Maddy Institute – October 25, 2021

25Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

New #SanJoaquinValleyNetwork Will Seek Millions in Public Investments to Advance Region’s Future

The Maddy Institute

The San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium (SJVRBC), under the leadership of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, and the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) announced a new joint effort—collectively called #SanJoaquinValleyNetwork—to seek State and federal funding for broadband infrastructure projects throughout the San Joaquin Valley. This initiative is being applauded by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), The Maddy Institute, Fresno Career to Cradle Partnership (C2C), University Executives, and Business Leaders.

COVID Update:

● Stanislaus adds four deaths, sets 27 vaccine clinics Modesto Bee

Modesto area could get localized flooding, advisory says. Here’s where and when

Modesto Bee

Localized flooding could hit Stanislaus County from late Saturday to Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service said Friday. Forecasters warned of high flows on small streams and of flooded streets where storm drains are overtaxed.

● Flooding reported throughout Stanislaus County as 2 inches of rain fall overnight Modesto Bee

Stanislaus unemployment keeps pace with the state, but expert warns of upcoming divide

Modesto Bee

The rate in the Stanislaus County was 6.9% in September, down from 8% in August, according to data from the state’s Employment Development Department. Local data is not seasonally adjusted.

Construction expected to start next month on long-awaited downtown Modesto courthouse

Modesto Bee

Construction on the long-awaited courthouse in downtown Modesto is expected to start in mid-November and be completed in fall 2024, according to a Thursday news release from the California Judicial Council

How can Modesto reduce homelessness? Organizers want to start in eviction court

Modesto Bee

After Leon Callen joined Christian Love Baptist Church in Modesto as a minister during the COVID-19 pandemic, he began reaching out to his community, wanting to see the needs of the congregation, as well as the broader neighborhood.

Park rangers coming to patrol Modesto’s parks? What they’d do, and when they could start

Modesto Bee

Modesto is looking at starting a park ranger program and assigning these employees to the city parks that generate the most quality-of-life complaints, including drinking and drug use, public urination, camping and other misbehavior.

Turlock party bike business wants to offer downtown tours. City to draft pedicab ordinance

Modesto Bee

The Turlock City Council on Monday took a step toward allowing a party bike business to offer group tours and draw customers to spend hours at downtown restaurants.

1+209 dialing required for calls starting Sunday

Turlock Journal

Turlockers — and everyone else in the 209 area code — will have to use 10-digit numbers, and sometimes a 1 before that, to place calls and texts come Sunday, as part of an area code relief plan.

Editorial: Stanislaus County voters don’t deserve to be lumped with Santa Cruz or Fresno

Modesto Bee

In brief, proposals that maximize Stanislaus’ political clout in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C. are preferred. That usually means districts encompassing the entire county or much of it, and uniting us with like-minded neighbors.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● COVID hospital cases tick up after last week’s dip in Fresno County and the Valley Fresno Bee

● Fresno County health officials hoping vaccinations rise before holidays abc30

● Fresno Medical Researcher on COVID-19 Vaccines: Study Shows They Work GV Wire

Here are the most notorious flood spots in Fresno, Clovis. Are crews ready for the storm?

Fresno Bee

Fresno and Clovis employees will be at the ready to respond to any flooding or downed trees as the area is expecting an exceptionally strong rain storm coming Sunday and Monday.

● Live Updates: Winter storm arrives; flash food warnings and power outages in Fresno Fresno Bee

Fresno is about to get the largest family shelter in central California. Here’s where

Fresno Bee

The announcement of the new permanent center came Friday. City officials estimate Fresno’s unhoused population is at 4,000 — a number that’s expected to grow after the city’s pandemic-related eviction moratorium expires.

A historic downtown Fresno building is almost renovated and a popular bakery is moving in

Fresno Bee

Palo Verde Bakery plans to open with seating inside the former Sun Stereo warehouse at 736 Fulton St., which is across the street from Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co.

Editorial: Can Fresno County properly care for its foster youth? Office ‘housing’ raises doubts

Fresno Bee

News that broke just over a week ago was hard enough to fathom: Foster youth under the protection of Fresno County social services were left sleeping on conference room tables and the floor of a county office that became a makeshift home.

North Fresno residents protest construction of cannabis dispensary

ABC30

Protesters argue that the location chosen for this dispensary is too close to Pinedale Elementary.

Workshops to focus on Measure C transportation priorities

Business Journal

The Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) and the Fresno Council of Governments will host a series of community workshops to get community input from Fresno County residents to help direct Measure C transportation funding.

Clovis school board promises ‘change’ after adults bully student during public meeting

Fresno Bee

Clovis Unified School Board President Steven Fogg said he would work to ensure all speakers at school board meetings feel safe, following an incident Wednesday when adults in the crowd booed a high school student.

● No, the federal government isn’t using the Patriot Act to treat parents like domestic terrorists Politifact

Fresno is about to get the largest family shelter in central California. Here’s where

Fresno Bee

Local business owner running for Congress

Hanford Sentinel

A local member of the business community is making a run for California's 21st Congressional District. Adam Medeiros, an immigrant from Portugal, is making the run to defend what he says his family came to the United States for in 1963.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern County prepares for younger children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 Bakersfield Californian

● COVID and the flu: Is a ‘twindemic’ threat lurking again? Bakersfield Californian

Kern County releases draft redistricting maps, which could shift balance of power on Board of Supervisors

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County has released the first look at how supervisorial districts could be redrawn to account for new population figures gleaned from the latest census. On Thursday, the county unveiled a series of proposed maps as part of the agenda for a meeting on Tuesday.

Robert Price: Time for Kern County to reassess its fight with the state over the future of oil

Bakersfield Californian

The Bay Area’s abundant tax base underwrites the Central Valley’s vast infrastructure and social-welfare needs. Agriculture and petroleum are our most essential contributions and have been for well more than a century.

Youngblood: KCSO doesn't have enough deputies to staff school resource officers

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said the Kern County Sheriff's Office has requested to cancel its contracts with school districts where deputies serve as school resource officers due to understaffing.

Kern County DA, countywide law enforcement officials raise awareness, honor domestic violence victims

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County DA Cynthia Zimmer started the event by acknowledging domestic violence impacts women and men, regardless of their social class, race or religion. Doors opened in 2018 for the center, and advocates have helped more than 10,000 victims since then.

City adds green bike lanes on A Street

Bakersfield Californian

The city of Bakersfield's Public Works crews have added green bike lanes at several intersections on A Street. Meant to improve safety for bike riders, the project was funded by the Transportation Development Act, according to a city of Bakersfield information memo.

Would-be speaker Kevin McCarthy walks the Trump tightrope, pursuing a GOP House

Washington Post

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has regaled top donors at private events in recent months with a behind-the-scenes story about a fight he says he had with former president Donald Trump.

State:

COVID Update:

● California can require correctional officers to get COVID vaccine, judge rules Sacramento Bee

● Thousands of state workers are unvaccinated. California isn’t testing half of them for COVID as required Los Angeles Times

Gavin Newsom’s 2021 recall victory? Exact Same Margin as 2018 Election.

Sacramento Bee

California certified the results of the gubernatorial recall on Friday, showing that Gov. Gavin Newsom not only defeated the attempt to remove him from office but also won with the exact same margin as his victory in the 2018 election at a cost of over $275 million.

See also:

● The Recall Election and California’s Political Future Public Policy Institute of California

● Newsom reenacts his 2018 landslide win Politico

California Politics: Redistricting gets real

Los Angeles Times

Members of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, who have rolled up their sleeves over the last weeks to dig deep into how to draw new maps, are quickly discovering that beyond what’s outlined in legal mandates, there are lots of ways to get it right.

California politicians raising money for charity face new rules from ethics panel

CalMatters

The state Fair Political Practices Commission is focusing on more public disclosure to address a growing trend of charitable donations serving as a conduit for interest groups seeking to influence politicians. Government watchdogs say that isn’t enough.

● Here's what we know is in the scaled back Biden budget bill and what got cut VPR

● Dems see a $1 trillion-plus deal within reach — but not until next week Politico

● Biden Pares Back Policy Goals in Search of a Deal Wall Street Journal

● Where the White House economic plan stands: From taxes to health to climate to immigration Washington Post

● This week: Democrats aim to unlock Biden economic, infrastructure package The Hill

● Budget package taking shape as Democrats eye aggressive schedule Roll Call

● Tax on Billionaires’ Unrealized Gains Will Likely Be in Budget Package, Democrats Say Wall Street Journal

To save child credit expansion, Democrats ready shorter renewal

Roll Call

Democrats are facing the possibility of a much shorter extension of an expanded child tax credit they’ve touted than many had hoped, which could ultimately stave off cuts to other aspects of the benefit they are fiercely defending.

Pelosi tries to salvage housing aid

Politico

Progressives are gaining traction in a bid to preserve housing funding in Democrats’ $2 trillion social spending package, after negotiators earlier floated plans to slash the aid by two-thirds.

Dems eye slimmed-down drug price deal to advance social spending bill

Politico

Congressional Democrats are watering down — and may entirely drop — a plan to have the government directly negotiate some Medicare drug prices in order to help clinch a deal on their sweeping social spending package.

Democrats’ problem is not focusing on issues most vital to independents, 2 prominent pollsters say

Washington Post

Joel Benenson has a feeling of deja vu watching President Biden’s agenda grind into a long, drawn-out negotiation as middle-of-the-road voters recoil at the process taking place in Congress.

Opinion: Republicans have given Joe Manchin the perfect reason to end the filibuster

Washington Post

On Wednesday, all 50 Republicans in the Senate voted to filibuster the Freedom to Vote Act. That’s a stripped-down version of sweeping voting rights legislation Democrats have advocated.

Opinion: How pandemic-era fiscal policy affects the level of GDP

Brookings

The FIM measures the direct impact of fiscal policy on the growth rate of GDP, but not on the level.

Other:

Inside Facebook, Jan. 6 violence fueled anger, regret over missed warning signs

Washington Post

A trove of internal documents turned over to the SEC provides new details of the social media platform’s role in fomenting the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Internal company documents disclosed to the SEC offer important new evidence of Facebook’s role.

● How Facebook neglected the rest of the world, fueling hate speech and violence in India Washington Post

● Facebook’s Internal Chat Boards Show Politics Often at Center of Decision Making Wall Street Journal

● The case against Mark Zuckerberg: Insiders say Facebook’s CEO chose growth over safety Washington Post

● A whistleblower’s power: Key takeaways from the Facebook Papers Washington Post

● Opinion: Solving the problem of racially discriminatory advertising on Facebook Brookings

Asian American teens navigate being themselves as their communities are targeted

VPR

When the world reached a year into the pandemic, hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islanders were on the rise.

Citizens in Advanced Economies Want Significant Changes to Their Political Systems

Pew Research

As citizens around the world continue to grapple with a global pandemic and the changes it has brought to their everyday lives, many are also expressing a desire for political change. A median of 56% believe their political system needs major changes.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, October 31, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "On-Line Democray: A Good Connection?" - Guest: Pedro Nava, Chairman - California Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, October 31, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "The Valley Experience with On-Line Government"- Guests: Danielle Bergstrom, Fresnoland: Fresnoland's Documenter's Program and Erica Manuel, CEO & President of the Institute for Local Government. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Fresno County farmers at a ‘crossroads’ as drought, climate change limit water supply

VPR

Joe Del Bosque has owned his farm west of Mendota for 36 years. He’s grown cherries, tomatoes and asparagus. But the crop closest to his heart is melons. His dad began growing melons in the Mendota area in the 1950s.

Bountiful pistachios, fewer almonds shape price outlook for Kern nut growers

Bakersfield Californian

California's almond crop is officially estimated as 10 percent smaller than last year's — welcome news after sluggish prices last year — while there are suggestions pistachios may tie last year's record haul amid solid demand.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Clovis PD awarded $73,000 COTS Grant

Clovis Roundup

On October 18th, Clovis PD announced that they were awarded a $73,000 Grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. This will allow the department to get started on a police traffic services program to prevent dangerous and illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of crashes in the community.

7,000 pounds of pot seized outside of Keyes

Turlock Journal

Over 7,000 pounds of marijuana processed illegally was seized Thursday morning at a home in the 5100 block of Washington Road just outside of Keyes.

Public Safety:

Park rangers coming to patrol Modesto’s parks? What they’d do, and when they could start

Modesto Bee

CSU Bakersfield professor on misperceptions about domestic abuse

VPR

Since 1989, October has been designated as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. But misperceptions about domestic violence continue to permeate our culture. To learn more, Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke with Tracey Salsibury, assistant professor of interdisciplinary and ethnic studies at California State University, Bakersfield.

Lyft says it recorded more than 4,000 cases of sexual assault over 3 years

Washington Post

Lyft collected more than 4,000 reports of sexual assault on its app dating from 2017 through 2019, in its long-promised first safety report showing the extent of the safety problems on it app.

America has a gun violence problem. What do we do about it?

ABC News

Mass shootings have dominated the headlines, conversations and political debate around America's gun violence problem for decades.Active shooter incidents have been on the rise in the last two decades.

Natural Disasters Can Set the Stage for Cyberattacks

Pew Trusts

Cybercriminals, who are becoming increasingly sophisticated, could take advantage of natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes to wreak havoc on critical infrastructure, experts say.

Fire:

Fresno County residents in Creek Fire burn scar under evacuation alerts as storm nears

Fresno Bee

An evacuation warning was issued for the Fresno County portion of the Creek Fire burn scar area due to the threat posed by an approaching severe winter storm. Mudslides, rockslides and debris flow are possible. Roads may become impassable during this storm event.

● Evacuation warning issued for Creek Fire burn scar area in Fresno County abc30

Finding (and keeping) fire insurance is headache for homeowners in California

VPR

How do you insure your home as insurance companies pull out of the market and temporary moratoriums expire? - all this as the state faces an affordable housing crisis that pushes people farther out of cities and deeper into remote areas, where the risk of fire can be greater.

Opinion: 10,000 trees near giant sequoia groves to be removed after fires

Axios

"Upward of" 10,000 trees near giant sequoia groves have been "weakened by drought, disease, age and/or fire" and must be removed in the wake of California's wildfires, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks announced.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

California’s legal weed industry can’t compete with illicit market

Politico

Rather than make cannabis a Main Street fixture, California’s strict regulations have led most industry operators to close shop, flee the state or sell in the state’s illegal market that approaches $8 billion annually, twice the volume of legal sales.

Yellen expects inflation to linger, then ease later in 2022

Politico

"The Covid shock to the economy has caused disruptions that we'll be working through over the next year. And, of course, Americans have not seen inflation like we have experienced recently in a long time," Yellen said on CNN's "State of the Union."

● U.S. Growth Slowed in Recent Months Amid Elevated Prices, Fed’s Beige Book Says Wall Street Journal

Economy Week Ahead: Central Banks, GDP, Consumer Spending

Wall Street Journal

Gross domestic product data from the U.S. and eurozone this week will show how sharply economic growth slowed in the third quarter.

Stocks end mixed on Wall Street, still notch weekly gains

Business Journal

Wall Street capped a choppy day of trading Friday with an uneven finish for the major stock indexes, as losses for several large technology companies weighed on the market.

Jobs:

Stanislaus unemployment keeps pace with the state, but expert warns of upcoming divide

Modesto Bee

The rate in the Stanislaus County was 6.9% in September, down from 8% in August, according to data from the state’s Employment Development Department. Local data is not seasonally adjusted.

● California is 2nd toughest place in U.S. to find a job The Orange County Register

Need a job? Amazon hiring 23,000 seasonal workers in California at about $18 an hour

Modesto Bee

Amazon is gearing up to hire some 23,000 people across California for the holiday shopping season. The online retail behemoth is constructing a million-square-foot fulfillment center in Turlock that is set to employ some 1,000 workers, too.

Thousands of workers across the U.S. would rather lose their jobs than be vaccinated

VPR

The vast majority of Americans have complied with vaccine mandates. But for the vaccine holdouts, walking away from a job comes at a cost, one that's bigger for some than others.

Workers are fed up. But is this really #Striketober?

Los Angeles Times

Union leaders said the agreement contained “significant economic gains.” But workers weren’t having it.

● OSHA to States: Protect Workers from COVID or Forfeit Authority Pew Trusts

How Amazon Mishandled Paying Dozens of Workers on Leave

New York Times

Workers across the country facing medical problems and other life crises have been fired when the attendance software mistakenly marked them as no-shows.

Opinion: Business leaders expect wages to keep going up

Axios

According a new quarterly survey released today by the National Association of Business Economists, a record high 58% of respondents increased pay at their firms during the third quarter — and nearly the same share expects to do so again in the coming months.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Warszawski: As Clovis student got booed and jeered by parents, where were the adults in the room?

Fresno Bee

What is it about school board meetings that causes grown ups to act like children? I opted for “grown ups” instead of “adults” because the latter suggests a certain level of mental development and maturity.

Attorney General Merrick Garland directed Justice Department agencies to hold meetings nationwide on criminal threats against school personnel. Mask mandates and racial issues have drawn hundreds of angry parents to school board meetings coast to coast.

CUSD Discusses New School Campus

Clovis Roundup

Clovis has several highly graded campuses that represent the district, however, there is another campus coming into the mix.

School start times to change next year per state law. What Modesto parents should know

Modesto Bee

Next school year, all California middle schools will start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

New K-12 curriculum invites teachers to rethink how to teach Native American histories

VPR

After earning a master’s degree in education from Fresno State, Marie Casao curated a curriculum of resources for teachers looking to challenge stereotypes about Native Americans in their classrooms.

Walters: Will big changes shape up California schools?

CalMatters

Big things are happening in California’s public schools but whether they improve the educations of nearly 6 million children is still unclear.

Don’t like your kid’s school? Initiative would give California parents power to sue for change

Sacramento Bee

The initiative, backed by longtime education reform advocates, could set up legal battles with the state’s teachers unions and school districts. It would give parents more power to challenge policies they regard as problematic for the kids’ schooling.

Event: Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students

Public Policy Institute of California

PPIC researcher Joseph Hayes will outline key findings from a new report, and a panel of experts will discuss how local, state, and national stakeholders can continue working together on this vital issue.

Higher Ed:

CSU Bakersfield professor on misperceptions about domestic abuse

VPR

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Satellite shows storm system hitting the West Coast

Sacramento Bee

Moisture drawn from the Pacific and transported on a Category 5 out of 5 “atmospheric river” resulted in several inches of rain falling in coastal areas of northern California on Sunday morning. The torrent of precipitation comes amid a state-wide drought in California.

● Bomb Cyclone and ‘Atmospheric River’ Pummel California With Rain and Wind New York Times

● Atmospheric river unleashes record-setting rain, flooding in California Washington Post

Federal Government Takes Action on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’

Consumer Reports

The federal government announced a plan to take action on a ubiquitous and currently lightly regulated class of chemicals that have been associated with a wide range of potential health risks. The roadmap is designed to reduce human exposure to these chemicals.

What Is COP26 in Glasgow and Why Does the Climate Change Summit Matter?

Wall Street Journal

Climate negotiators from nearly every country will gather for two weeks in early November in Scotland to hammer out a new agreement aimed at cutting emissions to a level scientists hope will limit global warming.

Energy:

Robert Price: Time for Kern County to reassess its fight with the state over the future of oil

Bakersfield Californian

We are The Other California because our collective heart, culturally, politically and economically, is more Red River than Pacific Coast. Our fingernails are stained with the silt and tar that have fortified and enriched the nation: Agriculture and petroleum are our most essential contributions and have been for well more than a century.

California proposes limits on community drilling

Sacramento Bee

An ambitious plan by California regulators to block new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet (975 meters) of schools and homes is drawing protests from the oil industry and plaudits from environmentalists, who still want the state to go further.

Harbor patrol searched, couldn’t find California oil spill

Business Journal

Southern California harbor patrol boats picked up reports of a possible fuel spill off the coast on a marine radio emergency channel about an hour before the Coast Guard heard anything about oil on the water and about 15 hours before a large slick was confirmed.

Longer, more frequent outages afflict the U.S. power grid as states fail to prepare for climate change

Washington Post

Across the nation, severe weather fueled by climate change is pushing aging electrical systems past their limits, often with deadly results. Last year, the average American home endured more than eight hours without power.

Event: US energy tax policy and climate change

Brookings

On October 27, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and the Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets will bring together climate and tax policy experts to examine recent proposals for U.S. energy tax policy.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine appears more than 90% effective in kids 5 to 11

VPR

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech say their data supports authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine in kids 5 to 11. The FDA released the companies' briefing document Friday morning in a prelude to a meeting of expert advisers to the agency scheduled for Tuesday.

● Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for Young Kids Satisfied FDA Criteria, Agency Says Wall Street Journal

Five tactics used to spread vaccine misinformation in the wellness community, and why they work

Washington Post

Experts say the content shared in some wellness communities has powerful emotional and psychological foundations that can cause even science-minded people to question the public health consensus on the ability of vaccines to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Human Services:

Fresno is about to get the largest family shelter in central California. Here’s where

Fresno Bee

Dems eye slimmed-down drug price deal to advance social spending bill

Politico

Millions of Workers Stay Home to Watch Young Children as Daycares Struggle

Wall Street Journal

A shortage of child-care workers is sending ripples across the U.S. workforce, stymieing employers as they try to hire more workers and sidelining the careers of women who would otherwise opt to remain in the labor force.

IMMIGRATION

Border Patrol apprehensions hit a record high. But that's only part of the story

VPR

The Border Patrol recorded nearly 1.7 million migrant apprehensions at the Southern border over the past year — the highest number ever, eclipsing the record set more than two decades ago.

Border agents who made violent, lewd Facebook posts faced flawed disciplinary process at CBP, House investigation finds

Washington Post

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection discipline board found that 60 agents “committed misconduct” by sharing violent and obscene posts in secret Facebook groups but fired only two — far fewer than an internal discipline board had recommended.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Construction expected to start next month on long-awaited downtown Modesto courthouse

Modesto Bee

Housing:

Pelosi tries to salvage housing aid

Politico

Progressives are gaining traction in a bid to preserve housing funding in Democrats’ $2 trillion social spending package, after negotiators earlier floated plans to slash the aid by two-thirds.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Fed Prepares to Taper Stimulus Amid More Doubts on Inflation

Wall Street Journal

Federal Reserve officials are set to wind down their $120 billion-a-month bond-purchase program in November, but questions over how soon inflation pressures will fade are creating more uneasiness inside the central bank.

Tax on Billionaires’ Unrealized Gains Will Likely Be in Budget Package, Democrats Say

Wall Street Journal

A new annual tax on billionaires’ unrealized capital gains is likely to be included to help pay for the vast social policy and climate package lawmakers hope to finalize this week, senior Democrats said Sunday.

To save child credit expansion, Democrats ready shorter renewal

Roll Call

Opinion: How pandemic-era fiscal policy affects the level of GDP

Brookings

iscal policy, including both automatic stabilizers and pandemic-related tax and spending legislation, played a significant role in cushioning the blows to the economy of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021.

TRANSPORTATION

More Fresno flights canceled Sunday as SkyWest Airlines struggles with computer problems

Fresno Bee

SkyWest, one of the nation’s largest regional airlines, canceled two more flights out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport on Sunday as the air carrier continued to work through computer problems.

Funding for Highway 41 completion project progressing

Fresno Bee

Assemblyman Jim Patterson announced that millions of dollars in funding needed to finish a dangerous six-mile stretch of Highway 41 in Fresno County has been included in the Cal Trans Draft 2020 Interregional Transportation Improvement Program.

● Construction and Road Closure Alert California High-Speed Rail Authority

No DMV lines: Seniors 70 and over can continue to renew licenses online, by mail

Sacramento Bee

Californians 70 and older can extend their driver’s licenses online or by mail for another year after a new state law recently went into effect to extend the temporary rule, the California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Friday.

New generation of truckers face DMV backlog to secure Class A drivers’ licenses

Daily Bulletin

Audra Smith and about a half-dozen others camped out this week at the Department of Motor Vehicles Commercial Drive Test Center in Fontana, hoping to put a small dent in the estimated shortage of 80,000 truckers contributing to gridlock in the global supply chain.

U.S. Covid-19 Battle Turns a Corner as Borders Open to Foreign Travelers

Wall Street Journal

When U.S. borders open to foreign travelers on Nov. 8, the country will have lifted one of the longest-standing restrictions imposed 19 months ago at the start of the pandemic, signaling a new phase of guarded optimism in the nation’s battle with Covid-19.

WATER

Will a La Niña winter improve the drought in Northern California? It’s complicated

Sacramento Bee

Everyone across California may experience La Niña weather conditions this winter. According to the National Weather Service last week, there is an 87% chance of La Niña starting December to February.

Walters: It’s time to get serious about water crisis

Cal Matters

It’s time to get serious about California’s precarious water supply, and it will require dealing with some very tough issues.

NASA launches tool that measures Western water loss

Business Journal

NASA launched an online platform with information on how much water evaporates into the atmosphere from plants, soils and other surfaces in the U.S. West, data it says could help water managers, farmers and state officials better manage resources in the parched region.

“Xtra”

Thousands hit downtown Fresno for the return of Taco Truck Throwdown. Here’s what you missed

Fresno Bee

More than 8,000 people showed up for Taco Truck Throwdown Ten, according to the official tally, with long lines zig-zagging across the stadium’s outfield for much of night, only really calming down once the event’s concert headliner Ginuwine took the stage.

Here are the top 10 businesses Bee readers want in Fresno and Clovis. Will they come?

Fresno Bee

Oh, Fresnans, you love to dream. The Bee asked you what businesses you wanted to see open in Fresno and you responded with hundreds of answers.

Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

Think you can tell the difference between True and False?

Do you really know what is fake news?

Support the Maddy Daily

HERE

Thank you!

Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute 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.

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

Subscribe to the Maddy Daily HERE

Or, to Subscribe or Unsubscribe: email nnaoe@csufresno.edu