July 10, 2020

10Jul

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus has 5 more deaths; more infections than SF

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County announced five more deaths to the virus Wednesday, bringing the total to 50. Details on the most recent people to die were not available. The deaths came amid a surge in positive tests for COVID-19 in the county. Officials said Tuesday that this could mean further shutting down of certain sectors of the economy, and a delay in on-site education.

Editorial: Stanislaus County must provide accurate coronavirus numbers

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County officials must provide accurate local information on the coronavirus pandemic, an ongoing and worsening crisis affecting every life.

Central SJ Valley:

Deaths surge as Valley nears 10,000 active case; COVID and the census

Fresno Bee

The number of deaths related to the coronavirus continues a week-long surge in the central San Joaquin Valley. On Wednesday, 15 deaths were reported in Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties. Mariposa was alone in reporting zero deaths for the day.

See also:

Controversial Fresno restaurant owner received millions in federal coronavirus relief

Fresno Bee

Through the end of June, more than 1,000 restaurants across the central San Joaquin Valley received loans.

Regions Rise Together Salinas Initiative Receives Grant from The James Irvine Foundation

CA FWD

The James Irvine Foundation has awarded $250,000 in support of the Regions Rise Together Salinas initiative spearheaded by the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership — a regional organization that is part of our California Stewardship Network — and California Forward. 

Editorial: Clovis City Council shows leadership by wearing masks

Fresno Bee

The Clovis City Council just showed some strong leadership.

South SJ Valley:

Cannabis tax to come: Locals express concern over use of illegal fireworks in city

Porterville Recorder

With voting season right around the corner, the Porterville City Council, with help from City Attorney Julia Lew, attempted to iron out the details of two proposed tax measures that could be added to the ballot in November.

On day of most reported COVID-19 cases in Kern, local officials warn rising totals will likely continue

Bakersfield Californian

On the day the Kern County Public Health Services Department reported its highest coronavirus case increase, officials warned residents could expect worse news in the coming weeks. “At this point in time we do expect our cases to continue to keep rising,” said Kim Hernandez, the public health department’s lead epidemiologist. She recommended residents follow Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order and limit the amount of contacts they have outside their households

State:

She once called herself California’s ‘top cop.’ Where is Kamala Harris on police reform now?

Fresno Bee

For years, Kamala Harris proudly boasted she was California’s “top cop.” She touted that reputation at the last Democratic National Convention, telling a New York delegation breakfast “I now stand before you as the top cop of the biggest state in the country.”

149 deaths set daily record for California, push total to 6,700

Sacramento Bee

The coronavirus pandemic shows little sign of slowing down in California, where new cases, total hospitalizations and deaths remain on the rise as intensive care units are filling in some parts of the state.

Contract roundup: Here’s how California will cut pay under each union agreement

Sacramento Bee

No exceptions for cops and firefighters.

Senate also delays return 

Sacramento Bee

With 700 bills to process before the end of August, both the Senate and Assemblyhave indefinitely delayed lawmakers’ return to the chambers — originally scheduled for July 13 — as COVID-19 cases mount in the Capitol. Six individuals have tested positive in the Assembly as of Tuesday.

California legislators delay return to Capitol as a lawmaker is hospitalized with COVID-19

Los Angeles Times

The California Senate on Wednesday joined the Assembly in deciding not to return from its summer recess next week, citing the continued spread of the coronavirus, which has now infected several staffers and members in the Legislature.

Record day of coronavirus deaths in California raises new alarms

Los Angeles Times

Conditions continued to deteriorate in many parts of California on Wednesday with a surge of new coronavirus cases as well as a troubling rise in COVID-19 deaths. The state recorded its highest single-day coronavirus death toll Wednesday, with 149 fatalities reported, according to a Los Angeles Times county-by-county tally. 

OPINION: California’s Citizen Redistricting Commission is erasing Latinos. That’s unacceptable

Modesto Bee

Ten years ago, the California Legislature put the Voters First Act on the statewide ballot. It was one of the nation’s earliest, boldest efforts to eliminate gerrymandering and guarantee fairness in our political system.

Federal:

Trump’s tax returns, financials can be subpoenaed by investigators, Supreme Court rules

Fresno Bee

President Donald Trump can be required to hand over his tax returns to New York investigators, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The Supreme Court delivered different rulings on two cases related to the president’s financial records Thursday, ruling he is not “absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas” in one of the decisions.

See Also:

An injection may block COVID-19, but feds have failed to act

Los Angeles Times

Scientists have devised a way to use the antibody-rich blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors for an upper-arm injection that they say could inoculate people against the virus for months.

World Health Organization acknowledges that coronavirus can linger in the air

Los Angeles Times

Under growing pressure from researchers, the World Health Organization acknowledged Thursday that the coronavirus can linger in the air indoors and potentially infect people even when they practice social distancing.

Behind New Covid-19 Outbreaks: America’s Patchwork of Policies

Wall Street Journal

Skyrocketing coronavirus cases in Florida, Texas, California and other states reveal missteps at all levels of government; ‘There is no national goal, no national objective’

See also:

Poll: Broad disapproval for Trump’s handling of coronavirus, race relations

ABC News

Evaluation of Trump’s oversight of the COVID-19 crisis reached a new low.

See also:

Are Democratic leaders following COVID-19 precautions?

Politifact

These days, it seems like all everyone’s talking about is face masks. From viral social media posts falsely claiming New York hospitals reported fungal lung infections caused by masks to outdated videos of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s stanceon masks recirculating, face coverings are a topic of conspiracy. The latest? A claim that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats aren’t using masks or social distancing. 

Republicans look into holding their convention outdoors

Washington Post

The Republican convention in Jacksonville, Fla., next month could be moved to an outdoor stadium as cases of the novel coronavirus in the state increase, according to several officials with knowledge of the plans.

CDC feels pressure from Trump as rift grows over coronavirus response

Washington Post

The June 28 email to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was ominous: A senior adviser to a top Health and Human Services Department official accused the CDC of “undermining the President” by putting out a report about the potential risks of the coronavirus to pregnant women.

Time to shut down again? As coronavirus cases surge, a growing chorus makes the case

Washington Post

They raced to shut down their economies in March, and many opened them just as quickly in May.

Wait, did Trump win or lose? A seven-question FAQ on the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Washington Post

The Supreme Court didn’t give Trump a victory. But it gave him time, which may be the same thing.

Editorial: What part of birth control does the Supreme Court not think is preventive healthcare?

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court just gave its blessing to a wide range of companies refusing to offer their female employees health insurance that covers birth control, even when they could do so without compromising their religious or moral beliefs.

Editorial: A Supreme Court decision on religious teachers must be read narrowly

Los Angeles Times

In ruling 7 to 2 that two teachers at Catholic schools couldn’t challenge their dismissals under civil rights laws, the Supreme Court on Wednesday rightly focused on the fact the teachers were “entrusted with the responsibility of instructing students in the faith.” Thus they were covered by a “ministerial exception” to civil rights laws announced by the court in a 2012 case involving a teacher at a Lutheran school.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

See also:

Elections 2020:

Trump signs executive order as he courts Hispanic voters

Bakersfield Californian

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that creates an advisory commission tasked with improving Hispanic Americans’ access to economic and educational opportunities, a push that comes as the president hopes to win a bigger share of the Latino vote than he did four years ago.

The Economy May Be Losing Its Impact On Presidential Elections

VPR
Here’s one way of understanding just how far off the map the U.S. economy is right now: The U.S. has now had two straight months where it has added more jobs than it did in all of 2019. And still, the job market has not even halfway recovered from the devastation of the coronavirus — the nation is still nearly 15 million jobs below where it was before the pandemic

Latino group launches $10-million campaign to boost voter turnout

Los Angeles Times

A national organization is announcing a $10-million campaign to turn out Latino voters in several of this year’s battleground states. Mi Familia Vota, based in Phoenix, said it will spend $7 million on get-out-the-vote measures and an additional $3 million on digital and television ads, starting in Arizona and Florida.

Striking populist tone, Joe Biden touts $700-billion plan to boost U.S. manufacturing

Los Angeles Times

Joe Biden laid out a populist economic vision on Thursday, starting with a $700-billion proposal to reinvigorate the nation’s manufacturing sector, and laced into President Trump for being out of touch with the challenges facing the American public.

See also:

McCarthy challenger rakes in $360,000 in second quarter

TheHill

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) Democratic challenger Kim Mangone pulled in nearly $360,000 in the second quarter of 2020, raising more in three months than all of McCarthy’s previous general election challengers combined.

After Pleas From Officials, Republicans Signal Openness To More Election Funding

NPR

Ever since the pandemic struck, state and local election officials across the country have made it clear: To avoid an election disaster in November, they need more money now.

Fact-checking Trump’s misleading distinction between ‘absentee’ and ‘mail-in’ ballots

CNN

President Donald Trump has railed against “mail-in voting” while defending “absentee voting,” baffling experts who say those voting systems are essentially the same thing.

Other:

Alden confirms interest in McClatchy, challenges Chatham’s bid on eve of planned auction

Modesto Bee

The hedge fund Alden Capital Group challenged portions of a competitor’s bid for McClatchy Co. in court filings late Wednesday, a move that confirmed its rumored interest in buying the company and further delayed the auction that will decide the local news company’s future.

California investigating Google for potential antitrust violations

Politico

Google’s home state had been a holdout as other state attorneys general and the Justice Department went forward with probes

Opinion: Want to know how badly we’ve botched the pandemic? Consider the plight of movie theaters.

Washington Post

Theater owners have sued New Jersey for the right to reopen in the middle of a pandemic, in a rather perfect symbol of how badly both governments and the public have botched the response to the coronavirus. Like the rest of us, movie theaters are stuck trying to navigate conflicting advice, obvious hypocrisy and inconsistent governance to figure out the right balance between keeping safe and staying afloat.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Coronavirus outbreak reported at Foster Farms’ Livingston complex 

Modesto Bee

It’s the second outbreak connected to the Valley poultry company.

Coronavirus outbreak at Fresno-area company has critics calling for more transparency

Fresno Bee

There are no clear rules for companies — or public health officials — to report workplace COVID-19 outbreaks.

State inspectors visit ag workplaces to help employers protect laborers from COVID-19

Bakersfield Californian

A multi-agency enforcement initiative announced last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom has dispatched Cal-OSHA inspectors across the state to help employers including local farming companies comply with COVID-19 health and safety precautions.

USDA-NASS Projects California Almond Crop Up 18 Percent to 3 Billion Meat Pounds

California Ag Today

The California Almond Objective Measurement Report, published today by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), estimates that the 2020 crop will be 3.00 billion meat pounds, up 18% from the 2019 crop production of 2.55 billion pounds.

About 14 million children in the US are not getting enough to eat

Brookings

Last month, around 16% of U.S. households with children reported that their kids were not eating enough over the last week due to a lack of resources. Lauren Bauer looks at food insecurity trends in America and outlines policies to provide immediate assistance.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​/​FIRE​/​​PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Police: Black man’s hanging death in California was suicide

American Press

A police investigation confirmed suicide was the cause of death of a Black man found hanging from a tree in a Southern California city park last month, authorities said Thursday.

Public Safety:

‘No reason to be tested’: Coronavirus deaths mount at California’s San Quentin prison

Modesto Bee

The old men live in cramped spaces and breathe the same ventilated air. Many are frail, laboring with heart disease, liver and prostate cancer, tuberculosis, dementia. And now, with the coronavirus advancing through their ranks, they are falling one after the next.

See also:

Clovis Police Using New Software to Respond to Calls More Efficiently

Business Journal

The Clovis Police Department has implemented a new system that has allowed it to respond to calls quicker and more efficiently.

Some Kern prisons have been impacted by COVID-19 outbreak

Bakersfield Californian

A handful of Kern County prisons haven’t been spared as COVID-19 has spread like wildfire through some California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institutions.

Progressive California still lets local police investigate when one of their own uses deadly force

CALmatters

If this state is the nation’s laboratory for progressive laws, why has it been unable to keep the police from policing themselves?

Fire: 

How to fight the two perils of a California summer: A pandemic meets fire season

Fresno Bee

As Californians continue to battle the coronavirus, they may run headlong into another deadly force. The state again faces a potentially explosive fire season — but this year, it must balance extinguishing blazes with containing a pandemic.

See Also:

AB 2167 will cause surge in wildfire insurance costs

Modesto Bee

As Californians continue to navigate the many challenges 2020 has thrown their way, residents in wildfire-prone areas have one more threat to be concerned about: Assembly Bill 2167.

Temperature checks and hotels: Newsom details new precautions for wildfire evacuations

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officials said Thursday that California will shelter wildfire evacuees in hotels, require temperature checks and make other changes to protect people from COVID-19 as the state battles an increase in blazes during the pandemic.

As wildfire season looms, California adds 900 firefighters to its crews

CALmatters

Fewer inmates are available for hand crews so the state is filling the gap. So far, slightly more acreage has burned this year than last year.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Controversial Fresno restaurant owner received millions in federal coronavirus relief

Fresno Bee

A Fresno restaurateur who has butted heads with city, county and state officials in recent weeks has received possibly as much as $5 million in federal coronavirus pandemic relief dollars.

US economy may be stalling out as viral outbreak worsens

Modesto Bee

The U.S. economy is stumbling as the viral outbreak intensifies, threatening to slow hiring and deepening the uncertainty for employees, consumers and companies across the country.

See Also:

Bars, indoor dining could remain closed for the foreseeable future amid coronavirus surge

Los Angeles Times

With coronavirus cases surging in California, there are growing doubts that indoor dining and bar service will reopen anytime soon as health officials zero in on how to slow the spread of COVID-19.

ICYMI: Regions Recover Together Recap

CA FWD

More than 500 people came together for CA Fwd’s Regions Recover Together virtual gathering of regional leaders from across the state who shared strategies on building a more inclusive and sustainable California and addressing persistent racial and geographic inequalities.

Jobs:

State cuts pay for California Highway Patrol officers despite contract protections

Fresno Bee

California Highway Patrol officers are taking a pay cut along with the rest of the state’s workforce despite special protections that were in their contract. Highway Patrol officers’ base pay will be reduced by 4.62%, the equivalent of one day of work per month, under the agreement the California Association of Highway Patrolmen reached with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bargaining team.

Layoffs stuck at high level as 1.3 million filed for unemployment benefits last week

abc30

More than 1.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a historically high pace that shows that many employers are still laying people off in the face of a resurgent coronavirus.

See Also:

Cautious hope as calamity looms

San Francisco Chronicle

The Bay Area’s homeless crisis was severe before the coronavirus, and the pandemic seems certain to make it worse.se. But amid the fallout, some see new opportunities.

Are there really 5 million more people on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance than have applied to get on?

AEI

Confusion over the meaning of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance “continuing claims” makes the effort to understand the real level of unemployment harder.

WARN ACT + Unemployment Data Update: March through July 4, 2020

California Center for Jobs & the Economy

Total California initial claims (regular UI plus PUA claims by the self-employed) largely stabilized at the new elevated level of the past two weeks, easing only 2.9% from the week before. California showed 267,123 initial UI claims (NSA) along with 100,588 initial PUA claims (NSA). Although not yet incorporated into the numbers, last week’s orders reinstituting closures in 19 counties are likely to further increase the total in the weeks ahead.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno Unified to release learning options available for students when school resumes

abc30

The Fresno Unified School District is expected to release learning options for students when the school year resumes in August amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson will hold a press conference on Thursday at 2 p.m.

See also:

CDC head sticking to school-opening guides Trump criticized

Modesto Bee

Federal health officials won’t revise their coronavirus guidelines for reopening schools despite criticism from President Donald Trump, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. What they will do, he said, is provide additional information to help states, communities and parents decide what to do and when.

See also:

Masks on buses, fewer kids in class, no rallies. Modesto board gets schools update

Modesto Bee

Modesto City Schools staff sketched for board members Monday evening how the school year might look when it begins in August. But given how quickly the COVID-19 landscape still is changing, the picture they drew is more likely the equivalent of a single frame in an animated short.

See also:

Parents begin effort to recall VUSD board president

Visalia Times Delta

Tulare County election officials will review a petition to recall Visalia Unified board president John Crabtree.

Schools should not open until safety is assured, California Teachers Association tells state

EdSource

Pediatricians group says it told White House schools need resources to ensure safe openings.

California school superintendents navigate safety concerns, conflicting guidance as they plan to reopen schools

EdSource

California school superintendents are negotiating an obstacle course of regulations, parental angst and safety concerns as they make plans to do something never done before — reopen schools during a pandemic.

Higher Ed:

Cancel the bar exam? California considers allowing law graduates to skip test due to COVID-19

Fresno Bee

It’s a ticket to a potentially lucrative career as a lawyer — and a grueling, dreaded rite of passage that can defeat even the most promising young legal mind. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging, there’s a chance thousands of recent law school graduates could become lawyers in California without having to take the bar exam.

Cal State universities might remain online far beyond fall semester, chancellor says

Fresno Bee

California State University students could be forced online for the rest of the academic year, CSU Chancellor Timothy White said Tuesday. White’s remarks came during a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor subcommittee.

Title IX coordinator from Larry Nassar scandal drops job at Cal Poly after protests

Visalia Times Delta

The hiring of Paulette Granberry Russell, former senior diversity adviser to the president and Title IX coordinator at Michigan State University, by a Cal State University system school sparked protests and a petition to rescind the offer.

California Community College Athletic Association moves all fall sports to 2021

Bakersfield Californian

The California Community College Athletic Association has approved a Contingency Plan on Thursday to move all fall sports, including football, to the spring season.

Madera College Center Is Accredited, Vote on College Status Soon

GV Wire

Madera Community College Center is one vote away from becoming California’s 116th community college, now that it has received initial accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

Even if classes are online, Fresno State students will still receive financial aid this fall

ABC30 Fresno

As a new school year draws closer, college students are wondering what the many pandemic-related changes could mean for their financial aid.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

National parks: Aggressive bees close Joshua Tree campground

Los Angeles Times

Rangers at Joshua Tree National Park have shut down the popular Jumbo Rocks Campground “due to aggressive honey bee activity.” “There were a couple of vehicles with a lot of bees in them. And campsites. Visitors were very uncomfortable,” said Joshua Tree Superintendent David Smith. He said no stings were reported, the bees are “standard honey bees” and the park’s many other campgrounds remain open.

California student climate activist visions a sustainable future

CA FWD

Although COVID-19 kept her from having an in-person graduation, senior prom and other moments high school students look forward to, climate activist Ellinor Arzbaecher is focusing on what can be a silver lining.

Investigation rebukes Commerce Department for siding with Trump over forecasters during Hurricane Dorian

Washington Post

Report confirms Commerce officials responded to orders from the White House.

Energy:

Clean Energy Fuels Partners With Chevron on Southern California Port Trucks Program

Motley Fool

Energy giant Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and natural-gas fueling station operator Clean Energy Fuels(NASDAQ:CLNE) have announced a new initiative to supply truck operators serving the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with renewable natural gas (RNG). 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno County officials brace for surge in COVID-19 patients in area hospitals

abc30

Fresno County officials held a press conference on Wednesday to discuss a likely impending surge in coronavirus cases. The county’s hospitals are expecting and preparing for a sharp increase in the number of patients infected with COVID-19 in the coming weeks.

See Also:

COVID-19 and blood type: What’s the link?

Los Angeles Times

If there’s one thing we want to know about COVID-19, it’s probably this: What’s my risk of getting it? Researchers have identified certain things that make some people more vulnerable than others. Men are at greater risk than women. Older people are at greater riskthan younger people.

See Also:

If you have this blood type, studies show you’re at higher risk for the coronavirus

San Francisco Chronicle

Infectious disease specialists say the worldwide pandemic is especially cruel to people with type A blood, which apparently lacks certain compounds that help fight off the disease. 

Human Services:

Modesto nurses reusing masks as more COVID-19 patients are admitted to local hospitals

Modesto Bee

You won’t see nurses at Modesto hospitals covering their faces with bandannas to keep from catching the coronavirus. But a limited supply of N95 respirator masks and gowns persists and it’s increasing the risk that nurses and doctors will become infected with the virulent illness.

See also:

Houchin Community Blood Bank in need of a different donation: COVID-19 convalescent plasma

Bakersfield Californian

Houchin Community Blood Bank already has a tough time getting people through the door to donate blood when there’s not a pandemic, but now it’s facing another challenge: getting those who have recovered from the coronavirus to donate convalescent plasma.

As COVID-19 patients fill beds, many hospitals choose not to cancel nonemergency surgeries

Los Angeles Times

Three months ago, the nation watched as COVID-19 patients overwhelmed New York City’s intensive care units, forcing some of its hospitals to convert cafeterias into wards and pitch tents in parking lots.

See also:

EDITORIAL: California leaders betray Black and Latino communities with COVID-19 testing shortage

Sacramento Bee

The decision by Sacramento County health officials to shut down COVID-19 testing centers in poor communitieseven as infections are spiking makes two things exceedingly clear. First, it’s further proof that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sacramento County health officials acted recklessly by rushing to lift coronavirus restrictions before it was safe.

IMMIGRATION

UC Will Sue Trump Administration Over New International Student Visa Rules

Capital Public Radio

The University of California will sue the federal government over new visa guidelines that would force international students to leave the United States if they are enrolled in a college or academic program that only offers courses online, university officials said Wednesday.

See also:

Opinion | How the Trump administration is turning legal immigrants into undocumented ones

Washington Post

The Trump administration is turning legal immigrants into undocumented ones.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Supreme Court says eastern Oklahoma remains Native American territory

USAToday

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the eastern half of Oklahoma can be considered Native American territory, a decision the state warned could create “civil, criminal and regulatory turmoil.”

See Also:

Supreme Court Rules That About Half Of Oklahoma Is Native American Land

VPR

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that about half of the land in Oklahoma is within a Native American reservation, a decision that will have major consequences for both past and future criminal and civil cases. The court’s decision hinged on the question of whether the Creek reservation continued to exist after Oklahoma became a state.

Housing:

Council Approves Issuance of Bonds For Low-Income Housing Project

Business Journal

The Clovis City Council gave approval to the California Municipal Finance Authority to issue a multi-million dollar bond to finance a new low-income residential structure in the southwest corner of the city.

How to get out of your student housing lease

Los Angeles Times

California colleges are by and large still working out the details of what campus life will like look in the fall, even as they announce whether they’ll be open, closed or — most likely — somewhere in between.

California mobile home parks have lax oversight and few inspections, state audit warns

Los Angeles Times

California’s state housing agency did not conduct full inspections at more than half of the state’s mobile home parks between 2010 and 2019 and should improve oversight to protect residents, a state audit said Thursday.

OPINION: California legislature should not gut housing protections for vulnerable groups

Fresno Bee

In a legislative cycle pared down to the essentials due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some legislators are advocating for bills, such as Assembly Bill 3279, that would undermine public health protections.

PUBLIC FINANCES

How COVID-19 may cause Fresno’s Latino community to lose out on big money, resources

Fresno Bee

With the coronavirus pandemic upending efforts to count hard-to-reach populations across California, census advocates say the stakes are high for the mostly poor and Latino residents tucked away in the central San Joaquin Valley.

See Also:

Coronavirus stimulus checks, tax refunds and the IRS’ backlog hell

Los Angeles Times

Pandemic-related shutdowns, years of Congressional budget cuts and the effort required to push out more than 159 million stimulus checks have left the IRS facing a massive backlog. National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins estimated that 4.7 million unopened paper tax returns had accumulated as of mid-May.

See also:

After lobbying, Catholic Church won $1.4 billion in coronavirus aid

CBS News

The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.

File Your Taxes, Even if You Can’t Pay

Wall Street Journal

The IRS is the most powerful creditor in the country. When you owe taxes, blowing off your filings has immediate consequences that get worse the longer you ignore them.

See also:

TRANSPORTATION

New electric truck rule has some concerned about the future

Business Journal

ACT requires the percentage of heavy trucks sold in the state to increase each year with the goal that 100% of trucks be electric zero-emission vehicles by 2045.

Plan for high-speed rail rolls out for San Francisco to San Jose — but with little cash

San Francisco Chronicle

California rolled out its vision for high-speed trains between San Jose and San Francisco on Thursday, plotting a 30-or-so-minute ride on what would be one of the busiest stretches of the state’s proposed 520-mile rail system — even as the project is mired in financial uncertainty.

Caltrans Updates Plan to Support Biking, Walking, and Transit

StreetsBlog Cal

Over the past six years or so, Caltrans has been shifting its focus from facilitating convenience and speed of vehicle traffic towards the safety of all users, but the change has been slow. So slow, in fact, that its 2015 goal of tripling biking and doubling walking and transit trips by 2020 is nowhere near being met.

WATER

California Moves Toward Smart and Efficient Water Heating

NRDC
California has just adopted an energy code specification for grid-friendly and super-efficient water heaters that will help decarbonize buildings and the electric grid while saving Californians money on their utility bills.

“Xtra”

Eagle Mountain implements no smoking policy

Porterville Recorder

Eagle Mountain Casino has implemented a new no-smoking policy. Casino officials said the policy is temporary, but is for the safety of guests and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.