Maddy Institute – March 5, 2021

05Mar

POLICY & POLITICS

March 24, 2021 - Pay It Forward Webinar Series

The Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Join us for an insightful discussion on adapting to change during these uncertain times and how the panelists managed to pivot and change during the past year due to COVID-19.

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Stanislaus hospital count up again. Deaths reach 955 Modesto Bee

● J&J vaccines make it easier for Modestans to get COVID-19 shots Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus County relaxes restrictions on COVID vaccines. Who’s eligible now? Modesto Bee

● State wants more COVID vaccine to reach poorer areas of Stanislaus, other counties Modesto Bee

Preliminary Analysis: SEED’s First Year

Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration

Launched in February 2019 by former Mayor Michael D. Tubbs, SEED gave 125 Stocktonians $500 per month for 24 months. The cash was unconditional, with no strings attached and no work requirements.

Editorial: `We’re now in the business of hope.’ Reasons for Stanislaus optimism

Modesto Bee

A few days shy of the one-year anniversary for Stanislaus County’s first recorded COVID-19 case, on March 11, there is reason to believe we are emerging from the pandemic and all its frustration and sorrow.

Costa introduces legislation to fund completion of High Speed Rail

Merced County Times

Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) has re-introduced HR 867: High-Speed Rail Corridor Development Act, legislation that would provide $32 billion to fund projects in federally designated high-speed rail corridors.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Vaccinations will impact reopening tiers — what does it mean for Fresno County? Fresno Bee

● New one-dose COVID vaccines are heading to the Fresno region. Here’s what we know Fresno Bee

● Latest Fresno COVID fines include bars, billiards and (of course) waffles Fresno Bee

● What is ‘COVID arm?’ And, what to do if you get it Fresno Bee

State’s focus on vaccine equity could pave way for Fresno to reopen, expand more businesses

Fresno Bee

The growing availability of vaccines to inoculate people against COVID-19 is prompting California to tweak its Blueprint for a Safer Economy that could enable Fresno County and other Valley counties to reopen segments of their business communities sooner rather than later.

No vote taken, but Fresno Council headed toward support of grocery hazard pay

Business Journal

The Fresno City Council indicated support Thursday to mandate that grocery stores pay their employees $3 extra in hazard pay for a period of three months. The ordinance was pulled for an actual vote, but members indicated it would return after some tweaks to the language.

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.

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 Housing Authority names interim CEO after deputy withdraws from contention

Fresno Bee

Members of the board of commissioners of the Housing Authorities of the City and County of Fresno named Angie Nguyen interim CEO during a special meeting on Thursday, nine days after they failed to fill the position at a regularly scheduled February meeting.

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 EOC could see around 100 layoffs this year. Here’s what could trigger them

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission confirmed to The Bee it could be forced to let go of the workers if it’s not awarded a new five-year $41 million program funding from the Office of Head Start.

Visalia enters Stage 2 watering restrictions. Here's what that means

Visalia Times Delta

The city of Visalia is implementing new watering restrictions in light of ongoing dry conditions, which have caused the groundwater table the city's wells rely upon to plummet in recent years.

Visalia loses $2M in 2 years to nut farming

Visalia Times Delta

After banking on walnuts and pecans to shore up finances and create value on city-owned land, Visalia reported net losses in its farming operations totaling nearly $2 million since 2019.

Longtime Valley businessman, Community Medical philanthropist Bob Smittcamp dies

Fresno Bee

Bob Smittcamp, a prominent Fresno-area businessman who made sizable donations that benefited the central San Joaquin Valley, died Thursday. He was 79 years old.

Opinion: Devin Nunes says voting rules are a threat to the U.S. But GOP schemes are the real danger

Fresno Bee

Those “radical” Democrats then turned their attention to voting, Nunes indicated, and in the process have deepened their grip on the machinery of democracy. “I’ve been warning people that what you see in California is coming to the rest of the country.”

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health reports nine new coronavirus deaths, 138 cases Thursday Bakersfield Californian

● Vaccinating everyone who wants a shot in Kern could take until mid-fall, hospital officials estimate Bakersfield Californian

● Kern could see more vaccine as part of state plan to target low-income communities Bakersfield Californian

● Supervisors to consider funding two mobile units to vaccinate farm workers Bakersfield Californian

● County to provide ride service for those lacking transportation, in need of COVID-19 vaccine Bakersfield Californian

State:

COVID Update:

● CA to loosen reopening tier requirements as more vaccines reach vulnerable areas abc30

● California to speed county reopening as COVID vaccinations increase Sacramento Bee

● California to give 40% of vaccine doses to vulnerable areas

● Fresno Bee

● Why is Gavin Newsom changing California’s COVID-19 reopening tiers again? Sacramento Bee

● 10% of California adults fully vaccinated; plan to boost disadvantaged groups Sacramento Bee

● More than 12,000 coronavirus cases have been reported at California child care centers CalMatters

● Not just prisons: 15 California state departments reported employees died from COVID-19 Fresno Bee

● Is it finally safe for California to reopen? It’s happening fast, despite lingering risks Los Angeles Times

Californians should wear 2 masks when going out in public, Gavin Newsom says

Fresno Bee

New state health guidelines announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday recommend that Californians wear two cloth masks or one filtered mask when going out in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

California legislature OKs plans aimed at in-person learning

Business Journal

California lawmakers on Thursday approved a $6.6 billion plan aimed at pressuring school districts to return students to the classroom before the end of the school year.

Will California voters care about closed schools in 2022? Republicans are betting on it

Sacramento Bee

Republicans are looking to turn anger over California school closures during the coronavirus pandemic into a red wave for the 2022 congressional elections.

Underpaying workers could lead to jail time for California employers under proposed law

Sacramento Bee

Employers who fail to pay their workers properly could face up to three years in jail under a new bill proposed by a California Democrat that would classify the offense as grand theft.

California would ban boys and girls sections at big retailers under proposed law

Sacramento Bee

California’s large retailers would have to do away with boy and girl signage for toys and child care aisles, under a bill being considered by state lawmakers.

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.

Diversity growing among California judges but trial courts lagging

CalMatters

New data from the state’s Judicial Council touts an increase in women judges and people of color on the bench, but Latinos, in particular, remain poorly represented in many Superior Courts.

Opinion: California’s economic outlook in ‘deep trouble.’ Will we reach a point of no return?

Fresno Bee

“The California dream is in deep trouble,” Leon Panetta said recently about the growing flight of jobs and investment from the state to places like Texas, Florida and Arizona.

Skelton: Column: The Newsom recall effort has a big problem: Orange County

Los Angeles Times

If a Republican cause can’t win big in Orange County, it’s probably doomed statewide in Democrat-dominated California. It’s just a matter of math: Democrats hold a nearly 2-to-1 advantage over Republicans in voter registration statewide.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● How The White House Got 2 Pharma Rivals To Work Together On COVID-19 Vaccine VPR

● New U.S. Cases, Deaths Fall Wall Street Journal

● Officials, Experts Warn of Possible U.S. Plateau in Covid-19 Cases Wall Street Journal

● Editorial: The Perpetual Covid Crisis Wall Street Journal

AP-NORC poll: Americans largely back Biden’s virus response

AP News

Joe Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60% of Americans approving of his job performance thus far and even more backing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Senate Advances Democrats’ Covid-19 Aid Bill

Wall Street Journal

Senate Democrats advanced a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Thursday after making a series of adjustments related to student loans, infrastructure and other matters, with approval in the chamber expected within days.

● Senate Democrats’ COVID bill ends weekly $400 unemployment in August, not September Los Angeles Times

● Senate in for another long night, and day, on pandemic relief Roll Call

● The American Rescue Plan’s likely cost is way more than $1.9 trillion AEI

● State Lawmakers Split Over Need for Federal Aid PEW

House Approves Major Election Reform And Voting Rights Bill

VPR
The House has once again passed a bill aimed at protecting and expanding voting rights and reforming campaign finance laws. The Wednesday-night vote was 220-210.

● Opinion: Pelosi’s H.R. 1 Is an Authoritarian Outrage National Review

After two presidents failed, can Biden actually get infrastructure done?

Los Angeles Times

As with the pandemic relief package, Biden plans to promote an infrastructure plan by emphasizing the urgent need for ambitious actions to help the country recover economically and compete with China.

See also:

● Biden, Buttigieg Push Infrastructure Plan Wall Street Journal

Treasury to Invest $9 Billion in Minority Communities

New York Times

The Biden administration unveiled a plan on Thursday to invest $9 billion in minority communities, taking an initial step in fulfilling its promise to ensure that those who have been hit hardest by the pandemic have access to loans as the economy recovers.

In FOIA and immigration rulings, Supreme Court gives government the benefit of the doubt

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority sided with the government Thursday in a pair of rulings, one that limited the Freedom of Information Act and another that made it harder for immigrants to fight deportation if they have minor crimes on their records.

Supreme Court Seems Ready to Sustain Arizona Voting Limits

New York Times

The Supreme Court seemed ready on Tuesday to uphold two election restrictions in Arizona and to make it harder to challenge all sorts of limits on voting around the nation.

Opinion: An Open Congress Would Make Better Laws

Wall Street Journal

The fundamental issue is political will. Under the current process, rank-and-file members are denied input and forced to rubber-stamp whatever agreement is made by the four congressional leaders and the president.

Other:

Trump Is No Longer Tweeting, But Online Disinformation Isn't Going Away

VPR
Even with the de-platforming of former President Donald Trump, experts say the way Americans communicate and receive information online remains broken.

How future generations will judge humanity’s performance against the coronavirus

Washington Post

On the wooded site of a former golf course in suburban Washington, archivists are building a global time capsule of the pandemic. The digital repository — to be housed at the National Library of Medicine, a Cold War-era fortress appropriately built for fearful times — holds 30 million documents from 9,000 sources, with links to similar troves from Beijing to Paris.

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

Will Valley air district actually enforce new restrictions on agricultural burning?

Fresno Bee

While California air quality officials recently set a deadline to phase out nearly all agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley by 2025, it doesn’t necessarily mean preventable smoke will stop choking rural communities soon.

Did Sun-Maid deceive raisin producers? It’s a million-dollar question for courts to decide

Fresno Bee

The former chairman of Sun-Maid’s board of directors is suing the century-old cooperative for allegedly trying to push him out of the raisin business. Longtime grower Jeff Jue is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by Melkonian Enterprises of Sanger and Lone Star Dehydrator.

Visalia loses $2M in 2 years to nut farming

Visalia Times Delta

After banking on walnuts and pecans to shore up finances and create value on city-owned land, Visalia reported net losses in its farming operations totaling nearly $2 million since 2019.

Mass vaccination event held for food & ag workers in Tulare County

abc30

Five lanes were used for a drive-through vaccination at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. Many of these food and ag workers have seen people around them become infected with COVID.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California inmate, Fresno man charged with unemployment benefits fraud

abc30

A California prisoner is one of two people accused of stealing more than $100,000 in unemployment benefits in the latest allegation related to what authorities say is a multibillion-dollar fraud aided by lax safeguards at a state agency.

Diversity growing among California judges but trial courts lagging

CalMatters

California’s bench of judges and justices is growing more diverse, according to data released this week by the state’s governing body for the court system. Amid brightly colored graphs and charts, the Judicial Council touted adding more women and people of color to its ranks over the past 15 years.

Lawsuit Reveals New Allegations Against PG&E Contractor Accused of Fraud

ProPublica

Utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric accused two of its former employees of accepting bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company after the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history.

Public Safety:

California AG office withholding data on gun sales, restraining orders from researchers

Modesto 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.

Fire:

Wildfire smoke up is to 10x more harmful to breathe than other air pollution, new study finds

Mercury News

Choking smoke from record wildfires blanketed Northern California last summer and fall. It turned Bay Area skies an otherworldly orange, raising health concerns over a hazard that is increasing as temperatures continue to climb and poorly managed forests burn out of control each year across the West.

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.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Opinion: California’s economic outlook in ‘deep trouble.’ Will we reach a point of no return?

Fresno Bee

“The California dream is in deep trouble,” Leon Panetta said recently about the growing flight of jobs and investment from the state to places like Texas, Florida and Arizona.

Opinion: California can’t afford to repeat the Great Recession: State spending is critical to economic recovery

UC Berkeley Labor Center

California’s 2021-22 budget will have an enormous impact on the nature of California’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor’s 2021-22 budget proposal would restore some critical funding for public health and education, but it will not be sufficient to get California’s economy and low-income Californians back on track.

30-Year Mortgage Rate Tops 3% for First Time Since July

Wall Street Journal

Americans who purchased new homes or refinanced their mortgages over the past few months may have done so at just the right moment. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.02%, mortgage-finance giant Freddie Mac said Thursday.

How Much Does the Federal Minimum Wage Buy You? Now vs. Then.

Wall Street Journal

The federal minimum wage, adjusted for inflation, is at its lowest level in more than a decade and at nearly the same level as in 1954.

Jobs:

Underpaying workers could lead to jail time for California employers under proposed law

Sacramento Bee

Employers who fail to pay their workers properly could face up to three years in jail under a new bill proposed by a California Democrat that would classify the offense as grand theft.

Senate Democrats to end weekly $400 COVID-19 unemployment in August, not September

Los Angeles Times

The weekly $400 federal unemployment supplements included in the pending economic aid package being considered by Congress will stop in August, rather than being stretched through September, as some Senate Democrats had requested.

U.S. jobless claims tick up to 745,000 as layoffs remain high

Los Angeles Times

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 coronavirus infections and evidence that the overall economy is improving.

● U.S. Economy Added 379,000 Jobs in February Wall Street Journal

● Economy adds 379K jobs in first report of Biden presidency The Hill

● U.S. economy added 379,000 jobs in February, shattering expectations UPI

● Jump in hiring fuels optimism for US economic recovery AP News

When Amazon Raises Its Minimum Wage, Local Companies Follow Suit

New York Times

New research suggests that when big companies increase wages, they drive up pay in the places where they operate — without a notable loss in jobs.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Join us for ‘Back to School: Q&A on COVID Safety.’ RSVP for the live event here

Fresno Bee

Join us March 9 at 3 p.m. as The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab presents “Back to School: Q&A on COVID Safety” — a discussion with teachers and a physician with the county public health department on what parents should know about school reopenings, as well as continued distance learning.

Fresno’s Central Unified schools to start reopening classrooms earlier than expected

Fresno Bee

Students in Fresno’s Central Unified schools will begin returning to classrooms next month after spring break, the district announced Thursday in a statement. Students in transitional kindergarten through the sixth grade will return April 12.

California Legislature OKs plan aimed at in-person learning

Fresno Bee

California lawmakers on Thursday approved a $6.6 billion plan aimed at pressuring school districts to return students to the classroom before the end of the school year. The bill does not order school districts to resume in-person instruction and it does not say parents must send their kids back to the classroom if they don’t want to.

Group suing state says California will allow indoor high school sports to resume

Fresno Bee

Indoor high school sports has scored a collective victory for a return to action in California, thanks to advocacy groups pushing for fairness and to study submitted data that prep sports are not superspreaders of COVID-19 - and the power of legal muscle.

New Education Secretary Miguel Cardona Wants Schools Open 'As Soon As Possible'

VPR
Cardona's first school visit comes just one day after Biden directed all states to prioritize teachers for vaccination. "We want every educator, school staff member, child-care worker to receive at least one shot by the end of the month of March," Biden said.

NPR/Ipsos Poll: Nearly One-Third Of Parents May Stick With Remote Learning

VPR
One year after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered classrooms around the country and the world, U.S. parents are guardedly optimistic about the academic and social development of their children, an NPR/Ipsos poll finds.

Where is Tony Thurmond? State schools chief stays behind the scenes in school reopening debate

CalMatters

Conspicuously absent from the shout-outs? State schools Supt. Tony Thurmond, California’s top education official. Thurmond did not attend Monday’s event at a school in Elk Grove where Newsom announced the $6.6 billion deal.

Nurse shortage could make reopening school campuses more difficult

EdSource

School nurses could play a key role in helping school campuses reopen and keeping students and staff safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, but many California schools don’t have one. In districts that have nurses, most divide their time between multiple schools.

Opinion: Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum draft a victory for equity, justice and California’s students

CalMatters

The ethnic studies curriculum will be a historic win for communities and students that public schools have traditionally ignored.

Higher Ed:

Biden is right: A lot of students at elite schools have student debt

Brookings

According to the Department of Education’s College Scorecard, students who graduated in 2017 or 2018 from elite or highly selective colleges and graduate programs owed about 12 percent of all student debt in those years, but account for only four percent of all borrowers.

Op-Ed: Is it possible to fix the UC’s system of haves and have-nots?

Los Angeles Times

Black and Latinx students are entering college at a far higher rate than ever before, but higher education in America remains racially divided and unequal. And California may well stand at the epicenter of that transformation.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Wildfire smoke up is to 10x more harmful to breathe than other air pollution, new study finds

Mercury News

Want to save energy and fight climate change? Try using less water

Los Angeles Times

There’s a classic scene in “The Graduate” where Dustin Hoffman’s character, fresh out of college, gets pulled aside at a graduation party by a well-meaning friend of his parents and told: “I just want to say one word to you. Just one word ... plastics.”

California Forum: California district attorneys must pay back misspent environmental funds

Sacramento Bee

Californians are proud of our state’s leadership on environmental issues, and rightfully so. We have some of the toughest and most far-reaching environmental laws in the nation. But there is a key aspect of California’s record where our state has repeatedly fallen short: the enforcement of our environmental laws and the prosecution of violators.

Energy:

Thousands of PG&E customers without power in eastern Fresno County

abc30

More than 12,000 PG&E customers have lost power in parts of eastern Fresno County after a bank transformer cylinder malfunctioned in a substation, the utility company said on Thursday.

Opinion: Small Business Green Recovery Fund to power US climate transition

Brookings

This proposal calls for a $50 billion federal “Small Business Green Recovery Fund” that promotes green innovations and investments among small businesses that advance climate change mitigation, adaptation, and other sustainability solutions.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

What is ‘COVID arm?’ And, what to do if you get it

Fresno Bee

The CDC has received reports that some have developed a red, itchy, swollen or painful rash after receiving the Moderna vaccine, which can start after a few days to more than one week later after receiving the shot.

How The West Is Battling COVID-19 And Valley Fever

VPR
In desert hot spots, communities are now facing what doctors at Kern Medical’s Valley Fever Institute in Bakersfield, California are calling a “triple threat”: COVID-19, valley fever, and the flu.

Pandemic or Not, Teen Mental Health Is Fragile

Public Policy Institute of California

Teen mental health is a major public health concern that has become even more pressing during the COVID-19 crisis. Among the many links the pandemic has illuminated is the role of schools and mental health care for teens.

How have kids fared during the COVID pandemic? It depends where you live — take a look

Miami Herald

A new report on American families reveals just how difficult the coronavirus pandemic has been on children in every state and at every income level — highlighting racial, demographic and economic disparities that have been plaguing marginalized communities long before the onslaught of COVID-19.

Those fever scanners that everyone is using to fight covid can be wildly inaccurate, researchers find

Washington Post

Temperature-scanning devices that check for fevers in schools, workplaces and public venues across the United States distort the results in a way that could overlook the telltale sign of a coronavirus infection, according to new research that casts doubt on the systems’ effectiveness in helping people resume normal life.

Human Services:

County to provide ride service for those lacking transportation, in need of COVID-19 vaccine

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County is launching a ride service to the County Fairgrounds Mass Vaccination Clinic to assist residents who lack access to transportation.

Accidentally Trashed, Thawed Or Expired: Reports Of COVID Vaccine 'Spoilage' Grow

VPR
As the speed of COVID vaccinations picks up, so do the reports of doses going to waste. And it's more than just a handful at the end of the day because of a few appointment cancellations.

California to give 40% of vaccine doses to vulnerable areas

Fresno Bee

California will begin setting aside 40% of all vaccine doses for people who live in the most vulnerable neighborhoods in an effort to inoculate people most at risk from the coronavirus and get the state’s economy open more quickly.

● California changes reopening criteria again, allots 40% of vaccine to poorer areas CalMatters

● California will reserve 40% of COVID-19 vaccine for disadvantaged areas to speed reopenings Los Angeles Times

● Ethical land mines, ‘Sophie’s Choice’ moments as California decides who gets COVID-19 vaccine next Los Angeles Times

● California thinks it can stop COVID by flooding poor areas with vaccine. Will it work? Los Angeles Times

● California to give 40% of vaccine to Latino, high-risk areas AP News

● Column: California is promising equity in vaccines. But there’s a big potential problem Los Angeles Times

● Doctors really want to vaccinate Black people against COVID-19. Unequal access to shots fuels mistrust Los Angeles Times

● How Inequity Gets Built Into America’s Vaccination System ProPublica

California’s My Turn COVID-19 vaccination appointment system riddled with flaws, officials say

Los Angeles Times

California’s My Turn COVID-19 vaccination appointment system is riddled with flaws that are making it difficult for counties to reserve vaccine appointments for targeted populations, according to local officials.

IMMIGRATION

Biden confronts mounting humanitarian crisis at the border

Axios

Just over a month into his presidency, President Biden is staring down a mounting crisis at the border that could be just as bad as the ones faced by Barack Obama and Donald Trump, if not worse.

U.S. Refugee Flights Canceled as Record-Low Cap on Admissions Remains

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration’s plan to raise the cap on refugee entry into the U.S. is off to a rocky start, with the State Department canceling the flights of more than 250 refugees scheduled to arrive in the U.S. over the past two weeks…

Undocumented immigrant has burden of proof to challenge deportation order, Supreme Court rules

CNN

The Supreme Court ruled against an undocumented immigrant on Thursday who has been living in the United States for more than 25 years but faces deportation because of a misdemeanor conviction in state court.

● Court raises bar for some immigrants to avoid deportation AP News

What the Horrific Crash on the Border Says About U.S. Immigration Policy

ProPublica

The cause of the collision between an SUV and a semitruck that left 13 dead in Holtville, California, on Tuesday morning is still a horrific mystery. But federal investigators are exploring a likely explanation for why the overloaded car sped through an intersection in the rural area: a case of human smuggling turned deadly.

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.

Housing:

Fresno Housing Authority names interim CEO after deputy withdraws from contention

Fresno Bee

Less than 30% of Black Fresno County residents own homes. A nonprofit hopes to change that

Fresno Bee

Union Pacific clears Turlock homeless camps along railroad. Where will people go now?

Modesto Bee

Union Pacific Railroad removed Turlock homeless camps along train tracks over the past week, clearing an area for safety reasons where tents lined the street. Crews on Tuesday cleared tents, blankets and other belongings near the intersection of South First and D streets, prompting one homeless woman to ask where her friends are supposed to go now.

How Los Angeles is bringing high design to the granny flat — while saving time and money

Los Angeles Times

Before there is architecture, there is red tape. That’s certainly the case in Los Angeles, where the simple act of securing permits to build an average granny flat in an average backyard can turn into an epic back and forth with the city’s Department of Building and Safety over tweaks to drainage and electrical systems.

The curiously lopsided population of California

California Sun

That may be hard to believe, but it's more or less accurate, demographers say: Roughly 20 million people reside north of a line running through Los Angeles, and the other 20 million are squished underneath it.

PUBLIC FINANCES

(Stockton) California Program Giving $500 No-Strings-Attached Stipends Pays Off, Study Finds

VPR
A high-profile universal basic income experiment in Stockton, Calif., which gave randomly selected residents $500 per month for two years with no strings attached, measurably improved participants' job prospects, financial stability and overall well-being, according to a newly released study of the program's first year.

Third stimulus check updates: Senate gears up for marathon effort in push for COVID-19 relief

abc30

The Senate is bracing for a marathon effort and a late night of voting on amendments before lawmakers take a final vote on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill -- it's just not yet clear exactly when that will take place.

CBO expects federal debt to double over next 30 years

AP News

The Congressional Budget Office estimated Thursday that persistent budget deficits will cause the federal debt to double in size over the next 30 years.

TRANSPORTATION

Costa introduces legislation to fund completion of High Speed Rail

Merced County Times

Caltrans Unveils Three-decade Vision For Future Of Transportation

Roads & Bridges

The California DOT (Caltrans) this week unveiled the California Transportation Plan (CTP) 2050, which details the state's long-range transportation vision and establishes a roadmap to improve mobility and accessibility in the state while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to transportation.

Farther, Faster and No Sweat: Bike-Sharing and the E-Bike Boom

New York Times

As with all bicycles during the pandemic, electric bikes boomed. The market research firm NPD Group said sales of e-bikes grew 145 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, outpacing sales of all bikes, which were up 65 percent.

Biden attempts bipartisan push for infrastructure package

AP News

President Joe Biden tried to maintain bipartisan momentum for a new infrastructure program by meeting Thursday with Republican and Democratic lawmakers at the White House.

WATER

Visalia enters Stage 2 watering restrictions. Here's what that means

Visalia Times Delta

The city of Visalia is implementing new watering restrictions in light of ongoing dry conditions, which have caused the groundwater table the city's wells rely upon to plummet in recent years.

Want to save energy and fight climate change? Try using less water

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: Drought threat should trigger water conservation now

Mercury News

California shouldn’t wait another day to implement water conservation measures to counteract the likelihood of drought this year.

“Xtra”

How 2 Skiers Conquered Yosemite's Half Dome

VPR

At the end of last month, two skiers achieved an unprecedented feat: descending the summit of Yosemite National Park's iconic Half Dome into the valley below.

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.

Bethany Clough: Cheap Eats: The Fresno area’s best restaurants for meals under $10

Fresno Bee

How does a meal for under 10 bucks sound? Eating out can get expensive and prices seem to keep rising, but there are restaurants in Fresno and Clovis that continue to offer affordable deals on food.

Bethany Clough: This Fresno mall’s farmers market is gone, but now food trucks are taking its place

Fresno Bee

Life is returning to Fresno’s Manchester Center parking lot on Fridays with the debut of a food truck event March 5. Fresno Street Eats is organizing the weekly event, and will have five food trucks on the corner of Shields and Blackstone avenues from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.