Maddy Institute – February 5, 2021

05Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

In California, a Warming Climate Will Help a Voracious Pest—and Hurt the State’s Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios (Focus on the Valley Agriculture)

Inside Climate News

The navel orangeworm costs the state’s nut growers millions of dollars each year. And warmer growing seasons will give the insects time to do even more damage.

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Stanislaus hospital cases rise for first time in 10 days Modesto Bee

Did Modesto-area mayor use power of his office to evict renter as lawsuit claims?

Modesto Bee

A renter is suing Escalon Mayor Ed Alves, alleging Alves tried to illegally evict him and used the influence of his elected position, bringing police to the property, saying he came to the house on city business and threatening to detain him.

Modesto To Impose 15% Cap On Food Delivery Charges

Capital Public Radio

The Modesto City Council has enacted a measure that imposes a 15% cap on the amount food delivery services can charge customers and or restaurants during the pandemic. Because it's an urgency ordinance the cap goes into effect immediately.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno County cases, hospitalizations fall back in line with state trends

Fresno Bee

One day after the number of COVID-19 patients in Fresno County intensive care units shot up, it dropped again on Wednesday to its lowest in almost two months.

● COVID-19 update: 13 more deaths in Tulare County Porterville Recorder

Fresno healthcare facility now providing COVID-19 vaccinations to residents 65 and older

Fresno Bee

WelbeHealth in Fresno, in partnership with the Fresno County Department of Public Health, began giving COVID-19 vaccinations to qualifying residents ages 65 and older for free.

Editorial: Gov. Newsom, you promised not to forget Fresno. So give us more COVID vaccines

Fresno Bee

Fresno County got a difficult diagnosis this week related to overcoming the COVID pandemic. State officials have notified Fresno County public health leaders that in coming weeks, the county can expect no more than 8,000 doses per week of the vaccinations needed to safeguard residents from COVID infections.

● 'We have been ignored': Local leaders say Valley deserves more resources to fight COVID-19 abc30

Experimental COVID drug President Trump took is in Fresno. Why don’t more doctors use it?

Fresno Bee

Fresno County health officials are encouraging local doctors to use a pair of drugs with emergency approval from federal regulators as a treatment to keep high-risk coronavirus patients from having to be hospitalized for more serious care.

Does Fresno jail lead nation in COVID cases? Sheriff challenges New York Times on data

Fresno Bee

A report in the New York Times that named Fresno County as the nation’s leader in jail coronavirus cases has prompted Fresno County Sheriff’s officials to fire back, pointing out the great majority of the nation’s correctional facilities are missing from the data.

Comcast boosts internet speed for low-income Fresno homes. But will it help students?

Fresno Bee

Fresno families that rely on a special Comcast program for low-cost internet received some good news this week when the company said it would double broadband speeds.

Devin Nunes drops Twitter from second lawsuit over critical social media posts

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes last week dropped Twitter from the second lawsuit he filed against the company, ending the social media giant’s role in a case over what the California Republican regarded as online harassment.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern County Public Health reports 9 new coronavirus deaths, 439 new cases Thursday Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield City Council repeals ordinances allowing urban hens

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council voted Wednesday to rescind a series of ordinances that allowed urban hens to be raised in most single-family homes. In a 4-3 vote, with Councilmembers Eric Arias, Andre Gonzales and Bob Smith dissenting, the council flipped the position it held just last September, when the issue was first approved by the City Council.

Hodels weigh possibilities including affordable housing at banquet-hall lot listed for sale

Bakersfield Californian

When members of the Hodel family say they're "going fishing" by putting up a for-sale sign on the northern 2.99 acres of their Knudsen Drive campus, they mean just that.

Fairfax school board reapproves legal contract during raucous meeting

Bakersfield Californian

The Fairfax School Board revisited its controversial legal contract with Fagen, Friedman & Fulcrost LLP in a special board meeting Wednesday night. A 3-2 majority again approved a contract with the educational law firm, and the majority not only blocked discussion of the issue but chastised the dissenting minority for asking questions.

Michael Gerson: Kevin McCarthy is now our most disgraceful political leader

Washington Post

On the morning of Feb. 3, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) sat in the Capitol Rotunda for a service honoring fallen U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died during the Jan. 6 attack by domestic terrorists. On the evening of Feb. 3, McCarthy asserted that the big tent of the Republican Party should include those who have advocated political violence.

● Congress debates rebuke of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Bakersfield Californian

● Bipartisan House majority votes to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments Los Angeles Times

● House votes to strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of committee assignments Roll Call

● Republicans worry their big tent will mean big problems in 2022 elections Washington Post

● Marjorie Taylor Greene Removed From Committees by House Vote Wall Street Journal

● House Votes to Eject Marjorie Taylor Greene From Committees New York Times

State:

Amid Rocky Vaccination Rollout, California Set To Receive 1 Million Additional Doses

Capital Public Radio

California will receive an additional 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government this week as the state's rocky rollout to inoculate millions continues to draw criticism from residents and officials.

● California Coronavirus Map and Case Count New York Times

● Jockeying over who gets COVID vaccine next: Teachers? Workers? The disabled? The sick? Los Angeles Times

● COVID advisory panel rejects higher vaccine priority for disabled Californians and those with chronic conditions CalMatters

● Covid-19 Vaccine Shortage Sparks Fights Over Who Should Get First Shots Wall Street Journal

● Covid-19 Vaccine and Seniors: What It Is Like for Older Adults Getting Their Shots Wall Street Journal

Environmental turnaround - 8 issues that will pivot in California's favor under Biden

San Francisco Chronicle

As wildfires, heat waves, water scarcity and threats to wildlife intensify in the West, California’s effort to confront these environmental crises now has support in Washington, a stark change from the past four years.

California Republicans who contested election results would be banned from Assembly under bill

Fresno Bee

Members of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election could be banned from the California Assembly floor under a new bill introduced Thursday by Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-Marin County.

California Supreme Court rejects lawsuit challenging rideshare vote

abc30

The California Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit Wednesday that sought to overturn a ballot measure that kept app-based ride-hailing and delivery drivers independent contractors instead of employees eligible for benefits and job protections.

Schiff in mix as Newsom deliberates on next California AG

Business Journal

The public and private jockeying to be California’s next attorney general is intensifying as Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he’s “very close” to making a decision on who he will name to the coveted job.

California lawmaker wants state to spend millions to revive tourism industry after pandemic

Sacramento Bee

California State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, has introduced a bill that would allocate $45 million toward a “Calling All Californians” advertising campaign encouraging in-state travel once the California Department of Public Health has cleared the way.

Can You Handle The Truth?: Fact Checking False Claims On Newsom Recall Campaign, Pelosi’s Tesla Stock Purchase

Capital Public Radio

The campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom this week shared the false claim that Facebook tried to “shut down” the recall effort. PolitiFact California reporter Chris Nichols spoke with CapRadio anchor Mike Hagerty about it in this week’s Can You Handle The Truth segment.

Big Trump donors converge on Newsom recall

Politico

Big Republican donors — including some prominent backers of former President Donald Trump — are zeroing in on a new target as they dig out from the wreckage of the 2020 election: California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

● Dissecting Dueling IGS & PPIC Polls on Prince Gavin Calbuzz

Commentary: Gov. Newsom’s unlikely foe: teacher unions

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom best keep his back to the wall as proliferating critics unsheathe their knives. Parents litigating to unlock classrooms, die-hard Trumpians stirring a recall campaign.

Federal:

COVID Update:

US virus deaths surpass 450K; daily toll is stubbornly high Bakersfield Californian

· New U.S. Cases Edge Down but Deaths Spike on Backlog Wall Street Journal

Democrats might use ‘reconciliation’ to pass Biden’s pandemic relief package. What’s reconciliation?

Washington Post

With Biden’s consent, congressional Democrats are turning to a procedural shortcut known as “reconciliation,” a budget tool that would prevent Senate Republicans from filibustering and blocking the Democrats’ plan from a floor vote.

● Senate Moves Forward With Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Covid-19 Relief Plan Wall Street Journal

● The Biden Administration’s Elusive Stimulus Goal: Full Employment Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: The Biden stimulus is admirably ambitious. But it brings some big risks, too. Washington Post

Things to Know: Catholic Church got $1.5 Billion in US virus relief

Fresno Bee

An Associated Press investigation has found that scores of Roman Catholic dioceses in the U.S. had more than $10 billion in cash and other readily available funds when they received at least $1.5 billion from the federal government’s small business emergency relief program.

43% of Men Believe There Was Widespread Voter Fraud in Election, Compared to 29% of Women: Poll

Newsweek

Nearly half of American men believe that widespread voter fraud affected the 2020 presidential election according to the results of a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

House Dems ask former President Trump to testify under oath in Senate impeachment trial

abc30

House Democrats on Thursday asked Donald Trump to testify under oath for his Senate impeachment trial, challenging the former president to respond to their charge that he incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. In a response, a Trump adviser said Trump won't testify.

● House invitation to Trump adds wrinkle to impeachment drama Roll Call

● Trump Dismisses House Impeachment Managers’ Request That He Testify Wall Street Journal

How the Trump administration pardon process broke down in favor of the rich and well-connected

Washington Post

In all, Trump granted 237 pardons and commutations, according to the Justice Department, the majority of which he issued in a frantic final session with White House lawyers during his last night as president.

Republicans Respond to Black Lives Matter with Anti-Protest Bills

PEW
Now Republican legislators in Florida and 21 other states are considering tough new penalties for protesters who break laws. As in Florida, some of the bills also would prevent localities from cutting police budgets and give some legal protection to people who injure protesters.

Other:

Voting-Machine Company Smartmatic Sues Fox News Over Election Claims

Wall Street Journal

Voting-machine company Smartmatic USA Corp. sued Fox Corp.’s Fox News, seeking $2.7 billion in damages for what it alleges were defamatory on-air comments about the company’s products in the aftermath of the presidential election.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

In California, a Warming Climate Will Help a Voracious Pest—and Hurt the State’s Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios (Focus on the Valley)

Inside Climate News

The navel orangeworm costs the state’s nut growers millions of dollars each year. And warmer growing seasons will give the insects time to do even more damage.

Latest storm gives some relief to farmers

Madera Tribune

Although some in the agriculture industry were upset they had to move some of their citrus harvest back a week or two, many were ecstatic to see the three-day storm last week that pelted Madera County.

Why Gov. Newsom wants to invest nearly $90 million in Turlock livestock lab

Modesto Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked for $88.6 million to build a livestock health lab in Turlock much better than the one already there. Backers say the project would help assure safe food for humans while containing diseases in poultry, cattle, swine, horses and other livestock.

Toxic Heavy Metals Found in Some Baby Food, Congressional Report Says

Wall Street Journal

A congressional investigation found high levels of toxic metals in several top baby food brands and called on federal regulators to set stricter standards on the food manufacturers.

Opinion: Biden is setting a dangerous precedent

AEI
President Joe Biden’s recent executive order to expand food assistance to U.S. households, while well-intentioned, represents a substantial overreach of the executive branch and a blatant attempt to override the intent of Congress.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

McKinsey agrees to pay nearly $600M over opioid crisis

Bakersfield Californian

The global consulting firm McKinsey & Company agreed to pay nearly $600 million for its role in advising businesses on how to sell more prescription opioid painkillers amid a nationwide overdose crisis.

Arrested in Capitol Riot: Organized Militants and a Horde of Radicals

New York Times

At least 21 of those charged so far had ties to militant groups and militias, according to court documents and other records. At least 22 said they were current or former members of the military.

Public Safety:

Does Fresno jail lead nation in COVID cases? Sheriff challenges New York Times on data

Fresno Bee

California issues largest COVID-19 penalty to San Quentin State Prison after deadly outbreak

Fresno Bee

The prison faces a $421,880 fine stemming from a June inspection by regulators from Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA.

Hanford OKs Park Resource Officer pilot program

Hanford Sentinel

In an effort to increase safety at parks throughout the city, the city of Hanford decided to move forward on a first-of-its-kind program.

Fire:

California Looking To Spend Millions On More Fire Crews

KABC
California is in desperate need of more firefighters. After reliance on firefighting inmates fell through due to the ongoing pandemic, the state is looking for more long-term stability.

Some PG&E fire survivors in a race against time to get paid

San Francisco Chronicle

So about a year after the fire, Ames joined tens of thousands of other Northern California wildfire survivors in seeking compensation from PG&E Corp. through the company’s bankruptcy case.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

These state grants are available for small business owners until February 8

abc30

Small business owners have a second chance to get grant money from the state if the pandemic has impacted them...Business owners can apply now at CAReliefGrant.com. Lendistry is overseeing the process.

Modesto To Impose 15% Cap On Food Delivery Charges

Capital Public Radio

Fresno barbershop owner says businesses like his need protection from COVID lawsuits

Fresno Bee

After settling in California and saving my resources for years, I opened up my dream business. I wanted to create a space for families and adults to network and socialize, something more than just a barbershop or a tap house, a home.

Commentary: It’s time to reform AB 5 to help California’s business climate

CalMatters

As California inches toward progress on COVID-19 vaccinations, we must face overlapping challenges of an unprecedented health crisis and an economic crisis. At the top of the list of issues we must deal with: California’s business climate; it is one of the worst in the country.

Jobs:

California prison employees file lawsuit demanding hazard pay during COVID pandemic

Fresno Bee

Correctional officers at a California federal prison are suing the federal government in a bid to force their employer to pay them hazard pay for working during the pandemic.

How EDD and Bank of America make millions on California unemployment

CalMatters

State records obtained by CalMatters show that the employment agency made $22.5 million on unemployment debit card fees as the pandemic ravaged the job market, but it failed to track how much Bank of America earned off a debit card contract during the spike in benefits.

● California lawmakers propose slate of reforms for state’s troubled unemployment agency Los Angeles Times

● Reports of unemployment fraud increase as states mail out tax forms The Hill

U.S. unemployment claims fall to 779,000, but job cuts grind on

Los Angeles Times

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined to 779,000 last week, a still-historically high total that shows that a sizable number of people keep losing jobs to the COVID-19 pandemic.

● U.S. Employers Added 49,000 Jobs in January Wall Street Journal

● Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims U.S. Department of Labor

● CBO projects rapid declines in unemployment — without another $1.9 trillion in stimulus AEI

The critical role of workforce training in the labor market recovery

Brookings

The challenge of long-term unemployment for some workers, coupled with the high likelihood that some industries will see weaker labor demand for some time, requires a workforce development strategy that supports workers who will need to switch industries and occupations.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Comcast boosts internet speed for low-income Fresno homes. But will it help students?

Fresno Bee

Fresno families that rely on a special Comcast program for low-cost internet received some good news this week when the company said it would double broadband speeds.

Slatic called ‘racist’ - again - during argument at Fresno Unified schools meeting

Fresno Bee

Two Fresno Unified School District board members called comments by Trustee Terry Slatic racist at Wednesday night’s regular meeting. Board members were discussing a project that would replace a fence around Bullard High School to increase student safety and security.

More Fresno County elementary students to return to campus

abc30

Class will be back in session in person next week for thousands of Fresno County elementary school students after health officials determined county COVID case rates and healthcare system capacity are improving.

● Not everyone is happy that Fresno County schools can reopen more classrooms next week Fresno Bee

● CUSD Students K-6 Allowed to Return to Classrooms Clovis Roundup

VUSD keeps quarantining certain schools

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified School District confirmed on Thursday it quarantined a classroom at another of its elementary schools.

Stanislaus County school district to bring struggling 7th-12th graders back to campus

Modesto Bee

Starting Feb. 16, Ceres Unified School District will bring back to campuses small cohorts of those seventh- through 12th-grade students struggling most with distance learning.

Modesto students were failing under home study. How in-person learning hubs brought them back

Modesto Bee

The hubs provide these at-risk kids with a structured classroom setting in a stable cohort of no more than 14 students and two supervising paraprofessionals.

Fewer Children Are Attending School, Remotely and In Person

Wall Street Journal

More children have been absent from school this academic year than a year earlier, with attendance declining as the pandemic wears on, new research and data show.

Editorials/Opinions:

· Covid-19 Testing in Schools Bolsters Safety but Is Hard to Set Up, Studies Find Wall Street Journal

· Editorial: Start reopening California schools. Now Los Angeles Times

· Opinion: Gov. Newsom’s unlikely foe: teacher unions CalMatters

Credential testing required for California teachers would be reduced under new proposal

EdSource

California teacher candidates may be able to use coursework they have taken to satisfy their degree requirements to prove they are ready to teach, instead of taking some state tests currently required to obtain a teaching credential, according to a proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Higher Ed:

Biden officials considering executive action on student loan relief

abc30

The Biden administration is reviewing whether it can take steps to provide student debt relief through executive action, even as it continues to call on Congress to pass legislation to help borrowers and their families.

● Biden officials considering action on student debt relief Los Angeles Times

● Biden Administration Weighs Forgiving Student Debt by Executive Action Wall Street Journal

How a new $250,000 grant and program will boost entrepreneurship at CSU Stanislaus

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus State University has received a $250,000 grant to establish a mentorship program for emerging entrepreneurs that will launch in fall 2021.

Helping Community Colleges Build on Progress during the Pandemic

Public Policy Institute of California

Ongoing disruptions to California’s colleges and universities have raised concerns about whether the pandemic has made students less likely to enroll and stay in college.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

In California, a Warming Climate Will Help a Voracious Pest—and Hurt the State’s Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios (Focus on the Valley)

Inside Climate News

The navel orangeworm costs the state’s nut growers millions of dollars each year. And warmer growing seasons will give the insects time to do even more damage.

Environmental turnaround - 8 issues that will pivot in California's favor under Biden

San Francisco Chronicle

Got Climate Anxiety? These People Are Doing Something About It

New York Times

Over the past five years, according to researchers at Yale University and George Mason University, the number of Americans who are “very worried” about climate change has more than doubled, to 26 percent.

Energy:

Commentary: Development of clean energy should be linked to needs and benefits of low-income communities

CalMatters

Last August, hundreds of thousands of Californians saw their lights go out when climate change produced a record-breaking heat wave that drove peak electricity demand to unsustainable levels.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno County cases, hospitalizations fall back in line with state trends

Fresno Bee

One day after the number of COVID-19 patients in Fresno County intensive care units shot up, it dropped again on Wednesday to its lowest in almost two months.

● COVID-19 update: 13 more deaths in Tulare County Porterville Recorder

● Kern County Public Health reports 9 new coronavirus deaths, 439 new cases Thursday Bakersfield Californian

● US virus deaths surpass 450K; daily toll is stubbornly high Bakersfield Californian

● Stanislaus hospital cases rise for first time in 10 days Modesto Bee

● California Coronavirus Map and Case Count New York Times

● New U.S. Cases Edge Down but Deaths Spike on Backlog Wall Street Journal

Experimental COVID drug President Trump took is in Fresno. Why don’t more doctors use it?

Fresno Bee

In race to vaccinate, could California see another surge?

CalMatters

During some of the darkest days in the pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom offered some optimism: the winter surge of COVID-19 would be it. Liquid gold — the first batch of vaccines — was just days away.

CDC finds heightened COVID-19 risk for LGBTQ, calls for more data gathering

Fresno Bee

Gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans are more prone to have underlying health conditions that could put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study on Thursday.

COVID deaths rise by 13: Officials urge public to stay home for Super Bowl

Porterville Recorder

According to the daily report published by the Tulare County Health and Human on Wednesday, the number of overall cases in the county increased by 143 cases since Tuesday. Since March 11 there have been 45,541 total COVID-19 cases in Tulare County.

Months after contracting COVID-19, some will try anything to regain their sense of smell

Los Angeles Times

People dealing with smell dysfunction have scheduled medical appointments, joined support groups and spent months using smell kits to retrain their noses. Universities have launched studies on recovering smell after COVID-19, starting treatment trials using nasal rinses and essential oils.

Double Face Masks? N95? Protect Yourself Against New Covid-19 Variants With These Mask Upgrades

Wall Street Journal

As new, more-contagious coronavirus variants circulate, doctors say it’s important to improve the effectiveness of your mask practices—such as by “double masking” to wear two at once.

Opinion: Americans deserve a healthy dose of bipartisanship

Roll Call

Americans want their elected officials to come together and tackle the issues that matter most to them. No issue offers more opportunities for collaboration than drug pricing.

Human Services:

Fresno healthcare facility now providing COVID-19 vaccinations to residents 65 and older

Fresno Bee

WelbeHealth in Fresno, in partnership with the Fresno County Department of Public Health, began giving COVID-19 vaccinations to qualifying residents ages 65 and older for free.

● Jockeying over who gets COVID vaccine next: Teachers? Workers? The disabled? The sick? Los Angeles Times

● COVID advisory panel rejects higher vaccine priority for disabled Californians and those with chronic conditions CalMatters

● Covid-19 Vaccine Shortage Sparks Fights Over Who Should Get First Shots Wall Street Journal

● Covid-19 Vaccine and Seniors: What It Is Like for Older Adults Getting Their Shots Wall Street Journal

Editorial: Gov. Newsom, you promised not to forget Fresno. So give us more COVID vaccines

Fresno Bee

Amid Rocky Vaccination Rollout, California Set To Receive 1 Million Additional Doses

Capital Public Radio

Johnson & Johnson asks FDA to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use

Los Angeles Times

Johnson & Johnson asked U.S. drug regulators to clear its experimental COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, setting up what is likely to be a fast-moving review process that could lead to millions more doses becoming available to step up a stumbling immunization drive.

● Johnson & Johnson Asks U.S. Regulators for Emergency Approval of Its Covid-19 Vaccine Wall Street Journal

FDA Plans Speedy Review of Possible Covid-19 Boosters

Wall Street Journal

The Food and Drug Administration plans to develop speedy means of evaluating possible booster shots for Covid-19 vaccines to ensure that they will work against new variants, the agency’s acting commissioner said Thursday.

IMMIGRATION

Border Patrol Releases More Migrants Into U.S. After Mexico Stops Taking Some Back

Wall Street Journal

U.S. Border Patrol agents are increasingly releasing asylum-seeking families into the U.S. after Mexican authorities began refusing to take some families back in January, U.S. officials said.

Editorial: Rebuilding the refugee resettlement system after Trump poses a challenge for Biden

Los Angeles Times

Until immigration hard-liners began running amok in the White House four years ago. the United States stood as the global leader in accepting refugees for permanent resettlement — more than 3.4 million people since the end of the Vietnam War.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Chico Flat restoration project takes shape

Porterville Recorder

Many visitors to the Kern River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest cherish the dispersed recreation areas along the Upper Kern River as havens for free, self-contained riverside camping that, owing to their lower elevation and ease of access from Mountain 99, are generally available for use year-round.

Yosemite National Park Reopens After Devastating Wind Storm Topples Sequoias

New York Times

Yosemite National Park finally reopened on Monday, nearly two weeks after it closed in the wake of what conservationists said was the most devastating storm there in more than 20 years.

Housing:

Hodels weigh possibilities including affordable housing at banquet-hall lot listed for sale

Bakersfield Californian

When members of the Hodel family say they're "going fishing" by putting up a for-sale sign on the northern 2.99 acres of their Knudsen Drive campus, they mean just that.

This year’s homeless count was canceled. Is it time to rethink it?

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles County’s annual homeless count is a civic ritual bringing thousands of volunteers together in a common cause. It is also a reckoning with the shortcomings of all that’s been done to salve the county’s most perplexing human crisis.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Biden Plan To Expand Child Tax Credit Could Help Lift Millions Of Kids Out Of Poverty

NPR
A big part of President Biden's coronavirus relief package is focused on children. The president says he wants to expand the federal child tax credit, which gives families money for each child they have — or at least reduces their taxes.

Westly: COVID-19 pandemic provides a great opportunity for California to reform tax system

Sacramento Bee

California leads the world in innovation and unicorn companies but, unfortunately, we also lead the country in roller-coaster swings in our state budget. A soaring stock market and recent IPOs like Airbnb’s $100 billion offering last quarter have turned an expected $54 billion gap in the state’s budget into a $15 billion tax surplus.

TRANSPORTATION

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.

Editorial: Automakers supported Trump’s clean-car rollback. Biden shouldn’t bend to their wishes now

Los Angeles Times

After siding with President Trump’s reckless attempt to roll back clean-car standards and stalling the fight against climate change, a group of auto companies announced Tuesday that “in a gesture of goodwill” they would withdraw from a lawsuit challenging California’s authority to cut vehicle emissions.

WATER

California Needs More Storms, Groundwater To Avoid Prolonged Drought, Experts Say

Capital Public Radio

Northern California was walloped at the end of January by the winter’s first big storm, which poured heavy rain and loads of snow across the region. That was great for the snowpack in the Sierra, which supplies around a third of California’s water needs.

“Xtra”

Fresno County Blossom Trail opens virtually

Hanford Sentinel

With a few adjustments for COVID-19 and stormy weather making way for sunshine in the forecast later in the week, trail visitors may see orchards start to bloom in the next couple of weeks. These first blossoms signal the beginning of Fresno County’s Blossom Trail season.

Parks and Leisure offering activities for whole family

Porterville Recorder

The Porterville Parks and Leisure Department is ready to host two activity nights for the whole family. Both activities are virtual, allowing participants of all ages to join in on the fun.

Bethany Clough: Northwest Fresno lost its pizza place. Now this new pizza restaurant is coming soon

Fresno Bee

When locally owned DaVinci’s Pizza closed its restaurant at the northwest corner of Herndon and Marks avenues, the neighborhood was sad to see it go. People mourned the closure on a Facebook page dedicated to the neighborhood.