POLICY & POLITICS
Deadline FAST APPROACHING:
Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships
Due Friday, February 22nd, 2019.
North SJ Valley:
State of the Union had ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ feel, says Modesto area’s new Congressman Josh Harder
Fresno Bee
Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat from Turlock, commented on the State of the Union speech by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. It was Harder’s first such event as a member of Congress.
Merced housing prices and homeless problem: What’s the city going to do about it?
Merced Sun-Star
Housing and homelessness are two major challenges the city of Merced will face in the next two years as Mayor Mike Murphy finishes out the remainder of his time in office.
Stanislaus Consolidated reels from money, staffing problems. Oakdale wants changes
Modesto Bee
The city of Oakdale, and the rural fire district for the surrounding area, are seeking major changes in their agreements with Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District.
Central SJ Valley:
Some Fresno council members criticize Bredefeld’s ‘divisive’ tweets. He doubles down
Fresno Bee
Amid statements made by Councilman Garry Bredefeld on Twitter over the weekend about “toxic masculinity,” abortion and other issues, some members of the Fresno City Council distanced themselves from Bredefeld’s ideologies — while also supporting his right to free speech.
See Also:
● Bredefeld’s Tweetstorm reveals his true character. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing Fresno Bee
● A look at the Twitter battle Fresno councilman unleashed Fresno Bee
South SJ Valley:
Cong TJ Cox’s guest to the State of the Union was impacted by the government shutdown
Fresno Bee
Raj Kaur, Congressman TJ Cox’s guest to the State of the Union, is a breast cancer survivor who was impacted by the government shutdown. Raj is an employee at the Mendota Federal Prison and is currently on medical leave.
Dispensaries withdraw appeals after first hearing ends badly at supervisors meeting
Bakersfield Californian
After one dispensary appealing a closure date was met sternly by county supervisors, the remaining five choice to withdraw their own appeals, fearing the short amount of time they had left to remain open would be cut short.
State:
California Attorney General Vows To Sue If Trump Uses Emergency Powers To Build Wall
Capital Public Radio
Xavier Becerra argued in the Spanish language response to the president’s speech that it would be illegal for the administration to declare a national emergency to pay to build a border wall.
See Also:
● Xavier Becerra’s Spanish-language rebuttal: ‘We must fight for our agenda’ Sacramento Bee
● California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Delivers Spanish Language State Of The Union Response Capital Public Radio
● State Atty. Gen. Becerra warns legal action if Trump seeks national emergency for border wall Los Angeles Times
● Xavier Becerra tells voters after SOTU: ‘We can bring down walls and open doors’ San Francisco Chronicle
Free Speech Advocates Blast California A.G. for Refusing to Release Police Misconduct Files
KQED
A leading free speech and open government advocacy organization is blasting California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office for rejecting a request to release misconduct files about law enforcement agents that work for his department.
California will investigate whether DMV voter registration errors changed election results
Los Angeles Times
Faced with evidence that some voter registration forms weren’t properly filed by California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, state officials will now investigate whether any votes were wrongly rejected and whether the final results in any state or local races should be reconsidered.
See also:
● California probing whether DMV’s delay of voter registration applications affected election San Francisco Chronicle
CA120: Behold the real numbers of California’s 2018 election
Capitol Weekly
There are plenty of things to look at now that California counties have updated their voter files with the 2018 general election vote history. This is our first chance to see what really happened, as opposed to what people thought had happened based on the outcomes.
California Voting Rights Act survives legal challenge, but it’s not over
San Francisco Chronicle
A federal judge has rejected a challenge to the California Voting Rights Act, which has required numerous local governments to switch from at-large to district elections to empower their minority populations.
How to ensure equal access to the law in California
San Francisco Chronicle
California’s courts serve a state with nearly 40 million people, whose daily lives trigger disputes about matters ranging from child custody to housing to digital privacy.
Inside the Capitol: California News and Analysis
CALmatters
Where to find news about how the California Capitol works—the players, the policies that affect how state government affects you.
The truth about State Senate Judiciary Committee’s use of gender pronouns
Sacramento Bee
If something sounds untrue, it may very well be.
Federal:
‘War and investigation:’ What President Trump said at his 2019 State of the Union address
Fresno Bee
The White House has released President Donald Trump’s prepared remarks for his 2019 State of the Union Address.
See Also:
● Trump delivered one of the longest State of the Union addresses ever Fresno Bee
● Bucking tradition, President Trump was not introduced by Pelosi at State of the Union Fresno Bee
● Trump boosts hopes of immigration hardliners by sticking to tough talk on wall Fresno Bee
● ‘You weren’t supposed to do that,’ Trump jokes as Democratic women cheer, chant ‘USA’ Fresno Bee
● Hours after McConnell, Senate tell Trump to slow Syria exit, president disagrees Fresno Bee
● In SOTU address, Trump calls for end of resistance politics Fresno Bee
● Women in white: Democrats draw contrast at Trump’s address Fresno Bee
● Abrams blasts Trump in Democratic State of the Union response Fresno Bee
● Trump calls for end of resistance politics in State of the Union abc30
● Trump seeks to upend Trumpism – if only for a night: Analysis abc30
● Women send political message by wearing white to State of the Union abc30
● Trump calls for end of resistance politics in State of Union Bakersfield Californian
● Locals weigh in on Trump’s State of the Union address Bakersfield Californian
● Becerra delivers SOTU response in Spanish from Sacramento school KCRA3
● Fact Check: Trump’s State Of The Union Address Capital Public Radio
● Fact Check: Democratic Response To Trump’s State Of The Union Address Capital Public Radio
● State Of The Union: ‘Tonight, I Ask You To Choose Greatness,’ Trump Says Capital Public Radio
● One speech, two conflicting missions: Trump revs up his base while reaching beyond it Los Angeles Times
● This State of the Union was a joust between Trump and a sea of women in white Los Angeles Times
● Trump calls for end to ‘political stalemate,’ delivers jabs in State of the Union address Los Angeles Times
● Read the full transcript of President Trump’s State of the Union speech Los Angeles Times
● The state of the union in 8 charts Roll Call
● One speech, two Trumps Roll Call
● Trump’s 2019 State of the Union Address—Live Analysis Wall Street Journal
● Trump Seeks to Reset Border-Wall Debate Wall Street Journal
● Trump’s Bipartisan Pitch Wall Street Journal
● President Trump’s State of the Union transcript, annotated Washington Post
● Trump uses State of the Union to defiantly defend his immigration agenda, announce date of next summit with North Korea’s KimWashington Post
● In Democratic response, Abrams rebukes Trump and highlights parties’ contrasts Washington Post
● 5 takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union address Washington Post
● Pelosi’s Take on Trump Was Written All Over Her Face Bloomberg
● Pelosi said she took Trump’s SOTU line about investigations as an ‘all-out threat’’ Roll Call
● State of the Union Fact Check: What Trump Got Right and Wrong New York Times
● Fact-checking the State of the Union for 2019 Politifact
● Fact Check: Trump’s State Of The Union Address NPR
● Fact Checking Trump’s State of the Union Fact Check
● AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s claims in his State of Union address AP
● EDITORIAL: Trump’s State of the Union might as well have been a campaign rally Los Angeles Times
● EDITORIAL: For Trump, union is beside the point San Francisco Chronicle
● Opinion: Trump, Pelosi and the State of our Union Wall Street Journal
House Democrats getting down to the grunt work of governing
Merced Sun-Star
A House committee will hold its first hearing on gun violence in years. Two others will gavel in to address climate change. And three more will debate protecting pre-existing health conditions and the Affordable Care Act. That’s before noon on Wednesday.
See also:
● How did California Dems win close House races? They outspent GOP, by a lot San Francisco Chronicle
New subpoena signals Trump’s legal woes will outlast Mueller
Sacramento Bee
The Russia investigation may be winding down, but President Donald Trump’s legal problems are far from over.
See Also:
● House panel expected to send Russia transcripts to Mueller Modesto Bee
Trump just picked another industry lobbyist to head a Cabinet agency
Los Angeles Times
It didn’t require supernatural powers of clairvoyance to guess President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of the Interior as successor to the Ryan Zinke. Trump’s choice, David Bernhardt, has been working as Zinke’s deputy virtually since the start of the Trump administration.
Public’s 2019 Priorities: Economy, Health Care, Education and Security All Near Top of List
Pew Research Center
Growing share sees ‘great deal of difference’ between the parties.
Opinion: What Would Compromise in Washington Look Like?
Wall Street Journal
Editor’s note: This is Future View, a WSJ Opinion series allowing students to contribute on politics, culture and global affairs. In this installment, contributors suggest issues on which President Trump and congressional Democrats might compromise.
Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Amplify Income Inequality Message
Wall Street Journal
New proposals explicitly aim for wealth redistribution, going beyond traditional safety-net programs.
See also:
· How the 2020 presidential campaign is causing election-year uncertainty — and excitement — for book publishers Los Angeles Times
Opinion: Democrats Love Diversity, Except When It Comes to Thought
Wall Street Journal
The Democratic Party’s list of 2020 contenders grew by two last week when Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker made their White House ambitions official. Liberals and the media are celebrating the “diversity” of the candidates thus far—which I suppose is something to cheer if your measure of diversity is skin deep.
Other:
What Is Freedom? Depends On Who You Ask
Capital Public Radio
Chris Colin’s latest feature in The California Sunday Magazine, “Freedom Is __________” tackles the unclear definition of America’s most treasured cultural value.
Liberals and Conservatives React in Wildly Different Ways to Repulsive Pictures
The Atlantic
On rare occasions, we learn of a new one—a key factor that seems to have been overlooked. To a surprising degree, a recent strand of experimental psychology suggests, our political beliefs may have something to do with a specific aspect of our biological makeup: our propensity to feel physical disgust.
About 20% of election posts on Twitter last fall were ‘bots,’ study says
UPI
Researchers at the University of Southern California identified more than 15,000 bot accounts using the #ivoted hashtag on Election Day, the study released Tuesday by USC’s Information Sciences Institute and a Swiss researcher found.
Opinion | Want to Stop Fake News? Pay for the Real Thing
The New York Times
Google and Facebook should be allies of quality journalism, not its gravest threat.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Livingston-based Foster Farms talks with Tyson about potential $2 billion sale
Merced Sun-Star
Livingston, California-based Foster Farms is in talks with meat processor Tyson Foods over a potential sale, according to a CNBC report. The poultry company also has facilities in Turlock, Fresno and other locations.
Insecticides blamed for honeybee deaths in California almond groves
UPI
Researchers have identified a culprit for the dramatic honey bee die-offs among the almond groves of California’s Central Valley. Experiments showed a mixture of insecticide and fungicides, harmless in isolation, combined to form a deadly chemical cocktail.
Cold temps and wet weather could affect early blooms
abc30
Among the many fruit varieties Family Tree Farms grows in the Central San Joaquin Valley, a nectarine orchard near Goshen is their most developed bloom right now.
Rotten food allegations in eastern Madera County prompt changes from Food Bank
Sierra Star
Central California Food Bank plans to revamp procedures and documentation policies following a report last month from the Sierra Star detailing allegations from volunteers who said the food bank repeatedly sent spoiled food to its eastern Madera County distribution centers.
Dispensaries withdraw appeals after first hearing ends badly at supervisors meeting
Bakersfield Californian
Local medical marijuana dispensaries fighting to stay open did not get what they wanted during the first round of an appeals process that could reshape how cannabis is bought and sold in Kern County.
Northern California is suddenly awash in locally grown black truffles
San Francisco Chronicle
For the first time, California has a truffle season, which goes from December into March, as growers are making serious progress toward creating a viable locally grown version of the European luxury ingredient.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Elementary school student threatens to bring semi-automatic rifle to school
Fresno Bee
Students sent an anonymous report using the schools online bully reporting system after hearing the boy talk about bringing the gun to school the next day. They also told school officials they saw the boy holding an AR-15 on Snapchat about a month ago, the sheriff’s office said.
See also:
● 13-year-old boy threatened to bring AR-15 to Tulare County campus Visalia Times Delta
Public Safety:
The CHP has an assignment for older people looking to give back
Modesto Bee
Would you like to enjoy the satisfaction of working and helping others, perhaps as a member of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Senior Volunteer Program? Many people look for a certain satisfaction that only comes with service, which our senior volunteers excel at.
Nearly a dozen honored at new sheriff’s first promotions ceremony
Stockton Record
Tears were shed, memories were shared and families embraced as nearly a dozen members of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office were honored for their efforts.
Council faces call for action against cops
Stockton Record
Members of Stockton’s Black Lives Matter chapter called for specific Stockton Police Department officers be removed from the streets and demanded justice from city leaders for three men killed by law enforcement officers during a tumultuous city council meeting Tuesday night.
Capital Public Radio
Law enforcement and civil liberties groups are introducing rival bills, but are open to continue discussions.
Fire:
Stanislaus Consolidated reels from money, staffing problems. Oakdale wants changes
Modesto Bee
The city of Oakdale, and the rural fire district for the surrounding area, are seeking major changes in their agreements with Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District.
Camp Fire Victims Living In RVs Ordered To Leave Properties
Capital Public Radio
Hundreds of Paradise residents who lost their homes in the Camp Fire and have been living in RVs on their burned-out lots are being ordered off of their properties.
Southern California Edison and Boeing sued over devastating Woolsey fire
Los Angeles Times
A lawsuit filed Tuesday against Boeing and Southern California Edison alleges that the two companies failed to protect the public from the threat that fire posed at the Santa Susana Field Lab, a former rocket testing facility where the devastating Woolsey fire broke out in November.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
CNBC: Livingston-based Foster Farms talks with Tyson about potential $2 billion sale
Modesto Bee
Meat industry giant Tyson Foods is in talks to buy Foster Farms, the Livingston-based business that leads the West in poultry sales, CNBC reported Tuesday.
Two companies proceed to next phase after prevailing in local fund’s ‘Shark Tank’-like competition
Bakersfield Californian
As happens in the television show “Shark Tank,” one of the three companies making an investment pitch that night was eliminated from further consideration. Two others were selected through a series of votes to move on to face greater scrutiny by KVG’s two managing partners.
Stocks rise for fifth straight day, lifted by solid company earnings
Los Angeles Times
Technology companies helped lead stocks broadly higher on Wall Street on Tuesday as strong earnings reports from several companies put investors in a buying mood. The rally extended the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 index’s winning streak to five days.
The Informal Economy: Immigration and the Demand for Low-Wage Work
KCET
The Bracero guest worker program, the National Origin Act and the Chinese Exclusion Act show how immigration policy opens or closes depending on the country’s need for low-wage labor.
Business Groups Push AG Becerra on Privacy Law Rules
Bloomberg
Business groups aired their concerns about California’s landmark privacy law at a public hearing in Sacramento, as they work to shape both implementing regulations and a likely follow-up bill.
See also:
· My turn: Privacy matters but the California Consumer Privacy Act needs fixes CALmatters
Jobs:
Workers waiting ‘on call’ must be paid, court rules
San Francisco Chronicle
Employees who are required to stay “on call” before the start of a possible work shift — phoning their employer two hours before the shift to learn whether they’re needed — are entitled to be paid for that two-hour period regardless of whether they’re called in to work, a state appeals court ruled Monday.
Stormy Daniels: Strippers need to be treated as freelancers, not employees
Los Angeles Times
At most strip clubs, including the ones I’ve worked at throughout my career as a stripper, dancers work as independent contractors who set their own hours. They show up for work on the days they are able to, allowing them to give priority to things like writing a term paper, studying for a test or putting their children to bed at night.
EDUCATION
K-12:
KHSD board approves new principals at BHS, West High School
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern High School District board has named new principals at Bakersfield and West high schools. Ben Sherley, director of educational services for the district, was named new BHS principal at the board meeting on Monday.
See if California has identified your school as low-performing
San Diego Union-Tribune
California for the first time released a list of its lowest-performing 8 percent of public schools in the state, but some experts are skeptical that education leaders will use this new information and related funding to effectively improve those schools.
Gov. Newsom asks to review impact of California charter schools on district finances
EdSource
In one fallout from the recently settled strike of teachers in Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom has called on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to establish a panel of experts to examine the impact of charter school growth on district finances.
Higher Ed:
Deadline FAST APPROACHING: Wonderful Public Service $56,000 Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, February 22nd, 2019. Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. The Maddy Institute will award two $56,000 Fellowships to Valley students who are accepted into a nationally ranked, qualified graduate program in the fall of 2019.
More Students Than Ever Ready for UC and CSU
PPIC
Governor Newsom’s budget proposal assumes
enrollment growth at the University of California (UC) and California State
University (CSU). But these two systems are seeking to expand
even more to accommodate
increasing demand, as more California students than ever graduate high school
prepared for college.
CSU bid to raise math requirement may limit student access
San Francisco Chronicle
While intended to better prepare students for college, additional requirements could limit access for students who happen to attend high schools that offer less math.
CSU graduation rates show uneven progress, some backsliding
EdSource
While the California State University has boasted about improved systemwide graduation rates, new statistics show a more troubling picture at many of CSU’s 23 campuses.
College athletes could soon get paid in California, but not from the NCAA
Sacramento Bee
College athletes could soon be getting a check in the mail, but it won’t be from the NCAA.
Bakersfield College to host Temple Grandin for Distinguished Speaker Series
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield College will host Temple Grandin on Feb. 12 as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series. The author and speaker will participate in three events spread throughout the day focused on her experiences with autism.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Wildlife officials use helicopters to capture 19 tule elk in west Kern for relocation project
Bakersfield Californian
How do you humanely capture 19 full-grown tule elk in western Kern County and move them to the Owens Valley near Bishop?
With impressive L.A. rain and Bay Area snow, hope rises for a rare wet winter
Los Angeles Times
A series of storms has brought a rare wet winter to the state, sending snow levels plunging and creating some surreal scenes Californians won’t soon forget: blankets of white covering vineyards in Napa Valley. Plows clearing California 17 between Santa Cruz and San Jose. Peaks in the San Francisco Bay Area with an alpine feel. Even San Francisco’s Twin Peaks got a light dusting.
New scale will measure ‘atmospheric rivers’ on US West Coast
AP
Scientists in California are introducing a scale to measure “atmospheric rivers,” the weather phenomenon that can dump massive quantities of Pacific Ocean water on the U.S. West Coast, carrying it through the air from as far away as Hawaii.
Energy:
Three local communities make top ten in SCE power use rankings
Porterville Recorder
In just-released 2018 energy use rankings, three local cities have been named as three of the top ten most-conserving communities in the state, according to a new Power Use survey from OhmConnect.
PG&E wants to spend $130 million on employee bonuses. Could it be any more tone deaf?
Sacramento Bee
Awful timing, PG&E. In a move that seems calculated to further enrage customers, the giant utility is asking a bankruptcy judge for permission to spend more than $130 million on bonuses and other employee perks earned in 2018 — even as victims of the Camp Fire struggle to find basic shelter.
Did costs for past PG&E problems end up in consumers’ bills?
San Jose Mercury News
PG&E is back in bankruptcy court facing billions of dollars in anticipated liability claims over wildfires sparked by its equipment, the latest in a series of costly fiascoes involving the beleaguered utility that have left state officials fuming and ratepayers bracing for higher bills.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Measles outbreak may spread to California, doctors are warned – with risk of deafness, autism
Modesto Bee
California’s public health officials are alerting doctors and other medical providers to be on the lookout for measles after first New York state and now nearby Washington state wrestle with a wily virus that health experts say can cause deafness and autism in its survivors.
See also:
· Editorial: The anti-vaxx movement is a worldwide pandemic Los Angeles Times
Valley Fever cases in California continue to increase
San Francisco Chronicle
Simply passing through an area with Valley Fever and breathing in a small number of spores can lead to an infection of the lungs with flu-like symptoms. About half of the infections produce no symptoms, but in a few cases, the infection can spread from the lungs to the brain, bones, skin or eyes, causing blindness, skin abscesses, lung failure and, occasionally, death.
Why fixing a common defect in preemies no longer requires cutting open tiny chests
Sacramento Bee
Weighing little more than 3 pounds 7 ounces, tiny Marcellus Brown had a life-threatening problem with his blood flow, one that is common for preemies. To fix it, surgeons at most medical centers cut into these infants’ delicate chests and spread them open to work.
Human Services:
5 facts about Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace
Modesto Bee
Open Enrollment deadline to register for health care coverage through Medicare or the Health Insurance Marketplace is approaching. Here are a few facts about enrolling and where you can go for more information.
Attorney General Becerra’s actions threaten community’s hospitals
Sacramento Bee
Hospitals are, literally, the life blood of a community. Local hospitals provide essential, life-saving emergency care, as well as care for people of little means who can’t afford to travel long distances for medical assistance.
Sutter-Anthem contract dispute means 20,000 patients must find new doctors
Sacramento Bee
Anthem Blue Cross and Sutter Health are still trying to resolve their Medi-Cal contract disagreement.
$3 billion is needed to address California’s doctor shortage, task force says
Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers will need to grant nurse practitioners across the state more autonomy, increase opportunities to study medicine and expand doctor training programs in order to avoid a looming healthcare crisis, according to a report released Monday.
See Also:
● EDITORIAL: How California, facing a doctor shortage, can stay healthy San Francisco Chronicle
Democrats’ confused, and confusing, Medicare-for-all debate
Vox
The Democrats’ 2020 primary has kicked off with a confusing and confused debate about the details of Medicare-for-all — one that shows just how much complexity lurks behind a seemingly simple slogan.
The Right Way to Spank a Child
Wall Street Journal
The American Academy of Pediatrics has expressed opposition to “all forms of corporal punishment,” defined to include spanking and also “kicking, shaking, or throwing children; scratching, pinching, biting, pulling hair, or boxing ears; forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions; burning, scalding, or forced ingestion.
IMMIGRATION
Fresno’s record on naturalizing U.S. citizens isn’t just bad — it’s among the worst, says study
Fresno Bee
The Fresno metro area is among the top three worst large cities nationwide for eligible immigrants to become naturalized U.S. citizens, according to an immigration study released Monday.
Wildlife advocates, tribes protest preparations for new border wall construction
abc30
The federal government this week began moving bulldozers and construction vehicles to the south Texas border to begin building a small new section of border wall.
Wall or Fence? These Are the Barriers at the Border Now
Wall Street Journal
A wall or a fence? Steel bollards or vehicle barriers? A lot of terms have been thrown around in the debate over building a barrier on the southern border of the U.S.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Merced housing prices and homeless problem: What’s the city going to do about it?
Merced Sun-Star
Housing and homelessness are two major challenges the city of Merced will face in the next two years as Mayor Mike Murphy finishes out the remainder of his time in office.
PUBLIC FINANCES
CalPERS and other big pension funds are getting more conservative, report says
Sacramento Bee
A new survey of public pensions suggests the financial health of California’s largest pension system is roughly in line with that of the majority of funds around the country.
Soak the rich? Americans say go for it
Politico
The prospect of 70% tax rates for multimillionaires and special levies on the super-rich draw howls about creeping socialism and warnings of economic disaster in much of Washington. But polling suggests that when it comes to soaking the rich, the American public is increasingly on board.
TRANSPORTATION
Columnist Walters Shocks Fresno Crowd With Bullet-train Outlook
Business Journal
Walters said it’s only common sense that Newsom won’t be able to accomplish the “lavish intentions” he promised in his campaign, including fixes to the housing crisis, health care for all and universal preschool.
Democrats took the House. Now they want to save California’s clean car rules from Trump
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Rep. Doris Matsui plans to introduce legislation to defend California’s “clean car” fuel standards, part of a broader climate change agenda House Democrats are launching to counter President Trump.
What California’s ‘nonbinary’ gender designation will cost teen drivers
CALmatters
In a little-noticed side impact of California’s 2018 law granting drivers the option of listing their gender as nonbinary, California’s Department of Insurance has decreed that auto insurance companies can no longer grant breaks in insurance rates to teen drivers who are female or charge young men more.
Who Pays if You Fall Off an E-Scooter?
New York Times
I asked Thom Rickert, an emerging risks specialist with Trident Public Risk Solutions, which insures governments and other public entities, for his thoughts. Electronic scooters, he said, are part of an emerging realm of the share economy: the complicated liability economy.
WATER
Rain and snow in the Valley let up, but the freezing temperatures will linger
Fresno Bee
The icy storm that blew through the Valley this week dumped snow, ice, rain and tornadoes that blocked several roads, forced some schools to close and left thousands of residents in the dark for hours.
See Also:
● Somewhat rare sight: snow hits westside coastal range from Monday night storm Fresno Bee
● Snow storm forces schools to cancel class and others to miss work abc30
● 35,000 people left without power after latest storm abc30
● Recent storms push Valley rainfall totals close to 100-percent of normal abc30
● Rain and snow in the Valley let up, but the freezing temperatures will linger Sierra Star
● Snow in Stanislaus County? Yup, it was that kind of day Modesto Bee
● ‘Impressive snow amounts’ across Northern California as snow falls as low as 1,000 feet Sacramento Bee
● New scale ranks atmospheric rivers like hurricanes. Here’s how it’ll help California Sacramento Bee
● California storms to get a rating from 1 to 5, like hurricanes San Francisco Chronicle
Will Trump’s California water plan send more to Republican farmers and short Democratic cities?
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump proposed relaxing restrictions on Delta water pumping to aid Central Valley Project farmers. The plan could hurt the State Water Project, California cities and endangered fish species.
Lawsuits from Central Valley, Bay Area keep state ‘water grab’ tied up in courts
Modesto Bee
An assortment of groups, from a leading farming organization to a water supplier for Silicon Valley, joined the legal fray in courts over the State Water Board decision in December to reduce water diversions for farms and cities from the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers.
See also:
● Farm bureau sues to block flows plan for lower San Joaquin River Porterville Recorder
“Xtra”
Look at all the heart-shaped foods you can get in Fresno, plus ‘Valentacos’
Fresno Bee
It’s surprising this year just how many heart-shaped foods you can find at Fresno-area stores and restaurants, like doughnuts and locally made tortilla chips.
Former NFL player Troy Vincent keynote speaker for Marjaree Mason Center fundraiser
Fresno Bee
Former NFL player and current league executive Troy Vincent is the keynote speaker of the 36th annual Top Ten Professional Women and Leading Business awards luncheon, the benefiting Marjaree Mason Center announced Tuesday.
They fell in love at Applebee’s. Now this Clovis couple is opening their own restaurant
Fresno Bee
Matt and Amy Sherrell, who met at an Applebee’s years ago, are launching a new restaurant in the former Giuseppe Gallo’s space at Willow and Nees avenues.
The new casual dining restaurant, called Ten Tavern, is expected to open in four to five weeks.
Valley’s unsung heroes to be celebrated through series of portraits
abc30
Bitwise South Stadium in downtown Fresno is recognizing 26 people as the unsung heroes of our community. All of their work is different, but their mission is the same – to make the Central Valley a better place.
Just when you lost those 10 extra holiday pounds, Girl Scout cookies arrive
Bakersfield Californian
Hold your horses! Yes, it’s Girl Scout cookie time, but unless you’ve got the hookup, you may have to wait just a few days more.