POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Update: Here’s what’s changing as Stanislaus County moves to orange tier Modesto Bee
Council approves 2021-2022 budget, a ‘living document’ with increased revenues
Turlock Journal
The Turlock City Council on Tuesday adopted a budget for the next fiscal year which benefits from several new streams of revenue after years of financial woes, though years of instability and an effort to be transparent will see the document reviewed on a regular basis.
Transit agencies offer free rides in July
Turlock Journal
Turlock residents can take a free ride throughout the month of July on both Turlock Transit buses and Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority lines.
Here's what to watch for at the Stockton City Council meeting
Stockton Record
The City Council is set to focus on budget discussions at its meeting Tuesday for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as an upgrade to the city's integrated library system and fire prevention.
West Stanislaus County top needs are food, housing and utility assistance, survey finds
Modesto Bee
Help with utility payments, food and rent are top priorities for West Stanislaus County residents, according to a recent survey.
Oakdale will renovate police building. Second project helps pedestrians near high school
Modesto Bee
The Oakdale City Council agreed Monday night to renovate the police building and to make walking and biking easier around the high school. Both votes were 5-0.
Garth Stapley: Why send a cop if one isn’t really needed? Modesto police embark on new approach
Modesto Bee
Modesto police are going to try something new. Soon, four employees without guns or badges will help police handle calls involving homeless people. And a separate program further out will feature other non-officer specialists responding to mental health crises.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● What will normal look like in Fresno, Valley when COVID-19 rules disappear next week? Fresno Bee
● Tulare County to consider $2.5 million vaccination agreement with Sierra View Porterville Recorder
Fresno's COVID-19 Equity Project Inspires Community Health Programs In Other Counties
VPR
In early April, Monterey County and a group of community organizations held a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in a school gym in the rural city of Soledad. In a promotional video produced about the event, locals shared what brought them out to get their vaccinations.
Leslie Caviglia named Visalia city manager, the first woman to hold the job in city's history
Visalia Times Delta
Visalia's second-in-command is getting a promotion. Leslie Caviglia will soon become Visalia city manager after Randy Groom retires in September. She will be the first woman appointed to the job since Visalia was founded in 1852.
See also:
● Visalia Selects Its First Woman City Manager Business Journal
Is an aquatics center on the horizon for Visalia?
Visalia Times Delta
Visalia’s highly-debated, long-awaited aquatics center is back in the spotlight. Councilman Greg Collins will give a presentation during tonight’s Visalia Parks and Recreation meeting. It's not the first time Collins has advocated for a city aquatics center.
As debate over police in Fresno schools nears end, community groups push for big changes
Fresno Bee
Community advocates rallied on Tuesday in front of Roosevelt High School to demand Fresno Unified remove police officers from schools and reinvest the $3.2 million from the contracts into social-emotional services, student resources such as laptops, and afterschool programs.
Central Unified superintendent Andrew Alvarado arrested on domestic violence charges
abc30
The superintendent of the Central Unified School District was arrested last week on domestic violence charges. Fresno County Sheriff's deputies said Andrew Alvarado was booked into the Fresno County Jail last Thursday night for felony of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse.
See also:
● Fresno’s Central schools superintendent on leave following domestic violence arrest Fresno Bee
Editorial: Fresno Unified school board needlessly hurts Armenian community with campus-naming vote
Fresno Bee
For Fresno’s Armenian American community, the process that the local school board went through recently to name a new facility could not have been much worse.
Fresno-area community colleges could lose millions as enrollment plunges during COVID
Fresno Bee
As enrollment declines during the pandemic, community colleges face losing a chunk of their budgets in the years to come if students don’t come back, according to State Center Community College officials.
Fresno County restarts effort to sell UMC. Will it be affordable housing?
Fresno Bee
Fresno County will once again start the process to sell the old University Medical Center campus after the last deal for its 30 acres fell through.
Mold, leaks and pests: Substandard housing conditions continue in Fresno
Fresno Bee
Tenants at the Manchester Arms apartment complex in Fresno are not the only renters who have suffered unhealthy and unsafe living conditions, despite the Fresno city attorney’s claim that it was a rather isolated incident brought on by the pandemic.
Fresno County supervisors reverse course, OK $22,000 raise for homelessness chief
Fresno Bee
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a job title change and a raise of more than $22,000 for a county employee who works on homelessness issues.
See also:
· Fresno City, Fresno County working to stop homeless encampments from relocating abc30
Madera Community Hospital temporarily closing emergency department
abc30
Madera Community Hospital is preparing for a temporary closure of its emergency department later this week. The closure will run from Wednesday at midnight through 10 am on Thursday morning.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Kern Public Health reports 1 new coronavirus deaths, 63 cases Tuesday Bakersfield Californian
● Kern County's case rate continues to drop in week before general reopening Bakersfield Californian
Hurtado urges Newsom to include farmworkers in universal income plan
Hanford Sentinel
Hurtado and her colleagues sent a letter to Newsom requesting that the Universal Basic Income Pilot Program include farmworkers who have been displaced by drought and a Supplemental Guaranteed Income to those who have had their hours reduced due to drought.
Kern County to fund Lamont flood control, Wi-Fi at parks with federal stimulus package
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County plans to use a second federal stimulus package to achieve a wide range of improvements, including outfitting all public parks with Wi-Fi and addressing flood concerns in Lamont.
KHSD releases maps of proposed boundary changes for fall 2022
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern High School District boundary committee released maps of three proposals, as well as a schedule of dates in June when the public can offer input on the changes.
See also:
· 102 high school students in Kern will graduate with an associate degree Bakersfield Californian
State:
COVID Update:
● 6 California counties get one last promotion before June 15 end to COVID-19 tiers Fresno Bee
● In state’s final weekly COVID-19 assessment, more than half of Californians living in yellow tier Los Angeles Times
● California’s COVID-19 tier system is ending. Did it work? Mercury News
● California’s Low-Income Essential Workers Are Feeling Unheard In State Reopening Capital Public Radio
yahoo!news
Like seemingly everything else in America, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked its fair share of bitter, polarizing debates: over masks, over distancing, over vaccines.
Assault rifles needed ‘to fight against invaders, terrorists and tyrants,’ California judge writes
Fresno Bee
In his decision to strike down California’s assault weapons ban, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez described the AR-15 rifle as “good for both home and battle.”
See also:
● Walters: California gun laws headed for legal showdown CalMatters
● Editorial: Thoughts and prayers for federal judge in California who thinks knives, AR-15s are the same Sacramento Bee
● Opinion: The truly worrying aspect of a federal judge’s ruling on assault weapons Washington Post
● San Jose mayor unveils new plan for gun liability insurance and video recorded gun sales Mercury News
● Recent Spate of Mass Shootings Is Among Worst in U.S. History Wall Street Journal
New faces enter fray as California recall slowly takes shape
Fresno Bee
Six weeks after California officials announced that Democratic Gov. Newsom would face an almost certain recall election that could drive him from office, the contest continues to be roiled by uncertainty and questions – even the date when it might take place remains unclear.
See also:
● Gavin Newsom’s opponents say his actions are driven by the recall. Are they right? Modesto Bee
● The California Recall, Untangled New York Times
● Gavin Newsom’s opponents say his actions are driven by the recall Sacramento Bee
Leg Leaders Urging Immediate Action on Broadband Funding
President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and Speaker Anthony Rendon
The organizations above strongly support the Governor’s proposal for a $7 billion investment to help close the Digital Divide. With these funds and the additional financing sources they would leverage, California can once again be a leader in digital access.
California homes cost more than ever. What are Gov. Newsom and lawmakers doing about it?
Fresno Bee
With $758,990, you can buy a median-priced house in California. It’s a price tag that’s only getting more expensive.
California prison guards to get $5,000 bonus, raises in deal with Newsom administration
Fresno Bee
California state correctional officers will receive nearly $5,000 in pandemic bonuses plus extra paid time off in a new contract agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.
California ban on private prisons, immigration detention centers ‘extreme,’ feds say
Fresno Bee
An ongoing battle between state officials and federal immigration authorities over a CA law that bans privately run immigration facilities intensified during a Court of Appeals hearing, when attorneys representing the Biden admin urged the court to strike down the measure.
California reparations committee confronts harms of slavery, debates direct payments
CalMatters
As California’s reparations committee embarks on a two-year process to study the harms of slavery and systemic racism, task force members will confront how a single state, which never formally sanctioned slavery, can make amends.
In Absentia: No Latino judges in these majority-Latino California counties
CalMatters
While four mostly Latino counties lack any Latino Superior Court judges, another 13 counties have a more than 30 point gap between the percentage of Latinos in the population and on the bench. Here’s what that means.
Californians Support Protections for the LGBTQ+ Community
PPIC
For the LGBTQ+ community, June marks Pride Month—a celebration of love, diversity, and acceptance. Historically, the community chose the month of June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, an event that began to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and rights.
See also:
· A Record Number Of Americans, Including Republicans, Now Support Same-Sex Marriage VPR
Federal:
COVID Update:
● Pfizer now using lower doses of COVID vaccine in trials for young kids abc30
● U.S. increasingly unlikely to meet Biden’s July 4 vaccination goal Los Angeles Times
● Biden would slash Pentagon money for pandemic prevention Roll Call
● Opinion: Despite Trump’s new round of bullying, Fauci says COVID likely didn’t leak from a Chinese lab Fresno Bee
● Opinion: What Drives GOP Resistance to Vaccines? Wall Street Journal
Biden ends infrastructure talks with group of GOP senators
Los Angeles Times
Biden ended talks with a group of Republican senators on a big infrastructure package and started reaching out to senators from both parties in a new effort toward bipartisan compromise, setting a summer deadline for Congress to pass his top legislative priority.
See also:
● After infrastructure talks collapse, two options for Biden Roll Call
● White House infrastructure talks with Capito collapse, leading to fingerpointing as Biden shifts strategy Washington Post
● President Biden Ends Infrastructure Talks With Senate GOP Group Wall Street Journal
An update on the national health policy agenda after the president’s budget submission
AEI
President Biden’s first budget submission, which he sent to Congress at the end of last month, is surprising in what it omits. Several high-profile health proposals from the 2020 campaign are mentioned in the text but are not tied to specific proposals.
Biden Administration Outlines Measures to Address Supply-Chain Issues
Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration outlined new measures Tuesday to address widespread supply-chain issues, with a goal of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. and diversifying access to foreign-made materials such as rare-earth minerals used for batteries.
Biden nominee for public lands boss faces GOP opposition
Bakersfield Californian
President Joe Biden's nominee to oversee vast expanses of U.S. public lands was criticized Tuesday by Republicans over her past involvement in partisan politics as a longtime Democratic aide and environmentalist.
Kamala Harris Tells Migrants Not to Come to U.S., Lays Out Antigraft Steps
Wall Street Journal
Vice President Kamala Harris said at the conclusion of a trip to Mexico and Guatemala that she would visit the U.S. southern border and stressed that the reasons why migrants from Central America make the dangerous trip to the border would take time to resolve.
See also:
● Harris’ visit to Guatemala and Mexico a mix of diplomacy and controversy Los Angeles Times
● Kamala Harris, With Blunt Language on Border, Forges Immigration Image New York Times
● Harris' blunt message in Guatemala: 'Do not come' to U.S. Politico
Washington Post
The U.S. Capitol Police had specific intelligence that supporters of President Donald Trump planned to mount an armed invasion of the Capitol at least two weeks before the Jan. 6 riot.
See also:
● Senate report details sweeping security failures around Jan. 6 insurrection Los Angeles Times
Democrats Consider Changes to Voting Bill Amid Manchin Opposition
Wall Street Journal
Senate Democrats said they were considering changes to their election overhaul proposal, after pivotal centrist Sen. Joe Manchin made clear he opposed both the current bill and any imminent move to weaken Republicans’ power to block legislation.
See also:
● Manchin unmoved by civil rights meeting as Democrats look for path on elections overhaul Roll Call
● Dem leaders struggle to keep voting rights bill afloat Politico
● Editorial: Joe Manchin Plays Political Chess Wall Street Journal
Senate Approves $250 Billion Bill to Boost Tech Research
Wall Street Journal
The Senate on Tuesday approved a bipartisan, $250 billion bill boosting government spending on technology research and development amid rising competition from China and other nations.
Gender Wage Gap Legislation Blocked by Senate Republicans
Wall Street Journal
Senate Republicans blocked legislation that Democrats said would narrow the gender-wage gap, a disparity that took on heightened significance during the pandemic as women disproportionately left the workforce or lost their jobs.
Other:
Global Glitch: Swaths Of Internet Go Down After Cloud Outage
Business Journal
Dozens of websites went down briefly around the globe Tuesday after an outage at the cloud computing service Fastly, illustrating how vital a small number of behind-the-scenes companies have become to running the internet.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
This California nut processing facility has a stench problem. It’s been fined $221,440 for it
Fresno Bee
A pistachio processing plant in Tulare County will pay a more than $200,000 fine it received due to the stench coming from a wastewater pond.
Hurtado urges Newsom to include farmworkers in universal income plan
Hanford Sentinel
Hurtado and her colleagues sent a letter to Newsom requesting that the Universal Basic Income Pilot Program include farmworkers who have been displaced by drought and a Supplemental Guaranteed Income to those who have had their hours reduced due to drought.
Vaccinations are keeping farm workers in Salinas Valley
Washington Post
With protective gear in short supply, farmworkers in the Salinas Valley were at high risk for the coronavirus last summer. In February, D’Arrigo California gained approval to begin vaccinating Monterey County’s vegetable harvesters.
Opinion: How California can create a more equitable food system
CalMatters
State funds would allow California to support small farmers and ranchers who have been left out of publicly funded agriculture programs. This will help build resilience into our food system.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Garth Stapley: Why send a cop if one isn’t really needed? Modesto police embark on new approach
Modesto Bee
Modesto police are going to try something new. Soon, four employees without guns or badges will help police handle calls involving homeless people. And a separate program further out will feature other non-officer specialists responding to mental health crises.
Assault rifles needed ‘to fight against invaders, terrorists and tyrants,’ California judge writes
Fresno Bee
In his decision to strike down California’s assault weapons ban, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez described the AR-15 rifle as “good for both home and battle.”
See also:
● Walters: California gun laws headed for legal showdown CalMatters
● Editorial: Thoughts and prayers for federal judge in California who thinks knives, AR-15s are the same Sacramento Bee
● Opinion: The truly worrying aspect of a federal judge’s ruling on assault weapons Washington Post
● San Jose mayor unveils new plan for gun liability insurance and video recorded gun sales Mercury News
● Recent Spate of Mass Shootings Is Among Worst in U.S. History Wall Street Journal
For Asian Americans Wary of Attacks, Reopening Is Not an Option
New York Times
Millions of Americans may be leaping into a summer of newly unmasked normalcy. But inside Mandy Lin’s apartment in Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood, the lockdown drags on.
Fire:
'In desperate need of these programs': California to close inmate firefighting training center
NBC News
Already faced with a dwindling federal workforce, California is preparing to shut down one of its main training facilities for inmate firefighters as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to reduce the state’s prison population.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
yahoo!news
Like seemingly everything else in America, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked its fair share of bitter, polarizing debates: over masks, over distancing, over vaccines.
California’s Safety Net in Recession and Recovery
PPIC
California’s low-wage workers were hit hard by the COVID-19 shutdown and may need the social safety net for a longer period than they did after past downturns.
Biden Administration Says Child-Care Assistance Will Help Economy Grow
Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration says its plan to expand access to preschool and affordable child care will help bolster long-term economic growth by making it easier for parents, and especially women, to work.
Senate approves expansive bill to boost U.S. competitiveness with China
Los Angeles Times
The Senate approved a sweeping effort to fortify the nation’s ability to compete with China’s economic and political ambitions by investing billions of dollars in scientific research and American manufacturing across several industries.
Jobs:
UCSF Fresno residents vote to unionize. They say protections were stripped, funding cut
Fresno Bee
An overwhelming majority of UCSF Fresno interns, residents and fellow physicians voted to unionize after seeing their program benefits being slashed and the number of residency slots being decreased — actions they say took place in the midst of the pandemic.
Masks at work, unless everyone’s vaccinated
CalMatters
The more things change, the more things stay the same. California is set to fully reopen its economy and end its mask mandate on June 15 — but it appears many of us could still be wearing masks well past that date.
See also:
● Masks? Social distancing? We answer your questions on California’s new COVID workplace rules Fresno Bee
● Opinion: Cal/OSHA’s new workplace safety rules don’t follow science or common sense Sacramento Bee
California’s Low-Income Essential Workers Are Feeling Unheard In State Reopening
Capital Public Radio
While California may be set to reopen in a week, many of the state’s low-income essential workers feel concerned about their safety.
U.S. Job Openings Reached Record Level This Spring
Wall Street Journal
Available jobs in the U.S. climbed further above pre-pandemic levels last month following a record surge earlier in the spring, a sign of strong demand for workers—with leisure and hospitality sectors showing the most growth in openings.
See also:
● Job openings reached record in April, as worker shortage concerns rose Politico
● Opinion: The Great American Labor Shortage Wall Street Journal
EDUCATION
K-12:
Central Unified superintendent Andrew Alvarado arrested on domestic violence charges
abc30
The superintendent of the Central Unified School District was arrested last week on domestic violence charges. Fresno County Sheriff's deputies said Andrew Alvarado was booked into the Fresno County Jail last Thursday night for felony of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse.
See also:
● Fresno’s Central schools superintendent on leave following domestic violence arrest Fresno Bee
As debate over police in Fresno schools nears end, community groups push for big changes
Fresno Bee
Community advocates rallied on Tuesday in front of Roosevelt High School to demand Fresno Unified remove police officers from schools and reinvest the $3.2 million from the contracts into social-emotional services, student resources such as laptops, and afterschool programs.
Editorial: Fresno Unified school board needlessly hurts Armenian community with campus-naming vote
Fresno Bee
For Fresno’s Armenian American community, the process that the local school board went through recently to name a new facility could not have been much worse.
KHSD releases maps of proposed boundary changes for fall 2022
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern High School District boundary committee released maps of three proposals, as well as a schedule of dates in June when the public can offer input on the changes.
Will California public schools continue free lunches for all?
Hanford Sentinel
Early in the pandemic, the only source of milk for some struggling families was from school lunches, recalls Stacy Johnson, director of nutrition services at Glendora Unified School District.
See also:
● KHSD summer meal services to get underway Bakersfield Californian
California legislator takes charter school reform bill off the table
San Diego Union-Tribune
A controversial charter school bill that was meant to prevent the kind of fraud highlighted by the A3 charter school scandal is temporarily dead in the state legislature.
Some Black parents see less bullying, racism with online learning and are keeping kids home
Los Angeles Times
Some parents of Black LA school students opted to keep their children in distance learning after schools reopened in April because they wanted to shield them from inequitable and sometimes harsh treatment on campus, according to a report from a local advocacy group.
See also:
● Why some parents are sticking with remote learning - even as schools reopen Brookings
Higher Ed:
Fresno-area community colleges could lose millions as enrollment plunges during COVID
Fresno Bee
As enrollment declines during the pandemic, community colleges face losing a chunk of their budgets in the years to come if students don’t come back, according to State Center Community College officials.
102 high school students in Kern County will graduate with an associate degree
Bakersfield Californian
Of the thousands of students who receive their high school diplomas in Kern County this spring, 102 of them will also be earning an associate degree from Bakersfield College. As impressive as that number is, it's expected to grow in the coming years.
‘Every second counts.’ Why Cal Poly educators are pushing to get life-saving drug on campus
San Luis Obispo Tribune
Everyone hopes that they’ll never have to use the fire extinguisher in their home, said Candace Winstead, a biological sciences professor at Cal Poly. The same goes for the defibrillator in your gym, or even the seat belt in your car, she said.
Thanks, but no thanks: Why community colleges are resisting $170 million
CalMatters
College faculty for decades have been seeking more money to hire full-time instructors. But could that hurt colleges financially down the line if student enrollments continue to sag?
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Can California Avoid Another Toxic Waste Disaster?
Capital & Main
For decades, large red-hot furnaces cooked the lead from smashed batteries at the Exide plant, just seven miles from Downtown Los Angeles, spouting plumes of toxic air that settled on and contaminated thousands of homes.
California Not Doing as Well as It Thinks in Reducing Carbon, Investigation Finds
KQED
In her latest investigation, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Lisa Song reports that millions of carbon credits generated by California's cap-and-trade program do not represent real reductions in planet-warming gas emissions.
See also:
● Carbon dioxide levels hit all-time high even as pandemic slowed emissions, Scripps scientists say Los Angeles Times
EXPLAINER: Why a rural pipeline is a climate battleground
Modesto Bee
As Enbridge Energy prepares to finish rebuilding an oil pipeline across rural northern Minnesota, protesters are occupying part of the construction area and pledging a “summer of resistance” on the ground and in court.
See also:
● Pipeline protesters seize Minnesota construction site in bid to stop $4 billion project Washington Post
Opinion: The new climate narrative
Brookings
As the Nobel laureate economists Robert Shiller, Abhijit Banerjee, and Esther Duflo have argued eloquently in recent books, political debate and economic policy are driven much more by simple “narratives” than by complex and nuanced theories or models.
Energy:
Help Us Investigate PG&E’s Power Lines
VPR
PG&E has sparked some of the state’s deadliest wildfires. The company pled guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter after the Camp Fire. It faces felony charges in connection with the Kincade Fireand is being investigated for murder after the Zogg Fire.
'Cool’ roofs, cooler designs as the building industry embraces energy sustainability
Washington Post
The southwestern New Mexico town of Columbus, site of a 1916 raid by Pancho Villa, is now home to a border entry center that is powered by the sun and landscaped with recycled concrete “sponges” that harvest rainwater.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Antibody test won’t reveal if you gained immunity from your COVID vaccine, experts say
Fresno Bee
For the cautious and vulnerable, such as those with weakened immune systems, taking a coronavirus antibody test after vaccination might offer some assurance that their bodies built immunity against COVID-19.
What we know about the highly infectious coronavirus delta variant
Washington Post
The coronavirus variant labeled “delta” was first recorded in India, where a slow vaccination drive and complacency about pandemic rules helped spark a record-breaking surge in cases this spring.
See also:
● The Highly Contagious Delta Variant Is On The Rise In The U.S. VPR
Millions of J&J Covid-19 Vaccines Are at Risk of Expiring in June
Wall Street Journal
Hospitals, state health departments and the federal government are racing to decide how to use up millions of Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ +1.07% Covid-19vaccine doses that are set to expire this month.
No proof for researcher claim that COVID-19 vaccines’ spike protein is a ‘toxin’
PolitiFact
A university expert claimed on talk radio that he has new evidence that COVID-19 vaccines produce a "toxin."
Elderly Covid Cases And Deaths Plunged In U.S. This Year — CDC Says It’s Due To Vaccines
Forbes
The number of U.S. seniors falling seriously ill and dying from Covid-19 has dropped precipitously, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Tuesday, a trend health experts linked to high vaccination rates.
Human Services:
Fresno's COVID-19 Equity Project Inspires Community Health Programs In Other Counties
VPR
In early April, Monterey County and a group of community organizations held a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in a school gym in the rural city of Soledad. In a promotional video produced about the event, locals shared what brought them out to get their vaccinations.
Madera Community Hospital temporarily closing emergency department
abc30
Madera Community Hospital is preparing for a temporary closure of its emergency department later this week. The closure will run from Wednesday at midnight through 10 am on Thursday morning.
County to consider $2.5 million vaccination agreement with Sierra View
Porterville Recorder
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors will consider a proposal to enter into a $2.5 million agreement with Sierra View Medical Center to administer COVID-19 vaccines throughout Tulare County at its meeting at 9 a.m. today.
AP analysis: COVID prolonged foster care stays for thousands
Bakersfield Californian
Leroy Pascubillo missed his daughter’s first step, her first word and countless other precious milestones. After being born addicted to heroin, she had been placed with a foster family, and he anxiously counted the days between their visits as he tried to regain custody
Why Does Disaster Aid Often Favor White People?
New York Times
The federal government often gives less help to Black disaster survivors than their white neighbors. That’s a challenge for President Biden, who has vowed to fight both inequality and climate change.
IMMIGRATION
Advocates hope for expanded immigrant aid in final budget
CalMatters
As Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders finalize California’s new budget, advocates hope for expanded health care, food and financial aid to undocumented immigrants who are excluded from federal safety net programs.
California ban on private prisons, immigration detention centers ‘extreme,’ feds say
Fresno Bee
An ongoing battle between state officials and federal immigration authorities over a CA law that bans privately run immigration facilities intensified during a Court of Appeals hearing, when attorneys representing the Biden admin urged the court to strike down the measure.
‘It’s inhumane’: Undocumented immigrants ineligible for COVID funeral reimbursement
Fresno Bee
After Claudia Medina’s husband died from COVID-19 in late March, she was left with a $14,000 bill for his funeral expenses. Pedro Cruz Mendoza was an undocumented immigrant from Oaxaca who worked in the Central Valley’s fields for 21 years.
U.S. identifies 3,900 children separated at border under Trump
Business Journal
The Biden administration said Tuesday that it has identified more than 3,900 children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy on illegal crossings.
As Temporary Protected Status Shifts, One Activist Deals With Uncertainty
VPR
César Magaña Linares is a committed immigration activist, whether he's attending rallies or in his law school classes studying to become an immigration lawyer.
Editorial: Biden needs bolder, more creative answers to Central American migration
Los Angeles Times
Vice President Kamala Harris’ quick two-day visit to Guatemala and Mexico won’t, obviously, fix the problems that have spurred tens of thousands of people to migrate northward.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Biden nominee for public lands boss faces GOP opposition
Bakersfield Californian
President Joe Biden's nominee to oversee vast expanses of U.S. public lands was criticized Tuesday by Republicans over her past involvement in partisan politics as a longtime Democratic aide and environmentalist.
Housing:
Fresno County restarts effort to sell UMC. Will it be affordable housing?
Fresno Bee
Fresno County will once again start the process to sell the old University Medical Center campus after the last deal for its 30 acres fell through.
Mold, leaks and pests: Substandard housing conditions continue in Fresno
Fresno Bee
Tenants at the Manchester Arms apartment complex in Fresno are not the only renters who have suffered unhealthy and unsafe living conditions, despite the Fresno city attorney’s claim that it was a rather isolated incident brought on by the pandemic.
Fresno City, Fresno County working to stop homeless encampments from relocating
abc30
ABC30 is taking action to share more stories that matter to you, including how the city of Fresno and Fresno County are addressing concerns about homeless encampments that move from one area to another.
See also:
● How California Homelessness Became A Crisis VPR
California homes cost more than ever. What are Gov. Newsom and lawmakers doing about it?
Fresno Bee
With $758,990, you can buy a median-priced house in California. It’s a price tag that’s only getting more expensive.
AEI housing market indicators, June 2021
AEI
The American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center released its monthly update to the AEI Housing Market Indicators on June 7, 2021.
Brookings
Much attention has been given to COVID-19’s impact on population losses in the nation’s largest cities, raising questions about a potential urban “exodus”and the shape of the post-pandemic city.
Opinion: Extend the eviction moratorium to ward off another public health crisis
CalMatters
As public health and health care leaders, we are overjoyed to see diminishing numbers of COVID cases. But that isn’t the only number we need to watch as we recover from the pandemic.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Kern County to fund Lamont flood control, Wi-Fi at parks with federal stimulus package
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County plans to use a second federal stimulus package to achieve a wide range of improvements, including outfitting all public parks with Wi-Fi and addressing flood concerns in Lamont.
Council approves 2021-2022 budget, a ‘living document’ with increased revenues
Turlock Journal
The Turlock City Council on Tuesday adopted a budget for the next fiscal year which benefits from several new streams of revenue after years of financial woes, though years of instability and an effort to be transparent will see the document reviewed on a regular basis.
Washington Post
The wealthiest Americans — including Warren Buffett, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos — paid little in federal income taxes at times in recent years despite soaring fortunes, according to Internal Revenue Service data obtained by ProPublica.
See also:
● The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax ProPublica
● Wyden renews wealth tax push after billionaires’ returns leak Roll Call
● IRS Is Investigating Release of Tax Information of Wealthy Americans Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: Return of the IRS Scandal Wall Street Journal
Biden’s Capital-Gains Tax Proposal Puts Estate Planners to Work
Wall Street Journal
Estate planners for the wealthiest Americans are combing through the Biden administration’s proposed tax increases, hunting for ways to sidestep the potential hit from higher taxes on investment income and new capital-gains taxes at death.
Why is the United States promoting a global minimum tax?
AEI
President Biden has proposed a reform to the U.S. corporate income tax that would raise taxes on corporations. His plan would raise the corporate income tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent.
TRANSPORTATION
Concrete barrier to be added to dangerous stretch of Highway 41 in Fresno County
abc30
Construction will begin this week on a new concrete safety barrier on a dangerous stretch of Highway 41 in Fresno County.
Transit agencies offer free rides in July
Turlock Journal
Turlock residents can take a free ride throughout the month of July on both Turlock Transit buses and Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority lines.
Think you can’t afford an electric car? California wants to help drivers make the switch
Fresno Bee
Buying a new car means making a lot of choices, but if things go according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan, by 2035 there will be one less thing to consider: whether to buy an electric or gasoline-fueled car.
Unions are the powerhouse behind California’s troubled bullet train. A big test awaits
Los Angeles Times
Among union officials, Robbie Hunter, the head of the 450,000-strong State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, has wielded significant clout in keeping the project moving, despite its constant problems with funding and engineering.
Automakers Face A Threat To EV Sales: Slow Charging Times
Business Journal
If the auto industry is to succeed in its bet that electric vehicles will soon dominate the roads, it will need to overcome a big reason why many people are still avoiding them: fear of running out of juice between Point A and Point B.
WATER
Valley Voices: San Joaquin Valley needs to stop waiting to be rescued from droughts
Fresno Bee
The Bureau of Reclamation recently issued its update of water allocations for the Central Valley Project for agricultural, municipal and industrial users.
From Shasta to Folsom, shriveled reservoirs show depths of California’s drought disaster
Fresno Bee
Instead of being flush with newly melted snow, Folsom Lake is the driest it’s been in springtime since the epic drought of 1977. Water levels are so low that temporary pumps probably will be installed to help move water out of the stricken reservoir.
The Drought In The Western U.S. Is Getting Bad. Climate Change Is Making It Worse
VPR
By almost every measure, the drought in the Western U.S. is already one for the record books. Almost half the country's population is facing dry conditions. Soils are parched. Mountain snowpacks produce less water.
After a bitter fight, Southern California’s water kingpin has a new leader
Los Angeles Times
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has hired Adel Hagekhalil as its next general manager, following a bitter power struggle over the future of an agency that delivers hundreds of billions of gallons each year.
Opinion: How better data can help California avoid a drinking water crisis
CalMatters
Drought is here — and we’re beginning to feel the effects. A majority of affected households during the last drought were in the San Joaquin Valley and these same communities are among the most vulnerable this time.
“Xtra”
Fresno Bee
Ask any Fresnan what the busiest drive-thru restaurant in town is and Chick-fil-A is likely to land on the list, along with In-N-Out and Dutch Bros Coffee.
Village Fest canceled for second consecutive year
Bakersfield Californian
Village Fest will take its second straight year off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.