August 21, 2019

21Aug


POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Town Hall Meeting With Tom Wheeler At The Pines Resort On August 22

Sierra News

District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler will host a town hall meeting on Thursday, August 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Pines Resort of California, located at Bass Lake.

Dem vs. Dem fight over gay-sex bill brings homophobia accusations

San Francisco Chronicle

Equality California is urging Democrats to rescind their endorsements of a Modesto city councilman who is running for state Senate.

Central SJ Valley:

Devin Nunes serves McClatchy with lawsuit four months after announcing complaint

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes on Monday served the McClatchy company with a lawsuit he announced four months ago alleging that news articles it published defamed him in the months leading up to his closer-than-usual re-election in 2018

Dolores Huerta among Fresno protesters handcuffed in county building. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Eight protesters including Dolores Huerta were handcuffed and removed from the Fresno County Hall of Records on Tuesday following a protest to try to get raises for workers who take care of the elderly and disabled.

See also:

A Clovis Unified Trustee Will Retire in 2020. Who Wants the Seat? 

GV Wire

Brian Heryford, a fixture on the Clovis Unified School District Board of Trustees since 1996, won’t run for reelection in 2020.

South SJ Valley:

CA Democrat owed $60,000 in back wages to Canadian miners

Fresno Bee

A freshman California congressman under pressure over his complicated business interests paid a four-year-old claim for wages owed to three Canadian workers just before he had to report the debt on a new financial disclosure form.

State:

GOP doubles down on winning back its lost California congressional seats

San Francisco Chronicle

If there were any doubts about just how important California is to Republican congressional hopes in 2020, the first round of the GOP’s “Young Guns” program should put them to rest.

Powerhouse AIDS organization faces scrutiny for use of federal money

Politico

A California state senator has formally asked state Attorney General Xavier Becerra to investigate whether the powerhouse AIDS Healthcare Foundation is fraudulently misusing savings from a federal drug-discount program designed to help poor patients.

California JPIA Holds Newly Elected Officials Academy

Public CEO

“The Newly Elected Officials Academy ensures elected officials understand that they play an essential role in leading a unified effort to manage risk within their agencies,” states Chief Executive Officer Jon Shull.

2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.

Federal:

Trump cancels Denmark visit after learning Greenland is not for sale

Fresno Bee

U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will not visit Denmark next month, after the Danish prime minister flatly rebuffed his recent interest in buying Greenland, with the issue suddenly emerging as a source of tension.

See also:

Republicans use McConnell allies to try and force his hand on election security

Fresno Bee

A conservative group is increasing pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to put election security legislation up for a vote in the Senate by airing ads that target the Kentucky Republican and four other Republican senators in their home states.

Ahead of G7 Summit, Trump again backs Russia being allowed back into alliance

abc30

President Donald Trump on Tuesday, just days before he heads to the G7 summit, again backed Russia being re-admitted to the alliance.

Trump floats a tax cut, then calls it unneeded and not imminent

Los Angeles Times

President Trump said “a lot of people” would like a cut in payroll taxes, but the White House isn’t likely to immediately reduce that levy — in part because voters might not even notice it.

Elections 2020:

Julián Castro qualifies for September presidential debates

Los Angeles Times

Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro has qualified for the next presidential debates, taking place in September in Houston.

With rivals heading to California, Biden eyes New Hampshire

Los Angeles Times

Joe Biden won’t be among the parade of White House hopefuls in California this week, skipping the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting to campaign in New Hampshire instead.

Donald Trump’s False claim about Google and the 2016 election results

Politifact Daily

President Donald Trump offered a new reason this week why he lost the 2016 popular vote to Hillary Clinton: He was robbed by Google.

Elizabeth Warren’s curb on top pension investment abuses

Public CEO

The highest-yielding investment for public pensions like CalPERS and CalSTRS has been partnering with private equity firms, which buy companies, make them more efficient and profitable, and then sell them.

Americans want federal action on election security ahead of 2020

Brookinhs

In a new Brookings survey of U.S. adults, 58% of respondents said the federal government should provide additional funding to states to help upgrade the security of their voting equipment. Darrell West highlights more findings on Americans’ attitudes toward election security and foreign interference ahead of the 2020 elections. 

Other:

Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Ten years and counting

Capitol Weekly

A lot has changed in California politics over the last ten years. We have gone from a novice celebrity governor to a seasoned hand to our first Gen X executive. We’ve seen record budget deficits and record surpluses. We have transitioned to a plurality Latino state and have seen the gap between haves and have-nots grow larger than ever before.

California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce convention kicks off

Stockton Record

The largest convention in Stockton in recent memory begins Wednesday. The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce will conduct its annual statewide gathering through Friday.

Conservatives, liberals slam Facebook bias audit

Politico

Facebook’s audit of conservative claims of bias on the social network drew sharp criticism from both ends of the political spectrum on Tuesday, with a leading Republican calling it a whitewash and liberals saying it legitimizes unfounded allegations of anti-conservative censorship. 

Cindy McCain: My husband, John McCain, was a man of civility. Americans can still learn from him.

Washington Post

My late husband, John McCain, loved a good fight for a good cause, and he had more than a few spirited encounters with colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He believed it was right and necessary to argue about differences on issues and in governing philosophies. And, as he often remarked, a fight not joined is a fight not enjoyed.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, August 25, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Out of District Charter Schools: Does Out of Sight, Mean Out of Mind?” – Guest: California State Auditor, Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 25, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Are Education Reforms & Charter Schools the Answer?” – Guests: California State Auditor Elaine Howle, Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California & Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 25, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “State Auditor Report on Charter Schools” – Invitados: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor’s Office.. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Lemoore set to move forward with two cannabis dispensaries

abc30

One week after a proposal to sell city land to a cannabis company fell through, that same company, Valley Pure, will try to convince Lemoore city councilmembers that they are worthy of one of the city’s two dispensary licenses.

Carnegie Museum report on council agenda

Hanford Sentinel

The Hanford City Council meets today, Aug. 20, to discuss a report regarding the Carnegie Museum lease and to hold a public hearing on the city’s interim urgency hemp ordinance.

State Appoints Working Group To Help Growers Transition Away From Harmful Chlorpyrifos

VPR

Last week, the State of California took its first steps to fully ban the harmful pesticide chlorpyrifos that can cause neurological problems and developmental delays in children. The ban means, however, that growers have to find alternatives for managing insects.

California’s legal marijuana will outsell the black market in 5 years, forecast says

Sacramento Bee

California’s black market for marijuana still rakes in more cash than the state’s legal cannabis industry, but a new analysis suggests the dynamic could flip within five years.

UC Davis partners with pharmaceutical company ahead of cannabis research center launch

Fresno Bee

The University of California, Davis will be partnering with a pharmaceutical company to research cannabis.

California’s legal marijuana will outsell the black market in 5 years, forecast says –

Sacramento Bee

The forecast, from BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research, estimates that California’s total cannabis market is expected to earn about $12.8 billion this year, with $8.7 billion going to illicit operators and $3.1 billion to the state-authorized market. 

Pot Industry Underestimates Old-School Dealers

Wall Street Journal

Traditional drug dealers are still formidable competitors in U.S. states where cannabis is legal. Governments planning for huge tax windfalls and investors expecting rapid market-share gains have to adjust to a slower burn. Carol Ryan in the Wall Street Journal$ — 8/20/19

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

How Trump is reshaping one of the country’s most liberal courts

PBS NewsHour

Planned Parenthood’s decision to withdraw Monday from a federal grant program aimed at family planning services is the result of a ruling from an unlikely source: the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Public Safety:

Trump retreats from gun control proposals

Fresno Bee

In the three weeks since three mass shootings left the country reeling, powerful pro-gun groups have sent President Donald Trump a clear signal – don’t forget that we helped put you in the White House.

See also:

Teen sues Fresno PD using video of officer punching him multiple times

abc30

Several body cameras recorded the confrontation, which is now the subject of an internal affairs investigation.

Cities Asked Ring to Share ‘Registry Lists’ of Customers Who Bought Surveillance Cameras

VICE

Police want the names and addresses of people who own Ring cameras so they can tap into a private surveillance network.

Parkland students unveil sweeping gun-control proposal and hope for a youth voting surge in 2020

Washington Post

The student activists who crashed the political arena after the mass shooting last year at their high school in Parkland, Fla., are throwing their weight behind a new and ambitious gun-control program that they hope will set the tone for the debate following the most recent mass shootings and headed into the 2020 elections.

Deadly force law finally changed

CAlmatters

The record of the 2019 legislative session – Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first – is still a work in progress, but his signature on Assembly Bill 392 this week makes it a success, no matter what else happens.

See also:

EDITORIAL: A safe place for children and teens to escape trauma opens in Modesto

Modesto Bee

Fewer people may be killed by police in California in the future, thanks to hard-fought legislation signed Monday by Governor Gavin Newsom.  That’s a nice goal. Time will tell if it becomes reality.

EDITORIAL: California’s ‘red flag’ gun control measure should be passed by Congress, too.

San Francisco Chronicle

A new UC Davis study shows California’s “red flag” law may be helping to prevent mass shootings. So why won’t Congress pass one for the whole country?

EDITORIAL:Good work on new standard for police using lethal force

Modesto Bee

Do police have too much leeway in deciding when to shoot to kill? Or should they be trained to think twice?

Fire: 

Insurers dropped nearly 350,000 California homeowners with wildfire risk

Fresno Bee

After two disastrous fire seasons, California officials have been besieged by homeowners in fire-prone areas complaining that their insurance premiums are skyrocketing or their plans are suddenly being dropped.

See also:

Wildfire acreage way down in California this year, so far

abc30

California is not burning. At least not as much as it has in recent years. Acreage burned through Sunday is down 90% compared to the average over the past five years and down 95% from last year, according to statistics from the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

California Wildfire Season Is Off to Slow Start

WSJ

Wet spring helped bring relief, but most dangerous part of season looms 

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Trump acknowledges China policies may mean US economic pain

Fresno Bee

President Donald Trump acknowledged Tuesday his aggressive China trade policies may mean economic pain for Americans but insisted they’re needed for more important long-term benefits.

See also:

Measuring what matters in California’s economy

San Francisco Chronicle

How can a state that boasts an economy as strong as California’s also be home to so many people experiencing severe economic insecurity?

For Low-Income Parents, Most Child Support Goes to the State — Not the Kids

KQED

Lam’s case isn’t isolated: Some 250,000 families in California only get $50 a month in child support payments because they’re receiving government assistance, like welfare or Medi-Cal. The rest of the money — $950 per month in Lam’s case at the time — goes to the government to repay the public for those safety net programs that his children’s mother received. 

Trump Weighs Options to Spur the Economy

WSJ

President says indexing capital-gains taxes to inflation is among the measures considered.

Opinion: Corporate panic about capitalism could be a turning point

Washington Post

“Evolve or die,” wrote hedge-fund billionaire Ray Dalio in a manifesto published in April titled “Why and How Capitalism Needs to Be Reformed.” With each passing month, more business executives have been joining this unlikely crusade to save capitalism from itself.

EDITORIAL: There’s a right response to recession fears — and then there’s Trump’s

Los Angeles Times

President Trump confirmed Tuesday that he has been thinking about cutting payroll taxes, which is not a terrible way to counter a recession. But he delivered the message in quintessentially Trumpian fashion, mixing one defensible idea in with a number of indefensible ones and muddying the waters about what he’s trying to accomplish.

See also:

Jobs:

Men who do not work during their prime years: What do the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth data reveal? 

BLS

The labor force participation rate of prime-working-age men (ages 25 to 54) has been mostly falling since the late 1960s, with steeper declines during recessionary periods.

EDITORIAL: Trump’s new ‘religious freedom’ rule looks like a license to discriminate

Los Angeles Times

Under the banner of religious liberty, the U.S. Labor Department is proposing a rule that could make it easier for organizations that receive federal contracts — including some for-profit corporations — to discriminate against job applicants on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Teachers union says charter schools take fewer disabled kids

Fresno Bee

California’s main teachers union on Wednesday released a study that found disparities in the number of students with disabilities who attend charter versus traditional schools.

How many kids at your child’s school have all their shots? Search database to find out

Fresno Bee

See how many kids at your child’s elementary school have all the shots required by the state.

Mandatory background checks for California charter school teachers under consideration 

EdSource

California charter school teachers don’t always have a teaching credential or the federal background checks required of teachers in traditional public schools.

EDITORIAL: Earning an ‘F’: Fresno County school district wanted student’s sex history in court case

Fresno Bee

Talk about a bad legal strategy: Parlier Unified’s attempt to shame one of its former students into outlining her sexual history will cost it $3,200, the result of a sanction by a Fresno County Superior Court judge.

Higher Ed:

Fresno State to give students free access to online textbooks

abc30

The fall semester at Fresno State is just hours away and it is a mix of emotions for many. Once students hit the bookstore, those feelings might quickly change to dread. It is no secret that college textbooks can be very pricey, some costing hundreds of dollars.

Incoming BC students, families attend convocation to ease fears

Bakersfield Californian

Students aren’t the only ones scared about going off to college. Often times it’s their parents who are even more nervous about the little birds leaving the nest. 

CSUB finds new home for exotic specimens, welcomes geography game-changer

Bakersfield Californian

They’ve served as sentinels in the Science I Building for nearly the entirety of Cal State Bakersfield’s history, but now their watch is over: The gazelle, wildebeest, elk, antelope and giraffe heads that towered over two generations of students, faculty and staff have left the building for new homes.

Delta College In Stockton Ranks As Top California Community College In WalletHub Survey

Capital Public Radio

The financial website WalletHub compared 700 community colleges for quality of education, cost and post-college success.

Women-only STEM college programs under attack for male discrimination

Los Angeles Times

Female-only science programs, launched by many universities to redress gender imbalance in such fields as computer science and engineering, are coming under growing legal attack as sex discrimination against men.

At UC Merced, a pipeline for more diverse faculty 

CALmatters

The school’s research programs prepare non-white and first-generation undergraduates for academic careers. Alumni earn doctorates at rates that tie UCLA and UC San Diego.

Views of Higher Education Divided by Party

Pew Research Center

Americans see value in higher education – whether they graduated from college or not.

EDITORIAL: The Great Student-Loan Scam

Wall Street Journal

The magnitude of federal budget losses is becoming clearer.

Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Mexican marijuana growers are poisoning Sierra with banned pesticide, task force says

Fresno Bee

Law enforcement officials on Tuesday announced a major operation underway targeting illegal marijuana-growing sites in the Sierra Nevada allegedly being operated by Mexican citizens who are using a pesticide banned in the United States. 

See also:

Earth’s future is being written in fast-melting Greenland

Fresno Bee

One of the places hit hardest this hot Greenland summer is here on the southeastern edge of the giant frozen island: Helheim, one of Greenland’s fastest-retreating glaciers, has shrunk about 6 miles (10 kilometers) since scientists came here in 2005.

Between a highway and an oilfield, Lost Hills residents question their air quality

Business Journal

Lost Hills: A community of 2,400 tucked between the I-5 and an oilfield about 20 miles north of McKittrick in Western Kern County. It’s where Ruiz settled 34 years ago and now lives with his wife, eight of his nine kids, and dozens of chickens. “What I like about this town is that it’s very relaxed, very tranquil,” he says. “Aside from the poor air quality, I love this town.”

San Francisco International Airport bans sale of small plastic water bottles

abc30

If you’re looking to buy a small plastic water bottle when you go to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), you’re out of luck.

‘Finally they’re fixing it’: State starts American River Trail cleanup after 2-year wait

Sacramento Bee

After more than two years of waiting, the cleanup of a rock slide along the American River Parkway in Orangevale began this week. The project to clear the path on the running and bike trail will take several months to complete, according to California State Parks officials.

U.S. Recycling Industry Is Struggling To Figure Out A Future Without China

Capital Public Radio

China is no longer taking the world’s waste. The U.S. recycling industry is overwhelmed — it can’t keep up with the plastic being churned out. This doesn’t bode well for our plastic waste problem.

Scientists finally know how big earthquakes start: With many smaller ones 

Los Angeles Times

The vast majority of earthquakes we feel come soon after smaller ones, according to new research that provides unprecedented insights into how seismology works.

California cracks down on fishing in protected areas, but anglers slip under the radar

Los Angeles Times

Hefty new fines give California Fish and Wildlife wardens a powerful tool to enforce rules in marine protected areas.

Setting Up Regulatory Fight, Court Rejects CA’s Air Pollution Suit 

KQED

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. today rejected California’s legal challenge to the Trump administration’s plans to ease decades-old air quality regulations for power plants, oil refineries, steel mills, and other large industrial sources of toxic air pollution. But the court’s decision is not a total loss for the state, and California’s attorney general is vowing further challenges to the environmental deregulation.

Energy:

Permitting irregularity prompts state to idle 25 oil, steam wells in Kern

Bakersfield Californian

More than two dozen Kern County oil and steam-injection wells have been idled because of concerns they never received a proper regulatory review, state officials said Tuesday.

California Oil Industry Sounds Alarm Over Utilities’ Power Shutoff Plans

KQED

The industry group representing oil companies in California says if the state’s utilities shut off power to refineries during periods of high fire danger, the facilities could be knocked offline, resulting in major pollution releases and increased gasoline prices.

New report: California has five times more clean energy jobs than fossil fuel jobs

San Jose Mercury

More than 512,000 people are employed in jobs related to clean energy — from installing solar panels to building electric cars — making the state home to 1 in 7 such jobs in the United States, the study found. Those numbers are expected to grow further in the coming years, as California further ramps up efforts to address climate change. 

PG&E Shares Tumble After Judge Allows Trial on Whether It Caused Wildfire 

Wall Street Journal

The bankrupt utility could face billions in additional liabilities if a jury finds its equipment sparked the 2017 Tubbs Fire.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

The ‘fourth wave’ of the opioid crisis: Feds warn of a rise in meth use

Fresno Bee

Federal drug enforcement agents are alarmed that the opioid epidemic is fueling a spike in methamphetamine use. Across the country, meth overdose deaths and federal seizures from drug busts and border raids paint a stark picture of an increase in the drug’s proliferation.

See also:

New measles numbers show the disease still spreading at a slightly slower pace

abc30

The number of measles cases continues to grow, though at a slightly less rapid pace than was recorded earlier in the year.

After Trump blames mental illness for mass shootings, health agencies ordered to hold all posts on issue

Washington Post

When President Trump targeted mental illness as the cause of the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton that killed 31 people, federal health officials made sure no government experts might contradict him.

California bill cracking down on youth vaping moves forward

San Francisco Chronicle

A California bill that seeks to make it harder for underage teens to buy e-cigarettes advanced Tuesday after legislators rolled back some of the regulations originally proposed in the measure — including a key provision that would have restricted the sale of flavored e-cigarettes like the fruit-, dessert- and candy-flavored vapes popular among teens.

See also:

Human Services:

First baby born at reopened Tulare hospital

Visalia Times Delta

It didn’t take long for the first baby to be born at Adventist Health Tulare’s newly refurbished obstetrician unit, which officially reopened on Monday, Aug. 19.

Native American health provider expands services

Business Journal

A provider of health services for Native Americans in the Valley will expand its scope of operations to include primary care with help from a recent grant.

Air ambulances play a vital role when disasters hit. Will Legislature fund them?

Sacramento Bee

California. The name alone evokes images of sunshine, beaches and outdoor adventure. 

California moves to revoke licenses for care homes after residents were left out in sun

Sacramento Bee

Acting after residents at two care homes for the elderly in Roseville and Chico were left alone in the sun and later died.

For Low-Income Parents, Most Child Support Goes to the State — Not the Kids

KQED

Thomas Lam Jr. says he has always tried to do right by his two daughters, but for a while, he found himself in an untenable situation: His child support payments were eating up most of his income, but most of the money wasn’t even going to his kids.

EDITORIAL: The new Title X gag rule means miserably long waits at clinics for reproductive healthcare

Los Angeles Times

If you’re a woman of limited means in need of reproductive healthcare, prepare to wait a long time or drive a long way for it.

See also:

IMMIGRATION

New lawsuit from detainees and advocacy groups claims ICE denied medical treatment

abc30

The lawsuit alleges that ICE has both delayed and denied medical and mental health care to detainees.

‘I exist’: Immigration detainees have friends in this group

Bakersfield Californian

They call themselves KWESI, or Kern Welcoming & Extending Solidarity to Immigrants. Members visit several times a week for an hour at a time. Jeannie Parent, a Bakersfield College instructor, founded the group four years ago with a small group of church friends.

Trump Administration Unveils Plan to Hold Migrant Children in Long-Term Detention With Parents

Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration is rolling out a plan it says will allow the government to detain families crossing the U.S.-Mexico border long term rather than releasing them.

See also:

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Gay shopkeeper stands his ground in a Central Valley town, carving out space for others

Los Angeles Times

In a small town, far from the subcultures of a big city, it can be hard to be gay or any kind of different. But a small town is also where one person can be so much a part of the fabric of life that he sets his own rules on acceptance and visibility.

Housing:

Where are the lowest rents in California? See how Merced, Valley apartment costs rank

Merced Sun-Star

Merced and the San Joaquin Valley have some of the cheapest rent prices for apartments in California. Average rents are 2 to even 3 times higher in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles area.

Modesto renters see another increase in July. What’s projected for the rest of 2019?

Modesto Bee

The cost of renting an apartment in Modesto and Turlock continued its climb in July.

Homeless cleared from camp near Marina Shopping Center in Stockton

Stockton Record

A homeless encampment on state property next to the Marina Shopping Center along West Benjamin Holt Drive was successfully evacuated and cleaned up in less than an hour Tuesday morning following weeks of complaints by neighbors and businesses.

See also:

Mortgage Market Reopens to Risky Borrowers 

Wall Street Journal

Strict lending requirements that were put in place after financial crisis are starting to erode.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Lobster tail and fine wine: How California county fair workers misused taxpayer money

Fresno Bee

California county fair employees used their employer’s credit cards to spend tens of thousands of dollars on unauthorized travel, lavish meals and alcohol, according to a newly released report from the State Auditor’s Office.

Thousands of retired California state workers are getting checks in the mail. Here’s why

Sacramento Bee

Surprise checks that have been arriving at the doors of California state retirees.

Budget Decider: Making choices that impact millions

CALmatters

California lawmakers have passed a $215 billion budget filled with progressive eye-catchers. But what if you had the awesome power to tax and spend, charting a new course for California?

Trump confirms he is considering a payroll tax cut amid fears of economic slowdown, but cautioned that a tax proposal isn’t imminent

Washington Post

President Trump also said he is looking at other possible tax cuts and once again called on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.

Trump Examining Various Tax Cuts to Bolster the Economy

Wall Street Journal

President Trump said the White House is examining proposals to bolster the economy, including reducing capital-gains taxes, while maintaining that growth remains strong.

$960B deficit expected this year, more than $1 trillion next

Roll Call

The Congressional Budget Office said in their updated budget and economic outlook that the federal budget shortfall would likely reach $960 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, up from $779 billion last year, while next year’s deficit is expected to top $1 trillion for the first time since fiscal 2012

See also:

TRANSPORTATION

US airlines expect record crowds over Labor Day weekend

abc30

The busiest travel day is expected to be Friday, Aug. 30, when just under 3 million people are expected to board a U.S. airline.

Good news, Turlock drivers: Main Street road project is nearing completion

Modesto Bee

A massive road project on one of Turlock’s main arteries is nearing completion. West Main Street near Highway 99, which has been closed in portions since April, is in its last few weeks of construction.

‘Super commuters’ not slowing down in California. Lack of housing to blame

Sacramento Bee

The majority of Californians drive to work, but an increasing number face commutes well over an hour-long to reach jobs in larger cities.

With pension burden climbing, California Highway Patrol agrees to delay some raises

Sacramento Bee

California Highway Patrol officers would temporarily forgo part of a raise to help pay down pension debt under a proposed contract agreement.

BC students to continue free ridership with Kern Transit

Bakersfield Californian

Kern Transit is continuing its free ridership service for Bakersfield College students for the fall semester. Students may ride free on all 100-numbered routes, not just on routes to and from the school, so they can save money commuting all around Kern County.

Newsom calls Trump’s effort to scuttle California’s auto emission standards ‘pathetic’

Los Angeles Times

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday accused President Trump of trying to scuttle California’s strict car emissions standards to help the oil industry, calling it a “pathetic” decision disguised as a way to assist automobile manufacturers.

See also:

WATER

What to know about blue-green algae before heading to CA lakes

abc30

Blue-green algae are blooming across the state. In the Valley, the San Luis Reservoir west of Merced has dangerous levels of toxins, but at Hensley Lake in Madera, the levels aren’t as bad.

Proposal would allow oil companies keep injecting wastewater into Kern County aquifers

Palm Springs Desert Sun

California regulators are negotiating an agreement with two major oil companies that would allow them to keep injecting millions of gallons of wastewater into potential drinking water and irrigation supplies in the Central Valley for three years. 

Sea level rise: California’s new reality

Capitol Weekly

While wildfires have gotten much of the attention in California as consequences of climate change, it’s really rising sea levels that will likely wreak the most damage. With more than 25 million people living near the coast, some $150 billion worth of property is at risk.

“Xtra”

Celebrate the darkness of nature in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks

Fresno Bee

There are wonders in the night sky, even if they are often hidden by light pollution. The Dark Sky Festival delves into those wonders with two days of tours, stargazing, guest speakers and documentary films set to the natural beauty (and darkness) of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.

California Coast offers many options for anglers

Stockton Record

If you want to catch a variety fish of species, August is prime time to go fishing on the Northern and Central California coast and inside San Francisco Bay.

Celebrate the darkness of nature in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks

Fresno Bee

There are wonders in the night sky, even if they are often hidden by light pollution.