Maddy Institute – May 13, 2021

13May

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Stanislaus hospital cases dip again. Deaths reach 1,060 Modesto Bee

● Here’s how, when Stanislaus County will offer COVID vaccine for children age 12 to 15 Modesto Bee

Editorial: Do your job, Gov. Newsom — end water wars for state and Stanislaus fish and farmers

Modesto Bee

Don’t be fooled. Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision Monday to declare drought in most of California, including here, is no reason for most farmers in Stanislaus County to break out the party hats.

Valley nonprofit CEO made $570K in a year. How does the ‘stunning’ salary compare to others?

Fresno Bee

The chief executive of an affordable housing developer based in Merced drew salary and benefits worth more than $570,000 in one year — among the highest compensation of CEOs of similar nonprofits in the state and eclipsing even the chancellor of UC Merced.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● COVID vaccine clinic at Fresno City College begins giving shots younger teens 12-15 abc30

Third challenger joins race for David Valadao’s seat in Congress. But what about TJ Cox?

Fresno Bee

Delano Mayor Bryan Osorio announced Wednesday he will challenge Rep. David Valadao in the 21st Congressional District, which stretches from Fresno to Bakersfield.

● Trump wants revenge against Republicans who backed impeachment. Is this Californian in trouble? Sacramento Bee

Fresno students face big problems that could be helped under Newsom’s education plan

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom is setting aside billions of dollars for California public schools, and a chunk of that funding takes aim at some of the biggest problems that plague Fresno students.

Fresno's Lawn Removal Rebate to return amid drought emergency

Fresno Bee

Governor Newsom included Fresno County in expanding the state's list of counties in a drought emergency. But at this point, no limitations on outdoor watering were planned in Fresno.

Are migrant children coming to Fresno? Here’s the latest on the city’s offer to the feds

Fresno Bee

Fresno leaders haven’t heard back on an offer they made to the federal government to make the city’s Convention Center available to house unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Editorial: Man’s death at Fresno mobile home could have been avoided, but bureaucracy got in the way

Fresno Bee

Mobile home parks meet a critical need in California’s housing market, yet they remain hidden from the view of most people. That is, until a tragedy strikes.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern County remains in orange tier amid rise in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations KGET

City of Bakersfield teams with craft beer makers to promote Bakersfield Brewery Trail

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield has a lot happening to attract residents and visitors alike — from the reappearance of live music and the reopening of museums to antique browsing, festivals, a huge variety of foods, sporting events and more.

Electric truck stop proposed near Bakersfield would be first of its kind

Bakersfield Californian

A year-old Southern California company proposes to build a truck stop just north of Bakersfield that would be the first public, solar-equipped facility in the state capable of recharging heavy- and medium-duty electric trucks expected to hit the market within a year.

State:

COVID Update:

● Here’s where Californians can book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for people 12 and older Fresno Bee

No more masks? Gavin Newsom says California mandate may be relaxed around June 15 reopening

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested in a TV interview Tuesday that California will do away with its mask mandate in favor of “recommendations” around June 15, the state’s target date for ending COVID-19 restrictions on businesses.

● California Governor Says Mask Mandate To End After June 15 Business Journal

● California likely to keep some mask mandates, governor says Bakersfield Californian

● California could lift most COVID-19 mask requirements by June 15, Newsom says Los Angeles Times

● California aims to 'fully reopen' economy by June 15 Politico

Millions of California kids could get $500 for college savings in Newsom’s school plan

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to send schools and community colleges $93.7 billion in state funding over the next several years to set up college savings accounts for low-income kids, hire more teachers and counselors and phase in universal transitional kindergarten, according to administration officials.

● California governor proposes public school 'transformation' Bakersfield Californian

● Newsom proposes transitional kindergarten for all California 4-year-olds in budget plan Los Angeles Times

● California’s bold plan: adding a full school year before kindergarten. How will it work? Los Angeles Times

Joel Fox: Gov’s plan: ‘Rebate’ and ‘sharing the wealth’ are deeply misleading

Capitol Weekly

Let’s not confuse Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to provide $12 billion in new stimulus checks with the state’s constitutional mandate to return excess revenues to taxpayers.

GOP’s Faulconer pitches tax cut plan for California

AP News

Hoping to grab a share of the spotlight in California’s expected recall election, Republican candidate for governor Kevin Faulconer on Wednesday proposed ending the state income tax for individuals making up to $50,000 and households up to $100,000 as part of a plan to make the notoriously costly state more affordable for families and the middle class.

● Faulconer proposes no tax on first $100K of joint filer income Politico

Grenell still weighing California recall bid as Republican field grows

Politico

Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence under former President Donald Trump, said Tuesday that he is still thinking about whether to run in the recall election against California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Redistricting commission accused of violating open-meetings law and other failures

Los Angeles Times

California voters created an independent redistricting commission to stop lawmakers and powerful interests from drawing gerrymandered congressional and legislative districts that consolidated their power at the expense of fair representation.

Feinstein Job Ratings Remain Underwater, while Initial Voter Assessments of Senator Padilla are Generally Positive

UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies

The latest Berkeley IGS Poll finds that for the second time in four months more of the state’s registered voters disapprove than approve of Dianne Feinstein’s job performance as U.S. Senator.

Open the California Capitol ASAP, bipartisan group of lawmakers tells Newsom, top Democrats

Fresno Bee

A bipartisan group of California lawmakers is urging the Legislature’s leadership to open the Capitol for greater public access by May 19 in accordance with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

California lawmakers seek $200 million to fight hate crimes

Bakersfield Californian

California lawmakers said Wednesday that they are seeking $200 million over the next three years to fight hate crimes against Asian Americans that have increased since the coronavirus entered the U.S. after originating in China.

Sen. Hertzberg: Proposals would radically improve California’s referendum process

CalMatters

More than a century ago, California adopted a reform movement in response to major corruption in California’s government. The railroads owned political parties, controlled the state Legislature and blackmailed cities in exchange for a rail connection.

Bonta Says Combating Anti-AAPI Violence, Police Misconduct Will Be Priorities As California Attorney General

Capital Public Radio

Rob Bonta is making history as California’s first Filipino American Attorney General. While Bonta has been on the job for a little over two weeks, he’s made it clear that he wants the role of the state prosecutor to evolve, especially when it comes to criminal justice reform and hate crimes.

A state worker purged his personnel file 2 years in a row. New court ruling bars that practice

Sacramento Bee

The state of California will be able to keep negative information in many state workers’ personnel files longer under a little-noticed appellate court opinion from December.

Walters: California population drop caps long trend

CalMatters

California and national news organizations went a little berserk last week when the state Department of Finance announced that the state’s estimated population declined a bit in 2020.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● Biden hails coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds as ‘one more giant step’ in fight against the pandemic Washington Post

GOP dumps defiant Trump critic Cheney from top House post

Bakersfield Californian

Republicans dumped GOP Rep. Liz Cheney from her House leadership post Wednesday for her persistent repudiation of Donald Trump’s election falsehoods, underscoring the hold the defeated and twice-impeached former president retains on his party.

● House Republicans oust Rep. Liz Cheney from leadership post Los Angeles Times

● House Republicans oust Liz Cheney from No. 3 leadership post Roll Call

● Inside Liz Cheney’s plan to take on former president Donald Trump Washington Post

● House Republicans oust Cheney for calling out Trump’s false election claims, minimize Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Washington Post

● Liz Cheney Ousted From House Republican Leadership Wall Street Journal

● McCarthy after ousting Cheney: 'I don’t think anybody is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election' Politico

● Opinion: Republicans wish Liz Cheney would keep quiet AEI

● Opinion: In Donald Trump’s Purgatory Wall Street Journal

Biden, Republican leaders build no bridges in White House infrastructure meeting

Los Angeles Times

President Biden’s first meeting with all four top congressional leaders ended with the usual platitudes on Wednesday — it was “productive,” “good,” “very strong,” and suggested “a place we can find bipartisanship.”

● Business Leaders Push for Infrastructure Deal, Minus the Corporate Tax Hikes Wall Street Journal

● McConnell Says Biden’s Proposed Changes to 2017 Tax Law Are a ‘Red Line’ Wall Street Journal

● Republicans draw ‘red line’ for Biden in Oval Office showdown Politico

● Opinion: How many jobs would Biden’s infrastructure plan create? Zero AEI

President Biden Signs Cybersecurity Executive Order to Boost Federal Defenses Against Hacks

Wall Street Journal

President Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. agencies and software contractors that supply them to boost their defenses against cyberattacks that officials say pose a growing threat to national security and public safety.

Trump Administration Officials Defend Security Response to Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

Wall Street Journal

Several government watchdogs and congressional committees are examining a law-enforcement response that experts across the political spectrum have said amounted to one of the biggest lapses since the federal security apparatus was overhauled following the Sept. 11 attacks nearly two decades ago.

Expert panel says mistakes led to coronavirus pandemic, but stops short of holding countries, leaders to account

Washington Post

About a year ago, the director general of the World Health Organization asked a group of experts to assess an urgent question: How did we get into this pandemic mess?

Californians see Kamala Harris as ready to step into the presidency, poll shows

Los Angeles Times

Almost four months into the new administration, Vice President Kamala Harris has held onto a strong base of support in her home state, with voters by more than 2 to 1 saying she is “playing a significant role” in the administration and a majority seeing her as capable of stepping into the presidency if needed.

Other:

What we know about the high, broad turnout in the 2020 election

Washington Post

Recently released census data shows just how broad the surge in turnout was across demographics: The new data confirms an uptick in voting rates among Americans young and old, male and female and of different racial backgrounds and education levels.

Opinion: Get used to ranked-choice voting. It works.

Washington Post

Ranked-choice voting has much to recommend it. Since being someone’s second choice can help pave the way to victory, it encourages candidates to try to broaden their appeal and achieve consensus.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

USDA projects record California almond crop, but will growers have enough water?

Fresno Bee

A federal agency Wednesday forecast a record harvest of 3.2 billion pounds of almonds in California. That would be a 3% increase over 2020 for the nuts, the highest-grossing crop in Stanislaus and several other counties.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California lawmakers seek $200 million to fight hate crimes

Bakersfield Californian

Police shootings of children spark new outcry, calls for training to deal with adolescents in crisis

Washington Post

Stavian Rodriguez squeezed his 15-year-old body through the drive-through window of the Okie Gas Express convenience store, poking his hands out first so police could see they were empty.

Public Safety:

Bonta Says Combating Anti-AAPI Violence, Police Misconduct Will Be Priorities As California Attorney General

Capital Public Radio

Efforts to Weed Out Extremists in Law Enforcement Meet Resistance

New York Times

In the battle to stamp out extremism from the ranks of the police, lawmakers from California to Minnesota have proposed solutions they thought were straightforward.

Editorial: Man’s death at Fresno mobile home could have been avoided, but bureaucracy got in the way

Fresno Bee

Mobile home parks meet a critical need in California’s housing market, yet they remain hidden from the view of most people. That is, until a tragedy strikes.

Fire:

No structures threatened as crews make progress on Quail Fire in Yuba County, Cal Fire says

Fresno Bee

Sheriff’s officials in Yuba County issued an evacuation warning in the Browns Valley area due to a wildfire burning Wednesday afternoon, but fire personnel said a short time later that crews have made progress in containing the fire and no structures are threatened.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

California aims to 'fully reopen' economy by June 15

Politico

California will fully reopen its economy June 15 as long as Covid-19 vaccinations remain widely available and hospitalization continues to be stable, the governor and public health officials said Tuesday.

● Newsom says indoor mask mandate may not lift June 15, but experts say it will soon be safe to do so abc30

● California Governor Says Mask Mandate To End After June 15 Business Journal

● California likely to keep some mask mandates, governor says Bakersfield Californian

● California could lift most COVID-19 mask requirements by June 15, Newsom says Los Angeles Times

Economic tremors hit White House at crucial moment for Biden policy agenda

Washington Post

A sharp rise in gas prices and inflation, combined with turbulence in the job market, is creating new economic pressures for President Biden just as he tries to secure a legacy-defining set of domestic spending proposals.

Stocks sink again on Wall Street as inflation worries mount

Los Angeles Times

Inflation worries rattled Wall Street on Wednesday, pulling the Dow Jones industrial average more than 680 points lower and placing the major stock indexes on track for their worst week in more than six months.

● Inflation Data Test Fed’s Strategy and Outlook Wall Street Journal

The U.S. lumber market is out of control

Los Angeles Times

Facing skyrocketing lumber prices at home, U.S. importers are driving competition for European wood — and winning.

3 reasons why we may build back better after COVID-19

Brookings

So many people—from U.S. President Joe Biden to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to World Bank Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg—have been exhorting us to “Build Back Better” after the COVID-19 pandemic that it is worth examining what is implied by the phrase.

Jobs:

California's EDD Still Facing Problems With Unemployment Claims

Capital Public Radio

Problems continue to plague California's Employment Development Department. The agency has been inundated with unemployment claims since the pandemic started.

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to Another Pandemic Low

Wall Street Journal

Jobless claims continued a several-week slide to new pandemic lows, in a sign hiring is primed to strengthen as workers return to the labor market.

● Opinion: What pre-pandemic job trends suggest about the post-pandemic future of the capital region AEI

● Opinion: Where are the jobs? AEI

McDonald’s Raises Pay for U.S. Restaurant Workers

Wall Street Journal

McDonald’s Corp. said it would raise pay for employees at company-owned restaurants in the U.S., one of the latest companies to bolster wages and benefits as they struggle to hire workers.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Local Schools Update:

● Fresno students returned to campuses last month. How many COVID-19 cases were reported? Fresno Bee

● PBVUSD announces return to traditional school day in August, but with options for independent study Bakersfield Californian

● Modesto schools’ summer offerings address ‘skyrocketing’ failure, enrichment, special ed Modesto Bee

Millions of California kids could get $500 for college savings in Newsom’s school plan

Fresno Bee

● California governor proposes public school 'transformation' Bakersfield Californian

● Newsom proposes transitional kindergarten for all California 4-year-olds in budget plan Los Angeles Times

● California’s bold plan: adding a full school year before kindergarten. How will it work? Los Angeles Times

Fresno High School unveils new logo, but fight over old ‘racist’ mascot isn’t over

Fresno Bee

Fresno High School ended decades of controversial tradition Wednesday after unveiling the school’s new logo. While the school scrapped the old Native American logo, it kept the “Warriors” moniker.

The wires may be there, but the dollars aren’t: Analysis shows why millions of California students lack broadband

CalMatters

Across urban and rural areas alike, public schools with more students in poverty were far more likely to serve households that lacked a basic broadband connection at home in the months before school went online, according to an unprecedented CalMatters analysis.

Cheating at School Is Easier Than Ever—and It’s Rampant

Wall Street Journal

A year of remote learning has spurred an eruption of cheating among students, from grade school to college. With many students isolated at home over the past year—and with a mass of online services at their disposal—academic dishonesty has never been so easy.

Capitol's biggest schools clash: To Zoom or not to Zoom?

Politico

The biggest state Capitol battle this spring could pit California leaders against local school officials, civil rights groups and teachers unions over whether there's a permanent place for Zoom school in the public education system.

President of Key Teachers’ Union Shares Plea: ‘Schools Must Be Open’ in Fall

New York Times

Randi Weingarten, president of the nation’s second-largest teachers’ union, called on Thursday for a full reopening of the nation’s schools for the next academic year, saying: “There is no doubt: Schools must be open. In person. Five days a week.”

Higher Ed:

California’s new online community college is failing after $100 million launch, audit says

Fresno Bee

Hoping to provide alternatives to expensive for-profit career-training programs, California has invested more than $100 million into an online-only community college known as Calbright.

California could fast track endorsement deals for NCAA college athletes

Los Angeles Times

State lawmakers are considering a bill to fast track major reforms in college athletics by speeding up plans to allow players to make money from endorsement deals as early as next month.

Editorial: How to fix the student debt fiasco (Hint: Not with a $50,000 bailout per student)

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. Senate parliamentarian opened the door last month for Democrats to push through at least one more major bill this year without facing a filibuster. That’s made it possible — not likely, but possible — for Democrats to deliver on one of their progressive wing’s top priorities: forgiving student loan debt of up to $50,000 per person.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Valley Voices: If Sierra National Forest gets cleared of brush, dead trees, the fisher will flourish

Fresno Bee

A lawsuit intended to stall forest management projects on the Sierra, Sequoia and Stanislaus National Forests will only contribute to more catastrophic wildfires, insect infestation and disease on public lands.

Commentary: The California Air Resources Board Challenges Our Carbon Credits Investigations. We Respond.

ProPublica

The California Air Resources Board wrote a letter critiquing ProPublica stories that showed flaws in its carbon offset program. Here’s where we disagree with the points the board made.

Editorial: Leaf blowers and lawn mowers are smog machines. It’s time for California regulators to act

Los Angeles Times

This year, for the first time, leaf blowers, weed whackers, lawn mowers and other devices with small off-road engines are expected to produce more smog-forming emissions than passenger cars.

U.S. has entered unprecedented climate territory, EPA warns

Washington Post

The destruction of year-round permafrost in Alaska, loss of winter ice on the Great Lakes and spike in summer heat waves in U.S. cities all signal that climate change is intensifying, the EPA said in its report.

Energy:

For Clean Energy, Buy American or Buy It Quick and Cheap?

New York Times

President Biden says slowing climate change will create jobs. Tension between unions and environmentalists shows it’s not so simple.

Opinion: Biden’s Not-So-Clean Energy Transition

Wall Street Journal

The International Energy Agency, the world’s pre-eminent source of energy information for governments, has entered the political debate over whether the U.S. should spend trillions of dollars to accelerate the energy transition favored by the Biden administration.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Latino and Black Californians less likely to have received COVID-19 vaccine

Los Angeles Times

Only about one-third of Latino and Black Californians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while majorities of white and Asian American Pacific Islander Californians have, according to a Times analysis.

People are still dying from COVID in California despite huge progress. Here’s who they are

Los Angeles Times

Claudio Arturo Diaz had a lot to celebrate when he turned 64 in February. A beloved husband, father and grandfather who worked four essential jobs, he was now only one year away from his planned retirement.

CDC recommends Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children as young as 12

Los Angeles Times

Children as young as 12 should receive the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to protect them from COVID-19 and help end the pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Wednesday.

COVID: Study finds ‘intriguing’ results when you mix vaccines

Mercury News

People who got mixed doses of coronavirus vaccines — receiving a different vaccine type as a second dose than the first dose — appear to be more likely to experience mild side effects such as fever, chills, fatigue or headache, researchers in the UK reported Wednesday.

Human Services:

Medicare cost crunch raises questions in telehealth debate

Roll Call

Telehealth advocates are struggling to allay lawmakers’ fears about increased Medicare costs as they seek to capitalize on momentum from the pandemic’s shutdown on in-person care.

See also:

● How Telehealth Can Bring Equity to Health Care Public Policy Institute of California

With Busy Airports and Restaurants, U.S. Moves Closer to Full Reopening

Wall Street Journal

The return to a pre-pandemic normal in the U.S. is gaining speed. The New York City subway hit its highest daily ridership since March 13, 2020, with some 2.2 million riders last Friday. More than 1.7 million people traveled through the nation’s airports on Sunday, the most since the start of the pandemic.

IMMIGRATION

Are migrant children coming to Fresno? Here’s the latest on the city’s offer to the feds

Fresno Bee

Number of children traveling alone at border eases in April

Fresno Bee

The number of unaccompanied children encountered on the U.S. border with Mexico in April eased from an all-time high a month earlier, while more adults were found coming without families, authorities said Tuesday.

DACA recipients launch legal battle to clear hurdles from the ultimate goal: citizenship

Los Angeles Times

The first time Miriam Delgado looked into visiting her family in Mexico, her grandmother was in her late 80s and getting weaker by the day.

Bipartisan immigration talks thwarted by escalating migration

Roll Call

A bipartisan group of senators is plodding ahead with talks on comprehensive immigration overhaul legislation, but Republicans say they’re reluctant to sign on to any agreement unless the White House takes stronger action to stem migration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

California home construction hits 13-year high. It’s not enough to slow skyrocketing prices

Fresno Bee

Housing construction in California jumped last year to the highest level since the Great Recession, topping 100,000 new units despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a historic state population decline.

Housing:

California Forward Works For Affordable Housing

Jefferson Public Radio

The cost of owning a home tends to go in one direction: up. Jackson County's median home price is around $370,000.

● Home Affordability Mostly Slips In The Central Valley Business Journal

Housing vouchers could 'make a dent' in homeless population

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County has been awarded 229 emergency housing vouchers that could significantly impact the number of people living on the streets locally.

Can Newsom Build On Pandemic Lessons To End Homelessness?

Capital Public Radio

From the lobby of a former extended-stay motel in San Diego, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced what he called a historic proposal to end a California crisis by converting thousands more hotel rooms into housing for people who are homeless.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Some Americans can now apply for help paying internet bills. Here’s what to know

Fresno Bee

Applications are now open for a federal program that offers help paying internet bills during the pandemic. The Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program provides discounts on broadband services to eligible households.

Tax preparation services highlight opportunities, risks

Bakersfield Californian

As Monday's tax-filing deadline nears, warnings are getting louder about leaving money on the proverbial table. Two tax credits in particular have gotten special attention this year, not to mention state stimulus checks that require recipients to file a return.

Opinion: Tackle the tax gap

AEI

The Senate Finance Committee held an important subcommittee hearing this week, “Closing the Tax Gap: Lost Revenue from Noncompliance and the Role of Offshore Tax Evasion.” The “tax gap,” which is the difference between the amount of tax rightfully owed by US taxpayers and the amount of tax actually paid, is not small.

See also:

● Opinion: The Biden Tax Mirage Wall Street Journal

TRANSPORTATION

Gasoline hits $3 per gallon nationwide. Here’s how much we’re paying in Fresno

Fresno Bee

The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline hit $3 per gallon on Wednesday, due at least in part because of a cyberattack that crippled a major fuel pipeline in the southeastern U.S. last week.

● No, California, you don’t need to stock up on gasoline Los Angeles Times

Electric truck stop proposed near Bakersfield would be first of its kind

Bakersfield Californian

Biden Plan to Boost Public Transit Funding: Visionary or Wasteful?

Pew Trusts

If President Joe Biden gets his way, the federal government will double public transit funding in the coming years. He sees it as an essential part of his proposed $2 trillion infrastructure package: a way to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and meet rider demand.

FAA Approves Boeing Fixes for Latest 737 MAX Problem

Wall Street Journal

Boeing Co. received approval from U.S. air-safety regulators for fixes to an electrical problem that has grounded more than 100 of its 737 MAX jets, the company and a Federal Aviation Administration official said, paving the way for airlines to return them to passenger service within days.

Working From Home for Some Threatens Mass Transit for All

Bloomberg City Lab

While President Joe Biden pushes for $2.3 trillion in infrastructure spending with billions for mass transit, operators of commuter rail and buses are fretting over a burgeoning work-from-home culture that threatens to depress revenue for years after the pandemic.

Opinion: Car supremacy and America's traffic paradox

The Week

Complaining about traffic is practically a national pastime in the United States. With rare exceptions, if you live in a city, from about 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. or so the roads are congested.

Paris Cracks Down On Cars In City Center

Forbes

The historic heart of Paris could soon be partially pedestrianized, if Parisians agree with plans issued by Mayor Anne Hidalgo on May 12.

WATER

Fresno's Lawn Removal Rebate to return amid drought emergency

Fresno Bee

Governor Newsom included Fresno County in expanding the state's list of counties in a drought emergency. But at this point, no limitations on outdoor watering were planned in Fresno.

70% of California is officially in a drought. Here are household tips for saving water

Fresno Bee

In California, 41 out of 58 counties are now officially under drought conditions. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday declared 39 additional counties to be in drought, covering the Central Valley and most of Northern California.

Editorial: Do your job, Gov. Newsom — end water wars for state and Stanislaus fish and farmers

Modesto Bee

Don’t be fooled. Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision Monday to declare drought in most of California, including here, is no reason for most farmers in Stanislaus County to break out the party hats.

“Xtra”

Fresno Non-Profit Receives EPA Award For Reducing Burden Of Asthma

VPR

For a decade, the Central California Asthma Collaborative (CCAC) has aimed to reduce the burden of asthma in the San Joaquin Valley, which sits in one of the country’s most polluted air basins and reports some of the highest rates of asthma and asthma-related medical encounters in the state.

Will Shaver Lake have Fourth of July fireworks? It’s in jeopardy, Fresno County official says

Fresno Bee

Shaver Lake may have to cancel its annual Independence Day Celebration for a second year, if organizers can’t get clearance from the state’s Department of Public Health. Time is running out.

Bethany Clough: British meat pies? You can get them in the Fresno area when this new food truck opens

Fresno Bee

A little bit of the United Kingdom is making its way to Fresno and Clovis with the debut of a food truck serving handheld meat pies. The Cornish pasties (pronounced “PAST-ees,” and rhymes with “last ease”) served on the Union Jacks Pasty Shack truck are a British street food with a long history.