POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
How will Modesto address jobs, housing and quality of life in its next general plan?
Modesto Bee
Modesto will embark on its long-awaited comprehensive update to its general plan, which serves as a blueprint for how the city will grow and develop over roughly the next quarter century.
Someone blew up their Little Free Library. Here’s how Modesto neighbors came together
Modesto Bee
Stacy and Jay Willis didn’t think too much of the loud noise that seemed to go off right outside their Modesto home Monday night — it was just after the Fourth of July.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno’s effort to remove homeless camps near highways makes major progress. What’s next?
Fresno Bee
The Fresno project to get hundreds of homeless people to relocate away from highway embankments will have cleared those spaces by the end of the week, according to Mayor Jerry Dyer.
Fresno schools did not discriminate against English-learning families, California says
Fresno Bee
The investigation released its findings last month in response to a complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Kern County Public Health reports 3 new coronavirus deaths, 96 new cases Monday Bakersfield Californian
CSUB's new chief of staff comes from the Kern Community Foundation
Bakersfield Californian
Cal State Bakersfield President Lynnette Zelezny announced Monday that Kristen Beall Watson, the president and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation, will be joining CSUB as Zelezny's chief of staff.
Smoke from River Fire prompts health caution about air quality in the Valley
Bakersfield Californian
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued a health caution to Valley residents due to the smoke impacts from the River Fire.
Bakersfield Californian
Virtual reality isn’t just for gamers anymore. Dallas-based MyndVR, the company that is partnering with Bakersfield-based Vaquero Energy, is underwriting a program that allows 10 senior centers and hospices to receive free VR headsets.
State:
California’s COVID response totaled $8.5 billion in direct costs last year, report says
Sacramento Bee
The state of California will have directly spent about $12.3 billion fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by next June, a recent state budget report estimated, including more than $8 billion over the past year.
See also:
● Cost of fighting COVID in California: $12.3 billion CalMatters
Gavin Newsom signs California budget bill authorizing $600 stimulus payments
Sacramento Bee
California residents making less than $75,000 can officially expect new $600 stimulus payments as part of a package of budget bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed late Monday.
Stock market gains propel CalPERS earnings — pension fund gained $80 billion over past year
Fresno Bee
Riding a stock market surge, CalPERS on Monday reported a 21.3% return on its investments over the last fiscal year, reaching a record high-value of $469 billion.
See also:
● CalPERS achieves 21% return, triggering drop in discount rate Sacramento Business Journal
● CalPERS banks 21% investment return, tripling its target for funding California pensions Sacramento Bee
California lawmakers press corporations to add women, people of color to board rooms
Fresno Bee
The Legislature’s diversity caucuses representing minorities, women and gay Californians are pressuring corporations headquartered in the state to diversify their leadership teams.
Democrats are in control at California’s Capitol. Why is the state budget still not done?
Modesto Bee
California’s fiscal year started more than a week ago, but lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom still don’t have a budget deal.
‘Your Government Is Broken’: Kevin Kiley Launches Campaign To Replace Newsom In Recall
Capital Public Radio
As the field of candidates hoping to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in his recall election swells, Assemblymember Kevin Kiley on Saturday held a campaign rally at the State Capitol.
See also:
● Gavin Newsom loses court fight to be listed as a Democrat on recall ballot Sacramento Bee
● Newsom can't label himself a Democrat on recall ballot Politico
● Early date of recall could strain local elections divisions as Republicans cry foul Bakersfield Californian
● Skelton: Newsom gets a C as governor. But that doesn’t mean he should be recalled Los Angeles Times
Old methods failing, California cities take new steps to eradicate homeless camps
Bay Area Newsgroup
Homeless encampments have grown exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cities are trying new methods to reduce their footprint.
CalMatters
In the months before California lawmakers in June granted prison guards a $5,000 bonus and an 8% raise over the next two years, the guards’ union made a few charitable donations.
Low-wage workers in California can’t afford to take family leave. This bill seeks to change that.
CalMatters
California was the first state to offer paid leave to parents and caregivers. But many lower-paid workers can’t take advantage, even though money for the program gets taken from their paychecks.
Walters: A union pot calls a union kettle black
CalMatters
“The pot calling the kettle black” is an old saying about hypocrisy, applied to someone who does something while criticizing someone else for doing the same thing.
Opinion: Senate Bill 10 threatens California’s initiative process
CalMatters
The bill allows city councils and boards of supervisors to override voter-adopted initiative measures in exchange for higher-density housing, setting a troubling standard that could eventually render the initiative power meaningless.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● US health officials flag "small" reaction risk with J&J COVID-19 vaccine abc30
● Pharma Giant Pfizer To Discuss Booster Shots With US Health Officials Capital Public Radio
● FDA adds new warning on Johnson & Johnson vaccine related to rare autoimmune disorder Washington Post
● FDA Warns J&J Shot Raises Risk of Rare Neurological Condition
The Wall Street Journal
Donald Trump wins CPAC 2024 GOP presidential straw poll with 70%
abc30
Former President Donald Trump bathed in the adulation of an adoring crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference Sunday as he easily won the informal straw poll of attendees when they were asked who they'd like to see run for the White House in 2024.
Biden’s voting rights speech may extend to issues of democracy itself
Roll Call
President Joe Biden heads to Philadelphia for what’s billed as a major address on voting rights Tuesday as Democrats from the Texas Legislature are in Washington lobbying for the same.
See also:
● Biden to lambast GOP’s new voting restrictions. Activists want more than talk Los Angeles Times
US Conference of Mayors backs bipartisan infrastructure deal
The Hill
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is throwing its support behind the bipartisan infrastructure deal, joining business and labor groups in urging lawmakers to pass the $1.2 trillion proposal.
Congress has a long to-do list this summer
Roll Call
Congress begins what will be a likely busy midsummer legislative push, with action expected on the evolving infrastructure package, appropriations bills and a budget resolution.
GOP bill for Capitol security cuts House version by two-thirds
Roll Call
A Republican proposal to address security costs from the Jan. 6 insurrection would largely reimburse the National Guard and U.S. Capitol Police but cut roughly two-thirds from the House Democrats’ $1.9 billion version for other expenses.
Democrats Hone Price Tag for Climate and Antipoverty Package
Wall Street Journal
Senate Democrats haggled late Monday over the size and scope of a package including climate provisions, child care and other programs they plan to squeeze through the chamber later this year without any GOP support.
See also:
● Lawmakers Tackle ‘Period Poverty’ With Tax Cuts, School Supplies PEW Trusts
Joe Biden’s boast on early job gains neglects timing, pandemic context
PolitiFact
The U.S. economy is still almost 6.8 million jobs below the pre-pandemic peak — 145.8 million jobs in June 2021, compared with 152.5 million jobs in February 2020.
Trump unloads on Kavanaugh in new Michael Wolff book
Axios
Former President Donald Trump, in a book out Tuesday by Michael Wolff, says he is "very disappointed" in votes by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, his own hard-won nominee, and that he "hasn’t had the courage you need to be a great justice."
See also:
● ‘I Alone Can Fix It’ book excerpt: Inside Trump’s Election Day and the birth of the ‘big lie’ Washington Post
Biden wages war on anticompetitive "moats"
Axios
Three weeks after naming Lina Khan to FTC chair, President Joe Biden has made her pro-competition philosophy the centerpiece of a sweeping executive order.
Other:
Does ‘faith-based’ include people without a religious faith?
Washington Post
Does “faith-based” include people without a religious faith? The Biden administration thinks so. In May, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships met with secular groups to discuss the needs of nonreligious Americans of various stripes.
Cubans Are Protesting the Communist Regime
The Wall Street Journal
Many Cubans desperately want new leadership, retailers are seeing a sharp increase in a type of return fraud, and the FDA issued a new warning about the J&J vaccine.
AEI
The ideology of the Putin regime is hardly less toxic and is perhaps more incendiary than communist totalitarianism.
The ‘lying flat’ movement standing in the way of China’s innovation drive
Brookings
China’s drive toward technological independence has raised alarm bells in the West, where a resurgent China powered by a leading technology industry is the key strategic challenge.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, July 25, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “U.S. Senator Alex Padilla” - Guest: U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, (D-CA). Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, July 18, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Police Use of Deadly Force: Valley Perspectives"- Guests: Laurel Rosenhall, CalMatters; Ron Lawrence - California Police Chiefs Association; Alice Huffman - NAACP; Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming; Sandra Celedon, Pres. & CEO - Fresno Building Healthy Communities. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Farmers Worry That Their Crops Won't Survive This Summer's Heat Waves
VPR
Some other news now - California's Central Valley is home to some of the state's most fertile land, and now the heat wave has farmers worried about whether their crops there will survive. On Sunday, temperatures climbed to 114 degrees.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Fresno man, Chowchilla inmate sentenced for COVID-19 unemployment fraud
Fresno Bee
A Fresno man was sentenced on Monday to more than five years in prison for his role in case involving the state’s massive unemployment insurance fraud scandal. In March, Jason Vertz, 51, was indicted for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Opinion: If California gun laws protected victims of abuse, a Rocklin woman might still be alive
Sacramento Bee
In May, Vita Joga, a 51-year-old single mother and waitress, filed a restraining order against her ex-fiance after a violent altercation.
Public Safety:
Biden huddles with local officials over gun violence as ownership rises
Los Angeles Times
As polls show that voters are increasingly concerned about crime, President Biden is trying to keep the conversation squarely focused on gun control and violence prevention. On Monday at the White House, the discussion was with local leaders and police officials.
Fire:
River Fire is on faster growth pace than Creek Fire – but its potential still unknown
Fresno Bee
It took just a few hours Sunday for the River Fire to surge from about 10 acres to roughly 2,500, surpassing even the early pace of last year’s devastating Creek Fire — which eventually exploded into the largest single wildfire in modern California history.
See also:
● Evacuations in place, air quality worsens as River Fire near Yosemite advances Fresno Bee
● 60 years before the River Fire, another major wildfire devastated the same foothill area Fresno Bee
Firefighters make progress against big fires in US West
Bakersfield Californian
Dozens of wildfires burned across the torrid U.S. West on Monday but fire agencies reported some progress in corralling the flames and forecasters predicted a gradual decrease in extreme temperatures.
See also:
● Extreme heat played a role in destructive Visalia house fires Visalia Times Delta
● Beckwourth Complex Fire now largest California wildfire this year Mercury News
● Wildfires Burn Across U.S. West as Temperatures Soar Wall Street Journal
● California hit by record-breaking fire destruction: ‘Climate change is real, it’s bad’ Los Angeles Times
California fires become harder to fight
Los Angeles Times
The fires have burned more than 140,000 acres, from soaring mountains along the California-Nevada border to the forest north of Mt. Shasta and the gateway to Yosemite.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Stock market gains propel CalPERS earnings — pension fund gained $80 billion over past year
Fresno Bee
Riding a stock market surge, CalPERS on Monday reported a 21.3% return on its investments over the last fiscal year, reaching a record high-value of $469 billion.
FACT SHEET: Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy
The White House
The economy is booming under President Biden’s leadership. The economy has gained more than three million jobs since the President took office—the most jobs created in the first five months of any presidency in modern history.
Washington Post
The Federal Reserve and White House have long maintained that price surges will go back down as supply chains recalibrate and the recovery smooths out its bumps.
See also:
● Inflation Accelerates Again in June as Economic Recovery Continues Wall Street Journal
● US consumer prices surge in June by the most since 2008 AP News
Inflation Threat May Be Boosted by Changes in Globalization, Demographics and E-Commerce
Wall Street Journal
For the past few decades, the Federal Reserve has succeeded in keeping inflation low—perhaps too low. It had an assist: Shifts in the global economy, including globalization, demographics and the rise of e-commerce, helped keep prices in check.
See also:
● Governments World-Wide Gorge on Record Debt, Testing New Limits Wall Street Journal
Jobs:
California lawmakers press corporations to add women, people of color to board rooms
Fresno Bee
The Legislature’s diversity caucuses representing minorities, women and gay Californians are pressuring corporations headquartered in the state to diversify their leadership teams.
Joe Biden’s boast on early job gains neglects timing, pandemic context
PolitiFact
The U.S. economy is still almost 6.8 million jobs below the pre-pandemic peak — 145.8 million jobs in June 2021, compared with 152.5 million jobs in February 2020.
EDUCATION
K-12:
California health secretary explains why masks will still be required in classrooms this fall
abc30
California has said all teachers and students, regardless of vaccination status, will need to wear masks in the classroom come fall. This is despite CDC guidelines saying masks are not required.
See also:
● Update: Health officials backtrack after saying California schools should ban maskless students Sacramento Bee
● California will require masks at school PEW Trusts
Opinion: California’s ‘Ethnic Studies’ Gold Rush
Wall Street Journal
High-school students in California could soon be required to take at least one semester of something called “ethnic studies” to graduate. The California Senate Education Committee holds hearings this week on Assembly Bill 101, which passed the lower house 58-9 in May.
New Survey Shows What Parts Of U.S. History Kids Across America Are Actually Learning
NPR
Amidst the heated debate around critical race theory, a new survey of states' U.S. history and civics standards sheds new light on what students are actually learning about race and racism.
Higher Ed:
CSUB's new chief of staff comes from the Kern Community Foundation
Bakersfield Californian
Cal State Bakersfield President Lynnette Zelezny announced Monday that Kristen Beall Watson, the president and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation, will be joining CSUB as Zelezny's chief of staff.
CSUB announces incoming freshmen, transfer students can receive an iPad
Bakersfield Californian
Cal State Bakersfield announced Monday that all incoming freshmen and transfer students for the 2021 fall term will be eligible to receive an iPad from the university.
See also:
● Cal State schools to give students iPads in effort to cut barriers to college enrollment Los Angeles Times
California lacks timely data on which high schoolers go to college. This might fix that.
CalMatters
California high schools say they make students college-ready, but rarely does the public have the data to see if students actually made it to college and thrived. California lags in public data that shows how students move from school to college and the workforce.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Can it get any hotter? On this day, Fresno scorched to a new daily record temperature
Fresno Bee
It was the hottest July 11 ever in Fresno history, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. The high temperature at Fresno Yosemite International Airport was recorded at 114 degrees, establishing the daily record for Fresno.
See also:
● Fresno hits 108. It wasn’t a record, but what’s the chance of the hottest-ever July? Fresno Bee
● Extreme heat played a role in destructive Visalia house fires Visalia Times Delta
Amid A Megadrought, Federal Water Shortage Limits Loom For The Colorado River
VPR
For the first time, a shortage is expected to be declared by the federal government this summer.
There are more pesky, stinging yellow jackets around this summer. Why it may get worse
Sacramento Bee
A swarm of residents in the Nevada City and Grass Valley area also report increased sightings of yellow jackets, or “meat bees” as some neighbors call them.
PEW Research
Even as Americans identify a number of pressing national problems, majorities see an array of actors, from government to business, as doing too little to reduce the effects of climate change.
Dirty air makes COVID worse, beta variant deadlier than original
Reuters
Dirty air contributes to COVID-19 severity, according to a study from one of America's most polluted cities.
Energy:
Weather eases but Californians told to save power as blackout threat looms from Oregon fire
Fresno Bee
The manager of California’s electricity grid has issued another Flex Alert for Monday afternoon, pleading with residents to conserve power even as the intense weekend heat wave begins to fade.
See also:
● How an Oregon wildfire almost derailed California’s power grid Los Angeles Times
California faces power shortage as fires threaten electric lines
Los Angeles Times
Amid record-breaking temperatures and raging wildfires, California’s energy operator has issued another Flex Alert in an effort to stabilize the state’s electric grid.
Record Natural Gas Prices Give Power Markets a Jolt
Wall Street Journal
A scramble for natural gas is creating pockets of scarcity in the global market, boosting prices for the fuel and for the electricity generated by burning it.
US drilling approvals increase despite Biden climate pledge
Bakersfield Californian
Approvals for companies to drill for oil and gas on U.S. public lands are on pace this year to reach their highest level since Bush was president, underscoring Biden’s reluctance to more forcefully curb petroleum production in the face of industry and Republican resistance.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
As wildfires intensify, California gets a grim reminder about far-reaching toxic smoke
Sacramento Bee
The deadliest wildfire in California history spewed a toxic cocktail of air pollution that could be detected 150 miles away.
See also:
● River Fire prompts District to issue Health Caution San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
● Essential California: Why wildfires are getting faster, hotter
Los Angeles Times
Unvaccinated people face growing danger as Delta variant stalls herd immunity
Los Angeles Times
Recent spikes in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County and elsewhere in California underscore a pandemic divergence, in which the unvaccinated face growing danger, while the vaccinated are able to move back to regular activities without fear of getting sick.
FDA warns of potential rare nerve complication with Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine
Bay Area Newsgroup
Federal health officials are investigating the possibility that Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine might slightly raise the risk of a rare neurological complication known as Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Human Services:
Are COVID-19 symptoms different if I’m infected with the Delta variant?
Los Angeles Times
As public health officials continue to urge Americans to roll up their sleeves for COVID-19 vaccines, coronavirus infections have been on the rise in areas where vaccination rates remain low.
IMMIGRATION
Budget reconciliation is clearest path for immigration reform we've had in decades
The Hill
Last month marked the ninth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. And since its inception, the program has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth across the country.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
How Wood Products Could Lower the Cost of Forest Management
PPIC
In August 2020, the state of California and the US Forest Service (USFS) agreed to vastly increase the number of forested acres they treat with mechanical thinning and prescribed burning each year.
Housing:
Fresno’s effort to remove homeless camps near highways makes major progress. What’s next?
Fresno Bee
The Fresno project to get hundreds of homeless people to relocate away from highway embankments will have cleared those spaces by the end of the week, according to Mayor Jerry Dyer.
See also:
● Old methods failing, California cities take new steps to eradicate homeless camps Bay Area Newsgroup
Complaint: California renters applying for assistance face discriminatory barriers
Modesto Bee
California’s pandemic rent relief program poses discriminatory barriers that keep certain people from obtaining assistance, Housing advocates say in a complaint filed last week.
‘Gimme Shelter’: The holes in California’s COVID-19 eviction protections
Los Angeles Times
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have feared that a wave of evictions will devastate millions of renters — particularly low-income residents who have borne the brunt of the pandemic.
PUBLIC FINANCES
New child tax credit payments start this week as IRS tries to reach millions of low-income families
abc30
Melinda Williams, a married mother of five, didn't think her family qualified for the child tax credit since they don't earn enough to file income tax returns. So the New York City resident didn't pay much attention to Congress' historic increase of the benefit earlier this year.
See also:
● Will your family get $300 monthly child tax payments? What you need to know CalMatters
Walters: Who should get online sales taxes?
CalMatters
While 1% may not sound like much, if it’s 1% of $700 billion, it’s a lot of money to anyone not named Bezos, Gates or Buffet.
Local Tax Limitations Can Hamper Fiscal Stability of Cities and Counties
PEW
The pandemic has created significant economic uncertainty for local leaders, with many experiencing large revenue shortfalls that make balancing budgets all the more difficult.
TRANSPORTATION
Can the US get the strategy right for high-speed rail?
SmartBrief
President Joe Biden, often referred to as “Amtrak Joe” in infrastructure circles, sees his administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure framework as an opportunity to invigorate and connect rural communities through high-speed rail.
High-Speed Rail Is at a Crossroads, Industry Experts Say
government technology
The possibility of new funding and potential expansion opportunities has high-speed rail advocates watching the activity in Washington, D.C. If new infrastructure is funded, it could jumpstart a new era of rail travel.
WATER
Newsom Urges All Californians To Cut Water Use By 15%
Capital Public Radio
As extreme drought claims most of the state, California Gov. Gavin Newsom today asked Californians to voluntarily cut their water use by 15%.
Opinion: State should help fund local water resilience projects
CalMatters
Emergency conservation orders address short-term water shortages, but don’t move us toward the long-term goal of drought resilience. That requires strategic investments in local drought-resilient water supply projects.
A Massive Water Recycling Proposal Could Help Ease Drought
Wired
Lake Mead, which provides water for 25 million people in the American West, has shrunk to 36 percent of its capacity. One rural California community has run out of water entirely after its well broke in early June.
“Xtra”
Big Fresno Fair returns in October
Hanford Sentinel
The Big Fresno Fair announces its official return this October with an in-person 12-day Fair filled with carnival rides, live horse racing, concerts, competitive exhibits, Fair food and more! The 2021 Big Fresno Fair will take place October 6–17.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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