13Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

Valley:

Devin Nunes to haters: 'Thank you' after big election win
Visalia Times-Delta

Numbers from June 5's primary election showed Tulare's favorite son and eight-time incumbent U.S. Congressman Devin Nunes racking up more votes than his five competitors — combined.

He worked his way up in the Merced Police Department for 21 years. Now he's chief

Merced Sun-Star

Merced's newest police chief has been serving and protecting the city for more than 20 years. Merced Police Capt. Chris Goodwin, 48, will officially become the city's top cop next week, according to a news release.

State:

Californians to vote on splitting state three ways

Fresno Bee

A tech billionaire's proposal to split California into three states qualified for the November ballot on Tuesday, the Secretary of State's Office announced. The ballot initiative would designate three states.

● Controversial plan to split California into 3 states makes it on November ballot ABC30

● Voters will decide if California should be split into three states Visalia Times-Delta

● Plan To Split California Into Three States Earns Spot On November Ballot Capital Public Radio

● Radical plan to split California into three states earns spot on November ballot Los Angeles Times

● Measure to split California into three states qualifies for November ballot San Francisco Chronicle

● Persistent Silicon Valley billionaire earns ballot spot on splitting California into 3 states Washington Post

Initiative to legalize sports betting in California proposed for 2020 ballot

Los Angeles Times

An initiative to legalize sports betting in the state was proposed Monday for the November 2020 ballot by a political consultant working with California card clubs, online and out-of-state gambling firms and sports leagues.

Experts on California election panel warn of 'voter fatigue'

Los Angeles Times

Californians are suffering from “voter fatigue,” so candidates who survived the June 5 primary will have to hone their message to better address specific issues and provide solutions for problems if they want to connect with the electorate in November, members of a panel of political experts said Monday.

Remember last week? Here’s what’s still out in California.

Washington Post

It’s been one week since California’s primary ended — and it will be weeks until the state finishes counting votes. Two of the most closely watched House races remain unresolved, as more than 2 million late-arriving ballots remain to be counted.

Walters: Top-two primary puts California in national spotlight
CALmatters

It had been 50 years since a California primary election seemed to have national political consequences and drew national media attention.

How would Gavin Newsom pay for his promises?
CALmatters

Even assuming that California avoids a long-overdue economic downturn, where would Newsom get the immense sums of money that he’d need to deliver his agenda?

Group fights bill to declare gay conversion therapy a fraud

AP News

An effort to call gay conversion therapy a fraudulent business practice gained ground in the California state Senate on Tuesday, despite opposition from hundreds who rallied to fight the proposal on religious grounds.

Bad news comes in bunches for Kevin de León: Key lawmaker backs Feinstein

San Francisco Chronicle

On Monday, for example, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon came out with a full-throated endorsement of Feinstein, picking her over de León, his fellow Los Angeles County lawmaker and legislative leader.

There’s a rising Democratic tide in Orange County. Will it be enough to capture these critical U.S. House seats?

Los Angeles Times
In the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats have invested heavily in Orange County congressional races they think could be instrumental in taking back the U.S. House.

Federal:

Where's the wave? Political reporters hatch new plan for election predictions

Fresno Bee

McClatchy will focus its 2018 election coverage on six Congressional districts it believes will serve as archetypes in the battle for the House: North Carolina’s 9th, California’s 10th and 45th, Pennsylvania's 8th, Illinois’s 12th and Florida’s 26th.

Trump, North Korea's Kim Jong Un sign unspecified document

Sacramento Bee

President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un concluded an extraordinary nuclear summit Tuesday by signing a document in which Trump pledged "security guarantees" to the North and Kim reiterated his commitment to "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Opinion: Finally, a president with the guts to stand up to Canada

Washington Post

Finally, the United States has a president with the brains and the guts to stand up to the menace of the north.

EPA chief Scott Pruitt tapped aide, donors to help wife land job at conservative group
Washington Post

Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt last year had a top aide help contact Republican donors who might offer his wife a job, eventually securing her a position at a conservative political group that has backed him for years, according to multiple individuals familiar with the matter.

Other:

Doubling Down On Internet Freedom For 5G And Beyond

AEI

Defining the Internet as an “information service,” not a Title II telephone service, may be one of the most successful economic policies in recent history. It led to more than $1.5 trillion in broadband investment. It’s still revolutionizing our economy.

The game theory that explains our country’s mass psychosis

Washington Post

The only way to win a game wailing whataboutism? Don’t get suckered into playing.

The art of the concession speech

Capitol Weekly

It’s an art form that no one wants to get really, really good at. Perhaps that’s because no one wants to practice it. Concession speeches. And even though all the votes still aren’t counted from the June 5 elections, we’ve heard a lot of them.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, June 17, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Public Employee Union Dues: “Fair Share” v. “Free Speech” – Guests: Laurel Rosenhall with CALmatters, Steve Smith with California Labor Federation, Dan Walters from CALmatters, and John Myers from LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 17, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Will Valley Public Employees Get a Fair Share After Fair Share” – Guests: Lacy Barnes, President of State Center Federation of Teachers and Vice President of American Federation of Teachers in California; Tad Weber, Editorial Page Editor for the Fresno Bee and Mike Dunbar, Editorial Page Editor for the Modesto Bee and Merced Sun Star. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 17, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “State Auditor To UC: UCPath on the Wrong Path” – Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

Support the Maddy Daily HERE.

Thank you!

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Fresno County makes it easier to get into the wine business

ABC30

Getting permits and meeting zoning requirements to open small wineries in Fresno County has not been easy. LoMac Winery owner Eric Engelman joined others in asking the Board of Supervisors to change the rules.

Mexico tariffs on cheese worry California dairy producers

Sacramento Bee

California's dairy farmers, stewards of the single largest sector of California agriculture, have struggled in recent years because of a steep slide in prices. Now they're in danger of becoming casualties in the Trump administration's trade war with Mexico.

Good news, bad news: Evaluating the Senate Agriculture Committee’s farm bill proposal

AEI
When it comes to farm subsidies, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 — released last week by the Senate Agriculture Committee — is likely to be measurably less costly than the provisions in the House Agriculture Committee’s bill.

Marijuana shops will have glut of cheap weed, followed by a possible shortage after July 1

Mercury News

For the next few weeks, retailers will do what they can to move stockpiles of untested product left over from California’s unregulated gray market. What they can’t sell by July 1, in theory, they’ll have to destroy.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Growing number of elder abuse cases in Merced County

ABC30

Elder abuse crime is a growing concern statewide, and the number of cases here in Merced County is rising. Attorneys and officers are being trained to spot signs of the crime.

Crews start work on new Fresno County Jail site in Downtown Fresno

ABC30

Crews are laying the foundation for a massive construction project in Downtown Fresno. Work is underway at the new Fresno County Jail site. People who live and work in the downtown area will notice some big changes here. Crews started their work last night on the new jail site.

Thefts rise after California reduces criminal penalties

Sacramento Bee

California voters' decision to reduce penalties for drug and property crimes in 2014 contributed to a jump in car burglaries, shoplifting and other theft, researchers reported.

See also:

● A California initiative tried to keep people out of jail. It's working, report says. Sacramento Bee

● Prop. 47 is linked to increase in auto thefts, study says San Francisco Chronicle

EDITORIAL: Gov. Brown should do the right thing and grant clemency to death row inmate Kevin Cooper

Los Angeles Times

Stymied by legal challenges, the state of California has not executed any of its more than 700 condemned prisoners since 2006. But if the machinery of death ever does rev back up, Kevin Cooper will be on the short list of people to receive lethal injections. He shouldn’t be, and Gov. Jerry Brown needs to ensure that it doesn’t happen.

Prison Guards Score Again

Fox & Hounds

Governor Jerry Brown is negotiating yet another salary increase for state prison employees, the fourth in seven years. Salaries for California’s prison employees already exceed $5 billion per year, 2.5x the revenues of the country’s largest private prison corporation.

Public Safety:

Watch your step, rattlesnakes are out looking for food

Fresno Bee

This time of year is the worst for rattlesnakes. The snakes are coming out of hibernation and are looking for food. WARNING! Make no sudden moves if you see one!

See also:

● Snake season starts strong, with two bites in Kern County so far Bakersfield Californian

Tailoring Domestic Violence Programs to Reduce Recidivism

Public Policy Institute of California

California law requires that all domestic violence offenders who receive a probation sentence participate in a one-year rehabilitation program. A bill (AB 372) currently under consideration in the state legislature would allow five counties to pilot a new kind of treatment program tailored to offenders’ risks—their likelihood of reoffending—and needs.

Fire:

The grim scope of 2017’s California wildfire season is now clear. The danger’s not over.
Washington Post

Nearly 9,000 wildfires tore through California in 2017, burning 1.2 million acres of land (an area the size of Delaware or the Larsen C iceberg), destroying more than 10,800 structures and killing at least 46 people.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Stanislaus County plans $1 billion-plus budget. Here's how they want to spend it

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County's $1.34 billion preliminary budget for next year includes $35.6 million for roads and bridge construction.

Stockton's $500 basic income experiment is a commie-libertarian pipe dream
Los Angeles Times

Though advocates on the left and right have argued for a version of a universal basic income for decades, the idea has gained traction in recent years from Silicon Valley types, who argue that their automation and artificial intelligence efforts will push millions of people out of work.

Budget dispute hinders state crackdown on illicit marijuana market in California

Los Angeles Times

A dispute between the governor and lawmakers over how to pay for a crackdown on the illicit marijuana market in California has resulted in the $14 million for the effort being left out of a proposed budget, officials said.

Seven reasons to worry about the American middle class
Brookings

Despite gains in national income over the past half-century, American households in the middle of the distribution have experienced very little income growth in recent decades.

Republican senators only willing to go so far in challenging Trump on trade

Washington Post

This week will tell whether President Trump’s confrontational approach to Canada and other countries over trade at -- and after -- the Group of Seven summit made any difference to Senate Republicans weighing whether to back legislation curtailing some of his authority.

AT&T-Time Warner ruling gives a green light to media companies to consolidate

Los Angeles Times

● Godspeed to AT&T-Time Warner Wall Street Journal

● Judge Approves of ATT Takeover of Time Warner National Review

● EDITORIAL: Justice’s Antitrust Humiliation Wall Street Journal

Jobs:

Disabled contractors can keep California prison jobs despite SEIU complaint

Sacramento Bee

About 120 disabled employees working at a state prison will be able to keep their jobs despite an outsourcing complaint from state government’s largest union that threatened their company’s contract.

Economic index points to growth, though hiring woes persist

The Business Journal

The Central Valley’s economic index declined slightly in May, but growth should continue despite increasing difficulty hiring qualified workers.

Tesla is cutting 9% of its workers as it tries to turn a profit, Elon Musk says

Los Angeles Times
Tesla Inc. is cutting about 9% of its workers — the biggest layoff in its 15-year history — as it burns through cash in an effort to meet production goals for its crucial Model 3 sedan.

Cheesecake Factory Is Found Partly Liable in $4.6 Million Janitor Wage Theft Case
New York Times

The Cheesecake Factory and a janitorial contractor have been found liable in a $4.57 million wage theft case involving hundreds of underpaid janitorial workers at eight California locations, sending a strong message to businesses that they are accountable for workplace violations — even if their workers are hired by contractors.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Deasy tells SUSD board his transition to new community is off to ‘good start’

Stockton Record

A new face now occupies a seat among the Stockton Unified School District Board of Trustees. Tuesday evening’s regularly scheduled meeting was John Deasy’s first as the district’s superintendent, 11 days after he officially started.

L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC

Los Angeles Times

Last month, Los Angeles’ school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the state’s public four-year universities by 2023.

Federal officials again question California's plan for improving lowest performing schools

EdSource

The U.S. Department of Education has raised additional questions about California’s plan for complying with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, further delaying the federal government’s approval of the plan.

Education reforms should obey Campbell’s Law

AEI

Campbell’s law put simply: “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”

Paid Parental Leave Helps Kids, Not Just Parents

National Review

She finds that a parent — and most research is centered around the mother — being actively present during the first year of a child’s life matters for a baby’s healthy development. This becomes much more difficult if a parent is working full-time.

Higher Ed:

California Finalizes Performance Funding Formula For Its Community Colleges

Inside Higher Ed

The biggest and perhaps least likely state to try performance funding will tie billions of dollars for community colleges to measures of student success, a plan faculty groups say will punish students and colleges.

Is Jerry Brown’s Chipotle model the right recipe for California universities?

CALmatters

Like a burrito with too many jalapeños, Gov. Jerry Brown’s recent comments that higher education in California should be more like Chipotle—with a limited menu of courses—gave some people indigestion.

Governor, legislative leaders agree on funding boost for higher education
CALmatters

California’s public universities will get an infusion of cash to increase enrollment, smooth students’ progress toward graduation and repair aging buildings under a state budget agreement reached Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders.

Here is one way to offer free college in California: Restore the state estate tax

Sacramento Bee

How was free education once possible? One reason: California used to tax the estates of its wealthy residents. Prior to 2001, California's share of federal estate tax revenue was almost a $1 billion a year. By failing to restore its estate tax, California lost an estimated $18 billion in potential revenue between 2003 and 2016.

USC's handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USC’s president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits.

If You Move to These States, They'll Pay Down Your Student Loan

ozy.com

Educational debt relief could be the newest competitive advantage for states attracting young workers.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Dormant But Risky – New State Law Aims To Prevent Problems From Idle Oil And Gas Wells

Valley Public Radio

For every three active oil wells in California, there’s another one well that’s not doing any of those things—and yet they, too, can deteriorate and contaminate the air and water over time. Now, a new state law aims to prevent those hazards.

The Left’s Cynicism Overshadows Its Environmentalism

National Review

They advocate steep taxes, then complain about high gas prices.

Don’t let environmental fears stall the return of supersonic air travel

AEI
Autonomous driving isn’t the only emerging technology with big potential to change how we get around. Several aviation companies are aiming to return supersonic airliners to the skies.

Energy:

Local company finds creative way to reuse energy

ABC30
Almonds are the business at Minturn Huller Cooperative, and much like their product, the company is powered by the sun. Hamilton says they saw a 42 percent savings from their new solar structure and it is powering one of the company's three buildings on its own.

Arvin commission approves regulation changes for oil and gas operators

Bakersfield Californian

The Arvin Planning Commission approved an ordinance that makes amendments to the city’s oil and gas codes that would prevent new operations near residential areas and sensitive areas including schools and hospitals. It also implements more stringent requirements when it comes to mitigating environmental impacts.

Environmental, community groups appeal oil and gas ruling

Bakersfield Californian

As anticipated years ago, a coalition of environmental and community groups this week appealed a court decision upholding Kern's 2015 move to streamline oil and gas permitting in the county.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Bakersfield Heart Hospital gets special accreditation

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield Heart Hospital has been designated as an accredited Heart Failure Center by the American College of Cardiology. It was the only hospital in the state to receive that accreditation.

Nonprofit hospitals are being less charitable. They say that shows Obamacare is working

Los Angeles Times

California’s nonprofit hospitals are providing sharply less free and reduced-cost medical care than they did a few years ago, raising questions about the role and obligations of those institutions in the age of Obamacare.

Southern California emergency room use has actually risen after the passage of Obamacare. Here’s why

OCRegister

Homeless people and a growing number of newly insured young adults are flooding Southern California’s emergency departments for non-life threatening illnesses, years after proponents of the Affordable Care Act promised that better health coverage would divert people away from ERs, according state data and public health experts.

California Stem Cell Agency Hits 6k With Cyberspace Event On Stroke Therapy

California Stem Cell Report

The $3 billion California stem cell agency last week mounted its first "Ask the Experts" session on Facebook, a look at a stroke therapy that left one patient crying with joy and researchers "shocked" at the initial, beneficial results.

Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca Drop Two Late-Stage Alzheimer’s Drug Trials

Wall Street Journal
AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly & Co. on Tuesday scrapped two late-stage trials of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug they were co-developing, the latest blow in the long quest to find a breakthrough for the memory-robbing disorder.

Children With Autism Left Behind by Low Medicaid Rates

The Pew Charitable Trusts

In recent years, courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have curtailed the ability of individuals to legally challenge Medicaid rates as insufficient, but some think that these cases, focused as they are on children, might open a new and effective strategy.

House Prepares for Week of Action on Opioid Bills

Roll Call

The House will begin a voting marathon Tuesday on 34 bills designed to address the opioid epidemic. While most are not likely to be contentious, two have previously stirred controversy.

Health Insurance Is the Problem, Not the Solution

Casey Research

Medical insurance directly causes price hyperinflation, because it insulates the patient from the financial impact of their medical care decisions.

EDITORIAL: Lower suicide rate, stricter gun control
Modesto Bee

It is an article of faith among opponents of gun control that California’s tough firearm laws are pointless – that try as we might, sick people will do what sick people do, and death, as ever, will have its way. But that’s not what we’re reading in a stunning report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Human Services:

Nonprofit hospitals are being less charitable. They say that shows Obamacare is working

Los Angeles Times

Hinds Hospice names new CEO

The Business Journal
Fresno’s Hinds Hospice has a new CEO to replace Amy Tobin, who is retiring after more than five years leading the end-of-life care provider. Eric Klimes brings more than 17 years of executive experience in hospice care, leading agencies in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Iowa and Indiana.

Data breach at Dignity Health affected 56,000 patients, is under investigation

San Francisco Chronicle

Federal health officials are investigating an April data breach that affected 55,947 patients of Dignity Health, a major health system headquartered in San Francisco that operates 39 hospitals and 400 care centers in California, Nevada and Arizona.

Opinion: Veterans Helping Veterans — Why Peer Support Should Be Expanded

Roll Call

Veterans who have peer mentors are more likely to keep their VA appointments, access additional treatment methods such as the whole health approach, and meet other important health benchmarks.

Cecile Richards: Conservatives are fighting to roll back abortion rights. And they're winning

Los Angeles Times

Abortion has been and will always be essential healthcare. The good news is that the American people know it. Support for Roe vs. Wade is the highest it’s ever been, at 70%.

IMMIGRATION

Kamala Harris bill would waive fees for immigration documents after disasters

San Francisco Chronicle

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at waiving fees for replacing immigration documents destroyed in natural disasters, such as the fires that ripped through Northern California last October.

Republicans hatch immigration deal – but only one option gives Dreamers citizenship

Sacramento Bee

The House will finally vote on immigration legislation — with one bill that includes a plan to allow 1.8 million young immigrants who came to the U.S. as young children to obtain a path to citizenship and another that doesn't, Republicans said Tuesday.

● GOP moderates to float new DACA deal Politico

● Moderates Punt on Immigration Petition as GOP Goals Drift Roll Call

● Republican leadership reaches deal to put off immigration rebellion CNN

● House to vote next week on two competing immigration bills after Republican negotiations on a compromise fall short Washington Post

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Can smart cities be equitable?
Brookings

As digital systems become more pervasive, there is a danger that inequality will deepen unless local governments recognize that tech-driven solutions are as important to the poor as they are to the affluent.

Could a City Park Be Your Grocery Store? In Finland, Maybe

The Daily Doze

Foraging, once a wartime survival strategy, is now exploding as an urban food trend across Finland.

Housing:

Rents are rising at the fastest pace in almost two years

ABC30

If you are looking for an apartment in the Fresno area, you might be surprised at just how high rents have climbed. The average price for a two bedroom in Fresno is about $1000 a month.

Why California’s rural areas are seeing a surge in homeless youth

EdSource

While the number of homeless young people jumped 20 percent statewide from 2014 to 2016, the number of homeless young people in many rural counties areas rose even more significantly — in some cases more than doubling.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California has billions in extra money. Why don't taxpayers get a refund?
Sacramento Bee

California state government has so much money this year that it’s opening two new savings accounts so it can keep socking away even more cash for the rainy day that Gov. Jerry Brown says is just over the horizon.

● EDITORIAL: Tariffs and the Tax Cut Wall Street Journal

California lawmakers call in a $1.2 billion wrecking ball for their offices

San Francisco Chronicle
Under the proposed budget, the state would spend $1.2 billion as part of a project to replace the 66-year-old annex to the historic Capitol under the budget that the Assembly and Senate will vote on this week.

Here is one way to offer free college in California: Restore the state estate tax

Sacramento Bee

County’s pension liability keeps budget lean

Stockton Record

Presenting what she described as a “very tight budget,” San Joaquin County Administrator Monica Nino publicly released a $1.75 billion spending plan Tuesday morning for the coming fiscal year that is not much larger than the county’s ominous $1.5 billion unfunded pension liability.

Pender: Charitable giving topped $400 billion for first time in 2017

San Francisco Chronicle

Charitable giving rose 5.2 percent to a record $410 billion last year, thanks to the booming economy, soaring stock market, giving to hurricane and wildfire relief, and several mega-gifts from tech billionaires, according to Giving USA, the largest and longest-running annual report on U.S. philanthropy.

Federal Reserve Poised to Raise Rates Again
Wall Street Journal

The Federal Reserve is likely to raise short-term interest rates by a quarter percentage point after its two-day policy meeting concludes Wednesday, the seventh such move since late 2015.

See also:

● Will the Fed Set Off a Recession Alarm? Wall Street Journal

EDITORIAL: Gov. Brown makes a deal on the state budget. It’s pretty good

Sacramento Bee

All budget deals are compromises in which not everyone gets everything they want. The agreement last week by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders strikes a good balance, given the state’s budget surplus, its pent-up needs and the prospect of the next recession.

TRANSPORTATION

Frustrated by five-hour wait times at the DMV? Fresno politician has your back

Fresno Bee

Gotta hand it to Assemblyman Jim Patterson. During these divisive times, it's not easy for a politician to grab hold of an issue that every Californian over the age of 16 can agree on. Such as our universal hatred of standing in line at the DMV.

Fresno's airport plans to make changes as traffic increases

ABC30

The Fresno Yosemite International Airport announced Monday that they plan to make some changes over the next few months. The airport says it plans to spend $1.5 million to build additional parking spaces.

It’s Time to Rethink America’s Failing Highways

National Review

Our nation’s major roads are effectively a utility like any other. It’s time we treated them as such.

Bird, the Electric Scooter Start-Up, Is Said to Draw an Investment Frenzy

New York Times

More scooters may soon land on America’s sidewalks as the West Coast scooter war propels a rush of fund-raising.

WATER

How to revive Stockton’s waterfront

Stockton Record

Stockton’s waterfront is a study in neglected possibilities. As if the city’s inner harbor, a gateway to 1,000 miles of waterways, is an afterthought and not the geographic asset that makes Stockton unique.

Judge sides with city of Fresno, says city can impose water fees for new development

Fresno Bee

A Fresno Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the city of Fresno and upheld new water fees that ensure new homes will have enough water after some of Fresno's largest developers filed a petition against the fees.

Government employees find a watery workplace after tank ruptures at Tenth Street Place

Sacramento Bee

Stanislaus County is still assessing the costs of a water leak that damaged offices on five of the six floors of the local government office building called Tenth Street Place.

Folsom, Shasta among dams at-risk of ‘insider threats’

Sacramento Bee

Two dams critical to U.S. national security are at high risk for “insider threats” that could impair operations because of poor computer security practices, according to a new inspector general report.

Three Ways to Protect Your Interests as a Groundwater User in California

News Deeply

As California works to implement its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, water rights attorney Sean Hood explains why it’s important to engage actively in the process.

California Water Service Receives American Water Works Association National Diversity Award

Globe News Wire

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) honored California Water Service (Cal Water) with the 2018 Diversity Award today for the utility’s ongoing commitment to promoting and embracing diversity in business.

“Xtra”

Special Olympics torch makes its way through Madera

ABC30

Through streets and through a park, Special Olympics athletes with the Madera Howlers ran through Madera with a cause. Tuesday morning they helped deliver "The Flame of Hope," to the Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games, with Madera County law enforcement right alongside them.

Fruit trail bus gets ready for its second ride through Fresno County

ABC30

This weekend only you can enjoy the Fresno County Fruit Trail in a different way. This Saturday you can hitch a ride on the second annual fruit trial bus. The bus takes off early in the morning and visits local wineries and fruit farms-- you also get to enjoy guided tours.

Lights, summer, action! Local theaters launch discount movie series
Bakersfield Californian

Four local movie theaters are offering special series during the coming months; Maya Cinemas, Edwards Cinemas and Studio Movie Grill will screen recent family favorite films for $1, while Reading Cinemas will be holding a Studio Ghibli Summer Festival.

Big Sur’s southern route to open in late July
Mercury News

The entire coastal stretch of California’s iconic Highway 1 will re-open at the end of July, restoring a beloved but fragile route from San Francisco to Los Angeles that has been closed for more than a year, Caltrans announced on Tuesday morning.

Disneyland ticket prices are rising. Here's how you and a friend can save some money
The Tribune

It may have gotten more expensive to visit Mickefy Mouse in recent months, but that’s changing — at least temporarily — on Monday.

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

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