POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Parents pack Stanislaus board meeting to protest mask-wearing requirements at schools Modesto Bee
● What Stanislaus County school districts are saying about plans for next month’s return The Sacramento Bee
City turns focus from homeless encampments to long-term planning
Turlock Journal
After clearing out major homeless encampments throughout the city in recent months, the Turlock City Council on Tuesday approved the next steps in addressing the local unhoused crisis.
San Joaquin County gets $2.1 million to house homeless residents dealing with mental illnesses
Stockton Record
San Joaquin County is transforming an empty lot in downtown Stockton into affordable apartments for unhoused people using a $2.1 million grant the state awarded it late last
month.
Central SJ Valley:
How will Fresno, Clovis schools enforce California’s COVID mask requirement? What we know
Fresno Bee
If you’re confused about whether your child’s school will require face masks when classes resume this fall, you’re not alone.
See also:
· California’s battle over schools and COVID shifts to masks in class this fall The Mercury News
· Update: Health officials backtrack after saying California schools should ban maskless students Fresno Bee
● California backpedals after saying schools should bar maskless students from campus abc30
● California’s Latest Public School Mask Ruling Causes Some Controversy Capital Public Radio
● Schools seek guidance on masks as state sends out changing guidance Bakersfield Californian
● Editorial: Masks for all at K-12 schools? Great idea Los Angeles Times
● Editorial: About that no-mask, no-returning-to-campus rule: Just kidding Los Angeles Times
Fresno schools did not discriminate against English-learning families, California says
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified did not discriminate against the parents of English-language learning students last year during school-planning meetings, the California Department Education has ruled.
Black leaders call for antiracist task force after firing of Fresno City Clerk
Fresno Bee
Fresno’s Black leaders on Tuesday denounced the city council’s firing of City Clerk Yvonne Spence and called on city leaders to create a task force to weed out anti-Black racism from city employment decisions and policies.
Fresno population growing slowly, study shows
abc30
Fresno's population is growing slowly. A study conducted by home services platform "Porch" shows a growth rate of 6.5% in the last ten years. Last year, the population was 530,267 residents.
City of Fresno's Project Off-ramp to house 100 homeless during heatwave
abc30
The City of Fresno is working to house 100 people during the longest heat wave of the season. Thirty-three homeless people were relocated from Highway into temporary housing yesterday morning as part of Project Offramp.
South SJ Valley:
State exercises discretion to deny Kern fracking permits ahead of formal ban
Bakersfield Californian
California's top oil regulator, acting ahead of a proposed statewide ban on fracking, this week denied a series of applications to use the controversial oilfield technique in western Kern.
Kern County Sheriff's Office promotes 20 during ceremony
Bakersfield Californian
Thunderous applause from beaming families and officials alike filled the Kern County Sheriff’s Office auditorium Tuesday as 20 individuals within the ranks were promoted.
McCarthy: Critical race theory 'goes against everything Martin Luther King Jr. taught us'
The Hill
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Tuesday that the teaching of critical race theory goes against what civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. taught.
State:
COVID Update:
● Editorial: Another botched COVID message to the public. Get it together, state leaders Modesto Bee
● Editorial: The Delta variant of COVID is coming for the unprotected Los Angeles Times
● How to move the needle on vaccinations? Los Angeles Times
● Cost of fighting COVID-19 in California tops $12.3 billion — and counting Visalia Times Delta
Newsom signs CA budget, including $100B economic recovery package
abc30
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a new California state budget that includes some $100 billion in spending and tax relief to help Californians recover from the pandemic.
See also:
· California to send $600 stimulus payments to millions. When to expect your check Fresno Bee
· ‘Not sustainable’: Jerry Brown bursts Newsom’s budget bubble CalMatters
● New stimulus checks, rent relief, business grants: Newsom signs more recovery bills Los Angeles Times
● Key lawmaker on California’s eviction ban: ‘If we run out of money, all bets are off’ CalMatters
California’s battle over schools and COVID shifts to masks in class this fall
The Mercury News
The impassioned debates over campus closures and remote learning from last spring have shifted to whether kids should be swaddled in face masks for six hours in class.
California labor secretary overcomes unemployment complaints, will join Biden administration
Fresno Bee
California Labor Secretary Julie Su, who led the state’s unemployment agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped the state enforce a labor law that required businesses to give employment rights to more workers.
New Calif state worker contract gives 5% raises right away with more to come
Fresno Bee
Nearly 6,000 California state health and social workers will get a 5% pay raise this month under a new three-year contract their union recently reached with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.
CalPERS settles long-term care insurance lawsuit, agreeing to pay up to $2.7 billion
Fresno Bee
CalPERS has agreed to pay up to $2.7 billion to settle a lawsuit over big price hikes the retirement system imposed on long-term care policyholders eight years ago, according to a Tuesday announcement.
Lawsuits challenge California’s corporate board diversity quotas
Los Angeles Times
California faces a federal court challenge to state laws that require public companies to diversify their boards, including a first-in-the-nation mandate requiring companies to include minorities.
CalMatters
After a year-long wait, the state’s campaign finance watchdog has a proposal to require elected officials to provide more information on special interest donations to their nonprofits.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● New COVID-19 cases up 94 percent in two weeks: NYT The Hill
● U.S. Covid-19 Case Counts Have Doubled in Recent Weeks The Wall Street Journal
● Delta variant now accounts for about 58% of COVID-19 cases in US, CDC says abcNews
● Editorial: The Delta variant of COVID is coming for the unprotected
● Los Angeles Times
● U.S.'s largest registered nurses union calls on CDC to bring back universal mask guidelines The Hill
Senate Democrats Agree to $3.5 Trillion Healthcare and Antipoverty Plan
Wall Street Journal
Dems on the Senate Budget Committee agreed to roughly $3.5 trillion in spending for their broad healthcare and antipoverty plan, determining the scope of the party’s expected efforts on education, climate change, child care and a host of other issues.
See also:
● Senate Democrats, White House agree on $3.5 trillion budget package Roll Call
● Senate Democrats announce plans for $3.5 trillion budget package to expand Medicare, advance Biden priorities Washington Post
● Senate Democrats Agree to $3.5 Trillion Healthcare and Antipoverty Plan Wall Street Journal
● Democrats Propose $3.5 Trillion Budget to Advance With Infrastructure Deal New York Times
President Biden delivers major speech in Philadelphia on voting rights
abc30
President Joe Biden declared that preserving voting rights is "a test of our time" Tuesday as Texas Democrats took dramatic action to stymie their state's latest effort in a nationwide Republican push to tighten ballot restrictions.
See also:
● Biden vows to protect ‘sacred’ right to vote from GOP limits Los Angeles Times
● Biden takes voting rights push to Philadelphia as Texas Democrats make Capitol Hill rounds Roll Call
● Biden calls passing voting legislation ‘a national imperative’ and castigates voting restrictions based on ‘a big lie’ Washington Post
Opinion: Joe Biden sets regulation and antitrust back 100 years
AEI
Over the last year, California has enacted strong laws protecting tenants from eviction amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Biden administration takes an overdue first step to foster competition
Brookings
The Justice Department and the FTC have ample power to challenge anticompetitive mergers and behaviors in the tech sector and more traditional markets.
With Trump appointees, 9th Circuit suffers another year of reversals at Supreme Court
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court’s favorite target again this year was the California-based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which saw 15 of its 16 rulings overturned on review.
GOP leans into racial issues ahead of midterms
The Hill
The common theme of race, a thorny issue that has proved successful in animating the GOP base under the Trump administration.
Other:
Opinion: Vaccine Polarization Is Partisanship at Its Dumbest
Wall Street Journal
Imagine that Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration-led effort to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, had been a bit speedier in its execution, so that instead of the final Pfizer trial results becoming known a week after the election, they had come a week before it.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, July 25, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “A Conversation with 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
Almond growers had expected a record Central Valley harvest. Drought just took 13%
Modesto Bee
The worsening drought forced a 13% cut in the projected almond crop in California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture now expects about 2.8 billion pounds from the August-October harvest. The initial estimate in May was for a record 3.2 billion pounds.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Body cams, eviction threats, name change. Twists, turns continue for tenants at Fresno complex
Fresno Bee
The owner of Manchester Arms — the Fresno apartment complex that has been spotlighted for numerous code violations in the past months.
Gun Deaths Drive California’s Largest-Ever Rise in Homicides
PPIC
In 2020, California saw a troubling rise of more than 500 homicides, the largest jump in state history since record-keeping began in 1960. Victims were predominantly Black and Latino, male, and killed by guns on our streets, parking lots, or in vehicles.
Public Safety:
Kern County Sheriff's Office promotes 20 during ceremony
Bakersfield Californian
Thunderous applause from beaming families and officials alike filled the Kern County Sheriff’s Office auditorium Tuesday as 20 individuals within the ranks were promoted.
Safety inspectors keep leaving Cal-OSHA. Now it has a mandate to hire dozens more
Sacramento Bee
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal-OSHA, at the time committed to filling nearly 120 vacancies by July 1.
Drug overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year
Washington Post
Deaths from drug overdoses soared to more than 93,000 last year, a staggering record that reflects the coronavirus pandemic’s toll on efforts to quell the crisis and the continued spread of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in the illegal narcotic supply.
Fire:
Residents in town of Ahwahnee feel the tension as River Fire rages and expands nearby
Fresno Bee
As the River Fire continued to burn Monday, surging past 9,000 acres, residents in the mountain community of Ahwahnee grew more anxious over the possibility of the blaze moving into their area.
See also:
● River Fire update: Containment improves overnight; Madera County state of emergency Fresno Bee
● River Fire update: Wildfire near Yosemite at 9,500 acres as it enters third day burning Fresno Bee
● The River Fire is pumping smoke into the Valley’s air. What does it mean for your health? Fresno Bee
● River Fire: Madera County authorities declare state of emergency due to 9,500-acre wildfire abc30
● Aggressive River fire burns structures near Yosemite; Sugar fire tops 90,000 acres Los Angeles Times
Wildfires In The West Are Putting Parched Tribal Lands In Growing Danger
VPR
The Bootleg Fire smoke plume grows over a single tree on Monday, July, 12, 2021 near Bly, Ore.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Webinar will go over opportunities remaining in pandemic relief programs
Bakersfield Californian
The head of Cal State Bakersfield's Small Business Development Center will host a free webinar starting at noon Wednesday that will share business reopening strategies and go over pandemic relief programs that continue to offer opportunities for local enterprises.
Economic Pressures Are Rising On Mom And Pop Rental Owners — And Some Are Starting To Sell
Capital Public Radio
Ravi Kahlon and her husband Raja Jagadeesan owned six rental homes — including some duplexes in Sacramento and the Bay Area — before the pandemic.
MarketWatch
The cost of living leaped in June by the largest amount since 2008 as inflation spread more broadly through the U.S. economy, raising fresh questions about whether the spike in prices will subside as quickly as the Federal Reserve predicts.
Jobs:
New California state worker contract gives 5% raises right away with more to come
Fresno Bee
Nearly 6,000 California state health and social workers will get a 5% pay raise this month under a new three-year contract their union recently reached with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.
California EDD Now Requiring Proof of Job Search To Collect Unemployment Benefits
CBS SF BayArea
After more than a year of a COVID-19 hiatus, California officials once again Sunday began requiring state residents to provide proof of an employment search to obtain their unemployment benefits.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Update: Health officials backtrack after saying California schools should ban maskless students
Fresno Bee
Hours after it published updated school guidance for the 2021-2022 academic year, the California Department of Public Health backtracked on a rule that would have required schools to ban students who refused to wear face masks.
See also:
● Students, staff required to wear masks inside Fresno County classrooms, superintendent says abc30
● California backpedals after saying schools should bar maskless students from campus abc30
● Schools seek guidance on masks as state sends out changing guidance Bakersfield Californian
● Parents pack Stanislaus board meeting to protest mask-wearing requirements at schools Modesto Bee
● What Stanislaus County school districts are saying about plans for next month’s return The Sacramento Bee
● California’s Latest Public School Mask Ruling Causes Some Controversy Capital Public Radio
● Editorial: Masks for all at K-12 schools? Great idea Los Angeles Times
● Editorial: About that no-mask, no-returning-to-campus rule: Just kidding Los Angeles Times
Fresno schools did not discriminate against English-learning families, California says
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified did not discriminate against the parents of English-language learning students last year during school-planning meetings, the California Department Education has ruled.
McCarthy: Critical race theory 'goes against everything Martin Luther King Jr. taught us'
The Hill
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Tuesday that the teaching of critical race theory goes against what civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. taught.
Higher Ed:
California has a new ‘student loan bill of rights.’ Here’s how it will help borrowers
Fresno Bee
Four million Californians owe nearly $150 billion in student loans. Those borrowers now have more rights under a law that went into effect this year and gained teeth this month with a new ombudsman’s office empowered to review complaints about student loan providers.
California Lacks Timely Data On Who Goes To College. This Might Fix That
LAist
Pop quiz: How many California high school students went to college this year or last? Answer: We don’t really know. The most recent public information is three years old.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Valley Voices: Fresno writer outlines plan to reverse climate change and halt its bad impacts
Fresno Bee
The vast majority of Americans, no matter their affiliation, are worried about climate change. We want our government to take action to cut greenhouse gas emissions without damaging our livelihoods, our access to goods and services, and our ability to get from points A to B.
Energy:
State exercises discretion to deny Kern fracking permits ahead of formal ban
Bakersfield Californian
California's top oil regulator, acting ahead of a proposed statewide ban on fracking, this week denied a series of applications to use the controversial oilfield technique in western Kern.
Energy Dept. seeks to cut cost of energy storage, boost renewables
The Hill
The Energy Department will attempt to decrease the cost of energy storage technology by 90% within a decade in an attempt to boost clean energy use.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Medical professionals report increase in heat illness cases
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County physicians say they're seeing an increase in heat-related illnesses lately as temperatures soar and local residents fail to keep themselves adequately hydrated or otherwise protected from excessively high temperatures.
Editorial: The Delta variant of COVID is coming for the unprotected
Los Angeles Times
With vacations back on the schedule and weddings and other summer activities in full swing in Southern California, it’s easy to forget that a pandemic is still raging.
U.S.'s largest registered nurses union calls on CDC to bring back universal mask guidelines
The Hill
The largest union for registered nurses in the U.S. called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to bring back recommendations for universal masking in public regardless of people’s vaccination status.
Human Services:
Statewide campaign works to prepare vulnerable communities for disasters
abc30
Getting ready for a disaster like earthquakes, floods and wildfires is essential in the Golden State. Karen Baker took the lead on the Listos California Campaign in 2019 with the task of reaching the most vulnerable communities and educating them on emergency preparedness.
Women Say California Insurer Makes It Too Hard To Get Drug For Postpartum Depression
Capital Public Radio
When Miriam McDonald decided she wanted to have another baby at age 44, her doctor told her she had a better chance of winning the lottery. So when she got pregnant right away, she and her husband were thrilled.
IMMIGRATION
US says order coming this week on border asylum restrictions
Bakersfield Californian
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will issue an order this week about how migrant children are treated under a public health order that has prevented people from seeking asylum at the nation's borders, a Justice Department attorney said Tuesday.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Movement To Change Name Of Squaw Valley In Fresno County Seeks Local Support
VPR
Gladys Dick McKinney has just made a quick stop for jello at the Dollar General on Highway 180. She’s making a cake for her brother’s birthday, but she takes a minute to talk to me about the proposed name change and even asks me to sit in her air conditioned car.
Housing:
How much could the cost of living go up in California? Keep an eye on housing and oil prices
Fresno Bee
Californians pay the highest gasoline prices in the nation. Housing prices in the state are soaring. Nationally, the cost of living has been rising at its steepest levels in 13 years. And it could get worse.
City of Fresno's Project Off-ramp to house 100 homeless during heatwave
abc30
The City of Fresno is working to house 100 people during the longest heat wave of the season. Thirty-three homeless people were relocated from Highway into temporary housing yesterday morning as part of Project Offramp.
Fresno population growing slowly, study shows
abc30
Fresno's population is growing slowly. A study conducted by home services platform "Porch" shows a growth rate of 6.5% in the last ten years. Last year, the population was 530,267 residents.
San Joaquin County gets $2.1 million to house homeless residents dealing with mental illnesses
Stockton Record
San Joaquin County is transforming an empty lot in downtown Stockton into affordable apartments for unhoused people using a $2.1 million grant the state awarded it late last month.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California to send $600 stimulus payments to millions. When to expect your check
Fresno Bee
Millions of Californians earning between $30,000 to $75,000 a year can expect to see $600 in their bank accounts this fall under a budget deal signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.
TRANSPORTATION
Fresno gas prices continue to climb
abc30
Gas prices in Fresno continue to rise. According to GasBuddy's daily survey of 364 stations in the city, the average price is $4.19 for a gallon of regular unleaded.
Not All Infrastructure Projects Are Worth Doing, Research Paper Finds
Bakersfield Californian
A new paper by a pair of economists says the gains from infrastructure spending aren’t always clear-cut and recommends that policy makers examine the costs and benefits of each project.
WATER
Amid A Megadrought, Federal Water Shortage Limits Loom For The Colorado River
VPR
The Colorado River is tapped out. Another dry year has left the watershed that supplies 40 million people in the Southwest parched. A prolonged 21-year warming and drying trend is pushing the nation's two largest reservoirs to record lows.
Opinion: Californians will adapt to living with drought, as we always have
CalMatters
Managing droughts well requires extensive and organized preparation, which California sometimes lacks. Our losses will be greater if we manage poorly because of delay, complacency or panic.
“Xtra”
Bethany Clough: Three new locally owned stores open in Fresno area, from downtown to Old Town Clovis
Fresno Bee
A vintage Ghostbusters T-shirt. Gym clothing with a cause behind it. And a whole bunch of Baby Yoda stuffed animals. The variety of products sold at three new stores opening in the Fresno area is huge.
Appeals court finds age-based handgun purchase ban unconstitutional
Roll Call
Judges say they won't relegate ‘the Second Amendment or 18- to 20-year-olds to a second-class status.’
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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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