Maddy Institute – April 10, 2020

10Apr

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Employee at Merced County food plant tests positive for coronavirus, company officials say

Fresno Bee

An employee at Kagome’s Los Banos food plant has tested positive for coronavirus, company officials confirmed. Kagome is known mainly for its tomato-based sauces.

Central SJ Valley:

Answering Fresno-area reader questions about coronavirus: When will there be more tests?

Fresno Bee

As coronavirus continues to upend life in the central San Joaquin Valley, The Fresno Bee is here to answer your pandemic-related questions. While we’ve tried to address many of them in our regular coverage, in such a complex and evolving story some topics can slip through the cracks.

Here’s what Fresno businesses are doing during coronavirus, from restaurants to stores

Fresno Bee

Businesses are hurting, but continue to get creative in how they serve customers. And in some good news, some restaurants that were closed are reopening – for takeout only, of course.

● Local business owners report mixed results on relief loan applications Business Journal

Clovis unveils one-stop, online gift-card shop

Business Journal

If you’re stuck at home and have an urge to help some of your favorite shops, the City of Clovis, together with other business advocacy groups, has launched an online gift card mall for businesses in the city.

Sun-Maid raisins employee who worked this past weekend tests positive for coronavirus

Fresno Bee

An employee at the Sun-Maid raisin processing facility in Kingsburg has tested positive for COVID-19, the company confirmed Thursday. Sun-Maid said it identified all team members who may have been in contact with the infected employee.

Will Devin Nunes get sued over coronavirus? Activists sue Fox News for misinformation

Sacramento Bee

The Republican congressman continues to downplay the coronavirus threat in his regular Fox News appearances. Now, an activist group is suing Fox for its campaign to mislead viewers about the virus.

GOP wants to reclaim California seats. Here’s why it’s spending heavily in Fresno

Fresno Bee

A major GOP super political action committee announced this week that is already is reserving $1.6 million in TV advertising space against Rep. TJ Cox, the Fresno Democrat who in 2018 defeated Republican Rep. David Valadao.

South SJ Valley:

Kern County Parks Still Open, But Local Officials Say 'Stay Home' Easter Weekend

VPR
Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties have closed their parks to keep people home during the coronavirus pandemic. But Kern County parks are still technically open and with Easter coming up, some residents are worried.

See also:

● Bicycling booms during stay-at-home order Bakersfield Californian

CSUB professor Jeanine Kraybill talks church and state on stimulus support

Kern Radio

Should churches as non-profits be able to access support from the government meant to help businesses? Professor Kraybill breaks it all down.

McCarthy hits 'disgusting' Democratic push for mail-in-voting

Politico

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said it’s “disgusting” that Democrats are pushing to include money for mail-in voting in the next coronavirus relief bill, dismissing the idea as unnecessary despite the pandemic.

● Bipartisan lawmakers make another push for remote voting CBSNews

● COVID-19 Will Make California Elections Challenging but Doable Public Policy Institute of California

● Young People Want To Vote. So How Do We Get Them To The Polls? Forbes

● Voting in a pandemic: Officials sound alarm about November elections CBSNews

● Fact Checker: Trump once again misleads with bogus claims of voter fraud Washington Post

State:

No Politics As Usual For Newsom, Trump During Pandemic

Capital Public Radio

It was only two months ago that Gov. Gavin Newsom called California “the most un-Trump state in America” and taunted the president for losing the golden state by more than 4 million votesin 2016.

California toughens stay-at-home rules as coronavirus cases top 20,000

Los Angeles Times

California has reached another milestone in the coronavirus battle as the number of confirmed cases soared past 20,000 and the state prepared for a weekend of unprecedented restrictions, including efforts to keep people at home during Easter.

● Gov. Newsom provided ‘very little information’ on state’s $1 billion coronavirus mask purchase, lawmakers say Los Angeles Times

● U.S. states share, get creative in hunt for medical supplies Fresno Bee

● Coronavirus: Gavin Newsom defends ventilator loans amid county concerns Visalia Times Delta

● Many California Lawmakers First Learned Of Governor’s Billion Dollar Mask Deal On 'Rachel Maddow' Capital Public Radio

● Newsom assures Californians that the state has enough ventilators in coronavirus fight Los Angeles Times

● Newsom defends sending vents to other states CalMatters

● The art of the deal: California’s alliance could solve the nation’s mask shortage CalMatters

California governor encouraged by drop in ICU placements

Fresno Bee

California saw its first daily decrease in intensive care hospitalizations during the coronavirus outbreak, a key indicator of how many health care workers and medical supplies the state needs, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.

● California’s coronavirus curve: Fewer deaths but a longer stay-at-home requirement Los Angeles Times

Why California says it can afford to lend 500 ventilators to other states

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom defended on Thursday his decision to send 500 ventilators this week to the national stockpile, saying California won’t need the machines for weeks and should in the meantime help states with more dire and immediate coronavirus demands.

● States Competing in ‘Global Jungle’ for PPE U.S. News & World Report

California Announces Support, Discounted Hotels For Health Care ‘Heroes’ During Pandemic

Capital Public Radio

Health care workers who are staying in hotels to be closer to their hospitals or to protect their families from exposure to the coronavirus can get some of those costs reimbursed, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.

● California offers discounted hotel rooms to health workers exposed to coronavirus CalMatters

Newsom’s Ambitious Health Care Agenda Crumbles In A ‘Radically Changed’ World

KHN

This was supposed to be a big health care year for California. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in January unveiled ambitious proposals to help him achieve his goal of getting every Californian health care coverage.

State report: Four things to help unemployed residents

CalMatters

With around 2.3 million Californians filing for unemployment insurance since March 12, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office on Thursday released a report outlining four possible actions the state could take to expand assistance to unemployed workers.

● Undocumented Seniors Are Vulnerable During The Pandemic. Will California’s Budget Give Them Health Care? Capital Public Radio

● What to do if you lost your health insurance amid coronavirus pandemic abcNews

Release: Census Week Efforts Push Ca To 46.1% Household Self-response Rate

California Census

Today, the California Census 2020 Campaign announced that Census responses jumped 9.1 percentage points during Census week – an estimated 1.36 million households self-responded to the Census form. According to self-response data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau from March 30 – April 5, also known as Census Week, rates moved for California as a result of a coordinated outreach campaign.

Federal:

‘A silent explosion’: Coronavirus deaths in U.S. climb past 16,000

Los Angeles Times

Fatalities nationwide surpassed 16,000 on Thursday, with especially deadly outbreaks raging around Detroit and New Orleans and health authorities on the East Coast watching an alarming rise in cases in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington.

● Federal Support Ends For Coronavirus Testing Sites As Pandemic Peak Nears NPR

● Trump vowed to bring drive-thru COVID-19 test sites to store parking lots. Where does that stand? PolitiFact

Trump hits record approval in Fox News poll

The Hill

President Trump has the highest approval rating of his time in office, according to a Fox News poll released Thursday. The Fox News poll found 49 percent of registered voters approve of Trump, his highest point since becoming president. The approval rating is a slight increase from 48 percent in March and 47 percent in February.

Trump administration pushing to reopen much of the U.S. next month

Washington Post

The Trump administration is pushing to reopen much of the country next month, raising concerns among health experts and economists of a possible covid-19 resurgence if Americans return to their normal lives before the virus is truly stamped out.

More than half of Americans wear masks as coronavirus' new normal takes hold: POLL

abcNews

More than half of Americans who went out in public in the last week say they've worn a face mask, as an overwhelming majority of Americans remain concerned over the reach of the novel coronavirus – and less are optimistic about the fight against and ultimate impact of the outbreak - according to a new ABC News/Ipsos pollreleased Friday.

Senate deadlocks on latest coronavirus relief package for small businesses

Los Angeles Times

Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican effort to add $250 billion to an overwhelmed small business loan program, the latest political standoff in the weeks-long effort to pump trillions of federal dollars to businesses and families dealing with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

See also:

● EDITORIAL: Paycheck Protection Rejection Wall Street Journal

McCarthy hits 'disgusting' Democratic push for mail-in-voting

Politico

● Bipartisan lawmakers make another push for remote voting CBSNews

● COVID-19 Will Make California Elections Challenging but Doable Public Policy Institute of California

● Young People Want To Vote. So How Do We Get Them To The Polls? Forbes

● Voting in a pandemic: Officials sound alarm about November elections CBSNews

● Fact Checker: Trump once again misleads with bogus claims of voter fraud Washington Post

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

● 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

● Coronavirus Daily NPR

● Coronavirus in California by the numbers CalMatters

Elections 2020:

GOP wants to reclaim California seats. Here’s why it’s spending heavily in Fresno

Fresno Bee

‘Don’t know how this is going to look.’ Trump team grapples with an upended campaign

Fresno Bee

President Donald Trump’s campaign is adapting its messaging and fundraising tools for the era of social distancing. But adjusting the core argument of his reelection bid – that the economy is stronger than it was four years ago – is proving to be a much greater challenge.

Joe Biden proposes expanding Medicare eligibility and student debt relief

Los Angeles Times

In a peace offering to progressives a day after Sen. Bernie Sanders quit the presidential race, Joe Biden announced support Thursday for an expansion of Medicare and education policies that move closer to his former rival’s agenda.

● Joe Biden Seeks to Unite Democrats With Medicare, Student-Debt Proposals Wall Street Journal

● Joe Biden Calls For Widespread Student Loan Forgiveness Forbes

● Joe Biden’s next big decision: Choosing a running mate PBS

● Steyer endorses Biden while prodding him on young voters Politico

● Opinion: Bernie is out. Here’s who’ll lead the next big movement. Washington Post

OPINION: Bernie is out. Here’s who’ll lead the next big movement.

Washington Post

It’s Round 59 with rankings wrangler Drew Goins back in the saddle, and we’re here to take on the 67th-most earth-shattering piece of news this past week: that Sen. Bernie Sanders is officially out. 2020 won’t be his year after all, and unless 82 turns out to be the new 78, he’ll be too old to run in 2024.

Coronavirus Clampdown Could Keep Some Candidates Off Ballots

Wall Street Journal

Candidates and incumbent lawmakers are facing difficulties getting the required signatures for ballot access during the coronavirus pandemic, with social distancing and stay-at-home orders making it hard for campaigns to approach people directly.

Republican fundraiser looks to cash in on coronavirus

Politico

A longtime Republican fundraiser sent an email to his clients on Thursday abruptly announcing that he would no longer be working for them. The reason: He saw an opportunity to capitalize on the coronavirus response.

Other:

Don’t be misled by those who are pushing dangerous misinformation about coronavirus pandemic

Media And Public Trust

It is not surprising that with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are those who are attempting to use this crisis to spread misinformation, “phish” for personal information to rip people off and push conspiracy theories about all sorts of dark motives for the virus taking hold across the globe.

The ABA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force

ABA

In response to the growing legal needs of Americans arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19), the American Bar Association has created a nationwide task force of volunteer lawyers and judges from across the legal profession. The task force will identify the legal needs arising from the pandemic, make recommendations to address those needs, and help mobilize volunteer lawyers and legal professionals to assist people who need help.

Commentary: In responding to coronavirus crisis, state and local officials are providing real leadership

CalMatters

State and local governments fashion their own responses to the coronavirus crisis, while the national government is slow, contradictory and confused.

See also:

· Opinion: Lockdowns Won’t Stop the Spread Wall Street Journal

· Opinion: Pandemic proves the wisdom of federalism Washington Examiner

· Opinion: Subsidiarity and Solidarity During a Pandemic RealClearPolicy

Opinion: Can We Engineer a Better Response to COVID-19?

Newsweek

It is becoming increasingly apparent that tackling the coronavirus challenge is going to take a huge cross-sector effort—one in which engineers have important roles to play alongside their biomedical colleagues.

Commentary: Courts, Plagues and Politics

Fox & Hounds

To the conspiracy minded, one might think when it comes to jurisprudence, the coronavirus plague is a scheme thought up by criminal justice reformers to advance their agenda. Consider the movements of late to reduce the number of prisoners and eliminate bail. Because of the coronavirus those things are happening now in California.

Commentary: Don’t let more isolationism and autarky be the legacy of this pandemic

AEI

Things look grim on this side of the global pandemic. COVID-19 is hitting the American economy with a triple blow of business disruption, demand devastation, and wealth destruction. All the forecasts are terribly gloomy. Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the economy is experiencing an “absolutely shocking” downturn with the unemployment rate probably already as high as 13 percent amid what might be an eventual 30 percent annualized contraction in second-quarter GDP.

Sacramento Bee publisher leaves, editor assumes new role

Fresno Bee

The Sacramento Bee parted ways with its president and publisher as part of a series of moves by The McClatchy Co. on Thursday to reduce expenses and maintain journalism operations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California lawmakers call for farmworkers to get hazard pay in new COVID-19 relief package

Visalia Times Delta

If passed, the "California Farmworker COVID-19 Relief Package" will expand paid sick leave to farmworkers, provided supplemental hazard pay of $3 an hour and help create temporary housing to mitigate overcrowding and encourage social distancing.

● Sun-Maid raisins employee who worked this past weekend tests positive for coronavirusFresno Bee

● Employee at Merced County food plant tests positive for coronavirus, company officials sayFresno Bee

Farmers Dump Milk, Break Eggs as Coronavirus Restaurant Closings Destroy Demand

Wall Street Journal

It was still dark outside at four o’clock on a recent morning when a tanker truck poured 6,000 gallons of milk into a manure pit on Nancy Mueller’s Wisconsin dairy farm.

‘Never Seen Anything Like It’: Cars Line Up for Miles at Food Banks

New York Times

In Omaha, a food pantry that typically serves as few as 100 people saw 900 show up on a single day. In Jonesboro, Ark., after a powerful tornado struck, a food bank received less than half the donations it expected because nervous families held on to what they had.

● Celebrity chef Jose Andres on why food is a national security issue PBS

How to keep groceries fresh longer, reduce trips to the store amid COVID-19

WJLA

Stephanie Urrutia says many of the foods in your kitchen you think are perishable can actually be good for months.

A COVID-19 legal checklist for California cannabis businesses

Marijuana Business Daily

With COVID-19 cases skyrocketing across California, Gov. Gavin Newsom in March wisely designated cannabis companies as “essential” businesses. Not only did this set an important precedent for other states, but on a practical level, it means California’s retail licensees and the supply chain that supports them can remain open during the statewide stay-at-home order.

Commentary: Who stands to lose if the final SNAP work requirement rule takes effect?

Brookings

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a final rule that would limit eligibility for SNAP work requirement waivers based on the economic conditions of places across the United States. A nationwide preliminary injunction halting this rule was ordered on March 13, 2020 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; as of April 1 USDA had not appealed.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California rules gang enhancements can carry life without parole terms

Mercury News

A gang enhancement murder case that carries a life without parole sentence is not a violation of the United States’ prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, a California appeals court ruled this week.

The coronavirus pandemic should be the start, not the end, of criminal justice reform, a California lawmaker says

Business Insider

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has many of us rethinking a lot of our priors — our reliance on physical office spaces in the digital age; on health systems that discourage the ill, and contagious, from taking time off to receive care; and on pre-pandemic modes of lockdown, in prisons and jails, that even in the best of times degrade the physical and mental well-being of those inside.

Public Safety:

Have you tried Zoom? Here’s how Fresno County Superior Court is using it

Fresno Bee

Fresno County Superior Court has begun arraigning dozens of defendants using the popular video conferencing app Zoom as a way to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus.

California jail watchdogs won’t keep track of COVID-19 cases in lockups. Activists want answers

Fresno Bee

California’s jail watchdogs have no plans to collect and publish information about how many inmates and employees have been infected with the coronavirus, the state board overseeing county lockups said Thursday.

California cities – and some stores – now requiring face masks during the coronavirus crisis

Sacramento Bee

In a sudden reversal, health officials around California are now telling people to wear masks in public – and in some cases mandating that usage – just a week after some expressed doubts about the value of masks in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

Is it safe to travel and see family for the holidays?

PolitiFact

For many people all over the country, that typically means holiday travel for Passover, Easter, Ramadan or late spring breaks.

Fire:

Coronavirus forces new approaches to fighting wildfires

Stockton Record

They are two disasters that require opposite responses: To save lives and reduce the spread of COVID-19, people are being told to remain isolated. But in a wildfire, thousands of firefighters must work in close quarters for weeks at a time.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Here’s what Fresno businesses are doing during coronavirus, from restaurants to stores

Fresno Bee

Businesses are hurting, but continue to get creative in how they serve customers. And in some good news, some restaurants that were closed are reopening – for takeout only, of course.

● Local business owners report mixed results on relief loan applications Business Journal

Clovis unveils one-stop, online gift-card shop

Business Journal

How can California workers, economy recover from coronavirus crisis? Experts take your questions

Fresno Bee

Bitwise Industries CEO Jake Soberal and Cedric Brown, chief foundation officer of the Kapor Center, will answer readers’ questions about how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting jobs and workers across the state, what resources are available to provide help, and discuss how the state’s workforce can rebound once the COVID-19 pandemic passes.

U.S. Stocks Log Best Week Since 1974

Wall Street Journal

U.S. stocks soared Thursday to post their biggest week of gains since 1974, extending a remarkable rally despite evidence of increasing economic strain due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Americans fear coronavirus outbreak will leave U.S. in recession - CBS News poll

Forbes

Americans have an increasingly negative view of the economy's financial health, and their prognosis for it is not upbeat: only a third expect this downturn to be temporary. And as often happens, many are interpreting the nation's economic fate through their own experience.

Commentary: Marketing your business during COVID-19

Business Journal

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of consumers have stopped buying nonessential products and services, impacting tens of thousands of businesses. In addition to this, any advertising a company is running that’s asking for a sale can appear callous and insensitive.

Jobs:

Fresno Amazon employee has coronavirus. Workers wonder why they weren’t notified earlier

Fresno Bee

An employee at Amazon’s Fresno warehouse tested positive for COVID-19, according to a text message sent to all warehouse workers Wednesday evening. The associate was last at the warehouse on March 9, according to the message.

Lost your job? Here’s how to find openings, resources in California during coronavirus crisis

Fresno Bee

Hundreds of thousands of California residents have already lost jobs to the coronavirus pandemic, as sprawling “stay-at-home” orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus shuttered non-essential businesses. The fast-spreading contagion is dealing a financial body slam to affected families as well as to the state’s economy.

Unemployed California workers will get an extra $600 per week. Here’s how to sign up

Fresno Bee

The extra funding, announced Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is part of the federal government’s $2.2 trillion economic aid plan, designed to ease the economic pain caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

● Unemployed Californians to get an extra $600 in weekly benefits starting Sunday amid coronavirus crisis Los Angeles Times

● Unemployment benefits in California to jump $600 a week Sunday, bringing maximum to $1,050 San Francisco Chronicle

● Unemployment Benefits in the COVID-19 Pandemic Public Policy Institute of California

● Millions Need Unemployment Benefits. Unfortunately, the Delivery System Is Broken Rand Corporation

● Unemployment Goes Viral Real Clear Policy

● Commentary: The road to workforce recovery AEI

● Commentary: Unprecedented: A brief review of the extraordinary unemployment benefit response to the coronavirus crisis AEI

Record 16.8 million have sought US jobless aid since virus

Fresno Bee

With a startling 6.6 million people seeking jobless benefits last week, the United States has reached a grim landmark: More than one in 10 workers have lost their jobs in just the past three weeks to the coronavirus outbreak.

● Commentary: Economists Expect U.S. Unemployment to Hit a Post-Depression RecordBloomberg

US gig workers and self-employed face delays in jobless aid

Fresno Bee

The federal government’s $2.2 trillion economic relief package for the first time extended unemployment aid to cover those workers when they lose their jobs. Yet most states have yet to update their systems to process these applications.

Will California job losses equal the Great Recession? This economist says it will be worse

Sacramento Bee

Just a couple of weeks ago, economists were saying the coronavirus pandemic could drive unemployment rates in California to 12 percent or higher, rivaling the worst the state endured during the Great Recession.

Campaign seeks to protect domestic workers from everything from fires to coronavirus

Los Angeles Times

As fires raged in California, Socorro Diaz found herself cleaning homes in neighborhoods that had been evacuated. The smoke and ash posed a danger, but employers did not provide the 39-year-old house cleaner with any protective equipment.

Unions push White House for more protective equipment for essential workers

The Hill

Unions for workers outside of the health care field who have been deemed essential are pushing the Trump administration to do more to route protective equipment to workers.

See Also:

● The Future of Public-Employee Unions National Affairs

● Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) and COVID-19 Congressional Research Service

● Worker Safety & Health During COVID- 19 Pandemic: Rights & Resources* National Employment Law Project

● First Responders Fear Being Left Behind in Coronavirus Relief US News

● Coronavirus made doctors and nurses indispensable. So why are hospitals cutting their pay?Mercury News

Coronavirus lawsuits are coming to work, as health and privacy collide

San Francisco Chronicle

Can your employer ask if you are sick? And can you be fired if you are? Those questions, fraught in normal times, are coming to the fore as workers and businesses navigate a new environment where a sick colleague isn’t just an inconvenience, but a potential threat to the company and the workforce.

●

Pay Cuts, Layoffs, and More: How Law Firms Are Managing the Pandemic

The Recorder

Major law firms are adopting drastic measures to shore up their finances and mitigate the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. We will continue to update the list below as the crisis continues.

The Rise of American Minimum Wages, 1912-1968

National Bureau of Economic Research

We describe the economic history of the rise of the American minimum wage between 1910 and 1968. Each new FLSA amendment led to a new peak in the real purchasing power of the national minimum. Exemptions to the FLSA were progressively closed and the share of workers covered finally increased from about 50 percent of the private sector workforce in 1937, to 77 percent of the private sector and 40 percent of the public sector workforce in 1966.

Pay Cuts, Layoffs, and More: How Law Firms Are Managing the Pandemic

The Recorder

Our firm-by-firm guide to how law firms are protecting their bottom lines from the economic fallout of the coronavirus.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno students to get same grades they had last quarter - unless they want to improve

Fresno Bee

Third-quarter grades will be the final grades for all students unless they choose to improve their grades, Nelson said. Seniors will have until May 22 to improve their scores, and all other students have until June 1.

Coronavirus stopped school, not learning for special ed students in Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

But, the barriers for distance learning, including having little or no experience with videoconferencing and the need for electronic devices and consistent access to the internet for typically developing children, quickly became apparent to parents, teachers and the school districts.

No chance ‘to say goodbye’: Stanislaus high school seniors talk of missed experiences

Modesto Bee

When every school in Stanislaus County closed March 19 over the growing threat of COVID-19, “We all assumed we’d be back to school in a month,” said Turlock High senior Rios Rogers. “I never got a chance to say goodbye (to classmates).”

Most parents are worried school closures will leave their students behind, survey finds

EdSource

Four out of 5 parents of California public school students say that school closures from the coronavirus are making them feel stressed, and 9 out of 10 are worried their students will fall behind academically, according to a survey released Wednesday.

● Schools are empty, but the learning goes on Bakersfield Californian

California schools’ response to pandemic varies widely

CalMatters

Parents across the state have had very different experiences when it comes to communication from their children’s school. Wealth inequality appears to be a major factor.

Commentary: Our children’s education should be a priority as California recovers from coronavirus

CalMatters

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed California and the nation into uncharted waters, especially with the impact on our schools.

Higher Ed:

Students with kids are now teachers during coronavirus. How can California colleges help?

Fresno Bee

“Attendance policies that penalize students for not participating in Zoom sessions during regular class time are detrimental to students who are experiencing challenges outside their control,” she said.

UC Davis announces virtual commencement ceremony for graduating class

Fresno Bee

The University of California, Davis announced Wednesday its decision to change its June graduation commencement to a virtual celebration. The university is also considering an in-person ceremony for undergraduate and graduate students, possibly in December.

Couple's donation leads to 500 Chromebooks for BC students without devices

Bakersfield Californian

Due to the indicated high need for technology among students, and the current distant learning curriculum in place during the coronavirus outbreak, Bakersfield College developed the Laptop Loaner to Learn Program, which will provide 500 Chromebooks for students, all thanks to a donation from the Bynums.

California colleges and universities share in $1.7 billion in emergency stimulus funds

EdSource

California’s colleges and universities will see more than $1.7 billion from the new federal stimulus law to help stave off the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but they say more is needed.

Displaced by COVID-19: Moving Out of College Housing

Public Policy Institute of California
With college students already taking courses online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are also faced with moving out of campus housing. It’s a necessary disruption to help keep the virus from spreading, but one that can place students far from academic support and other services precisely when they need support and services most.

New Survey: Pandemic Will Drive Down College Enrollment

Forbes

As many as a fifth of students who had been planning to start college in the fall may not attend, according to a new survey. The reason: diminished family finances because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commentary: Colleges With Empty Campuses Face an Uncertain Financial Future

Bloomberg

The coronavirus pandemic threatens to remake U.S. higher education, speeding the closure of small, financially weak colleges and forcing others to make tough decisions about what they can afford. Even state schools may no longer be immune as tax revenue falls.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

State telemeeting about California fishing ban erupts into chaos. ‘Make fishing great again!’

Fresno Bee

The California Fish and Game Commission abruptly canceled a teleconference Thursday morning amid cries of “make fishing great again!” and “fascists!” before it could consider authorizing a limited ban on sportfishing in some areas.

● Video Conference About California Fishing Ban Canceled After Impassioned Anglers Overtake Meeting Capital Public Radio

Race to save rare California frog beats coronavirus lockdown

Los Angeles Times

Now, the eggs are starting to hatch, scientists say. If they survive to adulthood, they could help California’s state amphibian and largest native frog west of the Mississippi River repopulate some of the waterways where it thrived for hundreds of thousands of years.

Climate crisis: in coronavirus lockdown, nature bounces back – but for how long?

The Guardian

The environmental changes wrought by the coronavirus were first visible from space. Then, as the disease and the lockdown spread, they could be sensed in the sky above our heads, the air in our lungs and even the ground beneath our feet.

Energy:

Trump Says Oil Producers 'Close To A Deal' To Stabilize Cost

Capital Public Radio

Trump said at his daily coronavirus briefing on Thursday that he'd just finished a conference call with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Russia and that he hoped they'd agree on a cut or another solution that would stabilize the cost per barrel.

California Issues First Fracking Permits In Nine Months. But COVID-19 Makes It Even More Complicated.

Capital Public Radio

Last Friday the California Geologic Energy Management Division, CalGEM, issued two dozen new permits for fracking wells. The well stimulation permits went to a company called Aera Energy in Kern County.

Cow poop could fuel California’s clean energy future. But not everyone’s on board

Los Angeles Times

Calgren Renewable Fuels captures that methane before it enters the atmosphere, then injects it into the pipeline network owned by Southern California Gas Co., a utility that serves more than 21 million people from Fresno to the U.S.-Mexico border.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Will antibody tests help us go back to work? California officials are cautious

Fresno Bee

In recent days, Gov. Gavin Newsom has promoted a new antibody test that could determine who is immune to the coronavirus. But California officials are also sounding some cautions about how long it will take.

Race for vaccine intensifies as coronavirus hits Asia with a second wave of outbreaks

Los Angeles Times

Researchers racing to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 face an even more urgent task in light of recent reports that the coronavirus has rebounded in Asia despite efforts to tamp it down.

Community spread of coronavirus in Fresno County continues to rise

Fresno Bee

Fresno County saw another big jump in its daily count of coronavirus cases with 17 new positives test of COVID-19, the county’s Department of Public Health reported Thursday.

● Ten healthcare workers at Los Banos clinic test positive for coronavirus Fresno Bee

● This Fresno County DMV location had an employee test postive for the coronavirus Fresno Bee

● Coronavirus US: CDC report shows 1 person spread COVID-19 to as many as 15 in Februaryabc30

● Kern County reports its third death to coronavirus; total cases increased to 337 Bakersfield Californian

● Calaveras County confirms three more COVID-19 cases Stockton Record

Tulare County faces supplies shortage ahead of expected COVID-19 surge

Visalia Times Delta

But a few weeks away from the expected peak in local COVID-19 cases, the county and local hospitals are already struggling to source personal protective equipment (PPE) and have concerns about other mounting shortages, such as staffing and substances needed for COVID-19 testing.

● Coronavirus update: Tulare County reports 10 dead, 187 COVID-19 patients Visalia Times Delta

● Rural California hoped to be shielded from coronavirus. Now Tulare County has an outbreakLos Angeles Times

Sewage shows we’re undercounting coronavirus cases -- by a lot, MA researchers say

Fresno Bee

Sewage at a major treatment facility in Massachusetts showed there are likely hundreds more people with coronavirus in the area than officials thought, researchers say.

How far has coronavirus spread? This test is a first step in trying to get back to normal life

Los Angeles Times

It has been one of the most glaring unanswered questions of the coronavirus crisis: How much has the virus spread? A new study in Los Angeles County might help provide some answers.

Coronavirus patients are dying on ventilators. It's leading to a debate over the best way to get oxygen into their damaged lungs.

Business Insider

Over a week, Maimonides Medical Center made an unexpected change to how it treated coronavirus patients. Initially, the Brooklyn hospital was racing to put patients on ventilators early on. Now it's relying more on high-flow oxygen therapy, in which oxygen is delivered into the lungs of patients through the nose.

California sees first decrease in coronavirus ICU hospitalizations

The Hill

California state officials are preparing for a worst-case scenario, projecting that a peak in cases will occur in mid-May. Officials fear that the state’s hospital system will become overwhelmed, needing thousands more beds and ventilators, The Associated Press reported.

● Study warns of coronavirus resurgence if lockdowns eased too soon The Hill

Coronavirus now leading cause of death in US

The Hill

COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus that is spreading across the globe, is now the deadliest disease in the U.S., causing more deaths per day than cancer or heart disease.

Smaller Cities Cry Foul on Coronavirus Aid

Wall Street Journal

Mayors of small cities facing big budget shortfalls say they were unfairly cut out of the $2.2 trillion stimulus law, and they are drawing support in Congress to make them eligible for direct aid in future rounds of coronavirus legislation.

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Fuels America’s Loneliness Epidemic

US News

EVER SINCE THE NOVEL coronavirus pandemic forced California to issue a stay-at-home order to prevent spread of the virus, Fred Davis' phone has been ringing almost nonstop. The callers: senior citizens who are shut in, alone and eager to know when the statewide lockdown might end.

See also:

● Coronavirus anxiety? You’re not alone, and here’s how to cope San Francisco Chronicle

● Coronavirus fears highlight importance of mental health in black communities San Francisco Chronicle

● Watch: Taking care of your mental health during the pandemic CalMatters

Human Services:

Answering Fresno-area reader questions about coronavirus: When will there be more tests?

Fresno Bee

Here’s your first look at Fresno’s new emergency hospital to fight the coronavirus

Fresno Bee

The National Guard delivered and set up about 250 beds Wednesday at the exhibit hall in the Fresno convention center to assist regional hospitals to handle mounting cases of COVID-19.

● How state & city officials around the U.S. are preparing for virus surge PBS

Fresno-area blood center joins effort in experimental coronavirus treatment

Fresno Bee

The Central California Blood Center hopes to collect its first plasma donation this week from a patient who has fully recovered from COVID-19 as part of an experimental emergency treatment for patients battling the illness.

Community members band together, make face shields for local front-line workers

Bakersfield Californian

Many throughout the local community have teamed up to create thousands of face shields, as demand increases for front-line workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

● Cleaning and reusing hospital masks: Is it safe? CalMatters

● States Competing in ‘Global Jungle’ for PPE US NewsDistilleries Trying To Make

● Hand Sanitizer During Coronavirus Outbreak Hit Unexpected Fda Roadblocks Newsweek

● A Company Promised Cheap Ventilators to the Government, Never Delivered and Is Now Charging Quadruple the Price for New Ones ProPublica

Public health details COVID-19 treatment site for homeless at Kern County Fairgrounds

KGET
Public health officials unveiled its plan to help house and care for homeless people who test positive for COVID-19. Kern Medical will operate the temporary shelter site with 15 trailers at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Those trailers will be used as isolation units.

Here’s how much equipment California hospitals had stockpiled before COVID-19 hit state

Sacramento Bee

As the new coronavirus emerged as a threat, public health officials in California wanted to gauge the preparedness of the hospitals in the state. They issued a voluntary survey on the availability of personal protective equipment, staff, ventilators and bed space that elicited more than 300 responses from hospital administrators.

Coronavirus taking devastating toll on California healthcare workers

Los Angeles Times

Coronavirus is continuing to take a devastating toll on healthcare workers across the state, according to new data. More than 1,600 healthcare workers have become infected, a number of them through sources outside work, and officials say they are alarmed at the pace.

See also:

● First Responders Fear Being Left Behind in Coronavirus Relief U.S. News & World Report

Covered California, Dept. of Health offer insurance coverage to unemployed

Bakersfield Californian

Anyone uninsured and eligible to enroll in health coverage through Covered California can sign up through the end of June, according to a news release from Clinica Sierra Vista.

● What to do if you lost your health insurance amid coronavirus pandemic abcNews

Chinese Doctors at Coronavirus Hub Say Evidence on Chloroquine Is Inconclusive

Wall Street Journal

Chinese doctors who have for months treated patients on the front lines of China’s fight against the new coronavirus offered a sobering assessment of the potential treatments, saying they hadn’t seen clear evidence that drugs such as chloroquine were effective.

Opinion: Insurers Can’t Cover Everything

Wall Street Journal

Businesses everywhere are turning to insurers to cover losses from the novel coronavirus. But their policies weren’t written or priced to deal with pandemics. Lawmakers should work with the industry to help businesses, rather than trying to compel insurers to pay for the damage.

IMMIGRATION

Immigrant groups urge Trump to automatically renew DACA work permits amid coronavirus

Fresno Bee

Immigrant advocates want the Trump administration to automatically renew applications for an Obama-era program that allowed thousands of undocumented young people to remain in the country.

Federal judge orders release of four immigrant detainees in Bakersfield and Yuba County over coronavirus concerns

Bakersfield Californian

A federal judge has ordered the release of four detainees being held at immigrant detention centers in Bakersfield and Yuba County on the grounds their medical conditions put them at risk of fatally contracting the new coronavirus.

Trump administration, citing coronavirus, expels 10,000 migrants in less than 3 weeks

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration has quickly expelled roughly 10,000 migrants to Mexico and other countries in less than three weeks since imposing its most severe immigration restrictions yet in response to the coronavirus outbreak, officials said Thursday.

● Trump quietly shuts down asylum at US borders to fight virus Business Journal

● Coronavirus Finds Fuel in a World of Migrants New York Times

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

This private Delta island sold fast in California — for $43,000

Fresno Bee

A private island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta sold Wednesday for $43,000 in an all-cash deal. The property can only be accessed by watercraft. It had been in the hands of the current owners since 1986. The couple used it for recreation and family events.

Kern County Parks Still Open, But Local Officials Say 'Stay Home' Easter Weekend

Housing:

Homeless with coronavirus? These new trailers may be your new destination

Bakersfield Californian

On Thursday, Kern Medical Center debuted a setup of 15 camping trailers that will be used to house people living on the streets or in group homes who contract COVID-19 and would otherwise be forced to self-isolate in local hospitals.

Stockton installs hygiene stations to help protect homeless amid outbreak

Stockton Record

Stockton has installed hygiene stations throughout the city to help the homeless during the ongoing public health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Affordable housing can cost $1 million per apartment in California. Coronavirus could make it worse

Los Angeles Times

At $1.1 million per apartment, the Pearl is the priciest affordable housing project in the state and, likely, the country. It also serves as an alarming example of how political, economic and bureaucratic forces have converged to drive up the cost of such housing at a time when growing numbers of Californians need it.

Coronavirus Batters Spring Home-Selling Season, as New Listings Drop 27%

Wall Street Journal

The coronavirus has hit the normally active spring home-selling season hard, as sellers across the U.S. press pause on listing new homes for sale. New home listings were down about 27% from a year ago in the first week of April, according to listings website Zillow.

TRANSPORTATION

Assemi: Once America defeats COVID-19, it should get to work fixing roads, bridges, ports

Fresno Bee

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting all of us to the test emotionally and financially. We are praying for loved ones fighting the virus and grieving for those close to our hearts who are no longer with us. And we are doing what we can to support the health workers and first-responders battling around the clock to keep us safe.

Bicycling booms during stay-at-home order

Bakersfield Californian

For people cooped up inside all day, unable to get to the gym but badly in need of exercise, that beat-up old bicycle in the garage looks extra appealing these days.

High-Speed Rail Construction Continues During The Pandemic But 'It's Not Business As Usual'

VPR

Constructing the high-speed rail can’t be done from home, so to protect employees from COVID-19, workers are operating differently. Diana Gomez is the Central Valley Regional Director with the High-Speed Rail Authority.

CARES Act to aid California transit

Transportation Today News

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said the recently signed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, which included federal funds for transportation systems nationwide, would aid California transit.

WATER

State telemeeting about California fishing ban erupts into chaos. ‘Make fishing great again!’

Modesto Bee

“Xtra”

Ellie Bluestein, Fresno peace activist and Raging Grannies member, dies at 91

Fresno Bee

Ellie Bluestein had a way of pulling people together, whether it was a teacher, mediator, activist or community organizer. “You never said no to Ellie,” says Pat Wolk, a fellow Fresno peace activist and friend who met Bluestein in the 1970s.

Painful church closures, canceled Easter events, but Fresno’s faithful find new ways to help

Fresno Bee

The Rev. D.J. Criner of Saint Rest Baptist Church in southwest Fresno misses hearing his congregation call out “amen” and “preach pastor” on Sunday mornings. Those spirited blessings are now popping up instead via texts on his iPad as his sermons are streamed live.

Ready for some popular fair cinnamon rolls? This is where you can find them in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Hot cinnamon rolls will be available Saturday when The Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls plans to set up its mobile business in Fresno at the corner of Shaw Avenue and Van Ness in the Pardini’s parking lot.

How Can We Make Farm Work Healthier? (Streaming Online)

Zócalo Public Square

On Tuesday, April 14th, organic farmer and artist Nikiko Masumoto, Huron Mayor Rey León, health researcher Chia Thao, and Tania Pacheco-Werner, co-assistant director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, visit Zócalo to consider how to make farm work healthier.

Yosemite Posted a Gorgeous Video

California Sun

The video shows wildlife roaming the people-free valley.