March 9, 2021

09Mar

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Bay Area migration has turned the Central Valley into a suddenly hot housing market

San Francisco Chronicle

A dozen years ago the sprawling subdivisions of San Joaquin County became a national symbol of the financial crisis: cul-de-sacs lined with foreclosed homes and half-built neighborhoods abandoned by bankrupt speculators.

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Turlock physically reopens City Council meetings. Here are the coronavirus safety rules

Modesto Bee

People can attend Turlock City Council meetings in-person for the first time in nearly a year beginning Tuesday, but will need to follow coronavirus safety guidelines..

 

Here’s how much Stanislaus, Modesto, other cities are getting in latest stimulus funds

Modesto Bee

The $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 relief bill will do more than send $1,400 stimulus checks to many of us and extend the $300-a-week in extra unemployment benefits for the jobless.

 

As COVID cases ease, what is being done to help Stanislaus County children and families?

Modesto Bee

While the setbacks inside the classroom have been well-documented, the consequences of the pandemic-triggered instability outside of education, from housing to healthcare to food insecurity, loom large.

 

Modesto considers applying for grant to hire nine firefighters over three years

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday will consider applying for a nearly $4.5 million federal grant that will allow the Fire Department to hire nine firefighters for three years.

 

Forget San Francisco, new restaurant chain specializing in sourdough comes to Turlock

Modesto Bee

Sourdough bread is a bit of religion in certain parts of California. Heck, maybe you even tried your hand at baking some during this pandemic.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Warszawski: Miss seeing you, Fresno. COVID-19 has made him appreciate the company of strangers

Fresno Bee

A whole year has passed, Fresno. I sure have missed you. Miss being out among you. Miss feeling your collective energy. Miss those nods at the coffee shop, the random banter from across the bar and our simultaneous reactions at the movie theater.

 

COVID playing role in rising Clovis thefts and ‘crimes of opportunity,’ police chief says

Fresno Bee

While Clovis did not see a big increase in overall crime in 2020, Police Chief Curtis Fleming said more people being at home during the pandemic may have influenced some of the local crime trends.

 

Here’s why Dyer makes $420k – and what he’s paying his top staff in mayor’s office

Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is on track to earn nearly $420,000 this year by simultaneously collecting his retirement benefits from his nearly 40 years working for the Fresno Police Department in addition to his mayor’s salary.

 

Fresno’s Jerry Dyer joins San Jose’s mayor in supporting high-speed rail project

Fresno Bee

In its recently released business plan, the California High Speed Rail Authority articulated a clear path to this brighter future. The plan calls for finishing construction of the line from Merced to Bakersfield, while continuing to advance the project toward construction across the rest of the state

See also:

 

Kids Day goes virtual. How to get involved and what a donation does at Valley Children’s

Fresno Bee

For 32 years, Kids Day was marked by volunteers swarming central San Joaquin Valley intersections hawking special-edition copies of The Fresno Bee in a fundraiser for Valley Children’s Hospital. Donors responded, many going out of their way to deliver $1 or more — to the tune of $10.137 million.

 

Help coming for growing Fresno homeless camp near Highway 99 area known as ‘The Triangle’

Fresno Bee

City of Fresno officials are focusing on an area south of Chinatown for their latest effort to find housing for the city’s homeless. “The Triangle” is the area south of Ventura Street where Golden State Boulevard merges with northbound Highway 99.

 

Busting seven myths about affordable housing in Fresno County

Fresno Bee

As the growing region copes with an estimated 35,000 shortfall in affordable homes, many neighborhoods that have previously never seen any apartments — let alone affordable housing — may start to see more projects come into their backyard.

 

Fresno native to challenge for a U.S. Senate seat, blasts Newsom. Can she win?

Fresno Bee

Fresno Republican Elizabeth Heng said Monday she will once again challenge for a Democrat-occupied seat, but this time it will be in the U.S. Senate. The 36-year-old ran an unsuccessful House race in 2018 against Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Community seeks solutions as violence spikes during pandemic

Bakersfield Californian

High rates of crime, shootings and homicides have plagued parts of Bakersfield for years, but the pandemic has had an effect similar to dousing a fire with gasoline.

 

Kern County OKs plan for thousands of new oil and gas wells over environmental objections

Los Angeles Times

After a state appeals court blocked Kern County's effort to speed up new oil and gas drilling, officials overseeing the state's prime oil patch have revised an ordinance that could permit tens of thousands of new wells over the next 15 years.

See also:

 

After being called out, Kern County to consider adding new diversity director

Bakersfield Californian

After a recent call to action by local Black leaders, Kern County supervisors will consider creating a diversity director position at their meeting today.

 

Sculptural bike racks pop up in Oildale, thanks to grassroots advocacy and county funding

Bakersfield Californian

The idea started with one Oildale resident, who shared it with another, who shared it with a county supervisor who shared it with his staff. And so on.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

Gov. Newsom’s State of the State: Coming to you live Today from Dodger Stadium

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom will break from tradition today and give his State of the State address from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

See also:

 

Gov. Newsom recall: Organizers believe they have enough signatures to trigger election

abc30

Less than two weeks from the deadline, organizers of the drive to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom say they have enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

See also:

 

California vs. Florida: Who handled COVID-19 better?

Los Angeles Times

From the earliest days of the pandemic, California and Florida took significantly different courses in responding to the crisis, approaches that came to symbolize the deep divisions across America on how best to respond to the coronavirus.

 

Millions in California may get late unemployment payments from EDD

abc30

Millions of Californians depending on unemployment money may now face new problems with payments a year into the pandemic: many across the state, including in Fresno, could face a delay in payments because they haven't been told to re-apply for their benefits.

See also:

 

GOP targets California’s underfunded pensions in effort to sink Biden’s COVID stimulus plan

Sacramento Bee

There’s lots of fiery Republican rhetoric these days about how the $1.9 trillion economic relief plan would help bail out ailing state and local pension systems. It won’t. It’s not supposed to.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

House Poised To Pass Biden's $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill On Tuesday

VPR
House Democrats are expected to pass the final version of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Tuesday, thus delivering on Democrats' campaign promises and cementing a major legislative victory for the Biden administration.

See also:

 

Biden reaches pivotal moment in pandemic and presidency

Los Angeles Times

Less than two months after taking office, President Biden has reached a pivotal week at the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdowns, one that could shape the rest of his tenure in the White House.

See also:

 

Who are President Biden’s Cabinet members and nominees?

Los Angeles Times

Blinken is a veteran of the Obama White House and worked as a senior advisor to then-Sen. Joe Biden before that. He and the president share a foreign policy philosophy that includes strong ties and cooperation with allies, with U.S. leadership consulting other countries.

 

Supreme Court rejects final Trump bid to nullify 2020 election results

The Hill

The Supreme Court on Monday denied a bid by former President Trump to nullify his electoral loss in Wisconsin, rejecting the former president's final pending appeal over the results of the 2020 election.

 

Trump, RNC clash over using his name in fundraising

AP News

The Republican National Committee is defending its right to use former President Donald Trump’s name in fundraising appeals after he demanded they put an end to the practice.

See also:

 

Op-Ed: Virus keeps refusing to follow anyone’s partisan script

AEI

Covid-19’s path of destruction has not exempted the pieties about it. People who said it was “just the flu” don’t look wise after nearly 540,000 deaths in the U.S. But “14 days to flatten the curve” didn’t turn out to be prescient either.

 

Commentary: The case for a civil rights exception to the filibuster

Brookings

When racial progress is actively being pursued, there are people who will fight tooth and nail to preserve inequality. To protect democracy and our country’s future, it is imperative that the Senate begin to employ a “civil rights exception” to the filibuster.

 

Other:

 

Commentary: Few Americans are confident in American democracy, but younger Americans are especially skeptical

AEI

The surge in partisan polarization in America has made it a rarity that Democrats and Republicans could ever find common ground on an issue. However, data from the new Survey (APS) reveals one important area where Democrats and Republicans seem to agree.

 

Commentary: Gendered disinformation is a national security problem

Brookings

The January 6th storming of the Capitol represented the culmination of a political movement grounded in extremism, fueled by misinformation, and cultivated over years online.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, March 14, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "State Legislative Agenda for 2021" - Guests: Asm. Devon Mathis; CA State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas; Asm. Heath Flora. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 14, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "State Legislative Response to the Pandemic" - Guests: CA State Sen. Andreas Borgeas; CA State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Female Farmers Protest Against New Indian Agriculture Laws

Business Journal

Thousands of female farmers held sit-ins and a hunger strike in India’s capital on Monday in protests on International Women’s Day against new agricultural laws.

 

Eager to be vaccinated, California farmworkers face obstacles

abc10

About 73% of farmworkers said they would get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, but vaccination clinics at farm worksites are still infrequent.

 

Advocates Fight Covid-19 Vaccine Concerns Among Agricultural Workers

Wall Street Journal

Luz Gallegos stood in a Hemet, Calif., orange grove last month and asked for a show of hands among the farmworkers assembled there: How many of you want a Covid-19 vaccine? No hands went up.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

COVID playing role in rising Clovis thefts and ‘crimes of opportunity,’ police chief says

Fresno Bee

While Clovis did not see a big increase in overall crime in 2020, Police Chief Curtis Fleming said more people being at home during the pandemic may have influenced some of the local crime trends.

 

Lawmakers want courts to keep expanded online accessibility prompted by pandemic

Roll Call

The COVID-19 pandemic forced federal courts to give the public more access to arguments and hearings over the past year, but it’s unclear how many of those changes will stick when courthouses fully reopen and a flood of backlogged cases is expected to hit the dockets.

 

Public Safety:

 

Community seeks solutions as violence spikes during pandemic

Bakersfield Californian

High rates of crime, shootings and homicides have plagued parts of Bakersfield for years, but the pandemic has had an effect similar to dousing a fire with gasoline.

 

1 in 4 California prison employees got COVID-19. Inmates have herd immunity at 7 sites

Fresno Bee

So many people in California’s prisons have been infected with COVID-19 that at least seven of the institutions have crossed a threshold for herd immunity, a Sacramento Bee review of infection data found.

 

Editorial: Why is California Attorney General Xavier Becerra hiding gun violence data?

Sacramento Bee

Even as he makes his escape from Sacramento back to Washington, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra continues to defy state law and indulge his odd obsession with secrecy.

 

Justice Department’s Stance on Policing Faces Scrutiny as Floyd Murder Trial Begins

Wall Street Journal

President Biden’s pick to be the Justice Department’s No. 3 official is a civil-rights leader who has strongly advocated a far-ranging federal investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department, highlighting the prospect of using federal authority to force the city to change its policing practices after the May killing of George Floyd.

 

Capitol Riot Task Force Urges More Police, Retractable Fencing for Security

Wall Street Journal

A task force reviewing security at the Capitol following the Jan. 6 assault recommends adding hundreds more officers to the Capitol Police, creating a rapid-reaction force and using retractable fencing at the complex.

 

Op-Ed: ‘Defund the police’ cost Democrats Hispanic and black votes

AEI
Cassandra usually turned out to be right. So has David Shor, the Democratic Cassandra who was fired last June from his job as a poll analyst for the Joe Biden polling firm Civis Analytics for tweeting, after rioting broke out from a Minneapolis suspect’s death in police custody May 25, that violent rioting in 1968 cost Democrats enough votes to lose that year’s presidential election.

 

Fire:

 

Modesto considers applying for grant to hire nine firefighters over three years

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday will consider applying for a nearly $4.5 million federal grant that will allow the Fire Department to hire nine firefighters for three years.

 

Uncovering Patterns in California’s Blazing Wildfires

Eos

A study of trends in wildfire occurrence over the past 30 years shows that environmental, climatic, and human-related factors can point out regions with high fire probabilities.

 

Editorial: What caused Sierra’s Creek Fire? Forest Service’s silence is dereliction of duty

Fresno Bee

The Creek Fire destroyed 853 structures, most of them homes, and damaged another 64. It burned for nearly four months and consumed 379,895 acres of Sierra National Forest northeast of Fresno. It cost $200 million to put out, and when property damages are added in, it will be a $500 million blaze.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Why the 'shecession' will last long after COVID-19 pandemic ends

abc30

While some women are breaking the glass ceiling, others have been forced to take a step back as the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a so-called "shecession.

See also:

 

Unexpected U.S. Growth Surge Could Unbalance Fragile Global Economy

Wall Street Journal

A surprisingly strong surge in U.S. growth will drive a sharp rebound in the world economy this year, but the strength of the American bounce could unbalance weaker economies, particularly in the developing world.

 

How the Pandemic Economy Could Wipe Out a Generation of Black-Owned Businesses

ProPublica

Of all the products made at Danette Wilder’s small manufacturing plant near the University of Kentucky in Lexington, the products she depended on most for sales were the O-rings cranked out by her vintage presses.

 

Opinion: The missing ingredient for CA restaurants in COVID-19 recovery

Modesto Bee

California restaurant owners and employees have celebrated the end of strict lockdowns and begun the process of reopening. While California remains the only state in the nation to continue to ban indoor dining, most of us are back cooking, serving and – especially – cleaning for our valued customers.

 

Jobs:

 

Workers Are Moving First, Asking Questions Later. What Happens When Offices Reopen?

VPR

Kate and her husband, David, had just moved into a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Denver last March. "It was brilliant for about two days," she recalls. The high-rise building offered floor-to-ceiling windows, a gorgeous roof deck and an outdoor pool.

 

California’s unemployment mess explained in 3 minutes

CalMatters

The latest CalMatters video offers a quick explanation of how California’s unemployment system went awry while struggling to confront unprecedented demand.

 

When a California city gave people a guaranteed income, they worked more — not less

Vox

The city of Stockton, California, embarked on a bold experiment two years ago: It decided to distribute $500 a month to 125 people for 24 months — with no strings attached and no work requirements.

 

What to Know About Unemployment Benefits in $1.9 Trillion Covid-19 Relief Bill

Wall Street Journal

Congress is this week expected to approve a $1.9 trillion pandemic-aid package that extends the duration of unemployment benefits available to millions of jobless workers, sending it to President Biden for his expected signature.

 

Commentary: Policy traps that imperil California’s job market

CalMatters

The U.S. economy is poised to stage a strong comeback in post pandemic 2021. The Congressional Budget Office predicts Gross Domestic Product growth of 3.7%. Other indicators such as manufacturing, construction and trades are trending upward. The CBO says the U.S. economy may reach a pre-pandemic peak by mid-2021. Thankfully, the U.S. economy looks on track.

 

Amazon fights aggressively to defeat union drive in Alabama, fearing a coming wave

Washington Post

Amazon’s relentless push to beat back a union drive among warehouse workers mirrors the company’s past efforts to oppose unions in Seattle, New York, Canada and the United Kingdom.

See also:

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Find out what Fresno teachers say parents need to know as schools reopen during COVID-19

Fresno Bee

Some middle school and high school students have already returned on a hybrid model, while other students continue distance learning. But not everybody thinks that’s a good idea. Across Fresno County — and the rest of the nation — parents are split on whether they feel it’s safe to return their kids to classrooms.

See also:

 

Greenfield Union, a community hit hard by COVID, returns to in-person learning

Bakersfield Californian

On Monday, Greenfield Union School District began to welcome back its first wave of general education students onto its campuses for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Kern County nearly a year ago.

 

Parents Of Color Still Have Reservations About Returning Kids To Classrooms

Capital Public Radio

Toni Tinker isn’t sure if she’ll send her second grader back to class when Sacramento City Unified School District reopens for younger students on April 8.

 

Rural Teachers Struggle to Connect in Pandemic

PEW Trusts

Nearly a year after COVID-19 upended schools, many rural educators still struggle to reach and engage with students.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Bakersfield College to hold two Express Enrollment Events this week

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College will hold two special virtual Express Enrollment Events for new and returning students on Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m..

 

Biden order could change how colleges handle sex misconduct

Los Angeles Times

President Biden on Monday ordered his administration to review Trump administration rules around campus sexual assaults that bolstered the rights of the accused and narrowed the scope of cases colleges must address.

See also:

 

Opinion: Tax Forgiveness for Student Loan Forgiveness

Wall Street Journal

You almost have to admire how Democrats have used the pandemic and budget reconciliation to realize their progressive ambitions. Consider a provision that Senate Democrats snuck into the $1.9 trillion spending bill teeing up as much as $1.6 trillion in student-loan forgiveness.

 

Apprenticeships:

 

Fresno EOC VAC supports local training opportunities for the community

EOC

Even in a pandemic, Fresno EOC Valley Apprenticeship Connections (VAC) is still going strong. The program has made remarkable strides in the past year, such as completing the first cohort at the Central Valley Training Center and reaching a milestone of 315 VAC graduates successfully getting jobs in the construction industry.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Operating Dams to Better Manage Big Storms Can Build Resiliency to Climate Extremes

PPIC

California’s reservoirs are operated using outdated assumptions about climate. Advances in weather forecasting can improve how they are manage big storms. We talked to Martin Ralph of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography about this approach.

 

Commentary: How ‘Cutting Green Tape’ can make California more resilient

CalMatters

California is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots – home to more unique species of plants and animals than any other state in the U.S. This biodiversity makes up the beautiful land and seascapes of the world’s fifth-largest economy and sustains our health, cultures and quality of life.

 

Biden Team Races to Assemble New Climate-Change Strategy

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration is racing to complete a wide-ranging climate-change strategy next month, enlisting agencies across the government to craft a plan that could reshape the U.S. economy and disrupt major industries.

 

Global Warming’s Deadly Combination: Heat and Humidity

New York Times

Here’s one more reason the world should aim to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a goal of the international Paris Agreement: It will help keep the tropics from becoming a deadly hothouse.

 

Energy:

 

How Giant Batteries Are Protecting The Most Vulnerable In Blackouts

VPR

As the blackouts in Texas dragged on, millions of residents quickly realized they had more to worry about than trying to light and heat their homes. The water coming out their faucets was no longer safe to drink.

 

Plan to allow thousands of California oil wells faces vote

Modesto Bee

After a state appeals court blocked Kern County's effort to speed up new oil and gas drilling, officials overseeing the state's prime oil patch have revised an ordinance that could permit tens of thousands of new wells over the next 15 years.

See also:

Petroleum Industry Looks To Make Comeback Business Journal

 

Deregulation Aimed to Lower Home-Power Bills. For Many, It Didn’t.

Wall Street Journal

Retail energy companies compete with local utilities to give consumers more choice. But in nearly every state where they operate, retailers have charged more than regulated incumbents, a Wall Street Journal analysis found.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

People fully vaccinated against COVID can gather safely indoors without masks, CDC says

Fresno Bee

For those itching to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, federal health officials just released new guidance that offers some good news — but only for people who have been fully vaccinated.

See also:

 

When will ‘normal’ return? A year into COVID pandemic, we ran the numbers

Fresno Bee

One year ago Saturday, an elderly Madera County resident who had recently returned home with his wife from a cruise became the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus in the central San Joaquin Valley.

 

California now recommending double masking

abc7

California is now recommending people wear two masks. This after the CDC released research last month saying that layering a cloth face covering over a surgical mask increases protection.

See also:

 

Hiltzik: Column: We’re facing a tidal wave of COVID-related disability cases, and we’re not ready

Los Angeles Times

Richard Weishaupt, a disability attorney at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, has just met with his first client with what’s known as “long-haul” COVID — symptoms that persist beyond a couple of weeks in which the infection typically runs its course.

 

Can a pill help you fight COVID? Early study results suggest it’s possible

Fresno Bee

A potential new treatment for COVID-19 still undergoing study cleared non-hospitalized coronavirus patients who had symptoms of infection faster than in patients who received a placebo, according to preliminary results released Saturday.

 

Commentary: Could we be looking at a vaccine glut?

AEI
The first two months of the US’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign saw demand far exceeding available supply, a mismatch that generated widespread frustration. However, the next three months might be about the slow pace of administration leaving millions of available doses on shelves already strained from a massive stockpile of unused inventory.

 

One year in, broadband access and telehealth are two big winners under COVID-19

Roll Call

Of all the everyday priorities that changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, few became more crucial than the need to stay connected — to the internet, to teachers and to doctors.

 

Human Services:

 

Coalinga completes first COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic in city

abc30

The wait is finally over for 77-year-old Coalinga resident Dennis Hames. Sunday, he was able to get his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in his hometown.

 

BC vaccination site will feature distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Saturday drive-thru

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield College’s vaccination site will open this week for Kern County residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. According to a news release from the school, there are walk-in clinics scheduled for today and Thursday, with the Thursday event featuring the debut of the Johnson and Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in Kern County.

 

Lack of supply led Sutter Health to reschedule over 20,000 COVID vaccine appointments

Sacramento Bee

Sutter Health says it expects to receive the 90,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses it needs to administer patients’ second doses within six weeks of the first-dose injections, in accordance with state and federal guidelines, after having to reschedule more than 20,000 appointments that had been set for early March due to lack of supply.

See also:

 

Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento opening COVID vaccination center

Sacramento Bee

The Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento will be used as a COVID-19 vaccination site beginning this week, city and consulate officials announced.

 

California upends how it’s divvying up scarce vaccines

CalMatters

How will vaccines get into the arms of people in low-income communities? And the 40% allotment also raises questions about whether other Californians will be pushed lower on the priority list — particularly people with high-risk health conditions

See also:

 

Millions more smokers and ex-smokers should receive free annual screenings for lung cancer, a federally appointed task force says

Washington Post

The recommendation would double the number of people eligible for the tests, but some experts worry about possible false positives and follow-up tests.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Special Report: How Trump administration left indelible mark on U.S. immigration court

Reuters

As U.S. President Joe Biden works to undo many of the restrictive immigration policies enacted by former President Donald Trump, he will confront one of his predecessor’s indelible legacies: the legion of immigration judges Trump’s administration hired.

 

Biden administration giving temporary protected status to thousands of Venezuelans in U.S.

Los Angeles Times

The White House on Monday announced a temporary protected status decree that could allow tens of thousands of Venezuelans who fled their homeland to remain in the United States with legal standing.

 

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

ProPublica

For all the attention on Biden’s changes to border policy, there are plenty of factors out of the U.S.’s control — which might make migrants increasingly desperate.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Amid fight over sale of Fresno’s Tower Theatre, swastika graffiti heightens tensions

Fresno Bee

Angst over the planned sale and rezoning of Fresno’s historic Tower Theatre continues to grow, as images of graffiti featuring swastikas on two businesses in the arts district were shared this weekend on social media.

 

Housing:

 

Help coming for growing Fresno homeless camp near Highway 99 area known as ‘The Triangle’

Fresno Bee

City of Fresno officials are focusing on an area south of Chinatown for their latest effort to find housing for the city’s homeless. “The Triangle” is the area south of Ventura Street where Golden State Boulevard merges with northbound Highway 99.

See also:

 

Busting seven myths about affordable housing in Fresno County

Fresno Bee

When the board of the Fresno Housing Authority was debating a proposed 60-unit affordable housing project on Willow and Alluvial avenues in Clovis in March 2019, a commissioner opposed the plan, stating “there are more, better areas for diversity and our residents to feel like they are in the right place.”

 

Fresno Apartments Sold For $30m

Business Journal

After Park West Apartment Homes generated multiple offers, the Mogharebi Group has sold the Fresno complex for $29.25 million.

 

The Bay Area migration has turned the Central Valley into a suddenly hot housing market

San Francisco Chronicle

A dozen years ago the sprawling subdivisions of San Joaquin County became a national symbol of the financial crisis: cul-de-sacs lined with foreclosed homes and half-built neighborhoods abandoned by bankrupt speculators.

 

Bidding Wars And Overblown Fears: The Curious Case Of The California Exodus

CalMatters

When a strange and deadly virus shut down Hollywood last March, Alexander Shea knew he had to move fast. But to where?

 

What It Will Take to Close the Race Gap in Home Appraisals

Bloomberg City Lab

News stories about racial discrimination in appraising home values have been piling up over the last several months.

 

Commentary: Is the dream of owning a home losing its appeal?

AEI
Casual visitors to the United States could be forgiven if they thought that this country was obsessed with real estate and houses. Turn on the television and it is impossible to miss the wall-to-wall shows featuring people looking for their dream house, renovating fixer-uppers, flipping houses and countless spinoffs.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

You could see a stimulus check quickly once Biden signs the economic relief act

Fresno Bee

Millions of Californians are likely to see thousands of dollars in stimulus money by the end of March, if not sooner. A qualifying family of four could get $5,600 in federal stimulus payments, thanks to the new economic relief plan the House is expected to pass as soon as Tuesday. An estimated 80% of Californians should see some stimulus payment.

See also:

 

Congress Is Poised to Upend Tax Season With New Break for Unemployment Benefits

Wall Street Journal

Congress is about to change a piece of the tax code affecting the returns being filed by as many as 40 million Americans—a month after the tax-filing season started.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Sculptural bike racks pop up in Oildale, thanks to grassroots advocacy and county funding

Bakersfield Californian

The idea started with one Oildale resident, who shared it with another, who shared it with a county supervisor who shared it with his staff. And so on.

 

Tesla touts self-driving to consumers. To the DMV, it tells a different tale

Los Angeles Times

For years, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has been telling the public that fully autonomous Teslas are just around the corner, no more than a year or two off. The company has been telling regulators a very different story.

 

Are gas prices going up? And is it Joe Biden’s fault?

PolitiFact

There’s been chatter online recently about the recent spike in gasoline prices — and whether President Joe Biden is to blame. One Facebook post features a photograph of Biden with the caption, "Gas prices going up? How do you like me now?"

 

California High-Speed Rail Authority meets federal funding deadline well ahead of schedule

CA High Speed Rail Authority

On Feb. 26, The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) submitted the final state match to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding grant, 22 months ahead of schedule.

See also:

 

WATER

 

Proposed “California Clean Water Act” (AB 377) Would Restrict Ability to Secure Schedules of Compliance in Water Quality Permits or Other Water Quality-Related Orders

JD Supra

AB 377, entitled the “California Clean Water Act,” introduced by Assemblymember Rivas in February 2021, includes provisions to eliminate all “impaired waterways” and make all waters in California suitable for drinking, swimming, and fishing by 2050.

 

Pattern Shift Likely to Bring Much-Needed Rain, Snow to Parts of California, the West This Week

The Weather Channel

Much-needed rain and mountain snow will push into California this week as a weather pattern change develops along the West Coast.

 

“Xtra”

 

Bethany Clough: Marie Callender’s is finally reopening a Fresno restaurant. Here’s what you need to know

Fresno Bee

You can once again get a chicken pot pie at Marie Callender’s in Fresno. The restaurant at Shaw and Cedar avenues is reopening for takeout orders starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 7.

 

Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

Think you can tell the difference between True and False?

Do you really know what is fake news?

 

Support the Maddy Daily

 

HERE

 

Thank you!

 

 

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.

                                                     

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

 

Subscribe to the Maddy Daily HERE

 

Or, to Subscribe or Unsubscribe: email amyboam@csufresno.edu