November 15, 2021

16Nov

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:​​ 

 

Turlock OKs road repair planning contract after delay. What’s the new timeline?

Modesto Bee

A divided Turlock City Council on Tuesday approved paying consultants nearly​​ $1 million to develop a five-year plan to fix roads, evaluate street conditions and research financing options.

 

‘Safe drinking water in record time.’ Atwater celebrates carcinogen-free wells

Merced Sun Star

The City of Atwater is celebrating the completion of a major public health milestone ahead of schedule, ushering in restored confidence in the community’s long-degraded drinking water quality.

 

Caltrans fights to limit damages in death of Modesto woman during homeless camp sweep

Sacramento Bee

More than three years after a woman sleeping at a homeless encampment along Highway 99 in Modesto was crushed by a Caltrans front loader, the wrongful death case brought by her father began this week in Stanislaus County Superior Court.

 

EDITORIAL: He’s a vulgar, angry extremist. And now he has a seat on the Ceres City Council

Modesto Bee

It’s doubtful that the people of Ceres will benefit from someone as angry, condescending, bigoted, and foul-mouthed as Osgood until voters in the city’s southeast District 4 get a chance to replace him in elections next fall.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:​​ 

 

Fresno County Social Services director​​ off to ‘next chapter’ after CPS foster kids scandal

Fresno Bee

The director of Fresno County Department of Social Services will leave in December, he told staffers on Friday — just about a month after a scandal erupted over the housing of local foster children.

 

All three GOP Fresno County supervisors have links to man who drew district maps they favor

Fresno Bee

The Board of Supervisors threw its support behind a map drawn by Alex Tavlian, a Republican attorney who has been paid as a strategist by all three of the Republican supervisors. Nathan Magsig, Steve Brandau and Buddy Mendes each have hired companies Tavlian heads.

 

‘It’s just wrong.’ Fresno mural honoring violence victims removed. Family member asks why

Fresno Bee

The mural’s removal also drew outrage online when Huerta posted about the incident Thursday. Hundreds of community members and many people who said they were relatives of the victims said they were deeply upset and offered support to Huerta.

 

Property Proposition Sparks Controversy

Clovis Roundup

Monday evening’s weekly meeting ended with some controversy when it came to the general plan of a new complex that was to be located on Second Street between Osmun and Baron Avenues.

See also:

 

Should one state senator represent Fresno and Bakersfield? Chamber criticizes draft plan

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Chamber of Commerce requested in a letter sent Tuesday​​ that the California Citizens Redistricting Commission make changes to a draft map for a state senate seat in the San Joaquin Valley.

 

Devin Nunes, Josh Harder could lose their seats in latest California redistricting maps

Sacramento Bee

Reps. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, and Josh Harder, D-Turlock, could lose their seats in the United States House of Representatives, unless they decide to run in different districts than the ones they hold today.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:​​ 

 

A protest runs through it: Hikers traverse Kern River bed​​ to highlight lack of water

Bakersfield Californian

About 30 hardy souls marched the length of the dry Kern River bed — 9 miles — from near Manor Street in east Bakersfield all the way to Stockdale Highway on Saturday morning to protest the lack of water in​​ the river.

 

Bakersfield Assistant City Manager Chris Huot to step down

Bakersfield Californian

​​Huot has worked for the city for more than 10 years, starting in 2008 at the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is now known as Visit Bakersfield. He moved to the City Manager’s Office in 2011, and was promoted to his current position in 2015.

 

McCarthy's vexing speaker math problem

Politico

Will he glide to the speakership or have a white-knuckle ride? The size of next year's Republican gains could make the difference.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

Angry, violent, toxic: How extremists are drowning out local California governments

Sacramento Bee

For much of the past two years, vocal extremists have swarmed their board meetings spewing a toxic mix of conspiracy​​ theories and violent rhetoric under the pretext of a rebellion against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pandemic edicts and a variety of other complaints.

See also:​​ 

 

Incumbents in California could face reelection challenges under draft congressional maps

Los Angeles Times

Several California members of Congress could face battles to remain in office under draft political maps released Wednesday, with some incumbents drawn into the same districts and others possibly forced to run in areas where their party trails in voter registration.

See also:

 

California’s state auditor: ‘Speak the truth to power’

CalMatters

Elaine Howle is stepping down at the end of 2021 after 21 years on the job. Her office has issued audits of a wide range of state agencies, including a series of​​ highly critical reviews of California’s pandemic response and spending.

 

Two new California Democrats on how they're courting rural voters: By listening to them

San Francisco Chronicle

Represented by cowboy-boot-wearing Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa since 2013, it’s a massive swath that includes 11 thinly populated counties in the northeastern part of the state where 8 in 10 voters are white and 22% graduated from college.

 

Council to Consider Ways to Help Court Users at Risk of Homelessness

California Courts Newsroom

The Judicial Council next week will hear ways the judicial branch could increase access and assistance for court users experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, with recommendations on how to help improve the process for litigants in eviction cases.​​ 

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

What 2021's recent elections tell us about voting in 2022 and beyond

VPR
Pick any election truism, and 2021's elections earlier this month may have killed it. Making voting easy is a death sentence for the Republican Party? Nope. Mail voting is a slam-dunk for Democrats? Not so fast.

See also:

 

Senate likely to take up social spending bill in December as Dem slog continues

Politico

With Congress reconvening Monday and the House still working to pass the massive climate, safety net and tax package, the Senate will likely turn instead this week to the massive annual defense policy bill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday.

See also:

 

Some GOP Backers of Infrastructure Bill Plan to Skip Biden’s Signing Ceremony

Wall Street Journal

President Biden is hosting a ceremony Monday to sign the bipartisan infrastructure bill,​​ but some Republicans who support the package don’t plan to show up.

See also:

 

Steve Bannon indicted for defying Jan. 6 committee investigation​​ 

Politico

The Justice Department has charged Steve Bannon, a former top adviser to former President Donald Trump, with two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to provide documents and testimony to investigators probing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

See also:

 

Massive Cash Flow Sparks State Spending Sprees

Pew Trusts

State lawmakers nationwide say they’ll be able to invest in longtime priorities next session, thanks to booming tax revenues and federal aid. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are grappling with how to responsibly spend one-shot federal funds.

 

Tobacco lawsuits could upend Biden's plan for historic menthol ban

Politico

The Food and Drug Administration’s renewed push to regulate e-cigarettes could interfere with the Biden administration’s plans to ban menthol-flavored tobacco products, a long-sought goal of public health groups.

 

Biden-successor chatter grows and Harris isn’t scaring off anyone

Politico

President Joe Biden says he intends to run for reelection in 2024. But not all Democrats believe him. Nor are they convinced his No. 2 would be the clear heir if he did choose to opt out.

See also:

 

Biden approval hits new low as economic discontent rises, Post-ABC​​ poll finds

Washington Post

Despite the backing for these measures, Biden’s approval rating has ticked down to a new low, driven largely by more negative views among Democrats and independents, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

See also:​​ 

 

A bill to study reparations for slavery had momentum in Congress, but still no vote

NPR

7 months ago, a House committee advanced a bill to study reparations for slavery, after more than three decades of efforts to build support for the idea. But it hasn’t been taken up for consideration by the full House even though it has the backing prominent Democrats

 

Biden, Xi Teams Set Modest Hopes for Monday Talks

Wall Street Journal

President Biden’s China policy, a mix of confrontation and cooperation, will face a stress test when he meets virtually Monday evening with President Xi Jinping, as the leaders attempt to build on signs of easing hostility.

See also:

 

Defense, veterans groups press for new appropriations

Roll Call

Representatives of​​ America’s defense industry and its veterans warned congressional leaders this month of the dire effects of lawmakers’ continuing failure to enact fiscal 2022 appropriations.​​ 

See also:

 

Opinion: It’s time to fix the broken Senate confirmation process

Roll Call

None of them met the expectation due in large part to the high number of appointees (1,200) requiring Senate approval and an increasingly arduous, lengthy and partisan confirmation process.

 

Other:

 

In TED Talk, Irma Olguin Jr. shares how Bitwise uses tech to revitalize underdog cities

VPR
TED Talks, the popular videos about “ideas worth spreading,” invited Fresno’s Irma Olguin Jr. to take the stage this year to share her ideas about how to connect people from marginalized communities to training and jobs in the tech industry.

 

U.S. Postal Service increases parcel rates for holiday season

Turlock Journal

The U.S. Postal Service is gearing up for the busy holiday delivery season and this year will see a few​​ changes, including temporary rate increases.

 

Why Facebook won’t let you control your own news feed

Washington Post

In at least two experiments over the years, Facebook has explored what happens when it turns off its controversial news feed ranking system — the software that decides for each user which posts they’ll see and in what order, internal documents show.

See also:

 

News Platform Fact Sheet

Pew Research

The transition​​ of news from print, television and radio to digital spaces has caused huge disruptions in the traditional news industry, especially the print news industry. It is also reflected in the ways individual Americans say they are getting their news.​​ 

 

Fight Over 5G and Aviation Safety Clouds Big Investments by AT&T, Verizon

Wall Street Journal

An unusual public dispute among federal agencies is playing out in Washington, delaying the rollout of 5G cellphone services and revealing government infighting that has plagued two U.S. administrations.

 

Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology

Pew Research

Partisan polarization remains the dominant, seemingly unalterable condition of American politics. Republicans and Democrats agree on very little – and when they do, it often is in the shared belief that they have little in common.

See also:

 

Commission on Information Disorder

Aspen Institute

Our information ecosystem is failing, and how loss of trust in government, institutions, and journalism, combined with a growing number of bad actors and conflict entrepreneurs who exploit these weaknesses, have led to real harms, sometimes with fatal consequences.

See also:

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, November 28, at 10 a.m on ABC30 –​​ Maddy Report:​​ ​​ "State Auditor Elaine Howle: A Retrospective"​​ - Guest: Elaine Howle, CPA, California State Auditor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, November 28, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –​​ Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition:​​ ​​ "The State Auditor & Legislative Analyst: Thoughts After Almost 75 Combined Years of Public Service"-​​ Guests: Elaine Howle, CPA, California State Auditor; Mac Taylor, Former California's Legislative Analyst. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director,​​ Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

High prices could lead to farmers growing almonds organically

Turlock Journal

Lower market prices for​​ conventional almonds may motivate more growers to consider going organic, which still commands a premium. But production challenges and other economic factors continue to make the transition a risky endeavor for some farms.​​ 

 

USDA announces $20.2M for dairy business innovation

Hanford Sentinel

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced $20.2 million in investments in dairy business innovation efforts, including in the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center in Vermont, that it says will help small dairy farms as they recover from the pandemic.

 

For agriculture, a changing climate brings challenges—but also opportunities

VPR

In many ways, climate change has already hit home here in the San Joaquin Valley—especially for the agricultural industry, which produces as much as a third of the nation’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts and brings in billions of dollars each year to the local economy.

 

Marijuana is legal in California. Why is this California county holding up grow licenses?

Sacramento Bee

Growers are asking the​​ county to rethink the background check. They also say they’re preparing to sue the county, a threat that local officials are taking seriously.

 

Crunch at Ports May Mean Crisis for American Farms

New York Times

The same congestion at U.S. ports and shortage of truck drivers that have brought the flow of some goods to a halt have also left farmers struggling to get their cargo abroad and fulfill contracts before food supplies go bad.​​ 

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​/​FIRE​/​​PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Workers at federal prisons are committing some of the crimes

Los Angeles Times

More than 100 federal prison workers have been arrested, convicted or sentenced for crimes, including a warden indicted in connection with sexual abuse, an associate warden charged with murder, guards taking cash to smuggle, and supervisors stealing property.

 

Public Safety:

 

Fresno is California’s most dangerous city to drive due to drunk drivers, study says

Fresno Bee

Fresno is the most dangerous city to drive in California due to the possibility of drunk drivers, according to an analysis by an auto insurance company.

See also:​​ 

 

EDITORIAL: Is Clovis ‘way of life’ in jeopardy over too few police officers working the streets?

Fresno Bee

The 2019 report, the most recently done, shows Clovis has fewer violent crimes than Modesto, Visalia, Madera, Merced and Hanford. For property crimes, it would rank third on that listing of cities, behind Madera and Hanford, which are smaller.

 

Roadkill on ‘deadly’ highways costs California at least $1 billion. Here are the hot spots

Modesto Bee

Using observations of reported traffic incidents and carcasses, the total cost of reported large wildlife-vehicle collisions in California in the last five years is estimated to be at least $1 billion, according to a new report.

 

California Police Aren’t Tracking Crime Guns, Ignoring Thousands of Potential Leads

The Trace

Law enforcement agencies across California are failing to correctly log guns in a state firearms database, preventing thousands of weapons from being traced by the federal government.​​ 

See also:

 

72 hate groups operated in California last year. Here’s where and what they are

Sacramento Bee

In California last year, 72 hate groups and 51 extreme anti-government groups operated in the state, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which compiles lists of such groups annually.

 

Fire:​​ 

 

Radio station off air after generator dies. Fresno operator blames KNP Complex Fire

Fresno Bee

A Fresno radio station is off the air after the generator powering its mountain transmitter died, blamed on the lasting effects of the KNP Complex Fire. According to a Facebook post from John Ostlund, the president of One-Putt Broadcasting, New Rock 104.1 FM went off the air late Saturday night.

 

As wildfire intensity rises, so does the human toll of blazes

VPR
“We’ve seen… the increase in fires and how that’s having a direct impact to the people of California,” says Jon Heggie, a firefighter, Public Information Officer, and Battalion Chief with CalFire, the state agency responsible for battling wildfires.​​ 

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Most Californians say economic inequality is getting worse, new survey shows

Fresno Bee

Seven in 10 Californians say the gap between rich and poor is getting larger, according to a statewide survey. The survey ​​ polled 2,292 adult Californians about their opinions on the state’s economic outlook, financial security, job security, among other topics.

 

Inflation is surging and people are hopping mad

VPR
Prices of everyday items have surged during the pandemic, thanks to a toxic combination of staffing shortages and supply chain woes. The rising prices are souring the national mood and taking a political toll on President Biden.

See also:​​ 

 

Fact Check: Texas wants California’s cargo ships. Would that speed up the supply chain?

Sacramento Bee

Abbott has been trying for some time to woo​​ California businesses to lower-tax, business-friendly Texas. Last month, Tesla mogul Elon Musk said he’d move his company headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto.

See also:

 

Biden Weighs Choice of Jerome Powell or Lael Brainard as Fed Chair

Wall Street Journal

President Biden is expected to decide as soon as this week whether to appoint Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell or governor Lael Brainard to a four-year term leading the central bank beginning next February.

See also:

 

Chip Shortage Has Manufacturers Turning to Lower-Tech Models

Wall Street Journal

After pushing for years to add digital features like screens and wireless connectivity, makers of appliances and vehicles are reversing, temporarily, to continue supplying products to dealers and consumers amid a shortfall in semiconductors that industry officials project will last into next year.

 

Jobs:

 

Kaiser settles Southern California labor dispute — why Northern California protest still on

Sacramento Bee

Kaiser Permanente has​​ averted strikes in Southern California, Oregon and Hawaii after reaching a tentative four-year contract with 50,000 employees, but its Northern California operations will still face mass walkouts over stalled talks with 700 engineers.

See also:

 

As American Workers Leave Jobs in Record Numbers, a Closer Look at Who Is Quitting

Wall Street​​ Journal

Workers resigned from a record 4.4 million jobs in September, according to Labor Department data, and new surveys show that low-wage workers, employees of color and women outside the management ranks are those most likely to change roles.

See also:

 

Slow Return of Prime-Age Workers Threatens Recovery

Wall Street Journal

By many measures, the job market is strong. Payrolls are growing solidly, job openings are near records and wages are climbing at a brisk clip. One factor, though, continues to bedevil​​ prospects for a smooth labor-market recovery: The share of people working or looking for a job has stagnated in recent months.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Equitable grading, explained: Stanislaus schools work to make grades more accurate, fair

Modesto Bee

Ceres Unified will implement a new grading policy by January. A committee of teachers and administrators at the Turlock Unified School District​​ is participating in a book study on “Grading for Equity” and will make a policy recommendation to the school board by next summer.

 

Prevention plans, metal detectors, training: What should school safety really look like?

Modesto Bee

The Modesto Bee reached out to Stanislaus County’s largest school districts to ask about their safety measures. District officials encouraged families to communicate concerns with school staff.

 

Opinion: ​​Clovis Unified school board loses credibility with its inconsistent votes in pandemic

Fresno Bee

They have lost all credibility, not because the public thinks the trustees are doing the “right thing” or the “wrong thing.” They are not trusted by the community on any side of these issues​​ because they are inconsistent in their decision making, and opaque in their process.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools online. It impacted Latino students' learning the most

Visalia Times-Delta

The learning of Latino students was hit especially hard by the pandemic. Latino students, who as a racial and ethnic group have higher rates of poverty, already lagged behind other groups even before the pandemic. The pandemic made those​​ achievement gaps even worse, test data shows.

 

Sanger Unified one step closer to getting its very own agricultural complex

abc30​​ 

The Sanger Unified School District is one step closer to its very own agricultural complex. The Fairmont Ag Complex will be the first of its kind!​​ 

 

Colonialism, power and race. Inside California ethnic studies classes

Los Angeles Times

The California law envisions a class designed to help​​ students understand the historic and ongoing struggles of marginalized people — Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous Americans and others.

See also:

 

Teacher burnout leaves schools scrambling

Axios

With teachers across the country complaining of extreme burnout, school districts are trying out big changes, including longer holiday breaks and shorter days.

 

Schools Embrace More Covid-19 Testing Over Quarantine to Keep Kids in Class

Wall Street Journal

Some schools are making changes to Covid-19 protocols as students between 5 and 11 years of age start getting vaccinated. Some 900,000 children in that age range had received a first shot through Wednesday, the White House said.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Faculty members take issue with test-only COVID policy at Modesto Junior College

Modesto Bee

Faculty members at Modesto Junior College are worried about the risks of teaching classes with a mixture of students who are vaccinated and not vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

‘Time to expand what we teach.’ Modesto gives tech school $100k to offer free skills course

Modesto Bee

Bay Valley Tech, a Modesto-based coding academy, has received a $100,000 city grant to launch a digital design course for local residents. Modesto City Council members approved the community development block grant at a Nov. 9 meeting.

 

Valley colleges see high application numbers despite nationwide decrease

abc30

Colleges across the nation​​ are seeing a decline in applications. Local schools are working hard to prevent this from happening in our backyard. Schools we spoke with say they're being proactive about this and so far, application numbers are up for this year.​​ 

 

$1.2M grant supports Asian America, Pacific Islander criminology students

Fresno State News

Fresno State has received a $1.25 million federal grant to support Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander students interested in criminology and forensic behavioral sciences.

 

California college students live in vans and hotels as campus housing plans spark backlash

Los Angeles Times

The more urgent problem is a campus affordable housing crisis hitting thousands​​ of students across California’s three public university systems — leaving some unsheltered, others with mounting debt burdens and many filled with anxiety and stress.

 

Opinion: California Community Colleges deserve more support

CalMatters

Community colleges need the resources to provide the important rungs in the ladders to success for California students.

 

Rise in International Students at U.S. Colleges This Fall Reverses Pandemic Decline

Wall Street Journal

International-student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities is showing signs of a rebound this fall after plummeting when the pandemic pushed classes online last year and the Trump administration all but closed the nation’s borders.

See also:

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Warsawski: Is Sun-Maid factory near Fresno dumping pollution into this ditch? Neighbor thinks so

Fresno Bee

When black, sludgy water began pouring into the canal behind his Kingsburg home and nobody seemed to care, Doug Johnson couldn’t stay silent. “They hoped I’d just shut up and everything would wash away with the rains,” Johnson said.

 

Keeping California’s last nuclear power plant open could help state meet its climate goals, study says

Los Angeles Times

Keeping the last remaining nuclear power plant in California open can help the state achieve its climate goals and save more than $2 billion, according to a 114-page assessment compiled by a joint study team from Stanford University and MIT.

 

How to Cut Your Home’s Carbon Footprint and Make It More Climate-Friendly

Wall Street Journal

A small but growing number of Americans are rethinking their homes to lower their carbon footprints in response to climate change. What does a lower-carbon home​​ look like? It is basically all-electric, reducing reliance on fossil fuels such as natural gas and heating oil.

 

At COP26, nations strike a climate deal with coal compromise

VPR
Almost 200 nations accepted a contentious climate compromise Saturday aimed at keeping a key global warming target alive, but it contained a last-minute change that some high officials called a watering down of crucial language about coal.

See also:​​ 

 

The financial impact of climate change

VPR
It's the final scheduled day of the U.N. Climate Summit, billed as our last best chance to avoid the worst disasters related to global warming. And one​​ of the most contentious​​ remaining issues is this - how much money will wealthy nations that caused the climate crisis provide to poorer countries suffering the greatest consequences?

See also:

 

Energy:

 

Hydrogen energy may expand Kern's energy portfolio

Bakersfield Californian

An early stage partnership between a wind farm developer in Tehachapi and a Southern California "green hydrogen" startup aims to put simple electrolysis to use converting 15 megawatts of wind power into clean fuel transportable by tractor-trailer or pipeline.​​ 

 

'Bit of a double whammy': California gas prices hit new high

SF Gate

As the Thanksgiving travel season is inching closer, residents heading out of town via car may balk at what they’re seeing at the pump. Gas prices are hitting record prices across California, hitting an average price of $4.676 a gallon on Sunday, according​​ to AAA.

 

Opinion: Community solar can expand access to renewables for all Californians

CalMatters

The addition of a community solar program can help drive the most efficient grid for all, while meeting climate goals.

 

Rising Natural-Gas Prices Pose Hurdle for Methane Tax

Wall Street Journal

Concerns about rising home heating costs are clouding prospects for a proposed tax on methane leaks in the $2 trillion social and climate spending bill backed by President Biden and congressional Democrats.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Tulare healthcare district hires current member as new CEO, leaving board with 2 vacancies

Visalia Times Delta

The Tulare Local Healthcare District now has two vacancies to fill after the hospital board hired one of its own members to become the district's new chief executive.

 

Will California Get Its Shot at Single-Payer Health Care?

Capital & Main

For those who’ve long considered the state’s health​​ care system broken, the pandemic’s march has reminded them why they’re working to change it. For some, the solution to that problem is a transformation of it to a single-payer form of health delivery.

 

Coronavirus misinformation plagues California’s Indigenous. For many, it can mean life or death

Visalia Times-Delta

“(Indigenous farmworkers) are extremely poorly vaccinated, especially in the rural areas,” said Rick Mines, a former U.S. Department of Labor researcher who has conducted​​ farmworker surveys for more than 40 years, including 12 years directing the National Agricultural Workers Survey.

 

COVID-19 surge fueled by unvaccinated children in U.K., a warning for California

Los Angeles Times

Unvaccinated adolescents have been the driving force behind a stubbornly persistent Delta surge in Britain, a potential warning sign for California if inoculation rates don’t improve considerably among this age group, health experts warn.

 

New clues to the biology of long COVID are starting to emerge

VPR

Researchers are scrambling to figure out why some people experience persistent, often debilitating symptoms after catching SARS-CoV-2. It remains unclear how often it occurs. But if only a small fraction of the hundreds of millions of people who've had COVID-19 are left struggling with long-term health problems, it's a major public health problem.

 

Flu shots uptake is now partisan. It didn't use to be

CNN

Uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine has, unfortunately, become partisan like so much else in our society. Almost every Democratic adult (90% to 95%) has gotten a shot, while a little less than two-thirds of Republican adults have.

 

UCSF doctors say focus should be on COVID hospitalizations and deaths, not case count

abc7

New​​ data this week from the CDC shows Florida has a lower transmission rate than California. Florida currently is in the moderate yellow level, while California is in the orange substantial level. However, doctors at UCSF say, at this point, we need to look at the data differently. They say we need to focus more on hospitalizations as the key metric.

 

What We Know So Far About Waning Vaccine Effectiveness

New York Times

While the vaccines’ effectiveness against severe disease and hospitalization has mostly held steady, even through the summer surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant, a number of published studies show that their protection against infection, with or without symptoms, has fallen.

 

Boys Have Eating Disorders, Too. Doctors Think Social Media Is Making It Worse.

Wall Street Journal

Eating disorders are on the rise among boys, say doctors,​​ who think images and videos on social media are a factor. Pediatric wards are seeing more eating-disorder cases overall, with boys making up an increasing share of patients.

 

Human Services:

 

Kaiser nurses in Modesto to take part in strikes next week. What it means for patients

Modesto Bee

Kaiser Permanente nurses in Modesto and Manteca plan to participate in sympathy strikes next week in support of unionized employees in California​​ who are deadlocked in negotiations with the Oakland-based health care giant.

 

A lottery could determine the fate of Biden's vaccine rule for 84​​ million workers

VPR

A lottery is expected to be held this week to determine which federal appeals court will hear the numerous challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's emergency rule, which set a Jan. 4 deadline for some 84 million private sector workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Opinion: Will Biden ‘sue and settle’ at the border?

AEI

With Democrats now in control of the Justice Department, “sue and settle” may be coming back. Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that the agency is considering a payment of $450,000 to each of the immigrant children separated from their parents when the family entered the U.S. illegally during the Trump administration.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Warnors Theatre closed for maintenance. It’s latest hurdle for Fresno’s historic theaters

Fresno Bee

Of 16 original theaters created by vaudeville mogul Alexander Pantages in the early 1900s, few remain standing. Ron Thomas puts the number at just six, with just one left operating in its original state. That one is the 93-year-old Warnors Theatre in downtown Fresno.

 

Property Proposition Sparks Controversy

Clovis Roundup

Monday evening’s weekly meeting ended with some controversy when it came​​ to the general plan of a new complex that was to be located on Second Street between Osmun and Baron Avenues.

 

Freeways force out residents in communities of color — again

Los Angeles Times

Some negative effects of the freeway building boom, including examples of intentional racism, are widely acknowledged today. The country’s appetite for new urban interstates has waned, and many transportation officials have taken steps to limit the harm.

 

Housing:

 

Modesto urged to build affordable housing at the closed Muni Golf Course

Modesto Bee

The city closed its Modesto Municipal Golf Course about 20 months ago and is in the midst of determining the future of the 54-acre site. But the answer is obvious: Build affordable housing to help​​ ease the city’s crushing housing crisis.

 

Neighbors raise questions about new housing subdivision

Turlock Journal

A forthcoming housing development will bring 50 new homes to Turlock, but those who live near the future subdivision are concerned about the increased traffic the project would create.

 

Prepping for the Big One, California earthquake insurance agency looks to cut coverage

Sacramento Bee

Some day, a major earthquake causing damage on the scale of Northridge or Loma Prieta, or even worse, is expected to shake California. In the aftermath, anyone who owns or rents a home will be scrambling to see how much insurance they have to cover damages.

 

Will Real Estate Ever Be Normal Again?

New York Times Magazine

Freddie Mac estimated at the end of 2020 that the United States was 3.8 million housing units short of meeting the nation’s needs. The contours of a new, lightning-fast, permanently desperate​​ housing market come clearly into view.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

California stimulus checks: Nearly 800,000 more Golden State payments going out

ktla

California on Friday began issuing its latest round of Golden State Stimulus II checks of up to $1,100, officials said. This round includes 784,000 payments with a total valuation of $555 million, according to the California Franchise Tax Board.

 

Progressives want a wealth tax for the super rich. Here's why it's hard to pull off

VPR

The pandemic has been good for the ultra rich like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos whose fortunes are tied to the stock market. Yet many of these billionaires pay little in taxes, and that has sparked a big push by progressives for a "wealth tax."

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TRANSPORTATION

 

Turlock OKs road repair planning contract after delay. What’s the new timeline?

Modesto Bee

A divided Turlock City Council on Tuesday approved paying consultants nearly $1 million​​ to develop a five-year plan to fix roads, evaluate street conditions and research financing options.

 

Valley Edition: Transportation in Fresno County

VPR

On this week’s Valley Edition:What’s at stake for the future of transportation in Fresno County?

 

The racist history of America’s interstate highway boom

Los Angeles Times

When President Eisenhower created the U.S. Interstate Highway System in 1956, transportation planners tore through the nation’s urban areas with freeways that, through intention and​​ indifference, carved up Black communities.​​ 

 

Biden administration blocks billions in California transit money, citing pension law

Sacramento Bee

The U.S. Labor Department determined California is ineligible for federal money for public transit, putting in jeopardy about $12 billion in grants including a portion of the infrastructure spending Congress approved last week.

 

'Bit​​ of a double whammy': California gas prices hit new high

SFGate

As the Thanksgiving travel season is inching closer, residents heading out of town via car may balk at what they’re seeing at the pump. Gas prices are hitting record prices across California,​​ hitting an average price of $4.676 a gallon on Sunday, according to AAA.

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Flying for Thanksgiving? Expect packed planes, unruly passengers and cancellations

VPR
If you're among them, brace yourself for long lines in crowded airports and jam packed flights, because the early pandemic days of half-empty planes are long​​ gone.

 

Toyota to ramp up production after cutbacks driven by the COVID-19 pandemic

VPR
Toyota, one of the world's largest vehicle manufacturers, said it will increase production in December as it recovers from parts shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Japanese automaker announced it expects to build 800,000 vehicles globally next month.

 

WATER

 

‘Safe drinking water in record time.’ Atwater celebrates carcinogen-free wells

Merced Sun Star

The City of Atwater is celebrating the completion of a major public health milestone ahead of schedule, ushering in restored confidence in the community’s long-degraded drinking water quality.

 

A protest runs through it: Hikers traverse Kern River bed to highlight lack of water

Bakersfield Californian

About 30 hardy souls marched the length of the dry Kern River bed — 9 miles — from near Manor Street in east Bakersfield all the way to Stockdale Highway on Saturday morning to protest the lack of water in the river.

 

New initiative wants to bring more water to California

FOX 26

The push is now underway to collect nearly one million signatures to put a water initiative before voters. Those behind the Water Infrastructure Act of 2022 say it would rebuild and expand California’s water system.

 

In a disastrous drought, a grim milestone: California could see its first big reservoir run dry

San Francisco Chronicle

Lake Mendocino, once a plentiful reservoir nourishing the vines and villas of Sonoma and Mendocino​​ counties, today is little more than a large pond, cowering beneath the coastal hills.

 

“Xtra”

 

Dense fog advisory to last in Modesto area through​​ Saturday morning

Modesto Bee

A dense fog advisory will be in effect through 11 a.m. on Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Stanislaus County and nearby areas were shrouded in fog on Friday night and through the early morning.

 

Clovis Veterans Memorial District Shows Appreciation to Veterans

Clovis Roundup

On November 11th, the Clovis Veterans Memorial District held their annual Veterans Day event celebrating our veterans for​​ their sacrifice and their service to our country.

 

Here are the top 10 Mexican restaurants in Fresno, Clovis, according​​ to Yelp reviewers

Fresno Bee

What are the best Mexican restaurants in Fresno and Clovis? That’s a big question for a town that loves Mexican food as much as we do. Tacos, birria, menudo – we have it all and we do it well.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials​​ HERE.

 

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