POLICY & POLITICS
The Valley: 2020 Roadmap To Shared Prosperity
California Economic Summit
California continues to be viewed as a global pioneer in technological advancement, environmental policy, and social inclusion. For these reasons, and many more, people from around the world travel to the state in search of the California Dream.
North SJ Valley:
Registrar issues reminder for voters
Madera Tribune
Rebecca Martinez, Madera County clerk-recorder and registrar of voters, has announced that the upcoming election to be held on March 3, 2020, is a Presidential Primary. It is a party election, and it’s very important to know how one is registered because that is what determines the type of ballot you will receive.
Board examines $550 million bond for MJC, Columbia. It’s ‘way too much,’ trustee says
Modesto Bee
Community college district trustees will wait for March 3 election results before making a decision on a bond measure for facilities at Modesto Junior College and Columbia College near Sonora.
Modesto shop owner who once was in their shoes says homeless are killing his business
Modesto Bee
Michael Alexander knows what it is to be homeless and an addict. A number of years ago, when he resided in Turlock, the deaths of his birth mother and adopted mother sent him “into a hole” — eventually, literally.
Central SJ Valley:
Clovis planning department gets national award
Clovis Round-Up
The City of Clovis Cottage Home Program will receive a Silver 2019 National Planning Achievement Award for A Best Practice from the American Planning Association (APA). The award recognizes the city’s program for adding affordable housing and turning allies into new pocket neighborhoods. The Cottage Home Program is one of 20 Achievement Award recipients this year.
Fresno Mayor Taps Business People For General Plan Committee
The Business Journal
Mayor Lee Brand announced his three appointments for the General Plan Implementation Review Committee (GPIRC) to review progress on Fresno’s General Plan Update 2035, and refine and review City policies to guarantee future investments are furthering goals of the plan.
Trump’s homeless czar went undercover in Fresno. Now he’s making plans for California
Fresno Bee
Before President Donald Trump picked him to reshape the nation’s programs for the homeless, Robert Marbut Jr. had already built a complicated legacy as a consultant in California cities and across the country.
Visalia Mayor Bob Link to step down; Brett Taylor announces candidacy
Visalia Times Delta
A Visalia planning commissioner hopes to make the jump to city council after sitting Mayor Bob Link confirmed he will not be seeking reelection this year. Lifelong Visalian Brett Taylor recently announced his candidacy for the District 2 Visalia City Council seat, now held by Link. Taylor currently sits on the planning commission and is CEO of the Tulare County Realtor's Association.
South SJ Valley:
Judge rules Bakersfield broke law when City Council held closed meetings on sales tax increase
Bakersfield Californian
A Kern County court has ruled that the city of Bakersfield violated the state’s open meetings laws when it held closed discussions on city finances that eventually led to the city’s 1 percent sales tax increase.
State:
California’s New Budget Will Address Homelessness, Wildfires And Prescription Drugs
Capital Public Radio
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will introduce on Friday morning his proposed budget, which is expected to prioritize homelessness and wildfire prevention. Earlier in the week, Newsom outlined $1.4 billion in new spending to help get people off the street. The money would expand behavioral health services and cover rent for people on the brink of homelessness.
See also:
California governor to announce budget expanding benefits Fresno Bee
California budget seeks more firefighters, fire protection Associated Press
California Climate Budget To Include $1 Billion Green Loan Fund Capital Public Radio
Exclusive: California climate budget to include $1 billion green loan fund CalMatters
California Governor Pushes $1.4 Billion Plan To Tackle Homelessness Valley Public Radio
Gavin Newsom unveils health plan to form California’s own generic prescription drug label
Sacramento Bee
California would get into the business of selling prescription drugs under a sweeping plan to reduce health costs that Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Thursday. Newsom’s office provided a memo summarizing the proposal but declined to answer questions about how it would work and how it would be funded. Even some supporters say it will be hard to accomplish.
See also:
Gov. Gavin Newsom to propose that California manufacture its own generic drugs CalMatters
California could be 1st state to sell own prescription drugs Associated Press
New California proposal would skip environmental review for homeless shelters
Fresno Bee
A California Democrat introduced legislation on Wednesday to speed up construction for homeless shelters and affordable housing in the state by exempting certain projects from environmental review.
‘Not the Golden State anymore’: Middle- and low-income people leaving California
CalMatters
In 2017, Susanna Cardenas-Lopez left her home in Salinas to visit her brother in Idaho. Three days into her trip, she called her husband and told him they needed to move there. Back in Salinas, Cardenas-Lopez and her husband were left out in the cold after their landlord decided to stop renting the home they lived in. They couldn’t afford anything else, so they had to move in with a family member, which was stressful.
GOP to Newsom: You’re failing the people you’re supposed to serve
CalMatters
In his inaugural address one year ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom said of California, “This is where America’s future is made. This is our charge. That is our calling.” Gov. Newsom has had a full year, and a supermajority of Democrats in the Legislature. And yet with this power and ability to fix California’s pressing problems, I must give Gov. Newsom a solid F for his first year in office.
Follow the money: Are changes coming for California’s school funding law?
Public CEO
Galvanized by a state audit that criticized California’s lax oversight of school spending, legislators are ringing in the new decade with proposals that would require the state to follow the money that districts get to educate disadvantaged kids.
EDITORIAL: The aliens, homeless, poor: No one should be left out of 2020 Census
Fresno Bee
In a few months, we will ask to be counted. The U.S. Census, conducted every 10 years, gathers information about the population of our nation. The information helps allocate billions of dollars in federal funds and assists state and local communities make informed decisions.
Column: Trump slashed consumer protections. So California is stepping up
Los Angeles Times
After years of the Trump administration steadily rolling back federal consumer financial protections, California has decided enough is enough. Gov. Gavin Newsom will unveil a California Consumer Financial Protection Law as part of his proposed 2020-21 state budget, to be introduced Friday.
Federal:
Trump’s homeless czar went undercover in Fresno. Now he’s making plans for California
Fresno Bee
Before President Donald Trump picked him to reshape the nation’s programs for the homeless, Robert Marbut Jr. had already built a complicated legacy as a consultant in California cities and across the country.
Trump and Garcetti, enemies in public, are quietly working out a deal on homelessness
Los Angeles Times
Senior Trump administration officials have made quiet but significant progress toward a potential deal with Los Angeles officials that would provide federal funds and land to help shelter the city‘s and county’s growing homeless population.
Feinstein backtracks on impeachment dig at Pelosi: ‘I did not mean to say that’
San Francisco Chronicle
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made clear Thursday that she’s in no hurry to send articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate, as her longtime colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein backtracked on earlier criticism that it was time for the Senate to get the case.
See also:
Washington Post
A Justice Department inquiry launched more than two years ago to mollify conservatives clamoring for more investigations of Hillary Clinton has effectively ended with no tangible results, and current and former law enforcement officials said they never expected the effort to produce much of anything.
Elections 2020:
Fact check: Are California Republicans having voter registration changed without consent?
Fresno Bee
A California Republican lawmaker claimed on Thursday that a “flood of registered Republicans” in her county have had their party switched because of actions taken by the Secretary of State’s Office.
How independents can vote in California presidential primary
Modesto Bee
More than 5 million independent voters, called “no party preference” in California, are eligible to vote in the March 3 presidential primary. Here's what you need to know.
See also:
Independents could decide California’s Democratic primary Associated Press
How Democratic presidential candidates want to make the U.S. more like California
CalMatters
With Democrats holding all the political power in California for nearly the last decade, the Golden State has evolved into a laboratory for big blue ideas. Put a price on carbon? We’ve done it. Provide health insurance to undocumented immigrants? We do some of that too. Gun control, minimum wage hikes and heavy taxes on the rich are also realities here.
Tom Steyer Qualifies for Democratic Debate With Two Surprising Polls
New York Times
With two startling polling results released late Thursday afternoon, the billionaire former hedge fund executive Tom Steyer became the sixth candidate to qualify for next week’s Democratic presidential debate.
Biden nabs Eric Garcetti endorsement
Politico
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti endorsed Joe Biden on Thursday, a boost for the former vice president in a critical Super Tuesday state. The endorsement comes as Biden campaigns in California, a delegate-rich state where early voting will begin next month.
See also:
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti Endorses Joe Biden Wall Street Journal
AV Press
With just under two months to go before the March 3 election, candidates for the 25th Congressional District began making their case for voters’ support Wednesday. The hotly contested district includes Palmdale, part of Lancaster, Santa Clarita and Simi Valley.
Other:
Facebook Says It Won’t Back Down From Allowing Lies in Political Ads
New York Times
Defying pressure from Congress, Facebook said on Thursday that it would continue to allow political campaigns to use the site to target advertisements to particular slices of the electorate and that it would not police the truthfulness of the messages sent out.
PEW Research Center
Young people in the United States express far more skeptical views of America’s global standing than older adults. They are also more likely to say it would be acceptable if another country became as militarily powerful as the U.S., according to a survey conducted in September on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, January 12, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California’s Housing Crisis Hits Home - Guest: Matt Levine from CALmatters and Dan Dunmoyer with California Building Industry Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, January 12, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: California’s Housing Crisis: Are Granny Flats the Answer? - Guests: Monica Davalos, Aureo Mesquita and Adriana Ramos-Yamamoto from the California Budget and Policy Center, Matt Levin with CALmatters, Dan Dunmoyer with California Building Industry Association, John Myer with LA Times and Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, January 12, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: State Auditor Report on Charter Schools - Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Bakersfield Californian
Hemp production continues to spark the imagination of Kern County farmers, investors and government officials despite a high-profile incident that led to the destruction last year of close to 500 acres of the plant by the Sheriff's Office and a subsequent $1 billion claim against the county.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
EDITORIAL: Fresno County Jail inmates using computers? It might seem risky, but it’s the right idea
Fresno Bee
Fresno County Jail has had its share of controversies over its treatment of inmates. But recently Sheriff Margaret Mims announced a development that is nothing but positive and represents an improvement for inmates.
Public Safety:
Californians support ‘amnesty’ for high-capacity gun magazine owners, survey says
Fresno Bee
A majority of Californians, including gun owners, support an “amnesty” program where high-capacity firearm magazine owners can turn them in, “no questions asked.” More than 62 percent of Californians surveyed said that they favor such a program, which 51 percent of gun owners also said they supported.
Fire:
‘Business as usual.’ PG&E’s big penalty for California wildfires could create tax write-off
Fresno Bee
The record $1.675 billion penalty PG&E Corp. has agreed to pay for the deadly 2017 and 2018 wildfires could generate a big tax deduction for the beleaguered California utility.
As wildfires get worse, smoke spreads, stokes health worries
Associated Press
First came the flames, a raging firestorm propelled by 50 mph (80 kph) wind gusts that incinerated Kelsey Norton’s house and killed 85 people in her community. Then came the smoke — not just from the forest but also from some 14,000 houses and their contents that burned, generating a thick plume that enshrouded portions of Northern California for weeks and left Norton gasping.
California budget seeks more firefighters, fire protection
Associated Press
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to hire more state firefighters and make homes safer from devastating wildfires in the budget he will send to state lawmakers on Friday. The 555 additional full-time firefighters would be hired over five years, his office told The Associated Press, augmenting the 4,800 current permanent firefighters by about 12%.
Australia’s Bushfires Have Likely Devastated Wildlife—and the Impact Will Only Get Worse
Scientific American
As Australia’s unprecedentedly catastrophic bushfires rage, the emerging images are apocalyptic: skies turned blood red by smoke, families sheltering on boats to escape the flaming shore, and landscapes littered with the charred bodies of iconic animal species such as kangaroos and koalas.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Clovis sees major business growth with new restaurants, storefronts
abc30
After sitting empty for months, new life is coming back to the old Kmart building in Clovis. "Kmart was absorbed quickly by At Home, which is a major national retailer that's entering into the market," said Andy Haussler, community and economic director of Clovis. "They're taking the whole thing and will be providing home goods, which is great for all of the new homes coming into Clovis."
Businesses hit by mistaken tax penalty seek help from Congress
Roll Call
A one-word drafting error in the 2017 tax code overhaul has sent companies ranging from specialty retailer PetSmart Inc. to Nissan Motor Co. scrambling to Capitol Hill for relief. As part of the effort to offset a dramatic reduction in the corporate tax rate in the 2017 law, Republicans limited the ability of firms to claim tax breaks on net operating losses, or when deductions exceed income.
Jobs:
Minimum Wage Hikes Fuel Higher Pay Growth For Those At The Bottom
KVPR
Kecia Jolley is getting a pay raise this week. But she's still making minimum wage. Jolley works as a grocery store cashier in Missouri — one of nearly two dozen states that increased their minimum wages on Jan. 1. Economists say those mandatory wage hikes are an important factor boosting pay for workers at the bottom of the income ladder.
Adventist Health continues outsourcing drive with 46 jobs affected in Bakersfield, Tehachapi
Bakersfield Californian
Adventist Health is moving again to outsource local hospital jobs, saying it will let go of 46 employees in Bakersfield and Tehachapi but that everyone affected will remain at their current place of work as employees of one of three outside companies.
US adds 145,000 jobs; unemployment holds at 3.5%
Modesto Bee
U.S. employers downshifted on hiring in December, adding 145,000 jobs, with steady spending by Americans continuing to steer economic growth heading into a presidential election year.
See also:
Uber makes major changes to California rides as gig-work law takes effect
San Francisco Chronicle
Uber rides are changing in California for both drivers and passengers as the ride-hailing company works to strengthen its defenses against AB5, the new gig-work law that makes it harder for companies to claim that workers are independent contractors rather than employees.
See also:
California’s new gig worker law is disrupting the music industry and threatening all performing arts CalMatters
Paid Family Leave: Helping Workers Balance Career and Caregiving Commitments
California Budget & Policy Center
Over the span of a career, most working adults need time off to care for a new child or a sick family member. California policymakers, administrators, and advocates — past and present — have forged a path in building the first comprehensive paid family leave program in the nation.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Nearly half of California students can’t read at grade level. Here’s what we must do about it
CalMatters
The number of California students who cannot read is shocking. Results from the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progressshow that only 32% of fourth graders are reading proficiently. These results put California below the national average and behind 25 other states.
How to weigh in on where FUSD dishes out their dollars
abc30
Fresno Unified School District is setting their sights on next year's budget, but they need your input. Building a budget is no easy task, especially one for over 74,000 students. That's why Fresno Unified School District wants to hear from you.
New efforts to make school spending in California more transparent
EdSource
Though barely a week old, 2020 is shaping up to be the year that policy makers and legislators force school districts to be more accountable for how they spend money they receive from the state’s funding formula. It could produce the first significant tightening of rules under the Local Control Funding Formula since former Gov. Jerry Brown persuaded the Legislature to pass the landmark legislation in 2013.
Follow the money: Are changes coming for California’s school funding law?
Public CEO
Galvanized by a state audit that criticized California’s lax oversight of school spending, legislators are ringing in the new decade with proposals that would require the state to follow the money that districts get to educate disadvantaged kids.
Here’s a chance to work at Clovis Unified with a teacher job fair later this month
Fresno Bee
Would you like to work for Clovis Unified? The nationally recognized school district will hold its seventh annual teacher job fair Jan. 22 at the Clovis Unified Professional Development Building.
Amid shortages, schools settle for underprepared special education teachers
EdSource
Due to statewide teacher shortages, many of California’s approximately 800,000 special education students are being taught by teachers who haven’t completed teacher preparation programs or have received only partial training.
California schools sue Juul Labs for vaping-related absences. They’re not the first
Fresno Bee
San Diego public schools have sued Juul Labs, claiming that their products led to student absences because of vaping-related lung illnesses and diverted school resources to preventing vaping on school grounds. The suit was filed on Jan. 7 in San Diego Superior Court and says that Juul’s product “disrupts the learning environment” of the San Diego Unified School District.
Higher Ed:
Board examines $550 million bond for MJC, Columbia. It’s ‘way too much,’ trustee says
Modesto Bee
Community college district trustees will wait for March 3 election results before making a decision on a bond measure for facilities at Modesto Junior College and Columbia College near Sonora.
Co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter to speak at BC
Bakersfield Californian
Patrisse Khan-Cullors, the co-founder of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, will speak at Bakersfield College on Feb. 6 as part of its Distinguished Speakers Series. When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir is the seventh presentation in the nine-part series.
Demand for UC and CSU Enrollment Remains Strong
PPIC
The number of high school graduates has remained steady for several years, with no expectation of significant increases any time soon. And yet demand for admission to the state’s public universities continues to grow.
Are left-wing American professors indoctrinating their students?
The Economist
Of All The Demographic Divisions Among America’s Democrats And Republicans, Few Are As Wide Or As Deep As The Educational Divide. Consider How White Voters Cast Their Ballots In The 2016 Presidential Election. Some 64% Of Non-college-educated Whites Plumped For Donald Trump.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
California Climate Budget To Include $1 Billion Green Loan Fund
Capital Public Radio
Contending that California needs to better encourage small players with ideas to address the climate crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to include a $1 billion revolving loan program in his new budget Friday to seed recycling, low-carbon transportation and climate-smart agriculture projects, according to a summary document obtained by CalMatters.
See also:
Energy:
CalMatters
California’s ambitious renewable energy targets helped drive a substantial drop in greenhouse gas pollution that propelled the state past its 2020 climate change goals early, according to a non-partisan analysis released this week. Yet one California lawmaker confirmed Tuesday he wants to put a stop to the mandate, for now.
Electric Cars Will Challenge State Power Grids
PEW
When Seattle City Light unveiled five new electric vehicle charging stations last month in
an industrial neighborhood south of downtown, the electric utility wasn’t just offering a new spot for drivers to fuel up. It also was creating a way for the utility to figure out how much more power it might need as electric vehicles catch on.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital announces advancements in minimally invasive heart procedures
Bakersfield Californian
A team of cardiologists associated with Bakersfield Heart Hospital’s Structural Heart Program have announced the addition of technologies and procedures that are expanding options locally for minimally invasive alternatives to open heart surgery.
Roughly Half Of Children On Medi-Cal Aren’t Getting Screened For Lead Poisoning, New Audit Shows
Capital Public Radio
Around half of the nearly 3 million children enrolled in Medi-Cal aren't getting any of their state-required screenings for lead poisoning, according to a new report from the California State Auditor’s office.
Chew on This: Gum That Promises to Help You Sleep and Make You Skinny
Wall Street Journal
Gum makers are mixing everything from vitamins to candy into their recipes to give customers more incentives to pick up a pack. Chewing gum has lost sales to mints, and customers have gravitated to other means of burning nervous energy, like fidget spinners and smartphones, executives and market-research firms say.
The Link Between Diet, Exercise and Alzheimer’s
Wall Street Journal
In his 40s and a self-described fitness nut, Stephen Chambers doesn’t seem like someone who would be worrying about Alzheimer’s. But when his father was diagnosed with the disease about five years ago, he went to the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic in New York to see what he could do.
As wildfires get worse, smoke spreads, stokes health worries
Associated Press
First came the flames, a raging firestorm propelled by 50 mph (80 kph) wind gusts that incinerated Kelsey Norton’s house and killed 85 people in her community. Then came the smoke — not just from the forest but also from some 14,000 houses and their contents that burned, generating a thick plume that enshrouded portions of Northern California for weeks and left Norton gasping.
Human Services:
If you bought Infants' Tylenol, you could be part of $6.3 million settlement
abc30
If you bought Infants' Tylenol in the last five years, you could have money coming your way. Johnson and Johnson has agreed to pay up to $6.3 million dollars to customers who bought Infants' Tylenol since 2014.
Gavin Newsom unveils health plan to form California’s own generic prescription drug label
Sacramento Bee
California would get into the business of selling prescription drugs under a sweeping plan to reduce health costs that Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Thursday. Newsom’s office provided a memo summarizing the proposal but declined to answer questions about how it would work and how it would be funded. Even some supporters say it will be hard to accomplish.
See also:
Gov. Gavin Newsom to propose that California manufacture its own generic drugs CalMatters
California could be 1st state to sell own prescription drugs Associated Press
California’s Uninsured Rate Stalled Out, but 2020 Promises Renewed Progress
California Budget & Policy Center
California has been a national leader in helping people receive the health coverage they need since the enactment of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Until 2016, the share of Californians without health coverage dropped substantially. But this decline slowed significantly before finally stalling out in 2018, leaving close to 3 million Californians uninsured.
A Prescription of Poetry to Help Patients Speak Their Minds
Wall Street Journal
Dr. Joshua Hauser approached the bedside of his patient, treatment in hand. But it wasn’t medicine he carried. It was a copy of a 19th-century poem titled “Invictus.”
IMMIGRATION
California Budget & Policy Center
State policymakers have significantly expanded California’s Earned Income Tax Credit — the CalEITC — since the credit was first enacted in 2015. However, hundreds of thousands of immigrant families are excluded from benefiting from the CalEITC as well as from California’s new Young Child Tax Credit, which is tied to CalEITC eligibility.
Why Your State Is Growing or Stalling or Shrinking
New York Times
The debate over immigration has economic and moral components, but there’s also a demographic aspect: Many parts of America would be shrinking if not for the arrival of residents from other countries.
Appeals court lifts block on $3.6 billion for Trump border wall plan
Politico
A divided federal appeals court has lifted a lower court’s order blocking $3.6 billion in military construction funds that President Donald Trump planned to use to finance an expanded and improved border wall.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Clovis planning department gets national award
Clovis Round-Up
The City of Clovis Cottage Home Program will receive a Silver 2019 National Planning Achievement Award for A Best Practice from the American Planning Association (APA). The award recognizes the city’s program for adding affordable housing and turning allies into new pocket neighborhoods. The Cottage Home Program is one of 20 Achievement Award recipients this year.
Housing:
Trump’s homeless czar went undercover in Fresno. Now he’s making plans for California
Fresno Bee
Before President Donald Trump picked him to reshape the nation’s programs for the homeless, Robert Marbut Jr. had already built a complicated legacy as a consultant in California cities and across the country.
California Governor Pushes $1.4 Billion Plan To Tackle Homelessness
KVPR
As the homelessness crisis in California grows more acute, Gov. Gavin Newsom is planning to ask lawmakers for $1.4 billion to pay monthly rents, build more shelters and provide treatment to those struggling with finding long-term housing, the governor's office announced on Wednesday.
Sacramento to declare homeless shelter crisis. It could make opening these shelters easier
Sacramento Bee
The city of Sacramento is set to again declare a homeless shelter crisis, but for a different reason than last winter. Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency officials are working on a plan to place cabin-style shelters on a site in Councilman Allen Warren’s north Sacramento district.
Our cities don't have enough affordable housing. Changing this policy will help
CNN
Local control of land use and zoning regulations has created two models of growth in America's metropolitan centers: expensive cities and expansive cities. And both models are leaving low- and middle-income workers behind when it comes to affordable and convenient housing.
PUBLIC FINANCES
She says her pension should be bigger. CalPERS says she was a bad boss
Sacramento Bee
The planning director of a Southern California government agency was struggling to communicate clearly with her staff or constructively criticize them in her last year on the job. Nonetheless, her boss gave her an overall performance rating of “very successful,” citing her expertise and hard work. The director, Huasha Liu, of the Southern California Association of Governments, received a $10,000 bonus.
Early Retirement & Financial Wellness In 2020
Capital Public Radio
Retirement can feel like a distant planet, making it easy to put off financial planning until it’s really too late. At that point, instead of managing assets, you might find yourself managing stress.
TRANSPORTATION
How to install and use snow chains
Fresno Bee
Learn how you should install and use snow chains on your tires so you're prepared when chain controls are in place.
‘Next-level craziness.’ Rogue e-scooter company forges city permit, San Francisco says
Modesto Bee
When Go-X e-scooters began popping up in San Francisco bearing an official-looking city seal, community leaders were baffled — the company doesn’t have a city permit, KPIX reported. “They actually created a false permit with a city seal on it?” said transit board director Gwyneth Borden, The San Francisco Examiner reported.
California’s ‘hydrogen highway’ never happened. Could 2020 change that?
CalMatters
Hydrogen-powered cars haven't taken off. But with successful pilot projects using hydrogen buses and trucks, and with carmakers poised to expand consumers' options, proponents say this may be the year when the climate-friendly “fuel of the future” finally arrives.
WATER
Project to restore American River for native fish leads to surge in salmon nests
Fresno Bee
The American River is seeing an increase in native fish nests following a fall project carried out by federal, state and local agencies to re-establish natural spawning habitats.
“Xtra”
BarrelHouse Brewing reveals site of Fresno taproom. Here’s why it’s a bit surprising
Fresno Bee
After months of teasing, BarrelHouse Brewing Co. has officially confirmed where in Fresno it plans to open its newest taproom: River Park. The Paso Robles-based brewery plans to open BarrelHouse River Park, a place for people to drink its beer in the main part of the shopping center across from IMAX. It will move into the former Wavelengths Surf Shop and the empty spot next door, right next to Teazer World Tea Market.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno 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.
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