Maddy Institute – May 19, 2021

19May

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Merced County inching closer to moving into orange tier abc30

● Coronavirus slows down in Stanislaus County but ‘red’ restrictions are still in place Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus hospital cases decline again; one more death Modesto Bee

Bandyopadhyay named Modesto Junior College president

Turlock Journal

Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay was selected to become the next president of Modesto Junior College, which marks its centennial anniversary this fall.

Modestans can tell city Saturday what they think of police, how they can improve

Modesto Bee

On Saturday, residents can tell the City Council about their experiences with Modesto’s police officers and the changes they want to see at the Police Department as the city starts an effort to improve police-community relations.

Editorial: Modesto Bee endorses this traffic-smoothing option to extend Highway 132 bypass

Modesto Bee

The best option for a second phase of the Highway 132 bypass now under construction west of Modesto is Alternative 2, which would extend the expressway another five miles west by 2026.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Fresno, Merced region COVID tier status unchanged after California updates Fresno Bee

Fresno State names new president. He’s a Fowler High alumnus who immigrated from Mexico

Fresno Bee

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval was appointed president of Fresno State by the California State University board on Wednesday morning, replacing Joseph I. Castro, who left the university to become chancellor in January.

See also:

● Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval Appointed President of California State University, Fresno Fresno State University Communication

Clovis lacks affordable housing. Why leaders say they’ll appeal court ruling for new plan

Fresno Bee

The Clovis City Council voted unanimously Monday to appeal a court ruling handed down last month that said the city’s plan for building affordable housing was not good enough.

● Judge Orders California City to Zone for Affordable Housing Capital and Main

Fresno wants ‘direct control’ from state over mobile home parks after deadly fire

Fresno Bee

Fresno officials are making plans to take charge of enforcing habitability conditions at mobile home parks within the city’s boundaries following a fatal fire at a park operating with a suspended license.

Fresno Police update pursuit policy, giving officers more discretion in high-speed chases

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Police Department updated its pursuit policies on Tuesday, a move that Chief Paco Balderrama said was not related to but obviously follows four fatal crashes involving area law enforcement since the end of December.

Trump’s DOJ sought identity of Devin Nunes’ Twitter critic with late November subpoena

Fresno Bee

During its final weeks in power, the Trump Justice Department wanted to know who was targeting Rep. Devin Nunes on social media, so it subpoenaed Twitter to find out.

Valadao helps introduce bill to extend federal tax credits on biodiesel, renewable fuels

Bakersfield Californian

Legislation introduced Tuesday by congressmen including Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, would extend federal tax credits supporting the production of biodiesel and other renewable fuels seen as key to Kern's economic diversification push.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health reports 31 new COVID-19 cases Bakersfield Californian

Kern's B3K economic collaboration gets a nod — and maybe more — from Newsom's budget revision

Bakersfield Californian

Kern got a special mention in Gov. Gavin Newsom's May budget update last week, and if things go well, it might get substantially more than that.

Bakersfield City Council to consider bike share program at Wednesday meeting

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield could soon get its first bike share program, a feature of many cities across the United States. On Wednesday, the City Council is slated to approve a contract with Spin to conduct an electric bike share program for two years.

City of Taft to try to repurpose state prison set to close May 31

Bakersfield Californian

With the Taft Modified Community Center is set to close on May 31, and the city of Taft will seek to repurpose the building into something new.

As local COVID-19 memorial is unveiled, hundreds gather to remember, honor those who died

Bakersfield Californian

It was a day of sadness, it was a day of joy, it was a chance to look back, it was a moment to gaze forward, it was a time for despair, it was a reason for hope.

Biden’s aid programs help buttress McCarthy’s district despite GOP leader’s complaints about ‘socialist’ spending

Washington Post

An unusually large share of children in McCarthy’s district stand to benefit from the expanded child tax credit included in the American Rescue Plan he opposed — more than 93 percent, the seventh-highest proportion in California.

State:

COVID Update:

● More California counties see COVID-19 case improvements Fresno Bee

● Knock, knock. Have you had your vaccine yet? California sends out thousands to check Fresno Bee

● California Coronavirus Updates: Five California Counties Sliding Into Less-Restrictive Reopening Tiers Capital Public Radio

● California’s rebound: COVID-19 declines dramatically even as normal life returns Los Angeles Times

Analyst criticizes Newsom’s spending plan as ‘shortsighted’

Fresno Bee

Despite more than $100 billion of new money to spend this year, Newsom still wants to take more than $12 billion from the state's primary savings account and other sources to increase state spending, according to an independent review of the governor's proposal.

● Gavin Newsom’s recall-year budget would pour tens of billions of dollars into struggling economy Sacramento Bee

● Walters: Newsom budget surplus gets reality check CalMatters

Newsom’s income went up in 1st year as California governor

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife made $1.7 million in 2019 during his first year as governor, about half a million dollars more than they earned the year before, according to tax returns his campaign released Monday.

2021 Revision of the Mathematics Framework

California Department of Education

The California Department of Education (CDE), Instructional Quality Commission, and State Board of Education have commenced the revision process for the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Mathematics Framework).

See also:

● Opinion: California Leftists Try to Cancel Math Class Wall Street Journal

California recall candidates use auto-donation tactic Trump made famous

Politico

California recall candidates are charging donors recurring campaign contributions through a tactic made famous by former President Donald Trump — and condemned by federal election officials.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● Fauci says the public is ‘misinterpreting’ the CDC’s latest mask guidance Washington Post

● Fact-checking the Paul-Fauci flap over Wuhan lab funding Washington Post

● Europe to Open Borders to Vaccinated Tourists Wall Street Journal

● About 60% of American adults have had at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, including more people of color CNN

Biden, Yellen Seek Backing for $2.3 Trillion Infrastructure Package

Wall Street Journal

Biden and Yellen promoted the administration’s infrastructure and tax plans as vital for the U.S. to compete globally, as the White House and Republican lawmakers continued to pursue a deal to improve the nation’s bridges, roads and broadband internet.

‘What an old politician understands’ — Biden turns the age issue to advantage

Los Angeles Times

Donald Trump tried hard to defeat Joe Biden by hammering on “Sleepy Joe’s” age. He failed. And now, four months into President Biden’s term, his longevity — at 78 he’s the oldest president in history — may be proving to be one of his best assets.

Biden’s labor support may stall unless Senate enacts protections

Roll Call

President Joe Biden may be a labor-friendly president, but months into his term he is running out of ways to support unions without help from Congress.

Opinion: Republicans face a defining question on infrastructure

CNN

"Our country's outstanding highway system was built on the user fee principle — that those who benefit from a use should share in its cost. It is appropriate that we rely on this same concept now." - President Ronald Reagan

Republicans divided over whether to support Jan. 6 commission that would put Trump’s actions in the spotlight

Washington Post

Heading into a late Wednesday vote, congressional Republicans are divided over whether to support the creation of an independent commission tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as the party faces another moment of reckoning.

● House Republicans line up against bipartisan Jan. 6 commission Roll Call

● McConnell comes out against Jan. 6 commission, imperiling its chances of becoming law Washington Post

● Top House Republican Opposes Plan for Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Commission Wall Street Journal

● Editorial: Kevin McCarthy’s opposition to a Jan. 6 commission is a new low Los Angeles Times

● Editorial: The Jan. 6 Narrative Commission Wall Street Journal

Hate crime bill propelled by anti-Asian attacks passes House, awaits Biden’s signature

Los Angeles Times

The House voted Tuesday to approve a bill aimed at addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, responding to a massive uptick in attacks against Asian Americans since the pandemic began.

● House passes bill to combat hate crimes against Asian Americans Washington Post

● House Passes Hate-Crimes Bill in Response to Anti-Asian Violence Wall Street Journal

Analysis: Supreme Court jumps into U.S. culture wars with abortion, gun cases

Reuters

The Supreme Court has placed itself back on the frontlines of the U.S. culture wars by taking up major cases on abortion and guns, with rights cherished by millions of Americans - and potentially the future of the nation’s top judicial body itself - on the line.

● Could Supreme Court supercharge midterms with abortion ruling? Roll Call

● Opinion: The Supreme Court can finally overturn ‘Roe v. Wade.’ It should do it. Washington Post

● Editorial: The Justices Take Up Abortion Wall Street Journal

Other:

The left-right split is far bigger in the U.S. than in Europe — and it’s growing

Los Angeles Times

Anyone who has watched U.S. politics in recent years knows that a widening gap between left and right, Democrat and Republican, has defined our era. Hardly a week passes without fresh evidence.

Opinion: Face Masks and the First Amendment

Wall Street Journal

Why do we have to wear face masks? The official answer changes from week to week. “It’s a patriotic responsibility, for God’s sake,” President Biden said when asked on April 30 why he still did despite being vaccinated against Covid-19.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California farmers facing drought choose not to plant crops

Los Angeles Times

In some areas of California it’s so dry that farmers aren’t even bothering to plant crops this season. Growers north of San Francisco have begun pulling out of local farmers markets and produce-box programs.

San Francisco sues state board over proposed Tuolumne flows. MID and TID join in

Modesto Bee

San Francisco has sued a state agency over proposed Tuolumne River flows that it claims would be “devastating” to Bay Area water users. The Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts joined in the lawsuit as “real parties in interest,” due to similar concerns.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Visalia Unified announces ransomware attack, IT outages

Business Journal

The press release stated many IT systems will be offline until further notice, but VUSD has reported the attack to local and federal law enforcement and is working with a cyber security company to restore normal operations.

Public Safety:

Fresno Police update pursuit policy, giving officers more discretion in high-speed chases

Fresno Bee

Modestans can tell city Saturday what they think of police, how they can improve

Modesto Bee

Ordered online, assembled at home: the deadly toll of California’s ‘ghost guns’

The Guardian

Warnings about do-it-yourself guns have steadily grown in recent years, spurred by ominous news stories describing the weapons’ use in a slew of mass shootings, domestic terrorism cases and gun trafficking busts.

Fire:

It’s California wildfire season. But firefighters say federal hotshot crews are understaffed

Los Angeles Times

As another wildfire season looms over California, the U.S. Forest Service is running short of the most experienced and elite firefighters in the country — the forestry crews known as hotshots, who travel the nation putting out wildfires.

Valley Voices: Lawsuit meant to protect forests and wildlife from destructive logging and fire danger

Fresno Bee

It is unclear why an investment banker and an Oregon logging advocate chose to write about the Pacific fisher lawsuit in the southern Sierra Nevada as they did in The Bee on May 12.

Opinion: To achieve forest health, we need to change our relationship with fire

CalMatters

Land managers agree. Policymakers agree. The science is unequivocal. If we don’t get more beneficial fire on the ground in California, we’re going to lose it all to wildfire.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Kern's B3K economic collaboration gets a nod — and maybe more — from Newsom's budget revision

Bakersfield Californian

Kern got a special mention in Gov. Gavin Newsom's May budget update last week, and if things go well, it might get substantially more than that.

California restaurants expect rebound that will take years

Modesto Bee

Nearly a third of California's restaurants permanently closed and two-thirds of workers at least temporarily lost their jobs as the pandemic set in more than a year ago and Gavin Newsom imposed the nation's first statewide lockdown, a legislative committee reported Tuesday.

Measuring California’s progress on income inequality

CalMatters

California has an opportunity to leverage surplus and stimulus funds to bridge income inequality. Our dashboard from the California Divide team tracks whether the state can turn the tide.

Retailer results so far show people are going out, spending

AP News

At Walmart, sales of teeth whitener are popping as customers take their masks off. So are travel items. Macy’s says that special occasion dressing like prom dresses are on the upswing as well as luggage, men’s tailored clothing, and dressy sandals.

Jobs:

Rural California could lose thousands of jobs as prisons close. What can the state do?

Fresno Bee

Just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced a plan to close a prison in Susanville last month, dozens of “for sale” signs for homes began popping up in a rural Lassen County town.

Changed by pandemic, many workers won’t return to old jobs

Fresno Bee

Many workers don’t want to go back to the jobs they once had. Layoffs and lockdowns, combined with enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, gave many Americans the time and the financial cushion to rethink their careers.

EDUCATION

K-12:

What happens when California students in special education return to the classroom?

EdSource

For students with disabilities, the pandemic has been a landscape of extremes. Some have thrived with distance learning and want to continue in the fall, while many have languished without the in-person support of therapists and teachers and have lost ground.

2021 Revision of the Mathematics Framework

California Department of Education

See also:

● Opinion: California Leftists Try to Cancel Math Class Wall Street Journal

Valley Voices: Let us now reckon with Fresno Unified’s exclusion of Armenians

Fresno Bee

We are about to select a name for the newest school in Fresno Unified, the 111th campus, if my count is correct.

Higher Ed:

Fresno State names new president. He’s a Fowler High alumnus who immigrated from Mexico

Fresno Bee

See also:

● Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval Appointed President of California State University, Fresno Fresno State University Communication

California State Universities ‘won’t return’ to normal next year, chancellor says

Fresno Bee

“I think fall will certainly be a transitional semester for us,” Chancellor Joseph I. Castro told The Bee’s Education Lab. “I anticipate more in-person instruction and yet we won’t return to how it was prior to the pandemic.”

Bandyopadhyay named Modesto Junior College president

Turlock Journal

Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay was selected to become the next president of Modesto Junior College, which marks its centennial anniversary this fall.

California Remains on Track to Close the Degree Gap

Public Policy Institute of California

Six years ago, PPIC projected a shortage of 1.1 million highly educated workers in California by 2030. Today—despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic—the state is on track to close this gap.

California Governor Seeks More Money for Higher Education

InsideHigherEd

California governor Gavin Newsom on Friday proposed spending more on higher education than he did in his earlier budget -- and won praise from college leaders as a result.

The underrated upsides of virtual learning

AEI

While digital overload and fatigue are real — and classroom engagement is different when we’re not in same real space concurrently — the past few semesters have been truly extraordinary.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Climate change impact increasingly felt in California

Capitol Weekly

More wildfires. Hotter days. Drought. Sea-level rise. Those conditions are an increasing reality in California, which is steadily becoming an altered state.

California’s next climate challenge: Replacing its last nuclear power plant

Los Angeles Times

The twin reactors along California’s Central Coast were nearing completion, and tens of thousands of people had gathered to protest. The plant is California’s largest power source, generating nearly 6% of the state’s electricity in 2019.

New Environmental Justice Measures Might Revive Cap-and-Trade

PEW

After years of failed attempts, Washington state lawmakers last month celebrated the narrow passage of a bill that places an economy-wide cap on carbon emissions and charges polluters for their contributions to climate change.

White House brings back climate scientist forced out by Trump administration

Washington Post

The Biden administration has reinstalled the director of the federal climate program that produces the U.S. government’s definitive reports on climate change, after the Trump administration removed him in November.

What to Save? Climate Change Forces Brutal Choices at National Parks.

New York Times

For decades, the core mission of the Park Service was absolute conservation. Now ecologists are being forced to do triage, deciding what to safeguard — and what to let slip away.

Commentary: Why meat and dairy corporations are the Achilles’ heel of Biden’s climate plan

Sacramento Bee

President Joe Biden cannot deliver on his climate pledges if his administration keeps allowing meat and dairy corporations to emit vast amounts of planet-warming pollutants unchecked.

Energy:

To Be Carbon-Neutral By 2050, No New Oil And Coal Projects, Report Says

VPR

Enough rhetoric, it's time to act: that's the gist of a new report from the International Energy Agency, which says the world must bring about "a total transformation" of its energy systems if it hopes to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Valadao helps introduce bill to extend federal tax credits on biodiesel, renewable fuels

Bakersfield Californian

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Pfizer vaccine now available to Central Valley adolescents

Business Journal

The Central Valley is now issuing the Pfizer vaccine to adolescents as young as 12 years old. The State of California is allowing parents and guardians to make appointments for their teens through MyTurn.

Answering questions, concerns about the coronavirus vaccines

Politifact

If you’re not one of the 120 million Americans who have already received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, you may be wondering: Is the shot worth it? And is it safe?

· Coronavirus vaccines may not work in some people. It’s because of their underlying conditions. Washington Post

· Estimates and Projections of COVID-19 and Parental Death in the US JAMA Pediatrics

It's Time For America's Fixation On Herd Immunity To End, Scientists Say

VPR

The end of this pandemic sometimes gets boiled down to two words: herd immunity. But now, as an academic debate swirls over when or even if America can get to a high enough percentage of people with immunity to reach that goal, some scientists say it's time for the public to stop worrying about it.

Americans urged to get colon cancer screening earlier

Los Angeles Times

Americans should start getting screened for colon cancer earlier, at age 45, instead of waiting until they’re 50. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said it’s time for the change because colorectal cancer increasingly is appearing in younger adults.

Human Services:

Should businesses ask customers about vaccination status? Majority of Californians say yes

Modesto Bee

A majority of California voters supports allowing some businesses to verify that their customers are vaccinated or have tested negative for coronavirus before allowing them to enter, according to a new poll.

● Voters support allowing some businesses to require vaccine verification of its patrons and certain types of its employees. UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies

Fauci: It's reasonable for businesses to keep mask mandates in place amid new CDC guidelines

abc30

The nation's top infectious disease expert is acknowledging "confusion" after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week said fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks in most instances, even indoors.

● Are people comfortable ditching masks after new CDC guidance? Here’s what poll found Modesto Bee

Department of Justice warns against clinics charging for Covid vaccines

Business Journal

Covid-19 vaccines are free to the public, but the Department of Justice has issued a warning to clinics that are unlawfully charging patients.

Before coronavirus, California let its public health funding stall for a decade

Sacramento Bee

California allocated $3.4 billion — about 2.8 percent of its $119 billion budget — for the public health agency in its 2009-2010 financial blueprint. A decade later, Newsom allotted the same amount of money, now 1.5 percent, in his current $215 billion budget.

Why Covid-19 Vaccines Are Showing Up in Unusual Places

Wall Street Journal

These pop-up locations represent a bid by health advocates and community leaders to reach a group of unvaccinated individuals less likely to make headlines: the ambivalent.

Medicaid and fiscal federalism during the COVID19 pandemic

AEI

The authors analyze the effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on state and local government finances, with an emphasis on health spending needs and the role of the Medicaid program.

Can telemedicine finally boost health care productivity?

AEI

COVID-19 has forced the health care industry to adopt internet-based technologies that will boost efficiency in patient care and remake health care and medicine into information industries.

Opinion: The future of aging in California requires investment, equity

CalMatters

The number of Californians 65 years and older is projected to double over the next 25 years, while becoming increasingly diverse. More than half of the aging population will require some form of long-term care.

IMMIGRATION

US eases asylum restrictions at border amid legal challenges

Bakersfield Californian

Domingo Antonio Zeledon traveled for nearly three weeks from his hometown in Nicaragua, leaving behind his wife and three youngest children to come to the United States with his 17-year-old son.

As immigrants seek refuge, America struggles to live up to its promise

Los Angeles Times

Some of the world’s most vulnerable people arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border every day.

Men and women fleeing violence in Central America, political strife in Haiti and Venezuela. Boys and girls sent alone by their families, in hope that America will offer them better lives.

U.S. border closure cracks under pressure from lawsuits, advocates and the easing pandemic

Los Angeles Times

President Biden has criticized his predecessor’s immigration policies as cruel. Yet amid a record-topping increase in migration, his administration has kept Title 42 in place.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

City of Taft to try to repurpose state prison set to close May 31

Bakersfield Californian

With the Taft Modified Community Center is set to close on May 31, and the city of Taft will seek to repurpose the building into something new.

Housing:

Clovis lacks affordable housing. Why leaders say they’ll appeal court ruling for new plan

Fresno Bee

The Clovis City Council voted unanimously Monday to appeal a court ruling handed down last month that said the city’s plan for building affordable housing was not good enough.

● Judge Orders California City to Zone for Affordable Housing Capital and Main

Fresno wants ‘direct control’ from state over mobile home parks after deadly fire

Fresno Bee

Unlocking Underused Retail Space For Housing Could Help Reimagine A Post-COVID California

CAFwd

An equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic for all Californians will require the use of new governance structures and financial tools that can provide the fiscal resources and coordination necessary to support resilient economic growth throughout the state.

April home sales and price report

California Association of Realtors

California median home price breaks $800,000 in April with home sales remaining robust as spring home-buying season kicks off, C.A.R. reports

Biden Administration Moves to Speed Aid to Renters

New York Times

The Treasury Department issued new rules intended to make it easier for tenants to benefit from the $46.5 billion in emergency rental aid.

US home construction falls a surprise 9.5% in April

Business Journal

U.S. home construction fell a surprisingly sharp 9.5% in April and economists attributed that partially to builders who delayed projects because of a surge in lumber prices and other supply constraints.

Biden targets housing rules that hurt low-income earners. Will the suburbs buy in?

Los Angeles Times

The enduring image of the American Dream is owning a tidy single-family house behind a white picket fence in the suburbs. But for many people of color and low-income earners, that part of the American dream is fleeting, in part because of exclusionary zoning laws.

PUBLIC FINANCES

CalPERS considering pension hikes for workers, agencies as investment outlook dims

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS is considering an investment policy change that would raise costs for local governments and some public employees as part of an effort to help stabilize the retirement system.

Pay cuts ending for 130,000 California state workers. Others must negotiate

Sacramento Bee

Pay will be restored automatically for about 130,000 California state workers represented by two unions, while the rest of the workforce must wait for their unions to bargain new agreements over wage reductions all employees took last year.

State Tax Revenue Passes a Recovery Milestone

PEW

For the first time since COVID-19 sent state finances into a tailspin, tax revenue has grown enough to erase its initial pandemic losses in a majority of states, and total collections nationwide were poised to do the same.

How States Can Use Federal Stimulus Money Effectively

PEW

Just months ago, many states feared their budgets might face shortfalls for years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But now most could have temporary surpluses after President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law in March.

Biden child tax credit is sending billions to American families. It’s a monumental task

Los Angeles Times

Nearly 40 million American families with children will start seeing deposits from the federal government show up in their bank accounts. It’s part of the Biden administration’s plan to create a near-universal child benefit that promises to cut poverty for kids nearly in half.

● Biden child tax credit is sending billions to American families. It’s a monumental task Los Angeles Times

● Child Tax Credit Expansion: When Does It Start, Who Is Eligible and How Much Is It? Wall Street Journal

● Anti-poverty policies for children must level the playing field across both racial and economic lines Brookings

TRANSPORTATION

Don't have a Real ID yet? TSA spokesperson explains what to use for flying instead

abc30

We all remember the TSA security lines, but do you remember all the ID rules? We were told we would be left at the gate if we didn't get the more secure Real ID driver's license. Well, only about half of us got through the DMV lines before the pandemic slowed things down.

Expect Street Closures, Ongoing Construction For Tower District Beautification Project

VPR

A new beautification project in the Tower District will affect traffic on Olive Avenue through July. The Olive Avenue Streetscape will force street closures along the main Olive corridor.

White House: Biden is invested in electric vehicles because that's the future of the auto industry

The Hill

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that President Biden is investing in electric vehicle markets because that’s where the future of manufacturing and job creation is.

After showing its worth during pandemic, momentum builds for free or reduced-fare transit

Washington Post

When coronavirus caseloads jumped at the start of the pandemic, public transportation ridership slid to historic lows. Infections are subsiding, but transit agencies are still waiting for passengers to come onboard.

WATER

Workers clear canal in Fresno as irrigation season begins. Homeless nearby given notice

Fresno Bee

Fresno Irrigation District workers Tuesday began clearing a canal of litter and assorted trash near a homeless encampment so water to could flow to Valley farmland.

‘Worst day’: Water crisis deepens on California-Oregon line

Porterville Recorder

The water crisis along the California-Oregon border went from dire to catastrophic this week as federal regulators shut off irrigation water to farmers from a critical reservoir and said they would not send extra water to dying salmon downstream or to the half-dozen wildlife refuges.

Delta Conveyance Project Community Benefits Program Workshop 3: Jobs, Education, Infrastructure and Engagement

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.

Running out of water and time: How unprepared is California for 2021’s drought?

CalMatters

With most of the state gripped by extreme dryness, some conditions are better, some worse, than the last record-breaking drought. Over-pumping of wells hasn’t stopped. But urban residents haven’t lapsed back into water-wasting lifestyles.

“Xtra”

Shaver Lake July 4th fireworks plans move forward after Fresno County official’s offer

Fresno Bee

Days after sounding the alarm about the possibility of losing its annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration for a second year, the Greater Shaver Lake Visitors Bureau is moving forward with plans for the event.

Bethany Clough: This New York-style pizzeria is planning to open 5 locations in Fresno, Clovis area

Fresno Bee

A New York-style pizzeria is planning to open five locations in the Fresno area. Russo’s New York Pizzeria plans to open its first location at the northeast corner of Herndon and Fowler avenues in Clovis, in the same shopping center as Save Mart and Starbucks.