POLICY & POLITICS
Video: Central California underrepresented by Gov. Newsom's appointments
abc30
Corin Hoggard investigates into Gov Newsom's political appointments and how many power players from Central California get called-up to the state capitol, in an ABC30 Action News streaming original.
Pres. Biden Announces Key Nominee (with Valley focus) for the Small Business Administration
The White House
Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Dilawar Syed to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA).
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
As COVID cases decline, is Merced County closer to lifted restrictions? What the data shows Merced Sun-Star
Stanislaus hospital cases turn back down. Deaths at 953 Modesto Bee
Stanislaus adds just 60 new cases. Deaths reach 950 Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County relaxes restrictions on COVID vaccines. Who’s eligible now? Modesto Bee
Ban on downtown Merced food trucks to end. Why leaders say it’s time, among other big plans
Merced Sun-Star
It may sound absurd to modern ears, but for 15 years the City of Merced has banned food trucks from its downtown due to fears that the now-prolific and hip mobile eateries would foster a nest of illegal activity.
What improvements are happening at Modesto City Schools sites? Here what’s coming next.
Modesto Bee
At a special meeting Monday night, the Modesto City Schools board heard a more-bang-for-taxpayer-buck update on facility improvement projects funded by Measures D and E, which were approved by voters in 2018.
Washington Post
Residents of Stockton, Calif., who received $500 a month from a first-of-its-kind guaranteed-income program were more likely to find full-time jobs, be happy and stay healthy, according to a year-long study published Wednesday.
See also:
Stockton’s Basic-Income Experiment Pays Off The Atlantic
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
Vaccinations will impact reopening tiers — what does it mean for Fresno County? Fresno Bee
How do you get a COVID vaccination in Fresno? Some tips to understanding signup system Fresno Bee
As COVID cases decline, is Fresno closer to lifted restrictions? What latest data means Fresno Bee
COVID hospital burden continues to drop in Fresno, Valley counties. What the numbers show Fresno Bee
Local health officials monitoring for COVID-19 variants abc30
Study Finds Valley’s Mental Health Crisis More Dire Than Ever Business Journal
Fresno Unified reaches deal to allow students back for in-person learning starting April 6
abc30
Fresno Unified plans to start bringing back more students for in-person learning by Monday, April 6, Superintendent Bob Nelson announced on Tuesday.
See also:
Fresno-area community colleges get new interim chancellor. Here’s what we know
Fresno Bee
Doug Houston, current chancellor of Yuba Community College District, will be the new interim chancellor for the State Center Community College District, the SCCCD board announced Tuesday evening.
Is Clovis sprawling? City Council approves study to add 1,000 acres to its influence
Fresno Bee
The Clovis City Council recently unanimously approved an environmental review of plans to potentially push the city’s sphere of influence further north through a study of 1,050 acres.
Less than 30% of Black Fresno County residents own homes. A nonprofit hopes to change that
Fresno Bee
White Fresno County residents own homes at about two-and-a-half times the rate of Black residents in the county — but a nonprofit is hoping to curb the disparity between the two by increasing financial literacy education and dispelling home-ownership myths in primarily-Black communities.
Fresno councilman: Postpone Selland Arena sale to soccer club due to pandemic budget crunch
Fresno Bee
A Fresno City Councilmember is calling to postpone sale negotiations of Selland Arena to the Fuego FC soccer club, saying city officials have too little information and the city’s financial situation is too precarious to rush the deal.
ACLU Lawsuit Alleges Tulare County Jail’s Social Distancing Policy Is Unconstitutional
VPR
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California has filed a new complaint against the Tulare County Jail for its living conditions during the pandemic, alleging that the jail is failing to adequately test for COVID-19 and that its social distancing policy violates inmates’ constitutional rights.
Trail hopes to restart Tulare County’s budding tourism industry
Sun Gazette
If you’re looking for a reason to get out of the house and soak up some scenery, Tulare County’s more than 431,000 acres of orchards offer splash of color this month as we head toward spring.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
Kern Public Health reports 13 new coronavirus deaths, 134 cases Wednesday Bakersfield Californian
Vaccinating everyone who wants a shot in Kern could take until mid-fall, hospital officials estimate Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce hosted a livestream discussion on Wednesday morning regarding the effort to locate two California City brothers who allegedly went missing from their home in December under the care of their adoptive family.
Keep Kern Beautiful seeking members for new committee
Bakersfield Californian
Keep Kern Beautiful is looking to recruit 10 people to serve on its newly-established committee. According to a news release from the Kern County Public Works Department, the committee’s mission is to protect and beautify the natural environment by emphasizing community engagement, education and empowerment.
State:
COVID Update:
Exclusive: Blue Shield CEO explains plan to increase CA's vaccine doses to 4M per week abc30
California to speed county reopening as COVID vaccinations increase Modesto Bee
California to accelerate reopening while directing more vaccines to hard-hit communities Politico
Is it finally safe for California to reopen? It’s happening fast, despite lingering risks Los Angeles Times
COVID-19 Still Spiking in California Farm Fields NBC Bay Area
California will reserve 40% of COVID-19 vaccine for disadvantaged areas to speed reopenings Los Angeles Times
California Will Soon Tie Reopening To Vaccination Equity Rates, Dedicate 40% Of Doses To Low-Income Communities Capital Public Radio
As Newsom Pushes To Extend Emergency Spending Authority During Pandemic, Lobbyist Influence Remains Opaque Capital Public Radio
California to pay for quarantine of refugees seeking asylum at Mexico border Fresno Bee
How California's COVID numbers compare to Texas, which is lifting mask mandate and '100%' of restrictions San Francisco Chronicle
Who should pay for pension mistakes? California Legislature could make a change
Fresno Bee
A proposal aimed at ending surprise pension reductions for California retirees is back, accompanied by old questions over who should be responsible for mistakes that lead to benefit recalculations.
Guaranteed work: California commission calls for government jobs program after pandemic
Fresno Bee
California labor and economic leaders in a new report are calling for a “social compact” for workers, including ideas such as generating a million new jobs in clean energy and providing a federal and state jobs guarantee by 2030.
Where is Tony Thurmond? State schools chief stays behind the scenes in school reopening debate
CalMatters
Thurmond did not attend Monday’s event at a school in Elk Grove where Newsom announced the $6.6 billion deal. Nor did he accompany the governor the next day when he visited an elementary school in Palo Alto.
See also:
Editorial: No more teacher excuses, time to return to the classroom Mercury News
Editorial: Teachers Union Privilege Wall Street Journal
Black employee at California GOP faced racist comments from colleague, lawsuit claims
Sacramento Bee
An African American woman employed by the California Republican Party filed a lawsuit this week against the organization saying she encountered an “unending cycle of racially charged” harassment, discrimination and retaliation in 2019 by her supervisors.
Census Delays Complicate California’s Election Process
PPIC
The Census Bureau was supposed to produce state population totals by December 31 of last year, and data for the decennial redrawing of legislative districts by April 1. Now the state totals won’t be available until the second half of April, and the redistricting data is expected at the end of September.
California lawmakers eye aiding those with criminal records
Bakersfield Californian
California lawmakers are pushing several new efforts this year to largely seal or expunge criminal records for people who have completed their sentences, expanding on existing laws that proponents said aid people who are trying to re-enter society.
Federal:
COVID Update:
States rapidly expanding vaccine access as supplies surge Fresno Bee
Covid-19: Biden Says Vaccine Doses Could Be Available for All Adult Americans by End of May New York Times
How The White House Got 2 Pharma Rivals To Work Together On COVID-19 Vaccine VPR
Fauci: Decisions to ease virus restrictions 'inexplicable' The Hill
New stimulus plan would leave out 2.4 million Californians
abc30
Millions of higher-income Californians would get lower federal economic stimulus payments, or none at all, under a new Senate plan unveiled Wednesday, an economic research firm’s analysis found.
See also:
Stimulus checks will go to fewer Americans under Biden agreement on COVID relief deal Fresno Bee
Democrats narrow who gets $1,400 checks in COVID-19 relief bill Los Angeles Times
Democrats to Change Eligibility for Stimulus Checks in Covid-19 Aid Bill Wall Street Journal
Draft Senate aid plan would cut direct funds to cities, counties Roll Call
Fact check: Did Democrats plan to give COVID relief money to a ‘Pelosi subway’? Fresno Bee
Senate Democrats ready to field House-passed bills but expect obstacles
Roll Call
House Democrats are planning by the end of the month to again pass at least 10 bills that languished in the Republican-controlled Senate last Congress, but the measures still face long odds to become law this session despite unified Democratic control.
See also:
Opinion: Bipartisan Pragmatism Is the Path Forward Pew Trusts
Opinion: The Emerging Conservative Coalition Wall Street Journal
House prepares to pass landmark voting rights, ethics bill
abc30
House Democrats are poised to pass a sweeping elections and ethics bill, offering it up as a powerful counterweight to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country.
See also:
House passes sweeping voting rights bill over GOP opposition Sacramento Bee
House passes landmark election bill as parties war over voting rights Los Angeles Times
House Democrats pass sweeping elections bill as GOP legislatures push to restrict voting Washington Post
House Democrats Pass Voting-Rights Bill Opposed by GOP Wall Street Journal
‘Unraveling’: America’s two major parties are at war over the rules that govern voting Los Angeles Times
House passes expansive policing overhaul bill named in honor of George Floyd
Washington Post
The House on Wednesday passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, an expansive policing overhaul measure named for the 46-year-old Black man who died last Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against his neck for over nine minutes.
See also:
Karen Bass: Thirty years ago, I watched Rodney King beaten. We thought our fight was finally over. USAToday
Xavier Becerra’s cabinet nomination clears first hurdle in a tied vote. What happens next?
Fresno Bee
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra barely cleared his first major hurdle to becoming the Health and Human Services Secretary on Wednesday, but not without a hitch. The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-14 along party lines to advance Becerra’s nomination in a hearing on Wednesday.
See also:
Becerra’s nomination as Health secretary moves to Senate floor Los Angeles Times
Confirmation unsure for Biden health secretary nominee Xavier Becerra Reuters
Senate panel deadlocks on advancing Biden's pick for health secretary Politico
Elaine Chao Used DOT Resources For Personal Errands, Family Business, IG Report Says
NPR
In her time as former President Donald Trump's transportation secretary, Elaine Chao repeatedly used her position and agency staff to help family members who run a shipping business with ties to China, in potential violation of federal ethics laws, according to an Office of Inspector General report.
See also:
Ethics probe led to criminal referral involving Elaine Chao, Transportation Dept. inspector general says Washington Post
Justice Department Declined to Pursue Ethics Inquiry Against Elaine Chao Wall Street Journal
DOD Took Hours To Approve National Guard Request During Capitol Riot, Commander Says
VPR
It took more than three hours for former President Donald Trump's Defense Department to approve a request for the D.C. National Guard to intervene in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, the commanding general of the outfit told senators on Wednesday.
See also:
House scraps plans for Thursday session after security officials warn of possible plot to breach Capitol Washington Post
House Cancels Thursday Session After Security Agencies Cite Risk of New Violence Wall Street Journal
Opinion: Did the Pentagon wait for Trump’s approval before defending the Capitol? Washington Post
Opinion: Pelosi’s Latest Partisan Commission Wall Street Journal
Doyle McManus: The Republican Party’s biggest problem is spelled T-R-U-M-P
Los Angeles Times
They can’t live with him, and they can’t live without him. That about sums up the Republican Party’s Donald Trump problem. After losing a presidential election, the usual next step for a political party is to pause, take stock of its problems and begin looking to a new generation of leaders without the same liabilities.
Other:
How is the population changing and growing?
USAFacts
Each decade, the federal government is constitutionally obligated to conduct a census and count every person in the US. The 2020 census data, not yet released, will affect the information below and statistics elsewhere in this report, be used to apportion congressional seats, and impact national issues like household income and employment.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, March 7, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Federal Response to Looming Crises” - Guests: Congressman David Valadao; Congressman Jim Costa. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 7, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Congressional Agenda for 2021” - Guests: Professor Greg Soydemir - Stanislaus State; Professor Nate Monroe - UC Merced; Professor Lisa Bryant - Fresno State. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
‘I feel relieved.’ Foster Farms vaccinates 1,000 workers at Livingston chicken plant
Fresno Bee
About 1,000 workers received COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday at the Foster Farms chicken plant in Livingston, the heart of the poultry giant’s business. “I feel relieved; I feel more comfortable,” said line supervisor Hilda Paz after getting her Pfizer shot around noon. “I hope this is a step going forward (and) everything goes back to normal.”
California’s Vaccine Rollout Has Yet to Reach Most Farmworkers
Civil Eats
While some large ag companies are working to bring on-site vaccination stations to their workers, complications abound in protecting these front-line workers from COVID-19.
See also:
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce hosted a livestream discussion on Wednesday morning regarding the effort to locate two California City brothers who allegedly went missing from their home in December under the care of their adoptive family.
Public Safety:
California lawmakers eye aiding those with criminal records
Bakersfield Californian
California lawmakers are pushing several new efforts this year to largely seal or expunge criminal records for people who have completed their sentences, expanding on existing laws that proponents said aid people who are trying to re-enter society.
ACLU Lawsuit Alleges Tulare County Jail’s Social Distancing Policy Is Unconstitutional
VPR
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California has filed a new complaint against the Tulare County Jail for its living conditions during the pandemic, alleging that the jail is failing to adequately test for COVID-19 and that its social distancing policy violates inmates’ constitutional rights.
California AG office withholding data on gun sales, restraining orders from researchers
Sacramento Bee
Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office is withholding gun violence data from a state-funded research institution tasked by lawmakers with evaluating California’s firearm regulations and also is directing universities to destroy records the agency previously released.
U.S. road deaths increased in 2020 despite major decline in traffic, report shows
UPI
Despite a dramatic decrease in the number of drivers on U.S. roads last year due to COVID-19, motor vehicle deaths nationwide in 2020 still increased by almost 10%, according to an analysis Thursday.
House passes expansive policing overhaul bill named in honor of George Floyd
Washington Post
The House on Wednesday passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, an expansive policing overhaul measure named for the 46-year-old Black man who died last Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against his neck for over nine minutes.
See also:
Fire:
Warszawski: Creek Fire ignited in spot where Sierra tree-thinning effort was to begin. Coincidence?
Fresno Bee
The Creek Fire ignited in a rugged section of Big Creek Canyon choked with standing dead trees, fallen snags and brush. There are no trails or campgrounds. The only infrastructure was abandoned many decades ago.
Editorial: California must pass emergency wildfire prevention funding
Mercury News
It’s inconceivable that the California Legislature earlier this month failed to approve $323 million in emergency funding for wildfire prevention.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Ban on downtown Merced food trucks to end. Why leaders say it’s time, among other big plans
Merced Sun-Star
It may sound absurd to modern ears, but for 15 years the City of Merced has banned food trucks from its downtown due to fears that the now-prolific and hip mobile eateries would foster a nest of illegal activity.
Trail hopes to restart Tulare County’s budding tourism industry
Sun Gazette
If you’re looking for a reason to get out of the house and soak up some scenery, Tulare County’s more than 431,000 acres of orchards offer splash of color this month as we head toward spring.
PPP Covid-19 Relief Initiative Is Adjusted to Attract the Smallest Businesses
Wall Street Journal
Small-business requests for money from the federal government’s signature Covid-19 relief initiative are running well below last year’s heady pace, prompting changes in the program’s final month to reach the hardest-hit businesses.
See also:
Majority white areas got more PPP business loan money than Latino areas, UCLA study says Los Angeles Times
Commentary: What the recovery from the Great Recession reveals about post-pandemic work and cities Brookings
Commentary: The Paycheck Protection Program and unemployment benefit claims AEI
Jobs:
Guaranteed work: California commission calls for government jobs program after pandemic
Fresno Bee
California labor and economic leaders in a new report are calling for a “social compact” for workers, including ideas such as generating a million new jobs in clean energy and providing a federal and state jobs guarantee by 2030.
Study: Employment rose among those in free money experiment in Stockton
Bakersfield Californian
After getting $500 per month for two years without rules on how to spend it, 125 people in California paid off debt, got full-time jobs and had “statistically significant improvements" in emotional health, according to a study released Wednesday.
Another Remote-Work Year Looms as Office-Reopening Plans Are Delayed
Wall Street Journal
One of the hardest questions for American corporations to answer: When should offices reopen? From Silicon Valley to Tennessee to Pennsylvania, high hopes that a rapid vaccine rollout in early 2021 would send millions of workers back into offices by spring have been scuttled.
U.S. jobless claims tick up to 745,000 as layoffs remain high
PBS
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits edged higher last week to 745,000, a sign that many employers continue to cut jobs despite a drop in confirmed viral infections and evidence that the overall economy is improving.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Fresno Unified reaches deal to allow students back for in-person learning starting April 6
abc30
Fresno Unified plans to start bringing back more students for in-person learning by Monday, April 6, Superintendent Bob Nelson announced on Tuesday.
See also:
What improvements are happening at Modesto City Schools sites? Here what’s coming next.
Modesto Bee
At a special meeting Monday night, the Modesto City Schools board heard a more-bang-for-taxpayer-buck update on facility improvement projects funded by Measures D and E, which were approved by voters in 2018.
Where is Tony Thurmond? State schools chief stays behind the scenes in school reopening debate
CalMatters
Thurmond did not attend Monday’s event at a school in Elk Grove where Newsom announced the $6.6 billion deal. Nor did he accompany the governor the next day when he visited an elementary school in Palo Alto.
See also:
Editorial: No more teacher excuses, time to return to the classroom Mercury News
Editorial: Teachers Union Privilege Wall Street Journal
Newsom's School Plan Unlikely to Stall Recall
RealClear Politics
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s long-awaited deal aimed at reopening schools is doing little to quell the wave of parent anger that helped propel the recall drive against him, an effort organizers believe will soon qualify for a special election.
‘It’s Patchwork’: Rural Teachers Struggle to Connect in Pandemic
Pew Trusts
An estimated 15 million elementary and secondary students across the country who lack adequate internet or do not have devices at home. The problem is especially acute in poor and rural communities.
Higher Ed:
Fresno-area community colleges get new interim chancellor. Here’s what we know
Fresno Bee
Doug Houston, current chancellor of Yuba Community College District, will be the new interim chancellor for the State Center Community College District, the SCCCD board announced Tuesday evening.
‘I’m still not OK.’ Many Fresno-area college educators out of work during pandemic
Fresno Bee
Due to a decline in enrollment at community colleges nationwide, hundreds of part-time instructors at the State Center Community College District are without a job this semester, according to the State Center Federation of Teachers.
CalMatters
Chico State is one of at least three California State University campuses offering the coronavirus vaccine to faculty, staff or student employees. Other California colleges may soon follow as the state’s vaccine rollout continues and supply increases.
Opinion: We already have an alternative to massive student-loan cancellation
AEI
The notion of student-loan cancellations has been capturing the attention of politicians and those in the realm of higher-education policy for well over a year now. Despite the popularity of this hugely regressive idea, it’s a terrible one.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
COVID-19 helped slash 2020’s carbon dioxide emissions. How will we keep it going?
Los Angeles Times
The COVID-19 pandemic may have cut 2020’s global greenhouse gas emissions, but it won’t offer a lasting benefit unless similarly dramatic reductions in carbon dioxide continue for years to come, an international team of researchers says.
In contentious climate bill, some points of possible agreement
Roll Call
Republicans greeted climate legislation from their Democratic peers with a cold embrace, calling it a "one-size-fits-all” approach. Nevertheless, some elements of the bill have a shot at bipartisan support, including electricity standards, carbon-trapping technology, toxic chemicals, a diesel emissions program and controls on methane.
Editorial: To save the planet from climate change, gas guzzlers have to die
Los Angeles Times
Climate scientists tell us that we have less than a decade to make meaningful reductions in carbon emissions — including those from internal combustion engines — if we have any hope of staving off the worst effects of global warming.
Energy:
Opinion: Offshore wind can give California more renewable energy and well-paying jobs
San Francisco Chronicle
Californians have struggled through an unending series of crises over the past year. Our state has tragically lost more than 50,000 lives, along with massive COVID-induced economic setbacks and the disappearance of more than a million jobs.
Opinion: Big Oil ‘Friends’ the Carbon Tax
Wall Street Journal
These are useful and not revolutionary insights. A carbon tax was Congress’s primary focus for a decade until the green left shifted wholesale to the mandates-cum-subsidies approach that prevails today.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Local health officials monitoring for COVID-19 variants
abc30
As Fresno County moves closer to re-opening more businesses, health officials are monitoring the risk that a variant of the COVID-19 virus could pose.
Study Finds Valley’s Mental Health Crisis More Dire Than Ever
Business Journal
As the Covid-19 curve is on the downturn, health officials can fix their eyes on what counties in the Central Valley are calling an epidemic: the mental health crisis.
How The West Is Battling COVID-19 and Valley Fever
VPR
Anna Antonowich is an avid rockhound: She knows where to find petrified wood, amethyst, opals, crystalline clusters of Desert Rose, and Nevada’s other gemstones. In July 2019, Antonowich and her sister were rockhounding in Washoe Lake, southeast of Reno, Nevada, when they encountered gusty winds, strong enough to pelt them with rocks and sand.
‘We’re born Indian and we die white’: California Indigenous fear COVID deaths undercounted
CalMatters
For years, Betty Sigala spoke to her family about her death: she didn’t want to be put on a machine and she didn’t want to die alone. When she was admitted in June to the COVID-19 care ward at her local hospital, her family refused a ventilator. One of her grandsons convinced the nurses to ignore the no visitors rule and let him in.
Most coronavirus deaths have occurred in countries where majority of adults are overweight
Washington Post
The vast majority of global coronavirus deaths occurred in nations with high levels of obesity, according to a report linking overweight populations with more severe coronavirus-related illness and mortality.
USAToday
The federal government discontinued a research trial of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 saying the blood product from recovered patients doesn't prevent at-risk people visiting emergency rooms from getting sicker.
Human Services:
How do you get a COVID vaccination in Fresno? Some tips to understanding signup system
Fresno Bee
As community organizations, retail chain pharmacies, healthcare providers and others ramp up their capacity to provide coronavirus shots, the options available for Fresno County residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 continue to increase.
See also:
Community Medical Centers HealthQuest: Understanding the COVID-19 Vaccine abc30
What you need to know if you’ve taken or are about to take the coronavirus vaccine Modesto Bee
Vaccinating everyone who wants a shot in Kern could take until mid-fall, hospital officials estimate Bakersfield Californian
200K sign-ups for Biden's new 'Obamacare' special enrollment period
abc30
More than 200,000 people signed up for coverage in the first two weeks after President Joe Biden re-opened HealthCare.gov as part of his coronavirus response, the government said Wednesday.
Blue Shield CEO explains plan to increase CA's vaccine doses to 4M per week
abc30
Blue Shield plans to increase the states capacity for delivery of COVID-19 vaccines from 1 million doses per week to 4 million doses per week. ABC7 speaks exclusively to Blue Shield's CEO Paul Markovich about their plans to expedite vaccine distribution in California.
When Will Nursing Homes Reopen To Visitors? State Officials Won’t Say
Capital Public Radio
Before the pandemic, Nancy Klein would spend up to seven hours a day at a nursing home in Riverside County, caring for her 53-year-old son, who was left unable to speak and move his limbs after a massive brain hemorrhage. She would suction his tracheotomy tube and massage his neck, arms and legs.
California will reserve 40% of COVID-19 vaccine for disadvantaged areas to speed reopenings
Los Angeles Times
In a major shift in policy, California officials said Wednesday night they will now devote 40% of available COVID-19 vaccines to residents in the most disadvantaged areas in a move designed to both slow the spread of coronavirus and speed up the reopening of the economy.
See also:
California Will Soon Tie Reopening To Vaccination Equity Rates, Dedicate 40% Of Doses To Low-Income Communities Capital Public Radio
Opinion: Confronting Racism, Overcoming COVID-19, & Advancing Health Equity
California Budget & Policy Center
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the depths and reach of racism on the health of children, families, and individuals, with communities of color in California experiencing higher rates of illness, death, and overall hardship due to the virus.
Opinion: COVID-19 reveals need to increase diversity among California physicians
CalMatters
To build a truly diverse physician workforce, research shows the need for investment in programs that prepare students for medical school.
IMMIGRATION
California to pay for quarantine of refugees seeking asylum at Mexico border
Fresno Bee
California plans to spend $28 million to aid asylum seekers entering the country through the U.S.-Mexico border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry to await their court dates.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Is Clovis sprawling? City Council approves study to add 1,000 acres to its influence
Fresno Bee
The Clovis City Council recently unanimously approved an environmental review of plans to potentially push the city’s sphere of influence further north through a study of 1,050 acres.
Fresno councilman: Postpone Selland sale to soccer club due to pandemic budget crunch
Fresno Bee
A Fresno City Councilmember is calling to postpone sale negotiations of Selland Arena to the Fuego FC soccer club, saying city officials have too little information and the city’s financial situation is too precarious to rush the deal.
Visalia Times Delta
Frequent damage has long plagued the Pacific Coast Highway. Most recently, in January, yet another chunk fell into the ocean following intense rainstorms, which created a debris flow that overwhelmed water drains more than 100 miles south of San Francisco.
Housing:
Less than 30% of Black Fresno County residents own homes. A nonprofit hopes to change that
Fresno Bee
White Fresno County residents own homes at about two-and-a-half times the rate of Black residents in the county — but a nonprofit is hoping to curb the disparity between the two by increasing financial literacy education and dispelling home-ownership myths in primarily-Black communities.
Four or more people in your Fresno home? Then you're part of a nation-worst housing issue
Fresno Bee
Fresno has the most people per household and the highest percentage of families of large U.S. cities, according to a recent report that analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Program in the South Valley helping low-income families become homeowners
abc30
Many people dream of having a home. A place to call their own and a space to create memories that will last a lifetime. For Nataly Herrera and her family, that dream will soon become reality.
Valley residents being impacted by rising rent prices
abc30
The cost of rising rent is impacting many Valley residents like Sandi Morales. "Unfortunately, the rent, it grew exponentially over two years that it made us basically downsize our apartment," she said. "So now, we're in a one-bedroom instead of a three-bedroom, making sacrifices just so we can save some money to eventually buy a house."
Business offering fast, relatively cheap housing for homeless stops in Modesto
Modesto Bee
A few dozen people got a look Tuesday in downtown Modesto at a solution that supporters say is an affordable and quick way to get homeless people off the streets.
Bidding wars and overblown fears: The curious case of the California exodus
CalMatters
New moving data and intensifying housing bidding wars undercut fears of a California mass exodus. But some cities have been hit harder, and many rushed moves are difficult to track, obscuring COVID-induced migration.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Stockton gave people $500 a month, no strings attached, to fight poverty. It paid off, study says.
Washington Post
Residents of Stockton, Calif., who received $500 a month from a first-of-its-kind guaranteed-income program were more likely to find full-time jobs, be happy and stay healthy, according to a year-long study published Wednesday.
See also:
Stockton’s Basic-Income Experiment Pays Off The Atlantic
New stimulus plan would leave out 2.4 million Californians
abc30
Millions of higher-income Californians would get lower federal economic stimulus payments, or none at all, under a new Senate plan unveiled Wednesday, an economic research firm’s analysis found.
See also:
Stimulus checks will go to fewer Americans under Biden agreement on COVID relief deal Fresno Bee
Democrats narrow who gets $1,400 checks in COVID-19 relief bill Los Angeles Times
Who should pay for pension mistakes? California Legislature could make a change
Fresno Bee
A proposal aimed at ending surprise pension reductions for California retirees is back, accompanied by old questions over who should be responsible for mistakes that lead to benefit recalculations.
Democrats Seek Temporary Expansion of Child Tax Credit, but Making It Permanent Is Real Goal
Wall Street Journal
Democrats are resorting to a well-worn tactic for their plan to expand the child tax credit: Push for a short-term policy, then highlight the consequences of letting it expire as scheduled.
TRANSPORTATION
This Week in Fresnoland: Measure C renewal kicks off to a rocky start
Fresno Bee
It’s official: Fresno County transportation officials have launched the process to start assembling the next version of Measure C, the county’s transportation sales tax. They’re hoping to place it on the ballot in November of 2022. (The current tax was passed by 78% voters in 2006 and sunsets in 2026.)
What challenges lie ahead for Biden’s aim to de-carbonise US transportation?
Open Access Government
As Joe Biden’s new Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg can expect to have a long to-do list to tackle as he settles in behind his desk over the coming weeks. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, will be expected to play a significant role in the Biden administration’s environmental agenda.
See also:
Biden, Buttigieg to Push Infrastructure Plan Wall Street Journal
WATER
California’s snowpack signals another dry year, prompting calls to save water
The Guardian
California will face another critically dry year, and residents will need to adapt quickly to cope with water shortages and a warmer, drier climate that has helped fuel destructive wildfires.
See also:
“Xtra”
It’s been a year since Fresno had an event like this. Fashawn headlines new monthly gig
Fresno Bee
Brandon Knight misses ArtHop. He thinks others might, too. The monthly downtown gathering was a staple of Fresno’s creative arts, music and culture community before it went on hiatus last March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Head downtown for another round of Stories on the Sidewalk
Bakersfield Californian
If you've maxed out on streaming programming and aren't ready to pick up another book, take heart. Stories on the Sidewalk, a walking tour bringing Kern County's history to life, returns this month for two days of entertaining local tales in downtown Bakersfield.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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