13Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Modesto migrant shelter providing legal aid to kids 2 days after pressure from lawmaker

Modesto Bee

The shelter houses immigrant children facing legal proceedings over whether they can stay in the U.S. It opened about two months ago and reportedly did not provide legal services to the children until Wednesday night.

Central SJ Valley:

Twitter refuses to say who’s behind fake cow and parody mom being sued by Devin Nunes

Fresno Bee

Twitter is refusing a judge’s request to disclose the identities of two anonymous social media users who are are critical of Rep. Devin Nunes and are being sued by the California Republican.

Republican Elizabeth Heng shows burning Ocasio-Cortez photo in new video promoting PAC

Fresno Bee

Republican Elizabeth Heng announced a new Political Action Committee on Thursday night during the Democrat presidential candidate debate in a video criticizing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and socialism.

EDITORIAL: Running for office is an American ideal. Being forced on job leave to campaign is not (re: Fresno Mayoral Candidate Andrew Janz)

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors is considering subverting that simple promise, however, with a new personnel policy that would make running for office a heavy burden, if not impossible. The idea should be scrapped.

South SJ Valley:

Council looking to appoint new city manager

Porterville Recorder

Tuesday night’s meeting of the Lindsay City Council was full of information and discussion, mostly revolving around the city manager position and the Lindsay Wellness Programming Committee Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

After investigating one of its own, BPD requests felony charges against assistant chief Demestihas

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield police have submitted documents to the Kings County District Attorney's Office requesting a felony domestic abuse charge be filed against BPD Assistant Chief Evan Demestihas, who was arrested last week.

Price: Can an earthquake bring two Kern counties together?

Bakersfield Caifornian

Maybe we should drop the "y" and start identifying this part of the state as Kern counties, because it really is two distinct places: The Kern of the Central Valley and the Kern of the Mojave Desert.

Last-minute switch would serve one oil refinery — and environmentalists are crying foul

CALmatters

With a bit of 11th-hour legislative magic, state lawmakers have taken a bill related to volunteer firefighter reimbursements and — poof! — transformed it into what opponents are calling a political gift to Kern Oil & Refining Co.

State:

2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.

Ricardo Lara’s ‘climate’ trip to New York included some fundraising on the side

Fresno Bee

A taxpayer-funded trip that California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara took to New York earlier this year coincided with a fundraising trip by his campaign consultant, according to records obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

Politics is a swamp, but California and Washington get high marks for their ethics enforcers

Merced Sun-Star

California’s state ethics agency is among the most transparent in the nation, while Washington’s agencies have mixed reviews.

California could tighten social media rules for children, require parents’ OK

Stockton Record

California is considering tightening the rules for children younger than 13 using social media. The bill moving through the California Legislature would extend protections to children creating social media accounts.

Should convicted felons on parole vote? 2020 Democrats weigh in on California proposal

Sacramento Bee

This week, California has advanced a proposal that would allow an estimated 48,000 people convicted on felony charges to vote. If Assembly Constitutional Amendment 6 clears the state Senate on Friday, voters will get to make a final determination on this issue when they vote in the 2020 election.

Sick of Democrats and Republicans? New party coming to California

San Francisco Chronicle

The Common Sense Party already has more than 10,000 people signed on and is looking to gather the 65,929 registrations needed to qualify its candidates for the state ballot.

California legislators can change voting records after bills have passed or failed

KPCC

In a closely contested state Senate campaign, Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani has been urging voters to judge her on her legislative achievements, saying on her website that she is "proud to have a record of standing up for the people of my district."

Data exclusive: See how your legislators vote on the political spectrum

CALmatters

What does political polarization look like in California? Sometimes you can see it in the news, where state lawmakers might seem as focused on the latest inter-party national debate as they are on practical matters of the Golden State.

Remakes and fresh takes: On these 2019 bills, it’s now Newsom’s call

CALmatters

Gavin Newsom began his first year as California governor with surpluses of money in the budget ($21 billion) and Democrats in the Legislature (about 75%), a combination that helped him realize an ambitious agenda to expand public preschool, add a year of tuition-free community college for full-time students, offer health care to young adults who are undocumented, pass a tax to improve 911 emergency service and offer $1 billion in tax rebates to low-income Californians.

California State Auditor Extends Deadline for 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission Supplemental Application Period

California State Auditor

The California State Auditor announced today she is extending the deadline for applicants to submit their supplemental application for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. Applicants now have through October 13 to submit the application and three letters of recommendation.

Key lawmaker in California Privacy Act debate is married to Ring executive

Politico

A California lawmaker who carried an industry-backed bill to narrow the state's landmark Privacy Act is married to a top executive at an Amazon-owned tech company in the thick of a national debate over consumer data and government surveillance, POLITICO has found.

Federal:

House Judiciary votes to expand impeachment investigation into President Trump

abc30

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday to expand their impeachment investigation into President Trump, adding new urgency to their probe.

House to vote again to block Trump's border emergency

Politico

The House plans to vote again to block Donald Trump’s plan to divert billions of Pentagon dollars to his border wall, forcing Republicans to pick sides in a fight over one of the president’s top priorities.

Census Bureau Offers New Clues About Plan To Collect Data For GOP Power Grab

Talking Points Memo

A top Census Bureau official on Friday cleared up one mystery surrounding whether government data will be used to tilt electoral maps towards Republicans. Another mystery, however, remains when it comes to whether President Trump’s citizenship data project will be successful.

Elections 2020:

Democratic debate: Top 2020 candidates take the stage in Houston

abc30

An aggressive Joe Biden defended his health care plan against liberal rivals Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in Thursday night's presidential debate, a high-stakes clash for the Democratic nomination to take on Republican Donald Trump and for the broader direction of their own party.

See also:

● Democratic debate: Fiery exchanges over costs of health care Fresno Bee

● Has Kamala Harris reversed her positions on criminal justice issues? Fresno Bee

● Rival candidates praise Beto O'Rourke's response to shooting during Democratic debate abc30

● Sanders: 'We are going to cancel all student debt in this country' abc30

● Democratic candidates split on the best path forward for US trade policy abc30

● Medicare for All or single payer: Here's how the 2020 Democrats differ on health care abc30

● Democratic debate sees attacks on Trump Visalia Times Delta

● Democratic debate featured frontrunners who battled each other, attacked Trump Visalia Times Delta

● Biden ‘record player’ comment puzzling in Dem debate Stockton Record

● 7 takeaways from the Democratic debate in Houston Los Angeles Times

● Beto O’Rourke: ‘Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15’ Los Angeles Times

● Andrew Yang tries to break through Democratic debate by pledging $1,000 per month to 10 families Los Angeles Times

● Castro to Biden: “Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?” Los Angeles Times

● Joe Biden flubbed yet another Democratic debate question about deportations Los Angeles Times

● Democratic presidential debate erupts into free-for-all San Francisco Chronicle

● Biden clings to Obama’s legacy in third debate San Francisco Chronicle

● The third Democratic debate: Biden vs the rest Brookings

● 5 takeaways from fiery Democratic debate The Hill

● Joe Biden Wins by Not Losing as Rivals Struggle to Take Him Down Bloomberg

● For most of the night, Biden weathers a volley of attacks Washington Post

● Winners and losers from the third Democratic debate Washington Post

● The Moments That Mattered in Thursday’s Democratic Debate Wall Street Journal

● 6 Takeaways From the September Democratic Debate New York Times

● Did Beto O’Rourke Just Change the Democratic Conversation on Guns at the Debate? The New Yorker

● Julian Castro’s attack on Joe Biden for forgetting his health care plan falls flat PolitiFact

● Democrat Debate highlights: Biden at center stage and focus of attacks Politico

Warren gains, Harris slips -- and the room for movement is vast

abc30

A gain for Elizabeth Warren and a slip in support for Kamala Harris place Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Warren atop the field in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll.

Kamala Harris’ brother-in-law is the public face of Uber’s fight with labor. It’s awkward

Los Angeles Times

The Democratic presidential candidate has close connections, both familial and political, with the troubled ride-sharing giant Uber, but has sided with organized labor in backing the measure that the state Legislature passed on Wednesday. The bill limits businesses’ ability to use independent contractors, who have fewer protections under labor law than employees.

● Fact Check: Could a President Harris ban assault weapons in America? Sacramento Bee

Immigration: Where 2020 Democratic Candidates Stand On Border Crossings And More

NPR
Donald Trump's immigration stances — family separation, a ban on immigrants from several majority-Muslim nations, the cancellation of the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals program, to name a few — have given Democrats much to criticize as the 2020 presidential election approaches.

The Growing Debate Over Elizabeth Warren’s Wealth Tax

The New Yorker

As Senator Elizabeth Warren prepares for Thursday’s Democratic debate, in Houston, she is the first viable contender for the Presidency in decades to have proposed a direct tax on wealth. In January, she unveiled a plan to assess a 2% levy on fortunes greater than fifty million dollars and to tax three cents on every dollar of wealth exceeding a billion dollars.

Other:

Does the rainbow flag have a place on city-owned flagpoles in Turlock?

Modesto Bee

Turlock officials have postponed a request to raise the rainbow flag on city property in support of LGBTQ+ people. Supporters said the move would reinforce Turlock’s commitment to diversity in the wake of the Straight Pride event in Modesto last month.

EDITORIAL: Tired of all the divisiveness? This Modesto event could be for you

Modesto Bee

Straight pride. Mass shootings. Divisive rhetoric. It’s time to set the ugliness aside and remind ourselves what unites us. We support the local NAACP chapter’s effort to broker greater understanding at a town hall meeting Tuesday here in Modesto. It represents a good step in a positive direction.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farmers are not to blame for Valley subsidence, but they can help solve it

Fresno Bee

Farmers pump groundwater because for more than 25 years, an innumerable myriad of Endangered Species Act-related laws, mandates, opinions, rulings and settlements have resulted in less and less surface water allocations for agriculture — even though all of these directives have failed to produce a rebound of endangered fish.

A ban on marijuana use on party buses wins approval from California lawmakers

Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers sought Thursday to prohibit the smoking of marijuana on commercial party buses and limousines amid concerns from law enforcement officials that the drug could impair drivers and pose a risk of accidents.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Details emerge day after marijuana grow arrests at building owned by Denham, others

Modesto Bee

Turlock police conducted a raid Wednesday and reported uncovering an illegal marijuana grow of nearly 4,000 plants and other drugs in an industrial building whose owners include former U.S. Rep. Jeff. Denham.

Officials crack down on unlicensed massage parlors

Visalia Times Delta

City officials approved a massage parlor to operate in a residential neighborhood despite public complaints and the business listing no licensed massage therapists on its application.

Tulare County Superior Court offers online payment method for traffic court fines

Porterville Recorder

As part of the Tulare County Superior Court’s ongoing effort to increase access to justice, Tulare County became a pilot court for the California Judicial Council’s new MyCitations: Ability to Pay tool; an online option for people struggling to pay fines related to traffic infractions.

California bans private prisons – including Ice detention centers

The Guardian

The private prison industry is set to be upended after California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday banning the facilities from operating in the state. The move will probably also close down four large immigration detention facilities that can hold up to 4,500 people at a time.

California lawmakers may trim repeat offenders’ sentences

Fresno Bee

California lawmakers are on the verge of approving legislation to trim prison sentences for repeat nonviolent felonies. Current law adds an additional year to offenders' sentences for each previous prison or jail term.

Public Safety:

Driving while stoned? Marijuana breathalyzers expected to hit the street in 2020

Fresno Bee

Drivers suspected of being high on pot may soon face the same type of roadside breath test cops use to catch drunken drivers, as several firms prepare new devices for the street.

Law Enforcement-Backed California Use of Force Measure Signed By Gov. Gavin Newsom

Capital Public Radio

The bill setting new statewide “best practices” and training for officers is linked to the law signed last month that raises the legal standard for when police can use deadly force from “reasonable” to “necessary.”

New California law pays police departments to train cops on when to use deadly force

Fresno Bee

A month after signing one of the most sweeping use-of-force laws in the country, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a companion measure on Thursday that will finance new training and require police departments to upgrade their policies.

California passes bill that stops cops from using facial recognition software in bodycams

Fresno Bee

California police officers may soon be temporarily barred from using facial recognition software in body cameras, under a bill now heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

145 business execs demand gun violence action

abc30

Scores of executives from some of the nation's biggest business demanded "urgent action" from lawmakers on "America's gun violence crisis,"writing in a letter that the tragedies are "preventable."

● ‘Simply Unacceptable’: Executives Demand Senate Action on Gun Violence New York Times

● Inside the gun lobby’s push to sway Trump Politico

New California law pays police departments to train cops on when to use deadly force

Sacramento Bee

EDITORIAL: Firing the judge in Brock Turner sex assault case was a step toward mob rule

Los Angeles Times

A few questions for the spineless school bureaucrats who just fired tennis coach Aaron Persky because of a controversial sentence he handed down when he was a judge.

Fire:

California’s biggest wildfire of 2019 approaches 50,000 acres as dry conditions return

Fresno Bee

The Walker Fire burning in Plumas National Forest saw “increased fire behavior” overnight after mild conditions Wednesday, pushing the wildfire to nearly 50,000 acres Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

PG&E reaches $11 billion settlement with insurers from California wildfires

Sacramento Bee

PG&E Corp. said Friday it has reached an $11 billion settlement with insurance companies over the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, marking a major turning point in its efforts to exit bankruptcy.

Giant sequoias succumbing to climate-driven wildfires

San Francisco Chronicle

In a recently burned stretch of forest in the remote southern Sierra, the charred corpse of a giant sequoia tree — 14 feet wide and 213 feet tall — stands out as a startling casualty of wildfire.

All crew members were asleep when deadly California boat fire erupted, government report says

Washington Post

All six crew members were asleep when a fatal boat fire in California erupted, according to preliminary findings released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

GameStop is shutting stores and the Valley has a ton of them. Will they close?

Fresno Bee

Video game retailer GameStop announced this week that it plans to close between 180 to 200 stores – and possibly more. Will Valley stores be among them? It’s too soon to tell. The company did not provide a list of stores it’s planning to close.

Shaver's economy looking strong as new restaurants open for business

abc30

Two new restaurants are now open in Shaver Lake, and locals say the economy in the town is strong.

Trump Has Stolen Democrats' Playbook On Trade

Capital Public Radio

When it comes to trade, Trump and the Democrats sound a lot alike. "It's like Donald Trump has co-opted Democratic trade policy," one analyst says. So how do his opponents differentiate themselves?

Stocks rise on fresh optimism ahead of U.S.-China trade talks

Los Angeles Times

Stocks rose on Wall Street on Thursday after the U.S. and China took steps to ease tensions in their costly trade war, putting investors in a buying mood.

U.S. Posts $1 Trillion Budget Gap; Full-Year May Be Lower

Bloomberg

The U.S. budget deficit surpassed $1 trillion in the first 11 months of the fiscal year through August, according to data from the Treasury Department, though the year-end deficit may narrow from a tax revenue bump.

● Trump is, indeed, the king of debt Washington Post

OPINION: Trump’s plan for the economy: Make Drinking Water Dirty Again

Washington Post

The talking heads who get trotted out to defend President Trump frequently tout his supposedly stellar economic record. He’s unleashing gangbusters growth, they claim. You might not like the tweets, but you can’t deny that his tax cuts and deregulation have jump-started the economy.

When Wall Street Flips Municipal Bonds, Towns and Schools Pay the Price

Wall Street Journal

When the West Contra Costa Unified School District in California needed money to repair and upgrade deteriorating classrooms, it hired Piper Jaffray Cos. to sell $191 million of municipal bonds.

Jobs:

Who’s In, Who’s Out Of AB 5?

Capital Public Radio

California’s pushback against the gig economy intensifies pressure on Silicon Valley flagships such as Lyft and Uber.

Kamala Harris’ brother-in-law is the public face of Uber’s fight with labor. It’s awkward

Los Angeles Times

The passage of a landmark bill aimed at increasing wages and benefits for ride-share drivers and many others has put Sen. Kamala Harris of California in an awkward spot.

See also:

● Uber driver sues over employment status, citing AB5 bill San Francisco Chronicle

● New Lawsuit Against Uber Is Set to Test Its Classification of Workers New York Times

EDUCATION

K-12:

‘Body shaming’ at Clovis Unified? Female water polo players say they’re being told to cover up

Fresno Bee

Clovis Unified water polo players are being asked to cover up when out of the swimming pool. Some female athletes say it’s unfair and sexist.

Meet the new leader of this small Merced County school district

Merced Sun-Star

A Fresno State graduate is now the new superintendent-principal of the El Nido Elementary School District. Lori Gonzalez started her new position at the Merced County school on Aug. 13, replacing Rae Ann Jimenez.

Woodville Library has it all

Porterville Recorder

Woodville Elementary School continues to forge into the 21st century with the expansion of its library. This will be the first full year that the Woodville School library will be open in its new location.

Proposed ethnic studies curriculum will create division, not make for an education

Fresno Bee

The State Board of Education is required to adopt an ethnic studies model curriculum. The draft curriculum was recently posted for public comment, but was promptly pulled when it drew a firestorm of criticism.

Higher Ed:

College athletes deserve their fair share. But will California bill hurt Fresno State sports?

Fresno Bee

SB 206, which this week garnered unanimous support from both houses of the California Legislature and now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature, would allow the state’s college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.

California Health Sciences University Advances Towards Accreditation

Clovis Roundup

The new College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) has successfully advanced towards their next step in accreditation at the California Health Sciences University (CHSU) in Clovis.

GET Bus offering students half-off bus passes

Bakersfield Californian

Golden Empire Transit District is offering students half-off passes when purchased through Sept. 30, according to a press release by GET. Students can purchase the HOP pass for $21, and new GET customers, who are considered riding for less than six months or have never ridden before, can have unlimited rides within a 31-day period, according to the release.

California college students’ biggest struggle is juggling jobs to pay for food and housing, survey finds

Los Angeles Times

Nearly two-thirds of California students say their biggest obstacle to succeeding in college is costs—including food and shelter—and juggling jobs with school, according to a survey released Thursday by the California Student Aid Commission.

OPINION: Take Two Aspirin and Call Me by My Pronouns

Wall Street Journal

The American College of Physicians says its mission is to promote the “quality and effectiveness of health care,” but it’s stepped out of its lane recently with sweeping statements on gun control. And that isn’t the only recent foray into politics by medical professionals.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Overloaded buses and long waits: Yosemite cracks down on concession operator Aramark

Fresno Bee

There were so many visitor complaints last year – and reports by drivers of verbal or physical abuse and even frustrated passengers forming human chains to force buses to stop – that park officials gave Aramark an ultimatum this spring: improve service on the buses to a satisfactory level or face financial penalties.

‘Too many people are in denial.’ FEMA urges homeowners to buy flood insurance

Fresno Bee

Congress is expected to pass another short-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program despite calls from FEMA and coastal lawmakers for reform. Hurricane Dorian struck since last extension.

Price: Can an earthquake bring two Kern counties together?

Bakersfield Caifornian

Maybe we should drop the "y" and start identifying this part of the state as Kern counties, because it really is two distinct places: The Kern of the Central Valley and the Kern of the Mojave Desert.

Newsom and legislators have a choice: side with the environment or with Trump

CALmatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom faces thorny challenges as he seeks to balance water use between cities and farms, without destroying Central Valley rivers and wildlife. Some water decisions are on the horizon, others are here now. At the center are the state’s salmon runs, whose protection supports healthy rivers and the Bay Delta ecosystem.

Americans increasingly see climate change as a crisis, poll shows

Washington Post

The results, from a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), point to a growing disconnect between Americans worried about the warming planet and Trump administration officials, who have aggressively scaled back Obama-era environmental regulations and relinquished the nation’s role as a global leader in pushing for climate action.

Energy:

Last-minute switch would serve one oil refinery — and environmentalists are crying foul

CALmatters

Sharpening The Focus on Methane Emissions

A Medium Corporation

The European Space Agency’s launch of the Sentinel-5P satellite in October of 2017 ushered in a new era of atmospheric monitoring from space. The instrument provides near-daily global measurements of ozone, NO₂, SO₂, formaldehyde, aerosol, carbon monoxide and, crucially, methane, a substantial component of global greenhouse gas emissions.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

California voters could get a chance to overturn new vaccine law

Fresno Bee

California’s new law restricting medical exemptions for vaccines has a challenge from a group of protesters who want voters to overturn it. Three women who protested the vaccine law, Senate Bill 276, at the Capitol this year on Wednesday submitted a petition for a referendum on it, according to an announcement from the Attorney General’s Office.

Vaping Industry Breathes Easier: For Now, California Lawmakers Won’t Restrict Its Business

Capital Public Radio

It’s been a bad week for Juul — which faces a growing health scare, federal accusations of false advertising to minors and a possible ban on its flavored products.

● OPINION: The Stakes of the Vape Debate Wall Street Journal

California may soon push doctors and lawyers to confront their biases

Los Angeles Times

Doctors, nurses, lawyers and court workers in California may soon be asked to confront their prejudices under a trio of legislative proposals that are headed to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Inside The Drug Industry’s Plan To Defeat The DEA

Washington Post

Newly unsealed documents in a landmark civil case in Cleveland provide clues to one of the most enduring mysteries of the opioid epidemic: How were drug companies able to weaken the federal government's most powerful enforcement weapon at the height of the crisis?

Human Services:

Why US health care costs more, but isn't better than other countries

abc30

Americans pay more for health care and get fewer results, according to a new analysis. The U.S. spends more money than any other country on health care, yet life expectancy is shorter, obesity is higher, and the rate of maternal and infant death is higher as well.

More Californians got health insurance annually over 4 years. Here’s why the rate stalled

Merced Sun-Star

California has seen its rate of uninsured residents drop every year since the state’s affordable care marketplace, Covered California, began offering insurance policies, but 2018 was the exception.

Get birth control with an app? California Gov. Gavin Newsom will soon decide

Merced Sun-Star

It could soon be legal to access birth control through a smartphone app. California lawmakers have sent a bill to Gov. Gavin Newsom that “clarifies vague telehealth law related to safely prescribing prescriptions.”

Air ambulances essential to emergency care in small towns, like Sonora

Modesto Bee

One of the most terrifying scenes is an overloaded hospital emergency room following a major disaster or emergency. Add to that extreme under-staffing and service reduction, especially in rural hospitals, and it turns nightmarish.

Free Medicare fairs offer help navigating Part D plan

Stockton Record

For those with Medicare, open enrollment for Part D drug plans is coming up starting Oct 15 and running through Dec. 7. Since the private insurance plans change every year, it is important that beneficiaries evaluate their prescription drug plans during this period to ensure they have the best, most cost-effective plan that continues to meet their needs.

Visalia hospice focuses on dignity, personal touch

Visalia Times Delta

The Ruth Wood Open Arms Hospice House defies expectations surrounding medical facilities. This is a different kind of hospice facility — one of only three such “social model” facilities in all of California. And it’s right here in Visalia.

Untreated Hearing Loss Linked To Loneliness And Isolation For Seniors

Capital Public Radio

Hearing loss often happens gradually and earlier than expected. Getting hearing aids can help stave off side effects like depression and even early death.

IMMIGRATION

Fresno Sheriff Says No Inmates Were Transferred To ICE; Some Still Critical Of Public Release Dates

VPR

Dozens of people packed the Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday to hear Sheriff Margaret Mims present data on 2018 Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the county jail.

California migrant shelter providing legal aid to kids 2 days after pressure from lawmaker

Modesto Bee

After an inquiry by California Rep. Josh Harder, a shelter for migrant children in Modesto is providing required legal services to the kids.

US begins tough new policy on asylum seekers

Fresno Bee

The Trump administration has begun enforcing radical new restrictions on who qualifies for asylum as tens of thousands of migrants wait on the Mexican border, seeking refuge.

● OPINION: The High Court’s Injunction Slapdown Wall Street Journal

GOP rejects cuts to wall funding, Dems threaten filibuster

Bakersfield Californian

A Republican-controlled Senate committee on Thursday rejected Democratic attempts to cut President Donald Trump's latest border wall request and prevent him from again funding the project without congressional approval.

Capital Public Radio

The number of refugees being allowed into the U.S. is the lowest it's been since 1980. Some smaller resettlement agencies particularly in rural states are closing putting refugees' lives further in limbo.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

City delays action on accessory dwelling units after opponents cite concerns

Bakersfield Californian

After claims surfaced that “mother-in-law” units would lead to lowered property values and the potential for slumlords, the Bakersfield City Council delayed changes to local ordinances that would loosen regulations on the secondary housing structures during Wednesday's meeting.

Housing:

Fresno County wants to overturn homeless camping rule. Will Supreme Court help?

Fresno Bee

Fresno County is joining with several other governing boards in a push to overturn a recent court ruling that forbids cities and counties from criminalizing homeless camping.

● EDITORIAL: Does Sacramento want to house, or arrest, the homeless? Legal brief raises questions Sacramento Bee

Modesto commits $2.85M to buy, convert motel into housing for homeless people

Modesto Bee

Modesto has committed $2.85 million to buy and convert the 103-room American Budget Inn & Suites at Kansas Avenue and Highway 99 into studio apartments with services for homeless people.

Bakersfield Mobile App can now be used to report homeless encampments

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield’s rapid response team has already responded to more than 100 complaints, and city officials just made it easier for residents to notify authorities of issues relating to vandalism and homelessness.

Homelessness adds 'new wrinkle' to commercial zoning proposal

Bakersfield Californian

City residents tend to oppose changes in their neighborhoods’ land-use restrictions for a variety of reasons. Chief among them are concerns about traffic, noise and parking impacts. Here's a new one: homelessness.

Big rent hikes are about to be illegal in California

abc30

California lawmakers just approved a cap on how much landlords can increase rent, as the state struggles with affordable housing and a homelessness crisis. It's a win for renters statewide.

City delays action on accessory dwelling units after opponents cite concerns

Bakersfield Californian

PUBLIC FINANCES

Kern County Taxpayers Association to host 80th annual meeting

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County Taxpayers Association will host its 80th annual meeting on Dec. 11 with guest speaker, Senior Fellow and President Emeritus of California Forward Jim Mayer, according to a press release.

EDITORIAL: Enough with the corporate welfare. California can stop the tax-break arms race

Los Angeles Times

In recent years, municipalities have increasingly been getting caught in tax-break bidding wars over the firms they’re trying to woo, as online companies take advantage of California’s arcane sales tax rules to extract ever more lucrative deals.

OPINION: How Do You Tax a Baby Boomer?

Wall Street Journal

The problem with old people is that they eventually stop working. This intractable reality normally bubbles into our political consciousness as we contemplate government spending on retirement benefits. Now at long last the implications for tax policy are also coming into focus, thanks to the unlikely duo of Elizabeth Warren and Japan.

U.S. Posts $1 Trillion Budget Gap; Full-Year May Be Lower

Bloomberg

Trump is, indeed, the king of debt Washington Post

TRANSPORTATION

GET Bus offering students half-off bus passes

Bakersfield Californian

Golden Empire Transit District is offering students half-off passes when purchased through Sept. 30, according to a press release by GET.

WATER

Military cleanup of water contamination on bases will top $2 billion

Fresno Bee

The price tag to clean up contaminated water sources at all military installations is likely to climb higher than the $2 billion original cost estimate, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Trump administration drops Obama-era water protection rule

Fresno Bee

The Trump administration on Thursday revoked an Obama-era regulation that shielded many U.S. wetlands and streams from pollution but was opposed by developers and farmers who said it hurt economic development and infringed on property rights.

● EPA Rolls Back Obama-Era Regulations on Clean Water Wall Street Journal

Senator Melissa Hurtado’s bill to invest in Friant-Kern Canal extended to two-year bill

Porterville Recorder

Senator Melissa Hurtado’s (D-Sanger) legislation, SB 559, was extended into a two-year bill during its review in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Senate Bill 1 will lead to conflict. There is a better way to end California’s water wars

CALmatters

California needs to reshape how it manages the rivers of the Sierra Nevada and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It needs to provide more water for the environment, more restoration, more funding and more collaborative science.

‘Too many people are in denial.’ California homeowners urged to buy flood insurance

Sacramento Bee

Since President Donald Trump last signed a short-term extension to the National Flood Insurance Program, Americans have faced an unprecedented hurricane, fresh warnings from U.N. scientists over rising sea levels and confirmation that the past year was the country’s wettest on record.

“Xtra”

Fresno’s brewery district’s growing again: New beer tasting room headed for downtown

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s brewery district is about to grow once again. A new craft beer tasting room is scheduled to open next year on Fulton Street downtown. Fittingly, it’s in the building that has a mural painted on the side that says “brewery district.”

‘Get here early.’ Huge crowds expected for Blue Angels at Lemoore Naval Air Station

Fresno Bee

The first air show at Lemoore's Naval Air Station in eight years is expected to draw 80,000-100,000 people on each of its two-day run, Sept. 21-22.

Eat local during Fresno County restaurant week

abc30

You can try a taste of the Valley and explore a new restaurant as a part of Fresno Restaurant week.

CASA of Kern County to host Children Are Precious Carnival in October

Bakersfield Californian

CASA of Kern County will host its fifth annual Children Are Precious Carnival on Oct. 12 and 13 to honor Kayli Jean Bearden, according to a CASA news release.

Tired of all the divisiveness? This Modesto event could be for you

Modesto Bee

Straight pride. Mass shootings. Divisive rhetoric.

It’s time to set the ugliness aside and remind ourselves what unites us.

We support the local NAACP chapter’s effort to broker greater understanding at a town hall meeting Tuesday here in Modesto. It represents a good step in a positive direction.