September 10, 2019

10Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

 

U.S. News releases best colleges list. Here’s where Central Valley schools rank

Fresno Bee

U.S. News & World Report has revealed its 2020 rankings for the best colleges and universities in the United States and once again Fresno StateFresno Pacific University and UC Merced were well represented on the list.

See also:

     UC Merced, Fresno State receive high rankings for graduation performance rates abc30

     UCs again dominate ranking of nation’s public universities. Here’s how Davis, others fared Sacramento Bee

     Cal Poly is the best public school of its kind in the West, U.S. News says. Here’s why Fresno Bee

 

Where Is the Best City to Live, Based on Salaries and Cost of Living?  (Valley Cities Noted)

City Lab

new analysis by Jed Kolko, chief economist at the labor market and jobs site Indeed, breaks down the data, identifying the cities and metro areas where salaries stretch the furthest and workers and families have the most money left over.

 

The Friant-Kern Canal Is Sinking. Thirty-Mile Parallel Canal Proposed

KVPR

The Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to farms and communities on the east side of the Valley, is literally sinking in some areas due to groundwater pumping. And with one week to go before the California legislature wraps up its 2019 session, many hope the state will help fund the canal’s repair. 

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Safest city in Stanislaus? Newman by a far sight, new crime report says.

Modesto Bee

Newman not only is the safest city in Stanislaus County, it’s among the 20 safest in all the state, according to a new report.

 

Modesto could provide $2.85 million for plan to turn motel into housing for homeless

Modesto Bee

City officials Tuesday could give the Housing Authority $2.85 million so it can buy a 103-room Modesto motel and turn it into studio apartments with services for homeless people.

See also:

      Modesto’s racially restrictive housing policies to come light Modesto Bee

 

SJ supervisors to weigh $67.5K settlement with Stockton Black Lives Matter

Stockton Record

San Joaquin County Supervisors on Tuesday will consider approving a $67,500 settlement with the Stockton chapter of Black Lives Matter, resolving a lawsuit centered on two instances when members say they were discriminated against by sheriff’s deputies assigned to the courthouse in 2017 and 2018.

 

San Joaquin County Supervisors Consider Approving Move To New Voting System

Capital Public Radio

The county has been using the Legacy Voting system for the last 16 years, but it no longer meets the state’s standards for elections. The registrar of voters says the proposed new system is faster, more secure and more accurate.

 

Asm Gray: In going after Trump, California is going too far with environmental legislation

CALmatters

California has made a sport of disagreeing with President Trump.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

McClatchy calls Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit ‘cynical’; asks Virginia judge to toss it

Fresno Bee

McClatchy in a new court motion called Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against the media company a “cynical maneuver to score cheap political points” and argued the case should be dismissed because it does not belong in the Virginia court where the California Republican filed it.

 

Selma Is Moving To District Elections. Some Say The Proposed Districts Don’t Represent The Community

KVPR
The Selma City Council wants to change the way people vote for council members by creating districts versus at-large voting. But mapping those districts is a complicated process and community and council members have different ideas on how to make it fair.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Mayor urges support of homeless services, not handouts

Bakersfield Californian

Handouts don't help. That's the message Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh wants well-intentioned people to know about the city's homeless problem. And it will soon be put on signs for businesses to post in their windows.

 

Vandalism not just an urban problem in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

If you thought vandalism was just a city problem, think again. With so many reports of vandalism in Bakersfield, especially targeted against businesses located downtown and in Old Town Kern, one might conclude that defacement and destruction of property is an urban issue. Nope.

 

Rebranding campaign focuses on opportunities in Bakersfield, Kern

Bakersfield Californian

A regional rebranding effort unveiled Monday highlights the wide-open business and personal opportunities that research shows to be Bakersfield's and Kern County's most attractive assets.

 

Talk of mayoral, city council recalls in Shafter

Bakersfield Californian

Accusations of a hidden agenda. Calls for "clarity" and transparency. Disarray in the city. These were among the charges levied by some residents against Shafter Mayor Gilbert Alvarado, Mayor Pro-Tem Cesar Lopez and City Councilman Manuel Garcia at a recent city council meeting.

 

State:

 

Gavin Newsom signs California vaccine law after activists’ arrests and Capitol protests

Fresno Bee

California families, doctors and schools will soon have to follow new rules restricting medical exemptions for vaccines under two new laws passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.

See also:

     California governor signs vaccine bills he demanded Fresno Bee

     Newsom signs vaccine bills abc30

     Newsom signs vaccine bills after activists swarm Capitol Stockton Record

     Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Limiting California Vaccine Medical Exemptions, Despite Capitol Protests Capital Public Radio

     California vaccine bills signed by Newsom as protesters are arrested at Capitol Los Angeles Times

     California limits vaccine medical exemptions as protests disrupt Legislature San Francisco Chronicle

 

CA Democrats try again to provide health care to needy undocumented seniors

CALmatters

Democratic legislators are advancing a bill that aims to provide free health care to low-income undocumented seniors — an idea that they floated earlier this year, but which failed to make it into the state budget because of concerns over its cost.

 

Five days, 684 bills left in the California Legislature’s work for the year

Los Angeles Times

California has had a full-time legislature since 1967, but the governing season actually ends each summer, an annual tradition of 11th-hour arm-twisting and late-night votes on scores of proposed laws that plays out again this week in Sacramento.

 

48 states are probing Google on antitrust grounds. Why isn’t California?

Los Angeles Times

Attorneys general from nearly every U.S. state have jointly launched an investigation into Google’s “potential monopolistic behavior.” Notable for its absence: California, Google’s home state.

See also:

     Big Tech faces a new set of foes: nearly all 50 US states Fresno Bee

     50 U.S. states and territories announce broad antitrust investigation of Google Washington Post

     Google is always listening. Now it’s watching, too, with the Nest Hub Max. Washington Post

 

CalPERS retirees have an election this fall. Check out candidates at Tuesday forum

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS retirees will get a chance Tuesday in Sacramento to hear from the two candidates vying for their votes in the pension fund’s Board of Administration election.

 

Insider lunch and a London party: California Democrat cozied up to industry he regulates

Sacramento Bee

California’s top regulator of insurance companies sought campaign contributions from the industry and partied with one of its lobbyists after winning his election last year, according to records and social media posts obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

 

Tethered to Trump, California’s GOP hopes for a comeback in a solidly blue state

Los Angeles Times

After crushing losses and a steep slide in voter registration, California Republicans gathered this weekend in the desert, hoping to plot a path back to relevancy in a state where shifting demographics and President Trump’s low approval numbers are continual challenges.

 

Facing police opposition, California lawmakers limit bill to ban facial recognition

CALmatters

Legislation that originally sought to permanently ban California law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition technology in police body cameras has been drastically watered down as it heads for its final votes in the state Capitol.

See also:

     California sees push on data privacy Roll Call

     50 U.S. states and territories announce broad antitrust investigation of Google Washington Post

 

California Lawmakers Vote to Undo N.C.A.A. Amateurism

New York Times

There were two guests of honor at the monthly meeting of the Oakland Rotary club in November 2015: the University of California marching band and a sports economics expert railing about the N.C.A.A.’s rules barring college athletes from collecting compensation for their play.

Walters: Dems ignore voters’ decisions

CALmatters

Just as professional sports leagues are wracked by internal conflict over playing rules, California’s politicians and interest groups joust constantly over campaign contribution limits, redrawing of legislative and congressional districts, voter registration, voting procedures and countless other electoral rules.

 

California’s Geography of Wealth

Legislative Analyst’s Office

Californians’ net worth totals over $6 trillion or about $160,000 per resident. The state holds 17% of national net worth, while making up only 12% of the U.S. population.

See also:

       California’s poverty rate among highest in nation once again, new census figures show Sacramento Bee

       2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens CAFWD

 

Federal:

 

House Judiciary Tees Up For Impeachment, But Democrats Divided On Moving Ahead

Capital Public Radio

The committee is readying rules that will guide its impeachment probe of President Trump. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., opposes formally moving forward, saying public support isn't there yet.

 

What happens if Trump tries to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell?

Brookings

President Trump has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the Federal Reserve, its chair, and the Fed’s monetary policy. This dissatisfaction raises an important question: what happens next?

 

Despite pressure, still no gun legislation position from White House

Roll Call

House and Senate Democrats intend to keep pressuring President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to support bipartisan efforts to close what they see as loopholes in background checks for gun purchases.

 

NOAA’s chief scientist will investigate why agency backed Trump over its experts on Dorian, email shows

Washington Post

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s acting chief scientist said in an email to colleagues Sunday that he is investigating whether the agency’s response to President Trump’s Hurricane Dorian tweets constituted a violation of NOAA policies and ethics.

 

Justice Gorsuch book touts Scalia’s views and civility in the Trump era

Los Angeles Times

Thirty years ago, Neil Gorsuch was in his first year at Harvard Law School when Justice Antonin Scalia, then new to Supreme Court, came to lecture.

 

Elections 2020:

 

At rally, Trump paints bleak picture of Democratic control

Fresno Bee

Trying to prove his political clout by pushing a Republican to victory in a special election, President Donald Trump used a North Carolina rally Monday to paint a bleak picture of a nation he claimed would be overrun with crime, poverty and immigrants if Democrats seize power in Washington.

See also:

     OPINION: A new poll shows voters aren’t buying what Trump is selling Washington Post

 

California Gop Opens Alternative Pathway For 2020 Delegates

Business Journal

California Republicans have approved a rule change intended to ensure the party can send delegates to the GOP’s national convention next summer, even if President Donald Trump is kept off the state’s 2020 primary ballot.

See Also:

     Schwarzenegger aide swings at Trump official — ‘You can talk when you’ win California  Sacramento Bee

     Schwarzenegger: Too many voters live under minority rule. Here’s why. Washington Post

     Opinion: What Republicans could learn from the British Washington Post

 

Is Biden moderate? His agenda is more liberal than Clinton’s

Fresno Bee

Many Democrats see Joe Biden as a voice of ideological restraint in a party rapidly moving to the left.

See also:

       With Warren and Sanders on his heels, Biden ramps up Iowa organization Fresno Bee

 

Can’t buy a house? 2020 Democrats say they’ll push cities to build more homes

Sacramento Bee

The Democrats running for president all say they want to help contain America’s soaring housing prices. But some are promising more aggressive steps to tackle one of the root issues: the lack of housing supply.

 

With Next Goal To Secure 2020 Elections, Feds Seek To Absorb Lessons From 2016

Capital Public Radio

The FBI and other intelligence and security agencies say they're combing the active measures playbook run against the 2016 presidential election to defend the next one.

 

No, Kamala Harris didn’t ‘sue’ Exxon Mobil as California AG

PolitiFact

During a climate town hall on CNN last week, Democratic presidential candidate and California Sen. Kamala Harris vowed to take on Big Oil and other powerful interests when they "profit off of harmful behaviors" such as burning fossil fuels.

See Also:

     ‘Trust Me’: Kamala Harris Makes Big Play on Criminal Justice Reform New York Times

 

OPINION: Here’s how Amy Klobuchar could pull off the nomination

Washington Post

The reception Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) got at New Hampshire’s Democratic convention on Saturday should have put a smile on her face. Here was the Midwest gal-next-door who had been in hiding or gotten overshadowed.

 

Other:

 

Get a sneak preview of the new 9/11 Twin Towers sculpture in Clovis

Fresno Bee

Watch as former New York City firefighter and 9/11 first responder Andy Isolano reacts to the Twin Tower sculpture unveiled Monday. Two other sculpture were also unveiled, one for first responders and another for the Pentagon.

See also:

     'We need to honor the past:' Renovated 9/11 memorial in Clovis unveiled abc30

 

Paso Robles brewing company offers Fresnans free tour, tasting after employee writes negative comment about Fresno on Twitter

abc30.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is issuing an apology after one of their employees wrote a negative comment about the city of Fresno on social media.

 

Court rules startup may collect data from LinkedIn profiles

Associated Press

A federal appeals court has affirmed the right of a startup company to collect information from people’s public profiles on networking service LinkedIn.

 

‘We blew it’: Forbes named 99 men and only one woman on its list of ‘most innovative leaders’

Washington Post

Forbes Magazine may be best known for its lists of the world’s wealthiest billionaires, but its recent ranking of the most innovative CEOs is the one that has been getting the most attention — and not for good reason.

 

‘Who Killed Civil Society?’ Review: The Goal Was Good Habits

WSJ

People need what the government doesn’t provide: help in developing the personal traits that will reduce dependency and foster success.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Medi-Cal Premiums and Claims Because It Failed to Follow Up on Eligibility Discrepancies” – Guest: California State Auditor, Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition“The Senior Boom: Preparing for the Baby Boom Aftershock” – Guest: PPIC Analyst Laurel Beck. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, September 15, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy“Medi-Cal: miles de millones para pagos cuestionables” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

EDITORIAL: Trump’s holding American farmers hostage. How much damage is he willing to do?

Fresno Bee

People who make their living off of the land face many unpredictable challenges: frost, floods, storms, heat, insects and global economics. Now they must also worry that they’re just a few presidential tweets away from financial disaster.

See also:

       As billions flow to farmers, Trump administration faces internal concerns over unprecedented bailout Washington Post

 

Health inspectors closed 5 Fresno restaurants in August. What problems did they find?

Fresno Bee

After a July in which no restaurants were closed for health concerns in Fresno County, inspectors found violation serious enough to warrant closing five Fresno restaurant for a day or two in August.

 

California Food Expo off to a tasty start in Fresno

abc30

The California Food Expo is already off to a tasty start. This year, the expo has a new name and a bigger presence. About 130 companies are setting up booths inside the convention center.

See Also:

     California Food Expo Starts Today In Fresno Business Journal

 

Here’s who could lose food stamps under Trump’s proposed changes

PBS NewsHour

Millions of Americans stand to lose food stamp benefits under a policy proposed by the Trump administration, and new state-level data offers a glimpse of how 3.6 million people would be impacted if this rule goes into effect.

 

‘We have to do it right.’ California lawmaker pulls cannabis banking bill ahead of floor vote

Sacramento Bee

A California bill that would authorize banks and credit unions to do business with cannabis companies on a limited basis has been pulled by its sponsor.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Safest city in Stanislaus? Newman by a far sight, new crime report says.

Modesto Bee

Newman not only is the safest city in Stanislaus County, it’s among the 20 safest in all the state, according to a new report.

 

Vandalism not just an urban problem in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

If you thought vandalism was just a city problem, think again. With so many reports of vandalism in Bakersfield, especially targeted against businesses located downtown and in Old Town Kern, one might conclude that defacement and destruction of property is an urban issue. Nope.

 

As Stevante Clark Graduates Mental Health Court, California Looks To Grow This Alternative To Incarceration

Capital Public Radio

California is expanding this type of probation for mentally ill offenders, which focuses on treatment instead of jail time. One of the Sacramento program’s newest graduates is Stevante Clark, brother of Stephon Clark, who was killed by police.

 

Prop. 47, realignment helping lower arrest rate in California, study finds

San Francisco Chronicle

A new report by the Public Policy Institute of California found that AB109, more commonly known as realignment, and Proposition 47, which reduced many drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, have combined to lower the state’s overall arrest rate by nearly 20%.

 

Public Safety:

 

Learn hands-only CPR this Saturday at firehouses around SJ

Stockton Record

San Joaquin County residents are encouraged to participate in the second annual Hands-Only CPR Training for National Preparedness Month at firehouses around the county this Saturday.

 

BPD will 'stakeout' the roof of Dunkin' Donuts locations Thursday for a good cause

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield Police Officers will be up on the roof of Dunkin' Donuts locations Thursday to raise money for Special Olympics Southern California and Law Enforcement Torch Run.

 

Congress returns to a gun control fight and a government shutdown deadline

Los Angeles Times

Congress returns to Washington this week amid mounting pressure from Democrats and the public to enact new gun restrictions, but lawmakers from both parties say meaningful action hangs solely on President Trump.

See also:

     Bill expanding gun-violence restraining orders heads to California governor San Francisco Chronicle

     6 in 10 fear a mass shooting; most think gun laws can help abc30

     California could expand use of gun violence restraining orders under bill sent to governor Los Angeles Times

     Americans of both parties overwhelmingly support ‘red flag’ laws, expanded background checks for gun buyers, Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Washington Post

     Democrats have lots of gun proposals. Why aren’t we talking about the most important one?  Washington Post

 

NRA sues San Francisco over terrorist declaration

Sacramento Bee

The National Rifle Association sued San Francisco on Monday over the city's recent declaration that the gun-rights lobby is a "domestic terrorist organization."

See also:

     NRA sues San Francisco after supervisors label it a ‘terrorist organization’ San Francisco Chronicle

 

She and her twin were inseparable. Then a gunman tore the 15-year-olds apart.

Washington Post

The Twins Were Born 60 Seconds Apart, As If From The Very Beginning They Did Not Know How To Be Without Each Other. Melissa Scott Appeared First, And Then Came Her Brother, Maurice. Fifteen Years Later, That Was Still Their Routine: Every Weekday Morning, Melissa Would Roll Out Of Bed First, Emerge From Her Room And Go Wake Her Brother.

 

Fire:

 

PG&E offers $16.9 billion for wildfire claims. Will that get utility out of bankruptcy?

Fresno Bee

PG&E Corp. put $16.9 billion on the table to pay wildfire claims Monday as it offered its formal reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

See also:

     PG&E offers billions for wildfire claims Stockton Record

     PG&E plan offers billions to victims, others after wildfires Bakersfield Californian

     PG&E looks to cap wildfire costs at $18 billion through its bankruptcy plan Los Angeles Times

     PG&E’s plan to exit bankruptcy has nearly $18 billion for fire claims San Francisco Chronicle

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says

Washington Post

Nearly two million additional people lacked health insurance last year compared with 2017, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, the first major increase since the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. In total, there were 27.5 million uninsured Americans in 2018, up from 25.6 million one year before. The uninsured rate rose to 8.5 percent.

California’s poverty rate among highest in nation once again, new census figures show

Sacramento Bee

California, typically one of the most prosperous and progressive states, is also one of the poorest.

See also:

       2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens CAFWD

 

Another Iconic Valley In Yosemite? Report Estimates Tourism Benefits Of A Restored Hetch Hetchy

KVPR
Roughly four to five million visitors flock to Yosemite National Park each year, most of whom seek out the misty waterfalls and dramatic granite walls of Yosemite Valley. But how would those numbers change if the park boasted a second awe-inspiring valley? A recent report evaluates the economic benefits of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley.

 

S&P 500 finishes flat; smaller-company stocks notch gains

Los Angeles Times

Major U.S. stock indexes ended mostly flat Monday after large companies gave up early gains, but smaller companies closed broadly higher.

 

Six in 10 Americans expect a recession and higher prices as Trump’s approval rating slips, Washington Post-ABC News poll finds

Washington Post

President Trump is ending a tumultuous summer with his approval rating slipping back from a July high as Americans express widespread concern about the trade war with China and a majority of voters now expect a recession within the next year, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

See also:

       Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says Washington Post

 

Silicon Valley’s final frontier for mobile payments — ‘the neoliberal takeover of the human body’

Market Watch

Biometric mobile wallets - payment technologies using out faces, fingerprints or retinas - already exist. Removing the last physical barrier - smartphones, watches, smart glasses and credit cards - between our bodies and corporate America is the final frontier in mobile payments.

 

Jobs:

 

Uber, Lyft couldn’t beat California employment rules, but these industries did

Fresno Bee

After millions of dollars in lobbying and countless hours of protests and negotiations, California lawmakers must make a final decision this week about the most high-profile labor bill of 2019.

See also:

     Uber circulates new gig-work bill as alternative to AB5 San Francisco Chronicle

     Why Older Uber Drivers Earn Less Than Younger Ones Capital Public Radio

     California Labor Bill, Near Passage, Is Blow to Uber and Lyft New York Times

     Uber, Lyft Poised to Lose Fight Against California Bill to Label Drivers Employees Wall Street Journal

     The Gig Could Be Up for Ride Hailers Wall Street Journal

     EDITORIAL: As written, AB5 fails the ‘test’ Stockton Record

 

Unions pour cash into CalPERS election, use mailer to highlight sexual harassment complaint

Sacramento Bee

One of California’s largest unions is spending big money to prevent one of its former leaders from winning a seat on the CalPERS Board of Administration, and it’s starting with a political mailer that arrives in a misleading envelope.

 

Kaiser announces ‘last, best and final’ contract offer for 4,000 California workers

Orange County Register

Kaiser Permanente has provided some 4,000 mental health care workers and other California employees with its final, three-year labor proposal, but union representatives aren’t happy.

 

For the first time, most new working-age hires in the U.S. are people of color

Washington Post

The surge of minority women getting jobs has helped push the U.S. workforce across a historic threshold. For the first time, most new hires of prime working age (25 to 54) are people of color, according to a Washington Post analysis of data the Labor Department began collecting in the 1970s. Minority hires overtook white hires last year.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

How should California approach teaching ethnic studies in public school?

Fresno Bee

Should California public schools teach ethnic studies? If so, how should they approach such a sensitive topic with the most diverse student population in human history?

 

A new law signed by Gavin Newsom bans schools from suspending disruptive kids

Fresno Bee

It is will soon be illegal in California for both public and charter schools to suspend disruptive students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

See also:

      California law bars suspensions for talking back to teachers Associated Press

 

California’s charter schools face uncertain future under new state law

EdSource

Legislation that could determine the future of charter schools in California introduces questions that school districts have been barred from asking for three decades.

 

Higher Ed:

 

U.S. News releases best colleges list. Here’s where Central Valley schools rank

Fresno Bee

U.S. News & World Report has revealed its 2020 rankings for the best colleges and universities in the United States and once again Fresno StateFresno Pacific University and UC Merced were well represented on the list.

See also:

     UC Merced, Fresno State receive high rankings for graduation performance rates abc30

     Cal Poly is the best public school of its kind in the West, U.S. News says. Here’s why Fresno Bee

     UCs again dominate ranking of nation’s public universities. Here’s how Davis, others fared Sacramento Bee

 

Fresno State offers new mobile dining app for students

abc30

There's a new item on the menu this semester at Fresno State. "Fetch" the university's dining app is all about convenience. Now with the touch of a button, Fresno State students can order, customize and pick up any meal of the day.

 

CSUB to provide immigration legal services to students, employees

Bakersfield Californian

To assist CSUB students, employees and their families, the university is joining 21 other Cal State University campuses to provide free legal immigration services.

 

California closer to letting college athletes make money

Los Angeles Times

The California Assembly has passed legislation to let college athletes make money, setting up a confrontation with the NCAA that could jeopardize the athletic futures of programs at USC, UCLA and Stanford.

 

The Future of Work Has Much Bigger Problems Than Disrupting Higher Education

California Economic Summit

Many of the tech entrepreneurs and venture investors in the audience at my recent Bloomberg BETA panel on Trade Schools of the Future came with the impression that disrupting higher education was the key to solving future of work issues. By the end of the discussion, they thought otherwise.

 

The Times takes on college legacy preferences: Let’s hope it is the knock-out punch

Brookings

For the first time in its 168-year history, the New York Times Editorial Board has offered an opinion on the practice of legacy preferences in college admissions. The Board rightly lambasts this outdated hereditary principle.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

NOAA Chief Scientist Says Move To Contradict Agency And Back Trump Was 'Political'

Capital Public Radio

It "was not based on science but on external factors including reputation and appearance, or simply put, political," the agency's acting chief scientist wrote.

 

Federal Watchdog Warns EPA Is Failing To Enforce Lead Paint Abatement Rules

Capital Public Radio

Home renovations can kick up dangerous dust from lead-based paint. A new report finds the Environmental Protection Agency is not adequately enforcing rules meant to protect kids from lead exposure.

 

Energy:

 

California lawmakers challenge Trump’s bid to expand oil drilling and fracking

Los Angeles Times

California on Monday sought to block the Trump administration from allowing new oil and gas wells in national parks and wilderness areas in the state.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Gavin Newsom signs California vaccine law after activists’ arrests and Capitol protests

Fresno Bee

California families, doctors and schools will soon have to follow new rules restricting medical exemptions for vaccines under two new laws passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.

See also:

     California governor signs vaccine bills he demanded Fresno Bee

     Newsom signs vaccine bills abc30

     Newsom signs vaccine bills after activists swarm Capitol Stockton Record

     Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Limiting California Vaccine Medical Exemptions, Despite Capitol Protests Capital Public Radio

     California vaccine bills signed by Newsom as protesters are arrested at Capitol Los Angeles Times

     California limits vaccine medical exemptions as protests disrupt Legislature San Francisco Chronicle

 

Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says

Washington Post

Nearly two million additional people lacked health insurance last year compared with 2017, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, the first major increase since the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. In total, there were 27.5 million uninsured Americans in 2018, up from 25.6 million one year before. The uninsured rate rose to 8.5 percent.

 

CDC urges Americans to stop vaping as they investigate related lung illnesses

abc30

The CDC has urged Americans to stop vaping as they investigate hundreds of possible vaping-related lung illnesses resulting in five deaths. In California, there have been 36 cases of the illness.

See Also:

     Juul Illegally Marketed E-Cigarettes, F.D.A. Says New York Times

     57 cases of lung illness linked to vaping reported in California, 1 death SF Gate

 

Teens who don't date are less depressed, new study finds

abc30

When it comes to teen dating, a new study found that students not in a romantic relationship had strong social skills and were less depressed than their peers.

 

In Cherokee Country, Opioid Crisis Seen as Existential Threat

PEW
Here in the foothills of the lush Ozark Mountains, where the Cherokee Nation re-formed its government after U.S. soldiers marched members of the tribe out of the South in the 1830s, people say the removal of children from their Native homes is the most troubling part of the opioid crisis.

 

Human Services:

 

Family HealthCare in Exeter

Porterville Recorder

Family HealthCare Network (FHCN) opened the doors of its new Exeter Health Center located at 330 E. Pine St. in downtown Exeter. The health center offers Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Chiropractic Care, and Podiatry services.

 

Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Mercy Hospital Southwest after pregnant woman, unborn baby die

Bakersfield Californian

The family of a woman who was eight months pregnant and died shortly after being sent home from the hospital with high blood pressure in April is suing Mercy Hospital Southwest and two doctors who were in charge of her care.

 

CA Democrats try again to provide health care to needy undocumented seniors

CALmatters

Democratic legislators are advancing a bill that aims to provide free health care to low-income undocumented seniors — an idea that they floated earlier this year, but which failed to make it into the state budget because of concerns over its cost.

 

Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says

Washington Post

Nearly two million additional people lacked health insurance last year compared with 2017, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, the first major increase since the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. In total, there were 27.5 million uninsured Americans in 2018, up from 25.6 million one year before. The uninsured rate rose to 8.5 percent.

 

COMMUNITY VOICES: Suicide is an epidemic, and our children suffer the most

Bakersfield Californian

Since 2010, Kern County has experienced a surge in suicide rates — leading California as one of the top counties when it comes to deaths by suicide per 100,000 population. According to the California Department of Public Health, from 2010 to 2017, Kern County has seen a consistent rise in deaths by suicide from 10.7 percent per 100,000 population to 14.1 percent per 100,000 population.

 

Here’s who could lose food stamps under Trump’s proposed changes

PBS NewsHour

Millions of Americans stand to lose food stamp benefits under a policy proposed by the Trump administration, and new state-level data offers a glimpse of how 3.6 million people would be impacted if this rule goes into effect.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Migrant crossings at US border continue to decline: CBP chief

abc30

The number of migrants found crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has continued to decline in recent weeks.

 

Judge reinstates nationwide halt on Trump asylum policy plan

Bakersfield Californian

A U.S. judge in California on Monday reinstated a nationwide halt on the Trump administration's plan to prevent most migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

See Also:

     Judge Blocks Trump Restrictions on Asylum Claims Nationwide Wall Street Journal

     Federal judge reinstates nationwide injunction against Trump’s asylum rule Los Angeles Times

 

CA Democrats try again to provide health care to needy undocumented seniors

CALmatters

Democratic legislators are advancing a bill that aims to provide free health care to low-income undocumented seniors — an idea that they floated earlier this year, but which failed to make it into the state budget because of concerns over its cost.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Workers begin peeling away layers that hide original brick on Fresno’s oldest building

Fresno Bee

In a boost to downtown revitalization, workers on Monday began taking down the facade covering, layer-by-layer, of Fresno’s oldest building. The Expositor building housed an early day newspaper.

See Also:

     Crews removing facade of downtown building for revitalization project abc30

 

Steps to make California Opportunity Zone ready now will benefit communities in need

California Economic Summit

The federal Opportunity Zone program represents a unique opportunity to channel private investment into California communities most in need. In order to take full advantage of this tool, California should do what states have done and ensure that the state tax code conforms to the federal tax treatment.

 

Housing:

 

Modesto could provide $2.85 million for plan to turn motel into housing for homeless

Modesto Bee

City officials Tuesday could give the Housing Authority $2.85 million so it can buy a 103-room Modesto motel and turn it into studio apartments with services for homeless people.

See also:

      Modesto’s racially restrictive housing policies to come light Modesto Bee

 

Mayor urges support of homeless services, not handouts

Bakersfield Californian

Handouts don't help. That's the message Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh wants well-intentioned people to know about the city's homeless problem. And it will soon be put on signs for businesses to post in their windows.

 

Kern Valley State Prison officials investigating death of inmate as homicide

Bakersfield Californian

Officials at the Kern Valley State Prison are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

 

Rent cap bill won’t fix California’s housing crisis

CALmatters

When California lawmakers vote on a rent cap bill in the coming days, they must consider the consequences it will have on our state’s housing crisis for years to come. Our state’s housing affordability and availability crisis deserves a comprehensive approach that prioritizes building more homes for rent and ownership. Unfortunately, Assembly Bill 1482 does neither.

 

Where Is the Best City to Live, Based on Salaries and Cost of Living?  (Valley Cities Noted)

City Lab

new analysis by Jed Kolko, chief economist at the labor market and jobs site Indeed, breaks down the data, identifying the cities and metro areas where salaries stretch the furthest and workers and families have the most money left over.

 

2017 Community Well-being Rankings

Well-Being Index

This report, part of the Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being series, examines well-being across the nation, with 186 communities ranked based on their Well-Being Index scores. The report analyzes how well-being varies by community and across the five elements of well-being

 

Trump’s housing finance plan will make mortgages more expensive, especially for black borrowers, housing groups say

Washington Post

The Trump administration’s plan to overhaul the country’s housing finance system would make mortgages more expensive for minority borrowers and aspiring homeowners in the South, the Midwest and rural communities, according to fair housing and lending groups.

 

EDITORIAL: With so little housing for the homeless, can outreach workers really help?

Los Angeles Times

For homeless people adrift on the streets or moored temporarily in a shelter bed, an outreach worker can be the lifeline to everything from a bottle of water to a permanent supportive housing unit.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Higher federal taxes on gasoline? Congress thinking about it

Sacramento Bee

The influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce is renewing its push to convince Congress to raise the federal gasoline tax — but it’s about to run into strong political resistance.

See Also:

     Higher federal gas taxes? Businesses are pushing the idea Sacramento Bee

 

Golden Handshake: Pension ‘Air Time’ Lives On

PublicCEO

Until a pension reform six years ago, CalPERS and CalSTRS members could boost their pensions by buying credit for up to five years of service without doing the work, thus the name “air time.”

 

California’s Geography of Wealth

Legislative Analyst’s Office

Californians’ net worth totals over $6 trillion or about $160,000 per resident. The state holds 17% of national net worth, while making up only 12% of the U.S. population.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Caltrans announces SR-41 lane, ramp closures

Sierra News

The Department of Transportation announced Monday several lane and ramp closures on State Route 41 to complete slab replacement work.

 

Higher federal taxes on gasoline? Congress thinking about it

Sacramento Bee

The influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce is renewing its push to convince Congress to raise the federal gasoline tax — but it’s about to run into strong political resistance.

 

Car Companies Want Stricter Emissions Standards. What’s the Problem?

WSJ

The Trump administration lets ideology get in the way of a win-win.

 

(Audio) City Visions: California High Speed Rail Chair Lenny Mendonca

KALW 91.7FM San Francisco

In 2008 California voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds to begin construction of a high speed rail linking the northern and southern portions of the state.

 

U.S. Cities Play Catch-Up on High-Speed Rail

U.S. News & World Report

“THIS IS THE reinvention of train travel in America,” Patrick Goddard, a dapper Irishman and the president of Virgin Trains USA, declared in late June. The path to reinvention traveled through a nondescript platform outside Orlando International Airport, where Goddard and area luminaries had gathered for the groundbreaking of the company’s new Orlando-to-Miami route. It was made possible by 67 wealthy investors, who had collectively financed the project with $1.75 billion in private bonds.

 

WATER

 

The Friant-Kern Canal Is Sinking. Thirty-Mile Parallel Canal Proposed

KVPR

The Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to farms and communities on the east side of the Valley, is literally sinking in some areas due to groundwater pumping. And with one week to go before the California legislature wraps up its 2019 session, many hope the state will help fund the canal’s repair. 

 

Water interests are fighting California’s bid to block Trump’s environmental rollbacks

Merced Sun-Star

California is close to adopting strict Obama-era federal environmental and worker safety rules that the Trump administration is dismantling. But as the legislative session draws to a close, the proposal faces fierce opposition from the state's largest water agencies.

 

Relief for Families without Reliable Access to Water Heads to Governor’s Desk

Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senate Bill 513, authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), is headed towards Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for approval. The bill, which received bi-partisan support, will provide relief for families without reliable access to water by delivering a temporary alternative source of water supply.

 

“Xtra”

 

Contest looking for the best photos of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

abc30

Attention photographers! Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks officials are calling on you to submit your best photos of the national park for their 2019 Facebook photo contest.

 

Brewing company offers Fresnans free tasting after employee writes negative comment about Fresno

abc30

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is issuing an apology after one of their employees wrote a negative comment about the city of Fresno on social media.

 

What Does 'The Other California' Mean To The People Who Live Here? A Conversation With The Masumotos

KVPR

The writer Gerald Haslam grew up at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and is credited with coining the phrase "The Other California" to describe the part of the state where we live. Not Los Angeles. Not San Francisco.

 

Yosemite National Park To Host 7th Annual Adaptive Climbing Program

Sierra News

Yosemite National Park to host the 7th Annual Adaptive Climbing Program on September 10, 2019 for disabled veterans.

 

Your 2019 Tulare County Fair guide

Visalia Times Delta

It’s that time of year again: It’s time for all the sights, sounds and smells of delicious fried foods that the Tulare County Fair brings. And this year the fair is celebrating its 100th birthday.

 

‘Young Frankenstein’ pleases all on opening night

Porterville Recorder

“Young Frankenstein” practically brought the house down in laughter with some hysterically funny scenes. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, September 13,14, 20, 21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees are September 8, 15, and 22 at 2 p.m.

 

Ken Burns will debut his history of country music. Some of it happened in Modesto.

Modesto Bee

Modesto plays a notable role in “Country Music,” the latest film by Ken Burns, debuting on PBS on Sunday, September 15. The eight-part series mentions early on a band called the Maddox Brothers and Rose. It formed in Modesto in 1937 and toured and recorded for two decades.

 

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

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

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.

 

 

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POLICY & POLITICS

 

U.S. News releases best colleges list. Here’s where Central Valley schools rank

Fresno Bee

U.S. News & World Report has revealed its 2020 rankings for the best colleges and universities in the United States and once again Fresno StateFresno Pacific University and UC Merced were well represented on the list.

See also:

     UC Merced, Fresno State receive high rankings for graduation performance rates abc30

     UCs again dominate ranking of nation’s public universities. Here’s how Davis, others fared Sacramento Bee

     Cal Poly is the best public school of its kind in the West, U.S. News says. Here’s why Fresno Bee

 

Where Is the Best City to Live, Based on Salaries and Cost of Living?  (Valley Cities Noted)

City Lab

new analysis by Jed Kolko, chief economist at the labor market and jobs site Indeed, breaks down the data, identifying the cities and metro areas where salaries stretch the furthest and workers and families have the most money left over.

 

The Friant-Kern Canal Is Sinking. Thirty-Mile Parallel Canal Proposed

KVPR

The Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to farms and communities on the east side of the Valley, is literally sinking in some areas due to groundwater pumping. And with one week to go before the California legislature wraps up its 2019 session, many hope the state will help fund the canal’s repair. 

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Safest city in Stanislaus? Newman by a far sight, new crime report says.

Modesto Bee

Newman not only is the safest city in Stanislaus County, it’s among the 20 safest in all the state, according to a new report.

 

Modesto could provide $2.85 million for plan to turn motel into housing for homeless

Modesto Bee

City officials Tuesday could give the Housing Authority $2.85 million so it can buy a 103-room Modesto motel and turn it into studio apartments with services for homeless people.

See also:

      Modesto’s racially restrictive housing policies to come light Modesto Bee

 

SJ supervisors to weigh $67.5K settlement with Stockton Black Lives Matter

Stockton Record

San Joaquin County Supervisors on Tuesday will consider approving a $67,500 settlement with the Stockton chapter of Black Lives Matter, resolving a lawsuit centered on two instances when members say they were discriminated against by sheriff’s deputies assigned to the courthouse in 2017 and 2018.

 

San Joaquin County Supervisors Consider Approving Move To New Voting System

Capital Public Radio

The county has been using the Legacy Voting system for the last 16 years, but it no longer meets the state’s standards for elections. The registrar of voters says the proposed new system is faster, more secure and more accurate.

 

Asm Gray: In going after Trump, California is going too far with environmental legislation

CALmatters

California has made a sport of disagreeing with President Trump.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

McClatchy calls Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit ‘cynical’; asks Virginia judge to toss it

Fresno Bee

McClatchy in a new court motion called Rep. Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against the media company a “cynical maneuver to score cheap political points” and argued the case should be dismissed because it does not belong in the Virginia court where the California Republican filed it.

 

Selma Is Moving To District Elections. Some Say The Proposed Districts Don’t Represent The Community

KVPR
The Selma City Council wants to change the way people vote for council members by creating districts versus at-large voting. But mapping those districts is a complicated process and community and council members have different ideas on how to make it fair.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Mayor urges support of homeless services, not handouts

Bakersfield Californian

Handouts don't help. That's the message Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh wants well-intentioned people to know about the city's homeless problem. And it will soon be put on signs for businesses to post in their windows.

 

Vandalism not just an urban problem in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

If you thought vandalism was just a city problem, think again. With so many reports of vandalism in Bakersfield, especially targeted against businesses located downtown and in Old Town Kern, one might conclude that defacement and destruction of property is an urban issue. Nope.

 

Rebranding campaign focuses on opportunities in Bakersfield, Kern

Bakersfield Californian

A regional rebranding effort unveiled Monday highlights the wide-open business and personal opportunities that research shows to be Bakersfield's and Kern County's most attractive assets.

 

Talk of mayoral, city council recalls in Shafter

Bakersfield Californian

Accusations of a hidden agenda. Calls for "clarity" and transparency. Disarray in the city. These were among the charges levied by some residents against Shafter Mayor Gilbert Alvarado, Mayor Pro-Tem Cesar Lopez and City Councilman Manuel Garcia at a recent city council meeting.

 

State:

 

Gavin Newsom signs California vaccine law after activists’ arrests and Capitol protests

Fresno Bee

California families, doctors and schools will soon have to follow new rules restricting medical exemptions for vaccines under two new laws passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.

See also:

     California governor signs vaccine bills he demanded Fresno Bee

     Newsom signs vaccine bills abc30

     Newsom signs vaccine bills after activists swarm Capitol Stockton Record

     Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Limiting California Vaccine Medical Exemptions, Despite Capitol Protests Capital Public Radio

     California vaccine bills signed by Newsom as protesters are arrested at Capitol Los Angeles Times

     California limits vaccine medical exemptions as protests disrupt Legislature San Francisco Chronicle

 

CA Democrats try again to provide health care to needy undocumented seniors

CALmatters

Democratic legislators are advancing a bill that aims to provide free health care to low-income undocumented seniors — an idea that they floated earlier this year, but which failed to make it into the state budget because of concerns over its cost.

 

Five days, 684 bills left in the California Legislature’s work for the year

Los Angeles Times

California has had a full-time legislature since 1967, but the governing season actually ends each summer, an annual tradition of 11th-hour arm-twisting and late-night votes on scores of proposed laws that plays out again this week in Sacramento.

 

48 states are probing Google on antitrust grounds. Why isn’t California?

Los Angeles Times

Attorneys general from nearly every U.S. state have jointly launched an investigation into Google’s “potential monopolistic behavior.” Notable for its absence: California, Google’s home state.

See also:

     Big Tech faces a new set of foes: nearly all 50 US states Fresno Bee

     50 U.S. states and territories announce broad antitrust investigation of Google Washington Post

     Google is always listening. Now it’s watching, too, with the Nest Hub Max. Washington Post

 

CalPERS retirees have an election this fall. Check out candidates at Tuesday forum

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS retirees will get a chance Tuesday in Sacramento to hear from the two candidates vying for their votes in the pension fund’s Board of Administration election.

 

Insider lunch and a London party: California Democrat cozied up to industry he regulates

Sacramento Bee

California’s top regulator of insurance companies sought campaign contributions from the industry and partied with one of its lobbyists after winning his election last year, according to records and social media posts obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

 

Tethered to Trump, California’s GOP hopes for a comeback in a solidly blue state

Los Angeles Times

After crushing losses and a steep slide in voter registration, California Republicans gathered this weekend in the desert, hoping to plot a path back to relevancy in a state where shifting demographics and President Trump’s low approval numbers are continual challenges.

 

Facing police opposition, California lawmakers limit bill to ban facial recognition

CALmatters

Legislation that originally sought to permanently ban California law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition technology in police body cameras has been drastically watered down as it heads for its final votes in the state Capitol.

See also:

     California sees push on data privacy Roll Call

     50 U.S. states and territories announce broad antitrust investigation of Google Washington Post

 

California Lawmakers Vote to Undo N.C.A.A. Amateurism

New York Times

There were two guests of honor at the monthly meeting of the Oakland Rotary club in November 2015: the University of California marching band and a sports economics expert railing about the N.C.A.A.’s rules barring college athletes from collecting compensation for their play.

Walters: Dems ignore voters’ decisions

CALmatters

Just as professional sports leagues are wracked by internal conflict over playing rules, California’s politicians and interest groups joust constantly over campaign contribution limits, redrawing of legislative and congressional districts, voter registration, voting procedures and countless other electoral rules.

 

California’s Geography of Wealth

Legislative Analyst’s Office

Californians’ net worth totals over $6 trillion or about $160,000 per resident. The state holds 17% of national net worth, while making up only 12% of the U.S. population.

See also:

       California’s poverty rate among highest in nation once again, new census figures show Sacramento Bee

       2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens CAFWD

 

Federal:

 

House Judiciary Tees Up For Impeachment, But Democrats Divided On Moving Ahead

Capital Public Radio

The committee is readying rules that will guide its impeachment probe of President Trump. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., opposes formally moving forward, saying public support isn't there yet.

 

What happens if Trump tries to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell?

Brookings

President Trump has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the Federal Reserve, its chair, and the Fed’s monetary policy. This dissatisfaction raises an important question: what happens next?

 

Despite pressure, still no gun legislation position from White House

Roll Call

House and Senate Democrats intend to keep pressuring President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to support bipartisan efforts to close what they see as loopholes in background checks for gun purchases.

 

NOAA’s chief scientist will investigate why agency backed Trump over its experts on Dorian, email shows

Washington Post

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s acting chief scientist said in an email to colleagues Sunday that he is investigating whether the agency’s response to President Trump’s Hurricane Dorian tweets constituted a violation of NOAA policies and ethics.

 

Justice Gorsuch book touts Scalia’s views and civility in the Trump era

Los Angeles Times

Thirty years ago, Neil Gorsuch was in his first year at Harvard Law School when Justice Antonin Scalia, then new to Supreme Court, came to lecture.

 

Elections 2020:

 

At rally, Trump paints bleak picture of Democratic control

Fresno Bee

Trying to prove his political clout by pushing a Republican to victory in a special election, President Donald Trump used a North Carolina rally Monday to paint a bleak picture of a nation he claimed would be overrun with crime, poverty and immigrants if Democrats seize power in Washington.

See also:

     OPINION: A new poll shows voters aren’t buying what Trump is selling Washington Post

 

California Gop Opens Alternative Pathway For 2020 Delegates

Business Journal

California Republicans have approved a rule change intended to ensure the party can send delegates to the GOP’s national convention next summer, even if President Donald Trump is kept off the state’s 2020 primary ballot.

See Also:

     Schwarzenegger aide swings at Trump official — ‘You can talk when you’ win California  Sacramento Bee

     Schwarzenegger: Too many voters live under minority rule. Here’s why. Washington Post

     Opinion: What Republicans could learn from the British Washington Post

 

Is Biden moderate? His agenda is more liberal than Clinton’s

Fresno Bee

Many Democrats see Joe Biden as a voice of ideological restraint in a party rapidly moving to the left.

See also:

       With Warren and Sanders on his heels, Biden ramps up Iowa organization Fresno Bee

 

Can’t buy a house? 2020 Democrats say they’ll push cities to build more homes

Sacramento Bee

The Democrats running for president all say they want to help contain America’s soaring housing prices. But some are promising more aggressive steps to tackle one of the root issues: the lack of housing supply.

 

With Next Goal To Secure 2020 Elections, Feds Seek To Absorb Lessons From 2016

Capital Public Radio

The FBI and other intelligence and security agencies say they're combing the active measures playbook run against the 2016 presidential election to defend the next one.

 

No, Kamala Harris didn’t ‘sue’ Exxon Mobil as California AG

PolitiFact

During a climate town hall on CNN last week, Democratic presidential candidate and California Sen. Kamala Harris vowed to take on Big Oil and other powerful interests when they "profit off of harmful behaviors" such as burning fossil fuels.

See Also:

     ‘Trust Me’: Kamala Harris Makes Big Play on Criminal Justice Reform New York Times

 

OPINION: Here’s how Amy Klobuchar could pull off the nomination

Washington Post

The reception Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) got at New Hampshire’s Democratic convention on Saturday should have put a smile on her face. Here was the Midwest gal-next-door who had been in hiding or gotten overshadowed.

 

Other:

 

Get a sneak preview of the new 9/11 Twin Towers sculpture in Clovis

Fresno Bee

Watch as former New York City firefighter and 9/11 first responder Andy Isolano reacts to the Twin Tower sculpture unveiled Monday. Two other sculpture were also unveiled, one for first responders and another for the Pentagon.

See also:

     'We need to honor the past:' Renovated 9/11 memorial in Clovis unveiled abc30

 

Paso Robles brewing company offers Fresnans free tour, tasting after employee writes negative comment about Fresno on Twitter

abc30.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is issuing an apology after one of their employees wrote a negative comment about the city of Fresno on social media.

 

Court rules startup may collect data from LinkedIn profiles

Associated Press

A federal appeals court has affirmed the right of a startup company to collect information from people’s public profiles on networking service LinkedIn.

 

‘We blew it’: Forbes named 99 men and only one woman on its list of ‘most innovative leaders’

Washington Post

Forbes Magazine may be best known for its lists of the world’s wealthiest billionaires, but its recent ranking of the most innovative CEOs is the one that has been getting the most attention — and not for good reason.

 

‘Who Killed Civil Society?’ Review: The Goal Was Good Habits

WSJ

People need what the government doesn’t provide: help in developing the personal traits that will reduce dependency and foster success.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Medi-Cal Premiums and Claims Because It Failed to Follow Up on Eligibility Discrepancies” – Guest: California State Auditor, Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition“The Senior Boom: Preparing for the Baby Boom Aftershock” – Guest: PPIC Analyst Laurel Beck. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, September 15, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy“Medi-Cal: miles de millones para pagos cuestionables” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

EDITORIAL: Trump’s holding American farmers hostage. How much damage is he willing to do?

Fresno Bee

People who make their living off of the land face many unpredictable challenges: frost, floods, storms, heat, insects and global economics. Now they must also worry that they’re just a few presidential tweets away from financial disaster.

See also:

       As billions flow to farmers, Trump administration faces internal concerns over unprecedented bailout Washington Post

 

Health inspectors closed 5 Fresno restaurants in August. What problems did they find?

Fresno Bee

After a July in which no restaurants were closed for health concerns in Fresno County, inspectors found violation serious enough to warrant closing five Fresno restaurant for a day or two in August.

 

California Food Expo off to a tasty start in Fresno

abc30

The California Food Expo is already off to a tasty start. This year, the expo has a new name and a bigger presence. About 130 companies are setting up booths inside the convention center.

See Also:

     California Food Expo Starts Today In Fresno Business Journal

 

Here’s who could lose food stamps under Trump’s proposed changes

PBS NewsHour

Millions of Americans stand to lose food stamp benefits under a policy proposed by the Trump administration, and new state-level data offers a glimpse of how 3.6 million people would be impacted if this rule goes into effect.

 

‘We have to do it right.’ California lawmaker pulls cannabis banking bill ahead of floor vote

Sacramento Bee

A California bill that would authorize banks and credit unions to do business with cannabis companies on a limited basis has been pulled by its sponsor.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Safest city in Stanislaus? Newman by a far sight, new crime report says.

Modesto Bee

Newman not only is the safest city in Stanislaus County, it’s among the 20 safest in all the state, according to a new report.

 

Vandalism not just an urban problem in Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

If you thought vandalism was just a city problem, think again. With so many reports of vandalism in Bakersfield, especially targeted against businesses located downtown and in Old Town Kern, one might conclude that defacement and destruction of property is an urban issue. Nope.

 

As Stevante Clark Graduates Mental Health Court, California Looks To Grow This Alternative To Incarceration

Capital Public Radio

California is expanding this type of probation for mentally ill offenders, which focuses on treatment instead of jail time. One of the Sacramento program’s newest graduates is Stevante Clark, brother of Stephon Clark, who was killed by police.

 

Prop. 47, realignment helping lower arrest rate in California, study finds

San Francisco Chronicle

A new report by the Public Policy Institute of California found that AB109, more commonly known as realignment, and Proposition 47, which reduced many drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, have combined to lower the state’s overall arrest rate by nearly 20%.

 

Public Safety:

 

Learn hands-only CPR this Saturday at firehouses around SJ

Stockton Record

San Joaquin County residents are encouraged to participate in the second annual Hands-Only CPR Training for National Preparedness Month at firehouses around the county this Saturday.

 

BPD will 'stakeout' the roof of Dunkin' Donuts locations Thursday for a good cause

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield Police Officers will be up on the roof of Dunkin' Donuts locations Thursday to raise money for Special Olympics Southern California and Law Enforcement Torch Run.

 

Congress returns to a gun control fight and a government shutdown deadline

Los Angeles Times

Congress returns to Washington this week amid mounting pressure from Democrats and the public to enact new gun restrictions, but lawmakers from both parties say meaningful action hangs solely on President Trump.

See also:

     Bill expanding gun-violence restraining orders heads to California governor San Francisco Chronicle

     6 in 10 fear a mass shooting; most think gun laws can help abc30

     California could expand use of gun violence restraining orders under bill sent to governor Los Angeles Times

     Americans of both parties overwhelmingly support ‘red flag’ laws, expanded background checks for gun buyers, Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Washington Post

     Democrats have lots of gun proposals. Why aren’t we talking about the most important one?  Washington Post

 

NRA sues San Francisco over terrorist declaration

Sacramento Bee

The National Rifle Association sued San Francisco on Monday over the city's recent declaration that the gun-rights lobby is a "domestic terrorist organization."

See also:

     NRA sues San Francisco after supervisors label it a ‘terrorist organization’ San Francisco Chronicle

 

She and her twin were inseparable. Then a gunman tore the 15-year-olds apart.

Washington Post

The Twins Were Born 60 Seconds Apart, As If From The Very Beginning They Did Not Know How To Be Without Each Other. Melissa Scott Appeared First, And Then Came Her Brother, Maurice. Fifteen Years Later, That Was Still Their Routine: Every Weekday Morning, Melissa Would Roll Out Of Bed First, Emerge From Her Room And Go Wake Her Brother.

 

Fire:

 

PG&E offers $16.9 billion for wildfire claims. Will that get utility out of bankruptcy?

Fresno Bee

PG&E Corp. put $16.9 billion on the table to pay wildfire claims Monday as it offered its formal reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

See also:

     PG&E offers billions for wildfire claims Stockton Record

     PG&E plan offers billions to victims, others after wildfires Bakersfield Californian

     PG&E looks to cap wildfire costs at $18 billion through its bankruptcy plan Los Angeles Times

     PG&E’s plan to exit bankruptcy has nearly $18 billion for fire claims San Francisco Chronicle

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says

Washington Post

Nearly two million additional people lacked health insurance last year compared with 2017, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, the first major increase since the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. In total, there were 27.5 million uninsured Americans in 2018, up from 25.6 million one year before. The uninsured rate rose to 8.5 percent.

California’s poverty rate among highest in nation once again, new census figures show

Sacramento Bee

California, typically one of the most prosperous and progressive states, is also one of the poorest.

See also:

       2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens CAFWD

 

Another Iconic Valley In Yosemite? Report Estimates Tourism Benefits Of A Restored Hetch Hetchy

KVPR
Roughly four to five million visitors flock to Yosemite National Park each year, most of whom seek out the misty waterfalls and dramatic granite walls of Yosemite Valley. But how would those numbers change if the park boasted a second awe-inspiring valley? A recent report evaluates the economic benefits of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley.

 

S&P 500 finishes flat; smaller-company stocks notch gains

Los Angeles Times

Major U.S. stock indexes ended mostly flat Monday after large companies gave up early gains, but smaller companies closed broadly higher.

 

Six in 10 Americans expect a recession and higher prices as Trump’s approval rating slips, Washington Post-ABC News poll finds

Washington Post

President Trump is ending a tumultuous summer with his approval rating slipping back from a July high as Americans express widespread concern about the trade war with China and a majority of voters now expect a recession within the next year, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

See also:

       Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says Washington Post

 

Silicon Valley’s final frontier for mobile payments — ‘the neoliberal takeover of the human body’

Market Watch

Biometric mobile wallets - payment technologies using out faces, fingerprints or retinas - already exist. Removing the last physical barrier - smartphones, watches, smart glasses and credit cards - between our bodies and corporate America is the final frontier in mobile payments.

 

Jobs:

 

Uber, Lyft couldn’t beat California employment rules, but these industries did

Fresno Bee

After millions of dollars in lobbying and countless hours of protests and negotiations, California lawmakers must make a final decision this week about the most high-profile labor bill of 2019.

See also:

     Uber circulates new gig-work bill as alternative to AB5 San Francisco Chronicle

     Why Older Uber Drivers Earn Less Than Younger Ones Capital Public Radio

     California Labor Bill, Near Passage, Is Blow to Uber and Lyft New York Times

     Uber, Lyft Poised to Lose Fight Against California Bill to Label Drivers Employees Wall Street Journal

     The Gig Could Be Up for Ride Hailers Wall Street Journal

     EDITORIAL: As written, AB5 fails the ‘test’ Stockton Record

 

Unions pour cash into CalPERS election, use mailer to highlight sexual harassment complaint

Sacramento Bee

One of California’s largest unions is spending big money to prevent one of its former leaders from winning a seat on the CalPERS Board of Administration, and it’s starting with a political mailer that arrives in a misleading envelope.

 

Kaiser announces ‘last, best and final’ contract offer for 4,000 California workers

Orange County Register

Kaiser Permanente has provided some 4,000 mental health care workers and other California employees with its final, three-year labor proposal, but union representatives aren’t happy.

 

For the first time, most new working-age hires in the U.S. are people of color

Washington Post

The surge of minority women getting jobs has helped push the U.S. workforce across a historic threshold. For the first time, most new hires of prime working age (25 to 54) are people of color, according to a Washington Post analysis of data the Labor Department began collecting in the 1970s. Minority hires overtook white hires last year.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

How should California approach teaching ethnic studies in public school?

Fresno Bee

Should California public schools teach ethnic studies? If so, how should they approach such a sensitive topic with the most diverse student population in human history?

 

A new law signed by Gavin Newsom bans schools from suspending disruptive kids

Fresno Bee

It is will soon be illegal in California for both public and charter schools to suspend disruptive students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

See also:

      California law bars suspensions for talking back to teachers Associated Press

 

California’s charter schools face uncertain future under new state law

EdSource

Legislation that could determine the future of charter schools in California introduces questions that school districts have been barred from asking for three decades.

 

Higher Ed:

 

U.S. News releases best colleges list. Here’s where Central Valley schools rank

Fresno Bee

U.S. News & World Report has revealed its 2020 rankings for the best colleges and universities in the United States and once again Fresno StateFresno Pacific University and UC Merced were well represented on the list.

See also:

     UC Merced, Fresno State receive high rankings for graduation performance rates abc30

     Cal Poly is the best public school of its kind in the West, U.S. News says. Here’s why Fresno Bee

     UCs again dominate ranking of nation’s public universities. Here’s how Davis, others fared Sacramento Bee

 

Fresno State offers new mobile dining app for students

abc30

There's a new item on the menu this semester at Fresno State. "Fetch" the university's dining app is all about convenience. Now with the touch of a button, Fresno State students can order, customize and pick up any meal of the day.

 

CSUB to provide immigration legal services to students, employees

Bakersfield Californian

To assist CSUB students, employees and their families, the university is joining 21 other Cal State University campuses to provide free legal immigration services.

 

California closer to letting college athletes make money

Los Angeles Times

The California Assembly has passed legislation to let college athletes make money, setting up a confrontation with the NCAA that could jeopardize the athletic futures of programs at USC, UCLA and Stanford.

 

The Future of Work Has Much Bigger Problems Than Disrupting Higher Education

California Economic Summit

Many of the tech entrepreneurs and venture investors in the audience at my recent Bloomberg BETA panel on Trade Schools of the Future came with the impression that disrupting higher education was the key to solving future of work issues. By the end of the discussion, they thought otherwise.

 

The Times takes on college legacy preferences: Let’s hope it is the knock-out punch

Brookings

For the first time in its 168-year history, the New York Times Editorial Board has offered an opinion on the practice of legacy preferences in college admissions. The Board rightly lambasts this outdated hereditary principle.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

NOAA Chief Scientist Says Move To Contradict Agency And Back Trump Was 'Political'

Capital Public Radio

It "was not based on science but on external factors including reputation and appearance, or simply put, political," the agency's acting chief scientist wrote.

 

Federal Watchdog Warns EPA Is Failing To Enforce Lead Paint Abatement Rules

Capital Public Radio

Home renovations can kick up dangerous dust from lead-based paint. A new report finds the Environmental Protection Agency is not adequately enforcing rules meant to protect kids from lead exposure.

 

Energy:

 

California lawmakers challenge Trump’s bid to expand oil drilling and fracking

Los Angeles Times

California on Monday sought to block the Trump administration from allowing new oil and gas wells in national parks and wilderness areas in the state.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Gavin Newsom signs California vaccine law after activists’ arrests and Capitol protests

Fresno Bee

California families, doctors and schools will soon have to follow new rules restricting medical exemptions for vaccines under two new laws passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.

See also:

     California governor signs vaccine bills he demanded Fresno Bee

     Newsom signs vaccine bills abc30

     Newsom signs vaccine bills after activists swarm Capitol Stockton Record

     Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Limiting California Vaccine Medical Exemptions, Despite Capitol Protests Capital Public Radio

     California vaccine bills signed by Newsom as protesters are arrested at Capitol Los Angeles Times

     California limits vaccine medical exemptions as protests disrupt Legislature San Francisco Chronicle

 

Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says

Washington Post

Nearly two million additional people lacked health insurance last year compared with 2017, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, the first major increase since the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. In total, there were 27.5 million uninsured Americans in 2018, up from 25.6 million one year before. The uninsured rate rose to 8.5 percent.

 

CDC urges Americans to stop vaping as they investigate related lung illnesses

abc30

The CDC has urged Americans to stop vaping as they investigate hundreds of possible vaping-related lung illnesses resulting in five deaths. In California, there have been 36 cases of the illness.

See Also:

     Juul Illegally Marketed E-Cigarettes, F.D.A. Says New York Times

     57 cases of lung illness linked to vaping reported in California, 1 death SF Gate

 

Teens who don't date are less depressed, new study finds

abc30

When it comes to teen dating, a new study found that students not in a romantic relationship had strong social skills and were less depressed than their peers.

 

In Cherokee Country, Opioid Crisis Seen as Existential Threat

PEW
Here in the foothills of the lush Ozark Mountains, where the Cherokee Nation re-formed its government after U.S. soldiers marched members of the tribe out of the South in the 1830s, people say the removal of children from their Native homes is the most troubling part of the opioid crisis.

 

Human Services:

 

Family HealthCare in Exeter

Porterville Recorder

Family HealthCare Network (FHCN) opened the doors of its new Exeter Health Center located at 330 E. Pine St. in downtown Exeter. The health center offers Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Chiropractic Care, and Podiatry services.

 

Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Mercy Hospital Southwest after pregnant woman, unborn baby die

Bakersfield Californian

The family of a woman who was eight months pregnant and died shortly after being sent home from the hospital with high blood pressure in April is suing Mercy Hospital Southwest and two doctors who were in charge of her care.

 

CA Democrats try again to provide health care to needy undocumented seniors

CALmatters

Democratic legislators are advancing a bill that aims to provide free health care to low-income undocumented seniors — an idea that they floated earlier this year, but which failed to make it into the state budget because of concerns over its cost.

 

Uninsured rate rose in 2018 despite strong economy, Census says

Washington Post

Nearly two million additional people lacked health insurance last year compared with 2017, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, the first major increase since the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. In total, there were 27.5 million uninsured Americans in 2018, up from 25.6 million one year before. The uninsured rate rose to 8.5 percent.

 

COMMUNITY VOICES: Suicide is an epidemic, and our children suffer the most

Bakersfield Californian

Since 2010, Kern County has experienced a surge in suicide rates — leading California as one of the top counties when it comes to deaths by suicide per 100,000 population. According to the California Department of Public Health, from 2010 to 2017, Kern County has seen a consistent rise in deaths by suicide from 10.7 percent per 100,000 population to 14.1 percent per 100,000 population.

 

Here’s who could lose food stamps under Trump’s proposed changes

PBS NewsHour

Millions of Americans stand to lose food stamp benefits under a policy proposed by the Trump administration, and new state-level data offers a glimpse of how 3.6 million people would be impacted if this rule goes into effect.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Migrant crossings at US border continue to decline: CBP chief

abc30

The number of migrants found crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has continued to decline in recent weeks.

 

Judge reinstates nationwide halt on Trump asylum policy plan

Bakersfield Californian

A U.S. judge in California on Monday reinstated a nationwide halt on the Trump administration's plan to prevent most migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

See Also:

     Judge Blocks Trump Restrictions on Asylum Claims Nationwide Wall Street Journal

     Federal judge reinstates nationwide injunction against Trump’s asylum rule Los Angeles Times

 

CA Democrats try again to provide health care to needy undocumented seniors

CALmatters

Democratic legislators are advancing a bill that aims to provide free health care to low-income undocumented seniors — an idea that they floated earlier this year, but which failed to make it into the state budget because of concerns over its cost.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Workers begin peeling away layers that hide original brick on Fresno’s oldest building

Fresno Bee

In a boost to downtown revitalization, workers on Monday began taking down the facade covering, layer-by-layer, of Fresno’s oldest building. The Expositor building housed an early day newspaper.

See Also:

     Crews removing facade of downtown building for revitalization project abc30

 

Steps to make California Opportunity Zone ready now will benefit communities in need

California Economic Summit

The federal Opportunity Zone program represents a unique opportunity to channel private investment into California communities most in need. In order to take full advantage of this tool, California should do what states have done and ensure that the state tax code conforms to the federal tax treatment.

 

Housing:

 

Modesto could provide $2.85 million for plan to turn motel into housing for homeless

Modesto Bee

City officials Tuesday could give the Housing Authority $2.85 million so it can buy a 103-room Modesto motel and turn it into studio apartments with services for homeless people.

See also:

      Modesto’s racially restrictive housing policies to come light Modesto Bee

 

Mayor urges support of homeless services, not handouts

Bakersfield Californian

Handouts don't help. That's the message Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh wants well-intentioned people to know about the city's homeless problem. And it will soon be put on signs for businesses to post in their windows.

 

Kern Valley State Prison officials investigating death of inmate as homicide

Bakersfield Californian

Officials at the Kern Valley State Prison are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

 

Rent cap bill won’t fix California’s housing crisis

CALmatters

When California lawmakers vote on a rent cap bill in the coming days, they must consider the consequences it will have on our state’s housing crisis for years to come. Our state’s housing affordability and availability crisis deserves a comprehensive approach that prioritizes building more homes for rent and ownership. Unfortunately, Assembly Bill 1482 does neither.

 

Where Is the Best City to Live, Based on Salaries and Cost of Living?  (Valley Cities Noted)

City Lab

new analysis by Jed Kolko, chief economist at the labor market and jobs site Indeed, breaks down the data, identifying the cities and metro areas where salaries stretch the furthest and workers and families have the most money left over.

 

2017 Community Well-being Rankings

Well-Being Index

This report, part of the Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being series, examines well-being across the nation, with 186 communities ranked based on their Well-Being Index scores. The report analyzes how well-being varies by community and across the five elements of well-being

 

Trump’s housing finance plan will make mortgages more expensive, especially for black borrowers, housing groups say

Washington Post

The Trump administration’s plan to overhaul the country’s housing finance system would make mortgages more expensive for minority borrowers and aspiring homeowners in the South, the Midwest and rural communities, according to fair housing and lending groups.

 

EDITORIAL: With so little housing for the homeless, can outreach workers really help?

Los Angeles Times

For homeless people adrift on the streets or moored temporarily in a shelter bed, an outreach worker can be the lifeline to everything from a bottle of water to a permanent supportive housing unit.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Higher federal taxes on gasoline? Congress thinking about it

Sacramento Bee

The influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce is renewing its push to convince Congress to raise the federal gasoline tax — but it’s about to run into strong political resistance.

See Also:

     Higher federal gas taxes? Businesses are pushing the idea Sacramento Bee

 

Golden Handshake: Pension ‘Air Time’ Lives On

PublicCEO

Until a pension reform six years ago, CalPERS and CalSTRS members could boost their pensions by buying credit for up to five years of service without doing the work, thus the name “air time.”

 

California’s Geography of Wealth

Legislative Analyst’s Office

Californians’ net worth totals over $6 trillion or about $160,000 per resident. The state holds 17% of national net worth, while making up only 12% of the U.S. population.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Caltrans announces SR-41 lane, ramp closures

Sierra News

The Department of Transportation announced Monday several lane and ramp closures on State Route 41 to complete slab replacement work.

 

Higher federal taxes on gasoline? Congress thinking about it

Sacramento Bee

The influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce is renewing its push to convince Congress to raise the federal gasoline tax — but it’s about to run into strong political resistance.

 

Car Companies Want Stricter Emissions Standards. What’s the Problem?

WSJ

The Trump administration lets ideology get in the way of a win-win.

 

(Audio) City Visions: California High Speed Rail Chair Lenny Mendonca

KALW 91.7FM San Francisco

In 2008 California voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds to begin construction of a high speed rail linking the northern and southern portions of the state.

 

U.S. Cities Play Catch-Up on High-Speed Rail

U.S. News & World Report

“THIS IS THE reinvention of train travel in America,” Patrick Goddard, a dapper Irishman and the president of Virgin Trains USA, declared in late June. The path to reinvention traveled through a nondescript platform outside Orlando International Airport, where Goddard and area luminaries had gathered for the groundbreaking of the company’s new Orlando-to-Miami route. It was made possible by 67 wealthy investors, who had collectively financed the project with $1.75 billion in private bonds.

 

WATER

 

The Friant-Kern Canal Is Sinking. Thirty-Mile Parallel Canal Proposed

KVPR

The Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to farms and communities on the east side of the Valley, is literally sinking in some areas due to groundwater pumping. And with one week to go before the California legislature wraps up its 2019 session, many hope the state will help fund the canal’s repair. 

 

Water interests are fighting California’s bid to block Trump’s environmental rollbacks

Merced Sun-Star

California is close to adopting strict Obama-era federal environmental and worker safety rules that the Trump administration is dismantling. But as the legislative session draws to a close, the proposal faces fierce opposition from the state's largest water agencies.

 

Relief for Families without Reliable Access to Water Heads to Governor’s Desk

Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senate Bill 513, authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), is headed towards Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for approval. The bill, which received bi-partisan support, will provide relief for families without reliable access to water by delivering a temporary alternative source of water supply.

 

“Xtra”

 

Contest looking for the best photos of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

abc30

Attention photographers! Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks officials are calling on you to submit your best photos of the national park for their 2019 Facebook photo contest.

 

Brewing company offers Fresnans free tasting after employee writes negative comment about Fresno

abc30

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is issuing an apology after one of their employees wrote a negative comment about the city of Fresno on social media.

 

What Does 'The Other California' Mean To The People Who Live Here? A Conversation With The Masumotos

KVPR

The writer Gerald Haslam grew up at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and is credited with coining the phrase "The Other California" to describe the part of the state where we live. Not Los Angeles. Not San Francisco.

 

Yosemite National Park To Host 7th Annual Adaptive Climbing Program

Sierra News

Yosemite National Park to host the 7th Annual Adaptive Climbing Program on September 10, 2019 for disabled veterans.

 

Your 2019 Tulare County Fair guide

Visalia Times Delta

It’s that time of year again: It’s time for all the sights, sounds and smells of delicious fried foods that the Tulare County Fair brings. And this year the fair is celebrating its 100th birthday.

 

‘Young Frankenstein’ pleases all on opening night

Porterville Recorder

“Young Frankenstein” practically brought the house down in laughter with some hysterically funny scenes. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, September 13,14, 20, 21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees are September 8, 15, and 22 at 2 p.m.

 

Ken Burns will debut his history of country music. Some of it happened in Modesto.

Modesto Bee

Modesto plays a notable role in “Country Music,” the latest film by Ken Burns, debuting on PBS on Sunday, September 15. The eight-part series mentions early on a band called the Maddox Brothers and Rose. It formed in Modesto in 1937 and toured and recorded for two decades.

 

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The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

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