Top stories

How the American electorate is changing – A decade ago, New Mexico ushered in a demographic trend that is likely to shape American politics for decades to come. In 2006, it became the first state in the nation whose voting-eligible population switched from being majority white to “majority minority.” California has since joined that group, according to estimates, and so, too, will Texas by 2019, according to three demographic experts. Nine more states are expected to reach the tipping point before 2052, when, those experts say, the national electorate will become majority minority, too. New York Times article

Jerry Brown’s election successes preserve streak, set him up for 2018 — Four days before the election, Gov. Jerry Brown briefly ducked into a union hall in San Francisco to denounce an initiative that threatened to imperil his high-speed rail and Delta water tunnel projects. Sacramento Bee article

Valley politics 

Rev. Booker T. Lewis II: Mayor-elect Lee Brand: Here’s a vision for your first 100 days – The board member of Faith in Community and pastor of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church writes, “We congratulate now Mayor-elect Lee Brand on his victory and our coalition and community partners look forward to working with him to begin implementing the following vision with urgency in his first 100 days in office.” Lewis op-ed in Fresno Bee

Immigration 

Immigrants fear that definition of ‘criminal’ will be stretched under Trump – Machado’s arrest underscores a growing fear among immigrant advocates: that deportation policies that began under the Obama administration are likely be wielded to even more draconian effect during the presidency of Donald Trump, who made promises to crack down on illegal immigration a cornerstone of his campaign. LA Times article

PolitiFact California: Exploring the facts as the state braces for Trump’s immigration policies — The details of Trump’s immigration policy might not be known for months. PolitiFact California spoke with experts, however, to explore how his stated goals could affect California’s undocumented population. We’re not rating any claims on our Truth-O-Meter, but instead answering some of the most pressing questions on the topic. Here’s our Q&A based on interviews with several immigration experts. PolitiFact California article 

UC Davis expert weighs Trump plan to deport illegal immigrants – Since the election, many immigrants have said they’re terrified of deportation, and advocates have discussed what can be done to prevent it. One of the nation’s top immigration law experts, UC Davis Law School Dean Kevin R. Johnson, analyzed several scenarios, including a potential pardon by President Obama. Sacramento Bee article 

Other areas 

New era for Cuba as icon Fidel Castro dies at 90 – He towered over his Caribbean island for nearly five decades, a shaggy-bearded figure in combat fatigues whose long shadow spread across Latin America and the world. Late Friday night, Raúl Castro announced that his brother Fidel Castro died. He was 90. LA Times article; Miami Herald article;

Jack Ohman: California Fake News! – The Sacramento Bee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist gives his take on fake news in California. Ohman editorial cartoon in Sacramento Bee 

Capitol readies for first proper Christmas tree lighting ceremony in three years — The 85th annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, hosted by Gov. Jerry Brown, is set for Dec. 5, 2016, at 5 p.m. on the west steps of the Capitol. The event has been marred the last two years by bad weather and a terrorist attack. Sacramento Bee article

Presidential Politics 

I’m Latino and I voted for Trump: Voters sound off on immigration, women’s issues and more – In the conservative and Latino-heavy San Joaquin Valley, Fresno stands out as a blue county amid the surrounding red. Even so, it was a close race. Fresno County residents voted 49 percent to 44 percent in favor of Clinton over Trump – a much narrower margin than, say, San Francisco, where Clinton won 84 percent of the vote. Fresno Bee article 

Trump seems ready to fight the world on climate change, and it could cost the U.S. — Few things on Trump’s confrontational agenda put him more quickly on a collision course with the rest of the world, much of his own country and even some in his own party than his stated desire to abandon the fight against global warming. The looming assault on environmental regulation will test the resilience of California’s leadership role in the world, which is defined in large part by aggressive action on climate change that became a blueprint for the Obama administration. LA Times article; New York Times article

Environmental groups brace to fight Trump over climate change — Regardless of Trump’s latest posture, environmental and grass-roots groups across the country are girding for a fight if the Trump administration attempts a radical retreat from President Barack Obama’s programs to slash U.S. carbon emissions. McClatchy Newspapers article 

Foon Rhee: Can Trump narrow racial gaps in schools? — There is understandable fear in the land among many African American and Latino families about a Donald Trump presidency. It’s not just incidents of racism and hate; it’s what his policies will mean for their well-being and for their children. So it’s a good time for a new study out this month that shows how much ground black and Latino children have to make up in California. Rhee column in Sacramento Bee

LGBT health advocates fear backlash under Trump — Since Donald Trump’s surprise election Nov. 8, LGBT health advocates have been holding their breath to see who the president-elect will pick for the cabinet-level position of secretary of Health and Human Services. KQED report

News Stories

Top Stories

Study: Kern mothers have the highest rate of childhood trauma in state – Mothers in Kern County have experienced more childhood trauma and hardship than mothers anywhere else in California, potentially setting their kids on a path of physical, mental and emotional health problems later in life, data released this month suggest. Bakersfield Californian article

Abandoned citrus tree in your backyard? Bug-battling industry will pay to take it out — The battle against one of the citrus industry’s most dangerous pests is moving to a new front: abandoned residential citrus trees. California Citrus Mutual and Bayer Crop Science have launched a program to remove homeowners’ citrus trees for free to prevent them from becoming a breeding ground for the Asian citrus psyllid, a tiny insect with the potential to spread an incurable plant disease. Fresno Bee article

Jobs and the Economy

What to know about SEIU Local 1000’s proposed one-day strike – If history is a guide, the one-day strike that SEIU Local 1000 just announced for Dec. 5 will not happen. While state employee unions periodically authorize walkouts, including Local 1000 in 2009, none has actually taken place.  Sacramento Bee article 

Thousands of voters left Measure K blank – Local public safety agencies asked voters to reconsider Measure K in the November election, and more than 2,200 people left that part of their ballots blank. Hanford Sentinel article

‘Crazy’ lines at Black Friday gas sale in Merced — Vehicles lined up in all directions were “crazy” all day at a Merced gas station that got in on the Black Friday spirit for the first time this year, according to employees. The hot-ticket item was $1.99 per gallon gasoline at the Chevron and Bi-Rite Liquor on Martin Luther King Jr. Way on Friday, the shopping day that follows Thanksgiving every year. Merced Sun-Star article

Amber Flores: Giving Tuesday can make a difference all year long – The president of the Association of Fundraising Professional, Yosemite Chapter, and development director for the Gallo Center for the Arts writes, “#GivingTuesday, founded in 2012, kicks off the season of charitable giving. Last year, more than 45,000 organizations in 71 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. Since its founding, #GivingTuesday has inspired people around the world, resulting in greater donations, more volunteer hours, and activities that bring about real changes in communities.” Flores op-ed in Modesto Bee 

Kingsburg is a semi-finalist in contest to win $500,000 – The city of Kingsburg is a national semi-finalist in an online web series that could net the community $500,000. The series, “Small Business Revolution,” stars Robert Herjavec from “Shark Tank” and Deluxe Corporation’s Amanda Brinkman. The series’ goal is to kick-start a small town’s revival by sharing $500,000 among six of its small businesses. Fresno Bee article

Crab fishing shut down on part of California coast.  What is means for consumers — A long stretch of California’s North Coast has been shut down for commercial crab fishing because of health reasons, tightening supplies of Dungeness crab just as the holiday season gets under way. While the closure isn’t expected to be as calamitous as last year, when California’s Dungeness crab season was severely disrupted for months, it is expected to have an effect on price. Raley’s said consumers can expect to pay more for the winter delicacy, which is a staple of holiday dinners and wintertime crab-feed fundraisers for nonprofits. Sacramento Bee article

People love giant burritos, and one Fresno restaurant is cashing in — A Fresno taqueria is making a name for itself with a burrito gigante – the Anaconda – that’s luring customers from all over. The tortilla missile is about 3 feet long and weighs more than most newborn babies – and customers could be seen cradling it as such as they left Taqueria Yarelis in central Fresno. Fresno Bee article

Agriculture/Water/Drought

Drought hits another crop – Christmas trees – Like a Grinch, the drought may put a damper on local Christmas celebrations. For one, years of sub-normal precipitation mean fewer big trees available at local farms for the holiday season. Sacramento Bee article

Jody Hallstrom: Tuolumne River is sick, and only higher flows can cure it – The conservation chair of the Stanislaus Audubon Society writes, “The Stanislaus Audubon Society fully appreciates the economic value of water to our region and especially the value of our priceless farmland. However, we have found it increasingly difficult to ignore the effects when water is diverted beyond amounts sustainable for native wildlife.” Hallstrom op-ed in Modesto Bee

Luis Medina: Subsidies? Are we out of our cotton-pickin’ minds? – The Bakersfield resident with a background in construction management and real estate development writes, “Farm subsidies help create oversupplies in the market. Subsequently, farmers complain of low commodity prices and ask the government for even more help. It’s a vicious cycle! And every five years or so, our congressmen vote to renew the farm bill. It’s insane.” Medina op-ed in Bakersfield Californian 

Dairy group serves up another Rose Parade float — A dairy industry group will have a Rose Parade float for the second year in a row, this time bearing a massive milk bottle and cereal bowl. The California Milk Advisory Board, based in Tracy, will reach a national TV audience with the Jan. 2 event in Pasadena. Modesto Bee article

Criminal Justice/Prisons

Motorcycle officer injured in crash in northeast Modesto – A Modesto Police Department motorcycle officer was hospitalized with broken bones after a crash Friday morning at the intersection of Claus Road and Floyd Avenue. Officer Billy Boyle was in stable condition – alert and conscious – as he was taken to a local hospital, according to police. Modesto Bee article

Education

Kern Community College District may hire new chancellor Tuesday — Kern Community College District board members may appoint a new top administrator Tuesday to replace Chancellor Sandra Serrano, who is retiring next year. During a closed session, board members will interview candidates for the job of overseeing the district’s three colleges and five education centers that serve about 26,000 students annually. Bakersfield Californian article

Jim Makofske: Want to be a lawyer? Fresno City College can light the way – The instructor at Fresno City College writes, “What if you want to be an attorney at law and you don’t know how to go about it? Planning for law school can be a daunting task, but luckily Fresno City College can offer assistance. What if money might be a problem? City College has a deal for you. In cooperation with the California State Bar, the state Legislature and several participating law schools, there is a new program out there called the 2+2+3 Law School Pathway.” Makofske op-ed in Fresno Bee 

Petition urges San Joaquin County Office of Education to name school after controversial Superintendent Founts – The San Joaquin County Office of Education administration has received a petition asking the board to honor retired county Superintendent Mick Founts, but the request is not without controversy. Stockton Record article

Hanford teachers land Human Rights awards — Hanford teachers Rob Isquierdo Jr. and Melissa Simas are leading by example in and out of the classroom. The two were honored at the California Teachers Association Human Rights Awards ceremony in Visalia recently. The event was organized by the Tulare-Kings Service Center Council. Hanford Sentinel article

Energy/Environment

‘We don’t want anything more’: ‘Green Friday’ offers alternative to commercialism — It was so quiet at Caswell Memorial State Park on Friday morning that all you could hear was the wind caressing the tops of the trees, shaking loose golden leaves that settled lightly on the ground. Stockton Record article

Smith Canal-area homeowners shoulder legal costs — Already paying twice to deal with a perceived flood threat in the Country Club neighborhood, thousands of hard-luck property owners must now also pay to fend off two lawsuits that could delay the proposed fix. Stockton Record article 

Health/Human Services 

Hospitals treating more dog-bite victims in Stanislaus County and state — The number of people who seek treatment for dog-bite injuries has increased substantially in Stanislaus County, following a statewide trend. Hospital emergency departments in the county are dealing with 100 additional patients with dog bites each year compared with six years ago, according to state data. Modesto Bee article

Hype or help? Stem cell clinics offer unproven treatment for chronic pain, other ailments – For long-suffering patients such as Green, stem cells offer tantalizing hope. In the last few years, more than 570 stem cell clinics have popped up nationwide, advertising treatment for a range of maladies, from autism and Alzheimer’s to neuropathy and Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent UC Davis study. About 113 of those are operating in California. But do they really work? According to most stem cell experts and the federal government, there’s no way to know yet. Sacramento Bee article

3 children’s medicine recalled because of potentially lethal ingredient — Three brands of over-the-counter homeopathic children’s drugs, two bearing the CVS name, have been recalled over uncertainty about the amount of potentially poisonous belladonna. Miami Herald article in Fresno Bee

A buzz cut for her daughter: ‘We’re going to get through this together” – Jadyn Benavidez-Soza’s smile was all anyone in the Fresno barbershop cared about Friday morning as her mother’s long, dark hair fell to the floor. Jadyn, 11, who was struck by a car Nov. 3, had not been expected to survive head and other injuries after the accident, but Salvador and Annie Soza’s faith in their daughter’s recovery never wavered. Fresno Bee article

Transportation

New cargo carrier coming to Stockton airport – Earlier this month, airport officials announced Atlas Air had been issued a permit to fly into the transportation hub. The New York-based company has recently agreed to fly 20 aircraft for Internet retailer Amazon.com, which currently operates four flights a day out of Stockton with American Transport Services Group, Inc., of Wilmington, Ohio. Stockton Record article

With a wave of this card, you can soon board any area bus — Sacramento transit riders soon will be able to ride on nine bus systems around the region using a single plastic card for payment. The “Connect Card,” being soft-tested by volunteer riders on Sacramento Regional Transit, will make transit travel seamless in the five-county area by allowing bus and light-rail users to transfer from one city or county’s bus system to the next without having to deal with each agency’s ticketing protocols. Sacramento Bee article

Other areas

Valley Editorial Roundup

Fresno Bee – Thumbs up, thumbs down.