06Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

How will Merced spend $225 million? Here’s a look

Merced Sun-Star

The Merced City Council appears to be on its way to approving a $255 million spending plan, which could include a new recreation center, welcome signs and other new programs.

Central Valley Regional Airport? Could happen, Stockton Metro director says in Modesto

Modesto Bee

His strategic plan for Stockton Metropolitan Airport will mean increased commercial flights and cargo operations.

Central SJ Valley:

Will Rep. Ocasio-Cortez visit Fresno? Councilmembers extend invite – and give Grizzlies swag

Fresno Bee

Fresno City Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Esmeralda Soria presented a special gift to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C.: Fresno Grizzlies swag.

Lemoore council member arrested after leading officers on high-speed chase

Fresno Bee

Lemoore councilmember Holly Blair, 37, was arrested for leading officers on a pursuit while carrying a juvenile in the back seat Wednesday afternoon, according to a Lemoore Police news release.

● Lemoore city council member arrested after chase Visalia Times Delta

● Lemoore City Councilmember Holly Blair arrested Hanford Sentinel

Councilman asks if CA can be sued over vendors law

Visalia Times Delta

California cities are required to permit both mobile and stationary street vendors under the law. Currently, Visalia offers no “entrepreneurship opportunities” to vendors wishing to operate on its sidewalks.

Hanford City Manager Darrel Pyle resigns

Hanford Sentinel

Sue Sorensen, Mayor of the City of Hanford, announced June 5 that City Manager Darrel Pyle tendered his letter of resignation this morning. Mr. Pyle and his wife will begin a new chapter in life by moving out of state to be closer to their two grown children.

Diabetes kills more African Americans than other groups in Tulare County. What’s being done?

Fresno Bee

More African Americans are dying from diabetes in Tulare County than any other group. Their death rate 227.9 deaths per every 100,000 blacks, compared to 104.2 deaths per every 100,000 white people.

South SJ Valley:

‘In God We Trust’ decals to be placed on local police, fire vehicles

Bakersfield Californian

Although the issue proved to be divisive, the Bakersfield City Council voted to approve adding “In God We Trust” decals to city police and fire vehicles at a meeting Wednesday evening.

McFarland council appoints new interim replacement for missing city manager

Bakersfield Californian

With its city manager still missing amid mysterious circumstances, the McFarland City Council voted unanimously in closed session Wednesday to appoint a new interim city manager and assistant city manager.

Hotel construction is booming as developers bet on Bakersfield’s economy

Bakersfield Californian

Expectations that Bakersfield’s economy is on the rise have created the city’s biggest hotel boom since the Great Recession.

State:

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

Public Policy Institute of California

The PPIC Statewide Survey delivers objective, advocacy-free information on the perceptions, opinions, and public policy preferences of California residents.

Skelton: Trump is more popular with California voters than the state Legislature, new poll finds

Los Angeles Times

The heavily Democratic state Legislature is less popular among California voters than President Trump.

Could too many taxes turn this blue state red?

Madera Tribune

The more elections go by with Californians electing huge Democratic majorities to the state Legislature and no Republicans to statewide offices, the more secure elected Democrats feel. The more secure they feel, it seems, the more taxes they want to impose on the folks who put them in office.

State Party Delegates Evaluate the Importance of Truth and Honesty in a Candidate

Capital Public Radio

Do you remember “truthiness”? How do you know who’s telling the truth? Or when? Do truthfulness and honesty matter as Democrats choose a 2020 presidential candidate to take on President Donald Trump? The PolitiFact Team shares what it has learned.

Newsom and Office of Digital Innovation

Fox&Hounds

California is the innovation capital of the world, but its government services lag decades behind in using modern technology to deliver citizen services. Governor Newsom’s budget proposal to include a request for the creation of a digital service is a welcome first step to address the state’s antiquated IT infrastructure.

‘Swinging at Every Pitch’: California’s Governor Has Big Plans. Critics See Big Risks.

New York Times

Amid the swirl of big name presidential candidates who descended on San Francisco recently for the Democratic Party’s state convention, Gov. Gavin Newsom made sure there was a place in the spotlight for him.

2020 Census: Counting California’s Homeless Population

Public Policy Institute of California

Accurately counting the homeless population is notoriously difficult. People experiencing homelessness can be hard to find—they tend to move around a lot, and at any given time, they might be in a shelter, in a car, outdoors, or couch surfing with family and friends. They may also conceal their living arrangements for privacy reasons or to avoid law enforcement.

Federal:

California Democratic voters disagree with Nancy Pelosi on impeaching the president

Sacramento Bee

California Democrats overwhelmingly believe Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report did not clear President Donald Trump of wrongdoing, and a sizable majority want Congress to launch impeachment proceedings against the president now.

EDITORIAL: Trump grapples with British invasion of reality

San Francisco Chronicle

At home, President Trump’s ceaseless war with reality occupies much of the energy of his Twitter feed, his administration and an entire cable news organization. Abroad, his forces are attenuated, the terrain more hostile, and the insistent encroachment of facts more evident and embarrassing.

Elections 2020:

Likeliest candidate to beat Trump or someone who shares your views? California Dems divided on 2020 priority

San Jose Mercury

It’s a head-versus-heart debate that’s raged in Democratic circles across California, from the halls of the state convention to contentious Facebook groups: Should the party nominate the candidate who has the best ideas, or choose the strongest contender to defeat President Trump?

Joe Biden’s opposition to federal funds for abortion brings first big fight of his campaign

Los Angeles Times

Former Vice President Joe Biden broke with his party Wednesday and restated his opposition to using federal money to pay for most abortions, drawing fire from rivals in the 2020 presidential race and sparking the first big intraparty fight of his campaign.

Cory Booker unveils affordable housing plan including tax credit for renters

Los Angeles Times

Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker has released a housing proposal that includes a tax credit designed to help make rentals more affordable plus zoning changes and new funding aimed at boosting construction of units for low-income renters.

For many black voters, 2020 isn’t about pride or making history. It’s about beating Trump

Los Angeles Times

As a black woman, she’s delighted with Kamala Harris’ presidential bid. As a liberal activist, she’s thrilled with Elizabeth Warren’s groaning board of progressive policy proposals.

Who’s in — and out — of the first Democratic debates

Politico

A prominent governor running in the Democratic primary is at serious risk of getting shut out of the party’s first presidential debates — while a meditation guru and obscure tech entrepreneur take the stage for the most important event of the race so far.

Democrats line up for chance to take down Devin Nunes

Politico

Rep. Devin Nunes — the lightning rod House Intelligence Committee member who was nearly knocked off in the midterm — will face a 2020 Democratic challenge from a Fresno Latino businessman who charges the California GOP congressman has been silent on the proposed “Trump tax” tariffs that he says will slam Central Valley farmers and consumers.

Other:

Opinion: Everyone acts like America is in decline. Let’s look at the numbers.

The Washington Post

Given the pace of change in the world today, it boggles the mind to think that we still live in the shadow of an event 75 years in the past. But when the sun set over the English Channel on June 6, 1944, with tens of thousands of Allied troops firmly lodged on the Normandy coast of France, a new chapter of history began — one that is still being written, with an ending yet unknown.

Modesto got news of the D-Day invasion 75 years ago Thursday. ‘God be with them all’

Modesto Bee

The Modesto area sent its share of the 156,000 troops who landed on Normandy’s beaches on June 6, 1944. Folks on the home front could read that evening about this turning point in World War II.

● EDITORIAL: Remember D-day, to ensure it’s not needed again Los Angeles Times

Why Nancy Pelosi’s attack on Facebook is dangerous

AEI

Democrats have rightly slammed President Trump for labeling the news media as “enemies of the people.” But the nation’s most powerful Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, comes close to making a similar accusation when she calls Facebook executives “willing enablers” of Russian election interference in 2016.

● YouTube to Remove Thousands of Videos Pushing Extreme Views New York Times

● Tech Giants Amass a Lobbying Army for an Epic Washington Battle New York Times

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, June 9, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” – Guest: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of Calif., Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee and Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 9, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Income Inequality and Immigration: Are They Related?” – Guests: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of Calif., Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee, Dan Walters with CALmatters, California Budget Center Policy Analyst Luke Reidenbach, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) California State Director Tom Scott. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, June 9, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” – Guests: Joe Hayes, Investigator PPIC and Liam Dillon with LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Holy guacamole! Prices for tomatoes, avocados could skyrocket with Mexico tariffs

Fresno Bee

Californians looking to stretch their savings may be saying, “Hold the tomatoes, please,” as President Donald Trump’s tariff on Mexican food imports threatens to raise the price of popular grocery store staples.

County Plans To Post Restaurant Inspection Reports Online

Sierra News

Madera County plans to begin posting health department food inspection reports online beginning early next year.

Legal marijuana? California lawmaker tells Apple CEO there should be an app for that

Sacramento Bee

A California lawmaker from Silicon Valley called on Apple CEO Tim Cook to remove the restriction against cannabis sales on the company’s app store.

Trump administration proposes easing rules on genetically engineered crops

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration would exempt many new genetically engineered crops from regulation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under a broad overhaul of biotechnology rules announced on Wednesday.

Much of the chocolate you buy starts with child labor. Why haven’t Mars, Nestlé and Hershey kept promises on child-harvested cocoa?

Washington Post

Mars, Nestlé and Hershey pledged nearly two decades ago to stop using cocoa harvested by children. Yet much of the chocolate you buy still starts with child labor.

EDITORIAL: Coffee Doesn’t Kill After All

WSJ

California has a moment of sanity, and a lawyer is furious.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

It’s 100 degrees in California and this prison’s air conditioning is broken, again

Fresno Bee

Temperatures are supposed to hover around 100 degrees this week at a federal prison in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, and they’ll remain in the high 90s all summer. For the third year running, prison staff say their air conditioning is broken under the strain of those high temperatures.

California prison overdoses are soaring. Gavin Newsom has a $160 million plan to curb them.

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to launch a drug and alcohol treatment program for California prison inmates that would be by far the largest and most complex of its kind, and he wants to get it up and running in two years.

Public Safety:

Should prosecutors get the names of officers who commit misconduct?

Los Angeles Times

The California Supreme Court appeared divided Wednesday over a ruling that barred the Los Angeles County sheriff from giving prosecutors the names of deputies who have committed misconduct.

Trump Expresses Concern About Gun Silencers in Wake of Virginia Shooting

WSJ

In interview on British television, President Trump says he would consider a ban but doesn’t ‘love the idea’.

Fire:

Dry heat puts Northern CA under increased fire risk through weekend – weather watch issued

Sacramento Bee

Higher temperatures paired with low humidity levels and potentially gusty winds have prompted the National Weather Service to issue a fire weather watch for a wide area of Northern California, including the Sacramento area, through the weekend.

1 Billion Acres At Risk For Catastrophic Wildfires, U.S. Forest Service Warns

Capital Public Radio

Chief Vicki Christiansen says the danger is now year-round, thanks to hazardous conditions in forests, rampant home development and the changing climate.

Poll: Voters Give Newsom Lukewarm Reviews for Policies on Wildfires, PG&E Bankruptcy

KQED

A new poll says an overwhelming majority of Californians — 78% — are worried that they might have to bear some of the costs for recent wildfires caused by downed utility lines. At the same time, many likely voters are giving Gov. Gavin Newsom a very mixed review for his handling of the PG&E bankruptcy and its aftermath

PG&E to Plan $11 Billion Fund to Settle Wildfire Claims

Bloomberg

PG&E Corp. has spoken to lawmakers about putting together a pool of capital worth about $11 billion to settle claims related to wildfires blamed on the bankrupt California utility, according to people familiar with the matter.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Trump says no deal yet with Mexico to halt 5% tariff plan

Fresno Bee

Straining to stave off threatened U.S. tariffs, Mexican and American officials claimed progress in White House talks, but President Donald Trump declared it was “not nearly enough” to halt the import taxes he is holding out as a way to force Mexico to stanch the flow of Central American migrants flooding America’s southern border.

● Ohio To Juárez And Back Again: Why Tariffs On Mexico Alarm The Auto Industry Capital Public Radio

● California Republicans don’t want tariffs on Mexico, but won’t fight Trump San Francisco Chronicle

Stocks rise, building on Tuesday’s gains; oil slumps

Los Angeles Times

Stocks rose on Wall Street for the second straight day Wednesday, extending Tuesday’s strong gains as investors bet an interest-rate cut could be ahead.

Hotel construction is booming as developers bet on Bakersfield’s economy

Bakersfield Californian

Expectations that Bakersfield’s economy is on the rise have created the city’s biggest hotel boom since the Great Recession.

Poor Americans likely to be hit hardest by new US tariffs

Associated Press

The people likely to pay the steepest price for Trump’s attempts to bend Mexico and China to his will are poor Americans, who already live close to the financial edge and could have to pay more for everyday purchases.

The Fed Can’t Bail Trump Out

WSJ

‘Monetary stimulation’ didn’t help Obama and won’t now counter reckless spending and trade wars.

New SEC Rule Heightens Broker Responsibilities to Investors

WSJ

SEC votes to require brokers to disclose more about conflicts of interest on investment advice.

Jobs:

How many jobs might Hard Rock casino bring to Kern County?

Bakersfield Californian

It might take five years, it might take a decade, but Kern County is apparently getting a Hard Rock Cafe-branded hotel and casino.

California’s job engine is slowing as U.S. nears recession, UCLA predicts

Los Angeles Times

California’s low unemployment rate should persist through the next two years, but the state’s generation of new jobs will lose steam, a new UCLA economic forecast predicts. “The California economy is slowing down,” wrote Jerry Nickelsburg, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, released Wednesday. “The state is, quite simply, running out of people to be employed.”

Wow, Did We Get a Lot of Questions About the Roth 401(k)

WSJ

Most workers now have to do their own retirement savings, and they face head-spinning choices involving IRAs, 401(k)s and Roth options. Here’s help deciding among them.

These Reporters Lost Their Jobs. Now They’re Fighting Back Against Big Tech.

BuzzFeed News

John Stanton and Laura Bassett are warning about what they believe the tech industry is doing to journalism, as thousands have lost their jobs this year alone.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Merced High School will soon have a new stadium

abc30

For more than 100 years fans of Merced High School sports have sat on old wooden bleachers. But that is about to change. Merced High is 124 years old. Efforts to get a football stadium started about 20 years ago, and it’s finally paying off.

How poverty, isolation drive students away from school in California’s rural districts

Sacramento Bee

Statewide, more than 700,000 students, or about 11%, were chronically absent. About 10% of the 1,000 districts statewide had rates near the level of Oroville Union High’s or significantly higher. Most of those districts were in rural areas, the analysis found.

Students in California log on in record numbers to take online state tests

EdSource

Despite a new science test that has increased demand on the internet capacity of schools, this spring hundreds of thousands of California students went online to take standardized tests aligned to new academic standards without experiencing major technical problems.

California releases new guidelines for school activities during wildfires and poor air quality

Mendocino Voice

The State of California has devised a set of guidelines for student outdoor activity levels and when to move activities indoors in the case of adverse air quality, including conditions caused by wildfires.

Higher Ed:

CSU graduation rates are up. Let’s shift the focus to what really matters – students

Sacramento Bee

Graduation season usually conjures an image of caps and gowns, grinning graduates clutching diplomas. It’s a huge achievement for our students and their families, and we, as faculty, find ourselves beaming with pride at their success this time of year.

BC to bring several Career and Technical Education programs fully online next year

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College is making education a bit more accessible to students who have busy schedules by bringing several Career and Technical Education programs online starting in fall 2020.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

You knew this heat was coming. But how normal is it for this time of year?

Fresno Bee

After a month of cooler-than-normal temperatures, winter-like storms and just-shy-of-record-setting rainfall, the heat is on, so to speak. The National Weather issued a heat advisoryfor much of the San Joaquin Valley starting at noon Wednesday.

● First 100 degree day for the Central Valley on time this year abc30

Timber! Tree Mortality Mitigation Project Begins On Road 274

Sierra News

Motorists on Road 274 could experience 20-30 minute delays for the next several months as crews conduct the largest tree mortality mitigation operation in the county’s history.

Massive ladybug swarm over California shows up on radar

Bakersfield Californian

A huge blob that appeared on the National Weather Service’s radar wasn’t a rain cloud, but a massive swarm of ladybugs over Southern California.

Microplastics Have Invaded The Deep Ocean — And The Food Chain

Capital Public Radio

Giant gyres of plastic in the ocean grab headlines, but it’s the tiny bits of plastic that scare scientists. And they’ve made their way everywhere, a new study finds – including our seafood.

Fixes Could Finally Be Coming For Mexico’s Cross-Border Sewage Spills

KPBS

Local officials plan to huddle over the next few weeks to pick a strategy to control the region’s cross-border pollution problem. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer was the first local politician to say he is ready to take action to stop the cross-border pollution flows.

Energy:

PG&E services restored after 20,000-plus customers affected in Fresno, Clovis

Fresno Bee

More than 20,000 customers were without power Wednesday at the peak of an outage in northeast Fresno and parts of Clovis. The power was restored just before 5 p.m. after disruptions to traffic and several facilities, including Fresno State and the Save Mart Center.

California has too much solar power. That might be good for ratepayers

Los Angeles Times

California set two renewable energy records last week: the most solar power ever flowing on the state’s main electric grid, and the most solar power ever taken offline because it wasn’t needed.

California Energy Price Data for May 2019

Center for Jobs and the Economy

Monthly updates from the most current May 2019 fuel price data

Nuclear waste will be classified as safer under a controversial Trump administration change

Los Angeles Times

The federal Department of Energy is changing how it will dispose of nuclear weapons waste, reclassifying what was formerly considered high-level radioactive material to a lower standard, officials said in a formal notice Wednesday.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Diabetes kills more African Americans than other groups in Tulare County. What’s being done?

Fresno Bee

More African Americans are dying from diabetes in Tulare County than any other group. Their death rate 227.9 deaths per every 100,000 blacks, compared to 104.2 deaths per every 100,000 white people.

3 in 4 Californians back vaccines as state debates making it tougher to opt out

Sacramento Bee

As lawmakers and vaccine skeptics battle in the Capitol corridors over a bill to restrict medical exemptions, a new poll shows that three fourths of Californians support mandatory vaccinations and nearly all believe the shots are safe.

Human Services:

They both used to work for Community Medical Centers. Now they’re giving millions to it

Fresno Bee

A Clovis couple with a special connection has made its second $1 million gift to Community Medical Centers, the Fresno-based health care organization announced Wednesday morning.

Trump admin to prohibit fetal tissue in gov’t research citing ‘dignity of human life’

abc30

The Trump administration on Wednesday announced it is suspending the use of fetal tissue in research conducted by government scientists.

● Trump to end human fetal tissue research by government, a victory for abortion foes Los Angeles Times

● Trump administration restricts fetal tissue research San Francisco Chronicle

State Lawmakers Debate Medi-Cal Coverage For Undocumented Californians

Capital Public Radio

CapRadio healthcare reporter Sammy Caiola is tracking proposals to provide Medi-Cal coverage to undocumented Californians. She updates Insight on the latest moves by state lawmakers.

SF, state seek to block rule allowing health workers to deny care

San Francisco Chronicle

The federal rule, announced by the Trump administration last month, would allow health care staff to refuse treatment to patients based on their own religious beliefs.

How nurses and investment can help people rise from poverty

CALmatters

As I campaigned in 1997 for the congressional seat previously held by my husband, who had died in office, a letter about my decision to run was posted in the local newspaper that asked, “What does she think she’s doing running for Congress? She’s just a nurse.”

Foster Care Crisis Opens Door to Second-Chance Parents

The Pew Charitable Trusts

With rising numbers of children under state supervision and a worsening shortage of foster families, more states have made it easier for parents whose rights to their children were terminated to renew those relationships, sometimes years after a court terminated legal ties.

Trump administration imposes new restrictions on fetal tissue research, including ending HIV-research contract and some NIH funding

The Washington Post

The Trump administration on Wednesday ended funding of medical research by government scientists using fetal tissue and canceled a multimillion-dollar contract for a university laboratory that relies on the material to test new HIV therapies.

IMMIGRATION

Feds: No more education, legal services for immigrant kids

Bakersfield Californian

The federal government has stopped paying for English-language courses and legal services at facilities that hold immigrant children around the country, imposing budget cuts it says are necessary at a time when record numbers of unaccompanied children are arriving at the border.

Migrant arrests at U.S.-Mexico border surge to largest monthly total in more than a decade

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. Border Patrol says a new record was set in May for the number of migrant families apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border.

● More than 130,000 migrants were detained at the border in May, the highest level since 2007 Hanford Sentinel

We could have resolution for the ‘Dreamers,’ if the Republicans would let us

Los Angeles Times

The House on Tuesday passed a thoroughly reasonable bill that would offer a path to citizenship to the so-called Dreamers and provide some relief for other people who have been receiving humanitarian-based protections from deportation.

H-1B visa approvals plunged 10% last year

San Francisco Chronicle

According to new data released by the federal government on the state of the H-1B visa, commonly used for high-skilled workers in tech, there has been an abrupt drop in approvals for a work permit that once was granted routinely.

EDITORIAL: Democrats and the Border Children

WSJ

Why won’t good liberals help even with the humanitarian mess?

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Balch Park closed to the public for summer

Visalia Times Delta

Summer is quickly approaching and vacation plans are in the works. But one popular Tulare County retreat won’t be available for visitors — Balch Park.

Americans are flocking to these 6 California cities where business is booming and salaries are rising

CNBC

Though wages remain largely stagnant for many American workers, there are several cities around the U.S. where incomes are on the rise.

Three CA Cities in Top 10 Ranking in Best U.S. City Survey

Bloomberg

LA, SF and San Diego score well.

Housing:

Fresno Housing Authority taking applications for rental assistance

abc30

Low and fixed income residents are feeling the burden of the Valley’s housing shortage and the rising cost of rent. That could be seen at Fulton Street and Merced where Fresno Housing Authority opened their enrollment period for assistance.

HOPE Team clears Mill Creek homeless camps

Visalia Times Delta

The homelessness shuffle continues in Visalia. On Wednesday, officers and Employment Connection crews cleared out the remnants of several encampments along Mill Creek Trail, between Lovers Lane and McAuliff Street.

STAND hosting south Stockton 5k, health festival

Stockton Record

STAND Affordable Housing will host its first 5-kilometer color fun run and summer wellness festival Saturday to support the Big Valley Track Club.

Developers and unions “not close” on deal to spur housing construction

CALmatters

In January, two of the biggest adversaries in California housing politics appeared on the verge of

detente.

Walters: Politicians missing in action on housing

CALmatters

When the year began, the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom had just two must-do jobs – pass a state budget and do something meaningful about the state’s chronic and corrosive shortage of housing.

Rising Rents Collide With Immigration in California Agriculture Region

WSJ

Housing reserved for migrant farmworkers sparks tension among residents of California’s Central Coast.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California Democrats want to give poor immigrants a tax break. Gavin Newsom isn’t on board yet

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom has a plan to triple spending on a tax break that puts money in the pockets of low-income families, and top Democrats in the Legislature are pushing him to open the program to undocumented immigrants. They’re at odds over how best to expand California’s earned income tax credit, a four-year old program that provides up to $2,559 a year to very low-income families.

EDITORIAL: How gambling losses could figure in bringing doctors, and clean water, to the valley

Merced Sun-Star

Two long-vexing problems confronting our Valley — not enough doctors, and not enough clean drinking water — could be addressed by innovative legislation that we urge Sacramento legislators to embrace by Friday’s budget deadline.

TRANSPORTATION

Central Valley Regional Airport? Could happen, Stockton Metro director says in Modesto

Modesto Bee

His strategic plan for Stockton Metropolitan Airport will mean increased commercial flights and cargo operations.

Want to live near your job and mass transit? Most Californians do, too

Sacramento Bee

Several weeks after state lawmakers killed a bill to allow more housing near transit and job centers, a new poll shows most Californians support the idea.

House committee advances $137 billion transportation, housing bill — The Hill

The Hill

The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday advanced a $137.1 billion spending bill covering transportation and housing, about $6 billion above current levels and $17.3 billion more than President Trump‘s request.

(Opinion) It’s time for public transportation to harness private sector innovation

Sacramento Bee

Someday, there will be a high-tech bullet train that whisks Californians from one end of the state to the other at lightning speeds. But in the meantime, most of us would just settle for getting home from work in less than an hour.

California’s top high-speed rail consultant suspended amid state ethics review

Fresno Bee

The top consultant on California high-speed rail has been suspended after a state watchdog agency began reviewing his approval of a multimillion-dollar contract for a company in which he had heavily invested, the Los Angeles Times has learned.

WATER

‘We couldn’t even take showers’: Californians with unsafe drinking water appeal for fixes

Fresno Bee

A coalition of California residents affected by unsafe drinking water held a symbolic “water strike” at the Capitol on Wednesday, pressing lawmakers to fund a plan that would clean up their water sources.

Snowmelt creates perfect conditions for rafting on upper Kings River

abc30

The Kings River has been closed to boating, floating and swimming in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties due to the strong current. A flood release of over 10,000 cubic feet per second is pouring out of Pine Flat Dam.

“Xtra”

Fresno State giving away ‘Pride of the Valley’ lawn signs

abc30

Fresno State Athletics says you can pick up your ‘Pride of the Valley’ lawn signs at the Blue Lot on Thursday.

New Rock 104.1 kicks off local music series at Mariposa Plaza in downtown Fresno

Fresno Bee

The Mariposa Music Series, which kicks off Saturday, June 8 in downtown Fresno.

County libraries set summer reading program events

Porterville Recorder

The Summer Reading Program begins June 11 through July 19, and participants can sign up throughout the program to get their reading logs to earn prizes and be entered into drawings for more prizes. The earlier you sign up, the greater the fun.

Nothing to do in Modesto region? Actually there are plenty of options in our calendar

Modesto Bee

What’s going on in the Modesto area? Take a look here.

Yosemite’s Half Dome summit to reopen to hikers with cable installation

San Francisco Chronicle

Yosemite National Park will have cables on Half Dome installed by Thursday, giving hikers access to the final stretch of the summit, officials said.