POLICY & POLITICS
What does leadership look like in your community?
James Irvine Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Leadership Awards – a $250,000 grant for California leaders. Accepting nominations at IrvineAwards.org through May 7, 2021.
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Fewer people are getting COVID vaccines in Stanislaus County. Will after-hours clinics help? Modesto Bee
Modesto officials to discuss city budget, spending $47.3 million pandemic windfall
Modesto Bee
The City Council’s Finance Committee will hold several days of workshops starting Monday for Modesto’s 2021-22 budget year, which starts July 1.
See also:
● Will Turlock fund police, fire chief jobs? What to expect in upcoming budget workshop Modesto Bee
Modesto is one of the most popular housing markets, but inventory is running out
Modesto Bee
According to data from Realtor.com, Modesto was among the 20 “hottest” real estate markets in the country for March 2021, a ranking based on market demand and the pace of the market as measured through listings on Realtor.com’s website.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● COVID-19 update: Significant drop in active cases in county Porterville Recorder
● Warszawski: We’ve hit the COVID-19 vaccine plateau far too soon. Time to be selfish, Fresno Fresno Bee
Fresno County Joins Coalition Calling For Statewide Drought Declaration
GVWire
Fresno County has joined a coalition of Central Valley counties requesting a statewide emergency drought declaration in a letter to be presented to Governor Gavin Newsom.
See also:
● Editorial: Another drought, another threat to California farming. Gov. Newsom, are you listening? Fresno Bee
Could the coronavirus ever shut down Fresno-area schools again? The answer isn’t ‘no’
Fresno Bee
As more Fresno-area students return to classrooms part-time more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools, questions linger about whether a new surge of infections and mutating variants could force our campuses to close again.
‘Language barriers’: Will Fresno County election ballots accommodate Arabic speakers?
Fresno Bee
Arabic speakers in Fresno County could soon have access to ballots and voting materials in their language, if California’s Secretary of State Shirley Weber acts promptly on a new resolution.
Life along the tracks: Large encampment on railroad raises concerns for Fresno County
Fresno Bee
A large homeless encampment along the San Joaquin Valley Railroad lines is raising concerns for Fresno County officials and others who think the combination of trains and the residents will end in tragedy.
Another Fresno neighborhood is planning how it’ll look in 30 years. Here’s how to weigh in
Fresno Bee
Residents who have been pushing for changes in the area east of downtown Fresno and north of the city’s industrial triangle now have an opportunity to shape the community in the next two to three decades.
Editorial: Fresno’s Armenian community needs Biden to acknowledge the WWI genocide by Turkey
Fresno Bee
It has been 40 years since a U.S. president called what happened to Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I a genocide. President Biden has an opportunity to end that shameful record.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Kern County Public Health: 20 new COVID-19 cases reported Monday Bakersfield Californian
● Drop in vaccine uptake could mean less supply locally Bakersfield Californian
Phase II of Hart Park master plan approved, meaning more improvements are coming soon
Bakersfield Californian
Some people say everything old is new again. However, that concept may be a work in progress at Hart Park.
Sonya Christian chosen as sixth chancellor of the Kern Community College District
Bakersfield Californian
They tried to keep their choice a secret until the name was announced publicly at the Weill Institute in downtown Bakersfield on Monday.
Renewable diesel revives refinery on Rosedale
Bakersfield Californian
A major industrial property that has sat idle for years in the heart of Bakersfield is coming back to life to refine used cooking oil, rendered animal fats and a canola-related grain called camelina.
State:
COVID Update:
● 10 million Californians fully vaccinated against COVID-19. When could J&J pause end? Fresno Bee
● Should California ban vaccine passports? Here’s why it’s not likely to happen Sacramento Bee
● California encourages venues to require vaccine ‘passports’ — just don’t call them that Los Angeles Times
New California law requires some businesses to rehire workers laid off during COVID
Fresno Bee
Some California employers when rehiring will have to offer jobs first to the former workers they laid off during the coronavirus pandemic under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday.
Californians to start receiving one-time $600 payments as part of state's COVID relief package
abc30
Eligible Californians are about to receive a one-time $600 check as part of the state's coronavirus relief package.
Gavin Newsom has his own petition to fight the recall. Experts say it’s misleading
Fresno Bee
With a likely recall looming, Gov. Gavin Newsom is shoring up his base of supporters using national Democratic stars, small-dollar fundraising pleas, and even his own “petition.”
See also:
● Opinion: Why no Democrat should run in the Newsom recall CalMatters
CalPERS misused credit cards on hotels and events outside Sacramento, audit says
Fresno Bee
CalPERS meeting planners misspent public money on board meetings and conferences held outside Sacramento in 2016 and 2017, according to an internal audit report.
See also:
● CalPERS ahead of earnings goal with absence at top. When will investment chief vacancy hurt? Fresno Bee
● CalPERS employee took $685,000 from 10 retirees to pay her family’s debts, lawsuit says Fresno Bee
Wealth Tax Proposal In California Splits Progressive, Moderate Lawmakers
Capital Public Radio
Progressive lawmakers in California are pushing for an ambitious wealth tax on the ultra-rich, but moderate Democrats have chafed at the idea.
CRC Redistricting Presentation Today
California Citizens Redistricting Commission
Join the California Citizens Redistricting Commission for a Redistricting Basics presentation to learn about redistricting, why it is important, how it affects you and how to participate in the process.
Broadband Is a Vital “Green Strategy” for California
California Emerging Technology Fund
A new Statewide Survey released today by the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) and the University of Southern California (USC) found 55% of workers with access to broadband have been working fully or partly at home during the pandemic, and a large majority of those workers are planning to continue a similar pattern in the future.
Should California reform its marijuana laws? Why advocates want cannabis back on the ballot
Fresno Bee
A new coalition of marijuana advocates wants to put cannabis back on the California ballot aiming to expand access for consumers just five years after voters legalized recreational use.
Need help with a down payment? California Democrats want the state to chip in for homebuyers
Sacramento Bee
California could get in the business of helping first-time home buyers make down payments under a new proposal that aims to lower barriers to ownership in an era of sky-high housing costs.
California soda tax bill dies in another win for Big Soda
San Francisco Chronicle
In the past four years, soft drink companies spent about $5.9 million lobbying California lawmakers and giving to their campaigns or favorite charities.
Editorial: The Republican Party is trying to suppress the vote in this California county. Here’s how
Fresno Bee
You thought voting rights were under siege only in places like Georgia, Florida and Texas? Wrong. There’s a campaign underway to make voting more difficult in parts of California.
Walters: California reverses, now shutting prisons
CalMatters
It was 1981 and then-Gov. Jerry Brown had a problem. California’s 12 prisons were bulging at the seams with more than 28,000 inmates, thanks largely to tougher sentencing laws he signed, and he was told to expect another 20,000 more inmates within a few years.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● More Than Half Of U.S. Adults Have Gotten At Least One COVID-19 Vaccine Dose VPR
● Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 shot Merced Sun-Star
Kamala Harris turns road warrior for the Biden infrastructure and jobs plan
Los Angeles Times
Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to North Carolina on Monday to talk about economic opportunities and electric school buses as part of the Biden administration’s stepped-up efforts to promote its roughly $2-trillion infrastructure, clean energy and jobs spending proposal.
Smaller Corporate Tax Increase Floated at White House Infrastructure Meeting
Wall Street Journal
President Biden and a bipartisan group of lawmakers discussed alternative ways to pay for infrastructure spending, including a smaller increase in the corporate tax rate, as Republicans and Democrats aired possible changes to the size and scope of the package.
Walter Mondale, former vice president and presidential nominee, dies at 93
Los Angeles Times
When Walter Mondale — the pioneering vice president under President Carter — ended up on the losing end of Ronald Reagan’s landmark 49-state landslide in 1984, he fretted that it would dominate, even warp, his legacy.
See also:
● Walter Mondale, Vice President to Jimmy Carter, Dies at 93 Wall Street Journal
White House removes scientist picked by Trump official to lead key climate report
Washington Post
White House officials have removed Betsy Weatherhead, an experienced atmospheric scientist tapped by a Trump appointee to oversee the U.S. government’s definitive report on the effects of climate change, from her position.
Supreme Court Weighs Whether Protected Noncitizens Get Green Cards
Wall Street Journal
The Supreme Court appeared unreceptive Monday to arguments that federal law allows noncitizens to seek lawful permanent residency when they entered the U.S. illegally but were later authorized to remain because of disasters in their homelands.
George W. Bush: Today's GOP is 'isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent, nativist'
The Hill
Former President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that today’s Republican Party is far from what it used to be.
Opinion: Republican moderates need a negotiating lesson
Washington Post
It’s been a rough couple of years for Republican moderates. They lost most of their seats. A reactionary president took over their party. Brooks Brothers went out of business.
Other:
Research undercuts idea that changes to absentee voting in 2020 benefited Democrats
Washington Post
Research from a team at Public Policy Institute of California offers a useful bit of context for those changes. It determined that the expansion of mail-in voting in 2020 often didn’t have a significant effect on turnout, with the exception of states that directly mailed ballots to voters.
Why Business Leaders Are Taking Political Stands
Wall Street Journal
Companies are feeling pressure from younger customers and their own employees to take a position on voting rights, other issues.
Why Political Sectarianism Is a Growing Threat to American Democracy
New York Times
The country is increasingly split into camps that don’t just disagree on policy and politics — they see the other as alien, immoral, a threat. Such political sectarianism is now on the march.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Can Dryland Farming Help California Agriculture Adapt to Future Water Scarcity?
PPIC
Large areas of California farmland, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley, face future restrictions on groundwater pumping to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Opinion: Finding alternatives to agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley
Modesto Bee
A hazy cloud of pollution burdens the residents of the San Joaquin Valley, so together we must get clear about how to end local air pollution.
Editorial: Another drought, another threat to California farming. Gov. Newsom, are you listening?
Fresno Bee
One of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s favorite expressions is “real time,” as in something actually happening at the moment. Well, as a second dry winter has occurred and precious little rain and snow fell, the drought is suddenly real time for Central Valley growers.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Former EDD worker pleads guilty in unemployment fraud case that used Dianne Feinstein’s name
Fresno Bee
A former California Employment Development Department worker who allegedly filed 100 phony unemployment claims - one of them in the name of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. - pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Sacramento.
Public Safety:
Tower Theatre protest mostly quiet as police increase presence
Fresno Bee
Police Chief Paco Balderrama and Mayor Jerry Dyer cite stepped up police presence for a mostly quiet Save The Tower rally at the Tower Theatre on Sunday, April 18, 2021, in Fresno, California.
See also:
● With greater police presence and no ‘outside agitators,’ Tower Theatre protest mostly quiet Fresno Bee
● Police chief, mayor present at Tower Theatre protest to ensure safety abc30
Will Turlock fund police, fire chief jobs? What to expect in upcoming budget workshop
Modesto Bee
The Turlock City Council during a budget workshop Tuesday will review proposals to fund about 40 new and previously frozen positions, including police and fire chiefs, thanks to financial windfall from Measure A.
Gun Rules Advanced in Many States Even Before Recent Shootings
PEW
The spree of mass shootings over the past two months has led to renewed calls for more federal gun restrictions. But even before the most recent violence, state lawmakers were busy enacting measures designed to help solve a uniquely American public health crisis.
Fire:
Fire near Oakhurst contained as evacuation warning is lifted
Sierra Star
An evacuation warning around the ECCO Conference Center north of Oakhurst was lifted after a fire near Highway 41 was quickly contained.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Modesto officials to discuss city budget, spending $47.3 million pandemic windfall
Modesto Bee
The City Council’s Finance Committee will hold several days of workshops starting Monday for Modesto’s 2021-22 budget year, which starts July 1.
Building Racial And Economic Equity Through Home Ownership
CAFwd
California’s commitment to racial justice and economic inclusion is meaningless without dramatic changes that make homeownership a possibility for marginalized racial and economic communities. Homeownership has been the most powerful vehicle for multigenerational wealth creation for the middle class.
Tax Bills May Go Up for Big Companies. It Will Be Hard to Tell How Much.
Wall Street Journal
Public companies aren’t required to disclose the amount of taxes they pay in each of the states or countries where they operate.
Editorial: Child care is in crisis, but we can fix it — and help the economy, too
Los Angeles Times
Our pandemic-stricken society cheered the brave first-responders and medical crews who confronted COVID-19 risks every day, thanked grocery workers and tipped delivery people extra (you did, didn’t you?).
Jobs:
New California law requires some businesses to rehire workers laid off during COVID
Fresno Bee
Some California employers when rehiring will have to offer jobs first to the former workers they laid off during the coronavirus pandemic under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday.
Thousands of California workers legally make as little as $2 an hour. Why that could change
Fresno Bee
In California, home to $14 an hour minimum wage, thousands of workers are being paid as little as $2 an hour. And it’s completely legal.
Work from home forever? After COVID, Californians want to ditch daily commutes, survey says
Mercury News
Californians who swapped mind-numbing traffic and packed trains for “commutes” to a home office or living room don’t want to go back to their old daily grind.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Could the coronavirus ever shut down Fresno-area schools again? The answer isn’t ‘no’
Fresno Bee
As more Fresno-area students return to classrooms part-time more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools, questions linger about whether a new surge of infections and mutating variants could force our campuses to close again.
Clovis Unified middle, high school students returning to campus for 4-day week
abc30
Clovis Unified middle and high school students are headed back to the classroom for a four-day week. On Monday, students are doing their classwork through zoom but will be returning to campus for the rest of the week starting on Tuesday.
Why kids are having a hard time returning to school — especially kindergarteners
Los Angeles Times
Tuesday will be the first day of on-campus instruction for about 40% of elementary students in the country’s second-largest school district. For many, I expect the tears will be tears of joy.
National Institute for Early Education Research
The 2020 State of Preschool report provides a first look at the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on access, quality, and funding for states’ preschool education programs.
Higher Ed:
Sonya Christian chosen as sixth chancellor of the Kern Community College District
Bakersfield Californian
They tried to keep their choice a secret until the name was announced publicly at the Weill Institute in downtown Bakersfield on Monday.
Covid-19 Brings Csub And Community Together
CSUB News
Kern County is in need of n95 masks for its local healthcare workers due to COVID-19, and students at California State University, Bakersfield have skills they wanted to put to use.
State Leaders Weigh In on Higher Education During the Pandemic
EdNote
Winston Churchill once quipped that he avoided “prophesying beforehand, because it is much better policy to prophesy after the event has already taken place.” His words might ring true for many who ventured predictions last spring about how the COVID-19 pandemic would affect higher education in the states.
Zoom Addresses Academic Freedom Concerns
Inside Higher Ed
After canceling controversial online events organized by colleges and universities, Zoom faced a backlash. Now the videoconferencing provider has pledged to let institutions moderate their own content -- with some important exceptions.
How The Pandemic Changed The College Admissions Selection Process This Year
VPR
College-bound high schoolers are making their final deliberations ahead of May 1, the national deadline to pick a school. That day will mark the end of a hectic admissions season drastically shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Clock’s running out on climate change. California says it’s time for giant carbon vacuums
Los Angeles Times
Solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars will go far in helping California and the Biden administration meet their aggressive climate goals — but not far enough. As time runs short, scientists and government officials say the moment to break out the giant vacuums has arrived.
See also:
● California’s winding road ahead to ‘carbon neutrality’ Capitol Weekly
Biden wants US to lead on climate action, but the world needs proof
Sacramento Bee
President Joe Biden aims to prove to the world this week that the U.S. has rejoined the international fight against climate change by vowing cuts in greenhouse gas emissions that are both ambitious and achievable.
Energy:
Renewable diesel revives refinery on Rosedale
Bakersfield Californian
A major industrial property that has sat idle for years in the heart of Bakersfield is coming back to life to refine used cooking oil, rendered animal fats and a canola-related grain called camelina.
Viewpoints: Clean energy can help California fight climate change and prepare for wildfire season
Sacramento Bee
When you are stuck in a hole, putting down the shovel is the first step to getting out. Unfortunately, such wisdom does not always translate into emergency preparedness. As California braces for another fire season and climate-related extreme events, are we better prepared to meet energy demands and maintain a reliable source of electricity for California families?
Opinion: Utilities are trying to stymie rooftop solar in California
CalMatters
Two years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom described Pacific Gas & Electric and the events that led to the deadliest wildfire in state history saying, “It’s about corporate greed meeting climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement.”
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Valley hospitals may delay surgeries due to extreme blood shortage
abc30
In some cases, hospital staff are having to donate blood themselves so they can continue treatment.
When will we know if booster COVID shots are needed? Fauci estimates a timeline
Modesto Bee
Dr. Anthony Fauci says we’ll likely know by this fall whether booster COVID-19 vaccines will be necessary. The nation’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the need for another dose of the vaccine depends on “correlate immunity” against the coronavirus.
See also:
● UCSF doctor says there's 'good evidence' COVID-19 booster shots may not be necessary abc30
Here's why some are experiencing side effects after 2nd Pfizer or Moderna vaccine shot
abc30
As more people are eligible to get vaccinated, reports of side effects after the second Pfizer and Moderna shots are surfacing.
Fewer than 6,000 people have gotten COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, says CDC
The Hill
Roughly 6,000 COVID-19 infections have been reported in fully vaccinated Americans, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said Monday.
The race to untangle the secrets of rare, severe blood clots after Johnson & Johnson vaccination
Washington Post
When an otherwise healthy 48-year-old Nebraska woman arrived at an emergency room after three days of abdominal pain and malaise, doctors discovered a life-threatening puzzle. Her platelets, the colorless blood cells that clump to form clots, had plummeted.
Human Services:
Long-Haul COVID Renews Push to Expand Palliative Care
PEW
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has left an estimated tens of thousands of Americans with long-term debilitating symptoms, has prompted a renewed push to provide full palliative care services to seriously ill patients in their homes.
Child care providers ask state to hold off on in-person inspections
CalMatters
California wants to restart in-person inspections of child care centers. Providers are worried that the inspectors, who may not be vaccinated, could jeopardize the health of their charges and their business.
‘Ripe for fraud’: Coronavirus vaccination cards support burgeoning scams
Washington Post
One account on eBay sold more than 100 blank vaccination cards in the past two weeks, according to The Washington Post’s review of purchases linked to it, and all were illegal, federal regulators say.
IMMIGRATION
ICE to stop using the term 'illegal alien' referring to immigrants
abc30
U.S. immigration enforcement agencies will no longer use the term "illegal alien" in official communications to refer to immigrants in the country, according to two federal government memos distributed on Monday and obtained by ABC News.
See also:
● Federal employees directed to no longer refer to noncitizens and migrants as ‘illegal aliens’ Los Angeles Times
● ICE, CBP to stop using ‘illegal alien’ and ‘assimilation’ under new Biden administration order Washington Post
Supreme Court weighs whether immigrants granted TPS can get green cards
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court may allow the Biden administration to decide how to handle the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have been granted a temporary, but not permanent, right to live and work in the United States.
See also:
● Supreme Court Weighs Whether Protected Noncitizens Get Green Cards Wall Street Journal
Border fiasco spurs a blame game inside Biden world
Politico
Top White House officials have grown increasingly frustrated with Health Secretary Xavier Becerra over his department’s sluggish effort to house thousands of unaccompanied minors, as the administration grapples with a record number of children crossing the southern border.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Modesto is one of the most popular housing markets, but inventory is running out
Modesto Bee
Modesto ranks 12th among the nation’s most popular housing markets, a new survey finds. According to data from Realtor.com, Modesto was among the 20 “hottest” real estate markets in the country for March 2021, a ranking based on market demand and the pace of the market as measured through listings on Realtor.com’s website.
In COVID era, housing authority letters omit key tenant protection info
CalMatters
Public housing authorities in California, especially Los Angeles, have left critical coronavirus relief information out of letters sent to tenants. Advocates say the lack of information could lead to tenants evicting themselves when they don’t have to.
Need help with a down payment? California Democrats want the state to chip in for homebuyers
Sacramento Bee
California could get in the business of helping first-time home buyers make down payments under a new proposal that aims to lower barriers to ownership in an era of sky-high housing costs.
Opinion: A billion dollars to help homeless people should get them into housing
Los Angeles Times
The city of Los Angeles may spend $1 billion trying to make a dent in homelessness next year. That’s a phenomenal amount of money, but of course homelessness is a phenomenally difficult problem.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Californians to start receiving one-time $600 payments as part of state's COVID relief package
abc30
Eligible Californians are about to receive a one-time $600 check as part of the state's coronavirus relief package.
TRANSPORTATION
Group calls California high-speed rail ‘most important thing’ and urges legislature to act
CA High Speed Rail Authority
HSRA is calling on elected officials, environmental justice organizations and voters of California to make their voices heard, and asks Californians to focus on tangible actions to help the state reach targeted greenhouse gas reductions by 2030.
US infrastructure plan spurs talk of Vegas-LA rail service
Bakersfield Californian
Proposed federal infrastructure funding for rail projects has transportation planners taking another look at a Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas passenger route that Amtrak stopped in 1997 and at a high-speed rail line along the congested Interstate 15 corridor to Victorville, California.
See also:
● Buttigieg casts proposed transportation budget as down payment on infrastructure Washington Post
COVID: Risk of transmission lower when middle seats on planes are empty, CDC study says
Mercury News
The last U.S. airline to maintain a social-distancing policy of leaving middle seats empty to lower COVID-19 risk is set to start filling them next month, just weeks after a new federal study found evidence that greater spacing can greatly reduce virus transmission.
State Department To Issue Travel Warnings Amid 'Unprecedented' COVID-19 Risks
VPR
The U.S. State Department on Monday announced plans to expand travel advisories, urging U.S. citizens to stay home as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose "unprecedented risks" around the globe.
Opinion: My friend was killed riding a bike. He wanted cities built for people, not cars
Los Angeles Times
On Friday in Washington, D.C., a bicyclist was killed in a multi-car crash after getting hit by a driver. He’s one of roughly 850 bikers and 6,200 pedestrians who will be killed this year in traffic collisions in the United States, if recent years are anything to go by.
WATER
Fresno County Joins Coalition Calling For Statewide Drought Declaration
GVWire
Fresno County has joined a coalition of Central Valley counties requesting a statewide emergency drought declaration in a letter to be presented to Governor Gavin Newsom.
US West prepares for possible 1st water shortage declaration
Bakersfield Californian
The man-made lakes that store water supplying millions of people in the U.S. West and Mexico are projected to shrink to historic lows in the coming months, dropping to levels that could trigger the federal government's first-ever official shortage declaration and prompt cuts in Arizona and Nevada.
Free bottled water is coming to up to 42,000 Stanislaus-area homes with tainted wells
Modesto Bee
Up to 42,000 people in Stanislaus and Merced counties soon will get free bottled water because their wells are high in nitrate. The cost of at least $1 million a year will be borne by farmers and other parties whose land contributed in the past to the problem.
“Xtra”
Fresno Bee
Joe’s Steakhouse in downtown Fresno has closed. The restaurant with the unique western decor on Van Ness Avenue next to the Spiral Garage has been in business for 15 years.