POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Plane carrying SJ deputies forced to make emergency landing near Stockton airport
Stockton Record
A plane carrying two San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff Thursday evening near Stockton Metropolitan Airport after experiencing engine trouble, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
See also:
Central SJ Valley:
California families at risk for hunger – while a third of crops left to rot on farms
Fresno Bee
Maximina Molina Sanchez is worried about going hungry this winter. She depends on the food bank in Huron to feed her husband and two kids. But with most agricultural workers out of jobs during the winter, demand is bound to increase, and she worries the food won’t suffice.
Andy Hall Sworn In As Fresno Police Chief
KVPR
Following a ceremony Wednesday at City Hall, the City of Fresno has a new chief of police. After 18 years as chief, Jerry Dyer passed the baton to Andy Hall, a 40-year-veteran of the force who’d been deputy chief since 2016.
See also:
New groundwater law will have significant impact on Valley farmers starting in 2020
abc30
The new year will bring new concerns over how much water farmers, cities, and school districts will be able to pump out of the ground. A groundwater sustainability plan drawn up during the California drought will take effect in January, which will set new limits on how much groundwater can be pumped out of wells.
City partners with ParkMobile to bring Smarter Parking Options to Fresno
City of Fresno
The City of Fresno is partnering with ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the United States, to enable drivers to pay for parking from their mobile device. The ParkMobile app is now available for over 2,000 spaces around the City.
They chose rural Madera County to get away from the city. Now, the city is coming to them
Fresno Bee
The residents of Rolling Hills have long known their days of quiet isolation were numbered. For decades, the invisible threat to their tucked-away neighborhood in unincorporated Madera County three miles north of Fresno was known as Gateway Village.
South SJ Valley:
Porterville Recorder
It was a historical night for the LGBTQ+ community in Porterville as the City Council passed the first ever proclamation that directly ties to the gay community. National Coming Out Day was brought to light under the Council’s discretion, and ultimately commemorated on paper with the National Coming Out Day proclamation.
Bakersfield goes on hiring spree to fill positions made possible by sales tax
Bakersfield Californian
Nobody ever said it would be easy, but after several months of furious hiring, the city of Bakersfield says it’s well on its way to meeting its staffing goals following the passage of the 1% sales tax increase last November.
New oil leaks surface at Chevron operation near McKittrick
Bakersfield Californian
A pair of oil leaks that opened up last weekend near McKittrick are the latest indications of the challenges facing Chevron as it works to come into compliance with recent state rules prohibiting uncontrolled releases of crude and water known as surface expressions.
Trump supporters mostly met with support at local rally
Bakersfield Californian
About 100 people stood waving flags and holding signs of support for President Donald Trump on the sidewalk on California Avenue in front of the Barnes and Noble parking lot on a breezy Thursday afternoon.
State:
Multiple earthquakes have hit Central California. What does this mean for the Big One?
Fresno Bee
Multiple earthquakes have rattled Central California in the last few days. The activity, so close to the 30th anniversary of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, has left people wondering: Is it time to worry about the Big One?
See also:
Unprecedented movement detected on California earthquake fault capable of 8.0 temblor Fresno Bee
New California earthquake alert system can warn you seconds before shaking starts Sacramento Bee
DMV awards multi-million dollar contract to Comcast for major tech upgrade
Sacramento Bee
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has awarded a multi-million dollar contract to Comcast to overhaul its technology network, according to documents obtained through a Public Records Act request.
Gavin Newsom: SB1 Funds For Transportation, 'full Stop'
Politico
Gov. Gavin Newsom slapped back at critics who've accused him of diverting gas tax money from road projects. During an appearance in San Francisco, he told reporters the law is "locked in'' and the money will be "used for its intended purposes, full stop."
Fact check: Do Californians really cool on ballot measures as the election approaches?
CALmatters
In 2020, California voters will be asked to weigh in on some of the most contentious and consequential issues facing the state — criminal justice reform, rent control, school construction funding and inequality. For those hoping to make sense of the deluge of political polls and they’re likely to see over the next year, consider this a handy user guide.
Federal:
Trump Leans on a Changed GOP for Support
Wall Street Journal
Donald Trump won the White House in large part by changing the mix of voters who make up the Republican Party. Now, as he faces the threat of impeachment, the party base he helped to create is proving to be his most important barrier to removal from office.
Elections 2020:
Trump impeachment briefly unifies Democrats at debate, but candidates clash over guns, healthcare
Los Angeles Times
Democratic candidates found common ground in denouncing President Trump, but struck a more fractious tone on healthcare, gun policy and money in politics during a crowded presidential primary debate Tuesday night.
See also:
”Medicare for All” Loses Support Amid Lack of Detail on Costs to Voters Wall Street Journal
CALmatters
Polls suggest Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris is no longer the front runner in her home state. But year-to-date, she remains the preferred candidate by that other major metric of campaign success: money.
Kamala Harris campaign's 'time for an upgrade'
SF Gate
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump tweeted an image of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing up during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in an attempt to mock her, but this backfired.
See also:
24 Hours With Kamala Harris Essence
Lives of Biden’s Sons Play Starkly Different Roles in His Campaign
Wall Street Journal
When Joe Biden was sworn into the Senate in January 1973, he took his oath of office at the hospital where his two sons were recovering from an automobile accident that killed his wife and infant daughter.
See also:
Opinion: Joe Biden Isn’t Going to Make It Wall Street Journal
Column: Mayor Pete has the pedigree to clean up after Trump. But is that enough to win in 2020?
Los Angeles Times
A day will come when this long national migraine is over. Or, if you like: A day will come when the national kidney stone that has brutally ravaged America’s psychic innards will have passed. Does that go too far? In any case, at some point, President Trump will be gone.
Opinion: The bull’s eye just landed on someone new
Washington Post
This is Round 37, and I’m stats guy David Byler. I could use the next 350 words to mathematically prove to you that 12 candidates talking for three hours is too much for anyone to watch. But you already knew that.
Other:
Defiant Zuckerberg Says Facebook Won’t Police Political Speech
New York Times
In an address at Georgetown University, the Facebook chief executive called for more free speech — not less — as his company has been assailed for allowing lies and falsehoods to appear.
See also:
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says in interview he fears ‘erosion of truth’ but defends allowing politicians to lie in ads Washington Post
Defiant Zuckerberg Says Facebook Won’t Police Political Speech New York Times
The meaning behind Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive plea for ‘free expression’ Politico
Zuckerberg defends Facebook's 'free expression' in face of Washington hostility Politico
Opinion: Facebook Stands for Free Expression Wall Street Journal
NewsWeek
Americans are rapidly self-identifying themselves as religiously unaffiliated, and especially less frequently as Christians, according to a report released by the Pew Research Center on Thursday.
See also:
Share of Americans with no religious affiliation growing Associated Press
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, October 20, 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 20, 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 and State Senator Fran Pavley. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, October 20, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Workers Comp Fraud” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
California families at risk for hunger – while a third of crops left to rot on farms
Fresno Bee
Maximina Molina Sanchez is worried about going hungry this winter. She depends on the food bank in Huron to feed her husband and two kids. But with most agricultural workers out of jobs during the winter, demand is bound to increase, and she worries the food won’t suffice.
New groundwater law will have significant impact on Valley farmers starting in 2020
abc30
The new year will bring new concerns over how much water farmers, cities, and school districts will be able to pump out of the ground. A groundwater sustainability plan drawn up during the California drought will take effect in January, which will set new limits on how much groundwater can be pumped out of wells.
Trump says China will buy $50 billion a year of U.S. agriculture. That’s not what China says.
Washington Post
President Trump claimed that he struck a “phase one” trade deal with China on Friday and that the Chinese agreed to massive purchases of U.S. farm products. But nearly a week has passed, and China has not confirmed that critical piece of the agreement.
Column: California’s pot tax came in way below projections — and not for the reason you think
Los Angeles Times
As if to reinforce the idea that money is the most potent drug known to humankind, legislators in California and 10 other states have legalized marijuana, often with visions of a tax windfall dancing in their heads.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Racial Disparities in California Arrests
PPIC
Racial disparities in arrests peaked in 1992 when the African American arrest rate—the number of arrests per 100,000 African Americans—was 3.6 times greater than the white arrest rate, and the Latino arrest rate was 1.8 times greater than the white arrest rate.
Public Safety:
Multiple earthquakes have hit Central California. What does this mean for the Big One?
Fresno Bee
Multiple earthquakes have rattled Central California in the last few days. The activity, so close to the 30th anniversary of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, has left people wondering: Is it time to worry about the Big One?
See also:
Unprecedented movement detected on California earthquake fault capable of 8.0 temblor Fresno Bee
New California earthquake alert system can warn you seconds before shaking starts Sacramento Bee
Are Californians Prepared for the Next Natural Disaster?
PPIC
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake that shook Northern California. There’s a high probability that California will experience another major earthquake in the next 30 years. Given this threat—not to mention wildfires and floods—how worried are Californians about future disasters?
Fire:
Blazes continue across California while firefighters make progress toward containment
Fresno Bee
Firefighters are continuing to battle fires that have killed three people and burned more than 18,000 acres since last week. According to Cal Fire, firefighters are trying to contain the Saddle Ridge Fire in Riverside County, which began Oct. 10 and has damaged 88 structures while destroying 19 others across more than 8,000 acres.
PG&E outlines steps to ease pain of intentional power outages amid wildfire risks
Mercury News
Intentional power outages such as the massive blackouts that cut off electricity to 2 million people in PG&E’s service territory recently are an “untenable” long-term game plan and PG&E has already begun work to curb such wide-ranging shutoffs amid wildfire hazards, the utility told state regulators Thursday night.
See also:
PG&E, Newsom and lawmakers had months to plan for a power outage. They didn’t plan enough Los Angeles Times
Opinion: California power outages shed light on political failure San Francisco Chronicle
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
The Rental Economy Is at Risk in a Downturn
Wall Street Journal
Americans don’t own stuff like they used to. Fewer of them own the homes they live in than in the past, opting to rent instead. A growing share have opted to lease the car they drive—if they drive at all—rather than hold the car’s title. And it seems only aficionados own DVDs or music recordings instead of a streaming subscription.
E-cig industry fractures over looming laws as Big Tobacco plays the long game
Politico
The Trump administration’s effort to ban flavored e-cigarettes and place other restrictions on the industry threatens to put thousands of small vaping concerns out of business nationwide while the biggest tobacco companies in the world — which already control the lion’s share of the vaping market — could only grow bigger.
Jobs:
Dignity lays off health care workers from Sacramento to Mt. Shasta, citing budget woes
Fresno Bee
Dignity Health announced layoffs this week to employees from Sacramento northward to Mount Shasta, saying that the health care company is not meeting its financial projections.
Bakersfield goes on hiring spree to fill positions made possible by sales tax
Bakersfield Californian
Nobody ever said it would be easy, but after several months of furious hiring, the city of Bakersfield says it’s well on its way to meeting its staffing goals following the passage of the 1 percent sales tax increase last November.
Caregivers for disabled worked 87 hours a week for $4 an hour, feds say
Los Angeles Times
A chain of Orange County residential care homes for the disabled paid their workers as little as $4 an hour and made them work more than 87 hours a week, according to a federal lawsuit.
California AB 51 Bans Mandatory Employment Arbitration Agreements
Littler
On October 13, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 51 into law, banning most employment arbitration agreements in California starting January 1, 2020. This new law is expansive in scope but short on certainty, as it raises several questions and will likely face legal challenges.
Gavin Newsom Is Delivering for Plaintiffs Lawyers, Labor Advocates
Law.com
Over the last four weeks, culminating with Sunday night's bill-signing deadline, Newsom has approved numerous pieces of worker friendly legislation with potentially sweeping implications.
EDUCATION
‘Porterville College supports undocumented students’
Porterville Recorder
Porterville College Professor of English as a Second Language Bulmaro Cisneros, Ph.D, introduced himself to a large audience of students, faculty, and the public and spoke about his struggle entering the U.S. as an illegal immigrant in 1985, and how he crossed the border with children and other people with the help of a coyote (smuggler.)
As CSU graduation rates climb, Long Beach stands out
Los Angeles Times
Graduation rates for the California State University system continued an upward climb, reaching record highs in 2019, although black, Latinx and low-income students continue to graduate at the lowest rates and their gap in achieving a diploma did not narrow this year, according to data released Thursday.
Amador County builds community college pipeline for mental health workers
Capital Public Radio
College pennants and framed certificates hang on the walls of the Amador Economic Prosperity Center. Computer stations fill the center of the room, and a shelf near the printer is stacked with used textbooks.
Why CA didn’t overhaul student aid this year — but could soon
CALmatters
It has long been a refrain among California students struggling to pay for housing, food and textbooks: There’s more to the high cost of college than tuition. Early this year, as state lawmakers convened, hopes were high that finally, California was listening.
It’s not just education — credentials are a maze in the workforce too
AEI
Credentials have become the coinage of the realm as labor markets demand higher levels of skills and experience. What was once confined to high school diplomas and college degrees has now become an ever-expanding range of credentials offered by schools, post-secondary institutions, apprenticeships, certifications programs, and boot camps.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
New oil leaks surface at Chevron operation near McKittrick
Bakersfield Californian
A pair of oil leaks that opened up last weekend near McKittrick are the latest indications of the challenges facing Chevron as it works to come into compliance with recent state rules prohibiting uncontrolled releases of crude and water known as surface expressions.
Trees That Survived California Drought May Hold Clue To Climate Resilience
KVPR
When California's historic five-year drought finally relented a few years ago the tally of dead trees in the Sierra Nevada was higher than almost anyone expected: 129 million. Most are still standing, the dry patches dotting the mountainsides.
Energy:
Energy Secretary Rick Perry tells Trump he plans on resigning
Los Angeles Times
Energy Secretary Rick Perry has notified the president that he intends to leave his job soon.
That’s according to an administration official who confirmed the news on condition of anonymity. Perry was traveling with the president to Texas on Thursday when he shared the news aboard Air Force One.
In the transition away from gas, California must not leave low-income people behind
CALmatters
California has passed dozens of laws designed to create a 21st Century clean energy economy, earning a reputation as a global climate leader in the process.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
22 Fresno County restaurants have closed for health violations. How’s that compare to 2018?
Fresno Bee
Only two restaurants in Fresno County were closed after health inspectors found food-safety or sanitation violations in September, and both were allowed to reopen later the same day after owners or managers corrected the problems.
CNN
As if life wasn't already challenging enough for residents in low-income urban neighborhoods, new research suggests such communities are more at risk from particularly harmful, aggressive mosquitoes.
Human Services:
Yosemite National Park Leads the Way in Deaf Services
abc30
Yosemite National Park is leading the way in making sure everyone enjoys our national parks. "We are the longest-running Deaf services program in the National Park Service," said Kara Stella, coordinator of the program and sign language interpreter. Yosemite is also the first national park to implement a full-time sign language interpreter on staff.
First Mental Health Symposium hopes to share message that 'it's time' to ask for help
Bakersfield Californian
First responders are never truly ready for what could happen any given day, and no one knows that better than Jeff Fariss, who was in the field for 30 years.
Outrage among new pharmacists after cheating scandal upends licensing exam results
Los Angeles Times
Cheating, protests and outrage have upended the otherwise buttoned-up world of pharmacy in California. California officials have invalidated more than 1,000 pharmacists’ test scores because of cheating on a state exam, a move that has caused an uproar among pharmacists who say they have lost wages and job opportunities as a result.
California's first surgeon general: Screen every student for childhood trauma
NBC News
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris has an ambitious dream: screen every student for childhood trauma before entering school. "A school nurse would also get a note from a physician that says: 'Here is the care plan for this child's toxic stress. And this is how it shows up,'" said Burke Harris, who was appointed California's first surgeon general in January.
IMMIGRATION
California Bans Private Prisons and Immigrant Detention Centers
KVPR
California is moving to end the practice of allowing private companies to capitalize on mass incarceration. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Friday that bans private, for-profit prisons and immigrant detention centers in the state. The decision comes amid growing consensus around the need to end private incarceration in the U.S.
Asian American group pushes back on veto of bill to protect California inmates from deportation
NBC News
An Asian American legal group has hit back at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto of an immigration enforcement bill that would have prohibited California’s state prisons from helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest individuals in the system's custody.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Madera County to get new commercial and residential development - Riverwalk
abc30
Hundreds are attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a new commercial and residential development in Madera County. Hundreds of homes were built in recent years here in Riverstone.
Housing:
They chose rural Madera County to get away from the city. Now, the city is coming to them
Fresno Bee
The residents of Rolling Hills have long known their days of quiet isolation were numbered. For decades, the invisible threat to their tucked-away neighborhood in unincorporated Madera County three miles north of Fresno was known as Gateway Village.
State's homelessness crisis caused by more than lack of housing, city leaders say
abc30
Some of Fresno's city leaders say the key to finding a solution to homelessness is identifying the problem. "Homelessness is not a housing crisis, it's a drug criminal and mental health crisis," said councilmember Gary Bredefeld.
How lawmakers are upending the California lifestyle to fight a housing shortage
Los Angeles Times
When California lawmakers tried earlier this year to force local governments to allow four or more homes on land zoned for single-family residences, fierce pushback from suburban communities stopped the plan in its tracks. For many, the long-standing neighborhood template of a home, backyard and garage on a lot was too intrinsic to the California lifestyle to upend.
U.S. homebuilding retreats, manufacturing still struggling
Reuters
U.S. homebuilding tumbled from more than a 12-year high in September, but single-family home construction rose for a fourth straight month, suggesting the housing market remains supported by lower mortgage rates even as the economy is slowing.
PUBLIC FINANCES
For Landlords, a New Tax Break Comes With Strings Attached
Wall Street Journal
Rental real estate is renowned for its many tax breaks, and the 2017 tax overhaul added a new one. Landlords who want to claim it for 2019 should be planning now, because they may need to send 1099 forms early next year.
There are 618,000 millennial millionaires in the US—and 44% of them live in 1 state
CNBC
There are approximately 618,000 “millennial millionaires” — those with a net worth of over $1 million — in the United States, according to a 2019 report from Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and WealthEngine, which defines millennials as those born between 1982 and 1996, or ages 23 to 37 in 2019.
TRANSPORTATION
City partners with ParkMobile to bring Smarter Parking Options to Fresno
City of Fresno
The City of Fresno is partnering with ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the United States, to enable drivers to pay for parking from their mobile device. The ParkMobile app is now available for over 2,000 spaces around the City.
California’s High Gasoline Prices Are No Accident
Forbes
An October 8 CNN story about gasoline prices carried this headline: “California gas prices soar above $4, reaching the highest price in five years.” One can only wonder if most Californians understand that that is all part of their state government’s plan.
Opinion: The beginning of the end for “Blood Alley”
Modesto Bee
In 1956, the California Highway Commission approved the realignment of State Route 132 West and then purchased almost all the land required to build it between Highway 99 and Gates Road. Today, over 60 years later, we celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony signifying the beginning of construction of this project.
SF developer joins California high-speed rail board to get it 'back on track'
San Francisco Chronicle
Not sure if congratulations or condolences are in order, but longtime Bay Area housing developer Jim Ghielmetti of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California High-Speed Rail Authority board of directors.
Opinion: Connecting California: Taiwan managed to build high-speed rail. Why can't we?
Desert Sun
When it comes to fast trains, a California consensus has hardened: High-speed rail is beyond us. We may be the world’s high-tech capital, but high-speed rail is just too technically challenging for us. We may have one of the planet’s richest economies, but high-speed rail is too expensive. We are a sprawling state of 40 million, but we’re too small to construct even one high-speed rail line.
WATER
As Groundwater Law Plows Forward, Small Farmers Seek More Engagement
KVPR
Dennis Hutson’s rows of alfalfa, melons, okra and black-eyed peas are an oasis of green in the dry terrain of Allensworth, an unincorporated community in rural Tulare County. Hutson, currently cultivating on 60 acres, has a vision for many more fields bustling with jobs. “This community will forever be impoverished and viewed by the county as a hamlet,” he says, “unless something happens that can create an economic base. That's what I'm trying to do.”
California likely to see a dry winter, a federal report warns. But nothing’s certain
San Francisco Chronicle
The coming winter is likely to be dry in California, and drought conditions may begin to emerge in the central part of the state, federal climate experts warned Thursday.
“Xtra”
What’s up with 10th Street? Downtown Modesto block still to see new restaurants, more
Modesto Bee
After years of being a relative ghost town, the renaissance of Modesto’s 10th Street continues apace. Since 2018, the downtown Modesto block has seen a flurry of openings with more projects still planned. The street, which once had more vacancies than open businesses, continues to reverse the trend.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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