September 4, 2019

04Sep

POLICY & POLITICS


North SJ Valley:


Deputy sickout forces closure of SJ courthouses

Stockton Record

San Joaquin County courthouses in Stockton, Manteca and French Camp closed without notice Tuesday morning after deputy sheriffs who work on a part-time, per-diem basis called in sick.


Bill to allow homeless students to park on college campuses overnight dead for this year

San Jose Mercury News

A bill that would have required community colleges across the state to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars in campus parking lots overnight appears dead for the year.


Central SJ Valley:


Terance Frazier filed a claim for damages against Fresno. Then the council gave him $700K

Fresno Bee

Weeks before the Fresno City Council gave nearly $700,000 to a company co-owned by Terance Frazier, the developer filed a claim for damages for the way the city handled an audit of a separate project.


What GOP Rep. Devin Nunes' Twitter defamation lawsuit says about the future of defamation law

NBC

Nunes’ suit is more than a tad petty, which his lawyers may actually realize. But the suit raises larger questions about the liability of social media corporations and the conduct of their users that will reach far beyond Nunes and his Twitter trolls.


South SJ Valley:


Valadao makes it even more official: He'll try to reclaim his seat in Congress

Bakersfield Californian

David Valadao, defeated in an excruciatingly close contest last November, officially announced Aug. 28 his intent to reclaim California's 21st Congressional District from Democrat TJ Cox.


Lawmakers plan to convene hearing on Chevron oil releases in western Kern

Bakersfield Californian

State lawmakers will soon take up discussion of the large, uncontrolled oil releases that have recently drawn attention to Chevron Corp. operations in the Cymric Oil Field in western Kern County, legislative officials said Tuesday.


State:


It’s no longer a crime to refuse to help a cop after Gavin Newsom signed this law

Fresno Bee

A legal vestige from California’s Wild West days is no more. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill striking down a law that makes it a crime to refuse a police officer’s request for help.


California Assembly advances crackdown on vaccine exemptions for students

Los Angeles Times

The California Assembly approved a controversial bill Tuesday to tighten the state’s school immunization law, putting the measure one step closer to reaching Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

See also:


California’s AB5 gig-work bill gets key backing from Gov. Gavin Newsom

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom jumped directly into one of California’s hardest-fought legislative battles of the year, calling on lawmakers to pass a gig-work bill that would reclassify independent contractors as company employees covered by labor laws.

See also:


California Democrat halts fundraising amid scrutiny into donations from industry he regulates

Fresno Bee

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is halting fundraising while his staff reviews how he vets contributions from the industry he regulates, according to a letter he sent to consumer advocates on Tuesday. 

See also:


Alas, Paper Receipt Ban, We Hardly Knew Ye: 2019 Bills Get Winnowed Some More

Capital Public Radio

Tax credits for renters. Consumer protection for student borrowers. More homeless shelters that allow pets. Those were some of the hundreds of ideas that California lawmakers killed Friday, as they winnowed a huge stack of bills in preparation for the Legislature’s final two-week sprint before the session ends on Sept. 13.


Court of Appeal rules many websites must be coded for the blind

San Francisco Chronicle

Restaurants, hotels and other businesses that serve the public in California must make their websites accessible to the blind, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.


Legislation delivers serious threat to California newspapers

San Francisco Chronicle

This could be one of the last newspapers you get delivered to your home. That may sound incredible, but a bill working its way through the Legislature could, if passed, end home delivery of some newspapers in California.

See also:


State bill could allow school boards to decide whether parents can administer medical cannabis on school grounds

Bakersfield Californian

Senate Bill 223 would authorize a school board to decide whether to allow a parent or guardian to administer medical cannabis to a student on kindergarten-through-12th grade campuses.


California adopted the country’s first major consumer privacy law. Now, Silicon Valley is trying to rewrite it.

Washington Post

For the past two months, residents here in California’s capital have been inundated by mysterious ads on Facebook and Twitter, warning that the government is about to destroy the Internet as they know it.


Federal:


Trump administration raids military construction projects for border wall

Politico

The Trump administration is carrying out plans to raid $3.6 billion in military construction projects to build the border wall, further inflaming lawmakers who have accused President Donald Trump of illegally overriding Congress’ spending decisions.

See also:


Fact-checking whether FEMA funds were shifted to indefinite detention at the border

PolitiFact

Most of the FEMA money being reprogrammed to the border — $155 million — would come from the disaster relief fund base budget, which is spent on recovering from natural disasters.


Elections 2020:


Bernie Sanders leads presidential campaigns staffing up in California

Fresno Bee

The leading Democratic presidential campaigns are picking up their organizing in California as the race enters the fall. But most of the field is playing catch-up to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has the largest staff on the ground.


Democrats propose spending trillions to fight climate change

Modesto Bee

Democratic presidential candidates are releasing their plans to address climate change ahead of a series of town halls on the issue as the party's base increasingly demands aggressive action.

See also:


In 2020, Millions Will Cast Ballots Using Insecure Machines, Experts Say

NPR

Governments contract with private companies to provide voting equipment and other services and there are no laws requiring any sort of breach disclosure or third party security auditing. Even the governments themselves are usually barred from hiring a security firm to investigate the machines they serve to voters.

See also:


Black voters to 2020 Democrats: Don’t take us for granted

Los Angeles Times

African Americans — working moms, LGBTQ people, workers in the gig economy — expressed deep passion about voting in 2020. But Democrats can’t take them for granted.

See also:


It's now Biden, Warren, Sanders — and everyone else

Politico

The bottom is falling out of the Democratic presidential primary. And the top tier — no longer five candidates, but three — is becoming more insurmountable.

See also:


In California, a buzzy campaign idea gets a test run

Los Angeles Times

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang wants to give cash to every American each month.


Meltdown On Main Street: Inside The Breakdown Of The GOP's Moderate Wing

NPR

Three weeks after Democrats took control of the U.S. House in the 2018 midterm elections, about 40 reelected and recently defeated lawmakers in the centrist Republican Main Street Caucus gathered at the Capitol Hill Club to sift through the electoral wreckage.


Tom Steyer didn’t make the cut for CNN climate debate, so he held his own

San Francisco Chronicle

Presidential candidate Tom Steyer didn’t have enough poll support to be one of the 10 Democrats invited to Wednesday’s climate forum on CNN, so the billionaire former San Francisco hedge fund manager held his own Tuesday in Oakland.


Capitol Weekly Podcast: Let’s talk about ‘electability’

Capitol Weekly

Political data maven Paul Mitchell joins the Capitol Weekly Podcast’s John Howard and Tim Foster to talk about the latest buzzword in the 2020 election lexicon — electability. Electability is that indefinable something that every candidate wants but few have. It’s hard to nail down, but you know it when you see it.


Fox: 2020 Election Fireworks will be provided by Ballot Propositions

Fox & Hounds

Ballot questions, not candidate races, are destined to dominate voters’ interest in California’s November 2020 elections. Candidate races are very predictable at this time in the state. Democrats have a huge registered voter advantage and are likely to sweep away any challenges to their current dominance, while the presidential preference race in the Golden State is over before it starts. 


Here’s What’s Sure to Happen in 2020

Wall Street Journal

There are some propositions we can advance with reasonable confidence. Turnout will be very high. The 2018 election featured the highest midterm turnout since 1914, the first time U.S. senators were popularly elected.


Other:


Pence aide defends stay at Trump property in Ireland

Los Angeles Times

A top aide to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is defending Pence’s decision to stay at one of President Trump’s properties while in Ireland amid criticism by Democrats that he is enriching Trump at taxpayers’ expense.


Why 5G requires new approaches to cybersecurity

Brookings

“The race to 5G is on and America must win,” President Donald Trump said in April. For political purposes, that “race” has been defined as which nation gets 5G built first. It is the wrong measurement.

See also:


U.S. public continues to favor legal abortion, oppose overturning Roe v. Wade

PEW Research Center

A majority of Americans continue to say that abortion​​ should be legal​​ in all or most cases, and seven-in-ten say they do not want to see Roe v. Wade completely overturned. 


MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING


Sunday, September 8, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 –​​ Maddy Report:​​ “Fed Courts with Judge O’Neill”​​ – Guests: Lawrence O'Neil, Chief U.S. District Judge; McGregor Scott, U.S. Attorney General for the Eastern District;  Daniel Jamison, Dowling Aaron; and Richard Watters, Miles, Sears & Eanni. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.


Sunday, September 8, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –​​ Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition:​​ “More Issues, Fewer Federal Judges: What Will it Mean for the Valley?”​​ – Guests: Lawrence O'Neil, Chief U.S. District Judge; McGregor Scott, U.S. Attorney General for the Eastern District;  Daniel Jamison, Dowling Aaron; Richard Watters, Miles, Sears & Eanni; and California's Former Legislative Analyst, Mac Taylor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.


Sunday, September 8, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) –​​ El Informe Maddy:​​ “California Supreme Court: Special Taxes Are Special”​​ – Invitados: Liam Dillon with Los Angeles Times, Jesse Rojas with Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and Alexei Koseff with Sacramento Bee. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.


AGRICULTURE/FOOD


Recreational marijuana could be available in Fresno at same time as medical. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

It’s beginning to look like medical marijuana and recreational pot will be legally available in Fresno at the same time. The City Council had put a year between making medical dispensaries available in January 2019 and recreational sales legal in January 2020.


Fresno Rescue Mission asking for canned goods as supplies run low

abc30

Every day the Fresno Rescue Mission serves up 736 meals and not just to the homeless. More Valley families are struggling and have been relying on the three daily meals.


Could teff, an ancient African grain, find a foothold in a warming California?

Los Angeles Times

An ivory to brown seed from a type of bunch grass, teff accounts for nearly 70% of the local diet in Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea.  Plant scientists are beginning to study the grass as a serious alternative crop.


Trump has angered the wrong people: Farmers

Washington Post

We have gotten so used to the formulaic story — interview member of President Trump’s base, find he still loves Trump, conclude Trump is invincible — that we wind up surprised when the logical and predictable laws of political gravity hit. This is certainly true of farmers.

See also:


CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY


Crime:


California to pay $1.9 million to settle lawsuit tied to prison ice-pick slaying

Sacramento Bee

The state of California has agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle a federal wrongful death lawsuit that alleges prison officials left Rodrick Roma Castro unguarded in an unlocked cell despite knowing that he was surrounded by associates of his former cellmate.


Gang crimes jump in San Diego 

Los Angeles Times

After a year of declines, gang-related crime in San Diego has jumped in recent months, with the city logging twice as many homicides as the same time last year and 20% more gang-related crimes overall.


Why California Must Continue Advancing Criminal Justice Reforms

California Budget & Policy Center

When it comes to how state and local policymakers seek to support communities, boost the economy, and promote overall well-being, the ability to make choices about budget priorities is one of the most powerful tools they have. As is often said, public budgets are ultimately a statement of what matters to us and the kind of state we want to live in.


What America's Users Spend on Illegal Drugs, 2006–2016

RAND

Substance use and drug policy are clearly in the national spotlight. Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that drug overdose deaths in 2018 exceeded 68,000, of which more than 47,000 involved opioids. 

See also:


Public Safety:


It’s no longer a crime to refuse to help a cop after Gavin Newsom signed this law

Fresno Bee

A legal vestige from California’s Wild West days is no more. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill striking down a law that makes it a crime to refuse a police officer’s request for help.


Trump must back gun legislation before Senate will vote: McConnell

abc30

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that the Senate stands ready to vote on gun legislation but only if President Donald Trump backs it.

See also:


Walmart to stop selling handgun ammunition: Small risk, big statement

Los Angeles TImes

Walmart Inc. will phase out sales of ammunition for handguns and short-barrel rifles, eliminating a small chunk of its sales to make a big political statement. The decision, announced Tuesday, also shows the growing power of shoppers who want companies’ social and political stances to align with their own. 

See also:


No Need to Wait for Congress to Address Mass Shootings

RAND

After three mass shootings in the span of a week left 53 wounded and 34 dead, pressure is mounting on Congress to respond with legislation to restrict access to guns and ammunition. There are steps that can be taken immediately—ones unlikely to be controversial—that evidence suggests could help prevent attacks.


EDITORIAL: What should we do about sheriffs’ deputies with histories of misconduct? 

Los Angeles Times

The California Supreme Court last week rejected former​​ Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell’s attempt to send the district attorney a list of 300 deputies​​ with histories of dishonesty or other misconduct that prosecutors, once they know about it, may have to disclose to criminal defendants to protect their constitutional right to a fair trial.


Fire: 


Wildfire reported in Mariposa county

Fresno Bee

A wildfire was reported Tuesday in rural Mariposa County. Few details were immediately available. The Sheriff's Office said there were no mandatory evacuations in effect as of Tuesday afternoon.


Creek Fire destroys 756 acres in Tulare County

Visalia Times Delta

Hundreds of acres of wildland in eastern Tulare County were destroyed by flames over Labor Day weekend. The Creek Fire sits at 756 acres and is 85% contained, according to Cal Fire officials. Full containment is expected as early as Wednesday. 


Hedge funds fight over wreckage of PG&E. How much will California wildfire victims get paid?

Fresno Bee

Dueling packs of Wall Street hedge funds are waging a down-to-the-wire battle for control of PG&E Corp. But it’s wildfire victims from places like Paradise and Santa Rosa who could tip the balance.


Acreage destroyed by wildfires down across the state, fire officials say

abc30

A wet 2019 has helped to delay the peak fire season. When compared to a year ago, acreage destroyed by wildfires is down across the state.


ECONOMY / JOBS


Economy:


Trump is killing U.S. manufacturing

Los Angeles Times

U.S. manufacturers must be asking themselves just now: If President Trump is our friend, what would an enemy look like?


U.S. stocks slump after more China tariffs kick in

Los Angeles Times

Technology companies drove a broad slide in U.S. stocks Tuesday as disappointing economic data and the latest escalation in the U.S.-China trade war put investors in a selling mood.


2019 California Economic Summit Registration Open

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.


Is the Phillips Curve Still a Useful Guide for Policymakers? 

National Bureau of Economic Research

The Phillips curve, named for the New Zealand economist A.W. Phillips, who reported in the late 1950s that wages rose more rapidly when the unemployment rate was low, posits a trade-off between inflation and unemployment.


The Working Poor in California

Public Policy Institute of California

Employment—even full-time employment—does not eliminate poverty.


Historic Asset Boom Passes by Half of Families

Wall Street Journal

Scant wealth leaves families vulnerable if recession hits, economists say.


Jobs:


$3.8 billion state worker contract has special raises for three dozen job classifications

Fresno Bee

The contract deal Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration recently struck with the state’s largest union will cost the state about $3.8 billion, according to a cost summary CalHR posted to its website Friday.


California’s AB5 gig-work bill gets key backing from Gov. Gavin Newsom

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom jumped directly into one of California’s hardest-fought legislative battles of the year, calling on lawmakers to pass a gig-work bill that would reclassify independent contractors as company employees covered by labor laws.

See also:


California raises the caution flag on ‘green jobs’

Politico

California’s mixed record of using public investments and environmental mandates to create “green jobs” raises serious questions about the promises of some Democratic presidential candidates to use economy-transforming investments in environmentally friendly technologies to put millions of people to work.


California’s Workers Are Increasingly Locked Out of the State’s Prosperity

California Budget & Policy Center

It’s hard work to be able to afford to live, raise a family, and eventually retire in California. While the plight of these workers has never been easy, research shows that wages and benefits have significantly eroded for many Californians in recent decades. 


Unemployment Uptick May Signal State Recessions

Pew Trusts

National recession fears have intensified this month amid growing concerns about the U.S.-China trade war and the appearance of a normally reliable recession warning in the bond market that sent stocks tumbling.


On the Job, 24 Hours a Day, 27 Days a Month

New York Times

A home health aide for a 77-year-old man serves as social worker, diaper changer, dietitian, day planner, warden and more — all at dismal wages.


No Seat at the Table: Steven Greenhouse on Labor's Silenced Voice

Capital & Main

Author Steven Greenhouse is convinced that too few Americans fully understand what, he says, “unions have accomplished for tens of millions of workers in the United States.”


EDUCATION


K-12:


Why California is close to banning schools from suspending disruptive kids

Fresno Bee

California schools are suspending fewer students for unruly behavior, and advocates are hoping to bring that number down even lower with a proposed law now on the governor’s desk.


New Selma High School football stadium set for November completion

abc30

The end zone may finally be in sight for the completion of Selma High School's much-anticipated football stadium.


State bill could allow school boards to decide whether parents can administer medical cannabis on school grounds

Bakersfield Californian

Senate Bill 223 would authorize a school board to decide whether to allow a parent or guardian to administer medical cannabis to a student on kindergarten-through-12th grade campuses.


KHSD reveals top 8 names for new high school

Bakersfield Californian

Kern High School District's newest southeast Bakersfield high school will soon have a name attached to it after the top eight entries were revealed to the Board of Trustees Tuesday. 


Schools Pushed for Tech in Every Classroom. Now Parents Are Pushing Back.

Wall Street Journal

Researchers at Rand Corp. and elsewhere say there is no clear evidence showing which new tech-related education offerings or approaches work in schools. Across the country, parents are demanding proof technology works as an educational tool, and insisting on limits.

See also:


Gov. Newsom, legislative leaders agree on certification for all charter school teachers 

EdSource

As a result of an agreement reached last week between Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders, California charter school teachers will have to get the same background checks and the same credentials, certificates or permits as teachers in regular public schools.


Higher Ed:


Fresno Pacific University celebrates 75th anniversary

abc30

In 75 years, Fresno Pacific boasts 24,000 alumni and has five growing schools for business, education, humanities, natural sciences, and biblical seminary.


UC Merced fighting Central Valley teacher shortage with new credential program

abc30

A recently-launched program at UC Merced is training more teachers in the North Valley as Central California continues to deal with a teacher shortage.


CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny shares hopes for new academic year

Bakersfield Californian

There are plenty of new additions coming this school year to keep things fresh for students, especially since the university will be celebrating its 50th birthday.


Many UC Berkeley buildings pose deadly risk in a major earthquake, report says

Los Angeles Times

Dozens of buildings at UCLA and UC Berkeley pose a serious risk to life in a strong earthquake, with at least 68 seismically deficient structures at UC Berkeley and 18 at UCLA, according to new university studies.


Integrating California’s Education Data

PPIC

PPIC’s California Education Data Collaborative is working to inform state efforts to establish a cradle-to-career data system.


Trump administration sets higher hurdles for defrauded students to erase debt

Washington Post

Students who say they were defrauded by colleges and want their education loans erased will have a tougher time seeking forgiveness under newly issued regulations from the Trump administration.


The students are all right

Washington Examiner

Incoming students are interested in a multiplicity of ideas and experiences and take pride in their ability to absorb, confront, engage, and react to these varied views. Students are not particularly liberal in general, and they are myopic in terms of how they want to engage with ideas and each other. They want to empathize and understand.


Report: Judging Colleges by How Much Recent Graduates Earn Is a Misleading Metric

EdSurge News

When consumers search the U.S. Department of Education’s​​ College Scorecard, the results that come back are ranked by the average salary students make after attending. That’s just one example of the growing use and prominence of early-career earnings data in evaluating colleges.


Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY


Environment:


Hurricane Juliette to roil Southern California coastline as Dorian hammers eastern US

Fresno Bee

As the eastern United States readies for Hurricane Dorian, West Coast forecasters are keeping an eye on a​​ Category 3 storm​​ churning off Baja California, the National Weather Service says.


Sacramento had its 3rd-hottest meteorological summer in 140 years. Will it finally cool off?

Sacramento Bee

The calendar has flipped to September, but Sacramento is still experiencing August heat. Following a Labor Day high of 98 degrees, the latest National Weather Service forecasts show a slight cool-down on the way.


Parks make great places, but not enough Americans can reach them

Brookings

Park access should be a driver of more livable and equitable communities across the country, supporting common spaces for recreation, interaction, and trust.


EDITORIAL: A Scientific Roundup

Wall Street Journal

Perhaps you’ve read that science should rule when determining environmental standards. So why aren’t progressives cheering an Environmental Protection Agency order declaring that the chemical glyphosate doesn’t cause cancer?


Energy:


PG&E tells judge it’s improving tree trimming around power lines

San Francisco Chronicle

PG&E said in court papers that it has instituted new training for vegetation-management contractors and requires power line inspectors to take a “competency test.”


Lawmakers plan to convene hearing on Chevron oil releases in western Kern

Bakersfield Californian

State lawmakers will soon take up discussion of the large, uncontrolled oil releases that have recently drawn attention to Chevron Corp. operations in the Cymric Oil Field in western Kern County, legislative officials said Tuesday.


EDITORIAL: Explaining the Methane Rule Panic

Wall Street Journal

When Big Oil agrees with the green lobby, inspect the details.


HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES


Health:


Soda may increase risk of death by digestive, cardiovascular disease

abc30

A study shows drinking a lot of soft can increase your risk of dying from digestive disorders or cardiovascular disease.


Packing school lunch? Here's the worst choices for kids' teeth

abc30

The kids are going back to school, and that means it's time to start packing their lunch once more. Most parents only think of the nutrition.


Former Bakersfield refinery workers or their heirs may be eligible for payments

Bakersfield Californian

Decades can pass before cancer from asbestos exposure becomes evident, and by that time, who's to say exactly who or what is to blame?


California Assembly advances crackdown on vaccine exemptions for students

Los Angeles Times

The California Assembly approved a controversial bill Tuesday to tighten the state’s school immunization law, putting the measure one step closer to reaching Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

See also:


Cutting Medical Costs Can Be a Bargain

Wall Street Journal

Much of the medical progress in the past half-century has involved expensive, high-tech diagnostic tests and therapies. But it would be a mistake to gainsay the value of inexpensive, low-tech innovations.


Surgeon General: Marijuana Use During Adolescence And Pregnancy Is Risky : Shots

NPR

At a time when more than 30 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for either medical or recreational use, the U.S. surgeon general says no amount of the drug is safe for teens, young adults and pregnant women.


Success of Red Flag Laws Might Depend on Mental Health Teams

Pew Trusts

Nationwide, only a handful of organizations have enough trained mental health, law enforcement and security experts on staff to seek information from friends, neighbors, co-workers and family on potential shooters, and act on those tips.


Duped In The Deli Aisle? 'No Nitrates Added' Labels Are Often Misleading

NPR

A new report finds that deli meats with those labels actually contain similar levels of nitrates as meats that don't carry these labels.


Human Services:


Fresno facility that helped treat people with addiction issues closing its doors

abc30

Employees said the facility faced financial problems in the past and sometimes would reduce staff but the closure came as a sad surprise.


Sierra View to construct $26.5 million nursing care facility

Porterville Recorder

In a statement issued by the hospital on Tuesday, the Sierra View District which manages the hospital has decided to replace the existing 35-bed distinct part skilled nursing facility now located within the Sierra View Medical Center.


California at odds over whether to make insurers cover infertility treatments

CALmatters

Lawmakers aren't requiring health insurers to more broadly cover infertility treatment. But an advancing bill would compel insurers to cover fertility preservation for cancer patients if treatment endangers their ability to have children.

See also:


Bakersfield Heart Hospital first in Central California to offer new breathing procedure 

KGET

The FDA has approved a new device to help patients with severe COPD-emphysema breathe easier without undergoing major surgery and Bakersfield Heart Hospital is the first in Central California to offer it.


New Trump Rule on Medical Interpreters Could Leave Immigrants Behind

Pew Trusts

To the doctor, the incident points to the need for professional medical translation services for patients with limited English proficiency, which is guaranteed in federal law but often ignored, immigrant advocates say.


Democrats Need Litmus Tests on Health Care

The Nation

But that doesn’t necessarily mean Medicare for All.


IMMIGRATION


Trump Administration Diverts $3.6 Billion From Military Projects To Border Wall

Capital Public Radio

Defense Secretary Mark Esper began notifying lawmakers which projects will be canceled in their districts. "It is a slap in the face to the members of the Armed Forces," Sen. Chuck Schumer said.

See also:


Trump administration’s ‘public charge’ rule has chilling effect on benefits for immigrants’ children 

Los Angeles Times

Convincing parents they don’t have to opt out of benefits for their children has felt like a monumental task at a time when family separations, the threat of raids and President Trump’s harsh rhetoric toward immigrants have created a deep sense of fear.


LAND USE/HOUSING


Land Use:


No eviction at Carnegie Museum

Hanford Sentinel

The Carnegie Museum board was informed after an inspection Tuesday morning that the City will not go ahead with eviction proceedings.


Oakdale Kmart store closing; last location for the chain in Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

The Kmart in Oakdale, the last location for the once formidable national retailer in Stanislaus County, will close by the end of the year. 


Sierra Club: City ignoring core to spend Measure N money on outlying sports complexes

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern-Kaweah chapter of the Sierra Club is objecting to the city’s plan to spend millions of dollars in Measure N tax funds on two sports complexes at the edge of town, while the urban core remained relatively untouched by new funding, in a letter sent to city officials late last month.


Sacramento, California’s booming downtown may double in size with Railyards project

Curbed

It’s roughly eight times larger than New York’s Hudson Yards, this year’s big-ticket megadevelopment. 


Housing:


(Tiny) Home Sweet Home: Several options for use of small house

Porterville Recorder

The tiny home trend has been on the rise, and this home could be a perfect fit as a potential solution to affordable housing.


Bill to allow homeless students to park on college campuses overnight dead for this year

San Jose Mercury News

A bill that would have required community colleges across the state to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars in campus parking lots overnight appears dead for the year.


11th-hour deal paves way for bill to end rent gouging in state

San Francisco Chronicle

Californians would be protected against massive rent increases and unfair evictions under an agreement announced Friday evening by Gov. Gavin Newsom.


Sacramento, California’s booming downtown may double in size with Railyards project

Curbed

“The fact that major stakeholders are investing hundreds of millions in the Railyards tells the story,” says Steinberg. “People in and outside Sacramento are bullish on the city. This is a vital market sign.”


Climate Change Is Making the Affordable Housing Crunch Worse

Pew Trusts

Affordable housing, particularly in coastal areas, is built in areas that are vulnerable to sea level rise and where there isn’t enough infrastructure in place to protect buildings from flooding, he said.


Commentary: California can’t solve homelessness without more housing. SB 5 will be key

Public CEO

Millions of lower-income and middle-class families are struggling to afford a roof over their heads and are just one paycheck or one emergency away from being out of a home. Homelessness and housing affordability are complex problems that will not be solved easily, quickly or with a silver bullet.

See also:


EDITORIAL: California’s struggle to contain the housing crisis

San Francisco Chronicle

The bills still under consideration in Sacramento could stem some of its worst effects but fall short of addressing its causes.


PUBLIC FINANCES


Trump and the waning power of tax cuts in Republican party mobilization

Brookings

In recent days, the administration’s economic policy declarations have had the substance of a nativist MadLibs and the erraticism of a Plinko game. But wherever the chip lands on tax cuts, it is unlikely to aid Republican electoral chances.


Freshman Democrats to chairs: Follow PAYGO, get CBO scores before markups

Roll Call

Ten moderate Democratic freshmen are sending a letter Wednesday to House committee chairs asking that their panels better adhere to the chamber’s rule for offsetting legislation that would add to the deficit. 


TRANSPORTATION


Alaska Airlines offering cheap flights to San Diego, Portland, Seattle from Fresno

abc30

Alaska Airlines is offering low fare deals for travelers flying from Fresno Yosemite International Airport to three cities on the west coast. 


Clovis Transit Free Rides Extended Through October

Clovis RoundUp

For customers using both Stageline and Round Up services, free rides have been extended.


Bringing clean transportation service to Huron, California

UpLift

A regional transit system is available, but it also serves surrounding rural communities on top of Huron. With all the stops the bus needs to make, the 53-mile drive from Huron to Fresno can take up to three hours.


The California auto mileage deal and the leftist crusade against personal transportation

AEI

The deal between California and auto producers is a manifestation of both the quest for more power on the part of politicians and bureaucrats and the unwillingness of businessmen to resist the de facto expropriation of their shareholders’ property.


Oakland, San Francisco rank 2nd, 4th worst cities in the U.S. to drive

Mercury News

When it comes to the cost of driving, the risks associated with the sheer mind-numbing grind of never-ending, bumper-to-bumper traffic, drivers in Oakland and San Francisco have it especially bad.


WATER


A California Dream: Less Plastic in the Ocean

PPIC

The Golden State’s love of beaches is legendary, and as it happens it’s a legend backed by data. The latest​​ PPIC environment survey​​ found that three in four Californians (77%) say the​​ condition of the ocean and beaches is very important to the state’s future economy and quality of life.


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Annual ClovisFest and Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly is back this October

Clovis RoundUp

The best event Clovis has to offer is coming back this October.


Festive and flourishing: Stockton’s 51st Black Family Day gets community engaged, healthy

Stockton Record

Monday was the culmination of three days of Black Family Day activities spread throughout the city under the theme “Celebrating Our Women.” The first event Saturday was a softball tournament at Louis Park, followed by Saturday’s open forum at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium focusing on “Sisterhood, Healing and Forgiveness in the Stockton Community.”


Veterans, first responders, gold star families meet in Hanford

Hanford Sentinel

Members of multiple regional veterans groups, local first responders and gold star families met on the steps of the Civic Auditorium Saturday morning.


Guzzle n’ Groove Uncorks Sunday at Miller’s Landing

Sierra News

The popular event offers an opportunity to relax lakeside and enjoy an evening of wining, dining and dancing, with proceeds benefiting a great cause — the Chawanakee Educational Foundation and the North Fork School Performing Arts Program.


Festive and flourishing: Stockton’s 51st Black Family Day gets community engaged, healthy

Stockton Record

Monday was the culmination of three days of Black Family Day activities spread throughout the city under the theme “Celebrating Our Women.”


Village Barber Shop offering place to drop off worn flags

Stockton Record

Anyone with a worn or tattered American flag has a new place where it can be dropped off and later properly disposed of. Village Barber Shop in north Lincoln Center recently mounted a flag box near its entrance.


Get healthy the fun way at PC

Porterville Recorder

Getting healthy in a way that’s easy and fun is now available at Porterville College this fall semester. 


Vintage Yosemite: Breathtaking Photos of a National Treasure from 1962

Time Magazine

On June 30, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act, establishing Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove as America's "first protected wild land for all time," while also creating the very first California state park.


A hundred years later, a trailblazer gets her due

California Bar Journal

Babcock’s new book,​​ Woman Lawyer: The Trials of Clara Foltz​​ tells the unlikely story of a young girl who elopes at age 15, then goes on to become a lawyer, suffragist, newspaper editor, influential thinker and popular orator who once captivated audiences nationwide.


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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials​​ HERE.


The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute​​ at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’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 at California State University, Fresno 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.​​ 



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