07Aug

********Shape California’s Future – Extended Deadline to Aug. 19********

California State Auditor

Today, the California State Auditor reported an uptick in applications by eligible individuals interested in serving on the next 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission. To date, more than 13,735 applications have been submitted. The Commission is tasked with redrawing Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts.

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.

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Mayor Michael Tubbs says he will seek another term

Stockton Record

Mayor Michael Tubbs said Tuesday he will run next year for a second term, citing unfinished work that needs to be done in Stockton over the four years following the 2020 election.

EDITORIAL: Rep. Josh Harder on guns, racism and impeachment. And what he really thinks of Trump

Modesto Bee

Modesto Bee journalists can press even reluctant U.S. House members for answers on tricky issues. Here’s what Rep. Josh Harder had to say about gun control, racist rhetoric and presidential impeachment.

Central SJ Valley:

‘Sue me,’ says Nunes challenger. He’ll help raise money for constituents in lawsuit

Fresno Bee

A challenger to Devin Nunes will help raise money for a legal defense fund for the residents being sued by the Republican congressman’s campaign. A handful of lawyers already have reached out and offered to represent the defendants as well.

Amtrak plans new bus service from Madera. Here’s what it means to train passengers

Fresno Bee

A new Amtrak Thruway bus service is being planned to connect Madera’s Amtrak station to San Jose starting in the spring of 2020. The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority predicts the bus connection will shave about an hour off of the travel time for train passengers going to the Bay Area compared with riding the train to Stockton and then transferring to buses or another train service to get to San Jose. The San Joaquin JPA oversees Amtrak’s existing San Joaquin trains through the Valley between Bakersfield, Stockton, Oakland and Sacramento.

Plans for a new Fresno County animal shelter scrapped, but supervisors already have alternative

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Humane Animal Services has discontinued efforts to support a private animal shelter that became a controversial plan for northwest Fresno residents.

New wildlife rehabilitation center coming to Clovis

abc30

Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center in Clovis will be getting a new neighbor. The city council has approved a portion of the land at David McDonald Park to be used to build The Nature Center, where injured animals can be rehabilitated.

New Clovis Top Cop: ‘I Have Greatest Job in the Nation’

GV Wire

First, Curt Fleming’s wife, Jackie, and their 9-year-old son, Aiden, pinned on his badge. Then, by raising his right hand and swearing an oath to protect and serve, Fleming took his place as the Clovis chief of police at a ceremony Monday at police headquarters.

Create Here contest: downtown Fresno future businesses?

Fresno Bee

From a Cuban cafe to a cider bar, several would-be businesses have their eye on opening a location downtown in Fresno.

South SJ Valley:

A California Republican wants a comeback in 2020. Democrats hit him with blue wave playbook

Fresno Bee

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is going to bat early for one of the party’s most vulnerable California members, Rep. TJ Cox, even though the freshman lawmaker technically doesn’t have an opponent.

· With spotlight on Trump and the ‘Squad,’ Democrats in California swing districts struggle to stay on message Los Angeles Times

Lemoore City Council looks to fill two vacant seats

abc30

With two vacancies on their city council, Lemoore is embarking on a new beginning. The two seats became vacant last month.

Tehachapi council votes down ‘In God We Trust’ addition to police vehicles, declines vote on 2nd Amendment ‘sanctuary city’ proposal

KGET 17

The City of Tehachapi declined to move forward on two separate motions that would have added “In God We Trust” to police vehicles and take steps toward declaring the city a “sanctuary city” for the 2nd Amendment.

Delano becomes first sanctuary city in Kern County

abc30

Being a sanctuary city means Delano police will enforce state law but not federal law when it comes to immigration.

Judge: Supervisor Leticia Perez “discriminated against” in criminal case

abc23

Judge says Supervisor Perez targeted for political reasons in conflict of interest case.

State:

Donald Trump sues CA over law targeting his tax returns

Sacramento Bee

President Donald Trump, the California Republican Party, and the national GOP joined together Tuesday to sue California over a new tax-return law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last week.

● Trump, Republican Party sue over Calif. tax return law abc30

● Trump, Republican Party Sue Over California Tax Return Law Capital Public Radio

● 4 Sue To Block California Tax Return Law Aimed At Trump Capital Public Radio

● Trump wants to keep his tax returns private, asks courts to stop California law Los Angeles Times

● Schnur: Newsom signing bill seeking Trump tax returns will have little impact CalMatters

● Lawsuits Multiply Against Law Requiring Tax Returns for Ballot Access Fox & Hounds

California spending big on census after Trump’s citizenship question fight

San Francisco Chronicle

Even before President Trump abandoned his quest to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, two California governors and the Legislature set aside a record $187 million for the count — more than six times what the state spent in 2000 and 2010 combined.

Real ID, Real Problems: States Cope With Changing Rules, Late Rollouts

Pew Charitable Trusts

In half a dozen states, including the most populous state of California, the Real ID rollout is a real mess.

Video: Californians and the Environment

PPIC

In the wake of the devastating wildfires over the past few years, a record-high share of Californians are very concerned about wildfires becoming more severe as a result of global warming, and majorities support the newly established wildfire insurance fund.

Federal:

Mass shootings in U.S. ignite new calls for gun legislation

Reuters

A cluster of recent mass shootings that killed 36 people in California, Texas and Ohio has sparked renewed calls for the U.S. Congress to pass legislation to prevent gun violence.

Fact Check: Did President Trump Revoke Gun Background Checks for Mentally Ill People?

Snopes

In February 2017, President Trump repealed an Obama-era regulation that would have made it easier to flag the potential sale of firearms to people with certain mental illnesses.

America urgently needs a domestic ‘war on terror’

Brookings

Hady Amr, who spent the decade after 9/11 working to prevent another terror attack, outlines several lessons from that period, which he argues policymakers should apply to America’s domestic terrorism problem today.

● Opinion: Trump doesn’t just pollute the social environment with hate. He is the environment. Washington Post

A round-up of politicians’ claims on shootings and gun deaths

Politifact

After mass shootings, President Donald Trump said prosecutions for firearm offenses hit record in 2018

Venezuela tells residents not to visit US cities — including Stockton

Stockton Record

One of the most dangerous countries in the world is warning its citizens not to visit certain U.S. cities, specifically Stockton, following the deadly mass shootings last weekend that left 31 people dead in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

Trump’s Latino supporters say they’re sticking with him after El Paso shootings

Washington Post

Manuel Astorgas did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016, but he said he viewed the president with an open mind. Trump’s message about the importance of work and criticism of government handouts resonated with Astorgas.

In search of responsible republican government, part 1

AEI

This report examines the origins and developments of dual issues — the decline of the legislature and the rise of the presidency.

Elections 2020:

Fact Check: Is Joe Biden right that Kamala Harris failed to act on school segregation?

Sacramento Bee

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris went at each other over racial issues during the second Democratic presidential debate last week.

Opinion: Here Is the fatal flaw in Kamala Harris’ health plan

Salon

Sen. Kamala Harris has been candid about her plan regarding Medicare, but there are a few flaws with the idea.

Man arrested after online threat targets Bernie Sanders rally

Los Angeles Times

A man was arrested Monday after he posted an online threat ahead of a Bernie Sanders’ campaign rally, Long Beach police said. The Democratic presidential candidate is holding the rally in the city at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Other:

Op-Ed: America is sick, and both liberals and conservatives are wrong about the remedy

Los Angeles Times

America is sick. Just about everybody recognizes it, and we didn’t need two more mass shootings to convince anybody of anything. Most Americans think the country is on the wrong track, despite a roaring economy. You can blame President Trump, but Americans have been unsatisfied with the country’s direction for most of the last two decades.

Mathews: In a Raucous Country, Our Sense of Unity Has Often Emerged Through Conflict

Fox & Hounds

Americans of wildly disparate backgrounds have managed to find common ground over the course of the country’s history. But the process of cohering has been haphazard, raucous, messy and cruel, said distinguished scholars at a Zócalo/National Steinbeck Center event.

Jerry Brown: A Stark Nuclear Warning

The New York Review of Books

In clear, detailed but powerful prose, Perry’s new book, My Journey at the Nuclear Brink, tells the story of his seventy-year experience of the nuclear age.

Don’t Let Google Get Away With Censorship

Wall Street Journal

Big tech companies enjoy legal immunity premised on the assumption they’ll respect free speech.

See also:

● Facebook Knows Too Much About Us. So What? Wall Street Journal

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, August 11, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Assessing State Policies on Climate Change” – Guest: Ross Brown – LAO. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 11, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Climate Change Generally and Air Pollution Locally” – Guests: Will Barrett, Director of Advocacy, Clean Air for the American Lung Association in California and Samir Sheikh, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, August 11, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Agua en el Valle de San Joaquin: Un reporte de PPIC” – Invitados: Alvar Escriva-Bou, investigador del PPIC. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

China halts U.S. farm purchases; Tulare County affected

Porterville Recorder

China decided Monday to meet President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat with defiance, letting its currency drop to an 11-year low and halting purchases of U.S. farm products.

Japanese health food manufacturer headed to Fresno County?

Business Journal

A Japanese food processor and supplement manufacturer is closing in on a new Fresno County location.

New Evidence Shows Popular Pesticides Could Cause Unintended Harm To Insects

Capital Public Radio

Studies are revealing new, unintended threats that neonicotinoid pesticides pose to insects. The chemicals, widely used by farmers, are difficult to control because they persist in the environment.

California could bear brunt of Trump food stamp cuts

CALmatters

A Trump administration proposal would cut food stamps to 3.1 million Americans—largely working families with high housing, childcare and medical costs. That could hit hard in California, a state where both the cost of living and the minimum wage are on the rise.

Forget Cannabis: Hemp Is the New American Gold Rush Cash Crop

Observer

When non-Californians think about the nation’s most populous state and most endearing morality tale, they generally don’t think about Stanislaus County, a flat and rural stretch of the state’s agriculture-heavy Central Valley.

‘Political heavyweights’ unite to fight for cannabis from the capitol to the counties

Sacramento Bee

One of the top lobbying firms in Sacramento, Capitol Advocacy, has teamed up with a third-generation Los Angeles-based firm, Spiker Consulting Group, to take on the cause of California’s struggling cannabis industry.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Feds honor state for role in taking down MS-13 in Mendota

Fresno Bee

The U.S. Attorney’s Office on Tuesday presented an award to the state’s Department of Justice Special Operations Unit for its efforts to dismantle MS-13 operations in the Central Valley last August.

● How brutal murders and fear kept a town silent. MS-13 is like no other gang Fresno Bee

● Trump Critic Becerra on MS-13 Gang: Not Animals, But Not Human Either GV Wire

Five puppies were raised by California prison inmates. Now they’re certified service dogs.

Sacramento Bee

Five Labradors and golden retrievers graduated the morning of July 26 from Mule Creek’s Prisoners Overcoming Obstacles & Creating Hope program — POOCH for short.

Public Safety:

New Clovis Top Cop: ‘I Have Greatest Job in the Nation’

GV Wire

Police descend on Modesto-area neighborhoods. Everyone’s glad to see them

Modesto Bee

The Modesto area took part in a big way once again in National Night Out, where police build rapport with the people they protect. The Tuesday evening observance happened at hundreds of parks, front yards and other locations.

Children, adults walk in support of first responders

Hanford Sentinel

On Saturday, a group of children and their parents participated in a two-mile walk to show their support for local first responders.

Is police violence a public health issue? It’s a leading cause of death among black men

Sacramento Bee

Black men are more than twice as likely to be killed by police than are white men, a new study found. The study author said that law enforcement-caused deaths are a public health issue.

Mass shootings in U.S. ignite new calls for gun legislation

Reuters

A cluster of recent mass shootings that killed 36 people in California, Texas and Ohio has sparked renewed calls for the U.S. Congress to pass legislation to prevent gun violence.

● Did Lana Del Rey mention Fresno in new song about gun violence? Fresno Bee

● Mixed feelings in El Paso and Dayton as Trump plans to visit in wake of shootings abc30

● Congress, out on recess, grapples from afar with next steps on guns San Francisco Chronicle

● Price: McCarthy’s tired gun-violence talking points Bakersfield Californian

● Can we make Walmarts and other public spaces safer? Mass shootings show vulnerable ‘soft targets’ Los Angeles Times

● Walmart corporate employee sends mass email urging workers to go on strike until the company stops selling guns Business Insider

● How to Buy a Gun in 16 Countries New York Times

● EBay bans assault rifle parts, but that doesn’t stop sellers Los Angeles Times

● Can we make Walmarts and other public spaces safer? Mass shootings show vulnerable ‘soft targets’ Los Angeles Times

● A Doctor’s Insights Into Gun Violence And Gun Laws Around The World Capital Public Radio

● Opinion: What America’s gun fanatics won’t tell you MarketWatch

● Fox: Following Mass Shootings Will Major New Gun Laws Come to California? Fox & Hounds

● Opinion: hanging the channel on the bad rerun of shooting coverage Fresno Bee

● Opinion: Yellow Light for Red-Flag Laws Wall Street Journal

● Column: When people are being gunned down, shame on those who defend their right to personal arsenals Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: It took New Zealand just six days to ban semi-automatic weapons. America, are you listening? The Independent

Mother watched as daughter gunned down in Gilroy: ‘She took my hand and looked up at the sky’

Los Angeles Times

Scattered about were reminders of Keyla: A pink teddy bear with the word “princess” sewn across the front. Plastic stars the girls had stuck on the ceiling that lighted up at night. Several pairs of Keyla’s headphones that she used while making YouTube videos and animations on her computer and iPad.

● FBI Opens Domestic Terrorism Investigation Into Gilroy Festival Shooting Capital Public Radio

● Gilroy shootings: Training, quick medical response ‘made big difference’ San Francisco Chronicle

● FBI Probes Shooters’ Motives Amid Wider Alarm Over Attacks Wall Street Journal

Stockton rally demanding gun control draws a crowd

Stockton Record

Frustration. Sorrow. Anger. Those emotions could be seen on faces and heard in dozens of voices of those who spoke out over the lack of stricter common-sense gun laws as the country continues to recover from two deadly shootings over the weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

● George Conway and Neal Katyal: It’s time to debate gun control on its merits Washington Post

Mass Shootings Can Be Contagious, Research Shows

Valley Public Radio

There were three high-profile shootings across the country in one week: The shooting in Gilroy, Calif., on July 28, and then the back-to-back shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, this past weekend.

● How do you solve a problem like 8chan? Politico

● Mass shootings show something wrong with America that the federal government can’t fix Los Angeles Times

● Flagging Future Killers Wall Street Journal

● Yes, Mass Shootings Are Terrorism Wall Street Journal

After shootings, tech companies assess role in online hate speech

San Francisco Chronicle

A dark corner of the internet went offline Monday, as tech companies pulled service from an anonymous message board called 8chan in response to a spree of mass shootings.

America urgently needs a domestic ‘war on terror’

Brookings

Did President Trump Revoke Gun Background Checks for Mentally Ill People?

Snopes

In February 2017, President Trump repealed an Obama-era regulation that would have made it easier to flag the potential sale of firearms to people with certain mental illnesses.

A round-up of politicians’ claims on shootings and gun deaths

Politifact

After mass shootings, President Donald Trump said prosecutions for firearm offenses hit record in 2018Venezuela tells residents not to visit US cities — including Stockton

Stockton Record

Fire:

Out-of-control burn pile fire in Salida spreads to wine grapes

Modesto Bee

Several acres of wine grapes were destroyed when a burn pile fire got out of control in Salida on Tuesday. The fire began spreading from the burn pile on Chapman Road, south of Kiernan Avenue, at about noon, said Salida Fire Capt. Pat Burns.

Company’s wildfire protection spray doesn’t work as advertised, prosecutors say

Los Angeles Times

Two Southern California prosecutors have accused a company of using residents’ fears to sell them a wildfire defense spray for their homes that the prosecutors say doesn’t work.

California Implements Wildfire Smoke Regulations

On Point

On July 30, 2019, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced that its “emergency regulation requiring employers to protect workers from hazards associated with wildfire smoke is now in effect, following its approval yesterday by the [California] Office of Administrative Law.”

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

Create Here contest: downtown Fresno future businesses?

Fresno Bee

From a Cuban cafe to a cider bar, several would-be businesses have their eye on opening a location downtown in Fresno.

Stocks open slightly higher Tuesday after Monday’s plunge

abc30

U.S. markets traded slightly higher on Tuesday, holding most of Monday’s steep losses on the escalating trade war with China.

● In ramping up trade war with China, Trump could be playing with fire Los Angeles Times

● President Trump weakens China’s currency, cries foul Los Angeles Times

● U.S. stocks notch solid gains as China stabilizes currency Los Angeles Times

● Trump’s trade blunders will cost us dearly The Hill

● Dow plunges 500 points as global trade fears spark overseas rate cuts Washington Post

● China Deals ‘Body Blow’ to Struggling U.S. Farm Belt Wall Street Journal

● EDITORIAL: As the El Paso massacre showed once again, white supremacy is the poison in our well Los Angeles Times

● EDITORIAL: Trump’s dangerous new Chinese tariff threat San Francisco Chronicle

Trump Steps Up Fed Attack, Calls It Incompetent and Urges Cuts

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump stepped up his relentless assault on the Federal Reserve in a series of Wednesday morning tweets that renewed his demand for “bigger and faster” interest-rate cuts.

Welcoming US communities make for globally competitive city-regions

Brookings

By providing support to foreign students, workers, and entrepreneurs, Louisville and St. Louis have taken an important step to improve their competitiveness in the global economy. Rachel Barker, Marek Gootman, and Max Bouchet highlight what other cities and regions can learn.

Jobs:

Bubble Watch: 38% more California employers file layoff notices

Orange County Register

In the June quarter, 253 companies filed government-mandated “WARN Act” layoff notices impacting 18,875 employees. Over the past year, that’s 38% more planned cuts hitting 13% more workers.

Tech-Tuned Workplace, Episode 2: Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on the Workplace (Podcast)

On Point

In the second episode of our “Tech-Tuned Workplace” series, Jennifer Betts, Ruthie Goodboe, and Zeb Curtin (Senior Labor & Employment Lawyer and Team Lead at Cargill) discuss artificial intelligence in the workplace. They provide examples of how AI is currently affecting the workplace, potential future uses of AI in the workplace, and the legal implications for employers including the potential for bias.

EDUCATION

K-12:

School’s multi-million dollar construction projects near completion

abc30

The incoming Class of 2023 of McLane High School is preparing for their first day of high school. They already have a new quad to hang out, and soon they will have a new pool to splash in.

What every Stanislaus County parent should know as they prepare for back-to-school

Modesto Bee

Next week means back to school for Stanislaus County kids — they need to get ready with backpacks, vaccines, dental visits and vision screens.

Stanislaus County students? Heading to a new school? Here are some tips.

Modesto Bee

August 12 means back to school for most Stanislaus County kids – are they excited or stressed?

Dr. Rios guest speaker at PUSD Back to School Breakfast

Porterville Recorder

Dr. Victor Rios, an award-winning professor, author and speaker, was the guest speaker at Monday’s Porterville Unified School District’s Back to School Breakfast for staff members.

Fox: Junk the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Plan

Fox & Hounds

Bravo to the Los Angeles Time editorial writers for coming down against the one-sided proposal on how to teach California students “ethnic studies.” The Times editorial follows by a few days an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Williamson M. Evers, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, which hit the proposal equally as hard.

Higher Ed:

Program helps young adults with learning disabilities become independent

abc30

A group of students at Fresno State is learning a pretty important lesson. The workshop they’re taking is all about money management. It’s an important life skill, but it can be a pain. But math isn’t the only difficulty; students in the class have intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Fresno State newest provost sees graduates as ‘agents of change’

Vida en el Valle

Fresno State’s second-most powerful administrator a) rides a scooter on campus to quickly get from one place to another, b) hated tomatoes “for the longest time” because he grew up toiling alongside his siblings and parents on a family-run farm, and c) was born in a house in Jalpa, Zacatecas, México that has been in his maternal grandfather’s family for more than two centuries.

CSUB Foundation raises more than $7.4 million for students

Bakersfield Californian

Cal State Bakersfield received more than $7.4 million from donors through the CSUB Foundation in fiscal year 2018-19, a 43 percent increase over the prior fiscal year. “I want to thank our donors and our Foundation Board of Directors for seeing infinite promise in our students, who represent the future of the region,” said Sheryl Barbich, CSUB Foundation Board Chair during the 2018-19 fundraising period, in a press release. “In research, athletics and academic excellence, our university is redefining what is possible, not only for the Valley but the state and nation.”

CSUB’s School of Business and Public Administration receives reaccreditation

Bakersfield Californian

Cal State Bakersfield’s School of Business and Public Administration achieved reaccreditation from one of the nation’s leading collegiate oversight bodies, which praised the quality of the university’s faculty, dedication to providing students with hands-on learning opportunities and deep engagement with the community.

Nominations sought for the CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame

Bakersfield Californian

If Cal State Bakersfield had a Mount Rushmore of its most outstanding graduates, whose faces would you like to see on it? Now you have the power to decide. The CSUB Alumni Association is accepting nominations for its Alumni Hall of Fame, which recognizes CSUB graduates who have distinguished themselves in their career, volunteered their time, talent and/or financial support to benefit their community and brought honor to their alma mater.

California’s new Calbright College faces questions weeks before opening

EdSource

President says new community college will be ready for students Oct. 1.

After State Bar of California exam leak, hundreds of no-show applicants ask for a refund

Sacramento Bee

After the State Bar of California leaked essay topics prior to last week’s bar exam, the no-show rate for the exam rose from previous years and hundreds of applicants are asking for refunds.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Good news for California’s ecosystem: Three wolf pups were born in the Central Valley this spring

Sacramento Bee

This past spring, at least three gray wolves were born in Lassen or Plumas counties, authorities reported.

New wildlife rehabilitation center coming to Clovis

abc30

After July was named the hottest month ever recorded, a cooldown is expected in Southern California

Los Angeles Times

Monday was one for the record books in Palm Springs as temperatures peaked at 121 degrees — a hot start to August after the hottest July ever recorded globally.

California Struggles to Sprawl in an Environmentally Responsible Way

Bloomberg

A development 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles will provide necessary housing but may increase emissions.

Congruence between future distribution models and empirical data for an iconic species at Joshua Tree National Park

Ecosphere

U.S. national parks protect a natural heritage of global significance; those parks, especially those in the arid southwest, are threatened by climate change.

RePlanet, largest recycler in California, closes

KBET

California’s largest operator of recycling redemption centers, RePlanet, shut down Monday and laid off 750 employees. At least five of Replanet’s kiosks were in Bakersfield.

Give Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push

NPR

As more cities and states try to cut carbon emissions, some are taking aim at a new target: natural gas inside homes. Buildings, through heating and cooking, use almost a third of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.

California’s climate deal with automakers had been rejected by EPA

Los Angeles Times

A compromise between four major automakers and California’s clean-air regulator on fuel efficiency was rejected by the Trump administration months earlier as not “a productive alternative.”

Energy:

Installing no-cost solar a win-win for nonprofit, Stockton homeowners

Stockton Record

GRID makes solar power and job training accessible to underserved communities, according to the organization. It installs no-cost solar systems at qualified homes, and on Tuesday, the crew also installed its first electric vehicle charger.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Less Sex, Fewer Babies: Blame The Internet And Career Priorities

Capital Public Radio

America’s birthrate continues to decline, and young people are having less sex, amid career pressures and a confusing online dating scene. The declining fertility rate raises alarms for the economy.

Human Services:

California Auditor blasts Medi-Cal overseer for failing patients in 18 rural counties

Sacramento Bee

In a report released Tuesday, California State Auditor Elaine Howle upbraided the state Department of Health Care Services for its failure.

HIV Prevention Drug Could Become Available Without A Prescription In California

Capital Public Radio

Medication that prevents HIV infection has been on the market since 2012, but patients say access is still a challenge. A California bill would allow pharmacists to dispense the drug and eliminate complicated insurance steps.

Newsom bringing huge healthcare changes to California

Redding

He would be incremental on healthcare, Gov. Gavin Newsom said back when he was just a lieutenant governor seeking the Democratic nomination for the office he now holds.

California’s Paid Family Leave Program to Expand from 6 to 8 Weeks

On Point

California is expanding state benefits available to workers who lose wages while taking time off to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. On June 27, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California’s 2019-20 state budget, which included an expansion of the state’s family temporary disability insurance program administered through the Employment Development Department (EDD). The benefit program is commonly referred to as “paid family leave” or PFL.

Waiting-Room Anxiety Eased With Apps That Give Updates

Wall Street Journal

Tools allow parents a peek inside the operating room or NICU.

Seismic Safety Upgrades May Cost California Hospitals Billions, Increase Number of Hospitals in Financial Distress

RAND

California hospitals would need to make substantial investments—between $34 billion and $143 billion statewide—to meet 2030 state seismic safety standards, according to a new RAND Corporation report.

IMMIGRATION

Delano becomes first sanctuary city in Kern County

abc30

Being a sanctuary city means Delano police will enforce state law but not federal law when it comes to immigration.

Migrants say El Paso shooting won’t deter them from seeking new lives in the U.S.

Los Angeles Times

Mexican National Guard troops posted on the south side said they urged border crossers not to proceed, but didn’t prevent their passage.

● Recalling Racist Violence in California New York Times

Can America Still Assimilate Immigrants?

Wall Street Journal

Newcomers don’t threaten America. The danger lies in diminishing the values of freedom and opportunity.

No, Mr. Trump, There is No ‘Invasion’ from the South

Callbuzz

President Trump continually uses the word “invasion” to describe the immigration issue on the U.S. Southern border not just for its inflammatory, provocative and incendiary usefulness to his cause, but because it would lay the foundation for his dictatorial seizure of the National Guard.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

It’s a pie-gone era. Marie Callender’s closure rocks Fresno to its warm, gooey core

Fresno Bee

I don’t recall this sort of brouhaha when Bakers Square bit the dust. Marie Callender’s, on the other hand, is a name that elicits strong fillings … er, feelings from the people of Fresno.

Walgreens to close hundreds of US stores as part of cost-cutting plan

abc30

Pharmacy chain Walgreens plans to close 200 stores in the United States as part of a plan to cut costs. The company said in a regulatory filing Tuesday the closings are part of its previously announced plan to trim costs by $1.5 billion in a few years.

Opinion: The Possibilities of Zoning

Fox & Hounds

Webster defines zoning as “dividing into zones, tracts or areas according to existing characteristics or as distinguished for some purpose.”

Housing:

One reason housing is so expensive in California? Cities, counties charge developers high fees

Los Angeles Times

A long-awaited study detailing how much cities and counties charge developers to build housing in California found that such costs are often hidden, vary widely across the state and have slowed growth.

EDITORIAL: In the midst of California’s housing crisis, construction slows and lawmakers stall – Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

At a time when California desperately needs to be building a lot more housing to ease the statewide shortage that is driving up prices and fueling homelessness, the pace of residential construction is going down instead of up.

Burn. Build. Repeat: Why Our Wildfire Policy Is So Deadly

Mother Jones

Welcome to California’s endless cycle of destruction.

BNSF Railway task force addresses homeless encampments along tracks

abc30

Crews have cleared more than 50 homeless encampments that popped up along BNSF’s train tracks in Fresno County. In a collaborative effort with the county, BNSF has employed crews to patrol and clean up the area near its railroad since January 2018.

New state law ends appeals for new Navigation Centers

San Francisco Chronicle

Challenging the construction of new Navigation Centers in California got significantly harder last week, after lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom quietly passed legislation intended to speed up creation of the service-rich homeless shelters statewide.

EDITORIAL: Unless homeless people in cars and RVs have places to park, they’ll end up sleeping on sidewalks

Los Angeles Times

Dealing with homelessness has to involve give and take. The city’s effort to restrict people from sleeping in their cars in residential neighborhoods is unworkable if it does not offer them alternative places to park. The city has to make that happen.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Oops, wrong attachment: Tax department official mistakenly shares whistleblower complaint

Sacramento Bee

A California Department of Tax and Fee Administration supervisor made a mistake many office workers dread last week, when she attached the wrong document to an email with multiple recipients.

More than 1,000 public pensions in California are so big they exceed IRS limits

Sacramento Bee

Taxes on the above-limits portions of the pensions cost cities and counties extra, consuming taxpayer money that could go toward street maintenance, parks, police or firefighters.

See also:

· America’s Pension Funds Fell Short in 2019 Wall Street Journal

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?

TRANSPORTATION

Amtrak plans new bus service from Madera. Here’s what it means to train passengers

Fresno Bee

Billions of dollars at stake in toll road suits

Capitol Weekly

Skipping out on paying a highway or bridge toll has long been a surefire way to get hit with a big fine. But if a raft of pending lawsuits seeking to overturn how toll operators share information about scofflaws is successful, California toll operators say taxpayers may end up taking the biggest hit.

California’s climate deal with automakers had been rejected by EPA

Los Angeles Times

A compromise between four major automakers and California’s clean-air regulator on fuel efficiency was rejected by the Trump administration months earlier as not “a productive alternative.”

Gilroy Open House on High Speed Rail; Aug 22

California High-Speed Rail Authority

Join Us at our Community Open House Meetings

WATER

Cox working on Friant-Kern Canal issue

Porterville Recorder

It’s hard for U.S. Representative T.J. Cox to understand why the Friant-Kern Canal is just at 40% capacity.

Where Americans Lack Running Water, Mapped

CitiLab

“Plumbing poverty”—a lack of access to running water, a flush toilet, and an indoor bath or shower—is skewed across racial and socioeconomic lines.

“Xtra”

Nine would-be businesses are competing to open in downtown Fresno. Which do you like?

Fresno Bee

From a Cuban cafe to a cider bar, several would-be businesses have their eye on opening a location downtown in Fresno. They’re part of the Create Here 2019 Business Plan Competition. It’s a contest that was created by the Downtown Fresno Partnership in 2015.

Enjoy night under the stars with free stargazing event in Firebaugh

abc30

Enjoy a night of stargazing in the community of Firebaugh Thursday night. Powerful telescopes will be available at Maldonado Park, and experienced astronomers will guide your view.

How Art Shapes Our Lives: The Arts And Crafts Movement

Sierra Star

Use of the best materials, simple forms and, above all, traditional craftsmanship: these were the values advocated throughout the international Arts and Crafts movement.