POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
Highly transmissible Delta variant found in Stanislaus County Turlock Journal
‘It is unsettling.’ Modesto mayor reacts to death threats sent through social media
Modesto Bee
Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen awoke during the 5 o’clock hour Sunday morning to find two disturbing messages sent to her mayoral Facebook page. A man whom she didn’t know or had ever met was telling her that someone suggested he kill the mayor.
See also:
While Turlock still won’t talk, emails confirm Amazon fulfillment center is coming
Modesto Bee
While Turlock officials, the developer and others have refused to confirm Amazon is opening a million-square-foot fulfillment center employing hundreds in the city’s industrial park, emails from the city leave no doubt the e-commerce giant is coming to town.
How to support student mental health? Turlock-based foundation starts with superintendents
Modesto Bee
Superintendent Brenda Smith said she was conscious of how her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic would affect staff and students at Hughson Unified School District.
State is closing its youth prisons, shifting the burden to counties like Stanislaus
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County is assuming responsibility for reforming juvenile offenders under legislation that will close the state’s youth detention facilities.
Matchmaking for roommates: Program will pair Stanislaus seniors with housing providers
Modesto Bee
Saundra Robinson never imagined she’d be couch surfing after she retired. But ever since she faced an unexpected eviction in 2017, the former nurse has been unsuccessfully looking for a place to live.
Combat Stanislaus County homelessness by hiring our people, says local program
Modesto Bee
More so-called fair chance employers — those who’ve expressed interest in considering applicants with criminal records — are needed in Modesto to help unhoused people get back on their feet and off the streets, say homeless program representatives.
Stapley: Modesto Bee to host debate between special election candidates
Modesto Bee
“This is a waste of time, to be honest,” the mayor said in frustration near the end of a divisive city council argument a few days ago. Can you guess which city?
Turlock's drinking water quality outlined in annual report
Turlock Journal
The City of Turlock had one drinking water violation in 2020, according to the annual drinking water quality report recently released by the City.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
Central CA health officials hope for more vaccinations as Delta variant spreads abc30
Highly contagious delta variant now the most dominant version of virus in California Sacramento Bee
‘I am sorry.’ Kingsburg council member, focus of possible recall, now facing DUI charge
Fresno Bee
A member of the Kingsburg City Council who is already facing a potential recall was arrested recently for allegedly driving under the influence. Councilmember Jewel Hurtado was arrested on suspicion of DUI on June 21, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
See also:
‘A win against hunger.’ All Fresno County students could be eligible for free school meals
Fresno Bee
All students in California could soon be eligible to receive free cafeteria meals, a move Fresno County advocates say is long overdue to curb food insecurity among the region’s impoverished communities.
As COVID canceled quinceañeras, Fresno’s Latino businesses learned how to survive
Fresno Bee
In the past year, local and statewide COVID-19 restrictions have forced Latinos to postpone or cancel these gatherings. As a result, Latino entrepreneurs whose businesses depend on these vibrant celebrations have suffered considerable losses, some studies show.
Fuel supply woes diverted more than 20 flights at Fresno’s airport. See who was impacted
Fresno Bee
Supply problems for a vendor of jet fuel at Fresno’s airport for several days last week forced some airlines to divert departing flights to other airports to top off their tanks before they could continue on to their destinations.
Walters: Biden administration re-issues $400 million bill to Fresno’s Westlands Water District
Fresno Bee
The powerful interests who vie for shares of the state’s ever-changing water supply — dubbed “water buffaloes” — are adept at fending off political and legal assaults by their rivals and the outcomes of their clashes are often stalemates.
Valley Voices: For Valley PBS to succeed, Fresno residents must get more involved in its management
Fresno Bee
As a career advertising practitioner, I’ve produced hundreds of TV spots for clients to air on commercial stations. If a client paid their fees, my role, like that of an attorney, was to present my client’s “case” in the court of public opinion as convincingly and as memorably as possible.
Fresno IRS Center Winding Down Operations; 800 Laid Off Last Week
Business Journal
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) branch in Southeast Fresno has laid off hundreds of employees as it prepares to close.
State Sen. Melissa Hurtado On Central California's Heat Wave And Water Shortages
VPR
For the West Coast, it's been a brutal week - deadly triple-digit heat, escalating wildfire dangers and water in life-threatening short supply. Widespread drought means some places no longer have easy access to the running water most of us take for granted.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
Kern Public Health reports 1 new coronavirus death, 51, new cases Bakersfield Californian
Lakeside Union switches to at-large districts for its trustees
Bakersfield Californian
Lakeside Union School District is planning to change the way it elects its school board for the 2022 election.
Golden Valley High School hosts COVID-19 vaccine clinic for community
Bakersfield Californian
Golden Valley High School will host a free mobile clinic for the COVID-19 vaccine this Saturday. Community members 12 years old and older are welcome to receive a free Pfizer vaccine in the Golden Valley High School gymnasium.
Webinar will discuss local impacts of proposed fracking ban
Bakersfield Californian
The head of the Kern Economic Development Corp. will discuss the outlook for local oil production during an hourlong webinar starting at noon Wednesday.
LOIS HENRY: Lawsuit claims Kern County Water Agency shorted a key local canal’s volume
Bakersfield Californian
The Cross Valley Canal is a key cog in the southern San Joaquin Valley’s water machinery.
State:
COVID Update:
87% of additional California deaths in 2020 pandemic were workers, UC Merced report shows Fresno Bee
Highly contagious delta variant now the most dominant version of virus in California Fresno Bee
California’s highest COVID infection rates shift to rural counties Sacramento Bee
Delta variant dominates California coronavirus cases; rapid spread alarms officials Los Angeles Times
Breakthrough COVID is rare in California CalMatters
A new Republican enters California recall race to replace Gavin Newsom
Fresno Bee
One of the California Legislature’s more vocal opponents of Gov. Gavin Newsom will run to replace him in the recall election this fall.
See also:
Column: Feinstein’s recall history offers a lesson for those aiming at Newsom — you better not miss Los Angeles Times
CalPERS appoints first chief equity officer. Why the pension fund sees value in diversity
Fresno Bee
CalPERS this week appointed its first senior executive to oversee the pension fund’s efforts to nurture diversity in its own workforce and among the publicly traded corporations in which it invests.
Special Report: New SEIU leader wants union out of California politics. Bad idea, labor says
Sacramento Bee
The new president of one of California’s most powerful public employee unions wants to do something almost unheard of in Sacramento: Take the labor organization out of politics completely.
See also:
Thousands of Californians could get an extra $100 a week in unemployment pay. Here’s why
Sacramento Bee
An estimated 350,000 Californians who are self-employed but also work salaried jobs part-time can now potentially qualify for an extra $100 a week in unemployment payments – and get them retroactively.
California prison guards get COVID bonuses. Other unions still hope for hazard pay
Sacramento Bee
Correctional officers and maintenance staff work in the same prisons and spent more than a year exposed to a high risk of COVID-19 at their jobs. The officers are getting nearly $5,000 in pandemic bonuses through a new bargaining agreement with the state.
Pay cuts end for California state workers. When will raises show up on checks?
Sacramento Bee
California state workers are earning full pay as of Thursday after a year earning less.
Policy expert Lanhee Chen runs for California controller in bid to break GOP losing streak
Los Angeles Times
Academic Lanhee Chen, a GOP policy advisor to recent presidential candidates, announced Tuesday he was running for state controller, hoping to break the Republican Party’s inability to win statewide office for well over a decade in California.
See also:
Republican Lanhee Chen wants to jump from TV talking head to California state controller San Francisco Chronicle
Walters: Koch brothers win legal duel with California
CalMatters
Industrialists David and Charles Koch won their duel with California’s attorney general when the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a regulation aimed at forcing the brothers’ non-profit political group, Americans for Prosperity, to reveal its donors.
Federal:
COVID Update:
As COVID Vaccinations Slow, Parts Of The U.S. Remain Far Behind 70% Goal VPR
COVID is no longer biggest issue, Americans say in poll. So what tops the list now? Sacramento Bee
Biden Says US May Be ‘Coming Back Together,’ But That COVID-19 Pandemic Isn’t Over Yet Capital Public Radio
Biden urges getting shots as coronavirus variant spreads: ‘It’s a patriotic thing to do’ Los Angeles Times
Delta Covid-19 Variant Gains Ground Among the Unvaccinated Wall Street Journal
Trump Country Rejects Vaccines Despite Growing Delta Threat Bloomberg
Opinion: Republicans are preventing America from reaching Biden’s vaccination goal Washington Post
Opinion: Biden Needs to Save the Infrastructure Bill
Wall Street Journal
‘There ain’t gonna be no bipartisan bill unless we’re going to have a reconciliation bill,” Speaker Pelosi said recently. Translation: Democrats won’t reach across party lines to pass infrastructure legislation unless they pass another spending bill with no Republican support.
See also:
Man on a wire: Biden’s balancing of bipartisanship and Democrats’ demands tests his presidency Los Angeles Times
GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM: President Biden needs to go big on infrastructure Business Insider
Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus backs Senate infrastructure deal, calling for House vote CBS News
News Analysis: Supreme Court under Roberts moved right on religion and voting this year
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court ended its term this week just as predicted when the year began, with its six conservatives handing down rulings that favored religious liberty, property rights and Republican-sponsored election laws.
U.S. Capitol Police to open California office following Jan. 6 attack
Los Angeles Times
The U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday announced that the agency was opening regional field offices in California and Florida to investigate threats to members of Congress in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Kamala Harris isn’t getting any honeymoon, and some Democrats are fretting
Los Angeles Times
Hours after VP Harris snapped at anchor Lester Holt last month in an interview from Guatemala, she was still showing signs of exasperation with questions about why she was not also going to the U.S.-Mexico border in her role dealing with waves of migrants to the U.S.
Opinion: Biden’s promising bid for strong supply chains risks falling short
Roll Call
One of the early actions of the Biden administration, alongside big-ticket priorities such as addressing the coronavirus pandemic and combatting climate change, was to order a review of America’s strategic supply chains.
Opinion: 6 months after Capitol assault, DC still needs statehood
Roll Call
Six months have passed since the Capitol insurrection. In that time, members of Congress sought to create a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the attack, but they were stymied by the Senate filibuster.
Washington Post
Former president Donald Trump on Wednesday filed class-action lawsuits targeting Facebook, Google and Twitter and their CEOs, escalating his long-running battle with the companies following their suspensions of his accounts.
Opinion: Defund Joe Biden’s IRS
Wall Street Journal
Joe Biden may be mistaken about many things, but he’s right about the Internal Revenue Service. If the IRS is to become the agency he wants it to become, it needs the $80 billion in extra funding he is now proposing.
Brookings
As we saw in 2016 and again in 2020, traditional survey research is finding it harder than it once was to assess presidential elections accurately.
Disunion haunts U.S. on its 245th birthday
Reuters
Most U.S. adults are vaccinated but COVID-19 cases are rising. The economy is accelerating but inflation looms. Bipartisan cooperation has improved but political rancor is high.
Other:
Deaths At Coalinga State Hospital: How We Conducted Our Investigation
VPR
In this interview, reporter Kerry Klein pulls back the curtain on how she investigated this story, including the data, documents, and patients she relied on to tell it, as well as how she approached sources who preferred to remain off the record.
Opinion: Should we use antitrust to break up Big Tech? My long-read Q&A with Mark Jamison
AEI
Some Americans are increasingly viewing our largest technology companies with suspicion. Google exercises too much control over information, Facebook and Twitter are silencing conservatives, and Amazon is crowding out competitors, we are told.
See also:
Opinion: Big Tech and Big Finance Breed Hubris Wall Street Journal
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 11, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “How Prepared is California for Natural Disaster, Generally and Forest Fires, in Particular?"- Guests: Christina Curry, Cal OES Deputy Director of Planning, Preparedness and Prevention and Pedro Nava, Chair of California Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
‘A win against hunger.’ All Fresno County students could be eligible for free school meals
Fresno Bee
All students in California could soon be eligible to receive free cafeteria meals, a move Fresno County advocates say is long overdue to curb food insecurity among the region’s impoverished communities.
No more masks for vaccinated California farmworkers? ‘Too soon,’ some advocates say
Fresno Bee
As California reopens the economy and eases the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, is looking to loosen workplace guidelines put in place during the pandemic.
New US Rules To Protect Animal Farmers Expected Soon
Business Journal
The Biden administration plans to issue a new rule to protect the rights of farmers who raise cows, chickens and hogs against the country’s largest meat processors as part of a plan to encourage more competition in the agriculture sector.
Scaling back their herds through the drought, ranchers continue on faith
Bakersfield Californian
Business has been good lately at the Western Stockman's Market cattle auction in McFarland. Too good.
Supermarkets Are Stockpiling Inventory as Food Costs Rise
Wall Street Journal
Supermarkets are stocking up on everything from sugar to frozen meat before they get more pricey, girding for what some executives anticipate will be some of the highest price increases in recent memory.
Almonds Swept California Farms. Then the Water Ran Out.
Wall Street Journal
As another severe drought takes its toll in California, some farmers are backing away from one of their most profitable crops: almonds.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
State is closing its youth prisons, shifting the burden to counties like Stanislaus
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County is assuming responsibility for reforming juvenile offenders under legislation that will close the state’s youth detention facilities.
Public Safety:
California delays considering supervised sites for drug use
Fresno Bee
California lawmakers will wait until next year to continue considering a bill that would give opioid users a place to inject drugs in supervised settings, the bill's author said Tuesday.
Low-Income People of Color Bear Brunt of Rising Pedestrian Deaths
PEW
On a recent sunlit day, Aboobiada Ali Abdalla stood at the intersection of Tarnef and DeMoss drives in southwest Houston, once again revisiting the tragedy nearly five years ago that forever changed the lives of his family.
Fire:
Containment of California wildfires grows but wind a concern
Fresno Bee
Containment of three big wildfires in Northern California has increased but potential for a new round of winds this week was a concern, authorities said Monday.
Here are the wildfires burning right now in Northern California
Fresno Bee
Wildfires have burned in Northern California throughout this week, including the Salt Fire, the Lava Fire and the Tennant Fire. All three have prompted evacuations, closed roads and destroyed structures across the northern part of the state.
FEMA Rejected 95% Of Aid Applicants During California's Last Wildfire Disaster. Why?
Capital Public Radio
California's 2020 wildfires set a record: the most acres burned in a single year. Thousands of people lost their homes, and the smoke from the fires up and down the West Coast stretched all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Editorial: Wake up and smell the sulfur, California. Ban fireworks sales
Mercury News
Wake up and smell the sulfur. It’s time that the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom teamed up to ban fireworks sales in California.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
As COVID canceled quinceañeras, Fresno’s Latino businesses learned how to survive
Fresno Bee
In the past year, local and statewide COVID-19 restrictions have forced Latinos to postpone or cancel these gatherings. As a result, Latino entrepreneurs whose businesses depend on these vibrant celebrations have suffered considerable losses, some studies show.
See also:
While Turlock still won’t talk, emails confirm Amazon fulfillment center is coming
Modesto Bee
While Turlock officials, the developer and others have refused to confirm Amazon is opening a million-square-foot fulfillment center employing hundreds in the city’s industrial park, emails from the city leave no doubt the e-commerce giant is coming to town.
Podcast: California’s tourism industry may take years to recover
CalMatters
Mike Hagerty joins the podcast to talk about California’s efforts to promote travel and tourism — the sector hit hardest during the pandemic.
‘The spirit of our ancestry’: how California’s Black Wall Streets are changing their cities
The Guardian
Like hundreds of other shopping districts, Sacramento’s Florin Square had to shut its doors during the pandemic.
Jobs:
Local Employer Hosting Multi-state Job Fair; Offering $500 Hiring Bonus
Business Journal
ERI, the nation’s largest fully integrated IT and electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company, announced Tuesday that they are hiring due to continued growth.
See also:
Fresno IRS Center Winding Down Operations; 800 Laid Off Last Week
Business Journal
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) branch in Southeast Fresno has laid off hundreds of employees as it prepares to close.
As employers struggle to fill jobs, teens come to the rescue
Sacramento Bee
The owners of restaurants, amusement parks and retail shops, many of them desperate for workers, are sounding an unusual note of gratitude this summer: Thank goodness for teenagers.
Mothers struggle to return to work as California reopens
Mercury News
Before the pandemic, Patricia Gutierrez would drop her 8-year-old autistic son off at school in San Jose and her 4-year-old son off at day care every morning.
Despite June’s positive jobs numbers, Black workers continue to face high unemployment
Brookings
The Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report for June, released today, showed a continuation of the steady economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Lakeside Union switches to at-large districts for its trustees
Bakersfield Californian
Lakeside Union School District is planning to change the way it elects its school board for the 2022 election.
How to support student mental health? Turlock-based foundation starts with superintendents
Modesto Bee
Superintendent Brenda Smith said she was conscious of how her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic would affect staff and students at Hughson Unified School District.
Parents Face Dilemma in States That Ban School Mask Mandates
PEW
This month, Tempe mother Kammy Pany was disappointed to learn the Arizona House passed a measure that would prohibit all school districts and charter schools from requiring masks.
Visalia Times Delta
When Barb Mozdzen opened last month's school board meeting in Chandler, Arizona, for public comment, she had a caveat.
Biden’s Pre-K Proposal Faces Questions From Republicans Over Federal Role
Wall Street Journal
President Biden’s $200 billion proposal to expand publicly funded prekindergarten through a program that requires buy-in and funds from states is facing questions from Republicans over how it will be implemented.
Higher Ed:
This California university wants the Cal Poly designation. Here’s what has to happen first
Sacramento Bee
Humboldst State University is on track to become the state’s third polytechnic school, thanks to an infusion of $433 million in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget. But when, and how, will the university officially gain that designation?
Burdensome legislation would stall construction at University of California
CalMatters
Senate Bill 132 would stop the university system from moving ahead with badly needed capital improvement projects unless it submits to a costly and cumbersome annual certification process sought by one public employee union.
How States Can Support Successful Postsecondary and Workforce Advising
EdNote
We know that high-quality advising is a game changer for students as they navigate the complicated transition from high school to postsecondary education.
Student-Loan Holders Get Piecemeal Relief From Biden Administration
Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration is considering extending a pandemic freeze on Americans’ student-loan payments beyond its scheduled expiration in September and turning to piecemeal measures to lower their student-debt bills.
Apprenticeships:
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Fresno fireworks started fires and ruined air quality. A heat wave will bring more issues
Fresno Bee
Fourth of July fireworks started vegetation fires in Fresno County and ruined air quality. “We went off the chart,” said Jaime Holt, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, about particulate matter (PM 2.5) in Fresno’s air Sunday night.
See also:
A dry California creek bed looked like a wildfire risk. Then the beavers went to work
Sacramento Bee
Seven years ago, ecologists looking to restore a dried-out Placer County floodplain faced a choice: Spend at least $1 million bringing in heavy machines to revive habitat or try a new approach.
California is betting $61 million that new highway crossings will keep wildlife safe
CalMatters
A southern alligator lizard and a western toad hide from the heat in the greenery of restored native vegetation. Mountain lion cubs pounce on rocks and spring into the nearby canyons. The sun glints on the feathers of a golden eagle soaring overhead.
Building Capacity for Long-term Forest Stewardship
PPIC
Faced with the prospect of another devastating wildfire year, California policymakers are seeking ways to accelerate the pace and scale of forest management.
Energy:
Webinar will discuss local impacts of proposed fracking ban
Bakersfield Californian
The head of the Kern Economic Development Corp. will discuss the outlook for local oil production during an hourlong webinar starting at noon Wednesday.
California Scrambles to Find Electricity This Summer as Blackout Risks Grow
Wall Street Journal
The California Independent System Operator is soliciting power producers across the West to sell more megawatts to the state in July and August in anticipation of regionwide heat waves that will substantially boost electricity demand.
Oil Companies Are Ordered to Help Cover $7.2 Billion Cleanup Bill in Gulf of Mexico
Wall Street Journal
Some of the world’s largest oil companies have been ordered to pay part of a $7.2 billion tab to retire hundreds of aging wells in the Gulf of Mexico that they used to own, capping a case that legal experts say is a harbinger of future battles over cleanup costs.
Coal Shows Its Staying Power as Economies Bounce Back
Wall Street Journal
Coal use is surging in some of the world’s largest economies as electricity demand rebounds from the pandemic, illustrating the challenges to countries looking to wean themselves off the dirty but reliable fossil fuel.
U.S. Oil Prices Retreat After Briefly Hitting Six-Year High on OPEC Standoff
Wall Street Journal
Oil prices slid on Tuesday, erasing an earlier advance as traders grappled with uncertainty about a deadlock among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies about future supply levels.
See also:
Opinion: OPEC, Biden and Gas Prices Wall Street Journal
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
How safe are summer activities with fewer COVID restrictions? Advice from Fresno doctors
Fresno Bee
Ready to have fun this summer but worried about how safe it is for you or your loved ones with coronavirus restrictions loosened?
Mercury News
Out of the Covid-19 pandemic, two Americas are emerging: One protected by vaccines and the other still vulnerable to infection — and experts say progress made across the entire US is being threatened by low-vaccinated regions.
See also:
What the Delta variant means for unvaccinated kids Los Angeles Times
Yes, Some People Really Are Faking Their COVID Vaccine Cards
PEW
More than 150 million Americans have been handed a small white card with a federal logo showing that they’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In some areas, that card is required to get into concerts, sporting events and workplaces.
Covid-19 Vaccine-Related Blood Clots Linked to Amino Acids in New Study
Wall Street Journal
Canadian researchers say they have pinpointed a handful of amino acids targeted by key antibodies in the blood of some people who received AstraZeneca PLC’s Covid-19 vaccine, offering fresh clues to what causes rare blood clots associated with the shot.
WHO Urges Covid-19 Treatment With Roche and Sanofi Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
Wall Street Journal
The World Health Organization recommended that certain hospitalized Covid-19 patients be given a type of anti-inflammatory drug found to reduce the risk of death by 13% in the sickest patients when taken in combination with steroids.
America is hitting its vaccination ceiling
Axios
The U.S. appears to be reaching its ceiling on COVID-19 vaccinations, at least among adults. The more transmissible and dangerous variant Delta variant is spreading fast, and experts fear another wave of infections among the unvaccinated.
See also:
New research finds J&J vaccine has muscle against COVID’s delta variant PolitiFact
Pfizer Vaccine Less Effective Against Delta Infections but Prevents Severe Illness, Israeli Data Show Wall Street Journal
Do people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine need a booster? Los Angeles Times
Human Services:
Valley Nonprofit Recognized For Fight Against Opioid Abuse
Business Journal
A Fresno-based nonprofit has received an award for its efforts toward recovery from the opioid and Fentanyl crisis.
Golden Valley High School hosts COVID-19 vaccine clinic for community
Bakersfield Californian
Golden Valley High School will host a free mobile clinic for the COVID-19 vaccine this Saturday. Community members 12 years old and older are welcome to receive a free Pfizer vaccine in the Golden Valley High School gymnasium.
Obesity Drug's Promise Now Hinges On Insurance Coverage
VPR
When a promising new drug to treat obesity was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for sale in the U.S. last month, it was the first such treatment to gain approval since 2014.
Hospitals Often Charge Uninsured People the Highest Prices, New Data Show
Wall Street Journal
Raul Macias was rushed to an emergency room last November, with pain shooting from his back to his legs. His breathing was shallow.
IMMIGRATION
What a Reagan-era law can teach Democrats about legalizing undocumented immigrants
Vox
Among President Joe Biden’s key campaign promises on immigration was to create an eight-year path to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US as part of a broader reform package that is currently stalled in Congress.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Trees: The critical infrastructure low-income neighborhoods lack
Sacramento Bee
As the Pacific Northwest sweltered through a record-breaking heat wave last week, many residents here in America’s least air-conditioned city sought relief under the shade of cedars and maples in city parks. But in some areas of Seattle, that shelter was hard to come by.
Housing:
More apartments proposed for North Olive Avenue
Turlock Journal
As the rental market both locally and nationally continues to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, yet another application to build apartments in town has been submitted to the City of Turlock.
Combat Stanislaus County homelessness by hiring our people, says local program
Modesto Bee
More so-called fair chance employers — those who’ve expressed interest in considering applicants with criminal records — are needed in Modesto to help unhoused people get back on their feet and off the streets, say homeless program representatives.
Matchmaking for roommates: Program will pair Stanislaus seniors with housing providers
Modesto Bee
Saundra Robinson never imagined she’d be couch surfing after she retired. But ever since she faced an unexpected eviction in 2017, the former nurse has been unsuccessfully looking for a place to live. Robinson, who lives in Modesto, said she never was given a cause for her eviction and paid her rent steadily for 15 years.
Inside one city’s multimillion-dollar effort to convert motels into affordable housing
CalMatters
State-funding efforts to shelter unhoused residents in converted motels could be a game-changer for Motel Drive, an area of Fresno that city leaders say has long been overrun by drugs, human trafficking, and prostitution.
Fresno Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers announced a deal Friday to extend the state’s eviction moratorium and rent relief program that was set to expire at the end of this month.
Race Is On To Get Rental Assistance Out To Avert Evictions
Business Journal
More than $7,000 behind on rent, Tyesha Young had hoped a program in Louisiana would bail her out and allow her family to avert eviction in the coming weeks.
For Some Millennials, a Starter Home Is Hard to Find
Wall Street Journal
The shortage of available starter homes feels like yet another hurdle blocking some millennials’ path to traditional money milestones.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California may move to regulate booming debt settlement industry
CalMatters
A bill aims to create new rules for California’s mostly unregulated debt settlement industry. AB 1405, expected to pass through Senate committees, comes at a time when the industry expects to see a 75% increase in account enrollment.
Look up your Golden State Stimulus amount
CalMatters
California is expanding its Golden State Stimulus program for low-income households to middle-class families.
TRANSPORTATION
Fuel supply woes diverted more than 20 flights at Fresno’s airport. See who was impacted
Fresno Bee
Supply problems for a vendor of jet fuel at Fresno’s airport for several days last week forced some airlines to divert departing flights to other airports to top off their tanks before they could continue on to their destinations.
See also:
No answers as Fresno jet fuel shortage strands hundreds of flying passengers abc30
Southwest, American Delays Hint At Hard Summer For Travelers Business Journal
Can Californians Charge Electric Cars During Summer Heat?
PolitiFact
As Californians grapple with the increasing impacts of climate change, few things have come to be dreaded more than summer heat waves.
Fake hijacking, crying flight attendant, masks: Here are latest hefty fines from FAA
Sacramento Bee
Several airline passengers are facing thousands of dollars in fines from the Federal Aviation Administration for refusing to wear face masks and disrupting flights, the agency said Tuesday.
Battery-powered trains could be a climate game changer. Is everyone all aboard?
Los Angeles Times
Colossal freight locomotives are a fixture of the American landscape, but their 4,400-horsepower engines collectively burn 3.5 billion gallons of diesel annually, at a time when railroads and other fossil fuel users face pressure to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
It's Time for Economic Developers to Focus on Transportation
Bloomberg
Charged with recruiting new businesses and supporting existing ones, economic development practitioners could only do so much in the face of a crippling pandemic.
WATER
Walters: Biden administration re-issues $400 million bill to Fresno’s Westlands Water District
Fresno Bee
The powerful interests who vie for shares of the state’s ever-changing water supply — dubbed “water buffaloes” — are adept at fending off political and legal assaults by their rivals and the outcomes of their clashes are often stalemates.
LOIS HENRY: Lawsuit claims Kern County Water Agency shorted a key local canal’s volume
Bakersfield Californian
The Cross Valley Canal is a key cog in the southern San Joaquin Valley’s water machinery.
Turlock's drinking water quality outlined in annual report
Turlock Journal
The City of Turlock had one drinking water violation in 2020, according to the annual drinking water quality report recently released by the City.
More seats on river conservancy board could turn the tide on access
CalMatters
It may be hard to imagine, but many families in Fresno and Madera counties never get to enjoy the pleasures of the San Joaquin River, the beautiful waterway in our own backyards in an area starved for green space.
Walters: Two decrees affect California water wars
CalMatters
The powerful interests who vie for shares of the state’s ever-changing water supply — dubbed “water buffaloes” — are adept at fending off political and legal assaults by their rivals and the outcomes of their clashes are often stalemates.
“Xtra”
Disneyland Resort launches discounted ticket offer for California residents
abc30
Looking to visit the Disneyland Resort this summer? Starting Tuesday, the theme park is offering a new deal for Californians. For a limited time, California residents can visit Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park for just $83 a day.
It’s Never Too Late to Learn How to Swim
New York Times
Vijaya Srivastava’s first 68 years had been resolutely land-based. She walked the Berkeley Hills in the San Francisco Bay Area, spent time with her young grandchildren, volunteered at the library.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
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