POLICY & POLITICS
“Lessons Learned from the Last Drought?”
Maddy Associates Speaker Series
Register now with code “MAWA1011” for the next Maddy Associate Speaker Series on TODAY from 12:00-1:00 PM featuring guest speakers Rachel Ehlers with the Legislative Analyst Office, Jeanine Jones with the Calif Dept. of Water Resources, Ellen Hanak with the Public Policy Institute of California, and Roger Isom with the Western Ag Processors Association.
Air Quality High Wind Advisory
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Strong northwesterly winds are expected late Sunday night and have the potential to cause blowing dust and elevated PM10 concentrations through Tuesday evening. The District recommends that residents in affected areas remain indoors with windows and doors closed.
See also:
● Strong winds, high gusts expected in Modesto bring warnings of trees, power, driving, dust Modesto Bee
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● When should Stanislaus County lift its COVID mask order? Other counties are waiting. Modesto Bee
● $500 to meet a COVID vaccine mandate. How many Stanislaus court employees got it? Modesto Bee
● COVID infections falling, but hospitalizations, deaths persist in Merced County Merced Sun Star
Modesto gets a second helping of Love this year as volunteers return to clean city
Modesto Bee
Volunteers spread out across the city for the second Love Modesto volunteer day this year, giving the area streets and trails an extra dose of care after a year when the pandemic delayed the annual event.
As new millennium began, plans for Merced College Los Banos campus took shape
Merced Sun Star
The big news near the opening of the third decade of the Los Banos Campus of Merced College was the opening in 1992 of a new childcare center in a new modular building.
Homelessness at record high in county
Turlock Journal
The Stanislaus Community System of Care released its 2021 Point-In-Time homeless count this week identifying 2,927 homeless persons in Stanislaus County, a record since homeless service providers began conducting the snapshot survey back in 2005.
Turlock parents join protest against student vaccine mandate
Turlock Journal
As California became the first state in the nation to announce that the COVID-19 vaccine will be added to the list of required school vaccinations, Turlock residents and hundreds of other parents took to the steps outside of the Stanislaus County Office of Education on Wednesday to protest the mandate.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● COVID fatalities surge in Fresno this week. Here’s the virus’ death toll to date Fresno Bee
Clovis school board meetings have been tense, but is the city anti-vax? Here’s the data
Fresno Bee
While some Clovis Unified parents have spoken out in favor of vaccine requirements and other COVID safety measures, the debate at Wednesday’s board meeting was dominated by residents urging the board to fight the new rule. But Fresno County COVID-19 vaccination data shows those voices don’t necessarily represent the majority of Clovis-area residents.
See also:
● Editorial: Loud Clovis parents are wrong about COVID vaccines. School board must put students first Fresno Bee
● The Elephant in the Room…Take a Guess! Clovis Roundup
Fresno Unified faces bus driver shortage
abc30
Fresno Unified needs more bus drivers behind the wheel. "It means many days we have to consolidate bus routes," said Chief Operating Officer Karin Temple, "Which means students arrive late to school or in the afternoon they have to wait longer than normal."
PG&E might cut power for thousands Monday. Here’s the plan for the Fresno County area
Fresno Bee
Pacific Gas & Electric announced a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff to around 44,000 customers in 32 counties starting Monday morning due to a weather system that could send dry, gusty offshore winds across the state, significantly increasing wildfire risk.
Visalia native Marie Wilcox, who saved the Wukchumni language, dies at 87
Visalia Times-Delta
Marie Wilcox, a Tulare County native who saved the Native American Wukchumni language by painstakingly creating a dictionary over 20 years, died Sept. 25.
Fagundes, lawyer request writ of action
Hanford Sentinel
Kings County District Attorney Keith Fagundes and his lawyers have submitted a writ of action demanding financial compensation for his legal representation and the cessation of interference in his office by the County.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
Bakersfield Californian
Allocated as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan act, the money is meant to spur recovery in cities that suffered economically during the coronavirus pandemic. But thanks to Measure N, or the Public Safety and Vital Services Measure, Bakersfield is exiting the pandemic in a relatively strong financial position.
State Sen. Grove's recreational trailers licensing legislation signed by Newsom
Bakersfield Californian
State Sen. Shannon Grove's legislation to consolidate most recreational trailers under Class C driver's licenses was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the senator's office announced.
State gets federal ultimatum over oilfield injection problems
Bakersfield Californian
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued an ultimatum to California oil and water agencies that have fallen years behind schedule in their efforts to bring the state's oilfield injection program into compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
State:
COVID Update:
● In California, inconsistent school COVID rules are the norm Sacramento Bee
● One loophole remains in student COVID-19 vaccination mandate San Francisco Chronicle
● How California’s unvaccinated COVID patients are making health care worse for everyone Fresno Bee
● These charts show the incredibly stark difference in COVID-19 death rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated in California San Francisco Chronicle
● California's COVID cases are lower than in other states that are more vaccinated. Why? San Francisco Chronicle
Many Latino Californians waited to get a COVID vaccine. Why they’re rolling up their sleeves
Fresno Bee
Vaccination rates among Latino Californians still lag other ethnic groups. The delta variant, however, motivated many Latino Californians to get the shots. Data from the California Department of Public Health show 59.9% of vaccine-eligible Latinos in the state are fully or partially vaccinated against the virus.
Gavin Newsom signs law to limit protests at California COVID-19 vaccine clinics
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Friday that makes it a misdemeanor in California for protesters to physically interfere with vaccination efforts or harass and intimidate those attending clinics administering shots, including COVID-19 vaccines.
See also:
● Protests restricted at California vaccination sites under bill signed by Newsom San Francisco Chronicle
Here are 6 impactful new California laws Gavin Newsom signed over the weekend
San Francisco Chronicle
From banning gas-powered leaf blowers to requiring gender-neutral children’s sections in large stores, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on a host of new California laws over the weekend.
See also:
● Newsom’s call now: California Legislature passes top 21 bills of ’21 CalMatters
Gavin Newsom signs law giving journalists unrestricted access to protests closed by police
Sacramento Bee
The new law, Senate Bill 98, requires that journalists be given unfettered access to closed-off protests, and prohibits law enforcement officers from assaulting, interfering or obstructing journalists from covering such events.
See also:
● California protects reporters covering protests with new law San Francisco Chronicle
● California protects reporters covering protests with new law Mercury News
California extends cocktails-to-go and outdoor dining rules
Sacramento Bee
California moved Friday to extend the sale of cocktails-to-go and keep alcohol service for outdoor dining at parklets as officials try to help restaurants recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
See also:
● Takeout cocktails? Gavin Newsom signs law extending sales of ‘to go’ alcoholic beverages Sacramento Bee
● California is officially keeping to-go cocktails and drinking in restaurant parklets San Francisco Chronicle
Big change to Calif hair salons: New law eases training requirements for stylists
Sacramento Bee
California’s beauty industry is bracing for a big change after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that significantly cuts the number of hours of training required to be a barber or cosmetologist.
Newsom signs bill allowing victims of workplace harassment to speak up
San Francisco Chronicle
Until now in California, victims of workplace harassment or discrimination could be silenced from speaking out about their experiences if they signed a nondisclosure agreement with a company.
California first to let kids add parents to insurance plans
Sacramento Bee
California is the first state to let some adult children add their parents as dependents on their insurance plans, a move advocates hope will cover the small population of people living in the country illegally who don't qualify for other assistance programs.
California extends tax on phones to fund high-speed internet
Sacramento Bee
Californians could have higher cellphone bills after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws on Friday aimed at giving the state more money to build high-speed internet connections in unserved areas.
California law to eventually ban gas-powered lawn equipment
Sacramento Bee
California will soon ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers, a move aimed at curbing emissions from a category of small engines on pace to produce more pollution each year than passenger vehicles.
See also:
● Gavin Newsom signs law banning sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers by 2024 Sacramento Bee
● California moves toward ban on gas lawn mowers and leaf blowers Los Angeles Times
California governor rejects decriminalizing jaywalking
Sacramento Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected an effort to decriminalize jaywalking, despite supporters framing the issue as a social justice reform.
See also:
● Newsom vetoes bills to decriminalize jaywalking, allow cyclists to avoid stops San Francisco Chronicle
Criminal justice reform panel scores legislative wins
CalMatters
An obscure committee examining California’s penal code saw more than half its recommendations go to the governor. Gov. Newsom signed all the bills.
Newsom vetoes bill giving California prisoners a right to visitation
San Francisco Chronicle
Legislation to give prisoners in California a legal right to visits from family and friends, and limit state officials’ authority to restrict visitation, was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said the bill went too far.
California adds ‘ghost guns’ to violence prevention orders
Sacramento Bee
California is adding a secretive but growing class of weapons to those that can legally be seized under gun violence restraining orders, under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Friday.
Newsom signs law aimed at cracking down on illegal street racing and ‘sideshows’
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a law aimed at cracking down on illegal street racing and so-called “sideshows” by adding a driver’s license suspension for up to six months to the punishment for convicted offenders.
A tale of two states: Contrasting economic policy in California and Texas
Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
California and Texas are the most populous states in the U.S., with more than one in five Americans living in either the Golden or Lone Star states. In recent years, they have been on different trajectories, with Texas one of the fastest growing states in the country and California growing more slowly than the national average.
Editorial: California is on the verge of flushing six years of housing progress down the toilet
San Francisco Chronicle
For a brief and shining moment last month, it appeared as if California was finally ready to do the tough and politically charged work of tackling its housing crisis. Gov. Newsom, in the immediate aftermath of his recall victory, signed a suite of controversial housing bills.
California makes ethnic studies a high school requirement
Hanford Sentinel
Along with English, science, math and other graduation requirements, California high school students will have to take a course in ethnic studies to get a diploma starting in 2029-30.
See also:
● Ethnic studies becomes graduation requirement for California students Bakersfield Californian
● California makes ethnic studies a high school requirement Sacramento Bee
● Newsom signs bill to require ethnic studies for California high school students San Francisco Chronicle
● California makes ethnic studies a high school requirement AP News
California requires menstrual products in public schools
Sacramento Bee
California public schools and colleges must stock their restrooms with free menstrual products under a bill signed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The move comes as women’s rights advocates push nationwide for affordable access to pads, tampons and other items.
See also:
● California requires menstrual products in public schools AP News
Big California retailers must offer gender-neutral children’s aisles under new law
Sacramento Bee
The new law, Assembly Bill 1084, requires that retailers with 500 or more employees in the state of California “maintain a gender neutral section or area, to be labeled at the discretion of the retailer.
See also:
● California law requires some stores to display toys, other products in gender-neutral ways abc30
● California law requires gender-neutral area in some stores AP News
New state law makes it illegal to remove a condom without consent
Los Angeles Times
California became the first state to prohibit “stealthing,” or removing a condom without permission during sex, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Thursday.
California one of 19 states challenging US Postal Service overseer over slower mail delivery
Sacramento Bee
California, 18 other states and the District of Columbia filed a legal complaint to the commission that oversees the United States Postal Service over the process that allowed mail delivery slowdowns as part of the organization’s operational overhaul.
See also:
● Postal Service slowing mail to save money. Critics say it's a death spiral VPR
Sacramento Bee
We were suffering in a pandemic. Newsom was living his best life. Good for him, but what about the rest of us? While still accounting for about 15% of the U.S. economy and the national leader in job creation, the Golden State isn’t so shiny anymore.
Walters: Oil spill increases pressure on Newsom
CalMatters
As if California needed another calamity, a pipeline bringing oil into Southern California from an offshore drilling platform ruptured this month, causing an ecological disaster on Orange County beaches and lagoons.
California Courts Newsroom
The Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) invites public comment on a draft formal opinion advising judges on ethical considerations when providing feedback to attorneys on their courtroom performance.
California Citizens Redistricting Commission: Outreach Zones
California Citizens Redistricting Commission
View a map of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission “Outreach Zones” and their respective commissioners. Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare are Zone F and fall under Commissioners Turner and Vasquez.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● COVID and the holidays: Is it finally safe to gather for Thanksgiving? Mercury News
● The Latest: Fauci says fine to trick-or-treat this year Mercury News
● Fauci says fine to trick-or-treat this year Los Angeles Times
● As Covid trends down, Fauci warns not to 'declare victory' Politico
● Where Biden’s vaccine mandate will hit and miss Politico
● 10 facts about Americans and coronavirus vaccines Pew Research Center
● Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates Are Working—Here’s The Proof Forbes
● COVID deaths leave thousands of U.S. kids grieving parents or primary caregivers NPR
Democrats likely to throw billions in tax hikes overboard as spending plans shrink
Politico
Democrats will likely drop hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed tax increases on the rich as they scramble to shrink the size of their “reconciliation” package.
See also:
● Is the Income-Tax Rate on the Rich 8%, or 23%? Depends on Whose Math You Use Wall Street Journal
● Bernie Sanders Expresses Frustration With Centrists in Spending Talks Wall Street Journal
● President Schumer or President Manchin? Politico
● Sanders blames centrist opposition on drug industry donations Politico
● Dems fear Sinema's still not there on a prescription drug plan Politico
● Medicare Drug-Pricing Debate Pits Savings Against Innovation Wall Street Journal
Yellen sees Democratic leaders averting a debt ceiling crisis
Politico
Failure to raise the debt ceiling would likely lead to a recession, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Sunday, but she's confident that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer can avert that.
See also:
● The debt drama that masked a brutal power struggle: Schumer vs. McConnell Politico
Justice Department Makes Quiet Push on Antitrust Enforcement
Wall Street Journal
The Justice Department has been quietly ramping up antitrust enforcement under the Biden administration, despite not having a politically confirmed official to serve as antitrust chief.
White House proposes tech “bill of rights” to limit AI harms
Business Journal
The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy on Friday launched a fact-finding mission to look at facial recognition and other biometric tools used to identify people or assess their emotional or mental states and character.
See also:
· Opinion: Senate hearing opens the door to individual lawsuits in privacy legislation Brookings
Biden becomes first president to commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Washington Post
The White House issued two separate statements for Monday’s events. Biden’s recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a reversal from his predecessor: former president Donald Trump railed against “radical activists” trying to sully Christopher Columbus’s legacy.
See also:
● Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day: What to Know Wall Street Journal
Pew Research Center
Two-thirds of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they would like to see former President Donald Trump continue to be a major political figure for many years to come, including 44% who say they would like him to run for president in 2024.
See also:
● The Jan. 6 Investigation Is Ramping Up. Will It Matter? Lawfare
Brookings
In recent weeks, carbon pricing has entered the reconciliation debate as high-profile officials including Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have publicly supported the policy.
Other:
Editorial: Facebook has no one to blame but itself for latest scandal
Mercury News
Frances Haugen’s release of internal Facebook documents and appearance before a Senate subcommittee would have never happened if the social media giant regulated itself and was more transparent about its inner workings.
See also:
● They said it: Social media’s ‘Big Tobacco’ moment? Mercury News
● Like whistleblower Frances Haugen, these Facebook employees warned about the company’s problems for years. No one listened. Washington Post
● For Facebook, A Week Of Upheaval Unlike Any Other NPR
● Facebook exec offers a plan, Klobuchar wants 'action' Politico
● Opinion: Congress has a chance to take bipartisan action on Facebook. Don’t let it slip away Los Angeles Times
● Opinion: Facebook Needs to Empower Parents, Not Censor Political Speech Wall Street Journal
Snapchat is adding a feature to help young users run for political office
NPR
Young people in the U.S. made history in the 2020 elections, voting at a record high rate. And now the technology company behind a popular social media app is hoping to help some of those young voters become political candidates in their own right.
How many people of color did the 2020 census miss? COVID makes it harder to tell
NPR
The U.S. Census Bureau is extending a final round of door knocking into early 2022 for a key survey that is expected to help determine the accuracy of last year's national head count, NPR has learned.
See also:
● ‘We’re talking about a big, powerful phenomenon’: Multiracial Americans drive change Washington Post
Opinion: Will you fall into the conspiracy theory rabbit hole? Take our quiz and find out.
Washington Post
Who believes in conspiracy theories? Statistically speaking: almost everyone. A team of researchers recently showed several thousand Americans a list of 20 common conspiracy theories and asked if they believed them.
Opinion: How dumb can a nation get and still survive?
Washington Post
How did we become so dumb? Why is the news dominated by controversies that should not be controversial at all? When did so many of our fellow citizens become full-blown nihilists who deny the concept of objective reality? And how must this look to the rest of the world?
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, October 10, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "The Road Ahead for Zero-Emision Vehicles in CA" - Guest: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, October 10, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Climate Change and Electric Vehicles:
Public Action and Private Markets"- Guests: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10 & State Senator Fran Pavley. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
As drought worsens, California farmers are being paid not to grow crops
Los Angeles Times
Growers in the Palo Verde Irrigation District are taking part in a new $38-million program funded by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other water agencies in Arizona and Nevada.
Here’s why your food prices keep going up
Washington Post
Expect to see higher prices in the last quarter of this year in a number of grocery categories. After that, some relief is likely, experts say.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
California governor rejects decriminalizing jaywalking
Sacramento Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected an effort to decriminalize jaywalking, despite supporters framing the issue as a social justice reform.
See also:
● Newsom vetoes bills to decriminalize jaywalking, allow cyclists to avoid stops San Francisco Chronicle
● California governor rejects decriminalizing jaywalking AP News
Newsom vetoes bill giving California prisoners a right to visitation
San Francisco Chronicle
Legislation to give prisoners in California a legal right to visits from family and friends, and limit state officials’ authority to restrict visitation, was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said the bill went too far.
California adds ‘ghost guns’ to violence prevention orders
Sacramento Bee
California is adding a secretive but growing class of weapons to those that can legally be seized under gun violence restraining orders, under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Friday.
Gavin Newsom signs law aimed at cracking down on illegal street racing and ‘sideshows’
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a law aimed at cracking down on illegal street racing and so-called “sideshows” by adding a driver’s license suspension for up to six months to the punishment for convicted offenders.
Washington Post
A chain of recent, devastating hacks is exposing some of the Internet’s most fiercely guarded secrets, stepping up a guerrilla struggle between tech firms and anonymous hackers and raising fears that everyday Internet users could get caught in the crossfire.
Recent State Crime Trends Mostly Mirror the Nation
Public Policy Institute of California
Newly released national crime numbers from the FBI show that, amid an unprecedented worldwide pandemic, trends in California’s crime rate last year mostly mirrored national trends—with some key differences.
Public Safety:
Gavin Newsom signs law giving journalists unrestricted access to protests closed by police
Sacramento Bee
The new law, Senate Bill 98, requires that journalists be given unfettered access to closed-off protests, and prohibits law enforcement officers from assaulting, interfering or obstructing journalists from covering such events.
See also:
● California protects reporters covering protests with new law San Francisco Chronicle
● California protects reporters covering protests with new law Mercury News
A Year After ‘Defund,’ Police Departments Get Their Money Back
New York Times
In cities across America, police departments are getting their money back. Departments that saw their funding targeted amid nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd last year have watched as local leaders voted for increases in police spending.
National Affairs
A surge in violent crime in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 has once again brought the issue to the forefront of public concern. America's largest cities experienced a one-third increase in murders in 2020, according to a national survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
Fire:
Warszawski: KNP Complex Fire burns giant sequoias in Redwood Mountain Grove. It’s shocking and sad
Fresno Bee
Redwood Mountain Grove, which sits practically in Fresno’s backyard, is often described as the world’s largest intact grove of giant sequoias. The word “intact” implies giant sequoias that our shortsighted forebears didn’t chop down for reasons of vanity, curiosity or simply to build long-lasting fence posts.
See also:
● Hundreds of giant sequoia trees may have burned in California’s KNP, Windy wildfires Fresno Bee
● Some evacuation orders lifted in Tulare County as KNP Complex Fire containment grows abc30
● KNP Complex Fire burns down, continues to threaten radio station transmitters Business Journal
● Work continues to contain California’s KNP Complex Fire Sacramento Bee
● ‘Running out of options’: Fight to protect giant sequoias has gotten experimental Los Angeles Times
● Hundreds of giant sequoias may have been killed in California fires, park officials say Washington Post
Impact of forest thinning on wildfires creates divisions
Business Journal
Firefighters and numerous studies credit intensive forest thinning projects with helping save communities like those recently threatened near Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, but dissent from some environmental advocacy groups is roiling the scientific community.
Inside PG&E, executives race to get ahead of unending wildfire risk and put power lines underground
San Francisco Chronicle
PG&E Corp. leaders gather each week in the middle of a nondescript San Ramon office complex to talk about the company’s most pressing problem: wildfires.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
How much do wildfires really cost California’s economy?
CalMatters
A preliminary estimate shows that the Caldor Fire cost tens of millions in lost economic activity. Wildfires, and the economic disruption they cause, have a large economic impact. But right now, California has a mostly incomplete picture of how much fires cost the state each year.
Top 1% of U.S. Earners Now Hold More Wealth Than All of the Middle Class
Bloomberg
The middle 60% of U.S. households by income saw their combined assets drop to 26.6% of national wealth as of June, the lowest in Federal Reserve data going back three decades. For the first time, the super rich had a bigger share, at 27%.
Biggest U.S. Retailers Charter Private Cargo Ships to Sail Around Port Delays
Wall Street Journal
Global supply-chain delays are so severe that some of the biggest U.S. retailers have resorted to an extreme—and expensive—tactic to try to stock shelves this holiday season: They are chartering their own cargo ships to import goods.
Opinion: How to prevent a winner-take-most outcome for the U.S. AI economy
Brookings
Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform local economies. Hype and fear notwithstanding, many experts forecast various forms of AI to become the source of substantial economic growth and whole new industries.
Jobs:
California low-wage workers no longer have COVID paid sick leave. What happens next?
Sacramento Bee
A California law that provided employees with extended paid time off during the pandemic has expired. That could leave the Central Valley’s low-income workers, including those who are employed by the region’s agricultural industry, in a vulnerable position.
See also:
● California economy, workers lose billions as unemployment payments shrink. Does it matter? Sacramento Bee
Newsom signs bill allowing victims of workplace harassment to speak up
San Francisco Chronicle
Until now in California, victims of workplace harassment or discrimination could be silenced from speaking out about their experiences if they signed a nondisclosure agreement with a company.
Home or office? New telework policy gives eligible California state workers a choice
Sacramento Bee
The California state department charged with overseeing telework published a final telework policy this week, laying down a long-awaited milestone in state government’s transition to offering remote work permanently.
See also:
● Remote Workers Can Live Anywhere. These Cities (and Small Towns) Are Luring Them With Perks. Wall Street Journal
Delta variant and worker shortage keep a lid on job growth
Fresno Bee
U.S. employers added just 194,000 jobs in September, a second straight tepid gain and evidence that the pandemic has kept its grip on the economy, with many companies struggling to fill millions of open jobs.
See also:
● Weak September jobs report underscores Fed’s misdiagnosis of delta variant’s toll on the economy Washington Post
● America’s unemployed are sending a message: They’ll go back to work when they feel safe – and well-compensated Washington Post
● August's jobs numbers were bad. September was even worse, but there's room for hope VPR
● Despite U.S. Employment Gains, Many Women Remain on Labor-Market Sideline Wall Street Journal
● Editorial: Where Did All the Workers Go? Wall Street Journal
Hollywood crew workers are poised to strike. What’s behind the labor unrest
Los Angeles Times
The union is seeking improved pay, especially for streaming productions; more rest periods to reduce long hours of filming; and higher contributions to the union’s health and pension plans.
Huge strike at four Kellogg's cereal plants over 'death of 1,000 cuts'
The Hill
Kellogg’s union contract workers are upset across four U.S. plants after their expiration. Kellogg’s wants to discontinue workers’ pensions to new employees, remove cost of living provisions and make changes in holiday pay and vacations.
Opinion: Eliminate inequities in family leave policies
CalMatters
With paid family leave on the agenda in D.C., we have an opportunity to ensure California’s experience informs a better federal policy.
EDUCATION
K-12:
The Elephant in the Room…Take a Guess!
Clovis Roundup
Tension and a want for answers was felt at the latest public session meeting for Clovis Unified held on October 6th with the biggest elephant in the room. Parents were not happy with the mandate for students to be vaccinated and they made sure to show it.
See also:
● Clovis school board meetings have been tense, but is the city anti-vax? Here’s the data Fresno Bee
● Editorial: Loud Clovis parents are wrong about COVID vaccines. School board must put students first Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified faces bus driver shortage
abc30
Fresno Unified needs more bus drivers behind the wheel. "It means many days we have to consolidate bus routes," said Chief Operating Officer Karin Temple, "Which means students arrive late to school or in the afternoon they have to wait longer than normal."
California makes ethnic studies a high school requirement
Hanford Sentinel
Along with English, science, math and other graduation requirements, California high school students will have to take a course in ethnic studies to get a diploma starting in 2029-30.
See also:
● Ethnic studies becomes graduation requirement for California students Bakersfield Californian
● California makes ethnic studies a high school requirement Sacramento Bee
● Ethnic studies becomes graduation requirement for California students CalMatters
● California makes ethnic studies a high school requirement AP News
● California becomes first state to require ethnic studies for high school graduation Los Angeles Times
California requires menstrual products in public schools
Sacramento Bee
California public schools and colleges must stock their restrooms with free menstrual products under a bill signed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The move comes as women’s rights advocates push nationwide for affordable access to pads, tampons and other items.
POLITICO-Harvard poll: Most Americans support vaccine mandates for schoolkids
Politico
A majority of Americans now support requiring public school students aged 12 or older to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before they can attend classes in person, according to a survey that shows lingering divisions along partisan, racial and ethnic lines.
When Monitoring Academic Progress Actually Prevents It
Forbes
In theory, progress monitoring makes sense. In practice, it can end up holding students back. The effects depend largely on what’s being tested—or what educators think is being tested—and what action they take based on the results.
The Hot New Back-to-School Accessory? An Air Quality Monitor.
New York Times
Parents are taking matters into their own hands, sneaking in the monitors — which can cost a hundred dollars or more — in their children’s backpacks or pants pockets.
Higher Ed:
As new millennium began, plans for Merced College Los Banos campus took shape
Merced Sun Star
The big news near the opening of the third decade of the Los Banos Campus of Merced College was the opening in 1992 of a new childcare center in a new modular building.
BC enrollment takes another dip
Bakersfield Californian
This semester's headcount is at about 23,000 students, according to the vice president of instruction. That's down about 5 percent from 24,674 last fall when all classes were remote, and it's down even further from 26,056, the last prepandemic fall semester of 2019.
CSUB rebranding campaign projects shining optimism
Bakersfield Californian
Kern's rebranding wave has brought new symbolism to Cal State Bakersfield with a fresh seal and a first official logo that together build on a growing vision of the county as a land of opportunity and new beginnings.
More California colleges remove SAT, ACT requirements during application process
San Diego Union Tribune
Nearly 130 colleges and universities in California do not require students applying for the Fall 2022 semester to release their ACT or SAT scores, according to updated data from the National Center for Fair & Open Testing.
Opinion: The male college crisis is not just in enrollment, but completion
Brookings
Enrollment rates over the past decade are declining, a change almost entirely driven by men. Women are now much more likely to enroll in college than men, and the gender gap widened significantly in 2020.
The Democrats’ Privileged College-Kid Problem
Politico
On college campuses around the country, a flourishing ecosystem of student-run organizations ensures that the quad-to-campaign pipelines continue to pump out a steady flow of enthusiastic young party staffers.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Century-old weather records in the SJV are sometimes suspect, and sometimes erased
Bakersfield Californian
Some very old temperature records in the San Joaquin Valley that have stood for more than a century have recently been stricken from the record books. It’s exceedingly rare, but it occasionally happens here and elsewhere, said meteorologists at the National Weather Service's Hanford station.
U.C. Merced professor on how climate change alters wildfire behavior
VPR
For the first time in recorded history, wildfires breached the peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains this year - terrain long considered to be well equipped to fend off encroaching fires.
Walters: Oil spill increases pressure on Newsom
CalMatters
As if California needed another calamity, a pipeline bringing oil into Southern California from an offshore drilling platform ruptured this month, causing an ecological disaster on Orange County beaches and lagoons.
See also:
● Pipeline company evades questions over a 15-hour gap before reporting oil spill Los Angeles Times
● Months Before Oil Spill, Pipeline May Have Taken Quiet Damage New York Times
● The latest on the oil spill: A ship may have caused the pipeline damage weeks earlier
CalMatters
● California Politics: The oil won’t come out easy Los Angeles Times
● California’s offshore oil rigs are decades old, and industry resists decommissioning them Los Angeles Times
The climate crisis is spawning weird ideas to fix it. They might be all we have.
Washington Post
We are losing, the effects of global warming are becoming ever-more glaring, and we are desperately groping for solutions, including far-fetched schemes that we might have avoided or dismissed in the past.
Opinion: Two goals for California at the global climate conference
CalMatters
We have to remember that our goal is not just to reduce our own emissions here in California, but to catalyze a global effort.
Energy:
Hydropower decline adds strain to power grids in drought
Sacramento Bee
After water levels at a California dam fell to historic lows this summer, the main hydropower plant it feeds was shut down. At the Hoover Dam in Nevada — one of the country’s biggest hydropower generators — production is down by 25%.
See also:
● Opinion: Clear the air of diesel generators that power California’s shadow grid CalMatters
Despite spills and air pollution, fossil fuel companies award CEOs for environmental records
Washington Post
Many of the largest fossil fuel companies reward top executives for meeting environmental goals, a compensation tactic they adopted over the past two decades as a response to regulators and investors concerned with pollution and worker safety.
Soaring Energy Prices Raise Concerns About U.S. Inflation, Economy
Wall Street Journal
Higher energy prices could push up inflation in coming months, damp consumer spending on other products and services, and ultimately slow the U.S. recovery, economists say.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
A decade of data links rising wildfire smoke exposure to poor health outcomes
VPR
Dangerous Air, an investigation by NPR's California Newsroom into the rise of western wildfire smoke and the extent it harms health, is based on more than a decade's worth of data.
See also:
● Wildfire smoke poses serious health hazard. But your indoor air can be kept clean. Washington Post
COVID-19 vaccines and testing: A timeline of what’s next
Mercury News
Statewide, 71% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated. This population-wide protection is expected to climb still higher once children are eligible to get shots. Here’s a look at what the months ahead will bring.
See also:
● Fully Vaccinated and Had Covid-19? No Rush for a Booster Shot, Experts Say Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: Herd immunity is almost here. But what does that mean? Washington Post
● Opinion: Here’s what it will take to end the covid-19 pandemic Washington Post
COVID deaths leave thousands of U.S. kids grieving parents or primary caregivers
NPR
Of all the sad statistics the U.S. has dealt with this past year and a half, here is a particularly difficult one: A new study estimates that more than 140,000 children in the U.S. have lost a parent or a grandparent caregiver to COVID-19.
Merck Asks FDA to Authorize Promising Covid-19 Pill
Wall Street Journal
Merck & Co. and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP said Monday they have filed an application asking U.S. health regulators to authorize their Covid-19 pill, the next step toward adding a long-sought drug for use at home.
What is ivermectin, and how did people get the idea it can treat covid?
Washington Post
The idyllic photo of a chestnut horse appeared on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Instagram feed in August, along with a blunt caption: “You are not a horse. Stop it with the #Ivermectin. It’s not authorized for treating #COVID.”
Opinion: Unlearned AIDS Lessons for COVID
Wall Street Journal
When AIDS spread among gay men and intravenous drug users four decades ago, it became conventional wisdom that the plague would soon devastate the rest of the American population.
Human Services:
Hospitals brace for an onslaught this winter, from flu as well as COVID
VPR
With a second pandemic winter approaching, there are promising signs that the worst of the delta surge has run its course, but in America's hospitals — already short-staffed and backlogged from the summer torrent of COVID-19 — the relief may be only short-lived.
See also:
● US health experts urge flu shots to avoid ‘twindemic’ Fresno Bee
California governor vetoes bill to pay people to stay sober
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom has rejected a bill that would have made California the first state to pay people to stay sober. But just because Newsom vetoed the bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener on Friday does not mean the drug treatment program won't happen in California.
The ACA didn't solve birth control access
Axios
In many cases, the newest contraceptives on the market are not covered — even when they are recommended by the patient's doctor — because an insurer's formulary calls for an older version of the same method.
Opinion: How to turn raw health data into real transformation for Medi-Cal
CalMatters
This is the time for Medi-Cal to build the data foundation for population health to proactively help people stay well.
IMMIGRATION
California senator insists immigration reform still possible despite budget setback
Sacramento Bee
One of Congress’ fiercest advocates for immigration reform says protections for undocumented people will be included in a sweeping year-end budget bill despite a decision from a Senate official who found the proposals don’t belong in the spending package.
Opinion: How to Stem Illegal Migration Flows
Wall Street Journal
One thing made clear by the onslaught of Haitian migrants hitting the U.S. southern border in recent months is that the American dream is alive and well—around the world
LAND USE/HOUSING
Affordability drops as Bakersfield rent prices soar
Bakersfield Californian
The vaunted affordability of Bakersfield's rental housing is fading fast. Apartment rents in the city rose about as fast in the first three quarters of this year as they did in all of 2019, according to a new survey by Bakersfield's ASU Commercial.
Did you get an eviction notice in California? Don’t leave yet. Follow these steps
Sacramento Bee
If you didn’t pay October rent or you’re worried you may miss upcoming rent payments, The Sacramento Bee talked to experts about how to avoid eviction. First, don’t panic. Here’s what to do instead.
Millennials Team Up to Fulfill the Dream of Homeownership
Wall Street Journal
For millennials, homeownership can feel more like a fantasy than an achievable goal. So, some first-time home buyers are taking a more creative route to make it happen—by pooling their finances with partners, friends or roommates.
New York Times
The suburban dream that Ms. Coats’s family bought into has become the American housing system. Reforming it is key to any number of existential problems, including reducing segregation and wealth inequality or combating sprawl and climate change.
Editorial: California is on the verge of flushing six years of housing progress down the toilet
San Francisco Chronicle
For a brief and shining moment last month, it appeared as if California was finally ready to do the tough and politically charged work of tackling its housing crisis. Gov. Newsom, in the immediate aftermath of his recall victory, signed a suite of controversial housing bills.
PUBLIC FINANCES
‘It’s like having another job’ - poverty assistance programs complicated to navigate during pandemic
VPR
Rain Chamberlain, who identifies with the pronoun they/them, lives in a small stucco home in Fresno with their child and a roommate. Chamberlain’s workspace is tucked into a corner of the living room.
California extends tax on phones to fund high-speed internet
Sacramento Bee
Californians could have higher cellphone bills after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws on Friday aimed at giving the state more money to build high-speed internet connections in unserved areas.
CalFresh benefits increase for the first time in nearly 50 years
Public CEO
For the first time in more than four decades, recipients of a federal nutrition program will see a noticeable jump in food benefits, coming just as pandemic-related assistance starts to wind down for many families.
TRANSPORTATION
Heads up, California drivers: Your insurer may owe you even more in pandemic refunds
Los Angeles Times
California’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, determined earlier this year that vehicle insurers had shortchanged policyholders to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars when it came to refunding premiums because of the pandemic.
Cost overruns hit California bullet train again amid a new financial crunch
Los Angeles Times
The California bullet train is facing at least another billion dollars of proposed cost increases from its contractors, following a history of sharp cost growth on construction work over the last eight years, The Times has learned.
Opinion: Investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a win for our climate, US workers
The Hill
Transportation is the most-polluting sector of the American economy. Inefficient gas-powered cars and trucks release pollutants into the air. Fortunately, this pollution problem can be solved by electrifying the transportation sector.
WATER
Editorial: How the deal to stop draining Mono Lake can help settle California’s future water wars
Los Angeles Times
A landmark 2013 settlement agreement left for later the all-important details on how Los Angeles was to restore four streams that flow down the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada to feed the endangered hyper-saline and alkaline lake, known for its strange-looking tufa towers.
“Xtra”
Old Town Clovis October Events!
Old Town Clovis
Here in Old Town Clovis, we love the fall season! Cooler weather, crunchy leaves, smells of cinnamon and pumpkin spice in the air! We've got tons of events planned to kick off the fall season! Here's everything you need to know!
Merced Multicultural Arts Center
Join the Merced County Arts Council for Dia de los Muertos arts activities for kids, Dia de los Muertos art exhibition, “Lagrimas de Amor,” and Dragaret this October!
Fishers rejoice. California will now offer year-round 365-day fishing licenses
Sacramento Bee
California will now issue 365-day fishing licenses, under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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