POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Oct. 12: Stanislaus adds 1 death since Friday. Hospital cases dip Modesto Bee
Modesto City Schools, teachers union set new quarantine learning plan. What’s included?
Modesto Bee
“We appreciate the collaborative relationship with MCS leadership that allowed us to reach this agreement,” Modesto Teachers Association President Doug Burton said in a statement.
Need help paying for medications? Program supports Stanislaus, Merced communities
Modesto Bee
Residents of Stanislaus and Merced counties can apply for financial assistance to afford prescription medications through the RxRelief program Turlock-based nonprofits started this month.
Modesto responds to state auditor rating it high risk for financial distress
Modesto Bee
One way to look at the California State Auditor ranking Modesto among the dozen California cities at high risk for financial distress is to think of the city as a person who is living paycheck to paycheck.
Part of Highway 99 in Modesto was supposed to close at night this week. There’s a new plan
Modesto Bee
The contractor on the new Highway 132 segment has postponed the overnight closures planned this week on Highway 99.
Wind brings down Modesto-area trees but leaves power mostly on. What’s ahead?
Modesto Bee
Strong winds and higher gusts messed with Modesto and surrounding areas Monday but did not bring widespread power outages.
Central SJ Valley:
High winds topple trees in Fresno area, snarling traffic and canceling fair’s horse racing
Fresno Bee
A low-pressure weather system moving into the central San Joaquin Valley prompted officials with the National Weather Service in Hanford to issue a wind advisory and a Red Flag Warning on Monday.
See also:
● Thousands without power throughout Fresno as high winds continue to cause problems Fresno Bee
● High winds prompt PG&E to shut power to 25,000 in California Business Journal
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.
Fresno schools spent a lot of money investigating one elected trustee. Here’s how much
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified school board member Terry Slatic has cost the district more than $250,000 in attorneys fees and related investigation in less than three years, according to a copy of a resolution seeking to discipline the controversial trustee.
Where is Fresno’s Latino population growing the fastest?
Fresno Bee
Between 2010 and 2020, the proportion of Hispanic residents shrank in some of the areas that had the highest concentrations a decade ago, while the percentages soared in fast-growing parts of the county where Latinos represented a smaller share of the overall population.
Who will lead Fresno-area community colleges? How residents can question the finalists
Fresno Bee
State Center Community College District has whittled down its candidates for chancellor and is inviting the public to learn more about the three finalists through a virtual forum in late October, district officials said Monday.
See also:
· Fresno-area colleges expected big COVID budget cuts. Some leaders just got a raise Fresno Bee
Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds of flights Monday. Here’s impact at Fresno airport
Fresno Bee
After a weekend of major service interruptions, Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds more flights on Monday, including two at Fresno Yosemite International.
A Fresno tortilla chip factory burned. Here’s what it means for the global business
Fresno Bee
La Tapatia Tortilleria’s chip-making operation was destroyed by fire Sunday morning at the company’s property at Belmont Avenue and H Street. The rest of the property, which includes several other buildings and the tortilla-making line, did not burn.
Family calls for West Nile awareness after father's death
Hanford Sentinel
A man from Lemoore is grieving the loss of his father after a fatal bout with the West Nile virus, and is urging everyone to be cautious about mosquitoes and the potential threats they pose.
Tulare County prosecutors help draft revenge porn legislation, extending statute of limitations
Visalia Times-Delta
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 23, which was inspired by a 2019 Tulare County criminal case. The bill was authored by Senator Susan Rubio and co-sponsored by the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office and the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA).
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Kern County Public Health opens new vaccine clinic at fairgrounds Bakersfield Californian
High winds kick up dust in Kern County
Bakersfield Californian
The lack of precipitation in the Valley, dry soil and high winds created the conditions for a dust storm Monday, according to Heinks. When the winds began to stir Monday morning, the district updated its advisory to an alert that will last until 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Oil trade group sues state over fracking permit denials
Bakersfield Californian
A leading oil-industry trade group has taken aim at Gov. Gavin Newsom's de-facto fracking ban with a lawsuit in Kern County Superior Court that mirrors accusations county government made in a complaint filed a month ago.
'Their lives will be forever changed': New transitional home opens for women, children
Bakersfield Californian
Hill graduated from the Recovery Home and will move into The Mission at Kern County’s Lee & Krystyna Jamieson Transitional Home for Women and Children, which had its ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning.
State:
COVID Update:
● California coronavirus death count tops 70,000 as cases fall AP News
770 new laws coming to California
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 770 new California laws and vetoed 66. Here’s a look at what’s coming in the Golden State.
See also:
● 770 new laws are coming to California. What you need to know about the top bills of ’21 Visalia Times Delta
● Ethnic studies becomes graduation requirement for California students CalMatters
● Bills Implementing Little Hoover Commission Recommendations Signed by Governor Newsom Little Hoover Commission
● Newsom’s call: Governor’s final say on the top 21 bills of ’21 CalMatters
● Walters: Newsom, Legislature push the state leftward CalMatters
Newsom’s vetoes: Why did the governor block California bills?
CalMatters
Gov. Newsom had his reasons for blocking California bills passed by the Legislature: cost, duplication and some politics. Overall, he signed 770 bills into law and vetoed 66, or about 8%.
See also:
● Why would Newsom veto a popular bill to help farm workers organize? His business interests Sacramento Bee
Cal Grant expansion: Newsom vetoes game-changer bill for 150,000 college students
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a huge expansion of the Cal Grant, the state’s main financial aid tool. It would have topped off a banner year for legislators who for years sought to reduce the cost of college.
See also:
● Walters: Will new measures fix California’s colleges? CalMatters
Federal:
COVID Update:
● Get the candy bowl ready. Dr. Fauci says Halloween is a go this year VPR
● Halloween still presents scary COVID-19 risk. How you can celebrate safely Los Angeles Times
‘Frustration is at an all-time high’: Behind Biden’s falling poll numbers
Washington Post
After an initial burst of support, Biden has seen his approval ratings fall significantly in recent months. A Washington Post average of polls since the start of September shows 44 percent of Americans approve of Biden’s job approval, while 49 percent disapprove.
See also:
● Liberal Democrats have become the mainstream of the party and less willing to compromise with dwindling moderates Washington Post
● How Biden Can Recover From His Summer Slide Wall Street Journal
● ‘The president’s decline is alarming’: Biden trapped in coronavirus malaise Politico
● Deadlines, dire predictions drive urgency for Biden agenda: The Note abc News
● Opinion: David Shor Is Telling Democrats What They Don’t Want to Hear New York Times
House Set to Temporarily Raise Debt Limit
Wall Street Journal
The House was set to vote Tuesday for legislation raising the U.S. borrowing limit into December, temporarily staving off a default while lawmakers battle over setting a new ceiling for U.S. debt.
See also:
● Biden broaches nuclear option in standoff with McConnell Politico
● Opinion: The Democrats’ debt-ceiling debacle AEI
Facebook Whistleblower’s Claims Test SEC’s Reach
Wall Street Journal
The controversy over what Facebook Inc. has said about social and emotional hazards stemming from its products could become a test of regulators’ growing interest in policing corporate risks that hurt reputations more than profits.
See also:
● You’ve decided to quit Facebook. Here’s how to migrate your online life elsewhere. Washington Post
● Opinion: Facebook falters — but is regulation the answer? AEI
Dems thought giving voters cash was the key to success. So what happened?
Politico
When they took power this past winter, Democrats made a commitment to not repeat what many viewed as a critical misstep of the Obama years. The legislation they passed would do two things: make sure that the benefits were frontloaded and that the impact was tangible.
See also:
● Democrats clash over aid for first-time homebuyers Politico
● Kids could be the budget bill's big winners -- or losers CNN
● Opinion: Budget gimmicks will define Democrats’ next trillion-dollar spending bill AEI
Biden’s nominees show embrace of progressive views of Big Tech
Roll Call
The progressive swing was something no one saw coming, and it has sent shock waves through Silicon Valley, leading industry groups aligned with tech giants to scramble to persuade lawmakers to vote against Kanter, the last piece of Biden’s antitrust puzzle.
Opinion: Merrick Garland Has a List, and You’re Probably on It
Wall Street Journal
Mr. Garland’s brazen attempt to intimidate will likely backfire as more parents—including many who aren’t especially conservative—become alarmed by what they see and hear in their children’s schools.
Other:
Listening, and Listening Again, to Latino Voters
New York Times
From the 2016 to the 2020 elections, Donald Trump improved his performance among certain segments of Latino voters, prompting surprised reactions from many journalists and people who work in politics.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day: What to Know
Wall Street Journal
The movement in the U.S. to declare the second Monday of October, traditionally celebrated as Columbus Day, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day got a major political boost this year.
Opinion: Partisan Science in America
Wall Street Journal
Medieval thinkers pretending to infallibility often claimed to have received a direct revelation from God. Since the 19th century, secular thinkers have invoked science. As Anthony Fauci said in June, “a lot of what you’re seeing as attacks on me, quite frankly are attacks on science.”
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
Farmers are paid to leave a portion of their lands dry and fallow, and the water saved over the next three years is expected to translate into 3 feet of additional water in Lake Mead, which has declined to its lowest levels since it was filled in the 1930s following the construction of Hoover Dam.
A recipe for fighting climate change and feeding the world
Washington Post
Scientists hope a new kind of perennial grain, Kernza, offers a taste of what environmentally friendly farming could look like.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Propublica
Judge Donna Scott Davenport oversees a juvenile justice system in Rutherford County, Tennessee, with a staggering history of jailing children. She said kids must face consequences, which rarely seem to apply to her or the other adults in charge
Public Safety:
PEW
PPIC researchers Magnus Lofstrom and Deepak Premkumar will discuss key takeaways from new research that examines law enforcement stops, use of force and misconduct, and the stark racial disparities in police interactions on Thursday, November 4, 2021.
Fire:
Firefighters boost containment on Sequoia National Park wildfires. More weather to help?
Fresno Bee
Firefighters battling a wildfire threatening giant sequoias in Sequoia and Kings National Parks advanced containment efforts to 30% Monday morning, and also achieved similar efforts at the Windy Fire, near Camp Nelson, to 88%.
See also:
● KNP Complex Fire update: Gusty winds to challenge hard-fought containment, limit aerial crews Visalia Times-Delta
● ‘Running out of options’: Fight to protect giant sequoias has gotten experimental Los Angeles Times
● Warszawski: KNP Complex Fire burns giant sequoias in Redwood Mountain Grove. It’s shocking and sad Fresno Bee
As Caldor Fire remains active, snow falls in South Lake Tahoe
Sacramento Bee
Lake-effect snow fell in South Lake Tahoe, California, dusting the area on Monday, October 11, as firefighters continued to battle the Caldor Fire in the region. The Caldor Fire had scorched 221,775 acres and was 98 percent contained as of Monday.
Inside the massive and costly fight to contain the Dixie Fire
New York Times
As government budgets become strained and extreme drought and the effects of climate change alter the landscape, battling megafires — massive blazes that spread quickly and burn at high intensity — is increasingly costly, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of the firefight.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
A Fresno tortilla chip factory burned. Here’s what it means for the global business
Fresno Bee
La Tapatia Tortilleria’s chip-making operation was destroyed by fire Sunday morning at the company’s property at Belmont Avenue and H Street. The rest of the property, which includes several other buildings and the tortilla-making line, did not burn.
California economy, workers lose billions as unemployment payments shrink. Does it matter?
Sacramento Bee
The state’s economy is losing more than $1 billion weekly — money that until recently was sent to millions of out-of-work Californians — because of last month’s expiration of federal unemployment benefits that were available during the COVID pandemic.
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.
Register today for the 2021 California Economic Summit
California Economic Summit
The annual two-day gathering is designed to shape our collective action in 2022 and to strengthen the Summit network.
Jobs:
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:
● Return of Office Workers Reaches Pandemic High as Employees Trickle In Wall Street Journal
How hot is it inside Southern California’s warehouses? Ask the workers at Rite Aid
Los Angeles Times
The conditions inside Rite Aid’s Lancaster facility underscore the dangers facing warehouse workers across California, where major retailers are expanding aggressively against a backdrop of increasing temperatures.
See also:
● Warehouse jobs — recently thought of as jobs of the future — are suddenly jobs few workers want Washington Post
A record number of workers are quitting their jobs, empowered by new leverage
Washington Post
The number of people quitting their jobs has surged to record highs, according to new data from the Department of Labor released Tuesday. Some 4.3 million people quit jobs in August, according to the monthly survey — about 2.9 percent of the workforce.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Modesto City Schools, teachers union set new quarantine learning plan. What’s included?
Modesto Bee
“We appreciate the collaborative relationship with MCS leadership that allowed us to reach this agreement,” Modesto Teachers Association President Doug Burton said in a statement.
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.
Fresno schools spent a lot of money investigating one elected trustee. Here’s how much
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified school board member Terry Slatic has cost the district more than $250,000 in attorneys fees and related investigation in less than three years, according to a copy of a resolution seeking to discipline the controversial trustee.
Ethnic studies becomes graduation requirement for California students
CalMatters
Experts and educators expect long-term benefits for students, but some groups remain critical of the mandate as they continue to erroneously conflate the curriculum with critical race theory.
Opinion: How does student-teacher matching affect suspensions for students of color?
Brookings
Persistent inequities by race and ethnicity in school discipline continue to circumscribe the educational experiences of students of color. Latino and Black students are more likely to face the harshest and most exclusionary forms of school discipline when compared to their white peers.
Editorial: Fixing California’s schools is tough work, and Tony Thurmond needs to be tougher
Los Angeles Times
If California’s governance over schools made any sense, the state wouldn’t have both an elected superintendent of public instruction who oversees the Department of Education and an education advisor to the governor.
Higher Ed:
Fresno-area colleges expected big COVID budget cuts. Some leaders just got a raise
Fresno Bee
Due to a predicted state budget deficit and declining enrollment that has impacted colleges across the U.S., the district projected big budget losses over the coming years. But those predictions seem to have subsided, as the state earned billions in surplus.
Who will lead Fresno-area community colleges? How residents can question the finalists
Fresno Bee
State Center Community College District has whittled down its candidates for chancellor and is inviting the public to learn more about the three finalists through a virtual forum in late October, district officials said Monday.
Cal Grant expansion: Newsom vetoes game-changer bill for 150,000 college students
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a huge expansion of the Cal Grant, the state’s main financial aid tool. It would have topped off a banner year for legislators who for years sought to reduce the cost of college.
See also:
● Walters: Will new measures fix California’s colleges? CalMatters
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Register for the San Joaquin Valley Regional Climate Adaptation Webinar
San Joaquin Housing Collaborative
This series of Regional Seminars is the culmination of CCEDA’s Climate Adaptation Initiative.
Opinion: Californians and our supposedly beloved environment still go together like oil and water
Sacramento Bee
It’s not easy being a Californian. Your housing, if it exists, costs twice what it’s worth. Your autumns are less fragrant of pumpkin spice than of flaming chaparral. And your gubernatorial elections seem to occur approximately once every seven months.
See also:
● California attorney general launches investigation into Orange County oil spill Los Angeles Times
● California's Justice Department is now investigating the cause of the oil spill VPR
● California to Investigate Oil Spill Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: Oil spill shows it’s time to take the next big step to protect our coast CalMatters
EPA head says he'll act on climate even if Congress doesn't
Washington Post
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan says he’s willing to wield broad regulatory power to enact President Biden’s climate agenda if Congress fails to pass meaningful climate legislation.
Washington Post
At least 85 percent of the global population has experienced weather events made worse by climate change, according to research published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Energy:
Oil trade group sues state over fracking permit denials
Bakersfield Californian
A leading oil-industry trade group has taken aim at Gov. Gavin Newsom's de-facto fracking ban with a lawsuit in Kern County Superior Court that mirrors accusations county government made in a complaint filed a month ago.
Raising the price of fossil fuels to reflect the true social cost
VPR
Even as we see the effects of climate change multiplying around us - deadly heat waves, lengthy wildfires, flooding and drought - the world's economies are still subsidizing the price of fossil fuels.
Power shut-offs loom for tens of thousands of Californians amid gusty winds
Los Angeles Times
The controversial “public safety power shut-offs” have become common in California in recent years, with the state’s largest utilities de-energizing hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses to prevent disaster as climate change drives record-setting wildfire seasons.
Chevron Sets Goal of Cutting Carbon Emissions in Operations, but Not for Products
Wall Street Journal
Net-zero goal for 2050 resembles that of other oil producers, as environmentalists push fossil-fuel cutbacks.
Opinion: Fighting climate change means putting our coasts on par with our mountains
Roll Call
Our coasts are moving more and more into Mother Nature’s climate crosshairs. We need to lift conservation for coasts and saltwater onto par with mountains and freshwater, and make it just as permanent and reliable.
Editorial: Oil Prices and Bad Policy
Wall Street Journal
Oil prices are rising, and the White House is worried about higher gasoline prices for consumers. Let’s hope the Biden Administration doesn’t compound the damage from its assault on fossil fuels by banning U.S. oil exports.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Family calls for West Nile awareness after father's death
Hanford Sentinel
A man from Lemoore is grieving the loss of his father after a fatal bout with the West Nile virus, and is urging everyone to be cautious about mosquitoes and the potential threats they pose.
Moderna and J&J say their data supports COVID vaccine boosters
VPR
The Food and Drug Administration released briefing documents Tuesday on booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines ahead of a two-day public meeting of advisers to the agency that starts Thursday.
Thousands of California residents will have no power. How the medically vulnerable will be impacted
Sacramento Bee
Strong, gusty winds have prompted Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to shut off power to thousands of customers across Northern and Central California, with people reliant on electricity-powered medical devices disproportionately impacted.
If You’ve Had Covid, Do You Need the Vaccine?
New York Times
While many people who have recovered from Covid-19 may emerge relatively unscathed from a second encounter with the virus, the strength and durability of their immunity depends on their age, health status and severity of initial infection.
New Clues Emerge About Whether Vaccines Can Help Fight Long Covid
Wall Street Journal
Recent studies suggest vaccination helps reduce the likelihood of developing longer-term symptoms after a Covid-19 infection, and may help some people with symptoms feel better.
See also:
● CureVac Shelves Covid-19 Vaccine, Focuses on Next-Generation Shot Wall Street Journal
● Breakthrough COVID may not be as threatening as scientists thought VPR
Covid-19 Rapid Testing at Home Will Get Easier, but Test Wisely
Wall Street Journal
Americans will likely soon have access to more at-home rapid Covid tests, but people need to be savvy about them. Rapid tests are good at detecting the most-infectious cases when people are experiencing symptoms, doctors say.
Merck requests emergency use authorization for experimental pill to treat Covid-19
Washington Post
Pharmaceutical giant Merck has asked the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorization to its experimental covid-19 antiviral treatment — an oral medication that could be promising in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
See also:
● Merck asks the FDA to authorize use of its promising COVID-19 pill Los Angeles Times
● Merck Asks FDA to Authorize Promising Covid-19 Pill Wall Street Journal
Opinion: It’s time to break up Pfizer and Moderna’s duopoly on their vaccine technology
Wall Street Journal
Drug companies claim they are on track to produce a glut of coronavirus vaccines globally by 2022. Don’t believe them. Failure to ramp up production now could cost lives and prolong the pandemic.
A deadly fungal disease on the rise in the West has experts worried
Grist
Researchers haven’t pinned down exactly what’s behind the rise in Valley fever cases or how to stop it. One thing is nearly certain, though: Climate change plays a role.
Americans should limit use of daily aspirin meant to prevent heart attack or stroke, task force says
Washington Post
Aspirin is a blood thinner and can help head off heart attacks and strokes by preventing clots from forming in the blood vessels that lead to the heart or brain. But taking aspirin also can cause major bleeding that can be fatal, especially in older people.
Human Services:
'Their lives will be forever changed': New transitional home opens for women, children
Bakersfield Californian
Hill graduated from the Recovery Home and will move into The Mission at Kern County’s Lee & Krystyna Jamieson Transitional Home for Women and Children, which had its ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning.
Community clinics shouldered the burden of vaccine rollout. Many haven’t been paid
Los Angeles Times
Community clinics in California say they haven’t been paid for at least 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses given since January, creating a “massive cash flow problem” for some and complicating efforts to retain staff.
Kaiser Permanente workers vote to authorize strike, citing staffing and safety concerns
Los Angeles Times
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees in Southern California voted to authorize a strike against the healthcare giant, as the workers continue to protest what they describe as severe staffing shortages that put both medical staff and patients at risk.
See also:
● Kaiser Permanente workers authorize strikes California, Oregon The Hill
Poll: 83% support government negotiating drug prices
The Hill
A large majority of the public favors allowing the government to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, according to a new poll that comes as a legislative battle plays out on the issue.
See also:
● Opinion: Medicare Drug-Pricing Debate Pits Savings Against Innovation Wall Street Journal
Opinion: This nursing student is ready to enter the workforce
CalMatters
I have seen the bleak effects that COVID-19 has had on the nursing staff, but I’m ready to help those who have sacrificed so much.
Editorial: Why Black Lives Got Longer
Wall Street Journal
In the intervening generation, black life expectancy rose about twice as fast as white life expectancy. A black person born in 2018 could be expected to live just over age 75, compared to just under 79 for a white person.
IMMIGRATION
A Secretive Counterterrorism Team Interrogated Dozens of Citizens at the Border
Propublica
A report by a federal watchdog shows how the Trump administration flagged at least 51 citizens for interrogation at the border based on evidence as flimsy as once having ridden in a car with someone suspected of aiding the migrant “caravan.”
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
AEI
A lot of commentary about people leaving large cities during the coronavirus pandemic has focused on the excessive costs, declining public safety, and endemic homelessness in large coastal cities, and rightly so.
Housing:
Why rent help from Congress has been so damn slow getting to people who need it
VPR
Nationally, a race is underway to help people behind on rent and facing eviction. Congress has approved a historic $47 billion in emergency rental assistance, but the vast majority of that money has not reached the millions of people who desperately need it.
Millennials Team Up to Fulfill the Dream of Homeownership
Wall Street Journal
For millennials, many of whom are getting married later in life, swimming in student-loan debt and facing soaring home prices, homeownership can feel more like a fantasy than an achievable goal.
Democrats clash over aid for first-time homebuyers
Politico
Democrats and advocacy groups are at odds over how to help first-time homebuyers as part of a massive social spending package, clouding the fate of housing proposals floated as part of the $3.5 trillion budget bill.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Modesto responds to state auditor rating it high risk for financial distress
Modesto Bee
One way to look at the California State Auditor ranking Modesto among the dozen California cities at high risk for financial distress is to think of the city as a person who is living paycheck to paycheck.
Biden’s spending plan has big income tax changes. Here are the Californians who would benefit
Sacramento Bee
Middle class Californians with children 17 and under will see some income tax breaks from Democrats’ latest spending plan. Those without children probably won’t. And the wealthy, children or not, will pay a lot more.
See also:
· Dems thought giving voters cash was the key to success. So what happened? Politico
Opinion: Is the Income-Tax Rate on the Rich 8%, or 23%? Depends on Whose Math You Use
Wall Street Journal
What do the wealthy pay in federal taxes? On paper, the top marginal income-tax rate is 37% on ordinary income and 23.8% on capital gains. Government estimates put high-income filers’ average rates in the mid-20s.
Opinion: The Rich Have Found Another Way to Pay Less Tax
New York Times
Congress tucked a provision into the 2017 tax bill that led to the creation of 8,764 tax havens across the United States called opportunity zones.
Opinion: No, eliminating the SALT cap will not reduce charitable giving
AEI
Over at The Hill, our domestic policy studies colleague Howard Husock recently argued that repealing the $10,000 cap on the federal tax deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) would reduce charitable giving.
TRANSPORTATION
Part of Highway 99 in Modesto was supposed to close at night this week. There’s a new plan
Modesto Bee
The contractor on the new Highway 132 segment has postponed the overnight closures planned this week on Highway 99.
Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds of flights Monday. Here’s impact at Fresno airport
Fresno Bee
After a weekend of major service interruptions, Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds more flights on Monday, including two at Fresno Yosemite International.
See also:
● Southwest Airlines flight woes extend to Monday as industry scrambles to meet passenger rebound Washington Post
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.
FTA encourages transit agencies to reduce GHG emissions
Progressive Railroading
The Federal Transit Administration has launched the Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Climate Challenge to support the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 50% by 2030.
WATER
Drought-Stricken Western Towns Say No to Developers
PEW
The drought conditions parching much of the West have depleted the natural springs that supply water to the community. During each of the past several summers, local leaders worried that quenching any major fire might empty the city’s water tanks.
Creating Collaborative Recharge Partnerships in the San Joaquin Valley
Public Policy Institute of California
Bringing the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater basins into balance by the early 2040s is going to be challenging, but two neighboring groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in Madera County are collaborating to move the process forward.
“Xtra”
Visalia Times Delta
A group of dedicated volunteers — along with a new, multi-million-dollar investment from the state park system — is now hoping to bring the overlooked but important chapter of California history to wider audiences.
Have you seen new outdoor murals in downtown Modesto? Artists complete their works
Modesto Bee
Two more outdoor walls in downtown Modesto now sport new murals thanks to the DoMo Walls event. Put on by the Downtown Modesto Partnership, DoMo Walls brought in artists in September and early October to create their murals.
Fresno Bee
“All the rolled ice cream places are in north Fresno, so we wanted something for this side of town,” said Tony Quezada, half of the couple who owns the shop.
Fresno runner had Boston Marathon watchers asking, ‘Who is this guy?’
Fresno Bee
Clovis Community College coach and Fresno distance runner CJ Albertson made a splash in the racing world Monday after leading the Boston Marathon for the first 20 miles.
See also:
● Man Praises Fresno Hometown While Shaking Things Up At Boston Marathon Business Journal
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
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