Maddy Institute – May 14, 2021

14May

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Stanislaus adds 1 death, 39 cases. Hospital count dips Modesto Bee

● Coronavirus vaccine clinics open to Stanislaus kids age 12 to 15. Where, when you can go Modesto Bee

‘I don’t know what to do’: Turlock homeless woman evicted from encampment speaks out

Modesto Bee

After pushing her belongings out of a Turlock homeless encampment along a Highway 99 on-ramp and nearly passing out in the heat, Toni walked as far as she could Tuesday night.

RV tenants in Stanislaus River campground dig in their heels to resist eviction

Modesto Bee

Residents of an RV park and campground in Knights Ferry did not comply with a landlord’s order to move out by Saturday. “We are still here,” said Jackie Gregory, one of the tenants who have resisted the move-out order. “No one has moved out.”

New president named for Modesto Junior College. The board vote was not unanimous

Modesto Bee

The interim president of Modesto Junior College will officially take over the permanent job next month. The Yosemite Community College District board voted Wednesday in closed session to give the post to Santanu Bandyopadhyay, effective June 1.

MID might stop funding Tuolumne River Trust program for kids. Why things went awry

Modesto Bee

The Tuolumne River Trust might lose funding from the Modesto Irrigation District for a program that teaches children about water. MID board member Stu Gilman suggested the move in response to the Trust urging that district farmers reduce their water use.

Modesto officials conduct sound tests for proposed roller skating rink

Modesto Bee

Modesto officials and Brian Cromwell, who started the Facebook group Modesto Skates, conducted a sound test at the proposed roller skating rink at East La Loma Park.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● What pushed Tulare County past 50,000 total coronavirus cases? Fresno reports more deaths Fresno Bee

What does it pay to lead a Central Valley nonprofit? State records show wide disparity

Fresno Bee

From issues of poverty to healthcare provider shortages, Merced County is often flagged as one of the state’s most underserved regions. The county’s median household income of about $53,700 a year lags behind the statewide average of $75,200.

Fresno woman passed over for city position says she’s being discriminated against

Fresno Bee

She’s waited at least three years, if not longer, for an appointment to the commission for which she’s qualified. Yet on Thursday, the Fresno City Council approved another woman selected by Mayor Jerry Dyer for the position.

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

Fresno Bee

Fresno students have been back to part-time in-person classes for about a month, and for two of the larger school districts in Fresno County, positive COVID-19 cases have dropped, while the largest district in the county saw an uptick.

Will VUSD students have to wear masks in the classroom?

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified is continuing to work out details surrounding next year — and with an update from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office expected in mid-June, smoothing out the finer details may have to wait just a little longer.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health: one new coronavirus deaths, 38 new cases reported Thursday Bakersfield Californian

Cynthia Zimmer joins 39 other DA's urging state to repeal regulation allowing early release for 76,000 inmates

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer has signed a letter along with 39 other California DAs urging the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to repeal temporary regulations that could allow 76,000 state prison inmates to be released early.

Bakersfield teacher Marisa Wood announces bid to take on Kevin McCarthy

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield teacher Marisa Wood has announced she will run against Rep. Kevin McCarthy in the upcoming 2022 election.

State:

COVID Update:

● California counties await mask, social distancing guidance Fresno Bee

● A $1 million payoff to get the vaccine? In California, not so much Mercury News

Gavin Newsom unveils $268 billion California budget fueled by surplus, stimulus

Modesto Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a recall election later this year wants to spend California’s massive $75 billion surplus on infrastructure, stimulus checks, aid for the homeless and help for small businesses as part of his revised May budget proposal that he unveiled Friday.

California governor seeks $1.5B boost for small businesses

Fresno Bee

California is getting $27 billion in federal coronavirus relief, and Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he wants to give some of that money to small-business owners that were forced to temporarily close during the pandemic.

● Newsom calls for spending on tourism, tax breaks and more in new business relief plan Sacramento Bee

● Newsom proposes COVID grants up to $25,000 for thousands more California businesses Los Angeles Times

Newsom, Faulconer make big promises to Californians

CalMatters

Newsom on Wednesday unveiled a $20 billion proposal to “reimagine” public schools, noting that it represents “the highest level of state school funding in California history.”

● 'Better than manna from heaven': Huge California surplus is gift for Newsom as recall fight simmers San Francisco Chronicle

● Three things to know about Gavin Newsom’s spending spree CalMatters

Opinion: The Trouble With the Gavin Newsom Recall

The Atlantic

The recall election coming later this year for California Governor Gavin Newsom doesn’t appear likely to end with his removal from office.

California attorney general will examine killing by police

Fresno Bee

California's new attorney general said Thursday his office will review the fatal shooting of a San Francisco Bay Area man who police say they initially thought was carrying a handgun in his waistband but actually had a hammer.

New bill could make it easier for California tribes to reclaim ancestral lands

Visalia Times Delta

A new bill working its way through the California assembly would make it easier for federally recognized tribes to purchase surplus land from nearby cities, a change that the local Tule River Indian Tribe is pushing for.

The new thing for California politicians? Sweet charity

CalMatters

The California Legislature’s Latino Caucus recently circulated a memo offering a potential perk for members: A trip to Cuba to learn about “culture, history and possibly government structure and policy making.”

Remembering Cruz Reynoso

CAFwd

Justice Cruz Reynoso had a superpower. His profound knowledge of how equity should be advanced through the law was fortified by his limitless generosity in service to others and alloyed by unconditional love, compassion and respect for every other person on the planet.

Feinstein ratings plummet as California liberals abandon senator

Politico

Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s standing among California voters has plummeted this year after liberals in the state have soured on Feinstein’s centrist approach, according to a new poll.

Editorial: California’s independent redistricting commission is dangerously close to failing its basic task

Los Angeles Times

California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission has one task, and one only: to take census data gathered every decade and draw new boundaries for state, legislative and congressional districts through a public and transparent process that’s free from political manipulation.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● CDC: Fully vaccinated people can ditch masks indoors - most of the time abc30

● Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks Indoors And Outdoors, CDC Says VPR

● Fully vaccinated people no longer need masks in most places, CDC says. What to know Merced Sun-Star

● New masking guidelines for COVID-19: Answers to your questions Mercury News

● What the CDC mask changes mean for travel, shopping, gatherings, outdoor life and more Los Angeles Times

● Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Face Masks and End Physical Distancing in Most Settings, CDC Says Wall Street Journal

● CDC says fully vaccinated Americans no longer need masks indoors or outdoors in many cases Washington Post

● U.S. to Review Travel, School Covid Guidance After New Mask Rule Bloomberg

No Deal Out Of Infrastructure Meeting, But Biden Says The Effort Is There

VPR

President Biden continued conversations with congressional Republicans on Thursday in the hopes of landing a bipartisan deal on an infrastructure package, but major hurdles persist over what items would be in the measure, and how it might be paid for.

Biden signs executive order to beef up federal cyber defenses following pipeline hack

abc30

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday meant to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity defenses in response to a series of headline-grabbing hacking incidents that highlight how vulnerable the country's public and private sectors are to high-tech spies.

● Sen. Mark Warner embarrassed by inaction on tech regulation Politifact

White House to release full fiscal 2022 budget request May 27

Roll Call

The White House will release its fully fleshed out fiscal 2022 budget request May 27, providing a detailed look at how President Joe Biden wants Congress to address taxes and spending during the next decade.

House Democrats and Republicans seek more than $20 billion in earmarks as once-maligned practice returns

Washington Post

The return of congressional earmarks has sparked a massive dash for cash on Capitol Hill, where more than 300 House members have sought nearly $21 billion in federal funding to help their home districts and pet projects — and shore up their reelection prospects.

House Democrats and Republicans reach deal on commission to investigate Jan. 6 attack on Capitol

Washington Post

House Democrats and Republicans announced a deal on legislation Friday to establish a commission to investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

Stefanik voted into House GOP leadership, replacing Cheney

Washington Post

House Republicans chose Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Friday to fill the leadership post recently occupied by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), replacing a harsh critic of former president Donald Trump with a lawmaker who has become one of his staunchest defenders.

● Read Donald Trump's and Elise Stefanik's Full Statements After She Takes Top Republican Job Newsweek

● A Rising Republican’s Bet on a Losing President The Atlantic

● Elise Stefanik Elected to GOP Leadership, Replacing Liz Cheney Wall Street Journal

● Where Liz Cheney goes from here Yahoo!news

Opinion: The GOP has lost its way. Fellow Americans, join our new alliance.

Washington Post

The Republican Party made a grievous error this week in ousting Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) from the House leadership for telling the truth about Donald Trump’s “big lie,” which has wreaked havoc in our democratic republic by casting doubt over the 2020 election.

● Noonan: The GOP’s Post-Trump Trauma Wall Street Journal

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.

Other:

Ogletree Deakins Benchmarking Survey

Ogletree Deakins

Only 7.6% of companies are leaning towards requiring employees to be vaccinated as a condition of returning to the workplace. A full 87.9% are leaning against requiring a vaccine, and 4.5% are undecided.

Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows

NPR

Researchers have found just 12 people are responsible for the bulk of the misleading claims and outright lies about COVID-19 vaccines that proliferate on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Opinion: California needs a redistribution of innovation

CalMatters

Today, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating long simmering unemployment trends precipitated by pre-pandemic advancements in technology and automation.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

No water, no crops: farmers destroy fields due to drought, no water deliveries

Fox 26 News

Farmers across the Central Valley are facing a difficult decision over the next couple of weeks and months-- to keep or destroy their crops, as the drought situation appears to worsen by the day.

California Farm Bureau President Urges Additional Flexibility in Conservation Programs

Sierra Sun Times

Land that produces food and farm products also provides crucial conservation and climate benefits—and federal conservation programs must focus on keeping working lands working, according to the California Farm Bureau.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Did you call Fresno Police in 2020? Here’s who did as crime rose, service calls dropped

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Police Department has released its 2020 annual report — and as crime rose, calls for service decreased.

California attorney general will examine killing by police

Fresno Bee

Public Safety:

Prosecutors want to halt new good-time release credits for 76,000 California inmates

Fresno Bee

One week after California prison officials increased the amount of good-conduct credits that thousands of inmates could earn toward release, 41 district attorneys throughout the state have signed onto a petition asking the state to repeal the new rules.

Bakersfield community policing workshop to address how to safely record officers in line of duty

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield PD and the Bakersfield Community Policing Organization are partnering to host a community workshop to discuss how to safely record police officers, what the law says, and how both community members and officers should approach these situations.

Fire:

Fire officials aim to douse blazes fast, avoid megafires

Fresno Bee

U.S. officials said Thursday they will try to stamp out wildfires as quickly as possible this year as severe drought tightens its grip across the West and sets the stage for another destructive summer of blazes.

Fire Victim Trust answers questions about $51 million spent as CA wildfire victims await payments

abc30

It's been nearly a year since the Fire Victim Trust was created to pay PG&E victims of the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Wildfires and the deadliest 2018 Camp Fire, but many of those victims say they're still waiting.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

California governor seeks $1.5B boost for small businesses

Fresno Bee

● Newsom announces $1.5B proposal to boost small biz grants Business Journal

● Newsom calls for spending on tourism, tax breaks and more in new business relief plan Sacramento Bee

● Newsom proposes COVID grants up to $25,000 for thousands more California businesses Los Angeles Times

Congress provided $28 billion to save restaurants. It’s running out

Los Angeles Times

Restaurants and bars desperate for a lifeline during COVID-19 swarmed to apply for a new government grant. In just 10 days, the Small Business Administration has received 266,000 applications asking for $65 billion in aid, more than twice the amount provided by Congress.

An Initial Look at Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Local Government Fiscal Condition

Legislative Analyst’s Office

We examine what is known about the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic’s economic effects on local governments’ fiscal condition. At the time of writing this analysis, the full extent of these effects is not known and will not be known for some time.

Can California make the post-COVID economy more equal?

CalMatters

In a CalMatters and Milken Institute event, experts explored the economic disparities highlighted by the pandemic and how state policies can foster a more equitable post-COVID future of work.

Need a Credit Card or Auto Loan? Banks Are Making Them Easier to Get

Wall Street Journal

Banks are loosening the purse strings for consumer borrowers. Credit cards, auto loans and other personal loans are all getting easier to come by, more than a year into a pandemic that spooked lenders and caused them to tighten lending standards significantly.

U.S. Shoppers Continued Stimulus-Fueled Spending in April

Wall Street Journal

Shoppers extended stimulus-induced spending in April, maintaining a level of retail sales from the prior month with increased expenditures on autos and dining out.

Empty Lots, Angry Customers: Chip Crisis Throws Wrench Into Car Business

Wall Street Journal

Americans are shopping for cars in near-record numbers, but the world’s computer-chip shortage has left dealers with the fewest offerings in decades.

Opinion: Fear of inflation can make it happen

AEI

Consumer prices surged in April and some commentators sounded inflation alarms. Others shrugged. Both reactions miss the mark. Neither panic nor nonchalance are justified.

Jobs:

Manteca’s Great Wolf Lodge hiring for 500 positions. What the jobs pay, how to apply

Modesto Bee

After the pandemic delayed its opening by almost a full year, Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca is going on a hiring spree to get ready for its big debut.

California’s unemployment claims backlog keeps growing, new numbers show

Sacramento Bee

Calls to the state’s unemployment department have ballooned about 38% over the last month – and fewer are being answered, according to data from the agency Thursday.

US jobless claims fall to 473K as more GOP governors bar aid

Fresno Bee

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 473,000, a new pandemic low and the latest evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs as consumers ramp up spending and more businesses reopen.

McDonald's raising US workers' pay in company-owned stores

abc30

McDonald's is raising pay at 650 company-owned stores in the U.S. as part of its push to hire thousands of new workers in a tight labor market.

White House group gets to work on plan to increase unionization of U.S. workers

Reuters

The White House on Thursday launched an effort to increase the number of American workers belonging to unions, address income inequality and redress a power imbalance that favors employers.

Opinion: Pandemic reveals low-wage workers need better protections

CalMatters

Vaccination will protect workers from the coronavirus, but a shot won’t immunize them against employer retaliation, low wages and unsafe working conditions.

Opinion: Is the American Work Ethic Dying?

Wall Street Journal

This week, surveying the gulf between the millions of jobs available in the U.S. and the startlingly smaller number of people taking them, President Biden said, “People will come back to work if they’re paid a decent wage.”

EDUCATION

K-12:

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

Fresno Bee

Education Spotlight: Vaccine campaign aims to get students back in schools

abc30

In ABC30's segment, Education Spotlight, Action News Anchor Landon Burke will talk with Merced County Office of Education (MCOE) officials about some of the biggest topics in education.

Will VUSD students have to wear masks in the classroom?

Visalia Times Delta

Big change at elementary site. See why this Modesto school is adding 7th-, 8th-graders

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Schools board has embraced a plan to make Tuolumne Elementary a TK-8 campus to strengthen the STEAM pathway for students up through high school.

Newsom proposes transitional kindergarten for all California 4-year-olds in budget plan

Los Angeles Times

Transitional kindergarten, currently available only to about one-third of California’s 4-year-olds, would be expanded to all by the 2024 academic year under a proposal unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

A Year into Distance Learning, California’s Digital Divide Persists

Public Policy Institute of California

As lawmakers and educators debate the role of remote instruction moving forward, how successful has California been in ensuring that students have reliable access to digital devices and the internet?

Presidents of Biggest Teachers Unions call for full school reopening

Fresno Bee

The presidents of the nation's two major teachers unions called separately for a full return to in-person learning in the fall, with the leader of the American Federation of Teachers declaring Thursday that her organization was “all-in.”

Higher Ed:

New president named for Modesto Junior College. The board vote was not unanimous

Modesto Bee

UC weighs limited tuition increase for fall 2022

Los Angeles Times

The University of California is weighing a tuition increase for incoming students beginning in fall 2022, but the proposal faced widespread student opposition and sharp questions from regents Thursday.

First-generation college students push for in-person commencements

CalMatters

As coronavirus vaccination ramps up across California, first-generation students have played central roles in pushing colleges to consider in-person options for graduation.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

California's Plan To Offset Emissions Using Forests May Have A Major Flaw

VPR

There’s an accounting issue. The state’s program has generated more than $20 million “ghost credits” that don’t achieve real climate benefits, letting annual emissions equal to 8.5 million cars escape unaccounted for.

Cost analysis is latest Trump-era rule to be rescinded by EPA

Sacramento Bee

The EPA announced Thursday it is rescinding the previous administration’s “benefit-cost” rule that critics say inappropriately hampers the agency’s ability to issue regulations on air pollution.

There’s a New Definition of ‘Normal’ for Weather

New York Times

The United States is getting redder. No, not that kind of red. (We’ll leave that to the political pundits.) We’re talking about the thermometer kind.

Energy:

Did Colonial Pipeline shutdown impact California? Here's what you need to know about prices at the pump

Visalia Times Delta

Gas prices jumped just above $4 a gallon this week in Tulare County, and many gas stations in the southeast were out of fuel as panicked motorists rushed to fill up in the wake of the cyberattack on a crucial regional pipeline.

California clean fuel standard sparks renewable gas boom in Midwest

Energy News Network

Twenty years ago, Holsum Dairies installed the first anaerobic digester in Wisconsin. Part of a combined heat and power system, the digester mixed cow manure with heat and bacteria to produce biogas that fueled a generator.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Fresno County to begin vaccinating children 12 and up, amid CDC’s new COVID advice on masks

Fresno Bee

Fresno County will immediately begin offering COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer for children as young as 12, health officials said on Thursday.

● Vaccines for ages 12 and up available locally Friday Porterville Recorder

● Kern Public Health announces 12 to 15 year olds now eligible for Pfizer vaccine Bakersfield Californian

● CDC Says Kids As Young As 12 Should Get The Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine VPR

● Parents Rush to Get Covid-19 Vaccines for Their Children Wall Street Journal

● What can happen if kids want a COVID vaccine — but parents refuse? Experts weigh in Fresno Bee

Poll Finds Public Health Has A Trust Problem

VPR

Overall, the poll found that only 52% of Americans have a great deal of trust in CDC. Other health agencies were even lower — only 37% of Americans said they had a lot of trust in the National Institutes of Health or the Food and Drug Administration.

Immigrants and Health in California

Public Policy Institute of California

Immigrants generally tend to be healthier than US-born individuals, reflecting the fact that many came to the US to work; this is called the “healthy immigrant effect” or the “Latino paradox,” in the case of Latinos.

As Feds Push Menthol Cigarette Ban, States Weigh Broader Measures

PEW

At least eight states are considering legislation this year that would ban sales of all flavored tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, vaping products and smokeless tobacco such as snuff or chew.

Are they experimental? Can they alter DNA? Experts tackle lingering coronavirus vaccine fears.

Washington Post

When the coronavirus vaccines first started rolling out in December, LisaRose Blanchette had doubts. To her, it felt like the shots, particularly the messenger RNA vaccines, had been “rushed through production,” and she didn’t trust that they would be safe or effective.

Is it now reasonable to discuss the end of the pandemic? Yes, but with caveats.

Washington Post

For more than a year, everyone has wondered when this dreadful pandemic will end. The answer has always been “not for a long time.” That answer, however, has been overtaken by events — at least in the United States.

Scientists Call for Deeper Investigation Into Covid-19 Origin

Wall Street Journal

Prominent scientists are calling for a deeper investigation into the origin of Covid-19, including the possibility that a laboratory accident released the new coronavirus that caused the pandemic.

Human Services:

Sierra View, Imperial Ambulance operating local vaccination site

Porterville Recorder

Tulare County Public Health has announce several of its COVID-19 community vaccination clinics are being transitioned from state oversight to other agencies.

Cremations surpassed burials among California Latinos during the pandemic. Here’s why

Sacramento Bee

California’s Latino families had to re-imagine the funerals of their loved ones amid the coronavirus pandemic, experiencing delays due to widespread death, limits on the number of people who could attend and confusion over which burial practices were allowed.

Health Care Reform in California

Public Policy Institute of California

While we still do not know the exact impact of the pandemic on health coverage, available evidence suggests that sizable employment losses in 2020 may not have affected uninsured rates much.

Vaccine makers pressed by lawmakers, investors to speed global access to shots

Roll Call

Pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, are under pressure from governments and their own shareholders to ramp up access to COVID-19 vaccines as global distribution of the shots remains wildly unequal.

IMMIGRATION

Biden meeting with DACA recipients to highlight immigration priorities

NBCNews

President Joe Biden plans to welcome six recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to the Oval Office on Friday as his administration signals his immigration reform plan remains a legislative priority.

Border Policy Is Getting More and More Convoluted. That’s Creating False Hope for Migrants.

ProPublica

The Biden administration and the Mexican government have made the situation at the border so confusing that even seasoned experts can’t always determine who is allowed in and who isn’t. That may be contributing to the high number of border crossings.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

There are new places to hike in Sierra foothills. Here’s where, and how to help conservation

Fresno Bee

More than 50,000 acres of rolling hills above central San Joaquin Valley cities have been protected by Sierra Foothill Conservancy, with thousands of new acres coming into the fold within the past year.

New bill could make it easier for California tribes to reclaim ancestral lands

Visalia Times Delta

Housing:

RV tenants in Stanislaus River campground dig in their heels to resist eviction

Modesto Bee

‘I don’t know what to do’: Turlock homeless woman evicted from encampment speaks out

Modesto Bee

After pushing her belongings out of a Turlock homeless encampment along a Highway 99 on-ramp and nearly passing out in the heat, Toni walked as far as she could Tuesday night.

Opinion: In favor of extending the eviction moratorium

CalMatters

Thank you for bringing attention to the important issue of evictions and homelessness. It is clear that many are experiencing hardships with the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Gavin Newsom unveils $268 billion California budget fueled by surplus, stimulus

Modesto Bee

The Federal Reserve is behind the inflation curve

The Hill

Today’s shocking consumer price inflation numbers should be a wake-up call to the Federal Reserve. Indeed, they have to raise serious questions as to whether the Fed is falling behind the inflation curve at a time that the country is engaged in its largest peacetime budget stimulus and the economy is recovering strongly.

Four takeaways on new guidance for state and local fiscal relief under the American Rescue Plan

Brookings

The American Rescue Plan includes $350 billion for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts.

Biden’s Tax Enforcement Target of $700 Billion Won’t Be Easy

Wall Street Journal

Tougher tax enforcement is one of the least controversial pieces of President Biden’s economic agenda, a way to raise revenue without raising taxes.

● Tax carbon and consumption, not middle class income Brookings

● Opinion: The Biden Tax Mirage Wall Street Journal

TRANSPORTATION

California’s Plan to Align Transportation Planning With Climate Goals: Discussions, Workshops

StreetsBlog Cal

CAPTI sets a framework for planning transportation in a way that doesn't further destroy the environment, the economy, or the health of Californians, but some bristle at the idea of change.

Video: President Biden's jobs plan could help California's high-speed rail project

CBS News

Officials in California are hoping to benefit from President Biden's multi-trillion dollar infrastructure plan. In 2008, voters approved a $10 billion bond measure for a high-speed rail project.

WATER

Delta Conveyance Project Community Benefit Programs Workshop on May 25th

Delta Conveyance Project

If you live, work or recreate in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Department of Water Resources wants to hear from you about developing a Community Benefits Program for the Delta Conveyance Project.

Residents urged to reduce water usage by 10% as California drought deepens

Sacramento Bee

Sacramento-area residents were urged Thursday to cut water usage by 10% as much of the state has been plunged into another severe drought.

New report: Drought to hit rural Latino communities hardest

CalMatters

The Legislative Analyst’s Office warns California lawmakers to prepare to dispatch emergency drinking water to vulnerable communities, particularly in the Central Valley.

This is how California's water use has changed since the last drought

San Francisco Chronicle

The latest instance of drought has once again put the state’s water use under the microscope to identify opportunities for conservation, a task that’s expected to become more challenging as the impacts of climate change intensify.

MID might stop funding Tuolumne River Trust program for kids. Why things went awry

Modesto Bee

“Xtra”

After more than a year, this iconic Fresno movie theater reopens with a complete remodel

Fresno Bee

It’s the end of an era, and the start of another, for a longtime anchor at River Park shopping center. The art-deco signage and neon lights at the former Regal Edwards Theater are gone from the building’s facade, as is the large sign out back.

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: Will these Fresno restaurants ever reopen? Closed since COVID, here’s what they say

Fresno Bee

Dark windows and closed signs on restaurant doors in Fresno have been a common sight in recent months. Some restaurants closed for good.