June 23, 2021

23Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

​​ 

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.

​​ 

North SJ Valley:

​​ 

COVID Update:

​​ 

Council takes first step in hiring new City Manager, other executives

Turlock Journal

The City Council on Tuesday granted approval to begin the recruitment process for several Turlock leadership roles, beginning with City Manager.

​​ 

Unemployment rate continues to drop in Stanislaus County

Turlock Journal

The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County took another dip in May, according to the latest numbers from the Employment Development Department.

See also:

​​ 

Grant funding provides summer learning at TUSD elementary campuses

Turlock Journal

Thanks to grant funding, students throughout Turlock Unified School District have even more opportunities to learn this summer through hands-on activities offered at each elementary campus for the very first time.

​​ 

Ceres recycling rule changes in limbo. How residents could be fined for improper sorting

Modesto Bee

Changes to Ceres trash and recycling collection rules remain in limbo after the City Council last week failed to adopt an ordinance designed to comply with state laws.

​​ 

Free workshops to connect Latino business community with resources, local organizations

Modesto Bee

Opportunity Stanislaus is hosting a series of workshops geared toward Latino business owners across the county to provide information about business resources.

​​ 

Proud Boys denounce Modesto’s police reform efforts during heated City Council meeting

Modesto Bee

About a couple of dozen members of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys turned out at Tuesday’s Modesto City Council meeting to show their support for the police and denounce the city’s efforts to look at potential reforms of its Police Department.

See also:

​​ 

A new bridge over the Tuolumne River would connect these parts of Modesto and Ceres

Modesto Bee

The public can comment on a proposed Tuolumne River bridge between the eastern sides of Modesto and Ceres. The $71.7 million project, if it’s funded, would connect Garner Road in Modesto with Faith Home Road in Ceres.

​​ 

Stanislaus County expands care team that targets highly distressed homeless people

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County is updating a team that engages homeless people who cause disturbances or generate numerous calls to local agencies.

​​ 

Drought is back. How cities and irrigation districts in Stanislaus are limiting water

Modesto Bee

The drought won’t force sudden cuts in water use by city residents in Stanislaus County, because they are in conservation mode all the time.

​​ 

Editorial: This is why proposed Stanislaus River water sale makes good sense

Modesto Bee

State water officials should approve a plan to sell up to 100,000 acre-feet of Stanislaus River water to thirsty buyers on the Valley’s west side and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

​​ 

Central SJ Valley:

​​ 

COVID Update:

​​ 

Fresno-area students of color can earn $300 monthly while studying journalism. Here’s how

Fresno Bee

Calling aspiring journalists of color: Applications are now open for a new program that offers high school students mentorship and a paid pathway to a journalism degree.

​​ 

Fresno’s Central Unified schools name new acting leader following superintendent’s arrest

Fresno Bee

Central Unified schools’ Assistant Superintendent Kettie Davis will lead the district while Superintendent Andrew Alvarado remains on leave amid a criminal investigation, the CUSD school board announced Tuesday.

​​ 

More Clovis school employees try to unionize. Is momentum growing for a teachers union?

Fresno Bee

Clovis Unified school psychologists have filed a petition to form a union, and organizers call it a “first step” toward larger unionization efforts pushed by educators who are part of the largest district in the state without a teachers union.

​​ 

Warszawski: Does future of Fresno’s San Joaquin River Parkway rest with bill to reshape leadership?

Fresno Bee

Decision-making authority over the San Joaquin River Parkway and paying for its management and upkeep were the focal points of a Tuesday news conference attended by Assemblyman Arambula, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and local youth advocates.

​​ 

These Fresno-area roads are on a list for $20 million in upgrades, Jim Costa says

Fresno Bee

San Joaquin Valley roads, highways and railroads could benefit from about $20 million in infrastructure funding, according to Rep. Jim Costa.

​​ 

City of Lemoore declares state of emergency following water tank rupture

abc30

The City of Lemoore has declared a state of emergency after a water tank ruptured Monday afternoon, killing one contractor and injuring a city employee. City officials will hold a news conference at 4:30 pm on Tuesday to discuss the incident.

See also:

​​ 

Fresno sees three deadly shootings in less than 24 hours

abc30

Fresno police are investigating three deadly shootings that happened in less than 24 hours. After nearly 20 days without a homicide, three men were killed in separate shootings on Sunday.

​​ 

Central Valley drought: running out of water, failing wells, contaminants

Hanford Sentinel

The Valley is getting hotter and drier, and leaders said Monday that red tape stands between their small communities and access to water.

​​ 

South SJ Valley:

​​ 

COVID Update:

​​ 

SBDC webinar will go over pandemic recovery programs

Bakersfield Californian

A locally produced webinar starting at noon Wednesday will go over delays in the federal government's $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund and strategies for reopening as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

​​ 

Kern supervisors vote to oppose Newsom administration's proposed fracking ban

Bakersfield Californian

In another clash with Gov. Newsom over energy and environmental policies, the Kern County BOS voted 4-0 with one absence to formally object to a state regulatory proposal that would ban oilfield well stimulation treatments such as fracking starting in 2024.

​​ 

KCSOS launches new program to get girls interested in STEM at a young age

Bakersfield Californian

Hands shot up when a group of fourth and fifth grade girls gathered around the California Living Museum amphitheater on Monday morning were asked whether they liked science and math.

​​ 

School boundaries, traditions and transparency come up at KHSD forum

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern High School District held its second public forum to address its three proposed boundary changes prompted by the opening of Del Oro High School in fall 2022.

​​ 

State:

​​ 

COVID Update:

​​ 

Is California ‘ready to roar back’ – or will Newsom’s post-pandemic economic boom fizzle?

Fresno Bee

Practically everywhere he goes these days, Gov. Gavin Newsom seems to brag about California’s economy — how well it withstood the COVID-19 pandemic, its performance compared to rivals like Texas, and the stunning boom that’s still to come.

​​ 

Can Congress take back California’s COVID relief? Senators want to try in infrastructure deal

Fresno Bee

California’s $75 billion budget surplus is proving to be an alluring target for Washington lawmakers scrambling to find a way to pay for a national infrastructure improvement plan.

​​ 

New mask rules for California state workers: Who still needs a face covering?

Fresno Bee

Most fully vaccinated California state employees don’t need to wear masks at work anymore, the state Human Resources Department announced Monday.

​​ 

California’s ‘woman quota’ law back in court after 9th Circuit allows shareholder to sue

Sacramento Bee

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is allowing a shareholder of a California-based corporation to challenge a state law that requires companies to appoint more women to their boards of directors.

​​ 

Will Juneteenth become a paid state holiday? It’s not California lawmakers’ top priority

Sacramento Bee

Junteenth is the newest federal holiday, but California state workers aren’t likely to get it as a paid day off anytime soon. Doing so would be meaningful, but other priorities should be addressed first, said state Sen. Sydney Kamlager, Legislative Black Caucus vice chair.

​​ 

CalPERS appoints first chief equity officer. Why the pension funds see value in diversity

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS this week appointed its first senior executive to oversee the pension fund’s efforts to nurture diversity in its own workforce and among the publicly traded corporations in which it invests.

​​ 

Serial ADA filer in California submits 1,000 complaints after indictment on tax charges

Sacramento Bee

By the time Sacramento attorney Scott Johnson was indicted in May 2019, he had filed thousands of disability access lawsuits in the Sacramento area, sometimes filing as many as six or more a day at the downtown federal courthouse.

​​ 

Yes, Gov. Gavin Newsom Has the Authority to Continue California’s State of Emergency, Legal Experts Say

Capital Public Radio

Amid a game show backdrop, Gov. Gavin Newsom said early this month that California’s state of emergency is here to stay for now, even as the Golden State moved forward with its reopening plans.

​​ 

California judges don’t reflect the state’s diversity — how that could change

CalMatters

Whites make up a little more than a third of California’s population but nearly two-thirds of its Superior Court judges. Advocates are devising ways to get more people of color into law and onto the bench.

​​ 

Follow the money: Gavin Newsom recall edition

CalMatters

The forecast for this summer is hot, with high wildfire risk and a fever-pitch campaign to determine the political fate of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

​​ 

Federal:

​​ 

COVID Update:

​​ 

Republicans ready to block elections bill in Senate showdown

abc30

The Democrats' expansive elections and voting bill headed for all but certain rejection late Tuesday in a key Senate test vote, providing a dramatic example of Republicans' use of the filibuster to block legislation and forcing hard questions for Democrats over next steps.

See also:

​​ 

Biden's Broader Vision For Medicaid Could Include Inmates, Immigrants, New Mothers

VPR

The Biden administration is quietly engineering a series of expansions to Medicaid that may bolster protections for millions of low-income Americans and bring more people into the program.

​​ 

Infrastructure Talks Focus on How to Pay for Bipartisan Package

Wall Street Journal

Lawmakers and the White House searched for ways to finance a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure proposal without raising the gas tax or placing fees on electric vehicles, debating how much new revenue the IRS could generate with enhanced enforcement efforts.

See also:

​​ 

Majority of Republicans thinks critical race theory negatively affects society: poll

The Hill

A majority of Republicans thinks implementing critical race theory in school curriculums across the country is a bad idea and hurts society, according to a new poll.

See also:

​​ 

Opinion: Kyrsten Sinema: We have more to lose than gain by ending the filibuster

Washington Post

Everyday Arizonans are focused on questions that matter most in their daily lives. Is my job secure? Can I expand my business? Can we afford college? What about health care? When can I retire? Is my community safe?

See also:

​​ 

Opinion: Justice Breyer isn’t the issue

Washington Post

Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer is being pressured by some academics and pundits on the left to resign so President Biden can nominate a successor while Democrats still hold their thin margin in the Senate.

​​ 

Pelosi to Decide Whether to Create Committee to Probe Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

Wall Street Journal

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday she plans to decide this week whether she will create a select committee to probe the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to her spokesman.

​​ 

Will Joe Biden and Lina Khan Cut the Tech Giants Down to Size?

The New Yorker

Of all the appointments that Biden has made since becoming President, one of the most intriguing came last week, when he named Lina Khan, as chair of the FTC, an agency with broad authority to police America’s biggest corporations, including its tech giants.

​​ 

Other:

​​ 

Opinion: As Democrats go hard left, Hispanics head to the center

Roll Call

The 2020 election was a surprise on many levels. Trump got much closer to reelection than most predicted. The blue wave turned out to be a figment of the media’s and Democrats’ imagination. Republicans did far better than expected down ballot and across the country.

​​ 

Democracy’s health, Biden and his predecessors at the six-month mark, 2020 voting experiences, sending vaccines abroad, and Ordinary Life: Making and breaking friendships

AEI

We explore major pollsters’ findings on the state of American democracy in the wake of January 6, where Joe Biden and his predecessors stand six months into their presidencies, voting experiences in 2020, views on sending vaccines to other countries, and friendships.

​​ 

Opinion: Want to Get Trump Re-elected? Dismantle the Police.

New York Times

Like everyone else, I look forward to a summer of reconnecting with family and friends and relishing a good ole Fourth of July barbecue — unmasked!

​​ 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

​​ 

Sunday, June 27, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Air Quality: Has the Valley Hit the Invisible Wall?" - Guest: Rachel Becker, Environmental Reporter - CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

​​ 

Sunday, June 27, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Valley Air: Are We Breathing Any Easier?"- Guests: Tom Jordan, Senior Policy Advisor - San Joaquin Valley Air District; Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner, Co-Director - Fresno State’s Central Valley Health Policy Institute. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

​​ 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

​​ 

In A Narrow Ruling, Supreme Court Hands Farmworkers Union A Loss

VPR

The Supreme Court on Wednesday tightened the leash on union representatives and their ability to organize farmworkers in California and elsewhere.

​​ 

Blaming Almonds for California’s Water Shortage is Just Nuts

California Globe

“California can learn much from Israel on how to conserve water, manage drought better,” an op ed in Sunday’s Sacramento Bee said. At first blush, yes, California can learn a great deal about water management from the Israelis.

​​ 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

​​ 

Crime:

​​ 

Biden pushes effort to combat rising tide of violent crime

Fresno Bee

President Joe Biden plans to lay out new steps to stem a rising national tide of violent crime, with a particular focus on gun violence, as administration officials brace for what they fear could be an especially turbulent summer.

See also:

​​ 

Fresno sees three deadly shootings in less than 24 hours

abc30

Fresno police are investigating three deadly shootings that happened in less than 24 hours. After nearly 20 days without a homicide, three men were killed in separate shootings on Sunday.

​​ 

Military brass resists big changes to prosecution decisions

Roll Call

The Pentagon’s top civilian and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed resistance to legislation that would alter how commanders decide which allegations of major crimes to prosecute, putting the military brass directly in the middle of a political fight.

See also:

​​ 

The Endless Trap of American Parole

Washington Post Magazine

When William Palmer was 17, he put on a ski mask and tried to rob a man — a crime that landed him in prison for three decades. Now 49, he stood in a San Rafael, Calif., rehearsal hall practicing his original one-man play.

​​ 

Justice Department Aims to Curb Gun Trafficking Into Large U.S. Cities

Wall Street Journal

The Justice Department is planning to target gun trafficking into five U.S. cities, officials said, as President Biden prepares to unroll a broader crime-fighting strategy this week in the face of criticism from Republicans about rising violence.

​​ 

Few Cops We Found Using Force on George Floyd Protesters Are Known to Have Faced Discipline

ProPublica

ProPublica compiled 68 videos that seemed to show officers using disproportionate force on protesters. A year later, police have disclosed discipline for a total of 10 officers.

​​ 

Public Safety:

​​ 

Cal/OSHA investigating after possible drowning in wave pool at Fresno water park

Fresno Bee

The California Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating the possible Father’s Day drowning in the wave pool at the Island Waterpark in Fresno. The investigation is being handled by the Amusement Ride and Tramway permanent amusement ride unit.

​​ 

Proud Boys denounce Modesto’s police reform efforts during heated City Council meeting

Modesto Bee

About a couple of dozen members of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys turned out at Tuesday’s Modesto City Council meeting to show their support for the police and denounce the city’s efforts to look at potential reforms of its Police Department.

See also:

The City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve Modesto’s nearly $478 million operating budget, a spending plan that reflects the city’s revenues are growing despite the pandemic but not as fast as the city’s costs.

​​ 

Opinion: Vulnerable communities need help in the heat

CalMatters

As Californians endured another extreme heat wave last week, millions hoped to avoid a repeat of last year’s crisis, when power blackouts eliminated air conditioning as the final refuge from sweltering temperatures.

​​ 

Appeals court blocks overturn of California's assault weapons ban

abc30

The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a federal judge's controversial ruling that overturned California's longtime ban on assault weapons, in which he likened the AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife.

See also:

​​ 

How the American Rescue Plan Act will help cities replace police with trained crisis teams for mental health emergencies

Brookings

Last November, we co-authored a Brookings report on alternatives to police as first responders when dealing with people experiencing a mental health crisis.

​​ 

Fire:

​​ 

Illegal fireworks spark Sky Fire at Millerton Lake in Fresno County, Cal Fire says

Fresno Bee

Investigators for Cal Fire Tuesday said the use of illegal fireworks on Sky Harbour road was the cause of the Sky Fire, which was 40% contained by 10:30 a.m.

See also:

Fresno County abc30

​​ 

Lightning fires shut Mt. Whitney access. Will Fresno County side of Sierra get hit next?

Fresno Bee

Days after a lightning-caused wildfire shut down access to Mt. Whitney in the Inyo National Forest, a second fire is causing additional evacuations in the area.

​​ 

Wildfire season has begun for the Valley

Hanford Sentinel

The Willow Fire in Monterey County, the Crane Fire in Kern County, and multiple fires in the foothills and mountains of Tulare County have marked the beginning of wildfire season in the San Joaquin Valley.

​​ 

Amid clamor to increase prescribed burns, obstacles await

Bakersfield Californian

In the 1950s, when University of California forestry professor Harold Biswell experimented with prescribed burns in the state's pine forests, many people thought he was nuts.

​​ 

US wildfire officials see increasing demand for firefighters

Bakersfield Californian

U.S. wildfire officials expecting increased fire activity and more demand for firefighters and equipment have raised the national preparedness to level 4 — which is unusual for June.

​​ 

Newsom Misled The Public About Wildfire Prevention Efforts Ahead Of Worst Fire Season On Record

VPR

On Gavin Newsom’s first full day in office, Jan. 8, 2019, the newly elected governor stood before the cameras, clad in jeans and sneakers and surrounded by emergency responders, and declared war on wildfires.

​​ 

California wildfire victims face their toughest foe: Insurance companies

Sacramento Bee

They held a potluck picnic on Sunnyside Road a few weeks ago. It was more like group therapy with a side of chicken wings. The Sunday afternoon gathering in early April was a reunion for a Napa Valley neighborhood reduced to rubble by the Glass Fire last September.

​​ 

ECONOMY/JOBS

​​ 

Economy:

​​ 

SBDC webinar will go over pandemic recovery programs

Bakersfield Californian

A locally produced webinar starting at noon Wednesday will go over delays in the federal government's $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund and strategies for reopening as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

​​ 

The small business boom

Axios

The number of entrepreneurs starting a business easily hit a record high in 2020, according to a new analysis by University of Maryland economist John Haltiwanger. That's a surprising result, given the severity of the crisis.

​​ 

Fed chair looks in unlikely place for clues on economy’s future: Lumber

Washington Post

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell’s steady-as-she-goes piloting of the U.S. economy despite creeping inflation represents a bet that developments in an industry far removed from the central bank’s marble headquarters will explain the post-pandemic recovery.

​​ 

Fed’s Powell Plays Down Inflation Threat

Wall Street Journal

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said it’s highly unlikely that inflation will rise to levels seen in the 1970s but acknowledged significant uncertainty as the economy reopens.

​​ 

Jobs:

​​ 

Unemployment rate continues to drop in Stanislaus County

Turlock Journal

The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County took another dip in May, according to the latest numbers from the Employment Development Department.

​​ 

One application sent to multiple Stanislaus employers. How finding jobs just got easier

Modesto Bee

With pandemic restrictions easing and a reopening of California’s economy, employees and employers alike face the challenge of a recovering job market and staffing issues across the state.

​​ 

Help wanted: Labor crisis plagues US restaurant industry

Fresno Bee

Sherry Villanueva’s family of Santa Barbara restaurants employed 350 people before the pandemic took hold and darkened dining rooms across California. Now, with the state’s economy officially reopened, about 250 workers are back on the job.

See also:

​​ 

A New Way To Understand Automation

VPR

For one of the most distinguished critics of automation, MIT economist Daron Acemoglu has been, ironically, cranking out research on the subject lately like he's a machine.

See also:

​​ 

Opinion: More Hidden Costs in the Fight for $15

Wall Street Journal

In a survey of economists, 45% of respondents thought that a nationwide $15-an-hour rule would “lower employment for low-wage workers in many states.” One-third of the economists weren’t certain. Only 14% disagreed.

​​ 

EDUCATION

​​ 

K-12:

​​ 

Fresno-area students of color can earn $300 monthly while studying journalism. Here’s how

Fresno Bee

Calling aspiring journalists of color: Applications are now open for a new program that offers high school students mentorship and a paid pathway to a journalism degree.

​​ 

Fresno’s Central Unified schools name new acting leader following superintendent’s arrest

Fresno Bee

Central Unified schools’ Assistant Superintendent Kettie Davis will lead the district while Superintendent Andrew Alvarado remains on leave amid a criminal investigation, the CUSD school board announced Tuesday.

​​ 

More Clovis school employees try to unionize. Is momentum growing for a teachers union?

Fresno Bee

Clovis Unified school psychologists have filed a petition to form a union, and organizers call it a “first step” toward larger unionization efforts pushed by educators who are part of the largest district in the state without a teachers union.

​​ 

KCSOS launches new program to get girls interested in STEM at a young age

Bakersfield Californian

Hands shot up when a group of fourth and fifth grade girls gathered around the California Living Museum amphitheater on Monday morning were asked whether they liked science and math.

​​ 

School boundaries, traditions and transparency come up at KHSD forum

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern High School District held its second public forum to address its three proposed boundary changes prompted by the opening of Del Oro High School in fall 2022.

​​ 

Grant funding provides summer learning at TUSD elementary campuses

Turlock Journal

Thanks to grant funding, students throughout Turlock Unified School District have even more opportunities to learn this summer through hands-on activities offered at each elementary campus for the very first time.

​​ 

Opinion: California needs a 3/13 Commission

Orange County Register

On that fateful day, California, facing a new pandemic, shut down the foundation of its economy, its culture, and its civic life — our schools. The closures came with little notice or planning, and in defiance of California’s constitutional guarantee of education for children.

​​ 

Walters: Pushing California schools to help at-risk kids

CalMatters

Jerry Brown counts the awkwardly named Local Control Funding Formula as a signal achievement of his second governorship.

​​ 

California school districts receive unprecedented windfall but lack teachers to help students catch up

EdSource

California schools collectively have billions of state and federal dollars to spend on programs to help students catch up on the learning they lost while school campuses were closed.

​​ 

Supreme Court sides with high school cheerleader in free-speech dispute over profane Snapchat rant

Washington Post

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled for a Pennsylvania cheerleader whose profane off-campus rant cost her a spot on the squad, saying the punishment violated her First Amendment rights.

​​ 

Higher Ed:

​​ 

Merced College receives $3 million federal grant to renovate vocational building

Merced Sun-Star

Merced College has been awarded a $3 million construction renovation grant from the federal Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration .

​​ 

Supreme Court sides with athletes in dispute with NCAA over rules limiting benefits

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court dealt the NCAA a unanimous defeat Monday and ruled the multibillion-dollar college sports industry can be sued under the antitrust laws for conspiring to make money by insisting star athletes be unpaid amateurs.

​​ 

Colleges want students to get a coronavirus vaccine. But they’re split on requiring the shots.

Washington Post

Indiana University, a flagship institution in a staunchly Republican state, will require its more than 100,000 students and employees to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as it turns the page on a strange pandemic school year.

​​ 

Apprenticeships:

​​ 

​​ 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

​​ 

Environment:

​​ 

Kern supervisors vote to oppose Newsom administration's proposed fracking ban

Bakersfield Californian

In another clash with Gov. Newsom over energy and environmental policies, the Kern County BOS voted 4-0 with one absence to formally object to a state regulatory proposal that would ban oilfield well stimulation treatments such as fracking starting in 2024.

​​ 

California deserts have lost nearly 40% of plants to hotter, drier weather, satellite data shows

Desert Sun

Desert plants — famous for tolerance of torrid landscapes — are dying at an alarming rate due to the twin threats of even hotter temperatures and less rain, according to new research published this week.

​​ 

Opinion: Biden’s Prairie Chicken Fillet

Wall Street Journal

Why did the lesser prairie chicken cross the road? Apparently to shut down oil and gas development. Witness how the Biden Administration is reviving an Obama Administration effort to list the member of the grouse family under the ESA to restrict energy development.

​​ 

The case for climate change realism

AEI

There is a long and infamous history of world leaders marking humanity’s “last chance” to avoid the ravages of man-made climate change.

​​ 

Rethinking climate finance to improve infrastructure resilience

Brookings

The impacts of a changing climate are no longer a hypothetical. Each year, extreme events like hurricanes, droughts, fires, and freezes grow more frequent and intense—destroying homes, disrupting businesses, and damaging the natural world along the way.

​​ 

Energy:

​​ 

Why so many power outages? Amid record heat, PG&E says, it gets technical

Fresno Bee

A weekend of high temperatures with relatively little nighttime cooling means that many residents are running their air conditioners almost around the clock.

​​ 

Amazon and Other Tech Giants Race to Buy Up Renewable Energy

Wall Street Journal

The race to secure electricity deals for power-hungry data centers has tech companies reshaping the renewable-energy market and grappling with a new challenge: how to ensure their investments actually reduce emissions.

​​ 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

​​ 

Health:

​​ 

Watchdog: Nursing home deaths up 32% in 2020 amid pandemic

Fresno Bee

Deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year, with two devastating spikes eight months apart, a government watchdog reported Tuesday in the most comprehensive look yet at the ravages of COVID-19 among its most vulnerable victims.

​​ 

New Johns Hopkins model projects COVID-19 resurgence in 3 months

abc30

More than half of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. But based on a new scenario model by Johns Hopkins the next three months are crucial if we want to avoid a resurgence by the fall.

​​ 

How COVID-19 can damage the brain

Mercury News

Stanford researchers have found signs of inflammation, genetic changes and impaired circuitry in the brains of people killed by COVID-19, important clues to the mysterious “brain fog” and mental struggles reported by many patients.

​​ 

CDC: Nearly every adult COVID-19 death is now "entirely preventable"

Axios

Adult deaths from COVID-19 are "at this point entirely preventable" thanks to vaccines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House coronavirus briefing on Tuesday.

See also:

​​ 

Delta Covid-19 Variant Could Be Dominant in U.S. in Two to Three Weeks, Study Says

Wall Street Journal

The highly transmissible Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus is spreading so rapidly in the U.S. that it could become the dominant strain in the next two to three weeks, researchers said, adding urgency to the nationwide vaccination drive.

See also:

​​ 

FDA Approved Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug Despite Some Staff Concerns

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first new Alzheimer’s drug in decades over the objection of agency statisticians who said there was insufficient evidence to support approval, according to newly released internal memos.

See also:

​​ 

Vaccinations are lagging at many U.S. prisons, where major virus outbreaks have been common.

New York Times

Vaccinations in many American prisons, jails and detention centers are lagging far behind the U.S. as a whole, prompting public health officials to worry that these settings will remain fertile ground for frequent, fast-spreading coronavirus outbreaks for a long time to come.

​​ 

Human Services:

​​ 

Covered California offers health care to some for as low as $1 a month thanks to federal funds

KTVU

Folks who got economically beaten and battered by the pandemic, have a real opportunity, announced Monday, to get high-quality healthcare for quite literally, a pittance: a dollar a month.

​​ 

Medi-Cal expansion: Legislature’s budget would remove some barriers for low-income residents

CalMatters

Kming Rosenthal recently inherited $5,000 after her birth mother passed away last year. Rosenthal, 72, who lives off her social security disability benefits and doesn’t have much in savings, welcomed the extra cash.

​​ 

IMMIGRATION

​​ 

Migrant youth describe desperation to leave large shelters

Bakersfield Californian

A 13-year-old Honduran girl who spent two months at the government's largest emergency shelter for migrant children said she was put on suicide watch and was eating only popsicles and juice because the food smelled so foul.

​​ 

Democrats to seek citizenship pathway for immigrants in infrastructure bill, Sanders says

Los Angeles Times

Senate Democrats plan to include a pathway to citizenship for certain immigrants in the country illegally as part of the sweeping infrastructure bill they hope to enact on a partisan basis this year.

​​ 

Migrants Sent to Mexico Will Get Another Chance to Seek Asylum

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration said on Tuesday it will give asylum-seeking migrants sent to Mexico by the Trump administration another chance to make their claims in the U.S.

​​ 

LAND USE/HOUSING

​​ 

Land Use:

​​ 

Warszawski: Does future of Fresno’s San Joaquin River Parkway rest with bill to reshape leadership?

Fresno Bee

Decision-making authority over the San Joaquin River Parkway and paying for its management and upkeep were the focal points of a Tuesday news conference attended by Assemblyman Arambula, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and local youth advocates.

​​ 

A new bridge over the Tuolumne River would connect these parts of Modesto and Ceres

Modesto Bee

The public can comment on a proposed Tuolumne River bridge between the eastern sides of Modesto and Ceres. The $71.7 million project, if it’s funded, would connect Garner Road in Modesto with Faith Home Road in Ceres.

​​ 

Yosemite National Park May Hike Camping Fees By October

Capital Public Radio

Yosemite National Park overnight campers will be seeing a fee increase this fall. While current prices currently range from about $6 for an individual camper to $50 for group campsites, those fees just may be rising soon.

​​ 

Housing:

​​ 

Fresno homes are in high demand. Will ‘pay-to-play’ model get houses built faster?

Fresno Bee

As demand for housing soars locally, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is exploring ways of expediting the building process in the city via his 2022 proposed budget, including improving existing systems, hiring more staff and adding fire inspectors.

​​ 

Stanislaus County expands care team that targets highly distressed homeless people

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County is updating a team that engages homeless people who cause disturbances or generate numerous calls to local agencies.

​​ 

Will California’s eviction moratorium be extended beyond June 30?

CalMatters

The state’s eviction freeze will likely be extended past June 30, and lawmakers could finish haggling over details this week. The big issues include how long the extension will last and how much rent relief will cover.

See also:

​​ 

Fire risk amid a housing crisis — California’s challenging new reality

CalMatters

In November, the state’s moratorium on insurance companies dropping coverage for Californians living in wildfire-prone areas is set to end — meaning at least 2.1 million residents could soon find themselves without homeowners’ insurance.

​​ 

U.S. Existing-Home Prices Hit Record High in May

Wall Street Journal

U.S. home prices in May experienced their biggest annual increase in more than two decades, as a shortage of properties and low borrowing rates fueled demand.

​​ 

PUBLIC FINANCES

​​ 

White House launches public push for child tax credit: Here's when the checks go out

abc30

The White House sought Monday to raise awareness of the federal government's new expanded child tax credit, which will start paying out monthly in July to families with children who are 17 years old and younger.

​​ 

Flush With Federal Cash, States Invest in Their Crowded Parks

PEW

Nearly every state saw a surge in visitors to its state parks during the pandemic, which brought attention to the maintenance and upgrades necessary to deal with the record crowds.

​​ 

Can We Stop Corporations from Hiding Their Profits Overseas?

The New Yorker

On June 5th, representatives of the Group of Seven, an organization comprising most of the wealthiest countries in the world, posed for a portrait on the steps of a neoclassical mansion on the west side of London.

​​ 

TRANSPORTATION

​​ 

These Fresno-area roads are on a list for $20 million in upgrades, Jim Costa says

Fresno Bee

San Joaquin Valley roads, highways and railroads could benefit from about $20 million in infrastructure funding, according to Rep. Jim Costa.

​​ 

Still haven’t got your REAL ID? California DMV enticing drivers with deal through year’s end

Fresno Bee

If you’ve been waiting to get your REAL ID, now may be your best time to act. The California DMV announced this week that it would be offering free REAL ID upgrades to Californians who renewed or received a driver’s license or identification card during the pandemic.

​​ 

Rethinking Commuting

The American Prospect

Regional planners and transit agencies must figure out whether working from home or the allure of urban social life will prove stronger in post-pandemic America.

​​ 

WATER

Central Valley drought: running out of water, failing wells, contaminants

Hanford Sentinel

The Valley is getting hotter and drier, and leaders said Monday that red tape stands between their small communities and access to water.

See also:

​​ 

Editorial: This is why proposed Stanislaus River water sale makes good sense

Modesto Bee

State water officials should approve a plan to sell up to 100,000 acre-feet of Stanislaus River water to thirsty buyers on the Valley’s west side and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

​​ 

Drought: Emergency project being built to protect California water supplies

Mercury News

In a new symbol of California’s worsening drought, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on a $10 million emergency project to build a massive rock barrier through part of the Delta in Contra Costa County to preserve water supplies for millions of people across the state.

​​ 

Ensuring Safe Drinking Water for California’s Native American Communities

PPIC

California is home to 109 federally recognized tribes—more than any other state—and several more are petitioning for federal recognition.

​​ 

“Xtra”

​​ 

Bethany Clough: This global chicken chain is seeking its first Fresno restaurant. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

Jollibee, a Filipino chicken chain with a smiling bee for a mascot, wants to open a restaurant in Fresno. The restaurant, which the NY Times called “the McDonald’s of the Philippines,” has filed an application for a conditional-use permit to open a location at 515 E. Shaw Ave.

​​ 

Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

Think you can tell the difference between True and False?

Do you really know what is fake news?

​​ 

Support the Maddy Daily

​​ 

HERE

​​ 

Thank you!

​​ 

​​ 

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

​​ 

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.

 ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

​​ 

Subscribe to the Maddy Daily HERE

​​ 

Or, to Subscribe or Unsubscribe: email amyboam@csufresno.edu

​​