June 26, 2019

26Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Homelessness is Merced’s biggest problem. Will this new housing make any difference?

Merced Sun-Star

The 119-unit affordable housing project, which includes 30 for the most vulnerable homeless, is planned for a site of about 5 acres at Childs Avenue and B Street in Merced. A $13.9 million grant will help.

Central SJ Valley:

Devin Nunes in lawsuit demands tax returns, recent comments made by political strategist

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes is demanding through a lawsuit that a Republican political strategist turn over her tax returns and every statement she’s made about the California congressman in the past year and a half. 

South SJ Valley:

Several public hearings set for tonight’s Lindsay City Council meeting

Porterville Recorder

Tonight in Lindsay, the City Council will meet for a regularly scheduled meeting, and will host a handful of public hearings.

Supervisors pass preliminary budget

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors adopted a $2.8 billion preliminary budget on Tuesday, beginning a process that will conclude with a final budget adoption in late August.

State:

California, Texas among the least patriotic states in the US, new ranking says

Fresno Bee

Patriotism is hard to define, but a new ranking has tried to measure it — and found that California is one of the least patriotic states in the country.

See also:

It’s Been A Mess For Decades. Can Gov. Newsom Fix The State’s Technology?

Capital Public Radio

Spending $40 million to create an Office of Digital Innovation, Gov. Gavin Newsom is betting the move will push state government into the 21st century.

Feds: Rep. Duncan Hunter paid for affairs with campaign cash

Sacramento Bee

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California illegally used campaign money to finance romantic flings with lobbyists and congressional aides, spending thousands of dollars on meals, cocktails and vacations, federal prosecutors say.

See also:

San Francisco Bans Sale of Juul and Other E-Cigarettes

New York Times

San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban e-cigarettes on Tuesday, a move that seeks to curb what experts have described as a nicotine epidemic among teenagers.

See also:

Newsom faces his first defining crisis

CALmatters

Gavin Newsom, a devotee of the “big hairy audacious goals” advocated in one of his favorite books, is confronting his first genuine crisis – actually two crises in one. They are the scourge of wildfires that exact a heavy economic and human toll, and their financial impacts on the major electrical utilities that threaten their corporate existence.

Federal:

First lady announces her spokeswoman as new White House press secretary

abc30

First lady Melania Trump announced her communications director Stephanie Grisham will replace Sarah Sanders as White House press secretary.

See also:

Robert Mueller to testify publicly on July 17 following a subpoena

abc30

Democrats said Tuesday evening that Robert Mueller has agreed to testify publicly July 17 before the House Judiciary and intelligence committees after both panels issued subpoenas to him.

See also:

Veterans Affairs whistleblowers call for end to culture of retaliation

abc30

An employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs said she was notified of her firing a day before she was set to testify before Congress.

Mark Morgan to replace John Sanders as border chief as DHS shake-up continues

Washington Post

A week after beginning his reelection campaign with promises of mass deportations, President Trump sent the agencies responsible for immigration enforcement deeper into disarray on Tuesday, replacing his interim border chief with a figure he plucked from cable news punditry last month.

Reopened Legal Challenge to Census Citizenship Question Throws Case Into Chaos

New York Times

The battle over whether to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday, just as the Supreme Court was expected to issue a ruling on the dispute this week.

See also:

Elections 2020:

Democratic debate: List of candidates who made it in

abc30

The first debate between Democrats vying for their party’s nomination will take place Wednesday and Thursday in Miami.

See also:

Meet the candidates: Tim Ryan and John Delaney

Politifact

All candidate bios will eventually be findable on this page. 

See also:

EDITORIAL: The No. 1 debate question for Democrats: Who can undo Trump’s damage?

Los Angeles Times

With this week’s two highly anticipated and much handicapped debates, the huge field of candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination will begin in earnest what will be a long process of presenting themselves to potential voters.

Other:

Don’t claim to be inclusive of ‘everyone’ if you don’t want Trump supporters

Los Angeles Times

Our society is sharply polarized for a bunch of reasons, but one that sticks out in my mind is the prevailing sense of righteousness. You see it all the time in online debates — the other side isn’t just mistaken, it’s deficient, or venal, or immoral, or even evil.

The emerging media narrative on Gen Z is very, very wrong

Los Angeles Times

Generation Z is finally — and, it seems, suddenly — becoming a topic of popular conversation. While generations are mutually constructed fictions, not natural phenomena, Gen Z’s members are most often understood to have been born between 1997 and 2012, making them 7 to 22 years old today.

Is Facebook a Platform or a Publisher? New Thinking on Social Media Law 

National Review

Cards on the table: Although I use social-media products such as Facebook and Twitter to promote my work and blow off steam, I basically think these companies have a noxious effect on our society. In general I think social media has a similar but intensified degrading effect to traditional television, and for the same reason, the need to sell ads. Further, I suspect that Google and Facebook are close to having a level of power over communication that at least raises uncomfortable questions for a democratic and sovereign republic like the United States.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, June 30, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Veterans Programs and Services” – Guests: Carole D’Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission and Jacqueline Barocio from LAO. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 30, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition:  “Valley Vets: Challenges and Opportunities” – Guests: Carole D’Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission; Jacqueline Barocio from LAO; Julie Cusator with Fresno Veterans Home; and Lorenzo Rios with Clovis Veterans Memorial District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 30, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Senior Citizen Boom” – Guest: Marisol Cuellar, PPIC Analyst. Host: Ana Melendez.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Ag Commissioner finds ‘no proof of violation’ after pesticide accident

Visalia Times Delta

More than 60 people were treated by Hazmat last week following a pesticide mishap that left dozens of farm workers potentially exposed to the chemical Hexythiazox, sending five to the hospital suffering nausea and vomiting. 

Medical marijuana for pets? This California bill could make it legal

Sacramento Bee

Should veterinarians be permitted to recommend cannabis products to your pets? The law could soon back them up. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Fresno, we have a gun violence problem. What are we going to do about it?

Fresno Bee

Fresno, we have a gun problem. Too many guns in immature, irresponsible hands. Too many senseless shootings. Too many needless injuries and deaths. Resulting in a flood of racist stereotypes and a big fat black eye for our city.

California ends its last out-of-state private prison contract

Sacramento Bee

California has ended its reliance on out-of-state private prisons, the state’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Any spike in repeat crimes after California sped prisoner release? New research says no

PublicCEO

When the U.S. Supreme Court ordered California to disgorge tens of thousands of inmates from its overcrowded prison system in 2011, Justice Antonin Scalia warned in his dissent of “the terrible things sure to happen as a consequence” including the “inevitable murders, robberies, and rapes to be committed by the released inmates.”

Public Safety:

No Real ID needed for ammo purchases? California justice department contradicts Newsom

Fresno Bee

While touting California’s gun control policies, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that residents would need Real IDs or equivalent documents to buy ammunition next month.

See also:

Homeland Security agents help Fresno authorities fight gang activity

abc30

Valley gangs keep agents busy as they investigate child exploitation and drug trafficking cases which often go with the territory. Agents work with other federal, local and state officers in trying to trace a money trail.

57-year-old former Atwater police officer says he was fired because of his age

Merced Sun-Star

A 57-year-old Modesto man and former police officer is suing the city of Atwater claiming he’s being kept from a patrol officer job because of his age. 

Stockton Police Department’s New Helicopter Aids In Arrests First Day On The Job

Capital Public Radio

Police Chief Eric Jones says the helicopter already made a difference by averting an on-the-ground pursuit of a stolen car and aiding in the arrests of the suspects.

After cop’s death, Gov. Gavin Newsom says he supports expanding ‘red flag’ gun laws

Los Angeles Times

Days after the shooting death of a Sacramento police officer, Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled Tuesday that he was prepared to sign additional gun control measures making their way through the California Legislature.

See also:

Banning semiautomatic weapons won’t solve America’s gun problem

Los Angeles Times

Every time there is another mass shooting, calls begin anew for a ban on private ownership of semiautomatic rifles. But, sadly, the time has passed when such an approach would make a decisive difference in the United States.

Fire: 

PG&E lenders offer $30 billion — and a new name to rebrand tarnished utility

Fresno Bee

PG&E Corp.’s key lenders offered a $30 billion plan Tuesday to compensate wildfire victims, pull the utility out of bankruptcy — and give the tarnished company a new name.

See also:

Fresno Fire share tips to help keep your home safe

abc30

The fire that broke out Monday evening marks the 402nd structure fire Fresno firefighters have responded to this year.

Will PUC, utilities make fire victims of most Californians?

Hanford Sentinel

Until now, the California Public Utilities Commission has appeared to work responsibly at minimizing future wildfire risks in this thoroughly singed state, certifying new safety plans from electric companies it regulates and imposing a few fines where the big utilities have been found negligent.

Jump In Wildfires Means Smoke’s Health Impact Will Spread

Capital Public Radio

Scientists say that more intense and frequent wildfires are churning out waves of smoke that will sweep across the U.S., affecting tens of millions of people and causing a spike in premature deaths.

See also:

EDITORIAL: California is burning. Maybe it’s time to ban fireworks on the Fourth of July

Fresno Bee

It has become a kind of July tradition: Counting the ways in which California’s fire season is now more dangerous. 

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Tourism Grants Awarded To Local Non-Profits

Sierra News

Visit Yosemite | Madera County has awarded $20,000 in grant money to five Madera County nonprofit tourism partner businesses. Each organization applied for the 2019 VYMC Tourism Improvement Grant to enhance visitor experience and was awarded up to $5,000.

California trails in regulating short-term lenders. This bill could finally rein them in

Los Angeles Times

After years of failed attempts to rein in California’s “small-dollar” lenders, supporters of a bill to cap interest rates are hoping that a wider coalition of backers and a governor who has spoken out against predatory lending will make a difference.

Stocks fall, weighed down by economic data and Fed chief’s remarks

Los Angeles Times

Technology and internet companies led a broad slide for U.S. stocks Tuesday as cautionary remarks from the head of the Federal Reserve and discouraging economic data weighed on the market.

‘Dark patterns’ are steering many internet users into making bad decisions

Los Angeles Times

Even if you’ve never heard the phrase “dark patterns,” you’re almost certainly familiar with them. They’re the sneaky ways online companies trick you into agreeing to stuff you’d normally never assent to.

Consumer Confidence Slid in June on Trade Tensions 

WSJ

A gauge of consumer sentiment deteriorated in June to its lowest level in nearly two years.

Jobs:

California program to track state worker harassment is a year behind schedule

Fresno Bee

A $1.5 million project to start tracking sexual harassment and discrimination in California state government is scheduled to be fully functional by January 2020 — a full year later than originally planned.

They May Be in Demand, But Child Care Workers Still Struggle to Make Ends Meet

KQED News

There’s an overwhelming demand for child care in California but not enough people who provide it. The industry is notorious for offering low pay and long hours. Several bills pending in the Legislature seek to address these problems, including one that would let in-home providers unionize.

Faraday Future lays off more Hanford workers 

abc30

A South Valley building that was supposed to be the manufacturing center for an electric car company is now all but empty, and it’s been that way for months.

Nearly half of US workers need side gig to stay afloat, survey finds

abc30

If you have a side hustle, you’re not alone. Nearly half of all American workers have another job, with many sayifng it’s a necessity.

Workers are changing. California Legislature must face that reality

CALmatters

Labor protections are meant to address certain situations where there is an imbalance in control between the employer and employee. But when the workers themselves control their working conditions, are these labor protections still necessary? 

Gavin Newsom dodges taking a stand on California’s gig-worker bill

San Francisco Chronicle

Don’t look for the typically loquacious Gov. Gavin Newsom to take a position yet on AB5, the state legislation would turn Uber and Lyft drivers and other gig workers into employees. But he offered a few hints during his recent appearance on The Chronicle’s “It’s All Political” podcast.

The New Labor Movement: Pushing Employers to Be Socially Active

WSJ

Workers are banding together to influence their company’s policies toward the environment and social issues.

EDITORIAL: Caltrans director’s pricey commute cost taxpayers. Will wasteful practices continue?

Fresno Bee

Sacramento may have Michelin-worthy restaurants and rising status as both a hipster destination resort and one of the most diverse cities in the country, but it’s apparently still not good enough for some state bureaucrats.

EDUCATION

K-12:

The Valley Has Its Share Of Childcare Deserts – UC Merced Thinks Teens Can Help Change That

VPR

Several studies point to many communities in the San Joaquin Valley as childcare deserts, which means there aren’t enough childcare providers for the amount of kids who need them

Vaccination rates at California’s schools

EdSource

Find out how many kindergartners in 2018-19 were vaccinated or got a medical exemption at your school in this searchable database. 

Time for Change? Educators’ Perceptions of Discipline Reform in Their Schools

RAND

Beginning in the late 1980s, policymakers concerned about violence in schools began to enact “zero-tolerance” policies in districts and states across the country. 

They May Be in Demand, But Child Care Workers Still Struggle to Make Ends Meet

KQED News

There’s an overwhelming demand for child care in California but not enough people who provide it. The industry is notorious for offering low pay and long hours. Several bills pending in the Legislature seek to address these problems, including one that would let in-home providers unionize.

Higher Ed:

California community colleges don’t want homeless students sleeping on campus

Fresno Bee

Nearly 20 California community colleges and community college districts are opposing a proposed law that would let homeless community college students sleep overnight in campus parking lots.

Local summer program encouraging students to pursue college 

abc30

Click, snap repeat; Fresno Unified High School students tried capturing the perfect shot Tuesday morning at Fresno City College. Through photography, they and about 40 others are experiencing college life for six weeks at the college.

Outgoing Chancellor Dorothy Leland boosted UC Merced

Modesto Bee

When Dorothy Leland took the helm as the third chancellor of the University of California’s newest and smallest campus in 2011, the campus was still in its infancy.

California rethinks endorsement deals for college athletes

AP

California lawmakers are debating whether to let student athletes sign endorsement deals and hire agents in a move that could upend the multibillion-dollar business of college sports.

Despite enrollment growth, graduating from college still a struggle for many California foster youth

EdSource

May was a big month for Miguel Almodóvar. The former foster youth graduated from California State University, East Bay and his mother — whom he’d seen only once in the previous four years — celebrated with him, as did his younger sister, whom he hadn’t seen in two years. 

California finally to move ahead with ‘cradle to career’ data system

EdSource

Legislature lays out steps, timetable for linking preschool to workforce education data.

Calbright, California’s newest community college, starts recruiting students

EdSource

New state-funded school will offer three career courses Oct. 1.

Busting the college-industrial complex

AEI

Even as reformers have pushed to remove a variety of barriers to employment, the biggest and most significant barrier to employment in American life — the use of the college degree as a default hiring device — has gone blithely unremarked. 

Apprenticeships:

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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Summer temperatures create health hazards for those at Modesto homeless encampment

Modesto Bee

Many are experiencing adverse effects from the summer heat at the temporary shelter, which began accepting people who are otherwise homeless in late February after a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in September of 2018.

Will CA Coastal Commission stop OHV, ATV use at Oceano Dunes?

Fresno Bee

The era of riding at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreational Area may be coming to a close after decades of controversy and debate.

Despite Record Snow Melt, Toxic Algae Continues To Bloom In California Lakes And Ponds

Capital Public Radio

California’s record snowpack is melting into significant runoff this summer, filling the state’s lakes and ponds with cold, fresh water. These flows usually help prevent blue-green algae blooms, which form in waterways and are toxic to humans and can be deadly to pets.

Valley Teens Lobby For Climate Change Reform In D.C.

VPR

Young people are taking a stand against climate change. Recently, three Valley teenagers were in Washington, D.C. with the grassroots organization Citizens Climate Lobby.

California’s mighty predator — the mountain lion — faces ‘extinction vortex’

Los Angeles Times

As the mountain lions of Southern California approach what some experts call an “extinction vortex,” environmentalists are demanding that state officials grant the big cats protective status — a move that could potentially ban development on thousands of acres of prime real estate.

San Francisco Bans Sale of Juul and Other E-Cigarettes

New York Times

San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban e-cigarettes on Tuesday, a move that seeks to curb what experts have described as a nicotine epidemic among teenagers.

Energy:

PG&E lenders offer $30 billion — and a new name to rebrand tarnished utility

Sacramento Bee

PG&E Corp.’s key lenders offered a $30 billion plan Tuesday to compensate wildfire victims, pull the utility out of bankruptcy — and give the tarnished company a new name.

Does Fresno need to make an energy choice?

Business Journal

In the Fresno area, more than 750 manufacturing businesses use the bulk of electricity directed here by Pacific Gas & Electric, but the cost of that energy is among the most expensive in California, said Mike Betts, president and CEO of the Betts Co., a south Fresno manufacturer of industrial springs and truck accessories.

BizFed joins push for greater use of renewable gas

Bakersfield Californian

Countering efforts in Sacramento to scale back petroleum use in the Golden State, business advocacy group BizFed Central Valley Business Federation is joining with Southern California Gas Co. and others to promote residential and commercial use of renewable natural gas as a way to cut carbon emissions.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Medical marijuana for pets? This California bill could make it legal

Sacramento Bee

Should veterinarians be permitted to recommend cannabis products to your pets?

Treatment for psychosis—and other mental illness—differs drastically by county

PublicCEO

Last December, Brighid FitzGibbon’s son, Evan, entered a catatonic state. Acute psychosis had hit suddenly a few weeks earlier, toward the end of fall semester of his sophomore year at Bard College in upstate New York. Gripped by terrifying delusions, his body began to shut down.

Why Californians With Severe Mental Illness Are Caught Cycling From Prison To The Streets

laist

For the past eight years, Julie has been cycling in and out of jail, in and out of treatment, and on and off the streets. But there was a time between 2014 and 2017, said Woolfolk, when Julie was doing better.

San Francisco Bans Sale of Juul and Other E-Cigarettes

New York Times

San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban e-cigarettes on Tuesday, a move that seeks to curb what experts have described as a nicotine epidemic among teenagers.

Overdose Deaths Likely to Fall for First Time Since 1990

WSJ

Health officials and scientists warn U.S. is far from defeating drug epidemic.

Human Services:

Adventist Health awarded $205K to battle opioid addiction

Business Journal

Reedley community members struggling with opioid addiction will have more healing resources in the Central Valley thanks to $205,000 grant that was awarded to the Adventist Health Reedley hospital.

Non-English speakers face health setback if Trump loosens language rules

Business Journal

A federal regulation demands that certain health care organizations provide patients who have limited English skills a written notice of free translation services.

California Legislature OKs health insurance mandate

AP

The California Legislature voted Monday to tax people who refuse to buy health insurance, bringing back a key part of former President Barack Obama’s health care law in the country’s most populous state after it was eliminated by Republicans in Congress.

California’s 3 top paid county workers all made $1 million last year – at 1 hospital

Sacramento Bee

It pays to be a doctor. It really pays to be a neurosurgeon. It really, really pays to be a neurosurgeon at San Joaquin General Hospital.

Attorney says movie theater where 14-year-old died was not equipped for medical emergency

Bakersfield Californian

More than four years after the child’s death, his family’s attorney is preparing for the start of a civil trial in which he alleges that employees at the movie theater neither had sufficient training to handle any type of medical emergency, nor did the movie theater have sufficient lighting to ensure patrons were safe within the auditoriums.

County Taking Applications Again For Foster Parents; Still A Backlog Due To New State Rules

VPR

Earlier this year, Fresno County stopped taking new applications for foster parents, citing a lack of resources to process them. While the county resumed taking applications this month, there’s still a backlog.

California’s new budget invests in overlooked piece of health care puzzle: workers

CALmatters

Is this the start of a new era for California’s health workforce? It sure looks like it.

Behind Spate of Drug Deals, the Need for Short-Term Growth 

WSJ

Questions remain about whether the transactions will lead to long-term growth.

See also:

EDITORIAL: The Trump administration takes another baby swing at solving healthcare costs

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration continued to nibble away Monday at the problem of high healthcare costs, unveiling a set of proposals to bring more transparency to the industry’s byzantine pricing practices.

IMMIGRATION

Border official resigns amid uproar over migrant children

Fresno Bee

The acting head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection resigned Tuesday amid an uproar over the discovery of migrant children being held in pitiful conditions at one of the agency’s stations in Texas.

See also:

House passes $4.5B bill to care for migrant families

abc30

The House passed Tuesday a $4.5 billion emergency border aid package to care for thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children detained after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

See also:

Know your rights: Activists step up training for immigrants

abc30

With renewed pledges on mass deportations, activists have ramped up one of their most basic organizing tools: know-your-rights training.

ACLU: ICE violated rights of BC student by arresting him ‘hours’ after he read a poem against the agency

Bakersfield Californian

Did the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency violate the First Amendment rights of a Bakersfield College student when they arrested him 36 hours after he read a poem against the agency in a public forum?

EDITORIAL: The only consistent thing about Trump’s immigration policy is his animus toward migrants

Los Angeles Times

President Trump announced last week that he would be deporting “millions” of people living in the U.S. illegally, a promise that just happened to precede the formal launch in Orlando, Fla., of his reelection campaign.

EDITORIAL: Border funds won’t fix cruelty, incompetence

San Francisco Chronicle

The prospect of paying for President Trump’s immigration policies should not appeal to anyone with a conscience, and the administration’s insistence that Congress do so serves partly to deflect blame for its worst excesses. 

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Fresno’s liquor license ordinance poses problem for Circle K investors

abc30

An empty lot in West Central Fresno could soon make way for a brand new Circle K gas station. But some say the area is already saturated with stores operating with alcohol licenses.

Southwest Fresno church breaks ground on new youth center, park

abc30

Saint Rest Baptist Church is coming together with Fresno Police and community members to decrease crime in Southwest Fresno. They’re hoping to make it happen with a new youth center and park.

Hyatt Place Hotel coming to Fresno

Business Journal

The first Hyatt Place Hotel in Fresno will officially open on Wednesday on Fresno Street right off Highway 41.

Flying J truck stop officially lands in Tulare

Visalia Times Delta

The thousands of truckers and travelers passing through Tulare on busy Highway 99 now have one more option to rest, refuel and grab a bite to eat. 

Housing:

New California rent control initiative allows homeowner exemptions, affects fewer units

Fresno Bee

Rent control could be back on the ballot again come November 2020. The “Rental Affordability Act” was cleared on Tuesday by the California Department of Justice and the Secretary of State’s Office to start collecting signatures, the necessary step to qualify a proposal for a vote.

See also:

Homelessness is Merced’s biggest problem. Will this new housing make any difference?

Merced Sun-Star

The 119-unit affordable housing project, which includes 30 for the most vulnerable homeless, is planned for a site of about 5 acres at Childs Avenue and B Street in Merced. A $13.9 million grant will help.

Rents are up in Sacramento, but housing market is slowing down. Here’s why.

Sacramento Bee

Homes values declined last month across the country and in many large California metro areas, continuing a pattern where housing prices fall and rents rise, according to a new report from Zillow.

Why can’t California pass more housing legislation?

San Francisco Curbed

“Day by day, the crisis is getting worse”.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Democratic bid to revoke GOP tax-deduction limit is derided as giveaway to the rich

Los Angeles Times

The debate about the cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes has flipped the tables for lawmakers: Democrats are advocating for a large cut that would primarily benefit the wealthy. Republicans say no way.

Regulators Have Doubts About Facebook Cryptocurrency. So Do Its Partners.

New York Times

One of the biggest selling points of Facebook’s ambitious plans for its new cryptocurrency, Libra, was that the social media company had 27 partners, including prominent outfits like Visa, Mastercard and Uber, helping out on the project.

See also:

I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes.

New York Times

Wealthy people like me should commit to reducing the ravages of economic inequality.

TRANSPORTATION

Valley growers sue over high-speed rail disruptions

abc30

California’s high-speed rail route cuts a four-mile long gash in Tim Raven’s 2,500 acres of almond, and grape orchards near Selma.

Easing the price of being poor

CALmatters

California’s traffic fines are among the nation’s highest, and fall hardest on poor people.

US cities are joining forces to figure out what the hell to do with all these scooters

TheVerge

After being caught flat-footed, cities are pushing back against scooter companies

WATER

The LA River and the Trade-Offs of Water Recycling 

PPIC

After a very wet winter, California has been declared drought free. But planning for future water shortages has continued. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced a goal of 100% wastewater recycling by 2035 to help make city supplies drought proof.

“Xtra”

Diverse new restaurants are opening in Sierra Vista Mall — and one has a sushi burrito

Fresno Bee

How does a sushi burrito sound? A candy apple coated with spicy-sweet chamoy? Persian food? You’ll soon be able to get all these at Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis. The mall has a flurry of businesses offering diverse and creative foods opening this year in the outdoor portion of the mall.

Boat Parade And Fireworks At Bass Lake 4th Of July

Sierra News

What’s up for Independence Day? Up in the sky it’s professional fireworks and on the ground — festivities at Bass Lake including the brilliant boat parade plus friends, families and plenty of fun for this 4th of July holiday.