POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
In The Studio: How These Twenty-Somethings Won Seats On City Councils
VPR
If you look closely at local governments in the San Joaquin Valley, you’ll find a handful of city council members in their early twenties. One even ran and won as a 19-year-old: Jewel Hurtado of Kingsburg, Bryan Osorio of Delano, and Esmeralda Hurtado of Sanger.
Central SJ Valley:
Fewer Valley people are in ‘poverty.’ But low wages mean many still can’t make ends meet
Fresno Bee
The number of people considered by the federal government to be in “poverty” in Fresno County and much of the central San Joaquin Valley last year was lower than it was in 2010. But Valley counties continue to be plagued by higher rates of poverty than most of the rest of California.
See also:
New Census data reveals growing poverty in the Central Valley California Budget and Policy Center
Income Inequality Significantly Increased for Californians in 2018, And Millions of People Can’t Afford Their Basic Needs California Budget & Policy Center
Income inequality is on the rise in California. In some counties, the disparities are extreme CalMatters
State Poverty Figures Show Positive Trends, But Some Places Still Struggle Route Fifty
Study shows gun violence program works in one city. Will Fresno adopt Advance Peace?
Fresno Bee
A university study showing that Advance Peace helped reduce gun violence and save money in one California city backs up what Fresno advocates have been saying for months, they say.
How Madera County growth can make Fresno’s dream of a river parkway come true
Fresno Bee
Public outcry over a proposed housing and golf course development along the San Joaquin River just north of Fresno is what led to the idea of a river parkway. Thirty-five years later, efforts are underway to turn Ball Ranch and its neighbor, Ledger Island, into a 520-acre regional park that would create public access along one of the most scenic stretches of the envisioned 22-mile river greenbelt between Friant Dam and Highway 99.
What’s next in Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against Twitter, fake cow?
Modesto Bee
Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against Twitter is moving forward in Virginia, but expect more legal challenges to unfold before the California Republican gets a chance to make his case in a courtroom.
South SJ Valley:
Vaping-related death reported in Kings County. Health officials issue warning
Fresno Bee
A person has died in Kings County due to vaping, the county department of public health reported Monday. The person was not identified. It’s the second death related to the use of electronic cigarettes in the region. Last month, a resident in Tulare County died of similar complications.
See also:
Vaping-related death reported in Kings County, second death in Valley abc30
Mice that vaped nicotine for a year had a dramatic increase in tumor growth, study finds Los Angeles Times
Vaping Related Lung Illness: A Summary of the Public Health Risks and Recommendations for the Public California Department of Public Health
McCarthy demands timeline for new VA clinic
Bakersfield Californian
In a letter sent Monday to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie, the House minority leader expressed his "deep frustration" with "unacceptable delays" and requested to know by Friday a timeline for construction of the new facility.
Kern Medical, Rep. TJ Cox host town hall forum on Valley Fever
KGET
Roughly 100 people, including elected officials, medical professionals, students, and Valley Fever patients gathered at Bakersfield College Thursday for a town hall on Valley Fever. Congressman TJ Cox co-hosted the forum where he discussed Valley Fever-related legislation he plans to introduce in congress.
State:
2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens
CAFWD
Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.
California’s Conflict of Interest Obligations
Fox & Hounds
Imagine you are a donor to a non-profit organization whose board members receive gifts from employees to whom the board, without your consent, promises retirement benefits. Now the organization is asking you for larger donations to cover surging retirement spending but not disclosing the real reason more money is needed.
Newsletter: An early look at California’s ballot measures for 2020
Los Angeles Times
California’s highest-turnout elections are almost always presidential contests, which is why powerful interest groups often believe it’s the best time to mount a statewide ballot measure campaign.
Walters: The darker side of regulation
CALmatters
Assembly Bill 1133 would appear to be one of the least important of the 700-plus measures that the Legislature sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom in the final days of its 2019 session.
Federal:
The Latest: Appeals court blocks Trump tax return release
Fresno Bee
The Latest on a ruling that President Donald Trump must turn over his tax returns (all times local): 10:55 a.m. An appeals court has temporarily blocked the release of President Donald Trump's tax returns to New York state investigators.
See also:
In Impeachment Inquiry, California Congress Members Take Center Stage
Capital Public Radio
Since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement of an impeachment inquiry, each day has been filled with revelation after revelation. Subpoenas have been issued, both for documents and for officials to testify. Some officials have already testified, some in public and others behind closed doors.
See also:
Poll: Majority of Americans say they endorse opening of House impeachment inquiry of Trump Washington Post
Why McCarthy-led Republicans want a House vote on impeachment and Pelosi doesn’t Los Angeles Times
Trump administration orders top diplomat not to speak in House impeachment inquiry Los Angeles Times
Opinion: Impeaching Trump Voters Wall Street Journal
Supreme Court debates whether discrimination by ‘sex’ includes gay and transgender workers
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday on whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids employers from firing people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The question for the justices boils down to the meaning of the word “sex.”
See also:
Supreme Court to Hear Cases on Bias Against L.G.B.T. Workers New York Times
U.S. Supreme Court divided over gay, transgender employment protection Reuters
Opinion: The Supreme Court’s Sex Debate Wall Street Journal
EDITORIAL: The Supreme Court can and must protect gay and transgender workers Los Angeles Times
Elections 2020:
How, when to watch the fourth Democratic presidential debate
abc30
Twelve Democratic candidates will gather at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, on Oct. 15 for the fourth debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times.
Biden’s education plan: Free community college, expanded loan programs
Los Angeles Times
Joe Biden is calling for making community and technical college free while making existing federal college loan programs more generous as he continues charting a policy course that moves left but stops short of his more progressive rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination.
See also:
Biden in Search of an Argument Wall Street Journal
Largest School Bond In California History Will Be On March 2020 Ballot
Capital Public Radio
California’s March 2020 primary ballot will ask voters whether to approve the largest school bond in the state’s history. If approved, the $15 billion bond Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday would fund construction and modernization projects at all levels: preschools, K-12, community colleges and the UC and CSU systems.
See also:
$15 billion California school bond headed to March ballot with Newsom’s signature EdSource
Californians will vote on $15 billion bond to renovate aging schools, build more classrooms Sacramento Bee
Californians will vote on biggest-ever school construction bond in 2020 San Francisco Chronicle
Other:
DR. W. Gifford-Jones: Are North Americans wimps when it comes to pain?
Bakersfield Californian
How do people in other countries handle pain following various surgical procedures? It’s a pertinent question today in view of the debate on opioid usage in North America. A recent report in JAMA Network Open, published by the American Medical Association, confirms what I have argued, that North Americans have become wimps when confronted with pain.
Making Black history matter in public space
Brookings
The demolition of a public housing complex in the nation’s capital has sparked a fight over something more than displacement and gentrification: It has come to represent a larger struggle over the preservation of Black history, culture, and space amidst sweeping socio-economic and demographic change.
Nobel Prize in physics awarded for research on exoplanets and the structure of the universe
Washington Post
A cosmologist who revealed the universe was made mostly of invisible matter and energy and two scientists who detected the first planet orbiting an alien star were on Tuesday jointly awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in physics.
Mathews: Ten Commandments for Modern Direct Democracy
Fox & Hounds
We seek systems of referendum and initiative robust enough to transform the world. Modern direct democracy holds the promise of unifying and educating people, countering autocrats, and addressing our planet’s most complicated problems.
For Some Native Americans, No Home Address Might Mean No Voting
Pew Trusts
Like the Stephensons’, most homes on the Navajo Nation in southeastern Utah lack street addresses. But it is the impact on voting that has many indigenous rights advocates deeply concerned.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, October 13, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Assessing State Policies on Climate Change” – Guest: Ross Brown, Legislative Analyst’s Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, October 6, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Climate Change Generally and Air Pollution Locally” – Guests: Will Barrett, Director of Advocacy, Clean Air for the American Lung Association in California and Samir Sheikh, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, October 6, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Workers Comp Fraud” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Way out past Denair, a family farms in a way that could help save the planet
Modesto Bee
Seventeen years after it started to go organic, Burroughs Family Farms thrives in the foothills east of Denair. The 2,600-acre spread produces almonds, beef, milk, chickens, eggs and olive oil without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Rosie and Ward Burroughs and their children have emerged as leaders in the movement.
With Methane Digesters, Dairies Make Strides Toward Emissions Reductions
VPR
When we talk about climate change and greenhouse gases in California, it’s tough to ignore the dairy industry: State data estimate dairies to be responsible for 3 percent of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions – mostly due to burping cows and fermenting manure.
‘My Job Depends On Ag’ Grows From Facebook To Television
VPR
You’ve likely seen the green California sticker with the words “My Job Depends on Ag” on cars, trucks and tractors around the Valley. Behind that slogan is a Facebook community of farmers and agricultural-enthusiasts. The movement has since inspired a television show.
As Rural Groceries Fade Away, Lawmakers Wonder Whether to Act
Pew Trusts
Some states are trying to tackle their rural grocery gaps. Supporters of such efforts point to tax incentives and subsidies at various levels of government that have enabled superstores to service larger areas and squeeze out local independent grocers.
Vegan School Lunches Expand Despite Opposition From Meat Industry
Pew Trusts
In California, a bill to provide $3 million to school districts across the state to include plant-based options for lunch was whipping through the legislature before being brought up short this year over money and objections from the beef industry.
Cannabis Banking Challenges Go Beyond Pot
Pew Trusts
Although Congress legalized hemp last year, state and federal regulators are still trying to figure out how to test hemp to make sure it’s not marijuana and how to respond to the craze for hemp CBD, which is booming as an ingredient in wellness products.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
When masculinity turns ‘toxic’: A gender profile of mass shootings in California, U.S.
Sacramento Bee
“These shootings overwhelmingly, almost exclusively, are males, boys, ‘men’ — I put in loose quotes,” Newsom said during a press conference. “I do think that is missing in the national conversation.”
Public Safety:
Court document fees in Kern are rising. Are they too restrictive?
VPR
In the past, when government agencies and the media requested court records from the Kern County Superior Court, they could typically access them for free. Last month, however, that changed, due in part to a rising number of incoming record requests.
Fire:
Look at intensity of fire that closed Yosemite National Park entrance
Fresno Bee
A brush fire led to the closure of an entrance to Yosemite National Park on Sunday, October 6, 2019.
See also:
Evacuations ordered for wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park Fresno Bee
PG&E Could Cut Power To More Than 600,000 Customers Wednesday Morning As Fire Danger Returns Capital Public Radio
Huge swath of Northern California could have power turned off as fire danger rises Los Angeles Times
PG&E releases list of California cities, counties on power shut-off watch: Here’s what you need to know San Francisco Chronicle
Who gets to control PG&E? Hedge funds, wildfire victims await critical ruling
Fresno Bee
A group of Wall Street hedge funds has a plan for snatching control of PG&E Corp as the troubled utility tries to navigate a bankruptcy case driven by billions of dollars in damages from the state’s devastating wildfires.
See also:
Overwhelmed or Ill Informed, 70,000 Wildfire Victims May Get Nothing New York Times
PG&E Agrees to Fix Troubled Department That Violated Safety Rules Wall Street Journal
Dangerous winds pose fire risk, PG&E plans for power shutoff to 30 CA counties
abc30
Millions of Californians, including many here in the Central Valley, may be in the dark for days if Pacific Gas and Electric is to move forward with a massive power shutdown.
See also:
U.S. Supreme Court rejects SDG&E appeal to pass $379 million in wildfire costs to ratepayers
San Diego Union Tribune
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will not hear San Diego Gas & Electric’s appeal of a California Supreme Court case that rejected the utility’s request to put ratepayers on the hook for $379 million in costs related to the 2007 wildfires that blazed through San Diego County.
Wildfires a massive threat to California’s progress in cutting greenhouse gases, report says
Los Angeles Times
The wildfires that raged last year from Paradise to Malibu made for California’s deadliest, most destructive fire season on record. But the eruption of blazes marked another distinction for California, as one of the worst for the climate.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens
CAFWD
Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.
Business economists foresee slowdown in US growth
Fresno Bee
The nation's business economists think President Donald Trump's trade war with China will contribute to a sharp slowdown in economic growth this year and next, raising concerns about a possible recession starting late next year.
U.S. to Impose Tariffs on EU Goods After WTO’s Airbus Ruling
Wall Street Journal
The U.S. plans to swiftly impose tariffs on $7.5 billion in aircraft, food products and other goods from the European Union after the World Trade Organization authorized the levies Wednesday, citing the EU’s subsidies to Airbus SE.
See also:
U.S.-Japan trade deal aims to put U.S. farmers on par with Trans-Pacific trade pact competitors Reuters
Jobs:
Fewer Valley people are in ‘poverty.’ But low wages mean many still can’t make ends meet
Fresno Bee
The number of people considered by the federal government to be in “poverty” in Fresno County and much of the central San Joaquin Valley last year was lower than it was in 2010. But Valley counties continue to be plagued by higher rates of poverty than most of the rest of California.
See also:
New Census data reveals growing poverty in the Central Valley California Budget and Policy Center
Income Inequality Significantly Increased for Californians in 2018, And Millions of People Can’t Afford Their Basic Needs California Budget & Policy Center
Income inequality is on the rise in California. In some counties, the disparities are extreme CalMatters
State Poverty Figures Show Positive Trends, But Some Places Still Struggle Route Fifty
Looking for a job? Best Buy is hiring for thousands of positions
abc30
Best Buy is planning to hire thousands of workers across the country for the holiday season - including in the Valley. The electronics retailer says it will hold 'hiring fairs' this week, where you can walk in and apply in person.
Nestle to lay off staff at its SW Bakersfield retail center
KERO
Nearly a dozen employees are expected to be laid off at Nestlé Retail Sales operation on District Boulevard next month, according to a company letter.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Bullard High cheerleader testifies she is still afraid of Slatic and wants protection
Fresno Bee
The mother of a Bullard High School cheerleader testified Monday that a tense encounter with Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic has left her daughter depressed, anxious and losing interest in school.
See also:
UPDATE: Palma homecoming still set for Friday despite Gilroy varsity canceling 2019 season
Bakersfield Californian
Palma School's Friday night homecoming game and activities will continue as planned even though the Chieftains' opponent, Gilroy, has canceled their 2019 season following sexual battery allegations against four players.
KHSD board decides to give community more time to suggest names for newest high school
Bakersfield Californian
Kern High School District's newest southeast Bakersfield high school will have to wait a little longer until it's named. The Board of Trustees was scheduled to vote on a name for the district's 19th comprehensive high school during its meeting Monday, but several board members felt it was necessary to give the community more time to suggest additional non-proper names.
See also:
Data exclusive: With California school bonds, the rich get richer and the poor, not so much
CALmatters
Schools in California’s wealthier communities have been reaping far more local bond money than poorer districts, a CALmatters analysis shows—a reality that amplifies existing inequities for the state’s public school students.
Higher Ed:
Cal State Long Beach ends lockdown over ‘credible threat’; student is arrested
Los Angeles Times
A Cal State Long Beach student was arrested Monday afternoon after she made a threat of violence via email that prompted the campus to go on lockdown for less than an hour, according to preliminary information gathered by university police.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Wildfires a massive threat to California’s progress in cutting greenhouse gases, report says
Los Angeles Times
The wildfires that raged last year from Paradise to Malibu made for California’s deadliest, most destructive fire season on record. But the eruption of blazes marked another distinction for California, as one of the worst for the climate.
California will miss emissions goals without drastic action, study warns
San Francisco Chronicle
California is a national leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but it is well short of meeting its climate goals for the next decade and won’t reach them for at least 30 years unless drastic action is taken, a study of the state’s green economy stated Tuesday.
See also:
CA's Clean Truck Rule: First of its Kind and Long Overdue
NRDC
If the Advanced Clean Truck Rule is adopted by the California Air Resources Board, medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturers would be required to sell zero-emission trucks as an increasing percentage of their annual California sales from 2024 to 2030.
Climate Change Could Make Borrowing Costlier for States and Cities
Pew Trusts
Someday soon, analysts will determine that a city or county, or maybe a school district or utility, is so vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding, drought or wildfire that it is an investment risk.
Energy:
US government opens Central California land to oil, gas drilling
abc30
The federal government has opened 725,000 acres (294,000 hectares) in Central California to oil and gas drilling on land that has been off-limits since 2013.
Nuclear Faces Climate-Fight Irrelevance Without Lower Cost
Bloomberg
Catastrophic climate change can still be averted even without increasing one of the biggest sources of carbon-free electricity.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In 2017, there were 14,364 cases of Valley fever reported to CDC. Most of these cases were in people who live in Arizona or California. Rates of Valley fever are typically highest among people age 60 and older.
Vaping-related death reported in Kings County. Health officials issue warning
Fresno Bee
A person has died in Kings County due to vaping, the county department of public health reported Monday. The person was not identified. It’s the second death related to the use of electronic cigarettes in the region. Last month, a resident in Tulare County died of similar complications.
See also:
Vaping-related death reported in Kings County, second death in Valley abc30
Mice that vaped nicotine for a year had a dramatic increase in tumor growth, study finds Los Angeles Times
Vaping Related Lung Illness: A Summary of the Public Health Risks and Recommendations for the Public California Department of Public Health
Troubling early signs as flu season approaches
San Francisco Chronicle
In the first weeks of October, as the days get shorter and crisper and noses stuffier and snifflier, flu-watching season begins. Influenza is notorious for being difficult to predict from one year to the next, so there’s no telling yet how this season will compare to previous years’ flu seasons.
See also:
Stanislaus County braces for early, severe flu season. Two children have died in state. Modesto Bee
Flu season could be especially bad this year, doctors say. Here are 5 things to know Sacramento Bee
Today’s Politics May Be Bad for Your Health
Wall Street Journal
An Iowa man is so bothered by the political climate that his psychologist says he asked for a higher dosage of his anxiety medication. A Chicago woman is so uneasy about politics that she has needed two dental implants to deal with her teeth-grinding habit.
Should peanut butter come with a cancer warning? Lawsuit challenges California food label
Fresno Bee
Should potato chips and peanut butter come with a cancer warning? The California Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the state from putting a warning on food products containing the chemical acrylamide, which could apply to the popular snacks.
Human Services:
California launching first toll-free, statewide mental health line
abc30
California launched a new mental health line offering non-emergency emotional support to anyone in the state. The California Peer-Run Warm Line was funded by a state budget allocation of $10.8 million over three years.
See also:
New California Drug Pricing Data Shines Light On Rising Costs
Capital Public Radio
California is getting a first look at increases in the list price of prescription medications. State data released last month show a median increase of 26 percent over the last three years.
California Will Allow Pharmacists To Dispense HIV Prevention Medication
Capital Public Radio
Pharmacists in California will be able to dispense HIV prevention pills to patients without a doctor's prescription after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday that supporters say will greatly reduce the spread of infection.
See also:
HIV prevention drugs will be available without a prescription in California Los Angeles Times
Gavin Newsom signs bill to make anti-HIV drug available without prescription San Francisco Chronicle
Commentary: A Trump Admin rule change in Title X is creating a family planning crisis
CalMatters
Unfortunately, today the future of our federal family planning program is in question. Earlier this year, the Trump administration imposed the most sweeping and extreme changes introduced in the history of the program.
IMMIGRATION
Nearly 1 million migrants arrested along Mexico border in fiscal year 2019, most since 2007
Washington Post
The number of migrants taken into custody along the U.S. southern border soared to nearly 1 million during the government’s 2019 fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to Trump administration data released Tuesday.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
How Madera County growth can make Fresno’s dream of a river parkway come true
Fresno Bee
Public outcry over a proposed housing and golf course development along the San Joaquin River just north of Fresno is what led to the idea of a river parkway. Thirty-five years later, efforts are underway to turn Ball Ranch and its neighbor, Ledger Island, into a 520-acre regional park that would create public access along one of the most scenic stretches of the envisioned 22-mile river greenbelt between Friant Dam and Highway 99.
Housing:
$600,000 for homeless housing? Audit suggests spending money on shelters instead
Los Angeles Times
With the costs of building housing on the rise, Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin is recommending that some projects be reevaluated to see if their budgets can be cut to use less of the city’s $1.2-billion homeless housing bond.
Landlords say state rent caps may force them to raise rents more frequently
Los Angeles Times
Prominent landlord attorney Dennis Block stood before a crowd of more than 200 at an apartment owners trade show in Pasadena and, to laughs, boasted of having evicted “more tenants than anybody else on the planet Earth.”
PUBLIC FINANCES
Federal deficit estimated at $984B, highest in seven years
The Hill
The federal budget deficit for 2019 is estimated at $984 billion, a hefty 4.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and the highest since 2012, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said on Monday.
Column: Newsom signs bill blocking debt collectors from emptying your bank account
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Monday a bill that will prevent debt collectors from emptying Californians’ bank accounts. The bill — SB 616 — doesn’t block collectors from draining funds from the account of a person with IOUs. But it puts a halt to the practice once an individual’s combined account balances are down to $1,724.
CalPERS trustee re-election ends outsider streak
PublicCEO
The re-election of CalPERS President Henry Jones last week ended the comeback bid of former board member J.J. Jelincic, a maverick who helped challengers unseat incumbents in the last two elections, one of them former board president Priya Mathur.
Kiplinger
Compare state tax rates and rules — on income, ordinary purchases, gas, sin products, property, and more — across the U.S.
Pro-family tax policy: The case of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
AEI
There is currently a debate among policy analysts and commentators about whether the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) was “pro-family.” Even casual observers of the tax code recognize provisions that are pro-family or “family-friendly.”
Commentary: California’s Conflict of Interest Obligations
Fox & Hounds
Recent examples of tax increases covering up retirement spending include a $50 million per year parcel tax increase for the benefit of San Francisco’s school district that raises an amount equal to the district’s increase in annual retirement spending.
TRANSPORTATION
Gas prices in California, Valley hit 5-year high. When will they start coming down?
Fresno Bee
Maintenance concerns at four California oil refineries sent gasoline prices on a monthlong surge, with prices for regular unleaded spiking to their highest levels in five years over the past week. But experts believe the prices will begin to fall soon.
See also:
‘It’s ridiculous’: Gas prices spike above $4 in SF and California San Francisco Chronicle
'Another slap in the face' : Tulare Highway 99 widening canceled — for now
Visalia Times Delta
The California Department of Transportation announced plans to delete the projects. The Tulare project would expand the 99 from four to six lanes — three on each side — between Prosperity Avenue and Avenue 200, near the International Agri-Center.
See also:
Newsom, Caltrans seek to strip Highway 99 of expansion funds San Joaquin Valley Sun
Most electric car chargers don’t take credit cards. California wants to fix that
San Francisco Chronicle
Ben Jones, who drives an electric Volkswagen Golf, had his trip all planned out — or so he thought. He would go from his Berkeley home to Sunnyvale to dine with a cousin, and charge his car at a nearby station.
See also:
Californians not giving up trucks, SUVs — setting state up for failure on climate goals Sacramento Bee
I Flew The $200 Manhattan-To-JFK Helicopter To Preview Our 'Flying Taxi' Future
Jalopnik
John Hollister is sick of two things: being asked if that’s his real name and the traffic getting to John F. Kennedy International Airport. As a consultant, Hollister travels often for work and says he racks up some $2,500 a month in Uber fares just for airport trips alone. Which is why, on one cool and bright October Friday, Hollister flew to JFK in a Blade helicopter.
The Problem With ‘Cool Pavements’: They Make People Hot
City Lab
About two months ago, Ariane Middel walked the empty streets of Sun Valley, a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. The roads there had recently been coated with an asphalt mixture called CoolSeal, which lowers air temperatures by reflecting the energy from sunlight, rather than storing it and converting it into heat.
EDITORIAL: Questions of unethical dealing hit high-speed rail. But don’t stop construction in Fresno
Fresno Bee
Assemblyman Jim Patterson, the Republican from Fresno, last month wrote the state agency that oversees politicians and public officials with concerns that a member of the rail project’s board had a financial conflict of interest, or at the least, an appearance of one.
WATER
With SB1 behind us, California Has a Brighter Future for Water and Environmental Management
Fox & Hounds
We applaud Governor Newsom’s veto of SB1, legislation that would have blocked efforts aimed at finding collaborative solutions to water supply and ecosystem challenges. He chose to calmly focus on the long-term rather than get caught up in the politics of the moment, which is often difficult.
Firefighting foam leaves toxic legacy in Californians’ drinking water
Los Angeles Times
It was a Sunday tradition at Bethany Slavic Missionary Church. After morning services, Florin Ciuriuc joined the line of worshipers waiting to fill their jugs with gallons of free drinking water from a well on the property, a practice church leaders had encouraged.
Managing Urban Water During Dry Times: The California Example
Public Policy Institute of California
The state’s urban water suppliers have become particularly adept at managing drought, and this sector has become a leader in water use efficiency, recycling, supply diversification, and integrated management.
“Xtra”
Five Restaurant is back. More than year after fire, here’s what’s different, the same
Fresno Bee
Five restaurant is back. A year and three weeks after a fire shut down the popular restaurant at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue, it’s open for business.
Kernville, Bakersfield breweries combine for five medals at nation's top beer festival
Bakersfield Californian
A pair of Kern breweries took home an extraordinary five medals at the Great American Beer Festival last weekend in Denver — a testament, the local winners say, to the county's sophisticated approach to beer-making.
CSUB talent on display for Taste of the Arts
Bakersfield Californian
A feast satisfies the appetite, but a taste makes you hungry for more. That’s the idea behind Cal State Bakersfield’s sampler platter of theater scenes, visual art, music and more at the annual Taste of the Arts event on Sunday.
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
Thank you!
Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno 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.
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: mjeans@csufresno.edu