Maddy Institute – February 22, 2021

22Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● 'It is a grim number': San Joaquin County surpasses 1,000 COVID-19 deaths Stockton Record

● A comparison look at COVID deaths in Stanislaus County Modesto Bee

● COVID vaccination clinics in Stanislaus County postponed until further notice Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus has big drop in hospital cases. Vaccines slow Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus County numbers continue in a positive trend Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County to redraw supervisor districts. Will the map reflect racial diversity?

Modesto Bee

It’s time for redrawing the boundaries of supervisorial districts in Stanislaus County, and this time it won’t be your father’s redistricting plan.

Why does Modesto’s next mayor, Sue Zwahlen, see hope for better days?

Modesto Bee

As Sue Zwahlen is poised to become Modesto’s next mayor, she said there is optimism among city officials and community members that the city can meet its challenges and thrive once the pandemic is behind it.

Former Modesto Mayor Whiteside, champion of valley and thoughtful growth, dies at 78

Modesto Bee

Carol Whiteside, a former Modesto mayor, founder of the Great Valley Center, and one of the region’s biggest champions has died. She was 78 years old.

Longtime Merced County Supervisor Jerry O'Banion passes away at 74

abc30

Former Merced County Supervisor Jerry O'Banion has been laid to rest. The Dos Palos District Cemetery hosted a burial service for O'Banion yesterday.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● State tops 7 million vaccine doses; new county totals Fresno Bee

● Fresno County adds nearly 300 COVID-19 cases, California launches new vaccine system Fresno Bee

● Fresno County vaccination sites opening up — including some for teachers. Here’s where Fresno Bee

● Fresno’s immunization pace slows as hazardous weather hammers U.S. Fresno Bee

● New vaccine delivery system starts in Fresno, Kern counties but not Tulare Visalia Times Delta

More Central Valley schools bring back students for in-person learning this week

abc30

This week marks the return to on-campus instruction for many school districts across the Central Valley and state. As campuses prepare to welcome back some students for in-person learning, Gov. Gavin Newsom encouraged others to follow their lead.

Fresno residents owe $48 million to PG&E amid coronavirus pandemic. Is there any relief?

Fresno Bee

Fresno residents have deferred utility payments that exceed $50 million through January, another example of the need for a federal COVID-19 relief package, Mayor Jerry Dyer said recently.

Fresno County will consider rent control for mobile home parks

Fresno Bee

Fresno County supervisors will consider a rent control policy to limit price gouging at the 98 mobile home parks in rural parts of the county - a direct result of organizing by a large family of indigenous farmworkers from Oaxaca.

Peaceful crowd, counter-protesters, too, gather again over fate of Fresno’s Tower Theatre

Fresno Bee

More than 100 peaceful protesters gathered Sunday in a carnival atmosphere to oppose the sale and rezoning of the Tower Theatre. About seven mask-less counter-protesters wearing red baseball hats also showed up, but for the most part the event remained peaceful. About six police officers on bicycles were on standby in the area.

Four Fresno businesses, from locally-owned places to a Starbucks, have closed. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Four longtime businesses in Fresno are closing their doors for good. Those businesses — which include two stores, a Starbucks and a decades-old business that celebrated the fruit grown in the Valley — all have different reasons for closing.

Online forum held on systemic racism in Tulare County

Visalia Times Delta

Starting Monday, Feb. 22, the Times-Delta and Tulare County Voices, a community group, will hold a series of virtual community forums on systemic racism in Tulare County.

Judge dismisses Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against CNN. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

A federal judge dismissed Rep. Devin Nunes’ defamation lawsuit against CNN Friday, saying the congressman failed to request a retraction before filing a lawsuit.

Two Fresno residents arrested for violating COVID-19 protocols in Hawaii

abc30

Two Fresno residents are in police custody in Hawaii. Miriam Rosas, 22, and 34-year-old Abel Rosas were arrested after an alert was sent to their hotel.

Clovis City Council Approves Transfer of Funds for New Fire Station

Clovis Roundup

The Clovis City Council recently voted to approve the loan and construction of the new Fire Station 6 at their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation's Push For Federal Recognition Amid The Pandemic

VPR
Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada foothills are home to the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, but the tribe has been enmeshed in a decades-long battle for recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Squaw is a slur to many Native Americans. They want a Fresno County town renamed

Sierra Star

Like many Native Americans, Jesse Bustamante has a strong connection to his family’s ancestral lands. His immediate and extended family live on an allotment – tribal lands divided into plots by the U.S. government – as members of the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians in eastern Fresno County.

Marek Warszawski: How Fresno farming families are developing a growing future for the Clovis area

Fresno Bee

Want to know what mixed-use development in Clovis’ next big growth area will look like? To see the future, head to the northwest corner of Willow and Shepherd avenues (within the Fresno city limits, but bear with me).

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health: 12 new coronavirus deaths, 125 new cases reported Sunday Bakersfield Californian

● Virus precautions still necessary in Kern despite falling numbers, rising vaccinations Bakersfield Californian

Kern County expands eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines as state begins to take over distribution

Bakersfield Californian

Agriculture, food, education, child care and emergency service workers will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine next week. They join a list that already consists of health care workers, long-term care residents and individuals 65 and older as local vaccination efforts continue to expand.

Shafter group raises pressure on county ag official

Bakersfield Californian

Members of a committee set up to tackle air quality issues in Shafter are increasing pressure on Kern County's agricultural commissioner after he refused last month to turn over farmers' plans for applying certain dangerous pesticides.

State:

COVID Update:

● As numbers continue to improve, variants becoming larger concern Fresno Bee

● California Will Begin Setting Aside 10% Of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses For Teachers Capital Public Radio

● COVID-19 Testing In California Dropped By Over 30% In Recent Weeks. That Could Be A Good Sign Capital Public Radio

Lawmakers’ Plan To Reopen California Schools In April ‘Doesn’t Go Far Enough Or Fast Enough,’ Newsom Says

Capital Public Radio

California lawmakers released a plan Thursday that would allow schools in counties with more relaxed COVID-19 restrictions to reopen for in-person learning for younger students as well as give school teachers and staff higher vaccine priority.

● Lawmakers blitz governor on school reopenings CalMatters

● Reopening California’s Schools PPIC

● California schools debate pins Newsom between allies and GOP recall backers Politico

Former Caltrans employee gets 2 years of probation after pleading guilty to accepting bribes

Sacramento Bee

A former California Department of Transportation employee will serve two years of probation, with a four-year prison sentence suspended, after pleading guilty to two counts of felony bribery.

California Aims To Address The ‘Urgent’ Needs Of Older Residents. But Will Its Plan Work?

Capital Public Radio

Even as the pandemic derailed some of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s biggest health care proposals, such as lowering prescription drug costs, it crystallized another: the pressing need to address California’s rapidly aging population.

The Squeeze Is On: Amid Recall Threat, Newsom Faces Single-Payer Dilemma

Capital Public Radio

Along with a pandemic, a recession, closed schools, ongoing budget negotiations and a likely recall campaign coming later this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom now has one more political problem to deal with: How to keep — or break — one of his biggest campaign promises.

Exodus of staff from California’s unemployment agency hinders help for jobless

Los Angeles Times

California’s struggle to get unemployment benefits to jobless workers and combat fraud has been hampered by an exodus of some 1,590 staff and managers involved in the effort since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to state officials.

Newsom recall effort moves closer toward making the ballot, submitting 1.1 million signatures

Los Angeles Times

Almost 1.1 million signatures have been submitted in support of a recall election against Gov. Gavin Newsom, state elections officials reported Friday, though supporters said a sizable number of voter petitions have yet to be reviewed as the effort approaches next month’s official deadline.

● GOP infighting in post-Trump era threatens California recall Business Journal

● Q&A: What you need to know about the attempt to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom Los Angeles Times

● Hurt by Lockdowns, California’s Small Businesses Push to Recall Governor New York Times

Decrying ‘cancel culture,’ state senator seeks to make political affiliation a protected class

Los Angeles Times

A California state senator has proposed legislation intended to curb so-called cancel culture by adding political affiliation to a list of classes — such as race, gender and religious creed — that are protected under California’s anti-discrimination laws.

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.

The troubling political dimension of the coronavirus in California

Berkeley IGS Poll

According to the latest Berkeley IGS Poll, Republican voters are less concerned about getting the virus themselves, worry less about people not wearing masks or maintaining proper social distancing in public, are less apt to get vaccinated and are much less likely to view vaccinations as a means of protecting the health of the larger population.

Newsom, lawmakers agree to $600 stimulus checks plus boost for undocumented workers

CalMatters

As Congress debates President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers announce their own stimulus package, calling for $600 one-time payments to millions of struggling Californians and extra help for undocumented workers left out of federal relief.

● Walters: Pandemic relief package has a downside CalMatters

In post-Trump convention, California Republicans keep calm and carry online CalMatters

Here’s how the first California Republican convention since Trump’s defeat avoided the public fights that have fractured the GOP in other states.

● California Republican dilemma: How much Trump is too much Trump? San Francisco Chronicle

Federal:

COVID Update:

● US inches closer to 500,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths abc30

● U.S. death toll from COVID-19 approaches 500,000 Los Angeles Times

● 500,000 dead, a number almost too large to grasp Washington Post

● New U.S. Cases Fall as Death Toll Nears Half Million Wall Street Journal

● Fauci: 'Possible' Americans will be wearing masks in 2022 to protect against COVID-19 abc30

Here's what's in the House Democrats' stimulus relief plan including direct payments worth up to $1,400 per person

abc30

A key House committee on Friday released the Democrats' massive coronavirus relief package, pulling together President Joe Biden's stimulus proposal into a 591-page bill.

● Opinion: The Non-Covid Spending Blowout Wall Street Journal

Joe Biden declares major disaster in Texas as federal aid flows

abc30

Add Mother Nature to the pile of crises on President Joe Biden's plate. A month into the job and focused on the coronavirus, Biden is seeing his disaster management skills tested after winter storms plunged Texas, Oklahoma and neighboring states into an unusual deep freeze that left millions shivering in homes that lost heat and power, and in many homes, water.

Biden Takes His 'America Is Back' Message To The World In Munich Speech

VPR
President Biden on Friday sought to turn the page on former President Donald Trump's "America First" ethos, declaring "America is back" and vowing to rebuild trust with European allies by working on challenges like arms control, COVID-19 and climate change.

How Republicans plan to sink Xavier Becerra’s nomination

Los Angeles Times

The GOP is fixated on rejecting President Biden’s pick to helm the Department of Health and Human Services, but not for the type of personal failings that typically doom early nominees. It is Becerra’s perceived political and policy sins that are fueling the bid to block him.

Anti-Trumpers are done with the GOP. Where do they go now?

Politico

Tens of thousands of Republicans across the country have changed their registrations in the weeks since the riot at the Capitol — many of them, like Hendren, becoming independents. Other former party officials are discussing forming a third party.

● Republicans face an identity crisis The Hill

● Support for Third U.S. Political Party at High Point Gallup

● The U.S. Puts Its Greatest Vulnerability on Display The Atlantic

● Almost half of Republicans would join Trump party: poll The Hill

Republicans now enjoy unmatched power in the states. It was a 40-year effort.

Washington Post

Over the past 40 years, Republicans have quietly gained overwhelming power in state legislatures. It did not happen overnight, and it won’t reverse itself soon. The implications could linger for years.

Garland Makes Case for New Era at Justice Department

Wall Street Journal

Judge Merrick Garland, President Biden’s pick for attorney general, promised to combat the rising threat of domestic extremism before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday...

Mail Voting Boosted Turnout for Voters With Disabilities. Will Lawmakers Let It Continue?

Time

Republican state lawmakers are advancing a wave of new voting restrictions aimed at reversing the slew of pandemic-inspired election flexibilities, including expansions of mail voting, that most states adopted last year.

Blue collar voters trending from Democratic to Republican

NBCNews

Both parties are undergoing massive changes in who their voters are and we see this in the kinds of jobs held by Democrats and Republicans.

Supreme Court Denies Trump Bid to Block Access to Financial Records

Wall Street Journal

The Supreme Court denied former President Donald Trump’s last-ditch effort to keep New York prosecutors from seeing his financial records, issuing a one-sentence order Monday with no noted dissents.

Commentary: How Biden can succeed on infrastructure where Trump did not

Brookings

Washington, D.C. is developing a tradition: With the start of a new administration comes grand promises of federal solutions to our nation’s infrastructure challenges.

Other:

Concerned about phony content on the internet? Empower yourself by embracing media literacy and becoming a wise digital consumer.

Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust

If anyone thinks misinformation and disinformation challenges will diminish now that the divisive 2020 presidential election has been settled, they aren’t watching the next phase of information manipulation.

Pentagon report reveals inroads white supremacists have made in military

Roll Call

A soldier in the Florida National Guard who co-founded a murderous fascist group was chatting with a fellow white supremacist in the extremist “Iron March” online forum in 2016 when the guard member made a remarkable statement.

The Tea Party at 12

The Bulwark

Let’s take a moment to consider the grim milestone we are about to pass: 500,000 Americans dead from the coronavirus. As the Times noted yesterday, “more Americans have perished from COVID-19 than on the battlefields of World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined.”

QAnon’s corrosive impact on the U.S.

CBS News

Tens of millions of Americans believe QAnon's core -- and false -- theory that an evil cabal of Satan-worshipping elites commits atrocities against children and controls much of the world. Where does this movement stand and who has it impacted?

Opinion: America has experience curbing dangerous industries. We can do the same with tech.

Washington Post

The Biden administration needs to prioritize existing federal antitrust cases against Facebook and Google, while taking the lead on some cases brought by state attorneys general.

Opinion: Seeing Red and Feeling Blue: America’s Rotten National Mood

Wall Street Journal

At Newsweek in the old days, they called it “the violin.” At Time, where I worked, we spoke of the “mood of the nation.” It referred to an article, that in a sequence of anecdotes, quotes and generalizations would tell Americans what they were feeling and thinking at that particular moment.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, February 28, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “State Legislative Response to the Pandemic” - Guest: State Sen. Andreas Borgeas; State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, February 28, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “State Legislative Agendas” - Guests: Asm. Heath Flora; Asm. Devon Mathis; State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Shafter group raises pressure on county ag official

Bakersfield Californian

Local fruit-breeders help keep shelves stocked year-round

Bakersfield Californian

U.S. shoppers expect them and so grocery stores do, too — but how do you deliver a summer fruit like grapes all 52 weeks of the year?

Ranch owner in Kern River Valley rescues horses — and was rescued by them

Bakersfield Californian

Sometimes it's a nonprofit retirement home for equines. Other times it's a hospice for horses that deserve some love and attention in their final days and weeks on Earth.

Marek Warszawski: How Fresno farming families are developing a growing future for the Clovis area

Fresno Bee

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Officers crack down on street racing in Fresno. ‘We’re stopping you for a reason’

Fresno Bee

As promised, local law enforcement was on patrol Saturday night to crack down on street racers with heavy fines looming for those getting caught. The campaign included Fresno police, Fresno County sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers.

Walters: Prosecutors feud over criminal sentencing laws

CalMatters

California’s district attorneys are squabbling over whether California should continue to soften criminal penalties.

Commentary: Should the law recognize ‘privacy harms’?

AEI

For years, some privacy law experts have used the phrase “privacy harm” to describe things done with personal information that they think are wrong.

Public Safety:

Salas announces bill to help domestic violence victims

Hanford Sentinel

Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) has introduced new legislation, Assembly Bill 673, which supports domestic violence victims by increasing funding to nonprofits that provide shelter and services for victims.

Fire:

Clovis City Council Approves Transfer of Funds for New Fire Station

Clovis Roundup

The Clovis City Council recently voted to approve the loan and construction of the new Fire Station 6 at their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Is your home in a wildfire zone? California to develop new rules on home ‘hardening’

Sierra Star

Amid a continuing insurance crisis in California’s wildfire country, multiple state agencies will work together to create a unified standard for “home hardening” — the business of making buildings and communities more resistant to fires.

Up in smoke: Burns in San Joaquin Valley vineyards, orchards may finally end

CalMatters

California’s air board will vote this week on stopping burns that spew plumes of smoke that can trigger asthma attacks. The move is long in coming — it was supposed to end a decade ago under state law.

California Seeks to Save Its Redwoods From Wildfires

Wall Street Journal

Now rangers and conservationists are developing plans to better protect them out of fear that the world’s tallest trees may not survive future blazes that are almost certain to come.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Four Fresno businesses, from locally-owned places to a Starbucks, have closed. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Black-Owned Businesses Find Strength Through Community During COVID

VPR
Restrictions on businesses designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 have been devastating for some entrepreneurs. But some Black-owned businesses say the power of community has helped them to adapt, and even thrive, in these uncertain times.

Why personal debt looks healthy despite worst year for jobs

CalMatters

Americans spent more on homes and reduced more in credit card debt than nearly ever before, but California experts say traditional indicators have failed to capture the pandemic’s true toll, warning of a much more complicated — and unequal — debt story.

U.S. Retirement Crisis Hits Black Americans Hard

Wall Street Journal

Many American households aren’t prepared for retirement, but Black Americans like Ms. Owens are even further behind than whites, according to academic and government data. The recent economic turmoil is likely widening the disparity.

Paycheck Protection Program to Offer Exclusive Covid-19 Loan-Application Window for Smallest Firms

Wall Street Journal

The officials said the exclusive application window is one of several steps the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies will take to improve access to the Paycheck Protection Program for very small companies and those owned by minorities or located in underserved communities.

Hurt by Lockdowns, California’s Small Businesses Push to Recall Governor

New York Times

Alexandra and Daniela Del Gaudio had never been to a political rally before, let alone one to protest a coronavirus lockdown and recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. But things had changed in the sisters’ lives since they opened the Wild Plum, a yoga and wellness space, in 2018.

Jobs:

California unemployment claims rocket higher, pointing to weak job market

Mercury News

Unemployment claims in California have skyrocketed to their highest level in more than a month, officials reported Thursday, a grim sign that coronavirus-linked business shutdowns continue to weaken the state’s frail job market.

Exodus of staff from California’s unemployment agency hinders help for jobless

Los Angeles Times

In blow to Uber, U.K. court reaches obvious conclusion that its drivers are workers

Los Angeles Times

Uber and its fellow gig economy firms have been very successful in the U.S. at kicking up dust over whether their drivers are employees or — as the companies assert — independent contractors.

Biden's 'Green Jobs' Mirage

Real Clear Policy

President Biden finished his whirlwind first week in office with an executive order to tackle climate change. A core part of this strategy relies on training new and incumbent workers, especially those in existing high-carbon jobs like fossil fuels, for new “green” occupations.

Blue-Collar Jobs Boom as Covid-19 Boosts Housing, E-Commerce Demand

Wall Street Journal

Residential construction, package delivery and warehousing jobs exceed pre-pandemic levels, and some companies can’t find enough workers.

What’s Keeping Black Workers From Moving Up the Corporate Ladder?

Wall Street Journal

Companies have devoted a lot of attention to diversity in hiring and promotions. A new study offers clues as to why the efforts have fallen short—and what can be done to change that.

How many DACA recipients are essential workers amid COVID-19 pandemic?

PolitiFact

For two decades, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has advocated for passing the Dream Act to grant legal status to certain immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. As he made his case for the 2021 version of the bill, Durbin cited the role of these immigrants as workers in essential sectors.

Opinion: ‘Stimulus’ Does Little for Jobs

Wall Street Journal

The jobs picture is all but certain to improve in a year when people are getting vaccinated and states are opening their economies. The labor market will improve in the coming months if the government does nothing. But massive spending will hurt more than it helps.

Commentary: How the minimum wage will hold workers back in the labor market

AEI

The Congressional Budget Office has found that the Biden administration’s federal minimum wage hike to $15 per hour over four years would result in 1.4 million unemployed by 2025, but would lift 900,000 people out of poverty.

Commentary: What does the unemployment rate measure?

Brookings

The headline unemployment rate (known as U-3) measures the percentage of people over the age of 16 who aren’t working but are available and actively looking for work.

EDUCATION

K-12:

More Central Valley schools bring back students for in-person learning this week

abc30

More sports as 7-12 schools stay shut? State update frustrates Stanislaus officials

Modesto Bee

A state announcement Friday allowing more sports to resume while tougher COVID-19 restrictions still keep seventh- through 12th-grade schools largely shut has frustrated Stanislaus County health and education officials.

● Youth sports can soon resume in California counties with low COVID-19 case rates Sacramento Bee

● New State Guidelines Loosen Restrictions On Outdoor Youth Sports Capital Public Radio

Lawmakers’ Plan To Reopen California Schools In April ‘Doesn’t Go Far Enough Or Fast Enough,’ Newsom Says

Capital Public Radio

● Lawmakers blitz governor on school reopenings CalMatters

● Reopening California’s Schools PPIC

● California schools debate pins Newsom between allies and GOP recall backers Politico

New Survey Shows Teachers Think Cleaning & Ventilation, Smaller Classes And PPE Are More Important Than Vaccines For Reopening

Patch

Politicians and unions are negotiating reopening plans without input from the people who have to implement them or are the most impacted.

Higher Ed:

Dr. Mohan Dangi selected for Jefferson Science Fellowship in Washington D.C.

Fresno State Campus News

Fresno State professor Dr. Mohan Dangi will spend a year in Washington, D.C., beginning in August, advising government officials on topics of science that have bearing on the U.S. foreign policy and global dealings as part of the Jefferson Science Fellowship.

Lyles College celebrates National Engineers Week

Fresno State Campus News

Join the Lyles College of Engineering for a grand virtual celebration of National Engineers Week from Feb. 21 to 27. Click here to see a full list of events and registration links.

Merced College ‘part of history.’ Nursing students in pivotal role during COVID pandemic

Merced Sun- Star

Merced College nursing student Shania Rolfe tried to make patients feel at ease on Wednesday as she administered Pfizer COVID vaccines inside Merced College’s gymnasium. Wearing blue scrubs, medical safety goggles, and a medical mask, it was clear she was probably smiling — even though her mask was covering it.

Tens of thousands of community college students still taking unnecessary remedial classes

CalMatters

A 2017 law started to phase out remedial courses at community colleges, but while there’s been progress, many students still end up taking classes experts say they don’t need.

Dual Admission Could Help More Students Transfer from Community College to State Universities

Public Policy Institute of California

Dual admission is a promising approach for improving the transfer pathway. In a dual admission program, students who apply to and enroll in a community college would be conditionally accepted to a state university.

Enrollment at US community colleges plummets amid pandemic

AP News

Peniella Irakoze is cold calling a list of 1,001 fellow students who didn’t return to Phoenix College this semester, checking on how they’re managing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Debate Over Student Loan Forgiveness Hinges On 2 Numbers: $10,000 Vs. $50,000

NPR

While some lawmakers have pushed for President Biden to forgive up to $50,000 per borrower via executive order, Biden has so far only expressed support for more limited forgiveness, of $10,000, through pandemic relief legislation.

● Commentary: Biden is right to reject calls to forgive $50,000 in student debt AEI

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

U.S. Officially Rejoins Paris Agreement On Climate Change

VPR
The United States on Friday officially rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change designed to limit global warming and avoid its potentially catastrophic impacts.

Environmentalists make long-shot attempt to ban new factory farms

Merced Sun-Star

Iowa has a poop problem. The Hawkeye State’s pigs, cows and chickens produce about as much waste as 134 million people — nearly the population of Russia.

Wildfire Smoke Could Be the Main Way Californians Experience Climate Change

KQED
The rising threat from wildfire smoke was on full display last fall, when dense plumes from several fires burning across Northern California blocked out the sun, shrouding the Bay Area in orange-tinged darkness.

California to review carbon trading program as part of climate roadmap

CalMatters

Experts say the state’s cap and trade program may be insufficient in meeting ambitious climate goals. And environmentalists have called the program unfair to polluted communities.

Texas and California built different power grids, but neither stood up to climate change

Politico

The winter storm that crippled Texas this week and heat wave the hit California last summer show much more needs to be done to protect power supplies from extreme weather.

● Editorial: Texas, you just got punked by Mother Nature. Californians know climate change is real Fresno Bee

Commentary: The climate wolf at the door: Why and how climate resilience should be central to building back better

Brookings

Our purpose here is to make the case that whatever recovery plan emerges from Congress must give high priority to climate resilience because the “climate wolf at the door” is already here.

Opinion: Farmers can help in battle against climate change

CalMatters

California farmers have an opportunity to turbo-charge the green revolution in rural America with crop-based biofuels.

Energy:

Fresno residents owe $48 million to PG&E amid coronavirus pandemic. Is there any relief?

Fresno Bee

Fresno residents have deferred utility payments that exceed $50 million through January, another example of the need for a federal COVID-19 relief package, Mayor Jerry Dyer said recently.

Harm to schools from drilling-lease pause may be overstated

Roll Call

Think of the children. That’s been a core message of the oil and gas sector, and its Capitol Hill allies, in attacking President Joe Biden’s pause on new oil and gas leases on federal lands.

The Activists Who Embrace Nuclear Power

New Yorker

Today, the looming disruptions of climate change have altered the risk calculus around nuclear energy.

How Fox News, far-right TV blamed green energy for Texas’ power outages

PolitiFact

Fox News and other cable networks are spinning a false narrative that says frozen wind turbines, solar panels and even, somehow, the Green New Deal are to blame for Texas’ crippled energy system, according to a PunditFact review of closed caption information.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Isolation is deadly, too, experts say. Fresno retirees struggle with mental health in pandemic

Fresno Bee

After nearly one year of isolation to avoid contracting COVID-19, Fresno’s older adults are voicing the invisible ways the pandemic is affecting their health.

US inches closer to 500,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths

abc30

Just over a year since the first known US COVID-19 death, more than 500,000 people will have died from the disease by the end of this week.

● U.S. death toll from COVID-19 approaches 500,000 Los Angeles Times

● 500,000 dead, a number almost too large to grasp Washington Post

● New U.S. Cases Fall as Death Toll Nears Half Million Wall Street Journal

Fauci: 'Possible' Americans will be wearing masks in 2022 to protect against COVID-19

abc30

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that it's "possible" Americans will still need to wear masks in 2022 to protect against the coronavirus, even as the US may reach "a significant degree of normality" by the end of this year.

● Covid-19 Face Mask Mandates End in Some States, Fueling Tensions Wall Street Journal

● 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Mask in 2021 Consumer Reports

Long-Term Studies Of COVID-19 Vaccines Hurt By Placebo Recipients Getting Immunized

VPR

Tens of thousands of people who volunteered to be in studies of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are still participating in follow-up research. But some key questions won't be easily answered, because many people who had been in the placebo group have now opted to take the vaccine.

COVID-19 Testing In California Dropped By Over 30% In Recent Weeks. That Could Be A Good Sign

Capital Public Radio

The number of COVID-19 tests processed in California has dropped by more than 30% in recent weeks. Public health experts say the decline in testing makes sense — and is actually a good sign.

How Herd Immunity Works — And What Stands In Its Way

NPR

What will it take to finally halt the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.? To answer that question we've created a simulation of a mock disease we're calling SIMVID-19.

As Addiction Deaths Surge, Profit-Driven Rehab Industry Faces 'Severe Ethical Crisis'

NPR

As the nation's addiction crisis deepened, Tamara Beetham, who studies health policy at Yale University, set out to answer a simple question: What happens when people try to get help?

Commentary: Preparing for the next pandemic: Early lessons from COVID-19

Brookings

It is not too early to draw lessons from this lack of preparation and global coordination. Not only will doing so aid current recovery efforts, but it would also increase readiness for the next communicable or vector-borne disease to threaten the world.

Commentary: American Indians and Alaska Natives are dying of COVID-19 at shocking rates

Brookings

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) are dying of COVID-19 at much higher rates and at younger ages than other groups. In some states, the COVID-19 death rate for AIAN people is similar to that of whites who are 20 to 30 years older.

Human Services:

Fresno County vaccination sites opening up — including some for teachers. Here’s where

Fresno Bee

Fresno County health officials said registration spots for a vaccine continue to open up daily — and teachers will soon be among those eligible for a shot. People can check the availability of appointments and sign up to be notified at the state Department of Public Health’s site for My Turn, myturn.ca.gov.

● ‘Glitch’ in California vaccine website sent people to Valley county that denied them shots Fresno Bee

● Severe Weather Delays 15,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses En Route To Valley VPR

● COVID vaccination clinics in Stanislaus County postponed until further notice Modesto Bee

● Data problems hurt California’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts Los Angeles Times

California Will Begin Setting Aside 10% Of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses For Teachers Capital Public Radio

California is planning to start setting aside 10% of the COVID-19 vaccine the state receives each week to vaccinate teachers, day care workers and other school employees in the hopes of getting more students back in the classroom.

● California to reserve 10% of vaccine first doses for teachers, child care workers, Newsom says Sacramento Bee

● California will earmark 10% of weekly COVID-19 vaccine supply for teachers Los Angeles Times

● California’s Governor Reserves Vaccines for Teachers New York Times

Governor admits problems with vaccine rollout in Latino and Black communities

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged Sunday that state and local health officials have stumbled in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine equitably among Latino and Black communities in California.

● Who’s getting vaccinated in California? A county-by-county look at racial data CalMatters

● Immigration detention centers showcase California’s vaccine chaos CalMatters

Kaiser is expanding who it’s vaccinating. Here’s what you need to know

Mercury News

Kaiser Permanente is ramping up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination for senior members in a development being welcomed in the Bay Area and across California.

The High Cost of Cheap Health Insurance

Consumer Reports

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, President Joe Biden recently signed an executive order reopening enrollment in Affordable Care Act insurance plans for three months starting Feb. 15.

Two Tales of the Vaccine

Wall Street Journal

A heroic story and a malicious one. Yet both are good signs of vaccine demand, since ending this pandemic depends on getting millions more shots into millions more arms.

Vaccine Alarmism

New York Times

The evidence so far suggests that a full dose of the vaccine effectively eliminates the risk of Covid-19 death, nearly eliminates the risk of hospitalization and drastically reduces a person’s ability to infect somebody else.

IMMIGRATION

More undocumented families could receive COVID-19 aid under Gavin Newsom’s new plan

Fresno Bee

Many undocumented families in California will be eligible to receive stimulus relief aid under a deal advocate leaders say is the first step toward creating a permanent wage replacement program for this population.

‘Exceedingly deep convictions’: Inside Xavier Becerra’s quest for health care for immigrants

Politico

Now, as Becerra prepares to assume a new role as Joe Biden’s health secretary, he will have the power to make public benefits for undocumented workers a reality.

Democrats Unveil Sweeping Immigration Bill

NPR

Congressional Democrats unveiled a sweeping the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, an immigration bill that includes setting up a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

● Opinion: Biden’s Immigration Opportunity Wall Street Journal

● Commentary: Biden’s immigration reset Brookings

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Parks at Pismo Beach and Oceano Dunes reopen

abc30

Several parts of Pismo Beach and Oceano Dunes have reopened along the Central Coast. Starting this weekend -- both parks are open daily from 7 am through 8 pm.

Housing:

Fresno County will consider rent control for mobile home parks

Fresno Bee

Crossroads Village opens, providing 165 housing units

Business Journal

RH Community builders, UPholdings and Fresno County have announced the grand opening of Crossroads Village, a 165-unit housing project providing affordable housing for local individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Bubble Watch: California housing has hottest month in 17 years

OC Register

Homebuyers gobbled up houses at an 484,730 annual pace in January — up 22.5% in a year, the third consecutive gain above 20%.

Opinion: California has botched its homeless response

OC Register

California’s approach to its myriad problems invariably involve spending more taxpayer dollars to fund public programs. Officials are less fastidious about following up and analyzing how state officials have fared in implementing past rounds of government spending.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Huge Drop In Federal Aid For The Poorest Is Blamed On Closed Social Security Offices

VPR

New benefit awards for SSI are down nearly 30 percent during the pandemic, compared to the same period last year. Kathleen Romig, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, says the explanation for the sharp decline is simply the closed field offices.

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.

Opinion: Tax hike on employers isn’t necessary as state enjoys revenue windfall

CalMatters

Lawmakers should focus on jobs and growth, rather than pursuing a damaging and unnecessary tax hike with Assembly Bill 71.

TRANSPORTATION

Fresno council votes to suspend bus fares for FAX riders. How long will it last?

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council voted Thursday to do away with the fare charged Fresno Area Express bus riders beginning March 1 though how long the policy will last remained unclear.

California’s REAL ID deadline is back. The DMV is bracing for a surge of late applicants

Sacramento Bee

How Sacramento is trying to stop car commuters from overwhelming neighborhoods

Sacramento Bee

Twenty-five years ago, Sacramento made a pivotal decision at the urging of beleaguered residents: Cars would no longer be undisputed kings of central city streets.

A ‘low-cost’ plan for California bullet train brings $800 million in overruns, big delays

Los Angeles Times

A 65-mile section of California’s bullet train through the San Joaquin Valley that a contractor assured could be constructed much more cheaply — with radical design changes — has become another troubling and costly chapter in the high-speed rail project, a Times investigation found.

Boeing Backs Grounding Some 777 Jets After Failure During United Flight

Wall Street Journal

Boeing Co. on Sunday told airlines to stop flying its wide-body 777 aircraft equipped with a type of engine that broke apart during a flight over the weekend near Denver, as the Federal Aviation Administration said it would order immediate inspections of those jets.

WATER

Hurtado reworks bill to help Friant-Kern, but also state as a whole

Porterville Recorder

As she promised, State Senator Melissa Hurtado has reintroduced legislation that would provide fund to improve California's water infrastructure, including the Friant-Kern Canal.

Video: Delta Conveyance Project: Deep Dive Videos

California Department of Water Resources

In this episode, DWR Senior Attorney Chris Martin explains the funding mechanisms that support the Delta Conveyance Project.

“Xtra”

Bethany Clough: It’s official: A longtime Fresno beer maker is taking over a prime Brewery District spot

Fresno Bee

It’s official: Full Circle Brewing Co. is going to open a location in the heart of Fresno’s Brewery District. The longtime local brewer has signed a lease and is taking over the former Zack’s Brewing Co. at 712 Fulton St., across the street from Modernist cocktail bar.