June 24, 2021

24Jun

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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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.

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How new fellowship program will empower youth, diversify boards of Stanislaus nonprofits

Modesto Bee

Older and white. Those are the faces of most board members at nonprofit organizations across the county, according to a Stanislaus Community Foundation leader.

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‘Music to my ears’: Ceres Unified starts construction on first performing arts center

Modesto Bee

District leaders anticipate construction of the Ricardo Campero Performing Arts Center to be complete by January 2023.

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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.

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Central SJ Valley:

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COVID Update:

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City of Fresno FY22 Proposed Budget

Click here to read the full proposed budget and here for the City Council’s motions.

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Fresno County declines support for downtown Fresno improvement district

Business Journal

The Downtown Fresno Partnership is seeking renewal of its Property and Business Improvement District, but getting Fresno County on board remains a struggle.

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Did the Fresno City Council break open meeting law over Granite Park? DA investigating

Fresno Bee

Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp penned a letter Wednesday to Fresno city officials asking the Fresno City Council to postpone any votes related to Granite Park while her office addresses allegations the council violated the Brown Act.

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California hands over mobile home park responsibilities to Fresno code enforcement

Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno received state approval Wednesday to assume responsibility for enforcing health and safety codes at local mobile home parks, weeks after the city passed the Mobile Home Park Act.

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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.

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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.

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‘A very, very dangerous time.’ Fresno police battle illegal fireworks, announce arrests

Fresno Bee

The Fresno police and fire departments on Wednesday made their annual plea for a safe and responsible Fourth of July weekend.

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Clovis is looking to add a new affordable housing project. Here’s where it’s going

Fresno Bee

The Clovis City Council this week committed $1.2 million to a new affordable housing project in the city, which has a drastically low amount of housing for low-income families.

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U.S. Supreme Court decision on Fresno County plant hailed by employers, unions disappointed

Fresno Bee

The impacts of the U.S. Supreme Court decision affecting how union organizers are able to meet with farmworkers are being felt throughout the Valley and especially in Fresno County where one of the companies involved in the case is based.

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Aftermath of water tank explosion in Lemoore

Fresno Bee

A water tank explosion led to a tsunami in Lemoore, California on Monday, June 21, 2021. A man was killed and another was injured.

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County supervisors discuss options for $29.7 million in ARPA funding

Hanford Sentinel

Options for using the $29.7 million allocated to Kings County in the recently-passed American Rescue Plan Act were presented to the Board of Supervisors during their Tuesday meeting.

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New transit center to bring face lift downtown, expand service

Hanford Sentinel

Downtown Hanford is in for a major face lift by 2024, courtesy of a $20 million transit system which is about to enter the design phase.

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South SJ Valley:

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COVID Update:

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Kern growers applaud high court ruling challenging California labor law

Bakersfield.com

Kern County growers welcomed a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that sided with California agriculture businesses in their challenge to a state regulation giving unions access to private property in order to organize workers.

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

Bakersfield Californian

In another clash with Newsom over energy and environmental policies, the Kern County Board of Supervisors 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.

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Bakersfield tops affordability list for minimum-wage earners

Bakersfield Californian

A new report ranks Bakersfield as the country's most livable big city for people earning the minimum wage. Someone making $14 per hour would need to work only 52 hours and 24 minutes per month to afford a one-bedroom apartment in Bakersfield.

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State:

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COVID Update:

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom recall election moves forward. Here’s what happens next

Mercury News

Just 43 people withdrew their signatures from recall petitions

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California coalition throws support behind Newsom's broadband plan

Bond Buyer

Gov. Gavin Newsom's broadband plan taps $5.5 billion from the flexible funding from the America Rescue Plan Act as part of his $7 billion plan, and has a much more accelerated timeline than the Legislature’s proposal.

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Some disabled Californians feel abandoned by Newsom’s Golden State Stimulus

CalMatters

Newsom sent checks to some Californians with disabilities, but passed over others. As the Legislature negotiates with Newsom over his proposal to expand the program, Californians with Disability Insurance say they’re fed up with being overlooked during the pandemic.

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Millions of Californians are set to get tax rebates in a new state budget. Do you qualify?

Fresno Bee

Californians earning under $75,000 per year are expected to receive tax rebates worth hundreds of dollars once a new state budget is approved.

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CHP enforcement campaign will watch the roads for speed violators this weekend

Modesto Bee

Drivers can expect a speed enforcement campaign on roads and highways in California this weekend. The California Highway Patrol said it’s part of a law enforcement effort in a dozen western states to slow traffic and prevent speed-related crashes and fatalities.

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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.

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Walters: California’s pro-housing forces score big win

CalMatters

A Superior Court’s ruling could make it more difficult for opponents of housing projects to block them with ballot measures.

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Federal:

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COVID Update:

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Biden announces bipartisan deal on infrastructure after meeting with GOP and Democratic senators

Washington Post

“We have a deal,” President Biden said Thursday as he joined the senators outside the White House. Late Wednesday, the senators had tentatively reached a framework agreement for hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending on the nation’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

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Biden Administration Removes Fannie, Freddie Overseer After Court Ruling

Wall Street Journal

Supreme Court decision on Wednesday is a blow to investors who bet the mortgage giants would be returned to private hands from government control.

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California’s new senator is ready to end the filibuster. Dianne Feinstein’s ‘thinking about it’

Fresno Bee

Get rid of the filibuster, insists Sen. Alex Padilla. His colleague, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, isn’t so sure. “Alex Padilla would have given up the filibuster to move forward on voting rights, climate change, immigration reform and more,” he told The Sacramento Bee this week.

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Harris to make first trip to U.S.-Mexico border Friday to assess situation with migrants

Los Angeles Times

VP Harris will travel to the southern border Friday, the administration confirmed Wednesday, following months of Republicans’ criticism over the Biden administration’s handling of a large increase in families and unaccompanied minors arriving from Central America.

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Pelosi announces a select committee will investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob

Washington Post

Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday that House Democrats will form a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, one month after Senate Republicans blocked an effort to form an independent, bipartisan commission.

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Reuters

The United States' top military officer on Wednesday hit back against a growing conservative movement opposed to teaching certain theories about racism at educational institutions, saying military university graduates should be "open-minded and be widely read."

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Supreme Court Rules for High-School Cheerleader Brandi Levy in Free-Speech Case Over Snapchat Post

Wall Street Journal

In 8-1 decision, court finds school violated First Amendment by punishing student for using a vulgar word in social media

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Opinion: The Justices Side With Foster Children

Wall Street Journal

As two single foster mothers of color, we have seen the harm caused by a foster system in crisis. We have also seen the hope and love created by faith-affirming foster agencies like Catholic Social Services.

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The Politics of Supreme Court Retirements

The New Yorker

Amid calls for Justice Stephen Breyer to step down, the legal scholar Noah Feldman considers politics, partisanship, and the Court.

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Make Election Day a national holiday

Brookings

Last week Manchin’s office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete.

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Other:

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All recent US population growth comes from people of color, new census estimates show

Brookings

Newly released Census Bureau estimates compiled independently of the 2020 census suggest something unprecedented: The 2010s could be the first decade when the nation’s white population registered an absolute loss.

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A new Postal Service proposal could slow down the mail. How long will you have to wait?

Fresno Bee

You might be waiting longer for that package to arrive under a proposal announced earlier this month by the U.S. Postal Service.

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MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

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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.

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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.

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AGRICULTURE/FOOD

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U.S. Supreme Court decision on Fresno County plant hailed by employers, unions disappointed

Fresno Bee

The impacts of the U.S. Supreme Court decision affecting how union organizers are able to meet with farmworkers are being felt throughout the Valley and especially in Fresno County where one of the companies involved in the case is based.

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Farmworker Overtime Would End Racist Pay Gap, Lawmakers Say

Pew Trusts

Currently, federal and most state laws exempt farmworkers from the overtime protections guaranteed to most other workers. Labor advocates say that precedent was set by the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which was written to exclude Black field workers.

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California’s Drought Is So Bad That Almond Farmers Are Ripping Out Trees

Bloomberg

The famed farming valleys of California are being swept into what feels like permanent dryness, raising the specter of food inflation.

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

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Crime:

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Homicides surge in California amid COVID shutdowns of schools, youth programs

Business Journal

Amid a pandemic that left law enforcement agencies stretched thin and forced shutdowns that left young men with little to do, California registered a devastating surge in homicides in 2020 that hit especially hard in Black and Latino communities.

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Racial Disparities in California’s State Prisons Remain Large Despite Justice System Reforms

California Budget & Policy Center

California adopted a series of justice system reforms in the 2010s that substantially reduced mass incarceration.

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Biden targets law-breaking gun dealers in anti-crime plan

Los Angeles Times

President Biden announced new efforts Wednesday to stem a rising national tide of violent crime, declaring the federal government is “taking on the bad actors doing bad things to our communities.”

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Public Safety:

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‘A very, very dangerous time.’ Fresno police battle illegal fireworks, announce arrests

Fresno Bee

The Fresno police and fire departments on Wednesday made their annual plea for a safe and responsible Fourth of July weekend.

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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.

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Fire:

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Tulare County wildfire update: Nettle Fire inches toward full containment

Visalia Times Delta

An 800-acre wildfire burning near Porterville reached 100% containment on Tuesday. The Success Fire was sparked last week following a lightning storm. Roughly 172 firefighters were assigned to the Tulare County incident.

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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.

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Millions of Calif. Homes Are in Fire-Prone Areas. Researchers Say It's Time To Reimagine Where People Live

KQED

When tragedy strikes, people often rebuild in the same risky places, according to researchers at UC Berkeley and Next 10, a nonprofit think tank, who are urging California policymakers to rethink how communities are rebuilt after destructive wildfires.

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ECONOMY/JOBS

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Economy:

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‘Crisis presents opportunity.’ How Tara Lynn Gray plans to save California’s small businesses

Fresno Bee

Tara Lynn Gray was appointed in March by Gov. Gavin Newsom to be California’s new Director at the Office of Small Business Advocate.

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California issued millions in COVID fines. Employers have paid almost none of them

Fresno Bee

Six months into the pandemic, California’s workplace safety agency tried to send an ominous message about COVID-19 safety to business owners: “We’re watching.”

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Jobs:

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Big US banks to employees: Return to the office vaccinated

Fresno Bee

Wall Street's big investment banks are sending a message to their employees this summer: Get back into the office and bring your vaccination card.

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Downward U.S. Jobless Claims Trend Stalls Out

Wall Street Journal

Initial unemployment claims, a proxy for layoffs, held nearly steady last week

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Why Amazon Supports a $15 Minimum Wage

Amazon

In 2018, Amazon raised its starting wage for all U.S. employees to at least $15/hour. We’ve seen the impact this has had on our employees, their families, and their communities. Since then, we’ve been lobbying Congress to increase the federal minimum wage.

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EDUCATION

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K-12:

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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.

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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.

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Central Unified School District names acting superintendent

abc30

The Central Unified Board of trustees voted unanimously to name a new acting superintendent as they continue their investigation into Andy Alvarado following his recent arrest.

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Higher Ed:

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Federal Stimulus Funds Bolstered California Colleges and Universities

PPIC

The state’s public higher education institutions and students are receiving more than $8 billion in funds across three federal relief packages.

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BC job skills training program seeks young people who are struggling, out of school

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College's ENCORE program wants to help young residents who are struggling with challenging circumstances earn a job skills certificate.

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State university faculty, students in Florida to be surveyed on beliefs by State

Tampa Bay Times

In his continued push against the “indoctrination” of students, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed legislation that will require public universities and colleges to survey students, faculty and staff about their beliefs and viewpoints to support “intellectual diversity.”

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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.

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ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

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Environment:

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PG&E to pay $5.9 million for dumping cooling system water from Diablo Canyon into ocean

Fresno Bee

PG&E will pay the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board $5.9 million in a landmark settlement that recognizes the long-term impacts of dumping water used to cool Diablo Canyon Power Plant back into the Pacific Ocean.

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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.

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California oil regulators delay health, safety rules again

Associated Press

It’s been a year and a half since California Gov. Gavin Newsom directed oil regulators to consider new health and safety measures to protect people living near oil and gas drilling sites.

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House Republicans form Conservative Climate Caucus

Axios

Several dozen House Republicans led by Utah Rep. John Curtis will on Wednesday launch the Conservative Climate Caucus.

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G7 Leaders Unite Around Ambitious Global Conservation Agenda

PEW

Leaders of seven of the 10 largest economies in the world united today in an ambitious agenda for the conservation of the planet, recognizing the critical role of nature in rebuilding the global economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Energy:

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

Bakersfield Californian

In another clash with Newsom over energy and environmental policies, the Kern County Board of Supervisors voted to formally object to a state regulatory proposal that would ban oilfield well stimulation treatments such as fracking starting in 2024.

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Editorial: If droughts continue, California can’t rely on hydroelectricity. But there’s another solution

Sacramento Bee

California’s energy stock is in a uniquely California conundrum. Intense drought conditions are exhausting the state’s supply of hydroelectricity, which begs the question of whether we can rely on water-generated power long-term in a hotter and drier California.

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Why Are Californians Being Asked to Turn Up the Heat?

New York Times

Summer officially started on Sunday, but Californians had already been asked to save energy during a record-threatening heat wave across the West.

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HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

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Health:

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COVID-19 vaccine boosters may be necessary. Here's what you need to know

abc30

Currently three coronavirus vaccines are authorized for emergency use in the United States -- the two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for people 12 and older, the two-dose Moderna vaccine and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines for everyone 18 and older.

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Americans lost more years of life to COVID-19 in 2020 than to all accidents combined in a typical year

Pew Research Center

About 600,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 since the coronavirus outbreak began. But behind that huge figure is a more nuanced one that brings the human toll of the virus into even sharper relief.

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Spread of delta coronavirus variant exposes poorly vaccinated regions to renewed danger

Washington Post

The rapid spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus is poised to divide the U.S. again, with highly vaccinated areas continuing toward post-pandemic freedom and poorly vaccinated regions threatened by greater caseloads and hospitalizations.

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Opinion: Why There’s New Hope for Alzheimer’s Patients

Wall Street Journal

Biogen’s aducanumab isn’t a cure, but the trials were promising—and other therapies are in the works.

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Human Services:

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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.

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Interview: Privacy Rights Advocacy Group Raises Concerns About Digital Access To Vaccine Records

Capital Public Radio

A privacy rights advocacy group is raising concerns about California’s program giving residents digital access to their coronavirus vaccination records.

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Health Coverage and Care for Undocumented Immigrants in California

PPIC

This report updates findings on the ways undocumented Californians connect with the health care system to inform policy discussions around providing affordable health insurance for all.

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Hospitals Start Requiring Workers to Get COVID Shots

PEW

After a Texas federal court sided with a Houston hospital that required workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine or find another job, public health experts predict that most hospitals and medical practices will soon issue similar mandates.

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IMMIGRATION

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Harris to make first trip to U.S.-Mexico border Friday to assess situation with migrants

Los Angeles Times

VP Harris will travel to the southern border Friday, the administration confirmed Wednesday, following months of Republicans’ criticism over the Biden administration’s handling of a large increase in families and unaccompanied minors arriving from Central America.

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Separated at the Border, a Father Reunites With His Son in California. But Struggles Remain

KQED

Families who migrate to the U.S. from Central and South America to seek asylum know they will be leaving behind loved ones. What roughly 5,500 of those families didn't know is that if they made it all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border, they would also be separated.

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Biden administration removes Rodney Scott as head of U.S. Border Patrol

Washington Post

Biden administration has forced out the head of the U.S. Border Patrol, clearing a path for a leadership overhaul at an agency strained by a 20-year high in illegal border crossings, and whose top officials were broadly sympathetic to President Donald Trump.

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LAND USE/HOUSING

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Land Use:

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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.

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Housing:

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Clovis is looking to add a new affordable housing project. Here’s where it’s going

Fresno Bee

The Clovis City Council this week committed $1.2 million to a new affordable housing project in the city, which has a drastically low amount of housing for low-income families.

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Valley Voices: Emergency beds, tiny houses, travel trailers: All ways for helping Fresno’s homeless

Fresno Bee

The nationwide homeless crisis has existed in Fresno County for many years and only worsened throughout the pandemic.

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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.

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CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium For 30 Days

VPR

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended a moratorium on evictions until the end of July. The ban had been set to expire next week, raising concerns that there could be a flood of evictions with some seven million tenants currently behind on their rent.

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Walters: California’s pro-housing forces score big win

CalMatters

A Superior Court’s ruling could make it more difficult for opponents of housing projects to block them with ballot measures.

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Housing Near Transit Bill Clears California Assembly Committee

Courthouse News Service

State Senator Scott Weiner’s bill aimed at increasing density near transit centers in cities and counties throughout California won the approval of his colleagues during a Tuesday session of the Housing and Community Development Committee of the California Assembly.

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US new-home sales post surprise drop amid record-high prices

Fresno Bee

Sales of new U.S. homes dropped unexpectedly in May as elevated home prices weigh on affordability. Purchases of new single-family homes fell 5.9% to a 769,000 annualized pace after an downwardly revised 817,000 in April, government data showed Wednesday.

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PUBLIC FINANCES

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Millions of Californians are set to get tax rebates in a new state budget. Do you qualify?

Fresno Bee

Californians earning under $75,000 per year are expected to receive tax rebates worth hundreds of dollars once a new state budget is approved.

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CalPERS appoints first chief equity officer. Why the pension fund sees value in diversity

Fresno 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.

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States Can Use Federal Stimulus to Safeguard Fiscal Health, Expand Broadband Access

Pew Trusts

Webinar speakers discuss ways to effectively spend American Rescue Plan Act funds

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For Americans struggling with poverty, ‘the safety net in the United States is very, very weak,’ expert says

Washington Post

Mark Robert Rank, 66, is a professor of social welfare at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. He is the co-author of "Poorly Understood: What America Gets Wrong About Poverty."

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The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax

ProPublica

ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing.

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TRANSPORTATION

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New transit center to bring face lift downtown, expand service

Hanford Sentinel

Downtown Hanford is in for a major face lift by 2024, courtesy of a $20 million transit system which is about to enter the design phase.

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Editorial: President Biden is wrong: The federal government should absolutely raise the gas tax

Los Angeles Times

How did a simple, logical and once-bipartisan policy such as the gas tax become such a political land mine that neither Democratic nor Republican presidents will touch it?

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On the Verge of a Trails, Walking and Biking Revolution

rails-to-trails

These past few weeks have been momentous for trails and active transportation. For years, the team at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has championed the need for transformative federal transportation policies.

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Tackling Social Inequity, Some Cities May Ditch Bus, Subway Fares

Pew Trusts

Some transit agencies and cities are considering scrapping or reducing fares. The moves come after the pandemic highlighted transit inequities, as the majority of those who continued to ride buses and trains were lower-income essential workers.

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WATER

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Where did Sierra snow go this spring? Not into California rivers and water supplies

Sacramento Bee

California's severe drought was made worse this year by a shocking surprise. Every year, much of the drinking water that flows through the taps of millions of Californians begins in the Sierra Nevada.

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Racism, drought and history: Young Native Americans fight back as water disappears

Los Angeles Times

The Native Americans who have lived here for thousands of years say that a giant serpent once menaced them from the high-desert hills that surround Upper Klamath Lake, a marshy expanse of water north of the Oregon-California border.

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Water shortages: Why some Californians are running out in 2021 and others aren’t

CalMatters

Drought resilience depends on location but also extraordinary engineering — determining which California places are running out of water this year and which remain in good shape.

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“Xtra”

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This new Clovis coffee roastery lets you watch behind the scenes and drink coffee

Fresno Bee

Ever heard just-roasted coffee beans crackling like popcorn? You can now that a new coffee shop and roastery has opened to the public in Clovis. Rare Earth Coffee is a Clovis-based coffee brand that you can find at Johnny Quik and Save Mart stores around town.

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Eye Street fully reopens following lifting of COVID-19 restrictions

Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street has fully reopened to traffic for the first time since September after the state lifted capacity and social-distancing restrictions in response to improving coronavirus metrics.

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Fireworks in short supply ahead of Fourth of July, industry experts say. What to know

Modesto Bee

Fourth of July plans are up in the air for some fireworks enthusiasts, thanks to supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic.

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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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