Maddy Institute – February 1, 2021

01Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

What does Stanislaus County need to do to speed up COVID recovery? Experts weigh in

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County’s successful economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will depend on meeting vaccination and economic goals in the first few months of the year, according to a study from California State University, Stanislaus.

● Fresno County cases spike again, as state surpasses 40,000 deaths Fresno Bee

● As positivity rate drops, Fresno County sees 100 deaths in one week Fresno Bee

● Madera County continues to be high risk Madera Tribune

● COVID-19 update: Case rate down, large increase in deaths Porterville Recorder

● Fresno anti-mask activist calls Mayor Dyer a ‘moron.’ Next protest? It will be ‘phenomenal’ Fresno Bee

COVID statistics portend a brighter February. But risks lurk as region reopens, doctor warns

Fresno Bee

Fresno County’s top medical official says he believes February could represent a turning point in the coronavirus pandemic, as new case numbers and hospitalizations for COVID-19 edged lower as January ends.

Watch: Fresno County School Reopenings: Answers to Your Questions

Fresno Bee

Some schools in Fresno County are preparing to reopen, but many questions remain.

Is it safe to reopen schools? How will it work? What happens if there’s an outbreak at a school?

abc30

Close to 80 percent of the nation is doing better than California when it comes to vaccine distribution. As of January 27, California ranks 38th in the nation -- tied with Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Arizona. These states have vaccinated 6.9 percent of the population over 16 with the first dose.

See also:

● Phase 1B vaccinations to begin; supply still limited Porterville Recorder

Tower Theatre sale to church premature, Fresno brewery owners say. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

Another issue has arisen in the sale of Fresno’s Tower Theatre though its affect on the transaction remains unclear on Friday. An attorney for the owners of Sequoia Brewing said his clients’ lease requires that they are notified of a potential sale, as well as allowed a chance to offer to buy Tower Theatre and its surrounding properties before they are sold…

Fresno-area Sears is closing, leaving the retailer with barely a presence in the Valley

Fresno Bee

The Sears store in Clovis is closing. The store, at Sierra Vista Mall, is the latest casualty of the struggling retailer, which has been closing stores nationwide in recent years.

Fresno council approves 844-lot Granville project west of 99

Business Journal

The council approved a rezone application, tract map and final environment impact report for Granville Homes’ proposed “Parc West” development on the west side of North Grantland avenue between west Gettysburg and Ashlan avenues, west of Highway 99.

Warszawski: Fresno mayor has an opportunity to address homeless housing he can’t afford to waste

Fresno Bee

Dyer’s initiative, called Project Off-Ramp, focuses on homeless living along Fresno’s freeways while also giving them access to mental health, substance abuse and job placement services.

Arax: A hard rain’s gonna fall: Glimpsing the rise of hate through the lens of our Valley

Fresno Bee

Over the years, I’ve written from the premise that the San Joaquin Valley is an ideal place to contemplate America. The view from Fresno almost never lets me down. Today, I can see, on the same uneasy ground, the two Americas side by side, a place more or less half red and half blue, one political tribe looking backward to its glory, the other political tribe looking forward to its ascendancy.

You may hear more fighter jets above Fresno for a couple of weeks. Don’t worry, here’s why

Fresno Bee

Residents can expect to see increased fighter jet activity in the skies above Fresno and the central Valley region for the next two weeks, but there is no cause for alarm. Fresno’s 144th Fighter Wing and the 194th Fighter Squadron announced that they will be hosting a training exercise called Valley Thunder, with pilots from various branches of the military and countries involved.

‘Bud’ Richter, Fresno State benefactor and ‘model of a virtuous life,’ passes away

Fresno Bee

Dr. Elmer “Bud” Richter, a community giant who served a number of organizations in the Valley, and established the Jan & Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning at Fresno State, passed away on Thursday.

Editorial: Bee’s Editorial Board Recommendations for the Clovis City Council race

Fresno Bee

The five candidates running for Clovis City Council in the March 2 election are each sincerely committed to wanting the city’s best. Two incumbents — Vong Mouanoutoua and Lynne Ashbeck — are being challenged by newcomers Diane Pearce, Noha Elbaz and Herman Nagra.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

Kern Public Health reports 485 new coronavirus cases Sunday Bakersfield Californian

How is vaccination going in Kern County? Good question Bakersfield Californian
Vaccination appointments now available at Kern County Fairgrounds Bakersfield Californian
Adventist Health asks Super Bowl viewers to watch with immediate household members, avoid large gatherings Bakersfield Californian

City Council to consider repealing hen ordinances on Wednesday

Bakersfield Californian

A Bakersfield City Council vote scheduled for Wednesday could repeal a number of ordinances that allow many homeowners to raise hens in their backyard.

PRICE: GM’s commitment to going green should send oil industry an unmistakable message

Bakersfield Californian

It’s a climate change trifecta. State government has been gradually trying to suffocate the Kern County oil industry for years now as part of its effort to control greenhouse gas emissions. Two years ago, it tightened its grip, creating a pair of multi-agency teams specifically tasked with managing oil’s demise.

See also:

● Opinion: Kevin McCarthy Is a Disaster The Bulwark

State:

Californians ask: Where are our coronavirus vaccines?

CalMatters

With Californians growing desperate to protect themselves from COVID-19 and put the pandemic behind them, many want to know: where are their vaccines?.

See also:

Nearly 2M COVID-19 vaccines waiting in freezers across California, data shows abc30

Answers to All Your Questions About Getting Vaccinated for Covid-19 New York Times
Why the majority of California schools might not reopen anytime soon CalMatters
Gov. Newsom gave schools a deadline for reopening grants. Here’s why they’re waiting Fresno Bee
Gov. Newsom: If California Teachers Demand Vaccination, Schools Won’t Reopen This Year Capital Public Radio

‘Too Little, Too Late’: California Small Businesses Chase COVID-19 Relief

Capital Public Radio

Beyond high-profile clashes over pandemic reopening rules is a fundamental question that has vexed state and federal officials: whether to inject more direct aid now, hopefully staving off mass commercial evictions and bankruptcies, or focus on longer-term economic stimulus.

● Editorial: Tap California’s pandemic ‘winners’ to help small businesses survive Los Angeles Times

Unemployment Fraud Audit is Political Headache for Gov. Newsom

KMJNow

In the face of a new scathing audit about California’s failure to prevent billions in unemployment insurance fraud, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is putting blame on the federal government and declining to share details about how often he was briefed on the problems.

Newsom under fire from Democrats over COVID-19 response as he faces GOP-led recall campaign

Los Angeles Times

There’s an unspoken rule in politics: Don’t publicly criticize your party’s leader. But more California Democratic lawmakers and allies of Gov. Gavin Newsom are beginning to break it as frustration grows nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also:

Federal:

COVID Update

Key U.S. Metrics Continue to Fall Wall Street Journal

10 GOP senators offer to negotiate with Biden over COVID-19 relief bill

Los Angeles Times

Calling for bipartisan negotiations on coronavirus relief, a group of Senate Republicans on Sunday proposed a rival stimulus plan about one-third the size of the $1.9-trillion White House-backed package.

● GOP senators unveil $618 billion coronavirus proposal ahead of Biden meeting The Hill

● Biden to meet with Senate Republicans offering covid relief counter-proposal Washington Post

● Biden to have ‘full exchange of views’ on pandemic relief with 10 GOP senators at White House Washington Post

● Republicans Propose $618 Billion Covid-19 Stimulus Plan Wall Street Journal

● Biden Invites Republican Senators to Discuss Covid-19 Relief Plans Wall Street Journal

● Biden to meet Republicans proposing $618 billion pandemic aid PBS

● Opinion: What the Republican counteroffer to Biden’s stimulus plan means Washington Post

● Opinion: Biden’s Covid Spending Choice Wall Street Journal

Pres. Biden has signed 42 executive actions since his inauguration

abc30

President Joe Biden hasn't wasted any time setting his agenda into motion through a flurry of executive actions that address everything from COVID-19 to the climate crisis.

● With executive orders, Biden to reverse Trump policies on environment, immigration Los Angeles Times

● Fact-Checking Biden’s First Week in Office New York Times

● ‘It’s a mess’: Biden’s first 10 days dominated by vaccine mysteries Politico

Calls Mount For President Biden To Shake Up Postal Service's Leadership

VPR

It's been a rocky few months for the U.S. Postal Service. Numerous lawsuits were filed over the post office's handling of mail-in ballots during November's elections.

After the filibuster fight, obstacles remain for progressives

Roll Call

In one direction is more bipartisan cooperation than it’s seen in years; in the other, continued partisan gridlock. If there’s a road to the sort of legislation progressives want, it’s not yet in sight.

Trump leaves GOP with an identity crisis.

Los Angeles Times

The scramble among Virginia Republicans is an early window into the emerging divisions within the Republican Party: Although Trump has left the White House, Trumpism remains at the center of the political scene.

● Trump Appointees Poised to Influence Legal Outcomes for Decades to Come Wall Street Journal

● Why the US Hispanic conservative movement is surging — even without Trump New York Post

● Opinion: The GOP isn’t doomed. It’s dead. Washington Post

Trump White House donated 8,700 ventilators to other nations. Officials now don’t know where many of them are, watchdog finds.

Washington Post

The Trump administration spent $200 million to send more than 8,700 ventilators to countries around the world last year, with no clear criteria for determining who should get them and no way to keep track of where many ended up...

There Is Precedent For Trying A Former Government Official, Established 145 Years Ago

VPR
The forming narrative among those who don't want a Senate impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump is along the lines of, "He's out of office. What's the point?" Others are going so far as to claim that conducting an impeachment trial for Trump now that he's out of office is unconstitutional.

● Trump names two lawyers to impeachment defense team Los Angeles Times

● Jan. 6 Rally Funded by Top Trump Donor, Helped by Alex Jones, Organizers Say Wall Street Journal

Though not especially productive in passing bills, the 116th Congress set new marks for social media use

Pew Research Center

The just-concluded 116th Congress wasn’t especially productive in terms of the number of substantive bills it passed during its two years in office. But it set several records for lawmakers’ use of social media, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.

Just as we score policies’ budget impact, we should score for racial equity as well

Brookings

Because of these racist underpinnings, we must take on an anti-racist orientation to policymaking and implementation-a proactive weeding out of racism. Biden’s executive order has potential to establish an anti-racist framework for policymaking moving forward.

COVID-19: Urgent Federal actions to accelerate America’s response

AEI

As it worsens, the COVID-19 pandemic is both revealing and creating extraordinary challenges to our nation’s health care system and public

health infrastructure.

Other:

Turnout soared in 2020 as nearly two-thirds of eligible U.S. voters cast ballots for president

Pew Research Center

Americans voted in record numbers in last year’s presidential election, casting nearly 158.4 million ballots. That works out to more than six-in-ten people of voting age and nearly two-thirds of estimated eligible voters, according to a preliminary Pew Research Center analysis.

Trust in the media is down, and this chart does not help

Roll Call

Trashing the media is obligatory for conservatives, Republicans and former President Donald Trump, and there’s evidence that distrust in journalism is becoming a bipartisan affair.

Census delay sends redistricting ripples nationwide

Roll Call

The Census Bureau’s late delivery of redistricting data will trigger a cascade of delays across the country, potentially complicating the mapmaking process in many states and delaying local elections.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

UFW Foundation Pushes For State and Local Officials To Prioritize Onsite Clinics For Farmworkers

VPR
Advocates say meeting farmworkers at their workplace to distribute vaccines is the best way to ensure all farmworkers get the vaccine. Fresno County began it’s soft rollout of vaccines to farmworkers on Monday...

Winter storms delaying citrus harvest in the Valley

abc30

Some Valley citrus growers rushed to pick ripe fruit off the tree before the arrival of the powerful storm. But it remained a waiting game for many other farmers who continued to watch heavy rain flood their fields and groves.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Law enforcement probe threats against Newsom, his businesses

Fresno Bee

Law enforcement officials are investigating escalating threats of death and violence against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, his family and the wineries, shops and other businesses he founded.

See also:

‘Shocking’ threats against Gavin Newsom and family pour in to California businesses he founded Fresno Bee

California Lawmakers Will Decide Whether Candidates For Sheriff Need Law Enforcement Background

Capital Public Radio

California lawmakers will consider a proposal to allow candidates with no background in law enforcement to run for county sheriff. Under current law, candidates must be certified by the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training or have experience and education in law enforcement.

Public Safety:

Viewpoints: California must lead the way in abolishing school and university campus police

Sacramento Bee

The first days of 2021 — which will surely be remembered for police officers in Washington, D.C. removing barricades in order for white supremacists to storm the United States Capitol, confederate flag in hand — ask us to continue learning from the unprecedented uprisings of 2020, in which hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest anti-Black police violence.

Fire:

PG&E settlement fund $1 billion short for California wildfire victims, trust’s leader warns

Sacramento Bee

The trust established by PG&E Corp. to pay California wildfire victims is “more than $1 billion short” of what’s needed to pay anticipated claims, the trust’s overseer said. In a letter to victims filed Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the head of the Fire Victim Trust said the shortfall is the result of a downturn in PG&E’s stock price, which makes up about half of the settlement fund.

How wildfires became ripe areas for right-wing conspiracy theories

Los Angeles Times

When Lilli Heart fled California’s deadliest wildfire in 2018, she was stuck in traffic for two hours outside the town of Paradise with her two cats in a car that was running low on gas.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Fresno-area Sears is closing, leaving the retailer with barely a presence in the Valley

Fresno Bee

The Sears store in Clovis is closing. The store, at Sierra Vista Mall, is the latest casualty of the struggling retailer, which has been closing stores nationwide in recent years.

Snowy conditions in Shaver Lake brings much-needed boost for businesses

abc30

Several feet of snow enticed droves of people to Shaver Lake and the surrounding areas on Saturday. The extra traffic also brought a boost for many businesses.

‘Too Little, Too Late’: California Small Businesses Chase COVID-19 Relief

Capital Public Radio

● Editorial: Tap California’s pandemic ‘winners’ to help small businesses survive Los Angeles Times

California’s Recovery Backslides

Public Policy Institute of California

The California economy ended the year with another setback. In December, jobs in California declined for the first time since April 2020.

See also:

Walters: How do we close the economic divide? CalMatters

Economy and COVID-19 Top the Public’s Policy Agenda for 2021

PEW Research Center

As the United States faces twin crises of high unemployment and a global pandemic, large majorities of Americans want Joe Biden and Congress to prioritize strengthening the economy and addressing the coronavirus outbreak in the coming year.

Robinhood Says It Will Reopen GameStop Trading

New York Times

Several retail stockbrokers, including Robinhood, said they would allow trades of GameStop and other volatile companies after restricting customers’ ability to purchase securities earlier in the day.

The macroeconomic implications of Biden’s $1.9 trillion fiscal package

Brookings

In all, with the $1.9 trillion package, we project that cumulative real GDP between 2020 and 2023 would end up close to its pre-pandemic projection; over the next two years households and businesses would make up some of the economic activity foregone during the pandemic.

Jobs:

Modesto company finds a way to save 400 jobs after COVID-19 shut down its tour buses

Modesto Bee

Storer Coachways of Modesto had to cut about 400 of its employees when COVID-19 idled the tour bus business last spring. No problem. They are back at work in a new venture at the company — mobile testing and vaccinations against this very same virus.

Nurses, caregivers and therapists who want side jobs are in demand

Los Angeles Times

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the medical field, pushing hospitals to their limits, fueling a mental health crisis and creating serious new risks for nursing homes. It has also created a boom in health-related side hustles for medical professionals and for caregivers who have time, skill and patience.

US employment costs rise modestly in fourth quarter

Business Journal

Wages and benefits for U.S. workers rose in the last quarter of the year, putting all of 2020 in somewhat of a normal range as the pandemic continued to rankle the economy.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno-area schools haven’t had major COVID-19 outbreaks. What it means for reopening plans

Fresno Bee

While about 35,000 Fresno-area students are attending in-person classes at least part time, the coronavirus pandemic remains too dangerous to allow more young people back onto campuses, Fresno County health officials said Friday during a live Q&A with The Fresno Bee Education Lab.

Watch: Fresno County School Reopenings: Answers to Your Questions

Fresno Bee

Some schools in Fresno County are preparing to reopen, but many questions remain.

Is it safe to reopen schools? How will it work? What happens if there’s an outbreak at a school?

Gov. Newsom gave schools a deadline for reopening grants. Here’s why they’re waiting

Fresno Bee

Today is the deadline Gov. Gavin Newsom set for California school districts to apply for a portion of the $2 billion in grants he wants the state to set aside to help them safely return to in-person instruction.

Residents stand up for an ethnic studies textbook facing removal

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia residents were dismayed when a man petitioned for the removal of an ethnic studies textbook days after the U.S. Capitol insurrection.

Record amount of education funding included in budget proposal

Turlock Journal

Both Turlock Unified School District and Stanislaus State will benefit from a record amount of funding for education included in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed State Budget, presented earlier this month.

One local school district is arming parents with mental health resources to help kids

Modesto Bee

Denair Unified School District is piloting a program of teaching parents how to recognize and support mental health issues for their children, using videoconferencing with Dr. Neha Chaudhary, a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist…

Gov. Newsom: If California Teachers Demand Vaccination, Schools Won’t Reopen This Year

Capital Public Radio

The latest snarl in negotiations to reopen California schools comes as teachers call for priority in the vaccination line, but Gov. Gavin Newsom says there aren’t enough doses for school staff until summer.

Why the majority of California schools might not reopen anytime soon

CalMatters

State government officials, schools and teachers unions still cannot agree on a framework to reopen California’s public schools. Time to get kids back in classrooms this school year is

running out.

Estimating Covid learning loss

AEI

Just about any parent could attest that remote learning hasn’t exactly been a one-to-one substitute for in-person learning. But just how far behind have students fallen over the past ten months?

California public schools suffer record enrollment drop

CalMatters

California’s K-12 public-school enrollment has precipitously declined during the pandemic, dropping by a record 155,000 students, according to new state projections. That drop-off is about five times greater than California’s annual rate of enrollment decline in recent years.

Newsom’s Budget Advances Long-Overdue Education Data System

Public Policy Institute of California

California is on the verge of creating a cradle-to-career data system that could help policymakers identify effective educational policies while providing students and families with new tools to investigate college and career options.

Higher Ed:

UC Merced receives record number of applications for freshman, transfer students

Merced Sun-Star

UC Merced has received 30,105 first year and transfer student applications for 2021 — a record number that’s the most in campus history. The university received 25,458 applications from prospective first-year students.

How many students applied to local universities? The coronavirus pandemic affected totals

Sacramento Bee

The University of California, Davis, drew a record number of applicants for next year while California State University, Sacramento, experienced a slight dip. Officials at both universities said that the COVID-19 pandemic factored into who was and was not applying to schools in the Sacramento region.

CSU promises to keep tuition flat for 2021 school year

CalMatters

New Chancellor Joseph Castro says the CSU system won’t raise tuition for 2021-22. That doesn’t mean campus fees might not go up, though.

Opinion: Reform financial aid for students so that housing is not an incredible burden

CalMatters

Lowering the cost of on-campus housing at UC Santa Cruz could help lower the cost of housing in the surrounding area, making rent more affordable for students and community members.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

With Democrats in power, an emboldened environmental movement confronts them

Sacramento Bee

When Joe Biden in December was mulling whom to name as his Interior secretary, entrusted with hundreds of millions of acres of public land, a network of nascent environmental groups eager for clout made a move that defied the usual Washington playbook.

Here’s What California Lawmakers Want To Do To Take Action On Climate Change

Capital Public Radio

Wildfires and smoke have ravaged large parts of California, sea level rise is threatening the golden coast’s viability and drought is looming in the future.

Opinion: The Cost of Climate Indulgences

Wall Street Journal

The contradictions of progressive climate policy are multiplying, but one constant prevails: The costs fall on workers and consumers in return for no benefit for the climate.

Energy:

Biden's oil leasing moratorium renews local fight

Bakersfield Californian

Opinion: California can lead the nation in making solar energy even cleaner

CalMatters

As California decarbonizes its grid and transportation, it can also decarbonize the industrial supply chain for solar energy.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Rate of new virus infections falling, but deaths remain high

Fresno Bee

California on Sunday reported another 481 coronavirus deaths, a day after the statewide death toll topped 40,000 even as the rates of new infections and hospitalizations continue to fall.

● Fresno County cases spike again, as state surpasses 40,000 deaths Fresno Bee

● As positivity rate drops, Fresno County sees 100 deaths in one week Fresno Bee

● Madera County continues to be high risk Madera Tribune

● COVID-19 update: Case rate down, large increase in deaths Porterville Recorder

● Kern Public Health reports 485 new coronavirus cases Sunday Bakersfield Californian

● Stanislaus County infection rate moves in right direction Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus County’s key numbers at near two-month low Modesto Bee

● Covid-19 Live Updates: Key U.S. Metrics Continue to Fall Wall Street Journal

With Biden Team Focused On Other Crises, Experts Say Drug Epidemic Is Exploding

VPR

But despite a soaring death rate from drug overdoses, which hit a grim new record in 2020, President Biden hasn't named permanent leaders for three key agencies tasked with tackling the drug epidemic...

How COVID-19 ‘immunity certificates’ could restore our lives — or divide us

Mercury News

That scenario-a system of “immunity certification” that grants privileges to those vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus – is now being deliberated by a growing number of global businesses and governments, anxious to control the disease and also restore the economy.

Why America is ‘flying blind’ to the coronavirus mutations racing across the globe

Washington Post

The United States is doing so little of the genetic sequencing needed to detect new variants of the coronavirus — like the ones first identified in Great Britain and South Africa — that such mutations are probably proliferating quickly, undetected, experts said.

Many who have received the coronavirus vaccine wonder: What can I safely do?

Washington Post

Soon after Marc Wilson gets his second dose of coronavirus vaccine, he plans to resume one of his pre-pandemic joys: swimming laps with his friends. But most other activities — including volunteering at a food pantry and homeless shelter — will be off-limits until the outbreak is curbed and scientists know more about the threat of emerging variants.

Human Services:

COVID statistics portend a brighter February. But risks lurk as region reopens, doctor warns

Fresno Bee

Nearly 2M COVID-19 vaccines waiting in freezers across California, data shows

abc30

See also:

● Phase 1B vaccinations to begin; supply still limited Porterville Recorder

● How is vaccination going in Kern County? Good question Bakersfield Californian

● Vaccination appointments now available at Kern County Fairgrounds Bakersfield Californian

● Merced County will pause COVID-19 vaccination clinics due to dose shortage Merced Sun-Star

● Here are dates, times for next week’s Stanislaus County vaccination clinics Modesto Bee

● Californians ask: Where are our coronavirus vaccines? CalMatters

● Answers to All Your Questions About Getting Vaccinated for Covid-19 New York Times

In race to save most lives, California wrestles with COVID vaccine eligibility CalMatters

Pressure has been building for California to vaccinate people faster, especially those most vulnerable to severe COVID-19. Yet ongoing vaccine scarcities are forcing officials to make trade-offs and tough calls.

● As California Makes Age A Bigger Factor In When You Get Vaccinated, People With Disabilities Are Concerned Capital Public Radio

● Educators, food workers join California’s priority list for vaccines CalMatters

● Essential workers get lost in the vaccine scrum as states prioritize the elderly Washington Post

● Who is getting a COVID-19 vaccination? Brookings

Without a Ride, Many in Need Have No Shot at COVID-19 Vaccine

PEW

While state and local governments have been busy planning for and distributing vaccines, many have left out an important piece: how to provide transportation to people who can’t get to those sites.

Dodger Stadium’s COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shut down after protesters gather at entrance

Los Angeles Times

Dodger Stadium’s mass COVID-19 vaccination site was temporarily shut down Saturday afternoon when about 50 protesters gathered at the entrance, frustrating hundreds of motorists who had been waiting in line for hours.

What went wrong with America’s $44 million vaccine data system?

Technology Review

The first time Mary Ann Price logged into her employer’s system to schedule a vaccine, she found an appointment three days later at a nearby Walgreens pharmacy. She woke up the next day to an email saying it had been canceled.

Covid-19 Vaccines to Stress-Test Grocery Stores and Pharmacies

Wall Street Journal

Some of America’s biggest retailers are preparing to take a central role in administering Covid-19 shots, hoping to avoid logjams and other complications that have slowed the vaccine rollout’s early days.

Vaccination Delays Put Global Rebound at Risk

Wall Street Journal

Timetables for vaccinating enough people to effectively curb Covid-19 are slipping in many countries, raising fears that a large portion of the world will still be battling the pandemic and its economic effects well into 2022 or beyond.

Skepticism and mistrust challenge COVID vaccine uptake for Latinos

Brookings

As states continue to roll out a COVID vaccine distribution plan, identifying equitable approaches to distribution and targeting COVID vaccine mistrust and misinformation will be imperative to address COVID health disparities among Latinos.

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Is 66% Effective In Preventing Moderate To Severe COVID-19

VPR

A global study of nearly 44,000 found that the COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson is 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe disease. The study was conducted in the U.S., Latin America and South Africa. The vaccine did better at preventing disease in the U.S. – 72% — and less well in South Africa – 57% efficacy. The efficacy seen in Latin America was 66%.

Adventist Health asks Super Bowl viewers to watch with immediate household members, avoid large gatherings

Bakersfield Californian

Adventist Health is encouraging people to avoid large gatherings next weekend when Super Bowl LV kicks off. In a news release sent out Friday morning from Adventist Health Bakersfield, Delano and Tehachapi, the health care network said its focus and emphasis is to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

How our outdated privacy laws doomed contact-tracing apps

Brookings

A key reason for this failure is that people don’t trust the tech companies or the government to collect, use, and store their personal data, especially when that data involves their health and precise whereabouts.

IMMIGRATION

Biden reignites immigration fight in Congress

The Hill

President Biden's plan to pass a sweeping immigration overhaul is facing fierce headwinds in Congress, which has emerged as a legislative black hole for reform efforts in recent years.

Separated at the border, reunited, then separated again: For migrant families, another trauma

Washington Post

Thirty days after they were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, held on opposite sides of the United States, Antonio and Maily were reunited at midnight in the parking lot of a South Texas detention center.

4 ways the Biden administration can improve the employment-based immigration system without Congress

Brookings

This article recommends specific actions that the Biden administration should take to support employment-based immigration that do not need congressional action.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Reservations again required to enter Yosemite National Park. Here’s why and how it works

Fresno Bee

Yosemite National Park announced Friday that it will require reservations to enter the park starting Feb. 8. The popular park in California will remain closed until at least Monday due to snow and wind damage from recent storms.

Tower Theatre sale to church premature, Fresno brewery owners say. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

Fresno council approves 844-lot Granville project west of 99

Business Journal

City clears the way to develop vacant lot at the corner of Baker and Kentucky into mixed-use affordable housing

Bakersfield Californian

County scrambling to find funds to replace old bridges

Turlock Journal

Stanislaus County has some of the oldest bridges in the state, supervisors were told recently, and finding the money to replace them will prove challenging over the next several decades.

Housing:

California Extends Eviction Moratorium Through June

Capital Public Radio

An eviction moratorium extension and $2.6 billion in rental relief overwhelmingly passed both chambers of California’s legislature today amid questions from legislators over the efficacy of the state’s rollout plan and the equity of the money’s distribution among small, rural areas.

● California eviction ban extended through June under new law. Here’s how it works Sacramento Bee

● California extends eviction moratorium through June CalMatters

Warszawski: Fresno mayor has an opportunity to address homeless housing he can’t afford to waste

Fresno Bee

Dyer’s initiative, called Project Off-Ramp, focuses on homeless living along Fresno’s freeways while also giving them access to mental health, substance abuse and job placement services.

The newest real estate trend in the Sacramento region: 5-bedroom ‘mega-homes’

Sacramento Bee

In the just-opened North Natomas community of Northlake, buyers can purchase something their parents never dreamed of: a mass production home with five bedrooms.

PUBLIC FINANCES

What could GOP’s COVID relief counteroffer mean for stimulus checks? What to know

Fresno Bee

A group of Republican senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Sunday urging him to consider their smaller COVID-19 relief counterproposal to his administration’s $1.9 trillion plan.

Deadline approaching for property tax postponement program

Turlock Journal

The California Property Tax Postponement Program allows eligible homeowners to postpone payment of taxes on a primary residence if the taxpayer meets certain criteria.

Why a fully refundable CTC is the wrong policy for working families

AEI

Advocates argue that a refundable CTC would have “dramatic” effects on poverty, but close attention to historical poverty rates offers a much-needed perspective.

TRANSPORTATION

How school bus transportation has changed during the pandemic

abc30

Workdays are looking very different for school bus driver Teresa Strahan. "We do temperature checks before (the students) enter the bus and hand sanitizer on the way, and when they get to the school site they do another temperature check and hand sanitizer," she says.

Modesto-based company converts buses for COVID-19 services

Modesto Bee

Storer Coachways of Modesto branched into mobile testing and vaccines for COVID-19 after the pandemic shut down much of its charter bus business.

PRICE: GM’s commitment to going green should send oil industry an unmistakable message

Bakersfield Californian

WATER

California is soaking wet. But drought looms if we don’t get more rain — a lot more

Sacramento Bee

Six years ago, in the middle of a crippling drought, Californians were ordered to let their lawns turn yellow. They put buckets in their showers to conserve. Scofflaws had to attend “drought school.” Meanwhile, farmers throughout the Central Valley had to idle many of their fields.

In The Heart Of The San Joaquin Valley, Two Groundwater Sustainability Agencies Try To Find Their Balance

Water Education Foundation

Across a sprawling corner of southern Tulare County snug against the Sierra Nevada, a bounty of navel oranges, grapes, pistachios, hay and other crops sprout from the loam and clay of the San Joaquin Valley.

‘The most basic form of PPE’: 1.6 million households face water shutoffs

CalMatters

In April, the governor issued an executive order that barred water shutoffs for customers who don’t pay their water bills. State leaders are looking for ways to bail out struggling residents and smaller water systems alike, both buckling under $1B in water debt statewide.

Opinion: Water markets in California can reduce the costs of drought

CalMatters

While water markets may help manage the financial risk of droughts, the more important work ahead is to strengthen the state’s actual water market.

California Water Institute announces its first cohort of Faculty Fellows

Fresno State Campus News

The California Water Institute is fulfilling its mission to connect the campus to the water research needs of the San Joaquin Valley through the Faculty Fellows program. The Faculty Fellows are full-time faculty who come from the various colleges because water is a multidisciplinary topic.

“Xtra”

First California amusement park schedules 2021 reopening after pandemic closure

Fresno Bee

California’s Great America in the San Francisco Bay Area has announced a May 22 reopening date after closing its gates for all of 2020. It’s the first amusement park in California to officially schedule a reopening date. Disneyland Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood and Knott’s Berry Farm, among others, remain closed, according to the Orange County Register.

Bethany Clough: The owners of Heirloom, Butterfish have opened their newest restaurant concept in Fresno

Fresno Bee

What’s a “naako”? It’s a taco, except instead of a tortilla it’s made with naan flatbread. It’s on the menu at newly opened Mayd Modern Mediterranean, at Palm and Herndon avenues.