POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
California getting more COVID vaccine but supplies are short in Stanislaus County
Modesto Bee
California is taking in a larger supply of coronavirus vaccine from the federal government, but local health officials wish it was boosting the immunity of a larger number of Stanislaus County residents.
'It is a grim number': San Joaquin County surpasses 1000 COVID-19 deaths
Stockton Record
Next month it will be one year since the first San Joaquin County resident died from COVID-19. The county's death total is now more than 1,000.
See also:
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
Who’s getting coronavirus vaccine shots? Blacks, Hispanics lag others in Fresno County Fresno Bee
Weather impacting vaccine delivery, will it in Fresno County as well? Fresno Bee
Will arctic blast in US delay vaccine shipments to California? Fresno Bee
Will these vaccine, testing projects help Fresno-area schools reopen — and stay open?
Fresno Bee
As pressure to reopen schools mounts, school districts in the central San Joaquin Valley are attempting to help speed up the process by becoming vaccination sites and ramping up COVID-19 testing for students and teachers on campuses.
See also:
Mayor Dyer pleads for federal help as Fresno faces $31 million budget shortfall
abc30
Mayor Jerry Dyer wants help from the federal government as the city of Fresno faces a multi-million dollar budget deficit. Dyer said he's putting politics aside and putting people at the forefront of his plea, saying stimulus dollars are crucial to help save jobs and save housing in Fresno.
Fresno converts fourth motel to homeless shelter. Could there be more funding coming?
Fresno Bee
Fresno unveiled a newly refurbished motel of about 80 rooms, the latest in efforts to house the homeless in former rundown motels, officials said on Wednesday. Once called the Welcome Inn, the motel at 777 N. Parkway Drive will be redubbed Journey Home, according to Preston Prince, the CEO of the Fresno Housing Authority.
See also:
Fresno's seedy motels along Highway 99 turned into housing units for homeless families abc30
California could sue cities over homeless plans under proposed law Sacramento Bee
California could sue cities over homeless plans under proposed law
Sacramento Bee
California cities could face lawsuits for failing to follow through on plans to dramatically reduce homelessness under a proposal from San Francisco Democrat that aims to help end the humanitarian emergency by 2029.
‘Consequences of neglect’: Why this Fresno neighborhood’s toxic sites still aren’t clean
Fresno Bee
A group of high school students became activists for social justice in southwest Fresno when they sounded alarms about the abandoned properties that blighted their neighborhood.
Fresno City Council Will Need To Consider Long Term Financial Plan To Make FAX Bus Service Free
VPR
The Fresno City Council will vote Thursday on a plan to suspend bus fares throughout the city. Councilmember Tyler Maxwell says it addresses equity issues in Fresno, when it comes to reliable transportation. He believes the city is already way behind.
Clashes over Fresno’s new charter school end with allegations of racism and unfairness
Fresno Bee
Fresno’s newest charter school will open next fall after winning approval from the Fresno Unified school board earlier this month, but the behind-the-scenes process was fraught with missteps and in-fighting among trustees that could change how charter schools are reviewed in the future.
Landmark Square project breaks ground in Clovis. Here is what will be there
Fresno Bee
Mayor Drew Bessinger has a reason to be all smiles. A small gathering took place near Old Town Clovis Tuesday afternoon to break ground on the Landmark Square project that will house a new senior activity center, a transit center and a public library.
South SJ Valley:
Kern High School District says it could return small groups of students in March
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern High School District held a special board meeting on Wednesday to address spring sports and the meandering path to bring students back for in-person learning.
Bakersfield Californian
After nearly a year of starts and stops, plans to bring certain high school sports back to Kern County finally appear to be gaining traction.
McCarthy appoints Bakersfield principal to federal commission
Bakersfield Californian
When given the opportunity to appoint someone to new a federal commission, Rep. Kevin McCarthy turned to his hometown to find the man for the job.
State:
COVID Update:
Coronavirus cases plummet to pre-Thanksgiving levels. Are more reopenings next? Los Angeles Times
California's positivity rate drops sharply, a promising indicator for reopening San Francisco Chronicle
Who’s ‘essential’? COVID-19 vaccine rollout leaves high-risk workers behind
Los Angeles Times
Millions of front-line workers in California are falling through the cracks of an undersupplied COVID-19 vaccine distribution system, putting entire communities at prolonged risk of illness and raising the question among workers: Who counts as “essential,” and who gets to decide?
See also:
Vaccinating Homeless Patients Against COVID-19: 'All Bets Are Off' VPR
Supply issues pop up even as California’s overall pace improves Sacramento Bee
Column: California needs to home deliver COVID-19 vaccines to seniors and people with disabilities Los Angeles Times
White Californians receiving vaccine at twice the rate of Black, Latino residents Sacramento Bee
Proposed law would give undocumented Californians access to state food assistance
Fresno Bee
As immigrant communities continue to be left out of federal COVID-19 relief and are unequally impacted by the pandemic’s economic downturn, a Democratic lawmaker is introducing a bill that seeks to expand a state food assistance program to Californians regardless of their immigration status.
Democrats push Newsom to prioritize COVID vaccinations for California’s immigrant detainees
Sacramento Bee
A group of lawmakers and advocates want Gov. Gavin Newsom to clear up what they say is conflicting information about the vaccination of hundreds of immigrants detained in the state’s immigration facilities.
California schools stalemate drags on as Gavin Newsom, teachers keep talking
Sacramento Bee
Over a week after lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom said they were approaching a deal on school reopening, negotiations over how to return California’s students to classrooms have yet to yield any results.
See also:
California teachers union launches ads on school reopening risks Politico
Opinion: Progressive California claims to love public school kids. Union influence proves that’s a lie Sacramento Bee
California Joins National Effort to Extend Health Insurance Enrollment
PPIC
A special health insurance enrollment period begins this week and runs until May 15, in accordance with an executive order signed by President Biden.
Gavin Newsom reaches $9.5 billion stimulus deal with checks to families and help for businesses
Fresno Bee
California will send an extra $600 to low-income families and provide $2 billion in grants to small businesses hurt by the pandemic as part of a stimulus deal Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers announced Wednesday afternoon.
See also:
CA lawmakers reach deal on new COVID relief, small business grants, stimulus checks abc30
California governor, lawmakers set $9.6B virus spending plan Bakersfield Californian
Californians with low incomes to receive $600 checks under $9.6-billion COVID-19 economic package Los Angeles Times
Newsom, lawmakers agree to $600 stimulus checks plus boost for undocumented workers CalMatters
‘Too little, too late’: California small businesses chase COVID-19 relief
CalMatters
As new state grants, tax credits and federal loans roll out, small business owners say their survival will depend more on reopening rules, red tape and resolving unemployment chaos. What happens next will shape the state’s job market for years to come.
The Future Of Unemployment Insurance
Forbes
Even nearly a year into the pandemic, the Unemployment Insurance (UI) systems in California and other states continue to be plagued by lengthy delays in claims and high levels of fraudulent claims. Reducing these delays and combating fraud is the immediate priority.
See also:
California’s REAL ID deadline is back. The DMV is bracing for a surge of late applicants
Sacramento Bee
The federal government last year gave California drivers a one-year reprieve from a deadline to obtain a REAL ID, conceding to fears that requiring millions of people to visit the DMV in a pandemic would spread the coronavirus.
See also:
California could sue cities over homeless plans under proposed law
Sacramento Bee
California cities could face lawsuits for failing to follow through on plans to dramatically reduce homelessness under a proposal from San Francisco Democrat that aims to help end the humanitarian emergency by 2029.
Opinion: Will California’s Experiment in Reducing Criminal Penalties Reduce Crime?
Times of San Diego
California is conducting an immense sociological experiment, testing whether reducing prison time for criminal acts will, in the long run, mean less crime.
See also:
California plans to close troubled youth prisons after 80 years. But what comes next? Los Angeles Times
California Republicans are fighting on how to endorse a candidate in Newsom recall
Sacramento Bee
The effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to trigger an election, but California Republicans are already fighting about how they might endorse someone to replace him.
See also:
Yes, California Requires Signature Verification For Mail-In Ballots And Newsom Recall Petitions Capital Public Radio
News Analysis: The tragedy of Dianne Feinstein
Los Angeles Times
After surviving an abusive childhood, Feinstein overcomes personal loss — she is widowed at age 45 — and repeated electoral defeat to become a pioneer for women in politics and powerful member of the U.S. Senate.
Federal:
COVID cases plunge from post-holiday peak in the US. But what is causing the drop?
Sacramento Bee
The number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. has dropped in recent weeks — but what is causing the dip?Of course, the threat of COVID-19 is far from over — more than 478,000 Americans had died from COVID-19 complications as of Feb. 16.
See also:
Biden says life may be back to normal by Christmas 2021 abc30
Biden administration claims progress in COVID-19 vaccination drive Los Angeles Times
Editorial: The U.S. is doing better on the COVID vaccination front than it might seem Los Angeles Times
Biden, progressive Democrats heading toward clash over minimum wage and student loans
Los Angeles Times
The Biden administration and progressive Democrats are heading for their first big policy clash over whether to gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour as part of the upcoming COVID-19 stimulus bill.
See also:
Democrats Face Intraparty Fight on Minimum Wage Wall Street Journal
Biden, Union Leaders Huddle on Infrastructure Plan
Wall Street Journal
President Biden on Wednesday detailed his coming economic-stimulus and infrastructure plans with top labor leaders, some of whom have voiced concerns that his energy policies will come at the expense of union jobs.
Opinion: The Risks of Skimping on Covid Relief
Wall Street Journal
A big tempest is brewing over President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan. Republican objections are to be expected. But some of the objections come from nominally Democratic economists, led by former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers.
Nikki Haley: The Media Tries to Divide Republicans
Wall Street Journal
Where does the Republican Party go from here? The party that abolished slavery, won the right to vote for women, and beat Soviet communism must continue to be strong and principled to move America forward.
Other:
Charles Sykes: We’re living in the world Rush Limbaugh created
Washington Post
No history of modern conservatism would be complete without recognizing that he was both the alpha and the omega; the founder of a right-wing media ecosystem and the architect of our current political moment — Donald Trump and all.
Brookings
During one of the 2019 sessions on platform transparency at the Transatlantic Working Group on Content Moderation and Free Expression, one of the participants said in exasperation, “Well what are we trying to accomplish here? What harms are we trying to prevent by imposing all these disclosure obligations on platforms?”
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, February 21, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Little Hoover Commission Report: Saving California's Small Businesses” - Guest: Pedro Nava, Chairman - Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 21, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “The Pandemic's Effect on Small Business” - Guests: Nick Ortiz, President/CEO - Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce; Greg Newman, CEO - Clovis Chamber of Commerce; Dave White, CEO - Opportunity Stanislaus; Katy Winders, Director - Small Business Development Center, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
World Ag Expo Announces Online Attendance
Business Journal
The first week of the World Ag Expo came to a close with participants attending virtually from around the world. More than 24,600 visits from 49 states and 70 countries materialized for the World Ag Expo’s online showcase Feb. 9-11.
Biden administration sides with California in allowing union reps access to farmworkers
San Francisco Chronicle
Reversing former President Donald Trump’s position, the Biden administration is backing California in a Supreme Court case by growers challenging state regulations that allow union representatives onto their property to talk to farmworkers during nonworking hours.
Valley Voices: Commentary: In the COVID pandemic, financial help for farmworkers is the moral choice
Fresno Bee
Farmworkers risk their lives to bring food to our tables, and they need more money now. It is downright immoral to deny protections and a safety net to invaluable farmworkers, yet that is exactly what has happened.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Protesters Urged Defunding the Police. Schools in Big Cities Are Doing It.
New York Times
After a monthslong push by students in the nation’s second-largest public school system, leaders in Los Angeles approved a plan on Tuesday to cut the district’s security force by a third, joining cities that have reduced the presence of police officers in school hallways.
Opinion: Will California’s Experiment in Reducing Criminal Penalties Reduce Crime?
Times of San Diego
California is conducting an immense sociological experiment, testing whether reducing prison time for criminal acts will, in the long run, mean less crime.
Commentary: As hate crimes increase, what will California do?
CalMatters
Over the past four years, what we as California legislators have stood up for has been tested and pushed to the limits. We have always been proud of California’s progress in equality and fairness.
Public Safety:
Los Angeles Times
After an Orange County sheriff’s deputy was spotted on a protest skirmish line wearing a far-right Oath Keepers patch last summer, the department started to look for ways to better address extremism in its ranks.
California plans to close troubled youth prisons after 80 years. But what comes next?
Los Angeles Times
Eighty years after California created separate incarceration facilities to spare teenagers from being locked up alongside adults, the state has pledged to begin the shutdown of its long-troubled and frequently violent youth prisons.
Fire:
Forest Service predicted devastation of Sierra’s Creek Fire — but solution came too late
Fresno Bee
California’s largest single-incident wildfire sparked to life in an area that federal land managers already knew was particularly susceptible to the devastating effects of an uncontrolled blaze.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Shoppers Splurged In January As New Stimulus Checks Arrived
VPR
As it turns out, January was for shopping. Retail spending soared 5.3% last month compared to December, much more than anticipated, as U.S. families began receiving new federal coronavirus relief checks.
‘Too little, too late’: California small businesses chase COVID-19 relief
CalMatters
As new state grants, tax credits and federal loans roll out, small business owners say their survival will depend more on reopening rules, red tape and resolving unemployment chaos. What happens next will shape the state’s job market for years to come.
California loses economic ground to Utah
CalMatters
The tech hubs of San Francisco and San Jose fell precipitously in this year’s ranking of U.S. cities’ economic performance released Wednesday morning by the Milken Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that’s published the index every year since 1999.
Q&A: California's finance regulator on squaring consumer protection and innovation
Reuters
California’s financial regulatory agency underwent a rebrand this year after a new law not only gave it authority over the fintech industry and other previously unregulated businesses, but also a mandate to responsibly spur innovation in consumer finance.
Jobs:
U.S. Unemployment Claims Rise, Pausing Recent Downward Trend
Wall Street Journal
Worker applications for unemployment benefits rose to 861,000 last week, halting a downward trend that pointed to an improving labor market amid other signs that the economic recovery is picking up.
The Future Of Unemployment Insurance
Forbes
Even nearly a year into the pandemic, the Unemployment Insurance (UI) systems in California and other states continue to be plagued by lengthy delays in claims and high levels of fraudulent claims. Reducing these delays and combating fraud is the immediate priority.
See also:
Commentary: Paid sick leave will help protect us in this pandemic
CalMatters
Time and time again we hear from public health officials that even as we see the light at the end of the tunnel, everyone must maintain vigilance in adhering to the basics of COVID-19 prevention. This is sound advice, but it won’t be enough on its own.
EDUCATION
K-12:
What The Science Says About How To Reopen Schools
VPR
The back to school debate rages on amidst the pandemic. While some large school districts reopen for in-person learning, some say we’re not ready. Will new guidance from the CDC change the conversation?
Will these vaccine, testing projects help Fresno-area schools reopen — and stay open?
Fresno Bee
As pressure to reopen schools mounts, school districts in the central San Joaquin Valley are attempting to help speed up the process by becoming vaccination sites, partnering with local health clinics, and ramping up COVID-19 testing for students and teachers on campuses.
Reopening Fresno Unified schools creates a new challenge - ‘pricey’ COVID-19 testing
Fresno Bee
As more students begin returning to schools in Fresno County, the area’s largest districts are working on coronavirus testing and vaccination plans they hope will keep those classrooms opens.
Clashes over Fresno’s new charter school end with allegations of racism and unfairness
Fresno Bee
Fresno’s newest charter school will open next fall after winning approval from the Fresno Unified school board earlier this month, but the behind-the-scenes process was fraught with missteps and in-fighting among trustees that could change how charter schools are reviewed in the future.
Kern High School District says it could return small groups of students in March
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern High School District held a special board meeting on Wednesday to address spring sports and the meandering path to bring students back for in-person learning.
Bakersfield Californian
After nearly a year of starts and stops, plans to bring certain high school sports back to Kern County finally appear to be gaining traction.
California schools stalemate drags on as Gavin Newsom, teachers keep talking
Sacramento Bee
Over a week after lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom said they were approaching a deal on school reopening, negotiations over how to return California’s students to classrooms have yet to yield any results.
See also:
California teachers union launches ads on school reopening risks Politico
Opinion: Progressive California claims to love public school kids. Union influence proves that’s a lie Sacramento Bee
How will expanded transitional kindergarten roll out?
EdSource
Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget calls for a $500 million investment, a down payment toward the ultimate goal of offering transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds in the state.
Higher Ed:
California needs 'common application' for its public college and universities, higher ed panel urges
EdSource
In a development that would no doubt be welcomed by many aspiring college students and their parents, California should develop a common application form for admission to all levels of public higher education in California, including the state’s community colleges system.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Groups ask Biden for wider environmental review of nuke work
Bakersfield Californian
Watchdog groups want the Biden administration to reconsider a decision by a U.S. agency not to conduct a more extensive environmental review related to production of the plutonium cores used in the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
California To Review Carbon Trading Program As Part Of Climate Roadmap
CalMatters
Newsom administration officials said today that they will evaluate the role of California’s landmark cap and trade program as the state examines its strategies for tackling climate change over the next decade.
US needs to brace itself for more deadly storms, experts say
AP News
Deadly weather will be hitting the U.S. more often, and America needs to get better at dealing with it, experts said as Texas and other states battled winter storms that blew past the worst-case planning of utilities, governments and millions of shivering residents.
Energy:
Texas blackouts show the power grid isn’t ready for climate change
Los Angeles Times
When a few hundred thousand California homes and businesses lost power for several hours last summer, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wrote that the Golden State “is now unable to perform even basic functions of civilization, like having reliable electricity.”
California Democrats move to ban fracking by 2027. Can their bill reach Gov. Newsom?
Fresno Bee
California would ban hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, by 2027, under a bill introduced in the state Senate on Wednesday.
See also:
California lawmakers propose ban on fracking by 2027 Los Angeles Times
Newsom's call for fracking ban could lead to recall headache Politico
CalChoice submits request to offer disadvantaged communities discount on renewable energy
PublicCEO
In December 2020, the California Choice Energy Authority (CalChoice) submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to allow three associate members to implement a joint Disadvantaged Communities Green Tariff (DAC-GT) program in their communities.
Oil Prices Are Up, but Frackers Stay on the Sidelines—for Now
Wall Street Journal
Oil’s recent rise above $60 a barrel will test the willpower of shale companies that pledged to slow drilling and repair balance sheets battered by the pandemic.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
'It is a grim number': San Joaquin County surpasses 1000 COVID-19 deaths
Stockton Record
Next month it will be one year since the first San Joaquin County resident died from COVID-19. The county's death total is now more than 1,000.
See also:
COVID cases plunge from post-holiday peak in the US. But what is causing the drop?
Sacramento Bee
The number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. has dropped in recent weeks — but what is causing the dip?Of course, the threat of COVID-19 is far from over — more than 478,000 Americans had died from COVID-19 complications as of Feb. 16.
See also:
Coronavirus cases plummet to pre-Thanksgiving levels. Are more reopenings next? Los Angeles Times
California's positivity rate drops sharply, a promising indicator for reopening San Francisco Chronicle
Pandemic cut U.S. life expectancy by a year during the first half of 2020
Washington Post
Life expectancy in the United States fell by a full year during the first half of 2020, a staggering decline that reflects the toll of the covid-19 pandemic as well as a rise in deaths from drug overdoses, heart attacks and diseases that accompanied the outbreak, according to government data released Thursday.
Human Services:
Will arctic blast in US delay vaccine shipments to California?
Fresno Bee
There’s no formal definition for when a surge of COVID-19 starts or ends, but California’s numbers are dwindling toward where they were before cases began to skyrocket in early November.
See also:
Weather impacting vaccine delivery, will it in Fresno County as well? Fresno Bee
Vaccinating Homeless Patients Against COVID-19: 'All Bets Are Off' VPR
Supply issues pop up even as California’s overall pace improves Sacramento Bee
Biden administration claims progress in COVID-19 vaccination drive Los Angeles Times
Column: California needs to home deliver COVID-19 vaccines to seniors and people with disabilities Los Angeles Times
Editorial: The U.S. is doing better on the COVID vaccination front than it might seem Los Angeles Times
White Californians receiving vaccine at twice the rate of Black, Latino residents
Sacramento Bee
Black and Latino residents are receiving far fewer doses than white residents in Sacramento County, according to new data released by state officials Friday, reflecting a trend of racial disparity that has come to define the coronavirus pandemic.
See also:
Who’s ‘essential’? COVID-19 vaccine rollout leaves high-risk workers behind
Los Angeles Times
Millions of front-line workers in California are falling through the cracks of an undersupplied COVID-19 vaccine distribution system, putting entire communities at prolonged risk of illness and raising the question among workers: Who counts as “essential,” and who gets to decide?
California Joins National Effort to Extend Health Insurance Enrollment
PPIC
A special health insurance enrollment period begins this week and runs until May 15, in accordance with an executive order signed by President Biden.
Stat News
Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization’s health emergencies director, had a conversation recently with his mother, the kind that lots of public health people are having these days, much to their dismay. Ryan’s mother was concerned about one of the Covid-19 vaccines in use in Ireland, where she lives. The one made by AstraZeneca.
Fauci: Vaccines for Kids as Young as First Graders Could Be Authorized by September
ProPublica
For this to happen by the start of the next school year, trials need to prove the vaccine is safe and effective in children. Experts say manufacturers aren’t moving quickly enough, and that this is important for achieving herd immunity and stopping the spread of variants.
IMMIGRATION
Proposed law would give undocumented Californians access to state food assistance
Fresno Bee
As immigrant communities continue to be left out of federal COVID-19 relief and are unequally impacted by the pandemic’s economic downturn, a Democratic lawmaker is introducing a bill that seeks to expand a state food assistance program to Californians regardless of their immigration status.
Democrats push Newsom to prioritize COVID vaccinations for California’s immigrant detainees
Sacramento Bee
A group of lawmakers and advocates want Gov. Gavin Newsom to clear up what they say is conflicting information about the vaccination of hundreds of immigrants detained in the state’s immigration facilities.
Biden takes swing at immigration reform with bill on citizenship path for 11 million
Los Angeles Times
President Biden will make official on Thursday his aggressive opening salvo in a decades-long effort to reform a broken U.S. immigration system, which ground to a near-halt under his predecessor.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
‘Consequences of neglect’: Why this Fresno neighborhood’s toxic sites still aren’t clean
Fresno Bee
A group of high school students became activists for social justice in southwest Fresno when they sounded alarms about the abandoned properties that blighted their neighborhood.
Landmark Square project breaks ground in Clovis. Here is what will be there
Fresno Bee
Clovis Mayor Drew Bessinger has a reason to be all smiles. A small gathering took place near Old Town Clovis Tuesday afternoon to break ground on the Landmark Square project that will house a new senior activity center, a transit center and a public library.
Oceano Dunes reopening for more vehicles, campsites on Friday
abc30
More areas of Oceano Dunes and Pismo State Beach in San Luis Obispo County will reopen to visitors on Friday. California State Parks officials said Tuesday they are moving forward into the next phase of their reopening plan. Starting Friday, February 19, both parks will be open daily from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Housing:
Fresno converts fourth motel to homeless shelter. Could there be more funding coming?
Fresno Bee
Fresno unveiled a newly refurbished motel of about 80 rooms, the latest in efforts to house the homeless in former rundown motels, officials said on Wednesday. Once called the Welcome Inn, the motel at 777 N. Parkway Drive will be redubbed Journey Home, according to Preston Prince, the CEO of the Fresno Housing Authority.
See also:
California could sue cities over homeless plans under proposed law
Sacramento Bee
California cities could face lawsuits for failing to follow through on plans to dramatically reduce homelessness under a proposal from San Francisco Democrat that aims to help end the humanitarian emergency by 2029.
California Cities Rethink the Single-Family Neighborhood
KQED
More than a century ago, Berkeley pioneered rules prohibiting affordable, multifamily housing from certain areas, and with it, created a new class of neighborhoods reserved exclusively for single-family homes.
Walters: Some sober advice on homelessness
CalMatters
A year ago, before COVID-19 changed everything, Gov. Gavin Newsom dedicated almost all of his State of the State address to one issue: homelessness.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Third stimulus check: Why some people should file their taxes ASAP
CBSNews
With lawmakers negotiating another round of coronavirus relief aid, many Americans are eager to learn if and when they'll receive a third stimulus check. Aside from Congress' time frame for passing the legislation, there's another factor that could influence stimulus payments: your 2020 tax returns.
Commentary: Asleep at the wheel at the Federal Reserve
AEI
John Maynard Keynes famously said, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do sir?” Evidently, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell does not subscribe to Keynes’s view.
TRANSPORTATION
Fresno City Council Will Need To Consider Long Term Financial Plan To Make FAX Bus Service Free
VPR
The Fresno City Council will vote Thursday on a plan to suspend bus fares throughout the city. Councilmembers Tyler Maxwell, Esmeralda Soria and Nelson Esparza are sponsoring the Zero Fare Clean Up Act. Maxwell says it addresses equity issues in Fresno, when it comes to reliable transportation. He believes the city is already way behind.
California’s REAL ID deadline is back. The DMV is bracing for a surge of late applicants
Sacramento Bee
The federal government last year gave California drivers a one-year reprieve from a deadline to obtain a REAL ID, conceding to fears that requiring millions of people to visit the DMV in a pandemic would spread the coronavirus.
See also:
WATER
Trump’s California water plan troubled federal biologists. They were sidelined
The Guardian
Federal scientists and regulators repeatedly complained they were sidelined by Donald Trump’s administration when they warned of risks to wildlife posed by a California water management plan, according to newly unveiled documents.
“Xtra”
Fresno Bee
A Japanese bar and restaurant is in the works for the Tower District. Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen is working on opening at 609 E. Olive Ave. in the former Casa de Tamales space. Casa de Tamales has moved down the street to the Tower Theatre building, using the back patio as its entrance.
Fresno Bee
The busy corner of Blackstone and Nees avenues near River Park is getting a new restaurant: A Wingstop. The chicken wing chain is planning to open at 128 W. Nees Ave., in the former Firehouse Subs spot in the same shopping center as Rubber Soul Bicycles.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
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