July 15, 2019

15Jul

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Lofty plans for old City Hall

Stockton Record

The 93-year-old City Hall on El Dorado Street may be about to take a small first step toward a major transformation as the clock ticks toward Stockton’s eventual move into a new city headquarters on the south side of downtown’s waterfront.

EDITORIAL: Modesto Council exposé is political grandstanding

Modesto Bee

Our reaction to recent news that Modesto City Hall spent $80,000 buying food mostly for employee working lunches over the previous year: Meh.

Central SJ Valley:

From community college to credit, here are 5 times Fresno was ahead of the curve

Fresno Bee

This isn’t the first time Fresno has been historically ahead of the curve. Here are five other times Fresno beat the trends.

Costa joins Hispanic caucus members to denounce immigration raids

Fresno Bee

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, Friday joined members of the House Hispanic Caucus to denounce plans by the Trump administration to conduct weekend sweeps that caucus members say will divide families and spread fear through communities. 

Oceano Dunes stays open to off-roading. But California still says big changes must be made

Fresno Bee

While state commissioners said they do not believe off-roading at the Oceano Dunes is compatible with California’s Coastal Act.

See also:

Supervisors Expected to OK $730K in Improvements to Government Center

Sierra News

The second and third floors of the Madera County Government Center are about to get major makeovers. At their regular meeting this week on Tuesday, July 16, supervisors are expected to OK a construction project that will create additional office space at the Government Center.

Budget balanced for now

Madera Tribune

There is good news for the city of Madera — the city’s 2019-2020 budget is balanced — but that news must be tempered with cautious optimism, according to new City Manager Arnoldo Rodriguez. 

EDITORIAL: Time for District Attorney to take over

Madera Tribune

The question is, now that the Grand Jury report on the City Council is out and made public, will the District Attorney’s Office investigate certain charges, such as violations of the Brown Act, misfeasance in purchasing and other laws that also may have been broken.

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South SJ Valley:

Republicans think they can knock off this California Democrat, but they don’t have a candidate

Fresno Bee

Vulnerable Democratic Rep. TJ Cox doesn’t have an announced challenger in his 2020 race yet, but based on polling Republicans are doing in the district, they have their candidate in mind. They want a rematch of 2018.

State Sen. Grove: Governor’s rush to judgment to fire top gas and oil regulator will hurt California’s economy

Bakersfield Californian

When it comes to governing California and its many state agencies, I believe consistency must be a common thread on how each agency and its department heads are treated.

City of McFarland terminates missing city manager Wooner’s contract

KGE

The City of McFarland says it has terminated missing city manager John Wooner’s contract for being absent without leave.

State:

California lawmakers consider new rules for political ads

Bakersfield Californian

Now, California legislators are considering a proposal by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin that would require groups buying such “issue advocacy ads” about legislation to identify themselves and major funders in the same sort of disclaimers required in election campaign commercials.

State May Push Cities And Counties To Draw ‘Fairer’ Districts

Capital Public Radio

The Supreme Court has given lawmakers the greenlight to gerrymander, but two California bills could drive the state even further in the other direction.

Kevin McCarthy: Don’t Count on Government to Protect Your Privacy

The New York Times

Let’s look to technologies like blockchain and other innovations to keep our data private.

EDITORIAL: California doesn’t get to decide who runs for president

Los Angeles Times

It should be up to voters to punish candidates for their lack of transparency, not partisan state legislatures.

Federal:

Trump to progressive Democrats: Go back where you came from

Fresno Bee

President Donald Trump made a new broadside against a faction of progressive Democrats led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, suggesting they return to the “broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

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House passes 9/11 victim compensation funding bill by an overwhelming margin

abc30

In what New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer lauded as an “overwhelming expression of bipartisan support,” the House passed a bill making the 9/11 victim compensation fund permanent.

Chief Justice Roberts’ Supreme Court Long Game Is Feared And Loathed

NPR

What was he thinking? That is the question many are asking on both sides of the political spectrum.

Clarence Thomas: From ‘Black Panther Type’ To Supreme Court’s Conservative Beacon

Capital Public Radio

The longest-serving member of the current court is also its furthest to the right, least traditional and most controversial — and with a new conservative majority, he may be having a moment.

Judy Shelton is a dangerous pick for the Fed board

The Washington Post

Let’s say you are deciding between two models of Federal Reserve candidates. One has no fixed principles and embraces whatever is most politically expedient; the other has a blind commitment to a dangerously wrong set of beliefs.

Pro-impeachment Democrats hope Mueller’s testimony will give them the sound bite they need

Los Angeles Times

The former special counsel’s on-camera performance will still be useful, even if all he offers is a not-very-dramatic reading of his 448-page report on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election and the president’s subsequent attempts to stymie the investigation.

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Trump’s Fourth of July event cost an estimated $5.4 million

PBS NewsHour

President Donald Trump’s July Fourth extravaganza — featuring tanks, a military flyover, and a Trump speech at the Lincoln Memorial — cost an estimated $5.4 million, according to rough figures Thursday.

Opinion: America wins as Trump abandons the citizenship question from the 2020 census

Brookings

In a major defeat for his administration, President Trump on Thursday announced he will no longer fight to keep the citizenship question on the 2020 census. This follows his administration’s more than yearlong efforts in the courts, in an attempt to skew the results of the census by undercounting immigrant minorities and bolster the representation of his political base. Or as Nancy Pelosi has put it, “to make America white again.”

EDITORIAL: Alex Acosta isn’t the only one who mishandled the Jeffrey Epstein situation

Los Angeles Times

Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta announced Friday that he was stepping down from the Trump administration in the wake of accusations that, as a federal prosecutor years ago, he mishandled the case of Jeffrey Epstein.

Elections 2020:

Race between Democrats Costa, Soria will reveal much about Fresno politics

Fresno Bee

A question for voters in California’s 16th Congressional District:How blue is your purple?The answer couldn’t be more relevant now.

Democratic presidential candidates criticize immigration raids as protesters confront Biden

Los Angeles Times

After President Trump earlier this week announced plans for mass arrests of migrants across the country, Democratic presidential candidates went on the attack and issued warnings about the raids that will begin Sunday.

Joe Biden unveils his alternative to ‘Medicare for all’

Los Angeles Times

Joe Biden unveiled a robust plan to expand Obamacare by adding a public program that all Americans could choose, as the former vice president argued Monday that medical insurance can be made universally accessible without scrapping the nation’s current model of delivering healthcare.

See also:

Two Economists Fuel Democratic Debate Over How Far Left to Go

Wall Street Journal

William Darity Jr. and Darrick Hamilton tout slavery reparations and guaranteed jobs to address racial wealth gap; questions about costs

A short history of campaign dirty tricks before Twitter and Facebook

Brookings

Kicking off a new series on the potential cybersecurity risks facing the 2020 elections, Elaine Kamarck offers a historical look back at the dirty tricks, from salacious news stories to burglary, that were used to influence political outcomes before the internet age.

See also:

Trump Faces Tough Challenge From Top Democratic Candidates in Election Matchup, WSJ/NBC News Poll Shows

Wall Street Journal

Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders show an edge over Trump in trial contests.

Democrats learn the hard way: Latino voters don’t just care about immigration

Washington Post

As the nation’s oldest Latino civil rights organization gathered here this week for its annual convention, anxiety over immigration issues could hardly have been higher.

Other:

Nearly all of California’s crises are worse in its Latino communities, new report says

Los Angeles Times

A new report offers a sober look at a different marker of distinction, one that shows Latinos fare worse than their fellow Californians on nearly every big quandary the state faces, even as its economy grows. And while things have improved in California, they have improved less for Latinos than for almost everyone else.

50 years ago, thousands of everyday heroes made sure America won the race to the moon 

Los Angeles Times

One of the marvels of the race to the moon in the 1960s were the Apollo spacesuits — blazing, iconic white on the outside and composed of 21 layers of nested fabric. Imagine putting on that many T-shirts and trying to do anything.

See also:

The new America: Those who yell loudest win

San Francisco Chronicle

There’s a troubling trend in America — if there’s someone you disagree with, shout them down.

FTC approves $5 billion settlement with Facebook over privacy practices, according to a person familiar with the matter

Washington Post

Facebook’s settlement with the Federal Trade Commission could result in unprecedented federal oversight of the company. The FTC’s three Republicans voted for the deal, while both Democrats opposed it.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, July 21, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Reducing Recidivism: Do Prisoner Rehabilitation Programs Actually Work?” – Guest: Jonathan Peterson, California Legislative Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, July 21, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Project Rebound:  Breaking the Cycle of Crime” – Guests: CSU Fresno Prof. Emma Hughes, Project Rebound Director Jennifer Leahy, and Project Rebound Rebound Arnold Trevino. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, July 21, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “State Auditors Nurses: What Would California Do With A Nurse Ratched” – Guests: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor’s Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Corn dogs and chocolate tastings. Can food save the California State Fair?

Fresno Bee

Jalapeno-bacon jumbo corn dogs, pizza funnel cakes and Hot Cheeto chicken burritos may make readers instinctively reach for antacids. It’s a sharpened focus on items like these, though, that may be medicine for the California State Fair.

Pepper grower awarded $23.3 million in Sriracha lawsuit

abc30

A jury has awarded $23.3 million to a California pepper maker in a fiery battle with the manufacturer of world-famous Sriracha hot sauce.

See also:

Cannabis growers asked to comment on permit process

Madera Tribune

The majority of cannabis farmers are not joining the legal market and we want to know why. The objective is to identify barriers to joining the legal market, according to California officials.

Pistachio grower looks to settle wage lawsuit

Visalia Times Delta

A Tulare County pistachio grower is attempting to settle a lawsuit alleging the company failed to pay workers up to three minutes of pay each workday.

Free lunch drive-thru to support agriculture awareness

Hanford Sentinel

Kings County residents can support local agriculture by grabbing a free sandwich on Tuesday. California companies Gar Tootelian, Inc. and JC Landsdowne, Inc. are co-sponsoring a free lunch for the “My Lunch Depends on Ag” campaign.

Invasive oriental fruit flies found in Sacramento, may trigger new quarantine, officials say

Sacramento Bee

Two oriental fruit flies, an invasive species that threatens crops, have been detected near Sacramento’s Meadowview neighborhood.

SLO County agriculture became a $1 billion business in 2018. Here’s the most valuable crop

San Luis Obispo Tribune

San Luis Obispo County agriculture became a $1 billion business in 2018 — with more than a quarter of those dollars coming from the wine industry, according to a new Department of Agriculture report.

Papaya outbreak highlights FDA’s food safety challenge

Roll Call

Salmonella infections caused by contaminated papayas highlight the challenges federal officials face in fighting foodborne illness, as a law from nearly a decade ago meant to modernize the food safety system is starting to show its age.

EPA approves use of bee-killing pesticide

Roll Call

Just days after another federal agency suspended its periodical study of honey bee populations, the EPA greenlighted the wider use of a pesticide that environmental activists warn could further decimate the pollinators. 

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

New crime fighting technology catches crooks ‘blue-handed’ in Madera County

abc30

Madera County Sheriff’s deputies have three suspects behind bars for agriculture thefts, and its thanks to new crime-fighting technology. This is the first arrest made in the County using Smartwater CSI.

Illegal fireworks use drops

Madera Tribune

Madera police wrote 46 citations to residents for firing off illegal fireworks during the July 4th weekend, a significant increase over years past.  A citation could cost violators up to $1,000 for a first offense. 

Bill aims to create task force to stop fentanyl trafficking

Fresno Bee

U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin and U.S. Reps. Peter King, a New York Republican, Max Rose, a New York Democrat, and Mike McCaul, a Texas Republican, introduced the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act last week.

Inmates Who Contracted Valley Fever In California Prisons Petition U.S. Supreme Court For Relief

VPR

For more than a decade, lawsuits have been piling up against California from inmates who contracted the fungal disease valley fever while incarcerated in state prison. Most plaintiffs have lost. Now, many of them are turning to a higher court.

No girls, parties, cellphones: California’s prison inmates are getting bachelor’s degrees

USA Today

The first time someone in jail tried to give Bradley Arrowood a textbook, he laughed at him. Education was the last thing on his mind. “When I was a kid, I was told I’d never amount to anything,” Arrowood said.

EDITORIAL: Rehabilitation, restoration at heart of first-time offender program

Stockton Record

If you’re a first-time offender, even if charged with a crime such as robbery, assault, burglary or making criminal threats, it is possible — possible — you’ll get a second chance even before you go to trial.

Public Safety:

Fresno police ceremony honors new hires, new sergeants

Fresno Bee

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer presides over the department’s Swearing In and Promotional Ceremony on Friday, July 12 at City Hall, lauding the behind-the-scenes employees as well as new officer recruits and officer promotions.

Concealed-gun licenses offer owners a sense of safety. How many Californians pack (legal) heat?

Fresno Bee

More people are licensed to carry concealed weapons in Fresno County than any other county in California, according to data from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Fresno Police Department.

Tougher Gun Laws Mean Fewer American Kids Die, Study Says

Time

Children living in states with strict firearm laws are less likely to die from gun violence than those in states with more lax restrictions, according to a study in Pediatrics published Monday. The more rigorous the rules, the lower the risk, the researchers showed.

EDITORIAL: End the bloodshed: Fresno council must override mayor’s veto of program to stop gun violence

Fresno Bee

It is not a new story in Fresno, but it is an urgent one. Some young men are growing up here without knowing there is more to live for than settling some score or controlling a territory for criminal enterprise.

Fire: 

Agencies boost efforts to stop wildland firefighter suicides

Porterville Recorder

In the past several years, the National Interagency Fire Center has bolstered a program that teaches coping skills and offers one-on-one crisis intervention to firefighters dealing with trauma and other issues.

California town loses 90% of its population

Visalia Times Delta

A northern California town has lost over 90% of its population since the nation’s deadliest wildfire in nearly a century raged last year, new figures show.

California Governor Signs Wildfire Bill To Pay Victims

Capital Public Radio

California’s governor has signed a law that creates a fund of up to $21 billion to pay victims of the state’s devastating wildfires.

See also:

California Backs Effort To Boost Utilities During Wildfires

Capital Public Radio

California lawmakers approved a multibillion-dollar plan to shore up the state’s biggest electric utilities in the face of catastrophic wildfires and claims for damage from past blazes caused by their equipment.

See also:

PG&E made big plans to reduce wildfire risk. Here’s its progress so far

San Francisco Chronicle

Over the past six months, PG&E has inspected and repaired hundreds of thousands of miles of power lines, expanded its array of weather stations and fire-watching cameras, begun to step up its tree-trimming program and implemented a more aggressive program to turn off power lines during extreme weather.

California’s new wildfire plan: 5 things to know

CALmatters

You will be forgiven for having the impression that California lawmakers have been talking about comprehensive wildfire legislation forever, when it has only been days since the new fire bill ricocheted  from the Assembly to the Senate and back again. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it today, less than a week after the first elected official cleared his throat to introduce the package.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Summit Aims to Boost Financial Opportunities in the Valley

abc30

An upcoming summit that aims to give low-income residents a boost with resources and connections will bring many organizations to one room in the central valley.

New initiative will draft 10-year plan for Fresno’s economy

Fresno Bee

The statistics are staggering.

The State Of Latino  economic Well-being In California

California Civic Engagement Project

This week, the California Latino Economic Institute (CLEI) released new research on the state of Latino economic well-being in partnership with the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP). The report provides an up-to date overview of the current economic conditions for Latinos, focused on the four key related factors of income distribution, education, housing, and entrepreneurship.

800 stores, $3 billion in sales — so where did Forever 21 go wrong?

Los Angeles Times

Forever 21 reportedly is now in financial trouble and developing restructuring plans in hopes of avoiding a possible sale or bankruptcy. With about 800 stores worldwide and more than $3 billion in estimated annual sales, Forever 21 is being squeezed on multiple fronts.

3 ways Trump disagrees with Fed chair Powell on the economy

PBS NewsHour

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s two days of testimony on Capitol Hill put on full display the many ways he and President Donald Trump disagree about the state of the U.S. economy.

Jobs:

This Fresno-based company is holding a job fair and currently has 50 openings

Fresno Bee

Know someone who’s looking for a job and has industrial work or clerical experience? Pridestaff is holding a job fair from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.  The company is looking to fill as many as 50 positions with jobs located in Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Sanger and the Malaga area.

City workers hope for pay increases this year

Madera Tribune

After years of silence, the city’s rank and file would like to be heard. They are the skilled workers in the Madera Affiliated City Employees Association (MACEA) and the people that keep the city running. The association is currently working under an expired contract and is in the process of contract negotiations with the city of Madera.

New, skilled jobs expected to come to Merced County with new Livingston facility

Merced Sun-Star

The Livingston community on Friday celebrated the groundbreaking of a new business expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the area.

The water park is coming, so are the jobs. Work under way at Manteca’s Great Wolf Lodge

Modesto Bee

Yes, the water slides are still coming. So is the hotel. Plus a family entertainment center. And restaurants. But before any of that arrives, expect between 500 and 600 jobs to come to Manteca.

California’s $15 an hour minimum wage is coming, but when?

Sacramento Bee

California is on it’s way to reaching the $15-an-hour minimum wage sought by labor activists, but it’s not there yet.

Nepotism at California state agency leads to discipline for public employee

Sacramento Bee

The Department of Industrial Relations has begun dispensing discipline over findings that its former director and her subordinates.

As hedge funds’ fight for control of PG&E, here is how workers see it

CALmatters

As the elected leader of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, which represents approximately 12,000 frontline utility workers at Pacific Gas & Electric Co., I have paid careful attention both to legislative activity in Sacramento and to PG&E’s bankruptcy proceeding.

Newsroom jobs fell 25% from 2008 to 2018, mainly in newspapers

Pew Research Center

Newsroom employment across the United States continues to decline, driven primarily by job losses at newspapers. 

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno school trustee under fire again. This time, blackface and cheerleaders are involved

Fresno Bee

Parents and community members are discussing a recall effort against Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic and asking the school board to censure him, after he allegedly scolded Bullard High cheerleaders during their practice this week.

See also:

School official defends adding masked gunman to school drill

AP News

An elementary school superintendent in Central California says he allowed a janitor to wear a mask and carry a fake gun during an active shooter drill to “make sure this was realistic.”

Southwest Fresno preschool focuses heavily on literacy

abc30

Bright colors and books galore, the Early Readers Preschool in Southwest Fresnois full of character and characters. They are getting just about ready to fill their classroom with young minds. Yes, children will learn the basics like colors and counting, but the main focus is on reading.

First 5 Madera County releases fiscal plan

Madera Tribune

First 5 Madera County has released its 2020–2024 Strategic Plan along with $600,000 to be invested in services for Madera County’s children The ultimate goal is to promote early learning so that the youngsters are ready to start school.

She led Merced city schools through the recession and tough times. Now she’s retiring

Merced Sun-Star

Longtime leader of the Merced City School District, Superintendent RoseMary Parga, will retire at the end of this year.

Students In Rural Regions Are More Likely To Be Absent Than Their Urban Counterparts

VPR

Skipping school, cutting class, senior ditch day – some consider truancy a part of adolescence. But looking at the data, one reporter found that students in rural regions have a much higher risk of being chronically absent from school, and the reasons aren’t so simple.

School official defends adding masked gunman to school drill

Sacramento Bee

An elementary school superintendent in Fresno says he allowed a janitor to wear a mask and carry a fake gun during an active shooter drill to “make sure this was realistic.”

Criticism buries reading test bill

CALmatters

Senate Bill 614 was born, or reborn, on June 18 when state Sen. Susan Rubio stripped the contents from the measure, after it had passed the Senate and was pending in the Assembly, and inserted an entirely different proposal.

Californians & Education

PPIC

Californians have a split opinion on charter schools, with roughly equal shares supporting and opposing them. 

Why don’t Americans talk about child care?

Washington Post

The Democrats recently held two nights of debate, each two hours long, and in both sessions the two words that most American families talk about, worry about and sweat about behind closed doors were barely mentioned. 

Schools Relax Dress Codes in Bid to End Body Shaming

Wall Street Journal

Districts drop fingertip rule for shorts, allow hoodies and even cleavage.

Higher Ed:

Impacted enrollment a problem at Fresno State

Fresno Bee

Last year, more than 17,000 high school students in local counties completed coursework to meet the preliminary admissions requirement for Fresno State. About 9,000 of these and other transfer students earned almost a B average, making them eligible to attend, only to be denied admission due to overcrowding at this campus of their choice. 

Fresno State, former athletic director reach settlement on wrongful termination claim

Fresno Bee

Former Fresno State athletic director Jim Bartko and the university have reached a mutual settlement to a wrongful termination claim filed last June. 

Fresno State Math Circle now accepting applications

Fresno State Campus News

The Fresno Math Circle is a free enrichment program for children in grades 4 through 12 interested in mathematics.

Fresno State Craig School of Business accreditation extended

Fresno State Campus News

The Board of Directors of AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) has ratified a recommendation to extend accreditation of the B.S. in Business Administration and MBA programs for five years. AACSB International is the premier accrediting body for business schools, with only 845 universities worldwide holding this accreditation.

UC Davis will release new strawberry pedigrees in the fall 

Fresno Bee

They’ll use less water, less fertilizer and fewer pesticides – and they will probably be cheaper. The Public Strawberry Breeding Program at UC Davis just announced five new strawberry varieties that will be on the market in the fall and are expected to benefit farmers, sellers and consumers alike. 

Porterville College president happy to be back in Central Valley where she achieved her American dream

Bakersfield Californian

Being a college president was never a position Claudia Habib thought she would fill. Her career, much like her life, has been an evolution with no specific end position or goal in mind.

CSUB’s SEEDE Institute helps local teachers incorporate ethics, social-emotional learning in classrooms

Bakersfield Californian

Two professors at Cal State Bakersfield, through their work in education and interactions with teachers across Kern County, recognized there was a need to explore ethics, social-emotional learning and democratic areas in kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms.

There’s a loneliness crisis on college campuses

Los Angeles Times

According to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, the increase in utilization rates for counseling centers across the country over the last five years has greatly outpaced the increase in student enrollment, and as a result, schools have trouble hiring enough mental health counselors to keep up with growing demand.

Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Cali. crews scramble to clean up huge oil spill

Visalia Times Delta

California authorities said Friday that crews are beginning to clean up a massive oil spill that dumped nearly 800,000 gallons of oil and water into a Kern County canyon, making it larger — if less devastating — than the state’s last two major oil spills.

See also:

From oil refineries to solar plants, unions bend California climate change policies in their favor

Los Angeles Times

No contour of California’s vast landscape inspires such passionate devotion as its coastline, so state lawmakers recoiled when President Trump announced in April that he wanted to expand offshore drilling. The outrage was channeled into a proposal for preventing any new infrastructure along the water, pipelines or otherwise, for additional oil production.

As trees die in Sequoia, Forest Service hopes new plan will save the ecosystem

Bakersfield Californian

A massive tree die-off in both the Sierra and Sequoia national forests have caused officials to revise a plan meant to save the parks as climate conditions have worsened.

Disaster declaration, if it comes, could bring additional federal, state resources to Ridgecrest

Bakersfield Californian

A multiagency earthquake damage assessment taking place this weekend will determine whether Ridgecrest-area residents and businesses receive access to grants or low-interest federal loans designed to help them recover, and whether federal money will be given out to assist in rebuilding local infrastructure.

See also:

Stockton biofuel firm fined $401K for dumping industrial wastewater into city sewers

Stockton Record

A federal judge this week fined and sanctioned a biodiesel firm based in the Port of Stockton for discharging industrial wastewater into the city’s sewer system, violating the federal Clean Water Act.

Skelton: Afraid of the Big One? Consider Sacramento, which avoids the worst California quakes

Los Angeles Times

Want to be safe from earthquakes in California? You’d need to endure summer scorchers, winter flood threats and full-time politicians. But temblors don’t threaten people living in Sacramento. In the state capital — River City, Sacratomato, City of Trees — earthquakes are seen only on TV. Here, you’ll escape the Big One.

Environmental Groups Launch Reporting Network In Tulare County

VPR

Say you’re taking a walk after work and you notice a strange smell in the air. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’s a chemical or a spill of some sort. Should you report it?

California EPA Chief Takes Environmental Justice Tour Of Tulare County

VPR

This past Wednesday, local environmental groups hosted a bus tour like no other: The theme was environmental justice, and it involved stops in unincorporated Tulare County communities, where residents have been struggling to access clean drinking water and reduce exposure to harmful pesticides.

EPA press shop hits back hard against coverage it doesn’t like

Washington Post

Amid the many news releases issued each week by the Environmental Protection Agency, a few stand out. 

Energy:

Gov. Gavin Newsom fires top official over fracking permits — but won’t ban the oil wells

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday defended firing California’s top oil industry regulator for issuing too many hydraulic fracturing permits, but offered no details on whether he plans to ban or limit the oil extraction process in the state.

See also:

After Aliso Canyon, a gas pipeline exploded — costing Californians $1 billion

Los Angeles Times

Two years after methane gas began leaking from Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon storage field, one of the company’s key pipelines exploded, starting a fire in the desert and leaving a smoking crater in the ground.

Walters: Another dicey utility overhaul

CALmatters

Californians should always be skeptical when their politicians overhaul the state’s electrical utility system while promising more efficient, less polluting and reasonably priced service.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Valley heatwave: Ways to prevent heat-related illnesses

abc30

As temperatures inch their way beyond the 100-degree mark, across the Valley, families are finding fun ways to cool off.

A healthy lifestyle may offset genetic risk for Alzheimer’s

Bakersfield Californian

A healthy lifestyle can cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia even if you have genes that raise your risk for these mind-destroying diseases, a large study has found.

See also:

Simple Ways To Prevent Falls In Older Adults 

Capital Public Radio

More older adults are dying from falls today than they used to 20 years ago. But there are simple steps you can take to improve balance, vision and alertness — and keep from falling.

Rare disease discovery: Antibodies fighting cancer go on to attack brain

San Francisco Chronicle

Three years after he was successfully treated for testicular cancer, Glenn Sauber began suffering disturbing neurological symptoms.

Treatment for psychosis—and other mental illness—differs drastically by county

CALmatters

In California, geography creates significant barriers for people seeking early psychosis intervention and other treatment, because its 58 counties have 58 different public mental health programs, each with its own set of covered services. That’s by design. Yet it creates troubling inequities.

Human Services:

Valley Focus: Fowler Clinic Accepting New Patients

abc30

A new clinic in Fowler is now accepting pediatric and adult patients. Adventist Health and Valley Children’s Healthcare teamed up to open the new clinic this summer.

Names of Note: Kaiser renews $90,000 grant that has aided west Modesto’s mental health

Modesto Bee

Kaiser Permanente has provided another $90,000 grant to promote mental health in west Modesto. The money will fund the second year of a program that aims to reduce the stigma around depression, schizophrenia and other issues.

UCSF Doctors Academy students shadow Adventist Health teams in the Central Valley

Hanford Sentinel

A group of 11 high school seniors with the UCSF Fresno Latino Center for Medical Education and Research Doctors Academy Program are shadowing team members from Adventist Health in the Central Valley this summer.

New California law protects nurses who blow the whistle about poor patient care

Sacramento Bee

The California Nurses Association applauded California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to sign Senate Bill 322, which will protect whistleblowers at health care facilities from discrimination and retaliation.

85,000 Kaiser workers ready strike in 7 states; health giant cites progress in contract talks

Sacramento Bee

The leaders of 11 unions announced that contract talks stalled Thursday between Kaiser Permanente and 85,000 of its workers in California, six other states and the District of Columbia, all members of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions.

A Black Mother Told Not To Scream In Labor Asks: Can California Fix Racism In Maternity Care?

Capital Public Radio

A host of factors underlie the maternal health gap between black and white women, but studies consistently point to an ugly one: the persistence of racial bias.

California’s Aid In Dying Law Is Mostly Used By White People. Here’s Why.

Capital Public Radio

The majority of people who request lethal prescription drugs under the End of Life Option Act are white. Experts and health workers say the disparity is due to limited access to hospice care in non-white populations and varying beliefs about death.

California Could Reduce Welfare Payments To Parents Who Refuse To Vaccinate Their Children

Capital Public Radio

A proposal in California that would stiffen immunization requirements for children on welfare has quietly advanced in the Legislature, despite other vaccine proposals sparking protests at the Capitol this year.

Education, anti poverty programs drive down teen pregnancy

CALmatters

Forty years of lies stigmatizing “teenage pregnancy” are enough.

The Battle for Health Care

The New Yorker

The latest Republican effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act appears likely to reach the Supreme Court in the heat of the 2020 Presidential race.

IMMIGRATION

ICE says it doesn’t conduct ‘raids’ but fearful Valley immigrants remain ‘on high alert’

Fresno Bee

Even as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations failed to take form on a grand scale nationally Sunday, immigrant advocates in the Central Valley were not ready to breath easy.

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‘Lights for Liberty’ immigration protest over border camps held in Fresno

Fresno Bee

About 300 protesters gathered at Blackstone and Nees in Fresno, California on July 12, 2019 over anticipated raids expected to take place this weekend by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies.

Ninth Circuit Court says it’s OK for feds to favor non-sanctuary cities in funding

San Francisco Chronicle 

The Trump administration can tip the scales in federal police funding in favor of cities that cooperate with immigration agents and let them into local jails, a divided U.S. appeals court ruled Friday in a case with implications for “sanctuary cities” like San Francisco.

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Court says it’s OK for feds to favor non-sanctuary cities in funding

San Francisco Chronicle

The Trump administration can tip the scales in federal police funding in favor of cities that cooperate with immigration agents and let them into local jails, a divided U.S. appeals court ruled Friday in a case with implications for sanctuary cities like San Francisco.

Trump Prepares New Rule for Asylum Seekers at Southern Border

Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration is preparing a new rule for foreign nationals seeking asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico, in which immigrants seeking refugee status would have to do so in the first country they enter rather than at the U.S. border.

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Fact-checking claim about number of immigrants becoming citizens under Trump

PolitiFact

A top immigration official said that despite attacks against President Donald Trump and his administration claiming they “don’t like immigrants,” the numbers say otherwise.

How We Ended Up With Kids in Cages

American Conservative

Hysteria won’t solve anything. We’ve created a politicized immigration system and we need to fix it.

How Pew Research Center estimates illegal immigration

Pew Research Center

The way Pew Research Center calculates the estimated number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States is the product of decades of work by Jeffrey S. Passel, senior demographer, along with former colleagues at the U.S. Census Bureau and the Urban Institute. 

US Hispanic population reached new high in 2018

Pew Research Center

The U.S. Hispanic population reached a record 59.9 million in 2018, up 1.2 million over the previous year and up from 47.8 million in 2008, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. 

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

When will SLO’s Pismo Preserve trails open to the public?

Fresno Bee

Kaila Dettman sat on a gnarled old oak branch perched on a mountaintop above Pismo Beach with the vast blue Pacific Ocean stretched before her. As a humpback whale leaped from the water, a red tail hawk landed beside her.

Oceano Dunes stays open to off-roading. But California still says big changes must be made

Fresno Bee

While state commissioners said they do not believe off-roading at the Oceano Dunes is compatible with California’s Coastal Act.

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Have your say in plans for Sierra, Sequoia national forests

Recordnet

The U.S. Forest Service has released draft management plans for the Sierra and Sequoia national forests and is seeking public comment through Sept. 26.

Housing:

Kings County homelessness on the rise

Hanford Sentinel

A recently published report from the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance reveals homelessness in Kings and Tulare counties has risen 11% in the last year.

California housing crisis podcast: How do Google and Facebook figure in the problem?

Los Angeles Times

As California’s economy has boomed over the last decade, so too have housing costs. The growth by massive Silicon Valley tech companies has led to calls from Gov. Gavin Newsomand others for them to contribute more to resolve the state’s housing problems.

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Dream Big, Live Small: Why The Van Life Is Taking Hold in California

CALmatters

California’s housing crisis has forced hundreds of people, particularly in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, to move into their vehicles just to get by. These van-and-car dwellers park on city streets, college campuses and in parking lots in hopes of staying under the radar.

Powell Says Tariffs and Immigration May Be Slowing Homebuilding

Bloomberg

The U.S. housing shortage has the attention of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California’s tax laws need to benefit the middle class. Here’s what should change

Fresno Bee

California’s middle class often gets squeezed into an economy with no room for errors. As the gap between the very rich and the very poor continues to grow, The Sacramento Bee’s California Influencers weighed in on how best to help those caught in between.

Influencers say tax law changes will benefit middle class

Merced Sun-Star

California Influencers this week answered the question: How would you change California’s tax laws to benefit middle class Californians? Below are the Influencers’ answers in their entirety.

EDITORIAL: California continues to show the nation the absurdity and unfairness of money bail

Los Angeles Times

Bail was set at a stunning $25 million for Naason Joaquin Garcia after he was arrested last month at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of human trafficking and forcing children to perform sex acts. The presumably unattainable amount was sure to keep him behind bars for however long it takes to get him to trial.

TRANSPORTATION

Clovis aims to build unique pedestrian bridge over Highway 168

abc30

The City of Clovis recently secured a grant to design a new pedestrian bridge over Highway 168, and they hope it’ll also serve as a new point of city pride.

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New bus operators take over for Madera County

Madera Tribune

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (Fresno EOC) Transit Systems expanded services to Madera County in early July, through a 5-year agreement with the Madera County Board of Supervisors. Fresno EOC Transit Systems has previously only served Fresno County residents. 

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Bakersfield drivers, honk if you’re experiencing road construction fatigue

Bakersfield Californian

Have you ever seen road construction as thick and widespread in Bakersfield as it is this summer? You try to avoid one traffic tie-up only to stumble upon another. And another.

Victorville-Vegas train may be rolling by 2023

Victorville Daily Press

High Desert residents eager for high-speed rail travel between here and Las Vegas will have to wait a bit longer.

(Video) Standstill High-Speed Rail construction puts Madera residents in danger

KMPH 

A standstill in construction of High-Speed Rail has left ten thousand people in a Madera neighborhood without access to emergency care.

WATER

Tule River open for recreation, officials warn caution

Visalia Times Delta

Valley temperatures are expected to hit the triple digits, according to meteorologists. Tulare County residents looking to cool off can now pay a visit to the Tule River.

Administration Sidelines Federal Biologists Who Could Stand in Way of More Water for Calif. Farmers

KQED Science

After rushing forward on a plan to send more water to California’s Central Valley, the Trump Administration has unexpectedly hit the brakes and ordered the work already done by federal scientists to be completed by a different team.

Opinion: California needs Sites Reservoir. Here’s why

CALmatters

California’s aging water infrastructure desperately needs an upgrade. 

“Xtra”

Veterans community to hold Blood Drive

Clovis RoundUp

The American Legion 147, VFW Post 3225 and the Clovis Veterans Memorial District are coming together to put on a community blood drive.

Clovis Vacations: California Vacations

Clovis RoundUp

It’s time to get out of town! Clovis Roundup is back with some more destination ideas, this time throughout all of California.

Take me home! Dogs available for adoption

Bakersfield Californian

These 10 dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?

Service remains the focus as downtown’s Rotary club enters its 100th year

Bakersfield Californian

The atmosphere was friendly at Thursday’s meeting of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield Downtown, and after the formalities — a solemn invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance — inside jokes came one after the other.

Rides, food, wild animals just part of the fun for fair’s opening weekend in Turlock

Modesto Bee

Fairgoers don’t have to just “Imagine the Fun,” the theme at the Stanislaus County Fair this year. They’ve been experiencing it in droves since opening night.