Maddy Institute – November 25, 2020

25Nov

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus County is short on answers for COVID surge. Vaccine expected next month.

Modesto Bee

As COVID-19 cases shoot higher, Stanislaus County leaders don’t have many answers for bringing the surge under control. But local health officials are scrambling to prepare for a mid-December arrival of coronavirus vaccine for front line health workers.

● Stanislaus has highest daily case count since August Modesto Bee

County posts final results in tight races for Modesto council, college board, bonds

Modesto Bee

The final count from the Nov. 3 election put Chris Ricci on the Modesto City Council and Milton Richards on the Yosemite Community College District board. Waterford’s school bond measure fell just two votes short of the required 55% approval.

See also:

● Stanislaus County finalizes election results Turlock Journal

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno County farmed $7.7 billion in crops in 2019. Here’s how it ranked in the U.S.

Fresno Bee

Fresno County’s agricultural and livestock production of $7.7 billion for 2019 fell short of the record-breaking previous year, but the county still topped all others in production, according to the annual report adopted Tuesday.

● Fresno Top Ag County In The Nation Once Again Business Journal

Fresno County surges past 36,000 cases; Fresno Pacific updates plans

Fresno Bee

Just days away from Thanksgiving, Fresno County reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases over the course of three days, an increase that is inching the county toward a 40,000 cases.

● Black Tuesday — active cases, overall cases soar Porterville Recorder

● Coronavirus update: Fresno sees uptick in cases overwhelming nursing homes, hospitals countywide Fresno Bee

Fresno-area medical leaders sound alarm as COVID-19 rise drives more hospitalizations

Fresno Bee

Across Fresno County and the Valley, the number of patients sickened by the novel coronavirus is on the rise – more than doubling in recent days and weeks at many hospitals – driven by a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases being reported in the region.

Nursing home COVID-19 outbreaks in Fresno and Madera counties among worst in California

Fresno Bee

COVID-19 outbreaks at skilled nursing facilities in Fresno and Madera counties are among the worst this month in California. Only a few nursing homes elsewhere in the state had more active coronavirus cases Monday than the area’s worst current outbreak, at a Chowchilla facility, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.

The Castro Presidency: 2013-20

Fresno State Magazine

On Jan. 4, 2021, the Castros will take that same servant leadership to Long Beach, where Joseph I. Castro will begin his new role as the next chancellor of the 23-campus California State University system. He is the first California native and first Mexican American to be appointed to the role.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

California officials issue dire warnings about virus spread Bakersfield Californian
Kern Public Health reports 2 new coronavirus deaths, 284 cases Tuesday Bakersfield Californian

Kern DA: ‘Astronomical’ unemployment fraud hits close to home

Bakersfield Californian

A massive unemployment fraud scandal in California has hit Kern County in a significant way. From March to August, the state has put more than $140 million on debit cards and mailed them to addresses associated with at least 35,000 prisoners, according to Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert.

New chicken owners in Bakersfield might be thinking 'oh god' after restraining order keeps backyard hens illegal

Bakersfield Californian

For some Bakersfield residents, a temporary restraining order blocking an ordinance allowing hens to be raised in backyards is more than an inconvenience. “There’s a good handful of people that thought it was a done deal and they have chickens,” said Michelle Harp, a member of a loose collection of Bakersfield residents dedicated to bringing backyard hens to the city.

State:

Record 1-day jump puts California hospitalized total near 6,000

Fresno Bee

California enters Thanksgiving at a critical point in the pandemic, with coronavirus cases and hospitalizations still surging as they have for essentially all of November. The state in the last two weeks has averaged more than 10,600 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 per day, with 5.6% of diagnostic tests returning positive.

● Daily California coronavirus cases triple as pandemic dramatically worsens Los Angeles Times

California’s ‘dysfunctional’ EDD was unresponsive amid inmate unemployment fraud, prosecutors say

Fresno Bee

California prosecutors Tuesday blasted the state’s Employment Development Department as a dysfunctional, often unresponsive, agency that was unable to help much while inmates filed hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment claims.

● Murderers, rapists got unemployment money in massive $1 billion California taxpayer fraud Sacramento Bee

● EDD Sent Up To $1 Billion Of Unemployment Funds To Prison And Jail Inmates, Prosecutors Say Capital Public Radio

● California Paid Millions for Unemployment Claims in Prisoners’ Names, Prosecutors Say Wall Street Journal

● Scams led California to send COVID jobless benefits to Scott Peterson, death row inmates Los Angeles Times

California officials improperly allowed cannabis billboards along highways, court rules

Los Angeles Times

State officials improperly allowed hundreds of billboards advertising cannabis products along California highways even though the billboards were banned under the 2016 initiative that legalized the sale of pot for recreational use, a judge ruled last week.

Tobacco industry submits signatures on California referendum to block ban on flavored products sales

Los Angeles Times

A coalition representing the tobacco industry said Tuesday it has turned in more than 1 million signatures as it seeks to qualify a referendum for the November 2022 ballot aimed at overturning a law banning the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in California.

How California reached historic voter turnout despite pandemic, distrust

CalMatters

Californians faced the naysayers and voted in historic numbers this election. CalMatters interviewed 45 of 58 county registrars and found the mail vote experiment saw few glitches, little drama and might provide a blueprint for future elections across the country.

Walters: Identity politics vs. melting pot vision

CalMatters

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is being pressed by various identity groups on his looming appointment to the U.S. Senate.

EDITORIAL: Betty Yee must uphold law, let Alex Padilla clean up $35 million voter contract mess

Sacramento Bee

California State Controller Betty Yee did the right thing when she refused to allow Secretary of State Alex Padilla to pay $35 million to a Democratic public relations firm his office had awarded a secretive, no-bid contract.

Federal:

Joe Biden signals stark shift with new national security team

abc30

Declaring "America is back," President-elect Joe Biden introduced selections for his national security team Tuesday, his first substantive offering of how he'll shift from Trump-era "America First" policies by relying on foreign policy and national security experts from the Democratic establishment to be some of his most important advisers.

● Biden introduces his nominees for key foreign policy, national security roles Los Angeles Times

● Biden picks a Goldilocks Cabinet, neither too left or right Los Angeles Times

● Biden’s longtime advisor Antony Blinken emerges as his pick for secretary of State Los Angeles Times

● Biden to name first female head of National Intelligence Los Angeles Times

● Biden names John Kerry as 'climate czar' in new administration The Hill

● National-Security Picks Combine Diverse Backgrounds, Singular Aims Wall Street Journal

● Politics Isn’t Janet Yellen’s Forte, but It’s What She’s In for Now Wall Street Journal

● Joe Biden’s Transition and Cabinet Picks: What Happens Next Wall Street Journal

● EDITORIAL: Biden’s Liberal Internationalists Wall Street Journal

Facing Pressure, Trump Relents On Starting Biden Transition

VPR
President Trump is still not conceding that he lost the election, but he's getting closer. Trump on Monday tweeted that he had directed the General Services Administration to begin the process of transferring the government to President-elect Joe Biden.

● For Trump, it’s all over but the tweeting Los Angeles Times

● After Setbacks, Trump Looks Beyond Legal Fight Wall Street Journal

● Biden Transition Moves Quickly After Trump Agrees to Share Resources Wall Street Journal

● Almost no Trump voters consider Biden the legitimate 2020 election winner CNBC

● Could Social Alienation Among Some Trump Supporters Help Explain Why Polls Underestimated Trump Again? FiveThirtyEight

● Column: Trump does his worst to make Biden’s job even tougher Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: It’s Time For Conservatives To Dump Trump The American Conservative

● Commentary: The Transition Begins Wall Street Journal

Most say Biden should prioritize COVID-19 relief, poll finds. What else is important?

McClatchy DC

Most Americans say COVID-19 issues — including a new relief package — should be on President-elect Joe Biden’s list of top priorities when he takes office next year, a new poll found.

● On Biden’s to-do list: Blunt the talk that he enters the presidency as a lame duck Los Angeles Times

● Biden Likely to Help States Increase Health Care Access PEW

● Poll: 60 percent support Biden canceling up to $50K of student loan debt per person The Hill

● Opinion: The Biden Economy Hinges on COVID-19 US News

After Months With No Pandemic Relief, Advocates Ramp Up Pressure On Congress

Capital Public Radio

As the coronavirus pandemic enters its ninth month, advocates for low-income people are ramping up pressure on Congress to pass more stimulus funding.

● Commentary: Washington’s stimulus triumph remains underrated AEI

Op-Ed: The new Supreme Court is sending surprisingly centrist signals

Los Angeles Times

How far will the Supreme Court’s new conservative supermajority go? With President-elect Joe Biden’s victory and the potential for Democrats to control the Senate, it’s the question on the mind of everyone who cares about the court.

Fox: Feinstein Steps Down; A Sign the Political Divide is Still Wide

Fox&Hounds

Sen. Feinstein was old school in the sense that she believed in a civil relationship with her colleagues across the aisle and positioning herself toward the political center.

Other:

Most Americans Object to Government Tracking of Their Activities Through Cellphones

Wall Street Journal

A new survey found widespread concern among Americans about government tracking of their whereabouts through their digital devices, with an overwhelming majority saying that a warrant should be required to obtain such data.

For Thanksgiving Day, Zoom will lift its 40-minute time limit for free meetings

CNN
The holidays are upon us and one tech company is already in the giving spirit. Zoom announced it will lift its timed meeting limit on Thanksgiving so "your family gatherings don't get cut short."

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Fresno County farmed $7.7 billion in crops in 2019. Here’s how it ranked in the U.S.

Fresno Bee

● Fresno Top Ag County In The Nation Once Again Business Journal

St. Anne's Food Pantry receives $10,000 grant

Porterville Recorder

St. Anne’s Food Bank received a check for $10,000 on Monday morning, thanks to the Bank of the Sierra who approved the food bank’s grant request, but took it a step further and had the grant matched by Federal Home Loan Bank out of San Francisco.

Food banks, safety net providers see need skyrocket for food-insecure families

Bakersfield Californian

Jaime Orona has never seen anything quite like it. The 20,000-square-foot warehouse he manages in southeast Bakersfield is buzzing with activity as forklift drivers stack pallets and 18-wheelers drop off trailer loads of more food than has ever before crossed its loading dock and warehouse floor.

New chicken owners in Bakersfield might be thinking 'oh god' after restraining order keeps backyard hens illegal

Bakersfield Californian

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Purdue Pharma Pleads Guilty to Felonies Over OxyContin Sales

Wall Street Journal

Purdue Pharma LP pleaded guilty to three federal felonies related to the marketing and distribution of its powerful opioid painkiller OxyContin, ending the bankrupt company’s exposure to U.S. government action but leaving other liabilities to state and local governments looming.

DOJ ‘Cut Back’ on Tools to Fix Policing, Inspector General Finds

Frontline

The Department of Justice has failed to use its full powers to address police misconduct and restore confidence in policing, according to a new report by the Office of the Inspector General, the DOJ’s internal watchdog.

Public Safety:

‘Minor’ coronavirus outbreak reported in Stanislaus County Jail

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department is reporting a “minor” coronavirus outbreak in its jail system. “Twenty-five inmates and eight staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 after a minor outbreak inside one of the Sheriff’s Custodial facilities,” authorities said in a news release issued Tuesday afternoon.”

California should close 5 prisons to save money after releasing 25,000 inmates, analyst says

Sacramento Bee

California should close five state prisons to capture savings from a shrinking inmate population, the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended Thursday. Combined with the planned closures of youth prisons, closing five adult institutions would save the state $1.5 billion per year by 2025, according to the report.

Are California prison guards covering up misconduct? Lawmaker wants an investigation

Sacramento Bee

The chairman of the Assembly Public Safety Committee has requested a broad investigation into whether California prison guards are covering up misconduct. On Friday, two former California State Prison-Sacramento prison guards were charged with falsifying records to change details of an inmate’s death in 2016.

Why "Just Say No" Doesn't Work

Scientific American

“Just say no.” In 1982 First Lady Nancy Reagan uttered those three words in response to a schoolgirl who wanted to know what she should say if someone offered her drugs.

Fire:

FEMA deadline extended to December 11

Porterville Recorder

The deadline for those affected by the Sequoia Complex to seek FEMA assistance has been extended to December 11. Applicants may register in the following ways: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov; Download the FEMA Mobile App for smartphones; Call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

'I want to scream': Fresno restaurant owner voices frustration amid latest COVID-19 restrictions

abc30

Restaurants across the state are feeling a punch to the gut from the shutdowns and the recent curfew in purple tier counties like Fresno. And because of that, Vyxn Restaurant and Lounge, along with its sister company Jugo Salad and Juice Bar, will be shutting its doors for the foreseeable future.

Will California’s small businesses survive another COVID-19 surge without more help?

Los Angeles Times

For 27 years, along an industrial strip by the 405 Freeway, Go Kart World has offered family fun with six racetracks and an arcade. But as news of the coronavirus spread in February, customers fled. And in March, health officials shut down the business.

Opinion: Gen Z Tries to Make the Best of a COVID-Ravaged Economy

National Review

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, life was pretty good for post-graduate Gen Zers, budding young professionals, and graduating college seniors. Then, almost overnight, everything changed.

Dow Jones crests 30,000 points on vaccine hopes, Biden transition

abc30

The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded above 30,000 points for the first time Tuesday as investors were encouraged by the latest progress on developing coronavirus vaccines and news that the transition of power in the U.S. to President-elect Joe Biden will finally begin.

● Dow tops 30,000 points, buoyed by vaccine hopes and Biden transition Los Angeles Times

● Dow Surges Past 30,000 Points For 1st Time In Historic Milestone VPR

● Stocks Pause After Dow’s 30000 Milestone Wall Street Journal

● Why Does the Dow Jones Industrial Average Matter? Everything You Need to Know Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Behind Dow 30000: A Self-Perpetuating Upward Spiral Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Dow 30000 and the Problem With Long-Term Capitalism Wall Street Journal

● EDITORIAL: The Dow Hits 30,000 Wall Street Journal

Jobs:

Remote Work Brings New Hacking Risks

Business Journal

The pandemic has millions of Americans working remotely from home to avoid an outbreak in the workplace — but the coronavirus isn’t the only bug that could find its way into the office.

As pandemic aid ends, California families brace for brutal new year

CalMatters

An estimated 750,000 Californians are set to lose federal unemployment benefits the day after Christmas, and 2.1 million could lose their homes weeks later when a statewide eviction moratorium lifts.

● States Grapple with Cost of Jobless Benefits as Pandemic Worsens Bloomberg

Cal/OSHA Emergency Workplace COVID-19 Regulation: 10 Frequently Asked Questions

Ogletree Deakins

On November 19, 2020, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted and approved an emergency COVID-19 regulation governing employers and workplaces. That regulation is scheduled for adoption and implementation on November 30, 2020.

U.S. Unemployment Claims Rose to 778,000 Last Week

Wall Street Journal

Jobless claims rose for the second straight week, to 778,000, a sign the nationwide surge in virus cases was starting to weigh on the labor-market recovery.

● Commentary: Most recent state unemployment data show recovery continues to spread AEI

Gig Workers Could Be Paid Partially in Stock Under SEC Proposal

Wall Street Journal

Privately held online platform companies such as DoorDash and UrbanSitter could pay their workers partially in stock under a rule proposed Tuesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Latest lease-leaseback decision: Court says Fresno Unified violated education code

Fresno Bee

A panel of justices for a California appeals court issued an opinion Tuesday finding Fresno Unified School District’s use of the lease-leaseback contract to build Gaston Middle School violated state education code and conflict of interest codes, reversing a previous judgment by a trial court.

Navigating the transition between K-12 and higher education – virtually

CalMatters

Disconnects between K-12 and higher education data systems can lead students to have their college eligibility determined incorrectly; here’s a solution.

Opinion: Most schools should close and stay closed through winter

Washington Post

With much of the United States engulfed in exponential virus spread and many hospitals already overwhelmed, most schools should close and stay closed through the winter.

Higher Ed:

The Castro Presidency: 2013-20

Fresno State Magazine

Fresno Pacific University to continue virtual learning for spring semester

abc30

Students at Fresno Pacific University will continue online learning through the end of the school year. Most courses will continue virtually as scheduled, and most labs will remain in-person with safety modifications inside classrooms.

Failure to bridge divides of age, race doomed affirmative action proposition

Los Angeles Times

Widespread skepticism in Latino and Asian communities and tepid support among younger Black residents combined with opposition from most whites to doom the effort this year to revive affirmative action in California, according to a new postelection survey.

Video: A New Era of Student Access at California’s Community Colleges

Public Policy Institute of California

The PPIC report shows that broader access to transfer-level courses led to dramatic improvements in students completing these courses—a key milestone in transferring to a four-year college.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Trump environmental war against California ran deep. Here’s how Biden changes everything

Fresno Bee

Mary Nichols has led California’s resistance to President Donald Trump’s climate policies. Now she may wind up leading the federal government’s fight on climate and other environmental issues.

California Turkeys Will Likely Trot North As Climate Warms, But May Not Leave The Suburbs

Capital Public Radio

Wild turkeys are thriving across California, but as the climate warms habitats like Sacramento may not be able to sustain the invasive species that people either hate or love.

‘Bizarro Beach’ or state park? What it’s like living next to California’s off-roading mecca

CalMatters

Tucked into an otherwise quiet bend south of Pismo Beach, Oceano Dunes may be California’s most dangerous state park. Towns near the park, which draws more than a million trucks and dirt bikes a year, are besieged with air pollution, crime and accidents — even a mass shooting last year.

Energy:

California Leading Push For Renewable Power

kpbs

The use of renewable energy is surging in California. A new analysis shows there’s been a huge jump in the use of solar, wind and other renewable technologies in the last decade. A new report from Environment California Research finds California ranks first in the nation for growth in solar energy production.

The fossil fuel industry wants you to believe it’s good for people of color

Los Angeles Times

The letter to Mexico’s energy minister offered a glowing review of a fossil fuel project in Baja California. Writing in July, three U.S. governors and the chair of the Ute Indian Tribe praised the Energía Costa Azul project — which was seeking approval from the Mexican government — as “one of the most promising [liquefied natural gas] export facilities on the Pacific Coast.”

Exxon Documents Reveal More Pessimistic Outlook for Oil Prices

Wall Street Journal

Exxon Mobil Corp. has lowered its outlook on oil prices for much of the next decade, according to internal company documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Record 1-day jump puts California hospitalized total near 6,000

Fresno Bee

● California sees stunning rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations, health secretary says abc30

● California officials issue dire warnings about virus spread Bakersfield Californian

● Kern Public Health reports 2 new coronavirus deaths, 284 cases Tuesday Bakersfield Californian

● Stanislaus hospital use rises again; deaths reach 418 Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus has highest daily case count since August Modesto Bee

● Daily California coronavirus cases triple as pandemic dramatically worsens Los Angeles Times

Thanksgiving could make or break US coronavirus response

Bakersfield Californian

In Pennsylvania, if you’re having friends over to socialize, you’re supposed to wear a mask — and so are your friends. That’s the rule, but Barb Chestnut has no intention of following it.

Human Services:

Nursing home COVID-19 outbreaks in Fresno and Madera counties among worst in California

Fresno Bee

California county hopes mail-in test kits help curb virus

Fresno Bee

A Southern California county will provide up to half a million mail-in test kits to residents before the end of the year in the hopes that more testing can help beat back the coronavirus.

CA building vaccine distribution framework, but mass vaccination still months away

abc30

California has started building a framework for how it'll obtain and distribute COVID-19 vaccines as three medical companies, Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, move closer to getting approval from the FDA.

● Side effects from COVID-19 vaccine no 'walk in the park,' CDC committee says abc30

● The first COVID-19 vaccines won’t end the U.S. crisis right away Los Angeles Times

● Hope on the way: Here’s what you need to know about California’s COVID-19 vaccine plan CalMatters

● AstraZeneca Gears Up to Vaccinate the World Against Covid-19 Wall Street Journal

● Commentary: As the vaccine gets closer AEI

COVID-19 Q&A: Valley doctor answers questions about safely celebrating holidays

abc30

ABC30 Anchor Graciela Moreno spoke with Community Regional Medical Center Dr. Jeff Thomas to discuss whether it's safe to celebrate Thanksgiving and the holidays amid the latest COVID surge, vaccines and more.

● Tulare County officials urge safe celebration of Thanksgiving Porterville Recorder

● How some Modesto-area folks are finding gratitude this Thanksgiving Day Modesto Bee

● How should you celebrate Thanksgiving in California during the COVID-19 pandemic? Los Angeles Times

● A Detailed Map of Where Americans Are Staying Home for Thanksgiving New York Times

● Coronavirus Upends Thanksgiving for Many, While Others Ignore Warnings New York Times

New program to provide meals, check-ins for area seniors

Turlock Journal

A program providing free meals and daily check-in calls to some of the most at-risk and isolated residents of Stanislaus County and northern Merced County is now open to the public.

A Revamped Strategic National Stockpile Still Can't Match The Pandemic's Latest Surge

VPR
The Strategic National Stockpile, which the U.S. has traditionally depended on for emergencies, still lacks critical supplies nine months into one of the worst public health care crises this country has ever seen, an NPR investigation has learned.

World’s largest latex glove maker closes factories after thousands of COVID-19 cases

Fresno Bee

The biggest rubber glove maker in the world said it was shutting down some of its factories after a coronavirus outbreak among its workers. Malaysia’s Top Glove Corp said in a statement deliveries of rubber gloves could be delayed up to a month.

CDC Finalizing Recommendation to Shorten Covid-19 Quarantines

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may soon shorten the length of time it recommends that a person self-quarantine after potential exposure to the coronavirus, hoping that such a step will encourage more people to comply, a top agency official said.

● CDC Alters Critical Infrastructure Personnel Guidance and Recommends New Testing Strategies Ogletree Deakins

● Rural Americans Stopped Staying In. Then Covid-19 Hit. Wall Street Journal

IMMIGRATION

Punishing hurricanes to spur more Central American migration

Los Angeles Times

It’s still early. Tens of thousands remain in shelters, but those along the migration route have already started to see storm victims begin to trickle north.

As coronavirus cases surge again, ICE leaders push to detain more immigrants

Los Angeles Times

At a federal court hearing last week, Moises Becerra, a top official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, discussed a plan to safely repopulate the Mesa Verde immigrant detention facility in Bakersfield. Last summer, a COVID-19 outbreak spread to more than half of the detainees and a quarter of the staff.

U.S. agrees for now to stop deporting women who allege abuse

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. government has agreed temporarily not to deport detained immigrant women who have alleged being abused by a rural Georgia gynecologist, according to court papers filed Tuesday.

U.S. border officials close Texas warehouse where chain-link ‘cages’ for migrants became a symbol of mistreatment

Washington Post

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have shut down the South Texas warehouse where chain-link enclosures were deplored as “cages” during the Trump administration’s crackdown on migrant families and children.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Watchdog Lacks Public Interest Standing to Sue California Agency

Bloomberg Law

Spotlight on Coastal Corruption, a lawyer-created entity, lacks public interest standing to sue California’s Coastal Commissioners for violations of public disclosure laws, a state appeals court said Tuesday.

Housing:

How to tell if your apartment has rent control in California

Los Angeles Times

Rent control exists across California in various forms, with statewide rules and a patchwork of local laws. That means many Californians who rent, but not all, have some protections that cover evictions and how much rent can rise.

When the Coronavirus Pandemic Settles Down, so Will Homeowners

Wall Street Journal

America’s housing market has been radically changed by the Covid-19 crisis, and some of those changes will persist. But the first thing to come after the crisis passes will be the hangover.

PUBLIC FINANCES

A 2nd $1,200 stimulus payment needs to happen soon, economists say

abc30

Between a White House in transition and rising COVID-19 cases in the U.S., dozens of the top economists in the country are pressing lawmakers back at work in Washington to act quickly on passing a second stimulus bill to send $1,200 payments to tens of millions of Americans.

Walters: Poll confirms Californians’ sour mood on higher taxes

CalMatters

Proposition 15 would have been the largest tax increase in California history and its defeat this month was, by any definition, a huge setback for its sponsors, primarily public employee unions.

TRANSPORTATION

Crowds at Fresno Yosemite International Airport smaller as Thanksgiving nears

abc30

On a normal Thanksgiving week, the Fresno-Yosemite International Airport would look rather busy. But these are not normal times. "There are not that many people as many as I thought there was going to be," said Daisy Carrera of Texas. "I thought it was going to be more packed."

Valley Voices: Deadly stretch of Highway 41 in Fresno County needs urgent fixes – or more will die

Fresno Bee

Highway 41 between Elkhorn and Excelsior Avenues south of Fresno is only six miles long, but it’s been the site of thousands of car accidents — many of them fatal. We’re all familiar with this section of the highway.

Hiltzik: Did GM cry 'uncle' on emissions rules? Not really

Los Angeles Times

General Motors is collecting kudos this week for abandoning its fight with California over auto emissions rules. Before joining in the chorus of applause, you should read the fine print.

WATER

Environmentalists take aim at the Del Puerto Canyon dam project

Turlock Journal

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit trying to halt the building of a dam in the Del Puerto Canyon which would provide Valley farmers the water they need to grow crops.

In California, 1 million people lack access to clean water

High Country News

When Sara Gallego* turns on her faucet, she’s never sure what will come out. “In the mornings, it’s the color of coffee,” she said. At other times, “It’s super yellow.” Gallego is one of the roughly 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park, a community of 220 dilapidated trailers in the unincorporated community of Thermal, California.

“Xtra”

From brand new events to long-held traditions, Fresno holiday events go on during pandemic

Fresno Bee

Much like many just-observed Halloween celebrations, some long-held Christmas traditions are being reshaped by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. That includes downtown Fresno’s annual Christmas Parade, which draws thousands of spectators every December and has been running for going on 91 years and now is being reinvented as a parade in reverse.

Pandemic’s stay-home holiday season pushing early start to Christmas preparations

Fresno Bee

Workers were loading poinsettias by the dozens at Green Acres Nursery & Supply in Elk Grove. At Davis Ranch, a country drive away in Sloughhouse, the produce stand’s choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm doesn’t open until the day after Thanksgiving, just like every other year, but the ranch’s Jim Ayers said people were already eager to pick out their favorite evergreen.