November 23, 2021

29Nov

 

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Caltrans was liable for death at Modesto homeless camp. Why it won’t have to pay damages

Modesto Bee

The father of a woman accidentally killed by a Caltrans worker at a Modesto homeless encampment in 2018 won’t receive any money for his loss.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Some Fresno County workers help low-income people get aid. Turns out they need it, too

Fresno Bee

Today gas is nearly $5 a gallon, movie tickets are $9 or more, and a pound of ground beef is about $4.59. Yet Fresno County workers are taking home as much as they did 12 years ago.

 

The fallout zone: Playing autumn sports in the San Joaquin Valley’s dangerous air

Fresno Bee

PM2.5 particles — small enough to bypass the lung’s mucus membranes, enter the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier — rose to a concentration that exceeded the EPA’s annual limit by 600%. The Valley, a headline in The Bee shouted, had the most polluted air in the world.

 

Warszawski: Divide and dilute: Redistricting commission’s draft maps do no favors to Fresno

Fresno Bee

Question for the 14 individuals serving on California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission: What did we do to make you so mad?

 

EDITORIAL:‘Squaw Valley’ offends Native Americans. Fresno supervisors should meet on renaming

Fresno Bee

It has been more than a year and a half since Roman Rain Tree launched his campaign to change the name of the eastern Fresno County community of Squaw Valley.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Bakersfield City Council seeking members for Public Safety and Vital Services Measure Citizens Oversight Committee

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council is looking for nine residents to serve a three-year term on the Bakersfield Public Safety and Vital Services Measure Citizens Oversight Committee, according to a city news release.

Air district credits 10-year drop in particulates to regulations, incentives

Bakersfield Californian

A new analysis suggests that during the last decade Kern has made some of the biggest strides by any U.S. county in reducing fine particulate emissions, even as the region's air remains unhealthy and out of compliance with federal standards.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

California parents are frustrated with schools. Could it help Republicans in the midterms?

Sacramento Bee

A focus on education helped Republicans secure victory in Virginia earlier this month, a state that, a year earlier, had swung for Democrat Joe Biden by more than 10 points.

 

Walters: How should California spend its big budget surplus?

CalMatters

California’s treasury is awash in money, even as the state’s overall economy is sluggish, and the debate is beginning over how to spend the huge surplus.

 

Newsom names energy adviser as state’s top utility regulator

Sacramento Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has named his senior adviser on energy policy as the next president of the powerful state body that regulates utilities. Alice Reynolds is set to lead the five-member California Public Utilities Commission beginning Dec. 31.

 

A scorecard for the California redistricting commission

CalMatters

After 70 years of squabbling, partisan politics may have been taken out of drawing political districts in California.

See also:

 

Will California become an abortion hub? How a Supreme Court decision could affect the state

Sacramento Bee

People in California seeking abortions would still be able to get them if the Supreme Court, which will likely release its decision on the Mississippi case in June, overturns Roe v. Wade.

See also:

 

As California prepares to raise marijuana tax, a top cannabis CEO calls for tax revolt

Sacramento Bee

Fresh off of news that California is set to raise the cannabis cultivation tax despite projections of a $31 billion surplus, one marijuana entrepreneur is calling for a potential tax revolt this summer.

Accusations against a California campaign finance watchdog went undisclosed for months

Los Angeles Times

A campaign finance investigation raised questions about whether the government organization holds its own members to the same standard as candidates and campaigns across the state.

 

From New Hampshire to California, Parks Departments Embrace Video Games

Route Fifty

Typically, activities offered by parks and recreation departments involve swimming pools, tennis courts and soccer balls. But increasingly, they’re also including PlayStations, Xboxes and other gaming consoles.

 

Gavin Newsom blasts recent retail thefts, vows to up funding for police, prosecution

Fresno Bee

‘We are going to be more aggressive still in this space to help support cities and the prosecution of folks,” Newsom said Monday in San Francisco, where he was attending a COVID-19 vaccination event. “I have no empathy, no sympathy for these folks, and they must be held to account.”

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

Biden reappoints Jerome Powell as Fed chairman at a critical time for the economy

VPR

President Biden has chosen to keep Jerome Powell in place for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman — a move that signals continuity with the central bank's policies at a time when the economy faces critical challenges, including surging inflation.

See also:

 

Kevin McCarthy misleads about Build Back Better legislation and IRS audits

Politifact

In his eight-hour speech before the House voted on the Build Back Better legislation, Rep. Kevin McCarthy said people who spend $28 a day will face “constant audit by the IRS.” That’s false.

 

White House adviser sees 'a lot of momentum' for social spending bill in the Senate

Politico

White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said on Sunday that he was optimistic the Senate will pass President Joe Biden's social spending legislation despite concerns from moderate Democrats.

 

Biden eyes Strategic Petroleum Reserves crude oil release in coming days

Politico

The Biden administration is expected to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves in coordination with other nations in the coming days in a bid to tamp down the recent increase in gasoline prices, people familiar with the effort said Monday.

See also:

 

Does Congress spend too much time away from Washington? Another break raises questions

Sacramento Bee

This Thanksgiving Day recess is the second big exodus from Washington for Congress this month. The House and Senate were out of session for Veterans Day the week of November 8. And they were gone for a week-long break in October.

 

U.S. listed as a ‘backsliding’ democracy for first time in report by European think tank

Washington Post

“The United States, the bastion of global democracy, fell victim to authoritarian tendencies itself, and was knocked down a significant number of steps on the democratic scale,” the International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy 2021 report said.

Judge orders two lawyers who filed suit challenging 2020 election to pay hefty fees: ‘They need to take responsibility’

Washington Post

A federal judge has ordered two Colorado lawyers who filed a lawsuit late last year challenging the 2020 election results to pay nearly $187,000 to defray the legal fees of groups they sued, arguing that the hefty penalty was proper to deter others from using frivolous suits to undermine the democratic system.

 

The Three I’s That Could Dominate 2022 Midterm Elections

Wall Street Journal

Republicans want voters to focus on subjects that add up to a hazardous combination for Democrats.

See also:

 

Ranked Choice Voting Survived Its Biggest Election Season Yet

Pew Trusts

Ranked choice voting, lauded by advocates for avoiding costly runoffs and ensuring that winners in crowded races earn majority support, is steadily gaining steam nationally. This year, 32 cities in seven states used the voting method.

 

Other:

 

Big Tech is pushing smart home devices as the latest work-from-home tools

Washington Post

Smart home devices made their way into our living rooms and bedrooms across the world helping us turn off our lights and lock our doors remotely. Now they are taking on new territory: our home offices.

How Common Are Ransomware Attacks? Lawmakers Want to Find Out.

Pew Trusts

Ransomware attacks can be devastating—and costly. In Baltimore, for example, hackers crippled thousands of computers in 2019, demanding ransom, which city officials refused to pay. It wound up costing the city at least $18 million—a combination of lost or delayed revenue and the expense of restoring systems.

 

Cryptocurrency Fraud Soars, Spurring State Action

Pew Trusts

There have been various scams involving the latest buzz-worthy investment—cryptocurrency. While legitimate currencies such as Bitcoin can offer good, if often volatile, returns, scam artists are proficient at separating unwise investors from their money.

 

Opinion: Ken Burns: Being American means reckoning with our violent history

Washington Post

I’ve been making films about American history for more than 40 years. In all of those years, there’s something central that I’ve learned about being an American: Veneration and shame often go hand-in-hand.

 

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: ​​ "Two State Watchdogs Take A Bow"- Guests: Elaine Howle, CPA, California State Auditor; Mac Taylor, Former California's Legislative Analyst. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Small Farmers Struggle as Ag Titans Boswell, Vidovich Wheel Water for Profit

GVWire

Farmers in the heart of California’s agricultural belt – Kings County – sense something is awry with their water supplies. In this intensively farmed, perennially dry county, water is leaving at a concerning rate. Much of the water is going to Kings County’s two largest and most powerful farming operations — J.G. Boswell Company and Sandridge Partners.

 

How you get rid of food waste in Sacramento will change next year. Here’s how to prepare

Sacramento Bee

The statewide mandate, or SB 1383, requires Californians to reduce organic waste disposal by 75% and to increase edible food recovery by 20% by 2025.

 

For poor farmworkers, there is no escape from heat, high prices of California

Los Angeles Times

Fewer and fewer Californians are now showing up for the blueberry harvest. Experts and farmers say economics and a lack of affordable housing are largely to blame.

 

Another Thanksgiving. Another Crab Season Delay.

New York Times

Fishermen in the Bay Area and other parts of California are grappling with an ever-shortening crab season.

 

US food banks struggle to feed hungry amid surging prices

Visalia Times Delta

U.S. food banks already dealing with increased demand from families sidelined by the pandemic now face a new challenge – surging food prices and supply chain issues walloping the nation.

 

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

Crime:

 

A new breed of brazen takeover robbers hitting California luxury retailers, raising ire

Los Angeles Times

The mayhem began Friday night, when thieves smashed a Louis Vuitton storefront window in San Francisco’s Union Square and ransacked the store.

 

Public Safety:

 

Gavin Newsom blasts recent retail thefts, vows to up funding for police, prosecution

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom called a spate of retail thefts over the weekend “unacceptable” and said he would increase money for cities to address them in next year’s budget.

 

Fire:

 

Wildfires torched up to a fifth of all Giant Sequoia Trees

Business Journal

Lightning-sparked wildfires killed thousands of giant sequoias this year, leading to a staggering two-year death toll that accounts for up to nearly a fifth of Earth’s largest trees, officials said Friday.

 

Wildfires will affect California Christmas tree business for years — and it’ll cost you

Sacramento Bee

Consumers should prepare to pay more than usual for live and fake Christmas trees this year because of climate change and supply chain issues, according to the American Christmas Tree Association.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Black Friday shopping in Fresno: Why you don’t have to go and what to expect if you do

Fresno Bee

With more people vaccinated and gathering for the holidays this year, will Black Friday be a return to the days of crowds and lines? Nah. Most likely not

 

Why Do Prices Keep Going Up and What’s the Cause of Inflation?

Wall Street Journal

U.S. inflation is at its highest rate in 31 years, with consumers seeing prices rise sharply for a variety of goods and services because of persistent supply and labor shortages and strong demand.

 

Jobs:

 

Stanislaus unemployment remains steady after another ‘quiet’ month of recovery

Modesto Bee

The jobless rate in Stanislaus County was 6.9% in October, unchanged from September’s numbers, according to data from the state’s Employment Development Department. Local data is not seasonally adjusted.

 

Here's why Gen Z is unionizing

WFSB

Across multiple industries, however — particularly the media and service sectors — interest in the labor movement is gaining traction among the economy's newest and youngest workers.

 

Companies are telling unvaccinated workers to pay more for health insurance

NPR

As Covid cases surged over the summer, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian took action: Unvaccinated workers would have to pay an extra $200 a month for their health insurance, starting Nov. 1.

 

Biden Administration to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour for Federal Contractors

Wall Street Journal

Federal contractors, including janitors, security guards, child-care workers who provide services to the government, will soon be paid a $15-an-hour minimum wage, the Labor Department said Monday.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

California parents are frustrated with schools. Could it help Republicans in the midterms?

Sacramento Bee

A focus on education helped Republicans secure victory in Virginia earlier this month, a state that, a year earlier, had swung for Democrat Joe Biden by more than 10 points.

 

Understanding the debate behind California’s new math framework

Visalia Times Delta

Every eight years, a group of educators comes together to update the state’s math curriculum framework.

 

Parents are scrambling after schools suddenly cancel class over staffing and burnout

VPR

Schools and districts around the country have been canceling classes on short notice. The cancellations aren't directly for COVID-19 quarantines; instead schools are citing staff shortages, staff fatigue, mental health and sometimes even student fights.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Here’s what more power and resources mean for ethnic studies at Stanislaus State

Modesto Bee

The advancement is monumental because for the first time in the university’s history, ethnic studies will have a voice in the academic senate. Faculty also are in the early stages of developing a certificate and masters program for the benefit of educators and others in the workforce.

 

Fresno State College Republicans host speaker connected to white nationalist movement

Fresno Bee

The Fresno State College Republicans group recently hosted a digital event with Tyler Russell, a Canadian nationalist with reported ties to American white nationalist movements.

 

Most California college students who qualify for ‘food stamps’ aren’t using them

Fresno Bee

In recent years, California’s public colleges have begun taking action to address food insecurity and other basic needs to help students graduate, especially those from low-income households.

 

What’s it like to study from a hotel? As UC housing crunch worsens, these students are finding out

CalMatters

At least four UC campuses have resorted to hotels to house students this fall. The option provided temporary relief to hundreds of students. For many students, finding more permanent, affordable housing remains elusive, even as the end of fall quarter nears.

 

Geography of Dual Enrollment Programs in California

Public Policy Institute of California

Dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take college courses and earn college credit, has been increasing steadily in California. Understanding how program availability varies across regions can inform efforts to improve equity in access.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Salmon to Swim Free as Infrastructure Money Flows

Pew Trusts

Culverts, dams, pollution, warming waters and the myriad other human-caused disturbances are leading salmon populations to dwindle. The federal infrastructure law, with its new culvert program and an assortment of other funding sources, takes aim at that problem.

 

Officials investigate California oil sheen near earlier leak

Business Journal

An oil sheen spotted in the ocean near last month’s crude pipeline leak off Southern California was likely residual oil from the earlier spill, an official said Sunday. The Coast Guard on Saturday dispatched aircraft and boats to investigate the oil sheen measuring about 70 feet (21 meters) by 30 feet (9 meters) off the coast of Orange County.

 

Energy:

 

Newsom names energy adviser as state’s top utility regulator

Sacramento Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has named his senior adviser on energy policy as the next president of the powerful state body that regulates utilities. Alice Reynolds is set to lead the five-member California Public Utilities Commission beginning Dec. 31.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1ggD0kIpwEGW1Zhq0y8nChOLwL2KBVjOI9tjQcEY4j9c/edit

CalMatters

The Building Standards Commission should require that all new multi-family housing with parking must include EV ready charging.

 

California needs to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open to meet its climate goals

Los Angeles Times

The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is scheduled to close when its federal 40-year license expires in 2025 — marking the end of nuclear power generation in California. This schedule was set in a complex multi-stakeholder process approved by state regulators in 2018, and modifying it would be at least as complex.

 

Biden eyes Strategic Petroleum Reserves crude oil release in coming days

Politico

The Biden administration is expected to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves in coordination with other nations in the coming days in a bid to tamp down the recent increase in gasoline prices, people familiar with the effort said Monday.

See also:

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Why people with mental illness are at higher risk of COVID

VPR
Even before the federal government's recent decision last week to authorize COVID-19 boosters all adults, it had already recommended them in October for people with certain high-risk conditions. Along with with illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, that list included mental health conditions.

 

Fresno Health Clinic System announces ‘Encryption Event’ data breach

Business Journal

United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley announced on Friday it was the victim of a data breach incident that apparently began in August. The system delivers about 200,000 medical, dental and other service encounters per year.

 

Doctors are mad about surprise billing rules. Becerra says stop gouging patients

VPR

Overpriced doctors and other medical providers who can't charge a reasonable rate for their services could be put out of business when new rules against surprise medical bills take effect in January, and that's a good thing, HHS Xavier Becerra says in defending the regulations.

 

Unvaccinated family? Here’s advice for Californians as tough holiday decisions approach

Modesto Bee

Health professionals shared some advice on how to navigate the holidays with family members and friends with differing vaccination status.

 

Voice-only telehealth may go away with pandemic rules expiring

VPR

Today, the rules that temporarily eased licensing and reimbursement restrictions in ways that expanded the use of telehealth service are rapidly shifting.

 

How to Get Parents on Board with Vaccinating Kids

Real Clear Policy

The CDC’s recent approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 is an important milestone in the fight against COVID-19. But the most important group’s approval of the vaccine still hangs in the balance: the parents.

 

Inside the C.D.C.’s Pandemic ‘Weather Service’

New York Times

Pandemic forecasting is especially fraught. For one thing, the spread of infectious disease is not governed by physical laws the way that, say, the movement of weather systems is, and is heavily influenced by human behavior, which is much harder to quantify and predict.

 

Human Services:

 

Supply chain woes trigger shortages of critical medical devices

CalMatters

Eying the offshore traffic jams at ports and supply chain problems, California hospitals report delays and shortages in medical supplies. Some patients are forced to reuse medical tubes.

 

Doctors are mad about surprise billing rules. Becerra says stop gouging patients

VPR
Overpriced doctors and other medical providers who can't charge a reasonable rate for their services could be put out of business when new rules against surprise medical bills take effect in Jan., and that's a good thing, HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra says in defending the regulations.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

U.S. citizen spent 36 days in San Joaquin Valley immigration lockup. Now, ICE is being sued

Sacramento Bee

California civil rights organizations are suing ICE over the “unlawful arrest and detention” of a U.S. citizen in 2020. The lawsuit comes months after a government report found the need for ICE to better train its officers to verify people’s citizenship.

 

A California study asked 2,000 immigrants about discrimination. Here’s what it found

Modesto Bee

Many Latino and Asian immigrants in California feel discrimination at work, in health care, when using government benefits and when encountering law or immigration enforcement, a study co-authored by a UC Merced faculty member found.

See also:

 

Under Trump, ICE aggressively recruited sheriffs as partners to question and detain undocumented immigrants

Washington Post

Operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the contentious national program empowers state and local law enforcement officers to act with federal authority: questioning, reporting and detaining undocumented immigrants.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Senate confirms first Native American to direct park service

Roll Call

The Senate late Thursday confirmed Charles Sams III to lead the National Park Service, making him the first Senate-approved director since the Obama administration and the first Native American to hold the post.

 

Housing:

What’s happened at the Fresno Trails End Mobile Home Park since a fatal fire broke out?

Fresno Bee

A deadly fire at the Trails End Mobile Home Park in April spurred Fresno government leaders into taking over code enforcement responsibilities at all mobile home parks in the city.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Is a guaranteed basic income program coming soon to Fresno? Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

Efforts to launch a guaranteed basic income pilot program are underway in Fresno. On Saturday morning, a group of 30 El Dorado community members came out to share their ideas about what a guaranteed basic income program should look like in Fresno.

 

EDITORIAL: Some Fresno County workers help low-income people get aid. Turns out they need it, too

Fresno Bee

Those are the very people that eligibility workers like Delgado are meant to help get back on their feet with government-supported programs such as CalFresh and Medi-Cal.


Walters: Will high-income Californians get a big tax break?

CalMatters

One of the sticking points in President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social policy legislation is a change in tax law that would have huge effects on California.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Valley residents feel impact of high gas prices with holiday travel

abc30

They are projecting the average to be $3.35 a gallon on Thanksgiving Day, but it continues to be the highest amount seen in over seven years. Meanwhile, gas station owners are looking forward to the uptick of travelers this week but want to remind people they are feeling the heat too.

See also:

 

Wasco receives $24M for State Route 46 improvements for high-speed rail

KGET

The United States Department of Transportation awarded $24 million to the California High-Speed Rail Authority to reconstruct State Route 46 in order to safely build the high-speed rail through the area.

 

Opinion: Automation and the radicalization of America

Brookings

Americans whose occupations have the highest automation potential tend to have a dark and cynical view of politics, the economy, the media, and humanity. They comprise a traditional working class that is politically left-leaning on economic issues and slightly right-leaning on socio-cultural ones.

 

WATER

 

Henry: Four valley groundwater plans fail to meet state standards – for now

Bakersfield Californian

Four groundwater plans in the Central Valley — including those for Westlands Water District, Chowchilla Water District and the Merced and Eastern San Joaquin subbasins — don’t show how they will protect water quality, keep drinking water wells from going dry or stop already sinking land from sinking further.

 

Disparities In California’s Water Management Add To Challenges Of Drought And Contamination

CA FWD

In a recent interview with California Water Board Chairman E. Joaquin Esquivel, he cited progress that’s being made and work that’s left to do. It starts, he says, with understanding that water is related to all the big issues in the state.

 

Climate change fuels a water rights conflict built on over a century of broken promises

Washington Post

The simple way to think about this crisis: There’s no longer enough water to go around to meet the needs of farmers and Native American populations as well as fish and birds.

 

Video: Seizing the Drought

Public Policy Institute of California

Scientists, policymakers, growers, water managers, and restoration advocates laid out a compelling vision of how to prepare our water system for the changes that are already underway.

 

“Xtra”

 

Fresno shrouded in fog. Here’s how long weather service expects it to last

Fresno Bee

A dense fog bank covered roadways in the central San Joaquin Valley on Monday morning, prompting officials at the National Weather Service to issue a traffic advisory cautioning drivers to slow down.

 

Bethany Clough: Who has the best donuts in Fresno and Clovis? Here’s how Bee readers voted

Fresno Bee

Who has the best donuts in Fresno or Clovis? We asked. You answered. The results of last week’s poll asking Fresno Bee readers that question are in.

 

Thanksgiving turkey troubles? Foster Farms hot line again tackles cooks’ questions

Modesto Bee

The Livingston-based poultry company processes its turkeys in Turlock. It was by far the largest user of the 7.5 million birds raised in Stanislaus County last year, according to the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.

 

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

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

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