April 30, 2021

30Apr

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:

 

Modesto invites residents to talk about the police as it begins looking at reforms

Modesto Bee

Residents soon can tell Modesto officials about their experiences with the city’s police officers — good, bad and indifferent — and what changes they’d like to see in how officers do their jobs.

 

Modesto’s spring celebrations: What’s happening, moved or canceled during COVID

Modesto Bee

May in Modesto and the Mother Lode normally brings a bounty of spring community celebrations. But the coronavirus pandemic again has changed plans. Some traditionally annual events will go on in altered forms.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

A Fresno-area senator blocked a Black health bill. Here’s how lawmakers responded

Fresno Bee

A California Senate committee pushed through health legislation for Black women and other underprivileged groups that had been held up by a Fresno-area senator.

 

Dyer joins 12 other big-city mayors asking for continuous funding for homelessness

Business Journal

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is joining 12 other big city mayors to ask Gov. Newsom and legislative leadership to include a $4 billion annual investment put in the state budget to permanently house nearly every Californian who entered a homeless shelter in 2020.

See also:

 

Warszawski: Election conspiracies and sanitizing Proud Boys — this Fresno politician had quite a day

Fresno Bee

During Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Brandau continued to sow doubts in the integrity of our local elections — without a shred of evidence any votes had been tampered with or miscounted.

 

Editorial: Latest Republican election fraud fantasy is now playing out in Fresno County

Fresno Bee

Voter fraud. Election integrity. They are ominous-sounding words that make it seem American democracy itself is at risk. The specter of such a problem is clear to Fred Vanderhoof, chairman of the Fresno County Republican Party.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Lawsuit over new veterans clinic could delay construction once again

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County veterans have waited patiently for the construction of a new veteran’s clinic for over 10 years, but just as momentum appears to be swinging in the project’s favor, a new lawsuit threatens to stop it in its tracks.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

Whose recall is it, anyway? Gavin Newsom’s California critics spar over money, credit

Fresno Bee

The effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom is one of the biggest political stories in the nation this year, and an uncommon chance for Republicans to regain power in a state that has operated under Democrats for over a decade.

See also:

 

Did US Census undercount Latinos? Here’s how California found hard-to-reach residents

Fresno Bee

Preliminary findings released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau show that states with large Latino populations like did not gain the congressional representation that demographers expected, raising questions about a possible undercount among Latinos.

See also:

 

Gavin Newsom to sign tax break on pandemic loans for many California businesses

Fresno Bee

Many California businesses won’t have to pay state taxes on their federal pandemic loans under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom intends to sign into law Thursday.

See also:

 

California Senate proposes to spend $3.4 billion on drought

abc30

Mired in yet another drought that threatens drinking water, endangered species of fish and the state's massive agriculture industry, Democrats in the California Senate detailed a $3.4 billion proposal designed to gird the state for a new crisis on the heels of the pandemic.

 

Is this the year the California Legislature closes the digital divide?

CalMatters

It only took a global pandemic, a year spent working and studying at home and a once-in-a-generation spending blitz from the federal government, but 2021 might be the year that California finally goes big on broadband.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

News Analysis: President Biden’s speech to Congress offers a dose of left-leaning economic populism

Los Angeles Times

After four years of conservative populism focused on cultural grievances, President Biden’s first speech to a joint session of Congress delivered a dose of left-leaning economic populism on Wednesday.

See also:

 

The first batch of 2020 census data surprised many. A look at what’s next

Los Angeles Times

There were some genuine surprises in the first batch of data from the nation’s 2020 head count released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

See also:

 

Biden’s Economic Plan Would Redistribute Trillions and Expand Government

Wall Street Journal

With his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan unveiled Wednesday—following his $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan and his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan—President Biden has proposed $6 trillion in new federal spending for the next decade.

See also:

 

Senate Votes To Restore Regulations On Climate-Warming Methane Emissions

VPR
The U.S. Senate has taken a step toward more vigorously regulating climate-warming methane leaks from the oil and gas industry, a move supporters say is key to achieving President Biden's ambitious climate goals.

 

Senate passes bipartisan $35B water infrastructure bill

The Hill

A bipartisan bill to boost funding for states' water infrastructure passed the Senate 89-2 Thursday, sending it to the House of Representatives.

See also:

 

Governing in a hurry: The fleeting nature of unified control

Roll Call

Unified control of the White House and Congress does not happen all that often. We are in one of those periods now, with Joe Biden as president and his fellow Democrats holding the majority in the House and Senate.

See also:

 

Biden talks like the most pro-union president since the New Deal

Washington Post

President Biden is positioning himself as the most pro-union president in decades. In his joint address to Congress on Wednesday, he repeated his pitch: Responding to climate change will create union jobs, and union jobs will help rebuild the middle class.

 

Unusual Supreme Court Majority Rules in Favor of Guatemalan Who Entered U.S. Illegally

Wall Street Journal

The Supreme Court opened a door Thursday that could let thousands of noncitizens avoid deportation, ruling 6-3 that federal agencies failed to properly notify individuals about the time and place of removal proceedings.

 

SCOTUS will consider Second Amendment right to carry a gun outside the home

ABA Journal

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether the state of New York violates the Second Amendment when it denies law-abiding citizens the right to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense.

 

Opinion: Biden upends the Republican ‘unity’ test

Washington Post

Maybe “unity” doesn’t mean that Republicans and Democratic politicians agree on everything. Or that a handful of Republican lawmakers get veto power over any policy. Or that no one ever faces a tax increase.

 

Opinion: The Chamber of Commerce’s Bill Comes Due

Wall Street Journal

Joe Biden’s address to Congress was slippery as soap, but on one issue the president was extremely direct: He’s coming after corporate America. Oh, and he sends his thanks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for helping make that possible.

 

Editorial: Biden’s Cradle-to-Grave Government

Wall Street Journal

The progressive hits keep coming from the Biden Administration, and the latest is the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan introduced in broad strokes on Wednesday. It’s more accurate to call this the plan to make the middle class dependent on government from cradle to grave.

 

Other:

 

What’s Breaking Through? Congressional Reactions, Prioritization, and Digital Amplification

Precision Strategies

Ever wonder whether bipartisan agreement is gone forever? Or, whether it’s possible for progressives, conservatives, and those in the middle to find common ground on critical issues? Us too.

 

From memes to race war: How extremists use popular culture to lure recruits

Washington Post

The first images of “The Last Battle” seem designed to rile people on the conservative side of the culture wars: public nudity, strippers, children dressed in drag — symbols of a society supposedly in a moral free fall.

 

Superspreaders of Malign and Subversive Information on COVID-19

Rand Corporation

The global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created a fertile ground for attempts to influence and destabilize different populations and countries.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, May 2, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Redistricting 2.0: New and Improved?" - Guests: Alvaro Hernandez, Executive Director - Citizens Redistricting Commission; Pedro Toledo, Commissioner - Citizens Redistricting Commission; Eric McGhee, Senior Fellow - PPIC; Dan Walters - CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, May 2, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Will Redistricting Change the Political Landscape?"  - Guests: Tom Holyoke, Professor of Political Science - Fresno State; Jessica Trounstine, Professor of Political Science - UC Merced; Ivy Cargile, Asst. Professor of Political Science - CSU Bakersfield. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

California organic farmer nominated as USDA undersecretary

FarmProgress

President Joe Biden nominated Jenny Lester Moffitt to serve as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs under Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

California Bar cited for inefficient discipline reforms

Bakersfield Californian

The State Bar of California inefficiently reorganized its discipline system, leading to a bigger backlog of cases and allowing bad lawyers to keep practicing longer while under investigation, a state audit said Thursday.

 

Americans are divided by age and race on the fairness of the justice system, ABA civics survey finds

ABAJournal

A new survey released by the ABA on Thursday found stark divisions based on age and race when it comes to believing that there are racial biases built into the rules, procedures and practices of the justice system.

 

Public Safety:

 

COVID disrupted the usual systems to protect children from abuse. What can be done?

Modesto Bee

The coronavirus pandemic made the safety of vulnerable children even more precarious because children were secluded at home and no longer seeing the mandated reporters like teachers and others who often report suspected abuse.

See also:

 

Modesto invites residents to talk about the police as it begins looking at reforms

Modesto Bee

Residents soon can tell Modesto officials about their experiences with the city’s police officers — good, bad and indifferent — and what changes they’d like to see in how officers do their jobs.

See also:

 

State Supreme Court needed to resolve conflict in police disciplinary procedure

San Francisco Chronicle

Police officers who are being questioned by a disciplinary agency have no right to see the agency’s confidential reports until the questioning is over, a state appeals court has ruled in an Oakland case.

 

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home

Texas Tribune

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas that can cause serious injury or even death if inhaled in high quantities. Here’s how you can keep your home and family safe.

 

Fire:

 

Fresno City Fire Department bracing for record-breaking year of fires

abc30

There have been more than 600 fires in the city of Fresno this month alone, and crews are worried the worst is yet to come.

 

This massive network of wildfire cameras helps California save lives

San Francisco Chronicle

As California gears up for what could be another destructive fire season, the state’s firefighting agencies have a powerful tool at their disposal that has gone somewhat unheralded: the largest wildfire camera network in the world.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Gavin Newsom to sign tax break on pandemic loans for many California businesses

Fresno Bee

Many California businesses won’t have to pay state taxes on their federal pandemic loans under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom intends to sign into law Thursday.

See also:

 

US recovery from pandemic recession is showing momentum

Fresno Bee

Powered by consumers and fueled by government aid, the U.S. economy is achieving a remarkably fast recovery from the recession that ripped through the nation last year on the heels of the coronavirus and cost tens of millions of Americans their jobs and businesses.

See also:

 

Major Changes for California Businesses: Ninth Circuit Reverses Injunction Blocking AB 5 in the Trucking Industry 

aalrr

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed a district court injunction blocking the application AB 5 to the trucking industry. In CTA v. Banta, the appeals court held that AB 5 is likely not preempted by federal trucking law, and California can apply the rigorous “ABC” test. 

See also:

 

Jobs:

 

U.S. jobless claims drop 13,000 to 553,000, lowest level since pandemic hit

Los Angeles Times

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 13,000 last week to 553,000, the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year and another sign the economy is recovering from the coronavirus-induced recession.

See also:

 

City of Fresno – Assistant Director of Information Services

Public CEO

Fresno is seeking an experienced, engaged and strong leader who will assist in the implementation of the long-range vision for the Information Services Department.

 

Labor secretary says gig workers should be classified as employees in ‘a lot of cases’

Washington Post

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said that a lot of gig workers are misclassified as contractors on Thursday, sending stocks of tech companies such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash falling amid speculation about the future of the fraught business model in the Biden administration.

 

Amazon Raises Wages for Employees after Failed Union Vote

National Review

Amazon is increasing pay for hundreds of thousands of workers after employees at an Alabama plant overwhelmingly rejected unionization earlier this month.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

The wires may be there, but the dollars aren’t: Analysis shows why millions of California students lack broadband

CalMatters

Depending on a student’s access to reliable internet, the last year of virtual school has ranged from enriching to impossibly discouraging.

See also:

 

Biden: Schools should 'probably all be open' in the fall

The Hill

President Biden in an interview that aired Friday said that schools should all be open for five days a week in-person learning in the fall despite the fact that children likely will not be vaccinated by then.

See also:

 

Clovis Unified returns to full in-person learning 5 days a week in fall, not offering online option

abc30

The Clovis Unified School District is returning to full in-person learning five days a week for all grade levels. The superintendent hosted a forum on Thursday night making the announcement to parents.

 

Poll: 86% of Californians say children have fallen behind academically during pandemic

abc30

A new poll says more than eight in ten Californians think children are falling behind academically during the pandemic.

 

One Modesto school district to hold drive-thru grad ceremonies. Parents, students fuming.

Modesto Bee

Modesto’s Sylvan Union appears to be one of very few school districts in Stanislaus County not planning traditional in-person eighth-grade promotion ceremonies for its three middle schools: Somerset, Savage and Ustach.

 

Video: Distance Learning Strategies in California Schools

Public Policy Institute of California

An expert panel discusses new PPIC research on how K–12 districts across the state have handled distance learning amid the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Fresno State involved in national research project on mask adherence

Fresno State College of Health and Human Services

Twice a week since mid-February, Fresno State public health student Julie Yang has visited outdoor parks and trails, public shopping centers, neighborhoods and grocery stores all over Fresno.

 

Fresno Pacific offering three-year courses for graduation

Business Journal

Fresno Pacific University is offering a three-year program for several bachelor’s degrees. The accelerated pathways include several business degrees, English, biology, mathematics and chemistry, according to a press release from the university.

 

Towering Over The Land

CSU Bakersfield

California State University, Bakersfield recently installed an Eddy Covariance Flux Tower on campus that can measure the carbon and water vapor flowing in and out of the local landscape.

 

Student Loan Default Has Serious Financial Consequences

PEW

As of December 2019, about 43 million Americans held federal student loans, and the education financing system is under growing pressure as more borrowers struggle to repay, a problem compounded by the complexity of the repayment process.

 

Is the U.S. Student Loan Program Facing a $500 Billion Hole? One Banker Thinks So.

Wall Street Journal

Mr. Courtney’s calculation was one of several supporting the disclosure in a Journal article last fall that taxpayers could ultimately be on the hook for roughly a third of the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio.

 

The Biden Plan for Free Community College Has a Big Challenge

New York Times

Coming up with a national policy for a college system that is decentralized is a lot tougher than it seems.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Report ranks best and worst cities for air quality. Any guess where Fresno landed on the list?

Fresno Bee

It’s not too difficult to guess where Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley sits on the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report. The region has rather consistently ranked among the worst in the U.S. for ozone and particle pollution.

 

California could ban sale of gas-powered leaf blowers under proposed clean air law

Fresno Bee

California would ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf-blowers, lawnmowers and other “small off-road engines” as soon as 2024, under a bill being considered by state lawmakers.

 

Senate Votes To Restore Regulations On Climate-Warming Methane Emissions

VPR
The U.S. Senate has taken a step toward more vigorously regulating climate-warming methane leaks from the oil and gas industry, a move supporters say is key to achieving President Biden's ambitious climate goals.

 

California trucks salmon to Pacific; low river levels blamed

abc10

California officials will again truck millions of young salmon raised at fish hatcheries in the state's Central Valley to the Pacific Ocean.

 

Corporate secrecy over climate change targeted by Washington and California

Los Angeles Times

California clean tech innovator Bloom Energy is hardly taking the same approach to powering the planet as oil giant Chevron, but one thing the companies have in common are slick promotional campaigns defining them as environmental pioneers.

 

Court tells EPA to limit or ban pesticide that Trump administration kept on market

San Francisco Chronicle

A federal appeals court ordered the government Thursday to severely limit or ban chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide that was kept on the market by the Trump administration despite evidence that it can cause brain damage in children.

 

People of Color Breathe More Hazardous Air. The Sources Are Everywhere.

New York Times

Researchers uncovered stark disparities between white people and minorities across thousands of categories of pollution, including trucks, industry, agriculture and even restaurants.

 

The Climate Solution Actually Adding Millions of Tons of CO2 Into the Atmosphere

ProPublica

This math is crucial to determining the success of California’s forest offset program, which seeks to reduce carbon emissions by preserving trees. The state established the program a decade ago as part of its efforts to combat climate change.

 

Energy:

 

California just hit 95% renewable energy. Will other states come along for the ride?

Los Angeles Times

For all the time we spend talking about how to reach 100% clean power, it sometimes seems like a faraway proposition, whether the timeframe is California’s 2045 target or President Biden’s more aggressive 2035 goal.

 

California looks to ease permitting process for rooftop solar panels

San Francisco Chronicle

California wants to make it easier for homeowners to get solar panels and batteries installed as the state searches for new ways to accelerate its transition to clean energy.

 

Valley Voices: Homeowner solar-energy program unfairly benefits the few and needs to be more equitable

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee editorialized that the state’s rooftop solar incentive program, the 25-year-old Net Energy Metering (NEM) program, has been a “smashing success” at getting people to install rooftop solar. That’s a good thing.

 

Opinion: The Wind and Solar Boom Is Here

New York Times

Just one word: Solar. Well, actually, one more: Wind. The sun, the air and the chemistry to bottle their limitless power — it’s looking more and more as if these constitute the world’s next great technological advance.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

You're Vaccinated. Congrats! Now What Can You Do Safely?

VPR
You got your shot and you're ready to get back to normal life. But what does that mean anymore? While being fully vaccinated doesn't mean it's suddenly safe to party like it's 2019, most interactions pose a much lower risk than they did before you got jabbed.

See also:

●     Is it finally safe to get back to normal, pre-COVID-19 life? Here’s what experts say Los Angeles Times

 

If you had COVID-19, do you need to get the vaccine? Fresno doctor shares the latest

Fresno Bee

The short answer is, ‘yes,’ doctors say you should still receive a coronavirus vaccine. It’s still unclear how long natural immunity lasts. Reinfections have been documented, but such cases remain rare.

See also:

 

US vows again to ban menthol flavor in cigarettes, cigars

abc30

U.S. health regulators pledged again Thursday to try to ban menthol cigarettes, this time under pressure from African American groups to remove the mint flavor popular among Black smokers.

 

More Stanislaus County kids died in 2020 and not from COVID-19. What caused their deaths?

Modesto Bee

In 2020, the number of Stanislaus County infants who died in their sleep doubled compared to the previous five-year average.

 

‘Youth is not invincible’: 9 experts dispute Joe Rogan’s vaccine advice for healthy 21-year-olds

Politifact

Even young, healthy people can get seriously ill or die from COVID-19, although their chances of suffering severe outcomes are smaller relative to older adults. They can also spread the coronavirus to more vulnerable people if they don’t get vaccinated.

 

Human Services:

 

Some Californians, including the elderly, can’t get vaccine despite surge in supply

Los Angeles Times

California is in far better shape than just weeks ago, when scoring an appointment was cause for celebration. Today populous counties are advertising that anyone can walk in for a shot, and the state is texting reminders that plenty of appointments are available.

See also:

 

California gig workers are entitled to a new health care subsidy, but many go uninsured

Fresno Bee

California drivers for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other app-based companies are eligible for a health insurance stipend stemming from the ballot initiative voters approved last fall exempting those companies from a new state labor law.

 

Kern High and Kern Medical seek to vaccinate residents, school by school

Bakersfield Californian

The effort to vaccinate eligible Kern high school students — and anyone else in the community who wants a COVID-19 shot — is in full swing. The Kern High School District and Kern Medical, which already partnered to vaccinate school staffers, have teamed up again.

 

Lawsuit over new veterans clinic could delay construction once again

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County veterans have waited patiently for the construction of a new veteran’s clinic for over 10 years, but just as momentum appears to be swinging in the project’s favor, a new lawsuit threatens to stop it in its tracks.

 

The Covid-19 Vaccine Club: How the World’s Biggest Producers Depend on Each Other

Wall Street Journal

International tensions over access to Covid-19 vaccines have intensified as supply hiccups disrupt mass rollouts of shots. But trade experts warn that restrictions on vaccine exports risk making a bad situation worse.

See also:

 

Opinion: Eliminating the Medi-Cal Asset Test: Making Access to Health Care More Equitable and Fair

California Budget & Policy Center

Millions of California seniors and people with disabilities turn to Medi-Cal for health care because ableist, ageist, racist, and classist policies have blocked them from access to jobs, income, and wealth that can provide health coverage throughout their lifetimes.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Number of unaccompanied children at border facilities drops 84 percent in a month: official

The Hill

The number of unaccompanied migrant children held at border facilities plunged 84 percent in one month, a White House official told CNN on Thursday.

 

Advocates push for office to reconsider ‘unjust’ deportations

Roll Call

The National Immigrant Justice Center released a white paper calling on the administration to open an independent office within the Department of Homeland Security dedicated to adjudicating applications from people like Bailey, already deported but hoping to return.

 

Supreme Court sides with undocumented immigrant fighting deportation

abcNews

The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with an undocumented Guatemalan immigrant seeking to challenge his removal from the U.S. by immigrationauthorities.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Fresno’s forest in the city is getting new life. Here’s what’s happening in Old Fig Garden

Fresno Bee

The soil in Fresno’s Old Fig Garden neighborhood – now home to old cedar trees that make up the heart of celebrated Christmas Tree Lane – was once considered worthless by many.

 

Yosemite sets Glacier Point Road reopening, issues warning about trails to Yosemite Valley

Fresno Bee

Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park is scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m. Friday, April 30. Yosemite officials announced that this week and a few other updates, including a partial closure of the Four Mile Trail, which drops from Glacier Point down into Yosemite Valley.

 

Battered, burned but alive: Time will heal park’s wounds, but it needs big money, too

CalMatters

Ravaged by wildfire last summer, a state park — and all its redwood forests, creatures and trails — will undergo a transformation. Big Basin Redwoods will be back after a massive rebuilding project. But what will it look like?

 

Housing:

 

Fresno may spend $22 million on more motels for homeless next year. But there’s a catch

Fresno Bee

Fresno leaders are proposing about $22 million in the next fiscal year to expand a program purchasing blighted motels and turning them into homeless housing.

See also:

 

State, city of Visalia partner to clear encampments and trash along Highway 198

abc30

Visalia Mayor Steve Nelsen says Highway 198 has become a bit of an eyesore in recent months. Homeless encampments have started lining freeway embankments, and large amounts of trash and debris are a common sight.

 

Dyer joins 12 other big-city mayors asking for continuous funding for homelessness

Business Journal

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is joining 12 other big city mayors to ask Gov. Newsom and legislative leadership to include a $4 billion annual investment put in the state budget to permanently house nearly every Californian who entered a homeless shelter in 2020.

 

How much is rent relief helping Californians?

CalMatters

Complex rules and landlord resistance are limiting the success of an unprecedented effort to help tenants. Advocacy groups are concerned about what will happen after a statewide eviction moratorium ends June 30.

 

Capitol mum on eviction moratorium extension as renters seek more time

CalMatters

With two months to go before a statewide eviction moratorium expired in January, lawmakers, lobbyists and the governor’s staff were already deep into negotiations on an extension. They reached it just days before the deadline, providing six more months of a ban on eviction.

 

State-Supported “Clean Energy” Loans Are Putting Borrowers At Risk of Losing Their Homes

ProPublica

Dozens of Missouri homeowners who used PACE loans to fix up their houses ended up trapped in debt and could soon see their homes sold at auction.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Lawmakers Entertain A Universal Basic Income Proposal, But California Is Far From Adopting It

Capital Public Radio

California state lawmakers are ready to talk about universal basic income. But they’re not ready to fund it.

 

Universal bank accounts necessary for families to bank on Child Tax Credit

Brookings

The expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) enacted into law as part of the American Rescue Plan should provide major benefits to millions of families, but there’s a catch: people need to be able to receive the money.

 

How the Federal Reserve Is Increasing Wealth Inequality

ProPublica

The Fed’s low-interest-rate policies have stabilized the economy and turbocharged the stock market. But those who don’t own lots of stocks haven’t benefited anywhere near as much as those who do.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Taking a trip? Southwest’s arrival gives Fresno flyers more nonstop, one-stop options

Fresno Bee

The seven domestic airlines that offer passenger flights from Fresno Yosemite International Airport collectively offer nonstop service to 11 destinations across the western U.S.

 

Democrats struggle to get infrastructure plan off the ground

Los Angeles Times

President Biden and congressional Democrats accomplished their primary checklist during their first 100 days. They enacted a historic pandemic rescue package, shot 200 million COVID-19 vaccines into Americans’ arms and confirmed a Cabinet.

 

U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak asks Congress for $5.4 billion

Reuters

U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak on Thursday asked Congress for $5.4 billion in the budget year starting Oct. 1 as it still grapples with the impact of COVID-19.

 

U.S. railroads post another weekly traffic jump

Progressive Railroading

U.S. railroads reported 538,184 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending April 24, a 30% uptick from traffic levels in the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

 

Global electric vehicles sales grew 41% in 2020

Axios

U.S. electric car sales more than doubled in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2020, but check out the chart above — the domestic market remains small compared to Europe and China.

 

WATER

 

California Senate proposes to spend $3.4 billion on drought

abc30

Democrats in the California Senate on Thursday detailed a $3.4 billion proposal designed to gird the state for a new crisis on the heels of a deadly and disruptive pandemic.

 

Dramatic photos of Lake Oroville depict California’s worsening drought

Mercury News

New drone photos of Lake Oroville, California’s second-largest reservoir, bring home the stark reality of the state’s worsening drought.

 

Drought emergency inflames political tensions

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a regional drought emergency Wednesday, but stopped short of issuing a statewide proclamation or mandating water conservation measures — a decision that drew ire from some lawmakers.

 

Senate passes bipartisan $35B water infrastructure bill

The Hill

A bipartisan bill to boost funding for states' water infrastructure passed the Senate 89-2 Thursday, sending it to the House of Representatives.

See also:

 

Editorial: With the drought, Gov. Newsom must work faster to help San Joaquin Valley water systems

Fresno Bee

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 76.5% of Fresno County is currently in a severe drought. Another 39% of the county — namely, the foothill and mountain areas — is classified as being in extreme drought.

 

Opinion: Trump-era water rules should be reversed

CalMatters

On the way out the door, the Trump administration committed many environmental and financial scandals. One can cost low-income water users while lining the pockets of one of California’s largest and most powerful water districts.

 

“Xtra”

 

California releases guidance for reopening water parks

abc30

As temperatures begin to warm up, the California Department of Health and Human Services has released new guidelines for reopening water parks.

See also:

 

Modesto’s spring celebrations: What’s happening, moved or canceled during COVID

Modesto Bee

May in Modesto and the Mother Lode normally brings a bounty of spring community celebrations. But the coronavirus pandemic again has changed plans. Some traditionally annual events will go on in altered forms. Others

 

Bethany Clough: ‘Taco dirty to me.’ The latest evolution of 559 Street Tacos opens in north Fresno

Fresno Bee

The newest location of 559 Taqueria is a little different than your average Fresno taco shop. Walk inside and the first thing you see are the big, light-up signs on the walls. One says “Taco dirty to me” and the other “Tacos over vatos.”

 

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

 

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

                                                     

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute 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.

 

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