Maddy Institute – December 2, 2020

02Dec

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus County reports 448 coronavirus cases in one day; hospital projections are grim

Modesto Bee

At hospitals in Modesto, Fresno and other cities, the use of ICU beds could climb to 120 percent of capacity, forcing them to convert regular rooms for seriously ill COVID patients or open overflow facilities

● New cases, hospital stays spike in Stanislaus County Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus County reports 448 coronavirus cases in one day; hospital projections are grim Modesto Bee

● Merced County reports more than 600 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths since Thanksgiving Merced Sun-Star

Outgoing Modesto council considers disciplining, releasing its city clerk

Modesto Bee

The current Modesto City Council will have its last chance Monday to consider disciplining or releasing longtime City Clerk Stephanie Lopez over an investigation of her emails, a matter the council initiated almost a year ago.

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs loses re-election in stunning upset

Public CEO

Last week, in a plot twist few political observers saw coming, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs conceded defeat to Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln in his bid for a second term.

Job Opening: Executive Director

Reinvent Stockton Foundation

Stockton, California, located east of the San Joaquin River and 90 miles inland from San Francisco Bay, is enjoying a revival. The Reinvent Stockton Foundation (“RSF”) has been part of that revival.

Central SJ Valley:

Valley ICU beds nearly at max. Weekend COVID-19 cases highest in Fresno, Kings counties

Fresno Bee

There were at least 1,700 new reported cases of coronavirus in the central San Joaquin Valley over the weekend, putting more demand on strained area hospitals with dwindling intensive care unit beds.

● Who gets the COVID-19 vaccine first in Fresno? Pressure mounts to focus on this group Fresno Bee

● When will kids get a COVID-19 vaccine? Experts say it may be long after adults Fresno Bee

● Fresno reports nearly 300 new cases following Thanksgiving Fresno Bee

Amid COVID-19 surge and multiple exposures, Tulare County agencies increase telework

Visalia Times Delta

With COVID-19 cases on the rise and spreading at "alarming rates," Tulare County offices are shifting operations and allowing more employees to telework.

Walters: Court slaps down no-bid school contracts (FUSD cited as key example)

CalMatters

A recent California appellate court decision put the brakes on one especially insidious practice that allowed those with political pull to profitably twist a law meant to help local school systems build much-needed facilities.

Fresno elected officials write Gavin Newsom, but for different reasons

Fresno Bee

“It is incredibly difficult to make sound public health policy without premising data,” one Fresno official said.

Clovis Appoints Department Veteran as New Planning Director

Business Journal

The City of Clovis has a familiar face at the helm of its Planning and Development Services Department after the retirement of its director in July.

Lindsay to swear in all-Hispanic council in December

Sun Gazette

The city of Lindsay will see a dramatic shift in their city council this December. Three current members will step down, giving rise to three newcomers. There are accomplishments I am proud of.

South SJ Valley:

As cases, hospitalizations rise in Kern, enforcement of state health orders is sparse at best

Bakersfield Californian

As Kern County heads toward another major surge of COVID-19 cases, the enforcement of state rules and guidelines, meant to protect public health and stop transmission of the virus, appears to be sparse at best locally.

State audit report calls for fixing oil-review procedures

Bakersfield Californian

A yearlong state audit of California's process for reviewing certain kinds of oilfield projects common in Kern County has identified bureaucratic shortfalls but found that regulators "generally complied" with proper procedures before handing out approvals.

The City of Bakersfield is hiring a Recreation and Parks Director

Public CEO

The City of Bakersfield is looking for a creative problem solver who is community-oriented, energetic and organized. Deadline to apply is Dec. 11.

State:

California hospitalizations soar, may spur more restrictions

Fresno Bee

California could see a tripling of hospitalizations by Christmas and is considering stay-home orders for areas with the highest case rates as it tries to head off concerns that severe coronavirus cases could overwhelm intensive care beds, officials said Monday.

● California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began Los Angeles Times

● Coronavirus updates: COVID-19 hospitalizations could triple in December, Newsom says Fresno Bee

● California considers strict stay-at-home orders as COVID-19 cases projected to exceed ICU capacity Fresno Bee

● Gov. Newsom considers reinstating stay-at-home order for most of California if COVID-19 trends continue abc30

● California governor warns of stay-at-home order if statewide COVID-19 trends continue Visalia Times Delta

● California counties to tighten COVID-19 restrictions as holiday travelers return home Visalia Times Delta

● Newsom again considering expanded stay-at-home order Porterville Recorder

● COVID-19 hospitalizations could triple in December, Newsom says Sacramento Bee

● As California Hospitals Near Capacity, Newsom Hints At New Stay-At-Home Order Capital Public Radio

● Newsom warns of regional stay-at-home order as COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record Los Angeles Times

● Governor Newsom warns California’s I.C.U. beds could be full before Christmas New York Times

Gavin Newsom unveils sales-tax deferral to help businesses hurt by COVID-19 restrictions

Fresno Bee

The governor is proposing billions in sales tax deferrals.

Newsom’s California Health Corps struggles as COVID-19 surges again. ‘Drop in the bucket’

Sacramento Bee

In late March, as the state scrambled to prepare for the emerging pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the creation of the California Health Corps to recruit and deploy thousands of retired doctors, newly graduated nurses and other medical professionals into COVID-19 hotspots.

‘Biblical mandate.’ California churches ready to defy Newsom after Supreme Court ruling

Sacramento Bee

Greg Fairrington, pastor of a Rocklin megachurch that’s been defying California’s pandemic restrictions on indoor churchgoing, opened Sunday’s service by pulling out his cell phone and reading aloud from a fresh U.S. Supreme Court decision.

COVID fuels exodus to small towns, rural counties

Public CEO

Amid pandemic lockdowns and months of remote work, U.S. home buyers are continuing to hunt feverishly for properties in small towns and rural counties.

New CalRecycle leader eyes overhaul of deposit-refund system

AP News

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed a new head of the state’s troubled recycling agency, who has pledged to overhaul its troubled bottle deposit system that has worsened during the pandemic.

Commentary: Appointing a Latino or Latina senator would fulfill Newsom’s commitment

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom is fulfilling his commitment to ensure Latino leaders are heard. He regularly meets with a diverse cadre of Latino leaders, he has appointed a record number of three Latinas to his cabinet and has made Latino inclusion central to his “California for All” platform.

Walters: Bad optics can sink political careers

CalMatters

In real life politics, as opposed to the textbook variety, hard fact is much less important than image or, as political pros put it, “optics.”

Federal:

Trump COVID-19 adviser Scott Atlas leaving White House job

abc30

Dr. Scott Atlas, a science adviser to President Donald Trump who was skeptical of measures to control the coronavirus outbreak, is leaving his White House post.

Can Trump Change A Key Census Count? Supreme Court Hears His Claim

VPR
Even as his administration is heading out the door, President Trump is trying to exclude undocumented immigrants from the decennial census. If he succeeds, it will be the first time unauthorized immigrants will not be counted for purposes of drawing new congressional districts.

Some federal judges plan to retire when Trump exits. Will Biden be able to replace them?

Los Angeles Times

For the last four years, some federal judges postponed retirement plans rather than give President Trump the opportunity to name more conservatives to the nation’s powerful appeals courts.

Trump lost, but the Senate keeps confirming his nominees

Roll Call

Less than two months remain in the Trump administration, and Senate Republicans are doing something not seen in a century — confirming judges and other nominees after their party lost the White House. That norm-breaking rush to get GOP-approved picks through could get tricky, though, if lawmakers continue missing time because of COVID-19.

Bipartisan group of senators unveils $908 billion stimulus plan, aiming to break partisan logjam

Washington Post

A bipartisan group of senators introduced a stimulus proposal worth about $908 billion on Tuesday, aiming to break a months-long partisan impasse over providing emergency federal relief to the U.S. economy.

Trump raises more than $150 million appealing to false election claims

Washington Post

President Trump’s political operation has raised more than $150 million since Election Day, using a blizzard of misleading appeals about the election to shatter fundraising records set during the campaign, according to people with knowledge of the contributions.

The Note: Biden turns to insiders, but COVID relief will have to wait

abcNews

But the insiders are still out of power for another seven weeks. They will inherit complicated political calculations that leave lawmakers essentially paralyzed amid a spiraling pandemic and a possible government shutdown.

● President-Elect Biden Names Core Members Of His Economic Team VPR

● OMB Pick Neera Tanden Draws GOP Fire Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Biden’s Blind Spot Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Return of the Obama Economists Wall Street Journal

● Commentary: Virus shouldn’t be sole focus for Biden economic aide AEI

Opinion: Trump’s Fair Banking Rule

Wall Street Journal

Progressives are pounding banks to stop lending to industries they dislike. So credit to Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks for putting banks on notice that they can’t red-line industries merely because they’re politically unpopular.

Other:

Facebook, Google to Face New Antitrust Suits in U.S.

Wall Street Journal

Big Tech’s legal woes are expected to worsen in the coming weeks as federal and state antitrust authorities prepare to file new lawsuits against Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google, people familiar with the matter said.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farmland consolidations could save water, promote solar

Bakersfield Californian

Hopes are rising in the southern Central Valley that the farmland expected to be fallowed in coming years because of drought and groundwater restrictions won't sit idle but will instead be consolidated to make room for new land uses including solar power generation.

Modesto-based nonprofit has a new name, and the same commitment to feeding people

Modesto Bee

Interfaith Ministries of Greater Modesto has changed its name to better convey its core mission of feeding people. The nonprofit became Food Initiative of Greater Stanislaus as of Nov. 21. The switch brings an acronym, FIGS, and a new logo depicting the biblical fruit.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Scam callers steal $300,000 from California utility customers, company says

Fresno Bee

First, a supposed Southern California Edison caller told Gordon Broney that he owed a $500 deposit on a new electrical meter by prepaid debit card, The Press-Enterprise reported.

Public Safety:

Crowd gathers in central Fresno to voice concerns over attacks on street vendors

abc30

Dozens gathered in central Fresno to voice their concerns over a recent increase in violent and even deadly attacks on street vendors. "I would say leave the street vendors alone," says Jasmin Guzman. "They are just trying to make money to help out their families."

COVID-19 infections hit record high in California prisons

CalMatters

The virus is surging in California’s overcrowded prisons as early releases slow. And county jails are struggling with a backlog of inmates awaiting transfers to state facilities.

Fire:

Creek Fire update: Containment delayed another month - at least. Here’s what’s happening

Fresno Bee

Firefighters hoped to contain the Creek Fire by Nov. 30. That date is now set for Dec. 31. “It could be pushed back even further, but I’m pretty confident,” said Brian Vasquez, incident commander at the Sierra National Forest.

Wildfire Smoke Is Poisoning California’s Kids. Some Pay a Higher Price

New York Times

While California as a whole has seen a steady uptick in smoke days in recent years, counties in the state’s Central Valley, which is already cursed with some of the most polluted air, were particularly hard hit by wildfire smoke this year.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Gavin Newsom unveils sales-tax deferral to help businesses hurt by COVID-19 restrictions

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday unveiled a raft of initiatives aimed at helping small businesses and nonprofits that are struggling under state COVID-19 restrictions.

Warszawski: If Gov. Newsom insists on taking indoor dining off the menu, let us see the recipe

Fresno Bee

Since when is more government transparency a bad thing?

IRS Says Its Own Error Sent $1,200 Stimulus Checks To Non-Americans Overseas

VPR

The IRS now acknowledges that its own error caused some citizens of other countries to mistakenly receive $1,200 coronavirus relief payments.

Stocks slip, but S&P 500 still logs best month since April

Los Angeles Times

Stocks pulled back slightly from their record levels Monday as Wall Street put a quiet coda on one of its most rocking months in decades.

Commentary: When will the global consumer class recover?

Brookings

On Black Friday, this year’s shopping will reach its peak. In the exceptional circumstances of 2020, the peak will not be high. The COVID-19 pandemic is a truly global economic crisis, with all countries likely facing a contraction in consumption.

Jobs:

New workplace laws affect employers large, small

Bakersfield Californian

State lawmakers have rewritten California's labor laws in significant ways this year, in many cases as a result of workplace changes brought on by COVID-19, and although some don't take effect until Jan. 1, others call for immediate action by employers large and small.

Latest unemployment scandal: State paid inmates $1B in fraudulent claims CalMatters

California may have paid up to $1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims filed on behalf of prison and jail inmates in what prosecutors are calling “the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history.”

750,000 Californians are about to lose jobless benefits. What is Congress doing?

Sacramento Bee

Unemployment insurance for self-employed people has been a lifesaver for Lis McKinley, not just for her finances but – at 61 – also for her health. McKinley owns and runs Let’s Make Room, which helps people reorganize and move their homes.

Unemployment statistics during the pandemic have been inflated by backlogs, according to GAO report

Washington Post

The nation’s weekly unemployment statistics have been plagued by backlogs, fraud and inconsistent data reporting state by state, making them a seriously flawed measurement that has likely overstated the number of individuals claiming unemployment during the pandemic, according to a federal report released Monday.

● Labor Department Published Flawed Estimates of Weekly Jobless Claims, Watchdog Says Wall Street Journal

EDUCATION

K-12:

Rosedale, Norris welcome final classes of students onto campus this week

Bakersfield Californian

For the first time in nearly nine months, middle schools in both Norris School District and Rosedale Union School District welcomed back students, marking a big occasion not just for the schools but for the districts. Within a few days, both will have brought all the students back on campus who would like to return for in-person learning.

Virtual Charter Schools Are Booming, Despite A Checkered Reputation

VPR

Virtual charter schools have been around for a couple of decades. In that time, they've been both relatively niche and highly controversial.

New Report Offers Clearest Picture Yet Of Pandemic Impact On Student Learning

VPR
A sweeping new review of national test data suggests the pandemic-driven jump to online learning has had little impact on children's reading growth and has only somewhat slowed gains in math.

Less siloed, more inclusive: Changes to special education teacher preparation expected to have big impact on schools

EdSource

As the pandemic has drawn more attention to the needs of students in special education, the state is moving forward with changes to teacher preparation programs intended to improve learning conditions for California’s nearly 800,000 students with special needs.

Taking Stock of a Half-Century of Failed Education Reform

RealClear Education

As thousands of schools across the country continue operating only virtually, at best, experts warn that children who were already struggling are falling further and further behind.

Walters: Court slaps down no-bid school contracts (FUSD cited)

CalMatters

Higher Ed:

Fresno State will make big changes due to COVID-19 this spring. What you need to know

Fresno Bee

Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases expected over the winter, Fresno State will ramp up its campus population for the spring semester, adding more classes and dorm-residing students, according to a letter sent out to students from President Joseph I. Castro on Monday.

UC application deadline extended after 'technical difficulties', University of California says

abc30

The University of California is extending the deadline for UC applications after "technical difficulties" the night before the Nov. 30 due date.

BC offering two-week course on infectious diseases, contact tracing

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College has opened additional sections of its no-cost, two-week online course PBHS B99: Infectious Disease Contact Tracing, which provides participants the opportunity to learn more about infectious diseases, public health, terminology and contact tracing.

Commentary: Who gains most from canceling student loans?

AEI
A tantalizing possibility has been dangled in front of millions of Americans who took on crippling debt to acquire a college education: What if that financial burden was lifted?

Commentary: The oddest sort of progressivism

AEI
President-elect Biden is still more than two months from assuming office, but the socialist wing of the Democratic Party is already leaning on him to tear off his moderate coloration and reveal himself an ally of campus radicals.

Opinion: Why We Need Centers for Educational Innovation, Evaluation and Research

Inside Higher Ed

It’s time to replace teaching centers with centers for educational innovation, evaluation and research. Virtually every university now has a teaching center or a faculty development center to improve the quality of teaching.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Opinion: Living Near Drilling Is Deadly. Why Don’t California Lawmakers Care?

New York Times

California famously prides itself on environmental leadership — but what about when its lawmakers overlook problems in their own constituents’ backyards? It’s still legal to drill for oil there right next to schools and hospitals — despite well documented health risks to anyone nearby.

Majestic Trees Are Being Clear-Cut in American Suburbs

Bloomberg Businessweek

In places without protective ordinances, homebuilders routinely remove every tree or nearly every tree on a property when they build on it for the first time or replace a torn-down house with a new one.

Energy:

State audit report calls for fixing oil-review procedures

Bakersfield Californian

Challenges to new California power plants now allowed in Superior Court

San Francisco Chronicle

Californians can go to their local Superior Court to challenge the state Energy Commission’s approval of large new power plants that use natural gas or other fuels, a state appeals court has ruled, overturning a state law backed by energy companies.

Commentary: Agencies should follow CARB’s leadership on emissions from gas appliances

CalMatters

California Air Resources Board’s resolution shows leadership on the importance of all-electric buildings to meet the state’s climate goals.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno reports nearly 300 new cases following Thanksgiving

Fresno Bee

With the holiday season in full swing, 294 positive COVID-19 cases were reported in Fresno County through Saturday night, raising the total to 38,288 since the pandemic began in the spring. Four hundred eighty-one deaths attributed to the virus were reported since the pandemic began, including 10 deaths in the past week in the most recent update.

● More than 91,000 people, the most of the pandemic, are hospitalized with coronavirus in the US abc30

● California sees record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations abc30

● Merced County reports more than 600 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths since Thanksgiving Merced Sun-Star

● New cases, hospital stays spike in Stanislaus County Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus County reports 448 coronavirus cases in one day; hospital projections are grim Modesto Bee

● Coronavirus updates: COVID-19 hospitalizations could triple in December, Newsom says Fresno Bee

Blacks in California are dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate. What’s being done to help?

Fresno Bee

California’s surgeon general, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, said in a webinar last Monday that African-Americans make up 6% of the state’s population and slightly more than 4% of COVID-19 cases, but account for 7.4% of deaths.

GAO: 'Urgent' actions needed to respond to pandemic

The Hill

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is calling for “urgent actions” to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Congress and the administration have taken a series of actions to protect the health and well-being of Americans,” GAO wrote in a report on Monday.

Wildfire Smoke Is Poisoning California’s Kids. Some Pay a Higher Price

New York Times

Human Services:

Coronavirus vaccine: California to receive 327,000 doses in December, Gov. Newsom announces

abc30

As the number of coronavirus cases continued to surge across California on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state is set to receive 327,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in December.

● Coronavirus vaccine: California to receive over 300,000 doses in mid-December Visalia Times Delta

● Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Gets More Good News VPR

● Stanislaus County reports 448 coronavirus cases in one day; hospital projections are grim Modesto Bee

● Hospitalizations on the rise in Stanislaus County Modesto Bee

● Moderna asking U.S, European regulators to OK its virus shots Los Angeles Times

● FDA authorization of COVID-19 vaccines would set off a scramble Roll Call

● Moderna Asks Health Regulators to Authorize Its Covid-19 Vaccine Wall Street Journal

● Commentary: What statistics tells us about the efficacy of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Oxford vaccines AEI

South Valley hospitals, already strained, prepare for winter surge

abc30

Tulare County is seeing its highest number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since early August. On Monday, Visalia's Kaweah Delta Medical Center was caring for 79 coronavirus patients -- 33 more than the previous Monday.

If you visited family for Thanksgiving despite COVID-19, here’s what you need to do today

Modesto Bee

Health officials implored people not to gather over Thanksgiving with family, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases that is crowding hospitals, leaving some understaffed. But hundreds of thousands of California and Sacramento-area residents did so anyway, saying the moment with family was precious enough to take the risk.

Watch out for fake COVID-19 vaccines as drug companies near FDA approval, feds warn

Sacramento Bee

As a COVID-19 vaccine nears, bringing hope for an end to the pandemic, criminal organizations big and small will be looking to take advantage by peddling fake and potentially dangerous vaccines of their own, federal authorities warn.

If There Aren’t Enough Vaccines for All Health Care Workers in California, Which Doctors, Nurses or Aides Will Get It First?

KQED
When California receives its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines in early December, experts agree health care workers will be the first to get it. But while the state’s medical workforce includes 2.4 million people, officials say the first vaccine shipment is expected to contain just 1 or 2 million doses — forcing the state to “sub-prioritze.”

Biden Likely to Help States Increase Health Care Access

PEW
President Donald Trump has spent four years trying to undermine the Affordable Care Act. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to bolster the law and give states new tools to expand coverage.

IMMIGRATION

California continues census fight over undocumented immigrants as Supreme Court hears case

Fresno Bee

California continued its push to count undocumented immigrants in the census Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court raised questions about whether it’s constitutional for President Donald Trump to exclude them.

● Justices wary of wading into census immigration dispute Roll Call

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

A 40-year Conflict Over a State Park: Has It Finally Reached A Breaking Point?

Capital Public Radio

At the end of an arcing sweep of shoreline tracing the pocket coves and steep cliffs of the Central Coast lies Oceano Dunes and its rippling sea of sand. The park south of San Luis Obispo is the last state beach where visitors can legally race their 4X4s, dirt bikes and monster trucks.

Housing:

‘Roach highway,’ says one tenant. Is this Central Valley’s worst apartment complex?

Fresno Bee

Kathy Gonzalez, 32, has lived at the Buena Fortuna Village apartments in Visalia for three years. She remembers her first year of residence as pleasant until the ownership of the complex changed hands, and things started deteriorating at a great speed.

After one month, new Bakersfield homeless shelter already finding housing for those in need

Bakersfield Californian

Despite facing a long learning curve, the city of Bakersfield is reporting success at its new homeless shelter after about a month of operation. As of Wednesday, the Brundage Lane Navigation Center held 61 men and women, including five couples.

Can Gavin Newsom Use The Pandemic To Beat Back Homelessness?

CalMatters

If $800 million wasn’t a sufficiently appetizing carrot to get his audience to buy more motels, Gov. Gavin Newsom could dangle a more spiritual enticement: less time burning in the afterlife.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Walters: Court slaps down no-bid school contracts (FUSD cited)

CalMatters

Amid COVID-19 surge and multiple exposures, Tulare County agencies increase telework

Visalia Times Delta

With COVID-19 cases on the rise and spreading at "alarming rates," Tulare County offices are shifting operations and allowing more employees to telework.

IRS Says Its Own Error Sent $1,200 Stimulus Checks To Non-Americans Overseas

VPR

The IRS now acknowledges that its own error caused some citizens of other countries to mistakenly receive $1,200 coronavirus relief payments — and that the mistake is likely to happen again if more stimulus money goes out.

Some unemployed Americans were underpaid by COVD-19 relief program, watchdog says

Sacramento Bee

The U.S. Government Accountability Office — a nonpartisan, independent agency that works for Congress — on Monday released a report that found a majority of states have been paying Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claimants the minimum benefit allowed instead of the amount for which they’re eligible based on their prior income.

TRANSPORTATION

The Tesla of buses: GreenPower continues to grow in value

Porterville Recorder

Canadian-based GreenPower with its assembling plant right here in Porterville is set to become the “Tesla of Buses,” according an article recently posted on NASDAQ.com and InvestorPlace.

Public Transit, Battered by Pandemic, Triumphs at Ballot Box

PEW
Far fewer people are riding buses and trains during the COVID-19 pandemic, but in this month’s election voters still approved more than a dozen proposals to increase spending on public transit.

WATER

Is California Heading For A Multi-Year Drought? The Odds Aren’t In Our Favor, Experts Say.

Capital Public Radio

With no rain in the forecast for the rest of 2020 — thanks to a La Niña weather pattern pushing storms north of the state — the probability of California entering a multi-year drought is increasing.

Addressing Water Affordability in Urban California

PPIC
In the midst of the pandemic and recession, the cost of delivering safe drinking water continues to rise across California, creating a crisis of affordability for water users and a revenue problem for water suppliers.

Commentary: Delta tunnel would be costly and an ill-conceived response to today’s challenges

CalMatters

The Delta tunnel would be a massive over-budget state project based on 19th century thinking that cannot address current challenges.

“Xtra”

100 years of Christmas Tree Lane. Holiday light show opens this week. How it will be different

Fresno Bee

Christmas Tree Lane officially turns on its lights Tuesday night, though anyone passing down the two-mile stretch of old Fig Garden recently will have seen some final tinkering, as the long-standing holiday extravaganza gears up for its 98th season in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

Let it glow! Submit top spots for Stanislaus County holiday lights guide

Modesto Bee

We won’t have a white Christmas in Stanislaus County (and let’s face it, we wouldn’t choose to live here if we wanted snow and ice on our streets, yards, pools and rooftops), but as the year that’s been 2020 comes to a close, we all could use a lot of “merry and bright.”