POLICY & POLITICS
Online Democracy: Is it a Good Connection?
The Maddy Institute
Join us on next Monday, December 13 at 12 PM for a discussion about what makes a ‘public meeting,’ public. Little Hoover Commission Chairman Pedro Nava will discuss the impact digital platforms, such as Zoom, have on democracy. Use code MAOLD1213 to register HERE.
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● New COVID testing site at Central Valley High in Ceres is free and open to everyone Modesto Bee
Outside groups call on Stanislaus leaders to give Latinos representation on board
Modesto Bee
With less than two weeks remaining in a redistricting process, Stanislaus County leaders have much to sort out in redrawing supervisorial districts that are legally defensible.
Board advances ACE service to Turlock and Merced County. When will first train run?
Modesto Bee
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission approved the final environmental report on the segment. That clears the way for detailed design and construction, which could have the first train running by 2025
New Patterson sustainable high-tech building company begins hiring; 250 jobs coming
Modesto Bee
A sustainable building company finishing its “MegaFactory” in Patterson has started hiring. Palo Alto-based S²A Modular announced plans for its new manufacturing plant in Patterson earlier this year.
Opinion: Why dwindling snow in mountains east of Modesto should startle everyone
Modesto Bee
Reduced snow would mean fewer skiing days at Dodge Ridge or Bear Valley. But climate change will affect more than just those looking for snow recreation. All of our lives will be touched, because all of us drink water and eat food requiring water to grow.
Opinion: Stanislaus freedom supporters aren’t all “angry, violent, toxic extremists”
Modesto Bee
I am worried that media portrayals of “extremists” hijacking local legislative bodies will lead those bodies to ban public comment from those meetings. It already happened in Campbell County, Wyoming.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● COVID booster shots drive demand for Fresno County vaccinations. What are the reasons? Fresno Bee
● Fresno County now testing for Omicron variant of COVID-19 abc30
‘Misrepresented and divided.’ Fresno marchers demand fair redistricting ahead of county vote
Fresno Bee
Fresno County communities are at stake of being “misrepresented and divided” by new district boundaries that will be decided soon, warned organizers of a Saturday march attended by hundreds in downtown Fresno and led by the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
See also:
● Tower District leaders upset Fresno redistricting map splits neighborhood into three council districts VPR
With millions of dollars in play, which Fresno areas have ‘highest need’ for new parks?
Fresno Bee
Neighborhoods and parks primarily in the southern parts of the city likely will see the most benefits first from Measure P, the new parks sales tax, but how many will see benefits still must be determined.
With crime rising, should Fresno use $10 million in stimulus funds on police? Some say ‘no’
Fresno Bee
Residents and community groups are urging city leaders to engage the public on how to spend millions of dollars of stimulus funds — which they say should be used to close racial, health, economic, and wealth gaps in the city rather than on expanding the police budget.
See also:
● Fresno Police Department adopts more new reforms. Here’s what the chief says will change Fresno Bee
Clovis man to receive nearly $1 million settlement in police brutality case
Fresno Bee
A Clovis man who accused Clovis Police of using excessive force against him has settled his lawsuit against the department for $720,000.
Fresno County foster kids were supposed to move to Clovis Campus week ago. Why the delay?
Fresno Bee
CAO Jean Rousseau said in October the county’s hardest to house foster children, who are temporarily staying at the old University Medical Center, would move to the county’s new Clovis Campus around Thanksgiving. That has not happened.
See also:
● Opinion: How our broken foster-care system victimizes children AEI
How bad is hate crime in Fresno County? What the numbers say, and who has been targeted
Fresno Bee
Over the course of the past 20 years, more than 410 people in Fresno County reported to police that they were victims of hate crimes – people who were targets of almost 360 individual attacks based on their race, religion or sexual orientation or gender identity.
Hundreds of homes are coming to west Fresno. Here’s why it’s been a long time in the making
Fresno Bee
The Fresno City Council voted 6-0 to approve a development agreement between the city and developers Fagundes Bros. Dairy. Councilmember Esmeralda Soria was not present during the vote.
See also:
● Fresno Council approves map with 599 southwest Fresno homes Business Journal
Dr. Carole Goldsmith selected as the new chancellor of State Center Community College District
VPR
On Tuesday, Fresno City College President Carole Goldsmith was named the next chancellor of the State Center Community College District. In this new role, she will oversee the community colleges serving Clovis, Reedley, Madera and Fresno.
Kings County Economic Forecast: A New Era of Growth
Business Journal
Over the year ending in the second quarter, employment increased 6.4% in the region. Average annual wages per worker in the county was $52,775 as of Q2, a 9.3% increase in the region over the preceding four quarters
4 killed after small plane crashes in central California
AP News
Four people were killed when a single-engine plane crashed in heavy fog minutes after takeoff from a small airport in central California, authorities said.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Kern Public Health emphasizes prevention as omicron emerges Bakersfield Californian
● Post-COVID patients report symptoms long after recovery Bakersfield Californian
City of Bakersfield seeks input on redrawing of ward boundaries
Bakersfield Californian
Every 10 years, U.S. census data is used to redraw Bakersfield City Council ward boundaries. The City Council is now seeking public input on how these boundaries should be drawn, according to a news release on Friday.
‘Devil on the loose’: What’s behind Kern County’s soaring homicide rate?
CalMatters
Kern County has had state’s highest homicide rate since 2016, with rival prison gangs warring on its rural northern border.
Idle biomass plant near Delano would reopen under carbon burial proposal
Bakersfield Californian
Kern's ambitious list of carbon burial proposals has lengthened with the addition of an early-stage, relatively inexpensive plan for reusing an idle biomass plant to combust local ag waste then burying the byproduct gas while generating small amounts of electricity or hydrogen.
Capital & Main
In Grove’s district, which includes Bakersfield and eastern Kern and Tulare counties as well as a large swathe of San Bernardino County, air quality is among the worst in the state. For years, residents and community activists in Kern have reported poor health impacts from oil and gas drilling, which releases noxious chemicals correlated with diseases.
Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative seeks 500 volunteers for annual count
Bakersfiled Californian
The Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative is seeking 500 volunteers to take part in a countywide effort to obtain “a snapshot view of homelessness in Kern County.” Results from the Jan. 26 count will be used to apply for federal and state grant funding.
State:
COVID Update:
● Have questions about the COVID vaccine? Ask bilingual California nurses live for free Fresno Bee
14 Californians can make or break elections for politicians in 2022. How they got there
Modesto Bee
California voters opted for a nonpartisan group driven by citizens ahead of the last time the state underwent redistricting, the process by which legislative districts are redrawn based on population changes tracked through the Census.
See also:
● California redistricting: Four key questions CalMatters
Will California go all-in on sports betting? Here’s who wants a hold on the industry
Sacramento Bee
Online gaming giants, card rooms and California’s Native American tribes are all angling to legalize sports betting in California through ballot initiatives next year.
Report finds California death penalty system ‘beyond repair,’ but changes are hard to come by
San Francisco Chronicle
California’s death penalty costs taxpayers $150 million a year. The average appeal of a death sentence, when considered by state and federal courts, takes more than 30 years to resolve.
California official says women on boards law is toothless
AP News
A California official defending the state’s landmark law that mandates women be placed on corporate boards testified Thursday that it was essentially toothless and there are no plans to penalize companies for not complying.
Walters: Good riddance to state Capitol’s ugly annex
CalMatters
The state Capitol’s annex will soon disappear and a replacement will be built costing more than a billion dollars. No one will be sorry to see the ugly, dysfunctional building go.
Opinion: Another way to reform the Calif recall process: Ranked Choice Voting
CalMatters
A more accurate reflection of California voters’ preferences in a recall would come from a Ranked Choice Voting general election.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● COVID kills Native Americans at much higher rates than other groups, study finds Fresno Bee
● More omicron detected as hospitals strain under delta surge Fresno Bee
● Can omicron overtake the delta variant? Here’s what it will take Fresno Bee
● Biden’s free at-home test promise could come with added costs Politico
● U.S. Plans to Fast-Track Revamped Covid-19 Vaccines Wall Street Journal
● The most-vaccinated big counties in America are beating the worst of the coronavirus Washington Post
● Tracking Omicron and Other Coronavirus Variants New York Times
● Biden and Local Officials Avoid Lockdowns, New Mask Mandates in Omicron Fight Wall Street Journal
The House-passed Build Back Better bill is a “government takeover of child care.”
PolitiFact
The federal government is not nationalizing the child care industry, will not own the facilities and will not hire the staff. One reason this program is not a takeover is states can simply choose not to participate.
See also:
● Opinion: Build Back Better vs. Small Business Wall Street Journal
Opinion: Broadband provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: A primer
AEI
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided more than $65 billion to build out broadband networks, address affordability, and strengthen cybersecurity. The legislation’s ultimate success will depend on implementation at the state and local level.
Biden embraces his one-time foe: Walmart
Politico
Not long before he joined the 2008 campaign trail, then-Sen. Joe Biden traveled to Iowa to deliver a blistering speech attacking the nation’s largest private employer, Walmart.
Biden’s plan for a ‘no drama’ December
Politico
The White House is praying for a quiet December, aiming to avoid the usual political histrionics that come at the end of the year as they push the second piece of President Joe Biden’s landmark economic agenda.
Biden Administration Unveils Plans to Fight Corruption
Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration on Monday unveiled steps to combat corruption globally, including assistance to foreign governments to increase financial transparency and new regulations on U.S. real-estate purchases to prevent money laundering.
See also:
● Opinion: Biden’s Summit for Democracy should focus on rights, not economics and geopolitics Brookings
● Opinion: Playing politics with democracy? AEI
Congress Races to Finish Legislation To-Do List by Year-End
Wall Street Journal
Congress is racing against the clock to complete a series of must-pass pieces of legislation, with Democrats also pushing to finish their roughly $2 trillion social and climate policy legislation by the end of the year.
See also:
● Congress approves a short-term funding bill to avoid a government shutdown VPR
● Big companies look to Senate to ease budget bill’s minimum tax Roll Call
Why the threat to Roe may not save Democrats in 2022
Politico
The quick-setting gospel in Washington, D.C. last week was that any rollback of Roe v. Wade next year would trigger a Democratic revolt, placing abortion rights at the center of the midterm elections and sparking unprecedented turnout on the left.
See also:
● Supreme Court justices on abortion, during confirmation and from the bench Politico
● Public Opinion on Abortion Pew Research
● What an America Without Roe Would Look Like New York Times
● Opinion: The Rule of Six: A newly radicalized Supreme Court is poised to reshape the nation Washington Post
● Opinion: On abortion, the Supreme Court is set to overturn decades of wrongs Washington Post
GOP tactics herald a grim new era of governing for Biden and Democrats
Washington Post
This week’s shutdown threat, which was averted with a Senate vote Thursday night, was not only just as quixotic — aimed at forcing President Biden to sign a bill blocking his own coronavirus vaccine mandates — but is being led by some of the same Republican plotters.
See also:
● Defense bill’s new path forward would cost votes on GOP priorities Roll Call
● House Republicans express concern over party infighting, but not the Islamophobic rhetoric that set it off Washington Post
● Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology Pew Research
● Right wing builds its own echo chamber Axios
● Opinion: Five themes Democrats can focus on to boost their standing Washington Post
● Opinion: Where will Democratic infighting lead? History’s answer is clear. Washington Post
Robert J. Dole, longtime GOP leader who sought presidency 3 times, dies at 98
Washington Post
Former U.S. senator Robert J. Dole, who overcame the hardships of dust bowl Kansas during the Depression and devastating injuries in World War II to run three times for the presidency and serve more than a decade as the Senate Republican leader, died Dec. 5.
See also:
● Bob Dole — war hero, senator, presidential candidate, Kansan — dies at 98 Sacramento Bee
● Bob Dole, Longtime Senator and Republican Leader, Dies at 98 Wall Street Journal
● Bob Dole, the last of the Senate legends from World War II, has died Roll Call
Other:
Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics
A national poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds released today by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School indicates that a majority of young Americans believe that our democracy is “in trouble” or “failing.”
Opinion: Combating racism on social media: 5 key insights on bystander intervention
Brookings
Social networking sites enable people to share connections and view content generated by other users that participate in this virtual social system.
Opinion: Time to Pull the Plug on Cable News
Politico
How did the cable news networks become our main stage? Nary a day goes by without somebody saying something stupid somewhere on cable that ignites a national uproar that seizes the news cycle for days.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, December 12, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "California’s Top Ten Most Influential Unelected Leaders" - Guest: John Howard, Editor - Capitol Weekly. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, December 12, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "The Power Players in State & Valley Politics"- Guests: TPaul Hurley (Visalia Times Delta); Danielle Bergstrom (Fresno Bee/Fresnoland); Mike Dunbar (Modesto Bee), Robert Price (KGET). Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Thousands of farmworkers will get pay raises following lawsuit
Bakersfield Californian
Tens of thousands of California’s guest farmworkers and U.S. farmworkers will see pay increases in 2022, which advocates say comes thanks to their lawsuit to stop a Trump-era wage freeze.
See also:
● Thousands of farmworkers will get pay raises thanks to a lawsuit CalMatters
● Guest farmworkers will receive a wage increase in 2022 VPR
NTSB releases preliminary report of Shafter crop-duster crash
Bakersfield Californian
A crop-dusting plane crashed Nov. 3 near Shafter, and one person, identified as the pilot, has died, according to local and federal authorities. The Shafter Police Department said it received reports at about 11:55 a.m. of a crash north of Lerdo Highway.
California Dairy Farmers Struggle to Stay in the ‘Got Milk’ State
Wall Street Journal
Dairy farmers in California, the nation’s top milk producer, face pressure from rising costs, increasingly complex environmental regulations and a quest for water—challenges all magnified by a historic drought. For some, the challenges are existential.
Opinion: Five myths about marijuana
Washington Post
Myths about marijuana use and legalization remain widespread. Some are stubborn artifacts of the long-standing war on drugs, while others reflect the influence of a growing industry looking to attract new customers. Here are a few of the most persistent ones.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
How bad is hate crime in Fresno County? What the numbers say, and who has been targeted
Fresno Bee
Over the course of the past 20 years, more than 410 people in Fresno County reported to police that they were victims of hate crimes – people who were targets of almost 360 individual attacks based on their race, religion or sexual orientation or gender identity.
‘Devil on the loose’: What’s behind Kern County’s soaring homicide rate?
CalMatters
Kern County has had state’s highest homicide rate since 2016, with rival prison gangs warring on its rural northern border.
‘Flash mob’ robberies roiling U.S. retailers, traumatizing workers
Washington Post
A spate of brazen store heists, in which organized mobs have hit stores as varied as Nordstrom, Best Buy, Louis Vuitton and Home Depot, has shaken the retail industry and created fresh challenges for law enforcement.
See also:
● Thefts, Always an Issue for Retailers, Become More Brazen New York Times
Public Safety:
With crime rising, should Fresno use $10 million in stimulus funds on police? Some say ‘no’
Fresno Bee
Residents and community groups are urging city leaders to engage the public on how to spend millions of dollars of stimulus funds — which they say should be used to close racial, health, economic, and wealth gaps in the city rather than on expanding the police budget.
See also:
● Fresno Police Department adopts more new reforms. Here’s what the chief says will change Fresno Bee
Clovis man to receive nearly $1 million settlement in police brutality case
Fresno Bee
A Clovis man who accused Clovis Police of using excessive force against him has settled his lawsuit against the department for $720,000.
93 tickets issued in traffic enforcement operation
Turlock Journal
The Turlock Police Department led a multi-agency traffic enforcement effort in town on Wednesday that sought to put the brakes on aggressive and distracted driving behaviors.
No Permit, No Problem: More States Allow Residents to Carry a Hidden Gun
Pew Trusts
Six more states no longer require residents to hold a permit to carry a concealed firearm. Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Tennessee, Texas and Utah this year enacted what gun rights advocates often refer to as “constitutional carry” measures.
More states consider laws to punish parents if children fire unsecured guns
Washington Post
A Post analysis found that such measures could have a profound impact, since more than half of the country’s school shootings since 1999 could have been prevented if the children who killed their classmates did not have access to firearms.
See also:
● Opinion: Gun capitalism — not ‘ghost guns’ or other trends — is to blame for gun violence Washington Post
● Opinion: School shootings cannot be the price of ‘freedom’ Washington Post
Fire:
California failed to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke under Biden's new OSHA chief
VPR
President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the nation’s worker health and safety efforts largely failed in his last job to enforce protections for California outdoor workers exposed to toxic wildfire smoke. That’s according to an investigation by KQED and The California Newsroom.
Democrats eye massive shift in war on wildfires: Prevention
Los Angeles Times
Democrats are proposing a potentially seismic shift in how the nation battles wildfires by dramatically increasing funding for efforts that aim to prevent blazes, rather than focusing on the tools to put them out.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Walters: California economy lags, but not Nebraska
CalMatters
California’s economy was tied for the nation’s highest unemployment rate in October while Nebraska had the lowest.
Wall Street Journal
Congressional Democrats are debating whether increasing the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction would benefit the rich too much, but some of America’s top earners are already legally circumventing the cap on much of their income.
High Inflation, Falling Unemployment Prompted Powell’s Fed Pivot
Wall Street Journal
Just four weeks ago, the Federal Reserve set in motion carefully telegraphed plans to gradually wind down a bond-buying stimulus program by June. Officials are making plans to accelerate the process at their policy meeting next week, ending it by March instead.
See also:
● Opinion: Why the Federal Reserve is destined to raise interest rates next year AEI
Retreat From Globalization Adds to Inflation Risks
Wall Street Journal
While supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages and fiscal stimulus have all been blamed for the rise in short-term inflation, another long-term force could also be at work: “deglobalization.”
See also:
● ‘Keep the customer happy?’ Small businesses reel under inflation Los Angeles Times
● Opinion: Every time I think the inflation discourse can’t get dumber, I’m proven wrong Washington Post
Opinion: A Way to Break the Cycle of Poverty
New York Times
Inequalities persist across generations — children who grow up in poverty are likelier than their middle-class peers to end up poor and in ill health as adults. But demography isn’t destiny.
Opinion: Build Back Better vs. Small Business
Wall Street Journal
We’ve been telling you about special political favors hidden throughout the Democratic spending bill. But the biggest single winner may be Big Labor, and one egregious example is the wage mandate for contractors that would lock out small business.
Jobs:
New Patterson sustainable high-tech building company begins hiring; 250 jobs coming
Modesto Bee
A sustainable building company finishing its “MegaFactory” in Patterson has started hiring. Palo Alto-based S²A Modular announced plans for its new manufacturing plant in Patterson earlier this year.
The economy is booming. So why is California’s unemployment rate so high?
Sacramento Bee
California keeps struggling with unemployment far more than the rest of the nation. Week after week, the numbers tell the same story. Last week, the state had about 22% of the nation’s new unemployment claims, even though it has 11.7% of the country’s workforce,
See also:
● Hiring slowed sharply in November, even before omicron, with 210,000 jobs added VPR
EDUCATION
K-12:
Creek Fire cleanup: How to help a Fresno County school in burn scar and get assistance
Fresno Bee
A year and three months after the Creek Fire ignited, recovery efforts continue, including at Pine Ridge Elementary. A workday is planned Saturday to clear brush and burned debris away from the elementary school that lost two playgrounds.
CUSD Dress Code Could See Changes Soon
Clovis RoundUp
Students and parents of Clovis Unified School District could soon see changes to the dress code. At the Nov. 19 board meeting, CUSD presented their findings after receiving many comments and recommendations to the district’s dress code this past year.
Why some California school districts are changing how students earn grades
EdSource
Some of California’s largest school districts are trying an unconventional tactic to help students re-engage in school after distance learning and boost their chances of acceptance into the state’s public colleges: by dropping D and F grades.
See also:
● Fair and equitable grading focus of Turlock educator group Turlock Journal
Understanding the debate behind California’s new math framework
CalMatters
In the push to help more students thrive in science, tech, engineering and math, California is working to change the way its schools teach math. But the suggested new framework has sparked widespread criticism.
See also:
● Controversial math guidelines have had mixed results at San Francisco Unified CalMatters
● Opinion: Squaring Up to Defend Mathematics Wall Street Journal
We Opened the Schools and ... It Was Fine
The Atlantic
Many parents feared the worst, but so far, no widespread COVID crisis has come to America’s classrooms.
Opinion: It’s time to start voting in your local school board elections
Brookings
Recent school board meetings have been anything but sleepy. Boards across the country are seeing fiery protests over school reopening plans, mask mandates, critical race theory (CRT), and gender identity.
Opinion: Solutions for the hiring crisis in California school districts
CalMatters
Here are a few actions California legislators can take to give school districts a better chance of filling vacant positions.
Opinion: Do taxpayers have to fund religious education? The Supreme Court may say yes.
Washington Post
In Carson, two sets of parents in Maine claim that the Constitution’s promise of religious freedom actually requires the state to fund religious education at private schools with taxpayer dollars — as a substitute for public education.
Higher Ed:
Dr. Carole Goldsmith selected as the new chancellor of State Center Community College District
VPR
On Tuesday, Fresno City College President Carole Goldsmith was named the next chancellor of the State Center Community College District. In this new role, she will oversee the community colleges serving Clovis, Reedley, Madera and Fresno.
Columbia College presidential finalists named and forums announced
Turlock Journal
The Columbia College Presidential Search Committee has selected five finalists in the search for the next President of Columbia College.
Recapping some initiatives this year
Fresno State
From farming to a national honor and a DRIVE partnership about food, President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval recaps the main initiative he has undertaken recently.
California Latinos have lowest rate of college attendance. How these students succeeded
Fresno Bee
While more Latino students are now applying, attending and graduating from college than ever before, many still face significant barriers that have hindered their ability to succeed, according to a new report released last month from The Campaign for College Opportunity.
Cal State requires students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 — but it’s not evenly enforced
CalMatters
Cal State University requires all staff and students going on campus to get vaccinated. But enforcement has varied across the system.
See also:
● Colleges with high vaccination rates must now decide if they'll require boosters VPR
Opinion: Three lessons for boosting postsecondary education and wages in Black-majority cities
Brookings
In the last two decades, the number of Black adults with a college degree has more than doubled, from 3 million to 6.7 million, marking an increase in the percentage of the Black population (age 25 and older) with a postsecondary degree from 15% in 2000 to 23% in 2019.
State champs again! How Fresno City College volleyball won its second California title
Fresno Bee
The Fresno City College women’s volleyball team captured its second state title in school history after defeating West Valley in four sets on Sunday. The Rams finished with Lexi Pagani’s match-point kill then the players celebrated on their home floor.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Central Valley Coalition Suing the EPA Over Clean Air Failures
Capital & Main
Development, oil and agriculture have long-burdened the valley with pollutants, and residents are tired of the EPA doing nothing about it.
California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack could largely vanish by 2040s as climate warms, scientists say
Fresno Bee
Could climate change destroy the Sierra Nevada snowpack? A team led by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory says the snowpack could essentially vanish for years at a time as the warming climate erodes snowfall.
There is an environmental impact each time you hit 'buy now.' Here's an alternative
VPR
Buying stuff is a part of America's DNA. It's a tradition that really took off near the end of World War II, when the economy was thriving and the market exploded with products Americans didn't even know they wanted.
Billions in Tree Funds Could Help Cities Prep for Climate Change
Pew Trusts
Trees also help filter air pollution and absorb stormwater runoff. Those services are becoming even more essential as climate change increases the likelihood of extreme heat and severe weather events.
Energy:
Compressed-air energy proposal in east Kern comes up for state review
Bakersfield Californian
State review is officially underway on a major energy-storage project near Rosamond that would use compressed air, thermal engineering and hydrostatic force to even out delivery of renewable power and make the state's electrical grid more resilient.
Idle biomass plant near Delano would reopen under carbon burial proposal
Bakersfield Californian
Kern's ambitious list of carbon burial proposals has lengthened with the addition of an early-stage, relatively inexpensive plan for reusing an idle biomass plant to combust local ag waste then burying the byproduct gas while generating small amounts of electricity or hydrogen.
Crude reality: One U.S. state consumes half the oil from the Amazon rainforest
NBC News
The report by the environmental groups Stand.earth and Amazon Watch found that on average 1 in every 7 tanks of gas, diesel or jet fuel pumped in southern California last year came from the Amazon rainforest.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Pro-Trump counties now have far higher COVID death rates. Misinformation is to blame
VPR
Since May 2021, people living in counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump during the last presidential election have been nearly three times as likely to die from COVID-19 as those who live in areas that went for now-President Biden.
CDC warns of increase in flu cases at college campuses
abc30
The Centers for Disease Control is warning of an increase in flu infections, especially in young adults attending college. Flu season is just beginning, with the peak sometime around February. According to Fresno State, so far, there have been zero reported flu cases.
See also:
● The seasonal flu is back: Activity in California remains sporadic but is likely to increase Fresno Bee
With omicron looming over the holidays, here's how to stay safe
VPR
Here we go again. Just when you thought it was safe to go back to almost normal times, a new, highly mutated variant of the coronavirus has reared its ugly head in the U.S.
See also:
● Coronavirus FAQ: Help me with omicron vocab. What's immune evasion? Epistasis? VPR
● Clues to Omicron Variant’s U.S. Spread Include Test Samples, Sewage Wall Street Journal
● Omicron complicates puzzle over at-home Covid pill Politico
Overdose epidemic plagues California: Fentanyl is driving uptick in deaths
CalMatters
A jaw-dropping report released Wednesday by the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy found that nearly 1,500 people, the vast majority believed to be homeless, died on the streets of Los Angeles during the pandemic — 40% because of a drug or alcohol overdose.
Pfizer and Merck Covid-19 Pills Are Coming Soon in the U.S., but Other Countries Will Have to Wait
Wall Street Journal
Promising treatment pills are likely to take longer to reach patients in low- and middle-income countries than in rich ones because of manufacturing and pricing obstacles, despite efforts by drugmakers to make them more available.
Hidden FDA Reports Detail Harm Caused By Scores Of Medical Devices
Kaiser
The Food and Drug Administration has let medical device companies file reports of injuries and malfunctions outside a widely scrutinized public database, which leave doctors and medical sleuths in the dark.
Documents reveal the secrecy of America's drug pricing matrix
Axios
American businesses spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on prescription drugs, and the bills keep getting bigger. But some of the companies promising to help rein in those costs prevent employers from looking under the hood.
Human Services:
Fresno County foster kids were supposed to move to Clovis Campus week ago. Why the delay?
Fresno Bee
CAO Jean Rousseau said in October the county’s hardest to house foster children, who are temporarily staying at the old University Medical Center, would move to the county’s new Clovis Campus around Thanksgiving. That has not happened.
See also:
● Opinion: How our broken foster-care system victimizes children AEI
From maggots to sex abuse, nursing homes sue California to overturn citations, fines
CalMatters
California nursing homes have filed more than 400 lawsuits since 2016 to appeal state citations and fines alleging poor patient care. Regulators downgraded nearly a third of sanctions involving a death. Advocates say the appeals system favors nursing homes.
IMMIGRATION
Newsom urged to stop ICE from detaining a DV survivor. Prison officials turned her over
Fresno Bee
Marisela Andrade, a survivor of domestic violence, was expected to be released Sunday from the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla after more than 11 years in prison — but advocates say California officials turned her over early to immigration agents.
Biden and businesses agree on one thing: U.S. needs immigrant workers
Politico
Processing delays for millions of foreign workers are aggravating the nation’s labor shortage, lawmakers and business groups say, putting the dysfunction of the immigration system on display at a pivotal time for the economic recovery.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
With millions of dollars in play, which Fresno areas have ‘highest need’ for new parks?
Fresno Bee
Neighborhoods and parks primarily in the southern parts of the city likely will see the most benefits first from Measure P, the new parks sales tax, but how many will see benefits still must be determined.
It’s hard to get a summer campsite in Yosemite Valley. A new system might make it easier
Fresno Bee
It’s hard to get a summer campsite in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park hopes to at least make the reservation process a little less intense for many by trying something new.
Housing:
Housing market in Turlock, Valley cools off
Turlock Journal
The lull is thanks to rising interest rates and increased inventory, says Turlock real estate agent Michael Rocha of Atlantic Realty, as well as “burnt-out” buyers who are waiting for the competition to pass in order to purchase a home.
Hundreds of homes are coming to west Fresno. Here’s why it’s been a long time in the making
Fresno Bee
The Fresno City Council voted 6-0 to approve a development agreement between the city and developers Fagundes Bros. Dairy. Councilmember Esmeralda Soria was not present during the vote.
See also:
● Fresno Council approves map with 599 southwest Fresno homes Business Journal
Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative seeks 500 volunteers for annual count
Bakersfiled Californian
The Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative is seeking 500 volunteers to take part in a countywide effort to obtain “a snapshot view of homelessness in Kern County.” Results from the Jan. 26 count will be used to apply for federal and state grant funding.
Is ‘right to housing’ a solution to California homelessness?
CalMatters
In the new episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast.” CalMatters’ Manuela Tobias and the Los Angeles Times’ Liam Dillon interview Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg on his “right to housing” proposal to reduce homelessness.
See also:
● Facing housing crisis, L.A. voters back duplexes in single-family neighborhoods Los Angeles Times
● New Housing Fails to Make Up for Decades of Undersupply Public Policy Institute of California
● Opinion: To address homelessness, place governance must evolve Brookings
Despite the pandemic narrative, Americans are moving at historically low rates
Brookings
New Census Bureau data released this month shows that despite the attention given to COVID-related migration out of pandemic-impacted areas, overall permanent migration levels in the U.S. plummeted to a historically low level during the first year of the pandemic.
Fudge on housing funds in reconciliation: ‘We can’t live in the past’
Roll Call
President Joe Biden's Build Back Better package includes almost $150 billion devoted to remedying inequities left by the country’s history of discriminatory housing practices. If a bill passes the Senate includes that amount, it would be historic.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Accusations against a California campaign finance watchdog went undisclosed for months
Los Angeles Times
A campaign finance investigation against a top official at California’s political watchdog agency sat in limbo and hidden from public view for months, raising questions about whether the government organization holds its own members to the same standard.
What would the Biden tax-break plan mean for your wallet? How Californians would fare
Sacramento Bee
Most families with children as well as taxpayers with higher six-figure incomes are the biggest California winners from the tax changes in the Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan so far.
TRANSPORTATION
Board advances ACE service to Turlock and Merced County. When will first train run?
Modesto Bee
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission approved the final environmental report on the segment. That clears the way for detailed design and construction, which could have the first train running by 2025.
Central California program helps Valley residents pay for electric vehicle
Porterville Recorder
A Central California group wants to put more Valley residents into electric vehicles. The Clean Vehicle Empowerment Collaborative started the EV Equity Program and hosted a test drive event in east central Fresno on Saturday morning.
RT&S
The California 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled that the current use of bond funds for high-speed rail construction in the central San Joaquin Valley does not violate the state constitution.
EDITORIAL: When big-rig trucks are required to get smog checks, California’s air will get better
Fresno Bee
In September the federal government determined that the San Joaquin Valley air district had attained a key milestone in its battle against pollution. The U.S. EPA said the Valley had reached attainment for a 24-hour standard of PM2.5 pollution.
TSA issues directives to rail sector to strengthen cybersecurity
The Hill
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Thursday issued two security directives requiring rail and rail transit groups to implement steps to strengthen cybersecurity of the sector, including a requirement to report cyber incidents to the federal government.
Lemonade from lemons: Improvements worth celebrating within flawed infrastructure bill
Transportation for America
Money from the finalized $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal is already flowing out to states and metro areas who are plugging it right into projects both already underway and on the horizon.
WATER
Oil, ag parry accusations they use too much water during drought
Bakersfield Californian
The second year of an extraordinary drought has revived a debate over whether two pillars of Kern's economy, oil and ag, are using more than their fair share of the state's precious water supplies.
State to local water agencies: fix your groundwater sustainability plans, and quickly
VPR
Local agencies charged with managing groundwater in the coming decades have until January to re-submit their sustainability plans to the state for review.
California drought: Wasting water? You could be hit with a $500 fine
Mercury News
Hosing off the driveway. Watering lawns within 48 hours of a rain storm. Washing a car without a shut-off nozzle. Any of those wasteful practices could soon be illegal in drought-stricken California, with fines of up to $500 for violators.
“Xtra”
You’ll want to see this downtown Fresno landmark at night. Cafe previews building’s new look
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Water Tower is perhaps the most iconic — if not historic — piece of architecture in the city. See the publicity poster for the 1986 “Fresno” miniseries if there’s any doubt.
Entertainment calendar: A look at what’s happening in the Modesto region
Modesto Bee
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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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