POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Democrats frustrated Nunes left mid-hearing after questions about Russia probe
CNN
When California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes sat before a committee Wednesday to testify on a bill, Democrats tried to use the opportunity to question Nunes on his investigation of Russian meddling and the 2016 presidential race.
Fresno ballot vendor has trouble in Colorado, warned by state of California
Fresno Bee
The company that has a multimillion-dollar contract to provide voting services to Fresno County and others across at least two states is in hot water for printing outdated ballots in Colorado, triggering a manual recount.
Young Stockton mayor sees value in paying poor to rise up
AP News
A $500 monthly check for low-income residents, cash stipends for men most likely to commit violent crimes and $1,000 college scholarships for public high school graduates. These are the bold initiatives Mayor Michael Tubbs is launching in Stockton, California.
Palo Verde continues with the change to the by-area election system
Visalia Times-Delta
The Palo Verde School Board is on its way to adopting the by-district election system. The board is seeking a waiver from the state to allow the district to make the change without an election and hired a demographer to help draw the five districts.
State:
A former Democratic presidential candidate is suing California. He wants GOP votes to count
Sacramento Bee
The 2016 presidential election is over, but debate surrounding the fairness of the Electoral College rages on — with one major twist.
Democrats push for unity in California House races after bruising primary
Sacramento Bee
California Democrats are saying all the right things when it comes to unifying the party after a bruising 2018 primary season. But the effort to bring together activists aligned with competing campaigns remains a work in progress.
Feinstein fights to deny Democratic rival official party nod
Sacramento Bee
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is tapping into her political Rolodex to convince California Democratic Party leaders to not formally endorse a candidate in her November race against fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon.
Attorney General Xavier Becerra on California's Legal Battles with the Trump Administration
KQED
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra joins Scott and Katie Orr to talk about the recent dismissal of challenges to California's sanctuary state law and more.
Garofoli: In California governor’s race, the debate is over how many debates there should be
San Francisco Chronicle
California’s gubernatorial candidates are having a hard time agreeing on debates, and their disagreement is boiling down to the choice that divides much of the country: Do you prefer CNN or Fox News?
Fox: Judges in Climate Change and Immigration Cases Tell the Executive and Congress: Do Your Job
Fox & Hounds
In the last few weeks two federal judges in California concluded cases on the controversial issues by basically telling lawmakers and the executive branch to do their jobs in setting standards in these contentious policy areas.
The political futures of McCarthy and Pelosi could hinge on their home state of California
Washington Post
The Central Valley Republican and the San Francisco Democrat are fighting to win the House majority and, with it, the right to try to round up enough votes to become speaker.
Federal:
Breaking: Mueller probe indicts 12 Russians for hacking Democrats in 2016
Washington Post
A dozen Russian intelligence officers have been charged with conspiring to hack Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a new indictment in the probe led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.
See also:
Mueller Probe Indicts 12 Russians in Hacking of DNC and Clinton Campaign Wall Street Journal
Los Angeles Times
President Trump declared a much-disputed victory at the annual NATO summit Thursday, after throwing it into crisis by forcing an emergency session suggesting the United States could leave the nearly 70-year-old alliance and then suddenly dropping his demands that allies immediately spend more on their militaries.
See also:
● Trump says NATO members have agreed to defense spending increases Hanford Sentinel
● As Trump twists NATO’s arm, let’s run the math on defense spending Brookings
● Discussing the meaning and purpose of NATO: Pletka on MSNBC’s ‘Meet the Press Daily’ AEI
● EDITORIAL: Scorning allies, Trump cozies to Russia with love San Francisco Chronicle
Brookings
While talk of whether Trump is or is not “draining the swamp” of lobbyists continues in Washington (and on Twitter), one form of lobbying—lobbying the White House about regulations—has quietly flown under the radar.
Kamala Harris gets a gift with Supreme Court fight
The Sacramento Bee
Under the heading “better to be lucky than good,” I give you Sen. Kamala Harris.
White House Lawyer Reshapes U.S. Courts
Wall Street Journal
As Brett Kavanaugh makes the rounds on Capitol Hill to meet influential senators, he is being shadowed by Donald McGahn, the White House lawyer who is reshaping some of the most influential courts across the country, including the Supreme Court.
EDITORIAL: Congress takes a baby step on reclaiming trade powers
OCRegister
By an 88-11 vote, the Senate approved a nonbinding resolution requesting that language expressing the need for a congressional role in tariffs imposed on national security grounds be included in an appropriations bill currently being negotiated.
Other:
Facebook to CNN: InfoWars offers “opinion and analysis,” and will stay on the platform
Mercury News
When pressed about why Facebook won’t take down InfoWars, an extreme right-wing media outlet that peddles false conspiracy theories, Facebook said InfoWars did not violate its community standards and highlighted the company’s commitment to free speech.
See also:
● Facebook touts fight on fake news, but struggles to explain why InfoWars isn't banned CNN
American democracy’s built-in bias towards rural Republicans
Economist
The electoral system the Founders devised, and which their successors elaborated, gives rural voters more clout than urban ones. But the Republican Party has become disproportionately rural and the Democratic Party disproportionately urban.
Progressives versus the establishment: What’s the score, and does it matter?
Brookings
When 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated incumbent Congressman Joe Crowley in a Democratic primary recently the political world stood up and took note.
National Review
California is America’s America, an extension, exaggeration, and distillation of the United States as a whole — the nation fresh-squeezed into concentrate. Like America writ large, California is a propositional place, a geography embodying an aspiration.
All Ears: Always-On Listening Devices Could Soon Be Everywhere
Wall Street Journal
Tiny microphones are moving us toward a world where all gadgets can respond to a voice command
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, July 15, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Climate Change: Adapting to a Slow Moving Emergency” – Guest: Carole D'Elia, Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, July 15, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Adapting to Climate Change: Implications for the Valley” – Guests: John Capitman, Executive Director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute and Seyed Sedradin, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, July 15, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Climate Change Legislation” – Guest: Alvar Escriva-Bou, Public Policy Institute of California. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
Support the Maddy Daily
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Record almond crop forecast for 2018
Bakersfield Californian
California almond growers are on track to outdo themselves again this year, as record investment in acreage and surprisingly little weather damage raise expectations the state will see its largest-ever harvest this fall.
Opinion: Food from the Central Valley is our legacy
Hanford Sentinel
Long before there were cooking channels and numerous cooking shows available for viewing during all hours of the day, there were only three chefs on television.
Volunteers needed to help distribute food at Farmers' Market
Bakersfield Californian
Community Action Partnership of Kern County is looking for volunteers to help with its Free Farmers' Market on Saturday in Wasco.
The Essential Guide to Eating California
Eater
In the American imagination, California has always been viewed through a haze of fantasy. What’s true is the Golden State is hands down the best place to eat in America.
See also:
● Turlock, Modesto eateries featured in 'wonderland' of Central Valley Mexican food Modesto Bee
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Minivans catch the eye of Fresno car thieves
ABC30
Minivans are a hot commodity for thieves in Southeast Fresno. Fresno police officers say in less than one month, a dozen minivans have been stolen in neighborhoods right outside of peoples homes.
EDITORIAL: Want more reasons for police reform in California? How about 172 civilian deaths
Sacramento Bee
The number is startling – 172 civilians were killed in confrontations with California law enforcement officers last year. And there’s another glaring statistic: Nearly one-fourth of the time, officers perceived those civilians were armed, but they actually weren’t.
EDITORIAL: Hate crimes are up, even in California. Don’t let Trump drag us back to Prop. 187 days
Sacramento Bee
Californians see ourselves as tolerant and inclusive. Still, how about that woman with the brick who yelled “go back to your country” as she brutally beat a 92-year-old Latino grandfather in Los Angeles on the Fourth of July?
Public Safety:
State to fund Kings County public safety buildings
Hanford Sentinel
Governor Jerry Brown on June 27 signed the 2018-2019, $139-billion budget with $8.7 million going directly toward public safety in Kings County. The money is to fund new infrastructure for public safety for Kings County Sheriff’s Office and the Corcoran Police Department.
Why a Stanislaus County law enforcement officer might be an opioid user’s best friend
Modesto Bee
Hundreds of law enforcement officers in Stanislaus County, since March, have been trained by Aegis Treatment Centers staff to administer Nasal Narcan, a nasal spray, reversing the effects of opioid overdose.
See also:
● How fighting to break free of opioid addiction is a struggle in Stanislaus County Modesto Bee
Center marks 10 years of helping parolees transition
Stockton Record
The Stockton Day Reporting Center services include helping with job searches, enrolling in classes, obtaining transit passes and information, and computer and cellphone training, among others, provided by a staff of eight.
‘I can’t be a felon’: Gun owners sue California over faulty weapon registration system
Sacramento Bee
Tens of thousands of gun owners were prevented from registering their bullet-button assault weapons before July 1 through no fault of their own, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
See also:
● California gun owners couldn't meet registration deadline due to state computer crashes, suit claims Los Angeles Times
● California Gun Groups Sue Over Faulty Registration System U.S. News
Fire:
A political firestorm is about to hit the Capitol: Who will pay for wildfire damages?
CALmatters
With fires blazing from the Oregon border to San Diego, legislators are poised to wade into a political firestorm sparked by last year’s historic fires and mudslides, which destroyed about 10,000 buildings and killed at least 66 people.
See also:
● Watch: Governor candidates on how they will address wildfires in California CALmatters
● EDITORIAL: PG&E’s power play San Francisco Chronicle
● EDITORIAL: California wildfires: What utilities want may cost you San Diego Union-Tribune
Here’s What’s Been Different About Fires This Year
New York Times
The huge wildfires across California in recent weeks have underlined what fire experts describe as the new normal for the state. But firefighters say it’s more than just the scale and the timing of the fires that is different.
Visalia cops, firefighters get raises: Here's what they can buy with it
Visalia Times-Delta
Visalia City Council members approved salary increases for more than 400 city employees, ending labor negotiations with all city workers.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Which economic stats matter most?
Marketplace
Four of the top stats track employment or the likelihood that businesses will hire. Those measures are important because when people have jobs, and can find jobs easily, it drives more consumer spending, home construction, auto production, vacation travel and the like.
Inflation hits 6-year high, wiping out wage gains for the average American
Washington Post
The 2.9 percent inflation for the twelve-month period ending in June is a sign of a growing economy, but it’s also a painful development for workers, whose tepid wage gains have failed to keep pace with the rising prices.
See also:
● Inflation Is Eating Away Worker Wage Gains Wall Street Journal
● The Public’s Indifference Is Complicating Central Bank Efforts to Control Inflation Expectations Wall Street Journal
Fed Chair Jay Powell: We’re “independent of political considerations”
Marketplace
In the five months since Jerome “Jay” Powell took over as chairman of the Federal Reserve, the country is facing a growing number of tests: stagnant wage growth, tariff disputes around the world and a White House that likes to publicly offer the Fed economic advice.
Latest battle over California lending market: Should grocery stores offer large loans?
Los Angeles Times
Walk into a Northgate supermarket and you can walk out with a small loan from the store’s Prospera financial services stand. Now, a bill working its way through the state Legislature could boost that maximum to $7,500.
New CEA report highlights welfare's disincentives, and suggests how to fix them
AEI
The president’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) has a new report out on the relationship between large welfare programs and work, which echoes many of the themes I learned while administering such programs in New York City.
Justice Department Appeals Ruling Allowing AT&T-Time Warner Merger
Wall Street Journal
The Justice Department is trying to undo AT&T Inc.’s purchase of Time Warner Inc., appealing the ruling that last month struck down one of the era’s highest-profile antitrust challenges.
Investors Look to Earnings to Snap Big-Bank Share Slump
Wall Street Journal
Flatter yield curve hurts sentiment, but some analysts call worries overblown
You Accidentally Sent $149 to a Stranger on Venmo? Good Luck Getting It Back
Wall Street Journal
The money transfer app makes it easy to send money to a friend—or to someone else with a similar name. ‘Swindler, return my money’
Activist Investors Turn Up Heat in Drive for Returns
Wall Street Journal
Lazard data show activists spent $40 billion targeting 136 companies in first half
Unpacked: The US-China Trade War
Brookings
On Monday July 9, in the most extensive trade protections in nearly a century, the White House implemented a 25 percent tax on Chinese imports. China retaliated in force with a 25 percent tax on U.S. automobiles and agricultural products, such as soybeans.
See also:
● Mnuchin Plays Down Impact of Tariffs Wall Street Journal
● A new round of proposed Trump tariffs would hit US consumers AP News
● Fed Chair Jerome Powell Says Trade Policies Complicate Economic Outlook Wall Street Journal
● America Needs the WTO Wall Street Journal
U.S. Lifts Ban on U.S. Suppliers Selling to China's ZTE
Wall Street Journal
The Commerce Department has lifted a ban on U.S. suppliers selling to Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE. The deal to save ZTE by allowing it to resume business with U.S. firms was directed by President Donald Trump.
Jobs:
1,000-plus new jobs coming to Stockton, Tracy
Stockton Record
Two new employers are coming to San Joaquin County, each promising 500 or more well-paying jobs to a region with an unemployment rate that is 1 percentage higher than the state average.
Workers need more training to succeed in “gig” economy. In Stockton and Richmond, they’ll get it.
Sacramento Bee
Throughout California and across the nation, the nature of work is changing. Long gone are the days of gold watch retirements after decades at the same company. Instead, the average worker stays in a job for 4.6 years, and just 3.2 years for millennials.
Here's why Lancaster's mayor wants workplaces to be necktie-optional
Los Angeles Times
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris is declaring war on neckties. This week, Parris proposed that the city consider banning local employers from requiring workers to don the neckwear. It’s a matter of public health, he said.
Testimony: Examining the Importance of Paid Family Leave to American Working Families
AEI
Paid parental leave can provide important health and educational benefits to children while enabling mothers to remain attached to their prior jobs, which can increase earnings substantially once the mother returns to work.
‘Find Your Passion’ Is Awful Advice
The Atlantic
A major new study questions the common wisdom about how we should choose our careers. Passions aren’t “found,” researchers argue. They’re developed.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Tulare high schools consider $22 million bond for school updates, facilities
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare Joint Union High School District wants to modernize district campuses and bring a new track and aquatics center to high school students. They may need a bond measure to do so.
California officials confident they’ve cut deal in dispute over federal education law
EdSource
California's State Board of Education is a signature away from finally complying with the nation's main education law affecting public schools, ending a year of protracted disagreement between Sacramento and Washington.
Higher Ed:
CSU Students Can Now Take More Fully-Online Courses Every Term
CSU
Through CSU Fully Online, CSU undergraduate students have the opportunity to take one free fully-online course offered at another CSU campus every term, moving them one step closer to earning a high-quality degree.
UC Merced Earns Kudos for Sustainability Best Practices
UC Merced
UC Merced demonstrated that it’s living “green from the ground up” by winning five awards — more than any other University of California campus — in the 14th annual Higher Education Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Best Practice Awards.
Watchdog says Education Dept. stonewalling student loan suit
OCRegister
The nation’s consumer watchdog agency is accusing the Education Department of impeding a lawsuit that could potentially bring financial relief to millions of student loan borrowers.
Will Gov. Brown’s New Online Community College Meet the Needs of “Stranded” Workers?
California Budget & Policy Center
In his initial 2018-19 budget proposal this past January, Governor Brown unveiled plans to launch a new, fully online community college in fall 2019, named the California Online Community College.
Program offers alternate route into tech industry
Stockton Record
Young adults eager to begin a career in the booming tech industry have an option that combines personal development, college credits and support for them to reach their full potential. The Year Up program, a national nonprofit organization, has partnered with Stockton Scholars to bring the opportunity to Stockton students.
Low-Income Students at Selective Colleges: Disappearing or Holding Steady?
AEI
Contrary to popular perception, the share of students at the 200 most selective public and private colleges who are from low-income households did not decline over the past 16 years.
EDITORIAL: Higher Ed Needs More Cowboys
Wall Street Journal
Wyoming is known as both the Cowboy State and the Equality State. But it can’t be both, at least according to some progressive faculty at the University of Wyoming who claim the word “cowboy” is inherently racist and sexist.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Why greenhouse gas emissions fell
CALmatters
Good news, to be sure, but it’s not all rosy. The air board’s report shows emissions from gasoline and diesel increased in 2016, the result of a strong economy and low prices.
See also:
● California slashes emissions, hits major greenhouse gas goal San Francisco Chronicle
● California Meets Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal Years Early Capital Public Radio
● EDITORIAL: Surprise! California cracked down on carbon and its economy is still booming Los Angeles Times
Judge grants state attorney general intervention in Fresno environmental justice lawsuit
Fresno Bee
A Fresno Superior Court judge has granted an order for the California attorney general’s office to intervene in an environmental justice case against the city of Fresno and a local developer.
Bakersfield recycling in trouble months after China stops taking world's trash
Bakersfield Californian
It feels good to recycle. Taking that little extra time to separate the paper from the plastic, and set that blue bin out on the curb, can make a Bakersfield resident feel like a good citizen of the Earth. But all is not well in the world of recycling.
Editorial: Follow the money in the quest for CEQA reform — Southern California News Group
OC Register
California’s planning bodies have shown themselves to be woefully inadequate when it comes to fast-tracking affordable housing — but when it comes to quick approvals of glittering sports arenas for billionaire team owners and millionaire players, they are amazingly fleet of foot.
Environmentalists target another bill that would relax billboard rules in California
Los Angeles Times
Two weeks after lawmakers shelved a proposal to increase the number of electronic signs along California freeways, environmentalists have shifted their opposition to a bill that they say could also impact highways.
Ditching plastic straws is a good start, but the world is still buried in garbage
Los Angeles Times
Environmentalists praised Starbucks’ announcement this week that it will stop using plastic straws within two years, and it’s indeed a laudable move. It also barely makes a dent in the global trash crisis.
EPA aide: Scrutiny of 'politically charged' records requests
AP News
The Environmental Protection Agency assigns public-records requests from environmental groups or others that it sees as “politically charged” to special internal review, a top agency official told congressional investigators in one federal probes surrounding Scott Pruitt.
VP Pence family gas stations left costly environmental legacy
AP
Vice President Mike Pence turns nostalgic when he talks about growing up in small-town…
Energy:
California's ranking as an oil-producing state is slipping
San Diego Union-Tribune
In many ways, the oil business in the U.S. has never been better, with domestic producers churning out crude in record numbers. But California’s output is going in the opposite direction — part of a larger, steady decline that began in the mid-1980s.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Visalia nursing home leaves patient on toilet to fall, resulting in death, state says
Fresno Bee
The California Department of Public Health has fined Redwood Springs Healthcare Center, a skilled nursing home in Visalia, $100,000 for a patient death. The nursing home received the most severe penalty possible under state law from the California Department of Public Health.
Air pollution increases risk for type 2 diabetes, study says. What it means in Merced
Merced Sun-Star
A new global study links air pollution to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes – a troubling finding particularly for Merced County and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley, with its notoriously high levels of hazardous particulates.
Adventist: Here's what you should know about TRMC's new managers
Visalia Times-Delta
Here's a look at Tulare Regional Medical Center's future financial administrators, Adventist Health. Adventist medical centers, clinics and outpatient facilities will soon bring that vast network of health partners to Tulare.
Avoid mosquito bites by following these helpful tips
Visalia Times-Delta
Delta Vector Control District officials recently found St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile Virus in mosquitoes locally. Tulare County Health and Human Services and Delta Vector staff are asking residents to avoid mosquito bites.
Youth group to rally outside City Hall for diabetes awareness
Stockton Record
The local chapter of an Oakland-based youth organization plans to hold a rally outside Stockton City Hall next week to raise awareness of diabetes and its health risks.
Program aims to make finding healthy food options at restaurants easier
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Public Health Services Department announced Thursday its new Certified Healthy program, through which participating restaurants that meet a stringent set of criteria will receive a special logo for their grading card and menu, indicating which items are considered healthy.
Despite improvements, CA's campaign for childhood immunizations faces pushback
Los Angeles Times
Two years after California adopted one of the toughest child vaccination laws in the nation, the state’s immunization rates are near record high levels.
California needs more mental health professionals – and the shortage will get worse, experts say
Sacramento Bee
California is suffering a shortage of mental health professionals – and it's expected to get worse in the next decade. In 2013, California had a shortage of 336 psychiatrists, according to national projections from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The U.S. Targeted Breastfeeding Abroad. Here at Home, It’s Another Story.
Pew Charitable Trusts
The Trump administration this spring tried to remove pro-breastfeeding language from a World Health Organization resolution. But here at home, breastfeeding has steadily become more accepted and accessible.
In search of a miracle: Stem cells are a mother’s last hope to heal her son
San Francisco Chronicle
“The Miracle Cell” explores the hope and reality of the revolutionary science of stem cell therapy. It focuses on what has transpired since 2004, when California voters approved a $3 billion bond measure to fund stem cell research.
Human Services:
Tulare's Cesar Chavez Park gets improvements
Visalia Times-Delta
City officials, using a $53,200 grant from Tulare County First 5, installed a toddlers' playpen at Cesar Chavez Park, featuring a swing set and a jungle gym. The equipment also has a protective cover. The project just received council's approval earlier this week.
City now manages youth sports complex
Hanford Sentinel
Twenty-three years ago the Lemoore Youth Sports Foundation Board was created and built the Lemoore Youth Sports Complex two years later. The foundation turned over management of the complex to the city of Lemoore on June 30 and began a five-year lease agreement.
Number of unclaimed bodies in Kern County on pace to far surpass last year's number
Bakersfield Californian
Every year, dozens of bodies go unclaimed at the Kern County Coroner's Office. And this year, that number is on pace to far surpass the amount of unclaimed bodies from the year before.
HHS Inspector General Finds Ex-Secretary Price Didn’t Comply With Travel Rules
Wall Street Journal
The Department of Health and Human Services should try to recoup at least $341,000 that its former secretary, Tom Price, wasted on commercial and charter air travel that didn’t comply with federal rules, a federal inspector general said in a report released Friday.
IMMIGRATION
Los Angeles Times
Immigration detainees who were sent to a federal prison in Victorville last month were kept in their cells for prolonged periods with little access to the outside and were unable to change their clothing for weeks, according to workers at the facility and visitors.
Democrats' push to abolish ICE reaches Capitol Hill
Los Angeles Times
The calls on the left to abolish the government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency reached Capitol Hill on Thursday, as three Democratic representatives filed legislation to close the agency that has become the face of immigration raids in the Trump administration.
See also:
● House Democrats Introduce First Bill to Abolish ICE National Review
● GOP eager for vote on liberal Democrats' move to abolish ICE AP News
New guidance for asylum officers could send thousands back from the border
San Diego Union-Tribune
Many asylum seekers could be turned back soon after reaching the U.S. because of instructions asylum officers received Thursday as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to stop migrants from seeking protection here.
Did Gavin Newsom 'separate families and deport children' in San Francisco?
PolitiFact
Republican candidate for California governor John Cox recently claimed his Democratic opponent Gavin Newsom has flip-flopped on the separation of undocumented families and deportations, citing a policy the former San Francisco mayor imposed in 2008.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Enchanted Playhouse fights to keep 'home' in downtown Visalia
Visalia Times-Delta
During Monday's Visalia City Council meeting, Enchanted Playhouse Theatre Company board members plan to make their case to council regarding the recent sale of the Main Street Theatre.
Why Are People Convinced This California Ghost Town Is Cursed?
KQED
It's hardly surprising that visitors to a remote ghost town like Bodie, California, would leave feeling ... unsettled. What's unusual is just how many of them are convinced the place is actually cursed.
Housing:
California’s largest energy-saving home development being built in Clovis
Fresno Bee
De Young Properties is building a 36-single-family energy efficient development at Shaw and Highland avenues in southeast Clovis. It is the largest development of its kind in the state and could serve as a model to meet the looming energy saving mandate.
Homeless service center in planning stage
Hanford Sentinel
Members of the Kings County Wellness Bridge project hosted an informational seminar Tuesday in hopes of creating a homeless service center in Hanford, and they are asking for the community’s help.
New rules require utility companies notify customers before cutting power in extreme weather
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
State utility regulators unanimously approved Thursday new rules for power companies that de-energize lines in extreme weather conditions to safeguard against fire risk. Utilities must try to reach individual customers ahead of shutting down the grid.
Big Builders Are Remodeling the Housing Market
Wall Street Journal
The demise of many small builders has given big ones more power, one reason new-home sales have stayed low
New Hotel or Affordable Housing? Race Is On to Define ‘Opportunity Zones’
Wall Street Journal
Early projects likely to shape direction of program that gives tax breaks in low-income neighborhoods
EDITORIAL: Follow the money in the quest for CEQA reform
OCRegister
California’s planning bodies have shown themselves to be woefully inadequate when it comes to fast-tracking affordable housing — but when it comes to quick approvals of glittering sports arenas for billionaire team owners and millionaire players, they are amazingly fleet of foot.
PUBLIC FINANCES
CalPERS beats earnings target for second consecutive year
Merced Sun-Star
For the second year in a row, California’s main public pension fund beat its investment return forecast. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System reported Thursday that it had an 8.6 percent return on investments for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
See also:
● CalPERS reports investment returns that improve the pension fund's long-term outlook Los Angeles Times
Cannabis Tax Goes To San Joaquin County Ballot After Supervisors Approve Pot Sales, Cultivation
Capital Public Radio
San Joaquin County voters will go to the polls in November to decide how to spend tax money generated by commercial cannabis. The Board of Supervisors approved ordinances to regulate commercial and private marijuana cultivation.
Tax loophole from 1960s could let the wealthy use lower corporate rate for themselves
Los Angeles Times
An obscure tax provision from the 1960s that was left untouched by President Trump’s overhaul could let wealthy individual investors seize for themselves the largest corporate tax cut in U.S. history.
Can Democrats shield Californians from new GOP tax law—despite IRS opposition?
CALmatters
As President Trump’s massive tax overhaul takes effect, Democratic state lawmakers are refining and advancing a plan they insist will protect California taxpayers from higher federal tax bills.
See also:
● The GOP tax bill rewards offshoring – here’s what we can do to stop it The Hill
U.S. budget deficit totals $74.9 billion in June
PBS
The federal government recorded a $74.9 billion deficit in June, a month when the government often runs a surplus, as corporate taxes dropped sharply compared to a year ago.
Wall Street Journal
What if President Trump had the authority—on his own—to enact a second powerful tax reform? He does. The momentum is building for him to use it.
TRANSPORTATION
What Is New At FAX - July 2018
Fresno Area Express
Bus service is now being provided to Inspiration Park for the summer! As part of a demonstration project to test rider demand, Route 9 is now running 30 minute headways to Inspiration Park on Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Walters: Legislature may erase embarrassing boondoggle
Bakersfield Californian
The project to join the northern and southern halves of the state with a high-speed train system has all the earmarks of a boondoggle.
WATER
The Valley floor is sinking, and it’s crippling California’s ability to deliver water
Modesto Bee
The Friant-Kern has been crippled by a phenomenon known as subsidence. The canal is sinking as the Valley floor beneath it slowly caves in, brought down by years of groundwater extraction by the region’s farmers.
Kings River: Business seems to rebound after 2017 flood
Visalia Times-Delta
As temperatures quickly rose last summer, the Kings River began to swell. Water levels at Pine Flat were at 929,281-acre-feet — 293 percent full, while the statewide snowpack was at 193 percent of average.
Rolling Hills in Madera County looking to privatize its water system
Business Journal
The Madera County Board of Supervisors approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Bakman Water Company in Fresno for the potential sale of the County Service Area 19 water system, which provides water to 335 customers in the Rolling Hills subdivision.
Skelton: What do Southern Californians really get out of Gov. Jerry Brown's twin tunnels project?
Los Angeles Times
The most expensive state public works project ever would be financed primarily by Southern California water users. But it’s not exactly clear what they’d be buying.
Agency that delivered brown, smelly water to customers should be dissolved, board rules
Los Angeles Times
On Wednesday, residents won a decisive victory when county authorities voted unanimously to dissolve the troubled agency. The action by L.A. County’s Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, kicks off a lengthy and rare process to get rid of a water district.
Water Education
Spotlight: left unaddressed, salts and nitrates could render farmland unsuitable for crops and family well water undrinkable
“Xtra”
Event: Peach Party at the Farmers Market
Old Town Clovis
Join us for The Peach Party in Old Town Clovis! This night is all about the peach! Free samples & Cooking demonstrations by the IOT culinary academy, Vendors will create peach dishes for the evening.
Free ice cream and french fries this weekend, plus new Ampersand flavors, ‘freak shakes’
Fresno Bee
Feel like indulging this weekend? It’s a good time to do it. Between National Ice Cream Day and National Fry Day, there are some free food deals and a few creative foodie inventions happening in the Valley this weekend.
Bakersfield
The Golden Empire Drum & Bugle Corps from Bakersfield College will present the Fourth Annual “Resound” Drum Corps International Contest
Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore now open
Hanford Sentinel
Although it’s technically been open for several weeks, Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore location in Hanford held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning. The ReStore, located at 415 W. Lacey Blvd., is essentially a home improvement thrift store.
Clovis community remembers Luna’s matriarch Carmela Liberta
Clovis Roundup
On June 30, Carmela Liberta, best known as the matriarch of the beloved Luna Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant in Old Town Clovis and affectionately as the “Nonnie” behind her daughter’s Nonnie’s House boutique, passed away, leaving behind a legacy of superb hospitality, graciousness and love for the community.
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
Thank you!
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.
This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno 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.
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: mjeans@csufresno.edu