April 29, 2020

29Apr

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Coronavirus update: Turlock center reports more deaths; school in July?

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County deaths increased to 10 as of Tuesday. A total of 324 people have tested positive for the virus. Another 4,798 tested negative. Seventy-six people have been hospitalized, and 224 have recovered.

See also:

Atwater will ask Newsom to lift COVID-19 rules. Some residents plead to ‘open Merced County’

Merced Sun-Star

Officials say County Public Health is caught between being empathetic to frustrated residents and complying with state orders.

Central SJ Valley:

‘Open the damn city up.’ Fresno councilman, Crazy Bernie call for opening amid COVID-19

Fresno Bee

Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld said Tuesday the city’s leaders are acting authoritarian and should allow businesses to open immediately amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

See also:

Fresno Council Member Calls For Shelter Order To Be Extended

Business Journal

Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza is calling for an extension of the city’s shelter-in-place order through at least May 31. The current order expires May 6. Previous extensions of the order have been signed by Fresno City Manager Wilma Quan.

Critics say Fresno mayor’s COVID-19 committee lacks diversity. He defends ‘strong’ record

Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced a 22-member committee last week to plan the city’s recovery from the coronavirus shutdown and it was swiftly criticized for its lack of diversity. 

See also:

Kings County lifts its shelter-in-place order, will follow state mandate, supervisor says

Fresno Bee

The Kings County Board of Supervisors lifted the county’s shelter-in-place order during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, according to Supervisor Richard Valle.

How Devin Nunes raises millions: Lawsuits, a ‘deep state’ doll and Fox News spots

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes sent out a campaign fundraising pitch on the afternoon of Feb. 13 with the subject line: “They hate me.” In emails to supporters, Nunes says he needs help so he can continue to protect the president. He’s offering branded games and knickknacks, too.

South SJ Valley:

Cities can’t reopen for business, Kern County health department says

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Public Health Services Department has responded to a city of Taft plan to reopen businesses next Monday.

Local doctors spark widespread debate over virus’s death rate, when to reopen

Bakersfield Californian

A call by two Bakersfield doctors to reopen the economy and lift social distancing orders caught fire on social media in recent days, drawing a tweet of support from Elon Musk and landing the doctors appearances on Fox News.

Local lawyers, businesspeople say stay-at-home order violates Constitution

Bakersfield Californian

A group of 19 local lawyers and businesspeople is alleging the Kern County Public Health Services Department’s stay-at-home order is unconstitutional and not authorized by law.

State:

California appoints 14 Superior Court judges, including 2 in Sacramento and 1 in Yolo

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced the appointment of 14 Superior Court judges across the state, including positions in Sacramento and Yolo counties.

Newsom outlines four-step plan for gradual reopening of California businesses

abc30

Governor Gavin Newsom and state officials outlined their plan for reopening businesses in California on Tuesday.

See also:

First shipment of California governor’s big mask buy arrives

Hanford Sentinel

Three million surgical masks arrived in California as the first shipment in a major deal cut by Gov. Gavin Newsom for 200 million masks a month to protect health care and other workers from the coronavirus.

See also:

Stuck at home? These California cities are among the best for quarantine, report says

Sacramento Bee

For those stuck indoors due to stay-at-home orders because of the coronavirus pandemic, Zippia has ranked the best and worst cities in the U.S. in which to be quarantined.

‘Let us get cooking again’: Business owners, Republican leaders ask Newsom to relax order

Sacramento Bee

Rural Northern California officials on Tuesday petitioned Gov. Gavin Newsom to accept their request to begin reopening their economies, despite a continued coronavirus stay-at-home order.

Coronavirus updates: 1,800 dead in California as national toll surpasses Vietnam War casualties

Sacramento Bee

Californians have been credited with doing a relatively good job staying home and practicing social distancing in efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but residents of the nation’s most populous state are facing greater temptations as the weather warms.

EDITORIAL: Why letting California go bust is a ‘really dumb idea’

San Francisco Chronicle

Facing a national pandemic it is uniquely qualified and situated to fight, the federal government has forced California and other states to do most of the job. Now it’s adding insult to irresponsibility by refusing to pay them.

WALTERS: New wrinkles in old school fights

CalMatters

The semi-shutdown of California’s social, economic and institutional life, that was ordered to arrest the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, seems to be working — albeit at immense cost. Nowhere is that cost more evident than in the abrupt closure of public schools, sending their 6 million students home to continue their educations, as best they can, under the tutelage of teachers on computer screens and bewildered parents.

Colorado joins West Coast states in coronavirus response pact

Denver Post

Colorado aligned itself Monday with other Democratic-run states in the West, joining a regional pact as it begins to reopen sectors of the state’s economy. 

Federal:

Confirmed coronavirus cases top 1 million in US. ‘We have to have a breakthrough’

Fresno Bee

The United States has surpassed 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday, Johns Hopkins University reports. The total is 1,002,498 as of Tuesday afternoon.

See also:

Pence comes under fire for going maskless at Mayo Clinic

Fresno Bee

Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center’s policy requiring them.

See also:

White House unveils blueprint to expand state testing as governors weigh lifting stay-at-home orders

Stockton Record

The White House unveiled a blueprint on Monday designed to help states expand coronavirus testing and rapid response programs as governors weigh gradually lifting stay-at-home orders and reopening schools and businesses.

Trump team scrambles to refocus message after bleach debacle

Los Angeles Times

President Trump’s public musing last week that doctors should consider injecting household disinfectant — a known poison — into coronavirus patients set off a political shockwave so severe that aides and allies scrambled to rein in his prime time nightly news conferences.

Live updates: As ‘quarantine fatigue’ spreads, Fauci says second wave of coronavirus is ‘inevitable’

Washington Post

As antsy Americans show growing signs of “quarantine fatigue” and officials face pressure to ease coronavirus restrictions, factories, malls and state governments in many parts of the country are taking steps toward reopening.

See also:

New Federal Stimulus Legislation Provides Funding for Small Businesses, Healthcare Providers, and Coronavirus Testing

Ogletree Deakins

On April 24, 2020, President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which will allocate over $480 billion in additional funding for the federal COVID-19 response, including:

Trump suggests federal bailout for states could hinge on sanctuary city policies

Politico

President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that state and local bailout money from the federal government could hinge on whether the immigration policies of the individual governments seeking relief align with Trump administration priorities.

See also:

Trump’s allies sound alarm over his attacks on independent watchdogs

Politico

President Donald Trump’s recent hostility toward independent federal watchdogs has jolted the very Senate Republicans who are among his most outspoken defenders.

See also:

The US reopening is coming, but ‘normal’ is still a ways off

Associated Press

Everyone wants to know: When, oh when, will it go back to normal? As some governors across the United States begin to ease restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, hopes are soaring that life as Americans knew it might be returning. 

Opinion: To prepare for the next pandemic, Congress should restore patent protections for diagnostic tests

Roll Call

Who would have supposed that after several prior serious viral outbreaks, including SARS, MERS and the swine flu, the United States would find itself so short of the diagnostic tests needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic?

Opinion: Trump’s aversion to intelligence and details comes into full focus on coronavirus response

Washington Post

Before Donald Trump’s presidency even began, he made clear just how little regard he had for the lengthy President’s Daily Brief that provides the latest U.S. intelligence.

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.

See also:

Elections 2020:

Biden wins Ohio’s mail-in primary delayed by coronavirus

Fresno Bee

Joe Biden won Ohio’s presidential primary Tuesday, clinching a contest that was less about the Democratic nomination and more about how states can conduct elections in the era of the coronavirus.

See also:

The sexual allegations against Joe Biden: The corroborators

Washington Post

“When journalists write about incidents that occurred long ago, especially serious allegations such as sexual misconduct, a key goal is to find people who will say that they heard about the incident at the time.”

Majority of Americans expect COVID-19 will disrupt ability to vote in fall, poll shows

Fresno Bee

Two-thirds of Americans recently polled say the coronavirus outbreak will significantly impact the ability to vote in this fall’s presidential election. The same poll by Pew Research Center also shows people have high support for the right to vote in the presidential election by mail.

See also:

How one of America’s most important voting rights groups plunged into chaos just before it was needed most

recode

A voting rights group called Vote.org seems like precisely the type of nonprofit that should thrive in 2020, with fans from Barack Obama to Taylor Swift and a URL that can’t be beat.

Democrats not confident 2020 US election will be fair, survey finds

The Guardian

As America hurtles towards the critical 2020 presidential election during the Covid-19 pandemic, less than half of Democrats are confident it will be fair and accurate, according to a new national survey from the Pew Research Center.

California Republicans prepared to match Democrats on ‘ballot harvesting.’ Then came coronavirus

Politico

Leaders of the embattled California Republican Party are reversing course during the Covid-19 pandemic to demand Gov. Gavin Newsom ban a voting practice they until recently endorsed.

Other:

What To Do When People Don’t Practice Social Distancing

VPR

While people across the country are following the social distancing guidelines that health authorities say are necessary to keep the coronavirus from spreading, plenty of people are not. 

Gloomy summer looms as pandemic cancels US festivals, trips

Hanford Sentinel

From Cape Cod to California, festivals are being nixed, businesses in tourist havens are looking at empty reservation books, and people who have been cooped up through a dismal spring are worrying summer will bring just more of the same.

Early date on CARES Act is due to a legislative quirk, not a plot

Poynter Institute 

The coronavirus pandemic has generated a torrent of conspiracy theories. One of them is that the U.S. government somehow planned the pandemic.

The Important Role of Faith-Based Organizations in the Context of COVID-19

Rand Corporation

As Christians experienced Holy Week 2020, the week commemorating the trial, suffering, and death of Jesus, the somber tone such remembrances evoke took on new meaning in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic with the catastrophic loss of life and livelihoods. 

Trolls and bots are flooding social media with disinformation encouraging states to end quarantine

Business Insider

Videos of protesters around the nation demanding their governors reopen businesses have been all over social media over the past week or so, and Donald Trump has offered pseudo-encouragement by tweeting that they need to “liberate” states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia.

See also:

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, May 3, at 5 p.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: Groundwater Banking: Saving for a Not-So-Rainy Day – Guest: Alvar Escriva-Bou with the Public Policy Institute of California. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, May 3, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: Groundwater Recharge: Regionwide Challenges, Local Solutions? – Guest: Alan Hofman, General Manager of the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, May 3, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Como Entender las Reservas del Presupuesto Estatal – Guests: Jacqueline Barocio & Lourdes Morales, investigadores de LAO y Alexei Koseff, Reportero de San Francisco Chronicle. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

This Fresno restaurant is taking reservations. Here’s what reopening could look like

Fresno Bee

Popular Fresno restaurant Pismo’s Coastal Grill is taking reservations and pushing ahead with plans to open May 7. Owner Dave Fansler released another video on Facebook over the weekend detailing what dining will look like when the restaurant opens. The restaurant made waves in mid-April when the restaurateur was among the first to announce plans to reopen.

Feed the Frontlines delivers meals to medical staff at Fresno VA

Fresno Bee

Newly formed non-profit Feed The Frontlines Fresno, organized by local moms, delivered their first meals, prepared by Cracked Pepper Bistro, to VA medical staff Tuesday, April 28, 2020 in Fresno. 

Worker at Sanger poultry facility has coronavirus, according to a letter to employees

Fresno Bee

A worker at a Pitman Family Farms processing facility has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a letter sent to employees last week. 

Trump says he’ll order meatpacking plants to stay open despite coronavirus outbreaks

Fresno Bee

Facing a possible meat shortage during the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump says he will sign an executive order Tuesday requiring meat processing plants to stay open.

See also:

Woman claims her mother contracted COVID-19 at frozen Mexican food company plant 

abc30

A woman who wants to remain anonymous claims her mother, a Ruiz Foods employee of at least 20 years, contracted COVID-19 after coming in contact with a positive patient at the Dinuba plant.

Money for meals for California seniors could end in 2 weeks

Hanford Sentinel

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first-in-the-nation plan to pay for and deliver three meals a day to vulnerable seniors during the coronavirus crisis has less than two weeks to launch before federal funding runs out, government documents show.

Latest coronavirus gifts to food banks include milk from Modesto, oatmeal from Idaho

Modesto Bee

Crystal Creamery of Modesto donated 5,800 half-gallon cartons of milk to two food banks dealing with the coronavirus. Half went to Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties on Friday, April 24. The other half arrived at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services a day earlier.

Money for meals for California seniors could end in 2 weeks

Associated Press

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first-in-the-nation plan to pay for and deliver three meals a day to vulnerable seniors during the coronavirus crisis has less than two weeks to launch before federal funding runs out, government documents show.

Can Restaurants Survive?

National Review

On one recent grocery-store trip, I was met with the unsettling sight of an entirely empty meat section. This was likely caused by the same issue that has beset seekers of toilet paper elsewhere: The supply chain of toilet roll is divided between home shoppers and corporate shoppers; once office buildings and other commercial enterprises stopped ordering, the demand shifted to the home.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Policy Reforms Can Strengthen Community Supervision

Pew Trusts

Since 1980, the nation’s community supervision population has ballooned by almost 240 percent. As of 2016, 1 in 55 U.S. adults (nearly 4.5 million people) are on probation or parole, more than twice the number incarcerated in state and federal prisons and local jails. 

Sweeping Weedmaps subpoena underscores US government’s continued scrutiny of marijuana industry

Marijuana Business Daily

When the U.S. marijuana industry learned of a federal grand jury subpoena served to Weedmaps owner Ghost Management Group, the news was an eye-opener for many in the business. The story, first reported by MarketWatch in early March, noted that a few high-profile cannabis companies also were identified in the Weedmaps subpoena.

Public Safety:

Child custody amid coronavirus: What Fresno courts, law enforcement, say parents should do

Fresno Bee

Child custody visitation and child support questions amid coronavirus (COVID-19) are answered by Fresno County Superior Court, sheriff and police officials in California’s central San Joaquin Valley.

HPD’s Liliana McFarland named Dispatcher of the Year

Hanford Sentinel

After 11 years with the Hanford Police Department, Liliana McFarland earned her biggest commendation to date.

California man who claimed coronavirus is government conspiracy has guns taken after ‘threatening’ social media posts

FoxNews

A man in California had three unregistered shotguns taken away last week after “bizarre and threatening” posts on social media about a coronavirus government conspiracy, according to officials.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Coronavirus economy: Governor Newsom chats with retail bosses

Mercury News

Gov. Gavin Newsom met with retail executives and a retail worker Tuesday to mark the inaugural session of a digital listening tour to collect viewpoints about how to reopen an economy that government agencies have shut down to curb health dangers posed by the coronavirus.

Pandemic job actions offer hope for renewed labor movement

Business Journal

Across the country, the unexpected front-line workers of the pandemic — grocery store workers, Instacart shoppers and Uber drivers, among them — are taking action to protect themselves. Rolling job actions have raced through what’s left of the economy.

SBDC’s seventh pandemic webinar to focus on federal assistance

Bakersfield Californian

The Small Business Development Center at Cal State Bakersfield will present its seventh pandemic-related webinar at noon Wednesday.

Vacaville hair stylist defies shelter-in-place order, opens up shop

KRON4

A Vacaville hair stylist is defying the shelter-in-place order amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, she re-opened her salon to existing clients despite not being an essential business. KRON4’s Philippe Djegal reports the woman is willing to risk a fine or the possibility of her business being shut down.

Small Businesses Say Rescue Loans Come With Too Many Strings Attached

VPR

Christian Piatt finally got a loan to help rescue his brand-new bar and restaurant in Granbury, Texas. But it wasn’t easy. He applied through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which is meant to help small businesses threatened by the pandemic.

Some California businesses could reopen within weeks, Newsom says

Los Angeles Times

California businesses seen as presenting less risk of spreading the coronavirus could open in the near future under a plan Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Tuesday, the first of what he suggested were several slow steps toward easing the statewide shutdown order.

Managing Your Small Business During The Pandemic #7

America’s SBDC California

This week’s discussion will focus on the latest information about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and steps business owners should consider on restarting their business. 

U.S. economy shrank 4.8 percent in first quarter, biggest decline since the Great Recession

Washington Post

The fallout from the deadly coronavirus caused the U.S. economy to contract at a 4.8 percent pace from January through March, the deepest decline since the depths of the financial crisis more than a decade ago, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The U.S. plans to lend $500 billion to large companies. It won’t require them to preserve jobs or limit executive pay.

Washington Post

A Federal Reserve program expected to begin within weeks will provide hundreds of billions in emergency aid to large American corporations without requiring them to save jobs or limit payments to executives and shareholders.

Push to reopen economy runs up against workers and consumers worried about risk

Washington Post

Plans for a swift reopening of malls, factories and other businesses accelerated Tuesday, but they quickly collided with the reality that persuading workers and consumers to overlook their coronavirus fears and resume their roles in powering the U.S. economy may prove difficult.

Job or Health? Restarting the Economy Threatens to Worsen Economic Inequality

New York Times

Efforts to quickly restart economic activity risk further dividing Americans into two major groups along socioeconomic lines: one that has the power to control its exposure to the coronavirus outbreak and another that is forced to choose between potential sickness or financial devastation.

COVID-19 concerns prompt new interest in cashless payments

Roll Call

The COVID-19 pandemic has fanned public concerns that the coronavirus could be transmitted by handling cash, according to a recent report by the Switzerland-based Bank of International Settlements, prompting merchants and members of Congress to contemplate more sanitary, hands-off digital payment systems.

Coronavirus-hammered state budgets worse off than feared: report

Roll Call

The COVID-19 pandemic could cost state governments $650 billion over the next three years, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Opinion: As California shelters against COVID-19, a smart reopening of economy must begin

Fresno Bee

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating, and California must continue to act decisively to help mitigate the damage.

Opinion: Borrower Beware: Cares Loans Carry a Steep Cost

Wall Street Journal

Questions are already arising about whether the federal dollars flooding the U.S. economy during the Covid-19 crisis are reaching the intended recipients. Rightly so, when trillions in taxpayer dollars are at stake. But it should make businesses think twice before they take federal money.

Opinion: Inflation Isn’t a Big Risk, Even With All the Spending

Wall Street Journal

Tim Congdon’s warning that the Federal Reserve’s recent bold monetary policy action will lead to higher inflation is all too reminiscent of similar dire warnings over the past decade that the Fed’s earlier rounds of quantitative easing would lead to a burst in inflation (“Get Ready for the Return of Inflation,” op-ed, April 24).

Commentary: Leveraging e-commerce in the fight against COVID-19

Brookings

E-commerce—defined broadly as the sale of goods and services online—is emerging as a key pillar in the global fight against COVID-19. Online grocery shopping and telemedicine, for instance, are helping to avoid in-person contact and reduce the risk of new infections. 

Commentary: We were poorly prepared for the coronavirus pandemic. How about a coronal mass ejection?

AEI

If there’s one nation that seems ready for the worst, it’s Switzerland. Nearly three decades after the end of the Cold War, the mountainous, landlocked nation (other than the inland river port of Basel on the Rhine) still maintains a vast network of nuclear shelters.

Commentary: Opening the Economy? Ask Us How, Business Groups Tell Governors

Fox & Hounds

Business groups from three western coastal states want to be involved in strategies to end the lockdown and open up the economy. From a California perspective, at least, it’s possible that the business coalition was formed because of fear that business concerns would be ignored  by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery.

Jobs:

Fresno’s Bitwise websites helping workers impacted by COVID-19 in New York, other states

Fresno Bee

Eight more states and the District of Columbia have signed on to adopt their own versions of OnwardCA.org, a one-stop website to provide information on emergency resources and job prospects to workers who have been displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

More COVID-19 tests in Fresno County could help people return to work

abc30

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors wants to get people back to work as soon as it’s safe. The key to that will be getting more testing done countywide.

New Pandemic Unemployment Assistance available for self-employed workers and independent contractors

abc30

The new PUA program opens up unemployment insurance payments to people who don’t typically qualify, including self-employed workers and independent contractors.

See also:

More Essential Than Ever, Low-Wage Workers Demand More

Capital Public Radio

In this lockdown, low-wage workers have been publicly declared “essential” — up there with doctors and nurses. But the workers say their pay, benefits and protections don’t reflect it.

See also:

Mass layoffs begin in cities and states amid coronavirus fallout, threatening education, sanitation, health and safety

Washington Post

In Michigan, some unstaffed highway rest stops are shuttered. In Santa Barbara, Calif., local librarians are out of a job. Dayton, Ohio, has ordered furloughs at nearly every agency, and in Arlington, Tex., police officers and firefighters may soon see painful cuts.

See also:

How California’s Expansion of Paid Sick Leave Impacts Food Sector Employers

Ogletree Deakins

On April 16, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order (EO) N-51-20, which imposes new obligations on employers to provide up to 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave to certain food sector workers.

Up to 14 Million Jobless Americans Shut Out of Unemployment Benefits, Survey Finds

Newsweek

For every 10 Americans who successfully filed unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic, at least three or four more have been unable to register at all, primarily due to rampant state-by-state technological problems, a recent survey showed.

See also:

The Next Normal: A Littler Insight on Returning to Work – Privacy and Data Security Implications of Employee Screening

Littler

The return of employees to the workplace ushers in the next frontier in employers’ responses to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, raising a wide range of novel challenges. One of the most fundamental challenges relates to workplace privacy.

See also:

EDUCATION

K-12:

California governor says schools may restart in late July

Fresno Bee

California classrooms could reopen with modifications as soon as late July, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday, bringing a new wave of anxiety for parents, teachers and students.

See also:

VUSD to blanket district in free WiFi

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified School District will bring high-speed internet to thousands of homes within the district in an effort to close the digital divide that has prevented many San Joaquin Valley residents from accessing online learning materials.

Covid-19 Through Students’ Eyes

Turlock Journal

The students in Marissa Miranda’s photography class at Turlock Christian High School recently were assigned to capture powerful photos of what the stay-at-home orders look like to them.

Coronavirus forces AP exams online and open-book. Here are the rules

Sacramento Bee

AP exams are going the way of digital learning — online and open book. The College Board, which manages college entry exams like the SAT and PSAT in addition to AP tests, announced in March that the exams would be “streamlined” after test dates for the ACT and SAT were postponed.

California schools face devastating budget cuts due to coronavirus

San Francisco Chronicle

Education experts predict up to $2,000 less per student in state funding next year as California heads into what experts say will be a deep recession.

Addressing California students’ loss of learning shapes plan to reopen schools

EdSource

In a surprise announcement Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested reopening schools as soon as late July or early August to mitigate the loss of learning that all students — but especially low-income black and Latino students — have experienced during two months of school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

How to protect a student’s privacy online: Quick guide

EdSource

As California schools hurry to implement distance learning plans for students at home during the coronavirus pandemic, many are facing new questions about how to protect student data privacy as they shift to online education. Here’s what parents, educators and students need to know:

AEP Focuses on Leadership Capacity, Partnerships to Inform Arts Ed Policy

EdNote

A major part of the Arts Education Partnership’s work in the past six months has been focused on its new strategic mission and engagement strategy. These documents articulate how AEP — including its 114 partner organizations — can add value to the work of Education Commission of the States and maximize its position to inform and elevate the work of partners. 

School Funding, COVID-19, and the 2020 Election Year

PPIC

State funding for K–12 public schools will take center stage when Governor Newsom unveils revisions to the state budget in a few weeks. The growing fiscal toll of the COVID-19 crisis is likely to affect school funding plans as a deep economic recession looms.

Video: Californians and Education

PPIC

In the era of COVID-19, about eight in ten adults fear getting sick, and 80% expect bad economic times ahead. At a virtual briefing on Thursday, PPIC researcher Alyssa Dykman said the drop in consumer confidence “is unprecedented in the history of the PPIC survey.”

Appreciating What Schools Are Doing Doesn’t Mean Giving Them A Pass

Forbes

In mid-March, with almost no warning, America’s schools were shuttered and suddenly asked to pivot to delivering meals and remote instruction. This was a staggering challenge. In many places and in many instances, educators and schools responded admirably.

Commentary: How will COVID-19 change our schools in the long run?

Brookings

In the midst of an unprecedented crisis, it can be hard to see more than a few days into the future. It’s as if we were wandering around in a dense (and deadly) fog.

Commentary: School closures, government responses, and learning inequality around the world during COVID-19

Brookings

According to UNESCO, as of April 14, 188 countries around the world have closed schools nationwide, affecting over 1.5 billion learners and representing more than 91 percent of total enrolled learners. 

Commentary: Will school districts be up for the challenge of closing remotely?

AEI

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned living rooms and kitchen tables across the nation into temporary classrooms. Just how temporary, though, changes week by week. What began one month ago as two-week school shutdowns and extended spring breaks have become closures for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year in most states.

Higher Ed:

MCCC student helping people across the state during pandemic

Madera Tribune

Madera Community College Center student Jorge Orozco has spent a lot of his time out of town during the coronavirus pandemic helping those in need. Orozco is a Staff Sergeant in the Army National Guard, and has served the country for 15 years.

Following recent ‘Zoom-bombing,’ BC to use webinar version of video app to ensure safety

Bakersfield Californian

Following a recent incident where an anonymous user posted a video depicting child pornography during a public Bakersfield College Zoom meeting, the college is taking extra precautions to ensure safety.

California maritime academy gets OK to start limited classes

Bakersfield Californian

California Maritime State University Academy has received permission to resume limited in-person classes this semester and hopes to send 350 students and staff on its annual summer training cruise — a graduation requirement for cadets, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Lawsuit: California universities owe virus-related refunds

KCRA3

The California State University and the University of California systems were sued Monday by students demanding refunds of some campus fees since the virus pandemic closed schools and forced learning online.

UC, Cal State students file lawsuits over spring-term campus fees

San Francisco Chronicle

California State University offered a vigorous response Tuesday to a class-action lawsuit seeking a refund of spring-term campus fees in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

See also:

List: What California colleges, universities are saying about fall semester amid pandemic

Mercury News

The COVID-19 pandemic has many college students wondering if they will be back on campus in the fall. The Chronicle of Higher Education is keeping an updated list of U.S. colleges and universities that have publicly commented on their plans.

EDITORIAL: Does the U.S. Constitution guarantee kids the right to be taught how to read? It should

Los Angeles Times

The ability to read and write is fundamental to a basic education, representing two of the traditional “three Rs” of schooling. And now a panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has taken that a step further.

Commentary: College Board CEO on coronavirus and SAT testing

AEI

David Coleman is CEO of the College Board, which recently announced that spring and summer SATs have been canceled due to coronavirus. I reached out to David to find out what’s ahead for the SATs in light of the coronavirus. Here’s what he had to say.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Here’s when Modesto can expect some relief from hot weather

Modesto Bee

Modesto can expect some relief after about a week of daytime temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees above normal, including an expected high of 91 for Tuesday.

Go Green keeps Turlock recycling

Turlock Journal

For Turlockers with aluminum, glass and plastic piling up at home, there is a recycling option still available in Go Green Recycling Inc., which is currently open to the public.

Why Is It Taking So Long to Clean Up L.A.’s Exide Mess?

Capital & Main

Exide battery recycling facility has spewed lead and arsenic contaminants into communities that are already some of the most environmentally burdened in the state. Some 100,000 people are believed to have been impacted.

California scales up 1st-in-US electric truck sale proposal

Associated Press

California regulators on Tuesday strengthened a proposed first-in-the-nation rule that would force auto makers to sell more electric delivery vans and work trucks in a state with the country’s worst air quality.

EDITORIAL: The weather is heating up in Fresno. But don’t take a trip to the beach during coronavirus

Fresno Bee

The tradition of heading to the coast for cooling weekends is this year running straight into the era of COVID-19 and sheltering in place. Does that mean Fresno-area residents who have second homes in Pismo Beach and Morro Bay cannot get away for the summer weekend break? In a word, yes, at least for now

Energy:

Dozens Of Oil Tankers Wait Off California’s Coast As The Pandemic Dents Demand

VPR

The scale of oil market turbulence is on stark display along the California coast. About three dozen massive oil tankers are anchored from Los Angeles and Long Beach up to San Francisco Bay, turning into floating storage for crude oil that is in short demand because of the coronavirus.

Oil Prices Climb After Inventories Rise Less Than Expected

Wall Street Journal

Oil prices climbed Wednesday after data showed the U.S. may not run out of space to store its glut of crude as quickly as previously feared. Energy Information Administration data showed inventories rose by 9 million barrels last week, less than the 11-million barrel increase projected by traders and analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal. Although stockpiles are still rising quickly with oil supply far exceeding demand, the figures gave beaten-down prices a boost.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno tops 500 COVID-19 cases, Tulare adds 46 patients as virus continues its spread in Valley

Fresno Bee

A spate of new cases of COVID-19 has put Fresno County at more than 500 confirmed infections since the coronavirus pandemic reached the central San Joaquin Valley less than two months ago.

See also:

24 coronavirus deaths at Visalia nursing home, Valley cases grow. Many aren’t reporting

Fresno Bee

A total of 24 residents at a Visalia nursing home have died from COVID-19 as more coronavirus cases surface at other nursing facilities in the central San Joaquin Valley and other facilities aren’t reporting data to the state.

See also:

Coronavirus symptoms are more severe for men than for women, studies find. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Men are more likely to get severe symptoms from coronavirus than women, and therefore are more likely to die from COVID-19, according to researchers in the U.S. and China.

Why do some people refuse to social distance? Experts have a few ideas

Fresno Bee

People are still blatantly ignoring social distancing rules despite scientific evidence that says it’s needed to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease the virus causes. The reasons can be found in psychology textbooks.

See also:

CDC confirms six coronavirus symptoms showing up in patients over and over Washington Post

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added six symptoms of the novel coronavirus to its list, suggesting health experts are learning more about the growing number of ways physicians see the virus affecting patients.

See also:

Antibody tests support what’s been obvious: Covid-19 is much more lethal than the flu

Washington Post

Results from coronavirus antibody tests have started to trickle in, and they bolster the consensus among disease experts that the virus is significantly more lethal than seasonal flu and has seeded the most disruptive pandemic in the past century.

Why Covid-19 Is Deadlier for Black and Latino Californians

New York Times

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state was “a few weeks away, not months away, from making measurable and meaningful changes to our stay at home order.” But in order to do that, he said, the state’s beaches can’t draw the kinds of crowds that amassed over the weekend.

Can Estrogen and Other Sex Hormones Help Men Survive Covid-19?

New York Times

As the novel coronavirus swept through communities around the world, preying disproportionately on the poor and the vulnerable, one disadvantaged group has demonstrated a remarkable resistance. Women, whether from China, Italy or the U.S., have been less likely to become acutely ill — and far more likely to survive.

Parents are scared to take their kids to the doctor. Experts say that needs to change

Miami Herald

About 70% to 80% of U.S. children are skipping their routine checkups because of fears about possible infection from the new coronavirus, the American Academy of Pediatrics said.

‘A Fever In The Dust’ – NPR’s Science Friday Spotlights Valley Fever

VPR

For their episode on April 24, 2020, producers of the WNYC Studios show Science Friday turned their focus to the fungal disease valley fever – its origins and effects on the body, as well as burgeoning research and hope for new treatments.

EDITORIAL: The psychological toll of the coronavirus is a pandemic of its own

Los Angeles Times

There are some truths that can’t be tallied. The resonant truth of this near-global health crisis is that none are safe and all are affected, even if it’s just by nagging doubts and dark uncertainties in the corners of our minds.

Human Services:

Medicare applications raise anxiety for seniors in pandemic

Fresno Bee

Advocates for older people say the main problem involves certain applications for Medicare’s “Part B” coverage for outpatient care. It stems from the closure of local Social Security offices in the coronavirus pandemic.

Valley doctors seeing dip in emergency room visits

abc30

Despite a gradual rise in COVID-19 cases, local hospitals say they’ve seen a dip in emergency room visits. By now we’ve all seen pictures of packed emergency rooms due to the global pandemic, but local doctors say they’ve actually seen an alarming drop in hospital visits as of late.

See also:

Cue the Debunking: Two Bakersfield Doctors Go Viral With Dubious COVID Test Conclusions

GVWire

They dressed in scrubs. They sounded scientific. And last week’s message from two Bakersfield doctors was exactly what many stuck-at-home Americans wanted to hear: COVID-19 is no worse than influenza, its death rates are low and we should all go back to work and school.

Bipartisan effort procures much-needed masks for Valley

Turlock Journal

Central Valley lawmakers are putting partisan politics aside during the coronavirus pandemic, coming together to collect supplies for their constituents working on the frontlines.

Clinica Sierra Vista aims to boost COVID-19 testing output

BakersfieldNow

As Kern County continues to see more cases of COVID-19, the race is on to get more people tested. Hundreds of people have been tested for COVID-19. Most testing sites are using the swabbing method, but Clinica Sierra Vista has a unique capability.

See also:

State workers could be retrained to ‘test and trace’ coronavirus cases, Gavin Newsom says

Sacramento Bee

California state workers could get trained for an emerging workforce of 10,000 coronavirus trackers that Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday will be needed as the state reopens its economy and lifts the stay-at-home order.

Virtual pet therapy, a floor for potential cases: How children’s hospitals responded to coronavirus

Los Angeles Times

In the 14 months that 4-year-old Rhett has battled cancer, few things excite him more than visits with Cooper. When the playful dog lies on Rhett’s bed at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the boy forgets about everything else. 

Coronavirus is boosting health insurance profits. So should firms get U.S. help?

Los Angeles Times

As doctors and consumers are forced to put most non-emergency procedures on hold, many health insurers foresee strong profits. So why is the industry looking to Congress for help?

Reopening Means Contact Tracing. Many States Aren’t Ready.

Pew Trusts

In mid-March, Jenine Clements’ boss asked her to set aside at least 24 hours out of her work week to call people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19. The goal was to locate people who had been in close contact with an infected patient and make sure they quarantined for two weeks to stop the spread.

See also:

Against CDC Guidance, Some Cities Sweep Homeless Encampments

Pew Trusts

Last month, in Austin, Texas, just as the pandemic was starting to wreak havoc, city officials came to clear the encampment where Britton Ellis was living with her friend and a dozen or so other homeless people.

Race for Coronavirus Vaccine Accelerates as Pfizer Says U.S. Testing to Begin Next Week

Wall Street Journal

The race for a vaccine to combat the new coronavirus is moving faster than researchers and drugmakers expected, with Pfizer Inc. joining several other groups saying that they had accelerated the timetable for testing and that a vaccine could be ready for emergency use in the fall.

See also:

A Guide to State Coronavirus Reopenings and Lockdowns

Wall Street Journal

Most U.S. states have imposed lockdown measures restricting gathering and social contact, disrupting the lives of hundreds of millions of people and the operations of thousands of businesses. Some states, however, have announced or instituted plans to relax restrictions.

Opinion: You Must Wear a Mask—or You May Not

Wall Street Journal

When it comes to masks, it sometimes seems as if everything that isn’t forbidden is compulsory. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discouraged the public from wearing them to prevent infection, until it changed its advice on April 3.

See also:

Commentary: America needs to win the coronavirus vaccine race

AEI

The first nation to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 could have an economic advantage as well as a tremendous public-health achievement. Doses will be limited initially as suppliers ramp up, and a country will focus on inoculating most of its own population first. 

IMMIGRATION

Pentagon restores some construction projects diverted for border wall, but not all

Fresno Bee

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has directed the Pentagon to restore $545.5 million to some U.S. military bases for construction projects after the funds were diverted to pay for the border wall that has been a priority for President Donald Trump, according to a new memo obtained by McClatchy.

Americans support state restrictions on businesses and halt to immigration during virus outbreak, Post-U. Md. poll finds

Washington Post

Americans overwhelmingly support state-imposed restrictions on businesses and the size of public gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus. They also back a temporary halt to immigration into the country, as ordered by President Trump.

Lawsuit: US citizens with immigrant spouses should get help

Fresno Bee

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has sued the federal government over its denial of coronavirus relief payments to U.S. citizens who are married to immigrants without social security numbers. 

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

North Fresno Landmark Getting A Star Makeover Wednesday

Business Journal

As COVID-19 shuts down large swaths of the country, World Wish Day will still be held and recognized across America — and Fresno is no exception. World Wish Day, which will be held on Wednesday, commemorates the first wish granted in 1980 by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

With national parks and more closed, it’s time to love the park closest to you

Sacramento Bee

Blue-green water greets me again as I start my run around Castro Valley’s Lake Chabot. Every time I run the nine-mile lap around it, I try to improve my time from the week before. That requires a good effort on the first segment from the marina to the dam on West Shore Trail, so I run briskly on a recent perfect spring day.

Housing:

May Rent Is Due Friday. Here’s Advice For Tenants Who Are Struggling to Pay.

Capital Public Radio

For tenants who lost jobs due to COVID-19, May 1 looms as the deadline to pay what’s now even harder in California: the monthly rent. 

PUBLIC FINANCES

California taxpayers surprised by IRS letters showing oversize Donald Trump signature

Sacramento Bee

When Ripley Howe of Placerville saw he had a letter from the IRS, he said his first instinct was to worry about getting bad news. Instead, he found a letter stamped with President Donald Trump’s oversize signature describing the economic stimulus payment he’d receive by direct deposit.

See also:

Coronavirus Special Report: Will there be more direct payments to Americans?

Roll Call

In tonight’s episode, we explore whether the federal government will issue more direct payments to Americans. We also talk about how Congress will get back to work and the impact of technology on health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some businesses won’t return funds despite pressure from Trump administration

Washington Post

A handful of publicly traded companies say they aren’t planning to return loans received from a small-business rescue program, despite pressure from the Trump administration to repay the funds.

Bottleneck continues as businesses seek gov’t relief loans

Business Journal 

Banks trying to submit applications for thousands of small businesses seeking coronavirus relief loans have hit a bottleneck for a second day at the Small Business Administration.

See also:

Social Security’s Financial Outlook: The 2020 Update in Perspective

Center for Retirement Research

The brief’s key findings are: The 2020 Trustees Report, which was prepared before the pandemic, shows: Social Security’s 75-year deficit increased from 2.78 percent to 3.21 percent of payroll. Trust fund depletion remains at 2035, after which payroll taxes still cover about three quarters of promised benefits.

Commentary: America is an upwardly mobile society

AEI

Economic mobility is central to the American Dream. Lately, however, there has been a lot of debate about whether this integral part of the dream is dead. Do successive generations do better than their parents? Has the United States become a rigid “class society,” or is Horatio Alger’s vision of economic advancement through hard work still alive and well?

Commentary: How are low-income Americans faring during the economic fallout of COVID-19?

AEI

Several recent polls suggest that low-income Americans are likely withstanding the worst of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis. Though policymakers responded swiftly to the economic crisis by expanding the safety net (including bolstered unemployment compensation and food assistance), early indications suggest that some low-income Americans may not be accessing these new social supports.

TRANSPORTATION

High-speed rail agency to open construction-job training center in Selma

Fresno Bee

Selma has been selected as the site for a workforce development center to train workers for high-speed rail construction in the San Joaquin Valley.

Trump says US closer to testing international air travelers

Fresno Bee

President Donald Trump said his administration is considering requiring travelers on certain incoming international flights to undergo temperature and virus checks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Californians backed a gas tax to fix roads. What will coronavirus mean for highway projects?

Merced Sun-Star

Traffic on CA highways has plunged dramatically since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The result will be less gas tax revenue, which pays for transportation and road improvements.

Coronavirus decimated air travel. But by how much?

Los Angeles Times

Air travel has fallen dramatically since the novel coronavirus prompted social distancing and travel restrictions earlier this year, reducing the flights each week from major airports across the globe.

WATER

Back off the beach and the rising sea? No way, California cities say

CalMatters

With swelling seas now posing a greater threat to California’s economy than wildfires or severe earthquakes, authorities want those who live along some of the state’s famous shores to do what they’re loath to do: retreat.

“Xtra”

Modesto’s Gallo Center to stay dark through October due to coronavirus restrictions

Modesto Bee

In a normal year, this would have been the week the Gallo Center for the Arts announced its 2020-21 season to its major donors, Executive Director Lynn Dickerson said Monday. This is anything but a normal year.

Batman, police honor Tulare’s ‘hometown heroes’

Visalia Times Delta

The Tulare Police Department announced Batman would hit the streets of Tulare on Saturday, taking the Batmobile for a spin to honor the “hometown heroes” who are doing their part to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus by staying indoors.

Valley Public Radio To Broadcast Series Of Saroyan Short Stories With Mark Arax

VPR

In a brand new special series from Valley Public Radio, award-winning journalist and author Mark Arax offers a special perspective on our times, viewed through the lens of writer William Saroyan. 

Ticketmaster agrees to refunds on certain concerts postponed by coronavirus

San Francisco Chronicle

Music fans whose concert-going plans were put on hold by the coronavirus will soon be able to apply for refunds of their ticket prices — in many cases, anyway.

Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

Think you can tell the difference between True and False?

Do you really know what is fake news?

Support the Maddy Daily

HERE

Thank you!

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

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: mjeans@csufresno.edu