Maddy Institute – September 13, 2021

13Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

TODAY at 12:00 pm PST: Zoom Event: “Fresno State, Stanislaus State and CSU Bakersfield: Increasing Their Role in Local Economic Growth and Inclusion”

The Maddy Institute

Maddy Associates Luncheon Speaker Series: Robert Maxim, Senior Research Associate in the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, will discuss how regional public universities can have a large role in economic growth in economically distressed areas.

Newsom recall basics: How to vote in California’s election

CalMatters

A FAQ on the California election on whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom.

● Recall Ballot Tracking

● Live 2021 Recall Election Results

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Sept. 11: Stanislaus surpasses 70,000 cases; vaccine sites revealed Modesto Bee

● Hospitals in Stanislaus County are overrun with COVID-19 patients. Most are unvaccinated Modesto Bee

● Merced County’s active COVID cases are falling, but local deaths, hospitalizations aren’t Merced Sun Star

Stanislaus County COVID-19 health order requires masks inside. A city council defied it

Modesto Bee

Three members of the Oakdale City Council failed to wear face masks at their first meeting following a Stanislaus County order requiring them to be worn in indoor public spaces.

Modesto Councilman Ricci, Sheriff Dirkse advocating for campgrounds for homeless

Modesto Bee

Councilman Chris Ricci is proposing Modesto use park rangers to patrol city parks to curb illegal activity, such as drug use, and designate areas in the city where homeless people can camp or sleep in their cars.

Merced has a plan to address its affordable housing crisis. But does it fall short?

Merced Sun Star

Merced’s gridlock over how to improve an affordable housing shortage made some headway Tuesday night, but only after a lengthy — and at times emotionally charged — discussion that kept City Council members, staff and residents up past midnight.

Biden’s interior secretary backs West Side reservoir, more California water storage

Modesto Bee

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland talked about dealing with drought, including a reservoir planned near Patterson, in a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday. She was joined by Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, who has urged increased federal spending on such efforts.

Opinion: Longtime Modesto Republican explains her `no’ vote on California governor recall

Modesto Bee

I have argued against the recall effort since it was originally announced. The effort was made more useless when the signature gathering process had to be restarted, delaying the election to barely a year before Newsom’s term expires on Jan. 2, 2023.

Why families in Stanislaus County are receiving Pandemic EBT cards to buy groceries

Modesto Bee

Extra food benefits are being sent to many Modesto-area families starting this month, including all families with children in Modesto City Schools. There was no application for the program, called Pandemic EBT 2.0.

Garth Stapley: `My heart is bleeding for my country and for my people.’ Modestans mourn native Afghanistan

Modesto Bee

Those seeking proof of Afghanistan’s bleak future need look no further than Modesto. Some of that country’s finest people are here and no longer there.

City manager carousel continues

Turlock Journal

The City of Turlock’s top administrative position will once again be handed to another department director as current Interim City Manager Sarah Eddy takes a medical leave of absence.

Council to consider Roads Initiative Program contracts, changing bus fares

Turlock Journal

Following a special roads workshop held on Sept. 1, the Turlock City Council is expected to move forward with awarding contracts for consultants in connection to the Roads Initiative Program at their Tuesday meeting.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: ‘mu’ variant, child hospitalizations, Moderna & more Fresno Bee

● Fresno businessman was anti-vaccine and anti-mask. Here’s what it took to change his mind Fresno Bee

● California 'strike team' deployed to Porterville hospital after emergency room overflows Visalia Times Delta

● Central Valley business owners react to Biden COVID measures Business Journal

● New COVID protocols at Fresno City Hall start Monday. Will mandatory vaccines be next? Fresno Bee

● Could Fresno schools close again due to Delta surge? Doctor, school leaders weigh in Fresno Bee

Editorial: Ready to hand over more cash to PG&E for power? Fresno leaders right to oppose proposal

Fresno Bee

First, PG&E is asking state regulators to hike electrical rates by 18% for residential customers in 2023. Rates would go up by smaller amounts to 2026, but overall, rates would jump by 22.5%.

Sequoia National Park wildfires burn at 0% containment, with more closures Sunday

Fresno Bee

Multiple wildfires started by a recent lightning storm continued to grow in steep, difficult to reach areas of Sequoia National Park, the National Park Service said Sunday.

Toxic algae reported in Yosemite Valley creek. What park service says about it

Fresno Bee

In an Instagram post, the park service said recent tests at the park in central California yielded positive results for small amounts of the algae, which can have concentrated levels of toxins that are released into the water when the algae dies or is disturbed.

Fresno State, UC Merced ranked high on lists of the nation's best colleges. What to know

Fresno Bee

Fresno State, Fresno Pacific, and UC Merced are among the nation’s best universities in social mobility, according to U.S. News and World Report’s new 2022 college rankings.

Will Forkner elementary become Tatarian elementary? Fresno community seeks to rename school

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s Forkner Elementary School could soon be known as H. Roger Tatarian Elementary School. Fresno Unified trustees could vote on the name change as soon as Oct. 13.

Fresno County towns with no drinking water drown in debt while hope fades for new well

Fresno Bee

The longer it takes for two new wells to be dug in Cantua Creek and El Porvenir in western Fresno County, the deeper in debt the towns are mired. Now, with the drought, those well projects are in a race against dropping groundwater levels.

Opinion: Clovis writer defends her hometown over state demands for housing, school instruction

Fresno Bee

Last month I wrote about Clovis’ growth and why so many are flocking here — public safety, Clovis Unified schools, and a vibe commonly referred to as the “Clovis Way of Life.” Here in part 2, I will outline the storm clouds on the horizon and what can be done to combat them.

Nonprofits working together under DRIVE to achieve equality in Fresno

abc30

A Fresno woman is taking action to improve the city one small step at a time - and now she has support from a much larger organization. Lilia Becerril is passionate about improving her neighborhood in South Fresno.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● High demand for COVID tests coupled with short supply creates challenges across Kern County Bakersfield Californian

Young Filmmakers In Bakersfield Explore Food Insecurity In New Documentary

VPR

Why is food insecurity so common in Kern County, and what can people do to solve it? Those two questions are at the core of a new documentary called "INVISIBLE: The Unseen Faces of Hunger."

Study finds local oil field wastewater safe for use in irrigation

Bakersfield Californian

Central Valley water-quality regulators released a final report Friday concluding oil field wastewater from central Kern County, when blended with other water sources, can safely be used to irrigate a variety of locally grown crops.

KC Museum's Neon Plaza may be renamed for local bank as part of six-figure donation

Bakersfield Californian

It's no secret that the Kern County Museum has been experiencing a revival of sorts, despite the challenges the nonprofit has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State:

COVID Update:

● Tracking coronavirus hospitalizations in California by county CalMatters

● Unvaccinated California state workers to take COVID tests under eye of their managers Sacramento Bee

● California Democrats considering more COVID vaccine rules on top of Biden order Sacramento Bee

● How the delta surge changed the death divide between California's Republican and Democratic areas San Francisco Chronicle

California election’s chief says recall election is secure

Sacramento Bee

California's Secretary of State said Friday she won't require a more rigorous audit of next week's recall election results that could remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, saying concerns about the security of the state's election management system are “inaccurate.”

● Gov. Newsom blasts Republicans, Pres. Trump for 'feigning' election fraud in CA recall abc30

● Gavin Newsom blasts Donald Trump, Larry Elder over recall election fraud claims Sacramento Bee

● Larry Elder prepares for California recall loss with lawyers, voter fraud website Sacramento Bee

● Election fraud conspiracies run rampant ahead of recall vote, raising fears of violence Los Angeles Times

● Skelton: Only election losers cry ‘voter fraud.’ Remember that during the California recall Los Angeles Times

● Allegations fly as recall vote looms for Gov. Newsom Mercury News

● False Election Claims in California Reveal a New Normal for G.O.P. New York Times

● Newsom slams Elder for 'extension of the Big Lie' ahead of California recall Politico

● California recall voters: Less Republican and white than in 2003 Mercury News

● How strategy of replacement candidate in recall may play out CalMatters

● The ease of mail-in voting may increase turnout in California’s recall election. New York Times

● What the recall means for the future of mail-in voting. New York Times

● What Voters Should Know About the Newsom Recall New York Times

● Why no one wants to talk about this hot-button election tool in the California recall Los Angeles Times

● Why the recall election is unlikely to lead to California’s first female governor CalMatters

How the recall election of California Governor Gavin Newsom came to be

abc30

California's gubernatorial recall election is now just days away. Governor Gavin Newsom faces losing his job as more than 40 candidates look to replace him. All California voters had been mailed a ballot and so far millions have been returned. But how did we get here?

● Preparations made for recall election Madera Tribune

● Video: California’s 2021 Recall Election PPIC

● The California Gubernatorial Recall Election Is Just A Few Days Out VPR

● The California Recall And Its Very Real Political Consequences, Explained VPR

● California Recall: What to Know About Gov. Gavin Newsom’s September Election Wall Street Journal

● New California poll shows Gavin Newsom likely to defeat recall by a substantial margin Sacramento Bee

● New poll shows Newsom up by nearly 22 points Mercury News

● Latest line: A good week for Newsom, bad one for Faulconer Mercury News

● Does Newsom have anything to worry about? Mercury News

● Another poll shows Newsom likely to defeat recall by wide margin San Francisco Chronicle

● Polling error: How one survey changed the Newsom recall campaign CalMatters

● Latest Polls Of The California Recall Election FiveThirtyEight

● Joe Biden coming to California. Will the visit help Gavin Newsom win the recall election? Fresno Bee

● Biden to campaign with Newsom on Monday in Long Beach Los Angeles Times

● Newsom Needs Latinos To Turn Out For The Recall, But He May Not Have Their Attention VPR

● Gavin Newsom and Larry Elder want votes from Asian Americans. Are they a recall swing vote? Sacramento Bee

● Most Asian Americans are against the recall, but some haven’t forgiven Newsom for his nail salon remark Los Angeles Times

● Why is Larry Elder focusing so much on reaching out to Latino and Asian voters? CalMatters

● Communities of Color Targeted to Defeat GOP-Led Recall of Gov. Newsom Capital & Main

● Newsom campaign theme: Don’t let California become Texas Sacramento Bee

● Editorial: GOP candidate Larry Elder must drop out of recall. California doesn’t want a sexist governor Sacramento Bee

● Larry Elder dominates GOP field to replace Newsom in recall, poll finds Los Angeles Times

● Newsom slams GOP, while Elder targets governor’s wife as recall campaign closes Los Angeles Times

● Newsom urges supporters, ‘Polls don’t vote. People vote’ Mercury News

● Editorial: Reject partisan effort to recall Gavin Newsom Mercury News

● Larry Elder is the Trumpist who may save Gavin Newsom's job San Francisco Chronicle

● Newsom isn't dwelling on mistakes ahead of recall judgment day San Francisco Chronicle

● Walters: Newsom put himself in recall danger CalMatters

● Newsom recall fight isn't focused on school closures but anger lingers for some parents San Francisco Chronicle

● Opinion: Newsom should have pursued a self-recall San Francisco Chronicle

● California Recall Puts Governor’s Pandemic Leadership to the Test Wall Street Journal

● Newsom’s Strategy for California Recall: It’s Me or the Abyss New York Times

● Mountain of Money Fuels Gavin Newsom’s Surge to Recall Finish Line New York Times

● What if Gavin Newsom resigned before the recall election? New York Times

● Commentary:The recall petition power is being abused CalMatters

Recall election nears, but California’s widening, ugly political divide here to stay

Los Angeles Times

As the California recall winds down to its final hours, a central question has emerged that will probably dog gubernatorial hopefuls and voters into the upcoming 2022 election.

● California recall candidates stretch the truth on COVID, climate change and more CalMatters

● What one thing do Republican recall candidates blame for California’s housing crisis? CalMatters

● Democrats fight California recall but say party must do better: ‘Don’t just sit there’ Los Angeles Times

● Remember Schwarzenegger’s Sacramento shakeup? If a Republican wins Tuesday, it could happen again Los Angeles Times

● A GOP governor would radically upend California. Here are 12 key issues at stake Los Angeles Times

● Could the Republican recall candidates create a housing boom through environmental reform? CalMatters

● Column: The recall circus has managed to ignore staggering crisis ripping apart California Los Angeles Times

● In California, there are recall attempts for everything under the sun . New York Times

● California Democrats’ recall strategy gives rise to 29-year-old YouTube star Politico

● Newsom's rebound papers over broader trouble for Democrats Politico

● Column: The recall circus has managed to ignore staggering crisis ripping apart California Los Angeles Times

Here’s what the California Legislature did this year

Sacramento Bee

California lawmakers finished their work for the 2021 legislative session Friday night, just four days before voting concluded in a statewide recall election targeting Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

● Hundreds of ambitious new laws await Newsom's signature in Sacramento San Francisco Chronicle

● California may impose toughest rules on recycling labels Sacramento Bee

● Bail reform bill pulled as lawmakers weigh crime fears among public San Francisco Chronicle

● California lawmakers vote to decriminalize loitering for the purpose of prostitution Modesto Bee

● California may end arrests for loitering for prostitution Sacramento Bee

● California moves to repeal loitering law that trans activists say leads to bias San Francisco Chronicle

● California moves to extend, streamline assisted death law Sacramento Bee

● California may shorten assisted death process for terminally ill patients San Francisco Chronicle

● California Senate passes bill allowing state to keep details of COVID outbreaks secret Mercury News

● California Legislature advances bill to help restaurants Mercury News

● Bill to protect newspaper industry headed to Gov. Newsom Mercury News

● Editorial: Pass AB 1506, preserve future of California newspapers Mercury News

● Bill to decertify police for serious misconduct clears Legislature CalMatters

● Walters: California finally cracks down on bad cops CalMatters

● How Amazon Would Be Affected by California’s Warehouse Quotas Bill Wall Street Journal

See how California changed in the last decade, right down to your neighborhood

San Francisco Chronicle

These new figures come from the 2020 Decennial Census, which the US Census Bureau released last month. The latest numbers, which provide the most in-depth look at population changes since 2010, show just how much California has transformed over the last decade.

Op-Ed: Why California’s slavery reparations task force has the power to transform us all

Los Angeles Times

Unless your school experience was atypical, you probably weren’t taught about the history of slavery in California. That could change for future generations, thanks in part to a new state task force in California.

Walters: Wildfires ignite California insurance crisis

CalMatters

As if California needed another crisis, the state’s seemingly perpetual wildfires are forcing millions of homeowners in fire-prone areas to pay skyrocketing premiums for insurance coverage — if, indeed, they can buy it at all.

● Commentary: Climate change is bankrupting California’s ecosystems CalMatters

California Moves to Outlaw ‘Stealthing,’ or Removing Condom Without Consent

New York Times

The bill, which the Legislature approved unanimously and which awaits the governor’s signature, would make it a civil offense to remove a condom during intercourse without a partner’s consent.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● Vaccine for both COVID and flu? Moderna making all-encompassing booster. What to know Fresno Bee

● Op-Ed: Risk and duty: A conservative argument for getting vaccinated American Enterprise Institute

● Opinion: Covid Isn’t Finished Messing With Politics New York Times

Biden's federal vaccine mandate draws backlash, with Republicans threatening lawsuits

abc30

President Joe Biden's aggressive push to require millions of U.S. workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus is running into a wall of resistance from Republican leaders threatening everything from lawsuits to civil disobedience.

● Vaccine mandate spawns new fear: finding and keeping workers Business Journal

● Opinion: With Biden Vaccine Plan, Politics Is Fully in Charge Wall Street Journal

● Biden’s Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate Further Stresses Supply of Rapid Tests Wall Street Journal

● Biden’s Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate Splits Business Community Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Biden’s covid order for big employers isn’t unconstitutional. It’s ordinary. Washington Post

● Opinion: Endangering others is not a personal freedom. That’s why vaccine mandates are constitutional Sacramento Bee

● Trump blames Democrats, not Republicans, for vaccine hesitancy The Hill

● Most Americans Now Want Vaccine Mandates For Planes, Hotels And Restaurants, Per Gallup Forbes

● ‘It’s about time’: Biden puts the screws on the unvaccinated Politico

● GOP governors vow to fight Biden's vaccine mandate; FDA weighs in on vaccines for kids: COVID updates USA Today

After August recess, Congress faces legislative deluge

Roll Call

If Congress runs on deadlines, lawmakers face a series of simultaneous sprints this fall that could reshape the U.S. economy and reverberate into next year’s campaigns to determine which party controls the House and Senate.

● Opinion: Reality Bites Reconciliation Wall Street Journal

● Democrats Grapple With Limits of Antipoverty and Climate Bill Wall Street Journal

● White House Works to Keep Moderate Democrats’ Backing for Agenda as GOP Focuses on Inflation Wall Street Journal

● House Democrats Push Child Tax Credit Extension, Renewable Energy Breaks Wall Street Journal

● Centrist Democrats push stronger child tax credit expansion Roll Call

● ‘Dreamers’ Await Senate Parliamentarian’s Ruling on Reconciliation Package Wall Street Journal

● Democrats make immigration case to Senate parliamentarian Roll Call

● Opinion: Joe Manchin’s selfishness Washington Post

● Democrats see $3.5T spending goal is slipping away The Hill

● Manchin says he can't support Biden's $3.5 trillion spending plan The Hill

● Opinion: Ramming through the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package is unpopular American Enterprise Institute

House Democrats Consider 26.5% Corporate Tax Rate

Wall Street Journal

House Democrats expect to propose raising the corporate tax rate to 26.5% from 21% and imposing a 3-percentage-point surtax on individual income above $5 million, according to two House Democratic aides familiar with the plans.

Opinion: Please Stay Chatty, Justice Thomas

Wall Street Journal

The Supreme Court said Wednesday it will return to in-person arguments this fall, albeit without the usual spectators. This is a good step toward normalcy, but we hope it won’t mean losing the baritone wit and wisdom of Justice Clarence Thomas.

Democrats wanted Trump gone. Now they want him on the ballot.

Washington Post

California is one of three Democratic-led states holding statewide elections this year. In each state, party leaders acknowledge that in past elections Trump polarized and motivated voters that they had never won before his presidency.

Opinion: Tighter abortion restrictions may really indicate the law is finally catching up to science

Washington Post

When the Supreme Court determined in 1973 that the Constitution empowered women to abort unwanted pregnancies, the modern pro-life movement took shape.

Biden wants to force Republicans to vote on the debt ceiling, sensing they’ll cave

Politico

President Joe Biden is treating the latest Republican threats over the debt limit like a bluff. And the entire party, from congressional Democratic leadership to the top brass at the Treasury Department, is calling them on it.

See also:

● Opinion: Raise the debt ceiling, Republicans. You’ll be glad you did. American Enterprise Institute

Other:

E.J. Dionne: A make-or-break moment for our democracy

Washington Post

It’s a habit of journalism to declare nearly every impending period as a turning point, a “defining moment” that will set a nation or even the world on a course for years or decades to come.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 19, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Little Hoover Commission Report: California's Digital Divide" - Guest: Pedro Nava, Chairman - California Little Hoover Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 19, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Closing the Valley's Digital Divide and the Promise of Telemedicine"- Guests: Dr. Casey Gray, Kaiser; Laurence Du Sault, Mercury News/CalMatters; Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula; Barb Yellowlees, CETF. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

California bill aims to protect farmworkers from smoke. Some say it ‘isn’t going to help’

Fresno Bee

Some are now pushing for a bill moving through the California legislature that would give farmworkers reliable access to a steady stockpile of N95 masks, which protect against exposure to smoke.

How about farm-to-glass? Sacramento’s real culinary jewel is its world-class wine scene

Sacramento Bee

Farm-to-table restaurants and kid-friendly microbreweries have become cornerstones of Sacramento’s cultural identity over the last decade, but wine sells more. Wine grapes are the Sacramento area’s agricultural star.

Young Filmmakers In Bakersfield Explore Food Insecurity In New Documentary

VPR

Why is food insecurity so common in Kern County, and what can people do to solve it? Those two questions are at the core of a new documentary called "INVISIBLE: The Unseen Faces of Hunger."

Torture orchard: Can science transform California crops to cope with drought?

CalMatters

The search is on to help California farmers find less-thirsty tree crops. But will the experiments come through in time as droughts intensify?

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Public Safety:

Toxic algae reported in Yosemite Valley creek. What park service says about it

Fresno Bee

How a federal judge's ruling could protect protesters nationwide

abc30

In the wake of a Florida judge calling the state's anti-riot law unconstitutional, advocates are saying it should serve as a warning to other states looking to implement similar legislation.

Walters: California finally cracks down on bad cops

CalMatters

Last week, after years of unsuccessful efforts to punish errant officers, the Legislature approved a bill creating a process for lifting the certifications — in essence, their licenses — that allowed them to continue wearing badges.

Fire:

Wildfires continue to grow inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Fresno Bee

Wildfires continued to burn inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for the third straight day. The National Park Service said two wildfires grew significantly overnight into Saturday and no containment had been established since they ignited Thursday.

● Lightning-sparked fires close Sequoia National Park entrance Mercury News

● Sequoia National Park entrance closes due to three fires spreading Visalia Times Delta

● As fire burns in Sequoia National Park, residents receive update. Evacuation order issued Fresno Bee

● Wildfires continue to grow inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Fresno Bee

● California firefighters chase fires ignited by lightning Business Journal

● Sequoia National Park wildfires burn at 0% containment, with more closures Fresno Bee

Some resources released from French Fire

Bakersfield Californian

The French Fire was reported to be 87 percent contained and has burned 26,535 acres, a fire interagency management team reported Saturday. A total of 546 personnel remain on the fire, significantly fewer than the more than 1,500 personnel at one point.

● Dixie, Caldor Fires are both 65% contained, but weather could spell trouble for crews Mercury News

● Firefighters advance on blaze that shut California highway Mercury News

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

CA FWD Applauds Passage of Community Economic Resilience Fund

CA FWD

An equitable California works for everyone. Investing in our regional economies and communities is a proven way to lift more Californians toward their dreams of a better tomorrow.

California Economic Summit

CA FWD

The Summit’s bipartisan network of business, equity, environmental and civic organizations is unique in championing solutions that meet the triple bottom line — balancing equity, environmental sustainability and economic growth.

See also:

● Join The Summit As a Sponsor CA FWD

Restaurants Close Dining Rooms Again as Delta-Driven Infections Spread

Wall Street Journal

Chains are slowing their dining rooms’ reopenings, given the Delta-driven surge in Covid-19 infections. Other restaurants are again losing customers, and trying to squeeze more diners into outdoor patios while weather still allows.

Economic Costs Accumulate as Countries Worried by Delta Variant Extend Border Closures

Wall Street Journal

The economic damage from Covid-19 travel restrictions is piling up, with more companies holding back on large investments or postponing decisions as border closures and visa delays stymie operations for longer than expected.

Jobs:

36 Calif cities and counties where minimum wage is higher than $14 an hour

Sacramento Bee

California’s current minimum wage is $14 an hour for those working for employers with 26 or more employees and $13 an hour for the rest. Next year, the state’s minimum wage will again increase by $1 an hour.

COVID jobs recovery: California rebound is among nation’s worst

Mercury News

California is mired near the bottom of the nation in recovering from mammoth lob losses unleashed by coronavirus-linked business shutdowns, underscoring the feeble economic rebound for the state.

Unemployment benefits are cut off — but thousands of Californians could see extra payments

Fresno Bee

An estimated 340,000 Californians could get an extra week of unemployment payments for the week that ends Saturday.

● Despite the pandemic, wage growth held firm for most U.S. workers, with little effect on inequality PEW

Senators Want An Investigation Of How Amazon Treats Its Pregnant Workers

VPR

Six U.S. senators are calling for a federal probe into Amazon's treatment of pregnant employees at its warehouses. It's the latest push by lawmakers across the country to focus regulatory attention on the working conditions for the company's ballooning workforce.

Opinion: Congressional Democrats Want to Weaponize Federal Labor Law

Wall Street Journal

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO, is a radical piece of legislation that would rewrite our nation’s labor laws in at least 51 different ways.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Delta variant stress tests back-to-school plans

Washington Post

A Washington Post survey of the 20 largest school districts found that few are offering robust coronavirus screening amid vague guidelines and a surge of cases that few anticipated.

Will Forkner elementary become Tatarian elementary? Fresno community seeks to rename school

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s Forkner Elementary School could soon be known as H. Roger Tatarian Elementary School. Fresno Unified trustees could vote on the name change as soon as Oct. 13.

TUSD looks to fill new position to address diversity issues

Turlock Journal

The Turlock Unified School District is still searching for the perfect person to fill the new position of Coordinator of Equity Initiatives. This position will lead the equity task force and has a starting salary of $119,215, according to the TUSD.

California will give a short version of its standardized math and English tests next spring

EdSource

The “Smarter Balanced” standardized tests in math and English language arts that California students will take in the spring to measure their academic progress will have fewer questions and take less time than the pre-Covid versions.

Quarantining students could get more instruction with proposed independent study changes

CalMatters

The state legislature proposed changes to the independent study laws that had been disrupting school reopenings across California. Educators say the revisions will help but don’t go far enough.

Critical race theory turning school boards into GOP proving grounds

Politico

Frustrations over how kids are taught about systemic racism have turned once-sleepy school board elections into hyperlocal skirmishes with the power to polarize how a new generation learns about U.S. history — and grow the ranks of Republican politicians.

See also:

● Op-Ed: How both sides distort the debate over critical race theory American Enterprise Institute

Higher Ed:

Fresno State, UC Merced ranked high on lists of the nation's best colleges. What to know

Fresno Bee

Fresno State, Fresno Pacific, and UC Merced are among the nation’s best universities in social mobility, according to U.S. News and World Report’s new 2022 college rankings.

Member Of CA FWD Young Leaders Advisory Council Elected To Lead CSU Student Association

CA FWD

Congratulations to Isaac Alferos, a member of CA FWD’s Young Leaders Advisory Council, who was recently elected to lead the Cal State Student Association (CSSA) as the 2021-2022 President.

Two Parents Are the First to Face Trial in College Admissions Scandal

New York Times

Opening statements begin on Monday for the first parents to face trial in a sweeping college admissions case that exposed the role that money, athletics and family privilege play in the competition for coveted seats at brand-name schools.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

California’s disappearing salmon

Washington Post

Of the estimated 16,000 spring-run Chinook that made the journey from the Golden Gate Bridge to this curve in a creek and others like it across the Central Valley, about 14,500 have died, nearly all of them before spawning.

Torture orchard: Can science transform California crops to cope with drought?

CalMatters

The search is on to help California farmers find less-thirsty tree crops. But will the experiments come through in time as droughts intensify?

Infrastructure Bill Could Jump-Start Electric School Bus Business

Wall Street Journal

The $1 trillion infrastructure bill working through Congress stands to be a boon for school districts looking to buy clean-energy vehicles—and the bus companies that supply them.

Energy:

Editorial: Ready to hand over more cash to PG&E for power? Fresno leaders right to oppose proposal

Fresno Bee

First, PG&E is asking state regulators to hike electrical rates by 18% for residential customers in 2023. Rates would go up by smaller amounts to 2026, but overall, rates would jump by 22.5%.

California gets OK to boost gas power to keep lights on

Mercury News

The Biden administration on Friday issued an emergency order allowing some California natural gas power plants to operate without pollution restrictions to shore up the state’s tight electricity supplies, the U.S. Department of Energy said.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Travel nurses arrive at Community to help with deluge

Business Journal

Community Health System has received much needed help in the form of 117 travel nurses, who are onboarding now to help at the network’s three hospitals and multiple medical facilities.

Ivermectin is unproven for COVID-19. At Stanislaus feed stores, demand stays high

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County feed stores have seen a spike in demand for horse dewormer in recent months as some people have latched onto unproven claims that the drug can prevent or cure COVID-19.

I Got A 'Mild' Breakthrough Case. Here's What I Wish I'd Known

VPR

The reality is breakthrough cases are becoming more common. Here's what you should know about getting a breakthrough case — and what I wish I'd known, when those first symptoms laid me low.

FDA could authorize Pfizer vaccine for 5-to-11-year-old children, report says

San Francisco Chronicle

Many more people need to be vaccinated to reach a level of community immunity to not only end the delta surge but thwart future waves. Local pediatric infectious disease experts have weighed in on what types of masks are best for kids.

● Should the FDA move faster on COVID-19 vaccines for young children? Los Angeles Times

Moderna developing combination coronavirus and flu booster vaccine

Mercury News

An annual research and development day hosted by Cambridge biotech company Moderna revealed several advancements in mRNA vaccine technology, including a combination coronavirus and flu booster that’s in the works.

● Yes, you can get a covid booster and a flu shot together. Here’s what you need to know. Washington Post

New CDC studies show waning vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization in elderly

Politico

Covid-19 vaccines continue to work well at preventing severe disease for the vast majority of Americans but they are becoming less effective at blocking infection, according to a series of studies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday.

Unvaccinated People Are 11 Times More Likely To Die Of COVID-19, New Research Finds

VPR

Unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated, new research has found, bolstering evidence that the inoculations continue to provide powerful protection, even against the delta variant.

● Unvaccinated people 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19, CDC study shows CBS

● Unvaccinated 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 infections The Hill

● Unvaccinated People 11 Times as Likely to Die From Covid-19 Wall Street Journal

● Covid-19 Deaths in Delta Surge Trend Younger in Unvaccinated People Wall Street Journal

● Covid-19 Could Become Like the Flu if More People Get Vaccinated Wall Street Journal

Why it's so tricky to trace the origin of COVID-19

National Geographic

A 90-day investigation into the source of SARS-CoV-2 has shown consensus that the virus was not engineered. But many other elements remain a mystery.

Climate Change Is Making Natural Disasters Worse — Along With Our Mental Health

VPR

These disasters are getting more severe, too. Weather records are being broken thanks to climate change turning previously impossible occurrences into startling realities. As a result, many people are dealing with what's commonly referred to as "eco grief."

Human Services:

Black Opioid Deaths Increase Faster Than Whites, Spurring Calls For Treatment Equity

VPR

A study published reveals a growing racial disparity in opioid overdose death rates. Deaths among African Americans are growing faster than among whites across the country. The study authors call for an "antiracist public health approach" to address the crisis.

BinaxNow vs. Ellume: Why one rapid COVID test seems to be sold out everywhere

San Francisco Chronicle

Rapid at-home antigen tests have become convenient tools for people hoping to quickly determine whether their cold symptoms are COVID-19. But the tests, which are not as accurate as PCR lab tests but return results in far less time, can be hard to find.

Cloth? KN95? Surgical? Experts weigh the best and worst for kids' masks

San Francisco Chronicle

The return to in-person school and people’s increased travel has many parents more hyper-focused than ever on covering their kids’ faces indoors to protect them from the surging delta variant of the coronavirus.

Biden Admin Releasing Billions in Covid-19 Relief for Hospitals, Health Groups

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration is releasing more than $25 billion in relief funds to health organizations from money Congress granted last year to cover financial losses from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The U.S. isn't vaccinating most of the world — but China might

Axios

Raw material shortages, complex and costly manufacturing, and vaccine makers' choices have made it clear the U.S. and its drug companies likely won't get the poor, unvaccinated parts of the world out of the pandemic — but China might.

IMMIGRATION

‘Dreamers’ Await Senate Parliamentarian’s Ruling on Reconciliation Package

Wall Street Journal

The fate of young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children has become wedded to Democrats’ sprawling $3.5 trillion social-welfare package, with a key decision on its Senate path expected within days.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Merced has a plan to address its affordable housing crisis. But does it fall short?

Merced Sun Star

Opinion: It’s Time to Dismantle America’s Residential Caste System

Politico

America is starkly divided between neighborhoods that benefit from overinvestment and those that suffer from disinvestment. But identifying the geography of racial inequality also offers a mechanism for change.

Apartments Built on an Assembly Line

New York Times

The pandemic put a general crimp in housing construction, but made a California factory that churns out prefabricated housing extra busy.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Why families in Stanislaus County are receiving Pandemic EBT cards to buy groceries

Modesto Bee

The Unemployment Insurance System Is Set to Get a Tech Makeover — but It Needs Much More, the Biden Administration Says

ProPublica

The Labor Department has launched an overhaul of the technology that runs the unemployment insurance system, which was overwhelmed by claims and plagued by fraud during the pandemic. But the agency says Congress must act to fix deeper problems.

Loan Forgiveness for Disabled Borrowers Was 10 Years in the Making

ProPublica

At ProPublica, we measure our success by the tangible impact our stories have. Sometimes it takes more than a decade to see a flawed policy change.

Opinion: How to Stop Politicians From Cooking the Books

Wall Street Journal

How can we stop politicians from so casually lying to their stockholders (you and me) for their own short-term political benefit and to the country’s long-term financial detriment? What’s needed is the equivalent of the reforms forced on corporations 140 years ago.

TRANSPORTATION

Council to consider Roads Initiative Program contracts, changing bus fares

Turlock Journal

Infrastructure Bill Could Jump-Start Electric School Bus Business

Wall Street Journal

The infrastructure bill, pushed by the Biden administration and passed in a bipartisan vote in the Senate, includes $5 billion to help public and private schools buy electric and low-emission buses.

Travel and Covid-19 Testing: What to Know if You’re Flying or Taking a Cruise

Wall Street Journal

More travel destinations are now requiring travelers to present negative Covid-19 tests for entry, even those who are fully vaccinated. The changes are adding fresh complexity to an already-confounding time for travel.

Skilled Workers Are Scarce, Posing a Challenge for Biden’s Infrastructure Plan

New York Times

One estimate says the bill would add $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy over eight years, but without enough workers, efforts to strengthen roads and public transit could be set back.

WATER

Biden’s interior secretary backs West Side reservoir, more California water storage

Modesto Bee

Fresno County towns with no drinking water drown in debt while hope fades for new well

Fresno Bee

Study finds local oil field wastewater safe for use in irrigation

Bakersfield Californian

“Xtra”

Valley native uses passion for Central California to start apparel brand

abc30

Huron native Dorian Castro is celebrating his one-year anniversary as an apparel entrepreneur in the Central Valley.He developed his own brand called Cencr, pronounced sincere. The name uses "cen" to pay tribute to Central California.

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