POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
How to vote in California? CALmatters answers your questions
CALmatters
Oct. 22 is the deadline to register to vote in California.
Devin Nunes-backed Farm Bill could strain Tulare County food banks
Visalia Times-Delta
The U.S. House of Representatives proposed version of the Farm Bill could put "additional strain" on Tulare County food banks if passed into law, according to FoodLink, the county's largest food pantry.
State Officials, Valley Air Advocates Warn Against Proposed EPA Rule
VPR
You know how newer cars are rated to drive a certain number of miles per gallon of fuel? That number is regulated by the federal government.
Political Insider: Big Bucks in Valley Races
abc30
If you see Devin Nunes or Andrew Janz every time you turn on your TV, there's a very good reason for it. The two candidates are raising and spending huge amounts of money in order to pay for all of those political ads and win the race for California's 22nd Congressional District seat.
Should Tulare councilman pay for his city-funded trip, if he campaigned for Assembly?
Visalia Times-Delta
A question about how Tulare City Councilman Jose Sigala spent a city-funded trip campaigning will have to wait for an answer.
Supervisor candidates Withrow, Madrigal spar – but not at scheduled debate
Modesto Bee
In a move that defies his low-key style, Supervisor Terry Withrow has gone on the offensive in his bid for a third term on the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors.
Fladager, Mayne square off on murder case backlogs, gangs and more in DA forum
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager and her challenger, Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne, faced off Tuesday evening in a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Stanislaus County.
Turlock’s District 1 voters have myriad choices in November
Modesto Bee
Turlock’s District 1 voters will not lack for candidates with varying backgrounds when they pick their city council member in the Nov. 6 election.
State:
Why do California voters prefer Gavin Newsom? It has to do with Donald Trump, new poll finds
Sacramento Bee
Opposition to President Donald Trump is giving Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom a boost in the race for governor, while Trump’s support is a liability for Republican businessman John Cox’s campaign, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
Why isn’t John Cox spotlighting the differences between Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom?
Sacramento Bee
To figure out what’s missing in California’s governor’s race, let’s revisit Princess Diana’s famous lament about the decay of her royal union: “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
Cox Goads Newsom on Marital Affairs But Is Silent About His Own
KQED
Throughout his campaign for governor, Republican John Cox and his allies have criticized Democratic opponents for affairs they had while in office, condemning their behavior as potentially attracting harmful exposure.
PolitiFact California: Fact-Checking Claims In California’s U.S. Senate Race
Capital Public Radio
Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her challenger in California’s U.S. Senate race Kevin de León made several claims that caught our attention during their only scheduled campaign forum this week in San Francisco.
See also:
● Capitol Chat Take 2: Senate Conversation Recap Capital Public Radio
● Sparks don't fly as Feinstein and De León go head to head in San Francisco forum Los Angeles Times
● Why didn’t Kevin de León go after Dianne Feinstein? San Francisco Chronicle
● Feinstein vs. de León: What did they say about Delta tunnels and California water? Miami Herald
● Video: A Conversation with Candidates for US Senate PPIC
Dems are winning money race in key contests
San Francisco Chronicle
Jim Brulte, chairman of the state Republican Party, could only shake his head at the campaign finance numbers released this week for California congressional races that could decide whether Democrats take back control of the House on Nov. 6.
California has some of the country’s closest mid-term elections
The Economist
Southern California is a treasure trove of Democratic target seats in the mid-term elections to be held on November 6th. Seven Republicans are defending seats in districts that Hillary Clinton won in the presidential contest of 2016.
Federal:
The 2018 Midterms Are All About Trump
The Atlantic
In its final stages, the tumultuous 2018 midterm election appears to be moving in contradictory directions, with Democrats and Republicans alike finding legitimate reasons for optimism amid the daily flurry of new polls.
See also:
Trump Praises Gianforte for Physically Assaulting Reporter Roll Call
Trump’s 2016 Voters Plan to Back GOP in Midterms, but Some Still Have Doubts About Him Wall Street Journal
Turkish source says Pompeo heard recording of Khashoggi murder, State Dept denies
abc30
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has heard an alleged audio recording of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi's murderinside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a senior Turkish official.
See also:
Who cares? Foreign policy and the 2018 midterm elections AEI
12 Ratings Changes for House, Senate and Gubernatorial Races: 4 Toward GOP, 8 Toward Democrats
Roll Call
With so many close races in the ever-changing 2018 landscape, Roll Call elections analyst Nathan Gonzales has one big question: how long after Election Day will the nation have to wait before knowing which party will control Congress?
Mitch McConnell is no Nancy Pelosi
Fresno Bee
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is reviled by Democrats, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at campaign ads. That’s not true for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, whom Republicans love to include as a lightening rod. Why isn’t McConnell more of a poster child for the GOP?
See also:
Nancy Pelosi Will Rise Again Slate.
Democrats get big bucks from small-dollar donors
CALmatters
In any campaign, big money players get the most attention. But Democrats running in California’s seven most competitive congressional districts are vastly outraising Republicans in small-dollar donations, according to a review of campaign money compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
See also:
● Democrats and Republicans are spending more on TV ads than ever. One thing most have in common — they're avoiding Trump Los Angeles Times
Democrats Haven’t Turned Back From 1968
Wall Street Journal
America is polarized in many ways, but one of the most significant is between generations in the Democratic Party.
EDITORIAL:The Times' endorsements for the Nov. 6 election
Los Angeles Times
Following are The Times’ endorsements for the Nov. 6 election as they have been published so far. It is an incomplete list, and will be amended as we add new endorsements.
Other:
Despite rampant voter enthusiasm, the reality: Many don’t plan to vote in November
Washington Post
Interest in the midterm elections is at a fever pitch in much of the country, with both Democrats and Republicans far more passionate than they’ve been in more than a decade.
‘Who needs more help than single mothers?’
Stockton Record
Over three days, the mothers will hear from motivational speakers, get help on résumés and job-interviewing skills, receive donated workplace clothing, have professionals style their hair and apply their makeup, and receive information about housing, health care and free childcare.
The more equal women and men are, the less they want the same things, study finds
Los Angeles Times
Imagine an egalitarian society that treats women and men with equal respect, where both sexes are afforded the same opportunities, and the economy is strong. What would happen to gender differences in this utopia? Would they dissolve? The answer, according to a new study, is a resounding no.
I fell for Facebook fake news. Here’s why millions of you did, too.
The Washington Post.
The motives for a crazy plane report may be different from posts misdirecting American voters or fueling genocide in Myanmar. Yet some of the questions are the same: What makes fake news effective? Why did I end up seeing it? And what can we do about it?
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Devin Nunes-backed Farm Bill could strain Tulare County food banks
Visalia Times-Delta
The U.S. House of Representatives proposed version of the Farm Bill could put "additional strain" on Tulare County food banks if passed into law, according to FoodLink, the county's largest food pantry.
As Ranchers Face Drought, Trump Administration Cuts Back a Critical Program
Wall Street Journal
Western ranchers are suffering one of the worst droughts in decades, and this week Mr. Elkins is liquidating half his herd of 1,000. He has avoided even deeper losses by offsetting feed costs through a decade-old federal drought-insurance program, which he says has been a “game changer.”
Almond Farms Keep Growing, and Keep Moving on Water Conservation
Water Deeply
California grows 80 percent of the world’s almonds, generating $11 billion annually for the state’s economy. Richard Waycott of the Almond Board of California explains what the industry is doing to use less water and stretch every drop.
Whole Foods issues recall on salads
abc30
CDC officials say a strain of salmonella that's resistant to multiple antibiotics is making people ill in 29 states.
CSUB gets schooled on marijuana policy
Bakersfield Californian
Given the tough marijuana decision voters will face on the November ballot, some in Kern County may need a few pointers about the pros and cons of legalizing cannabis dispensaries throughout the county.
Residents say they support cannabis manufacturing in Stockton
Stockton Record
Attendees of a cannabis policy community meeting focused on manufacturing and delivery favored allowing the former aspect of the marijuana industry in Stockton, but safety concerns were raised about permitting the latter element in town.
Demand for Pot Grow-Ops Is ‘Astronomical’ as Canada Legalizes
Bloomberg
The rush for cannabis is on in Canada and so is finding the real estate to grow it.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
How brutal murders and fear kept a town silent. MS-13 is like no other gang
Fresno Bee
Despite its international reputation for hacking up victims with machetes – sometimes brazenly leaving the bloodied, mangled corpses in the open – the street gang MS-13 slipped into Mendota relatively unnoticed.
First murder suspect set free due to changes in California's felony murder law
abc30
In the courtroom prosecuting attorney William Lacy cited the new state law, SB 1437, in telling the judge Neko Wilson should be set free.
Police search for 291 domestic violence offenders, 18 arrested in Tulare County
Visalia Times-Delta
A crackdown on domestic violence offenders landed more than a dozen people in jail this week as part of a nationwide operation.
A doctor warned California about prisoner care. After an inmate suicide, he got $822,000
Modesto Bee
California has awarded more than $800,000 to a prison psychiatrist who said he was retaliated against after he warned that conditions at San Quentin State Prison would endanger inmates.
California Revisits Three-Strike Life Sentences
Capital Public Radio
Up to 4,000 California inmates serving life sentences for nonviolent convictions could be paroled following the state's decision to let stand a judge's ruling saying those prisoners are eligible for freedom under a voter-approved law.
See Also:
● California will allow up to 4,000 nonviolent third-strike criminals with life sentences to seek parole Los Angeles Times
● APNewsBreak: California revisits three-strike life sentences APNews
Public Safety:
Millions across CA participate in Great California Shakeout Drill
abc30
At 10:18 a.m. on Thursday, schools and businesses practiced how to "drop, cover and hold on" during an earthquake.
See Also:
● West Coast Quake Warning System Now Operational, With Limits Capital Public Radio
● 'Earthquake! Drop. Cover. Hold on': New seismic era begins as quake warnings are readied to ring in California Los Angeles Times
● A simple earthquake flaw can invite financial catastrophe. Most California homeowners ignore it Los Angeles Times
● California Today: What an Earthquake Could Do to the State’s Housing Crisis New York Times
Brookings
Sometimes even the world’s biggest challenges come with their own silver lining of hope. Recent U.N. data show that 5.4 million children under five died last year, mostly of preventable causes related to poverty.
States with legal marijuana see rise in car crashes, studies find
USA Today
Car crashes were up as much as 6 percent in states where the recreational use of marijuana has been legalized, said two studies.
Fire:
President Trump blames California for deadly wildfires, threatens to withhold federal funds
abc30
President Donald Trump again blamed California for the year's dangerous and deadly wildfires and threatened to withhold federal funding from the state.
See Also:
● EDITORIAL: Trump adds heat, not light, on California fires San Francisco Chronicle
Parts of Sequoia National Park will burn to prevent devastating wildfires in 2019
Visalia Times-Delta
If you plan on heading to Sequoia National Park this weekend and happen to see flames or smoke close to the roadway, don't be alarmed. It's more than likely not a wildfire.
How do you build a safer city after California's worst wildfire? Santa Rosa officials say the answer may have to wait
Los Angeles Times
One year after 5,500 Sonoma County homes were lost in California’s most destructive wildfire in recorded history, civil servants are balancing the threat of future disaster with an immediate and dire need for housing
Thinning California’s fire-prone forests: 5 things to know as lawmakers approve a plan
CALmatters
With wildfires smoldering all over California, prevention has risen to the top of lawmakers’ agenda. A key to making forests more fire-resistant is to thin tree stands and thus reduce the fuel that propels the blazes—a reality the Legislature acknowledged late Friday by approving a proposal that includes $200 million for that purpose.
Tracking California’s deadly wildfires
CALmatters
Because there’s no longer a real wildfire season in California, the statistics never stop in their awful aggregation. Virtually everything related to fires is on the rise: acres burned, lives lost, cost to fight the blazes. The state has 78 more annual “fire days” now than it had 50 years ago.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Stocks sink on weak industrial earnings; tech skid resumes
Los Angeles Times
U.S. stocks slumped again Thursday as investors continued to sell shares of technology and internet companies, industrial firms and companies that rely on consumer spending.
New ‘Opportunity Zone’ Tax-Break Rules Offer Flexibility to Developers
Wall Street Journal
The Trump administration on Friday will propose guidelines that will help investors use a new tax incentive that encourages development in low-income areas.
Companies are paying less after the GOP tax cut, and it’s showing in the deficit
PBS
Politicians have long decried the rising federal debt, the total amount the U.S. owes and a number that grows after each year’s budget deficit. But few presidents have actually been able to bring the deficit to heel.
Jobs:
Walmart plans 300-job grocery distribution center in Shafter
Bakersfield Californian
Yet another big retailer sees Kern County as the right place to build a regional distribution center.
Job growth is no cure for a community's poverty, study finds
Los Angeles Times
A healthy dose of job growth has long been seen as a likely cure for poverty. But new research suggests that poor Americans are frequently left behind even when their cities or communities benefit from hiring booms.
Tech industry backs OPT extension for foreign graduates
San Francisco Chronicle
A group that lobbies for tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Apple, has voiced its support for a little-known visa program that helps foreign students in the U.S. join the high-tech workforce and is facing a legal challenge.
New BLS Local Data App Now Available
Bureau of Labor Statistics
BLS has partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Chief Information Officer to develop a new mobile app for iPhones that is now available for free in the App Store! Search “BLS Local Data.”
EDUCATION
K-12:
Thousands of students take part in Time Travelers Education Program at Kearney Park
abc30
Students from across the valley are walked back in time Thursday Morning. Their destination, the 1800's. They took in the sights and the sounds of the Civil War before the 29th Annual Civil War Revisited.
Stockton Unified officials cut the ribbon to new early education center at King Elementary School
Stockton Record
A new set of classrooms, meant to enrich the minds of young children who will become the Class of 2033 and beyond, opened Thursday to much celebration.
Tony Thurmond, Marshall Tuck on California’s public school system
CALmatters
In less than two weeks, Californians decide who will lead public education in the state. Tony Thurmond and Marshall Tuck, both Democrats, are vying to be the next Superintendent of Public Instruction, in a race that has drawn tens of millions of dollars in campaign money and evolved into a proxy battle between organized labor and education reformers.
Tuck: Why CA needs charter schools and how to improve them
CALmatters
I believe non-profit, high-quality public charter schools- especially in areas where there have been few or no high-quality public school alternatives- are a good thing for our children and our public education system.
Higher Ed:
There’s a shortage of bilingual teachers. A new grant at Fresno State aims to change that
Fresno Bee
Fresno State is putting $3.75 million toward programs for Hispanic students who want to become teachers at Valley schools. The goal is to address the teacher shortage, particularly of bilingual teachers.
Stockton students protest high cost of UOP
Stockton Record
About 200 students at University of the Pacific, frustrated by steadily increasing tuition combined with budget cuts, rallied on the campus Thursday afternoon outside a Board of Regents meeting.
Students invited to annual financial aid, college workshop
Stockton Record
Need help understanding the overwhelming landscape of financial aid and college applications? Fear no longer. The San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce invites all students from sixth- through 12th grade and parents to the 16th annual Student Financial Aid and College Awareness workshop.
Fresno Unified Trustees Approve Purchase Of Former Juvenile Hall Site
Business Journal
Within two or three months, the Fresno Unified School District likely will own the former Fresno County Juvenile Hall.
To Boost Southwest Fresno: An Incoming College Campus, But Some Residents Want More
VPR
The state has been charging companies for their carbon emissions since 2012, and last year, it gave some of that money to communities most affected by pollution, including Fresno.
Researcher Sarah Wald To Speak on "Race, Citizenship, and the American Farmworker" In Bakersfield
VPR
This year, thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Bakersfield College has been focusing on how labor and energy have historically intersected with art and literature.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
This is what our winter weather will bring, according to NOAA outlook
Fresno Bee
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 2018-2019 winter outlook and this is what to expect in Northern California and beyond.
See Also:
● Forecasters unveil weather outlook for upcoming winter across US abc30
● NOAA's winter weather outlook won't make California skiers happy SFGate
Environmental groups file suit to block waivers for Texas border wall
Los Angeles Times
A coalition of environmental groups has sued to stop the Trump administration from speeding construction of the first phase of southern border wall construction by waiving dozens of landmark environmental laws meant to protect air and water quality, public lands and wildlife.
State Officials, Valley Air Advocates Warn Against Proposed EPA Rule
VPR
You know how newer cars are rated to drive a certain number of miles per gallon of fuel? That number is regulated by the federal government.
Leaf Blowers Are Loud, Ugly and Dangerous
Wall Street Journal
Fumes, pollution and ruined Sunday mornings make leaf blowers a nuisance. But they’re also dangerous.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fertility rates decreasing as 1st-time moms get older: CDC
abc30
Fertility rates have declined in the U.S. and women are giving birth for the first time later and later, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Will upcoming flu season be as deadly as last year? Clinic Saturday in west Modesto
Modesto Bee
So far, there is no indication the upcoming flu season will be nearly as severe as last year’s epidemic. Stanislaus County health officials are gearing up for a new season that’s expected to peak between December and February.
Alzheimer's walk takes place Saturday
Bakersfield Californian
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s Bakersfield will take place Saturday morning at The Park at RiverWalk. Registration starts at 8 a.m., opening ceremonies begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m.
BuzzFeed News
A fungus that thrives in dry soil and warm weather has caused a record number of infections in California. Experts fear climate change will cause it to spread across the western US.
Human Services:
GOP lawmakers who voted for years to repeal Obamacare now campaign to save popular parts of it
Los Angeles Times
Republican lawmakers and candidates across the country are suddenly telling voters they’ll protect preexisting conditions rules, brushing aside the fact that many voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act dozens of times and that GOP leaders pledge to resume that fight in 2019.
See also:
Pre-existing conditions: Does any GOP proposal match the ACA? PolitiFact
Republican Candidates Play Defense Over Health Care Wall Street Journal
Trump’s Drug Price Bust Wall Street Journal
Frustrated with health insurance costs, some turn to religious plans instead
Los Angeles Times
The Barazza family belongs to a healthcare sharing ministry, a religious nonprofit in which members pay for one another’s healthcare needs.
Kern County Judge Says California Corrections Policy On Pregnant Employee Unlawful
VPR
A Kern County Superior Court Judge issued a temporary injunction Tuesday against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation -- or CDCR-- after a pregnant correctional officer fell on the job and lost her baby.
Fresno County Health Department remains closed after water main break
abc30
A broken water main has led to a sudden reorganization of the Fresno County Public Health Department. The broken water main resulted in an unexpectedly moving day for Health Department employees.
Care4All Campaign Seeks to Address Health Care Costs And Accountability
VPR
Before we look ahead to the midterm elections, we’re taking a quick look back at some health care legislation passed at the end of the legislative session in September.
Prop 4 Could Boost Funding For California Children’s Hospitals
Capital Public Radio
Leaders of California’s 13 regional children’s hospitals say the financial strain of more Medicaid patients and longer treatment times has made it harder to pay for infrastructure upgrades. Now, they're taking the issue to the ballot box.
Blog: Five Common Social Security Questions Answered
Business Journal
There’s no question that Social Security is a cornerstone of retirement income for many Americans. Yet, deciding when to take Social Security benefits is something that many people struggle with.
Almost Half of U.S. Births Happen Outside Marriage, Signaling Cultural Shift
Bloomberg
An increasing number of births happen outside of marriage, signaling cultural and economic shifts that are here to stay, according to a new report from the United Nations.
IMMIGRATION
Trump administration seeks prompt immigration ruling
Sacramento Bee
The Trump administration said it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene if a federal appeals court does not rule soon on the administration's decision to end legal protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants.
Trump rallies base with tweets on migrant caravan, threatens southern neighbors
Sacramento Bee
Steering away from economic issues that resonate with Republican voters, President Donald Trump is seizing on a caravan of migrants that is traveling north through Central America to blame Democrats for the lack of progress on his immigration initiatives three weeks before the midterm elections.
See Also:
● Trump threatens to send troops to the border and cancel trade deal to stop migrant caravan Los Angeles Times
● Trump Aims to Fire Up Republican Voters Over Immigration Wall Street Journal
● Trump threatens drastic action on immigration in bid to energize GOP voters Washington Post
● Trump’s fixation on immigration reflects his belief that the midterms will be a base election Washington Post
Immigrant Children Are Staying Longer in Government Custody
Wall Street Journal
Migrant children who come into the U.S. without family are staying longer in crowded shelters as authorities struggle to handle their growing numbers and to screen potential sponsors, according to government data and advocates.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
New convention center and hotel coming to Oakhurst
abc30
The Madera County board of supervisors agreed to a deal that could bring a new hotel and conference center to Oakhurst. "I think it's a big boom for Eastern Madera Co. for all of Madera County," said Madera County Supervisor Tom Wheeler.
See Also:
● Large tax incentive seals the deal for new hotel, conference center in Oakhurst Sierra Star
Who is Tejon Ranch? A NY-backed firm plots massive communities in California
The Real Deal
Just off the Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles, a vast swath of California named after a dead badger boasts thousands of acres of orchards and vineyards set among rolling hills and land suitable for grazing cattle.
Housing:
Tesoro Viejo to hold grand opening
Madera Tribune
There are things worth celebrating, and the grand opening of the Tesoro Viejo’s Town Center is one of them. On Saturday, Tesoro Viejo will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community festival featuring music, food and family activities.
Landlords offer dozens of rental units for people with greatest need for housing
Bakersfield Californian
Local landlords joined the fight against homelessness this week by pledging to make an additional 47 Kern County rental housing units available to people deemed to be in dire need of somewhere to stay.
People priced out of Salinas look to the ballot
APNews
California politicians can’t ignore the issue as they try to balance people’s needs in a state that’s home to extreme riches and the world’s fifth-largest economy but also places like Salinas, where multiple generations pack single-family homes, people turn backyard sheds into illegal bedrooms and families worry over how to pay their bills.
See Also:
● California Housing Measures Offer Hope For High-cost Salinas Business Journal
Prop 2: At Issue Is Housing For 20,000 Mentally Ill Homeless People in California
Capital Public Radio
The money would come from existing “Millionaire Tax,” which opponents says hurts ongoing mental health programs.
Is rent control the answer to sky-high prices?
San Francisco Chronicle
A rent-controlled apartment in the Bay Area is a coveted find that tenants will hang on to as long as possible. So why is a California ballot measure that would allow cities to expand rent control not just losing here, but trailing by a wider margin than it is statewide?
See also:
Prop 10, which would expand rent control, is 'in deep trouble,' poll show Los Angeles Times
What does economic evidence tell us about the effects of rent control? Brookings
Rising home prices cause false increase in retirees’ cost of living
AEI
This week the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) will be added to benefit checks beginning in January 2019, the biggest increase since 2012.
PUBLIC FINANCES
You could get $6,000 a year under this California senator’s new plan
Modesto Bee
American families making less than $100,000 a year could be eligible for a monthly tax credit of up to $500, or $6,000 a year, under new legislation announced Thursday by Democratic U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California.
See Also:
● Kamala Harris proposes big new middle-class tax break Politico
Whistleblower says California fired him for revealing nepotism at tax agency. Now he’s suing
Sacramento Bee
An ex-Board of Equalization executive is suing the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, alleging he experienced retaliation after cooperating with nepotism and spending audits.
Los Angeles Times
For four decades, the most potent brand in California politics has been Proposition 13, the 1978 ballot measure that limited property tax increases and prompted a nationwide revolt against taxation.
See also:
EDITORIAL: A major change in Prop. 13 heads to the ballot San Francisco Chronicle
California Public Employees Vote Against Pension-Fund Activism
Wall Street Journal
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System this month said no thank you to pension-fund activism. Government workers unseated Priya Mathur, the sitting Calpers president.
TRANSPORTATION
Prop 6 promises to save money at the pump, but what does it do to local road projects?
Fresno Bee
California residents spend more money at the pump than any other state in the continental U.S., and voters will weigh in on whether to continue that trend in the expectation of funding road maintenance.
See also:
● Prop 6: What the Measure Would Mean for California California Budget and Policy Center
● Initiative to repeal gas tax increase is falling short, according to poll of California voters Los Angeles Times
Clovis business becomes part of solution to DMV long wait lines and computer problems
abc30
To help relieve long lines and wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles businesses in California can now apply for a license to provide most DMV Service.
Could self-driving cars leave high-speed rail in the rearview mirror?
Sacramento Bee
In the 10 years since we approved the $33 billion railroad (which was to have been completed by 2022), the world has changed dramatically. Nearly 10 million cars with self-driving features will be on the road in the U.S. by 2020.
Ninth Circuit Requires Individual Arbitration of Uber Drivers' Claims
AALRR
On September 25, 2018, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the claims of potentially hundreds of thousands of Uber drivers for misclassification as independent contractors cannot proceed as a class action.
How Autonomous Vehicles Will Reshape Our World
Wall Street Journal
Nobody, not even transportation experts like me, had an inkling that ride-on-demand services like Uber would change our travel habits so quickly and dramatically. Never in our lifetime have we witnessed such a rapid shift in transportation.
Without high-speed rail, the Central Valley will fall further behind
Fresno Bee
If California fails to move forward with its investment in high-speed rail to link our state’s economic centers, we will not remain economically competitive. And residents of the Central Valley will be further isolated from the rest of the state by geographic, transportation and economic barriers.
WATER
Community leaders celebrate removal of deadly, ugly Dennett Dam in Modesto
Modesto Bee
Community leaders on Thursday gathered along the shore of the Tuolumne River in Modesto, California, to celebrate the removal of Dennett Dam, an eyesore that created blight, damaged the ecosystem and presented a safety hazard for decades.
Water Education Foundation
In 1983, a landmark California Supreme Court ruling extended the public trust doctrine to tributary creeks that feed Mono Lake, which is a navigable water body even though the creeks themselves were not.
Why California Law Requires a Clear Benefit for Groundwater Recharge
Water Deeply
Aquifer recharge by itself isn’t enough to win a water diversion permit in California, says Erik Ekdahl of the State Water Resources Control Board. A more specific benefit is required, and the board is working to ease the process.
“Xtra”
Here’s your first look at the new Pismo Beach Pier
Fresno Bee
The Pismo Beach, California, Pier is finally set to reopen on Saturday, October 20, 2018 as part of the city’s annual Clam Festival. The SLO County landmark has been closed for more than a year due to repairs.
New concept for Fresno — hot pot Asian restaurant to open in familiar River Park space
Fresno Bee
A hot pot Asian restaurant — specializing in dishes where meat, seafood and vegetables are cooked in broth — will be one of two new restaurants moving into retail space formerly occupied by World Sports Cafe in north Fresno’s River Park shopping center.
March aims to celebrate diversity, spread kindness
Bakersfield Californian
There have been many marches held in Bakersfield over the years, ranging from issues such as women’s rights to immigration. On Thursday, hundreds marched for a different reason — to spread kindness.
Take me home! Dogs available for adoption
Bakersfield Californian
These three dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?
Fresno Bee
Over the last few weeks, The Fresno Bee has faciliated a dialogue between Fresno residents living north and south of Shaw Avenue on topics such as public safety, health, education and more.
These Local Offerings Are Now At Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Business Journal
Travelers going through Fresno Yosemite International Airport will get a chance to sample the goods of local businesses through a new partnership
As Mega Millions payout hits $1 billion, here’s your guide to winning the lottery
Modesto Bee
Let’s start with the fun stuff. What should you do if you win the Mega Millions drawing — which has risen in value to $1 billion — Friday night?