POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Modesto Bee
Lighted road signs in Spanish are part of the outreach to Latino community, which has higher rates of COVID-19 than its percentage of Stanislaus County’s population.
Modesto pastor’s mayor campaign videos show no COVID-19 safety. Here’s his response
Modesto Bee
Co-Senior Pastor Rick Countryman with Big Valley Grace Community Church has been conducting Facebook Live video interviews on Wednesdays since April 8 as part of his campaign to be Modesto’s next mayor in November’s election.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno County passes 15,000 cases. Clovis workers ordered to return
Fresno Bee
Fresno County’s latest addition of 365 positive results, which follows a multi-day increase, brings the total number of cases to 15,448, according to figures from the California Department of Public Health.
Rural schools, nonprofits in Fresno region can get piece of Wonderful’s $1M grant. Here’s how
Fresno Bee
A huge agricultural company based in the central San Joaquin Valley is offering grants to schools and nonprofits in rural communities in Fresno or other counties. The Wonderful Co. established a $1 million relief fund for nonprofit organizations and schools hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and that support Wasco, Delano, Shafter, Firebaugh, Avenal, Sanger, Mendota or Del Rey.
See Also:
- Non-profit helps Central Valley businesses find relief funding during COVID-19 abc30
- Wonderful Co. unveils $1 million pandemic relief fund Bakersfield Californian
Urgent help arrives in Central Valley with state strike force, $52 million
abc30
The Central Valley is now the focus for a coronavirus crackdown coming from the governor’s office state. A state strike force arrived in Fresno County Monday.
See also:
South SJ Valley:
The Wonderful Company pledges $1 million to help Central Valley school districts, non-profits
abc30
The Wonderful Company is pledging to help Central Valley school districts and non-profit organizations stay afloat during the pandemic.
See also:
- Wonderful Co. unveils $1 million pandemic relief fund Bakersfield Californian
- Wonderfulcommunitygrants.com
Grand Jury finds many problems in California City’s purchasing practices
Bakersfield Californian
Members of the California City City Council have continued interfering in the daily operations of the city in violation of a local ordinance, according to a Kern County Grand Jury report released Monday afternoon. The practice has fostered a culture of animosity and mistrust between the council and department employees, the Grand Jury said, as well as a lack of trust between city residents and the departments themselves.
State:
California passes 500,000 cases; 97% of residents on watchlist
Sacramento Bee
California officially surpassed 500,000 total lab-confirmed coronavirus infections and set a new daily high for reported COVID-19 deaths over the weekend, while Sacramento County reached the 10,000-case mark.
See Also:
- California has the most coronavirus cases of any state, but there are signs of hope, Newsom says Los Angeles Times
- California sees signs of optimism in controlling coronavirus surge San Francisco Chronicle
- Governor says California getting a grip on virus KBAK
- California’s COVID-19 positive test rate declines. Did closing bars and malls work? Sacramento Bee
- California’s coronavirus cases are finally dropping. How do we stop another surge? AP
- Newsom Continues to Focus COVID-19 Response on Central Valley KQED
- Newsom guardedly optimistic CALmatters
California may ban African trophies. Africans say that’s bad news for animals
Sacramento Bee
A bill making its way through the California legislature would ban the possession of trophies from animals killed in Africa. But some African conservation organizations and governments say the ban and others like it would actually harm wildlife.
See Also:
- California may ban African hunting trophies. How Black Lives Matter has altered the debate Sacramento Bee
Do CA Democrats have time to pass laws after COVID outbreak?
Fresno Bee
A common maxim in the California Legislature holds that lawmakers shouldn’t fall in love with their bills.
See also:
California lawmakers were globetrotters before pandemic
AP
Being a California legislator brings the perks of traveling the world, thanks often to the largess of groups that critics say are usually looking to sway lawmakers to their causes. The cost of the trips must be recorded by lawmakers on financial disclosure forms as “gifts,” but they are not required to specify many details about the trips’ purposes.
California Supreme Court says no go to referendum challenges to certain state laws
San Francisco Chronicle
Once a local water board approves a rate increase, voters cannot prevent it from taking effect by circulating a referendum, though they can seek to reduce it later, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.
Federal:
Conservative revolt over stimulus deal puts pressure on vulnerable GOP senators
Modesto Bee
Conservative senators are resisting efforts from the White House and Senate Republican leadership to fashion a broad economic stimulus deal with Democrats that would provide more money for testing, schools and the unemployed.
Prosecutor seeking Trump’s taxes cites probe of his business
Los Angeles Times
A Manhattan prosecutor trying to get President Trump’s tax returns told a judge Monday that he was justified in demanding them, citing public reports of “extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization.” Trump’s lawyers last month said the grand jury subpoena for the tax returns was issued in bad faith and amounted to harassment of the president.
Census Bureau To End All Counting Efforts On Sept. 30
NPR
The U.S. Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously announced, the bureau’s director confirmed Monday in a statement. That includes critical door-knocking efforts and collecting responses online, over the phone and by mail.
See also:
- Census will rush to complete its count by Sept. 30, a month earlier than planned Los Angeles Times
- Census cuts all counting efforts short by a month NPR
Why Senate Republicans and the White House can’t agree on badly-needed COVID aid
Brookings
Amid growing pressure to hash out a deal, Senate Republicans have still not solidified their positions on various aspects of the next COVID-19 aid package. Molly Reynolds explains the motivations of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Trump administration, and congressional Republicans during a time in which Americans badly need financial relief.
Column: As COVID-19 pandemic tightens grip on U.S., Trump ratchets up the cruelty
Los Angeles Times
Let’s dispense with the myth that the Trump administration has no strategy related to the coronavirus pandemic. In his statements and the actions of federal agencies under his control, as well as the positions held by his Republican congressional caucus, the strategy is clear: Use the pandemic to make America a crueler place.
Coronavirus Trackers:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.
See also:
- California Department of Public Health
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO
- John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University
- Tracking coronavirus in California Los Angeles Times
- Coronavirus Tracker San Francisco Chronicle
- Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times
- How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico
- Coronavirus Daily NPR
- Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Financial Times
- Coronavirus in California by the numbers CalMatters
Elections 2020:
Cuban-American Republicans attack potential Biden VP pick Karen Bass over Cuba ties
Sacramento Bee
Florida’s two highest-ranking Cuban-American Republicans are preemptively attacking California Rep. Karen Bass, one of Joe Biden’s potential vice president picks, due to her past work in Fidel Castro’s Cuba with the Venceremos Brigade, a group that has organized annual trips to Cuba for left-leaning Americans since 1969.
California donors spend $38 million trying to tilt Senate races around the country
Los Angeles Times
Californians have spent $38 million and counting trying to tilt Senate contests across the nation, making the state one of the top sources of campaign contributions in races that will decide which party controls the body next year, according to campaign finance disclosures. That’s despite the state not having a Senate race on its ballot in November.
Trump’s base starting to erode, new poll shows
Los Angeles Times
In Central Valley and other conservative parts of California, small but significant numbers of Republican voters have turned against Trump.
See also:
- With Trump reelection uncertain, GOP battles over its future Los Angeles Times
- As Trump leans into attacks on mail voting, GOP officials confront signs of Republican turnout crisis Washington Post
How the Media Could Get the Election Story Wrong
New York Times
We may not know the results for days, and maybe weeks. So it’s time to rethink “election night.”
See also:
- Silicon Valley is losing the battle against election misinformation POLITICO
- A voters’ guide to combating misinformation ahead of the election and beyond Politifact
Factbox: Trump, Biden offer clashing visions on reopening economy
Reuters
The coronavirus pandemic threw tens of millions of Americans out of work, ended the longest U.S. economic recovery on record and undermined a key argument for President Donald Trump’s re-election.
Biden’s Top 3 Running-Mate Contenders Emerge as He Enters Key Week
WSJ
Joe Biden is entering his most crucial week since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, as he decides which woman he will ask to be his running mate.
See also:
- ‘I’m not a communist’: Potential Biden running mate Rep. Bass reassures Cuban American votersNBC
- Joe Biden’s plan for universal preschool forgets key to children’s success: Parents AEI / USA Today
Women’s suffrage was a giant leap for democracy. We haven’t stuck the landing yet.
Washington Post
The House delayed the vote as long as it could. The year was 1921, and the U.S. Senate had already passed the Sheppard-Towner Act, which provided funding for programs helping new mothers and babies. A few key congressmen, though, thought the bill contained too much social welfare and too much feminism.
Other:
Another fake Pelosi video goes viral on Facebook
Mercury News
Facebook’s fact-checkers on Sunday labeled as “partly false” a video that it said was manipulated to make it appear as if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was drunk or drugged. The video had been circulating on Facebook since Thursday and by Sunday night had been viewed more than 2 million times.
See also:
- Why false claims about Nancy Pelosi being drunk keep going viral — even though she doesn’t drinkPolitifact
New York Times
As the influenza pandemic swept across the United States in 1918 and 1919, masks took a role in political and cultural wars.
Most Americans Still Don’t Trust Trump’s Coronavirus Comments—Except For Republicans
Forbes
A new NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll finds that a majority of Americans continue to distrust what President Donald Trump says about the Covid-19 pandemic as it continues to rage across the U.S., despite recent attempts by the president to combat his lagging poll numbers by pushing mask-wearing and acknowledging the pandemic’s seriousness.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Salmonella outbreak causes 50-state onion recall. Sellers include Walmart and Kroger
Fresno Bee
Onions sold under various brands have been recalled in all 50 states and the District of Columbia after being linked to a salmonella outbreak that’s sickened 359 people in 34 states, according to the CDC.
See also:
Cal/OSHA enforcing COVID guidelines in Valley ag
Porterville Recorder
There’s no denying for Tulare County and the San Joaquin Valley to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, what’s being done in agricultural will play a huge role. With that in mind, efforts on several fronts are being made to make sure agriculture does its part in the battle against COVID-19.
China sent us … cabbage? USDA identifies some of the seeds in mystery packages
Sacramento Bee
Some of the mysterious seeds from China turned out to be the makings of a vegetable garden or flower bouquet — but officials warn they still shouldn’t be planted. The “suspicious, unsolicited” seed packets started showing up in mailboxes across the United States in July and were apparently shipped from China, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A bumper crop of California ballot measure lawsuits
Los Angeles Times
For the California voter who doesn’t see the TV ads or (somehow) ignores the avalanche of glossy flyers in the mailbox before election day, the explanations of ballot measures contained in the state voter guide are the last, best chance to understand the proposal and to weigh its merits or drawbacks.
Fresno Program Aids Small Farmers While Feeding Communities
Valley Public Radio
About 35 small farmers signed up for the buyback put on by the Asian Business Institute and Resource Center in Fresno. It’s called a buyback because the institute purchases some of the fruits and vegetables growers aren’t able to sell due to the pandemic and then gives the produce back to communities facing food insecurity.
CBS News
When voters legalized marijuana three years ago, advocates said illegal operations would be pushed out and the state would make hundreds of millions in tax revenue. So far, those dreams have not panned out.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
‘Rapists have gotten away with it.’ Protest calls attention to sexual assault at Fresno State
Fresno Bee
A group of about 75 people gathered at Fresno State on Monday afternoon to speak out against sexual assault and violence on campus and to support survivors. Most protesters were young people who wanted to send a message that rapists must be held accountable.
Public Safety:
2 California prisoners die of suspected virus complications
Fresno Bee
Two more inmates at San Quentin State Prison near San Francisco died from what appear to be complications of the coronavirus, corrections officials said Monday. The inmates, including one on death row, died Sunday at outside hospitals, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
Kids getting caught in crossfire as US gun violence surges
KBAK
July in Chicago ended as it began: Mourning the death of a child whose only mistake was venturing outside to play when someone with a gun came to the neighborhood hunting for an enemy.
Fire:
1st big Southern California wildfire of 2020 keeps on raging
Fresno Bee
A huge wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles that is Southern California’s biggest blaze so far this year was still raging Monday, with thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes.
See Also:
Update: Evacuations remain for wildfire in Colusa County, smaller blaze on Nevada state line
Sacramento Bee
Evacuations were ordered for several homes Sunday afternoon for a wildfire in Colusa County quickly spread to more than 500 acres. The Sites Fire started just after 4 p.m. near Sites Lodoga and Campground roads, southeast of Stonyford, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit.
See Also:
- Wildfire in Colusa County chars more than 500 acres Los Angeles Times
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Fresno-based video surveillance company Pelco sold for $110 million, new owners say
Fresno Bee
The Fresno-based security video company Pelco has been acquired by Motorola Solutions for $110 million in cash, Motorola Solutions announced Monday. Motorola Solutions now has control of the Pelco company, which has been a Fresno-based job manufacturer of security and surveillance systems since 1982.
See also:
- Pelco changes hands for second time in two years Business Journal
Application period for small business loans begin today
Porterville Recorder
Efforts to help small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will be stepped up this week in Tulare County and Porterville. Applications for the Tulare County Small Business COVID Relief Fund will open today. The application period will last through August 16.
More than 100 CEOs ask for relief bill for small businesses
Fresno Bee
More than 100 current and former CEOs and other major business leaders are urging Congress to pass a relief bill for small businesses, warning of “catastrophic” consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
California Has Lost A Greater Share Of Revenue Than Most States Due To COVID-19
VPR
California’s progressive tax structure means state revenue does well in good economic times but suffers more than most other states when there’s a downturn. In January, California was projecting a $5.6 billion surplus, but the pandemic quickly transformed that into a $54 billion deficit.
Covid Supercharges Federal Reserve as Backup Lender to the World
WSJ
When the coronavirus halted the global economy, the U.S. central bank lent massively to foreign counterparts.
Jobs:
Federal family leave for parents affected by coronavirus has run out. State workers weigh options
Fresno Bee
The federal government extended a lifeline to working parents in April when it provided 12 weeks of expanded paid leave for those affected by the coronavirus. The leave has run out for parents who have used it continuously since then. Now that schools have canceled in-person classes in Sacramento, Los Angeles and other parts of the state, some California state workers face difficult choices about what to do next.
State workers got a smaller pay cut than planned this week due to payroll mistake
Sacramento Bee
California state workers saw pay cuts in their checks this week, but the reduction wasn’t quite as big as it was supposed to be. That’s because the California State Controller’s Office, working on a tight turnaround, made a mistake in calculating workers’ retirement contributions, the office told employees Thursday.
California unemployment agency workers say internal problems are stalling claims process
Los Angeles Times
As California grapples with a deluge of requests for unemployment benefits amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some state workers processing claims say they are buckling under pressure, hampered by outdated technology, bureaucratic red tape and a shortage of trained, experienced staff.
See also:
- Workers bemoan mistakes at California unemployment agency Los Angeles Times
- Inside California’s beleaguered unemployment department CALmatters
1.13 million workers trapped in EDD payment limbo
Orange County Register
EDD to 889,000 California workers: “We can’t approve these claims at this time.”
When Workers Can Live Anywhere, Many Ask: Why Do I Live Here?
WSJ
Coronavirus prompts Americans to reassess the need to reside near hot job markets.
Opinion: vWage Inequality Caused by Growing Skill Inequality
National Review
In recent years, the gap between the highest and lowest income brackets has become an area of growing concern for economists and policymakers, not to mention the low-wage workers who have been left behind. In late 2013, President Obama said that inequality was the defining issue of our time.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Parents struggle as schools reopen amid coronavirus surge
Fresno Bee
Putting your child on the bus for the first day of school is always a leap of faith for a parent. Now, on top of the usual worries about youngsters adjusting to new teachers and classmates, there’s COVID-19.
See also:
- State paves way for elementary schools to reopen CALmatteres
Fresno Unified School District working to provide internet access for all families in district
abc30
Fresno Unified estimates 90-94% of its students are ready and equipped for online lessons this year.
See also:
Here’s what Modesto-area private schools have planned for fall classes during coronavirus
Modesto Bee
While Stanislaus County public schools agreed to begin August with remote instruction weeks ago, private school plans vary and continue to change as start dates approach.
KHSD votes to push back school year start date to Aug. 24
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern High School District board of trustees heard a number of reports during its Monday night meeting, including pushing the 2020-21 school year start date to Aug. 24.
Shafter residents on a mission to ‘Save the Shafter Library’
Bakersfield Californian
The news seemed to hit Shafter residents particularly hard. When they learned that the county of Kern planned to reopen only a fraction of its two dozen library branches after the conclusion of the COVID-19 lockdown — and that Shafter was not on the short list — residents of the Kern County farming community got busy.
Join the book club with Kern County Library virtual groups
Bakersfield Californian
Those who want to read but lack the motivation have a new savior in the form of book clubs hosted by the Kern County Library. The library’s 24 branches were some of the first to fight against boredom or monotony during quarantine with virtual programs including e-books, daily storytimes, yoga sessions, English and Spanish conversation groups, and even encouraging children to read books out loud to help boost confidence. All of which can be found on Kern County Library’s Facebook.
California elementary schools could open with state waivers
Los Angeles Times
Some California elementary schools may be able to reopen for in-person classes this fall under a strict waiver system announced Monday by state officials.
Which Parents Need the Most Support While K–12 Schools and Child Care Centers Are Physically Closed?
RAND
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been particularly challenging for parents as schools and child care centers closed or switched to distance learning in spring 2020.
Virtual Learning Means Unequal Learning
PEW
Many educators and experts fear that inequities in local school systems will be exacerbated by remote learning and hybrid plans in response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
Higher Ed:
After controversies, will Fresno-area community college leader get a contract extension?
Fresno Bee
State Center Community College District trustees will be tasked with renewing Chancellor Paul Parnell’s contract on Tuesday, deciding whether to give the leader another year at the helm of the region’s largest community college district.
SCCCD Chancellor Paul Parnell up for contract renewal
Fresno Bee
State Center Community College District trustees will be tasked with renewing Chancellor Paul Parnell’s contract on Tuesday, deciding whether to give the leader another year at the helm of the region’s largest community college district.
Merced College to loan more than 1,500 laptops to students enrolled in fall semester
Merced Sun-Star
Merced College announced Monday, that it will loan more than 1,500 laptops to students enrolled in the college’s fall semester. Quantities are limited and priority will be given to full-time students enrolled in 12 or more credits who are in good academic standing, according to a Merced College news release.
What will it take to reopen colleges? Testing for COVID-19 every two days, study says
Sacramento Bee
Colleges should test students for COVID-19 every two days to safely reopen during the pandemic, according to a new study. Frequently screening students for coronavirus using a rapid and inexpensive test with even poor sensitivity will be required to open campuses safely, the study published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open says.
UC Regents want to investigate top salary cuts
CALmatters
Two key members of the UC Board of Regents are in favor of a model that would reduce top salaries to help offset pandemic expenses. Also, next year’s UC budget has more money for policing and the stage has been set for a likely September vote about a telescope in Hawaii.
CSUB shines brightly amid pandemic
California State University
The coronavirus pandemic changed many aspects of Californians’ lives. But one constant remains: California State University campuses are a beacon of hope, locally and statewide. While pivoting students, faculty and staff to virtual operations, the 23-campus system — including CSUB — took opportunities during the health crisis to demonstrate countless times its initiative, vitality and drive in powering California’s recovery. CSUB students have been at the frontlines in hospitals battling the pandemic, and the university also created face shields for the local community.
Making the switch: Online teaching during COVID-19
California State University
While the COVID-19 pandemic drove the CSU online this spring, that didn’t stop faculty and staff from digging in to connect with students and offer the quality education on which the CSU prides itself. As spring terms ended, the CSU wisely made an early decision to plan for online courses in the fall. That decision gave faculty the time and opportunity to expand their skills and prepare for a productive virtual experience, armed with the latest technology and best practices for online teaching.
Insider Higher Ed
With campuses mostly empty, college towns are reporting low response rates for the 2020 Census. The U.S. Census Bureau is allowing colleges to submit more data to get a more accurate count of students.
Replace the federal student loan system with an income share agreement program
AEI
A better solution to the student loan crisis would be a government-sponsored income share agreement and a simplified IRS-managed income withholding repayment system.
Newsom provides path for elementary schools to open, strictly limits youth sports
POLITICO
California elementary schools that want to open their doors for in-person learning must consult with parents, labor unions and others on campus and demonstrate their plans for contact-tracing and other public health measures that have been widely implemented in summer camps and child care settings, according to new guidelines released Monday night.
See also:
- New California youth sports rules: No games or competitions, but limited outdoor training allowed San Jose Mercury
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
A rare disease is killing Northern California deer. Here’s what you should look out for
Fresno Bee
A rare disease that can kill thousands of fawns in a single outbreak has been confirmed in Northern California, and wildlife officials are pleading with rural property owners to not feed deer or put out water for them.
Exclusive: California’s Clean Air Programs Take A Hit In New Funding Squeeze
Capital Public Radio
Some of California’s key environmental programs for battling smog and climate change have lost nearly $105 million as the state grapples with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
Heat Waves Exacerbate COVID-19 Racial Disparities
PEW
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting the next three months will be hotter than normal for much of the country; 2020, it says, likely will rank as one of the hottest years on record.
Energy:
PG&E Proposes Program to Determine Age of Transmission Line Equipment
California Energy Markets
Pacific Gas & Electric is planning a new program to identify the age of certain critical transmission components, and aims to start a pilot of the program in the first quarter of 2021, the utility told its felony probation judge in a July 28 filing.
Commentary: Approve Assembly Bill 1720: Two energy storage projects would create jobs
CALmatters
Assembly Bill 1720 will help the state move forward building clean energy storage and create jobs through infrastructure projects.
See also:
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Governor Newsom addresses Fresno County teen coronavirus death
Fresno Bee
At a press conference on Aug. 3, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom addressed the death of a Fresno County teen due to coronavirus. The death is the first reported death of a minor under age 18 from COVID-19.
See also:
- 2-year-old Fresno toddler tests positive for COVID-19. How her family dealt with the virus Fresno Bee
California sees decline in COVID-19 cases, but not in the Central Valley
abc30
California’s coronavirus cases and hospitalizations saw a small decline statewide Governor Gavin Newsom reported on Monday. However, he said while the statistics were encouraging, it does not reflect the reality of all parts of the state, including Central California.
See also:
- Hospitalizations show improvement in California Mercury News
- California sees signs of optimism in controlling coronavirus surge SFChronicle
Tulare County health officials tie large number of COVID-19 cases to gatherings
ABC30 Fresno
Tulare County has been averaging about 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 each week.
106 new COVID-19 cases in Kern reported Monday
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County reported 106 new COVID-19 cases Monday morning, according to the public health service department’s website. That brings total cases to 20,651 and deaths remain at the previously reported 144. However, recent data suggests people are dying everyday from the virus in Kern. Between July 3 and July 23, an average of 2.5 people died everyday in the county from COVID-19.
See Also:
- In latest update, Fresno County sees nearly 700 cases of COVID-19 Fresno Bee
- Fresno County, Valley a COVID-19 hot spot; state plans strike teamsFresno Bee
- California Coronavirus: CA sees decline in COVID-19 cases, but not in the Central Valley abc30
- Eleven more deaths over the weekend Porterville Recorder
- Stanislaus County’s infection rate continues move upward Modesto Bee
- Stanislaus County coronavirus deaths just took a huge one-day spike. Here’s why. Modesto Bee
- COVID-19 deaths, outbreaks reported at care centers in Modesto Modesto Bee
Fauci warns of ‘really bad situation’ if daily coronavirus cases don’t drop to 10K by September
TheHill
Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, warned on Monday that the U.S. could be in a “really bad situation” if the number of new coronavirus cases confirmed daily does not drop to 10,000 by next month.
See also:
Human Services:
How this San Joaquin Valley woman helped save her father’s life
Fresno Bee
David Oppedyk had a bad liver and little chance of getting a new one in time. The 52-year-old Tulare man suffered from liver cirrhosis and was near the bottom of a long waiting list for organ donations in November 2019. But then his luck changed.
Local company struggles to procure ventilators for state’s COVID-19 response
Bakersfield Californian
A Bakersfield medical equipment supplier has fallen far short of its contractual commitment to provide the state with ventilators.
Bakersfield hospitals still strained with influx of patients
Bakersfield Californian
In his 30 years of hospital administration, Bruce Peters has seen nothing like it.
Ballot battle underway to keep stem cell agency alive
Capitol Weekly
The California stem cell agency has just finished pumping $5.3 million into the fight to save the lives of COVID-19 victims. And — in a ballot-box bonus — its efforts are already surfacing in the ballot campaign to rescue the agency from its own demise.
Dozens of COVID-19 vaccines are in development. Here are the ones to follow.
National Geographic
Here are the COVID-19 vaccine prospects that have made it to phase three trials and beyond.
See also:
Lack of Public Data Hampers COVID-19 Fight
PEW
Thin public health budgets and dated technology stymie reporting efforts.
Patients Fled Primary Care During COVID-19
PEW
Forty percent of primary care providers said they weren’t sure they could stay open through August, according to a survey from Primary Care Collaborative in late June.
Opinion: Trump promised a health-care plan in two weeks. It’s been two weeks.
Washington Post
It was a typical Sunday in the presidency of Donald J. Trump. A few early-morning tweets to get the day going. Then, he hopped in his motorcade and headed for the links, as he has done more than 250 times since taking office.
IMMIGRATION
International tribunal rules it has authority in case of man killed by U.S. border officials
Los Angeles Times
U.S. law enforcement’s killing of a man at the San Diego-Tijuana border a decade ago will go on trial before an international tribunal, after the organization decided it has authority to hear the case.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Black Fresno developer sues city, says racism and loss of millions impacted business
Fresno Bee
A Fresno developer who previously butted heads with city officials has filed a lawsuit alleging racism is behind city actions that have cost him millions. According to the suit filed by Terance Frazier, an unfinished audit related to Granite Park was released by Fresno Mayor Lee Brand’s administration, costing him about $4.3 million.
See also:
Rent is coming due in California: ‘Two weeks to avoid complete catastrophe’
San Francisco Chronicle
The California Legislature has less than a month left in its pandemic-shortened session to deal with one of the state’s worst economic crises in decades, and there’s no greater emergency than what to do about the rent.
Calls Grow to Address Racism in Urban Planning
PEW
Advocates are intensifying their calls for city and state governments to remove the highways that destroyed Black neighborhoods.
The pandemic has changed what home-buyers want.
Barron’s
As stocks tumbled this past week, mortgage rates quietly shrank to near record lows, which means that conditions are perfect for house buyers, except for some nitpicks. Almost no one is selling. Prices are high. Open houses don’t pair well with pandemics. And banks are reluctant to lend—but only to people who need money
PUBLIC FINANCES
Is it time to raise taxes on the rich? California Democrats call for new millionaire’s tax
Modesto Bee
California’s wealthiest households pay the highest income tax rate in the country. It could go up a few more percentage points if Democrats follow through next year on a new proposal that would levy on a new millionaire’s tax for seven-figure earners.
See also:
Here’s What California’s Revenue And Budget Look Like During COVID-19
NPR
From March To May, Tax Revenue Was Down 42% In California Compared With Last Year.
TRANSPORTATION
Is the subway risky? It may be safer than you think
Boston Globe
Five months after the coronavirus outbreak engulfed New York City, riders are still staying away from public transportation in enormous numbers, often because they are concerned that sharing enclosed places with strangers is too dangerous.
WATER
Water bills would fundamentally change under proposal headed for CPUC
Bakersfield Californian
Some Bakersfield residents’ water bills will be fundamentally restructured, with big cost implications, if the California Public Utilities Commission votes Thursday to end an experiment that 12 years ago erased a financial incentive to sell people more water.
“Xtra”
Central Sierra Christian summer camps fight to stay alive during coronavirus pandemic
Fresno Bee
San Joaquin Valley Christian summer camps are struggling as the coronavirus pandemic continues to punch holes in the economy. The financial strain of COVID-19 has touched Christian camps like Calvin Crest above Oakhurst and Hume Lake Christian Camp near Grant Grove.
Candy Cane Lane Parade canceled amid pandemic
Visalia Times Delta
“We know the holiday time is a special time for all families and the tradition of the parade is an integral part of the holiday festivities.”