April 5, 2021

05Apr

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Modesto weighs questions in how to spend $47.3M windfall from COVID-19 stimulus plan

Modesto Bee

That is the challenge facing Modesto officials as they start thinking about how to spend this windfall from the federal government’s latest COVID-19 relief package, the $1.9 trillion spending plan that President Joe Biden signed into law March 11.

See also:

 

Can Congress fix Highway 99? How Biden’s infrastructure plan could impact Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Can Joe Biden and Congress actually make the ride on Briggsmore Avenue/North Carpenter Road in Modesto smoother? Or make it less bumpy on Interstate 5 as you pass Monte Diablo Avenue in Stockton?

 

Blue Diamond first business in county to earn ‘green’ certification

Turlock Journal

Locals who enjoy Blue Diamond products can rest assured that their favorite almonds are one of the most sustainably-processed commodities in the county following the organization’s recent recognition as Green Business Certified.

 

Here’s how Modesto plans to initiate discussion on public probe of police practices

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday is expected to decide whether to start a conversation with the community about the Police Department’s policies and practices and potential solutions to improve relations between police and residents.

See also:

 

Modesto residents can weigh in homeless plan at meeting, through online survey

Modesto Bee

The people behind a countywide plan to address homelessness will be gathering input from Modesto officials and residents Monday during a City Council workshop.

 

Orthodontia bills, unpaid fees: Lawsuit claims ex-Salida fire chief misappropriated funds

Modesto Bee

Former Salida Fire Protection District Chief Rick Weigele made the accusations about his predecessor, Dale Skiles, in a complaint filed in Stanislaus Superior Court last month.

 

Garth Stapley: Can’t ignore 1,001 Stanislaus deaths; update on state’s water wars

Modesto Bee

As I write this, Stanislaus County is reporting 1,001 deaths from COVID-19. What a perfectly palindromic punch in the gut.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Fresno, Valley get $100M for COVID health. Could have lasting effects, leaders say

Fresno Bee

Federal relief of $100 million is coming to Fresno, Madera and Merced health facilities to expand COVID-19 vaccinations and treatment, Rep. Jim Costa said on Friday.

See also:

 

Fresno officers find ‘substantial substandard housing conditions’ at Manchester Arms

Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno’s code enforcement officers found evidence of “substantial substandard housing conditions” at the 41-unit Manchester Arms apartment complex when they inspected the property this week, records show.

See also:

 

Congressman Jim Costa visits Fresno EOC Valley Apprenticeship Connections

FresnoEOC
Today Congressman Jim Costa had an uplifting message for Fresno EOC VAC participants. Costa shared his support for job training opportunities in the Central Valley, and discussed President Biden’s American Jobs Plan.

 

Judge tosses Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against Trump research firm Fusion GPS, again

Fresno Bee

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against Fusion GPS, the investigative research firm that in 2016 produced a dossier of intelligence leads related to former President Donald Trump.

See also:

 

Partisan news sites, including one in Fresno, part of GOP strategy to win California elections

Fresno Bee

As politically independent newspapers have closed or slashed reporting staff, these sites have rushed in to fill the void. The Columbia Journalism Review last August reported California has at least 74 partisan sites.  San Joaquin Sun specifically mentioned.

See also:

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

City confirms Amazon project at former Kmart

Bakersfield Californian

Confirmation arrived Friday that Amazon will convert the former Kmart store on Wilson Road into a "last-mile delivery station" as part of a $20 million renovation project expected to create 200 new jobs when the facility becomes operational later this year.

 

Bakersfield gets $830K for pedestrian safety projects

Bakersfield Californian

The city of Bakersfield is receiving more than $830,000 in Highway Safety Improvement Program funds for two projects aimed at improving pedestrian safety, according to a city information memo.

 

D.A.'s Office says no criminal charges will be filed against BPD Assistant Chief Joe Mullins

Bakersfield Californian

No criminal charges will be filed against Assistant Bakersfield Police Chief Joe Mullins in connection with an alleged incident of workplace violence reported last year by a fellow officer.

 

LOIS HENRY: State will hear Kern River water rights case

Bakersfield Californian

Is there water available on the Kern River and, if so, how much? Parties to the long-running river dispute will finally get a hearing by the State Water Resources Control Board on those questions, at least.

 

‘An incredibly difficult balancing act’: Will Kevin McCarthy lead the fractious House Republicans to the majority?

Boston Globe

But there is more to the tale than fate and fortune as he positions himself to reach his ultimate goal — speaker of the House — if he can navigate the land mines of being a Republican leader in the post-Trump era.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

Facing recall, Newsom’s political future is tied to California vaccine effort

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Newsom said he chose to get vaccinated on camera to boost confidence in the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but his long-awaited shot in the arm also symbolizes how mass vaccinations could help inoculate the governor against the pending recall.

See also:

 

Is California blowing it on unemployment reform?

CalMatters

The state went deep into debt to keep jobless benefits flowing during the pandemic. And if it doesn’t fix its $48 billion unemployment problem, that could derail COVID-19 recovery.

See also:

 

Trump’s tax law capped a deduction that helped Californians. Gov. Newsom wants it restored

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom and six other Democratic governors Friday joined a growing chorus of officials urging an end to federal limits on state and local tax deductions that were imposed in the 2017 tax law President Donald Trump signed.

 

California’s Digital Divide

PPIC

A record-high percentage of Californians (84%) had high-speed internet at home in 2019—up from 74% in 2017.

See also:

 

Event: A Conversation with Secretary of State Shirley Weber

PPIC

California’s new Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley N. Weber, will join PPIC President and CEO Mark Baldassare in a wide-ranging conversation about voting, leadership, and the importance of representation.

 

Valley Voices: Low-income Californians must help state set climate change, economic justice goals

Fresno Bee

As a Central Valley farmer, I experience some of the most serious issues facing our state on a daily basis: climate change-fueled drought, navigating strict regulations, the painfully high cost of doing business and, most importantly, the erasure of struggling communities.

 

Walters: California sheriffs are feeling the heat

CalMatters

A half-century ago, I was the editor of a small daily newspaper in Northern California and one of my reporters dug up a terrific story.

 

Walters: Attorney general selection was pre-ordained

CalMatters

Given California’s current political climate, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection of Assemblyman Rob Bonta to be attorney general was virtually preordained.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

Biden’s infrastructure bill will face uphill battle in Congress

Los Angeles Times

President Biden this week passed the baton on his massive infrastructure plan to Democrats on Capitol Hill, who are already making demands on what the proposal should include.

See also:

 

Biden’s $2 Trillion Corporate Tax Plan Tears Up Republicans’ 2017 Blueprint

Wall Street Journal

President Biden’s corporate tax plan would tear down much of the structure that Republicans built in their tax law less than four years ago, driving up rates on large U.S.-based companies and raising taxes on their foreign profits.

See also:

 

Partisanship emerges as Biden's best hope for next phase of agenda

abcNews

It's an odd goal to aspire to, particularly after your campaign was built on unity and the promise of working together.

 

Early oversight in the 117th Congress: Three takeaways

Brookings

Legislators continue to conduct oversight aimed at holding both the Trump and Biden administrations accountable for their actions—even if they have gotten off to a slower start than in the last Congress.

 

Biden’s diverse first judicial picks put a Black woman on the path for the Supreme Court

Los Angeles Times

President Biden announced his first slate of judicial nominees Tuesday, moving quickly to put a diverse cast on the judiciary and placing a 50-year-old federal judge in position to potentially become the first Black woman chosen for the U.S. Supreme Court.

See also:

 

Supreme Court Upholds Rollback of Federal Restrictions on Media Ownership

Wall Street Journal

The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a regulatory rollback of federal limits on media ownership in local markets, a decision that could open the door to further industry consolidation.

 

An Extraordinary Winning Streak for Religion at the Supreme Court

New York Times

“Plainly, the Roberts court has ruled in favor of religious organizations, including mainstream Christian organizations, more frequently than its predecessors,” wrote the study’s author.

 

How Trump Steered Supporters Into Unwitting Donations

New York Times

Online donors were guided into weekly recurring contributions. Demands for refunds spiked. Complaints to banks and credit card companies soared. But the money helped keep Donald Trump’s struggling campaign afloat.

 

Other:

 

Partisan news sites, including one in Fresno, part of GOP strategy to win California elections

Fresno Bee

As politically independent newspapers have closed or slashed reporting staff, these sites have rushed in to fill the void. The Columbia Journalism Review last August reported California has at least 74 partisan sites.  San Joaquin Sun specifically mentioned.

See also:

 

Why Being ‘Anti-Media’ Is Now Part Of The GOP Identity

FiveThirtyEight

According to polling from Gallup, since at least the late 1990s, Republicans have been less likely than Democrats (and independents) to say they trust the media. But starting in 2015, trust among Republicans took a nosedive, falling from 32 percent to 10 percent in 2020.

 

Report: 533 million Facebook users’ personal information leaked following 2019 data breach

Fresno Bee

Phone numbers and other personal information of more than 533 million Facebook users was leaked Saturday in a hacking forum following a 2019 data breach, according to a report from Business Insider.

See also:

 

Many in U.S., Western Europe Say Their Political System Needs Major Reform

Pew Research Center

As they continue to struggle with a public health crisis and ongoing economic challenges, many people in the United States and Western Europe are also frustrated with politics.

 

Corporations gave over $50M to voting restriction backers

AP

When executives from Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines spoke out against Georgia’s new voting law as unduly restrictive last week, it seemed to signal a new activism springing from corporate America.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, March 28, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Little Hoover Commission Report: Labor Trafficking" - Guest: Pedro Nava, Chairman - Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 28, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Labor Trafficking, Poverty and Income Inequality”  - Guests: Pedro Nava, Chairman - Little Hoover Commission; Sarah Bohn, Public Policy Institute of California. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

California Dreaming: Farmers, scientists sustainably getting by with less water

abc30

Water covers 71% of the earth's surface, but only about 3% percent of it is fresh water, making it the planet's most precious resource. But what do you do when water is in danger of going dry?

 

Farmers call for federal action on shipping bottlenecks

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County farmers are calling for federal intervention in an international shipping bottleneck that has dramatically increased their export costs during the pandemic and jeopardized sales contracts with buyers overseas.

 

Blue Diamond first business in county to earn ‘green’ certification

Turlock Journal

Locals who enjoy Blue Diamond products can rest assured that their favorite almonds are one of the most sustainably-processed commodities in the county following the organization’s recent recognition as Green Business Certified.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Selling snacks and blankets in Fresno can be dangerous. Why many crimes remain a mystery

Fresno Bee

After years selling clothes, Mexican goods and household items on the streets of Calwa, street vendor Angelita Rodriguez has called it quits.

See also:

 

CA lawmaker seeks to decriminalize jaywalking, cites racial bias in enforcement

abc30

Jaywalking is as as common as scratching your nose in many California cities. Let those who live in glass houses, not throw stones. Now San Francisco Assemblyman Phil Ting has sponsored a bill to decriminalize the practice.

 

Warrant: Fresno County employee took $16,000 from developer as he negotiated big housing deal

abc30

A big affordable housing project in Fresno is back to the drawing board and Action News is digging deeper into the alleged criminal activity that put it on pause.

 

D.A.'s Office says no criminal charges will be filed against BPD Assistant Chief Joe Mullins

Bakersfield Californian

No criminal charges will be filed against Assistant Bakersfield Police Chief Joe Mullins in connection with an alleged incident of workplace violence reported last year by a fellow officer.

 

Orthodontia bills, unpaid fees: Lawsuit claims ex-Salida fire chief misappropriated funds

Modesto Bee

Former Salida Fire Protection District Chief Rick Weigele made the accusations about his predecessor, Dale Skiles, in a complaint filed in Stanislaus Superior Court last month.

 

Help wanted: Revived commission could spark criminal justice changes

Roll Call

The Biden administration has reached out to key lawmakers and the criminal justice community for guidance on a slate of appointments to revive the sentencing commission.

 

Opinion: How to Fix the Financial Gymnastics of Police Misconduct Settlements

Lawfare

On March 12, the City of Minneapolis agreed to pay George Floyd’s family $27 million for his wrongful death via the knee of a police officer. Despite being the largest pretrial civil rights settlement, it is only a fraction of the taxpayer money spent on settling police brutality.

 

Public Safety:

 

Bakersfield gets $830K for pedestrian safety projects

Bakersfield Californian

The city of Bakersfield is receiving more than $830,000 in Highway Safety Improvement Program funds for two projects aimed at improving pedestrian safety, according to a city information memo.

 

Amid outcry, states push mental health training for police

Bakersfield Californian

The officer who Cassandra Quinto-Collins says kneeled on her son's neck for over four minutes assured her it was standard protocol for sedating a person experiencing a mental breakdown.

 

$5 Billion For Violence Prevention Is Tucked Into Biden Infrastructure Plan

VPR
President Biden's sweeping $2 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan also aims to deploy more than $5 billion to support community-based violence prevention programs.

 

Biden Phase-Out Of Private Jails Worries U.S. Marshals Who Transport Detainees

VPR
Current and former officials at the U.S. Marshals Service said they are worried about an executive order from the Biden administration that phases out contracts with private prisons and jails.

 

California sees sharp spike in gun ownership. Why new buyers are arming themselves

Sacramento Bee

A surge in gun sales — fueled by economic insecurity, racial and political unrest and the pandemic — isn’t slowing down in California, home to some of the strictest gun laws in the country.

See also:

 

Fire:

 

California to hire 1,400 more firefighters as the state braces for wildfire season

Sacramento Bee

California will spend more than $80 million in emergency funds to hire nearly 1,400 additional seasonal firefighters, ahead of this year’s peak fire season. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced the emergency fund expenditure in a statement.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

New Report: Fresno State Contributes Millions In Economic Impact

Fresno State News

Salvador Solorio-Ruiz grew up in Delano, a small Central Valley town where 22% of residents live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census.

See also:

 

Central California reacts to state allowing indoor concerts, theater performances

abc30

In a matter of days -- indoor concert venues, performance theaters and convention centers can get back to business. Local theater veteran, Dan Pessano, managing director of "The Good Company Players," has been waiting in the wings for an entire year for this moment.

 

Sun-Maid announces first acquisition in 109 years. Here’s what they are buying.

Business Journal

Sun-Maid Growers of California announced Wednesday it will purchase Plum Organics, an organic baby food brand from Campbell Soup Co., according to a news release.

 

Data suggest Central Valley consumers have money to spend — but will they?

Bakersfield Californian

New data suggest Central Valley consumers were able to sock away enough cash during the pandemic to help fuel a robust economic recovery later this year — good news for local businesses, assuming Americans are getting ready to part with some of their recent savings.

 

City confirms Amazon project at former Kmart

Bakersfield Californian

Confirmation arrived Friday that Amazon will convert the former Kmart store on Wilson Road into a "last-mile delivery station" as part of a $20 million renovation project expected to create 200 new jobs.

 

Wall Street’s fixation on quick profits wreaking havoc in the ‘real’ economy, report says

Washington Post

Vast sums of money sloshing around the financial sector are enriching shareholders but producing little real-world value, according to a new analysis of business investment from American Compass, a conservative think tank.

 

Video: Women and the Pandemic Economy

Public Policy Institute of California

As the vaccine rollout picks up, California and the nation are getting closer to post-pandemic life. What does this mean for women, who have been disproportionately affected by COVID’s economic fallout?

 

The limits of infrastructure spending to boost economic growth

AEI

Infrastructure spending by government can boost long-run economic growth by making an economy more productive, in part by improving connectivity — both physical and digital. That’s a primary goal of President Biden’s American Jobs Plan.

 

Valley Voices: Low-income Californians must help state set climate change, economic justice goals

Fresno Bee

As a Central Valley farmer, I experience some of the most serious issues facing our state on a daily basis: climate change-fueled drought, navigating strict regulations, the painfully high cost of doing business and, most importantly, the erasure of struggling communities.

 

Walters: Is California driving business away?

CalMatters

California’s perpetual debate over whether it is hostile to business is heating up again and needs a rigorous analysis.

 

Jobs:

 

Unemployment rates down slightly in February

Business Journal

Unemployment rates were down slightly in February as the Central Valley prepared to enter the spring season. Fresno County had an unemployment rate of 9.9% in

February, down from 10.1% in January and up from 8.4% in February 2020.

See also:

 

Biden jobs plan seeks $400 billion to expand caretaking services as U.S. faces surge in aging population

Washington Post

President Biden’s jobs plan proposes a massive investment in home care for the elderly and people with disabilities, as America’s caretaking system faces strain from the nation’s looming demographic challenges.

 

The Hidden Toll of Remote Work

Atlantic

Almost two-thirds of people in a poll last fall felt that the cons of working from home outweighed the pros, and nearly a third said they had considered quitting their jobs since being banned from the workplace.

See also:

 

U.S.’s Long Drought in Worker Productivity Could Be Ending

Wall Street Journal

After a decadelong drought, worker productivity might be about to accelerate thanks to pandemic-induced technological adoption, which could lift economic growth and wages in coming years while staving off inflation pressure.

 

Walters: Worker’s comp conflict heating up again

CalMatters

California’s system of compensating workers for job-related disabilities is due for another decennial battle and it may be happening.

 

Opinion: Want to help independent contractors? Mandate standard worker benefits

CalMatters

The spectacle of unions and legislatures drawing up rules for independent contractors fills me with anger and dismay.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Almost everyone is concerned about K-12 students’ academic progress

Brookings

As schools begin to reopen, attention is turning to the deep changes necessary to reverse the learning opportunity disparities that are ingrained in U.S. education.

See also:

 

Fresno Unified first in-person meeting since last March won’t be livestreamed. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

As students and teachers prepare for in-person classes that start in about a week, Fresno Unified School District trustees are planning to take board meetings to campuses.

 

Standardized tests aren’t the problem, it’s how we use them

Brookings

Ed Secretary Cardona is refusing to back down on a federal requirement that states must administer standardized tests this year, although a letter to state leaders from the Department of Education last month said that states will have flexibility on how to apply results.

 

Opinion: Why teacher diversity benefits students of color

Brookings

Teacher diversity is teacher quality, and students of color especially benefit by having teachers who look like them, says Michael Hansen, co-author of Teacher Diversity and Student Success: Why Racial Representation Matters in the Classroom, published by Harvard Education Press.

 

Higher Ed:

 

‘College Crisis? Q&A on Fresno’s higher ed accessibility post-COVID’

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab presents “College Crisis? — Q&A on Fresno’s higher ed accessibility post-COVID” — a discussion with higher education officials, students and health officials on the future of Fresno’s colleges.

 

Stanislaus State Provides More Than Sevenfold Return on State’s Investment

CSUStan Newsroom

A new economic impact study released by the CSU confirms the importance of Stanislaus State’s economic contributions to the San Joaquin Valley, including a return of $7.41 in positive economic activity for every dollar invested in the campus by the State of California.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Companies Ask Their Customers to Help Them Cut Emissions

Wall Street Journal

While consumer-goods companies have touted their success in cutting emissions in offices and factories, they are struggling to reduce what they say is the biggest source of emissions associated with their products: consumer use.

 

Blue States Roll Out Aggressive Climate Strategies. Red States Keep to the Sidelines.

New York Times

At a time when the country is already deeply fractured along partisan lines, individual states are starting to pursue vastly different policies on climate change with the potential to cement an economic and social divide for years to come.

 

Opinion: Regulators are undermining California’s transition to 100% clean energy

CalMatters

Gov. Newsom must step in and get the California Public Utility Commission back on track to achieve clean energy targets.

 

Energy:

 

OPEC and allies agree to gradually boost crude oil output

BakersfieldNow

The OPEC oil cartel and allied countries said Thursday that they have decided to gradually add back some 2 million barrels per barrel per day of oil production from May to July.

 

Solar panels atop canals? UC Merced study finds big potential. What do MID, TID think?

Modesto Bee

Placing solar panels atop Central Valley canals could get the state halfway to its goal for climate-friendly power by 2030, a new study suggests.

 

Newsom asked for a fracking ban. He may get more than he bargained for with ambitious plan

Los Angeles Times

When Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced his support last year for a ban on hydraulic fracturing by oil and gas companies, an effort long fought by the industry and trade unions alike, he gave Democrats a green light to send him legislation to achieve that goal as they saw fit.

 

New study: California’s trailblazing diesel rules save lives

CalMatters

Researchers calculated that California’s rules reduced diesel exhaust by 78% compared to 51% for federal rules, leading to fewer deaths from heart attacks and lung disease.

See also:

 

California to Test Whether Big Batteries Can Stop Summer Blackouts

Bloomberg Green

With summer’s heat approaching, California’s plan for avoiding a repeat of last year’s blackouts hinges on a humble savior – the battery.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

How long will COVID vaccines protect people?

abc30

Ian Haydon helped test Moderna's coronavirus vaccine last year. Now, he's helping test the tweaked version of that vaccine designed to fight a new, more contagious variant.

See also:

 

Rural areas No. 1 priority for vaccines

Porterville Recorder

The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency announced on Thursday an initiative in which it would make COVID-19 vaccines available to all rural communities in Tulare County by the end of May.

See also:

 

Fauci Expects Surge In Vaccinations To Keep A 4th Coronavirus Wave At Bay

VPR

But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration's chief medical adviser, predicts that the U.S. won't see a fourth wave of the coronavirus as severe as the previous three, thanks to the uptick in vaccinations.

 

Working-age Hispanic immigrants at highest risk of dying from COVID-19

USC News Release

The study of California death certificates shows young, foreign-born Latino adults - the backbone of the state's agricultural and service industries -- faced a significantly high risk of dying from COVID compared to others

 

Have you seen a doctor lately? Delays likely to trigger deaths, poor health

CalMatters

Other than COVID-19, Californians are still dying at about the same rates from heart disease, cancer and other disorders. But doctors fear the year-long delays in medical care could lead to early deaths and severe health problems.

 

FDA Authorizes First Covid-19 Tests for Repeat, at-Home Screening

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first Covid-19 tests for repeated, frequent use by consumers at home to screen for infections even if they don’t have symptoms.

 

Human Services:

 

Should I laminate my vaccine card? What to know about CDC's proof of COVID shot

abc30

Vaccine eligibility in the US is expanding quickly, and so is the popularity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's little white card.

See also:

 

Health care providers work to ensure everyone gets second COVID-19 shot

Bakersfield Californian

The news about COVID-19 vaccines has only been getting better in Kern County: every week there are more doses, more places to get vaccinated and more locations accepting everyone.

 

Have an idea to improve masks? Biden administration holds $500K ‘innovation’ contest

McClatchy D.C. Bureua

The “Mask Innovation Challenge” invites Americans to submit ideas to make masks more comfortable to wear and to eliminate “barriers to use.”

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Central CA National Guard base being considered to house unaccompanied migrant children

abc30

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is considering using a California National Guard base in Central California as a facility to house unaccompanied migrant children, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.

See also:

 

Beyond The Border, Fewer Immigrants Being Locked Up But ICE Still Pays For Empty Beds

VPR
The sprawling detention center in Tacoma, Wash., housed more than 1,300 immigrants on average at the height of former President Trump's immigration crackdown. Now nearly four out of every five beds at the facility are empty.

See also:

 

Border crossings in March jumped to highest level in 15 years, data shows

Washington Post

The number of migrants crossing into the United States has skyrocketed to the highest levels in at least 15 years, and record numbers of teenagers and children arriving without parents have overwhelmed the government’s ability to care for them.

See also:

 

Biden Allows Trump's Freeze On Skilled Worker And Other Visas To Expire

VPR
President Biden has allowed a ban on H1-B and other kinds of foreign work visas to expire, bringing to a close a dramatic clampdown on legal immigration put in place by the Trump administration last year as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Nearly Half a Million California Farmworkers Could Gain Legal Status Under New Bill

KQED

Under a bipartisan bill now headed to the Senate, more than a million undocumented farmworkers like Carrillo, almost half a million in California, could gain legal status in the U.S. — and, eventually, a path to citizenship.

 

Skelton: Newsom promised healthcare for immigrants. A new poll shows strong public support for it

Los Angeles Times

It was a breakthrough event befitting Cesar Chavez Day: A major poll showed that California voters support providing tax-paid healthcare for immigrants living here illegally.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Central Fresno neighborhood calling for removal of recycling center

abc30

When Eric Martinez opened his business, E & J's Barbershop this month, he didn't expect the neighboring recycling center would be there. He was under the impression Buy Back Incorporated would be gone by the time he opened.

 

‘Are you kidding me?’ Fresno County looks to another agency to revive 800-unit project

Business Journal

The Fresno City Council took a vote Wednesday to distance itself from an 800-unit affordable housing project two years in the making. Now the County of Fresno is reevaluating its next steps to make the project a reality.

 

Housing:

 

Fresno is a ‘hot’ housing market. What you need to know about home prices, apartment rents

Fresno Bee

It’s getting more and more expensive to find a place to live in Fresno. Selling prices for single-family homes are at their highest level ever in Fresno and the surrounding central San Joaquin Valley.

See also:

 

Fresno officers find ‘substantial substandard housing conditions’ at Manchester Arms

Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno’s code enforcement officers found evidence of “substantial substandard housing conditions” at the 41-unit Manchester Arms apartment complex when they inspected the property this week, records show.

See also:

 

Bakersfield's citywide apartment vacancy rate drops to 1%

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield's already tight rental-housing market constricted further during the first three months of 2021 as apartment vacancies dropped to the almost unheard-of low of 1 percent, down from about 2.5 percent a year before.

 

Modesto residents can weigh in homeless plan at meeting, through online survey

Modesto Bee

The people behind a countywide plan to address homelessness will be gathering input from Modesto officials and residents Monday during a City Council workshop.

 

California took 35,000 homeless people off the street for 1 year. Did the program work?

Sacramento Bee

It took a pandemic for Bennie Rogers to get healthy, housed and happy. Rogers, 68, was living in a tent along the river in Old Sacramento last summer when he got the chance to go inside with help from a state-run emergency program set up to house vulnerable homeless people.

 

How did $2.7 billion in housing bonds disappear?

CalMatters

An audit found an obscure state committee led by top elected officials missed spending deadlines for affordable housing bonds nearly a decade ago. Few are around to explain why.

 

What the Great Recession can teach us about the post-pandemic housing market

Brookings

Despite the difference, the Great Recession and recovery from it can offer some context and insights into how households and housing markets might fare as the U.S. economy recovers from COVID-19.

 

Walters: Modular housing could be an answer

CalMatters

Factory-built modular housing could solve one of the most vexing aspects of California’s housing crisis, but will politicians embrace it or strangle it?

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Confused about the new unemployment tax break? We answer your questions

Fresno Bee

Here’s the easy part: If your modified adjusted gross income is less than $150,000, you don’t have to pay federal income tax on the first $10,200 in unemployment benefits you got last year.

 

Trump’s tax law capped a deduction that helped Californians. Gov. Newsom wants it restored

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom and six other Democratic governors Friday joined a growing chorus of officials urging an end to federal limits on state and local tax deductions that were imposed in the 2017 tax law President Donald Trump signed.

 

A 28% Tax Rate Will Cost Companies, but Not Equally

Wall Street Journal

Corporations had ample warning—an entire presidential campaign—that tax increases were coming. But that doesn’t take the sting out of President Biden’s proposal to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%.

 

The American Rescue Plan’s secret ingredient? Flexible state and local aid.

Brookings

The investment opportunity is magnified by the fact that the funding for state and local governments appears to be incredibly flexible, and therefore even more supportive of innovative recovery solutions.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Can Congress fix Highway 99? How Biden’s infrastructure plan could impact Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Can Joe Biden and Congress actually make the ride on Briggsmore Avenue/North Carpenter Road in Modesto smoother? Or make it less bumpy on Interstate 5 as you pass Monte Diablo Avenue in Stockton?

 

Biden infrastructure bill could be California high-speed rail’s ‘lifeline’

Mercury News

The torrent of federal funding could provide the beleaguered project with billions of dollars needed to bring high-speed rail to the Bay Area or even Los Angeles. Or its share could be much, much less.

See also:

 

Amtrak Wants Rail Travel to Be a Better Alternative to Short Flights, Long Drives

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration’s plan to spend $80 billion rebuilding the nation’s railroad assets could enable Amtrak to pursue the ambitious goal of providing a rail alternative to flying and driving nationwide, as it does now on the Eastern Seaboard.

See also:

 

Biden Proposal to Add EV Charging Stations Faces Bumpy Road

Wall Street Journal

President Biden’s ambitious plan to fund a network of electric vehicle charging stations could be a shot-in-the-arm for the EV industry, but it leaves a myriad of legal, technical and budgetary problems still to be addressed.

 

WATER

 

California snowpack below normal with wet season ending

AP

The water content of California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack was measured at 59% of the April 1 average, when it historically is at its peak, the state’s chief of snow surveys and water supply forecasting said Thursday.

See also:

 

California weighs changes for new water rights permits in response to a warmer and drier climate

Water Education Foundation

As California’s seasons become warmer and drier, state officials are pondering whether the water rights permitting system needs revising to better reflect the reality of climate change’s effect on the timing and volume of the water supply.

See also:

 

How Safe Is Our Drinking Water?

Consumer Report

Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, access to safe water for all Americans has been a stated U.S. government goal. Yet millions of people continue to face serious water quality problems.

See also:

 

“Xtra”

 

Bethany Clough: ‘Keep Tower Weird’ and ‘Mexican sushi?’ What to know about Fresno’s newest stores

Fresno Bee

Three new locally-owned stores have opened in Fresno. Each caters to its own niche, with the biggest business being a Mexican supermarket.

 

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 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.

 

Subscribe to the Maddy Daily HERE

 

Or, to Subscribe or Unsubscribe: email amyboam@csufresno.edu