital Public Radio
The Trump administration says only the federal government can set tailpipe emissions standards. It's the latest move in a months long stand-off over efforts to weaken a key Obama-era climate rule.
See also:
● Trump puts California ‘on notice’ over emissions deal with carmakers Sacramento Bee
● Trump's dual threat to California's car deal CALMatters
● How to redesign the debates for our current political climate Washington Post
● Justice Dept. Investigates California Emissions Pact That Embarrassed Trump New York Times
● Arnold Schwarzenegger: Trump can’t erase a decade of clean air progress with a Sharpie Washington Post
● EDITORIAL: Trump is trying to bully California and carmakers into giving up on climate change Los Angeles Times
Podcast: Congress returns for a bleak fall session
Roll Call
The prospects for major legislation aren't bright. Scot Schraufnagel, the chair of the political science department at Northern Illinois University and an expert on congressional productivity, explains why this Congress isn't doing much.
See also:
● Congress Returns From Summer Break With Lengthy Agenda Wall Street Journal
Washington Post
Some justices ascend to the Supreme Court quietly, deferring to their elders and biding time before venturing out too far to offer their own views of the law.
Elections 2020:
Mark Sanford announces he will challenge President Trump in 2020 GOP primary
abc30
Mark Sanford, the South Carolina governor and congressman, announced his intentions to challenge President in the 2020 GOP primary.
See also:
● Mark Sanford Says He'll Challenge Trump For President, But That Just Got Harder to Do Capital Public Radio
● Ex-SC Gov. Mark Sanford to challenge Trump in primary Stockton Record
● Former S.C. congressman Mark Sanford announces Republican primary challenge against Trump Washington Post
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz formally announces he won't run in 2020
abc30
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced in a letter to his supporters on Friday that he is formally forgoing an independent presidential run in 2020.
Tom Steyer, the billionaire who wants to impeach Trump, makes the presidential debate stage
Los Angeles Times
Tom Steyer, a California billionaire and leader of a movement to impeach President Trump, qualified on Sunday for October’s Democratic presidential debate.
See also:
● Does a billionaire have a place in the 2020 Democratic field? Los Angeles Times
Washington Post
Former vice president Joe Biden holds a modest lead in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination, bolstered by his personal appeal and current perceptions among Democratic voters that he has the best chance of defeating President Trump in the 2020 general election, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Internal Kamala Harris document acknowledges 'Summer Slump'
Politico
A briefing memo accidentally left behind at a restaurant here showed Kamala Harris’ staff expected her to be grilled on her lack of presence in the state as well as her campaign’s “summer slump.”
See also:
● Kamala Harris Claimed She ‘Sued Exxon Mobil’ As California AG. She Didn’t. Capital Public Radio
● 2020 Power Ranking: Welcome to the third tier, Kamala Harris Washington Post
Elizabeth Warren blamed 3 industries for 70% of greenhouse gases. That muddles the picture
PolitiFact
Near the end of her turn on CNN’s climate change town-hall-a-thon, host Chris Cuomo asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren about lightbulbs. Specifically, if the government should be telling people the kind of lightbulbs they can have.
See also:
● The Holes in Warren’s Wealth Tax Can’t Be Plugged Bloomberg
A ban on gas-powered cars? 2020 Democrats embrace what once was a California fantasy
Sacramento Bee
Democrats running for president had a message for Americans on Wednesday night: you are going to have to wean yourselves off your gas-powered cars. “It’s not something you have to do. It’s awesome,” entrepreneur Andrew Yang joked.
‘Just saying hola isn’t enough.’ How do Latino voters feel when candidates speak Spanish?
Los Angeles Times
Does a candidate speaking Spanish make a difference to voters who know the language? The answer can be as nuanced as the Latino electorate, which is often mischaracterized as a monolithic voting bloc.
Opinion: Presidential candidates are not talking about ending poverty
CALmatters
Twelve million children in America went to bed hungry last night. But you wouldn’t know it from the last two Democratic primary debates, where the issue of poverty barely crossed the lips of the 20 candidates and was completely ignored by the media moderators.
See also:
● The Hard Part of Ending Inequality Is Paying for It Bloomberg
Other:
World Trade Center, Pentagon Replicas at 9/11 Memorial in Clovis
GV Wire
Situated at the business park that formerly housed Pelco, the 18th annual remembrance on Wednesday will feature for the first time replicas of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, at 1/100 scale.
What Does 'The Other California' Mean To The People Who Live Here? A Conversation With The Masumotos
VPR
The writer Gerald Haslam grew up at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and is credited with coining the phrase "The Other California" to describe the part of the state where we live. Not Los Angeles. Not San Francisco. Not the coastal California but The Other California -- a unique, highly diverse region with its own stories to tell.
When Corporations Changed Their Social Role—and Upended Our Politics
Wall Street Journal
Large companies once offered workers lifetime security and generous benefits. Then they stopped, setting the stage for our populist moment.
Conservatives already won the culture war. They just don’t know it.
Washington Post
On the fundamental question of the culture war — how much Americans respect and want to preserve our core institutions — conservatives underestimate their strength. The biggest is that in mistaking victory for defeat, it will overreach at risk of all it has accomplished.
15 Ways Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon Are in Government Cross Hairs
New York Times
Federal and state regulators and congressional committees are sharpening their focus on America’s tech giants, especially whether they have too much power — with too little oversight and too few safeguards — over people’s lives and personal information.
See also:
● Businesses Across the Board Scramble to Comply With California Data-Privacy Law Wall Street Journal
● Protecting information privacy: Challenges and opportunities in federal legislation Brookings
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Medi-Cal Premiums and Claims Because It Failed to Follow Up on Eligibility Discrepancies” – Guest: California State Auditor, Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “The Senior Boom: Preparing for the Baby Boom Aftershock” – Guest: PPIC Analyst Laurel Beck. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, September 15, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Medi-Cal: miles de millones para pagos cuestionables” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
How to close the loopholes in the Craft Beverage Modernization Act
Brookings
Congress cut the tax on wine, beer and liquor in 2017 in the big Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – but only for two years. The industry and its bipartisan cast of allies in Congress are now mounting an effort to extend the tax cuts or even make them permanent.
Try chicken chipotle burritos and other eats at the food expo in Fresno. Here’s how
Fresno Bee
Chickpea granola. Vegan mayo. Organic pistachio protein bars. All of these things will be available for tasting in Fresno at the California Food Expo next week at the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center.
Buzzfeed
The Trump administration has offered up to £75,000 for an organisation to take “influential” British journalists on a tour of American farms to influence narratives around the country’s food standards, specifically the vexed issue of “chlorinated chicken”.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Fine for illegal dumping in Modesto now as much as $2,000
Modesto Bee
The city is raising the fine to as much as $2,000 for people it catches dumping busted couches, broken refrigerators, used tires and other trash along streets and in alleys as it cracks down on blight.
Program To Erase Old Pot Charges Aids 58 California Counties
Capital Public Radio
Every California county prosecutor can now use new technology to erase or reduce an estimated 220,000 old marijuana convictions after voters broadly legalized the drug in 2016.
CHP to target motorists illegally passing school buses
AP News
The Press-Enterprise reports Wednesday that California Highway Patrol officers will be aboard school buses in San Bernardino on Sept. 9 to observe when vehicles pass when the buses are stopped and signaling with flashing red lights or a stop sign.
Public Safety:
Funding that helps states eliminate rape kit testing backlogs set to expire
abc30
Advocates say the House needs to act quickly to pass funding for grants that help states eliminate rape kit backlogs before money runs out at the end of the month.
Honoring Women While Helping Survivors of Abuse
abc30
Marjaree Mason Center is hosting its annual Top Ten Professional Women and Leading Business Awards.
Explorers – where are they now?
Hanford Sentinel
The Sentinel has started a series featuring former Hanford Police Department Explorers and what they are doing now in their careers.
PPD Sergeant honored at Council meeting
Porterville Recorder
Gary Miller has served the City of Porterville through the police department for 20 years, and on Tuesday night the City Council honored Miller and his service by announcing him as September’s Employee of the Month.
Sheriff Boudreaux unveils Memorial Highway for fallen deputy
Porterville Recorder
On Thursday, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux and more than 100 others gathered at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office to honor fallen Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeremy Meyst with the unveiling of the “Correctional Deputy Jeremy W. Meyst Memorial Highway.”
Stockton Unified partners with nonprofits for new curriculum project
Stockton Record
The Stockton Unified School District has partnered with nonprofits with ties to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch new grant-funded curriculum, instruction, and professional learning improvement project.
Washington Post
Americans across party and demographic lines overwhelmingly support expanded background checks for gun buyers and allowing law enforcement to temporarily seize weapons from troubled individuals.
See also:
● Road Ahead: Will Congress, Trump agree to any new gun laws? Roll Call
● Democrats tee up gun control fight as Congress returns Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: Police body cams are for restoring public faith in law enforcement, not surveillance
Los Angeles Times
The best thing about police body cameras is that they capture images of law enforcement encounters with members of the public, including suspects, witnesses and passersby.
Fire:
PG&E wildfire bond plan dies in California Capitol for now
Sacramento Bee
PG&E Corp.’s major shareholders said Friday that a bill the company deemed necessary to pay wildfire victims was dead in the Legislature until January.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
China’s August imports from US fall 22.5%
Fresno Bee
China has reported that August imports from US fall 22.5% amid a tariff war with Washington, while exports to US fall 16%.
See also:
● The Trade Uncertainty Principle Wall Street Journal
Another Iconic Valley In Yosemite? Report Estimates Tourism Benefits Of A Restored Hetch Hetchy
VPR
But how would those numbers change if the park boasted a second awe-inspiring valley? A recent report evaluates the economic benefits of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley.
Predicting California’s Economic Health
Public Policy Institute of California
After a record expansion, recent signs suggest the nation’s economy may be softening. Unusual patterns in the bond market, signs of slower growth overseas, and the uncertainty of the ongoing trade conflict with China have all raised fears that a downturn may be on the horizon.
2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens
CAFWD
Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.
Jobs:
New construction company reopens in Lemoore
Hanford Sentinel
Hinds Construction Services, Inc. celebrated its grand reopening during a ribbon cutting Thursday at its new location in Lemoore.
U.S. News & World Report recognizes two Bakersfield lawyers
Bakersfield Californian
Of the 100 leading lawyers recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s The Best Lawyers in America 2020 edition, only two Kern County attorneys were represented. Attorneys James Yoro and David Cohn, both partners and veteran attorneys at Chain Cohn Stiles, were recognized by one of the United States' most honored and respected attorney-ranking systems.
Employment, education, and the time use of American youth
Brookings
In this analysis we show how changing employment and school enrollment patterns have contributed to declining labor force participation among youth, aged 16 to 24.
EDITORIAL: Like hailing rides with Uber or Lyft? A state law might make that harder to do
Fresno Bee
Assembly Bill 5 would require companies to meet strict guidelines to classify anyone working as independent contractors. In most cases, those workers would become employees.
See also:
● Workers Turn To Gig Platforms Like Uber And Lyft As An ‘Alternative Safety Net’ Capital Public Radio
● Uber, Lyft lobbied heavily on CA employment rules Sacramento Bee
EDUCATION
K-12:
Fresno Teachers Association partners with local eatery to bring books to kids
abc30
The Fresno Teachers Association is partnering with Tower Blendz to promote quality education outside of the classroom. The association donated $500 worth of new children's books to the juice shop for their weekly event, Reading Circle.
Robotics leader to head Mountain Vista High
abc30
When Allan Hollman was called to the podium by Superintendent Todd Lile at Madera Unified’s Aug. 27 school board meeting, he was given some good news: Lile announced that he had been promoted to principal of Mountain Vista High School.
New app to help Kings County students, families in need
Hanford Sentinel
A new app for Kings County is making it easier for the community to help students in need. The Purposity app creates a streamlined system for students to receive items they desperately need.
PUSD hosting facilities master plan meetings
Porterville Recorder
Porterville Unified School District will host a series of informational open houses on its long-range facilities masters plan.
California Connection Academy Central begins new year
Porterville Recorder
California Connections Academy Central, a tuition-free online public school serving students in grades K-12 throughout Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties, began its 2019-2020 school year on Tuesday.
Investing in California’s children is a moral imperative. But it’s also essential to our future
Sacramento Bee
Every child deserves a chance to thrive. That’s California’s promise to our children. Keeping that promise requires making sure that the untapped potential of this historically diverse generation – overwhelmingly children of color – will not be wasted or diverted.
How can public schools address the challenges faced by California’s various ethnic communities?
Merced Sun-Star
Our current politics have made people go to their corners. We need better tools to talk to and understand each other better, not just a recitation of who contributed what.
Lessons From the Chair of a State School Safety Task Force
Ed Note
Based on testimony from the state’s Homeland Security leaders and others, we recommended an omnibus safety bill — essentially an update of statutes enacted after the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado 20 years ago.
Navarrette: California bill fails students by suspending discipline
Mercury News
We can blame state lawmakers who are always hatching grand schemes about how to make the world better — when they ought to just concentrate on how to do their jobs better.
EDITORIAL: Smart student access to medical cannabis OK
Visalia Times Delta
California school children who depend on medical cannabis to control ailments such as seizures, nausea or the debilitating effects of autism could see relief soon, thanks to a measure headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Teachers could get paid maternity leave if governor agrees
EdSource
Currently, teachers can take unpaid maternity leave, but most use vacation and sick leave in order to get paid. After their sick leave is used up they can earn differential pay — the remainder of their salary after the district pays for a substitute for their class — for up to five months while on maternity leave.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State again ranks 3rd in U.S. News for graduate-rate performance
Fresno State News
For the third consecutive year, Fresno State has placed among the top three best public universities for graduate-rate performance in U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 Best College rankings issued today.
See also:
● U.S. News releases best colleges list. Here’s where Central Valley schools rank Fresno Bee
● New college rankings place California universities at top Sacramento Bee
● UC Merced Takes Another Giant Leap in U.S. News Rankings UC Merced Newsroom
New turf, new lights, but what’s next for Bulldog Stadium? That’s the $45 million question
Fresno Bee
But the glamour and glitz that was to accompany the Golden Gophers’ visit to Bulldog Stadium, that was set aside long ago. A renovation project to address all of the shortcomings in the 39-year-old stadium with better access, new suites and a stadium club never got very far off the ground and was killed early in 2018.
CSUB geology department leading the pack
KBAK
For students at the CSUB geology department, times have never been busier. While they look at a wide variety of topics, much work is also being done studying things that have an impact on the everyday lives of people right here in the Central Valley.
UC Merced Student Podcast Gets Picked Up By National Science Foundation in Podcasts
VPR
Listen to UC Merced Student Podcast Gets Picked Up By National Science Foundation from Valley Public Radio in Podcasts.
Student loan forgiveness program denied most applicants
abc30
Most are still being rejected, even after Congress set aside $700 million to temporarily expand it, according to a federal report.
See also:
● Make Cal State free for Californians Visalia Times Delta
Tulare County College Night is Tuesday
Porterville Recorder
The Tulare County Office of Education’s annual College Night will be held on Tuesday, September 10 at a new location – the Heritage Complex at the International Agri-Center in Tulare.
See also:
● The most cost-effective ways to increase college graduation rates Brookings
BC President Sonya Christian says the college will have its 'best year yet'
Bakersfield Californian
When one asks Bakersfield College President Sonya Christian what the 2019-20 school year looks like, she doesn't hesitate: "It's going to be our best year yet."
VA yanks authority from California agency overseeing veterans' education
CALmatters
The U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs has canceled its contract with a California state agency that approves colleges to receive GI Bill funds, after a lengthy dispute over how to regulate for-profit and out-of-state schools.
The university experience wasn’t ‘made for Native students like me’
Indian Country Today
Research published in February by the National Center for Education Statistics show that Native students make up less than 1 percent of all college students in the United States. It also shows that of all Native students seeking a bachelor’s degree, only 23 percent of them finish in four years.
What happened to California's crackdown on for-profit colleges?
CALmatters
Just a few months ago, California’s Democratic-controlled legislature seemed poised to pass the nation’s toughest restrictions on for-profit colleges. School owners publicly fretted that they’d have to shut down.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Arctic ice melting at alarming rate, NASA says
abc30
According to NASA scientists, the ice sheet there began to melt early in the season. By August, 90 percent of the ice sheet had seen at least some melt.
See also:
Can the Climate Cause Survive the Democratic Primaries? Wall Street Journal
Washington Post
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s acting chief scientist said in an email to colleagues Sunday that he is investigating whether the agency’s response to President Trump’s Hurricane Dorian tweets constituted a violation of NOAA policies and ethics.
Artifacts alter timeline for Native Americans in California
San Francisco Californian
On a rugged coastal bluff overlooking Tomales Bay is the site of a former Coast Miwok village that tells a remarkable story about Native American resilience in the face of oppression.
Reported dust cloud after Ridgecrest quakes raises valley fever concerns
Bakerfield Californian
Anyone who spent time near Ridgecrest during July's earthquakes and is experiencing flu-like symptoms — cough, fever, even rash and extreme fatigue — might want to get tested for valley fever.
Volunteers Pitch In to Clean Up Oakhurst River Parkway
Sierra News
Several dozen community members rolled up their sleeves Saturday to take part in the “Great Sierra River Clean-Up.”
Energy:
Trump Administration Challenges California And Automakers On Fuel Economy
Capital Public Radio
The Trump administration says only the federal government can set tailpipe emissions standards. It's the latest move in a months long stand-off over efforts to weaken a key Obama-era climate rule.
See also:
● Trump puts California ‘on notice’ over emissions deal with carmakers Sacramento Bee
● Trump's dual threat to California's car deal CALMatters
● How to redesign the debates for our current political climate Washington Post
● Justice Dept. Investigates California Emissions Pact That Embarrassed Trump New York Times
● Justice Department Launches Antitrust Probe Into Four Auto Makers Wall Street Journal
● Arnold Schwarzenegger: Trump can’t erase a decade of clean air progress with a Sharpie Washington Post
● EDITORIAL: Trump is trying to bully California and carmakers into giving up on climate change Los Angeles Times
Mariposa Biomass Project Now In Line for Power Purchase Agreement with PG&E
Sierra News
The Mariposa Biomass Project (MBP) is taking a giant step toward becoming operational. MBP officials recently released an update from technology provider and project partner, Cortus Energy, a green-tech company based in Sweden.
See also:
● San Francisco Offers to Buy PG&E Wires in City Wall Street Journal
Price: Kern oil industry under siege; forgive us for covering it
Bakersfield Californian
Why don’t you just move on, John Cox? Find some serious pollution. Maybe focus on landfill emissions or possibly litter on our highways. This company (Chevron, which operates the field) does 1,000,000 more things for this community than your organization does.
Gas Plants Will Get Crushed by Wind, Solar by 2035, Study Says
Bloomberg
Natural gas-fired power plants, which have crushed the economics of coal, are on the path to being undercut themselves by renewable power and big batteries, a study found.
EDITORIAL: It is unfair to Valley for state not to count hydroelectric power as renewable energy
Merced Sun-Star
Looking for fairness? Better consult a map if you’re in California. For many living along the coast, it’s considered “fair” to make electricity more expensive in the name of fighting climate change.
Long Live the Incandescent Bulb
Wall Street Journal
Good news, Americans. If you like old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs, you can keep buying them. The Energy Department on Wednesday extended the lifespan of incandescents, which the Obama Administration in its twilight sought to extinguish.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Climate change doesn’t only mean rising oceans — your health is at risk, too
Fresno Bee
According to the National Weather Service, heat is responsible for more fatalities than all other severe weather events combined. Not surprisingly, the state of Arizona has the highest number of heat-related deaths in the United States.
See also:
● The hotter the planet grows, the less children are learning PBS NewsHour
2019 hot car deaths surpass yearly national average
abc30
The U.S. has already 40 hot car deaths in 2019, surpassing the yearly average. Automakers are voluntary committing to back-seat alert systems.
See also:
● Carmakers to add alerts to prevent child heatstroke deaths abc30
CDC Says Number Of Possible Cases Of Vaping-Related Lung Illness Has Doubled
KQED
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that the number of possible cases of severe respiratory illnesses among people who vaped nicotine or cannabis-related products has more than doubled, to 450 in 33 states.
See also:
● New vaping warning from health officials after more deaths in U.S. abc30
● Lung illness tied to vaping has killed a third person and may be a new 'worrisome' disease, health officials say Washington Post
Suicide risk linked to guns, veterans
Stockton Record
A higher density of gun shops, lack of health insurance and larger populations of veterans are all associated with higher adult suicide rates across the United States, according to a new Ohio State University study that reviewed county-level data.
Human Services:
New orthopedic urgent care opens in northeast Fresno
abc30
Sierra Pacific Orthopedics is a new urgent care facility working to help high school athletes get back on the field faster.
Contract extends $3,100 health care perk to another group of California state employees
Merced Sun-Star
About 4,000 more California state workers will be eligible for monthly stipends to cover their health insurance premiums under a tentative contract agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.
Stanislaus County’s Head Start receives big boost in $26 million federal funding
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County Office of Education received renewal of their $26 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee Head Start programs for eight counties in the region.
Mental Health Resources Limited For Children
VPR
Caring for a child with acute mental illness can be an overwhelming and isolating experience. And when youth become a threat to themselves or others, resources to keep them safe can be difficult to find.
Doctors hope new conference in Bakersfield will take off
Bakersfield Californian
If you’ve ever wondered how your doctors know what treatments to prescribe to you, part of the answer involves them waking up early on Saturday mornings to attend conferences on the latest breakthroughs in medical research.
Newsom signs SEIU-backed bill requiring Kaiser to share more hospital financial data
Sacramento Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Friday a measure that will require Kaiser Permanente to join other insurers in providing more detailed information on expenses and revenue at each of its hospitals and medical facilities.
Veterinarians Are Killing Themselves. An Online Group Is There To Listen And Help
Capital Public Radio
Veterinarians are killing themselves in alarming numbers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found male vets are 2.1 times as likely and female vets 3.5 times as likely to die by suicide compared with the general population.
From homeless and addicted to preventing addiction: CSUB student making a difference
Bakersfield Californian
Jerome Piper’s life changed the day his newborn daughter tested positive for drugs. From that moment on, Piper, who is now 41, was determined to get his daughter back. Newly sober, Piper said he has found his true calling.
IMMIGRATION
California National Guard will lose $8 million to border wall plan
abc30
The $8 million was supposed to go to wildfire training for the National Guard but instead, the money will help pay for the construction of the border wall.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: Diversion of military funds for border wall no way to defend US San Francisco Chronicle
Trump officials to discuss slashing number of refugees allowed into US each year
Stockton Record
Trump administration officials will meet next week to discuss whether to further restrict the number of refugees accepted into the U.S. each year, according to a senior administration official.
See also:
Trump’s plan to stem border crossings gets results Politico
EDITORIAL: The common thread through all the Trump administration’s immigration policies is cruelty Los Angeles Times
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Porterville Recorder
Porterville is growing slowly by the acre, and locals who once lived on county land are now official residents of the City of Porterville.
The '60s a swinging time for Bakersfield architecture
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield found itself at an interesting architectural intersection in the late 1950s and early 1960s that resulted in a legacy of high-quality, midcentury homes and buildings.
Housing:
Crisis for first-time home buyers
abc30
No one doubts there’s a crisis in California housing. State lawmakers took plenty of actions this summer, getting set to pass a batch of bills that Gov. Gavin Newsom will gladly sign into law.
See also:
● California’s housing crisis should surprise no one. It’s a problem decades in the making Sacramento Bee
● Housing construction in California is decreasing. Can anything be done about it? Sacramento Bee
● Realtors Play Hardball in Fight Against Rent-Protection Bill Capital & Main
● Why Can’t California Solve Its Housing Crisis? Rolling Stone
Homeless California college students can’t sleep on campus. Lawmaker pulls housing crisis bill
Merced Sun-Star
A California lawmaker this week chided opponents for stigmatizing the homeless as he pulled a proposal that would have allowed community college students to sleep in campus parking lots.
See also:
● Parking Lots Stay Off-Limits Overnight For Homeless Community College Students Capital Public Radio
State panel comes to Modesto for answers to homelessness
Modesto Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s task force on homelessness came to Modesto on Friday to hear about local efforts to deal with the statewide crisis.
Apartment complex sold for ‘record’ price in super-commuter haven Modesto
Modesto Bee
The sale of a Modesto apartment complex — for $16.5 million — might be good for the investors, but it also reflects the trend of rising rents and the shortage of rental housing in Stanislaus County.
Modestans shine light on area’s racially restrictive housing policies of the past
Modesto Bee
A form of systematic, government-sanctioned racism — the kind we would call insidious today — was alive and well right here in Modesto and other area cities in the 1930s and 1940s.
Plan to promote construction of 'mother-in-law quarters' divides developers, homeowners
Bakersfield Californian
They're as common as fire hydrants in some parts of town: small residential buildings typically built in backyards as a kind of annex to the main house. Some call them mother-in-law quarters.
PUBLIC FINANCES
CalPERS candidates to appear at Sacramento forum Tuesday
Sacramento Bee
CalPERS retirees will get a chance Tuesday in Sacramento to hear from the two candidates vying for their votes in the pension fund’s Board of Administration election.
Sweet deal: Some retired public employees’ pensions bigger than their salaries were
San Francisco Chronicle
Before the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act went into effect in 2013, county workers and executives were allowed to roll certain payments, such as unused sick leave, vacation and car allowances, into their base pay, which was used to calculate their final pension amounts. That’s no longer allowed.
Golden Handshake: pension ‘air time’ lives on
Calpensions
Until a pension reform six years ago, CalPERS and CalSTRS members could boost their pensions by buying credit for up to five years of service without doing the work, thus the name “air time.”
TRANSPORTATION
New McHenry bridge over Stanislaus will be done sooner than planned. Now the bad news
Modesto Bee
Construction is nearing an end on a wider McHenry Avenue bridge over the Stanislaus River, but the final steps will mean major traffic delays.
Do you drive to the Bay Area? A big change is coming to toll booths at the bridges
Sacramento Bee
The Bay’s seven state-run spans are getting rid of cash payments and steering motorists to the electronic FasTrak system, moves that toll officials say will loosen bottlenecks and speed traffic over Bay Area connectors.
WATER
Costa & Cox: Best way to improve California’s water situation is Newsom plan, not Senate Bill 1
Fresno Bee
Creating a sustainable water future for all Californians is one of the defining challenges of our time. As members of Congress from California, we have been at the center of efforts to solve the difficult problems of providing reliable water supplies for California’s people, its economy, and our environment.
See also:
● Feinstein Joins Effort for SB1 Changes Protecting Valley Water GV Wire
It didn’t rain but there still was flooding in Clovis. Here’s the area to avoid
Fresno Bee
A stretch of northern Clovis experienced flooding Saturday night. The City of Clovis tweeted that Peach Avenue was significantly flooded between Shepherd and Teague avenues.
California American Water Buying Bass Lake Water
Sierra News
California American Water has entered into an agreement to acquire Bass Lake Water Company’s potable water distribution system, which serves approximately 1,000 customer connections in the Bass Lake community.
The Friant-Kern Canal Is Sinking. Thirty-Mile Parallel Canal Proposed
VPR
The Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to farms and communities on the east side of the Valley, is literally sinking in some areas due to groundwater pumping.
There’s a silver lining to California’s wildfires: More snowpack and water storage, study finds
Sacramento Bee
Wildfires in California leave behind acres of scorched land that make snowpack formation easier and more water runoff downstream from the Sierra Nevada to basins in the Central Valley, increasing the amount of water stored underground.
Water interests, agriculture fighting California’s bid to block Trump’s environmental rollbacks
Los Angeles Times
California is close to adopting strict Obama-era federal environmental and worker safety rules that the Trump administration is dismantling.
Public Policy Institute of California
Recharge occurs when water seeps into the ground to replenish underground aquifers. Some recharge happens naturally when water flows into the ground from rivers and unlined canals or from the irrigation of crops and urban landscapes. In California, recharge is also done intentionally to restore groundwater levels and to store water for later use.
“Xtra”
Going to 2019's Tulare County Fair? Here's what you need to know
Visalia Times Delta
It’s that time of year again: It’s time for all the sights, sounds and smells of delicious fried foods that the Tulare County Fair brings. And this year the fair is celebrating its 100th birthday.
Ronil Singh’s face smiles out from this year’s corn maze at Dutch Hollow Farms, Modesto
Modesto Bee
Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh has been immortalized with the etching of his name among those of other fallen peace officers at memorials in Hughson and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Now, in a more fleeting but still sincere salute, his name and face are part of a Modesto corn maze.
What to Expect at 30th Civil War Revisited
abc30
Take a trip back in time as Fresno Historical Society celebrates the 30th Civil War Revisited. Civil War Revisited October 19-20. Families can meet battle reenactors, period craftspersons and actors portraying historical figures including Abe Lincoln.
Fresno State to provide free children's clothing for student parents
abc30
The college is hoping to alleviate some of their stress by providing them with the essentials, specifically kids' clothing.
Visalia nonprofit pairs service dogs with veterans
Visalia Times Delta
California Service Dog Academy (CSDA) is working to make a difference in veterans' lives, one dog at a time, officials said. The Visalia-based nonprofit provides service dogs completely free to veterans, who struggle with postwar disabilities.
Hanford Sentinel
On September 14, local participants will join together at the annual Relay For Life of Hanford at Civic Center Park to help beat our biggest rival - cancer.
Tulare County Historical Society holding annual fundraiser
Porterville Recorder
Toe tapping entertainment by Run 4 Cover and a barbecue dinner provided by the Happy Cookers with ice cream by Haagen Dazs is in store for those who attend the Tulare County Historical Society’s annual picnic at Mooney Grove on Sunday, Oct. 6 from 3:30 to 6 p.m.