POLICY & POLITICS
Preparing the Way for a Central Valley Renaissance
CAFWD
Commentary: Governor’s inland California initiative is welcome news in the region rich in agriculture and working to close economic gaps. Only 11% of the population ages 25+ in one college district possess an associate’s degree or higher.
Newsom’s Biz Adviser Visits, Earns Praise from Valley Leaders
GV Wire
It looks like the Central Valley is finally getting some love from the governor’s office, and the Valley business community is noticing.
North SJ Valley:
County ready to take $1.8B budget to supervisors
Stockton Record
The tidy sum of $1.8 billion sounds like a lot of money, but billions don’t go nearly as far as they once did. Just ask San Joaquin County officials, who will bring the proposed 2019-20 fiscal-year budget of just more than $1.8 billion before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Modesto sues broker it claims connected it with “sham” health insurer, seeks $8.3M
Modesto Bee
As Modesto grapples with roughly $8.3 million in unpaid employee medical claims after the financial meltdown of one of its health insurance providers, it has filed a lawsuit against the insurance broker that recommended the provider to the city.
Turlock looks to approve cannabis dispensaries, considers cuts to public safety
Modesto Bee
The Turlock City Council will consider giving its final approval Tuesday to an ordinance establishing a cannabis business pilot program, which would allow within the city as many as four dispensaries, as well as other types of cannabis businesses, including manufacturers and cultivators.
Central SJ Valley:
‘Somebody’s going to get killed.’ Can Fresno find money for program that cuts gun violence?
Fresno Bee
Community advocates are calling on the Fresno City Council to allocate $300,000 for a program geared toward reducing gun violence.
Editorial: Fresno’s police chief is running for mayor. Jerry Dyer should go on leave immediately
Fresno Bee
Dyer’s official final day with the police department is Oct. 16. He plans to take a leave well before then, however, likely sometime in August, so he can begin campaigning in earnest. That’s a good idea, but does not go far enough. He should start the leave now to avoid any appearances of conflict of interest while he wears his chief’s hat and is a candidate, too.
9-year-old among those nearly struck by Lemoore Councilmember’s car
abc30
A Lemoore Police Chaplain’s cross-country trip to raise awareness about mental health in law enforcement was supposed to start with a procession from Lemoore to Hanford on Wednesday afternoon. But Crystal Giles, the widow of a Lemoore officer who took his own life last fall, says it never happened – because of Lemoore City Councilmember Holly Blair.
Council to hold special meeting Monday to talk about city manager
Hanford Sentinel
Following the resignation of City Manager Darrel Pyle on Wednesday, the Hanford City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the city’s next steps.
South SJ Valley:
An agenda full of public hearings scheduled for Tuesday night in Lindsay
Porterville Recorder
The Lindsay City Council will be holding six different public hearings on Tuesday evening during their regularly scheduled City Council meeting. The public is encouraged to provide feedback to the Council, whether in support for or against, during each public hearing.
27 years later, Alan Tandy is ready for the next step
Bakersfield Californian
Twenty-seven years after he arrived in Bakersfield, City Manager Alan Tandy is ready to step down. During his time in the city, he has overseen the construction of projects that have fundamentally changed the city.
State:
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s First California Budget Deal Is Near. Here’s What To Watch For
Capital Public Radio
The first California budget deal under Gov. Gavin Newsom is just days away. Newsom and legislative leaders must finalize their spending plan for the coming fiscal year this weekend for lawmakers to meet their June 15 constitutional budget deadline.
See also:
● Gov. Gavin Newsom abandons water tax, rejects some new spending in California budget deal Los Angeles Times
Undocumented immigrants to get health care in Gavin Newsom’s early California budget deal
Fresno Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget won’t look exactly like he wanted, but a deal lawmakers released late Sunday largely fulfills the objectives he set six months ago when he first outlined his spending plan.
See also:
● California to fund health benefits for undocumented immigrants after lawmakers reach deal on budget Stockton Record
● California will give health coverage to undocumented young adults San Francisco Chronicle
● California poised to go further than any state to insure the undocumented—too pricey, or about time? CALmatters
Keeping an eye on sheriffs: California Democrats want to empower investigators
Fresno Bee
The California Assembly voted to approve A.B. 1185, which authorizes counties to establish sheriff oversight boards, either by an action of the local Board of Supervisors or through a resident voting process.
California State Lottery director stepping down amid investigations
Sacramento Bee
California State Lottery Director Hugo Lopez is stepping down immediately, he announced in an email to lottery staff on Friday.
For Californians, the golden dream depends on where you live and how much you earn
Los Angeles Times
There was a swagger in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s message at last month’s California Democratic Party convention — an insistence that no state offers more promise than the one he leads.
California’s biggest problems: Legislature keeps some bills alive, kills others
San Francisco Chronicle
California lawmakers are moving into the closing stretch of their legislative session. Bills on major issues such as housing, police use of force and vaccine exemptions have until September to reach the governor’s desk.
If you protest implicit bias training, perhaps you haven’t suffered from discrimination
CALmatters
Well-intentioned individuals have undetected biases that impact their perceptions and decisions, producing discriminatory behavior and unequal treatment of people based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age and other characteristics.
2020 Census: Counting California’s Homeless Population
Public Policy Institute of California
Accurately counting the homeless population is notoriously difficult. People experiencing homelessness can be hard to find—they tend to move around a lot, and at any given time, they might be in a shelter, in a car, outdoors, or couch surfing with family and friends. They may also conceal their living arrangements for privacy reasons or to avoid law enforcement.
See also:
● Homelessness Grows in California Despite New Government Spending WSJ
● Where a citizenship question could cause the census to miss millions of Hispanics — and why that’s a big deal Washington Post
Watch the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission Application Launch Event
CA State Auditor
The initial application period for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission opens Monday, June 10, 2019!To celebrate this milestone, the California State Auditor will be hosting a series of press events on June 10th and 11th throughout California, starting in Sacramento and then in San Jose, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Diego.
Federal:
Case opened: Democrats begin public airing of Mueller report
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump says it’s “case closed .” But Democrats are just getting started with Robert Mueller. House Democrats have scheduled a series of hearings this coming week on the special counsel’s report as they intensify their focus on the Russia probe.
Washington Post
The Supreme Court is expected to decide in coming weeks whether next year’s decennial census will include a new and controversial question on citizenship added by the Trump administration. The question is already being asked each year of a small fraction of the nation’s population in the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
EDITORIAL: Court-packing isn’t the way to depoliticize the Supreme Court
Los Angeles Times
Egged on by progressive activists, some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are expressing interest in the idea of increasing the number of seats on the Supreme Court.
Elections 2020:
Democratic 2020 candidates swarm Iowa stage for ‘speed-dating’ version of campaigning
Fresno Bee
Nineteen candidates. Five minutes each. The math of an early, unwieldy field of Democrats added up to a long procession of White House hopefuls across an Iowa stage, where they wooed the voters and party activists who could decide their fates.
See also:
● Democratic rivals take only veiled swipes at Biden in Iowa Fresno Bee
● In Iowa, 19 Democrats times 5 minutes equals 2020 campaign ‘speed-dating’ Los Angeles Times
Why Democratic presidential candidates are so focused on California
CBS News
California is the wealthiest and most populous state in America. It’s also spent the last few decades as an afterthought when it comes to presidential politics, thanks to a mixture of its reliable partisan lean and its low standing in the primaries.
See also:
● Schnur: Let’s face it, California, the Democrats just aren’t that into us Los Angeles Times
Harris’ husband takes on growing public role in 2020 race
AP
Doug Emhoff was on the stage seconds after an activist rushed his wife, Kamala Harris, and snatched the microphone from her hands. Shortly after he helped remove the activist, Emhoff tweeted that he and Harris were “good” and that he would “do anything for her.”
See also:
● Fact-Checking Kamala Harris on the Campaign Trail New York Times
● Sen. Kamala Harris defends record as prosecutor but skips some details Washington Post
Democrats running for president should run for the Senate. The state Senate.
Roll Call
Maybe it’s the book sales. Maybe it’s the national press. Maybe they really do think they’re just “born for it.” Whatever the allure of running for president is this year, about two dozen Democrats are giving it a shot.
The 8 Senate races likely to determine control of the chamber
Roll Call
Two in states won by Clinton and six in states that backed Trump.
Americans want more from the government, so Democrats are peddling fairy tales
Washington Post
When one watches the Democrats’ presidential campaigns, it’s hard not to be struck by the huge gap that has opened up between Kennedy’s goal and what ordinary Americans now believe and practice. Kennedy urged us to be unselfish, but broad sectors of the American public now repudiate Kennedy’s rhetoric.
Democratic Contenders Rake In Cash From Tech Antitrust Targets
WSJ
Several presidential hopefuls have harvested big campaign donations from employees of the technology companies they want to break up.
EDITORIAL: Don’t let Trump turn Fourth of July into a political rally
Los Angeles Times
In happier days, the suggestion that a president might put in an appearance at a Fourth of July celebration wouldn’t occasion much opposition. But it’s not surprising that a controversy is raging over news that Donald Trump will speak at Independence Day festivities in Washington.
Other:
Pride weekend culminates with parade, festival and protests against police presence
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento’s weekend of Pride festivities culminated Sunday with an hour-long parade through midtown in the morning followed by a festival spanning four blocks at Capitol Mall, where protesters reminded people of the event’s origins as a New York City riot.
Men can’t hear it, women don’t say it — the everyday importance of ‘no’
Los Angeles Times
We so often let the world be written by arrogant men, giving in to their windy confidence and inability to listen.
FCC Encourages Companies To Block Robocalls By Default
NPR
Your phone company may start blocking robocalls without your needing to ask for it.
Beware The Propagandist You See In The Mirror
Zocalo Public Square
Americans are overwhelmed by persuasive messaging, even as they bombard each other.
NRA money flowed to board members amid allegedly lavish spending by top officials and vendors
Washington Post
A former pro football player who serves on the National Rifle Association board was paid $400,000 by the group in recent years for public outreach and firearms training. Another board member, a writer in New Mexico, collected more than $28,000 for articles in NRA publications. Yet another board member sold ammunition from his private company to the NRA for an undisclosed sum.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, June 16, at 9 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Assessing State Policies on Climate Change” – Guest: Ross Brown – LAO. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 16, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Climate Change Generally and Air Pollution Locally” – Guests: Will Barrett, Director of Advocacy, Clean Air for the American Lung Association in California and Samir Sheikh, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 16, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Agua en el Valle de San Joaquin: Un reporte de PPIC” – Guest: Alvar Escriva-Bou, investigador del PPIC. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Sweet corn back on sale at Fresno State’s Gibson Farm Market
abc30
Close to 200 people waited early Friday morning outside Fresno State’s Gibson Farm Market, for one thing. Sweet Corn. Every year people far and wide come to the market in droves hoping to get their hands on some.
See also:
● How popular is Fresno State corn? 28,000 ears sold in first few hours Fresno Bee
$3,000 In Cash Prizes For Celebrate Ag Arts Competition
Sierra News
The call to artists is out for an exhibit with deep roots, so now is the time to submit entries for the Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts Competition and Exhibition, taking place this fall from Sept. 12 through Oct. 25, at the Madera County Arts Council’s (MCAC) Circle Gallery.
Public Cannabis Companies Target California
Forbes
When California legalized at the beginning of 2018, there were few options for investors in public companies to participate.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Report: 43 Diocese Of Fresno Priests Accused Of Sexual Abuse. At Least One Still Works For Church
VPR
There are at least 43 Catholic priests within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno who have been accused of sexual abuse or misconduct, according to a report released this week by a national law firm.
‘In a terror zone’: Residents air concerns on soaring violence in Stockton
Stockton Record
More than two dozen north Stockton residents on Saturday had a candid — at times emotional — conversation about ways to stop the recent surge of gun violence turning their neighborhood into a “terror zone.”
Juvenile justice: next steps for reform
San Francisco Chronicle
While incarceration is the most expensive and harmful part of the juvenile justice system, most youths are not locked up after being arrested. They are placed on probation. There are now more than 39,000 on probation statewide.
Public Safety:
Keeping an eye on sheriffs: California Democrats want to empower investigators
Fresno Bee
The California Assembly voted to approve A.B. 1185, which authorizes counties to establish sheriff oversight boards, either by an action of the local Board of Supervisors or through a resident voting process.
‘Somebody’s going to get killed.’ Can Fresno find money for program that cuts gun violence?
Fresno Bee
Community advocates are calling on the Fresno City Council to allocate $300,000 for a program geared toward reducing gun violence.
‘For the right people there’s no better job.’ Atwater CHP officer retires after 30 years
Merced Sun-Star
California Highway Patrol officer Don Davis recently retired after a 30-year career. Davis specialized in traffic collision investigations.
California prison guards kept getting paid after department moved to fire them, report finds
Merced Sun-Star
A California correctional officer kept getting paid for nearly three months after prison officials decided to fire him for beating an inmate without cause and then lying to cover it up.
‘Cops weren’t so nice,’ a Ceres student felt. This officer changed that outlook
Modesto Bee
Police officers who work their entire shifts on school campuses think Ceres has someone special in Lorenzo Beltran. He will receive the National School Resource Officer of the Year Award from a group that promotes these partnerships between police and educators.
Gun owners stockpile ammo before new California background check law begins
Los Angeles Times
California ammo buyers are making a run on gun shops ahead of a new state law, which on July 1 will require buyers of bullets to show identification and undergo a background check to screen out felons and people with illegal firearms.
Fire:
PG&E shuts off power Saturday because of fire danger
abc30
PG&E has shut off power to parts of three California counties to reduce the risk of fire in areas that have already seen some of the most destructive and deadliest wildfires.
See also:
● PG&E Cuts Power To 20,000 In Butte, Yuba Counties Due To Continued Fire Danger Capital Public Radio
● PG&E cutting power in California’s wine country to prevent fires Los Angeles Times
● PG&E restoring power after intentional shut-offs affect 20,500 customers San Francisco Chronicle
● At PG&E, a workforce on edge — and under attack — as fire season arrives San Francisco Chronicle
Cal Fire Plans Prescribed Burns At Night On Highway 41
Sierra News
Cal Fire aims to fulfill Governor Newsom’s Community Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Report (Executive Order N-05-19), issued on Jan. 9.
Where are fires burning in Northern California? Yolo County’s Sand Fire is largest
Sacramento Bee
Heavy winds and dry conditions are making for dangerous fire conditions as blazes pop up across northern California. The largest is the West Butte in Sutter County and the Sand Fire in Yolo County.
Capital Public Radio
The 2019 fire season is here, and the National Weather Service is issuing a “red flag” warning for this weekend in parts of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.
He feared being stung by wasps and accidentally started California’s biggest fire
Los Angeles Times
Investigators released a harrowing narrative of how the monster fire happened that experts say underscores how easy it is for fires to explode during hot, dry conditions in California.
California wildfire panel doubles down on push to ease liability rules for PG&E
San Francisco Chronicle
Despite resistance from the state’s top political leaders, California’s special wildfire commission doubled down Friday on its recommendation that the state loosen liability laws for utilities whose equipment ignites disastrous blazes.
How to reduce the risk of wildfire and climate change-related disasters
CALmatters
Millions of Californians face an unprecedented increase in natural disasters brought about climate change with an accompanying increase in risk. Unless.
California Reckons With the Cost of Wildfires to Come
New York Times
On a day when the latest California wildfire threat forced emergency precautions, a recently formed commission sent state officials a new blueprint for adapting to increasingly destructive fire seasons.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
How should California regulate a growing gig economy? Depends on who you ask
Fresno Bee
California Influencers this week answered the questions: How should California decide whether part-time workers in a gig economy should be classified as employees or contractors? How can we best provide job opportunities for part-time workers in a gig economy?
See also:
● The gig is up for worker exploitation San Francisco Chronicle
● Current regulations may not cater to gig economy workers Sacramento Bee
Trump still hangs tariff threat over Mexico despite deal
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump on Sunday dangled the prospect of renewing his tariff threat against Mexico if the U.S. ally doesn’t cooperate on border issues, while some of his Democratic challengers for the White House said the last-minute deal to avert trade penalties was overblown.
See also:
● Trump says the US and Mexico have reached an agreement to prevent tariffs Hanford Sentinel
● Trump claims victory, but the U.S.-Mexico pact is a compromise, and tentative Los Angeles Times
● Mexico Wearies of U.S. Approach WSJ
● Tariff Dispute Complicates U.S. Ties With Mexico WSJ
● Trump lashes out after his Mexico deal gets poor reviews Politico
● Trump, Pelosi trade barbs on Mexico migration, USMCA deals Politico
● Trump drops tariff threat on Mexico after migration deal reached Politico
● Trump defends deal with Mexico that critics say will do little to curb migrant crisis Washington Post
● An expanded ‘remain in Mexico’ policy may cause more suffering, not curb migration Roll Call
● Mexico Never Agreed to Farm Deal With U.S., Contradicting Trump Bloomberg
● Mexico Agreed to Take Border Actions Months Before Trump Announced Tariff Deal The New York Times
● Who pays for US tariffs on Chinese goods? You do PolitiFact
Which state has the best economy in America? Well, it isn’t California, study says
Sacramento Bee
Despite having the largest gross domestic product in the United States, California’s economy was ranked fourth best in the country by a recent study.
Are ‘Opportunity Zone’ Tax Breaks Too Good to Be True?
Capital & Main
Critics of the federal program say that it provides questionable benefits for low-income communities.
How will we know when a recession is coming?
Brookings
While the U.S. labor market is strong, history tells us that the good times never last. Experts from the Hamilton Project at Brookings explain why a rapid increase in the unemployment rate may be the simplest, most accurate indication that a recession has arrived.
Washington Post
President Trump has pummeled the Federal Reserve with insults in recent months, calling it “crazy” and blaming it for any stock market dives or ugly economic data. But now the president has thrust the fate of the economy into the hands of the organization — and the man — he has suggested he doesn’t trust.
See also:
● Trump blasts Federal Reserve, U.S. Chamber over trade, interest rates Roll Call
The South’s Economy Is Falling Behind: ‘All of a Sudden the Money Stops Flowing’
WSJ
Policies that once drove the region’s growth have proven inadequate in an economy shaped by the forces of globalization.
WSJ
A new SEC Best Interest Rule protects investors and cleans up an Obama legal mess.
Capitalism used to promise a better future. Can it still do that?
Brookings
Capitalism is intrinsically futuristic. The ideas that underpin market economies – growth, accumulation, investment – express an unspoken assumption, that tomorrow will be different, and probably better, than today. The question that murmurs through markets is not “What is good?” or “What is fair”, but: “What’s new?”
EDITORIAL: Feds finally go after Google, Facebook for antitrust
San Francisco Chronicle
The federal government is coming after Big Tech. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have reportedly settled on a divide-and-conquer strategy for investigating the anticompetitive behaviors of Silicon Valley’s most important technology companies.
See also:
● Overthrow the Prince of Facebook WSJ
● Antitrust, Free Speech and Google WSJ
● Tech Giants Google, Facebook and Amazon Intensify Antitrust Debate WSJ
● Google Made $4.7 Billion From the News Industry in 2018, Study Says The New York Times
● The Making of a YouTube Radical The New York Times
Jobs:
Modesto’s new flagship Save Mart is taking shape; hiring for 135 jobs starting soon
Modesto Bee
The walls are going up and the jobs are coming to what will be Save Mart’s new flagship store in Modesto. The grocery store will anchor the The Marketplace shopping center at the corner of Oakdale Road and Sylvan Avenue, which has been under under construction since early 2018.
Sacramento Bee
A $1.2 billion lawsuit that could affect up to about 100,000 seniors who had CalPERS long-term care insurance plans goes to trial Monday.
Dynamism for the working class
AEI
Conservatives’ recognition that working-class Americans have been neglected in our politics for too long is a good thing. The shift away from dynamism as a policy goal is not.
WSJ
Weak hiring in May joins other signs of slowing economic growth.
With Labor Market Tight, Some States Loosen Rules for Licensed Jobs
WSJ
Arizona and North Dakota have passed laws recognizing qualifications attained in other states.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Then and Now: A look at the last time VUSD dismissed a superintendent
Visalia Times Delta
Things are changing at Visalia Unified School District. Eerily enough, it’s not the first time the district has followed this path.
Firebaugh High graduates collected about $1 million in scholarships
Vida en el Valle
There was so much to celebrate at Firebaugh High School commencement ceremony on Thursday that not even a windy night would change that at Eagle Stadium.
Big results from a small, rural high school like Orosi
Vida en el Valle
The numbers are big for the small, rural high school that draws its heavily Latino enrollment from two unincorporated communities.
Package of bills could adversely impact Kern County charter schools, local advocates say
Bakersfield Californian
Since the Charter Schools Act of 1992 was passed, lawmakers in the state have been looking at ways how best to handle oversight issues and loopholes that have spawned from it. In recent years, some bad apples have emerged in the charter world.
See also:
● Charter School Task Force Echoes Calls For Tighter Charter School Regs, More Local Control Capital Public Radio
Students From A Merced High School Help Create A Mental Health Course
VPR
When it comes to access to mental health care at public schools, California ranks at or near the bottom according to a Columbia University report. But one Merced high school is going against that tide with an entire course dedicated to mental health.
How Teacher Effectiveness Spills Over into Other Classrooms
RAND
Having good teachers in the classroom matters, and in recent years better data have helped researchers more accurately measure individual teachers’ effects on their pupils. A novel RAND study goes further,
Teacher unions may be more important than ever in 2020
Brookings
Aside from education’s increasing importance as a top policy issue for voters, Douglas Harris explains how new Democratic primary rules could strengthen the power of teacher unions in 2020, especially given the crowded field of candidates.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State fans inspired by latest marketing campaign. But will ticket sales increase?
Fresno Bee
Fresno State put its new marketing campaign out this week. The billboards featuring running back Ronnie Rivers at 99 and Shaw, 41 and Central, Blackstone and Shaw. The banners on campus of Mykal Walker and other Bulldogs. The Pride of the Valley lawn signs.
Plans to create medical school in Valley takes shape
abc30
Creating a medical school in the Valley brought dozens of leaders to UCSF Fresno. Assemblymember Adam Gray helped lead the first San Joaquin Valley Coalition for Medical Education. He’s currently working on AB 1606 to help fund the school.
Another Hidden Cost Of College? How Student Parking Fees Are Subsidizing Faculty, Staff
Capital Public Radio
At Cal State’s two dozen campuses, university labor contracts stipulate that faculty members pay less to park than students. Student advocates say that has meant that starving students subsidize parking for paid faculty, staff and administrators.
See also:
● Here’s how California can become a tuition-free college state Los Angeles Times
Should community colleges build housing?
CALmatters
Think of a community college, and you’ll likely picture a commuter school with low-slung buildings and massive parking lots. And you’d be right—out of California’s 114 community colleges, only 11 offer on-campus housing. But some of those parking lots could soon become dormitories as community colleges look to build their own solutions to the state’s affordable housing crisis.
The Long Road to the Student Debt Crisis
WSJ
A series of well-intentioned government decisions since the 1960s has left us with today’s out-of-control higher education market.
EDITORIAL: California bill would help borrowers struggling with student debt
San Francisco Chronicle
It’s disturbing enough to know that 3.8 million student loan borrowers in California owe about $134.3 billion. The true cost of this debt load cannot be fully measured in those numbers.
See also:
● I got through college the hard way — and I’m grateful for it Los Angeles Times
Opinion | The Anti-College Is on the Rise
The New York Times
Students, teachers and reformers are pushing back against the failures of mainstream higher education.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
It’s a bad idea to pick a fight with California on car emissions
SFChronicle
Though standards limiting vehicle emissions have played a critical role in controlling U.S. air pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have imminent plans to roll back emissions standards for model years 2021 and beyond. As part of the proposal, the agencies have put California in their crosshairs. But leaving California alone could help keep the air cleaner and avoid the political and legal uncertainty caused by picking that fight with California.
See also:
● Automakers Tell Trump His Pollution Rules Could Mean ‘Untenable’ Instability and Lower Profits The New York Times
Companies See Climate Change Hitting Their Bottom Lines in the Next 5 Years
The New York Times
Many of the world’s biggest companies, from Silicon Valley tech firms to large European banks, are bracing for the prospect that climate change could substantially affect their bottom lines within the next five years, according to a new analysis of corporate disclosures.
The ‘Great Dying’ Nearly Erased Life On Earth. Scientists See Similarities To Today
NPR
There was a time when life on Earth almost blinked out. The “Great Dying,” the biggest extinction the planet has ever seen, happened some 250 million years ago and was largely caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Now scientists are beginning to see alarming similarities between the Great Dying and what’s currently happening to our atmosphere.
White House blocked analyst from testifying that human-caused climate change could be ‘catastrophic’
Washington Post
Officials sought to excise the State Department’s comments on climate science because they did not mesh with the administration’s stance.
Supreme Court Will Consider Limiting Pollution Cleanup Suits
Bloomberg
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to use a Montana case involving a BP Plc unit to consider shielding companies from environmental cleanup lawsuits that go beyond what federal regulators have ordered.
EDITORIAL: California has to stop thinking small in the fight against plastic trash
Los Angeles Times
There’s no doubt that the tiny plastic shampoo and lotion bottles provided to hotel customers are extravagantly wasteful. But they represent just a small drop in the ocean-sized environmental disaster of single-use plastic items that are piling up in landfills and clogging the seas.
A fire closed this natural wonder in 2015. Now, the Kings Canyon cave is finally reopen
Fresno Bee
One of the casualties of the Rough Fire in 2015 was Boyden Cavern, a marble cave deep in the Sequoia National Forest. This is a wondrous underground structure – stalagmites (growing up from the floor) and stalactites (hanging down from the ceiling) formed over 100,000 years.
Southern California earthquake swarm takes an unexpected turn, and that’s reason to worry
Los Angeles Times
A swarm of earthquakes has shown remarkable staying power in the area around the Southern California city. Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson said the chance that the series of tremors will turn into a large and destructive quake isn’t particularly high.
See also:
● Buildings Can Be Designed to Withstand Earthquakes. Why Doesn’t the U.S. Build More of Them? The New York Times
Energy:
WSJ
Methane emissions expose some anti-carbon contradictions.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Vaccine exemptions targeted by California bill
Fresno Bee
Sacramento Democrat Richard Pan’s Senate Bill 276 tightens medical exemptions to a narrow list of criteria outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and empowers the state health department to decide who gets them.
See also:
· EDITORIAL: Californians strongly support mandatory vaccination. Where does Gov. Newsom stand? Sacramento Bee
To stop a virus, California has euthanized more than 1.2 million birds. Is it reckless or necessary?
Los Angeles Times
Each morning, once the kids were off to school, Kerri Hand would slip out to her backyard, sit in a lawn chair and hang out with her feathered family.
EDITORIAL: Merced County cannot relax efforts to deal with childhood obesity crisis
Merced Sun-Star
Childhood obesity is a particularly difficult public health problem because if left unchecked, it will lead to many significant medical issues later in life.
Human Services:
Undocumented immigrants to get health care in Gavin Newsom’s early California budget deal
Fresno Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget won’t look exactly like he wanted, but a deal lawmakers released late Sunday largely fulfills the objectives he set six months ago when he first outlined his spending plan.
See also:
● California to fund health benefits for undocumented immigrants after lawmakers reach deal on budget Stockton Record
● California will give health coverage to undocumented young adults San Francisco Chronicle
● California poised to go further than any state to insure the undocumented—too pricey, or about time? CALmatters
4,000 Kaiser mental health clinicians call off open-ended strike planned for Tuesday
Fresno Bee
The union representing 4,000 mental health clinicians at Kaiser Permanente announced Sunday that its membership voted to call off the open-ended strike they planned to start Tuesday, saying they had made progress at the bargaining table.
See also:
● Kaiser Permanente workers set to strike over patient care issues Bakersfield Californian
Porterville shelter gets a confidence boost
Visalia Times Delta
New Porterville Rescue Mission is on track to keep its doors open for those who have nowhere to turn. After months of uncertainty, rescue mission staff are hopeful for the future.
Hyde amendment, other abortion riders in the spending limelight
The Hill
The debate surrounding abortion access is about to spill over from the campaign trail to Capitol Hill as lawmakers begin debating must-pass appropriations bills.
See also:
● Biden Flips Over Abortion Funding WSJ
● Poll: 47 Percent Oppose Abortion Except in Extreme Cases National Review
● Abortion Poll: Majority Wants To Keep Abortion Legal, But With Restrictions NPR
AEI
Shifting the share of public subsidies to become more market-like could provide some efficiencies.
Opinion | The Business of Health Care Depends on Exploiting Doctors and Nurses
The New York Times
One resource seems infinite and free: the professionalism of caregivers.
EDITORIAL: Trump’s fetal tissue research ban will hurt many more babies than it ‘saves’
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration this week made good on its threats to clamp down on the use of tissue derived from aborted fetuses in federally funded medical research, cancelling a $2-million-a year contract with the University of California San Francisco for HIV research.
IMMIGRATION
Central American migrants say deal doesn’t dash asylum hopes
Fresno Bee
At the small migrant Juventud 2000 shelter near the border, a Honduran expressed disappointment Sunday over the agreement between Mexico and the United States to more aggressively to curtail migration from Central America.
See also:
● Migrant arrests at U.S.-Mexico border surge to largest monthly total in more than a decade Los Angeles Times
Call immigrant detention centers what they really are: concentration camps
Los Angeles Times
When a leader puts people in camps to stay in power, history shows that he doesn’t usually stop with the first group he detains.
WSJ
Trump’s use of tariffs as a bludgeon on migrants has economic costs.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Growth in Clovis, CA: Columnist has prime view of expansion
Fresno Bee
They are the longest-standing residents on my block: two majestic deodar cedar trees believed to be more than 100 years old.
Visalia begrudgingly set to open sidewalks to street vendors
Visalia Times Delta
Ice cream carts, taco stands and other street vendors could become a much more common sight across Visalia, as city council members begrudgingly moved toward approving a newSidewalk Vendor Ordinance.
Deal-making awaits as Tejon tribe plans casino project
Bakersfield Californian
Word last week that Hard Rock International will develop and manage the Tejon Indian Tribe’s proposed $600 million hotel and casino in Mettler is the latest in a series of steps laid out in laws regulating such collaborations — but by no means is the project a done deal.
New stadium at Kaiser Permanente Sports Village set to be unveiled Tuesday
Bakersfield Californian
A new six-acre stadium will soon be available for community use at the developing Kaiser Permanente Sports Village.
Housing:
How many people in Fresno and Madera are homeless? New numbers released
Fresno Bee
About 350 more people are homeless in Fresno and Madera this year compared to 2018, according to new numbers announced on Friday, but leaders hope with new funding sources they can provide new and better services to slow the growth or cut numbers.
See also:
● Homeless population in Fresno, Fresno County rises abc30
Why does Clovis keep growing and building more houses on prime ag land? Blame me
Fresno Bee
That project, approved last month by the Clovis Planning Commission, is puny compared to what’s taking place a quarter-mile up the street, where acres of almond trees along Shepherd Avenue were ripped out to make way for what will eventually be 586 new homes.
Nearly 1 million Californians could face eviction under Trump’s housing plan, group says
Fresno Bee
Nearly 1 million people in California could lose their homes under a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development plan seeking to evict undocumented family members from public housing, data released by a housing advocacy group suggests.
6 in 10 Californians want to end single-family-only zoning near transit and jobs, poll says
Los Angeles Times
A strong majority of Californians want the state to force local governments to allow apartments in single-family-home neighborhoods near transit and jobs, according to a new statewide poll.
To Tackle Housing Crisis, Most Californians Would Limit Local Control
Capital Public Radio
By a significant margin, a majority of Californians want the state Legislature to force local governments to build more housing. They’re in for a disappointment.
Developers and unions “not close” on deal to spur housing construction
Public CEO
California developers and the construction unions that build their homes were reportedly near a deal that both sides hoped would unleash a bounty of homebuilding across the state.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Fed Begins Debate on Whether to Cut Rate as Soon as June
WSJ
Trade tensions darken economic outlook, raising possibility of interest-rate cut in weeks or months ahead
See also:
● The Fed Should Ignore Trump and Contemplate Cuts for the Right Reasons WSJ
Taxpayers paid over $90 billion more under Trump tax law
Finance Yahoo
Despite the majority of Americans receiving a tax cut, the IRS pulled in an additional $93 billion for 2018 from taxpayers on individual income taxes than it did for 2017, according to new data from the IRS. This is in part thanks to the Treasury Department processing 1.5% more individual returns for 2018 than 2017.
TRANSPORTATION
North Fork Roundabout Construction Begins
Sierra News
Construction activity will soon begin at the intersection of Road 274 and Road 225 in North Fork, the site of Madera County’s first public roundabout.
High-speed rail route took land from farmers. The money they’re owed hasn’t arrived
Los Angeles Times
John Diepersloot squinted under a bright Central Valley sun, pointing to the damage to his fruit orchard that came with the California bullet train.
See also:
· (Opinion) High-speed rail is still the best way to plan for California’s future San Francisco Chronicle
‘Clean’ freight traffic is elusive as California rolls toward zero emissions
CALmatters
Work used to be much simpler for the California Department of Transportation: widen highways, fill potholes, build new freeways. Alas, those quaint days are gone.
Automakers Tell Trump His Pollution Rules Could Mean ‘Untenable’ Instability and Lower Profits
The New York Times
The world’s largest automakers warned President Trump on Thursday that one of his most sweeping deregulatory efforts — his plan to weaken tailpipe pollution standards — threatens to cut their profits and produce “untenable” instability in a crucial manufacturing sector.
See also:
● White House poised to relax mileage standards, rebuffing automakers and setting up probable fight with California Washington Post
WATER
Higher Temps, Swift Currents, Icy Waters Make Rivers Dangerous
Sierra News
The return of much warmer weather Sunday through Tuesday will cause an increase in snowmelt over the higher elevations of the Sierra — leading to a rise in water levels on rivers and streams during the early part of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
City Of Fresno Supports Safe Drinking Water Fund – With A Catch
VPR
Two Fresno City Councilmembers made an atypical move at a press conference today by throwing in their support for a clean water drinking fund—as long as it doesn’t involve a tax.
See also:
● Gov. Gavin Newsom abandons water tax, rejects some new spending in California budget deal Los Angeles Times
● 1 million Californians use tainted water. Will state pass a clean-water tax? San Francisco Chronicle
Public Policy Institute of California
Just the facts.
“Xtra”
Fresno residents find ways to prepare for upcoming heat wave
abc30
Whether they were sipping their favorite iced beverage or soaking up the sunshine, Valley residents got creative when it came to beating the heat.
See also:
● Ready or not, here it comes. What you can do as ‘excessive heat’ hits Modesto this week Modesto Bee
Half Dome cables are back up in Yosemite. Here’s how to get a permit to reach the summit
Fresno Bee
Half Dome cables are back up for the 2019 summer hiking season.
Tyra Banks Coming to Central California Women’s Conference
abc30
She made millions modeling and with her business ventures. Now Tyra Banks will headline the Central California Women’s Conference.
Concert series kicks off at Mariposa Plaza, downtown Fresno
Fresno Bee
The Mariposa Music Series, which kicks off Saturday, June 8 in downtown Fresno, could serve as an introduction to Fresno’s music scene.
Nothing to do in Modesto region? Actually there are plenty of options in our calendar
Modesto Bee
Calendar.
Oakhurst Library Summer Reading Program focuses on seven weeks of books and more
Sierra Star
The Oakhurst Branch Library’s annual Summer Reading Program has begun with its first event set for June 19. Through the program, children and teens are encouraged to read vigorously for seven weeks in June and July in the hopes of winning prizes at the end of it all.
World of Wonders Science Museum’s expansion getting closer to reality
Stockton Record
What began as ideas drawn across blueprints now is closer to reality as the expected expansion of the World of Wonders Science Museum in Sacramento finally has an identity.