March 12, 2021

12Mar

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Merced City Schools superintendent after being placed on leave: ‘I will be exonerated’

Merced Sun-Star

Trustees with the Merced City School District met Tuesday evening with no mention about their recent action to put Superintendent Richard Alan “Al” Rogers on paid leave — pending an investigation into complaints made against him.

 

Advocate of guaranteed income to advise California governor

Bakersfield Californian

Former Stockton mayor who gained national attention for running the country's highest-profile experiment with a guaranteed income is joining Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration as an unpaid special advisor.

See also:

 

Mechanical Engineering Student Named the Campus’s First Rhodes Scholar

UC Merced Newsroom

UC Merced master’s student Selina Brinkmann has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for study at Oxford University — a first for the campus.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Potential eviction crisis looms for Fresno-area undocumented workers during pandemic

Fresno Bee

A recent study on the toll of COVID-19 on farmworkers found seven of every 10 farmworkers struggle to pay for food, while 63% reported difficulty paying rent during the pandemic.

 

Editorial: Moving homeless people out of the Fresno Triangle is a must before someone gets run over

Fresno Bee

Even by the standards of the homeless population used to sheltering on Fresno’s streets, living at the Triangle is a dangerous proposition. A group of homeless people, having been uprooted from the land they occupied elsewhere downtown, recently migrated to property framed by major roadways.

 

A second Amazon fulfillment center is coming to Fresno. Neighbors are pushing back

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council on Thursday will weigh an agreement between a warehouse developer who is set to bring about 1,000 jobs to the city and the residents of the neighborhood affected by the construction project.

See also:

 

Tulare County homeless project hobbled by substandard conditions, mismanagement

Visalia Times Delta

Seven months later, a Times-Delta investigation shows that 99 Palms — now called Tagus Gardens — has so far failed to live up to its promise, stranding dozens of homeless and formerly homeless people in substandard and unsanitary conditions.

 

Editorial: Devin Nunes, David Valadao say relief bill is a ‘slush fund.’ That’s shameful politics

Fresno Bee

In response to House passage of the American Rescue Plan, the big COVID relief and economic stimulus bill, GOP Reps. Devin Nunes and David Valadao left no question about how they view their constituents, many of them among the poorest of Californians.

 

Warszawski: If Fresno’s best coffee shop is forced to close, someone deserves a good roasting

Fresno Bee

Three years later, the reality of downtown Fresno could force Vargas out of business. And not due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or any lack of demand for his finely brewed coffee.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Community and environmental groups sue Kern County following vote to allow thousands of new oil wells

KGET
Community and environmental groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Kern County’s adoption of an ordinance that would allow tens of thousands of new oil wells over the next 15 years.

See also:

 

Biofuel project proposed in McFarland would bury carbon from ag waste, produce alternative to diesel

Bakersfield Californian

An Iowa technology company has proposed a first-of-its-kind bioenergy project in McFarland that's expected to help cut a significant source of local air pollution while also reducing diesel emissions, burying carbon and employing about 50 local residents.

 

'Dream' of Cesar Chavez continues with vaccination clinic at The Forty Acres

Bakersfield Californian

Paul Chavez can remember clearing the rocks from a barren patch of land just outside Delano in 1966. His father, Cesar Chavez had promised Paul and his siblings they could fly kites, but first they had to work.

 

Despite wet storm Bakersfield's water deficit to continue in valley, mountains

Bakersfield Californian

And the thunder rolls… A much needed mid-March storm brought rain to the valley floor and snow to the higher elevations in Kern County on Wednesday.

 

CASA's new clubhouse is a safe, fun meeting place for children and their volunteers

Bakersfield Californian

With public space dwindling, the pandemic has made it especially tricky for volunteers at CASA of Kern County to meet up with the children they advocate for while they’re in the foster care system.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

 

California’s robust budget will get another $26 billion from new COVID-19 stimulus

Los Angeles Times

California’s state budget, already poised to be flush with higher-than-expected tax revenues, will receive an additional cash infusion of $26 billion under the COVID-19 relief bill that President Biden signed Thursday.

See also:

 

Fact-checking Gavin Newsom’s 2021 State of the State speech

CalMatters

As California’s governor delivered his annual address — this time from Dodger Stadium — the CalMatters reporting team offered the following corrections, clarifications and context.

 

California unemployment claims leap past 100,000

Mercury News

Unemployment claims in California soared well above 100,000 last week, federal officials reported Thursday, a grim setback that suggests coronavirus-linked ailments still afflict the statewide job market.

See also:

 

Advocate of guaranteed income to advise California governor

Bakersfield Californian

Former Stockton mayor who gained national attention for running the country's highest-profile experiment with a guaranteed income is joining Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration as an unpaid special advisor.

See also:

 

Commentary: Newsom’s $1.5 billion investment in clean transportation and jobs is vital to economic recovery

CalMatters

With vaccines being rolled out, job creation and economic recovery should now be at the top of the list of our state’s priorities as we consider how to use the budget to address the devastating impact of the pandemic.

 

Governor Newsom recall organizers claim to have 2 million signatures

abc30

Standing alone in center field of an empty Dodger Stadium, California Gov. Gavin Newsom cast himself as a bold if imperfect leader and his state as on the cusp of a new day.

See also:

 

Local convention groups call for plan to bring back events

Business Journal

An open letter signed by 131 California tourism officials and labor groups was sent to Governor Gavin Newsom Wednesday claiming a lack of opening guidelines is harming the industry for the long run.

 

California teachers could spend more than 12 years on union organizing with new bill

Sacramento Bee

California teachers could take an indefinite leave from the classroom to work on union business without suffering consequences to their pensions under a bill introduced by a state lawmaker.

 

Ex-CalPERS board member sues pension fund, demands records following investment chief’s exit

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS board members violated California’s open meeting law when they held a wide-ranging private discussion following the abrupt resignation last year of Chief Investment Officer Ben Meng, a former board member says in a new lawsuit.

 

Major political data firm shuts door on Republicans

Capitol Weekly

Democrats, who already enjoy an overwhelming lead in California voter registration, now have one more advantage over the state’s beleaguered Republicans.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

Biden projects hope in speech: All adults can be vaccinated by end of May

Los Angeles Times

After a grim winter that saw the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 rise past half a million, President Biden sought to foster — and benefit from — a national surge of optimism about the pandemic, the economy and the country’s condition in a White House speech Thursday evening.

See also:

 

Biden’s criticism of Trump administration vaccine contracts too broad to be accurate

Politifact

During a March 2 news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden claimed that former President Donald Trump’s administration did not ensure there would be enough vaccines for the American public.

See also:

 

New poll shows how Biden’s approval ratings compare to Trump

PBS

A new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll reveals how Americans feel about the 46th president’s performance so far, and how it compares to former President Donald Trump.

 

Biden signs $1.9-trillion COVID-19 relief bill, a day earlier than expected

Los Angeles Times

President Biden signed a sweeping $1.9-trillion coronavirus relief package into law Thursday, authorizing a massive infusion of federal aid aimed primarily at working families.

See also:

 

Schumer puts gun control on Senate agenda

Roll Call

Senate Democrats on Thursday announced plans for a floor vote on legislation to expand background checks for private gun sales, which would force Republicans to choose between their party’s traditional gun rights positions and a policy that is broadly popular with the public.

See also:

 

Senate votes to move Becerra nomination to floor

Roll Call

The Senate on Thursday voted, 51-48, to discharge Xavier Becerra’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services from the Senate Finance Committee, teeing up floor debate and a confirmation vote as soon as next week.

 

Spring forward forever? Lawmakers consider keeping daylight saving time year-round.

Washington Post

But what if we advanced the clocks this weekend and never had to turn them back? The idea is gaining some traction after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators this week reintroduced a bill that would eliminate standard time and keep daylight saving time year-round.

 

Other:

 

How Facebook got addicted to spreading misinformation

MIT Technology Review

It was March 23, 2018, just days after the revelation that Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy that worked on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election campaign, had surreptitiously siphoned the personal data of tens of millions of Americans from their Facebook accounts in an attempt to influence how they voted.

 

Opinion: The dangerous state of our democracy debates

AEI

But these days, we are witnessing an increasingly intense debate about election reform that is focused instead on election administration — proposals about the modes, times, and circumstances of voting and the rules for voter eligibility that are basically about what kind of electorate to permit.

See also:

 

Editorial: A year of COVID-19 has left immeasurable holes in American life

Los Angeles Times

The statistical measures of the COVID-19 pandemic, which a year ago forced a stunning global shutdown of schools, businesses and travel, can be hard to contextualize. We’ve swept past 2,600,000 dead worldwide, with a fifth of them — more than 525,000 — in the U.S., and more than 54,000 of those here in California.

See also:

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, March 14, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "State Legislative Agenda for 2021" - Guests: Asm. Devon Mathis; CA State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas; Asm. Heath Flora. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 14, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "State Legislative Response to the Pandemic" - Guests: CA State Sen. Andreas Borgeas; CA State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Eager to be vaccinated, California farmworkers face obstacles

abc10

About 73% of farmworkers said they would get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, but vaccination clinics at farm worksites are still infrequent and reliant on scarce supply.

 

Walmart donates meals for local hospital workers

Business Journal

Walmart has donated $200,000 to feed workers at local hospitals with ICUs as a show of gratitude for frontline workers. The donation will go to hospitals in San Joaquin, Merced, Tulare, Madera, Fresno, Kings and Kern counties.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Will Biden give California more judges? Central Valley trials are backlogged for years

Fresno Bee

Accused criminals are sitting in local jails for upwards of three years before they can get a trial. Judges have had caseloads at “emergency” levels for 20 years. Civil cases aren’t even getting hearings.

 

Commentary: L.A. district attorney’s special directives on sentencing are a reform the nation needs

CalMatters

Recently, after Los Angeles County prosecutors filed a lawsuit to halt George Gascón’s progressive directives, a judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking him from ordering his prosecutors to seek shorter prison sentences in current cases.

 

Commentary: Death from above: How criminal organizations’ use of drones threatens Americans

Brookings

Over 81,000 Americans died of drug overdoses between June 2019 and May 2020. Synthetic opioids delivered by drone from Mexican TCOs creates a perfect storm of risk to Americans.

 

Public Safety:

 

Asian Americans Experience 'Far More' Hate Incidents Than Numbers Indicate

VPR

A surge in anti-Asian attacks reported since the start of the pandemic has left Asian Americans across the country scared and concerned, but a Los Angeles-based civil rights group says the actual number of hate incidents could be even higher.

 

Gun violence researchers fight California Dept of Justice’s plan to withhold data

Sacramento Bee

California’s top gun violence prevention experts and activists admonished the Department of Justice on Thursday during a public hearing to consider the agency’s proposal to withhold certain data from a state-funded center tasked with evaluating firearm laws.

See also:

 

Judge orders surveillance, body cameras installed at five California prisons

Sacramento Bee

A federal judge has ordered California prison officials to install surveillance cameras and have guards wear body cameras inside areas of five prisons where disabled inmates congregate, and to reform policies for how abuse of inmates by staffers are investigated.

 

House passes legislation to expand background checks for gun sales

Los Angeles Times

Emboldened by their majorities in the House and Senate, Democrats are making a new push to enact the first major new gun control laws in more than two decades — starting with stricter background checks.

 

Editorial: Protect reporters at protest scenes

Los Angeles Times

Andrea Sahouri was acquitted of two misdemeanor charges Wednesday, and that’s good, but the Des Moines Register reporter never should have been brought to trial in the first place. Police arrested Sahouri over failure to disperse and interference with official acts on May 31 as she covered a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd earlier that week.

 

Fire:

 

High risk of mudslides in Creek Fire burn scar in rainstorm. Luckily, there’s time to prepare

Fresno Bee

Several communities in the burn scar of the Creek Fire are generally at risk of catastrophic debris flow, mudslide or rockfall during an intense rainstorm. The storm that swept through the region Wednesday has not been labeled a threat because it’s dropping snow, not rain, where the fire burned last fall, according to the National Weather Service.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Multiple Challenges for Women in the COVID-19 Economy

Public Policy Institute of California

After nearly a year since California’s statewide stay-at-home order, controlling the pandemic, reopening schools, and resuming full economic activity are top of mind. This past year has revealed how interrelated these three things are.

 

The billionaire boom

Washington Post

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and six other tech titans made more than $360 billion during the pandemic, which may finally shatter the myth of the benevolent billionaire

See also:

 

From commitments to action: How CEOs can advance racial equity in their regional economies

Brookings

There is, however, a new sense of urgency among business leaders to tackle racial equity specifically and to acknowledge and utilize their power to disrupt the nation’s legacy of racism and promote a more just economy.

 

Jobs:

 

California unemployment claims leap past 100,000

Mercury News

Unemployment claims in California soared well above 100,000 last week, federal officials reported Thursday, a grim setback that suggests coronavirus-linked ailments still afflict the statewide job market.

See also:

 

Opinion: Unions and Democrats Attack the Right to Work

Wall Street Journal

Big Labor advanced halfway to achieving its top political priority Tuesday when the House narrowly passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Merced City Schools superintendent after being placed on leave: ‘I will be exonerated’

Merced Sun-Star

Trustees with the Merced City School District met Tuesday evening with no mention about their recent action to put Superintendent Richard Alan “Al” Rogers on paid leave — pending an investigation into complaints made against him.

 

California to offer affordable rapid COVID tests to school districts returning to campus

Fresno Bee

California is offering affordable rapid COVID-19 testing to school employees and students returning to campuses in an effort to help prevent the spread of the virus.

 

Will schools fully reopen? It may depend on whether students have to sit six feet apart.

Washington Post

Many other schools across the nation and world are also using three feet, the minimum distance endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. Others are open with no distancing at all.

See also:

 

California teachers could spend more than 12 years on union organizing with new bill

Sacramento Bee

California teachers could take an indefinite leave from the classroom to work on union business without suffering consequences to their pensions under a bill introduced by a state lawmaker.

 

Op-Ed: California’s kids need quality preschool. A new master plan can make it happen

Los Angeles Times

In December, a blue-ribbon commission delivered a plan for California education that you may have missed, what with the surge in COVID-19 and a “stolen” presidential election sucking up media oxygen. The proposal deserves a second curtain-raising.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Mechanical Engineering Student Named the Campus’s First Rhodes Scholar

UC Merced Newsroom

UC Merced master’s student Selina Brinkmann has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for study at Oxford University — a first for the campus.

 

UC, Cal State police much less diverse than the students they serve

CalMatters

At 32 of 33 UC and CSU campuses, police officers are whiter than the students — and in many cases, disparities are glaring

 

Facing The Digital Divide In College

CA FWD

For areas like the Imperial Valley that have unincorporated lands and territories, internet access is limited or completely unavailable. This is especially challenging for students.

 

College cost worries, online learning to remain after COVID-19

Roll Call

When college classes abruptly moved online in the spring of 2020, many college students found themselves shelling out high fees for an educational experience that did not match their expectations, and the accompanying economic recession left students struggling financially.

 

California Assembly Bill Seeks to Remove Barriers on Transfers from Community Colleges

Diverse Education

Assembly Bill 928, the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act of 2021, proposes making the transfer process from two to four-year institutions clear by creating consistent and readily understandable pathways.

 

Covid-19 Travel Restrictions Loom Again for Colleges and Foreign Students

Wall Street Journal

U.S. colleges and universities are bracing for—and trying to avoid—a second year of significant declines in international students, as foreign students from much of the world remain blocked from entering the country.

 

March Madness Is a Moneymaker. Most Schools Still Operate in Red.

Wall Street Journal

Each year, March Madness opens a fire hose of cash, as gamblers, advertisers and television networks try to get in on the action.Americans wagered an estimated $8.5 billion in 2019 on the NCAA’s Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, as March Madness is formally known.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

As climate fight shifts to oil, Biden faces a formidable foe

Fresno Bee

President Joe Biden’s bid to tackle climate change is running straight through the heart of the U.S. oil and gas industry -- a much bigger, more influential foe than Democrats faced when they took on the coal industry during the Obama years.

 

Opinion: Here Come Climate Reparations

Wall Street Journal

Believe it or not, some Western Democrats are starting to push back against the Biden Administration’s climate assault on their constituents.

 

Energy:

 

Biofuel project proposed in McFarland would bury carbon from ag waste, produce alternative to diesel

Bakersfield Californian

An Iowa technology company has proposed a first-of-its-kind bioenergy project in McFarland that's expected to help cut a significant source of local air pollution while also reducing diesel emissions, burying carbon and employing about 50 local residents.

 

Community and environmental groups sue Kern County following vote to allow thousands of new oil wells

KGET
Community and environmental groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Kern County’s adoption of an ordinance that would allow tens of thousands of new oil wells over the next 15 years.

See also:

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Are COVID vaccine side effects worse for some people? It can depend on your sex

Fresno Bee

Side effects after COVID-19 vaccination are expected, normal and a telltale sign your body is developing the immunity it needs to fend off serious coronavirus illness. But at least one group of Americans is more likely to experience such reactions.

 

Novavax COVID vaccine has 96% efficacy against original virus strain, also effective against variants, company says

abc30

The vaccine provides 100% protection against severe disease resulting in hospitalization and death and has 96.4% efficacy against the original virus strain. It's also effective against the U.K. and South African coronavirus variants, the company said in a news release Thursday.

 

What is a vaccine booster shot? Moderna is already starting volunteer trials

abc30

Moderna announced Wednesday that the first trial volunteers have received boosters of their vaccine, some of them modified to target a variant. Seattle resident, Neal Browning, is one of the Moderna trial volunteers. Our sister station, KGO-TV, has been following him since last year.

 

How to safely reopen: COVID-fighting technologies explained

Public CEO

In the early days of the pandemic, public agencies quickly added personal protective equipment, plexiglass, thermometers, hand sanitizing stations and one-way entrances and exits to facilities. Now more organizations are improving indoor air quality as a long-term solution.

 

Covid pandemic turned 2020 into deadliest year in U.S. history, CDC finds

NBC News

This is the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time — due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic. Final mortality data for this year will not be available for months. But preliminary numbers suggest that the United States is on track to see more than 3.2 million deaths this year, or at least 400,000 more than in 2019.

 

For Some COVID Long-Haulers, Symptom Relief After a Vaccine

U.S. News

With close to 30 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and a multitude of people in the long-haul category, a number of recovery clinics have cropped up across the country. Meanwhile, some sufferers have turned to Facebook groups for solace.

 

Opinion: Abandoning masks now is a terrible idea. The 1918 pandemic shows why.

Washington Post

Abandoning masks and social distancing now would be the worst possible move for Americans and their political leaders. The 1918 pandemic teaches us why.

 

Human Services:

 

Former presidents join forces in ad to encourage COVID vaccines as Trump takes credit

Fresno Bee

Former presidents and first ladies encouraged Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccine in two new advertisements — while former President Donald Trump took credit for the vaccines.

 

Vaccination appointments open this week at Agri-Center

Porterville Recorder

Tulare County Public Health has recently opened more vaccination appointments for this week at the mass vaccination drive-thru clinic at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. Anyone currently eligible to get vaccinated for COVID can make an appointment online at https://covid19.tularecounty.ca.gov/covid-19-vaccine/

 

Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force Launches Hotline To Help Abuelitas Get The Vaccine

VPR

The Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force launched a new hotline, Project Abuelita, to help older non-English speaking people schedule COVID-19 appointments. It’s already received over 800 callers.

 

Indoor Visits With Nursing Home Residents OK, New CDC Guidance Says

VPR
Health officials have relaxed federal COVID-19 guidance for nursing homes for the first time since September, recommending that even unvaccinated visitors and residents be allowed to meet in person under most circumstances.

 

California releases details on how millions can get COVID-19 vaccinations beginning Monday

Los Angeles Times

Four days before an estimated 4.4 million Californians with disabilities or underlying health conditions become eligible for the vaccine, the California Public Health Department released guidance on the verification process.

 

The CDC said it’s okay for vaccinated grandparents to visit. Some families say: Not so fast.

Washington Post

But after a year of surges, variants and conflicting or revised opinions from medical authorities, many are questioning — and, in some cases, arguing with loved ones about — whether the vaccine will be their golden ticket back into the wider world.

 

Covid-19 Vaccine Access: How Rural Transit Agencies Are Helping Get the Shots in Arms

Wall Street Journal

For Ms. Share and others like her, rural transit agencies are providing more than rides. They are the crucial link to long-awaited protection from the deadly coronavirus.

 

HHS data highlights negative effects of work requirements

Roll Call

New Department of Health and Human Services data shared exclusively first with CQ Roll Call shows that efforts by states to seek work requirements or capped funding result in reduced enrollment and access to care.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

US reports surge of kids at SW border, a challenge for Biden

Business Journal

The number of migrant children and families seeking to cross the U.S. southwest border has surged to levels not seen since before the pandemic, a challenge for President Joe Biden as he works to undo the restrictive immigration policies of his predecessor.

See also:

 

Biden administration stops enforcing Trump-era "public charge" green card restrictions following court order

CBSNews

The Biden administration on Tuesday stopped enforcing the 2019 "public charge" restrictions on green cards, unraveling the centerpiece of former President Donald Trump's efforts to restrict legal immigration.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

A second Amazon fulfillment center is coming to Fresno. Neighbors are pushing back

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council on Thursday will weigh an agreement between a warehouse developer who is set to bring about 1,000 jobs to the city and the residents of the neighborhood affected by the construction project.

 

Housing:

 

Potential eviction crisis looms for Fresno-area undocumented workers during pandemic

Fresno Bee

A recent study on the toll of COVID-19 on farmworkers found seven of every 10 farmworkers struggle to pay for food, while 63% reported difficulty paying rent during the pandemic.

 

Editorial: Moving homeless people out of the Fresno Triangle is a must before someone gets run over

Fresno Bee

Even by the standards of the homeless population used to sheltering on Fresno’s streets, living at the Triangle is a dangerous proposition. A group of homeless people, having been uprooted from the land they occupied elsewhere downtown, recently migrated to property framed by major roadways.

 

Tulare County homeless project hobbled by substandard conditions, mismanagement

Visalia Times Delta

Seven months later, a Times-Delta investigation shows that 99 Palms — now called Tagus Gardens — has so far failed to live up to its promise, stranding dozens of homeless and formerly homeless people in substandard and unsanitary conditions.

 

Do homebuyer ‘love letters’ violate fair housing laws?

OC Register

In a competitive housing market, buyers often resort to (ostensibly) augmenting their offer with a letter describing their situation, elaborating on their interest in the home, how they can see themselves thriving there for years to come and even including a photo of themselves, their extended family and their pets.

 

Behind on Rent? You May Qualify for Federal Assistance

Wall Street Journal

The coronavirus relief bill passed by the House on Wednesday includes help for tenants who are behind on their rent and utility bills.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

California’s robust budget will get another $26 billion from new COVID-19 stimulus

Los Angeles Times

California’s state budget, already poised to be flush with higher-than-expected tax revenues, will receive an additional cash infusion of $26 billion under the COVID-19 relief bill that President Biden signed Thursday, sparking demands for a wide array of new efforts to help those hit hardest by the pandemic.

 

Opinion: Borenstein: Pension cuts for California public employee felons upheld

Mercury News

The February ruling in a “felony forfeiture” case from Contra Costa and a similar December appellate court ruling in one from Los Angeles County correctly reject arguments from two firefighters that they are entitled to their full retirement pay despite their felonious conduct while working.

 

Third stimulus check update: $1,400 payments from COVID relief bill to hit bank accounts starting this weekend

abc30

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, meaning $1,400 stimulus payments should hit people's bank accounts this weekend, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

See also:

 

Child tax credit: Some families to receive direct $300 monthly payments per child starting in July

abc30

The child tax credit included in the COVID relief bill that President Joe Biden signed Thursday would help reduce the number of children living in poverty by more than half, according to experts.

See also:

 

Is a wealth tax needed to rebalance the economy after COVID-19?

San Diego Union-Tribune

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced a new wealth tax bill recently that she calls the “Ultra Millionaire Tax.” The legislation would create a 2 percent annual levy on wealth over $50 million and 3 percent on wealth over $1 billion.

 

Universal basic income should balance the benefits and costs

The Hill

Recent proposals to expand the child tax credit, which are supported by President Biden, Democrats in Congress, and Senator Mitt Romney, have been viewed as a type of universal basic income, at least for families with kids.

 

What to Know About Unemployment Benefits in $1.9 Trillion Covid-19 Relief Bill

Wall Street Journal

The plan extends two pandemic-related programs used by nearly 12 million people and lengthens supplemental $300 payments to all laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits by several months.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

California says insurers owe drivers more pandemic refunds

Bakersfield Californian

Auto insurers shortchanged California drivers on refunds ordered last year as crashes dropped during the coronavirus pandemic, the state's insurance regulator said Thursday.

See also:

 

Opinion: Newsom’s $1.5 billion investment in clean transportation and jobs is vital to economic recovery

CalMatters

As the global economy picks up, strategic public investments in clean transportation will create jobs in California.

 

Congress to pass billions in much-needed relief for public transit and Amtrak

Transportation for America

Today, the House of Representatives will pass much-needed emergency funding that greatly reduces the threat of service cuts. The bill, known as the American Rescue Plan Act, includes $30.5 billion for public transit and $1.7 billion for Amtrak.

See also:

 

WATER

 

Despite wet storm Bakersfield's water deficit to continue in valley, mountains

Bakersfield Californian

And the thunder rolls… A much needed mid-March storm brought rain to the valley floor and snow to the higher elevations in Kern County on Wednesday.

 

Snow Water Equivalents

California Department of Water Resources

Provided by the California Cooperative Snow Surveys

 

“Xtra”

 

California breweries and distilleries can serve drinks without food, but some rules still apply

Merced Sun-Star

California breweries, wineries and distilleries will no longer be required to sell meals with outdoor drink service, according to a state Department of Public Health announcement Thursday.

See also:

 

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

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of 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.

                                                     

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