Maddy Institute – February 3, 2021

03Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

What does the state’s new plan for COVID vaccinations mean for Stanislaus County?

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County officials are wary of a new state strategy for COVID-19 vaccine distribution in California and how it could change deployment of vaccines needed to battle the pandemic.

● Merced County records 444 new coronavirus cases, 4 deaths over the weekend Merced Sun-Star

Sue Zwahlen set to be Modesto’s next mayor as opponent Doug Ridenour concedes

Modesto Bee

Former city schools board member Sue Zwahlen is poised to become Modesto’s next mayor. She had a commanding lead Tuesday over former City Councilman Doug Ridenour in the runoff election for mayor.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Fresno COVID cases continue to rise as vaccination rate staggers Fresno Bee

● On day hospitalizations go down in most counties, Fresno goes up Fresno Bee

● Number of Fresno County deaths down, but 7-day average continues to rise Fresno Bee

● Thousands of drugstores will be able to give COVID-19 vaccines next week, White House says Fresno Bee

● 1 million vaccine doses going out directly to pharmacies next week abc30

● Some CVS Pharmacies across CA, including Clovis, to offer COVID-19 vaccines abc30

● Clovis included in CVS vaccination plan next week Business Journal

● Cases Trending Down Clovis Roundup

● Metrics improve, deaths still high, concern over mutated variants Porterville Recorder

● Valley’s First Farmworkers Get Vaccinated VPR

● After ‘major’ COVID-19 outbreak, Foster Farms begins vaccinating workers in Fresno Fresno Bee

Hundreds of residents receive COVID-19 vaccine at drive-thru event

Hanford Sentinel

Aria Community Health Center, West Hills College Lemoore and the Kings County Department of Public Health partnered on Saturday to host a drive-thru public vaccination event.

See also:

● County to stick with policy to administer 2nd doses Porterville Recorder

● California’s early vaccine rollout was chaotic and filled with problems. Here’s what went wrong Los Angeles Times

● California needs more COVID-19 vaccine, but areas like L.A. are actually getting less Los Angeles Times

● Covid-19 Vaccine Supply to States to Rise Again, Biden Administration Says Wall Street Journal

● What’s the hold up? Why more vaccines haven’t been administered Brookings

Fresno ranks 2nd among U.S. cities in fastest rise in rent prices

abc30

Rent prices in Fresno continue to rise in the new year. With the first full month of 2021 data in the books, Fresno saw an increase of 1.2% over last month's rental rates.

Fresno-area school trustee who attended Capitol insurrection won’t be censured. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

Despite public outcry, the Sierra Unified School District board on Monday declined to censure one of its newest members who filmed himself at the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6.

Hanford Council to discuss claim against city, Brieno

Hanford Sentinel

During a closed session meeting on Tuesday, the Hanford City Council is scheduled to discuss a claim received against the city. According to the city staff report, Community Development Director Darlene Mata filed a claim against the city of Hanford on Jan. 6 for statements made by then-councilmember Art Brieno.

Vulgar emails to Rep. Devin Nunes’ wife triggered criminal investigation, documents show

Fresno Bee

The criminal case against a Southern California man accused of harassing Rep. Devin Nunes’ wife centers on two vulgar emails she received a year ago at her work email address, according to law enforcement records obtained by McClatchy.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern County Public Health reports 2 new coronavirus deaths, 527 new cases Tuesday Bakersfield Californian

● CVS to begin administering COVID-19 vaccine Bakersfield Californian

Kern County Public Health appoints new assistant director, director of Environmental Health division

KGET
Kern County Public Health has announced the appointment of two new directors. The department said Amy Rutledge is assuming the position of assistant director of the department after the previous assistant director, Brynn Carrigan, was recently appointed to the director position being vacated by Matt Constantine.

New cleanup teams aim to turn the tide on Bakersfield's accumulation of litter, assist homeless with work opportunities

Bakersfield Californian

Through a new contract with the Bakersfield Homeless Center and California Highway Adoption Company, the city is deploying six teams who will clean up common hot spot areas around town and quickly respond to citizen complaints.

Regional planning survey looks into 'granny flat' preferences

Bakersfield Californian

Accessory dwelling units — ADUs, the backyard "mother-in-law quarters" and "granny flats" of old — are coming back into the local spotlight, this time because of what they might mean for Kern County's future transportation needs.

McCarthy receives criticism over post that portrays teachers on vacation

Bakersfield Californian

McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, shared the cartoon in a blog titled "Three Reasons to Open Schools Now" last Monday, but the House minority leader began to receive backlash from his own constituents when he posted the blog to Facebook on Thursday.

● Opinion: House Republican Reckoning Wall Street Journal

State:

California COVID-19 metrics drop across the board, but will there be another surge?

abc30

Tuesday's California coronavirus press conference started on a positive note: case numbers, hospitalizations and other key metrics dropping across the board.

● California’s outdoor dining ban was controversial. Did it help slow the COVID-19 surge? Los Angeles Times

In California, effort to recall Governor Newsom gains steam amid frustration over COVID-19

Visalia Times Delta

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom was already disliked by pockets of the state, especially in rural conservative areas, for his liberal policies on topics from immigration to guns. But the pandemic — and the state's response — has pushed discontent to a new level.

● Gavin Newsom’s approval rating tanks as California recall looms Sacramento Bee

● Who is Chamath Palihapitiya, the former Facebook executive donating to Newsom’s recall? Sacramento Bee

● Poll: Newsom approval plummeting; a third of voters support recall amid COVID-19 criticism Los Angeles Times

● New polling suggests frustration with Gov. Newsom amid mounting recall effort Mercury News

● Two job performance polls give Gavin Newsom bad news…and worse news CalMatters

● What Approval Ratings Say about Recalling Governor Newsom Public Policy Institute of California

● Walters: Two polls differ sharply on Newsom CalMatters

‘Major, major problem.’ California failing to track workplace COVID infections, deaths

Sacramento Bee

A year after the first COVID-19 case hit California, the state agency in charge of policing warehouses, offices, factories and other workplaces is woefully understaffed and significantly undercounting the number of employees who have fallen seriously ill or died as a result of the coronavirus.

Californians with disabilities are outraged over vaccine de-prioritization

Los Angeles Times

In response, Newsom abruptly reversed course on Jan. 25, scrapping the tiers in favor of a purely age-based rollout. Experts say that move could be a shot in the arm for the state’s sluggish inoculation program. But for disabled and chronically ill Californians, the decision sparked confusion, distress and anger.

● CVS soon will start vaccinating at 100 California stores as Biden administration ramps up supply Mercury News

● Despite months to prep, why California lags on COVID vaccination CalMatters

When elephants fly: A minor California Republican exodus after U.S. Capitol riot

CalMatters

On Jan. 6, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a frenzied ploy to invalidate the presidential election. And in the weeks that followed, thousands of voters have stormed out of the California Republican Party.

California state workers earned $1.6 billion in overtime last year amid virus, wildfires

Modesto Bee

California state worker overtime pay increased sharply last year as firefighters, nurses, and unemployment benefit specialists worked extra hours to handle a series of disasters, according to new data from the State Controller’s Office.

Federal:

COVID Update:

· U.S. Reported Deaths Rise Wall Street Journal

● Biden administration to begin shipping vaccine doses directly to pharmacies Politico

● Commentary: What’s the hold up? Why more vaccines haven’t been administered Brookings

What Is 'Reconciliation'? Democrats Face Hurdles To Use It For COVID Relief

VPR
The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 along party lines on Tuesday to advance a budget resolution, setting up a lengthy push to approve $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief requested by President Biden.

● White House open to narrowing who qualifies for stimulus checks but keeping payments at $1,400 per person Washington Post

● Biden Presses Case for Large Covid Aid Package Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Can Biden Broker a Covid Compromise? Wall Street Journal

● Commentary: A deal worth trying AEI

Senate Democrats Reach Power-Sharing Deal With Republicans

Wall Street Journal

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said leaders of both parties have finalized the organizing resolution for the new Democratic-controlled Senate and plan to pass it later Wednesday.

With 28 Executive Orders Signed, President Biden Is Off To A Record Start

NPR

In his first two weeks in office, President Biden has signed nearly as many executive orders as Franklin Roosevelt signed in his entire first month. And President Roosevelt holds the record.

● How Biden Can Unify America Politico

● Opinion: Biden’s surprisingly successful first two weeks Washington Post

Impeachment Managers Argue Trump Is 'Singularly Responsible' For Capitol Attack

VPR

The House impeachment managers accuse Donald Trump of summoning a mob to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, whipping the crowd "into a frenzy" and then aiming them "like a loaded cannon" at the U.S. Capitol, thus pinning the blame for the deadly violence that ensued directly on the former president.

Gerson: Trumpism is American fascism

Washington Post

It is revealing how a political movement that claims to be dedicated to the recovery of national greatness has so readily and completely abandoned many defining national ideals. Donald Trump’s promise of American strength has involved the betrayal of American identity.

Other:

Technology Has Changed Public Engagement

Catalyst

Many cities and communities across the country are transitioning to what technology game-changers are calling a “smart city.” Smart cities or communities use technology to improve livability, workability, and sustainability.

Video: A Conversation with Leon Panetta

Public Policy Institute of California

Former secretary of defense and White House chief of staff Leon Panetta talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about federal and state efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses the role of political leadership during turbulent times.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California farmworkers say they’re treated like ‘useless trash’ during COVID pandemic

Fresno Bee

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated long-standing health disparities and financial insecurities, hindered economic mobility, and exposed vulnerabilities for the farmworker community across California, a new report released Tuesday shows.

Judge doubles down on order ensuring Foster Farms poultry workers protected from COVID

Merced Sun-Star

A Merced County Superior Court judge has reinforced an order requiring Foster Farms in Livingston to protect its poultry workers from becoming infected with COVID-19.

Retail cannabis is coming to Fresno. Will there be a shop in your part of town?

Fresno Bee

Fresno is making moves to legitimize legal weed in 2021. The city is in the second phase of its process to license the manufacture and sale of cannabis in Fresno, and is expected to begin interviews with potential businesses in March.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California union freezes assets of its largest chapter after embezzlement allegation

Sacramento Bee

California’s powerful state correctional officers union froze the assets of its largest chapter two months ago, stripping authority from a woman who has accused union officers of embezzling money, according to documents obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

Sexual Assault Survivors In California Could Track Their Rape Kit Online Under New Bill

Capital Public Radio

Survivors of sexual assault would be able to electronically track the status of their rape kit — from hospital to crime lab — under a bill at the California Legislature.

Public Safety:

CA prisons ignored COVID warnings signs, sparking 'health disaster' that led to 28 deaths: Report

abc30

California prison officials wanted to shield inmates from the coronavirus at one facility by transferring them to another but instead unleashed a "public health disaster" that led to thousands of prisoners being infected and 28 dying, along with a correctional officer...

New Rule Requires Masks for All at Yosemite, Other National Parks

GV Wire

The National Park Service announced Tuesday that it will require all employees, visitors, partners and contractors to wear masks across all parks and federal buildings.

Fire:

California was slammed for using inmates to fight wildfires. Now it’s looking elsewhere

Sacramento Bee

California is running short of inmates who have for decades fought the state’s wildfires, as the state braces for the possibility of yet another drought and a summer of catastrophic infernos. So it may go on a firefighter hiring spree this year.

Wildfire smoke may carry ‘mind-bending’ amounts of fungi and bacteria, scientists say

Los Angeles Times

When wildfires roar through a forest and bulldozers dig into the earth to stop advancing flames, they may be churning more into the air than just clouds of dust and smoke, scientists say.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Fresno EOC Strategic Planning

Fresno EOC

A Strategic Plan identifies where the organization wants to be at some point in the future and how it is going to get there.

Modesto considers helping restaurants by capping fees from delivery apps like Grubhub

Modesto Bee

Modesto will consider capping the fees that Grubhub, DoorDash and other food delivery services charge restaurants to help them survive in the pandemic. The fee cap is something other cities across the nation have done.

Biden Wants a $15 Minimum Wage. Here’s What People Say It Would Do to the Economy.

Wall Street Journal

President Biden says his proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour will lift many low-wage workers out of poverty, but some businesses and economists warn it could cost jobs as the U.S. recovers from pandemic layoffs.

Opinion: The Risks of Too Much ‘Stimulus’

Wall Street Journal

Even among economists who strongly support President Biden, a consensus is growing that the economy emerged from last year set for a robust recovery.

Web Event: Coping with COVID-19 in emerging market economies

AEI

This event examines the appropriate monetary, budget, and structural reform policies for these economies to survive this difficult post-pandemic economic situation and establish the foundation for strong and sustainable future economic growth.

Jobs:

How unemployed Californians launched new careers in a pandemic with 9 weeks of training

Modesto Bee

Unemployment helped Rey Justo achieve his dream. In April, Justo lost his job working as an appliance installer making $20 an hour, the highest paying work he has ever had. By fall, he and his family of six were living between a Honda Pilot and his in-law’s living room.

California state worker pay database updated with 2020 wages, overtime

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature reduced most state workers’ pay halfway through the year, when projections showed a budget deficit of $54 billion due to anticipated economic effects of the coronavirus.

Amazon will pay $61.7 million to delivery drivers after withholding tips

Los Angeles Times

Amazon will pay more than $61.7 million to Flex drivers from whom it withheld the full amount of customer tips to settle a Federal Trade Commission investigation.

‘The $2 is insulting’: Retail workers fight for more pay amid coronavirus crisis

Los Angeles Times

As Californians hunker down per state and local “stay at home” orders to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, many retail workers continue to report to their jobs — assuming personal risk to perform roles now seen as vital to public health and maintaining a sense of normalcy.

See also:

● Oakland approves hazard pay for supermarket workers San Francisco Chronicle

Biden needs to create an infrastructure talent pipeline, not just more jobs

Brookings

Any federal infrastructure action should look toward empowering this workforce by hiring, training, and retaining more workers as part of an infrastructure talent pipeline.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Clovis Unified COVID-19 Dashboard

CUSD

All Clovis Unified schools are operating for in-person and online instruction with multiple health and safety measures in place to prevent the spread of illness. One element of our expansive School Reopening Plan and COVID 19 Prevention Plan includes thorough contact tracing in the event of a confirmed positive case reported to our schools.

Many Visalia students are failing. How will VUSD accurately determine learning loss?

Visalia Times Delta

Many Tulare County school districts started this fall without a full understanding of their students' learning progress after the federal government waived annual standardized testing last spring due to COVID-19.

Why Stanislaus school districts are, or aren’t, pursuing Newsom’s COVID-19 money offer

Modesto Bee

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

Pressure builds on schools to reopen during pandemic

Bakersfield Californian

Pressure is building on school systems around the U.S. to reopen classrooms to students who have been learning online for nearly a year, pitting politicians against teachers who have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

● Editorial: Where’s Biden on Opening Schools? Wall Street Journal

California schools consider extending next school year while mental health remains a concern

EdSource

As Covid-19 infection rates continue to delay the reopening of many schools across California, some education leaders have floated the idea of extending the school year to address learning loss among students at risk of falling behind.

Higher Ed:

California college savings program offers free money for signing up. See if you qualify

Sacramento Bee

A California college saving program is offering eligible families up to $225 if they open an account and contribute regularly.

The Fight Against Covid -19 Continues

California State University

When COVID-19 brought the U.S. to a standstill in March 2020, faculty, staff and students across all 23 CSU campuses stepped up to combat the virus. Almost a year later, the pandemic is still very much a reality, and CSU faculty and students from across disciplines continue to do what they can to help.

Higher Ed’s 7 Deadly Sins

Inside Higher Ed

Over a decade ago, Times Higher Education published an amusing essay on the academy’s seven deadly sins. These sins, which are certainly not confined to the academy, included sloth (or, in its academic equivalent, procrastination), avarice, malice and pride.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Fresno just hit a record high temp. So is that rain storm still coming this week?

Fresno Bee

After kicking off February with a day of record-tying warmth, the National Weather Service says the storm front moving across California on Tuesday and Wednesday will not hit the central San Joaquin Valley as hard as originally predicted.

Federal Scientists Confirm Virtual Tie For Hottest Year On Record

VPR

Federal scientists have confirmed that 2020 basically tied with 2016 for the hottest year recorded since 1880. The Earth is about 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer today than it was in the mid-20th century.

For Biden, protecting the environment means filling vacant science jobs

Los Angeles Times

Polluting factories go uninspected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Leadership positions sit vacant at the U.S. Geological Survey’s climate science centers. And U.S. Department of Agriculture research into environmental issues important to farmers is unfinished.

Energy:

Oil Companies Endure Brutal 2020, Warn of Slow 2021 Recovery

Wall Street Journal

The big international oil companies are reporting one of their worst annual performances in decades and signaling that the pandemic could continue to challenge their businesses in 2021.

Editorial: California needs to spend big now to make its zero-emission-car future a reality

Los Angeles Times

If California is going to live up to its clean-car ambitions, the state has to dramatically increase the sales of electric vehicles and the installation of charging stations. Starting now.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

California COVID-19 metrics drop across the board, but will there be another surge?

abc30

Tuesday's California coronavirus press conference started on a positive note: case numbers, hospitalizations and other key metrics dropping across the board.

● On day hospitalizations go down in most counties, Fresno goes up Fresno Bee

● Number of Fresno County deaths down, but 7-day average continues to rise Fresno Bee

● Cases Trending Down Clovis Roundup

● Metrics improve, deaths still high, concern over mutated variants Porterville Recorder

● Kern County Public Health reports 2 new coronavirus deaths, 527 new cases Tuesday Bakersfield Californian

● Merced County records 444 new coronavirus cases, 4 deaths over the weekend Merced Sun-Star

● More deaths in Stanislaus; Turlock vaccination site open Modesto Bee

● U.S. Reported Deaths Rise Wall Street Journal

California officials warn against potential COVID surge from Super Bowl, Lunar New Year

Modesto Bee

Coronavirus cases are on the decline in California, but officials say residents shouldn’t let their guard down just yet. The state reported a 14-day average positivity rate of 7.2% on Tuesday, down significantly from 11% two weeks ago.

More experts now recommend medical masks. Good ones are hard to find.

Washington Post

The spread of coronavirus variants in the United States has prompted some public health experts to recommend doubling up face coverings or donning medical-grade masks.

Human Services:

Biden administration urges people in the country illegally to get a COVID vaccine

Fresno Bee

President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday encouraged people living in the country illegally to get the coronavirus vaccine when it’s available to them and that it will not hold enforcement activities at vaccination sites.

After ‘major’ COVID-19 outbreak, Foster Farms begins vaccinating workers in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Foster Farms launched the first large scale effort to vaccinate employees at a major food processing facility in Fresno County on Tuesday at their South Cherry Avenue plant.

Some CVS Pharmacies across CA, including Clovis, to offer COVID-19 vaccines

abc30

CVS Pharmacies will soon begin offering COVID-19 vaccines throughout California, the company announced on Tuesday. One-hundred of company's pharmacies, including locations in Clovis, will administer approximately 81,900 doses starting on Thursday, February 11. You'll be able to book an appointment as early as February 9.

● 1 million vaccine doses going out directly to pharmacies next week abc30

● Clovis included in CVS vaccination plan next week Business Journal

● CVS to begin administering COVID-19 vaccine Bakersfield Californian

● CVS soon will start vaccinating at 100 California stores as Biden administration ramps up supply Mercury News

● Despite months to prep, why California lags on COVID vaccination CalMatters

● Biden administration to begin shipping vaccine doses directly to pharmacies Politico

● Commentary: What’s the hold up? Why more vaccines haven’t been administered Brookings

Hundreds of residents receive COVID-19 vaccine at drive-thru event

Hanford Sentinel

Aria Community Health Center, West Hills College Lemoore and the Kings County Department of Public Health partnered on Saturday to host a drive-thru public vaccination event.

See also:

● County to stick with policy to administer 2nd doses Porterville Recorder

● California’s early vaccine rollout was chaotic and filled with problems. Here’s what went wrong Los Angeles Times

● California needs more COVID-19 vaccine, but areas like L.A. are actually getting less Los Angeles Times

● Covid-19 Vaccine Supply to States to Rise Again, Biden Administration Says Wall Street Journal

● What’s the hold up? Why more vaccines haven’t been administered Brookings

Valley’s First Farmworkers Get Vaccinated

VPR
In another milestone this week, Fresno County began vaccinating the Valley’s first farm workers against the virus, through a program that aims to inoculate 3,000 of the laborers in the next few weeks.

‘Major, major problem.’ California failing to track workplace COVID infections, deaths

Sacramento Bee

Californians with disabilities are outraged over vaccine de-prioritization

Los Angeles Times

‘I was just bawling in my PPE’: Surge fades, but anguish remains for healthcare workers

Los Angeles Times

Many worry that doctors and nurses will burn out or retire early and that the experience, unprecedented in length and scope, will trigger high rates of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that will outlast the pandemic.

These States Found the Secret to COVID-19 Vaccination Success

PEW

Most states’ vaccine distributions have been slow, confusing and erratic, with balky signup websites, arbitrary changes in eligibility and frequent mismatches between supply and demand. But a few states with smaller populations have fared better.

Live updates: AstraZeneca vaccine shows strong effect against coronavirus with just one dose

Washington Post

Researchers at Oxford University released new results from their vaccine, which is being manufactured by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca, showing it gives 76 percent protection for three months after just one dose.

Vaccine Skeptics Join Forces With Antimask Advocates

Wall Street Journal

Antivaccine activists have expanded their reach by joining forces with antimask advocates and others dedicated to what they call “health freedom,” a sign of mistrust in government that is complicating efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Wealthy Are Getting More Vaccinations, Even in Poorer Neighborhoods

New York Times

Officials acknowledge that the coveted shots are disproportionately going to white people and that planners’ efforts to course-correct are having limited effect.

IMMIGRATION

Biden's immigration moves show limits as Congress waits

Bakersfield Californian

With a second wave of splashy announcements to undo his predecessor’s immigration policies, President Joe Biden showed where he sees perils and limitations.

Biden Signs 3 Immigration Executive Orders. Activists Want More

VPR
President Biden signed three executive orders on Tuesday that he said would lead to a more "fair, orderly, humane" immigration system, including one that would begin the difficult process of reuniting migrant children separated from their parents after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

● Biden orders call for sweeping review of immigration system Roll Call

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Yosemite National Park Is Open Again After Wild Weather Forced It To Close

VPR

Yosemite National Park is still cleaning up after extreme winds blew down 15 giant sequoias. Heavy snowfall blocked roads and downed more trees, forcing the park to close for almost two weeks.

See also:

● Yosemite reopens after 15 giant sequoia topple Visalia Times Delta

Housing:

Fresno ranks 2nd among U.S. cities in fastest rise in rent prices

abc30

Rent prices in Fresno continue to rise in the new year. With the first full month of 2021 data in the books, Fresno saw an increase of 1.2% over last month's rental rates.

Regional planning survey looks into 'granny flat' preferences

Bakersfield Californian

More people leaving California than moving in: Is the California Dream dead?

abc30

California has experienced more than a century of rapid growth, spurred by the Gold Rush and industrial booms in farming, oil drilling, entertainment, aerospace and big tech. But in recent decades, this growth has slowed more than ever, and more people are now leaving the Golden State than those coming in.

Walters: Housing crisis hasn’t gone away

CalMatters

Despite declining population growth, California had for years been falling short of building enough housing to meet demand, especially from low- and moderate-income families.

AEI housing market indicators

AEI

The American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center released its monthly update to the AEI Housing Market Indicators on February 1, 2021...The AEI Housing Market Indicators provide accurate and timely metrics for the housing market.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California parents would get big tax breaks under Biden’s COVID economic relief plan

Modesto Bee

Chances are California parents will soon get more tax breaks that will probably be worth thousands of dollars. President Joe Biden is proposing big one-year increases in both the credit for child care, which allows breaks for the cost of such care, and the Child Tax Credit, which allows qualifying parents to reduce their tax bill for each child.

California’s pot of unclaimed property tops $10 billion. Check if the state has your money

Sacramento Bee

This week marked National Unclaimed Property Day, and the California State Controller’s Office would like to remind you that the state has more than $10.2 billion in property waiting to be retrieved by its rightful owners.

73% of Biden's proposed stimulus checks would go to savings

The Hill

Seventy-three percent of the funds that would be provided to Americans under President Biden’s proposal for $1,400 stimulus payments would be directed to household savings, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Penn-Wharton Budget Model (PWBM).

State and local government budgets are in better shape than expected

AEI

The release of a new overview of the economic outlook this week by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides us with an opportunity to update our estimates of state and local government revenue shortfalls and funding needs.

TRANSPORTATION

Alaska Airlines $50 ticket sale is first in Fresno since Southwest set plans to join field

Fresno Bee

Alaska Airlines announced a short-term price cut Tuesday for its flights from Fresno to Los Angeles and San Diego, with tickets available for $49 each way for tickets purchased by Thursday night.

With Trump gone, auto industry now backing California tailpipe emission standards

Modesto Bee

The world’s automakers say they’ll cooperate with California officials and President Joe Biden on greenhouse gas emissions, ending a nasty dispute with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration over the regulatory framework for combating climate change.

State Lifts Suspensions Of Half A Million Driver’s Licenses

Capital Public Radio

More than 400,000 Californians had their driver’s licenses reinstated last month after an appeals court ruled that the state was illegally penalizing people who failed to appear in court on costly traffic tickets.

Pete Buttigieg may not know this yet: Rail transportation funding is a racial equity issue.

Washington Post

Last week, a Senate committee approved Pete Buttigieg’s nomination to head the Transportation Department. In his confirmation hearing, Buttigieg stressed that the federal government can use transportation funds to bolster both economic and racial equity.

Opinion: Saving transit in California is key to an equitable recovery

CalMatters

California transit agencies need immediate assistance from the federal and state government to overcome today’s challenges from COVID-19.

WATER

Valley groundwater may get (small) slice of state’s $15 billion surplus

SJV Water

The Governor’s proposal for how to spend California’s $15 billion surplus includes $60 million in direct grants to help replenish groundwater in the valley’s most depleted basins.

California Dept of Water Resources on Water Year 2021: How Are We Doing?

Sierra Sun Times

We are now past the halfway mark in California’s normally wettest winter months, and the wet season to date has been anything but. Most of the state has received less than half of its average annual precipitation to date.

Commentary: Partnerships and the voluntary agreements

CalMatters

We agree with this commentary. And while the author focuses on regional partnerships, it is local cooperation that is the first building block in making these regional efforts possible.

“Xtra”

Virtual Black History Parade seeks entries

Bakersfield Californian

The annual Black History Parade will be virtual this year, and organizers are encouraging people to submit entries now for what it describes as a "historic activity."