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:
● Stanislaus County continues in red tier Turlock Journal
● Stanislaus reaches 1,032 deaths, 54,100 positive tests Modesto Bee
● Stanislaus County remains in coronavirus red tier despite elevated case numbers Modesto Bee
● Stanislaus adds 2 deaths, awaits word on tier status Modesto Bee
Modesto, Turlock schools move to in-person graduations, with COVID limitations
Modesto Bee
In-person graduation ceremonies are back, Modesto City Schools has announced — with the caveat that Stanislaus County remains in the red tier of the state’s COVID-19 monitoring system.
See also:
● Schools prepare for return of in-person graduations Turlock Journal
Program will provide clean water to Turlockers impacted by nitrate-laden wells
Turlock Journal
Turlock residents impacted by nitrate groundwater contamination will soon be supplied with safe drinking water as the state seeks out more permanent solutions.
Discussion set Wednesday on how to spend Modesto’s $47.3 million pandemic windfall
Modesto Bee
Modesto officials will discuss Wednesday how to spend the $47.3 million the city expects to receive under the $1.9 billion American Rescue Plan, the federal government’s latest pandemic relief effort.
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.
Editorial: More public in public safety | Part 1: How civilians might help Modesto police
Modesto Bee
Scores of communities have turned, or are turning to, civilian review of police in hopes of enhancing transparency and trust. It’s time for Modesto to join this wave. Our people — and our police — deserve no less than the best system of preserving and protecting.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Fresno, Kings counties moved to orange tier of COVID reopening Fresno Bee
● Fresno, Kings counties move into less-restrictive orange tier abc30
● Fresno, Kings County enter less restrictive orange tier Business Journal
● Tulare County's COVID-19 stats continue to hold steady Porterville Recorder
● Here’s what Fresno County in orange tier means for local restaurants and bars Fresno Bee
● What can open now? Fresno and Kings counties enter orange tier Your Central Valley
‘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.
Faster internet speeds coming to Fresno this week
Business Journal
Two major telecom companies are bringing faster internet speeds to the Fresno area this week, Verizon and Comcast.
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.
Will Fresno’s Convention Center house unaccompanied migrant children? An offer was made
Fresno Bee
Some Fresno city leaders are offering to make the city’s Convention Center available to house unaccompanied migrant children as the minors continue to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.
A 'giant community hug' takes place in Fresno following Chauvin guilty verdicts
Fresno Bee
lmost 100 people gathered for a solemn marking of the guilty verdicts for former officer Derek Chauvin in downtown Fresno Tuesday, April 20, 2021.
Do you need rent help? Here’s how to get coronavirus rent relief in Kings County
Fresno Bee
CityServe, a collaborative of church and community leaders, announced Friday that they would be distributing back rent to renters and landlords beginning April 26. Census data shows that about 47% of the 152,940 Kings County residents are renters.
17,000 pounds of hemp from Fresno is being moved across state lines — and it’s totally legal
Fresno Bee
Ten of thousands of pounds of hemp left Fresno on Tuesday, bound for Denver on the Union Pacific Railroad. And while it may seem insignificant, the implications are profound.
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 Public Health: 9 new coronavirus deaths, 134 cases reported Tuesday Bakersfield Californian
● Kern County updates COVID-19 death data Bakersfield Californian
● Kern County selected for study to estimate prevalence of COVID antibodies in state Bakersfield Californian
Summit pegs Kern's net pandemic impact at $1.7 billion in lost wages
Bakersfield Californian
New research out of Cal State Bakersfield shows the pandemic has had lopsided economic impacts in Kern, boosting some industries and devastating others, for a net loss of $1.7 billion in wages across the county.
Valley Strong pledges $1 million endowment to CSUB in support of B3K
Bakersfield Californian
Valley Strong Credit Union has committed to giving Cal State Bakersfield a $1 million endowment that will pay for a research fellowship supporting the B3K regional economic development collaboration.
We keep improving, but Bakersfield still ranks among the most polluted cities in America
Bakersfield Californian
The American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" report is not going to surprise a lot of Bakersfield residents — or just about anyone living in the San Joaquin Valley. Bakersfield and much of the valley are still among the most polluted areas of the country.
Historic Preservation Commission designates Cross of Palms 'Area of Historic Interest'
Bakersfield Californian
The city of Bakersfield's Historic Preservation Commission was not shy about where it stood Tuesday afternoon in regard to the historic value of a cross-shaped stand of ancient palm trees in northwest Bakersfield.
Bakersfield looks to add 30 electric vehicle charging stations throughout city
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council is poised to dramatically expand the number of electric vehicle charging stations available on public property.
Community leaders provide comment on Derek Chauvin verdict
Bakersfield Californian
The following comments were shared with The Californian following the guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
State:
COVID Update:
● Coronavirus California: Map shows which counties can, can't reopen under reopening tiers abc30
● Delayed School COVID Results, Canceled Games and Contamination Concerns – More Trouble For CA COVID Lab CBS Sacramento
GOP lawsuit over Newsom’s COVID powers faces tough questions from California judges
Fresno Bee
Republican lawmakers faced tough questions from appeals court judges on Tuesday in a case where they argue Gov. Gavin Newsom overstepped his executive power when issuing orders related to the pandemic.
As California recall looks likely, hard work begins for GOP
Fresno Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's critics almost certainly have qualified a recall election for the ballot, a remarkable feat in the heavily Democratic state. Now the real work begins.
Need help with a down payment? California Democrats want the state to chip in for homebuyers
Fresno 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.
Lake County News
Gov. Newsom has joined a bipartisan group of 12 governors from across the country calling for the Biden Administration to create a path to ensure that all new vehicles sold in the U.S. will be zero-emission in the near future.
Broadband For All Funding Plan
CAFwd Action Fund
A California business coalition respectfully request a one-time appropriation of $8 billion to make a serious, concentrated effort to help close the Digital Divide.
Walters: Newsom puts rosy spin on job report
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom, facing a recall election, puts positive spin on latest job numbers, but the reality is cloudier.
Opinion: California chases away citizens, startups, and, perhaps, the internet industry it invented
AEI
California’s net neutrality law exemplifies how the state’s heavy-handed regulations are causing citizens and businesses to flee.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● Newly Reported Infections Fall in the U.S. Wall Street Journal
● US may soon reach a tipping point on Covid-19 vaccine demand. Here's why that's concerning CNN
● COVID and travel: US warns against visiting 80% of world due to COVID-19 abc30
Biden's long, twisting road toward managing the George Floyd verdict
Politico
President Joe Biden renewed his calls Tuesday for action to address racial discrimination in policing and the criminal justice system, in response to the guilty verdict of the former police officer who killed George Floyd in Minneapolis last May.
See also:
● Biden to George Floyd's family after Derek Chauvin verdict: 'We're so relieved' abc30
● George Floyd’s death sparked calls for police reform. Why hasn’t Congress acted? Los Angeles Times
● Biden calls for confronting systemic racism after Chauvin convicted of murder in Floyd’s death Washington Post
● Chauvin Verdict Brings Nationwide Response Wall Street Journal
● Nancy Pelosi speech after Derek Chauvin murder verdict panned as offensive SFGate
● Editorial: Chauvin’s conviction is not our exoneration Los Angeles Times
House of Reps passes ‘Paycheck Fairness Act’
Business Journal
Introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, (D-Conn), H.R. 7 would require employers to prove that any pay disparities between men and women employees are job related and consistent with business necessity, among other provisions, if enacted.
Biden to Back Temporary Extension of Larger Child Tax Credit
Wall Street Journal
President Biden told a group of lawmakers that he intends to propose a temporary extension of an enhanced child tax credit, rebuffing requests from some Democrats who favor making the new benefit permanent.
See also:
● Biden’s Big Agenda Relies on a Shrunken, Strained Agency: The IRS Wall Street Journal
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.
Senators squabble over voting rights, underscoring deep division on state efforts
Roll Call
A divisive Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday made it clear that Senate action on voting rights remains highly unlikely under the chamber’s current rules, as 47 states consider hundreds of proposed laws that would make it harder to vote.
Other:
Plan on it: Voter turnout next year will be down
Roll Call
Turnout in the 2022 midterm elections will be down. Guaranteed. But it’s not because of any voting access legislation percolating at the state and local levels. It’s because turnout is always down in midterm elections compared with presidential years.
America’s Health and The 2016 Election: An Unexpected Connection
The Health Care Blog
Donald Trump’s stunning upset victory has occasioned a lot of searching among political analysts for an underlying explanation for the unexpected turn in voter sentiment.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
17,000 pounds of hemp from Fresno is being moved across state lines — and it’s totally legal
Fresno Bee
Ten of thousands of pounds of hemp left Fresno on Tuesday, bound for Denver on the Union Pacific Railroad. And while it may seem insignificant, the implications are profound.
Price-gouging at California grocery store included 400% markups, prosecutor says
Fresno Bee
A California grocery store accused of price-gouging early in the COVID-19 pandemic has pleaded guilty. The store Apna Bazar in Pleasanton will donate $20,000 to a local food bank as part of the plea deal, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Derek Chauvin found guilty in George Floyd’s death
Fresno Bee
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have called the family of George Floyd following the guilty verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump posted video to Twitter of the family receiving the call.
See also:
● Reactions pour in after Derek Chauvin guilty verdict in George Floyd's death abc30
● George Floyd's family calls verdict in Derek Chauvin trial a victory: 'We won' abc30
● Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death Bakersfield Californian
● Derek Chauvin Found Guilty Of George Floyd's Murder VPR
● Derek Chauvin Guilty of Murder in Death of George Floyd Wall Street Journal
● Column: The guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial won’t be enough for real progress Los Angeles Times
CalPERS expects criminal charges against ex-employee accused of defrauding retirees
Fresno Bee
CalPERS attorneys expect criminal charges to be filed against a former employee accused of defrauding retirees, the retirement system’s lead attorney said Tuesday.
Public Safety:
Will California change policing?
CalMatters
It’s crunch month for California legislators who promised sweeping reforms in response to the police killing of George Floyd and the protests his death unleashed.
Commentary: Student safety in Fresno means no more police at school campuses
Fresno Bee
As young students of color, recent events have once again reignited fear for our lives. When we watch police shoot and kill 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Chicago and Minneapolis, we know that could happen to us.
Editorial: More public in public safety | Part 1: How civilians might help Modesto police
Modesto Bee
Scores of communities have turned, or are turning to, civilian review of police in hopes of enhancing transparency and trust. It’s time for Modesto to join this wave. Our people — and our police — deserve no less than the best system of preserving and protecting.
Fire:
How bad will California’s fire season be? Experts on the threat – and what can be done
The Guardian
Hillsides typically decked in colorful flowers are parched and splotched with brown. The so-called desert “superbloom” never materialized.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Business webinars will focus on government recovery programs
Bakersfield Californian
A pair of locally produced webinars Wednesday and Thursday will examine recovery programs designed to help small businesses hurt by the pandemic.
How States Can Avoid Costly Pitfalls While Rebuilding Their Economies
PEW
An unexpected decrease in revenue is one of the most challenging budget situations that states can face, as recent experiences grappling with the impact of the pandemic show. Policymakers are also feeling pressure to get their economies back on track.
Snarled Supply Chain Trips Up Small Businesses
Wall Street Journal
The supply-chain disruptions rippling across the business world are taking a heavy toll on small U.S. companies, which have fewer resources to absorb or push back on price increases and less leverage to pass along the higher costs to customers.
Chevron, Toyota Pursue Strategic Alliance on Hydrogen
Business Wire
Chevron U.S.A. Inc., through its Chevron Products Company division, and Toyota Motor North America, Inc. announced a memorandum of understanding to explore a strategic alliance to catalyze and lead the development of commercially viable, large-scale businesses in hydrogen.
What a new report gets wrong about economic inequality
AEI
But as with earlier projects, American Compass’s latest looks like it begins with a set of priors about political economy—center-left priors—and then figures out how to make its argument with whatever evidence can be marshaled.
AEI
This issue of the AEI Polling Report reviews major pollsters' findings on the economy, inflation and unemployment expectations, stimulus checks, the role of government, infrastructure, remote work, and dating apps.
Jobs:
Major distribution center with 1,000 jobs is coming to Turlock — and signs point to Amazon
Modesto Bee
A million-square-foot warehouse-distribution center employing 1,000 workers is planned for the Turlock Regional Industrial Park. And while officials won’t comment and some cite non-disclosure agreements, there are strong indicators it will be an Amazon facility.
Independent-Contractor Status Is Still a Hot Topic in California
SHRM
Several years after the "ABC" test was first used in California to distinguish between independent contractors and employees, the controversial law continues to change as it is amended and more exceptions are made.
U.S. unemployment claims sink 193,000 to pandemic low of 576,000
Market Watch
U.S. unemployment claims sank by 193,000 in early April to a fresh pandemic low, an unusually large decline that reflects an improving economy but also ongoing problems in processing applications for jobless benefits.
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.
California’s SB 93: Governor Signs COVID-19 ‘Rehiring and Retention’ Law
Ogletree Deakins
This new statute creates California Labor Code Section 2810.8 and requires that employers in certain industries make written job offers to employees whom they laid off because of COVID-19.
Opinion: COVID-19 has reshaped our economy for the long haul. Here’s how to help workers adapt.
AEI
Before the pandemic, roughly 1 million Americans were considered long-term unemployed. That number quadrupled over the past year and sits at 4.2 million, accounting for more than 43% of unemployed Americans.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Biden administration extends universal free school lunch through 2022
The Hill
The Biden administration on Tuesday issued an extension for free school lunch through 2022 as part of its effort to reopen schools safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Modesto, Turlock schools move to in-person graduations, with COVID limitations
Modesto Bee
In-person graduation ceremonies are back, Modesto City Schools has announced — with the caveat that Stanislaus County remains in the red tier of the state’s COVID-19 monitoring system.
See also:
● Schools prepare for return of in-person graduations Turlock Journal
An Armenian icon vs. a generous family? Competition emerges over Fresno’s new school
Fresno Bee
As the Fresno Unified School District receives recommendations on what to name its newest campus, two candidates have garnered support from community members and local elected leaders.
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.
Asian Americans wary about school amid virus, violence
Fresno Bee
As high schools and elementary schools across the country gradually re-open for full-time classes, Asian American families are wrestling with whether to send their children back out into the world at a time when anti-Asian hostility and violence is on the rise.
CBS13
Parents are demanding answers now a month after the state was supposed to release its investigation into its troubled COVID testing lab. The lab is now being used to process tests for students across the state.
New Test Scores Show Students Rebounding After Pandemic-Related Learning Loss
Wall Street Journal
Many students are starting to rebound from academic setbacks more than a year after coronavirus pandemic restrictions upended education nationwide, according to a report released Tuesday on new testing data.
Higher Ed:
Bakersfield College to hold one-day virtual Express Enrollment on Wednesday
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield College will hold an extended one-day virtual Express Enrollment event for new and returning students on Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m.
Valley Strong pledges $1 million endowment to CSUB in support of B3K
Bakersfield Californian
Valley Strong Credit Union has committed to giving Cal State Bakersfield a $1 million endowment that will pay for a research fellowship supporting the B3K regional economic development collaboration.
Community Colleges Face a Long Road to Recovery
Chronicle of Higher Education
Tracy D. Hall figured that spring enrollment would be down compared with fall. As president of Southwest Tennessee Community College, in Memphis, she knew that even in ordinary times a fair number of students just don’t come back after their first semester
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
AP sources: Biden to pledge halving greenhouse gases by 2030
Business Journal
President Joe Biden will pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030 as he convenes a virtual climate summit with 40 world leaders, according to three people with knowledge of the White House plans.
See also:
● Biden to pledge halving greenhouse gases by 2030, sources say Los Angeles Times
● Biden plans to cut emissions at least in half by 2030 Washington Post
● Biden to Propose Cutting U.S. Emissions in Half by 2030 Wall Street Journal
An Earth Day message for California: Move faster on climate change
Los Angeles Times
If there’s one thing to understand this Earth Day about California’s role in confronting the climate crisis, it’s this: Just because the state considers itself a global leader doesn’t mean it’s doing nearly enough.
See also:
● California governor joins bipartisan group of 12 governors calling for federal action to accelerate clean vehicle transition Lake County News
● New Partnership Seeks to Protect 18 Million Square Kilometers of Ocean Over Next Five Years PEW
● We keep improving, but Bakersfield still ranks among the most polluted cities in America Bakersfield Californian
Covid-19 Slashed Carbon Emissions. Now They’re Climbing Again.
Wall Street Journal
Soaring carbon emissions this year are on track to reverse a big chunk of last year’s sharp reduction, which some climate researchers had hoped might be an environmental silver lining of the pandemic.
See also:
● Carbon emissions are soaring at historic rate as the world reopens The Hill
Climate change creates migrants. Biden considers protections
Fresno Bee
Ioane Teitiota and his wife fought for years to stay in New Zealand as refugees, arguing that rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten the very existence of the tiny Pacific island nation they fled, one of the lowest-lying countries on Earth.
California's mighty Redwood trees in need of help, only 5% of original forest still stands
CBS8
Fewer than 120,000 acres of the original redwood forest still stands after the effects of commercial logging have wiped out this California staple.
New Partnership Seeks to Protect 18 Million Square Kilometers of Ocean Over Next Five Years
PEW
Building resilience of our ocean while boosting fisheries, marine-based livelihoods, and economies is possible, in part, through new and expanded marine protected areas (MPAs).
Valley Voices: Fresno planetary scientist draws lessons on climate change from space exploration
Fresno Bee
It’s Feb. 18 and my co-workers and I anxiously watch as the Mars 2020 Rover, Perseverance, approaches the Martian atmosphere.
John Kerry: Governments, Private Sector Must Work Together on Climate
Wall Street Journal
In an interview with WSJ’s Timothy Puko, U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry explains the roles he’d like to see the private sector and countries play in fighting climate change.
Energy:
L.A. hasn’t launched new inspections for oil sites years after council backed plan
Los Angeles Times
Neighborhood activists called for it. The Los Angeles City Council voted for it. And Mayor Eric Garcetti made it a plank in his Green New Deal: a new system of annual inspections for oil and gas facilities in Los Angeles.
Energy Giants Ditch Oil and Coal Projects. Smaller Rivals Want Them.
Wall Street Journal
Major oil companies such as BP PLC and Royal Dutch Shell PLC are selling billions of dollars of assets to bolster their finances and reduce carbon emissions, while mining companies including Anglo American PLC and Rio Tinto PLC have exited coal projects.
Opinion: To keep the lights on, here’s how California should plan for the extraordinary
CalMatters
Long-duration energy storage technologies will be an integral part of California’s renewable energy and climate change planning.
Editorial: Railing Against the Wind
Wall Street Journal
President Biden aims to build wind and solar farms from sea to shining sea to replace fossil fuels in the electricity grid by 2035. But his plans are already running aground off the coast of Long Island in New York.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A roadblock to herd immunity?
abc30
The COVID vaccine rollout is about to meet a true test. The country has reached more than 50% of adults vaccinated, but the climb to 70% or higher and herd immunity is getting steeper as it reaches the roadblock of vaccine hesitancy.
See also:
● COVID ‘vaccine failure’ may be more likely if you have a weakened immune system. Why? Fresno Bee
● EU Calls for J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Warning on Blood Clots, but Says Benefits Outweigh Risks Wall Street Journal
● Tucker Carlson falsely claims COVID-19 vaccines might not work Politifact
Valley hospitals may delay surgeries due to extreme blood shortage
abc30
A nationwide blood shortage is hitting the Valley hard. The Central California Blood Center is not seeing the supply it would typically receive from blood drives events that were canceled due to the pandemic.
Handshakes? Hugs? How to Navigate the New Covid Etiquette After Vaccines
Wall Street Journal
After playing a softball game earlier this month, Kevin Carlson, a Washington, D.C., real-estate agent, was introduced to a teammate’s friend as they walked off the field.
Human Services:
When should California lift its outdoor mask mandate? Health experts are conflicted
abc30
As California makes progress in the fight against COVID-19, discussion is growing over if - or when - it might be time to ease the state's outdoor mask mandate.
Lagging Vaccination Rates Among Rural Seniors Hint At Brewing Rural-Urban Divide
VPR
Chris Reimer had never heard of Leopold, Mo., when he found himself rushing down a winding, two-lane road toward the rural, 65-person community in February.
Child Care Providers Will Get More Financial Help From The State
LAist
Members of California's child care union who have continued to operate during the pandemic will get additional financial relief from the state under a new labor agreement.
Goodbye COVID-19 Priority Phases and Tiers, Hello Battles With Vaccine Passports!
Ogletree Deakins
On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, while touring a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, President Joe Biden imposed a deadline on every state to open up vaccination eligibility to all adults by April 19, 2021 (moving up the previous target date of May 1, 2021).
Media Roundtable: The Opaque World Of Nursing Home Licensing In CA
KALW
We are discussing a CalMatters investigation that exposes an opaque licensing process for California nursing homes. Officials have let the state’s largest nursing home owner operate 18 homes for years while failing to decide whether to grant the required licenses.
IMMIGRATION
Will Fresno’s Convention Center house unaccompanied migrant children? An offer was made
Fresno Bee
Some Fresno city leaders are offering to make the city’s Convention Center available to house unaccompanied migrant children as the minors continue to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Immigrant Detention For Profit Faces Resistance After Big Expansion Under Trump
VPR
A dozen Central Americans in T-shirts that read Mujeres Luchadores — Fighting Women — marched through a small Texas town last month toward the gates of an imposing private detention center where they all used to be incarcerated.
Arizona Governor Declares State of Emergency at Border
Wall Street Journal
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency at the southwest border in Arizona and said the state would deploy 250 National Guard troops to help local law enforcement.
Opinion: Democrats Are Fooling Themselves on Immigration
Wall Street Journal
Out to lunch. That might be the kindest way to describe Joe Biden and Democrats these days on immigration. If they think they have a voter mandate to reverse restrictions advanced by the previous administration, they’re kidding themselves.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Fruit-breeder IFG breaks ground on $12 million campus near McFarland
Bakersfield Californian
Even for a company with customers and employees spread across 15 countries, it felt a little clunky shuttling between greenhouses in Edison, laboratory space near Delano, a cold-storage facility in Shafter and headquarters in Bakersfield.
Off-roading group sues Coastal Commission, State Parks over Oceano Dunes ban
Fresno Bee
The CA Coastal Commission violated state environmental law by ordering California State Parks to phase out off-highway vehicle use at at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area by 2024, according to a lawsuit filed against both agencies by an off-road riding group.
The inevitability of smart communities
Public CEO
Former chief information officer for the City of Palo Alto and CEO of Human Future, Dr. Jonathan Reichental discusses how smart technologies could pave the way for a sustainable and innovative future for public agencies.
Historic Preservation Commission designates Cross of Palms 'Area of Historic Interest'
Bakersfield Californian
The city of Bakersfield's Historic Preservation Commission was not shy about where it stood Tuesday afternoon in regard to the historic value of a cross-shaped stand of ancient palm trees in northwest Bakersfield.
Housing:
Need help with a down payment? California Democrats want the state to chip in for homebuyers
Fresno 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.
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.
See also:
● Do you need rent help? Here’s how to get coronavirus rent relief in Kings County Fresno Bee
● California Latinos are missing out on money from COVID rent relief. How to apply Fresno Bee
● What the U.S. can learn from rental housing markets across the globe Brookings
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.
Report: California’s Housing Costs Widening The Wealth Gap For Communities Of Color
CAFwd
It’s no secret that housing affordability has been one of the biggest challenges facing California for decades. It has also contributed to a massive racial wealth gap, as home ownership is the main driver of multigenerational wealth creation for the middle class.
PUBLIC FINANCES
PEW
Taxes and federal funds together account for 80.5% of revenue for the 50 states. Taxes are the largest revenue source in 46 states, while federal funds are greatest in four: Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, and Wyoming.
See also:
● State Revenues Fared Better Than Expected in 2020 Despite Pandemic U.S. News
California close to making PPP loans tax deductible
Business Journal
California businesses have been down to the wire this tax season, up against paying state taxes on their Paycheck Protection Program loans. But yesterday, the California Senate approved AB 80, which would make forgiven PPP loans tax-deductible.
Opinion: Tax Hikes Will Stifle the Recovery
Wall Street Journal
About $600 billion of the plan isn’t paid for and will take the nation further into debt. Democrats will pay for the rest of the plan with an enormous tax increase, the burden of which would ultimately be borne by American workers and consumers.
TRANSPORTATION
Bakersfield looks to add 30 electric vehicle charging stations throughout city
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council is poised to dramatically expand the number of electric vehicle charging stations available on public property.
Highway 1 through Big Sur will reopen Friday, ahead of schedule
San Francisco Chronicle
A remote section of Highway 1 in Big Sur that collapsed during heavy storms in January will reopen to drivers ahead of schedule on Friday.
Opinion: Use state surplus funds to invest in active transportation programs
CalMatters
President Joe Biden recently released an audacious plan to invest $2 trillion in our nation’s infrastructure, including significant funding to invest in the roads, bridges, freeways and highways that will improve mobility and make the traveling public safer.
WATER
Friant Authority Board approves funding plan for canal repairs
Porterville Recorder
A plan to fund much needed and long overdue repairs for the Friant-Kern Canal is now in place. After being neglected for so long, there are now a number of proposed sources of funding to fully repair the canal.
Program will provide clean water to Turlockers impacted by nitrate-laden wells
Turlock Journal
Turlock residents impacted by nitrate groundwater contamination will soon be supplied with safe drinking water as the state seeks out more permanent solutions.
Event: Is California Ready for Drought?
Public Policy Institute of California
Drought isn’t an equal opportunity crisis—some sectors and communities are more affected than others. Join the PPIC Water Policy Center and state and local experts for a panel discussion about how to reduce its impacts to the most vulnerable sectors.
Opinion: Water infrastructure package needed to deal with drought
CalMatters
California’s water infrastructure is deteriorating and in need of the kind of financial investment that only the federal government can afford.
“Xtra”
Bethany Clough: Here’s what Fresno County in orange tier means for local restaurants and bars
Fresno Bee
Restaurants in Fresno County can seat customers indoors at 50% capacity now that Fresno County has moved into the orange tier of coronavirus restrictions. The news was welcomed by many restaurateurs, though some weren’t celebrating.
Want to visit Yosemite? Summer reservations open Wednesday
San Francisco Chronicle
Day-use passes to visit Yosemite National Park this summer become available online Wednesday. It’s part of the park’s new policy of requiring advance reservations for admission, an effort to ration attendance during the pandemic.