December 15, 2020

15Dec

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Assemblyman Adam Gray says he’s lost another committee assignment over water battles

Modesto Bee

Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, said he was removed from the chairmanship of the Governmental Organization Committee over the No. 1 issue in his district — water.

 

Merced County to pay eligible residents’ rent, mortgage, utilities with CARES Act funds

Merced Sun-Star

The Merced County Board of Supervisors this week unanimously enacted a rental, mortgage and utility assistance program, saying calls by residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic haven’t fallen on deaf ears.

 

Stapley: Some Stanislaus County area reps do more than just get mad at COVID lockdown

Modesto Bee

State legislators representing Stanislaus County reacted sharply when harsh health restrictions clamped down on us last week in hopes of blunting a dramatic COVID-19 spike. Most were more than happy to share their displeasure with whomever might listen.

See also:

 

Stanislaus County secures cold freezers to store incoming vaccines – thanks to Stan State

Modesto Bee

The first allocation of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Stanislaus County on Tuesday, a record-breaking four days after receiving emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Fresno adds over 350 new cases, remains under critical threshold

Fresno Bee

Fresno County health officials on Monday reported an additional 358 new COVID-19 cases. More than 1,650 new infections have been recorded since Friday. A total of 44,114 infections have been reported in Fresno County since March, and 542 people have died.

See also:

 

New Hanford and Lemoore council members to be sworn in

Hanford Sentinel

Recently-elected council members in both Hanford and Lemoore will be sworn in Tuesday evening during both cities’ respective council meetings.

 

City Council: Library, cannabis licenses on agenda

Porterville Recorder

After the Porterville City Council hosted a joint meeting with the City’s Library and Literacy Commission on November 10, the Council will now discuss how to proceed in the planning of a new library facility and the creation of a Library Foundation that can be used to help raise money for the future establishment.

 

Parra unveils early bid to challenge Valadao in 2022 congressional election

Bakersfield Californian

Republican Congressman-elect David Valadao hasn't taken office yet and already a Democrat has stepped forward to challenge him in 2022 with a strike-first strategy that is raising eyebrows in local political circles.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID-19 Update:

 

She dropped out of a school board race. But she won, and takes her seat Tuesday

Bakersfield Californian

At its meeting tonight, the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District board will swear in three trustees who will represent Area 2: incumbent J.P. Lake and its two newest members, Bryan Easter and Paula Van Auken.

 

Opinion: Does Kevin McCarthy even believe in democracy?

The Hill

What makes matters worse, and indeed dangerous, is that Paxton and gang were joined by 126 Republican members of Congress — led by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

 

State:

 

The Golden State’s future? Most Californians are pessimistic

Los Angeles Times

California may call itself the Golden State, but most Californians see its future as tarnished. In a wide-ranging new survey of attitudes toward the economy, 6 in 10 residents said they expect California’s children to be worse off financially than their parents.

See also:

 

Gov. Newsom facing possible recall election as CA continues to struggle with pandemic

abc30

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has had a rough year. The next one might be even tougher as a recall effort appears to be gaining momentum, fueled partly by outrage over the first-term Democrat dining with friends at an opulent restaurant while telling state residents to spurn social gatherings and stay home.

See also:

 

Walters: Will Newsom have another Senate seat to fill?

CalMatters

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein suffers from “cognitive decline,” according to a New Yorker magazine article. It raises the possibility that she may not fill out her current term.

See also:

 

California subpoenas Amazon over worker safety in pandemic

Bakersfield Californian

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Monday asked a judge to order Amazon to comply with subpoenas his office issued nearly four months ago as part of an investigation into how the company protects workers from the coronavirus.

See also:

 

California workers appear likely to lose two weeks of paid sick leave as COVID-19 surges

Sacramento Bee

Even as California sets new records for COVID-19 cases, millions of workers in the state stand to lose two weeks of paid sick leave and additional weeks of paid family leave by the end of the year. Congress has yet to extend those leave programs past Dec. 31, and lawmakers remain deadlocked over any compromise.

 

EDITORIAL: Universal mail ballots are one pandemic measure worth keeping permanently

Los Angeles Times

Though it may be hard to imagine now, sometime in the not distant future, the emergency measures adopted this year to control the spread of COVID-19 will no longer be necessary. But California would benefit by keeping at least one of them in place for good: mailing a ballot to every active registered voter in the state.

 

Federal:

 

Joe Biden clears 270-vote mark as Electoral College affirms his 2020 election victory

abc30

The Electoral College gave Joe Biden a majority of its votes Monday, confirming his victory in last month's election in state-by-state voting that took on added importance this year because of President Donald Trump's refusal to concede he lost.

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Trump says Attorney General William Barr resigning, will leave before Christmas

abc30

Attorney General William Barr, one of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies, is resigning amid lingering tension with the president over the president's baseless claims of election fraud and the investigation into president-elect Joe Biden's son.

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Vaccine comes too late for the 300,000 US dead

Fresno Bee

“The numbers are staggering -- the most impactful respiratory pandemic that we have experienced in over 102 years, since the iconic 1918 Spanish flu,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, said.

See also:

 

Crunch time for COVID-19 relief as bipartisan bills are unveiled

Los Angeles Times

A bipartisan group of lawmakers was unveiling a detailed COVID-19 aid proposal Monday as Congress labored toward a final agreement on a new round of virus relief.

See also:

 

Poll: Despite Record Turnout, 80 Million Americans Didn't Vote. Here's Why

NPR

More Americans voted in 2020 than in any other presidential election in 120 years. About 67% of eligible voters cast ballots this year, but that still means a third did not. That amounts to about 80 million people who stayed home.

 

Opinion: Trump’s election lawyers should be disbarred

Los Angeles Times

The operatic diva has sung her last note. Courts all across the country have slammed the door on President Trump’s effort to overturn the November election, including the Supreme Court — twice.

 

Other:

 

Opinion: The Bipartisan Moral Rot of America’s Institutions

Wall Street Journal

In politics, in business, in the cultural discourse that plays out on a never-ending doom loop on our screens and in our heads, the year has been marked by the triumph of cynical expediency, the relentless pursuit of self-interest dressed up as public-spirited principle.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, December 20, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “California Politics: What Does 2020 Mean for 2021?" - Guest: Dan Walters, CalMatters; John Myers, Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, December 20, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Valley Politics: What Does 2020 Mean for 2021?"- Guests: Robert Price, Bakersfield's KGET and Bakersfield Californian; Joe Kieta, Fresno Bee; Paul Hurley, formerly with the Visalia Times Delta and now with the College of the Sequoias; Brian Clark, Modesto Bee. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Free food for Fresno Unified students and families over Christmas break. Pass it on

Fresno Bee

Fresno Unified Schools will offer free weekly meals during the holiday break at 32 school sites. Students and their families can pick up weekly meals at one of the designated school sites from 7-9 a.m. Dec. 21, Dec. 28, and Jan. 4.

 

A $4.5 billion Trump food program is running out of money early, leaving families hungry and food assistance charities scrambling

Washington Post

The Farmers to Families Food Box program, a staple of food lines across America, was launched by the Trump administration in May to support struggling farmers and feed jobless Americans battered by the pandemic.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

US, states crack down on scams bilking desperate Americans

Fresno Bee

Federal and state authorities say they are cracking down on a wave of illegal schemes that have proliferated during the pandemic and prey upon the desperation of people who have lost jobs in the outbreak's economic upheaval.

 

Public Safety:

 

Fresno’s 22nd police chief is a “rock star” from Oklahoma City

Fresno Bee

He was being groomed to become Oklahoma City’s next police chief, but jumped at the chance to become Fresno’s 22nd police chief, and only the third to be hired from outside the department.

 

National commission says prison inmates, guards should be among first to get COVID-19 vaccine

Los Angeles Times

With cases of COVID-19 continuing to spread through prisons, guards and inmates should be among the first to receive vaccinations against the virus that causes the illness, a national commission recommended Monday.

 

High-Risk Inmates Aren’t Prioritized In State’s Early Releases

CalMatters

More than 7,500 prisoners sent home in the program — which aims to slow the spread of COVID-19 — would have been released within months anyway. Thousands with health conditions remain in prison, and the virus keeps spreading.

 

Fire:

 

Residents needing assistance on wildfire cleanup will need to act fast

abc30

Those who had their homes damaged during California wildfires in 2020 will need to act fast if they want assistance. Residents have until January 15, 2021, to sign up for a debris removal program that is run by the state of California.

 

Fighting Wildfires Goes High Tech With Laser Drones, Sensors and Satellites

Wall Street Journal

The ideas researchers are exploring include fitting drones with lasers that can map dry areas at higher fire risk and whether satellites can detect extreme fire behavior.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Free money is back. Get COVID relief funds to shop at Stanislaus restaurants, stores

Modesto Bee

The RAD Card mobile app, which stands for Relief Across Downtown, is getting another $1 million boost from Stanislaus County’s allocation of CARES Act federal funding for COVID-19 relief.

 

Tulare County: Development Rolls Along While Small Businesses Languish

Business Journal

It’s no secret shelter-in-place orders forced many small businesses to close and put even more on the precipice of closing. Bright spots did emerge, however. Major industrial projects in Visalia are poised to bring millions of dollars to the county.

 

U.S. stocks end mostly lower after an early rally evaporates

Los Angeles Times

Stocks closed mostly lower on Wall Street on Monday after an early rally faded, extending the market’s recent pullback from record highs.

See also:

 

Jobs:

 

Fresno County health official explains why they don't report workplace COVID-19 outbreaks

Fresno Bee

Dave Pomaville, Fresno County Department of Public Health, talked to The Fresno Bee November 18, 2020 about why the county doesn't disclose workplace COVID-19 data they collect: Data is often spotty and the county aims to build trust with employers.

 

California workers appear likely to lose two weeks of paid sick leave as COVID-19 surges

Sacramento Bee

Even as California sets new records for COVID-19 cases, millions of workers in the state stand to lose two weeks of paid sick leave and additional weeks of paid family leave by the end of the year. Congress has yet to extend those leave programs past Dec. 31, and lawmakers remain deadlocked over any compromise.

 

Unemployment Payments Weeks Late in Nearly Every State

Pew Trusts

States are swamped with unemployment claims, delaying the resolution of even minor paperwork issues. In some cases, it has taken legal action to break the logjam.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Education Lab: Are California’s public schools mass-producing bad citizens?

Fresno Bee

During the coronavirus pandemic, every day feels like a Big News Day. It’s exhausting. But, it’s also mostly true and last week was no exception in local education news.

 

Merced Union High School District closing schools, returning to distance learning

abc30

The Merced Union High School District will be pausing in-person learning and returning to distance learning starting on Wednesday, December 16. District officials say they are not being forced to close but are doing so because fewer students and staff are coming to campuses.

 

Burton School District to begin in-person instruction on January 22

Porterville Recorder

Due to the current situation with COVID-19 Burton School District will wait to begin in-person instruction on a hybrid schedule for grades K-6 on January 25.

 

Commentary: 4 forms of bias to avoid in designing ethnic studies for high schools

CalMatters

Ethnic studies courses offer California high school students a valuable educational opportunity – but the devil is in the details.

 

Commentary: Covid-19’s Painful—and Essential—Lessons for America’s Schools

Wall Street Journal

It is vital that Americans come together at the local, state and national levels to reform and rebuild the education system, to address the lessons of Covid-19 and to set a stronger foundation for the future—the children’s and ours.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Top officials at most University of California schools call for tuition increase

Merced Sun-Star

Officials at the majority of University of California campuses are calling for its regents to consider a tuition increase for the 2022 school year due to drops in revenue from the coronavirus pandemic.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

It's close but 2020 likely to end up hottest year on record

Bakersfield Californian

Just how warm Earth stays this December will determine if 2020 goes down as the hottest year on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculated Monday that last month globally was the second hottest November on record, behind only 2015.

 

Claims of ‘Bleak’ Environmental Justice Record Appear to Fell a Biden Favorite

New York Times

When Joseph R. Biden, Jr. won the presidential election, his top candidate to lead the nation’s most powerful environmental agency appeared clear: Mary D. Nichols, California’s clean air regulator and arguably the country’s most experienced climate change official, was seen as a lock to run the Environmental Protection Agency.

See also:

 

They’re Among The World’s Oldest Living Things. The Climate Crisis Is Killing Them.

New York Times

California’s redwoods, sequoias and Joshua trees define the American West and nature’s resilience through the ages. Wildfires this year were their deadliest test.

 

Energy:

 

MID launches discounts for customers who charge their electric cars at certain times

Modesto Bee

Owners of electric cars can save on their power bills under a pilot program by the Modesto Irrigation District. Residential customers will get the discounts if they charge the vehicles at times of relatively low demand, such as weekday nights and entire weekends.

 

Exxon Promises to Cut Greenhouse-Gas Emissions, End Flaring by 2030

Wall Street Journal

Exxon Mobil Corp. pledged to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from its operations over the next five years and eliminate routine flaring of methane by 2030, responding to pressure from activists and investors to lower its carbon footprint.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Fresno adds nearly 1,300 cases as vaccine begins U.S. rollout

Fresno Bee

The California Department of Public Health reported a staggering set of new coronavirus cases in Fresno County over the weekend, adding nearly 1,300 new cases in just two days. The county tallied an additional 685 new cases on Sunday and 610 infections on Saturday, bringing the total to 43,756 since March.

See also:

 

Vaccine comes too late for the 300,000 US dead

Fresno Bee

“The numbers are staggering -- the most impactful respiratory pandemic that we have experienced in over 102 years, since the iconic 1918 Spanish flu,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, said.

See also:

 

Human Services:

 

Stanislaus County secures cold freezers to store incoming vaccines – thanks to Stan State

Modesto Bee

The first allocation of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Stanislaus County on Tuesday, a record-breaking four days after receiving emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

See also:

 

COVID-19 vaccinations begin in California as L.A. healthcare workers among first to get dose

Los Angeles Times

Five healthcare workers at the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Hollywood were among the first Californians to get the COVID-19 vaccine Monday, ushering in a new phase of a pandemic that has killed more than 21,000 people in the state and shattered the economy.

See also:

 

Public needs to hit ‘reset button’ on COVID vaccine skepticism, health official says

Fresno Bee

“I would like to plead with people who are listening to this this morning to really hit the reset button on whatever they think they knew about this vaccine that might cause them to be so skeptical,” Dr. Francis Collins said on “Meet the Press.”

See also:

 

FDA review says Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective

Los Angeles Times

Federal regulators have issued a positive review of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, boosting the chances of emergency approval of a second vaccine that would bolster the nation’s largest-ever inoculation campaign.

See also:

 

Porterville alternative care site reopens, starts accepting COVID-19 patients

abc30

A spokesperson for Tulare County Health and Human Services confirms the Porterville Alternative Care Site (PACS) is now open and accepting COVID-19 patients who aren't in need of critical care.

 

Opinion: Achieving an equitable national health system for America

Brookings

The American health system is rife with gaps and inequities. Resources are misallocated, the health care infrastructure in many communities is inadequate, and our financial support for health coverage is disjointed and inefficient.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Surge in border crossings spells early test for Biden’s immigration plans

Axios

70,000 migrants were caught crossing the Southwest border of the U.S. last month — a 64% increase compared to last November that came in spite of the pandemic and strict immigration enforcement policies, border officials told reporters Monday.

 

Tony Pham, interim director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to step down

NBCNews

Tony Pham will be stepping down as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the end of the year. A former Vietnamese refugee, he said last week he was "grateful for the Trump administration" to have had his position.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

It's a winner: Decision clears way to break ground on new Eagle Mountain Casino

Porterville Recorder

Last week the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney approved the fee-to-trust application for the Tule River Indian Tribe to relocate Eagle Mountain Casino to Porterville.

 

Housing:

 

Documentary spotlights local effort to reduce homelessness

Bakersfield Californian

A new documentary series immortalizes a successful effort in Kern County to persuade local landlords to step forward and offer housing to people living on the street.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

California prison employees kept getting paid after misconduct, delays cost taxpayers nearly $1M

Fresno Bee

A state prison watchdog says the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been delaying employee investigations that lead to firings and other discipline, driving up the state’s costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

 

Millions of Americans could be in for a tax shock. Here's why

Fox Business

The coronavirus pandemic has caused an unemployment crisis unlike any other. While the jobless rate has declined since hitting a record high in April, millions of Americans are still out of work and have grown reliant on unemployment benefits to cover their bills.

 

Can Revenue From Legalized Recreational Marijuana Help States Close Budget Gaps?

Pew Trusts

In the four that just legalized recreational marijuana, projected revenue losses for fiscal year 2021 range from 2% below initial forecasts in Arizona to 16% in New Jersey. The extent to which this new revenue source can help close those gaps remains unclear.

 

Medicaid Enrollment Surge During Pandemic Leaves States Looking for Cost Cuts

Pew Trusts

State leaders are weighing possible cuts to Medicaid services and health-care benefits to offset rising costs due to a surge of enrollees who have lost jobs and need health coverage as the coronavirus pandemic has intensified.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Study explores link between public transportation and spread of seasonal flu

Washington Post

In a study released this month, a team of researchers at New York University found that fears about virus transmissions in public transportation systems could be exaggerated.

 

Boeing Widens 787 Dreamliner Inspections After Finding More Assembly-Line Defects

Wall Street Journal

Boeing Co. has expanded inspections of newly produced 787 Dreamliners after finding a previously disclosed manufacturing defect in sections of the jet where it hadn’t been initially detected, according to industry and government officials.

 

WATER

 

This Week in Fresnoland: Support bottled water for Tipton residents!

Fresno Bee

The orange tree that Estella Bravo planted in the front yard of her house in Tipton wasn’t producing much fruit one year. On the advice of her priest, she gave away a third of the oranges she did have.

 

“Xtra”

 

Bethany Clough: It’s official: Raising Cane’s plans chicken restaurants for Fresno, Clovis. What we know

Fresno Bee

If you’re a regular reader of The Bee, you already know that Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is planning to open its chicken-centric restaurant in Clovis. We reported that news back in October when the company applied for permission with the City of Clovis to open a drive-thru on the site of the now-closed Pier 1 at the northwest corner of Shaw and Cole avenues.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

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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