Maddy Institute – September 7, 2021

07Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

Zoom Event: “Fresno State, Stanislaus State and CSU Bakersfield: Increasing Their Role in Local Economic Growth and Inclusion”

The Maddy Institute

Maddy Associates Luncheon Speaker Series: September 13, Robert Maxim, Senior Research Associate in the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, will discuss how regional public universities can have a large role in economic growth in economically distressed areas.

Newsom recall basics: How to vote in California’s election

CalMatters

A FAQ on the California election on whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom.

● Recall Ballot Tracking

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● COVID-19 hospitalization increase in Stanislaus, other counties triggers state action Modesto Bee

● Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: N95 mask recalls, kidney disease, long COVID & more Modesto Bee

● Mask mandate returns for Stanislaus County Turlock Journal

Preliminary Ceres special election results show this candidate likely won

Modesto Bee

Preliminary results for the Ceres special election show business owner Jim Casey will likely represent District 1 on the City Council and fill the months-long vacancy.

How will local authorities enforce universal COVID mask order in Stanislaus County?

Modesto Bee

The county and cities have authority to handle enforcement if business owners and residents do not comply with the order, which was issued just before the Labor Day weekend.

Part of North County Corridor near Modesto moves ahead. When will it open to drivers?

Modesto Bee

A key step has started on the North County Corridor, a future expressway serving Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale. Construction could start in 2023 on the four-lane route, which could open to drivers in 2025.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: N95 mask recalls, kidney disease, long COVID & more Fresno Bee

How would Biden’s ‘Build’ agenda help Fresno? Local leaders talk with White House staff

Fresno Bee

Central California Food Bank and Faith in the Valley leaders and Fresno-area residents met Friday via Zoom with White House staff to discuss President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda and how it will help Valley families.

Fresno chief says he’s adopted some police reform recommendations. Here they are

Fresno Bee

Fresno police have implemented nine new policies recommended by the Commission on Police Reform, including some related to use-of-force, according to an update Friday from Chief Paco Balderrama.

Fresno police chief says gang suppression is reducing violence. Here’s the latest

Fresno Bee

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said gangs are responsible for most of the violence seen in town in recent memory, saying Friday gang suppression efforts are targeting homicides and shootings.

Contentious Tower Theatre protest ends with order to disperse, arrest of woman

Fresno Bee

A woman who allegedly spit in the face of a Fresno police officer was arrested Sunday after a struggle near the Tower Theatre, ending a morning of the latest dueling protests over the future of the city landmark.

Clovis Unified pro-union group alleges ‘surveillance campaign’ in latest complaint

Fresno Bee

A group of Clovis teachers vying to create a union in the state’s last largest school district without one took a hit last week after a judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order to force the district to stop its alleged support of the faculty senate.

Editorial: Angry words, recall threat, hurt Armenian pride: Fresno Unified board is in turmoil

Fresno Bee

The antagonism on public display recently between Fresno Unified School District trustees leaves one wondering if this board has reached a new low point.

Community Colleges financial aid scam under investigation. What about Fresno-area schools?

Fresno Bee

The type of fake-student scams designed to siphon off federal aid and pandemic relief money under scrutiny at California’s Community College system is now being investigated nationwide, federal officials said this week.

Fresno matches record for most 100-degree days in a year. Breaking it won’t take long

Fresno Bee

Fresno matched a record for most 100-degree days in a calendar year over Labor Day weekend and appears certain to break it — probably as soon as Monday. Sunday marked the 63rd day of 100-plus temperatures in 2021.

6 months in, Fresno has millions in emergency rent money to distribute. What’s the holdup?

Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno’s emergency rental assistance program has been slow to roll out funding in its first six months because of a lengthy documentation process, initially required by the state and federal government.

Southwest Airlines entered Fresno airport in April with a bang. Here’s how it’s going

Fresno Bee

Within about a month of entering service at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Southwest Airlines has already carved out a significant bite of market share among Valley travelers — bolstering a recovery of the air travel market from 2020.

Visalia teachers struggle as COVID cases forces more work, less planning

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified classrooms are constantly changing in both size and format as students and staff continue to quarantine after potential exposures to COVID-19 positive individuals — for many teachers, this means taking on extra work.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Covid-19 Dashboard Sept. 7, 2021 Kern County Public Health Services

Early ballot returns suggest strong local interest in recall election

Bakersfield Californian

Early ballot returns indicate strong local interest in the gubernatorial recall election. Statewide data shows more Democrats than Republicans have voted so far, but political insiders say it’s still too early to tell which way the electorate might lean.

County to hold redistricting meeting Tuesday

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County will hold a redistricting public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday to inform the public about the redistricting process for county supervisorial districts and public mapping tools, and receive testimony from communities of interest.

Farmworker shortage raises worries grapes will go unpicked

Bakersfield Californian

The signs first appeared last fall when Central Valley table grape growers couldn't find enough workers to prune their vines.

Amid a substitute shortage and absences, Kern schools struggle to fill key roles

Bakersfield Californian

School campuses have roared back to life with students in Kern County, but making sure that crucial roles are fully staffed in the first weeks has been a major challenge.

Kevin McCarthy and Paul Ryan, divided over Trump, see different futures for the Republican Party

Washington Post

On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) traveled to the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda for a foreign policy address with Robert O’Brien, President Donald Trump’s final national security adviser, at his side.

See also:

● Editorial: Kevin McCarthy’s downward spiral Washington Post

● Spotlight turns to GOP's McCarthy in Jan. 6 probe The Hill

State:

COVID Update:

● Mu coronavirus variant recorded in 167 people in L.A. County Los Angeles Times

● Covid closes rural California schools as Delta variant spreads EdSource

Voting behaviors in California are changing and why that matters

CalMatters

More voter education is needed to inform Californians of available voting options and to reduce the number of rejected ballots.

California recall pulls Gavin Newsom left and Larry Elder right. What about the middle?

Sacramento Bee

With a new TV ad featuring liberal darling Bernie Sanders and press conferences highlighting vaccine requirements he’s imposed, Gov. Gavin Newsom is making a play for the left in his fight to hold on to his office.

● Facebook, social media giants should limit Newsom recall misinformation, civic groups say Sacramento Bee

● Recall candidate Larry Elder says sex ed ‘has no role in school’ in message to Rocklin church Sacramento Bee

● Latinos, disproportionately stricken by COVID, hold voting power in California recall Modesto Bee

● Early ballot returns suggest strong local interest in recall election Bakersfield Californian

● Countdown California: The recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom KCRW

● Vaccines, unemployment, housing, drought: Where top recall candidates stand on the issues Los Angeles Times

● Who is a crime victim? California recall election intensifies painful divide over reform Los Angeles Times

● To fight the recall, Newsom and allies spent $36 million in August alone Los Angeles Times

● These tech investors are spending big on either side of California recall effort Los Angeles Times

● Has California’s unique brand of direct democracy gone too far? Recall is ultimate test Los Angeles Times

● In red California, Trump’s lies about a rigged election echo among recall supporters Los Angeles Times

● Nicholas Goldberg: You think California’s recall system is dangerous? Check out the initiative process Los Angeles Times

● Skelton: The math is simple — California Republicans probably won’t pull off Newsom recall Los Angeles Times

● Column: The national cavalry has come to help Newsom. But anti-recall effort is still mostly a California fight Los Angeles Times

● Column: Larry Elder is the most Latino candidate in California’s recall. It won’t help him Los Angeles Times

● Newsom death penalty moratorium could come to an end if he loses recall election San Francisco Chronicle

● Why won't all write-in votes count in California's recall election? San Francisco Chronicle

● Republicans are fumbling the recall because they haven't captured moderate Californians San Francisco Chronicle

● Kamala Harris to visit Bay Area on Wednesday to campaign with Newsom Mercury News

● Meet David Sacks, Gavin Newsom’s loudest critic in Silicon Valley San Diego Union-Tribune

● Why is Larry Elder focusing so much on reaching out to Latino and Asian voters? CalMatters

● What one thing do Republican recall candidates blame for California’s housing crisis? CalMatters

● California Gov. Gavin Newsom enters final stage of recall election fight

Washington Post

● Opinion: Homelessness Is Behind the Anger at Gavin Newsom Wall Street Journal

● Is Elder torching the recall? Politico

● Harris will head to California to fight Newsom recall Politico

● ‘I barely know what the recall is’: central California voters puzzle over crucial vote The Guardian

● Latinos, disproportionately stricken by COVID, hold voting power in California recall Brookings

Walters: California housing plans need an overhaul

CalMatters

For more than a half-century, California has been trying to nudge county and city governments into generating enough new housing to handle an ever-increasing demand.

Call 988: California finds $20 million to help pay for new crisis hotline

CalMatters

After weeks in which funding to make the hotline work in California seemed uncertain, the state Department of Health Care Services announced late today that it would spend $20 million to help support the 9-8-8 network.

California Assembly advances bill to permanently strip badges from bad law enforcement officers

abc30

Bad law enforcement officers could permanently lose their badges under a bill advanced by California lawmakers on Friday, a year after a similar measure died in the waning hours of the legislative session.

Newsom and California lawmakers hit an impasse on financing bullet train

Los Angeles Times

A battle to secure an additional $4.2 billion for the California bullet train has hit an impasse, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders failing to reach a compromise Friday.

Every California voter would get a mail ballot if Newsom signs this bill

San Francisco Chronicle

Every voter in California would receive a mail ballot in all future elections if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill sent to him Friday by the state Legislature.

California Bill Could Alter Amazon Labor Practices

New York Times

That labor model could begin to change under a California bill that would require warehouse employers like Amazon to disclose productivity quotas for workers, whose progress they often track using algorithms.

DAs and sheriffs elected in 2022 would get an extra 2 years in office under state bill

Daily News

California district attorneys and county sheriffs elected in 2022 would get an extended six-year term under a bill moving through the Legislature designed to increase voter turnout.

CalChamber Board of Directors Names Jennifer Barrera as Next President and CEO

CalChamber Advocacy

The California Chamber of Commerce today announced the appointment of Jennifer Barrera as the organization’s next President and CEO, effective October 1. CalChamber’s Board of Directors voted to appoint Barrera to the leadership role at their September meeting today.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● Federal Health Officials Want The White House To Slow Its COVID Booster Shot Rollout VPR

● Fauci: Three doses of COVID vaccine likely needed for full protection Mercury News

● ‘Religious’ exemptions add legal thorns to looming vaccination mandates Los Angeles Times

● As coronavirus fears spike, Biden’s ratings sag and workers split on vaccine mandates, Post-ABC poll finds Washington Post

● Why We Can’t Turn the Corner on Covid Politico

Supreme Court Upholds New Texas Abortion Law, For Now

NPR

The vote was 5-4, with three Trump-appointed justices joining two other conservative justices. Dissenting were conservative Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's three liberal justices.

● Supreme Court Declines to Block Restrictive Texas Abortion Law Wall Street Journal

● Justice Department Looks for Ways to Challenge Texas Abortion Law Wall Street Journal

● Column: The end may be coming for Roe vs. Wade. But abortion will still be legal in many states Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: How the Texas abortion law could spawn threats to other constitutional rights Los Angeles Times

● Key facts about the abortion debate in America Pew Research Center

● Editorial: Women will die because of Texas abortion law decision Mercury News

Infrastructure Bill Could Influence How States Select Transportation Projects

Wall Street Journal

Included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill now before the U.S. House of Representatives are a pair of provisions that could spur states to rethink how they allocate scarce transportation dollars.

Progressives’ Tax-the-Rich Dreams Fade as Democrats Struggle for Votes

Wall Street Journal

Progressive Democrats, who had hoped unified party control of the government could spur transformative tax increases on multinational companies and wealthy individuals, look like they will have to settle for a more modest outcome.

Opinion: The harsh truth of this moment: Republicans understand power. Democrats do not.

Washington Post

Democrats look like they’re the ones with the greater share of political power in America today, holding both the White House and Congress. So why do they so often seem weak and ineffectual, while Republicans ruthlessly employ every shred of power they have?

Biden Tells Justice Department to Declassify 9/11 Probe Documents

Wall Street Journal

President Biden on Friday ordered the review and possible release of previously withheld government documents related to the Sept. 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center that could shed new light on the role of accomplices in the plot that killed nearly 3,000 people.

2020-2021 U.S. Supreme Court Term Recap

American Bar Association

With regards to labor and employment law decisions, the 2020-2021 U.S. Supreme Court term lacked the pizzazz of prior terms. The Court, however, issued a few noteworthy decisions, and the term offered an opportunity to gauge the Court’s new composition.

See also:

● Editorial: Kavanaugh to the Liberal Rescue Wall Street Journal

Biden’s job approval has entered dangerous territory

AEI

If the president rebounds, Democrats will have a successful 2022, even if they narrowly lose the House. If he declines much further, however, it could turn into an ugly rout.

● Biden is appointing judges faster than Trump, and most everyone else—for now Brookings

Senate Democrats’ tax options include big farm gains exemption

Roll Call

Senate Finance Committee Democrats are considering new taxes on executive pay, stock buybacks, billionaires’ unrealized stock gains and plastic packaging materials among other options as the panel looks to cover costs of their planned $3.5 trillion budget.

The Senate’s new cannabis reform bill can do more for drug war-targeted communities

Brookings

The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act is the most comprehensive piece of cannabis reform legislation ever introduced in Congress. It takes seriously the numerous questions left open in previous legislative proposals.

Other:

Misinformation on Facebook got six times more clicks than factual news during the 2020 election, study says

Washington Post

A new study of user behavior on Facebook around the 2020 election is likely to bolster critics’ long-standing arguments that the company’s algorithms fuel the spread of misinformation over more trustworthy sources.

Partisan divides in media trust widen, driven by a decline among Republicans

Pew Research Center

In just five years, the percentage of Republicans with at least some trust in national news organizations has been cut in half – dropping from 70% in 2016 to 35% this year. This decline is fueling the continued widening of the partisan gap in trust of the media.

Opinion: Reclaiming Our Independence From Big Tech

Wall Street Journal

Google can swing an election. Facebook knows more about you than your spouse does. Amazon’s Alexa can record your living room conversations. Yet for all the talk about the Big Tech threat, these companies keep getting bigger, more powerful and more abusive.

Opinion: The Minimum Voting Age Should Be Zero

New York Times

All citizens should be allowed to vote, regardless of their age. The minimum voting age should be zero, with parents and guardians casting the vote for their small children.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 12, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "LAO Report on Safe Drinking Water" - Guest: Rachel Ehlers, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst - Legislative Analyst's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 12, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “"Valley Water: Where & Why is it Unsafe to Drink?"- Guests: Ellen Hanak, Director - PPIC Water Center; Sarge Green, Research Scientist - Fresno State's CA Water Institute. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farmworker shortage raises worries grapes will go unpicked

Bakersfield Californian

The signs first appeared last fall when Central Valley table grape growers couldn't find enough workers to prune their vines.

California’s lucrative almond orchards face a reckoning with drought, climate change

Sacramento Bee

First came the asparagus field. Then came the melons. And now Joe Del Bosque is considering the unthinkable: tearing out a sprawling almond orchard bursting with healthy, nut-producing trees.

● Drought has farmworkers dreaming of escape from California’s breadbasket Los Angeles Times

Senate Democrats’ tax options include big farm gains exemption

Roll Call

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Public Safety:

Fresno chief says he’s adopted some police reform recommendations. Here they are

Fresno Bee

Fresno police have implemented nine new policies recommended by the Commission on Police Reform, including some related to use-of-force, according to an update Friday from Chief Paco Balderrama.

● Fresno police chief says gang suppression is reducing violence. Here’s the latest Fresno Bee

Contentious Tower Theatre protest ends with order to disperse, arrest of woman

Fresno Bee

California Assembly advances bill to permanently strip badges from bad law enforcement officers

abc30

Interactive map of current air quality for California and across the U.S.

Sacramento Bee

As wildfires continue to burn across Northern California, air quality is top of mind for many. The air has been hazardous for days in many communities in the region. This interactive map shows community-level air quality readings for all of California.

Call 988: California finds $20 million to help pay for new crisis hotline

CalMatters

Fire:

A year after the Creek Fire, survivors gather to support and celebrate ‘baby steps’ forward

Fresno Bee

“Progress” and “baby steps” were among the descriptions used by Creek Fire survivors to describe the year that followed the destruction of their mountain homes in eastern Fresno County.

Final evacuation orders at French Fire lifted; caution still urged

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Fire Department reported Monday that the final evacuation orders due to the French Fire have been lifted for Keyesville, Alta Sierra, Shirley Meadows, Wagy Flats, Black Gulch and Fulton Peak.

Part 1: 'You Could See The Fire, You Could See The Flames'

VPR

Smoke from the Creek Fire billows from a hillside near Mammoth Pool Reservoir on Saturday, September 5, 2020. By this time, the fire had been burning for less than 24 hours, and had ignited more than 10 miles away from the reservoir.

Caldor Fire: Firefighters get a break as South Lake Tahoe escapes damage, but danger still looms

Mercury News

South Lake Tahoe so far has been spared — in part thanks to a lucky break in the weather, but it’s far too early for those on the front lines to feel a sense of relief.

● Evacuation orders are lifted in South Lake Tahoe as crews keep Caldor fire reined in Los Angeles Times

About 7,000 California preterm births linked to wildfire smoke risks, study says

Washington Post

The blazes may affect more than air quality or even human lungs. A recent study attributes as many as 7,000 preterm births in California to wildfire smoke exposure.

An Unsung Pit Crew of California’s Wildfires: Hotel Workers Left Behind

New York Times

They have since become an unsung pit crew working the country’s highest-priority wildfire, feeding and refueling thousands of firefighters arriving here to battle a blaze the size of Dallas.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Podcast: Changing the narrative on fighting poverty with Michael Tubbs

The Imprint

On this week’s podcast we discuss a new proposal to boost funding for preventing and investigating child maltreatment, a controversial proposal to permit Medicaid in foster care institutions, and movements on legal counsel in Minnesota and Texas.

Jobs:

Losing your unemployment benefits in California? Here are ways to find jobs and get help

Sacramento Bee

Millions of Californians will suddenly find next week they no longer have federally funded unemployment benefits for the first time in months. That could mean some of them will have to rely on other safety net programs.

● As unemployment benefits end, Californians find themselves dipping into savings, retirement Sacramento Bee

● More than 2 million Californians set to lose unemployment benefits CalMatters

● Millions in U.S. lose jobless benefits as federal aid expires, thrusting families and economy onto uncertain path Washington Post

Why America has 8.4 million unemployed when there are 10 million job openings

Washington Post

A mystery sits at the heart of the economic recovery: There are 10 million job openings, yet more than 8.4 million unemployed are still actively looking for work.

See also:

● U.S. Jobless Claims Rise but Hold Near Pandemic Low Wall Street Journal

● U.S. Hiring Slowed Sharply in August Wall Street Journal

Majorities of Americans say unions have a positive effect on U.S. and that decline in union membership is bad

Pew Research Center

Most Americans also say the long-term decrease in the percentage of workers represented by unions is bad for working people in the U.S., and for the country as a whole, according to recent Pew Research Center surveys.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Clovis Unified pro-union group alleges ‘surveillance campaign’ in latest complaint

Fresno Bee

Editorial: Angry words, recall threat, hurt Armenian pride: Fresno Unified board is in turmoil

Fresno Bee

The antagonism on public display recently between Fresno Unified School District trustees leaves one wondering if this board has reached a new low point.

Visalia teachers struggle as COVID cases forces more work, less planning

Visalia Times Delta

6 Strategies To Make Classrooms Safer As The Delta Variant Spreads

VPR

It's the kind of news story that keeps parents of school-age children up at night: Kids go to school, dutifully wear masks, and still half the class ends up infected with the coronavirus.

● Covid closes rural California schools as Delta variant spreads EdSource

● Child Covid-19 Cases Rise in States Where Schools Opened Earliest Wall Street Journal

● Kids Anxious About Going Back to School? Here Are Some Signs Wall Street Journal

Schools Use Covid-19 Tests to Keep Students Out of Quarantine

Wall Street Journal

Some schools are trying a new plan to keep students safely in the classroom: Rather than quarantining children who have an in-school contact with a positive case, they are testing them. A lot.

Student reassignments achieve diversity without academic adversity

Brookings

School desegregation works. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that federal efforts to enforce Brown v. Board of Education and dismantle separate and unequal systems of public education improved Black children’s life trajectories.

Higher Ed:

Zoom Event: “Fresno State, Stanislaus State and CSU Bakersfield: Increasing Their Role in Local Economic Growth and Inclusion”

The Maddy Institute

California’s Community Colleges Divided On Vaccine Mandates For Students

Capital Public Radio

Students returning for in-person classes at California’s publicly-owned four-year colleges and universities this fall will be required to show proof of vaccination. Most students attending community college in California won’t have the same safeguards.

A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’

Wall Street Journal

Men are abandoning higher education in such numbers that they now trail female college students by record levels. At the close of the 2020-21 academic year, women made up 59.5% of college students, an all-time high, and men 40.5%.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Fresno matches record for most 100-degree days in a year. Breaking it won’t take long

Fresno Bee

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster this summer

Washington Post

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans live in a county hit by a weather disaster in the past 3 months. On top of that, 64% live in places that experienced a multiday heat wave — phenomena that are not officially deemed disasters but are considered the most dangerous form of extreme weather.

Opinion: Media Can’t Handle the Climate Truth

Wall Street Journal

If “news” is about how today differs from yesterday, the press missed a lot of news in the long-awaited new report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that was issued a few weeks ago.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Here’s what we know about the mu variant

Washington Post

A coronavirus variant known as “mu” or “B.1.621” was designated by the World Health Organization as a “variant of interest” earlier this week and will be monitored by the global health body as cases continue to emerge across parts of the world.

Top federal health officials warn that booster shots initially may be limited to Pfizer recipients

Washington Post

Top federal health officials have warned the White House that the Biden administration’s plan to begin offering booster shots to most Americans later this month may have to be limited initially, with third shots made available only to people who had received the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.

● Opinion: Is Moderna the Tortoise in the Vaccine Race? Wall Street Journal

Why a Covid-19 Vaccine for Children Is Taking So Long

Wall Street Journal

The countdown started as soon as researchers removed the Covid-19 vaccine vials from the freezer at Senders Pediatrics. They had just two hours once the vials thawed to prepare the shots and give them to young children in the clinical trial.

Toss the Clorox Wipes, Stock Up on Masks to Be Safe at Work

Wall Street Journal

What can you do to protect yourself and others in the workplace? First, get the vaccine, doctors and researchers say. Then block the virus particles with a well-fitting, leakproof mask and do whatever you can to ventilate or filter the air around your desk.

The Biden administration needs to take children’s health more seriously

AEI

A recent study suggests COVID-19 is not the only disease threatening our children’s health. The authors found that childhood overweight and obesity rates rose dramatically over the course of the pandemic in a select population of children.

Human Services:

Finally, New Federal Cash Will Bolster Public Health Ranks

PEW

Daniel Daltry, Vermont’s chief of disease investigation, knows exactly what his department is going to do with the extra $1 million it’s slated to receive from the federal government.

IMMIGRATION

Federal judge won’t dismiss lawsuit against ICE in California. What happens next?

Fresno Bee

A U.S. District judge last week denied a government’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the agency’s use of private security guards to make arrests in California’s prisons.

Newsom proposes aid for Afghan refugees settling in California

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom said California will be “a place of refuge” for Afghans fleeing the Taliban, with the governor and legislative leaders announcing on Friday evening a $16.7-million proposal to provide cash assistance to refugees and a partnership with Airbnb.

Rapes of U.S.-Bound Migrants Make a Treacherous Route Even More Dangerous

Wall Street Journal

The thick jungles of Panama’s Darién Gap have long been a treacherous part of the journey for many migrants trying to make their way to the U.S. from South America. Now, the area harbors another danger: gangs of armed men who rape migrants headed north.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Housing:

6 months in, Fresno has millions in emergency rent money to distribute. What’s the holdup?

Fresno Bee

PUBLIC FINANCES

Editorial: Biden’s Dream of an IRS Strike Team

Wall Street Journal

When Biden talks of bulking up the IRS, he must be fantasizing about some kind of SEAL Team 6 for audits. His plan is to put another $80B into IRS tax enforcement over 10 years, which the White House claims will raise $700B of revenue that’s being left on the table.

States Began 2021 With Record Personal Income Growth

Pew

More than half of states recorded their strongest personal income growth ever in the first quarter of 2021 as the economic recovery accelerated. Multiple rounds of pandemic-related government benefits drove year-over-year gains in every state.

How Government Can Address Growing Disaster Costs

Pew

The United States pays for disaster assistance through a complicated intergovernmental system that relies on funding from different agencies—from emergency management to housing and transportation.

Opinion: Congress will eventually bail out Social Security – but that will create another set of problems

AEI

So how worried should you be? I’ll turn 65 in 2033, so you’d think I’d be really worried. And yet I’m not, or at least not for the reasons you would think.

TRANSPORTATION

Part of North County Corridor near Modesto moves ahead. When will it open to drivers?

Modesto Bee

WATER

As California restricts water use for farmers, low supply levels add to drought’s harsh reality

PBS NewsHour

California’s re-emerging drought is placing unprecedented strain on the state’s intricate water system, threatening mass agricultural production and basic drinking water in a way experts say is more severe than in years past.

After this desert city faced dry taps, California rushed through emergency water funding

Los Angeles Times

For months, the city of Needles has endured not just scorching hot weather but the possible failure of its single water well, a potentially life-threatening risk for this Mojave desert community of 5,000 residents.

“Xtra”

Why We Celebrate Labor Day And Other Facts About The Holiday You Might Not Know NPR

The very first Labor Day in the country was celebrated in 1882, and it became an official federal holiday in 1894.

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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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