Maddy Institute – August 18, 2021

19Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

Newsom recall basics: How to vote in California’s election

CalMatters

A FAQ on the California election on whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. CalMatters plans to launch its Voter Guide on Aug. 16.

● Recall Ballot Tracking

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Coronavirus update, Aug. 18: Stanislaus adds 363 cases. Hospital patients increase Modesto Bee

● Modesto City Schools reports 27 student Covid cases from first week of school Modesto Bee

● COVID vaccine provided at Beyer High, as delta variant catches fire in Stanislaus County Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus County opens COVID vaccine sites for some third doses. Who is eligible? Modesto Bee

● Weekend clinic aims to vaccinate Turlock’s Westside Turlock Journal

California fined these Stanislaus County workplaces for COVID prevention violations

Modesto Bee

California’s workplace safety agency fined five Stanislaus County businesses in the past six months for allegedly violating COVID-19 prevention rules including maintaining negative pressure in hospital isolation rooms.

What will $55 million from California budget fund at Stanislaus State’s Stockton campus?

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus State University campus in Stockton will receive $55 million through the 2021-22 state budget to upgrade buildings, expand academic programs and increase enrollment by 115 students.

More charged in shooting of Modesto officer, who is in critical but stable condition

Modesto Bee

Modesto Police Chief Brandon Gillespie said Tuesday that officer Michael Rokaitis remained in critical but stable condition after being shot over the weekend while serving a search warrant at a home.

Garth Stapley: Kabul update: Some Modestans stuck in Afghanistan reach airport

Modesto Bee

Some Modesto-area residents stranded in Afghanistan on Tuesday reached relative safety at the Kabul international airport, part of which is controlled by the United States military, and await evacuation.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● ‘Challenging phase’: Fresno County doctors fight COVID surge, public pandemic fatigue Fresno Bee

● Fresno County residents can now get a third COVID vaccine shot. Here’s who qualifies Fresno Bee

● 94 COVID cases have been linked to Fresno County Christian camp. Here’s how many kids Fresno Bee

● Demand for COVID testing soars in Fresno County as more vaccine mandates take hold Fresno Bee

● Kaweah Health reaches capacity as Visalia hospital begins COVID-19 triage Visalia Times Delta

Fresno closes council chambers in ‘abundance of caution’ over spread of the Delta variant

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s City Council chambers are once again closed to the public until further notice. The city announced the closure in a statement Monday afternoon, saying the decision “was made out of abundance of caution due to the current local spread of the Delta variant.”

Fresno schools quarantine 10 classrooms due to COVID exposure just days into new year

Fresno Bee

Students in 10 Fresno Unified elementary school classrooms have been quarantined just days into the new school year due to close contact with others who tested positive for the coronavirus.

Latino populations in Fresno, Valley grow as white residents decline in new US census

Fresno Bee

Some of the shift involves how respondents chose to identify their race in the 2020 Census compared to previous decades.

Editorial: The GOP usually loves US military vets, but not the Fresno State College Republicans

Fresno Bee

No, the court of public opinion is what is needed in this instance. Fresno-area Republicans should make it clear to their college-age compatriots that the criticism of Loller was ridiculous and beyond the boundaries of common decency.

Major LA developer wants to turn Fresno into an ‘entertainment destination.’ Here’s his plan

Fresno Bee

A noted Los Angeles developer has expressed interest in purchasing and improving multiple properties in southern areas of the city to turn Fresno into “a family-friendly entertainment destination.”

Fuego soccer returning to Fresno’s Chukchansi Park? Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

The Central Valley Fuego could be playing soccer again in the park that once was used by the Fresno Fuego and still holds the Grizzlies baseball, according to Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias.

Fresno nurse-led startup snags investment from Silicon Valley heavy hitter

The Business Journal

A Central Valley nurse snagged a Silicon Valley investment in her new company.

Visalia City Manager Randy Groom retires as Councilwoman Liz Wynn sworn in

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia's top-ranking city official retired on Monday as the city council welcomed its newest member during a brief but eventful meeting.

Study finds Tulare County families struggle to meet common living expenses

Visalia Times Delta

A new study finds families living in Tulare County struggle to meet the cost of living. It focused on housing, child care, health care, food and transportation, and other costs of living issues. It finds that 47,267 Tulare County households struggle to make ends meet.

VUSD announces 'universal mask mandate' as staff COVID infections skyrocket

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified is implementing a universal mask mandate effective immediately. District leaders announced the decision Tuesday afternoon. Students will have to wear a mask at all times on school grounds, even when outdoors.

Pelosi Braces for Showdown With Moderates (9 members—including Cong. Costa) Next Week Over Infrastructure Vote

Wall Street Journal

Top House Democrats said the chamber would move forward with voting on the budget blueprint for a $3.5 trillion healthcare, education and climate package next week, rebuffing demands from a group of centrist Democrats to first vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

● Opinion: Partisan Debt, Bipartisan Debt Limit? Wall Street Journal

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● COVID cases continue to increase in Kern County Bakersfield Californian

ACLU slams BPD for excessive force and racial profiling; BPD calls report 'attack'

Bakersfield Californian

A new report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California says the Bakersfield Police Department has failed to address longstanding practices of excessive force and racial discrimination.

Millions in state funds for homelessness headed toward Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County region has been allocated millions of state funds to combat homelessness as part of a larger effort to stamp out the rising issue across California. The funding gives county and city leaders the flexibility to address the deepest needs within the community.

Ammonia release forces evacuation of Grimmway Farms plant near Arvin

Bakersfield Californian

Ammonia was accidentally released at a Grimmway Farms plant near Arvin Monday, forcing the evacuation of employees at the company's facility on Malaga Drive.

LOIS HENRY: Public is in the ring in fight over Kern River

Bakersfield Californian

It was clear during the first hearing on the Kern River Tuesday that the public has a seat at the table as never before.

Downtown renaissance continues with Moneywise's pending purchase of Woolworth's building

Bakersfield Californian

The iconic red-striped sign is not going anywhere. Neither is the '50s-era luncheonette with its black-and-white checkerboard floor, homemade milkshakes and James Dean-friendly lunch counter.

State:

COVID Update:

● COVID cases hit all-time highs in rural California hospitals as delta variant rages Sacramento Bee

● California seeing signs delta-fueled COVID surge is slowing KTLA 5

● California sees signs Delta surge is slowing. New challenge looms Los Angeles Times

● Why a fast-spreading coronavirus and a half-vaccinated public can be a recipe for disaster Los Angeles Times

● Imperial County has one of California’s best vaccination rates. Here’s why. CalMatters

Is the California recall election unconstitutional? A new lawsuit makes the case

Sacramento Bee

With the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom less than 30 days away, two California voters are taking the state to federal court in an attempt to block the election from happening.

● GOP recall candidates vow to roll back Newsom mask, vaccine rules. But can they? Los Angeles Times

● Newsom’s other COVID-19 recall vulnerability: California’s broken unemployment system Los Angeles Times

● Walters: What happens if California Gov. Gavin Newsom is recalled? CalMatters

● Meet the Democrat trying to take Newsom down CalMatters

● Will your write-in vote in California’s recall election count? Maybe not Los Angeles Times

● Newsom recall election: Watch how to cast your vote CalMatters

● Walters: Wildfires could affect Newsom recall CalMatters

● Will Gavin Newsom take the fall for California's homeless problem? San Francisco Chronicle

● Washington politicians gear up for Newsom recall battle: 'We're going to have to work for it.' San Francisco Chronicle

● Can Gov. Newsom Keep His Job? A Recall Effort in California Shows a Dead Heat. New York Times

● Washington politicians gear up for Newsom recall battle: 'We're going to have to work for it.' San Francisco Chronicle

● California GOP candidates say they would preserve teachers union rights on reopening Politico

● Latest Polls Of The California Recall Election FiveThirtyEight

● Republican Doug Ose drops out of Newsom recall race for governor, citing heart attack Sacramento Bee

● Recall candidate John Cox interrupted at debate with court order to pay ad agency $100,000 Sacramento Bee

● Who is John Cox and what would he do as governor? CalMatters

● Kevin Faulconer blasts California recall rival Larry Elder over past comments on women Sacramento Bee

● Larry Elder’s recall campaign targets a new opponent: the press Los Angeles Times

● Editorial: Larry Elder thinks he can govern California from Twitter. Trump tried that and failed Sacramento Bee

Gov. Newsom says mandatory statewide water restrictions for California may be on the way

Mercury News

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he may enact statewide mandatory water restrictions in as soon as six weeks.

Some representatives have barely voted in person since COVID-19 began. Should proxy voting continue?

Los Angeles Times

California’s congressional members rank among the most frequent users of a House proxy-voting rule that enables them to avoid travel during the pandemic and have a colleague vote on their behalf.

California state workers are being told to return to offices. Will telework be an option?

Sacramento Bee

Some California state employees love working from home. Others don’t. Regardless of their feelings, increasing numbers of state workers are being given firm dates by which they must show their faces in the office after a year and a half of remote work.

California unions for firefighters, blue collar workers challenge Newsom’s vaccine rules

Sacramento Bee

Three California state worker unions are contesting a requirement for public employees to get vaccinated or submit to COVID-19 testing.

California Latino population grew in last decade while number of whites fell, census shows

Fresno Bee

California grew more diverse over the past decade as substantial increases among its Latino and Asian American residents accounted for nearly all of the state’s population gains, according to 2020 census data released on Thursday.

See also:

● New Census Data Sheds Light on California’s Changes Public Policy Institute of California

● The new census and the majority-minority narrative AEI

CBS News Poll: Is The California Dream Still Alive?

CBS

Despite many challenges, a new CBS News poll has found that Californians are still optimistic about the future of their state. When asked about their feelings about California’s future, 61% were optimistic, while 39% were pessimistic.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● COVID-19 Booster Shots Will Roll Out In September In The U.S. VPR

● More protection: US likely to authorize COVID booster shots Sacramento Bee

● Biden administration to announce most Americans will need coronavirus booster shots Washington Post

● Biden administration to start offering vaccine booster shots on Sept. 20 Washington Post

● Covid-19 Booster Shot to Be Offered to Americans Fully Vaccinated With Pfizer, Moderna Wall Street Journal

● Younger children more likely to spread COVID-19, study finds abcNews

● What we have gotten right in the COVID-19 fight AEI

Most Americans Back Mask Mandates Amid Surging Covid Cases, Poll Finds—But Republicans Support Them Being Banned

Forbes

Americans are broadly in favor of mask mandates as the delta variant causes a new surge in Covid-19 cases nationwide, a new Axios/Ipsos poll finds—but the mask orders are still controversial along partisan lines.

House revises voting rights bill to boost Justice Dept powers to challenge states

Roll Call

House Democrats introduced the latest version of what’s been dubbed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on Tuesday, intent on beefing up a civil rights-era law cut back by a series of Supreme Court decisions.

● ‘Center of the maelstrom’: Election officials grapple with 2020’s long shadow Politico

Pelosi Braces for Showdown With Moderates (9 members—including Cong. Costa) Next Week Over Infrastructure Vote

Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Partisan Debt, Bipartisan Debt Limit? Wall Street Journal

As murders surge, Democrats find a new message: Fund the police

Reuters

Local and national Democrats are distancing themselves from “defund” politics and policies, a reflection of how deeply unpopular the concept has become among most voters - and how effective a weapon it can be for Republican candidates.

Column: Debunking Trump’s ‘Big Lie,’ scholars and statistics show the facts don’t add up

Los Angeles Times

In a recent survey of presidential scholars, President Trump finished a dismal third from the bottom, just ahead of perennial duds James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson.

Other:

Opinion: Meritocracy Is Worth Defending

Wall Street Journal

Meritocracies weren’t designed to degrade and exclude. Rather, the goals were to replace a system based heavily on patronage and nepotism, to treat people as individuals rather than as members of groups, and to distribute opportunities according to ability and talent.

How should we address the US’s history of slavery and racism? Here’s what Americans think.

Brookings

Discussion of racial issues has intensified in recent years, with vigorous debates emerging at the national and local level over once obscure academic arguments such as critical race theory.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, August 22, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “A Comprehensive Look at the Valley's Water Issues” - Guest: Ellen Hanak, Director of the Water Policy Center - Public Policy Institute of California. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 22, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "A Comprehensive Look at the Valley's Water Challenges"- Guests: Ellen Hanak, Director of the Water Policy Center - Public Policy Institute of California. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Water curtailments brought on by drought in effect for California farmers

abc30

Earlier this month, the Water Resources Control Board approved an emergency resolution stopping water from being diverted from California's two largest river systems in the California Delta.

California drought takes toll on world's top almond producer

As temperatures recently reached triple digits, farmer Joe Del Bosque inspected the almonds in his parched orchard in California’s agriculture-rich San Joaquin Valley, where a deepening drought threatens one of the state’s most profitable crops.

Here's What The Historic Increase In Food Stamp Benefits Could Mean For You

VPR

The Biden administration has approved updates to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), giving families who currently receive food stamps the largest single increase in benefits to date.

● Editorial: The Democratic Food-Stamp Boom Wall Street Journal

● Beyond ‘food deserts’: America needs a new approach to mapping food insecurity Brookings

A crop of electric startups are hitting the $292 billion heavy machinery market just in time for harvest.

Bloomberg

Electric vehicle technology has finally arrived in heavy machinery, thanks to battery breakthroughs, a small crop of startups like Monarch and investors hungry for the next new thing on wheels. The future of transportation is about to hit the Heartland.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

More charged in shooting of Modesto officer, who is in critical but stable condition

Modesto Bee

Modesto Police Chief Brandon Gillespie said Tuesday that officer Michael Rokaitis remained in critical but stable condition after being shot over the weekend while serving a search warrant at a home.

Bakersfield sees a killing almost every day this August

KGET

We are 16 days into the month of August and nearly every day this month, someone has died at the hands of another. We are approaching 100 homicides for this year and there are still four-and-a-half months left in 2021.

Public Safety:

ACLU slams BPD for excessive force and racial profiling; BPD calls report 'attack'

Bakersfield Californian

Ammonia release forces evacuation of Grimmway Farms plant near Arvin

Bakersfield Californian

Ammonia was accidentally released at a Grimmway Farms plant near Arvin Monday, forcing the evacuation of employees at the company's facility on Malaga Drive.

More US cities requiring proof of vaccination to go places

Fresno Bee

In a growing number of places across the United States, people will be required to show proof of being vaccinated against the coronavirus to teach school, work at a hospital, see a concert or eat inside a restaurant.

As murders surge, Democrats find a new message: Fund the police

Reuters

Deadly Crashes on Rural Roads Prompt New Safety Efforts

PEW

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill the U.S. Senate passed last week touched on the problem. It would require a study of the issue and launch a new rural road grant program that includes $300 million for high-risk rural road safety programs.

Fire:

Top 25 worst California wildfires

Cal Fire

Chart shows top fires ranked by number of acres burned.

Watch flames as fresh evacuation orders as California's Dixie Fire continues to grow

Fresno Bee

The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office issued fresh evacuation orders on Monday, August 16, 2021, as the devastating Dixie Fire continued to grow. The fire was recorded at over 578,000 acres by the early hours of August 17, with 31 percent containment.

Caldor Fire explodes in size, leveling parts of a California town and forcing thousands to evacuate

Washington Post

A fast-growing fire in Northern California left much of a small town outside Sacramento in ruins, as the state grapples with several blazes forcing thousands to evacuate as flames inch closer.

Democrats demand Pentagon renew wildfire monitoring program

Los Angeles Times

Seven weeks before an important wildfire monitoring program is slated to lose access to Pentagon satellite data, 31 Democrats from California on Monday demanded the Defense Department commit to continuing the access that firefighters have come to rely on.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

HVAC, insurance and sour raisins: Local companies among nation’s fastest growing

Business Journal

A group of Fresno-area business have made a list of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Inc. magazine put out its annual Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies. Eight local companies made the list, which looks at revenue growth in a three-year period.

Helping small businesses navigating a safer workplace

abc30

A survey reveals 27% of businesses say they may not survive past the next six months without additional funding or market changes.

Americans spent less in July as COVID-19 surged and Delta variant kept shoppers home

Los Angeles Times

Retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 1.1% in July from the previous month, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday. It was a much larger drop than the 0.3% decline Wall Street analysts had expected.

U.S. could be on the verge of a productivity boom, a game-changer for the economy

Washington Post

As companies and customers embrace new technologies, making it easier for Americans to produce more with fewer workers, a growing number of economists say this is not a blip and could turn into a boom — or, at least, a “mini boom” ― with wide-ranging benefits for years to come.

Jobs:

California recommends private employers require COVID vaccines or testing for workers

Sacramento Bee

California officials are calling on private employers to require their employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or be subject to regular testing. The move is a recommendation, not a requirement.

Lost your job during pandemic? Calif will give you $2,500 to train for new work

Sacramento Bee

Using money from the federal COVID-19 relief package, Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers set aside $500 million in this year’s state budget to make it easier for hundreds of thousands of workers to get the education necessary for a career transition.

Heat Is Killing Workers In U.S. — And There Are No Federal Rules To Protect Them

VPR

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), whose primary responsibility is to protect workers from hazards, has failed to adopt a national heat standard to safeguard workers against rapidly rising temperatures, resulting in an enforcement system rife with problems.

Pay raises for many federal firefighters to begin next week

Los Angeles Times

After years of demanding better pay, many federal firefighters will receive modest raises next week as the Biden administration makes good on a pledge to ensure that no firefighter earns less than $15 an hour.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Mask disputes, outbreaks make for rocky start of school year

Fresno Bee

The summer surge of the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus made for a disruptive start of the school year in many parts of the country Monday as hundreds of thousands of children returned to classrooms.

● Fresno schools quarantine 10 classrooms due to COVID exposure just days into new year Fresno Bee

● Clovis Unified COVID-19 Dashboard now available for parents abc30

● School staff prepare for the arrival of students Bakersfield Californian

● Parents Face Fresh Covid-19 Stress as Schools Start and the Delta Variant Spreads Wall Street Journal

● California health expert offers tips for parents to keep their kids safe as schools reopen Sacramento Bee

● Will Students Come Back? Rand Corporation

Back to basics: The unusual challenges facing California students as schools reopen

Sacramento Bee

Summer school teachers noticed their students turned in daily journals filled with errors and asked how to spell even basic words. High school teachers noticed their students’ Advanced Placement test results came back lower than in previous years.

Walters: California’s kids have been used and abused

CalMatters

From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s six million public school students have been used as pawns in political power struggles and abused by having their educations stunted.

Op-Ed: New evidence that high schools treat conservative students poorly

AEI

While the pandemic remains a real concern, another issue will face our nation’s high-school students when they return to the classroom: whether conservative students will be treated fairly if their views and ideas do not comport with the overall zeitgeist of particular schools.

Higher Ed:

Students Are Moving Onto Campus — Can Colleges Pull It Off Without A COVID Disaster?

VPR

Students across the country are headed back to campus for fall classes. With the delta variant raging, there are questions around how colleges can pull this semester off.

Blocked: California Students & Higher Education

California Budget and Policy Center

Every California student should have the opportunity to attend our public universities, but right now too many California high school students don’t graduate with the necessary course requirements needed to attend our state universities.

Student debt is so inescapable that even those who made payments during the pandemic freeze still owe more money than they originally borrowed

Insider

President Joe Biden recently extended the freeze on student-loan payments that was set to expire in September to give borrowers an additional four months of pandemic relief. But for those who used the freeze to pay off their debt, many of them couldn't even make a dent in the amount they initially borrowed.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Outdoor Workers Could Face Far More Dangerous Heat By 2065 Because Of Climate Change

VPR

Outdoor workers in the United States could face four times as many days with hazardous heat by mid-century if action isn't taken to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, according to a report published Tuesday by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

California fishermen say a new air quality rule could put them out of business. Here’s why

Sacramento Bee

San Luis Obispo County sportfishing operators are sounding the alarm over proposed new California emissions standards they say would render their boats useless and put them out of business.

Biden is pressed to slash big-rig pollution as next climate target

Los Angeles Times

Now that he’s outlined tough new emissions requirements for carmakers, President Biden is facing pressure to enact similarly stringent rules for big trucks still operating under standards that environmentalists say are too lax.

Energy:

PG&E expands scope of likely blackout as Northern California wildfire danger grows

Fresno Bee

PG&E Corp. expanded the scope of the public-safety blackout planned for Tuesday night as wildfire dangers grow amid hot, dry weather across much of the Sacramento Valley and elsewhere in Northern California.

● PG&E starts planned power shutoffs to 51,000 customers as Dixie fire rampages Los Angeles Times

● What to do before, during and after a power outage Los Angeles Times

● Wildfire Season: PG&E Blacks Out Some Customers to Reduce California Risks Wall Street Journal

Summer Road Trips, Falling Crude Prices Pump Up Refiners’ Profits

Wall Street Journal

Summer road trips and a pullback in crude prices have pumped up refineries’ profits, offering brighter prospects for one part of the global oil complex despite rising worries about Covid-19.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Why The Delta Variant Is Hyper-Contagious: A New Study Sheds Light

VPR

After months of data collection, scientists agree: The delta variant is the most contagious version of the coronavirus worldwide. It spreads about two to three times faster than the original version of the virus, and it's currently dominating the outbreak in the United States.

● How CDC data problems put the U.S. behind on the delta variant Washington Post

A Shot Against COVID For Kids Under 12 — Your Questions Answered

VPR

With the U.S. in the grips of a frightening surge of coronavirus cases, many parents are understandably eager to know when the COVID-19 vaccine will finally be available for children under 12.

EXPLAINER: What do we know about booster shots for COVID-19?

Sacramento Bee

U.S. health officials may soon recommend COVID-19 booster shots for fully vaccinated Americans. A look at what we know about boosters and how they could help fight the coronavirus: WHY MIGHT WE NEED BOOSTERS?

It might be time for a mask upgrade

Axios

Experts warn it's time to invest in higher-quality masks with a tight fit in the wake of the Delta variant, especially among the unvaccinated like children and other vulnerable populations.

Vaccines show declining effectiveness against infection overall but strong protection against hospitalization amid delta variant

Washington Post

Three studies published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that protection against the coronavirus from vaccines declined in the midsummer months when the more contagious delta variant rose to dominance in the United States.

A pill for COVID-19? UCSD scientists say they’re able to deliver remdesivir in a capsule

Fresno Bee

Scientists at UC San Diego, have developed a way to put remdesivir and other intravenous COVID-19 treatments into a capsule that patients could safely take orally at home, according to a paper in an online issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Pfizer recalls even more of anti-smoking drug Chantix for carcinogen content

Fresno Bee

For the third time this summer, Pfizer issued a recall of popular anti-smoking medication Chantix that might have too much of the carcinogen N-nitroso-varenicline. That’s too much for Pfizer, not the FDA.

If you can smell it, get inside: Here’s how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke

Fresno Bee

California wildfires including the Dixie, Caldor, Monument and McFarland blazes all grew overnight, and more fires means more smoke.

What your heart rate can — and can’t — tell you about your health

Washington Post

Before the rise in popularity of fitness trackers and smartwatches, cardiologist Sadiya Khan said patients rarely came in with questions about why their heart rates seemed high or low.

Stockpiling Vaccines Risks New Variants Emerging And Rising Covid Cases, Study Finds As U.S. Readies Booster Campaign

Forbes

Countries stockpiling vaccine doses for their own potential use rather than making them available to countries where few people have been vaccinated—known as “vaccine nationalism”—may drive the evolution of novel coronavirus variants and prolong the pandemic for everyone.

Human Services:

California requires hospitals to accept patients from areas with low ICU capacity

abc30

A new public health order in California requires hospitals to accept transfer patients from facilities with limited ICU capacity. The California Department of Public Health issued the order on Monday in response to increasing COVID-19 cases.

California’s young adults are the biggest barrier to COVID immunity. They must get vaccinated

Sacramento Bee

As the country’s vaccination campaign slows and doses go unused, it has become clear that one of the biggest barriers to mass immunity is persuading our generation — those age 18 to 25 — to get vaccinated.

Battling misinformation, nursing homes weigh whether to require vaccination for staff

CBS News

Nursing homes were among the hardest hit facilities in 2020, during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. A year later, thousands of nursing home workers have decided not to be vaccinated.

Covered California opens special health insurance enrollment period for wildfire survivors

Fresno Bee

Covered California is opening a special enrollment period to allow residents of 11 wildfire-ravaged counties to buy health insurance coverage if they do not already have it.

Anthem, Dignity Health reach agreement that restores coverage to thousands of Californians

Sacramento Bee

Leaders of Anthem Blue Cross said Tuesday that they have reached an agreement with Dignity Health on a new contract, settling a disagreement that had severed relationships between thousands of Californians and their Dignity doctors.

IMMIGRATION

Head Of Immigration And Refugee Service Talks About Resettling Afghan Refugees

VPR

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service about the daunting task of finding new homes for thousands of Afghan refugees.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Event: Advancing Ecosystem Restoration with Smarter Permitting

Public Policy Institute of California

California’s ecosystems are vital to the state’s economy and well-being, yet they’re in dire health. Large-scale restoration is needed, and implementing smarter permitting can help.

Housing:

Millions in state funds for homelessness headed toward Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

Tehachapi housing development nears final approval

Bakersfield Californian

Tehachapi gave all but final approval this week to an Idaho developer's proposal for a 995-unit, $480 million housing project near the city.

Home Prices Are Now Higher Than The Peak Of The 2000s 'Housing Bubble.' What Gives?

VPR

Even before the pandemic pushed the U.S. housing market into overdrive, the price of the average American home was on a rocket ride, climbing more than 50 percent between 2012 and 2019. It was the third biggest housing boom in American history.

See also:

● Editorial: The California Housing Crunch Wall Street Journal

Housing finance: Insights on the new normal

AEI

For the first time since week 20, 2020, weekly purchase rate lock volume dropped below its 2019 level for the same week.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Student debt is so inescapable that even those who made payments during the pandemic freeze still owe more money than they originally borrowed

Business Insider

But for those who used the freeze to pay off their debt, many of them couldn't even make a dent in the amount they initially borrowed.

TRANSPORTATION

President Biden’s electric car order doesn’t make it easier to buy one. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

President Joe Biden this month signed an executive order to encourage more sales of electric cars, aiming for half of new sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030.

TSA extending its mask rule for airline passengers through January 2022

abc30

Federal officials are extending into January a requirement that people on airline flights and public transportation wear face masks to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Transportation Security Administration's current order was scheduled to expire on Sept. 13.

See also:

● U.S. Extends Mask Mandate for Travelers Wall Street Journal

CHSRA expected to vote on environmental report for complex high-speed rail section

Railway Track and Structures

The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is expected to consider the action later this week. A presentation will be made on the Environmental Impact Report and route during a board meeting, with a vote expected to take place on Aug. 19.

Here’s how Biden’s infrastructure plan would help freight and passenger rail

Boss Magazine

The bill will be the largest package of its kind in decades, despite representing roughly half of Biden’s initial plan. If passed, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will allocate $1 trillion to various sectors, including railway infrastructure.

U.S. Senators Urge FTC to Probe Tesla’s Autopilot Claims

Wall Street Journal

Two U.S. senators are urging the Federal Trade Commission to open a probe into whether Tesla Inc. used deceptive marketing practices involving driver-assistance features that the electric-vehicle maker calls Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.

WATER

State agency identifies racial inequalities to help Valley towns lacking clean water

Fresno Bee

It’s very important to lead with your values. That’s exactly what is happening at the California Water Quality Control Board regarding racial equity and environmental justice.

California has been unable to address water problems in a number of towns. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

A lot has happened over the past five years, but not much has changed in the tiny farmworker town of Okieville. Wells went dry en masse in Tulare County, including in Okieville, during the last drought in 2012-2016. Since then, the state has funded a new well for the town.

LOIS HENRY: Public is in the ring in fight over Kern River

Bakersfield Californian

It was clear during the first hearing on the Kern River Tuesday that the public has a seat at the table as never before.

Water curtailments brought on by drought in effect for California farmers

abc30

Valley farmers will have to make some tough decisions as less water is made available to them. Earlier this month, the Water Resources Control Board approved an emergency resolution stopping water from being diverted from California's two largest river systems in the California Delta.

First-ever water shortage declared for Lake Mead

abc30

Federal officials have declared a shortage in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the country that serves tens of millions of residents in the West and northern Mexico, amid a historic decades long "mega-drought" in the region.

EXPLAINER: Western states face first federal water cuts

Sacramento Bee

U.S. officials on Monday are expected to declare the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West, triggering cuts to some Arizona farmers next year amid a gripping drought.

● First-ever water shortage declared on the Colorado River, triggering water cuts for some states in the West Washington Post

California enacted a groundwater law 7 years ago. But wells are still drying up — and the threat is spreading

CalMatters

As drought worsens, there are few, if any, protections in place for California’s depleted groundwater. The new law gave local agencies at least 26 years — until 2040 — to stop the impacts of over-pumping.

Newsom says mandatory statewide water restrictions for California may be on the way

Mercury News

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that he may put mandatory water restrictions in place in as soon as six weeks from now as the state’s historic drought continues to worsen.

Going With the Flow Is No Longer an Option in Arizona. Or California.

Esquire

The unprecedented decision by the federal government is bound to have profound ripple effects throughout the entire region that has been served—or, arguably, over-served—by the Colorado.

“Xtra”

Benaddiction expands with second location in Fresno

abc30

Work is underway on one of Fresno's newest restaurants, Benaddiction North. James Caples is the owner of Rock this way hospitality group, which operates Benaddiction. The new restaurant will offer indoor and outdoor dining.

Fresno Philharmonic audiences must have COVID vaccine or negative test at concerts

abc30

The music of the Fresno Philharmonic will return to fans in person this year, but you'll need more than your ticket to attend. Audience members will need to wear masks and bring proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to go to the indoor concerts this fall.

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