Maddy Institute – August 30, 2021

30Aug

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.

● Recall Ballot Tracking

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Week 2 of classes sees big COVID positivity rate jump in Modesto, Turlock school districts Modesto Bee

Turlock executive cleared of ethics complaint, California retirement system reports

Modesto Bee

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System determined an ethics complaint against Gary Hampton was unsubstantiated. A complaint submitted in June alleged Hampton worked more than his allowed hours while employed as Turlock’s acting city manager.

Online tool has hundreds of ideas for making walking and biking easier in Modesto

Modesto Bee

The city is seeking comments for a long-range plan for bike lanes, crosswalk improvements and other means of reducing the dominance of motor vehicles. The plan also could ease the way for wheelchairs, skateboards and scooters.

Nosrati, organizers reflect on failed City Council recall attempt

Turlock Journal

As voters throughout the state decide whether or not to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom, Turlock City Councilman Andrew Nosrati is able to breathe a sigh of relief eight months removed from a failed attempt to remove him from the dais.

Turlock's interim fire chief to retire in September

Turlock Journal

Gary Carlson, who has been serving as the Turlock Fire Department's interim chief, announced he will be retiring in a matter of weeks. The City of Turlock made the announcement that Carlson would be retiring and that his last day would be Sept. 14.

President Junn welcomes students to a delayed start at Stanislaus State

Turlock Journal

Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn shared the university’s plan for managing the fall semester amidst rising cases of COVID-19 in her virtual welcoming address on Aug. 19.

Names of Note: Modesto-based grocer helps Valley Children’s. Tourism effort impresses

Modesto Bee

The Modesto-based grocery chain asked shoppers to give $2, $3 or $5 at checkout counters in May and June. The total came to about $20,000. Save Mart rounded it up to $25,000 with its own money.

Afghan refugees arrive in Stanislaus County as families try to get more people out

Modesto Bee

Resettlement centers in Stanislaus County are inundated with refugees and a local congressman’s office is receiving hundreds of calls as Afghans desperately seek a pathway to get their families to the U.S.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Dr. Rais Vohra addresses COVID-19 misinformation Fresno Bee

● Fresno, Valley hospitals ‘in worse condition today’ than winter’s COVID pandemic peak Fresno Bee

● UPDATE: More than 1,000 coronavirus cases arise in Fresno, Valley. Here’s the latest Fresno Bee

● Valley hospitals operating in 'disaster mode,' doctors say abc30

● Officials: Valley health care system ‘in a state of paralysis’ Business Journal

● 535 Visalia teachers and students in quarantine as schools end second week Visalia Times Delta

● Masks, Tension, Nazi Germany, and CUSD Clovis Roundup

● Andrew Fiala: It is an American tradition to honor religious exemptions to government mandates Fresno Bee

Fresno faces more unhealthy air, triple-digit heat. When to expect cooler weather

Fresno Bee

Fresno and the rest of the central San Joaquin Valley can expect to see at least two more days of triple-digit temperatures, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.

● 'It's suffocating': Valley residents cope with smoky air due to California wildfires abc30

The Supreme Court ended the federal eviction moratorium. What does it mean for Fresno?

Fresno Bee

Fresno renters, if you are concerned that the Thursday Supreme Court decision that ended the federal eviction moratorium will get you thrown out of your rental immediately, you have some time.

Fresno City College’s vaccine vote made one day after drop date. Can students get refunds?

Fresno Bee

When State Center Community College trustees decided Monday to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine at all campuses, they did so one day after the drop date, meaning students could no longer get a full refund if they chose to drop out of school to avoid immunization.

Madera County residents and farmers face groundwater challenge of a lifetime

Fresno Bee

Madera County is running out of time as groundwater levels plummet to new depths. Wells are going dry everywhere. Drillers have months-long waitlists. Residents are scrambling for water tanks.

‘We exist:’ Census 2020 provides more visibility to Indigenous Mexicans in Central Valley

Fresno Bee

In previous years, Latinos of various ethnic backgrounds didn’t have many options when selecting their identity on the census. Many were forced to choose between two different races or didn’t see their ethnic group listed as an option on the decennial questionnaire.

Warszawski: Bill would give public more sway over Fresno river parkway — and that’s a good thing

Fresno Bee

Assembly Bill 559, authored by state Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, helps balance the scales. If signed into law, the bill would give the public more sway over the development of the 22-mile river parkway between Friant Dam and Highway 99.

Editorial: Valley PBS has been a hot mess. New CEO, board members must get public TV on better track

Fresno Bee

To say that Valley PBS has been a hot mess is probably understating it. Charges by employees of a toxic work environment. Continual turnover of the chief executive. A shell of a board overseeing things.

Officials celebrate affordable housing project for Tule River Indian Tribe in Porterville

abc30

Dozens of Tule River Indian Tribe members have a new place to call home, thanks to a new affordable housing project by the Tule River Indian Housing Authority and Visalia-based non-profit Self-Help Enterprises, along with other partners.

California’s ‘Cantaloupe Center’ struggles to reign supreme as drought pummels agriculture across the West

Washington Post

This small town in California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley advertises itself as the “Cantaloupe Center of the World.” But as relentless drought punishes California and the West, the land is drying up and the cantaloupes are disappearing.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health: Five new COVID deaths, 564 new cases reported Friday Bakersfield Californian

Faulconer stresses experience in government during campaign stop in Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Faulconer visited Bakersfield on Friday for a campaign event. As the election enters its final weeks, he stressed his political experience as well as his success in reducing homelessness while mayor of San Diego.

City of Bakersfield updates mobile app

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield Mobile App is free to download on Apple (iOS), Android and Blackberry devices, and includes an updated app home screen with buttons linking to the most popular content on the city's website, including job openings, trash services and city news.

Bakersfield weighs action on Airbnb-type rentals

Bakersfield Californian

It hasn't quite been a year since Javier Garcia started offering his Oleander house for rent on the short-term rental platform Airbnb, and despite the absence of any city regulation permitting such activities, he said, "So far, so good."

Editorial: Wake-up call: California’s water is running out

Bakersfield Californian

Mandatory limits on water use are likely to be imposed in the near future on California residents, businesses and farms. Get ready. You can’t change the weather, which has deprived the state of its necessary rain and snowfall. But you can change your response.

State:

COVID Update:

● Should California expand its COVID vaccine mandates? Here are 3 industries that could be next Modesto Bee

● California changed its vaccine rules for indoor events. Here’s what you need to know Sacramento Bee

● This chart of the delta surge in California vs. the U.K. may contain a warning sign San Francisco Chronicle

● Editorial: California should pass model COVID-19 mandate law Mercury News

● PRESS RELEASE: Commission Launches CRC Database on its Website California Redistricting Commission

● Quarantined: A new law is disrupting California school reopenings CalMatters

Here’s what to know about voting in the California governor recall election

Sacramento Bee

Registered voters should have already received their mail-in ballots. As of this week, about 2.8 million ballots, or 13% of the approximate 22 million ballots sent out to Californians, have been returned, according to tracker by Political Data Inc.

● Federal judge rejects lawsuit that sought to block Gavin Newsom’s recall election Sacramento Bee

● Opinion: The Recall Election to Oust Gavin Newsom Is Undemocratic Newsweek

● CalMatters Reporter Laurel Rosenhall On Newsom Recall Election And Power Of Latino Voters NPR

● What will California Democrats do if Gavin Newsom loses? Here’s what happened to Schwarzenegger Modesto Bee

● California recall: Here’s what a Republican governor can accomplish if Newsom loses Mercury News

● Who might replace Gov. Newsom in the California recall election? Mercury News

● Trump-inspired conspiracies about voter fraud have infiltrated the California recall. And they may cost supporters votes San Francisco Chronicle

● 'Who should I vote for in the recall?' Democratic advisors say Faulconer San Francisco Chronicle

● Column: ‘The battle just begins.’ Recall backers say toppling Newsom only first step in changing California Los Angeles Times

● Column: If Newsom is recalled, the entire nation should worry, not just Californians Los Angeles Times

● Gray Davis: California recalls should be reformed, no matter Newsom’s fate CalMatters

● Former California Gov. Gray Davis shares his unique perspective on recall KCRA3

● Are young voters the key to Gavin Newsom surviving the recall? CalMatters

● If Newsom is recalled, how would a Republican governor get anything done? CalMatters

● Editorial: For the sake of the planet, don’t remove California’s governor Los Angeles Times

● With Recall Election, California’s Environmental Future Up for Vote Bay Nature

● Opinion: How Did Deep Blue California Get Played by Recall-Happy Republicans? New York Times

● Opinion: Angry with no plan: Republicans' tantrum continues in California The Hill

● What California’s Recall Election Says About America The Atlantic

● Why Aren’t Democrats Talking About the Worst Possible Outcome of the California Recall? Slate

● Opinion: California’s Recall Is a Blow to Democratic Change New Yorker

● Newsom Recall: Voter Apathy, Confusion May Lower Turnout KMJ Now

How Gavin Newsom went from landslide victory to fighting for his political survival Los Angeles Times

Whether the future belongs to Gavin Newsom, 53, is now an open question. Voters on Sept. 14 will decide whether to cashier the governor before he has even completed his first term, in the second gubernatorial recall election in the state’s history.

● With recall looming, Newsom gets some help from friends in Legislature CalMatters

● Walters: If recalled, what’s next for Gavin Newsom? CalMatters

● Opinion: Gavin Newsom thought he could override the Constitution — now he faces a recall The Hill

● Why the California recall is within the margin of error and what that means for Gavin Newsom CNN

California recall candidate Larry Elder says ‘systemic racism is a lie.’ Here’s why Sacramento Bee

The leading Republican recall candidate says he’s not African American. He’s an American who is Black. He thinks systemic racism is a lie, and that rising crime is the result of the Black Lives Matter movement.

● Larry Elder’s private charity was a bust, and questions swirl over where the money went Los Angeles Times

● Will the LAPD’s investigation of leading recall contender Larry Elder derail his campaign? Mercury News

● Elder advocated denying education, emergency care to undocumented immigrants San Francisco Chronicle

● Larry Elder's new campaign manager faced scrutiny for millions in billings to public agency Politico

Opinion: Democrats are unwitting architects of California’s structural racism

Modesto Bee

California is a textbook example of structural racism. Thanks to state policies enacted over the past 62 years, we now have the third-highest cost of living in the nation.

Editorial: Newsom waves white flag as more climate-warming power plants are coming to California

Fresno Bee

California is moving ambitiously toward a renewable-energy future. But some harsh realities this summer have forced Gov. Gavin Newsom to return to climate-warming power sources the state is trying to stop using.

Walters: Who will control sports betting in California?

CalMatters

Legal wagering on sports is coming to California but dueling ballot measures will determine who controls and profits from the potentially huge amounts of money involved.

California must provide prompt treatment for mentally incompetent defendants, court rules

San Francisco Chronicle

The California Supreme Court rejected the state’s appeal Wednesday of an order requiring prompt mental treatment for more than 1,000 criminal defendants who are being held in jail for months after being found mentally incompetent to stand trial.

California Wants To Become The First State To Pay People With Addiction To Stay Sober

NPR

Frustrated by out-of-control increases in drug overdose deaths, California's leaders are trying something radical: They want the state to be the first to pay people to stay sober.

See also:

· A little suspense Politico

Event: 2021 Speaker Series on California's Future

PPIC

A panel of top political journalists will talk about the recall process and explore the implications of the election and its outcome.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● More COVID-19 shots, studies offer hope for US schools Sacramento Bee

● The U.S. Has A Long Precedent For Vaccine Mandates VPR

● U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Approach a Peak as Delta Variant Spreads Wall Street Journal

● Intelligence agencies, divided after review, say COVID-19 origins may never be known Fresno Bee

● Opinion: The Covid Origin Muddle Wall Street Journal

● COVID Booster Rollout (Probably) Won’t Repeat Spring Scramble Pew Trusts

● About four-in-ten Americans say social media is an important way of following COVID-19 vaccine news Pew Research

Business groups aim to divide Democrats on $3.5T spending bill

The Hill

Business lobbyists are increasingly optimistic that they can water down tax hikes and other measures in Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending plan opposed by corporate America. Their confidence was boosted last week by an agreement struck by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

See also:

● Opinion: Pelosi’s Cannon Fodder Wall Street Journal

Opinion: The benefits and costs of broadband expansion

Brookings

The shift of work and school online highlighted the lack of access to high-speed broadband internet service in some parts of the U.S. and intensified political pressure on the government to make it more widely available.

Dems won't blink in debt showdown as painful September looms

Politico

Republicans raised the debt ceiling with minimal drama under Donald Trump. Now Democrats are prepared to make them publicly refuse to do the same for Joe Biden. Senate Republicans are digging in deeper and deeper in their resistance.

Biden announces plans to give pay raise to federal employees

Washington Post

President Biden on Friday announced plans to give all federal civilian employees an average 2.7 percent pay raise, consistent with the increases he had proposed in his 2022 budget.

U.S. regulator tells White House it will step up enforcement of oil and gas conglomerates

Washington Post

The Federal Trade Commission plans to ramp up enforcement of anticompetitive practices by oil and gas companies, as the Biden administration presses for ways to alleviate unusually high fuel prices for motorists.

Opinion: The High Price of Federal Marijuana Legalization

Wall Street Journal

While many legalization advocates and pot-industry lobbyists are praising the bill, scientists and top researchers are urging senators to proceed carefully, and they’re right to counsel caution. It’s valid to be concerned about the harms of drug policies.

How Kamala Harris is embracing — and changing — the system

Politico

This episode of Playbook Deep Dive examines Kamala Harris’ law school years, her performance as Veep and leadership as a woman of color — and why she’s still embracing “the system.”

Opinion: MLK Warned Us About Moderates. Are We Listening?

Politico

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which now joins the For the People Act as the second piece of voting rights legislation pending in Congress.

● Marchers across U.S. call on Congress to bolster voting rights Los Angeles Times

Eviction ban’s end will allow pandemic lockouts to resume

Sacramento Bee

Tenant advocates and court officials were gearing up Friday for what some fear will be a wave of evictions and others predict will be just a growing trickle after a U.S. Supreme Court action allowing lockouts to resume.

● Democrats rush to avert eviction calamity after ban is blocked Politico

● Supreme Court strikes down CDC eviction moratorium despite delta’s rise Washington Post

● Renters Prepare for Eviction After Supreme Court Ruling Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Justice Kavanaugh Replies to Mr. Biden Wall Street Journal

Opinion: Biden commission on Supreme Court isn't moving fast enough — or thinking big enough

Salon

In a 48-hour window, in a secretive process aptly known as "the shadow docket," the Supreme Court has effectively destroyed the entire balance of power, designed by our Framers, between the unelected and elected branches of our government.

Other:

Most Americans say the declining share of White people in the U.S. is neither good nor bad for society

Pew Research

About 6-in-10 adults (61%) say the declining proportion of Americans who identify as White – a trend documented this month in new data from the Census Bureau about Americans who identify as solely White and not Hispanic – is neither good nor bad for society.

See also:

● Opinion: How the Census Misleads on Race Wall Street Journal

America’s Racial Wealth Gap Is Enormous and Getting Worse

Capital & Main

America’s racial wealth gap, pushed to the front of the nation’s agenda during the racial justice protests of last summer, has continued to widen and has indeed worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How America’s response to 9/11 contributed to our national decline

Brookings

The United States is weaker, more divided, and less respected than it was two decades ago, and we have surrendered the unchallenged preeminence we then enjoyed.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 5, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "State Auditor's Report: Evaluating Affordable Housing Programs" - Guest: California State Auditor Elaine Howle; John Myers - LA Times; Dan Walters - CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 5, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Building More Affordable Housing: What Works and What Doesn’t"- Guests: CA State Auditor Elaine Howle; John Myers - LA Times; Dan Walters - CalMatters; Matt Levine - CalMatters; Dan Dunmoyer - California Building Industry Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California’s ‘Cantaloupe Center’ struggles to reign supreme as drought pummels agriculture across the West

Washington Post

Democrats face big decision on agriculture in climate change fight

The Hill

Democrats face a tough choice in their efforts to reduce methane emissions, one of the most harmful greenhouse gases. Their dilemma? Whether to impose any new restrictions on agriculture.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Expired Driver’s Licenses Open Lane for Cybercriminals

Pew Trusts

State motor vehicle offices are warning residents to watch out for license renewal scams.

Public Safety:

A toxic stew of anti-Asian racism, anti-vaccine vitriol roils Orange County

Los Angeles Times

During the pandemic, such rhetoric has become increasingly routine at board meetings in a county where anti-vaccine, anti-mask activists are a strident voice.

Fire:

Red flag warning for Northern California as gusts threaten existing fires, new starts

Sacramento Bee

Already besieged by major wildfires in the Sierra Nevada foothills and other northern reaches of the state, Northern California must brace for another round of gusty weather Friday and into the weekend.

● 'Extreme rates of spread' as Caldor Fire, driven by high winds, heads toward Lake Tahoe San Francisco Chronicle

● ‘Zombie apocalypse.’ Tahoe economy slammed as California wildfire smoke blankets region Brookings

● California wildfires are climbing higher up mountains, putting more forest at risk of flames San Francisco Chronicle

Firefighters making progress in battling Washington, Airola fires in Northern California

Sacramento Bee

Firefighters are making good progress against the Washington and Airola fires, Cal Fire said in updates issued Sunday morning. The Washington Fire, which broke out Thursday afternoon near Jamestown in Tuolumne County, was at 50% containment.

French Fire continues burning Sunday; containment grows to 26 percent

Bakersfield Californian

The French Fire continued burning Sunday, and is reported to have burned some 24,920 acres since it started Aug. 18 west of Lake Isabella. The fire is 26 percent contained, fire officials reported Sunday evening, and 1,614 personnel are assigned to the fire.

Wildfire, drought and chainsaws: California’s iconic trees are casualties in the war on fire

San Diego Union-Tribune

Scientists say California’s imperiled forests need more wildfire, not less. Newsom’s $1.5 billion plan for wildfire prevention will fund logging to mimic the effects of naturally occurring blazes.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Opinion: California Business Headquarters Now Leaving Twice As Fast, With No End In Sight

Hoover Institution

When company headquarters migrate out of California, significant economic costs affect not only the state but also communities. Moreover, when advanced technology companies move their headquarters, centers of innovation move with it.

U.S. economy appears to be softening due to Delta variant

Los Angeles Times

The Delta variant of the coronavirus has muted the progress of the U.S. economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumers putting off some leisure spending and businesses delaying a return to normal operations.

Cash will soon be obsolete. Will America be ready?

Brookings

To keep their money relevant, many central banks are experimenting with digital versions of their currencies.

Jobs:

Californians can’t afford to lose good-paying jobs

CalMatters

Assembly Bill 701 could harm California’s warehouse employers by nudging business owners to move out of state, a trend we already are seeing in other sectors of our economy.

For many workers, work is a threat to well-being

CalMatters

The use of automation technologies to track and monitor safety or productivity is widespread in supply-chain management, and it is now seeping into grocery stores, other retail settings, and even knowledge work. That is bad news for workers.

How Well Do Big Companies Pay Their Workers? Not as Well as the Business Roundtable Suggested Last Week

Capital & Main

Yet at least one statistic that the Roundtable cited, meant to show that America’s leading companies are investing in their workers by paying them well, was confusing, if not downright misleading.

Fed Faces New Challenge Spelling Out Employment Goals

Wall Street Journal

Federal Reserve officials are talking more about how to define a fuzzy concept—maximum employment—that will heavily influence their thinking around how much longer to keep interest rates near zero.

These Millennials Are Dumping Their Jobs to Plot New Careers

Wall Street Journal

They launched careers in the years after the 2007-09 recession and only recently hit their stride in earning power. Now some young professionals are quitting their jobs with no Plan B.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Breakthrough COVID Infections Add Even More Chaos To School's Start In 2021 NPR

The fact that kids are transmitting the coronavirus to family members is unnerving many parents all over the U.S. and putting extra stress on many households as children head back to school.

How this after-school program achieved a high vaccination rate in a Black neighborhood where most young adults are unvaccinated

Washington Post

The program ultimately mandated vaccination for all 18 employees of Life Pieces to Masterpieces. Today, everyone there is vaccinated. The more than a dozen volunteers who interact with students are also vaccinated.

Virtual schools saw little disruption, got equal virus aid

Associated Press

While many schools scrambled to shift to online classes last year, the nation’s virtual charter schools faced little disruption. For them, online learning was already the norm. Most have few physical classrooms, or none at all.

American Rescue Plan Funds Can Support Inclusive Early Childhood Special Education

EdNote

ARPA provides states with $200 million in preschool grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B. States and school districts can also use the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to support IDEA.

Strategic patience on childcare policy

AEI

Among the unemployed with children, 60 percent of mothers and 18 percent of fathers said they weren’t working due to care responsibilities.

Opinion: Teachers have to put the welfare of transgender students before their own beliefs

Los Angeles Times

Cross’ comments shed light on a broader power struggle over whose rights matter more: those of teachers to assert their religious beliefs in the classroom, or those of transgender students to be themselves.

Higher Ed:

President Junn welcomes students to a delayed start at Stanislaus State

Turlock Journal

Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn shared the university’s plan for managing the fall semester amidst rising cases of COVID-19 in her virtual welcoming address on Aug. 19.

Renovations for Stanislaus State library reach final touches

Turlock Journal

The renovations to the Stanislaus State library are almost complete and students should expect to see the finished product when they return to in-person instruction on Oct. 1.

Fresno City College’s vaccine vote made one day after drop date. Can students get refunds?

Fresno Bee

Lessons Learned From National Transfer Reform Efforts

EdNote

From common course numbering to reverse transfer to broader pathways work, policy efforts and national initiatives have sought to ease credit mobility to promote equitability, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds and minoritized communities.

How States Can Support Successful Postsecondary and Workforce Advising

EdNote

State leaders play a particularly critical role in setting the right tone and conditions for transitions success. Below are a few high-impact ideas from Colorado for other states that want to support high-quality, aligned advising as an expectation for every student.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Greenhouse Gas Levels Are The Highest Ever Seen — And That's Going Back 800,000 Years

Valley Public Radio

Scientists reported that the concentration of carbon dioxide, one of the primary greenhouse gases, hit 412.5 parts per million in 2020. That's 2.5 parts per million higher than in 2019, and it's now the highest ever observed, the scientists said.

Climate groups launch $1M ad campaign aimed at six battleground Republicans

Roll Call

Two groups pushing for action against climate change are launching a nearly $1 million ad campaign Tuesday that tries to use wildfires and extreme weather to persuade moderate voters to reject a handful of battleground Republicans in California and Florida.

Climate Change to Be Treated as Public-Health Issue

Wall Street Journal

The Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to launch an office that will treat climate change as a public health issue.

See also:

● Opinion: Biden’s Coming Climate Commission Wall Street Journal

● How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint New York Times

● How Much Hotter Is Your Hometown Than When You Were Born? New York Times

Energy:

Editorial: Newsom waves white flag as more climate-warming power plants are coming to California

Fresno Bee

Opinion: The ‘Clean Power Plan’ Returns

Wall Street Journal

Utilities would have to buy or generate a certain amount of renewable energy. Those that don’t meet their quotas would be fined. Those that exceed targets would receive payments that they must spend on increasing renewable energy or reducing electricity prices.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

On the front lines, here’s what the seven stages of severe COVID-19 look like

Los Angeles Times

With the fourth wave of the pandemic in full swing, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, the trajectory of the patients I see, from admission to critical care, is all too familiar. When they’re vaccinated, their COVID-19 infections most likely end after Stage 1.

Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Comirnaty vaccine, J&J booster, vaccine card & more

Sacramento Bee

More than 38.7 million people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday, Aug. 28, according to Johns Hopkins University. That includes more than 636,000 people who have died nationwide.

● The false claim that the fully-approved Pfizer vaccine lacks liability protection Washington Post

● Health officials warn against use of dewormer against COVID-19 Business Journal

Hospitals see more unvaccinated, younger, healthier people with COVID-19

Los Angeles Times

Among adults and the oldest teenagers who are hospitalized with COVID-19, the median age of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients was 51.

● New UCSF study: Vaccine-resistant viruses are driving ‘breakthrough’ COVID infections Mercury News

● Unlike Clinical Trials, New Covid-19 Study Needed Only a Few Volunteers Wall Street Journal

● Evidence shows that COVID-19 variants are largely spread among unvaccinated people PolitiFact

● Your Questions About COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections, Answered Consumer Reports

With COVID tests needed for work, school and play, get ready for longer wait times for results

Mercury News

California’s summer case spike has driven up demand for the once-scarce, then-ubiquitous COVID-19 tests — resulting in long lines, long wait times for results, and lots of frustrated folks anxious to learn if the delta variant has infected them.

Contact tracing takes a back seat during latest COVID surge

Sacramento Bee

Health investigators across the U.S. are finding it nearly impossible to keep up with the deluge of new COVID-19 infections and carry out contact tracing efforts that were once seen as a pillar of the nation's pandemic response.

What's the latest science on all the COVID hygiene measures still used in public spaces?

San Francisco Chronicle

Health officials still consider masking and vaccination key to curbing the pandemic, so much so that the CDC and California health officials still recommend universal indoor masking for everyone, and with the exception of a few Bay Area counties, it’s required nearly everywhere in the region.

Wildfire Smoke Is Damaging Your Skin

New York Times

The study, published by Dr. Wei, her student, Raj Fadadu, and some of their colleagues in June, was the first to link skin disease (atopic dermatitis, a.k.a. eczema) to wildfire smoke.

An Anxious Age Demands More ‘Restorative Cities’

CityLab

The pandemic underscored the importance of that connection: Among children, teens, parents and caregivers, and the elderly, mental health issues have spiked over the past 18 months. City life itself could be contributing to this crisis.

CVS Wants to Be Your Therapist, Too

Wall Street Journal

The pharmacy company is among several retailers including Walmart Inc. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., that are experimenting with offering counseling services in or near stores.

The danger of America’s forgotten battle with asbestos

Brookings

Asbestos—a silent, enduring pandemic—has become a forgotten issue in the U.S. Yet, it continues to endanger the lives of children and school staff every day, bearing particularly on marginalized communities who lack the critical resources to protect themselves.

Human Services:

Nurse shortages in California reaching crisis point

Bakersfield Californian

In the past month, four emergency room nurses — exhausted by the onslaught of patients and emotional turmoil wrought by COVID-19 — have quit at the Eureka hospital where Matt Miele works.

Children's Mental Health Gets Millions In Funding From The Biden Administration

Valley Public Radio

As students head back into another pandemic school year, the Biden administration has announced nearly $85 million in funding for mental health awareness, training, and treatment.

Judge approves Sutter Health antitrust deal. What that means for California health care

Sacramento Bee

Sutter Health is $575 million poorer — and now must operate under new rules designed to curb its ability to dictate the price of health care in Sacramento and Northern California.

When aid-in-dying means you have to go before you’re ready

Mercury News

California’s End of Life Option Act requires that people take their own lethal medications, without assistance — but the cruel reality for Sandy and others dying of neuromuscular disease is that they can’t. They need help.

Five Decades Later, Medicare Might Cover Dental Care

The Upshot

Millions of older Americans who cannot afford dental care — with severe consequences for their overall health, what they eat and even when they smile — may soon get help as Democrats maneuver to add dental benefits to Medicare for the first time in its history.

IMMIGRATION

Afghan refugees arrive in Stanislaus County as families try to get more people out

Modesto Bee

With Loved Ones Stranded In Afghanistan, Afghan Families In Fresno Face An Excruciating Wait

NPR

An Afghan woman who asks to be called Sana places a spread of dried fruit and nuts on the dinner table in her small apartment. It’s in keeping with Afghan culture.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Warszawski: Bill would give public more sway over Fresno river parkway — and that’s a good thing

Fresno Bee

Housing:

The Supreme Court ended the federal eviction moratorium. What does it mean for Fresno?

Fresno Bee

Fresno renters, if you are concerned that the Thursday Supreme Court decision that ended the federal eviction moratorium will get you thrown out of your rental immediately, you have some time.

Officials celebrate affordable housing project for Tule River Indian Tribe in Porterville

abc30

Bakersfield weighs action on Airbnb-type rentals

Bakersfield Californian

Commentary: To house the homeless, California must re-imagine housing

CalMatters

State and local governments must change housing law and zoning rules to move toward permanently housing unsheltered Californians.

After Years of Failure, California Lawmakers Pave the Way for More Housing

New York Times

California needs more housing. More condominiums, more townhouses near mass transit, more suburban apartment buildings. There is no other solution to the state’s desperate homelessness problem and a deepening housing affordability crisis.

Who pays the price for California’s affordable housing?

Mercury News

If California is truly serious about affordable housing — and I’m becoming convinced it’s not — then somebody in the real estate world must accept less than what they have right now.

‘Nobody is this incompetent’: Rental aid slowdown puts target on governors, mayors

Politico

Affordable housing groups are blasting officials with accusations of negligence and racism over the sluggish delivery of rental assistance, warning that persistent red tape and bad targeting have had an outsized impact on low-income Americans.

More Americans now say they prefer a community with big houses, even if local amenities are farther away

Pew Research

Americans today are more likely than they were in the fall of 2019 to express a preference for living in a community where “houses are larger and farther apart, but schools, stores and restaurants are several miles away.”

PUBLIC FINANCES

Opinion: Guaranteed income is the next great US social experiment. California should lead the way

Sacramento Bee

The pandemic caused a sea change on universal basic income as people across the ideological spectrum realized the power of direct cash payments under federal and state COVID relief bills.

Fed Chair Jay Powell’s real fear for the global economy is disinflation

Quartz

The rise in prices as the US pulls itself out of the pandemic recession has exceeded the Fed’s forecasts, and led critics to call on the bank to cut back its efforts to boost the economy.

● Opinion: Powell Takes a Victory Lap Wall Street Journal

● Powell walks high wire as Fed plans to ease support for Biden's economy Politico

TRANSPORTATION

Online tool has hundreds of ideas for making walking and biking easier in Modesto

Modesto Bee

Analysis: Fed Support for Transit Would Increase Equity

StreetsBlog USA

Public transportation is an affordable mobility option for residents of communities nationwide, too frequently underfunded, resulting in low-quality service and low ridership. It also forces people with low incomes to buy cars and increases carbon emissions.

MapLab: Visualizing the Legacy and Future of Urban Highways

Bloomberg

This past year, the Biden administration’s proposed infrastructure bill brought highways into the national conversation, highlighting the inequity built into the U.S. interstate system with a proposal to “reconnect communities cut off by historic disinvestment.”

Charging Drivers for Road Use Is Popular With Economists, Less So With Drivers

Wall Street Journal

London started charging drivers a fee to drive on the city center’s narrow streets. Studies have documented reduced traffic congestion, better bus service, fewer accidents and an improved overall quality of life.

WATER

Madera County residents and farmers face groundwater challenge of a lifetime

Fresno Bee

Madera County is running out of time as groundwater levels plummet to new depths. Wells are going dry everywhere. Drillers have months-long waitlists. Residents are scrambling for water tanks.

Many California farmers have water cut off, but a lucky few are immune to drought rules

Los Angeles Times

Due to decades-old agreements with the federal government, rice farmers are going relatively unscathed by unprecedented emergency water cuts to farmers this month as others fallow fields, wells go dry and low water levels imperil Chinook salmon.

Editorial: Wake-up call: California’s water is running out

Bakersfield Californian

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

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