June 18, 2021

18Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

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The Maddy Institute would like YOUR feedback! Please help us better serve you and our communities by taking a few moments to complete our annual survey.

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North SJ Valley:

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COVID Update:

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Merced City Schools superintendent to resign, as sexual harassment allegations loom

Fresno Bee

Trustees with Merced City School District on Wednesday finalized a resignation agreement with Superintendent Richard “Al” Rogers, three months after a civil complaint alleging sexual harassment was filed against him.

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UC Merced receives multimillion dollar gift from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Modesto Bee

UC Merced has been chosen by billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott as one of 30 colleges to benefit from her latest round of donations.

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Juneteenth sparks hope for acknowledgment, youth activism, healthy police relationship

Modesto Bee

As Juneteenth approaches, hope for freedom has evolved across the Black community into hope for its history to be acknowledged, for its youth to become involved and for a healthy relationship with police.

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Turlock nears end of its homeless crisis. Displaced woman calls for new approaches

Modesto Bee

Three months into Turlock’s four-month-long homeless emergency, one woman living on the streets called on the city to consider different approaches such as opening an authorized camping site.

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Editorial: Taxpayers win with another Modesto Fire Department merger, this time with Ceres

Modesto Bee

Better service for less money. How can anyone say no to a deal like that? On Monday, Ceres leaders said yes to the Modesto Fire Department’s offer to provide fire protection in Ceres, Modesto’s neighbor to the south.

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Central SJ Valley:

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COVID Update:

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This high school in Fresno is among the best in the nation, new report says. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

A Fresno Unified charter high school is one of the best schools in California and the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.

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Fresno schools will keep police on campus after debate - but some things are changing

Fresno Bee

A nearly yearlong community debate over police in the city’s public schools ended when the FUSB voted to keep armed police officers on campus over the objections of community groups that pushed the district to end its relationship with law enforcement.

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California moves to fund eviction defense as cities like Fresno develop protection programs

Fresno Bee

The California Legislature approved a budget that sets aside $120 million to protect at-risk renters from eviction.

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Black leaders in Fresno ask City Council to reinstate city clerk after firing

Fresno Bee

Black leaders in Fresno want the City Council to reinstate the city clerk, the city’s only Black woman leading a department, after a surprise announcement this week that she was fired.

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Reopened — but recovered? What Fresno jobs look like in industries hit hardest by COVID

Fresno Bee

When the first confirmed cases of coronavirus struck Fresno County and the central San Joaquin Valley, it triggered a series of precautionary health orders — including wholesale closures of some types of businesses — to stem the spread of the contagion.

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Valley Voices: Far from being a good energy source, biomass threatens Central Valley health, climate

Fresno Bee

Communities in the Central Valley breathed easier when the biomass power plant in Mendota was shut down in 2016, after years of being one of the biggest air polluters in the region.

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Council decides on how to replace Penaloza

Porterville Recorder

At its meeting on Tuesday the Porterville City Council decided to accept applications from individuals interested in filling the vacated City Council seat created by the resignation of Daniel Penaloza.

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Major affordable housing project coming to Porterville

Porterville Recorder

The Porterville City Council took swift action during its meeting on Tuesday on two matters that should substantially help deal with the issues of homelessness and providing services for the most vulnerable in the community.

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Tulare County’s never-ending drought brings dried up wells and plenty of misery

CalMatters

In the rural towns around Visalia, today’s dry spell is indistinguishable from the last one or the next one. Drought is a perpetual plight in the region, which is a hotspot for dry wells.

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Are workers at Devin Nunes’ family dairy U.S. citizens? Judge orders release in defamation suit

Fresno Bee

A federal judge Thursday ordered employees at an Iowa dairy owned by Rep. Devin Nunes’ father and brother to produce whatever documents they have about their immigration status for a long-running defamation lawsuit the family filed against Esquire magazine.

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South SJ Valley:

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COVID Update:

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Aside from police, Bakersfield budget funds variety of new projects

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council has approved a $683.2 million budget for the next fiscal year, ensuring the continued operation of city services for another 12 months.

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Documents show Bakersfield police broke bones in 31 people

Bakersfield Californian

Between 2016 and 2019, Bakersfield police officers used force that broke at least 45 bones in 31 people, according to an analysis of public records by the California Reporting Project.

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KHSD launches entrepreneurship program: 'There's a ton of untapped potential here'

Bakersfield Californian

This week the Kern High School District launched a summer camp that marks the beginning of an effort to train the next generation of entrepreneurs in the region.

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State:

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COVID Update:

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Newsom declares heat wave emergency as California issues second Flex Alert urging conservation

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Thursday over the heat wave gripping California and the West, while the managers of the state’s power grid issued another call for conservation — the second in two days — as temperatures surged past 100 degrees.

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When is the Newsom recall election? Maybe sooner than you think

CalMatters

Californians will almost certainly vote this year whether to throw Gov. Gavin Newsom out of office. But when? The date of California’s recall election still is not set, but voters may decide the governor’s fate closer to Labor Day than November.

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Skelton: Sure, California lawmakers passed a budget to keep getting paid. But it’s not a ‘fake’ plan

Los Angeles Times

​​ Let’s be clear: The state budget the Legislature just passed is a payroll protection program — for the Legislature. But it’s also much more. And it doesn’t mean the budget should cynically be dismissed as a sham, the way it is in much of the media.

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California Has A Once-In-A-Generation Opportunity To Close The Digital Divide

CA FWD

Investing $7 billion into California's broadband infrastructure — including $4 billion to build a statewide open-access middle-mile network — was the call to action made by a group of local government and nonprofit leaders this week.

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Will psychedelics become legal in California?

CalMatters

Amid growing scientific research into therapeutic uses for psychedelic drugs and a progressive push to soften punishment for drug crimes, lawmakers are considering a bill to legalize magic mushrooms, Ecstasy and several other hallucinogenic substances.

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Event: Redistricting: What Cities Need to Know

Institute for Local Government

Hear from seasoned experts about the basics of the process, legal requirements and tips to navigate the process gracefully. Gain a better understanding of the roles of staff and elected officials and how to manage the timeline to create a successful redistricting process and plan.

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Federal:

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COVID Update:

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‘Obamacare’ survives: Supreme Court dismisses big challenge

Fresno Bee

The Supreme Court, though increasingly conservative in makeup, rejected the latest major Republican-led effort to kill the national health care law known as “Obamacare” on Thursday, preserving insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

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Biden signs bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday

abc30

President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, saying he believes it will go down as one of the greatest honors he has as president.

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Dems eye $6T plan on infrastructure, Medicare, immigration

Business Journal

The Senate is preparing a budget document, alongside one in the House, that puts a new focus on President Biden’s big legislative proposal and shows the scope of what Democrats want to accomplish with a go-it-alone approach, separate from any possible bipartisan deal.

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House Republicans, Yellen spar over Biden tax proposals

Roll Call

House Ways and Means Committee Republicans clashed with Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen on Thursday over President Joe Biden’s tax proposals, while panel Democrats welcomed them and pushed for additional policies beyond the president’s plans.

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Democrats' high-risk, high-reward health care push

Axios

Democrats are considering including major health care reforms in a massive legislative package that could be passed without Republican votes, teeing up a grueling fight with the health care industry — and, potentially, each other.

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As voting rights bills fizzle in Congress, VP Harris looks to fire up voters for 2022

Los Angeles Times

VP Harris held her highest-profile event since grabbing the helm of the White House’s voting rights efforts earlier this month, meeting with a group of Democratic state lawmakers from Texas on Wednesday to highlight what they call a national threat to democracy.

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Progressives fed up with Feinstein, want her to resign now

San Francisco Chronicle

Progressives aren’t just boiling mad at Sen. Dianne Feinstein (again). Some want the senator, who has been in office since 1992, to resign. They’re frustrated that Feinstein continues to balk at killing the filibuster to pass a voting rights bill.

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Supreme Court rules for Catholic foster care agency in Philadelphia, citing discrimination

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday for Catholic Social Services in its fight over foster care in Philadelphia, holding city officials discriminated against the church group because of its religious views.

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Federal judge tosses local lawsuit that echoed Trump claims of election fraud

OC Register

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit filed by California Republicans that echoed false allegations made by former President Donald Trump about the validity of the 2020 election.

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Interior deputy confirmed with broad support

Roll Call

The Senate overwhelmingly voted Thursday to confirm Tommy Beaudreau, an energy lawyer with a wide array of former fossil and renewable energy clients, to be deputy secretary of the Interior Department.

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Opinion: Trump-DOJ revelations should newly shame his Republican enablers

Washington Post

When I worked at the White House, I always entered the Oval Office with a feeling akin to reverence. Being invited there early in the morning to go over a speech, or participating in policy discussion, was sobering.

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Exclusive poll: Broad public support for new tech regulations

Axios

On the heels of the new House bills and Lina Khan's ascent to the head of the FTC, new polling from left-leaning polling firm Data for Progress shared exclusively with Axios shows support for stricter regulation of technology platforms.

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Fact Check: Can student loan debt be canceled by a President’s executive order?

Politifact

Biden has promised to consider waiving outstanding student debt, up to a limit and for individuals under an income limit. But the law may not allow him to accomplish this goal simply by signing an executive order, experts say.

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Other:

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Fareed Zakaria: The decay of American democracy is real

Washington Post

“America is back,” Joe Biden kept repeating on his first trip abroad as president. It’s a fair description of what he accomplished — a restoration of the United States’ role as the country that can set the global agenda, encourage cooperation and deter malign behavior.

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MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

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Sunday, June 20, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "California: ​​ Is Aging is More Than a State of Mind?"- Guest: Kim McCoy Wade, Director - CA Department of Aging. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

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Sunday, June 20, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "How COVID Revealed Nursing Home Problems" - Guests: Kim McCoy Wade, Director - CA Department of Aging; Barbara Feder-Ostrov - CalMatters; Jocelyn Wiener - CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

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AGRICULTURE/FOOD

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No more masks for vaccinated California farmworkers? ‘Too soon,’ some advocates say

Fresno Bee

Labor rights organizations are raising concerns about a California agency’s proposal to ease some COVID-19 workplace safety regulations for most industries.

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Universal basic income for farmworkers? Some leaders are pushing for it

CalMatters

A Fresno-area politician wants California to prioritize struggling San Joaquin Valley farmworkers in a proposed pilot program that would put cash in the hands of some the state’s impoverished residents.

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Some states are cutting off emergency food-assistance programs and making it harder to qualify

Washington Post

The moves come even as more than 20 million adults reported their households sometimes or often did not have enough to eat in the week ending June 7, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

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Crime:

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Docs show Bakersfield police broke bones in 31 people

Bakersfield Californian

On Nov. 24, 2017, Robert Cruz Jr. biked north along Baker Street, on a quiet block straddling Bakersfield’s once-thriving old town and struggling new, restaurants interspersed with a rehab center and a prepaid phone store.

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Faster jail transfers to California mental hospitals upheld

AP News

California can’t lock up people for months in jails after they have been found mentally incompetent to stand trial, a state appeals court said.

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Public Safety:

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Fresno schools will keep police on campus after debate - but some things are changing

Fresno Bee

A nearly yearlong community debate over police in the city’s public schools ended when the FUSB voted to keep armed police officers on campus over the objections of community groups that pushed the district to end its relationship with law enforcement.

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Fire:

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Sierra ‘oasis’ surrounded by Creek Fire burn has a message: We all failed the forest

Fresno Bee

A creaking tree stopped the Terzian family in their tracks on a recent spring day while surveying wildfire and wind damage at Minarets Pack Station in Sierra National Forest.

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Editorial: Taxpayers win with another Modesto Fire Department merger, this time with Ceres

Modesto Bee

Better service for less money. How can anyone say no to a deal like that? On Monday, Ceres leaders said yes to the Modesto Fire Department’s offer to provide fire protection in Ceres, Modesto’s neighbor to the south.

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ECONOMY/JOBS

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Economy:

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Fresno EOC Head Start grant announcement

Fresno EOC

Fresno EOC was faced with the possibility of laying off hundreds of employees and potentially losing its largest program, Head Start 0 to 5, which serves over 3,000 children with early education services.

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Stimulus, unemployment checks help child support debt collection hit new high

CalMatters

These fathers, all of whom owe thousands –– in some cases, tens of thousands –– in old child support debt didn’t get the first federal stimulus checks. Instead, California clawed away money meant to be a lifeline for food and shelter during the worst public health crisis in a century, checks taken to repay decades-old debt.

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Michael Tubbs and Don Howard: Bring everyone to the table to achieve equitable economic growth

CalMatters

Could California’s recovery leave millions behind? It won’t if we take bold, collective action informed by the working Californians who for too long have been shut out of our economy.

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Red-Hot U.S. Economy Drives Global Inflation, Forcing Foreign Banks to Act

Wall Street Journal

A booming U.S. economy that is driving inflation higher around the world and pushing up the U.S. dollar is pressing some central banks to increase interest rates, despite still-high levels of Covid-19 infections and incomplete economic recoveries in their own countries.

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Small Business Needed Federal Help. The Agency in Charge Fell Short.

Wall Street Journal

In the pandemic shutdown last year, three-quarters of the nation’s small employers turned to the Small Business Administration for help. The portfolio that includes loans issued or guaranteed by the federal agency swelled more than five times to nearly $900 billion.

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Jobs:

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Reopened — but recovered? What Fresno jobs look like in industries hit hardest by COVID

Fresno Bee

When the first confirmed cases of coronavirus struck Fresno County and the central San Joaquin Valley, it triggered a series of precautionary health orders — including wholesale closures of some types of businesses — to stem the spread of the contagion.

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It’s final: Masks, social distancing not required for vaccinated California workers

Fresno Bee

Fully vaccinated Californians won’t have to wear masks or practice social distancing at their workplaces, under the state’s new COVID workplace safety rule approved by a Cal-OSHA board Thursday.

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Juneteenth will be a federal holiday. What does that mean for California public employees?

Sacramento Bee

Juneteenth — or June 19 — is joining Memorial Day, Christmas and other days as a federal holiday. Most federal employees will get Friday off, but the immediate impact for California public employees may not be evident for awhile.

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Californians will again have to show they’re job hunting to receive unemployment benefits

Los Angeles Times

With the pandemic waning, Californians who receive unemployment benefits will have to show next month that they are looking for work, a requirement that the state waived last year when COVID-19 led to economic upheaval.

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Will California investment in new job training programs pay off?

CalMatters

By its own account, the state’s effort to train Californians for “green jobs” coming out of the Great Recession fell short in helping them find work and improving wages. Using 2009 federal recovery act money, the state created training programs for jobs such as energy auditors or rooftop solar installation.

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EDUCATION

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K-12:

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Merced City Schools superintendent to resign, as sexual harassment allegations loom

Fresno Bee

Trustees with Merced City School District on Wednesday finalized a resignation agreement with Superintendent Richard “Al” Rogers, three months after a civil complaint alleging sexual harassment was filed against him.

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Fresno’s summer school enrollment surges as students try to balance learning and burnout

Fresno Bee

Summer school enrollment surged for Fresno Unified schools following a challenging year of remote learning brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. About 17,000 FUSD students attended the first day of summer classes Monday, the most in at least the last four years.

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This high school in Fresno is among the best in the nation, new report says. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

A Fresno Unified charter high school one of the best schools in California and the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.

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Fox’s anti-“critical race theory” parents are also GOP activists

Media Matters For America

Nearly a dozen of the Fox News guests presented as concerned parents or educators who oppose the teaching of so-called “critical race theory” in schools also have day jobs as Republican strategists, conservative think-tankers, or right-wing media personalities.

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Higher Ed:

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Water, energy technology accelerator accepting applications

Business Journal

Valley Ventures is an incubator program that provides business support services at Fresno State with a main goal to help promote the growth of participating business ventures that involve technology centered on energy and water efficiency.

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UC Merced receives multimillion dollar gift from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Modesto Bee

UC Merced has been chosen by billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott as one of 30 colleges to benefit from her latest round of donations.

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California college system makes COVID vaccines mandatory for students, staff and faculty

Sacramento Bee

The University of California says COVID-19 vaccines will be mandatory for students, faculty and staff starting this fall semester.

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How some college counselors are fighting back against pandemic-induced enrollment decline

CalMatters

Thousands of California high school graduates didn’t go to college last year due to the pandemic. The drop, which mostly affected community colleges, might be temporary, but it showed the need to provide more support for students going from high school to college.

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Thanks, but no thanks: Why community colleges are resisting $170 million

CalMatters

College faculty for decades have been seeking more money to hire full-time instructors. But could that hurt colleges financially down the line if student enrollments continue to sag?

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ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

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Environment:

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Valley Air News

San Joaquin Valley Air District

The District’s Wildfire Information Page offers one location to answer all your questions when wildfires impact the San Joaquin Valley.

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EXPLAINER: What’s behind the heat wave in the American West?

Fresno Bee

Much of the American West has been blasted with sweltering heat this week as a high pressure dome combines with the worst drought in modern history to launch temperatures into the triple digits, toppling records even before the official start of summer.

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Energy:

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Flex Alert: Tracker shows how close we are to overloading the power grid

abc30

As the brunt of Central California's heat wave moves in on Thursday, Cal ISO has issued a Flex Alert, asking Californians to conserve energy to avoid overloading the grid.

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Valley Voices: Far from being a good energy source, biomass threatens Central Valley health, climate

Fresno Bee

Communities in the Central Valley breathed easier when the biomass power plant in Mendota was shut down in 2016, after years of being one of the biggest air polluters in the region.

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HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

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Health:

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New physical fitness and mental well-being council targets Californians’ health

Fresno Bee

After more than a year of closures and limited capacity restrictions, gyms and physical fitness centers are up and running again as California’s economy reopens.

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Is it better to get immunity from catching COVID — or vaccines? What science shows

Fresno Bee

Research shows both coronavirus infection and vaccination offers immunity that can protect people from getting sick again. But by how much and for how long remains unclear — a scientific gap that only time could fill.

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US to spend $3.2B on treatments for COVID-19, other viruses

Fresno Bee

The United States is devoting $3.2 billion to speed development of antiviral pills to treat COVID-19 and other dangerous viruses that could turn into pandemics.

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Human Services:

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CVS & Walgreens Were Reeling. Now They’re Riding a Covid-19 Wave.

Wall Street Journal

CVS and Walgreens lost revenue as shoppers stayed home and skipped routine medical care. The companies spent hundreds of millions of dollars to roll out testing and vaccination programs. This spring, something changed: Covid-19 turned into a moneymaker.

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Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Sponsors Community Resiliency Training Program With Professional Community Intervention Training Institute

yahoo!finance

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is pleased to sponsor a comprehensive community resiliency certification program with the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI).

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IMMIGRATION

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Advocates hope for expanded immigrant aid in final budget

CalMatters

As Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders finalize California’s new budget, advocates hope for expanded health care, food and financial aid to undocumented immigrants who are excluded from federal safety net programs.

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LAND USE/HOUSING

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Land Use:

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Land Use and Community Planning Strategies Can Promote Health Equity

PEW

Local land development patterns and zoning policies directly affect many of the critical factors that shape communities’ health. And that means community planning professionals play a key role in promoting public health through their work.

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Housing:

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California moves to fund eviction defense as cities like Fresno develop protection programs

Fresno Bee

The California Legislature approved a budget that sets aside $120 million to protect at-risk renters from eviction.

See also:

·  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ HUD Aims to Boost Homeownership for Buyers With High Student Loans Wall Street Journal

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Major affordable housing project coming to Porterville

Porterville Recorder

The Porterville City Council took swift action during its meeting on Tuesday on two matters that should substantially help deal with the issues of homelessness and providing services for the most vulnerable in the community.

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Turlock nears end of its homeless crisis. Displaced woman calls for new approaches

Modesto Bee

Three months into Turlock’s four-month-long homeless emergency, one woman living on the streets called on the city to consider different approaches such as opening an authorized camping site.

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California’s Housing Construction Picks Up Pace

PPIC

During the first four months of 2021, the total number of new housing units authorized by local jurisdictions increased 25% compared to the same period in 2020. Still, recent numbers are well below levels seen in earlier years.

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Is union labor requirement in the way of easing California’s affordable housing crisis?

CalMatters

Two are sailing through the Legislature. The other died early on. A key difference? The successful bills had the support of arguably the most powerful entity in the Capitol on housing issues, the State Building and Construction Trades Council.

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Is California still facing an eviction tsunami when the moratorium ends?

CalMatters

CalMatters conducted a Q&A with housing researcher Carolina Reid, who has been tracking vulnerable renters throughout the pandemic. She says the state could help renters facing eviction — if enough money gets to them in time.

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PUBLIC FINANCES

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Opinion: Wait, California Has Lower Middle-Class Taxes Than Texas?

Bloomberg

A lot of people left California for other states over the past decade, with 912,038 more going than coming from 2010 to 2019, according to Census Bureau population estimates. Who was leaving?

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Juneteenth will be a federal holiday. What does that mean for California public employees?

Fresno Bee

Juneteenth — or June 19 — is joining Memorial Day, Christmas and other days as a federal holiday. Most federal employees will get Friday off, but the immediate impact for California public employees may not be evident for awhile.

See also:

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CalPERS claws back $636,000 from 2 California cops over ‘manufactured’ retirement deals

Modesto Bee

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System Board of Administration voted Wednesday to revoke the disability retirement of three former Beverly Hills police officers, and ordered two of them to repay a total of more than $636,000 in benefits.

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Capital Gains: A Century-Old Tax Break Gets a Rush of Attention

Wall Street Journal

Suddenly, capital-gains taxes are all over the news. In late May, the Biden administration released details of its proposals to boost taxes on Americans’ long-term capital-gains income above $1 million by 82%.

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Opinion: ProPublica’s Plan for a Poorer America

Wall Street Journal

ProPublica’s “blockbuster” story showing that the wealthy “pay income taxes that are only a tiny fraction of the hundreds of millions, if not billions, their fortunes grow each year,” looks at first like a stunning revelation.

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Child tax credit checks could come as a surprise to some

Politico

The Biden administration is preparing to send money to millions of Americans — including to some who may not want it.

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TRANSPORTATION

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Opinion: Banning gas cars was a good start. Now California needs to make electric vehicles affordable

Fresno Bee

In late January, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to target state funding to focus directly on building out electric vehicle infrastructure and subsidies to help low-income car buyers afford EVs.

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WATER

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Tulare County’s never-ending drought brings dried up wells and plenty of misery

CalMatters

In the rural towns around Visalia, today’s dry spell is indistinguishable from the last one or the next one. Drought is a perpetual plight in the region, which is a hotspot for dry wells.

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Drought saps California reservoirs as hot, dry summer looms

Business Journal

Each year Lake Oroville helps water a quarter of the nation’s crops, sustain endangered salmon beneath its massive earthen dam and anchor the tourism economy of a Northern California county that must rebuild seemingly every year after unrelenting wildfires.

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Plan to raze 4 dams on California-Oregon line clears hurdle

Fresno Bee

A proposal to bring down four hydroelectric dams near the California-Oregon border cleared a major regulatory hurdle Thursday, setting the stage for the largest dam demolition project in U.S. history to save imperiled migratory salmon.

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“Xtra”

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Bethany Clough: Why are over 35 cars allowed to wait in Fresno fast food drive-thrus? What we found out

Fresno Bee

One thing Fresnans love to rant about: drive-thru restaurant lines packed with cars. Last week, The Bee published a story about the owner of Westwoods BBQ & Spice Co. complaining publicly about the line of dozens of cars from Chick-fil-A blocking parking spaces.

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So, you’re finally heading out. Here’s a mega list of Fresno-area events to check out

Fresno Bee

Note to those awaiting a hard reopening on entertainment options after a year-plus hiatus: Event calendars are quickly filling up. Here is a comprehensive, if not totally complete, list of events, through December. Bookmark this story and come back. It will get updated.

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Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

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Support the Maddy Daily

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

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The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute 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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