POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Merced council member convicted of misdemeanor in bar fight
Merced Sun-Star
Merced City Councilmember Kevin Blake, who is a Merced County Sheriff’s sergeant, and Sgt. Dustin Witt were convicted on misdemeanor charges for a Christmas party bar fight involving other deputies and members of the public.
Central SJ Valley:
Proposed Fresno panhandling ordinance fails after drawing opposition at City Council
Fresno Bee
“Embarrassing,” “mean,” “lipstick on a pig,” “lazy” and “ignorant” were just a few words many residents on Thursday used to describe the proposed Fresno City Council ordinance to ticket motorists who donate to panhandlers.
See Also:
● UPDATE: City of Fresno rejects proposal to make passing food, money to panhandlers illegal abc30
● Panhandling proposal pits some on Fresno City Council against Brandau Fresno Bee
● Some city council members ridicule panhandling ordinance, hearing set for Thursday abc30
Nunes, Costa, Cox collide on climate change, yet they represent the same Fresno County region
Fresno Bee
Three California congressional districts – the 16th, the 21st and the 22nd – meet at Lone Star. More than 2.2 million people are governed based on their home’s relation to this area, and their leaders have starkly different plans to curb climate change.
Devin Nunes blames Twitter for his close call in 2018 election. Here’s his real problem
Fresno Bee
Rep. Devin Nunes blames Twitter for only narrowly avoiding defeat in the 2018 election in his newly filed lawsuit against the social media giant, but voter registration and turnout trends suggest the San Joaquin Valley Republican has other challenges to worry about for his next campaign.
See Also:
● Upcoming Devin Nunes speech sparks a cattle call of sorts – even mooing Fresno Bee
● Devin Nunes blames Twitter for his close call in 2018 election. Here’s his real problem Fresno Bee
● Devin Nunes not interested in the First A-moo-ndment Hanford Sentinel
● EDITORIAL: Don’t have a cow, Devin Nunes Los Angeles Times
South SJ Valley:
Severe mental illness can be fatal. Here’s a solution Tulare County won’t consider
Visalia Times Delta
But according to research conducted by Nevada County’s Behavioral Health Department, Tulare County has the potential to save $1.18 for every $1 invested through the use of Laura’s Law. Nevada County officials estimated a savings of $213,300 in fewer incarcerations and $75,000 in hospital costs every year.
See also:
· The sick people Tulare County can’t or won’t help Visalia Times Delta
Tulare City Council opens door to marijuana discussion, tax revenue
Visalia Times Delta
City council unanimously voted Tuesday to direct staff to work on revising the city’s ordinance to allow mobile delivery for current medicinal dispensaries. Council is also considering allowing an additional medicinal dispensary.
State:
Gov. Gavin Newsom declares state wildfire emergency, citing ‘extreme peril’
Sacramento Bee
Four months after the deadliest wildfire in California history, Gov. Gavin Newsom is declaring a statewide emergency to speed up fire prevention efforts.
Citing “extreme peril” to life and property, Newsom’s Friday morning executive order will fast-track the state’s tree clearing and other forest management work.
Gov. Newsom pushes for fee to clean up tainted water
abc30
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to charge California water customers up to $10 per month to help clean up contaminated water in low-income and rural areas. His plan will face resistance from some Democrats hesitant to impose new taxes.
See Also:
● California water tax: Mixed reactions in Valley over proposal abc30
Give the wealthy a tax break to encourage affordable housing? Gavin Newsom wants to try it
Sacramento Bee
A provision of Trump’s 2017 tax bill helps the wealthy put off paying some taxes. Now California might use it to help build affordable housing.
Capital Public Radio
Newsom is endorsing a call from the heads of California’s largest cities for more money to address the state’s homelessness crisis.
Skelton: Gov. Gavin Newsom is developing a bad habit: ignoring the will of voters
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom has drawn heavy flak for kissing off the voters on capital punishment. He’s also ignoring promises made to voters when they supported a gas tax and vehicle fee increase.
How California Laws Meant to Integrate Immigrants Can Open a Backdoor for ICE
PublicCEO
In several recent arrests by ICE, agents had copies of immigrants’ driver’s licenses or other information they provided to the DMV. The arrests underscore a long-standing concern from immigration advocates that laws intended to bring unauthorized immigrants in California out of the shadows expose them to federal immigration enforcement because of widespread database-sharing among law enforcement agencies.
If Trump wants to get on California’s 2020 ballot, he might need to release his tax returns
Merced Sun-Star
For the second time in three years, a California Democrat is trying to force President Donald Trump to release his tax returns. Under Senate Bill 27, presidential candidates from all parties would need to publicly disclose the last five years of their tax returns if they want to have their name on the state’s primary ballot.
Federal:
Among False Claims, Trump Attacked McCain For Failing Veterans
Capital Public Radio
President Trump’s attack on the late Senator John McCain included an inaccurate claim about McCain’s role in reforming the VA. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) called Trump’s remarks ‘deplorable.’
See also:
● Trump again knocks McCain as Republicans urge end to attacks Sacramento Bee
● Trump lashes out at McCain but has curbed attacks on other Republicans. Can it last? Los Angeles Times
● AP fact check: Trump takes credit for law named after McCain PBS
Kushner Used Private Email To Conduct Official Business, House Committee Says
Capital Public Radio
Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., is investigating alleged violations of federal records laws. Jared Kushner’s lawyer disputes some of Cummings’ assertions about what he told the committee.
When will Robert Mueller file his report? (And other burning questions)
Los Angeles Times
There are signs that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is wrapping up his Russia investigation, and will soon file his report to the Justice Department. Here’s what we know and don’t know about the investigation that has Washington holding its breath.
2020 Census: Hurdles Remain as the Count Nears
PPIC
Described as the largest peacetime operation undertaken by the federal government, the census is used for everything from allocating congressional seats to redrawing voting districts to distributing billions of dollars in federal funding. Many Californians are at risk of being undercounted, and an inaccurate count could have far-reaching implications.
Capitol Hill workplace watchdog issues repeat recommendations to Congress
Roll Call
Congress hasn’t always chosen to apply to itself the same laws that the rest of the country must follow. When it comes to Hill employee rights, the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 sets guidelines for the House, Senate and several related agencies.
Little-known provision prevents Dreamers from working on Capitol Hill
Roll Call
When Arizona Rep. Greg Stanton was elected last November, he considered it a no-brainer that his campaign’s political director, 28-year-old Elizabeth Perez, would join his congressional staff.
See also:
● That congressional intern? He might play in the NFL Roll Call
● OPINION: 8 things I wish I’d known when I worked on Capitol Hill Roll Call
House Republicans Now Unanimous in Opposing Abortion Rights
Wall Street Journal
The start of a new Democratic-led House this year also marked the end of an era, as the House Republican caucus now doesn’t have a single lawmaker considered a supporter of abortion rights.
AP: GOP won more seats in 2018 than suggested by vote share
AP
Democrats won more votes, regained control of the U.S. House and flipped hundreds of seats in state legislatures during the 2018 elections. It was, by most accounts, a good year for the party.
The National Popular Vote compact could be a catastrophe for the country and its sponsors
AEIdeas
Colorado has now joined the National Popular Vote compact, meaning that states with a total of 181 electoral votes have signed up through legislation enacted by their legislatures and approved by their governors. If the electoral vote total of the signatory states reaches 270, the plan goes into effect.
Elections 2020:
They’re off and running. Breaking down the presidential contenders
Sierra Star
We’re starting the 2020 races with as many announced Democratic presidential candidates as horses in a Kentucky Derby. This seems the current viable lineup – enhanced by my own humble first thoughts on each – at least as they come out of the gate.
Multiple 2020 Democrats say they won’t attend AIPAC summit
Bakersfield Californian
Multiple Democratic presidential candidates said Thursday that they won’t attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual conference in Washington next week.
Gillibrand seeks to improve asylum process for immigrants
Fresno Bee
Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand is pitching her ideas to improve the asylum process while visiting Nevada.
Kamala Harris Gets It Mostly Right On America’s Rapid Growth Of Student Loan Debt
Capital Public Radio
In her book, “The Truths We Hold,” California Sen. Kamala Harris asks “How can you dream when you are drowning in student loan debt?” in a section on the rising cost of living in America.
Federal Court Ruling May Open The Door To More ‘Scam PACs’
Capital Public Radio
The decision would allow super PACs to raise money by using a candidate’s name, even if none of the money ends up going to support that candidate.
Why Andrew Yang wants to give every American $1,000 a month
San Francisco Chronicle
Andrew Yang is the Democratic presidential candidate you may not have heard of, but soon will. He’s talking about giving every citizen $1,000 a month.
Political Candidates Don’t Always Tell the Truth (And You Can’t Make Them)
PEW
Legislators in Big Sky Country want candidates or political groups who attack a
voting record to back up the charge with specifics. Under legislation that has
been filed repeatedly in recent years, ads would have to include the title and
number of a bill or resolution referred to and the year when the vote was
taken.
OPINION: Expanding the Supreme Court is the worst idea yet from Democratic presidential candidates
Los Angeles Times
“Medicare for all” and the Green New Deal may be bad ideas. But they aren’t the worst ones being floated by the growing band of Democratic presidential hopefuls. That honor is reserved for the disastrous notion of expanding the Supreme Court.
OPINION: America Deserves a Leader as Good as Jacinda Ardern
New York Times
The murder of 50 Muslim worshipers in New Zealand, allegedly by a 28-year-old Australian white supremacist, will be long scrutinized for the way violent hatreds are spawned and staged on social media and the internet. But now the world should learn from the way Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, has responded to the horror.
Other:
Views of the Media: Through the Working Class
Columbia Journalism Review
After the 2016 election, there was a sense of panic in many newsrooms—journalists had missed a huge part of the Trump story because, ensconced on the coasts, they hadn’t been adequately covering working-class Americans’ hardships, worries, and resentments. Over the past two years, the media has worked hard to restore the working class to its rightful place in the nation’s political narrative, but these Americans still have many complaints about media coverage.
Facebook Stored Millions Of User Passwords In Plain, Readable Text
Capital Public Radio
The information was held in a readable format within the company’s internal data storage systems. Facebook says it “found no evidence to date” of abuse.
See also:
· Facebook says it left ‘hundreds of millions’ of users’ passwords stored in plain text Washington Post
Digital Hype Aside, Report Says Political Campaigns Are Mostly Analog Affairs
New York Times
In 2016, after a torrent of targeted Facebook ads helped lift President Trump to a surprise victory, it seemed like the dawn of a new age of digital-first campaigning.
But three years later, online advertising by political campaigns is still largely an afterthought, according to a new report by Tech for Campaigns, a group of technology workers who volunteer to help Democratic candidates with digital outreach.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Did Fresno and Tulare counties violate a pesticide law? A new study suggests so
Fresno Bee
And a newly released study, cites many California agricultural counties — including Fresno and Tulare — in violation of state law of granting growers permits to use toxic pesticides without properly evaluating safer alternatives.
See Also:
● UCLA pesticides study claims state is failing Visalia Times Delta
● Are Agriculture Officials In California Considering Safer Alternatives For Pesticides? A New Study Say No. Capital Public Radio
‘Tariff loophole’ blamed in $40 million loss to olive farmers in Tulare County
Visalia Times Delta
Tulare County olive growers are reeling after Bell-Carter, a major California table-olive processor, terminated contracts to buy fruit from orchards across the state without notice.
Axios
America’s farmers are living through the worst economic crisis in almost 30 years, driven by low commodity prices, trade war pressures and record flooding.
Tyson recalls chicken strip products due to possible metal contamination
abc30
Tyson Foods is recalling 69,093 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strips due to possible metal contamination.
Council approves cannabis dispensaries
Hanford Sentinel
The Hanford City Council met Tuesday and decided in a 4-1 vote to allow both the production of recreational cannabis in the Industrial Park and allow cannabis dispensaries within city limits.
See Also:
● Residents weigh in on retail cannabis Porterville Recorder
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Calif. Gov. Newsom could go step further in opposing the death penalty
Bakersfield Californian
A week after issuing an executive order imposing a blanket moratorium on the execution of California death row inmates, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is considering a plan to prohibit any new death sentences in local criminal cases.
See Also:
● Gov. Newsom may prohibit new death sentences, setting up possible conflict with Becerra Los Angeles Times
● California governor: Why I put a freeze on the death penalty CNN
Pregnant Behind Bars: What We Do And Don’t Know About Pregnancy And Incarceration
Capital Public Radio
Pregnant women in prison face difficult circumstances, and data on their pregnancies has been scarce. New research lays the groundwork for addressing this neglected public health issue.
San Francisco Chronicle
A Chronicle review of federal and state statistics over the past three decades revealed startling declines in the number of crimes committed by people 18 and under even as the population grew. In California, homicides of juveniles dropped 83 percent — from 382 in 1995 to 63 in 2017, the latest state data show.
See also:
· My turn: Child crime is vanishing. Does anyone know why? CALmatters
Man accused of attacking a conservative activist on UC Berkeley campus faces felony charges
CNN
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has filed three felony charges and one misdemeanor against Zachary Greenberg after an attack on the University of California Berkeley campus against a conservative activist. The attack was caught on video.
Public Safety:
He was stabbed thwarting a Starbucks theft. He was honored with national and city honors
Fresno Bee
Cregg Jerri, who thwarted the robbery of a Starbucks barista in July 2017, was honored Thursday by Fresno Mayor Lee Brand with a medal from the Carnegie Hero Fund.
Bakersfield Californian
The union representing Bakersfield police has filed a claim against the city to prevent the retroactive release of law enforcement officers’ personnel records in connection with officer-involved shootings, sexual assaults or dishonesty.
Court: Victims can’t make a federal case out of police who stole their money
San Francisco Chronicle
Police are immune from federal lawsuits for stealing someone’s property if they first seized it with a search warrant, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
CNN
They were a farming family, a young hothead, and an aspiring engineer with nothing in common – except a weapon that reached the San Francisco streets through unlicensed gun dealing.
Fire:
On The Horizon: Prescribed Burns After Tree Thinning Efforts
Business Journal
The result of tree thinning efforts in the San Joaquin River Gorge, the Bureau of Land Management announced Wednesday it will burn 50 piles of hazardous brush and tree limbs in the coming months — provided air quality is good.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declares state wildfire emergency, citing ‘extreme peril’
Sacramento Bee
Four months after the deadliest wildfire in California history, Gov. Gavin Newsom is declaring a statewide emergency to speed up fire prevention efforts.
Citing “extreme peril” to life and property, Newsom’s Friday morning executive order will fast-track the state’s tree clearing and other forest management work.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Steve Forbes Will Deliver Next President’s Lecture At Fresno State
Fresno State 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.”
Stocks rise broadly, led by tech firms; Biogen dives
Los Angeles Times
Thursday’s gains erased the market’s modest losses from the day before, when the Federal Reserve said that it expects the U.S. economy to slow and that it no longer expects to raise interest rates this year.
Analysis: Fed Chairman Jerome Powell Shows His Flexible Side
Wall Street Journal
Flexibility is emerging as the hallmark of Jerome Powell’s response to the first economic curveball he has faced during his tenure as Federal Reserve chairman.
Jobs:
California just forced equal pay for female surfers. Could that change other games?
CALmatters
Like Hollywood, tech and many other industries, the sports world is being forced to confront its historic practice of paying women less than men. Though the ranks of female athletes have grown dramatically since 1972, when federal law, through Title IX, began prohibiting gender discrimination in schools and colleges, pay gaps remain huge in most sports.
Dockworkers battle plan to bring driverless trucks to the Port of Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times
A fierce struggle over automation has erupted at the Port of Los Angeles, as local union officials representing some 12,000 dockworkers demand that one of the world’s largest shipping firms abandon a plan to introduce driverless electric cargo trucks.
Wanted: 3,732 Women to Govern Corporate America
Bloomberg
A new California law requires most companies in the state to have at least one woman on their boards of directors by the end of this year. By the end of 2021, they’ll need three. According to a new Bloomberg analysis, this sea change could offer women 692 seats at the table, enough to cause a measurable shift in the gender balance of U.S. company boards overall.
EDUCATION
K-12:
FUSD will investigate claims that it overpaid for produce by hundreds of thousands of dollars
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified has hired accounting firm Price Paige & Company to investigate claims that the district may have overpaid for fruits and vegetables by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
‘Fun in the Sun’ is a hot ticket. Johansen High special ed talent show draws a crowd
Modesto Bee
It was “Fun in the Sun” at Johansen High School in Modesto on Thursday. For the 15th year, the school’s special education department presented a talent show to the general school population and staff.
LMS students compete in Regional Speech & Debate Tournament
Hanford Sentinel
On March 2, Liberty Middle School students Xitlali Siguenza and Diego Lopez Rodriguez competed in the 3rd Annual Regional Speech & Debate Tournament.
BCSD reverses course, will offer summer school this year
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City School District will be offering summer school this year after all. The district announced Thursday that thanks to funding from the Comprehensive Support and Improvement Grant, it will be offering summer sessions at four schools this year.
Commentary: Charter schools’ have a destructive impact on public education
CALmatters
Some charter parents assert their children’s charter school experience is positive. I can believe it. But sincere charter parents need to understand that while for some students charters can be beneficial, their overall impact on public education is destructive.
Data exclusive: With California school bonds, the rich get richer and the poor, not so much
CALmatters
Schools in California’s wealthier communities have been reaping far more local bond money than poorer districts, a CALmatters analysis shows—a reality that amplifies existing inequities for the state’s public school students.
As College Consulting Expands, Are High School Counselors Advocates or Adversaries?
New York Times
High school counselors are often students’ biggest advocates, whether guiding teenagers through depression or the stress of SAT tests and college essays.
But in the federal investigation of corrupt admissions practices unveiled last week, some were seen as obstacles to be pushed aside.
New data detail soaring costs of California school pensions
EdSource
California school districts’ expenses for employee pensions on average doubled to about $1,000 per student over the four years ending in 2017-18, according to newly released state data. Those increases will rise at least several hundred dollars more per student before stabilizing two years from now.
More California students may be banned from using cellphones at school under new bill
Los Angeles Times
The measure by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) would require school boards to adopt policies that limit or prohibit the use of cellphones on school grounds, leaving it up to them what their rules would do.
Higher Ed:
Trump orders colleges to back free speech or lose funding
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order requiring U.S. colleges to protect free speech on their campuses.
See Also:
● Trump responds to attack at Cal with order about free speech on college campuses abc30
● Trump targets ‘far-left’ universities with free-speech order San Francisco Chronicle
● Trump signs executive order on campus free speech The Hill
● Trump’s hyped free speech order asks colleges to do what they already have to Politico
● Trump Signs Broad Executive Order Inside Higher Ed
● OPINION: Trump and the College Censors Wall Street Journal
● Critics Worry Trump’s Free Speech Order Could Limit Expression, Research Wall Street Journal
Free community college is not always affordable. New bill could help poorest students
Sacramento Bee
Senate Bill 291 will serve the needs of students of all ages by creating a need-based aid program to make community college more affordable.
The Forgotten Minorities of Higher Education
Washington Post
It was here, last year, that school counselor Janet Spilman and teacher Katherine Bell dreamed up a scheme: They would get every eligible senior to apply to college — any college. “It wasn’t just the 4.0s,” Bell told me in December, sitting in the light-filled front office. “It was the 2.0s and everyone who was within one year … of being eligible” to apply.
‘Full House’ to big house in college scheme? Experts differ
AP
Some of the wealthy parents accused of paying bribes to get their kids into top
universities may get short stints behind bars, if convicted, to send a message
that the privileged are not above the law, some lawyers say. But others predict
that most, if not all, will end up with probation and a fine, particularly if
they quickly agree to accept responsibility and cooperate, which observers
anticipate many will do.
See also:
· A wiretap brings privilege and helicopter parenting to the fore in the college admissions scandal Los Angeles Times
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Nunes, Costa, Cox collide on climate change, yet they represent the same Fresno County region
Fresno Bee
A trucking yard sits a few dozen feet from residential homes. Children play at an elementary school flanked by farmland – tangled, empty vines and trees sprinkled with white blossoms. The snow-capped Sierra Nevada are unusually visible after February storms pushed out Valley smog.
Winter Rangers Report Constantly Changing Conditions
Sierra News
Tuolumne Winter Rangers Laura and Rob Pilewski latest report from the field on Mar. 20 tells the tale of some powder, some corn, rapid melting, the songs of spring in the air and some still-unsettled weather.
Hanford goes green on Arbor Day
Hanford Sentinel
This Arbor Day, Hanford Parks and Recreation is inviting the community to make like a tree and leaf — leave their houses, that is, and enjoy a day in the park.
Top advisor to Trump’s EPA is called out in major journal for his ‘fringe’ ideas
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration’s reliance on industry-funded environmental specialists is again coming under fire, this time by researchers who say that Louis Anthony “Tony” Cox Jr., who leads a key Environmental Protection Agency advisory board on air pollution, is a “fringe” scientist and ideologue pushing policies detrimental to public health.
This Democrat seeks GOP support with new climate action plan
Roll Call
Rep. Paul Tonko who chairs the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, said Thursday he plans to tap into the apparent willingness of more Republicans recently to talk about climate change and come up with solutions both parties can agree on.
Energy:
Oil leaders, politicians strategize solutions to industry challenges at Taft summit
Bakersfield Californian
Kern’s oil industry got a close look Thursday at its many political vulnerabilities — and no shortage of ideas for addressing them — at a Taft event that has become a key gathering of local business and government leaders.
Gasoline prices are rising following refinery fire, oil price increase
Los Angeles Times
With drivers already spending a little more for gasoline because of gradual increases in the price of oil, a recent refinery fire in the Los Angeles area will likely lead to even more pain at the pump.
Trump might limit states’ say in offshore drilling plan. Here’s how
Los Angeles Times
When President Trump proposed opening nearly the entire U.S. coastline to more offshore oil and gas drilling, the backlash from states seeking exemptions was swift.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Hospital canceled transgender man’s hysterectomy minutes before operation, lawsuit says
Fresno Bee
A Eureka Catholic hospital reverend canceled a transgender man’s hysterectomy minutes before a surgeon was scheduled to operate, California’s ACLU said. The patient sued, alleging gender identity discrimination.
New study shows extremely hot tea linked to esophageal cancer risk
abc30
Researchers found that tea drinkers who liked their beverage to be warmer than 140 degrees Fahrenheit and drank more than two large cups a day have a 90 percent greater risk of esophageal cancer when compared to those who drank less tea at cooler temperatures.
New guidelines advise against low-dose aspirin to prevent strokes and heart attacks for older adults
abc30
New guidelines recommend against taking daily low-dose aspirin to prevent strokes and heart attacks in healthy, older adults. The age-old approach is no longer recommended for older adults who do not have a high risk of heart disease, or who already have it.
County Hatches Plan to Combat Pigeon Problem
Sierra News
Madera County has a pigeon problem. Hundreds of the birds have taken up residence in and around the downtown Government Center and its open-air parking structure. The large pigeon population creates a health hazard as their droppings can spread disease.
Measles case confirmed in Valley Springs
Stockton Record
A Valley Springs child has been confirmed to have been diagnosed with measles, according to Calaveras County health officials.
JUUL Labs is committed to eliminating cigarettes
CALmatters
JUUL Labs is committed to improving the lives of adult smokers by eliminating cigarettes, the world’s leading cause of preventable death.
Prediabetes is an alarming diagnosis. But is it a disease?
Los Angeles Times
Millions of Americans in recent years have received the disturbing news from their doctors that they have a potentially dangerous condition called “prediabetes.” But how alarmed they should be isn’t clear.
Washington Post
For the third year in a row, the U.S. has dropped in the ranking and now sits at No. 19, one spot lower than last year, according to the report produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a U.N. initiative. The top three spots this year were occupied by Finland, Denmark and Norway. At the bottom were Afghanistan, Central African Republic and South Sudan.
UPS eyes in-home health services with U.S. vaccine project
Reuters
The world’s largest package delivery firm is preparing to test a U.S. service that dispatches nurses to vaccinate adults in their homes, Reuters has learned, as the company and its healthcare clients work to fend off cost pressures and competitive threats from Amazon.com.
Human Services:
City officials approve transfer site to stop illegal dumping in Merced
abc30
Mattresses, TV ‘s, and refrigerators, these are all items that have been spotted on roads and in alleyways throughout the city of Merced. Now officials say a new multi-use site will fix the problem.
UHC Opens New Center, 2 More In Progress
Business Journal
One of the fastest-growing health care groups is growing a little bit faster this week with the opening of a new center in Selma and the groundbreaking of another in Dinuba.
Kaweah Delta Names Council Members
Business Journal
Kaweah Delta hospital in Visalia has selected the members of its first Emergency Department Advisory Council, which aims to enhance patient experiences in its emergency department.
Severe mental illness can be fatal. Here’s a solution Tulare County won’t consider
Visalia Times Delta
But according to research conducted by Nevada County’s Behavioral Health Department, Tulare County has the potential to save $1.18 for every $1 invested through the use of Laura’s Law. Nevada County officials estimated a savings of $213,300 in fewer incarcerations and $75,000 in hospital costs every year.
See also:
· The sick people Tulare County can’t or won’t help Visalia Times Delta
Stockton VA clinic construction may start this fall
Stockton Record
An expanded medical clinic for veterans first proposed 16 years ago is now on track to start construction this fall on a 52-acre site directly north of San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp. The doors should open to the first patient three years later in the fall of 2022.
IMMIGRATION
New border wall plan could cut military funding
abc30
In a 20 page document sent to Congress, the Pentagon lists the military construction projects that could be on the chopping block with the president’s decision to declare a National Emergency and repurpose military construction funds.
See also:
● Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’ Los Angeles Times
● OPINION: New reports unmask the folly and bad faith of Trump’s border obsession Washington Post
● Welcome, not walls, in San Diego, and prevention on guns and wildfire CALmatters
Trump policy of sending asylum seekers to Mexico faces judge
Sacramento Bee
The Trump administration’s policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico will face scrutiny from a U.S. judge in San Francisco.
With Thousands Of Migrants Crossing The Border Daily, We Asked ‘Why Now?’
Capital Public Radio
Three possible factors account for the surge of migrants at the border: economics, social media and the Trump administration’s own tougher immigration policies.
U.S. Deportations Rise, but Remain Below Peak in Obama Era
Wall Street Journal
The federal government deported 66,549 immigrants in the last three months of 2018, up 10% from the year-earlier period, but the figure remained far below the peak during the Obama administration, according to data released Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement..
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
To build the cities of the future, we must get out of our cars
National Geographic
“The problem with urban environments that are auto oriented,” he said, as we wound our way toward the Bay Bridge, “is that if there’s no choice, if the only way to get around is in a car, lo and behold, people are going to use cars too much. Too much for the climate, too much for people’s pocketbooks, too much for the community in terms of congestion, too much for people’s time.”
Metro Monitor 2019: Inclusion remains elusive amid widespread metro growth and rising prosperity
Brookings
What does a successful economy look like? Regular economic news coverage suggests that success is defined largely by growing U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), expanding jobs, falling unemployment, and rising stock prices.
Housing:
Give the wealthy a tax break to encourage affordable housing? Gavin Newsom wants to try it
Sacramento Bee
A provision of Trump’s 2017 tax bill helps the wealthy put off paying some taxes. Now California might use it to help build affordable housing.
Capital Public Radio
Newsom is endorsing a call from the heads of California’s largest cities for more money to address the state’s homelessness crisis.
With renters struggling, California still needs 1.4 million more affordable units, report finds
Sacramento Bee
Despite recent laws and new funding to boost housing construction, California still needs 1.4 million more affordable rental units, according to a report out Thursday.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Repealing California’s ‘tampon tax’: Gender equity versus budget fears
San Francisco Chronicle
For Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia’s new bill, AB31, would have California exempt “sanitary napkins, tampons, menstrual sponges and menstrual cups” from all state and local taxes — joining 10 other states and several countries that have repealed similar levies.
Faster Tax Cuts Could Be Backfiring on Republicans
New York Times
When President Trump signed a large package of tax cuts into law in 2017, the Internal Revenue Service moved to make sure the savings showed up quickly in paychecks. Doing so probably lifted consumer spending last year, but it may have hurt Republicans politically, new polling suggests.
TRANSPORTATION
Members of Congress to Secretary Chao: Honor California High Speed Rail Commitments
Sierra Sun Times
Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala D. Harris and Representative Zoe Lofgren (all D-Calif.) and 15 members of the California congressional delegation on Wednesday called onTransportation Secretary Elaine Chao to maintain funding for the state’s high speed rail project.
Tired of getting stuck in downtown Sacramento traffic? Here’s why it’s happening more
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento isn’t Manhattan. Not by a long shot. But downtown is going “big city” in one notable way this spring: A building boom is spilling into the streets, blocking and diverting traffic along numerous corridors.
Environmental groups want SF to nudge Uber, Lyft drivers toward electric vehicles
San Francisco Chronicle
Environmental advocates want San Francisco to find ways to make electric vehicles more attractive to Uber and Lyft drivers at the same time they consider a per-ride tax on the companies that is meant to ease congestion.
Investigators zero in on Boeing 737 Max crash data and probe jet’s approval process
Los Angeles Times
Air crash experts gathered in Ethiopia to analyze voice and data recorders from a Boeing 737 Max jetliner as controversy over the model’s safety intensified following two fatal disasters in less than five months.
See also
● Doomed Boeing Jets Lacked 2 Safety Features That Company Sold Only as Extras New York Times
Forget Tesla, It’s China’s E-Buses That Are Denting Oil Demand
Bloomberg
By the end of this year, a cumulative 270,000 barrels a day of diesel demand will have been displaced by electric buses, most of it in China, according to a report published Tuesday by BloombergNEF. That’s more than three times the displacement by all the world’s passenger electric vehicles (a market where Tesla has a share of about 12 percent.).
EDITORIAL: No, Big Brother isn’t interested in your scooter ride
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles has permitted 11 companies to put 37,000 dockless scooters and bikes on city streets, and the number could jump to 100,000 if the companies place the rent-per-ride vehicles in certain disadvantaged communities.
WATER
Gov. Newsom pushes for fee to clean up tainted water
abc30
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to charge California water customers up to $10 per month to help clean up contaminated water in low-income and rural areas. His plan will face resistance from some Democrats hesitant to impose new taxes.
See Also:
● California water tax: Mixed reactions in Valley over proposal abc30
California’s Water: San Joaquin Valley
PPIC
The San Joaquin Valley—California’s largest agricultural region and an important contributor to the nation’s food supply—is in a time of great change and growing water stress. This short video summarizes the valley’s key water challenges and reviews promising approaches to address them.
Our View: Thumbs up, thumbs down returns – Who do we like, dislike this week?
Modesto Bee
To the local river guides who recovered the body of 5-year-old Matilda Ortiz in a stretch of the Stanislaus River on Wednesday, three days after she fell in near Knights Ferry. These guides, normally associated with happy times for people who enjoy the thrill of rafting, set aside the fun for a somber task and succeeded where dedicated firefighters, deputy sheriffs and other volunteers had not been as fortunate. Our hearts go out to the Patterson girl’s family and loved ones.
“Xtra”
Say FresYes or cheer on your favorite cowboys this weekend
abc30
This weekend is jam-packed in the Valley, with everything from block parties to bull riding.
Take me home! Dogs available for adoption
Bakersfield Californian
These six dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?