POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Ivanka Trump set to make a stop in the Central Valley
ABC30
Ivanka Trump is set to headline a pair of fundraisers in California, one in the Central Valley. The first daughter will appear alongside house majority leader Kevin McCarthy with proceeds benefiting "Protect the House"--McCarthy's joint fundraising committee with Vice President Pence.
McCarthy: 'The Mueller investigation has got to stop'
Politico
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Friday demanded that Robert Mueller halt his investigation, arguing that politically charged text messages FBI agent Peter Strzok sent during the separate bureau probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails discredited the special counsel’s work.
See also:
● Mitch McConnell on Mueller Investigation: Time to Wrap it Up National Review
● Trump Lawyer Rudy Giuliani: Mueller Investigation Could Be 'Cleaned Up' With Pardons NPR
Schiff: ‘Deeply disturbing’ that FBI gave Nunes confidential info on Clinton's emails
The Hill
The House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, Adam Schiff (Calif.), said Sunday it was "deeply disturbing" that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) received classified information about Hillary Clinton's emails from FBI field agents in 2016.
McClatchyDC
Democrats know they’ll need more than President Donald Trump to defeat an incumbent like Jeff Denham.
Here's a look at where District 26 State Assembly race sits
Visalia Times-Delta
Warren Gubler and Jose Sigala have traded second place lead since election night. But Sigala is slowly increasing his lead over Gubler. Sigala is in the lead with 29.4 percent of the vote.
Madera Tribune
The Chowchilla City Council voted Tuesday night to renew City Administrator Brian Haddix’s contract for another four years. The Council also renewed the contract of Dave Riviere to be chief of police for another four years.
City to talk crosswalks, budget
Hanford Sentinel
The Hanford City Council will meet Tuesday and is scheduled to discuss downtown crosswalks, landscape and lighting districts and the annual budget.
See also:
● Council to vote on budget Hanford Sentinel
Price: Mary, Harvey, we miss you already
Bakersfield Californian
When Bakersfield said goodbye to Harvey Hall and Mary K. Shell, two former mayors with distinctive places in local history, the city lost, within a scant 25 days, more than just two colorful characters.
EDITORIAL: Most popular man in Merced wears a badge
Merced Sun-Star
Who’s the most popular person in Merced County? That’s a good topic for debate, but we’re saying it’s Sheriff Vern Warnke – and we have proof.
State:
California's Gavin Newsom wants to lead the way to a post-Bernie, post-Hillary party
Yahoo News
In a state where Democrats dominate every major office, where Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump by 3 million votes and where registered independents now outnumber Republicans, observers had always given Cox a much slimmer chance than Villaraigosa of besting Newsom in a head-to-head contest.
Los Angeles Times
Troublemaker Tim Draper’s latest proposal to split California into three states has some appeal for Northerners. At least it does for me. That doesn’t mean it’s a smart idea. It’s impractical, a fantasy and doomed. But it does have an allure.
‘Three Californias’ would likely mean four more Democrats in U.S. Senate
Merced Sun-Star
A tech billionaire's proposal to split California into three states would, at least in the short term, likely put more Democrats in the U.S. Senate, according to a Bee review of voter registration and election data.
California counties see higher turnout under new vote model
SF Gate
Election officials in five California counties that mailed ballots to every voter for this month's primary said the new model appears to have boosted turnout.
Walters: Two victims of a blood sport: politics
CALmatters
The door is now open to more recalls for purely political reasons, Republicans won’t be as eager to cross the legislative aisle, and the precedent is set for more self-serving manipulation of election laws.
De León's challenge in the Senate race: to oppose Feinstein but keep his future intact
Los Angeles Times
Kevin de León stresses that he isn’t naive about his chances of taking down Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November’s general election.
Federal:
Trump owns a shrinking Republican party
Brookings
So far, the Republican primaries have illustrated Trump’s strength in the base of the Republican Party.
Fact-checking Donald Trump's interviews with Fox and Friends, reporters on the White House lawn
PolitiFact
In two unusual, free-form interviews in the space of one hour, President Donald Trump jumped from calling fired FBI director James Comey a "criminal" after a new report on the Clinton email investigation to saying "we get everything" from the joint statement signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Poll: Kim Jong Un has higher approval among Republicans than Pelosi
The Hill
More Republicans view North Korean leader Kim Jong Un favorably than do House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), according to a poll released Monday
Republican Voters Split on Whether Trump Can – or Should – Pardon Himself
Morning Consult
Republican voters are divided over whether President Donald Trump should pardon himself if he is found guilty of a crime related to the Justice Department’s investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 election – a stark contrast with voters overall who say he should not.
Los Angeles Times
The nearly century-long battle to pass the Equal Rights Amendment came back to life last month with a sudden jolt. Ninety-five years after it was first introduced and more than a generation after Congress passed it and sent it to the states for ratification, the Illinois Legislature became the 37th state to approve it.
Developing: Supreme Court Punts on Partisan Gerrymandering Cases
Roll Call
The Supreme Court sidestepped a major ruling on partisan gerrymandering in two cases about statehouse and congressional districts on Monday, sending two challenges back to lower courts for more action.
Other:
Truth Decay: A Threat to Policymaking and Democracy
RAND
The line between fact and fiction in American public life is becoming blurred. RAND has begun studying the causes and consequences of this "Truth Decay" phenomenon and how it affects democracy and political and civil discourse in the United States.
See also:
● Can Americans Tell Facts from Opinions in the News? Pew Research Center
Los Angeles Times
On Monday, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong will return the Los Angeles Times to private local ownership after 18 contentious years under the Chicago-based Tribune Co.
Voter confidence is the biggest election security challenge, DHS cybersecurity official says
Washington Post
A top cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security says the biggest election security challenge going into the midterms isn’t a technical one. It’s convincing voters that their ballots are secure.
Why the ‘Classical Liberal’ is Making a Comeback
Politico
“I really call myself a classical liberal more than a conservative.” The label has a sort of musty intellectual authority to the lay person—“classical” is right in the name—and in the partisan chop of the Trump era it’s an appealing rope ladder.
See also:
● Defending American Classical Liberalism National Review
● Against Anti-Liberalism National Review
The Great Conservative Tradition---and Other Books to Read
Wall Street Journal
Roger Scruton’s stylish primer on conservative thought. Plus memoirs by John Perry Barlow and Seymour Stein, a history of London’s maverick painters, and more.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, June 24, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” – Guests: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California, Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee, and Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 24, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Income Inequality and Immigration: Are They Related?” – Guests: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California, Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee, Dan Walters with CALmatters, California Budget Center Policy Analyst Luke Reidenbach, and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) California State Director Tom Scott. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 24, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Higher Education and Path in California” – Guests: PPIC Olga Rodriguez and Marisol Cuellar. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
California farmers, politicians won't feel full impact of Trump tariff wars until fall
Sacramento Bee
David Phippen’s almond orchards in Manteca are a few months away from harvest, the nuts still green on the trees. That gives him some breathing room before China's tariffs on almonds — California's largest agricultural export — and other crops really bite.
See also:
● Trump’s focus on China trade: Right target, wrong approach Brookings
Manteca-area winery CEO will lead California industry group for a year
Modesto Bee
Chris Indelicato, president and CEO of Delicato Family Vineyards near Manteca, will serve as chairman of the Wine Institute board over the next year.
Farm Bureau tries connecting farms, consumers
Hanford Sentinel
With California being the top agriculture producing state in the nation, Kings County Farm Bureau took issue with the lack of connection between farmers and the residents of Kings County.
Homeowners cash in on novel effort to fight citrus threat
Bakersfield Californian
It’s one thing to avoid oranges and lemons grown outside Kern County. But should we also give up freshly squeezed juice from backyard trees in order to help local farmers stave off a potentially devastating pest? Some county residents already have — in exchange for cash.
Local markets will bring food to those in need
Bakersfield Californian
Community Action Partnership of Kern has teamed up with The Wonderful Company and The Kern County Fair to bring fresh, healthy, free food those that need it most.
California Foodways: Providing a Taste of Oaxaca in the Central Valley
KQED
In the town of Madera, California, in the heart of the state’s agricultural Central Valley, teenager Yazid Alamari shows off the merchandise in his family’s business, Gateway Market.
California Farm Workers Fight Their Union — and the State — in Court
National Review
As they try to decertify the UFW as their union, Gerawan Farming employees have had to contend with another foe: unelected state bureaucrats.
Amid immigration crackdown, this avocado farmer is struggling to find workers
CNN
Finding workers, especially at peak harvesting season, is a problem many of the nation's farmers face.
Exclusive poll finds that most in Fresno support taxing pot
ABC30
Within the next months, Fresno city leaders will be deciding whether businesses should be given permits to sell pot. It seems there is widespread support for taxing its consumption.
See also:
● Little update from cannabis companies Hanford Sentinel
● Leave Marijuana Policy to the States National Review
Los Angeles Times
Good job, Jeff Sessions! It seems the attorney general’s misguided attempts to revive the unpopular and unjust federal war on marijuana may be having the exact opposite effect — prompting a new bipartisan effort in Congress to allow states to legalize cannabis.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Fresno holds first elder abuse awareness day event
ABC30
Local law enforcement leaders from Fresno, Clovis, and Madera gathered in a room along with other agencies, to shed light on an issue some believe go unnoticed: elder abuse.
Someone hung a stuffed monkey in a noose at city office. It could cost Modesto $250K
Modesto Bee
Modesto is willing to pay $250,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed against it by one of its wastewater treatment plant operators, who is half African-American and claims he was subject to racial slurs and harassment and was retaliated against when he complained.
Contractor stole millions from US, prosecutor says, but the maximum fine is $250,000
Merced Sun-Star
A Costa Rica businessman was entrusted to oversee the transfer of millions of dollars of U.S. government funds, but stole the money for his personal use, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Fentanyl has taken over America's drug market. Where is it coming from?
San Diego Union-Tribune
Flowing in one direction, this fentanyl pipeline runs through Mexican cartel strongholds and heads north on well-established drug trafficking routes. It funnels 80 percent of the drug through the San Diego border before dispersing throughout the U.S.
Public Safety:
Cal State Bakersfield police implement body camera program
Bakersfield Californian
Cal State Bakersfield police have begun using body-worn cameras, joining a couple of other local agencies in the use of the devices that proponents say help protect law enforcement from false allegations of wrongdoing and provide a greater degree of public transparency.
Fire:
Evacuations for Mariposa County wildfire lifted, Cal Fire says
Sierra Star
A wildfire that broke out about just before 4 p.m. Friday in Mariposa County prompted a brief call for evacuation in the small town of Bootjack, according to Cal Fire. By Saturday, Cal Fire had lifted the evacuation orders and said the Boyer Fire was at 53 acres but 75 percent contained.
With PG&E Implicated in Wildfire Catastrophe, a Fight Over Its Future
KQED
After last week's announcement by state fire officials that equipment owned by PG&E, California’s largest utility, was involved in nearly all of the deadly fires that swept through the North Bay last fall, a battle over who will pay for the damage -- and what that means for the company's future -- is reaching a fever pitch.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
California farmers, politicians won't feel full impact of Trump tariff wars until fall
Sacramento Bee
David Phippen’s almond orchards in Manteca are a few months away from harvest, the nuts still green on the trees. That gives him some breathing room before China's tariffs on almonds — California's largest agricultural export — and other crops really bite.
See also:
● Xi to Counter Trump Blow for Blow in Unwanted Trade War Bloomberg
● Evidence That New Tariffs, Not Immigrants, Are Costing Jobs Forbes
Why many Americans aren't benefiting from robust US economy
ABC
The numbers that collectively sketch a picture of a vibrant economy don't reflect reality for a range of Americans who still feel far from financially secure even nine years into an economic expansion.
Brookings
Even as the largest economy in the world, the United States must continue to export goods and services to take advantage of the fact that 85 percent of economic growth will occur abroad over the next five years
Economic Growth in U.S. Leaves World Behind
Wall Street Journal
The U.S. economy is revving up just as Europe and other major economies lose steam, jeopardizing a rare period in which the world’s largest economies have been accelerating in unison.
U.S. Industrial Production Unexpectedly Declined in May
Wall Street Journal
U.S. industrial production ended three straight months of growth in May with an unexpected decline due in part to a fire at a major Ford Motor Co. supplier.
Washington Post
The White House on Saturday said it would nominate Kathy Kraninger, a White House budget official, to serve as the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in a push to continue scaling back the Obama-era agency’s aggressive efforts to regulate consumer financial products.
The state of competition and dynamism: Facts about concentration, start-ups, and related policies
Brookings
An enduring narrative about the U.S. economy, along with rugged individualism and the opportunity to rise from rags to riches, is that it is a dynamic market where new ideas can thrive and new businesses can reshape the economic landscape.
Jobs:
Workers' median pay in Fresno County among state's lowest
Fresno Bee
If you've got that feeling that you're running faster but falling farther behind, you may just be right. The median wage in Fresno County was estimated at $15.80 per hour or just under $33,000 a year in May 2017.
It's taken years after the recession for Fresno County to reach a new employment peak
Fresno Bee
More people were employed last month in Fresno County than ever before, climbing to a new post-recession peak as agricultural activity picked up in the county and across the San Joaquin Valley.
See also:
● For the first time in nearly a decade the Central Valley is seeing low unemployment numbers ABC30
California gains just 5,500 jobs in May; unemployment stays at record-low 4.2%
Los Angeles Times
The California economy cooled a bit in May as employers added just 5,500 net jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at a record low of 4.2%, according to data released Friday by the state’s Employment Development Department.
See also:
● There are now more job openings than workers to fill them CNN
For the biggest group of American workers, wages aren’t just flat. They’re falling.
Washington Post
The average hourly wage paid to workers in “production and nonsupervisory” positions has fallen from last year when accounting for inflation, as an economy that appears strong by several measures continues to fail to create bigger paychecks, the federal government said Tuesday.
Helping close divisions in the US: Insights from the American Well-Being Project
Brookings
Issues of despair in the United States are diverse, widespread, and politically fueled, ranging from concentrated poverty and crime in cities to the opioid crisis plaguing poor rural towns.
Effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: A preliminary analysis
Brookings
The new tax law makes substantial changes to the rates and bases of both the individual and corporate income taxes, most prominently cutting the maximum corporate income tax rate to 21 percent.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Lack of information leads to failure in our schools
Madera Tribune
On June 12th, the board approved $100,000 of Title 1 funding for a position of a trainer, which was not explained when questioned by Mr. McIntyre. This is another administrative position to add to the already over-staffed superintendent’s cabinet of directors and supposed leaders and trainers.
Stories of alleged sexual harassment continue as Merced high school board addresses policies
Merced Sun-Star
The national "#MeToo" discussion that has reinvigorated conversations on sexual assault and harassment came to Atwater on Wednesday, as teachers, students and supporters continued to come forward and claim the Merced Union High School District administration mishandled complaints.
Why parents struggle with Common Core math: “The diagrams are absolutely insane.”
Mercury News
Eight years after California adopted new standards designed to boost students’ critical thinking and analytical skills, it’s become clear that a critical group was left behind in the push to implement Common Core: parents.
Here's the latest on 5 school safety bills from California lawmakers
EdSource
Following the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., California legislators, like their counterparts around the nation, introduced a number of bills to address school safety.
Many Recommend Teaching Mental Health in Schools. Now Two States Will Require It.
Pew Charitable Trusts
Amid sharply rising rates of teen suicide and adolescent mental illness, two states have enacted laws that for the first time require public schools to include mental health education in their basic curriculum.
Early education and the success sequence
AEI
According to some researchers, people are much less likely to live in poverty when they follow a certain path in life. Yet Ian Rowe, the CEO of the Public Prep Network of charter schools, sees that the children who would benefit the most from the success sequence are the least likely to hear about it.
EDITORIAL: Don’t make California’s education debate just about charter schools
San Diego Union-Tribune
The emergence of a group of wealthy charter school supporters as a potent force has been one of the more striking recent developments in Golden State politics.
Higher Ed:
Pick a side. Divisive Fresno State-Jim Bartko legal brawl promises to get messy
Fresno Bee
The timing couldn't be more awkward. Just as Fresno State starts to line up a new athletic director, the previous one kicks over a wasp nest. Get your popcorn ready, Bulldogs fans. You've got front-row seats to what promises to be a juicy legal fight.
California high school grads increasingly leave state for college. Here’s where they go.
Merced Sun-Star
With California universities more expensive and crowded than ever, high school graduates are increasingly leaving the state to attend college. The California State University system turns away about 30,000 students per year for lack of space.
Record number of students enroll in Bakersfield College for summer classes
Bakersfield Californian
This summer, 11,859 students signed up for at least one summer course at the college, compared to 10,351 last summer, a 15 percent increase.
Budget Deal Leaves Higher Education Short
Fox & Hounds
When the State doesn’t pay its fair share of the cost of educating students at the University of California and California State University campuses, the cost burden heavily falls on students and their families.
See also:
● Analysis of Performance Funding Scenarios in California Inside Higher Ed
Gown towns: A case study of Say Yes to Education
Brookings
Postsecondary education is the entry ticket to the middle class. But for low-income Americans college success is rare. While education has long been seen as a force for social mobility, inclusion, and equity, it is too often the great stratifier in practice.
See also:
● A Movement Rises to Take Back Higher Education Wall Street Journal
Encouraging Full-Time Enrollment to Boost College Graduation Rates
Public Policy Institute of California
Full-time students in California’s higher education systems are much more likely to graduate within six years than students who first enroll part time.
Opinion: Higher Education in America Finds Itself on a Slippery Slope
Roll Call
Today, as soon as those foreign students receive their degrees, our laws drive them out of the country — presumably so they can compete “against” us.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Bakersfield trees bouncing back after years of drought
Bakersfield Californian
It didn’t look good for Bakersfield trees two years ago. The drought and state-mandated water restrictions took a hit on the city's ecosystem.
Ousting Scott Pruitt, while necessary, won't stop Trump's war on the environment
Los Angeles Times
Be careful what you wish for. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt is an embarrassment in an administration that does not embarrass easily. Worse than Pruitt’s lack of ethics, though, is the list of anti-regulatory actions he’s taken to try to roll back necessary environmental protections.
Climate-Related Disasters Make It Harder to Buy Home Insurance in California
KQED
Insurers can calculate how likely your home is to burn down in a wildfire, or flood in a high tide, and for some time now they've been using climate science to shape those estimates.
See also:
● Many coastal properties may be flooded out by 2045, climate report warns San Francisco Chronicle
Energy:
Despite fear of Trump, California considers sharing control of power grid
San Francisco Chronicle
A bill facing debate Tuesday in a California Senate committee — AB813 — would make a revolutionary change to a decades-old electrical grid system.
See also:
● Walters: The Capitol weighs another big, dicey power play CALmatters
Trump Wants to Bail Out Coal and Nuclear Power. Here’s Why That Will Be Hard.
New York Times
When Mr. Trump came into office, he vowed to revive America’s coal mining industry by rolling back Obama-era environmental regulations. But coal keeps getting edged out by cheaper and cleaner alternatives
Solar Has Overtaken Gas and Wind as Biggest Source of New U.S. Power
Bloomberg
Despite tariffs that President Trump imposed on imported panels, the U.S. installed more solar energy than any other source of electricity in the first quarter.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Secret VA nursing home ratings hide poor quality care from the public
Visalia Times-Delta
Statistics the VA has not released paint a picture of government nursing homes that scored worse on average than their private sector counterparts on nine of 11 key indicators last year, including rates of anti-psychotic drug prescription and residents’ deterioration.
Here's what you need to know about the current salmonella and cyclospora outbreaks
Sacramento Bee
The U.S. consumer can be forgiven any Foodborne Illness Outbreak Confusion and Fatigue. As spring's romaine lettuce-E. coli and shell egg-salmonella outbreaks faded after causing, respectively, five deaths and a record recall, news of three more foodborne illness outbreaks within a week drenched consumers.
State appeals court reinstates California's right-to-die law
AP News
A state appeals court has reinstated — at least for now — California's law allowing terminally ill people to end their lives.
See also:
● California appeals court reinstates law allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives Los Angeles Times
● California’s assisted-dying law reinstated three weeks after it was blocked San Francisco Chronicle
California Moves To Declare Coffee Safe From Cancer Risk
Capital Public Radio
The unprecedented action by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to propose a regulation to essentially clear coffee of the stigma that it could pose a toxic risk followed a review of more than 1,000 studies that found inadequate evidence that coffee causes cancer.
Krugman: G.O.P. to Americans With Health Problems: Drop Dead
New York Times
Do voters realize that if Republicans hold Congress, they will strip away protections for the 52 million Americans — more than a quarter of nonelderly adults — who have pre-existing conditions that, before passage of the Affordable Care Act, could have led insurers to deny them coverage?
Devastated by ALS, trying to save others
Washington Post
A year and a half ago, this scientist’s future seemed boundless. He was a rising star at the University of California at San Francisco, a researcher of degenerative brain diseases. He had just begun the biggest study ever of the genetics of ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the disease made famous by Lou Gehrig and Stephen Hawking.
He's dying of cancer. Now, he's the first patient to go to trial to argue Roundup made him sick
CNN
Johnson, a father of two in California's Bay Area, applied Roundup weed killer 20 to 30 times per year while working as a pest manager for a county school system, his attorney said.
Human Services:
Tulare's hospital spent millions on a fancy medical robot. Now it's selling it for a big loss
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare hospital hasn't used its state-of-the-art robotic surgery since March 2014, after just 20 procedures. Now, it's being sold for less than a suped-up Tesla.
Modesto’s Cleansing Hope shuttle looks 10,000 mobile showers back, and countless more ahead
Modesto Bee
Cleansing Hope was begun by What Would Jesus Do Ministries, which operates as Church in the Park Modesto, in August 2016. With the Cleansing Hope Shower Shuttle, dubbed Grace, it has made four stops a week, giving about 500 showers a month to those in need.
Stockton duo looking to establish new recovery center for Native American community
Stockton Record
Gerald Arnett and Sylvia Rodriguez are in the early stages of establishing the Indigenous Peoples Adjustment Program nonprofit, which they said will be an aftercare and recovery program that will offer housing for Native American men and women who are transitioning into the community after incarceration or addiction.
Who stands against protection for preexisting medical conditions? The gun lobby
Los Angeles Times
Congress plainly intended for the ACA and its protections for those with preexisting conditions to stand, they say. We know this because Congress left them alone when it reduced the penalty for not having insurance to zero last year.
See also:
● Inside the Trump administration's assault on protections for people with preexisting medical conditions Los Angeles Times
Republicans give up on Medicare overhaul
Politico
Republicans on Capitol Hill are giving up on what might be their last best chance to overhaul Medicare, just as they’re losing their leading champion on the issue, House Speaker Paul Ryan.
See also:
● Time Running Out in Ryan’s Quest to Overhaul Welfare Programs Roll Call
IMMIGRATION
How the California state budget helps undocumented immigrants fight deportation
Fresno Bee
The California state budget on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk puts tens of millions of dollars into programs that could help undocumented immigrants fight federal efforts to deport them, including opening up $10 million to hire lawyers for unaccompanied minors trying to stay in the U.S.
Immigrants fleeing gangs prefer taking chance for US asylum
Sacramento Bee
More than 100 asylum seekers gathered Wednesday near the entrance to San Diego, the largest crossing on the U.S.-Mexico border. Some Mexicans in the crowd said they were fleeing criminal groups.
Leading Republicans Join Democrats in Pushing Trump to Halt Family Separations
New York Times
While Melania Trump said that “both sides” need to come together to solve the problem, Laura Bush laid responsibility at the feet of the administration.
See also:
● Democrats intensify fight for immigrant children — and bludgeon Trump and Republicans ahead of midterms Washington Post
● Immigration officials: 2,000 children separated from parents UPI
● Fact Check: GOP now blames court for family separation AP News
● Fact Check: Are Democrats Responsible For DHS Separating Children From Their Parents? NPR
● Trump keeps falsely blaming Democrats for his administration's family separation policy — here's what's really going on Business Insider
● Separating Families at the Border Was Always Part of the Plan NY Magazine
● Erosion of immigrant protections began with Trump inaugural PBS
House To Vote On 2 Immigration Bills
NPR
NPR's Michel Martin looks ahead to votes on immigration this coming week in the House with congressman Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), who's seeking legal protections for so-called Dreamers.
See also:
● Watch: Rep. Denham Says GOP Immigration Compromise Protects Dreamers Bloomberg
● Republicans risking conservative backlash over immigration PBS
● GOP Seeks Changes to Immigration Deal They Crafted Roll Call
Washington Post
The White House said Friday that President Trump supports House legislation that closely tracks his priorities on border security and limiting legal immigration, walking back comments he made on national television rejecting the GOP bill.
See also:
● White House: Trump supports GOP leaders' immigration bill AP News
● Trump's Immigration Contradiction Weekly Standard
● Trump’s Comments on Immigration Muddy Prospects for Compromise Bill Wall Street Journal
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Clovis residents fighting to keep senior housing development out of their neighborhood
Fresno Bee
The developer of a proposed senior living complex in northwest Clovis is expected to face off against worried neighbors on Monday as he seeks zoning approval from the City Council.
From weedy lots to lush fields, west Modesto soccer league celebrates new complex
Modesto Bee
The sturdy thwack of a well-struck ball provided much of the soundtrack to the dedication of a years-long community effort to bring soccer fields back to life.
Bakersfield, Kern County dig deep for upcoming branding campaign
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield and Kern County are about to take a good, hard look in the mirror.
Housing:
Will stronger rent control spread across California? Here's what you need to know.
Fresno Bee
California voters are set to vote this November on an initiative that would allow California cities and counties adopt stronger rent control laws, which limit how much landlords are allowed to raise rents each year.
See also:
● Californians will make a big decision on rent control in November Los Angeles Times
● Rental housing inspections under way Madera Tribune
● Minimum wage doesn't cover the rent anywhere in the U.S. CBS
How to solve California's housing crisis: Influencers have ideas
Sacramento Bee
Influencers had plenty of suggestions for combating the crisis: Fewer regulations and lower building fees. Tax incentives for construction. Rent control. Less NIMBY-ism when affordable housing projects are proposed.
Capital Public Radio
When the California Housing Finance Agency was created in 1975 in Gov. Jerry Brown’s first term, the mission was simple: help low- and moderate-income families buy their first home.
Gov. Brown's budget calls for $500 million to help homeless
KCRA 3
The $138.6 billion state budget that lawmakers are expected to approve on Thursday now includes one-time spending on critical programs for California’s homeless population.
See also:
● High cost of housing drives up homeless rates, UCLA study indicates Los Angeles Times
● EDITORIAL: Good weather not behind California's surge in homelessness San Diego Union-Tribune
PUBLIC FINANCES
'Hidden money' in Fresno's budget? Council weighs one-time $10 million increase
Fresno Bee
The Fresno City Council questioned the transparency of the mayor and his administration this week during a budget hearing after the council learned it may be able use an accounting trick to "infuse" nearly $10 million into the proposed 2019 budget.
Valley taxpayers getting notices of mistakes
ABC30
Some valley taxpayers have been receiving letters indicating mistakes have been corrected on their return. Assemblymember Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said, "This is the time of year these letters are sent out. Most of them change the tax liability by increasing the tax to the taxpayer."
California lawmakers craft new ways to stash away budget cash
Los Angeles Times
The state budget that Gov. Jerry Brown will sign by month’s end will total close to a record $200 billion, but it’s not spending that is shaping much of the perception about the proposal. It’s savings or, more precisely, a heightened focus on cash reserves.
California’s Budget Deal Is Set For A Vote On Thursday. Here Are The Details.
Capital Public Radio
The California Legislature is planning to vote Thursday on the budget deal Democratic leaders reached last week with Gov. Jerry Brown. The agreement would increase state funding for the UC and CSU systems, child care, and welfare grants.
Social Security reform, back where we started
AEI
On June 5 the Social Security Trustees released their 2018 report on the financial status of the federal government’s largest program, which levies the largest tax most workers pay and which provides the biggest share of most retirees’ incomes.
The Bull Market’s Next Test: Slower Earnings Growth
Wall Street Journal
U.S. corporate earnings growth looks poised to slow from a blistering pace, posing a potential new challenge to a long bull market that is already contending with slower global-growth momentum and rising interest rates.
TRANSPORTATION
Visalia streets are changing: Here's how your commute will get worse
Visalia Times-Delta
Construction crews, closed roads, near head-on collisions and orange cones have taken over northwest Visalia, confusing commuters on some of Visalia's most-used residential roadways.
Hours extended at several DMV locations
ABC30
In an effort to cut down on wait times and let employees catch up on work--the DMV picked 40 locations across the state for Saturday service.
FAX 15 bus routes will benefit Fresno State students, university officials say
ABC30
A new bus service in the city of Fresno will help riders reach their destinations faster. The 20 brand-new, blue-striped Fresno-Area Express buses are a part of the new FAX 15 bus routes.
Price: Back-in parking rules, like roundabouts, make drivers uncomfortable
Bakersfield Californian
The headline on my column last week said it all: Back-in parking "will take some getting used to." That's really what this comes down to: accepting a new and counterintuitive approach to parking.
Los Angeles Times
Once a rare sight, electronic billboards that flash new ads every few seconds have sprouted up by the hundreds along California freeways in recent years, much to the alarm of environmentalists and traffic-safety experts.
Los Angeles Times
A new California rule saying that state rebates for electric cars can go only to manufacturers certified as being “fair and responsible” in their treatment of workers has put Tesla, the state’s only major EV maker, in a tough position.
Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Explorer get worst ratings in crash test
CNN
Two of America's most popular SUVs earned performed badly in a crash test designed to show how well front-seat passengers are protected in a violent collision.
U.S. Auto Makers Are Putting Smaller Engines Into Big Trucks So They Guzzle Less Gas
Wall Street Journal
Car makers believe they have to future-proof the fuel economy of their trucks to prepare for whatever regulatory environment might come next.
EDITORIAL: Sacramento, make way for electric buses and cars. It’s a good thing.
Sacramento Bee
The city of Sacramento and VW just put out a more detailed list of how a $44 million windfall will be spent on electric vehicles. They’re on the right path – both to dramatically increase EV use, especially in underserved neighborhoods, and to more closely tie Sacramento and UC Davis.
WATER
California, the world's fifth-largest economy, has a Third World drinking water problem
Los Angeles Times
Even in times of drought, California’s natural and human-made arteries run with the nation’s cleanest, most accessible water. So fundamental is the stuff to the state’s identity and to its residents’ daily lives that California law recognizes a human right to “safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.”
Renewing the water workforce: Improving water infrastructure and creating a pipeline to opportunity
Brookings
From pipes and pumps to rivers and lakes, water systems are in urgent need of repair, maintenance, and restoration. At the same time, water workers are in relatively short supply, both for public utilities and a wide range of other employers.
EDITORIAL: Proposed first-ever tax on water got the demise it deserved
San Diego Union-Tribune
It’s 2018, not 1918, and the idea that an estimated 360,000 California residents don’t have access to clean, safe water in their homes is both appalling and hard to fathom. While this problem is concentrated in the Central Valley, it’s a concern in rural agricultural areas across the state, including in San Diego County.
“Xtra”
LA muralist Sand One creating art in downtown Fresno
Fresno Bee
Sand One is creating a mural featuring her doll-design on the Barr Bros. of California shop at Van Ness and Divisadero avenues in downtown Fresno.
These 5 California county fairs are definitely worth a trip
Mercury News
California’s 58 counties all celebrate their history, heritage and agriculture — and often their citizenry’s great fondness for deep-fried Oreos, as well — with lavish annual fairs. Here’s a peek at five county fairs worth the trip.
New, large amphitheater for Modesto. Here's the national artist opening it in August
Modesto Bee
A new large-scale entertainment venue in Modesto will celebrate its grand opening in August with crossover pop and Christian music star Amy Grant.
Being a father in California isn’t all that bad. You ought to try it
Sacramento Bee
Never thought it would be necessary to make this suggestion, but you might want to become a father. Studies show that many, if not most, young men (and women) are foregoing parenthood. The birthrate in California has fallen to its lowest point in, well, ever (11 births per 1,000 adults; it was 21 in 1998).
Mary K. Shell's service set for June 21
Bakersfield Californian
Funeral services for Mary K. Shell, the former Bakersfield mayor and three-term Kern County supervisor, will be held Thursday, June 21, at Saint Francis of Assisi Parish.
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