POLICY & POLITICS
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.
See also:
● Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students Public Policy Institute of California
2021 California Economic Summit
California Forward
Marking 10 Years Together, the 2021 California Economic Summit will take place in Monterey on Nov. 9-10 with a virtual option on Nov.10. The Summit continues to be the premier statewide event where business, government, regions, communities and young leaders come together to develop triple-bottom-line policy solutions that balance equity, environmental sustainability and economic growth.
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Stanislaus adds three deaths, 431 cases over weekend Modesto Bee
Gov. Newsom visits UC Merced, pledges state support for proposed medical school
Merced Sun Star
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the campus of UC Merced on Monday, throwing his support behind an effort to build a $210 million medical education building on the campus.
See also:
● California is building a new health program at UC Merced. Will it lead to more Latino doctors? Modesto Bee
● Gov. Gavin Newsom visits UC Merced's future medical school site abc30
● Newsom Announces His Support of UC Merced Medical School GVWire
What’s ahead for Modesto-area weather after downpours that flooded many streets?
Modesto Bee
A potent series of storms caused localized flooding in many parts of Stanislaus County. The rain lasted into late morning Monday and then gave way to a partly sunny afternoon.
See also:
● Storm system brings heavy snow to California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains Modesto Bee
Turlock Fire receives funding boost. But council to consider study on future services
Modesto Bee
A week after approving about $725,000 in additional funding for the Turlock Fire Department, the City Council on Tuesday will consider a study proposal aiming to give recommendations on the department’s future.
Merced’s Mainzer Theater being considered for federal historic designation
Merced Sun Star
Downtown Merced’s Mainzer Theater — an art deco gem that’s been one of the city’s key architectural hallmarks since the 1930s — is among 13 California locations being considered for federal historic designation.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● COVID booster shots now have a green light. Who’s eligible now in Fresno, Valley? Fresno Bee
Evacuation alerts in place as storm hits Fresno, central San Joaquin Valley
Fresno Bee
A winter rainstorm that pounded Northern California with heavy rain and high winds has made its way to the central San Joaquin Valley. Rain defied forecasts and held off for hours as wind whipped through Fresno and nearby communities.
What’s Measure C? Why Fresno County could be voting on another sales tax measure
Fresno Bee
Measure C is a half-cent sales tax dedicated to funding new roads, freeways, sidewalks, trails, and public transportation in Fresno County. The current version of Measure C is expected to generate over $1.2 billion in sales tax revenue by the time it expires in 2027.
See also:
● Measure C workshops continue for public input Hanford Sentinel
Fresno Planning Commission (10/20/21) SW Fresno Housing Development + Alcohol License Transfers
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Planning Commission approved an agreement with Fagundes Bros. Dairy for 599 single-family lots and a two-acre park in the Oasis MasterPlan Area in southwest Fresno. The commissioners also approved an amendment to the Fresno Municipal Code allowing existing establishments that meet certain criteria to relocate and transfer their existing license to sell alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption.
Clovis City Council (10/18/21) Development Code Amendments + Repeal Of Emergency Orders
Fresno Bee
The Council approved amendments to the Development Code that align with recent state housing laws related to housing development project standards and procedures, density bonus provisions, accessory dwelling units approved “by right” and review procedures. The council also repealed pandemic-related emergency orders, allowing restaurants, retail and services to temporarily expand into public and private common areas.
Madera County Board Of Supervisors (10/19/2021) Census Blocks + $77M For Highway 99
Fresno Bee
The chief of Developmental Services Matthew Treber and his team identified the census blocks where current supervisor boundaries split. Supervisor Frazier announced that CalTrans approved, on a preliminary basis, $77 million for the six lane Highway 99, from Avenue 12 to Avenue 7.
Tulare County Board Of Supervisors (10/19/21) Fire Updates + Cross Valley Canal Conveyance Contract
Fresno Bee
The Fire Department provided updates on the Windy and KNP fires, with containment dates estimated to be 11/1/21 and 11/3/21 respectively. An update on COVID cases in Tulare County by Tim Lutz, director of Health & Human Services, showed that the rate of New COVID infections have been increasing but that hospitalizations have been decreasing.
Opinion: League of Women Voters praise Tulare County redistricting efforts
Visalia Times-Delta
The Tulare County 2021 Advisory Commission on Supervisorial Redistricting wrapped up its important task on Oct. 21 and are forwarding four map proposals to the Board of Supervisors for consideration beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 26. They are to be commended for the stellar process just completed.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● Kern Public Health: 946 new COVID cases, 4 new deaths, reported from weekend Bakersfield Californian
Atmospheric river dumps rain on Valley, mountain areas, bringing needed moisture, but problems, too
Bakersfield Californian
A much-anticipated storm, designated a very wet “atmospheric river” by meteorologists, started soaking down Bakersfield and other communities in the southern San Joaquin Valley and Kern County mountains Monday morning.
Cal Water applies for permission to raise penalties for irrigation violations
Bakersfield Californian
Local customers of California Water Service may soon face enforcement actions against their use of outdoor irrigation if state regulators give the company permission to advance to the next phase of its water shortage contingency plan.
State:
COVID Update:
● Thousands of state workers are unvaccinated. California isn’t testing half of them for COVID as required Fresno Bee
● Driver rams into COVID vaccine mandate protesters, California police say Fresno Bee
● Hospitalizations in California by county CalMatters
California’s unemployment fraud reaches at least $20 billion
Fresno Bee
California has given away at least $20 billion to criminals in the form of fraudulent unemployment benefits, confirming a number smaller than originally feared but one that still accounts for more than 11% of all benefits paid since the start of the pandemic.
State Auditor Elaine Howle is retiring. She found problems at EDD, UC
Sacramento Bee
State Auditor Elaine Howle, whose scathing audits of the embattled Employment Development Department boosted efforts this year to reform the agency, will retire at the end of the year, her office said Monday.
Don’t like your kid’s school? Initiative would give California parents power to sue for change
Sacramento Bee
Californians next year could vote on a proposed initiative that promises something almost everyone wants: A “high-quality” public education for every student. But the initiative, backed by longtime education reform advocates, could set up legal battles with the state’s teachers unions and school districts.
Do Californians Trust Government to Do What Is Right?
Public Policy Institute of California
As state and federal officials continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery efforts, Californians are looking to their leaders for policy solutions. But how much does the public trust the government?
See also:
● Walters: California sees wave of political corruption CalMatters
Opinion: California’s courts need updating
CalMatters
As Americans question the capacity of their institutions to serve them effectively and people around the world voice doubts about democracy, it’s important that we strengthen our courts with the right mix of innovation and investment.
Opinion: How local independent commissions are changing California redistricting
CalMatters
New independent commissions are drawing election districts in cities and counties that could change representation and priorities. Community groups are fighting for influence.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● Children will be exempt from vaccine requirement for international travel, U.S. says Fresno Bee
● Moderna says its low-dose COVID shot works for kids 6 to 11 Fresno Bee
● Moderna says new data supports its COVID vaccine for kids 6 to 11 VPR
● As U.S. COVID deaths drop, FDA panel reviews data on vaccines for children VPR
● Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for Young Children Under Review by FDA Advisers Wall Street Journal
● Biden Admin Aims to Boost Covid-19 Rapid Test Supply Wall Street Journal
● COVID-19 vaccines for U.S. kids: Here's what you need to know Reuters
● The FDA Is About to Make Some Major Drug Decisions. What Investors Need to Know. Barron’s
Democrats to Biden: Start pushing back more aggressively against Trump
Fresno Bee
As former President Donald Trump maintains his grip on the Republican Party and further spreads conspiracies about the 2020 election, some Democrats and progressive activists are urging President Joe Biden to speak out more forcefully against his predecessor.
See also:
● GOP lawmakers were ‘intimately involved’ in Jan. 6 protest planning, new report shows PBS
Manchin sees framework in reach as Democrats inch toward deal
Fresno Bee
Democrats stepped closer to an agreement on President Joe Biden’s agenda as Sen. Joe Manchin, who has been pushing to shrink the size of a sweeping social-spending package, said a deal on the outlines of the plan is within reach this week.
See also:
● Manchin gets closer to 'yes' on Dems' $1T-plus social spending plan Politico
● What’s In and What’s Out of Democrats’ $2 Trillion Budget Reconciliation Plan Wall Street Journal
● Democrats Negotiate Tax, Healthcare Provisions as Biden Seeks Deal This Week Wall Street Journal
● Debt ceiling hangs over Democrats’ legislative home stretch Roll Call
Washington Post
Senate Democrats this week are preparing to propose a new tax increase that would raise billions of dollars from a handful of the richest Americans, a policy so narrow in scope that the number of people it would affect is likely unprecedented in American history.
See also:
● Taxing Billionaires to Pay for Biden’s Agenda: What to Know About the Democrats’ Plan Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: The Democrats’ Wealth-Tax Mirage Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: The Democrats’ Tax Plan Would Sink Real Estate Wall Street Journal
Senate’s clean energy fight may vex Biden at climate conference
Roll Call
President Joe Biden and administration officials are downplaying the role of Congress in passing legislation to slow rising greenhouse gas levels as Democratic lawmakers are ratcheting up the pressure to reach a deal on climate legislation before the president heads overseas for global talks in Glasgow, Scotland.
See also:
● Manchin tries to slow clean energy shift as West Virginia clings to coal Roll Call
● Opinion: If Biden is serious about the climate crisis, he should put nuclear power on the table Los Angeles Times
Biden nominates acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel for permanent post
Washington Post
The White House on Tuesday named Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn to top Federal Communications Commission positions in a late bid to stave off a Republican majority over the regulator.
Biden average approval rating dips to new low: FiveThirtyEight
Roll Call
President Biden’s approval rating has dipped to a new low of 43.4 percent in FiveThirtyEight’s average of polls as he works through a legislative logjam on Capitol Hill involving two spending bills that are key to his agenda.
See also:
● Poll: Confidence in Biden administration's ability to ensure a quick post-pandemic economic recovery Axios
Other:
The Facebook Papers: What you need to know about the trove of insider documents
VPR
Facebook's rank-and-file employees warned their leaders about the company's effects on society and politics in the U.S. — and its inability to effectively moderate content in other countries magnified those dangers.
See also:
● Facebook claims it wants to be a good corporate citizen. Its conduct says otherwise Sacramento Bee
● Big-Name Democrats Say ‘No Thanks’ to Facebook’s Top Lobbyist Job Wall Street Journal
● Facebook looking for its voice at a ‘watershed moment’ Politico
● Facebook documents offer a treasure trove for Washington’s antitrust war Politico
● Five points for anger, one for a ‘like’: How Facebook’s formula fostered rage and misinformation Washington Post
● How Facebook's algorithm shapes what you see in your news feed Washington Post
Opinion: Personal freedom and the common good: How Americans evaluate the trade-off
AEI
It shouldn't surprise readers that partisan divisions carry over to questions about COVID vaccines today. In Gallup’s September poll, 58 percent of those employed favored requiring all employees who don’t have a medical exemption to get the vaccine, up from 46 percent in May.
What will PolitiFact be watching in 2022?
PolitiFact
Hint: It may influence your vote in next year’s midterms.
Brookings
Over 80% of youth report seeing others stand up during cyberbullying incidents and engage in bystander intervention online, showing the power of bystander intervention—a strategy that has proven effective in ensuring the dissemination of more fact-based public health information—and holds much promise for addressing and curbing online interactions that reinforce systemic racism.
Opinion: Local-News Woes Hide a Deeper Civics Problem
National Review
American civic education hasn’t emphasized the vital role of journalism as the fourth estate, as important to the good society as the separation of powers or checks and balances in the federal government.
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
Farm equipment dealership acquired with expansion in mind
Business Journal
A farm equipment company with an extensive Central Valley footprint has been acquired. Southern California-based Sonsray Machinery, the largest CASE Construction dealership on the West Coast, has acquired the CASE IH agriculture equipment dealership Booth Machinery.
State releases proposals for making farming more climate friendly
Bakersfield Californian
During the past year the state has put together a long list of ideas for meeting Gov. Newsom's executive order to employ agriculture and other nature-based solutions in the fight against climate change.
California’s legal weed industry can’t compete with illicit market
Politico
Local government opposition, high taxes and competition from unlicensed businesses are complicating the state's push to build a thriving legal market.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
California’s unemployment fraud reaches at least $20 billion
Associated Press
California has given away at least $20 billion to criminals in the form of fraudulent unemployment benefits, state officials said Monday, confirming a number smaller than originally feared but one that still accounts for more than 11% of all benefits paid since the start of the pandemic.
Public Safety:
KQED
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, 16 people have died and at least 20 more have been hospitalized in connection with the company’s facilities in California. It was one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks at a meat or poultry plant in the country at that time, according to data from the nonprofit news organization Food and Environment Reporting Network.
In a bid to stop overdose deaths, California could allow drug use at supervised sites
Los Angeles Times
As the numbers of overdose deaths have soared, many experts, advocates and lawmakers have promoted an idea still fresh to the United States: giving people a safe place to inject drugs under supervision.
State lawmaker calls for ban on live ammunition and real guns on California movie sets
Los Angeles Times
A California state senator called for a ban on live ammunition on movie sets and in theatrical productions following the death Thursday of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins involving a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin on a New Mexico movie set.
Fire:
Turlock Fire receives funding boost. But council to consider study on future services
Modesto Bee
A week after approving about $725,000 in additional funding for the Turlock Fire Department, the City Council on Tuesday will consider a study proposal aiming to give recommendations on the department’s future.
KNP Complex firefighters shelter in place amid bomb cyclone. Could storm extinguish wildfire?
Visalia Times-Delta
The massive storm system could be a mixed blessing for fire managers hoping that the torrential downpour will extinguish flames lingering in the heaviest and longest-burning fuels.
After California Wildfire, Thousands Of Trees To Be Removed
Business Journal
In the wake of California wildfires, upwards of 10,000 trees weakened by fires, drought, disease or age must be removed, work that will keep a nearby highway closed to visitors who seek the world’s two largest sequoia trees.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Black and Latino families continue to bear pandemic's great economic toll in U.S.
VPR
Thirty-eight percent of households across the U.S. report facing serious financial problems over the last few months. That's according to a poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Banks’ Debt Sales Are Driving the Corporate Bond Market
Wall Street Journal
U.S. banks are overrun with cash. So they are loading up on debt. The six largest U.S. lenders have issued some $314 billion of bonds so far this year, already the most for any year since 2008, according to Dealogic.
Shoppers Find Discounts Are in Short Supply This Holiday Season
Wall Street Journal
One side effect of the Covid-19 pandemic heading into the holidays: fewer bargains for shoppers. Industry executives and analysts say consumers should expect to pay closer to full price on a range of products this holiday season, including on Nike sneakers, Coach handbags and Ralph Lauren Polo shirts.
Tesla Surpasses $1 Trillion in Market Value as Hertz Orders 100,000 Vehicles
Wall Street Journal
Hertz’s major bulk purchase could help Tesla get more of its cars into the hands of mainstream consumers
Jobs:
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.
EDUCATION
K-12:
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. At Modesto City Schools, the logistics of transporting thousands of students means elementary school bell schedules must shift, too.
Don’t like your kid’s school? Initiative would give California parents power to sue for change
Sacramento Bee
Californians next year could vote on a proposed initiative that promises something almost everyone wants: A “high-quality” public education for every student. But the initiative, backed by longtime education reform advocates, could set up legal battles with the state’s teachers unions and school districts.
For months, California private schools have been waiting for 'emergency' Covid aid
EdSource
Earlier this month, it told the schools that the earliest that private schools would learn which vendors they could use for services they want would be the end of February — more than a year after Congress approved the initial round of funding.
Opinion: How to make school testing more useful and less time-consuming
AEI
As schools continue to deal with the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the question of testing and accountability looms large.
Opinion: The Wrong Way to Fight Progressive Indoctrination in Public Schools
National Review
Attacking woke curricula on First Amendment grounds won’t work. Parents must instead hold school boards accountable in local elections.
Help The Fresno Bee continue to cover education in the central San Joaquin Valley
Fresno Bee
We need your help to continue this important work — and that’s why we’re launching our Fall News Fund Campaign at fresnobee.com/donate, where you can make a tax-free donation to help fund Education Lab and the work we produce for our expanding audience both online and in print.
Higher Ed:
Gov. Newsom visits UC Merced, pledges state support for proposed medical school
Merced Sun Star
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the campus of UC Merced on Monday, throwing his support behind an effort to build a $210 million medical education building on the campus.
See also:
● Gov. Gavin Newsom visits UC Merced's future medical school site abc30
Fresno-area colleges see at least one person quit, others on leave over vaccine mandate
Fresno Bee
One State Center Community College District employee has resigned, and up to nine have been placed on administrative leave due to non-compliance with the district’s vaccine mandate, according to district spokesperson Lucy Ruiz.
Calif community colleges unable to justify placing students in remedial classes, study finds
EdSource
Almost all of California’s community colleges are still placing at least some students into remedial math classes — and none of them can justify doing so.
Inside the fossil fuel divestment movement at Cal State
CalMatters
After nine months of student advocacy, Cal State University officials announced they would pull $162 million in investments from the fossil fuel industry, joining a growing movement.
AEI
Higher education reformers should align their efforts with the lessons they have learned in the K–12 space—namely, promoting meaningful competition and market-based accountability, aligning educational pathways with other parts of the education and training equation, and ensuring students are empowered to make informed choices among diverse, high-quality providers.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
Newsom moves to international stage to tout Calif’s climate efforts in Scotland
Modesto Bee
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will travel to Glasgow, Scotland, next month for the United Nations climate conference, his first major conference abroad since becoming governor in 2019.
Can California Tourism Survive Climate Change?
New York Times
The most popular state for tourism in the U.S. endured record wildfires, drought and flooding just this year. “The rate of change has been so dramatic,” says one local scientist. “If I was the California tourism industry, I’d be really worried.”
White House eyes new climate change strategies in Biden bill
Associated Press
The White House is zeroing in on a package of clean energy strategies for President Joe Biden’s big domestic policy bill that officials believe could reach similar greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as an initial proposal that was quashed by opposition.
Greenhouse gas levels reached record highs in 2020, even with pandemic lockdowns
VPR
Despite a world economy that slowed significantly because of COVID-19, the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record last year, putting the goal of slowing the rise of global temperatures "way off track."
See also:
● Greenhouse gas concentrations hit a new record in 2020 despite pandemic lockdowns Los Angeles Times
● Rich Nations Lag Behind in Meeting $100 Billion Climate-Funding Pledge in Blow to COP26 Wall Street Journal
Methane is a major contributor to climate change behind CO2 — but it's been largely overlooked
VPR
Until now, methane has gone largely undetected as a contributor to climate change. The greenhouse gas is more potent than carbon dioxide. The United States has joined with more than 30 countries in a pledge to tackle methane emissions.
Rich Nations Lag Behind in Meeting $100 Billion Climate-Funding Pledge in Blow to COP26
Wall Street Journal
Wealthy governments won’t fulfill a pledge to provide $100 billion a year to help developing countries fight climate change until at least 2023, a setback that comes just days before a closely watched United Nations climate summit starts in Scotland.
See also:
● Opinion: Net zero carbon pledges have good intentions. But they are not enough. Brookings
Energy:
Will those responsible for California oil spill pay for the damage? It could be a battle
Merced Sun Star
This month’s spill off the shore of Orange County, which dumped an estimated 25,000 gallons into the ocean, could become an expensive repeat of the Refugio spill, some experts say.
Newsom backs tougher rules on California oil wells
CalMatters
Gov. Newsom says he supports proposed rules on where new oil wells can go, plus additional pollution controls on existing wells.
Opinion: Clean fuels and electrification both needed to meet California’s climate goals
CalMatters
An important first step for California to transform its energy system will be to establish a procurement standard for fuels such as hydrogen and renewable natural gas.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Moderna says new data supports its COVID vaccine for kids 6 to 11
VPR
The study, conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, used shots containing a 50 microgram dose of the vaccine, half the dose of the Moderna shots authorized for adults. More than 4,700 children ages 5 to 11 took part in the study.
See also:
● Moderna says its low-dose COVID shot works for kids 6 to 11 Fresno Bee
● As U.S. COVID deaths drop, FDA panel reviews data on vaccines for children VPR
● Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for Young Children Under Review by FDA Advisers Wall Street Journal
● COVID-19 vaccines for U.S. kids: Here's what you need to know Reuters
Los Angeles Times
Three months after Gov. Gavin Newsom required state workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, his pledge that California government would lead by example has not been fulfilled: Many public agencies face low vaccination rates, and most state-run workplaces have failed to test unvaccinated employees.
This Flu Season Is Different. Here’s How to Prepare.
New York Times
We’ve had two light years in a row, which some experts worry could mean we’ll be in for a rough few months.
Biden Administration Aims to Boost Covid-19 Rapid Test Supply
Wall Street Journal
Federal officials said they would do more to get over-the-counter Covid-19 tests to consumers, after some manufacturers have struggled to meet demand after the Delta surge drove increased demand from individuals, schools and businesses.
Human Services:
U.S. needs more nurses, but nursing schools don't have enough slots
VPR
Across the country, hospitals desperate for nurses — especially in acute care —are trying to address intense burnout among health care workers and accelerated nurse retirements by hiring new graduates.
IMMIGRATION
Capradio
Immigration advocates are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to terminate a $350 million COVID-19 response contract the state awarded to a company that built sections of former president Donald Trump’s border wall in California.
For the first Latino senator from California, citizenship for undocumented immigrants is personal
Washington Post
Senator Padilla and others have twice failed to convince the Senate parliamentarian that citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States should be included in a budget bill that Democrats hope to pass this year as part of a massive spending package.
Immigration arrests fell to lowest level in more than a decade during fiscal 2021, ICE data shows
Washington Post
Immigration arrests in the interior of the United States fell in fiscal 2021 to the lowest level in more than a decade — roughly half the annual totals recorded during the Trump administration, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data.
House panel: Border agents lightly disciplined for lewd posts
Roll Call
U.S. Customs and Border Protection fired just two employees after finding dozens had posted offensive content in secret Facebook groups, including racist and sexist images of migrants and Democratic lawmakers, according to a congressional committee report released Monday.
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.
See also:
● U.S. to Exempt Certain Foreign Air Travelers From Covid-19 Vaccine Rules
Wall Street Journal
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Gov Newsom Signs Three Important New Bills into Law Impacting Residential Zoning and Development
Gibson Dunn
On September 16, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed bipartisan legislation intended to expand housing production in California, streamline the process for cities to zone for multi-family housing, and increase residential density, all in an effort to help ease California’s housing shortage.
Housing:
Do you know someone who is homeless in Fresno? Here’s a guide to shelter and resources
Fresno Bee
For those new to homelessness, navigating the limited resources available can be confusing and, oftentimes, puts you at the end of a long waiting list. If you have recently lost shelter or are at risk of becoming homeless, this guide provides information on what is available to you.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Does the IRS really want to spy on your bank account? The latest tax fight, explained
VPR
A new fight is brewing over taxes. The Biden administration wants to require banks to provide the Internal Revenue Service with information about how much money flows in and out of individual accounts each year.
Federal Judges Would Face Tougher Stock-Trading Rules Under Bipartisan Bill
Wall Street Journal
Federal judges would be required to report stock trades over $1,000 within 45 days and post their financial-disclosure forms online under legislation proposed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Washington Post
Senate Democrats this week are preparing to propose a new tax increase that would raise billions of dollars from a handful of the richest Americans, a policy so narrow in scope that the number of people it would affect is likely unprecedented in American history.
TRANSPORTATION
Did changes to Calif high-speed rail spending break the law? Appeals court to decide
Fresno Bee
Opponents of California’s controversial and embattled high-speed rail project hope a state appeals court will put the brakes on using billions in bond funds for construction that’s now underway in Fresno County and the central San Joaquin Valley.
See also:
● Opinion: California Needs to Up its Train Game Streetsblog California
WATER
California's drought far from over even after strong storm, experts say
abc30
Officials say we need to have several good wet seasons in a row to recover.
See also:
● Atmospheric river hits the Central Valley; up to 4 inches of rain expected Visalia Times Delta
● Bomb cyclone tears through California CalMatters
● Atmospheric river slams California, but La Niña winter looms Axios
Cal Water applies for permission to raise penalties for irrigation violations
Bakersfield Californian
Local customers of California Water Service may soon face enforcement actions against their use of outdoor irrigation if state regulators give the company permission to advance to the next phase of its water shortage contingency plan.
Los Angeles Times
State politicians have authorized spending about $5 billion on drought-related water projects without charging it on the credit card.
“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 the night, only really calming down once the event’s concert headliner Ginuwine took the stage.
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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.
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