Maddy Institute – June 28, 2021

28Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Where Stanislaus stands on vaccines, cases and deaths Modesto Bee

No fireworks, parade in Turlock for Independence Day

Turlock Journal

As staffing woes and the pandemic continue to affect both the City of Turlock as well as local businesses, there will be no 4th of July fireworks show or downtown parade yet again this year.

City needs more rec leaders for after-school program to continue

Turlock Journal

Amid an unprecedented staffing shortage, the City of Turlock Parks, Recreation & Public Facilities Department was recently forced to delay registration for one of its after-school programs and is in desperate need of applicants interested in working with students.

Modesto has four candidates for police chief, including department’s interim leader

Modesto Bee

Modesto has narrowed its search for its next police chief to four candidates, including its current interim chief. The ot her candidates include one from a department that polices one of the 25 largest cities in the United States.

A new shelter will take in homeless young people in Modesto. Can it cure the problem?

Modesto Bee

The Center for Human Services will open a navigation center in Modesto to provide shelter, temporary housing and services for teenagers and young adults, 13 to 24 years old, who are homeless, in a crisis or don’t have stable housing.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● The battle against COVID-19 intensifies in Latino communities Fresno Bee

● COVID’s Delta variant reaches Fresno, Valley as local vaccination rates lag behind Fresno Bee

● More infectious COVID-19 mutation discovered in Tulare County Visalia Times Delta

Fresno ‘poised for greatness’ year after COVID began, says Mayor at first State of the City

Fresno Bee

Six months into his term as Fresno’s Mayor Jerry Dyer said Friday the city is “poised for greatness” as residents gradually move out of the pandemic and back into a sense of normality.

Fresno City Council Passes ‘Unprecedented’ Budget; Emphasis on Improvement Projects, Public Safety

VPR

Fresno City leaders voted to adopt a $1.4 billion budget Thursday, which some called ‘historic’ for its focus on community improvements in underserved areas of Fresno.

Fresno County checks on ‘high-risk’ offenders on probation. Arrests, gun seizures follow

Fresno Bee

Fresno County officers on Saturday conducted what they said would be the first of multiple sweeps targeting people on probation considered to be of “higher risk,” leading to 12 felony arrests and the seizure of an assault rifle and two other guns.

Wildfire forces closure of Friant Road in Fresno County, with hundreds of acres at risk

Fresno Bee

Friant Road in rural Fresno County was shut down early Sunday night after a grass fire erupted, with heavy smoke obscuring drivers’ views as it drifted across the roadway.

Valley residents can cash rebates by trading gas-powered lawn mowers for electric

abc30

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is offering cash rebates for those who go electric through its Clean Green Yard Machines program.

● Enhanced electric lawn equipment funding available for AB 617 communities SJV Air Pollution Control District

As economy opens, local vendors gather to boost sales

Business Journal

As the community emerges from the pandemic, summer pop-ups are helping vendors boost sales. Rare Earth Coffee in Clovis is hosting an event Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring local food and custom merchandise.

Clovis Senior Activity Center to Host Reopening Celebration

Clovis Roundup

On July 1, a welcome back celebration will be taking place at the center’s 850 4th Street location, next to the Clovis Veterans Memorial District. The reopening will also mark the beginning of new enrichments classes that include dance, art, and yoga.

As other Tulare County cities welcome weed, Visalia council upholds ban on cannabis sales

Visalia Times Delta

Medical and commercial marijuana dispensaries will stay banned in Visalia after a split 2-2 decision by city council members nixed the possibility of welcoming cannabis products — and tax revenues — to Tulare County's largest city.

More than 42,000 pounds of pistachios went missing. Tulare law enforcement cracked the case

Los Angeles Times

While completing orders and going over inventory, employees at a San Joaquin Valley pistachio company realized something didn’t add up. They seemed to be missing some nuts — and more than just a few.

County courts to maintain protocols

Madera Tribune

Madera County Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, Ernie LiCalsi, issued the 31st general order of the Madera County Superior Court on June 18 in regards to reopening California.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● COVID-19 vaccines to be offered at 2 churches Bakersfield Californian

Kern County grapples with challenging budget yet again

Bakersfield Californian

Despite a growing deficit, Kern County plans to maintain many of its services over the next fiscal year.

State transportation committee allocates funds for Kern road projects

Bakersfield Californian

Two state highway projects in Kern County will benefit from money allocated by the California Transportation Commission. Much of the money comes from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, according to a Caltrans news release.

Mood sours quickly at Fairfax School District town hall meeting

Bakersfield Californian

Fairfax School District held its long-awaited town hall meeting Thursday night in the Fairfax Junior High gymnasium, but it took little time for the mood to sour.

State:

COVID Update:

● States hesitant to adopt digital COVID vaccine verification Fresno Bee

● Vaccination rates wane in California. Did the state do enough to target those in doubt? Los Angeles Times

● 3 in 5 Californians now at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 Los Angeles Times

● Delta variant is spreading in California as COVID-19 battle enters an uncertain phase Los Angeles Times

● California now averaging fewer than 100,000 daily COVID vaccinations Mercury News

● Tracking Variants California Department of Public Health

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

● Editorial: End California secrecy over workplace COVID cases Mercury News

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

CalMatters

The date of California’s recall election still is not set, but voters may decide the governor’s fate closer to Labor Day than November.

● Essential Politics: Picking a date for the Newsom recall Los Angeles Times

● Running for governor in California’s recall? It will cost you $4K and 5 years of tax returns Mercury News

● Editorial: The recall was a bad idea, but now that it’s on, it needs to be fairly run Los Angeles Times

● Conservative activists push voter fraud claims to recruit an army to police California recall polls Los Angeles Times

● Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox proposes plan on California homelessness Los Angeles Times

California moves closer to budget deal as deadline looms

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state's two top legislative leaders moved closer to approving a final operating budget on Friday, with lawmakers filing a massive bill that represents a broad agreement among the three parties but with some important details unfinished.

● Newsom, lawmakers reach agreement on spending tax windfall in $262.6-billion state budget Los Angeles Times

● Five things to know about Newsom’s budget deal with Legislature CalMatters

● Walters: Newsom straddles gap between present and future CalMatters

Why Big Climate Bills Keep Dying in the California Senate

Capital & Main

California leads the nation when it comes to proposing far reaching legislation for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and regulating the oil and gas industry, but much of it is doomed to fail because it never gets out of committee for a full vote.

Is the state treasurer always a ‘he’? A bill to strip gendered language is now on Newsom’s desk

Sacramento Bee

A bill removing gendered language from the California code now sits on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, after passing through the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Supreme Court rules California farms can keep union organizers off private land

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down part of a historic California law inspired by Cesar Chavez and the farm workers union, ruling that agricultural landowners and food processors have a right to keep union organizers off their property.

Legislature Looks To Halt Child Support Debt Collections — Only For Some

CalMatters

California lawmakers have advanced a budget proposal to stop collecting child support debt from some parents who are receiving cash assistance, but the proposed solutions are a far cry from what advocates for those debt-holders sought in January.

Interactive: How diverse is the California Legislature?

CalMatters

In a year of radical upheaval, this much has remained constant: California’s elected representatives still aren’t all that representative.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● AP analysis: Almost all US coronavirus deaths among unvaccinated The Hill

● Rapid spread of delta coronavirus variant prompts new lockdowns and restrictions worldwide Washington Post

● The Delta variant may be twice as transmissible as the conventional strain Los Angeles Times

● Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Eviction ban, male fertility, life expectancy & more Fresno Bee

● Opinion: A Covid Commission Americans Can Trust Wall Street Journal

Here's What's Included In The Infrastructure Deal That Biden Struck With Senators

VPR

The agreement focuses on investments in roads, railways, bridges and broadband internet, but it does not include investments Biden has referred to as "human infrastructure," including money allocated for child care and tax credits for families.

● Bipartisan infrastructure deal back on track after walk-back Los Angeles Times

● Infrastructure deal reached, now comes the hard part Roll Call

● Biden’s Infrastructure Stance Draws GOP Criticism Wall Street Journal

● Biden Walks Back Threat on Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Wall Street Journal

● White House, Senate Negotiators Try to Keep Infrastructure Deal Alive Wall Street Journal

● Some moderate Democrats oppose Biden spending package, as progressives feared Roll Call

● Editorial: A Bipartisan Pact to Supersize the IRS Wall Street Journal

● Dan Balz: A bipartisan deal, an angry GOP reaction and the long road ahead for Biden’s agenda Washington Post

● Opinion: The gaping hole in Republicans’ newest complaint Washington Post

Harris Visits The Southern Border After Trying To Keep The Focus Away From It

VPR

VP Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, after weeks of badgering by Republicans and at the urging of some Democrats, and she called for an end to the political "finger-pointing" over who's to blame for record numbers of people seeking asylum.

● Kamala Harris to head to the border amid GOP criticism Los Angeles Times

● Harris stresses shift in immigration policy during border trip Roll Call

● Kamala Harris Visits U.S.-Mexico Border Amid Bipartisan Pressure Wall Street Journal

Senate OKs bill to certify farm practices limiting emissions

Business Journal

The U.S. Senate has approved a measure intended to encourage greater use of farming and forestry practices that prevent greenhouse gas emissions and remove planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Democrats Focus on Turning Tax Talk Into Action

Wall Street Journal

Democrats face a daunting task: turning years of talking about raising taxes on corporations and high-income Americans into legislation that can get through razor-thin congressional majorities and onto President Biden’s desk.

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

Republicans' new plan to tax Big Tech

Axios

Key Republicans are warming to an idea that was once anathema to the party — leveling taxes on big American companies to pay for internet subsidy programs.

Opinion: Republicans will filibuster partisan legislation. Get over it.

Washington Post

Senate Democrats engaged in a show of political theater this week, bringing up a partisan election bill they knew had no chance of passing — and then using the Republicans’ justified resistance to argue for eliminating or weakening the filibuster.

See also:

● Opinion: Conservatives Should Oppose the Filibuster Wall Street Journal

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

Sacramento Bee

You might be waiting longer for that package to arrive under a proposal announced earlier this month by the USPS. Under the 10-year plan, a third of first class packages will be delayed up to five days, an increase from the existing first class service standard of one to three days.

For the first time, Democrats deploy rarely used law to repeal Trump-era regulations

Los Angeles Times

Two business-related regulations introduced by President Trump during his last months in office were wiped off the books Thursday after the House repealed them in back-to-back votes.

Trump airs old election grievances at campaign-style rally

Los Angeles Times

Former President Trump on Saturday reprised his baseless election grievances and painted a dystopian picture of the country under Democratic control in his first campaign-style rally since leaving the White House.

McCarthy has ‘no’ regrets opposing Jan. 6 independent commission

Roll Call

With Speaker Pelosi’s decision to create a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, House GOP leader McCarthy is confronted with an inherently more partisan examination of the Capitol attack than one he and other Republican leaders helped torpedo.

● Police officer asks McCarthy to condemn Republican comments on Capitol attack CBS News

● Opinion: Republicans support police — until they don’t. Example: Jan. 6 riot and Capitol officers Fresno Bee

The Supreme Court’s Surprising Term

The New Yorker

The Supreme Court term that began last fall has spanned several epochal upheavals at once: the second peak and wind-down of the pandemic, the 2020 Presidential election, and its dramatic aftermath, including the violent mob attempt to block the certification of the outcome.

● Supreme Court reshapes Congress’ power to allow lawsuits Roll Call

● Editorial: A Conservative Court Awakening Wall Street Journal

Other:

Majority of young adults in US hold negative view of capitalism: poll

The Hill

A growing majority of young adults in the U.S. have a more negative view of capitalism, according to a new survey from Axios and Momentive.

Pentagon leaders push back on GOP ‘critical race theory’ accusations

Roll Call

The politics of race spilled over into a hearing on the Defense Department’s fiscal 2022 budget request Wednesday, with top Pentagon leaders pushing back against accusations that critical race theory was undermining cohesiveness in the military.

● Opinion: Battle Over Critical Race Theory Wall Street Journal

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

More than 42,000 pounds of pistachios went missing. Tulare law enforcement cracked the case

Los Angeles Times

Growers, experts say conventional wisdom around drought is flawed

Business Journal

Farmer Mark Borba of Riverdale says there’s not a legal crop in California that can be profitable with water selling for more than $1,400 an acre-foot.

● Tips for gardening in the drought The Press Democrat

Senate OKs bill to certify farm practices limiting emissions

Business Journal

State Agencies, Community Organizations Launch Three-Day Caravan Focused On Farmworker Rights

VPR

State agencies are partnering with community organizations across the San Joaquin Valley to inform farm workers of their rights at work. They’re taking their message straight to the fields, through a three-day caravan through the Valley.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Fresno County checks on ‘high-risk’ offenders on probation. Arrests, gun seizures follow

Fresno Bee

County courts to maintain protocols

Madera Tribune

Madera County Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, Ernie LiCalsi, issued the 31st general order of the Madera County Superior Court on June 18 in regards to reopening California.

Kern County Superior Court won't require masks for vaccinated

Bakersfield Californian

Starting Monday, Kern County Superior Court will no longer require people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear a face mask to enter the courthouses, but still encourages masks.

Violent Crime Survey

Major Cities Chiefs Association

First Quarter Comparison, January 1 to March 31, 2021 and 2020

Public Safety:

Repairs keep wave pool closed at Fresno water park as investigation of man’s death continues

Fresno Bee

A key feature of a Fresno water park remains closed indefinitely for repairs while an investigation into a man’s death there nearly a week ago also continues.

Valley Voices: Best way to achieve public safety begins with good child care for all Valley families

Fresno Bee

As the police chief of Reedley, public safety is my top priority. And when it comes to effective programs that prevent crime and keep communities safe, the smartest investments start at the very beginning — with our youngest kids.

Lawmakers Reach A Bipartisan Agreement On Police Reform

NPR

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have reached a preliminary, bipartisan agreement on police reform after months of closely watched debate on the topic.

Fire:

CEO stunned after Fresno warehouse fire burns through business. Here is what was lost

Fresno Bee

Anthony Armour, the CEO of Neighborhood Industries, had been notified of a fire at the Fresno warehouse the company used for its retail and wholesale businesses, primarily Neighborhood Thrift in the Tower District.

Wildfire forces closure of Friant Road in Fresno County, with hundreds of acres at risk

Fresno Bee

Friant Road in rural Fresno County was shut down early Sunday night after a grass fire erupted, with heavy smoke obscuring drivers’ views as it drifted across the roadway.

Warszawski: What caused last year’s Creek Fire near Fresno? Forest officials promise answer soon

Fresno Bee

Shake the U.S. Forest Service tree hard enough and maybe something falls out. In this case, long-overdue answers about what or who was responsible for last year’s devastating Creek Fire that burned nearly 380,000 acres of the Sierra National Forest northeast of Fresno between Labor Day weekend and Christmas.

Willow Fire on California’s coast reaches 32% containment, not expected to grow amid heat wave

Fresno Bee

Hot, dry air will sweep across the Willow Fire burning near Big Sur this weekend, but officials do not anticipate the blaze growing in size. The wildfire reached 32% containment Saturday morning, a multi-agency incident command team said, up from 26% containment Friday.

California wildfires: Fighting bigger blazes with Silicon Valley technology

Mercury News

Startup Lumineye began with a goal of giving soldiers power to see through walls. But climate change has broadened the market, and Lumineye is now working with firefighters to tweak its product — a hand-held device that uses radar to see people inside buildings and in thick brush.

These are the hotshot firefighters leading attacks against California wildfires. And they're quitting

CNN

The fire tornado, which obliterated entire neighborhoods in Redding, California, during the massive Carr Fire, still haunts former hotshot supervisor Aaron Humphrey. He says that terrifying moment forever changed his outlook.

Drought woes in dry US West raise July 4 fireworks fears

Fresno Bee

Many Americans aching for normalcy as pandemic restrictions end are looking forward to traditional 4th of July fireworks. With a historic drought in the West and fears of a devastating wildfire season, officials are canceling displays, passing bans or begging for caution.

US seeks to bolster firefighter ranks as wildfires increase

Business Journal

U.S. wildfire managers are considering shifting to more full-time firefighting crews to deal with what has become a year-round wildfire season and making the jobs more attractive by increasing pay and benefits.

See also:

● National Fire Preparedness raised to level 4 Porterville Recorder

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

As economy opens, local vendors gather to boost sales

Business Journal

During Covid-19, Most Americans Got Richer—Especially the Rich

Wall Street Journal

The coronavirus pandemic plunged Americans into recession. Instead of emerging poorer, many came out ahead.

Opinion: The US economy has an inflation problem. Why doesn’t the Fed care?

AEI

At a time that the Fed’s inflation target is 2 percent, it now emerges that over the past year the Fed’s favorite inflation index, the Personal Consumption Expenditure Deflator, increased by 3.9 percent.

Jobs:

California child care providers reach contract with state, secure 15% minimum pay raise

Sacramento Bee

More than 40,000 California child care providers will get at least a 15% pay raise starting in 2022 through their first-ever collective bargaining agreement, a union representing them said late Friday.

Southwest boosts minimum wage to $15, sets raises for 7,000-plus

Los Angeles Times

Southwest Airlines Co. will increase its minimum wage to $15 an hour and raise the pay of thousands of airport workers to ensure it retains sufficient staff and can attract new employees to support growth over the next two to four years.

Teamsters’ push to organize Amazon: Will it work?

Los Angeles Times

Delegates to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters convention voted overwhelmingly for a nationwide push to organize hundreds of thousands of Amazon’s warehouse and delivery workers, a formidable task given the e-commerce behemoth’s fierce antiunion stance.

Americans Are Leaving Unemployment Rolls More Quickly in States Cutting Off Benefits

Wall Street Journal

The number of unemployment-benefit recipients is falling at a faster rate in Missouri and 21 other states canceling enhanced and extended payments this month, suggesting that ending the aid could push more people to take jobs.

Remote work won’t save the heartland

Brookings

While aspects of the corporate relocation story may be real, new evidence raises questions about the true potential of the remote-work-driven renewal storyline.

EDUCATION

K-12:

This Fresno school is one of the best in the nation. Here’s how to enroll your child

Fresno Bee

U.S. News and World Report recently said University High School, a music-based charter school in Fresno, was among the top 100 schools in the United States.

PBVUSD puts 'social justice oriented classroom practices' course on hold

Bakersfield Californian

After several parents spoke against it, the board of the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District said it needed to "pause" a professional development course that aims to train staff on "social justice oriented classroom practices."

As school shootings surge, a sixth-grader tucks his dad’s gun in his backpack

Washington Post

Months had passed since the sixth-grader decided he wanted to die, and now the day that he hoped would be his last had come. The boy snuck into his father’s bedroom, reaching into a dresser drawer for the loaded magazine and 9mm handgun he’d been told never to touch.

Higher Ed:

State budget plan proposes lowering out-of-state UC students

Fresno Bee

Three top University of California campuses would lower their share of out-of-state and international students and the UC system would add 6,230 more local students next year under a new state budget plan that Newsom and legislative leaders unveiled Friday night.

Students sue over California university’s COVID vaccine mandate, saying shots could harm them

Sacramento Bee

Three California State University, Chico, students who have recovered from COVID-19 are suing the school, saying the California State University system’s requirement that they receive a COVID-19 vaccine before returning to class in the fall places them at risk of dying.

Graduate student researchers at University of California seek union representation

CalMatters

Across the University of California, teaching assistants and tutors are unionized, but graduate student researchers are not. That could soon change, after organizers filed more than 10,000 signed union authorization cards with the California Public Employment Relations Board last month.

Opinion: Budget surplus can smooth the path to higher education

CalMatters

Canceling administrative fees and penalties at state’s colleges and universities would remove stumbling blocks for vulnerable students.

Student loans, the racial wealth divide, and why we need full student debt cancellation

Brookings

But a college degree does not eliminate the income gaps between white and Black workers. Black students finance their education through debt, and thus college degrees actually further contribute to the fragility of the upwardly mobile Black middle class.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

County calls on more hands on approach to forest management

Porterville Recorder

The message from county and other officials and those whose lives were forever altered by the Sequoia Complex was clear: When it comes to a hands on versus hands off approach to management of the forest, not only is a hands on approach preferred, it's vital.

Viewpoints: California prioritizes profits over health of ecosystem. Now, our salmon face extinction

Sacramento Bee

Since 2015, California has seen a continuing decline in salmon populations and record-low catches. The numbers were so low in 2008 and 2009 — and now, in 2021 — that commercial salmon fisheries closed.

California regulators again delay health rules to protect people near oil and gas sites

Los Angeles Times

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.

Watchdog found EPA employees kept on payroll by Trump appointees after they were fired: report

The Hill

Two former employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were kept on payroll by political appointees of former President Trump after they were ousted, the agency’s watchdog found.

When climate policy works: HFCs and the case of short-lived climate pollutants

Brookings

Congress began debating policy options for addressing climate change more than three decades ago but its first comprehensive legislative strategy to address any greenhouse gas was delayed until last December.

New York Times

· Opinion: Has the Carbontech Revolution Begun? New York Times

· Opinion: What if American Democracy Fails the Climate Crisis? New York Times

Energy:

California power grid manager not planning on Flex Alert amid West Coast heat wave

Sacramento Bee

California’s largest electrical grid operator changed course Sunday after saying it could issue a Flex Alert on Monday, which would have asked residents to voluntarily conserve energy as a heat wave pushes demand on the grid.

Opinion: Help families electrify homes and cars to reduce energy costs

CalMatters

Utility debt payment plans place unreasonable burdens on low-income residents, and debt forgiveness doesn’t address the problem; electrification does.

Clean Energy ETFs Take a Hit, but Money Keeps Flowing In

Wall Street Journal

Investors have lost a bundle this year betting on solar-panel and wind-turbine makers. Their response: to double down. A year ago, green stocks and the funds that track them rallied tremendously in the aftermath of the market’s recovery from a pandemic-induced swoon.

Opinion: ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Is the Future

Wall Street Journal

Remember the cringeworthy “Drill, baby, drill” slogan from the 2008 Republican Convention? Maybe they were on to something, but not what you think.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

How safe are summer activities with fewer COVID restrictions? Advice from Fresno doctors

Fresno Bee

Ready to have fun this summer but worried about how safe it is for you or your loved ones with coronavirus restrictions loosened?

● When Masks Become Optional, Do Children Become Vulnerable? Capital & Main

The Facts – and Gaps – on the Origin of the Coronavirus

FactCheck

A year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic — and with a death toll approaching 4 million lives — how the coronavirus came to spark a global scourge remains unknown. Was it the result of a spillover from an animal to a human, as has happened repeatedly in the past?

· How Mutations Have Shaped the Covid-19 Pandemic Wall Street Journal

· Americans Seek Urgent Mental-Health Support as Covid-19 Crisis Ebbs Wall Street Journal

Study finds sign of long-lasting protection from COVID-19 vaccines

The Hill

The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna produce a "persistent" immune response and give a sign of long-lasting protection, a new study finds.

● As coronavirus variant rises, COVID-19 vaccine plan targets ‘movable middle’ Los Angeles Times

● Digital health solutions to stay as pandemic fades Business Journal

How To Stay Safe And Avoid Heat-Related Illnesses As Temperatures Rise

VPR

Wherever you are in the Valley, you’ve likely been enjoying the reprieve from the heat wave that left us all sweaty and guzzling water earlier this month. Beginning Saturday, unfortunately, most of us are in for another round of triple-digit days, this one even longer.

Human Services:

Fresno County skilled nursing facility facing multiple lawsuits

abc30

COVID-19 hit a lot of nursing homes particularly hard, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. In the Central Valley, the facility with the most cases and deaths is run by Dycora.

California budget boosts health care for older immigrants

Fresno Bee

California will soon pay the health care bills for low-income people 50 and older who are living in the country illegally, part of an expansion of Medicaid that aims to inch the nation's most populous state toward Democrats' goal of making sure everyone has health insurance.

Costly New Alzheimer’s Drug Could Force Medicare to Restrict Access

Wall Street Journal

The recent approval of a high-price Alzheimer’s drug is raising questions about who will have access to a treatment that could cost Medicare billions of dollars in coming years.

Cannabis use may be linked with suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts in young adults, study finds

CNN

Cannabis use has been associated with a higher likelihood of thinking about suicide in young adults, according to a study from the US National Institutes of Health published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.

IMMIGRATION

‘Fresno to turn the page.’ City to chip in public funds toward these immigrant initiatives

Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno will pitch in $200,000 in public funds for a legal defense fund that, so far, has helped 18 Central Valley immigrants avoid deportation.

Undocumented adults over 50 to qualify for Medi-Cal benefits under California budget deal

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature on Friday unveiled a state budget plan that would expand Medi-Cal coverage to low-income, undocumented adults and seniors ages 50 and over.

Harris Visits The Southern Border After Trying To Keep The Focus Away From It

VPR

The U.S. Is Closing a Loophole That Lured Mexicans Over the Border to Donate Blood Plasma for Cash

ProPublica

Selling blood plasma in the U.S. could net Mexican residents hundreds of dollars a month — if they donated often enough. But some were putting their health at risk to do so.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

American Indians calling for Squaw Valley renaming want Fresno County leaders’ interest

Fresno Bee

There’s “intergenerational trauma” associated with the word “squaw” for Native Americans, but local elected officials haven’t shown interest in learning about that, said speakers during a meeting about a campaign to rename the town of Squaw Valley in Fresno County.

Yosemite tourism officials offer advice for park reservations

Madera Tribune

California’s tourism sector is roaring back to life, and although the rest of the state is easing restrictions, Yosemite National Park has not announced changes to the temporary day-use reservation system.

Housing:

Kern's housing development pace falls far behind job growth

Bakersfield Californian

A recent uptick in homebuilding helps but Kern continues to suffer from a housing stock failing to keep up with demand.

Writer Mark Arax On The History Of Race And Real Estate In Fresno

VPR

Writer Mark Arax has been working to uncover some of the forgotten history that explains how many neighborhoods in Fresno were established.

California to extend eviction ban, pay back rent for tenants

Fresno Bee

California will extend its ban on evictions and cover back rent and utility payments for people who fell behind during the pandemic under a $7.2 billion plan announced Friday that Gov. Gavin Newsom called the “largest and most comprehensive renter protection deal in the U.S.”

● California To Extend Eviction Moratorium To Sept. 30, Cover 100% Of Unpaid Rent For Eligible Tenants Capital Public Radio

● California’s eviction moratorium extension: What’s in it for tenants and landlords? CalMatters

● Editorial: COVID eviction protections were extended, but California repeated the same flawed solution Sacramento Bee

● Opinion: Stop extending the eviction moratorium AEI

● Opinion: Gov. Newsom’s $5 billion rent relief may right a wrong Mercury News

End to COVID-19 hotel housing for homeless raises worries

Fresno Bee

Everyone on the streets knows “Sir Charles," the skinny guy with the saxophone, sunglasses, felt hat and megawatt smile. At a gig this week, he danced with a soda in his hand as the bouncers teased him, the ladies applauded and patrons slipped a few dollars into his tip jar.

California home prices broke another all-time high record. Here’s what it costs to buy now

Merced Sun-Star

California median housing prices reached another all-time high in May, soaring 39% over the same in 2020. The median price for a single-family home in California is now $818,260, according to state figures announced Friday by the Department of Finance.

● National Home Price Appreciation (HPA) Index – May 2021 AEI

Should California Turn Contaminated Land Into Affordable Housing?

Capital & Main

In a busy five-acre industrial pocket of Lincoln Heights, north of Downtown Los Angeles, zigzagged with metro lines and freeways and car-choked roads, developers plan to build a 468-unit apartment complex called the Avenue 34 Project.

PUBLIC FINANCES

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

CalMatters

As the Legislature negotiates with Newsom over his proposal to expand the program, Californians who receive Social Security Disability Insurance say they’re fed up with being overlooked during the pandemic.

FAQ: What you need to know about the child tax credit payments starting in July

Washington Post

Starting in July, millions of U.S. families will receive as much as $300 a month per child under the Biden administration’s bold effort to help struggling families. And the IRS recently launched several tools to make the daunting process go as smoothly as possible.

Fed Officials Debate Scaling Back Mortgage-Bond Purchases at Faster Clip

Wall Street Journal

As Federal Reserve officials discuss how to eventually scale back their easy-money policies, they are debating whether to start by reducing purchases of mortgage-backed securities to avoid adding more fuel to the housing boom.

The Ultrawealthy Have Hijacked Roth IRAs. The Senate Finance Chair Is Eyeing a Crackdown.

ProPublica

Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said he planned to rein in tax breaks for gargantuan Roth retirement accounts after ProPublica exposed how the superrich used them to shield their fortunes from taxes

● Opinion: Peter Thiel’s Taxes Aren’t the Real Story Wall Street Journal

Note to Bernie: The 8 arguments for restoring the SALT deduction, and why they’re all wrong

Brookings

Senator Bernie Sanders appears to have changed his mind on the deduction for state and local taxes (SALT). Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders previously has come out quite strongly against lifting the cap.

TRANSPORTATION

State transportation committee allocates funds for Kern road projects

Bakersfield Californian

California High-Speed Rail Passes Key Environmental Milestone in Southern California Region

California High-Speed Rail Authority

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today released the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIR/EIS) for the approximately 80-mile Bakersfield to Palmdale project section of the California high-speed rail system.

California Agencies Award $20 Million for “Clean Mobility” Projects

Streets Blog Cal

The grants will bring clean transportation options – including electric bike-share, car-share, and transit – to low-income communities where resources are limited and exposure to pollution and traffic tend to be high.

WATER

Central Valley town without water — again — and repairs are weeks away amid heatwave

Fresno Bee

The only functioning well in the rural community of Teviston broke in early June, leaving over 700 residents without running water. Meanwhile, temperatures in the central San Joaquin Valley have soared to triple-digit heat over the past week.

Depleted Reservoirs, Water Restrictions Worry Farmers

Capital Public Radio

If you’ve ever picked up pears at Sacramento’s largest farmers market, it’s a good bet you’ve bought them from Jeff McCormack of Walnut Grove. His family has been farming on land along the Sacramento River Delta for 125 years.

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.

Opinion: Water storage is the obvious solution to water shortage

CalMatters

Ross Middlemiss’ piece is long on complaints and short on solutions, but of all the misleading statements, his position against more water storage is truly unbelievable.

“Xtra”

This Bass Lake resort is in a Korean documentary as an example of the American dream

Fresno Bee

Kyusun Choe and his wife Sun Wha Choe used to eat at Ducey’s on the Lake, back before they ran the place. They owned a motel at the time, a 30-unit Days Inn just in Oakhurst, and would sometimes take the quick drive just to spend an evening looking out over Bass Lake.

What stars will perform at Modesto’s Gallo Center as it reopens for 2021-22 season?

Modesto Bee

After being dark more than a year, the Gallo Center for the Arts is ready to reopen with a host of live shows beginning in July.