February 9, 2021

09Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Modesto church leaders, worshippers share their thoughts on recent U.S. court ruling

Modesto Bee

Modesto churches that already have been offering indoor worship services during the COVID-19 pandemic welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Friday that struck down the state’s prohibition of them.

 

Editorial: How to lure more voters in Modesto mayoral election? Easy. Try this

Modesto Bee

Now that the Modesto mayoral election finally has wrapped up — hearty congratulations to Mayor-elect Sue Zwahlen — it’s time to change the process. Selecting our city’s leader in February, long after people have lost the political enthusiasm that had them whipped up in November, makes no sense.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Gavin Newsom says Central Valley will get a mass vaccination site. Will it be in Fresno?

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced a mass vaccination site will be coming to the Central Valley, though he stopped short of naming a specific location.

See also:

 

Just one COVID citation issued in Fresno so far this year. Can more be expected?

Fresno Bee

A Fresno sandwich shop received a $500 citation last month for violating the city’s emergency order relating to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first — and only, so far — citation handed out by the city this year.

 

Education Lab: Some really good news for Fresno-area students you might have missed

Fresno Bee

More students in Fresno County could begin heading back to classrooms this week, but that doesn’t mean distance learning is coming to an end. Many parents have said they’ll keep their kids at home for the time being as new COVID-19 infections continue to outpace vaccinations.

 

Fresno-area utility providers face financial crisis. Can they keep the water running?

Fresno Bee

Unpaid water bills are piling up during the pandemic, as small water providers in the central San Joaquin Valley teeter toward a financial crisis that could affect drinking water quality and affordability.

 

Fresno rent increases are biggest in the country — and some workers ‘just can’t pay’

Fresno Bee

The average cost of rent in Fresno increased by 10.8% in the last year, despite state law limiting rent hikes, data analysis by Apartment List shows. It’s the second-biggest rent increase in the country this year compared to other cities, and in stark contrast to the statewide average that decreased 5%.

 

Area’s Largest Charitable Foundation Plans Move To Downtown Fresno

Business Journal

Central Valley Community Foundation, the region’s largest philanthropic foundation with $112 million in assets, is planning to relocate its offices to Downtown Fresno in the near future.

 

Fresno Councilmember Maxwell Kicks Off Tree Plantings

Business Journal

Fresno District 4 Councilmember Tyler kicked off his “100 Days 100 Trees” initiative at Cary Park on Saturday to help beautify and clean the air in Central Fresno.

 

California City (Dinuba) Revives With Tax Revenue Redirected from Rivals

Bloomberg

Dinuba, a California town with more than one-fourth of its residents living in poverty, could easily have been a casualty of the pandemic economy. But it had an ace in the hole: an agreement with Best Buy Inc. to share tax revenue on sales from its local warehouse.

 

Will Clovis Council Seats Change Hands? Challengers and Incumbents Make Their Case.

GVWire

The signs are up and the competition is hot for seats on the Clovis City Council. The field for the March 2 election is the largest in 14 years. Mail ballots have already been sent to all registered voters. They can be returned with the postage already paid.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Supervisors to consider budget cuts at Tuesday's meeting

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors is poised to approve a budget plan that could go into effect should the coronavirus pandemic reduce income by millions of dollars over the next few months.

 

Nearly a thousand businesses benefited from B-Cares, Bakersfield says in breakdown of program

Bakersfield Californian

Restaurants, hotels and personal care businesses were the primary benefactors of Bakersfield’s B-Cares coronavirus grant program. In the first detailed breakdown on the federally-funded project, the city of Bakersfield explained how it distributed nearly $6 million to 938 businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Bioenergy interest heats up in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County business developers have seen a surge of interest lately from companies looking to build waste-to-energy projects that could create hundreds if not thousands of new local jobs in producing fuels that cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

 

Bakersfield pursues millions in state grants to 'transform' Old Town Kern, nearby communities

Bakersfield Californian

Fresno has received $66.5 million. The Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles and Ontario have each received $33 million. Now the city of Bakersfield hopes it can be next in line for a competitive state grant that seeks to transform some of the most neglected and polluted parts of the state into shining examples of what California can be.

 

You haven't seen the last of us, hen supporters say in wake of Bakersfield City Council defeat

Bakersfield Californian

Anger, resignation and even a little joy have followed the Bakersfield City Council’s decision to repeal a set of ordinances that allowed hens to be raised in the backyards of many local residents.

 

State:

 

Variants, gatherings prompt concern as California COVID rates improve

Fresno Bee

California’s COVID-19 infection and hospitalization metrics continue to fall sharply from record-high peaks reached in January, but health officials continue to preach caution following the Super Bowl.

See also:

 

California relents on indoor church services after Supreme Court’s COVID-19 decision

Sacramento Bee

Hemmed in by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Gov. Gavin Newsom has agreed to allow houses of worship to reopen in California with limited attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newsom’s administration released guidelines for indoor worship services late Saturday based on how the state labels the status of the pandemic in a county.

 

Asleep At Lab: Whistleblower Allegations From Inside CA’s Billion-Dollar COVID Lab

CBS13

Lab techs sleeping while processing COVID samples for testing. COVID test swabs found in the restrooms. These are just two of the concerning allegations from whistleblowers about what’s happening inside the state’s new billion-dollar COVID testing lab.

 

Alex Padilla has 2 years to show he should keep his Senate seat. How he plans to do it

Fresno Bee

Sen. Alex Padilla said he’s doing his best to “drink through the fire hose.” The new California senator took his oath of office two weeks ago amid a pending impeachment trial, a Congress struggling to deal with the riot that drove lawmakers from their chambers, a heavy National Guard presence and a global pandemic.

See also:

.

Republican Cox opens run for governor with ad hitting rival

Bakersfield Californian

Republican John Cox formally opened his campaign for California governor Monday with a TV ad depicting his leading GOP rival as a political twin of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and promising to work for lower housing costs and new jobs.

See also:

 

The Decade In Review: A Political Earthquake In California Local Government

California City News

The last ten years have seen an extraordinary shift in local government representation across California. Historically conservative majorities on City Councils have collapsed, beginning in November 2016, and ushered in hundreds of newly elected local officials that are substantially more diverse than the state has likely ever seen.

 

Walters: Who should be accountable for Employment Department mess?

CalMatters

It may be difficult to believe, but there is a state law, the State Leadership Accountability Act, that commands state agency heads to personally ensure that their programs are performing honestly and effectively.

See also:

 

Commentary: We intend to change government and make it work for you

CalMatters

Who does your government work for? It’s a question that people of all political persuasions frequently answer in the same way: “Not me.”

 

Federal:

 

House Democrats propose $1,400 payments in first draft of COVID-19 relief bill

Los Angeles Times

House Democrats on Monday released the first draft text for key pieces of legislation that will comprise President Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill.

See also:

 

Trump impeachment trial to open with debate on constitutionality

abc30

Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday blasted the impeachment case against him as an act of "political theater" and accused House Democrats on the eve of the former president's trial of exploiting the chaos and trauma of last month's Capitol riot for their party's gain.

See also:

 

House Democrats Renew Investigation Into Trump-Era COVID-19 Response

VPR
House Democrats are renewing their investigation into the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus crisis, citing new documents and what they call evidence of political interference in the government response to the virus.

 

70% of Republicans Would Join or Consider Joining Trump Party: Poll

Newsweek

A significant majority of Republicans would either join or consider joining a new political party formed by former President Donald Trump, new polling shows.

 

Other:

 

Jim Boren: The First Amendment & Trump's Twitter Ban

Fresno State Ethics Center

Jim Boren, Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust Executive Director and Fresno State's Media, Communication and Journalism professor, digs into the ethics of the #FirstAmendment and #trump's #twitterban as a result of the capitol riots last month.

 

Opinion: How to Keep America Polarized

Wall Street Journal

As the Senate convenes Tuesday to try Donald Trump for “inciting violence against the Government of the United States,” the big question isn’t whether he’s guilty. It’s whether the Senate has the right to try him at all.

 

Commentary: Reconciling and healing America

Brookings

In our history, certain events—inflection points—carry such a weight of significance that we’ll always remember where we were when they occurred.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, February 14, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “The Valley's Mayors: What's on their 2021 Agenda?” - Guest: Matthew Serratto, Mayor - City of Merced; Jerry Dyer, Mayor - City of Fresno; Steve Nelson, Mayor - City of Visalia; Karen Goh, Mayor - City of Bakersfield. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, February 14, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “The Pandemic's Effect on Small Business” - Guests: Nick Ortiz, President/CEO - Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce; Greg Newman, CEO - Clovis Chamber of Commerce; Dave White, CEO - Opportunity Stanislaus; Katy Winders, Director - Small Business Development Center, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Food Bank receives Fresno grant to aid senior hunger during pandemic

Fresno Bee

Mayor Jerry Dyer and officials from Central California Food Bank announced Thursday at the Senior Citizen’s Village, a $200,000 funding grant, part of a larger grant, from the city to help seniors during the pandemic.

 

100K World Ag Expo travelers will be missed as event goes virtual

Hanford Sentinel

Visit Visalia announced that it will miss the influx of visitors it normally sees this month for the annual World Ag Expo, recognized as the largest agricultural event in the world with 100,000 attendees. The 2021 World Ag Expo on Feb. 9-11 has been moved to an online event due to the pandemic.

See also:

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Just one COVID citation issued in Fresno so far this year. Can more be expected?

Fresno Bee

A Fresno sandwich shop received a $500 citation last month for violating the city’s emergency order relating to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first — and only, so far — citation handed out by the city this year.

 

In a first, California correctional officers at this prison must wear body cameras

abc30

The state of California is paying for corrections officers at a state prison in San Diego County to wear body cameras, a first for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

 

EDD claims fueling California street violence — what Sacramento sweeps found

Sacramento Bee

Late last month, as Sacramento was digging out from the violent rain and windstorm that whipped through the region, law enforcement officers in rain gear paid a visit to Deonte Humphrey’s second-floor apartment on Fulton Avenue near Arden Way.

 

California Commission Recommends Ending Mandatory Minimum Sentences

KQED
A newly formed state commission is recommending that California end mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent crimes and allow judges to reconsider all criminal sentences after someone has spent 15 years in prison.

 

Public Safety:

 

‘It’s a showdown’: California district attorneys battle over criminal justice reforms

Los Angeles Times

Criminal justice reformers nationwide rejoiced when L.A. County voters chose George Gascón to lead the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office, celebrating a big win in a years-long campaign to replace traditional law-and-order district attorneys with ones intent on change.

 

Editorial: Anyone will be allowed to run for sheriff in California — if the state drops eligibility rules

Fresno Bee

Dozens of county sheriffs in California are up for reelection in 2022 — including controversial, high-profile sheriffs in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Fresno counties. Yet there’s no guarantee that voters in any particular county will have a choice of candidates in 2022.

 

Walters: Prison officials goofed and people died

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom has unilaterally decided to eliminate California’s death penalty for capital crimes even though it remains in the law.

 

Fire:

 

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

Fresno Bee

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

 

Paradise was ‘well-prepared’ for deadly Camp Fire. But it wasn’t enough, new study finds

Fresno Bee

Paradise had geared up for disaster. The Butte County town had an evacuation plan and emergency-notification systems. Paradise, neighboring communities and the county had undertaken “vegetation management” programs to reduce wildfire hazards.

 

California utilities to spend $13 billion to reduce wildfire risk

Los Angeles Times

California’s largest utilities said Friday that they will spend about $13 billion to reduce the risk of wildfires following the worst fire season in modern state history and a string of blazes that were blamed on their equipment.

See also:

 

Accounting for a Decade of Headwater Forest Management

Public Policy Institute of California

Forests in the Sierra‒Cascade headwater region have dramatically changed over the past 150 years. The prohibition of Indigenous burning, aggressive wildfire suppression, and early timber harvest practices made these forests denser over time, increasing their vulnerability to catastrophic wildfires and widespread tree-die off.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Nearly a thousand businesses benefited from B-Cares, Bakersfield says in breakdown of program

Bakersfield Californian

Restaurants, hotels and personal care businesses were the primary benefactors of Bakersfield’s B-Cares coronavirus grant program. In the first detailed breakdown on the federally-funded project, the city of Bakersfield explained how it distributed nearly $6 million to 938 businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

How States Can Direct Economic Development to Places and People in Need

Pew Trusts
Data from an array of sources has shown that Americans who grow up in economically distressed areas experience lower-performing schools, higher crime rates, a variety of health and environmental hazards, and less upward mobility.

 

Commentary: The costs of too much budget stimulus

AEI

Academic economists, like Nobel laureates Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Krugman, are now cheerleading the benefits of yet more massive fiscal stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, for them it would seem that no budget support package is large enough even though they must know the economic risks entailed.

 

Jobs:

 

$15 minimum wage would reduce poverty, increase debt: Congressional Budget Office report

abc30

Increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour would reduce the number of Americans living in poverty and boost wages for millions of Americans while adding to the federal debt and joblessness, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office projects.

See also:

 

They quit rather than risk COVID at work. Now they’re hoping Biden can help them collect unemployment.

Washington Post

The machines at the factory he worked at in South Boston were not wiped down enough, he said. Gloves and masks were in short supply, except for the workers who, like himself, took it upon themselves to bring their own. And he heard that some workers were testing positive, even though management hadn’t said a word.

 

Anemic Jobs Report Reaffirms Pandemic’s Grip on Economy

New York Times

With a gain of 49,000 jobs in January, and with few of those in the private sector, the labor market offers little relief to the nearly 10 million Americans who are unemployed.

 

California would ban ‘secret settlements’ in discrimination lawsuits under proposed law

Modesto Bee

Three years after California outlawed sexual misconduct non-disclosure agreements, a Democratic state lawmaker introduced new legislation on Monday that would expand the law to include all workplace harassment and discrimination settlements.

See also:

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Education Lab: Some really good news for Fresno-area students you might have missed

Fresno Bee

More students in Fresno County could begin heading back to classrooms this week, but that doesn’t mean distance learning is coming to an end. Many parents have said they’ll keep their kids at home for the time being as new COVID-19 infections continue to outpace vaccinations.

 

Schools plan for potential of remote learning into the fall

Fresno Bee

Parents of schoolchildren learning from home shouldn't necessarily count on reclaiming the dining room table any time soon. After seeing two academic years thrown off course by the pandemic, school leaders around the country are planning for the possibility of more distance learning next fall at the start of yet another school year.

 

Possible deal over teacher vaccines could bring elementary students back to class

Los Angeles Times

More California elementary school students could begin returning to their classrooms by the spring if Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers settle their differences over when teachers and staff receive COVID-19 vaccinations, an agreement the governor suggested Monday could be reached in the next few days.

See also:

 

Will kids soon have to get COVID-19 vaccines to attend California schools?

Sacramento Bee

As California looks for ways to get students back in the classrooms quickly, teachers and school employee unions say vaccines for adults will be a major component of safely reopening schools. But what about the students?

 

Keep Schools Open All Summer, And Other Bold Ideas To Help Kids Catch Up

VPR
It's been 11 months since schools first shut down across the country and around the world. And most students in the U.S. are still experiencing disruptions to their learning — going into the classroom only a few days a week or not at all.

 

New data shines light on student achievement progress — and gaps — in California and US

EdSource

New education data released today by researchers at Stanford University shows a complex, nuanced — and in some places, troubling — picture of student achievement and racial gaps based on standardized test scores across California and the nation.

 

Gov. Newsom calls for closing big ‘loophole’ in school funding for high-needs students

EdSource

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed his solution to a long-running, contentious dispute over the Local Control Funding Formula, the equity-based formula for distributing the bulk of money that school districts get from the state.

 

Higher Ed:

 

UC advocates for Congress, Biden administration to invest in college affordability with Double the Pell campaign

University of California

The University of California announced today (Feb. 8) that it is launching the Double the Pell campaign to urge Congress and the new federal administration to charter a more affordable pathway to higher education for America’s students and families.

 

Commentary: New Education secretary should look to community colleges in recovery

CalMatters

Now that President Joe Biden has tapped Miguel Cardona to lead the U.S. Department of Education, the wounded condition in which now-departed Secretary Betsy DeVos has left the department needs resolution, from the student loan debacle to attempts to discriminate over emergency pandemic aid for college students.

 

Apprenticeships:

 

High school students could be fully trained plumbers and electricians by age 20

CBC
Windsor-Essex electricians and plumbers could be fully qualified to work by the time they are 20 years old. That's if they take advantage of an expanding skilled trades program on which the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board and St. Clair College have been collaborating.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

States Get More Aggressive With Climate Policy Goals

Route-Fifty

State legislators are responding to the growing climate crisis with dozens of proposed laws this year. The potential changes include an effort to require more electric vehicle chargers on Massachusetts highways, an attempt to help cities protect themselves from rising oceans in Florida and proposals to give air pollution regulators more resources in coal-rich Colorado.

 

Countries must ramp up climate pledges by 80% to hit key Paris target, study finds

Washington Post

The pledges countries made to reduce emissions as part of the 2015 Paris agreement are woefully inadequate, and the world must nearly double its greenhouse gas-cutting goals to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, according to research published Tuesday.

 

Energy:

 

Bioenergy interest heats up in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County business developers have seen a surge of interest lately from companies looking to build waste-to-energy projects that could create hundreds if not thousands of new local jobs in producing fuels that cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

 

Giving away California desert to renewable energy is still destroying public lands

The California Aggie

Two universally accepted principles of our country’s plan to fight climate change are the development of renewable energy and protection of open wilderness across the nation. California is a great example of this since it has more national parks than any other state and laws mandating that it gets the majority of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Variants, gatherings prompt concern as California COVID rates improve

Fresno Bee

California’s COVID-19 infection and hospitalization metrics continue to fall sharply from record-high peaks reached in January, but health officials continue to preach caution following the Super Bowl.

See also:

 

These California counties could achieve COVID herd immunity. See where yours stands

Fresno Bee

A strong majority of residents in California and in the Sacramento region now want to take the COVID-19 vaccine, probably just enough to achieve herd immunity if all of them follow through and get the shots, a survey shows.

 

U.K. variant of the coronavirus spreads in California, sparking new concern

Los Angeles Times

Even as coronavirus cases are going down, officials are expressing growing concern about the dominance of a variant first identified in Britain that is believed to be 50% more transmissible than the conventional variety.

See also:

 

COVID Q&A: How effective is your mask? How to protect against contagious variant

Mercury News

Amid a slow vaccine rollout and expanding reports of a highly contagious new variant of the COVID-19 virus, masks are increasingly recognized as a critical tool in slowing the pandemic.

See also:

 

California is home to some of the healthiest cities in the US, report says. Here’s why

Sacramento Bee

A city in California landed the top spot on a list of the country’s healthiest cities, according to a new report. San Francisco ranked first on WalletHub’s list of the healthiest cities in the U.S., which was released Monday.

 

Human Services:

 

Mass COVID-19 vaccination site to be established in Central California, Newsom says

abc30

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new mass COVID-19 vaccination site would soon be established in Central California.

See also:

 

Can you visit loved ones after getting a COVID vaccine? It depends, experts say

Sacramento Bee

Just because you’ve been vaccinated with one of the two authorized coronavirus vaccines doesn’t mean you’ve earned a golden ticket to brunch or wine night with loved ones, experts say.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Immigrants, activists worry Biden won't end Trump barriers

Bakersfield Californian

For nearly 17 months, the Trump administration tried to deport the mother and daughter from El Salvador. The Biden administration may finish the job.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Area’s Largest Charitable Foundation Plans Move To Downtown Fresno

Business Journal

Central Valley Community Foundation, the region’s largest philanthropic foundation with $112 million in assets, is planning to relocate its offices to Downtown Fresno in the near future.

 

Time to play: Skateboard park, playgrounds now open

Porterville Recorder

Families can take their children to playgrounds at Porterville City parks again without violating COVID-19 guidelines. Ditto for skateboarders who want to use the skate park at Veterans Park.

 

Housing:

 

Fresno rent increases are biggest in the country — and some workers ‘just can’t pay’

Fresno Bee

The average cost of rent in Fresno increased by 10.8% in the last year, despite state law limiting rent hikes, data analysis by Apartment List shows. It’s the second-biggest rent increase in the country this year compared to other cities, and in stark contrast to the statewide average that decreased 5%.

 

Covid-19 Mortgage Relief Ends Soon for Millions of Homeowners

Wall Street Journal

When Jen and Brian Bononi signed up to postpone their mortgage payments last April, they thought it would be for six months at most.

 

Pandemic’s Toll on Housing: Falling Behind, Doubling Up

New York Times

As the pandemic enters its second year, millions of renters are struggling with a loss of income and with the insecurity of not knowing how long they will have a home. Their savings depleted, they are running up credit card debt to make the rent, or accruing months of overdue payments. Families are moving in together, offsetting the cost of housing by finding others to share it.

 

Housing Parents in a Pandemic: How About the Backyard?

New York Times

Marla Torrado and her husband, Adam Keeling, started thinking about building a second home as soon as they bought their first.

 

Commentary: Here’s how California can cut affordable housing costs

CalMatters

As the director of sustainable design at National Community Renaissance (National CORE), one of the nation’s largest affordable housing developers, I am meticulous about delivering the best possible housing for the least cost, so that every precious dollar of funding for affordable housing we have counts.

 

US Construction Spending up 1% in December Led by Housing

U.S. News

U.S. construction spending rose a moderate 1% in December as the number of new homes offset a sustained weakness in nonresidential construction.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

California City (Dinuba) Revives With Tax Revenue Redirected from Rivals

Bloomberg

Dinuba, a California town with more than one-fourth of its residents living in poverty, could easily have been a casualty of the pandemic economy. But it had an ace in the hole: an agreement with Best Buy Inc. to share tax revenue on sales from its local warehouse.

 

Corporations Pay Far Less of Their California Income in State Taxes Than a Generation Ago – Even Amid COVID-19

California Budget & Policy Center

The share of California corporate income paid in state taxes declined by more than half during the past three decades. In the early 1980s, corporations that reported profits in California paid more than 9.5% of this income in state corporation taxes.

 

Democrats propose sending families at least $3k per child under Biden COVID-19 relief package

abc30

The House Ways and Means Committee on Monday is expected to lay out a proposal to send $3,600 per child to millions of American families, as House Democrats work to assemble the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package proposed by President Biden.

See also:

 

Democrats clash over income eligibility cap for $1,400 stimulus checks. What to know

Sacramento Bee

Some progressive Democrats have criticized President Joe Biden and his administration for being open to lowering the income eligibility requirements for the $1,400 stimulus checks in the president’s proposed coronavirus relief package.

 

U.S. Budget Deficit Widened Sharply in January, CBO Says

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. federal budget deficit widened sharply last month, the Congressional Budget Office said, as the latest coronavirus-relief package from Congress sent direct stimulus payments to millions of Americans.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

California bullet train project will seek $4.1 billion as costs grow

Los Angeles Times

The California bullet train authority will seek a $4.1-billion appropriation to complete construction in the Central Valley, as costs and schedules continue to grow.

See also:

 

Administration considers COVID-19 tests for domestic flights

Roll Call

Despite bipartisan concern about a proposal to require domestic air travelers to take a COVID-19 test before being permitted to board a flight, two Biden administration officials say the administration is still considering the idea.

See also:

 

WATER

 

Fresno-area utility providers face financial crisis. Can they keep the water running?

Fresno Bee

Unpaid water bills are piling up during the pandemic, as small water providers in the central San Joaquin Valley teeter toward a financial crisis that could affect drinking water quality and affordability.

 

Newsom promised to end California’s water wars. Now that Trump is gone, can he do it?

Fresno Bee

Shortly after taking office two years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to deliver a massive compromise deal on the water rushing through California’s major rivers and the critically-important Delta — and bring lasting peace to the incessant water war between farmers, cities, anglers and environmentalists.

 

“Xtra”

 

Comedian Sarah Silverman calls on celebrities to buy Tower Theatre in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Famous comedian Sarah Silverman tweeted to fellow celebrities to consider buying the Tower Theatre in the midst of debates over a church’s attempt to buy the property.

 

Bethany Clough: Valentine’s Day during COVID? How Fresno businesses can help you celebrate at home

Fresno Bee

What does Valentine’s Day look like during a coronavirus pandemic? With Fresno County still in the purple tier, it probably means that romantic indoor meal at a restaurant still won’t be allowed under state and local regulations.

 

How to see Yosemite National Park's stunning 'firefall' phenomenon this year

abc30

Yosemite National Park's natural "firefall" phenomenon over the Horsetail Fall will return this year. The Horsetail Fall, which flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, looks like a river of fire when the sunlight hits it at just the right angle.

 

 

Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

Think you can tell the difference between True and False?

Do you really know what is fake news?

 

Support the Maddy Daily

 

HERE

 

Thank you!

 

 

Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

 

Subscribe to the Maddy Daily HERE

 

Or, to Subscribe or Unsubscribe: email amyboam@csufresno.edu