23Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Modesto Centre Plaza is out for straight pride, but organizers say rally still on

Modesto Bee

The straight pride rally will not take place at Modesto Centre Plaza on Aug. 24, one of the organizers said Friday after the group had difficulties getting liability insurance.

Tubbs appointed to California Victim Compensation Board

Stockton Record

Gov. Gavin Newsom’ office has announced that Mayor Michael Tubbs has been appointed to the California Victim Compensation Board, the latest connection between the governor and Stockton’s mayor.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno’s mayor has made a decision on the next police chief. Who will it be?

Fresno Bee

Mayor Lee Brand and City Manager Wilma Quan will make the announcement at a 10 a.m. news conference at City Hall, the release said. Chief Jerry Dyer has said he’ll retire Oct. 15 after 18 years running the department.

● Andy Hall to be announced as new Fresno Police Chief abc30

● Police chief search didn’t find long-term hire, city official confirms. What now? Fresno Bee

West Nile kills Fresno County man — second of year in state as officials issue warning

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Health Department confirmed Thursday a Fresno County resident has died of West Nile virus as the danger level rises in August and September.

● First West Nile virus death reported in Fresno County Business Journal

State Senate Appoints Perea to High-Speed Rail Board

GV Wire

Henry R. Perea, a longtime passenger train advocate, is the newest board member of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Northwest Fresno has representation following City Council ceremony

Fresno Bee

Fresno City Council’s newest member took his oath of office Thursday, a little more than a week after winning the special election.

Panhandling signs in Fresno? Council votes on plan for business owners, city to post them

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council on Thursday narrowly adopted a plan to use anti-panhandling signs throughout the city at the discretion of elected officials and private business owners.

Devin Nunes will get a day in court against Twitter this week. Will the case be dismissed?

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against social media giant Twitter is scheduled for its first hearing in a Virginia courtroom on Friday, and it might be its last.

● Here’s what happened at Devin Nunes’ first hearing for his lawsuit against Twitter, fake cow Fresno Bee

Grand Jury report focuses on the problems within various agencies

Madera Tribune

The complete Madera County Grand Jury Report has been issued, and it is a lively one in some areas for sure. Traffic around schools, Community Action Partnership, and the City of Chowchilla water system all got strong suggestions from jurors.

South SJ Valley:

First human caes of West Nile reported in Kern County

KGET

The first human case of West Nile Virus has been reported in Kern County, according to the California West Nile Virus website. There were 31 new WNV human cases reported in California this week, including Kern, according to the site. This brings the total to 45 human cases in 11 counties throughout the state have tested positive for WNV so far this year.

City and county team up with Homeless Collaborative to form nonprofit to take on rising crisis

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Homeless Collaborative will soon restructure as both the city of Bakersfield and Kern County officials aim to take a greater role in homeless mitigation efforts.

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.

State:

With Whites And Men Still Dominating The Pool, How California Hopes To Create A Diverse Redistricting Panel

Capital Public Radio

The lottery to select most members might not yield a commission representative of the state. So there’s also a Plan B.

California State Sen. Richard Pan Shoved Near Capitol By Opponent Of Vaccine Exemption Bill

Capital Public Radio

Pan, the author of California’s vaccine law and a new proposal that seeks to limit medical exemptions, was walking to an event in downtown Sacramento when an opponent to that bill shoved the lawmaker in the back.

● EDITORIAL: Activism or Terrorism? Anti-vaccine movement must use facts, not violence, to argue Sacramento Bee

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.

The New Split Roll Is Even Worse Than the Last

Fox & Hounds

The newly filed split roll initiative is even worse than the last.

USC/LAT poll: Trump has remade the Republican Party, but at a price

Los Angeles Times

President Trump has remade the Republican Party in his populist image, but at a price that puts his reelection in jeopardy, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll finds.

Federal:

AP-NORC poll: 62% disapprove of how Trump’s handling his job

AP News

About 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s overall job performance, according to a new poll released Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which finds some support for the president’s handling of the U.S. economy but gives him weak marks on other major issues.

Editorial: The GOP has a political and economic death-grip over Democrats

Los Angeles Times

An exploding federal budget deficit can spell political trouble for the White House and opportunity for the opposition party as a presidential election approaches. But this week’s announcement that the annual deficit is expected to surpass $1 trillion for much of the coming decade may actually put more pressure on Democratic challengers than on President Trump.

Trump’s Jokes: Freaking Out Is a Good Way to Make Sure He Wins Again

National Review

There could not be a more clear example of something that liberals should have let slide than his Medal of Honor crack.

‘Robocalls are a scourge.’ Phone companies pledge to combat them in deal with states

Fresno Bee

The average American has received more than 100 robocalls already this year: annoying and unwanted calls, scammers looking to exploit vulnerable populations, and all manner of alerts — some important and others simply fake.

● Large Telecoms, State Enforcers Make Pact to Combat Robocalls Wall Street Journal

Kavanaugh’s support for surveilling Americans raises concern

AP News

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has frequently supported giving the U.S. government wide latitude in the name of national security, including the secret collection of personal data from Americans.

Elections 2020:

Bernie Sanders tells Sacramento rally he won’t settle for defeating Donald Trump

Fresno Bee

Vermont senator and 2020 presidential contender Bernie Sanders drew an overflow crowd to his downtown Sacramento rally on Thursday evening, part of a multi-day swing through California as he vies for the Democratic nomination to take on President Donald Trump next year.

● Bernie Sanders Rallies Supporters In Downtown Sacramento Capital Public Radio

● Bernie Sanders talks about ‘silver linings’ and his climate change plan in fire-devastated town Los Angeles Times

● Bernie Sanders has a Green New Deal. Ocasio-Cortez has one. Garcetti too. Here’s how they compare Los Angeles Times

● Sanders evokes Camp Fire while pitching climate plan in Sacramento San Francisco Chronicle

Why Kamala Harris is stuck in neutral

Fresno Bee

She’s taken a nose-dive in polling, struggled to hit her stride on an overarching message — and now donors are beginning to wonder about her long-term viability. Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is suddenly confronting a crossroads.

See also:

● Harris expands California staff as primary battle heats up San Francisco Chronicle

● No, America’s Auto Industry Not Expected To Lose ‘As Many As 300,000’ Jobs, As Kamala Harris Claimed Capital Public Radio

● Kamala’s rivals seize on health care stumbles Politico

● Sanders, Harris set for showdown in delegate-rich California AP News

● Fox: Harris’s Chances Fox & Hounds

Democrats see opening on economy, resist cheering recession

Fresno Bee

Campaigning under the stifling August sun, Joe Biden assailed President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, accusing him of squandering a strong economy and putting Americans’ financial security at risk.

Elizabeth Warren talks plans and pennies at Los Angeles town hall

Los Angeles Times

Elizabeth Warren had the crowd going wild over pennies.

Democrats like their chances against Trump, but they haven’t forgotten 2016

San Francisco Chronicle

President Trump is falling behind in battleground states across the country, but that means his 2020 re-election chances are dimming, not disappearing, Democratic Party officials said Thursday.

Democrats risk alienating young voters by ditching climate-only debate

San Francisco Chronicle

The Democratic National Committee took a stance on climate change Thursday in San Francisco that could alienate young voters — a key group that Democrats need to be energized for the party to win back the White House.

California may join other states in OK’ing 17-year-old voters

AP News

California may join many other states in allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primary and special elections, if they will turn 18 before the following general election, under a proposed amendment to the state constitution approved Thursday by the state Assembly.

How do the Democrats running for president really live? A look at their homes & wealth

Politifact

On the campaign trail, Sen. Cory Booker often name-drops his Newark, N.J., neighborhood, noting that he “lives in a community that is below the poverty line.” Pete Buttigieg, now mayor of South Bend where he grew up, has touted his “middle-class lifestyle, in a middle-class neighborhood.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Boston-area transplant, claims family roots in the Oklahoma plains.

Other:

Study ranks California 17th for women’s equality

abc30

A new study shows California has some work to do when it comes to women’s equality. Research conducted by personal finance website WalletHub.com ranked California 17th on its list of best and worst states for equality for women.

See also:

● Making a case to women: Trump female defenders go on offense Fresno Bee

A plea to the right and left: tone down the rhetoric

CALmatters

The atrocious acts in Dayton, El Paso and Gilroy are incomprehensible. How could anyone with any modicum of human decency ever carry out a mass shooting?

State’s top elections chief plans to take “California model” national

CALmatters

For advocates of expanded voting rights, California is the gold standard. Now Secretary of State Alex Padilla is evangelizing the state’s approach — and hoping to shake up elections in other states in 2020.

David Koch, Billionaire Who Fueled Right-Wing Movement, Dies at 79

New York Times

A man-about-town philanthropist, he and his brother Charles ran a business colossus while furthering a libertarian agenda that reshaped American politics.

Mind Your Manners, Says Edith Wharton

Wall Street Journal

Americans have become very rude. A great nation cannot continue this way.

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

Mushroom farm in fire-hazard faces insurance crisis

Sacramento Bee

Joel Gutierrez jumped into the mushroom business by chance, when his teenage son Evan brought home a few growing bags from a school trip at the local Tumbling Creek Farm in Nevada City.

70 Mayors Reject Trump Food Stamp Proposal, Saying It Puts Kids At Risk

Capital Public Radio

Mayors from 70 American cities send a letter to the Trump administration, saying a plan to push millions of people out of the federal food stamp program would punish some of the country’s neediest.

Weedmaps going strictly legal: California pot website cracks down on black market ads

Fresno Bee

A website that helps people find medical and recreational marijuana is taking steps to prevent black market operators from advertising on its platform.

California pot taxes tick up but miss initial projections

Fresno Bee

When it comes to tax money from marijuana sales, California is living with diminished expectations. The state pulled in $74 million in cannabis excise taxes between April and June, after the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom sharply scaled back projected tax dollars from the shaky legal market.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Toast For The Clink: South County Justice Center finally to open

Porterville Recorder

The long awaited opening of the South County Detention Facility in Porterville is finally going to happen. The jail is 100,000 square feet and will house up to 519 inmates. It was mostly paid for with a $60 million grant for the State of California.

Providing A Path To College For Kids In Juvenile Detention

Capital Public Radio

A unique program that enrolls kids in juvenile detention in college classes could be a statewide model.

Getting beyond the myths: What Americans really think about mass shootings and gun legislation

Brookings

The recent spate of mass shootings has propelled gun safety to the center of public concern, and the share of Americans demanding swift action has increased substantially.

See also:

· California calls for gun law summit with Nevada Visalia Times Delta

· Skelton: ‘Ghost guns’ let bad guys ignore gun control laws. It’s time to get rid of them Los Angeles Times

· EDITORIAL: On gun violence, Trump was only shooting his mouth off SF Chronicle

· Fact check: Trump says mental illness is cause of the nation’s gun violence Sacramento Bee

Public Safety:

Fresno’s mayor has made a decision on the next police chief. Who will it be?

Fresno Bee

● Andy Hall to be announced as new Fresno Police Chief abc30

● Police chief search didn’t find long-term hire, city official confirms. What now? Fresno Bee

Fresno cop shown in video punching teen put on desk duty. Dyer promises full review

Fresno Bee

A Fresno police officer has been put on modified duty after body camera footage surfaced that showed the officer punching a teenage male several times in the face.

● It ‘Certainly Raises Concerns’ – Dyer Responds To Video Of Officer Punching Teenager VPR

Sheriff releases body-cam video of struggle that preceded man’s death in south Modesto

Modesto Bee

Video released Thursday from body-worn cameras show sheriff’s deputies struggling in south Modesto with a man who later died.

Gov. Newsom on new police deadly force law: How I’ll know it’s working

CALmatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’ll judge the success of California’s new law limiting police use of deadly force based on whether it leads to a “substantial reduction in the number of fatal shootings.” “We need to see significant improvement in the number of these instances,” Newsom said Thursday in an interview for CalMatters’ Force Of Law podcast.

Addressing violence in Modesto and Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Portland escaped large-scale violence last weekend between far-right rally-goers and left-wing Antifa militants. Now the eyes of many across the United States have turned to Modesto, waiting to see how a straight pride rally and potential protests unfold Saturday.

Woman awarded $1.7 million for alleged discrimination in lawsuit filed against CDCR

Bakersfield Californian

A former pregnant correctional officer at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi was awarded $1.7 million in damages stemming from a lawsuit filed against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in April 2018.

Sewage leak causes hazmat cleanup in county’s annex jail. Inmates without running water

Fresno Bee

Parts of Fresno County’s North Annex jail was flooded early Friday, leaving inmates without running water and causing the closure of the building.

What Democrats Get Wrong About Prison Reform

Politico

It’s not drug crime that drives mass incarceration, it’s violence. And that’s a much harder problem to solve.

Fire:

4,000 evacuated near Redding in 600-acre Mountain Fire, CA’s first major wildfire this summer

Fresno Bee

California’s wildfire season, mostly quiet so far, roared to life Thursday as a brush fire east of Redding prompted the evacuation of a community college and hundreds of homes in outlying neighborhoods.

PG&E Seeks Help In Paying Wildfire Victims

Capital Public Radio

PG&E is asking the state Legislature to let it borrow money tax-free so it can compensate wildfire victims. The utility is facing up to $30 billion in potential damages from recent wildfires caused by its equipment.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

‘Everyone is nervous’: How Trump muddles his message on U.S. economy

Stockton Record

As White House advisers warned this month of a potential economic slowdown, President Trump pursued chaotic responses.

Trump Lashes Out at China After Beijing Announces New Tariffs

Wall Street Journal

President Trump lashed out at China, saying U.S. companies were “hereby ordered” to start looking for an alternative to China. The tweets came after Beijing said it would impose tariffs on $75 billion worth of additional U.S. products in response to U.S. tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese goods.

● China announces tariff hike on $75 billion of US products AP News

Banks Plan to Boost Campaign Spending in 2020

Wall Street Journal

With the financial crisis fading, firms renew political engagement for presidential election year.

As global economic picture dims, solutions seem out of reach

AP News

As global leaders gather on two continents to take account of a darkening economic outlook.

Jobs:

T-mobile, Sprint merger means jobs, high-speed internet access throughout the Valley

Fresno Bee

California’s Central Valley is vast, encompassing all or part of 18 counties, and is a dominant agricultural region in our state. Despite its prominent role in contributing to our state’s agricultural production, this region is often overlooked when it comes to economic development.

Amazon ends controversial practice of using tips to meet drivers’ wage guarantees

Fresno Bee

Amazon delivery drivers were surprised to learn earlier this year that the e-commerce giant would at times dip into their tips to cover their promised wages. That’s about to change, according to an email the company sent drivers on Wednesday.

Experts talk about how Modesto can keep commuters and their high-paying jobs here

Modesto Bee

More than 86,000 workers from the Northern San Joaquin Valley drive over the Altamont Pass every day to jobs in the Bay Area. That’s up from about 5,000 commuters in the 1980s.

EDUCATION

K-12:

New innovative middle school becoming reality

Madera Tribune

Madera Unified held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for a new middle school that can be arguably described as the most innovative move in the history of the school district.

VUSD’s answer to troubled kids isn’t working

Visalia Times Delta

A Visalia school meant to answer the question of what to do with the district’s most troubled students isn’t working. A substitute walked away in the first week. Creekside Community Day School is made up of 80% new staff. They’re working to fill a permanent teaching position.

Local educators stress importance of school attendance on future success

Bakersfield Californian

School might not be every student’s favorite place to be early in the morning, but maintaining stellar attendance every year brings academic and life success.

Ethnic studies bill delayed in California amid controversy

Los Angeles Times

A proposed law that would require all California high school students take an ethnic studies course is on hold for this year after the draft curriculum prompted weeks of escalating controversy from diverse groups whose members said they were misrepresented or excluded.

● California proposal requiring ethnic studies for diploma delayed EdSource

Clovis Unified aims to promote wellness

Clovis Round Up

The start of a new school year is usually an exciting time for parents and students.

GHHS breaks ground: Law and Justice Center coming soon

Porterville Recorder

Granite Hills High School (GHHS) students, staff, dignitaries from the community and the city, Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Nate Nelson, PUSD board of trustees and members of the justice and law enforcement community gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Pathways Law and Justice Center on Wednesday, August 21.

The Next Generation of Scientists Starts Here

EdReports

Educator Morgan Martin shares how EdReports science reviews can empower districts to choose quality materials and support a new kind of science learning for all students.

Are teachers underpaid?

AEI

Andrew Biggs applies the data and statistical methods that produce “the teacher pay gap” to other professions to determine whether teachers are underpaid.

Higher Ed:

BC President Sonya Christian says the state of the college is ‘strong’

Bakersfield Californian

President Sonya Christian presented her seventh State of the College address to a full house during the school’s annual Opening Day ceremony, where she noted overall growth and several initiatives and partnerships taking place this school year.

Delta College students awarded record amount in scholarships

Stockton Record

Thanks to a partnership with Stockton Scholars, a record amount in scholarship money has been awarded to hundreds of San Joaquin Delta College students.

Trump orders expedited student-debt forgiveness for disabled veterans

Los Angeles Times

Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal student loan debt owed by tens of thousands of disabled military veterans will be erased in an expedited process under a directive President Trump signed this week.

Boosting California’s college graduation rate is governor panel’s first task

EdSource

The first order of business for a new higher education advisory board appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom will be to look at ways to improve the low college graduation rates in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire and counter the effects of poverty and geographic isolation there, officials say.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

What is Rep. Ocasio-Cortez doing in Kings Canyon National Park?

Fresno Bee

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted to her Instagram story Thursday morning a view familiar to many Fresnans and Valley natives: towering Giant Sequoia trees in Kings Canyon National Park.

Your trash can get into the ocean, even if you live hundreds of miles away. But how?

Fresno Bee

You could be contributing to the 14 billion pounds of trash that Sea Stewards estimates makes it into the ocean every year — even if you don’t live anywhere near the beach, experts say.

Soil Health Can Combat Climate Change From the Ground Up

PEW

Financially strapped farmers strive for soil health to sustain their land.

Climate change turns Arctic into strategic, economic hotspot

Fresno Bee

When U.S. President Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland, it was met with derision, seen as an awkward and inappropriate approach of an erstwhile ally.

California sails toward biggest salmon harvest in years

Fresno Bee

Commercial salmon catches have surpassed official preseason forecasts by about 50%, said Kandice Morgenstern, a marine scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

5.0 earthquake strikes Inyo County, USGS says

abc30

A preliminary-magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck Inyo County on Thursday afternoon, centered in the same region that experienced two major temblors in early July, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

See also:

● Earthquake rattles Ridgecrest area again Visalia Times Delta

● Earthquake centers about 20 miles north of Ridgecrest Bakersfield Californian

What did Yosemite get for the $12 million paid to its former concessionaire?

San Francisco Chronicle

Newly released court documents show Delaware North turned over more than 30 trademarks it quietly registered when it operated the park’s concessions.

California Air Quality

San Francisco Chronicle

See air quality in your area in near-real time. This map shows ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated hourly.

Democrats View Environmental Policy as Critical in Upcoming Primary

PPIC

With California’s presidential primary a little more than six months away, climate change is emerging as a defining issue for voters in 2020.

Energy:

PG&E holds power drill in Fresno County

abc30

A power drill was held in Fresno County on Thursday. PG&E used helicopters in and around the town of Auberry to practice response time in the event of an emergency power shutoff.

How much could PG&E’s rates rise? What you need to know

CALmatters

The average residential PG&E customer could see a 15% monthly increase. State authorities are already getting an earful from those overwhelming opposed to paying more.

Developer: Construction of NF Biomass Plant Could Begin Soon

Sierra News

Proponents of a plan to build a two mega-watt biomass plant in North Fork are in the midst of finalizing a multi-million dollar financing package that will pave the way for full-scale construction to begin at the development site.

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.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

West Nile kills Fresno County man — second of year in state as officials issue warning

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Health Department confirmed Thursday a Fresno County resident has died of West Nile virus as the danger level rises in August and September.

● First West Nile virus death reported in Fresno County Business Journal

● First human caes of West Nile reported in Kern County KGET

Editorial: Anti-vax movement must use facts, not assault, to argue

Sacramento Bee

This week, an anti-vaccine activist filmed himself physically assaulting Dr. Richard Pan, a Democratic state senator from Sacramento. The reason? Dr. Pan has crusaded for years to protect California’s children from harm by advocating for California to strengthen its mandatory vaccine laws.

Cancer treatments in pill form should be covered the same

Sacramento Bee

Many of these new therapies are easier to administer because they come in pill form rather than being administered intravenously or injected in liquid form, an enormously important innovation for both patients and healthcare providers.

Human Services:

Tulare hospital: ‘A remarkable turnaround’

Visalia Times Delta

There is light at the end of a very dark tunnel for Tulare Local Health Care District. On Aug. 16, the district’s Chapter 9 plan was approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court in Fresno. This brings the nearly two-year-old bankruptcy filing to “legal resolution,” hospital officials said.

Column: Bucking federal policy, California court blocks church attack on abortion coverage

Los Angeles Times

An effort by a Catholic mission to narrow the accessibility of abortion insurance coverage in California has been dealt a blow by a state appeals court, which has ruled that abortion must be covered by health plans sold in the state.

Democrats take a look at a practical health care approach

AP News

Democratic voters appear to be reassessing their approach to health care.

IMMIGRATION

Trump revives suggestion he’d end birthright citizenship

abc30

Trump spoke to reporters as he departed the White House for a speech in Kentucky, saying birthright citizenship was “frankly ridiculous.”

California to sue Trump administration over new migrant children detention policy, Newsom says

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that California will join other states in filing a new lawsuit as early as next week that seeks to block the Trump administration’s efforts to indefinitely detain immigrant minors and families with children.

The latest bad immigration idea from the White House? Letting local officials refuse refugees

Los Angeles Times

The administration is contemplating an executive action that would allow states and local government to refuse to resettle refugees in their jurisdictions, with some exceptions, such as reunifying families when members have already settled there.

EDITORIAL: Trump’s new plan to incarcerate migrant families isn’t just cruel, it’s unjustifiable

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration announced its plan Wednesday for a network of detention centers to hold migrant families for potentially as long as it takes to process their applications for asylum.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

100 Fresno businesses told to remove razor wire

abc30

100 Fresno businesses have received notices from the city saying the razor wire used to secure their business violates city code. Some businesses have used it for decades but the city said razor wire is illegal.

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.

‘New Left Urbanists’ Want to Remake Your City

Wall Street Journal

It’s about control—using infrastructure to make the masses conform to one vision of how to live.

Housing:

Finding housing in Modesto is difficult. It gets even harder when you own a pet

Modesto Bee

In a tight real estate market, it is difficult enough for people to compete for the available rental housing in Stanislaus County.

City and county team up with Homeless Collaborative to form nonprofit to take on rising crisis

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Homeless Collaborative will soon restructure as both the city of Bakersfield and Kern County officials aim to take a greater role in homeless mitigation efforts.

Holt facility ruled out as site for homeless

Stockton Record

Supervisor Tom Patti’s short-lived suggestion that a former school campus in the Delta be used as the site for a large-scale, full-service homeless shelter drew its final breath Thursday morning at the monthly meeting of the county’s Continuum of Care for the homeless.

Southern California must plan for 1.3 million new homes in the next decade, Newsom says

Los Angeles Times

Cities and counties in Southern California will have to plan for the construction of 1.3 million new homes in the next decade, a figure more than three times what local governments had proposed over the same period, according to a letter released by state housing officials Thursday.

California homeowners are facing an “insurance crisis”

KCRA

Insurance companies are raising rates and dropping customers in fire-prone areas.

Report: Does CA Have Enough Land Available for Housing?

CA Economic Summit

Is there enough available land in California’s urban areas to add 3.5 million homes by 2025?

What does economic evidence tell us about the effects of rent control?

Brookings

Steadily rising housing rents in many of the US’s large, productive cities have reignited the discussion whether to expand or enact rent control provisions.

New Grandfamilies Housing Caters to Seniors and Kids Alike

PEW

More than a fifth of grandparents raising grandchildren are poor.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Editorial: The GOP has a political and economic death-grip over Democrats

Los Angeles Times

TRANSPORTATION

Kings County, High-Speed Rail settle lawsuit

Hanford Sentinel

The Kings County Board of Supervisors and the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced recently that they have signed three major agreements that will clear the way for progress on California’s high-speed rail in Kings County.

State Senate Appoints Perea to High-Speed Rail Board

GV Wire

Henry R. Perea, a longtime passenger train advocate, is the newest board member of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Airport facial recognition technology runs into privacy fears

Los Angeles Times

Every day in airports across America, travelers confront facial recognition technology.

Hundreds of Uber and Lyft drivers to launch a protest caravan across California

Techchrunch

If you’re like me, chances are good you just distractedly clicked on this article while scrolling through your feed in, or while waiting for, a Lyft.

WATER

The West is trading water for cash. The water is running out

Bakersfield Californian

Along the Colorado River, climate change is taking its toll, responsible for aridification — the progression from cyclical drought to a permanent decrease in water.

How Private Capital Is Speeding Up Forest Restoration In The Sierra Nevada That Benefits Water

Water Education

A bond fund that fronts the money is expediting a headwaters restoration project to improve forest health, water quality and supply.

“Xtra”

It took me 20 years to attend the Fresno Greek Fest. Don’t make the same mistake

Fresno Bee

You’ve probably heard about Fresno Greek Fest, which celebrates its 59th year this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

What’s up with the zebras off Highway 1 near Hearst Castle?

Fresno Bee

If you’ve driven up Highway 1 in San Simeon, you might have seen some animals that would look more at home on an African savanna than on the rolling hills of the Central Coast. Zebras.

Free national park admission this Sunday for National Park Service birthday

abc30

The National Park Service is turning 103 on Aug. 25, the anniversary of Pres. Woodrow Wilson signing the National Park Service Act.

See also:

● Get into Sequoia, Kings Canyon parks free Sunday Visalia Times Delta

Aug. 31 is Free Fishing Day in California

abc30

Get your fishing pole ready! Free Fishing Day will be August 31 in California, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.