Maddy Institute – December 17, 2021

17Dec

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Some Merced County school districts ask state to recommend, but not mandate COVID vaccine Merced Sun Star

Turlock Unified schools trustee flouts mask rule for nearly 30 minutes of meeting

Modesto Bee

For about 25 minutes Tuesday evening, a Turlock Unified trustee and members of the public attended a school board meeting unmasked despite the board’s rule requiring face coverings when students are present.

Huge rate increases coming to garbage service customers in Stanislaus County. Here’s why

Modesto Bee

County officials say the rate increases, adding anywhere from $13 to $30 to monthly residential bills, are tied to implementing a state recycling bill signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2016.

Healthcare provider hosts Harder in Modesto to show importance of school-based centers

Modesto Bee

Rep. Josh Harder toured a school-based health center in Modesto on Thursday to talk about funding and learn about the center’s needs.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Clovis Citizens weigh in on the Mandate Clovis Roundup

● Youth vaccination rates remain low in Fresno County abc30

● COVID-19 update: Tulare County finally hits 50% vaccination rate as new infections drop Visalia Times Delta

Fresno seeing spike in residents looking to move from Sacramento, data shows

abc30

Despite the rising price of apartment rent, Fresno has continued to draw major interest from people looking to move to the Valley from other parts of California. Housing Economist Chris Salviati of ApartmentList.com noticed a surprising trend.

Local Central Valley airports getting a more than $600K federal boost

Hanford Sentinel

Local Central Valley airports will get more than $600,000 and Fresno Yosemite International will receive $4.67 million from the bipartisan infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress that also allocates nearly $4.9 billion to California for highway improvements.

Fresno nursing home was slapped with nearly $1 million fine. Families were kept in the dark

Fresno Bee

The inspection report painted a bleak picture of life inside Northpointe Healthcare Centre in Fresno: Residents grimaced in pain from bedsores. Staff told inspectors they were stretched so thin they sometimes skipped treatments and failed to distribute medications.

EDITORIAL: In a residents vs. business dilemma, Fresno mayor’s solution better be the real deal

Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer has proposed a solution to one of the thorniest problems of his first year: how to allow industrial businesses in the city’s southwest area to modify their operations without harming nearby residents.

Boudreaux denies ACLU claim about prenatal care

Turlock Journal

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has vehemently denied the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California's claim that his department has failed to provide adequate prenatal care to its inmates.

She tried to unseat a Fresno congressman. Now this Republican wants Devin Nunes’ seat

Fresno Bee

The list of candidates for a Congressional seat representing Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley continues to grow as Elizabeth Heng announced Thursday she will seek to replace Rep. Devin Nunes.

● Who is running to replace Devin Nunes in Congress? Full list of candidates here abc30

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health: 126 new coronavirus cases, 8 deaths reported Thursday Bakersfield Californian

Grand jury: Delano is 'at a crossroads' and City Council must overcome differences to progress

Bakersfield Californian

The second-most populated city in the county has made “remarkable improvements to its roads, infrastructure, community development and the quality of life for Delano residents,” the report says, yet continued progress is threatened by internal strife among top city leaders.

State:

COVID Update:

● Will anyone enforce California’s new mask mandate? Counties are rejecting new COVID rule Sacramento Bee

● California’s COVID workplace rule is changing. Why some businesses say it’s not feasible Sacramento Bee

● Vaccinated California employees face workplace restrictions Hanford Sentinel

● Is California facing the kind of ‘omicron emergency’ seen in the U.K.? San Francisco Chronicle

● COVID-19 hospitalizations jump in Southern California as Omicron alarms grow Los Angeles Times

Did California get its money’s worth from $1.7 billion COVID test contract?

CalMatters

The Valencia lab, a public-private venture between the state and PerkinElmer, processed only 1 to 8% of all Californians’ COVID tests in the first 10 months of the contract. And the lab was riddled with dozens of problems, according to an inspection report.

California lawmakers prepare to protect abortion access, starting with eliminating copays

Los Angeles Times

Ignited by threats to abortion rights across the country, California lawmakers are preparing countermeasures to expand access for those who live both in and out of the state, focusing first on resurrecting a bill that would eliminate costly copays for services.

Newsom’s California Gun Ploy Tests GOP’s Texas Abortion Law Strategy

U.S. News

The California governor’s pledge to use the precedent of a novel Texas abortion law to pass gun restrictions is likely the first of a slew of similar measures targeting any number of rights and issues.

Gov. Newsom highlights $1B statewide cleanup plan amid growing frustration over homeless camps

Visalia Times Delta

Gov. Gavin Newsom picked up litter and painted over graffiti in Los Angeles to highlight California’s $1.1 billion initiative to clean areas near highways, roads and other public spaces, an effort he promised to expand next year to address homeless encampments.

Legal challenge to California redistricting seeks document disclosure, new advisors

Los Angeles Times

The CA Supreme Court has been asked to fire the state independent redistricting commission’s legal advisors and force disclosure of private meetings and research into race-based voting patterns, a legal challenge made as the panel is in the final stages of crafting new political maps.

● Biden says resolving differences on $2 trillion spending package could take ‘weeks’ Washington Post

● Biden concedes Build Back Better bill won’t get passed this year Politico

● Senate that 'sucks' gets a dose of reality from Biden Politico

● Biden, Democrats punt reconciliation, voting rights bills to 2022 Roll Call

● Biden plans forceful push for voting rights. Aides are bearish on success. Politico

● Senate Parliamentarian Rejects Democrats’ Immigration Proposal in $2 Trillion Bill Wall Street Journal

● Biden Says $2 Trillion Bill Needs More Time Wall Street Journal

● ‘Know when to hold and know when to fold’: Progressives accept limits of their power Politico

● Opinion: The bill is fake, not the latest CBO score AEI

● Opinion: Congress Approved $778 Billion for the Pentagon. That Means We Can Afford Build Back Better. Politico

Senate parliamentarian rejects immigration reform in Democrats' spending bill

NPR

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has ruled against Democrats' pitch to include immigration reform provisions in their almost $2 trillion social spending bill, in a major setback for the party in their third attempt at the effort.

● Senate parliamentarian rejects latest Dem proposal on immigration Politico

● Senate parliamentarian rejects ‘Plan C’ immigration plan Roll Call

Republicans aim to stop sniping at each other, focus on economic message for 2022

NPR

Republicans are in strong position to win back control of the House of Representatives in 2022. They are united in their drive to defeat President Biden's agenda and their message to voters that Democratic policies are driving record inflation.

Senators float new bipartisan Violence Against Women Act outline

Roll Call

A bipartisan group of senators on Thursday announced an agreement on a framework to update and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, the closest the law has come to reauthorization since it lapsed in 2019.

Kamala Harris Says She and Biden Haven’t Discussed Running for Re-Election in 2024

Wall Street Journal

Vice President Kamala Harris said that she and President Biden have never discussed whether he plans to run for re-election and that it isn’t a topic she thinks about as they near the end of their first year in office.

Opinion: How can Congress act more constructively on antitrust? Highlights from an expert panel discussion

AEI

On November 30, AEI hosted a web event on how, if at all, Congress should change the way it handles antitrust issues — including through a number of bills put forward this year.

Other:

Nearly 50,000 Facebook users may have been targets of private surveillance, company says

Washington Post

Facebook is notifying nearly 50,000 users in more than 100 countries that they may have been targets of hacking attempts by surveillance companies working for government agencies or private clients, the company said Thursday.

Why some Latinos shifted to the GOP in 2020

Los Angeles Times

This past week saw a major new analysis from Equis Research, a leading Democratic firm that focuses on Latino voters. We’ll take a look at what they found and also examine some other research on the role religion plays in shaping the voting behavior of Latino voters.

Opinion: What’s really worrisome about those Meadows texts

AEI

Look at the difference between what Hannity and Ingraham texted Meadows and what they told their viewers.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, December 19, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "LAO Report on Safe Drinking Water" - Guest: Rachel Ehlers, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst - Legislative Analyst's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, December 19, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Valley Water: Where & Why is it Unsafe to Drink?"- Guests:Ellen Hanak, Director - PPIC Water Center; Sarge Green, Research Scientist - Fresno State's CA Water Institute. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

What recent storms mean for Central California farmers

abc30

Two days of rain caused furrows to flood on many Valley farms. Nothing excessive, though, in most areas. Farmers growing winter crops were thankful they haven't had to pump groundwater lately to irrigate.

Lois Henry: State’s early zero-water-for-ag projection could have far-reaching implications

Bakersfield Delivered

Storms hammering California this week will likely bump up the state’s Dec. 1 projection of zero water for agricultural contractors. But questions about how and why the Department of Water Resources made that projection – and what it means for the future.

California restaurants sue over law they say will drive up cost of bacon, pork

Sacramento Bee

A coalition of California restaurants and retailers is suing the state to block a law scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 that they argue could drive up the cost of bacon and create supply chain backlogs for the pork industry.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Is crime in California on the rise? Top expert talks about recent robberies and the law

Sacramento Bee

So-called “progressive prosecutors” across California are being criticized for policies their critics say are fueling the next crime wave. Viral videos have shown people ransacking high-end retailers, prompting some to say recent sentencing changes are to blame.

Panel recommends ending California’s ‘three strikes’ law and life-without-parole sentences

San Francisco Chronicle

California’s groundbreaking “three strikes” law and the state’s life-without-parole sentences for thousands of convicted murderers have done little for public safety while driving up the prison population — particularly people of color — as well as taxpayer costs.

Judge Overturns Purdue Pharma’s Opioid Settlement

New York Times

The ruling said the company’s owners, members of the Sackler family, could not receive protection from civil lawsuits in return for a $4.5 billion contribution.

Report: 11 executions in 2021 mark three-decade low

AP News

States and the federal government carried out 11 executions this year, the fewest since 1988, as support for the death penalty has continued to decline.

Public Safety:

TUSD warns parents of school shooting Tik Tok trend

Turlock Journal

The Turlock Unified School District cautioned parents about a new trend on social media encouraging school shootings on Friday. There is a Tik Tok video circulating on social media threatening nationwide school shootings on Dec. 17, 2021.

● Schools step up security in response to threats on TikTok AP News

Fire:

Loggers, conservationists agreed on how to tackle Tuolumne fire risk. You can comment

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus National Forest has issued a detailed plan for reducing wildfire fuel in a stretch from roughly Columbia to Pinecrest. The public has until Jan. 24 to comment on the plan, which would use logging, prescribed burning and other measures across 118,808 acres.

California utility faces $550M in penalties for 5 wildfires

SF Gate

California regulators approved a settlement Thursday placing more than half a billion dollars in fines and penalties on the utility Southern California Edison for its role in five wildfires in 2017 and 2018.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

California’s Mood Darkens on the Economy

PPIC

After the initial shock of the coronavirus pandemic passed, Californians’ outlook on the economy took a hit. Before the pandemic, about half of adults expected good economic times in the months ahead, as shown in our January 2020 Statewide Survey.

Inflation Is Near a 40-Year High. Here’s What It Looks Like.

Wall Street Journal

U.S. inflation climbed to a 39-year high in November, as strong consumer demand collided with supply constraints. Overall, the level of consumer prices leapt 6.8% last month from a year earlier, the Labor Department said.

● The White House aims to boost the ranks of the pandemic-strained trucking industry NPR

● Kraft will literally pay you not to make cheesecake this holiday season NPR

Advancing Equitable Access to Small Business Credit

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Making credit accessible to small business owners of color and those in underserved communities is crucial to our country’s economic recovery from COVID-19, according to presenters at a recent Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco event focused on equitable access to small business credit.

2020 Small Business Credit Survey Reports: Arizona, California, and Hawaii

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

2020 Small Business Credit Survey Reports: Arizona, California, and Hawaii

In the Fall of 2020, the Federal Reserve conducted the Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS) to gather information on small businesses’ performance and outlook, financing needs, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic slowdowns.

Jobs:

Major auto parts center heads to Chowchilla, promising nearly 300 new jobs. Here’s the latest

Fresno Bee

Chowchilla is slated to host a new distribution center for AutoZone, Inc., bringing with it hundreds of new jobs to the city, the company announced Thursday.

● California’s Workplaces Today—and Tomorrow PPIC

Opinion: COLA Doesn’t Bring Much Refreshment

Wall Street Journal

John Deere agreed to resurrect a 1970s-era benefit in its labor agreement with the United Auto Workers last month. The wages of the company’s union workers will be directly tied to the consumer-price index, and cost-of-living adjustments will help insulate union members.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Turlock Unified schools trustee flouts mask rule for nearly 30 minutes of meeting

Modesto Bee

● Opinion: Are fiery school-board meetings representative of all parents? Brookings

TUSD warns parents of school shooting Tik Tok trend

Turlock Journal

● Schools step up security in response to threats on TikTok AP News

Children exposed to COVID can safely stay in class with in-school testing, CDC says

Washington Post

Students who have been exposed to the coronavirus can safely continue in-person learning if they are regularly tested for the virus at school, avoiding disruptive at-home quarantines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

Higher Ed:

Fresno State Craig School faculty first to take new course on inclusion, equity

The Business Journal

Twenty-nine Craig School faculty participated in the 10-week course during the fall 2021 semester. This pioneering group includes the first Fresno State instructors and the first business faculty in the California State University system to receive this training.

UC Merced to host first in-person commencement since outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic

Merced Sun Star

The ceremony is meant to honor the accomplishments of students who are graduating from UC Merced this fall, although students who graduated in the summer 2021 are also welcome to attend.

Liquor Distribution Exec sentenced to prison in college scam

The Business Journal

The chief executive of a California liquor distribution company who authorities say paid $500,000 to get her son into college as a bogus athletic recruit was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment on Thursday.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Clash of the kitchens: California leads the way in a new climate battleground

Los Angeles Times

The most luxurious gas stoves and ovens a home chef could desire fill the cavernous Snyder Diamond showroom in Van Nuys, but the cooking appliance the owner seems most excited about doesn’t use gas at all — or look like an appliance.

What’s Polluting the Air? Not Even the EPA Can Say.

ProPublica

Despite the high stakes for public health, the EPA relies on emissions data it knows to be inaccurate. To expose toxic hot spots, we first had to get the facts straight.

Climate change has destabilized the Earth’s poles, putting the rest of the planet in peril

Washington Post

New research shows how rising temperatures have irreversibly altered both the Arctic and Antarctic. Ripple effects will be felt around the globe.

Survey Results: Climate-Related Risks Faced by Low- and Moderate-Income Communities and Communities of Color

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Climate shocks and stresses disproportionately impact groups that have traditionally faced higher barriers to participating in the economy than the general population, including low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal populations.

Opinion: Postcards from a world on fire

New York Times

Politicians have argued. The summits have come and gone. But the truth is that climate change is already upon us. This is Times Opionion’s tour of how climate change has begun reshaping reality in the 193 member states of the United Nations, in big ways and small

Opinion: A new climate finance framework for investing in urban resilience

Brookings

As climate change continues to intensify the public and private response remains slow and uneven. Steps toward more renewable energy are gradually taking hold, but a significant and immediate challenge continues to surround the country’s urban built environment.

Energy:

How Politics Are Determining What Stove You Use

New York Times

New York is the latest Democratic city aiming to fight climate change by ushering out stoves and furnaces that run on gas in favor of electric alternatives. But Republican states and the gas industry are fighting back.

Opinion: Banning crude-oil exports would increase gasoline prices

AEI

Having floated a possible export ban on crude oil as a trial balloon last month, the Biden administration earlier this week abandoned the idea, as opposition emerged quickly from Democrats in oil-producing districts.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

From blood clots to infected neurons, how COVID threatens the brain

NPR

Months after a bout with COVID-19, many people are still struggling with memory problems, mental fog and mood changes. One reason is that the disease can cause long-term harm to the brain.

FDA loosens rules for distributing abortion pills, opening new battle fronts

NPR

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it's lifting longstanding restrictions on abortion pills, clearing the way for doctors to prescribe the drugs online and have them mailed to patients or sent to local pharmacies.

● FDA Allows Women to Get Abortion Pill by Mail Wall Street Journal

● FDA loosens restrictions on medication abortion drug Roll Call

● F.D.A. Will Permanently Allow Abortion Pills by Mail New York Times

Carbon Monoxide From Generators Poisons Thousands of People a Year. The U.S. Has Failed to Force Safety Changes.

ProPublica

Portable generators are among the deadliest consumer products. Two decades after the government identified the danger, and as climate change leads to more power outages, people are left vulnerable by a system that lets the industry regulate itself.

Judge Throws Out Purdue Pharma’s Deal to Shield Sacklers From Opioid Lawsuits

Wall Street Journal

A federal judge overturned a settlement between Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family, a surprising decision that raises questions about the future of the company and its owners, who have been accused of fueling the nation’s opioid crisis.

We Asked 1,320 Therapists What They’re Hearing From Patients

New York Times

As Americans head into a third year of pandemic living, therapists around the country are finding themselves on the front lines of a mental health crisis. Social workers, psychologists and counselors from every state say they can’t keep up.

Human Services:

Fresno nursing home was slapped with nearly $1 million fine. Families were kept in the dark

Fresno Bee

Opinion: How to improve dental health of Stanislaus and Merced children and seniors

Modesto Bee

California’s Central Valley exemplifies this crisis, including Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Often, children and the elderly suffer from a lack of affordable and easily accessible dental care services.

Weight of COVID pushing health care workforce to breaking point

Axios

Hospital workers have had little relief from COVID over the past two years. And that burned-out, dispirited workforce is again being overwhelmed by surges from Delta, while facing the specter of yet another wave from Omicron.

Testing Rape Kits Can Deliver Exonerations, Closure and Cost Savings. Why Does It Still Take So Long to Do?

ProPublica

DNA evidence has helped overturn convictions and identify serial rapists, but even with recent reform laws, only a tiny fraction of Maryland’s backlog has been tested.

IMMIGRATION

Fresno aims to improve trust with immigrant community. Liaison wants to be that ‘link’

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee interviewed Martinez on Dec. 13 to learn more about her vision and goals for her new role. Here are four ways Martinez aims to serve the city’s immigrant community.

Justice Department breaks off talks on compensation for separated families

NPR

The negotiations, which began in the early months of the Biden administration, were aimed at settling claims brought by migrant families that were separated under the "zero tolerance" policy while seeking to enter the U.S. for asylum and other reasons.

● Biden Administration Pulls Out of Settlement Talks With Separated Families Wall Street Journal

● Border arrests ticked up 5 percent in November, first increase since summer Washington Post

Senate parliamentarian rejects immigration reform in Democrats' spending bill

NPR

● Senate parliamentarian rejects latest Dem proposal on immigration Politico

● Senate parliamentarian rejects ‘Plan C’ immigration plan Roll Call

More Than 60,000 Interpreters, Visa Applicants Remain in Afghanistan

Wall Street Journal

More than 60,000 Afghan interpreters and others who have applied for visas to seek shelter in the U.S. after working alongside American forces still remain in Afghanistan, a State Department official said Thursday.

Mexico Says Planned U.S. Tax Breaks for Electric Vehicles Risk Fueling Migration

Wall Street Journal

A U.S. proposal to give tax credits to Americans who buy U.S.-built electric vehicles threatens to hurt Mexico’s industry and spur illegal migration to the U.S., Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier said Thursday.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

California’s High-speed rail project still needs to purchase hundreds of pieces of land

Fresno Bee

The California High-Speed Rail Authority began trying to buy the land for its railroad right-of-way through the central San Joaquin Valley more than eight years ago. The job is still not done.

Best Christmas present ever: 112 new parks in California

Los Angeles Times

Another $500 million will be spent to improve access and facilities at California State Parks. OK, that’s a lot to process. An unprecedented $1 billion in a single budget year to up our green-space game? Why?

Opinion: Do right by California’s tribes through the 30×30 conservation effort

CalMatters

Californians have an opportunity to begin to repair historic wrongs endured by the state’s tribes with a plan to protect the environment.

Housing:

Housing Watch: Fresno seeing spike in residents looking to move from Sacramento, data shows

abc30

PUBLIC FINANCES

Huge rate increases coming to garbage service customers in Stanislaus County. Here’s why

Modesto Bee

County officials say the rate increases, adding anywhere from $13 to $30 to monthly residential bills, are tied to implementing a state recycling bill signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2016.

House bill would hold EDD accountable for backlogs by withholding funding

KCRA 3

Modesto Congressman Josh Harder's bill would pull funding until a backlog is cleared. In essence, the unemployment departments would not get paid until the unemployed get paid.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Probing ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Companies, Including Affirm, Klarna

Wall Street Journal

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday said it launched an inquiry into such plans offered by Afterpay Ltd. , Affirm Holdings Inc., Klarna Bank AB and other firms. It is the first regulatory action focused on the companies.

Major Music Acts Are Seeing 20% No-Show Rates at Concerts

Wall Street Journal

Music fans who dropped hundreds of dollars on concert tickets aren’t showing up. No-shows, as such concert-goers are called, have increased in significant numbers since the U.S. live-music business restarted this summer, music executives say.

TRANSPORTATION

Local Central Valley airports getting a more than $600K federal boost

Hanford Sentinel

VIDEO RELEASE: Watch the 2021 Year in Review Special

California High-Speed Rail Authority

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is recognizing a year of progress and partnership, with a new 30-minute 2021 Year in Review special released today on the Authority’s YouTube channel.

You may soon be able to renew your passport online, instead of sending in documents

NPR

A new executive order from President Biden hopes to cut down on the amount of time people spend accessing all kinds of government services, like scheduling a callback time with the IRS, applying for Social Security and Medicare benefits online, and yes, renewing a passport.

Omicron’s Surge Is Changing the Rules of Travel

Wall Street Journal

Anyone hoping to comply with the latest Covid-related travel restrictions should start by assuming they are nothing like the ones in the city, state or country next door to their destination.

Mexico Says Planned U.S. Tax Breaks for Electric Vehicles Risk Fueling Migration

Wall Street Journal

WATER

What recent storms in Central California means for yearly totals

abc30

Light showers fell throughout the Central Valley Thursday morning, bringing water that's desperately needed. "We've been running well below normal since early 2018 for our entire area," says David Specter.

● Cold temps on deck as storm passes through Fresno. Is there more rain to follow? Fresno Bee

● Atmospheric river is a win for California: Snowpack goes from 19% to 83% of average SF Gate

A frenzy of well drilling by California farmers leaves taps running dry

Los Angeles Times

In the verdant San Joaquin Valley, domestic wells are drying up at an alarming pace as a frenzy of new well construction and heavy agricultural pumping sends the underground water supply to new lows during one of the most severe droughts on record.

See also:

● How we drained California dry Technology Review

● Despite California groundwater law, aquifers keep dropping in a ‘race to the bottom’ Los Angeles Times

● Henry: State’s early zero-water-for-ag projection could have far-reaching implications Bakersfield Californian

Lois Henry: State’s early zero-water-for-ag projection could have far-reaching implications

Bakersfield Delivered

Opinion: GOP candidate for congressional District 16 offers plan for California’s water crisis

Fresno Bee

As California finds itself in another historic drought, the Central Valley deserves a voice in Congress who is willing to challenge the status quo and pursue a long-term solution to our state’s water crisis.

Arax: How We Drained California Dry

MIT Technology Review

A story of remaking the land and taking the water until there is nothing left.

California Economic Summit Forges A Path To Water Resiliency

CA FWD

The health of California’s economy depends on an adequate supply of clean water. Fortunately, the ideas of innovative water leaders across the state are making their way into state action plans.

Storm Drains Keep Swallowing People During Floods

ProPublica

An alarming number of people (especially children) have drowned after disappearing into storm drains during floods. The deadly problem should be easy for federal, state and local government agencies to fix, but tragedy strikes again and again.

“Xtra”

Andy Warhol exhibit coming to the Fresno Art Museum

KSEE24

The Fresno Art Museum will be showcasing the works of Andy Warhol next year. In a post on the museum’s website, the exhibition will be between Feb. 5 and June 26, 2022. It will feature both portfolios and individual prints by Warhol, starting with his works from the mid-1960s.

What should Modesto get next? New ball field, popular restaurant, store? Vote in our poll

Modesto Bee

As proponents push to build a new baseball stadium in downtown Modesto, it got us to thinking: what would people like to see come to the area? Here’s your chance to weigh in on the matter.

Culinary extraordinaire and Basque matriarch Mayie Maitia dies at 92

Bakersfield Delivered

Mayie Maitia’s savory Basque meals heartily fed Bakersfield residents, pop stars and politicians for decades. As the original owner of Wool Growers, Maitia’s warm persona made her a matriarch of the Basque people, according to the owner’s friends. Maitia died Wednesday at age 92.

‘Good enough for the Christmas card.’ See photos of a Yosemite transformed by thick snowfall

Sacramento Bee

A cloud above Yosemite Valley glowed with a subtle rainbow sheen as photographer Arwin Levinson admired the misty magic hovering over snow-covered rock walls and domes from Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park.

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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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