POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
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Central SJ Valley:
Cong TJ Cox: Trump budget a ‘disaster’ for the Central Valley
Fresno Bee
President Trump just delivered his budget to Congress — and his plans were eye-opening. As the old political cliché goes, show me your budget, and I’ll show you your priorities.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, governor’s wife, visits Fresno to promote refund program
Fresno Bee
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, visited Fresno on Saturday to host a community event aimed at promoting a program that seeks to give working families economic mobility.
California Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula charged with child cruelty
Los Angeles Times
The Fresno County district attorney charged California Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) on Tuesday with one misdemeanor count of cruelty to a child, three months after the state legislator was arrested on suspicion of injuring one of his daughters.
South SJ Valley:
Event held to address potential 2020 Census undercount in Tulare County
abc30
The census is more than just a head count of everyone living in the United States. Figures from the U.S. census, which occurs every ten years, impact state congressional seats, Electoral College votes, and billions of dollars in federal funding, including programs like Medicaid and Head Start.
Tulare Animal Services looks to go ‘no kill’ by 2020
Visalia Times Delta
Heasley has a lofty goal: Increase the live rate to 90 percent, making the department a no-kill shelter by 2020. Already, the live release rate has increased by six percent from 2017 — 76 percent.
I’ve got a secret: Daily struggle for the people’s right to know
CALmatters
This confrontation highlights the importance, or potential importance, of Assembly Bill 289 by Assemblyman Vince Fong, a Republican from Bakersfield. Fong’s bill aims to create a state-level ombudsman to decide appeals filed by members of the public who get stiffed when they request records from state or local agencies.
State:
Redistricting Commission needs serious change to accurately reflect all California citizens
Sacramento Bee
Nearly one-third of California voters will be underrepresented when the new California Citizens Redistricting Commission is selected at the end of next year – and it won’t just be political independents who will be underrepresented.
California counties slow to sign on to all-mail elections
San Francisco Chronicle
Californians will be holding on to their neighborhood polling places for a while longer, despite last year’s successful introduction of a system that sends a mail ballot to every registered voter.
California governor praised for things that get Trump condemned
Review Journal
President Donald Trump, meet California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic rising star who tracks mud across the legal system the same way you do. But his dirty footprints win accolades from the mainstream media.
Recalling Racist Violence in California
New York Times
The massacre at two mosques — in which at least 50 people were killed, apparently by a white nationalist who posted a racist manifesto online — was the latest somber reminder that violence against specific religious or ethnic communities has been persistent throughout history, though it takes different forms.
Federal:
In his first veto, Trump overrules lawmakers’ rebuke of his border national emergency
Hanford Sentinel
President Donald Trump issued the first veto of his presidency on Friday, overruling Congress to protect his emergency declaration for border wall funding.
Middle finger protected by the constitution, court rules
abc30
A federal appeals court says a driver who showed a police officer her middle finger is protected by the First Amendment.
Key GOP House and Senate members introduce welfare reform plan
AEIdeas
House and Senate Republicans today introduced the Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act of 2019. This legislation would make significant changes to the central cash welfare program in the US, known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Opinion | It Isn’t Complicated: Trump Encourages Violence
New York Times
He doesn’t deserve blame for any specific attack. He does deserve blame for the increase in white-nationalist violence.
Opinion: The War on Poverty Remains a Stalemate
Wall Street Journal
The War on Poverty drags on. President Trump’s budget proposes heavy cuts in domestic spending, but not to compensatory-education programs, which aim to lift the achievement levels of disadvantaged students. Since 1980 the federal government has spent almost $500 billion (in 2017 dollars) on compensatory education and another $250 billion on Head Start programs for low-income preschoolers.
Opinion: House Democrats Politicize Banking
Wall Street Journal
With only a House majority, Democrats are unable to enact legislation—but that doesn’t mean they’re powerless. Under the leadership of Chairman Maxine Waters, the Financial Services Committee has used its oversight powers to go after politically disfavored industries. On Feb. 5 JPMorgan Chase announced it will no longer do business with private prisons. In January Wells Fargo said it would no longer market to private prison companies, aiming to achieve the same objective by attrition.
Elections 2020:
Beto O’Rourke says nothing in his past will hinder 2020 run
Fresno Bee
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke told supporters Sunday that he’s never taken LSD and there’s “nothing” he hasn’t already revealed about his past that could come back to hurt his run for office.
See also:
- Other 2020 Dems begin sharpening criticism of Beto O’Rourke Fresno Bee
- 2020 presidential candidate says in Iowa that he ‘sometimes’ helps with his kids abc30
- Is Beto O’Rourke just another pretty face? Los Angeles Times
Is Jane Sanders the most powerful woman not running in 2020?
Fresno Bee
Bernie Sanders’ political revolution has become Jane Sanders’ career, and his wife’s political activities have at times been his headache.
See also:
‘I’m running for president’: NY Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announces 2020 run
abc30
After launching a presidential exploratory committee in January, Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand made her run official, announcing that “I am running for president” in a video posted to her verified YouTube account Sunday morning.
See also:
- Gillibrand in 2020 Democratic race as full-fledged candidate Sacramento Bee
- Kirsten Gillibrand formally joins Democratic race for president Los Angeles Times
Elizabeth Warren is right — we need to bust up big tech
San Francisco Chronicle
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a presidential hopeful, announced March 8 she wants to bust up giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon.
Harris and the death penalty: years of consistency — and conflict
San Francisco Chronicle
Scrutiny of Kamala Harris’ approach to the death penalty as San Francisco’s district attorney and California’s attorney general is likely to follow her through each step of her quest for the presidency.
Centrists fear socialist tag will cost Democrats the House in 2020
Politico
The moderate Democrats who delivered the House majority want you to know they’re not Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib or Ilhan Omar.
They haven’t all blindly signed on to the “Green New Deal.” They haven’t been widely accused of anti-Semitism. They aren’t hungry to impeach President Donald Trump.
The Semigoguery of Beto O’Rourke
Politico
Windmilling his arms as if operated by an amateur puppeteer and drawing on the leftover youth-pastor energy that powered his losing Senate campaign against Ted Cruz, Beto O’Rourke commenced his presidential campaign on Thursday in Keokuk, Iowa.
Opinion: Democrats May Blow It in 2020
Wall Street Journal
In their fever to dispense with President Trump immediately, Democrats are losing sight of what Marxists called the “objective conditions” in the country and the fundamentals of presidential politics. Unless they take care, they will forfeit their chance to regain the White House in 2020 and could return congressional control to Republicans as well.
Other:
‘Fresno is very important for Armenia.’ Consul general pays visit to city, genocide memorial
Fresno Bee
On a still Saturday morning, an entourage of Armenian officials arrived at Fresno State to visit the campus’ unique Armenian Genocide Memorial and show admiration for the region.
We need everyone to denounce white supremacy, Fresno faith leaders say after attack on mosques
Fresno Bee
The hate inspired terror attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, mosques have Fresno, California, faith leaders, including a rabbi and imam, condemning the mass shootings that killed 49 people Friday, March 15.
See also:
Native Americans say movement to end ‘redface’ is slow
Merced Sun-Star
The country has spent most of the year coming to grips with blackface and racist imagery, but Native Americans say they don’t see significant pressure applied to those who perpetuate Native American stereotypes.
Facebook Wants to Feed Users More Local News. There Just Isn’t Enough of It.
Wall Street Journal
Facebook Inc. has been looking to boost its local-news offerings since a 2017 survey showed most of its users were clamoring for more.
It has run into a problem: There simply isn’t enough local news in vast swaths of the country.
Washington Post
From hijabi Barbie to the hijabi emoji, the Muslim headscarf is now ubiquitous. For some, a woman with her hair covered or her face veiled evokes victimhood and a system of domination, or perhaps exoticism (think of the real-life and theatrical versions of “Not Without My Daughter”).
When Civility Is Used As A Cudgel Against People Of Color
NPR
The value of civility is one of the few things Americans can all agree on — right? That’s the common assumption. And yet it’s an assumption that depends on everyone thinking they’re a full member of the community.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, March 24, at 5 p.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Cal Facts: Everything You Need To Know About California” – Guest: Carolyn Chu, Legislative Analyst Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 24, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “NEED NEW TITLE” – Guests: Former Fresno Mayor, Ashley Swearengin and Pete Weber, co-chair of CalFwd and Director of the Fresno Bridge Academy. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 24, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Nuevas Leyes y Legislacion futura” – Guest: Alexei Koseff, Reportero de Sacramento Bee. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Warmer temperatures to benefit certain crops in the Central Valley
abc30
The final few days of winter in the Central Valley are looking and feeling a lot like spring. The warm up to above normal temperatures will give crops a much-needed break after several weeks of rain.
Madera Tribune
Kendall Geist of Madera is a new junior member of the American Angus Association, according to Allen Moczygemba, CEO of the national organization with headquarters in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
Why proposed Stanislaus County cannabis permits incite fear among rural neighbors
Modesto Bee
A group of Stanislaus County residents wants county government to disallow legal cannabis businesses and processing operations in agricultural areas where people live the country lifestyle.
Recreational cannabis, dispensaries on Council agenda
Hanford Sentinel
The Hanford City Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday to hold one public hearing on several cannabis issues.
Hanford Sentinel
You know you’re doing something right when you hear a child say they wished they could learn more. That was the sentiment overheard Thursday — wishing the day would last longer — from students leaving the Kings Fairgrounds after Farm Day.
Farm Bureau seeks action for olive growers
Porterville Recorder
The recent announcement of table olive processing contracts being cancelled by Bell-Carter Foods on nearly 4,500 acres of olives grown in Tulare County has Tulare County Farm Bureau paying attention. Farm Bureau is asking state and federal officials to take action to assist those growers impacted by these contract cancellations.
California agencies face cannabis licensing backlog that could hamper legal supply
North Bay Business Journal
An influx of around 9,000 applications in December took regulators by surprise, particularly those at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which issues permits to cannabis growers, Drayton said.
See also:
- California is awash in cannabis cash. Some is being used to bribe public officials Los Angeles Times
Why Are So Many Farmers Markets Failing? Because The Market Is Saturated
Capital Public Radio
Farmers aren’t producing enough to keep up with the number of smaller markets that keep popping up, often in close proximity to others. This results in fewer customers, unsold food and maybe closure.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Police, DEA seize nearly 70 pounds of cartel meth. It may be Fresno’s biggest bust
Fresno Bee
Fresno police investigation nets 67 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly three pounds of cocaine working with DEA agents in drug cartel raids Thursday, March 14, and Friday, March 15, in Dinuba, California.
See also:
His death could mean longer prison sentences for hit-and-run suspects in California
Fresno Bee
California Assemblyman Jim Patterson was joined on March 15, 2019, by supporters of his bill, AB-582, also known as Gavin’s Law. The measure promises to extend prison sentences for hit-and-run drivers.
See also:
Should media avoid naming the gunmen in mass shootings?
Fresno Bee
Experts want the media to avoid putting too much of a spotlight on attackers in mass shootings as a way to prevent them from inspiring others.
Convicted murderer Navarra could find favor under new law
Madera Tribune
Brittany Navarra of Madera was 16 in 2008 when she and Dustin Gran, then 18, became involved in a deadly, adolescent love triangle gone wrong. Now, Prop. 57 poses possibility she may become free woman.
Reaction to Stephon Clark decisions show society’s lack of respect for rule of law
Sacramento Bee
While Clark’s death is a tragedy, it’s a tragedy of his own making. His actions necessitated the officers’ response. As a society, we expect and demand officers to intercede when criminal activity is in progress.
In San Quentin, a moratorium on the death penalty elicits a muted response from the doomed
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom planned to declare a moratorium on the death penalty that day, dismantle the death chamber. Because capital punishment, Newsom said, is immoral and expensive. Kills the innocent along with the guilty. Targets the black, the brown, the poor.
See also:
- News of a death penalty moratorium elicits a muted reaction at San Quentin Los Angeles Times
- Walters: Newsom does it again with death row reprieve CALmatters
- Newsom’s death penalty moratorium isn’t perfect, but here’s why it matters Los Angeles Times
- Listen to Beyond the symbolism, why is Governor Newsom ending the death penalty in CA? in Podcasts KPCC
- Opinion: Newsom’s death penalty reprieve betrays public trust Bakersfield Californian
Nine facts about monetary sanctions in the criminal justice system
Brookings
The criminal justice system also incurs high expenses, with correctional, judicial, and law enforcement expenditures combined costing about $900 per capita each year (see fact 1). Rising expenses, alongside other pressures on state and local budgets, have coincided with some jurisdictions relying heavily on courts and law enforcement for new revenues.
EDITORIAL: Judge is correct in sending case of Stanislaus County deputy to trial
Modesto Bee
Whether an officer committed a crime or just used poor judgment in the shooting death of a mentally troubled motorist should be carefully weighed at trial.
Public Safety:
Clovis business launches free Operation Kidsafe. It gives parents a tool in an emergency
Fresno Bee
Phanco Group Allstate Insurance agency in Clovis, CA has opened an Operation Kidsafe Child Safety Center inside its office. The program makes a record that can be helpful if a child becomes lost or kidnapped.
Fresno police unions back alternative use of force bill, amid calls for reform
Fresno Bee
Local Fresno law enforcement groups are pushing a public safety plan, amid calls for reform in Sacramento, following Stephon Clark shooting. Two bills addressing use of lethal force by police being debated.
Police increase enforcement during St. Patrick’s Day weekend
abc30
Law enforcement agencies are making sure those celebrating aren’t relying on the luck of the Irish to get them home.
Modesto Police Department opens book on how it polices its officers
Modesto Bee
The Modesto Police Department since 2013 has fired five police officers who it claimed were dishonest, including one who allegedly made false reports in DUI arrests to another who allegedly defrauded the federal government out of nearly $10,000.
Hanford Sentinel
If you’ve ever wanted to be prepared for an emergency but don’t know even where to start, then the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) may be the answer.
‘A whole new police department’: BPD plans to bring 100 new officers to Bakersfield in three years
Bakersfield Californian
With the passage of Measure N, and the subsequent 1 percent increase in the city’s sales tax, Bakersfield residents expect the city to put their money to good use, namely in the hiring of 100 police officers in three years, along with 56 new civilian staffers.
Fire:
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ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, governor’s wife, visits Fresno to promote refund program
Fresno Bee
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, visited Fresno on Saturday to host a community event aimed at promoting a program that seeks to give working families economic mobility.
Trendy, hip cashless restaurants lock out community’s most vulnerable
Sacramento Bee
Cashless restaurants – which will take credit cards or debit cards, and occasionally payment apps, but no currency – are a small but growing phenomenon. The Coinage Act wasn’t aimed at them. Private businesses can do what they want in terms of accepting payment.
Is Amazon killing retail? Or is retail killing itself?
San Francisco Chronicle
Private-equity buyouts, which bring on debt and heavy cash demands, are as much to blame in retail bankruptcies as the rise of e-commerce.
See also:
Walters: Slowing economy could hit state budget
CALmatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget proposal, unveiled two months ago, took a surprisingly conservative approach, given his promises of high-dollar spending during his campaign for the governorship.
Many S&P 500 CEOs Got a Raise in 2018 That Lifted Their Pay to $1 Million a Month
Wall Street Journal
The strong U.S. economy has created millions of jobs and pushed up wages for many Americans. It also helped many big-company CEOs secure another raise and total compensation worth $1 million a month.
Americans want the wealthy and corporations to pay more taxes, but are elected officials listening?
Brookings
Public opinion towards these three proposals varies. Senator Warren’s wealth tax is by far the most popular. Sixty-one percent of voters favor the measure. This majority holds across Democrats and Independents, at 75 percent and 56 percent, respectively. However, Republicans are divided on the measure, with 50 percent supporting.
Steve Forbes will deliver next President’s lecture
Fresno State Campus News
Forbes, who twice campaigned for the Republican nomination for the presidency (in 1996 and 2000), writes opinion pieces for each issue of Forbes under the heading of “Fact and Comment.”
Jobs:
Nine tips to sniff out a bogus employment offer
Fresno Bee
Blair Looney of Better Business Bureau writes a weekly column addressing consumer concerns. This week: Nine tips for sniffing out a bogus employment offer, which was the No. 1 reported scam in 2018 according to BBB.
California judges are owed $40 million in back wages — and the bill is climbing
Sacramento Bee
California owes judges $40 million in back pay. The state has exhausted its appeals in a lawsuit filed by a retired judge, and the state’s bill is increasing due to interest. Why hasn’t the state paid?
EDUCATION
K-12:
Melania Trump to convene interagency group on youth programs
Fresno Bee
Melania Trump is hosting a White House meeting this week to discuss youth programs at various government departments and agencies.
Madera teachers protest for better pay, health benefits
abc30
Madera teachers protested Thursday to show support for their union currently bargaining for a fair contract. The teachers were loud and clear about what they wanted, which many of them say is a fair settlement from the district.
Visalia Unified School District starts building new campus for alternative high school
abc30
Construction has started on a new campus for an existing high school in the South Valley. Visalia Unified School District officials say the project is long overdue. Dirt is moving and construction is underway on Sequoia High School’s new campus.
Fresno State hosts ‘Mathematics Day’ to inspire female students
abc30
Dozens of female students are taking math by storm. On Saturday, the university’s department of mathematics had high school and middle school female students interested in math participate in a daylong program with interactive mathematics activities.
Coachella Valley Unified school board lays off 81 employees, citing $6.8M deficit
Desert Sun
On Thursday, during a public meeting at Desert Mirage High School in Thermal, the seven-member board okayed the dismissal of 81 staffers in three separate votes. The teacher and administration cuts were approved unanimously, while in its action regarding support staff, the board voted 6-1 with member Maria Machuca dissenting.
Unionizing daycare? California’s child care workers seek a seat at the big kids’ table
CALmatters
A bill introduced by Assemblywoman Monique Limón, a Democrat from Santa Barbara, would allow self-employed child care workers who serve subsidized families to collectively bargain with the state. Included in this new class of organized laborers would be trained workers like Harvey, but also unlicensed friends, family and neighbors who parents turn to when they are out of other options.
BCSD’s idea of year-round school brings mixed reactions
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City School District’s decision to explore a year-round calendar has left stakeholders with mixed feelings about the idea.
McCarthy invites Kern County High School students to art competition
Bakersfield Californian
Students from Kern County are invited to compete in the 2019 annual ‘An Artistic Discovery’ Congressional Art Competition. All high school students who reside in the 23rd Congressional District can submit artwork by the deadline of April 15.
Unionizing Daycare? California’s Child Care Workers Seek A Seat At The Big Kids’ Table
Capital Public Radio
Some at-home child care workers who depend on state subsidies are hoping to join forces with an unlikely ally: organized labor.
Women were missing from school history lessons. An effort in California would change that
Los Angeles Times
The year was 1972. In a high school classroom in Northern California, a student asked his teacher a timely question: What is the women’s movement?
Push underway to lower the barrier for school districts to pass a parcel tax
EdSource
Confident that a new Democratic supermajority in the California Legislature will back them, two state senators are proposing to ask voters in 2020 to make it easier for school district voters to pass a parcel tax. Unwilling to await that outcome, Los Angeles Unified school board members are confident they can persuade their voters to pass an ambitious parcel tax now.
Higher Ed:
Fresno State is offering a new degree in Forensic Behavioral Sciences
abc30
The Criminology Department at Fresno State is turning a concentration into a degree that will be offered Fall 2019. Candice Skrapec, PhD, is a forensic psychologist and coordinator of new Forensic Behavioral Sciences degree program. She said it’s been in the works for several years.
Fresno State nursing student hopes for solution to accreditation issue
abc30
Several dozen Fresno State nursing students who thought they were getting certificates from an accredited program have now been notified the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program was not accredited.
Bakersfield Californian
Real estate developer David Moon knew a lot about building student housing, having developed off-campus dormitory projects next to California State University campuses in Monterey Bay, Sacramento and Stanislaus. But Bakersfield was new to him.
See also:
- CSUB’s Zelezny a welcome ally for project’s would-be neighbors Bakersfield Californian
- CSUB students should live ‘right here on campus’ Bakersfield Californian
The rich buying names on college buildings is ‘legal bribery,’ Gov. Gavin Newsom says
Sacramento Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that the college admission scandal extends beyond the recent charges against rich parents buying entrance to elite colleges and suggested it should include the “legal bribery” of billionaires buying naming rights on university buildings.
See also:
- College admissions scandal should include rich buying names on campus buildings, Newsom says Los Angeles Times
- Admissions scandal reinforces stereotypes but elite colleges admitting more low-income students Los Angeles Times
- Fallout from college admissions scandal worsening for accused parents and schools Los Angeles Times
- Scandal shows money still talks, but elite colleges are widening access for low-income students Los Angeles Times
- The rich buying names on college buildings is ‘legal bribery,’ Gov. Gavin Newsom says Los Angeles Times
- SAT and ACT take hit in scandal, but many colleges no longer require them San Francisco Chronicle
- Third student linked to college scam still attending Stanford San Francisco Chronicle
- Admissions cheating should disappoint us — for failing our children San Francisco Chronicle
- ‘Pied Piper’ of College Admissions Scam Had All the Answers New York Times
- A Modest Proposal Regarding College Admission Forbes
- Should All College Admissions Become Need-Blind? Wall Street Journal
Apprenticeships:
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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
New campaign to ‘unmask’ Fresno, cut air pollution. ‘We are the canary in the coal mine’
Fresno Bee
Central California Asthma Collaborative partnered with Unmask My City, a global air pollution initiative, with health professionals leading the call for change. Fresno is among the most polluted US cities.
Hundreds of California students rally at Capitol in global youth ‘climate strike’
Sacramento Bee
More than 200 California students rallied Friday at the state Capitol in Sacramento as part of a global Youth Climate Strike calling for action to combat climate change. It was billed as the first march of its kind, with students from more than 100 countries participating in more than 2,000 strikes.
Trump EPA Science Advisers Push Doubt About Air Pollution Health Risks
Insideclimate News
For two years, the Trump administration has been planting seeds of change in the Environmental Protection Agency—installing allies of regulated industries onto its elite panels of science advisers. That effort now has borne fruit in dramatic fashion.
As Costs Skyrocket, More U.S. Cities Stop Recycling
New York Times
Recycling, for decades an almost reflexive effort by American households and businesses to reduce waste and help the environment, is collapsing in many parts of the country.
The World’s Recycling Is In Chaos. Here’s What Has To Happen
Wired
It has been a year since China jammed the works of recycling programs around the world by essentially shutting down what had been the industry’s biggest market. China’s National Sword policy, enacted in January 2018, banned the import of most plastics and other materials headed for that nation’s recycling processors, which had handled nearly half of the world’s recyclable waste for the past quarter century.
Where Will Your Plastic Trash Go Now That China Doesn’t Want It?
NPR
For years, America sold millions of tons of used yogurt cups, juice containers, shampoo bottles and other kinds of plastic trash to China to be recycled into new products.
And it wasn’t just the U.S. Some 70 percent of the world’s plastic waste went to China – about 7 million tons a year.
Opinion: Is There a Green Rational Deal?
Wall Street Journal
Put me down as doubting the Green New Deal means we’re now about to have a serious policy debate about climate. If we did, how would Democrats stop taxpayers from discovering the following: For a minuscule fraction of the cost of the Green New Deal, we could fix the biggest piece of the climate problem by injecting particles into the air sufficient to block 1% of sunlight hitting earth.
Energy:
To combat climate change, California must wean buildings off fossil fuels
CALmatters
For decades, innovators in California have understood that the challenge of climate change demands ingenuity. Several technological improvements related to transportation and clean energy have emerged, helping to drive a concrete reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. But we’ve still got a long way to go, and the urgency of climate change demands we focus on some not-so-sexy solutions.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Apple Watch could detect irregular heartbeat, study says
abc30
A huge study suggests the Apple Watch can detect a worrisome irregular heartbeat at least sometimes – but experts say more work is needed to tell if using wearable technology to screen for heart problems really helps.
County announces eighth flu death this season
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Public Health Services Department has announced another flu death this week. As of March 15, eight people have died due to the flu this season and 22 people have been hospitalized, a significant increase from two deaths and 11 hospitalizations last season.
The Risks Of A Cesarean Section
Capital Public Radio
A new study on maternal mortality finds that the rate is up to 50 times higher in many African countries than in high-income countries.
Treating toxic stress in kids a top priority for California’s first surgeon general
Los Angeles Times
The San Francisco pediatrician has been a leading advocate in pushing the state to expand screenings for abuse and extreme stress in children. Gov. Gavin Newsom included $45 million in his January budget proposal to start screening low-income Medi-Cal patients for what the medical community calls adverse childhood experiences, or ACES, beginning in 2020.
A Rise In Depression Among Teens And Young Adults Could Be Linked To Social Media Use
NPR
A study published Thursday in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology finds the percentage of U.S. teens and young adults reporting mental distress, depression and suicidal thoughts and actions has risen significantly over the past decade. While these problems also increased among adults 26 and older, the increase was not nearly as large as among younger people.
New Guidelines Advise Against Aspirin to Prevent Heart Disease
Wall Street Journal
Most healthy people shouldn’t take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or cardiovascular disease, major heart-health organizations now recommend, saying the risk of serious bleeding outweighs the benefits.
Human Services:
President Trump’s cuts to Medicare and Medicaid are disastrous for the Central Valley
Fresno Bee
President Trump just delivered his budget to Congress — and his plans were eye-opening. As the old political cliché goes, show me your budget, and I’ll show you your priorities. This administration’s priorities are clear.
CityServe debuts charity network in Bakersfield as it expands throughout the state
Bakersfield Californian
A new nonprofit has created a network of local churches to provide supplies to those in need. CityServe, which began as a project of Canyon Hills Assembly of God, recently held a press conference to debut its 165,000-square-foot “City Center” building that serves as its warehouse.
St. Joe’s celebrates a vision that started 120 years ago with little health-care experience
Stockton Record
St. Joseph’s Medical Center is noted for a few things, including its cancer unit, cardiac care and the 2010 remodeling of its California Street facility.
Antitrust lawsuit against Sutter Health by California AG can proceed, judge rules
Sacramento Bee
Sutter Health failed in its attempt to persuade a San Francisco Superior Court judge to dismiss key claims in the antitrust lawsuit that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed about a year ago, alleging that the health care giant has used its market power to control prices and exclude competition.
EdSource
For the first time, a California governor has created a position in his office focused on early education. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Giannina Pérez as his Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood. Peréz previously worked for Early Edge California and Children Now, both well-known children’s advocacy organizations.
‘More Than Medicine’ Review: An Ounce of Prevention
Wall Street Journal
The limitations of health care have long been a subject of scrutiny. “To Plato,” the British historian Thomas Babington Macaulay once wrote, “the science of medicine appeared to be of very disputable advantage. He did not indeed object to quick cures for acute disorders, or for injuries produced by accidents.
Opinion: Hard truths about deinstitutionalization, then and now
CALmatters
Ronald Reagan emptied the psychiatric hospitals and Jerry Brown emptied the prisons, or so some people say. Although neither statement is completely true, there are elements of harsh reality in both. And they are connected.
IMMIGRATION
Justice Department touts new immigration judges amid struggle to reduce backlog
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration has hired more immigration judges in two years than was done in the previous seven years, according to Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who plans to retire soon.
Trump administration to deny more visa applicants who may use public assistance
abcNews
The Trump administration is preparing to further expand rules that would disqualify more visa applicants living abroad and in the U.S. believed by the administration to be using too many public services. The move comes as data appear to show more people are getting their visas denied.
Fact-checking Donald Trump’s false and misleading claims about immigration, the border wall
PolitiFact
President Donald Trump’s arguments for a border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border generally center on two themes: the dangers and costs of immigrants.
Often the facts behind those claims are either inaccurate or unsubstantiated. Here’s a rundown of Trump’s repeated mischaracterizations of immigration issues.
APNewsBreak: Greyhound won’t let US drop migrants in depots
AP
Greyhound Lines Inc. is no longer allowing U.S. authorities to drop off immigrant families inside bus stations, forcing those who have been released from custody to wait outside until they have a ticket.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
What’s going up over there? A look at new retail, renovation, construction in Modesto
Modesto Bee
Spring has almost sprung in the valley, and with that comes a flurry of construction and renovation work now that the rain has given us a break. Around Modesto that means lots of projects in various stages of construction.
Housing:
Rent control back on agenda with package of Democratic bills
San Francisco Chronicle
The push to expand rent control in California returned to life in the Legislature on Thursday, just months after state voters overwhelmingly rejected an initiative that would have removed barriers to new tenant protection laws.
See also:
- After ballot failure, there’s a new bid to control what California landlords can charge tenants Los Angeles Times
- EDITORIAL: Rent control still can’t solve California’s housing crisis San Francisco Chronicle
California renters need relief. That means weakening Costa-Hawkins
Los Angeles Times
Over the last few years, California’s elected officials have finally gotten serious about fixing the housing shortage that is eroding the quality of life here. Lawmakers have passed bills to streamline the development of housing in urban areas and to make it harder for cities to block much-needed housing construction. Voters have approved billions of dollars in new spending to subsidize affordable homes.
Exodus: As Bay Area moves left, these conservative voters move out
San Jose Mercury News
Retired engineer Stewart Tagg spent four decades in the Bay Area — appreciating the blue skies, good schools and strong economy. But in recent years, his home changed too much for his liking: higher taxes, an open immigration policy and no end in sight to the state’s liberal direction.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California has a $9.3 billion ‘pot of gold’ in abandoned funds that might have your name on it
Sacramento Bee
California is sitting on $9.3 billion of unclaimed property and forgotten funds scattered throughout the state in bank accounts, uncashed employee checks, stocks, bonds and insurance benefits, according to the state controller’s office.
A tale of two cities and blocked pension reforms
Calpensions
A San Diego city attorney urged an appeals court last week to order talks with unions on repaying 4,000 employees for pensions illegally replaced by 401(k)-style plans under an initiative, a cost some estimate could reach $100 million. If the talks result in agreement, the city attorney suggested the pact could go back to voters for approval. Though not mentioned by the attorney, that’s what happened to another cost-cutting pension reform in San Jose also approved by two-thirds of voters in June 2012.
New York Times
Buying a home got more challenging in the past year, with rising interest rates and tight inventory the main culprits. If you’re wondering where you can afford to live, HSH.com’s newest report may help.
Does It Pay, Taxwise, to Get Married?
Wall Street Journal
Among many things, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 affected the so-called marriage penalty, which occurs when a couple’s total tax bill rises as a result of getting married and filing their taxes jointly.
TRANSPORTATION
California has cheap speeding tickets, study finds. The reality is more complex — and costly
Merced Sun-Star
Does California have some of the lowest speeding tickets in the nation?
That’s the finding of a study from car insurance website GoCompare, which looked at the penalty in all 50 states for a first-time offense driving 13 mph above the speed limit.
Capital Public Radio
They’re not quite here yet, but Uber and others are working on them and have set some bullish timelines. Flying taxis promise to ease traffic on the ground, but some worry they’ll boost inequality.
Newsom delays threat to block transportation funds to cities that flunk housing goals
Los Angeles Times
In his first week in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a strong warning to cities and counties: He was coming for their road repair dollars if they didn’t meet state goals for new housing.
The Seattle Times
Federal Aviation Administration managers pushed its engineers to delegate wide responsibility for assessing the safety of the 737 MAX to Boeing itself. But safety engineers familiar with the documents shared details that show the analysis included crucial flaws
See also:
- Grounding the Boeing 737 Max was a no-brainer. Trump’s corporatocracy stood in the way. Washington Post
- How the FAA allows jetmakers to ‘self certify’ that planes meet U.S. safety requirements Washington Post
WATER
Lemoore Council to discuss water project
Hanford Sentinel
Lemoore’s water has not been in compliance with the state’s drinking water by-products, specifically TTHM, standards for many years and the city is trying to build new treatment plants.
Coding teams step up to solve dam problem
Stockton Record
Dozens of computer coding teams from around San Joaquin County were tasked to create an app in roughly seven hours. The issue: following the destruction caused by the malfunction of the Oroville Dam, could there be an app that can track dam leakage, seismic activity and other structural impacts and communicate with the appropriate individuals to help deter another disaster?
“Xtra”
Fresno Historical Society Centennial Gala
abc30
Party like it’s 1919! Get your Gatsby on as Fresno Historical Society celebrates 100 years with the party of the year! The Centennial Gala is Saturday, April 6, 2019, at Kearney Mansion in Fresno County.
‘Yadda, yadda, yadda,’ Jerry Seinfeld is coming to the Saroyan Theatre
Fresno Bee
Jerry Seinfeld, the comedian who famously drove with President Barack Obama to get coffee and did a quick cameo in the new Vampire Weekend video just this week, is coming to Fresno.
Delicious News! ‘Pastry Brasil’ Is Coming To Oakhurst
Sierra News
The savory scent of freshly baked Brazilian bread will soon be wafting through the center of Oakhurst. Pastry Brasil, a new bakery set to open early next month in Junction Plaza, will feature an extensive menu of freshly baked Brazilian breads and will also offer exotic treats.
Visit California
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