Maddy Institute – October 6, 2021

06Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Oct. 6: Stanislaus reaches 1,289 deaths, 74,731 positive tests Modesto Bee

● Stanislaus County is nearing the threshold for lifting COVID-19 mask requirement Modesto Bee

Are commuters too liberal? Modesto Republicans try to cut Tracy out of Harder’s district

Modesto Bee

Groups of right-leaning San Joaquin Valley residents and farming families want to make one Democratic congressional district just a bit more Republican as the state prepares to redraw its legislative boundaries.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● How many vaccinated people have caught COVID-19 in Fresno, Valley? Here’s what the data shows Fresno Bee

● Vaccines are here. School's open. Some parents still agonize Hanford Sentinel

● Court mandates employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-November FOX26 News

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer gets a workout, then makes a pitch for city youth program

Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer on Tuesday kicked off a youth mentorship initiative by joining the McLane High School football team during their strength training session and accepting a $20,000 donation from Anthem Blue Cross to his One Fresno Foundation.

Gavin Newsom has something to say about Fresno: I’ll be back here ‘until they kick me out’

Fresno Bee

“I want folks here in the Valley, no matter where you were in the recall, you could have been 80% pro recall, just (to know) you matter. And we got to do more to demonstrate that,” Newsom told reporters Tuesday while speaking at Fresno’s Sunset Elementary School.

Jury awards nearly $50 million after Fresno County man injured in ambulance ride

Fresno Bee

A Fresno County jury has awarded a Kingsburg man nearly $50 million in damages for injuries he suffered while being transported to the hospital by American Ambulance.

Mental health facility taking shape in Madera

Business Journal

Valley Children’s Healthcare, in partnership with Universal Health Services, celebrated a construction milestone on its way to finish River Vista Behavioral Health hospital in Madera.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health reports 276 new COVID-19 cases, seven new deaths on Tuesday Bakersfield Californian

● Student vaccine mandate to take effect in 2022, Kern County parents show strong opposition Bakersfield Now

● Latest National Guard dispatch boosts deployment at Kern hospitals to 38 Bakersfield Californian

● California’s National Guard is deployed to assist four beleaguered hospitals. New York Times

KHSD meeting draws heated public comment on vaccine mandate, LGBTQ+ protections

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern High School District’s latest board meeting became particularly contentious when board members heard public comment on two topics: a California mandate that students be vaccinated against COVID-19 and state protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

Business roundup: Hurtado bill gives farmworkers better access to child care; Tejon Ranch's legal opponents drop appeal

Bakersfield Californian

SB 393, the Farmworker Access to Childcare Act, directs resources to the Migrant Childcare Alternative Payment Program so that such workers can gain access to child care in any county in the state.

Opinion: McCarthy, the Republican 'leader' so desperately trying to be a follower

Visalia Times Delta

This week was a big anniversary for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, but one he'd rather forget. For the rest of us, however, the events six years ago are worth recalling — to understand just who McCarthy is, what he's so desperate to become and why he's doing the craven things he does to realize his dream.

State:

COVID Update:

● California is shaking off the worst of the Delta variant surge Los Angeles Times

● COVID vaccine disinformation a big reason behind low inoculation rates, officials say Los Angeles Times

● Walters: Newsom’s erratic vaccination orders CalMatters

● Governor's K-12 Vaccine “Mandate” Raises Questions aalrr

● COVID: Kaiser suspends thousands of employees who shunned vaccine Mercury News

Newsom signs California education budget with universal pre-K, college savings accounts

Fresno Bee

Speaking to teachers and students at Fresno’s Sunset Elementary School on Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a trio of bills; part of a $123.9 billion legislative package that delivers record-level investments in public schools.

● All Eyes on Fresno as Newsom Signs Big Education Bills GV Wire

California issued another batch of stimulus payments today. When to expect your check

Sacramento Bee

Californians earning below $75,000 a year can expect to see more money in their bank accounts soon after the state on Tuesday issued its latest batch of stimulus payments.

Bill aims to reduce Black maternal deaths, which are prevalent in the Central Valley

Modesto Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday aimed at reducing maternal mortality rates following decades of disproportionate deaths among Black and Indigenous women.

New California law bans use of recycle logo on non-recyclable packages

Sacramento Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a bill into law that prohibits the “chasing arrows” — a symbol that tells a consumer that an item is recyclable — from being placed on an item that cannot actually be recycled.

Want a ketchup packet at a restaurant? New California law means you’ll have to ask for it

Sacramento Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a bill into law prohibiting restaurants and other food facilities from providing single-use foodware accessories or condiments — such as forks or soy sauce packets — unless they are specifically requested by the customer.

Gov. Newsom Vetoes Union Vote-by-Mail Bill for Farmworkers

Capital & Main

Assembly Bill 616 would have made it easier for California farmworkers to vote to unionize by allowing them to fill out and mail ballots as absentees.

California governor vetoes tropical deforestation bill

AP News

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have required businesses selling certain products to the state to prove they’re not contributing to tropical deforestation.

California ends mandatory minimum drug sentence rules

AP News

California Gov. Gavin Newsom ended mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes in the nation’s most populous state on Tuesday, giving judges more discretion to impose alternative sentences.

New California law lets survivors sue for pain and suffering in assault and medical mistreatment cases

San Francisco Chronicle

SB447, backed by consumer groups and unions, and opposed by medical organizations, applies to survivors of victims of assault, medical mistreatment or other wrongfully inflicted harm in California.

High court declines to take up objections to California law on treating truckers as employees

San Francisco Chronicle

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by trucking companies seeking to exempt tens of thousands of truckers from California labor law, a potential first step — though not the final step — toward classifying them as employees rather than independent contractors.

Hospice reforms to become law after Times investigation reveals widespread fraud, abuse

Los Angeles Times

Decades of unchecked growth in the California hospice industry will come to a halt Jan. 1, when a moratorium on new licenses takes effect along with reforms aimed at curbing widespread fraud in end-of-life care.

Walters: Will speed traps return to California?

CalMatters

California has laws that protect motorists from speed traps but legislation now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk would weaken them.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● UC Davis researchers studied COVID viral loads in vaccinated cases. Here’s what they found Fresno Bee

● Have you used the Ellume COVID Home Test? Some are giving ‘false positives,’ FDA warns Fresno Bee

● FDA Authorizes Another At-Home Rapid Test for Covid-19 Wall Street Journal

● As he steps down as the head of NIH, he has a warning about future pandemics VPR

● Top Covid experts privately urge Biden admin to scale back booster campaign Politico

Biden action puts a hold on Trump administration biological opinions

Porterville Recorder

The water wars continue. Not surprisingly on Friday President Joe Biden's administration took action to essentially place on hold an action taken by former President Donald Trump in early 2020 designed to ensure more water would be delivered to the Central Valley.

Biden says changing filibuster rules to raise debt ceiling is a ‘real possibility’

Washington Post

President Biden late Tuesday said it is a “real possibility” that Senate Democrats could seek to revise the chamber’s filibuster rules to overcome a Republican blockade on raising the debt ceiling.

● Senate Democrats weigh ‘nuking’ filibuster for debt limit bill Roll Call

● Democrats Float Changes to Filibuster Amid Debt Ceiling Standoff Wall Street Journal

● Parties play with political fire around debt ceiling: The Note abc News

● Senate Republicans plan to block another debt ceiling vote as default risks rise Washington Post

● Jitters rising, K Street eyes new involvement in debt limit impasse Roll Call

● Senate Democrats weigh ‘nuking’ filibuster for debt limit bill Roll Call

● The trillion-dollar coin: Is it a solution to the debt ceiling drama — or a gimmick? Washington Post

● 5 ways this debt ceiling standoff could end Washington Post

● The government is on track to default for the first time ever. Here are the payments at risk. Washington Post

● Opinion: The Constitution Requires Congress to Set a Debt Limit Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Democrats Must Raise the Debt Themselves Wall Street Journal

● Editorial: The Debt Ceiling Deception Wall Street Journal

Democrats contend with how to scale down Biden’s social safety net plan

Los Angeles Times

Congressional Democrats eager to make progress on Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan are beginning to confront the harrowing challenge of squeezing their ambitious remodeling of social safety net programs into the much smaller package needed to win over key centrists.

● Democrats Wrangle Over How to Shrink $3.5 Trillion Proposal Wall Street Journal

● Biden and the Democrats Need to Make Hard Spending Choices New Yorker

● Democratic Spending Bills Retain Majority Support, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; But Democrats In Congress Lose Ground Quinnipiac University Poll

● More Voters Are Underwhelmed by Democratic Governance in Washington as Biden’s Agenda Stalls on Capitol Hill Morning Consult

● Opinion: The Woke Left’s Primitive Economics Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: House reconciliation bill adds some tax notches, removes others AEI

● Opinion: Beating up on Manchin and Sinema won’t fix the Biden agenda Roll Call

● Editorial: The Next Progressive Budget Trick Wall Street Journal

Senate Democrats introduce legislation to strengthen Voting Rights Act

The Hill

Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled new legislation aimed at strengthening the Voting Rights Act. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” along with 48 other senators.

Biden Backs Powell After Sen. Elizabeth Warren Intensifies Opposition

Wall Street Journal

President Biden said he has confidence in Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell after Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) on Tuesday escalated her criticism of the central bank’s leader.

Opinion: What if the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade?

Brookings

This week, the United States Supreme Court will open one of the most consequential and controversial terms in recent memory. By far the most contentious case will be an abortion case out of Mississippi.

Other:

Here are 4 key points from the Facebook whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill

VPR

Revelations brought to light from whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former data scientist at Facebook, has led to what may be the most threatening scandal in the company's history. The pressure was turned up when Haugen testified before a Senate subcommittee.

● Whistleblower's testimony has resurfaced Facebook's Instagram problem VPR

● Facebook Whistleblower Testifies Before Congress Wall Street Journal

● Mark Zuckerberg Breaks Silence on Facebook Whistleblower Testimony, Media Reports Wall Street Journal

● Facebook Whistleblower’s Testimony Builds Momentum for Tougher Tech Laws Wall Street Journal

● Facebook Whistleblower Hearing: Frances Haugen Testified Before Senate Panel Wall Street Journal

● Who Is Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen? What to Know After Her Senate Testimony Wall Street Journal

● Ex-Facebook employee tells Congress social media giant endangers users, democracy Los Angeles Times

● The whistleblower came to advocate for humans over algorithms Washington Post

● Opinion: FTC should resist temptation to ‘move fast and break things’ AEI

● Editorial: Facebook Needs to Empower Parents, Not Censor Political Speech Wall Street Journal

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, October 10, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Getting a Bigger Bang for the Buck: How Regional Public Universities Can Help Distressed Communities" - Guest: Robert Maxim, Senior Research Associate - The Brookings Institution. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, October 10, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "The Current and Future Economic Impact of the Valley’s CSU’s"- Guests: Lynette Zelezny, President - CSU Bakersfield; Ellen Junn, President - CSU Stanislaus; Saul Jimenez-Sandoval, President - Fresno State. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farmworkers continue to work through smoke and unhealthy air in the Central Valley

VPR

State guidelines require employers to provide outdoor workers with N95 masks for voluntary use when the air quality index is above 151. On Monday, as AQI was forecast to reach 169 in Fresno County, Carmen Cuautenco continued picking almonds.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Opinion: Crime Is Up and Democrats Are Scrambling

Wall Street Journal

Last week’s Federal Bureau of Investigation report on the nationwide rise in homicides might be the least surprising news of the year. Nor is it any shock that the political left is trying to duck blame for the trend.

Public Safety:

Fire:

As KNP and Windy wildfires continue to rage in Sequoia, officials hope for damper air

Fresno Bee

The KNP Complex Fire burning in burning in the Sierra Nevada of eastern Tulare County grew to 76,768 acres by Tuesday morning and was just 11% contained in the latest information from the U.S. Forest Service.

● KNP Complex Fire explodes to more than 76,000 acres abc30

● Warszawski: Fresno isn’t only city in California breathing smoky air — and thank goodness for that Fresno Bee

Opinion: New approaches needed to fight wildfires

CalMatters

I saw the devastation of the Camp Fire first-hand, and all the wildfires this year show that what we’re doing isn’t working.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

‘Pandora Papers’ show London to be a key hub for concealing cash and avoiding tax

Los Angeles Times

Transparency advocates are calling on Britain to tighten the country’s defenses against money-laundering and tax avoidance after a leak of financial data showed how London is a destination for some of the world’s richest and most powerful people to conceal their cash.

See also:

● Secret trove illuminates the lives of billionaires Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Offshore Finance for Beginners Wall Street Journal

U.S. Trade Deficit Widened to Record in August as Imports Rebound

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. trade deficit widened to a record in August as American consumers continued to show a strong appetite for imported goods such as pharmaceutical products, toys and clothing.

Opinion: Dangers Of a Digital Dollar

Wall Street Journal

The Federal Reserve plans to consider the idea of launching a U.S. digital currency. These currencies come with serious risks. Without additional privacy measures, central bankers shouldn’t establish them.

● Opinion: Regulating stablecoins isn’t just about avoiding systemic risk Brookings

Opinion: How our COVID-19 disaster grew directly out of our income inequality crisis

Los Angeles Times

To understand why that has happened, one has to delve deeper than the most evident bureaucratic failures and political malpractice. The root cause of our COVID failure is our increasing economic inequality.

Jobs:

New California laws aim to combat fraud in jobless benefits

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Newsom signed new laws Tuesday to tighten security in the state's unemployment system after his administration OK’d billions of dollars in fraudulent payments during the pandemic while legitimate claimants languished in a backlog awaiting approval.

Opinion: Americans With Autism Have Never Had More Support — Except When It Comes to Employment

Politico

Employment rate have been the glaring exception. Statistics are scarce, but the existing data suggests that only about one-third of adults on the autism spectrum work in paid jobs for more than 15 hours a week — and the rate has barely changed since 1991.

EDUCATION

K-12:

How Stanislaus schools are preparing to support influx of Afghan refugee students

Modesto Bee

Many schools have welcomed refugee students for the past several years, so they’ve already established the infrastructure to greet incoming families. Still, rising needs have led some to expand supports.

Vaccines are here. School's open. Some parents still agonize

Hanford Sentinel

There's the exhaustion of worrying about the disease itself— made worse by the spread of the more infectious delta variant, particularly among people who refuse vaccinations, which has caused a big increase in infections in children.

Newsom signs California education budget with universal pre-K, college savings accounts

Fresno Bee

● Watch: Gavin Newsom visits Fresno elementary school to sign $123.9 billion education bill Fresno Bee

KHSD meeting draws heated public comment on vaccine mandate, LGBTQ+ protections

Bakersfield Californian

The Justice Department will address threats against school officials and staff

VPR

Merrick Garland has directed federal authorities to meet with local law enforcement to discuss strategies for addressing the increase in "harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers" across the country.

‘Educators beware!’ TikTok challenge to slap a teacher prompts urgent warning

Los Angeles Times

Educational leaders throughout the state are urgently warning teachers and school staff about a disturbing TikTok challenge that emerged this month urging students to slap teachers while recording it on a video.

Opinion: The problems with Biden’s universal pre-K proposal

AEI

The plan risks separating pre-K from the wider child-care sector.

Higher Ed:

UC workforce churn: Why a quarter of lecturers don’t return each year

CalMatters

The UC workforce has a churn problem. About a quarter of the more than 6,000 lecturers at the University of California don’t return annually. Relatively low pay and little job stability are some of the reasons why, a CalMatters analysis shows.

Student-Loan Forgiveness to Include More Public-Sector Workers

Wall Street Journal

The planned changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will help roughly 550,000 borrowers of the 1.3 million enrolled in the program get closer to loan forgiveness, the Education Department said.

● What borrowers need to know about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness overhaul VPR

Opinion: What College Rankings Don’t Tell You

Wall Street Journal

Sadly, the rankings leave out crucial information that can be central to a student’s college experience. They are a simplification and a springboard for more substantive personal research, not a substitute for it.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Air district extends air quality alert due to wildfire smoke in the Valley, warns to stay indoors

VPR

An air quality alert first issued last week was extended until Thursday morning due to continuing wildfire smoke. The San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District says there are intense amounts of smoke from the KNP Complex and Windy Fires in Sequoia National Park.

● Air quality alert extended Hanford Sentinel

● Smoke-filled skies trigger an air quality alert, but aid firefighters in Tulare County abc30

● Our investigation, 'Dangerous Air' prompts lawmaker calls for worker protections, fire prevention investments Cap Radio

Another massive California oil spill: What you need to know

CalMatters

The last major oil spill off Huntington Beach was nearly 32 years ago — in almost the same spot. California has 23 offshore oil platforms in federal waters and eight platforms and islands in state waters.

● As oil washes ashore, California seeks end to offshore drilling. Why its hands are tied Sacramento Bee

● California lawmakers push to ban new drilling in wake of massive oil spill Washington Post

● Photos: Aerial photos capture the scope of the O.C. oil spill Los Angeles Times

● Evidence suggests ship anchor snagged, dragged oil pipeline AP News

● How a coast crowded with ships, port gridlock and an anchor may have caused O.C. oil spill Los Angeles Times

● A rare ecological gem: Marshes slicked with spilled oil — again CalMatters

● Despite Friday night reports, Coast Guard waited until first light Saturday to confirm oil spill Los Angeles Times

● Who knew about the Orange County oil spill and when? Los Angeles Times

● Federal regulation of oil platforms dogged by problems long before O.C. spill Los Angeles Times

● Orange County oil spill: First federal lawsuit filed as residents take stock of losses Los Angeles Times

● Column: Nobody could have been surprised by this spill. Now here’s what has to happen Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: The Huntington Beach oil spill is a once and future catastrophe Los Angeles Times

Researchers who helped shape our understanding of climate change win Nobel Prize

VPR

The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded today to three scientists for their work, predicting the seemingly unpredictable. NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reports that the researchers helped shape our understanding of climate change.

Climate Change Is Melting Russia’s Permafrost—and Challenging Its Oil Economy

Wall Street Journal

The melting of the thick layer of the earth known as permafrost is a result of climate change, according to scientists and Russia government research. Two-thirds of the country sits on such soil, including much of its oil and gas infrastructure.

Energy:

Why California Is Shutting Down Its Last Nuclear Plant

NBC Los Angeles

California is closing its last operating nuclear power plant, which is a source of clean power, as it faces an energy emergency and a mandate to eliminate carbon emissions.

Opinion: Clear the air of diesel generators that power California’s shadow grid

CalMatters

Absent new policy directions, the role diesel generation plays in California’s energy mix will only increase.

Opinion: Deregulation and U.S. Energy Independence

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. in 2019 became a net exporter of energy and achieved energy independence. Once at the mercy of hostile foreign governments that used energy supply as a cudgel, the U.S. is now the third-largest energy exporter in the world.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Kern County under ‘unhealthy’ air condition for most of the week

KGET 17

Hazy days are the talk of the town and they aren’t going away anytime soon. Bakersfield residents are familiar with the gloomy smog but even so, it still can hurt you.

Mental health facility taking shape in Madera

Business Journal

Valley Children’s Healthcare, in partnership with Universal Health Services, celebrated a construction milestone on its way to finish River Vista Behavioral Health hospital in Madera.

Pfizer vaccine’s protection wanes over time, and not because of delta, study says

Fresno Bee

A new study found that the vaccine’s ability to protect against infection stood at 88% in its first month, then fell to 47% after just five months.

Did you receive J&J COVID vaccine? Here’s the latest on potential booster shots

Fresno Bee

Johnson & Johnson has submitted booster shot data for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company is asking the FDA to support use of the booster shot in people ages 18 and older.

● Johnson & Johnson requests authorization for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots Los Angeles Times

AstraZeneca asks FDA to authorize COVID antibody treatment

Los Angeles Times

AstraZeneca, the drugmaker that developed one of the first COVID-19 vaccines, has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize the emergency use of a first-of-a-kind antibody treatment to prevent the disease.

Francis S. Collins to Resign as Director of the National Institutes of Health

Wall Street Journal

Francis S. Collins, the longtime director of the National Institutes of Health who has been a leading voice in the White House battle against Covid-19, announced on Tuesday that he will step down at the end of the year.

Human Services:

Latest National Guard dispatch boosts deployment at Kern hospitals to 38 Bakersfield Californian

14 members of the California National Guard started work in Bakersfield as part of an effort to address hospital staffing shortages during the pandemic, raising the number of local medical centers now receiving such help to three and the total deployed in the city to 38.

Jury awards nearly $50 million after Fresno County man injured in ambulance ride

Fresno Bee

A Fresno County jury has awarded a Kingsburg man nearly $50 million in damages for injuries he suffered while being transported to the hospital by American Ambulance.

Mental health facility taking shape in Madera

Business Journal

Valley Children’s Healthcare, in partnership with Universal Health Services, celebrated a construction milestone on its way to finish River Vista Behavioral Health hospital in Madera.

State health department blasted over nursing home oversight

CalMatters

The California Department of Public Health blames staffing shortages, turnover, training and pandemic pressures at Tuesday’s hearing at the Capitol.

IMMIGRATION

Court thwarts California’s private prison ban. What does it mean for immigration facilities?

Fresno Bee

The Ninth Circuit in a split decision curtailed a California law that would have banned private detention centers in the state, ruling that the legislation should not go into effect because it impedes on the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration policy.

● 9th Circuit blocks California law limiting private jails Politico

● Court blocks California from banning privately run U.S. immigration detention centers Los Angeles Times

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Reservations are no longer needed to enter Yosemite National Park. Here’s what to expect

Sacramento Bee

Reservations are no longer needed for visitors to enter Yosemite National Park. Ticketed entry passes via recreation.gov had been required to enter the popular park in California for most visitors since May 21 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Housing:

California’s eviction freeze ended, but you can still get rent help. Check your county

Fresno Bee

With the end of the moratorium, landlords who want to evict tenants for unpaid rent via a lawsuit must first apply for rental assistance. There may also be other eviction protections, depending on local laws and special circumstances.

Merced housing prices reaching all-time high. But is the California market shifting?

Merced Sun Star

The median price of a single-family home in Merced County climbed to $369,250 in August, eclipsing the previous record of $365,000 set just a month earlier in July, according to Infosparks data.

Hispanics led home-buying surge last year. Here’s how Latino first-time buyers closed the deal

Modesto Bee

Sanchez believes the increase is partly due to Latinos being more comfortable and educated about purchasing homes after the 2008 housing crisis, when many faced foreclosures and risky loans. They’re making gains despite the state’s record-breaking housing market.

Public Lands Have Become a Refuge for People Priced Out of Housing in the West. Local Tensions are Increasing. What Now?

Bay Nature

There is a growing contingent of Americans living nomadically in vans, RVs, and tents on U.S. public land. Most of those around 625 million acres are managed by federal agencies. Many tribal, state, and municipal agencies also allow camping on their public lands.

Builders Hunt for Alternatives to Materials in Short Supply

Wall Street Journal

Shortages of key construction materials are forcing some builders and contractors to turn to substitutes and hunt for alternative suppliers as they rush to meet high demand for new housing.

PUBLIC FINANCES

California issued another batch of stimulus payments today. When to expect your check

Modesto Bee

Californians earning below $75,000 a year can expect to see more money in their bank accounts soon after the state on Tuesday issued its latest batch of stimulus payments.

TRANSPORTATION

Why Airlines Can’t Stop Rewriting the Rules for Fliers

Wall Street Journal

Travelers usually miss these slight changes to the rules, but over time the tweaks have eroded customer rights

WATER

Water is scarce in California. But farmers have found ways to store it underground

VPR

This earthen basin could be the key to survival for an agricultural community that delivers huge quantities of vegetables, fruit and nuts to the rest of the country — but is running short of water. The basin just needs California's rivers to rise and flood it.

See also:

● TID records a historic dry year Turlock Journal

● Biden action puts a hold on Trump administration biological opinions Porterville Recorder

● This year the Kern River was its second driest in recorded history, but is it reason to worry? Bakersfield Californian

● Opinion: How California can solve its growing water crisis Mercury News

Video: Groundwater and Urban Growth in the San Joaquin Valley

Public Policy Institute of California

Groundwater is the primary water source for these communities, yet decades of over pumping have stressed the region’s groundwater basins, resulting in land subsidence, dry wells, and falling groundwater reserves.

“Xtra”

The Big Fresno Fair is back. Here’s everything you need to know before heading out

Fresno Bee

Much of its 12 days, which kicks off Wednesday and runs through Sunday, Oct. 17, will look and feel the same as it always has, but there are also plenty of new sights, sounds and tastes in store.

Fresno State Center for Irrigation Technology

This year, Ag Tech Day is open to in-person and online attendees and will include live field demonstrations, presentations and a trade show. This is a free, educational event.

Event: Seizing the Drought: Water Priorities for Our Changing Climate

Public Policy Institute of California

It’s clear that we must step up our game to cope with the increasingly severe, warm droughts that are coming our way. This year’s conference will identify immediate actions we can take to boost the state’s resilience.

Event: A Conversation with Chief Justice of California Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye

Public Policy Institute of California

Join us for a conversation with Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye—chief justice of California and leader of the state’s judicial branch—about the challenges brought on by the pandemic and the opportunities for reform created during this unprecedented time.

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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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