Maddy Institute – September 17, 2021

17Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

Recall Results: Valleywide

● Tulare County recall election: California recall fails; Gov. Gavin Newsom stays in office Visalia Times Delta

● Central Valley voters deeply split over California Gov. recall effort abc30

● 18,000 people in Fresno County voted in-person Tuesday, voters divided on recall abc30

● Opinion: Gov. Gavin Newsom isn’t terribly popular in Stanislaus County. Here’s why Modesto Bee

● Editorial: Recall paints San Joaquin Valley as a conservative red island in blue California liberalism Fresno Bee

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Sept. 17: Stanislaus reports 12 more deaths, 25 over two days Modesto Bee

● New data reveals how many younger people in Stanislaus County are dying of COVID-19 Modesto Bee

● COVID-19 cases decrease at Modesto-area school districts for week beginning Sept. 5 Modesto Bee

The City of Turlock is looking for a City Manager

Public CEO

The next City Manager will inherit a diverse, talented, and committed staff and a dynamic City Council all eager to continue their mission of making Turlock the ideal place to live and do business.

Stanislaus DA Fladager won’t run for re-election. How she plans to stay with Peterson case

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager announced Tuesday she will not seek a fifth term next year.

The ‘Devious Lick’ TikTok trend is leading to thefts, vandalism in Stanislaus schools

Modesto Bee

A viral social media challenge has led Stanislaus County students to steal or damage soap dispensers, hand dryers, sinks and more from school bathrooms. The students are participating in the “devious lick” trend that started on TikTok earlier this month.

Stanislaus State ranked among best in West at graduating economically disadvantaged

Modesto Bee

In a measure called social mobility, California State University, Stanislaus, is No. 6 among 122 universities in the western states, U.S. News & World Report stated in its latest “Best Colleges” ranking.

After pandemic closure, Modesto historical site set to reopen. See when, guidelines

Modesto Bee

The historical McHenry Mansion will reopen after being shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. Docent-led public tours return Friday, Sept. 17, at the downtown Modesto mansion, 906 15th St., according to a press release.

Not enough housing: What Stanislaus County, its cities are doing about it

Modesto Bee

In an effort to meet housing needs across Modesto and Stanislaus County, county leaders and stakeholders on Tuesday presented a new, large-scale plan to address the local inventory crisis.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Nursing help keeps Fresno County from rationing care, but hospitals at COVID ‘tipping point’ Fresno Bee

● Fresno County averaging 400 to 600 new COVID cases daily. Valley ICUs remain burdened Fresno Bee

● COVID infections jump among students across Tulare County, VUSD sees drop in quarantines Visalia Times Delta

● Fresno County reaches 1 million COVID shots among residents. Who’s still unvaccinated? Fresno Bee

● Warszawski: With Fresno hospitals in COVID-19 crisis, I dined on Italian food and disconnect Fresno Bee

● Tulare County officials recommend indoor masking for all Business Journal

● Central Valley doctors brace for a ‘surge’ in a rare condition among kids exposed to COVID Fresno Bee

Fresno Council overturns Dyer’s PLA veto

Business Journal

The Fresno City Council overturned Dyer’s veto of a project labor agreement for City of Fresno projects. The PLA would prioritize local hiring and work to establish pipelines for local apprentices to access projects being done by the City’s Department of Public Works.

Fresno City Council votes to sue water agency over costs to repair Friant-Kern Canal

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council voted Thursday to sue the Friant Water Authority for declaratory relief to protect city ratepayers for paying the price for damage to the Friant-Kern Canal allegedly caused by Tulare County farmers.

Fresno council blasts Bredefeld for aide’s domestic violation conviction. He ‘triples’ down

Fresno Bee

A bloc of Fresno City Councilmembers condemned Councilmember Garry Bredefeld for employing a staffer charged with domestic violence felonies and called on him to use his campaign money to donate to local nonprofits serving survivors of domestic violence.

F-117 stealth fighter jets, once considered top-secret, touch down in Fresno. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

A pair of F-117 fighter jets arrived in town Monday for aerial combat training against the F-15 planes based at the 144th Fighter Wing, the military airbase located next to Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

Judges reopen Devin Nunes’ defamation lawsuit against journalist over tweet

Fresno Bee

A federal appeals court is allowing Rep. Devin Nunes to sue a journalist over a tweet linking to a magazine story he wrote about the congressman, reversing part of a lower court ruling that had dismissed the case entirely.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● National Guard deployed to Kern County amid third coronavirus surge to relieve strain on local staff Bakersfield Californian

● Rosedale Union writes letter to Newsom: 'Support our parents in mask choice' Bakersfield Californian

● Kern County reports 510 new COVID-19 cases, four new deaths Thursday Bakersfield Californian

● Two campuses in Lake Isabella shuttered by staffing shortages caused by COVID Bakersfield Californian

Kern County sues Newsom claiming he 'violated the California Constitution' regarding oil

Bakersfield Now

Today, the County of Kern announced the county has "sued Governor Gavin Newsom for violating the California Constitution and disregarding multiple State laws."

In symbolic vote, Bakersfield City Council allows transitional home for women and children to move forward

Bakersfield Californian

In a largely symbolic vote, the council chose to acknowledge the good neighbor policy of the Casa Esperanza Transitional Home for Women and Children proposed for the corner of Haley Street and Panorama Drive at a meeting Wednesday evening.

State:

COVID Update:

● Editorial: If science truly was on the recall ballot, it’s time for Newsom to mandate COVID vaccines Sacramento Bee

● How California counties’ COVID vaccine rates compare to recall election

results Sacramento Bee

● California recall election results closely linked to COVID-19 vaccination rates Los Angeles Times

● COVID-19 cases among California kids fall after first month of school Mercury News

● California is seeing covid-19 cases drop. Has the state turned the tide on the delta variant? Washington Post

Recall: Statewide Results

● Opinion: Reasons to be cheerful — and fearful — about the California recall result Sacramento Bee

● How Newsom defeated the recall: Early leads in suburbs, overwhelming margins in big cities Los Angeles Times

● A California in crisis awaits Newsom after landslide win in recall Los Angeles Times

● Walters: Newsom scores big recall win. What now? CalMatters

● And the winner in the California recall is? None of the above CalMatters

● Editorial: Recall was a slaughter. Will Newsom start acting boldly or play it safe until 2022? San Francisco Chronicle

● Emboldened by recall win, Democrats brush aside talk of unity and escalate attacks on Republicans Washington Post

● Editorial: California Democrats Defeat Trump Wall Street Journal

● Elex Michaelson: How Gov. Gavin Newsom Changed the Narrative & Easily Defeated the Recall Medium

● Op-Ed: California voters get what they deserve American Enterprise Institute

● Opinion: Pandemic Politics: Why Gavin Newsom beat the recall and Ron DeSantis is in trouble Brookings

Newsom beat the recall. Will he take any lessons from it?

Los Angeles Times

While Newsom can rightly boast that a sizable majority of voters want him to finish the term to which he was elected in 2018, the election returns offer no such mandate for his style of governing.

● Editorial: The recall failed, but giant issues remain for Gavin Newsom. Welcome to ‘Crisis California’ Sacramento Bee

● Editorial: Newsom victory calls for bold steps to fight COVID-19 Mercury News

● Trump still wins elections — for Democrats — and other California recall lessons Los Angeles Times

● Column: What does the only other California governor to face a recall vote — Gray Davis — have to say now? Los Angeles Times

● California recall price tag could hit $300 million. Some say it was a waste of money Los Angeles Times

● Newsom Beat the Recall, Now Comes the Hard Part: Governing California New York Times

● Calif Housing Is a Crisis Newsom Can Take Into His Own Hands New York Times

● What the Election Results Tell Us About California New York Times

● What Gavin Newsom’s Victory Means for California U.S. News

● In California Recall Results, Democrats See a Road Map, Republicans See a Warning Wall Street Journal

● Seven takeaways from California's recall election The Hill

● 9 takeaways from the California governor recall election Roll Call

● Today's Recall Election Shows Calif's One-Party Rule May Stick Around Reason

● Opinion: Calif Recall Stokes Dem Fears of Latino Defection National Review

● Opinion: Are Latino Voters Tiptoeing Right? Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Democrats Continue to Struggle With Men of Color New York Times

● How much was spent on the recall? One estimate: Nearly half a billion dollars. New York Times

● French Laundry. Pandemic. Trump. Chaos. All played big as voters cast recall ballots Los Angeles Times

● Newsom recall election tests the California dream Los Angeles Times

The 2022 campaign, particularly for Newsom, starts now

Visalia Times Delta

Gov. Gavin Newsom is poised to keep his job after months spent lambasting the recall as a Republican power grab; feverishly fundraising, wooing likely supporters and wrangling fractious progressive activists.

● Is Newsom’s big recall win a good sign for Democrats running in 2022? What experts say Sacramento Bee

● California’s 2022 midterm election could have nationwide consequences. What voters should know Sacramento Bee

● Vaccines and Trump: Will Newsom’s formula for beating the recall work for Democrats in 2022? Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: Newsom’s winning recall strategy offers a playbook for Democrats

in 2022 Washington Post

● Newsom’s Anti-Trump Recall Strategy Offers Republicans a Warning for 2022 New York Times

● Democrats tout California recall result ahead of 2022 midterms Roll Call

● Democrats Won the California Recall by Invoking Trump. There’s More of That Coming Time

● With recall defeated, Newsom scores well in poll against 2022 rivals Los Angeles Times

● California recall could boost Newsom’s clout for 2022 Business Journal

Newsom crushed the recall campaign. Now Democrats want to change the rules

Sacramento Bee

Those who want to see the recall process reformed argue that it’s too easy to trigger such an election, and the way the ballot is set up is unfair because it allows for a candidate with a small portion of the total votes to win office.

● California Democrats seek to make recalls more difficult Business Journal

● Full speed ahead on overhauling California recalls CalMatters

● Walters: Are recall system changes reforms or power grab? CalMatters

● California’s costly, confusing recall sparks an effort to rethink the rules Los Angeles Times

● Column: With $276 million down the drain, it’s time to revamp the California recall Los Angeles Times

● As California Votes, It Rethinks Its Tradition of Direct Democracy New York Times

Trump falsely calls recall ‘rigged’ on Election Day. Why did he stay out of Newsom race?

Sacramento Bee

The former president said the election was “probably rigged” in an interview on conservative television news outlet Newsmax last week and added that Democrats were good at rigging elections that used mail-in ballots.

See also:

● A California voter ID law? Sacramento Bee

● Examining the conspiracy theories, legal threats and Trump fraud claims in the California recall Los Angeles Times

● The voter fraud claims that threaten to undermine trust in the democratic process Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: Newsom crushed the recall. Let the phony fraud investigations begin Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: Republicans Have Declared War Against Honest Elections Bloomberg

● In red California, recall backers fuel unfounded claims of ‘rigged’ voting, bait workers Los Angeles Times

Larry Elder concedes California recall election to Gavin Newsom, vows to carry on movement

Sacramento Bee

Republican Larry Elder conceded California’s recall to Gov. Gavin Newsom but vowed to fight on after election results showed the incumbent soundly defeating the campaign to remove him from office.

Times

● Arnold Schwarzenegger says voters were right to retain Newsom, calls GOP field ‘disastrous’ Los Angeles Times

● After recall flop, struggling California Republicans once again fighting over future Los Angeles Times

● After Newsom’s recall triumph, Republicans need to do the math: Stop wasting time and money Los Angeles Times

● After recall flop, struggling California Republicans once again fighting over future Los Angeles Times

● Lowry: 2020 Is Toxic for Republicans National Review

● Opinion: It’s tempting to bury California’s Republican party — but they clearly don’t need my help Sacramento Bee

● Defeated in the recall, Larry Elder looks to a future in conservative politics. New York Times

● Where could Larry Elder’s emergence as a Republican star lead: Politics, TV, radio Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: California’s recall election confirmed everything that is wrong with today’s Republican Party Washington Post

● The California Recall’s Lesson for Republicans National Review

● Trump may be losing popularity, but is ‘Trumpism?’ Here’s what California’s recall shows PBS News Hour

● A partisan recall puts California Republican Party in disarray CalMatters

More duplexes. Gavin Newsom signs bills aimed at creating more affordable housing in California

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom moved Thursday to create more affordable housing in California, signing a list of bills that would allow more duplexes and small apartment buildings in certain neighborhoods.

● California ends most single-family zoning CalMatters

● Gov. Newsom abolishes most single-family zoning in California Mercury News

● Gov. Newsom’s office launches $1.75 billion affordable housing fund Mercury News

● Newsom signs long-awaited bills to increase housing density in California San Francisco Chronicle

Regional Economic Development Receives Major Boost In California

CaFwd

Supported by a $600 million one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation, CERF will allow regions to transform their current economies as well as work toward more sustainable and equitable economies going forward.

Audit finds California risks forfeiting millions for renters

Associated Press

California has been slow to distribute rental assistance money for residents struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, and the state risks forfeiting hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds, auditors said Thursday.

California Judge Cuéllar to Lead Influential Think Tank

New York Times

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an influential Washington-based think tank, has appointed Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar of California’s Supreme Court as its new president.

● California Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar steps down to head think tank Los Angeles Times

California is poised to permit remote court hearings through at least mid-2023

ABA Journal

Under a bill the California legislature approved unanimously last week, courts across the country’s most populous state would be permitted to continue hosting remote hearings in civil proceedings through July 1, 2023.

S.F. archbishop pleads with Newsom to save Junipero Serra statue at state Capitol

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone appealed to Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop a bill that allows a statue of Father Junipero Serra to be permanently removed from the state Capitol grounds in Sacramento.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● How much did unvaccinated COVID patients cost US hospitals? Study says in the billions Sacramento Bee

● Why COVID cases are climbing across the U.S., and how vaccinations are playing a role Fresno Bee

● As COVID-19 vaccine mandates rise, religious exemptions grow Fresno Bee

● ‘Matter of life and death.’ Army unveils COVID vaccine deadline for active-duty members Fresno Bee

● The pandemic marks another grim milestone: 1 in 500 Americans have died of covid-19 Washington Post

● What workers and employers should know a week after Biden issued COVID vaccine mandate Fresno Bee

● Small agency, big job: Biden tasks OSHA with vaccine mandate Business Journal

● Biden to Meet With Top Executives on Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Will Biden’s Vaccine Mandates Hold Up? Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Vaccine Mandates Can’t Stop Covid’s Spread Wall Street Journal

● Will Joe Biden’s vaccination requirements hold up in court? Politifact

● Opinion: Joe Biden needs a COVID-19 exit strategy AEI

● Will employer vaccine mandate survive? OSHA would act under little-used statutory provision ABA Journal

● More Than 600,000 White Flags On The National Mall Honor Lives Lost To COVID VPR

● 660,000 white flags and climbing: This artist shows what America’s COVID-19 death toll looks like Roll Call

Why the 2024 presidential race will start later than expected

Roll Call

While campaigns are starting earlier and earlier, and there certainly isn’t an “off year” from elections anymore, the 2024 presidential race is primed to get off to a late start.

Bipartisan bill offers green card path for ‘documented Dreamers’

Roll Call

Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., proposed legislation Wednesday that would put so-called documented Dreamers, or foreign citizens who grew up legally in the U.S. on a parent’s work visa but then aged out, on a path to permanent residency.

Judge shields migrant families from border expulsion policy

Roll Call

A D.C. federal judge on Thursday ordered the Biden administration to stop turning away migrant families seeking asylum at the border under a public health directive. However, he froze the effect of his ruling for two weeks to give the administration time to appeal.

● Court Orders End to U.S. Policy of Turning Back Families Crossing Mexican Border Illegally Wall Street Journal

Biden’s $3.5-trillion plan tests voter appeal of expansive government role

Los Angeles Times

President Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda is poised to be the most far-reaching federal investment since FDR Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal or Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.

● Biden Steps Up Efforts to Advance $3.5 Trillion Spending Bill Wall Street Journal

● Scoop: Biden bombs with Manchin Axios

● Opinion: Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending plan flunks its own test AEI

● Opinion: You’re right, Senator Manchin: There are no work requirements in Biden’s new safety net AEI

Democrats’ sweeping healthcare expansion at risk amid new clash over drug pricing

Los Angeles Times

Democrats are sharply divided over whether to require drugmakers to negotiate prices with the federal government, a rift threatening key parts of President Biden’s $3.5-trillion social safety net bill and one that could put the entire effort at risk.

Biden Push to Replace America’s Lead Pipes Faces Challenges

Wall Street Journal

The funding, spread out across two proposed legislative packages, would provide states with a mix of grants and loans to replace the pipes. Follow-through would largely be left to local officials.

See also:

● Should You Be Worried About Lead Pipes? What to Know Wall Street Journal

Opinion: Biden and Congress should go big on a Civilian Climate Corps to restore the environment and provide good jobs

Brookings

Since President Joe Biden took office, momentum for a CCC has increased exponentially, with nearly a dozen bills related to the expansion of national service or using a corps model to address climate change introduced in Congress over the last year.

See also:

● Democrats Rethink Climate Measures, Consider Carbon Tax Wall Street Journal

Map proposals show how parties hope to gain from new congressional boundaries

Washington Post

The plans, which could change substantially before final approval, provide an early look at the redistricting battles unfolding in state capitals that could help Republicans retake control of the U.S. House in 2022 and will ultimately shape the country’s political landscape for the next decade.

Trump expresses solidarity with rioters arrested in Jan. 6 attack ahead of planned rally

Washington Post

Former president Donald Trump voiced solidarity Thursday with people being prosecuted in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, issuing a statement ahead of a rally planned Saturday in Washington to protest their treatment.

Opinion: Can Stephen Breyer and Amy Coney Barrett Save the Supreme Court?

Wall Street Journal

In their remarks, Justices Breyer and Barrett are expressing what many serious Americans sense, that the political system is sliding off the rails.

Other:

Americans have little trust in online security: AP-NORC poll

Associated Press

Most Americans don’t believe their personal information is secure online and aren’t satisfied with the federal government’s efforts to protect it, according to a poll.

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

Growing Uncertainty in the Central Valley

New Yorker

Across the state, many produce farmers were weighing the market prices of their crops against the rising cost of water. To meet their contracts, some had overplanted, and now they found it was more cost-effective to kill certain crops than to proceed with the harvest.

How the West’s wineries are battling ruinous wildfire smoke

National Geographic

As smoke blankets vineyards, it can coat grapes with particles that make wines taste like an ashtray, but scientists are innovating new ways to fight the dreaded “smoke taint.”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Identity Thieves Targeting Foster Youths’ COVID Relief

The Imprint

With the growing access to financial assistance has come new opportunities for young adults who have survived childhood trauma to become victimized yet again — and new possibilities they will miss out on money owed to them.

Fire:

Crews work to protect giant sequoias from KNP Complex

Visalia Times Delta

The KNP Complex Fire is burning toward the Hume Lake Ranger District, "creating a very dangerous situation for the public," Forest Supervisor Teresa Benson said.

● Red Cross: 'We are doing everything we can' to help KNP Complex evacuees Visalia Times Delta

● Want to help KNP Complex Fire evacuees? Here's how Visalia Times Delta

● Sequoia wildfires continue to grow uncontained. New Incident Management Team called in Modesto Bee

● A Single Fire Killed Thousands Of Sequoias. Scientists Are Racing To Save The Rest VPR

● Giant Forest trees prepped for flames in Sequoia National Park as KNP Complex fire closes in Los Angeles Times

● World’s largest trees under siege from California wildfire as sequoias face new perils Los Angeles Times

● Fires in Sequoia National Forest Close Park, Threatens Giant Trees Wall Street Journal

● Sequoia National Park fire: Crews wrapping world’s largest trees with fireproof blankets Mercury News

● KNP Complex Fire surpasses 9,000 acres Mercury News

● Sequoia wildfires cause more road, trail closures; crews wrap Giant Forest trees. Fresno Bee

● Sequoia National Park’s giant trees at risk as fires grow Business Journal

Bucket-cam video: See unique point of view of 3,000-gallon water drop on Caldor Fire

Sacramento Bee

A new video shows an aircraft dumping 3,000 gallons of water on the Caldor Fire near South Lake Tahoe from an unusual point of view: inside the water bucket itself. It shows a 3,000-gallon firefighting bucket scooping up water and pouring it on the California wildfire.

Dixie Fire victims sue PG&E as wildfire liabilities mount for California’s largest utility

Sacramento Bee

PG&E Corp. is being sued by more than 200 victims of the Dixie Fire, adding to the potential wildfire liabilities confronting a utility that barely a year ago emerged from a bankruptcy case sparked by earlier fire damages.

Amid Western Blazes, Prescribed Fire Is Keeping Some Forests Resilient

Bloomberg

Islands of green trees near Lake Tahoe survived the fast-moving flames of the Caldor Fire, thanks in part to earlier controlled burns and other treatments, officials say.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Regional Economic Development Receives Major Boost In California

CaFwd

America fought the pandemic economy — and won

Axios

The U.S. economy is emerging from the pandemic with more well-paying jobs for those who want them, less hunger, less poverty, higher wages, less inequality, and more wealth for everyday Americans.

Opinion: How do we make sense of the new poverty data for 2020?

AEI

If the question is: Did people in the US experience less poverty in 2020 compared to 2019? The answer is certainly yes. The poverty rate for all individuals according to the SPM declined 2.7 percentage points from 2019 to 2020, which is very large in historic terms

Jobs:

U.S. Jobless Claims Remained Near Pandemic Low Last Week

Wall Street Journal

Jobless claims rose slightly last week but remained near a pandemic low, as layoffs stabilize amid an economic slowdown tied to rising coronavirus cases.

● COVID jobs: California unemployment claims drop, stay far higher than normal Mercury News

● Job Growth Lagging in State, Local Governments Pew Trusts

States Embrace Vaccine Mandates Despite Potential Worker Exodus

Pew Trusts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration spent months weighing full approval of the vaccines. During that time, officials in several states negotiated with unions and considered whether a mandate would chase a large number of employees out of the state workforce.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Fresno Unified raising daily pay rate for substitute teachers

abc30

More Central Valley schools are offering incentives to hire more temporary teachers. Many districts are struggling to find substitute instructors as pandemic protocols require educators to stay home if they show any signs of illness.

COVID infections jump among students across Tulare County, VUSD sees drop in quarantines

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified School District reported a decrease in student and staff quarantines for the first time since the start of the school year. At the same time, infections among young people and teachers is up.

Gov Newsom Highlights New In-Person Student Rates, Nation-Leading School Safety & Prevention Efforts

Office of the Governor

Governor Gavin Newsom visited a TK-8 school in Oakland to highlight the state’s efforts to safely open schools for full in-person instruction, highlighting new state data showing that the vast majority of school districts are reporting that 95-100 percent of students are in-person.

Outbreaks strand some students at home with minimal learning

Fresno Bee

As coronavirus outbreaks driven by the delta variant lead districts around the U.S. to abruptly shut down or send large numbers of children into quarantine at home, some students are getting minimal schooling.

Unhealthy Air May Threaten Educational Outcomes

PPIC

Exposure to air pollution is already a concern for children’s health, and a sizable link may exist between academic achievement and air quality. Therefore, it is crucial to consider how air quality contributes to socioeconomic disadvantage.

Higher Ed:

Stanislaus State ranked among best in West at graduating economically disadvantaged

Modesto Bee

The daughter of farmworkers, CSU Bakersfield student wins top CSU honor

Bakersfield Californian

Jazmin Barrita Barrita will receive the highest honor conferred upon students of the California State University: The 2021 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Commentary: Investing in community colleges does more than fuel California’s workforce

CalMatters

In cities and towns across California and online, 116 community colleges do all of this and more. They are our state’s primary point of access to higher education and have lifted millions of Californians into the middle class and beyond.

California commits $500 million more to student housing: “A drop in the bucket”

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature reached a deal that will provide $500 million toward affordable student housing this year and possibly up to $2 billion in future years. Experts say it’s “a drop in the bucket” compared to what’s needed.

Opinion: College Students Don’t Need Protection from the Truth

Wall Street Journal

Now that the academic literature says that a highly influential academic theory is wrong, what are college administrators going to do about it? Will they abolish trigger warnings, or will they bitterly cling to a conviction that free inquiry must come with a warning?

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Reporting on Climate Injustice in One of the Hottest Towns in America

ProPublica

What does climate injustice look like? A town where farmworkers struggle for access to clean drinking water and comfortable places to sleep while their wealthy neighbors water their lawns generously and park in climate-controlled garages.

· Climate Scientists Forecast High Temperatures Into the Fall New York Times

· As climate pledges fall short, U.N. predicts globe could warm by worrying 2.7 degrees Celsius Washington Post

How to Talk About Climate Change Across the Political Divide

New Yorker

Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and evangelical Christian, has written a book that lays out strategies for discussing the climate crisis in a divided country.

Opinion: Biden and Congress should go big on a Civilian Climate Corps to restore the environment and provide good jobs

Brookings

See also:

● Democrats Rethink Climate Measures, Consider Carbon Tax Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Congress’s Climate Crackup Wall Street Journal

Energy:

PG&E seeks to recover array of costs, higher monthly bills loom

Mercury News

PG&E customers face the forbidding prospect of higher monthly bills due to the utility’s requests for more revenue to ensure it can cope with an array of events including wildfires, coronavirus challenges and other catastrophes.

Lawmakers lay out arguments for boosting clean energy through infrastructure

The Hill

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said Wednesday that Congress needs to take steps to bolster developments in the clean energy sector, as infrastructure bills move closer to the finish line on Capitol Hill.

Opinion: Embrace offshore wind as key part of the climate crisis solution

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom should sign AB 525 to help develop California’s offshore wind energy industry.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Valley doctors brace for a ‘surge’ in a rare condition among kids exposed to COVID

Fresno Bee

While hospitalizations among children have slightly increased in the last few months, doctors at Valley Children’s say they expect those numbers to significantly rise in the coming weeks.

What are the differences between COVID & flu? What to know.

Fresno Bee

COVID-19 and the flu — both illnesses that attack the respiratory system but are caused by different viruses — are expected to spread simultaneously beginning this fall. And yes, you can be infected with both at the same time.

California’s poor air quality from wildfire smoke raises COVID-19 risk. Here’s why

Sacramento Bee

The smoke can irritate the lungs, cause inflammation and affect the immune system, making it seem like COVID-19. But, what’s worse: The smoke makes lungs susceptible to more infections including SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Why you may not need a COVID-19 booster yet after all

National Geographic

Given what we know about breakthrough infections, most experts remain unconvinced there’s enough data to justify an extra dose for most Americans.

● FDA Vaccine Panel’s Endorsement of Biden’s Booster Shot Plan No Sure Thing US News

● FDA advisers meet on highly charged issue of whether to recommend coronavirus vaccine boosters Washington Post

● FDA Panel Weighs Covid-19 Booster Shots as Health Officials Debate Need Wall Street Journal

● Sorry, a Coronavirus Infection Might Not Be Enough to Protect You The Atlantic

Experts say there’s no evidence that masks harm kids’ health despite baseless claims

Los Angeles Times

Can kids be harmed if they wear face masks to protect against COVID-19?

No, there is no scientific evidence showing masks cause harm to children’s health despite baseless claims suggesting otherwise.

Vaccine mandates have worked in the past. Can they overcome modern hurdles?

National Geographic

The public health directives are older than the U.S. itself. But it's unclear whether they will be effective at driving up COVID-19 vaccination among the nation's 80 million resistant adults.

Opinion: The Political Raid on Future Cures

Wall Street Journal

Even as vaccines developed by drug companies are saving the world from Covid, the Democratic Party wants to rob these firms of the reward for innovation that is essential to developing future cures.

Human Services:

Nursing help keeps Fresno County from rationing care, but hospitals at COVID ‘tipping point’

Fresno Bee

A slight drop in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and the arrival of out-of-town nurses and medical teams have pulled Fresno County from the brink of potentially rationing hospital services under “crisis standards of care.”

● ‘Matter of life and death’: COVID patients struggle to find lifesaving ECMO machines Fresno Bee

Covered California Leader Peter Lee, who steered insurance exchange to prominence, to exit post

Sacramento Bee

After 10 years at the helm of Covered California, Peter V. Lee announced Thursday that he would leave his post in early 2022, having significantly reduced the number of uninsured Californians and steered the health insurance marketplace to national prominence.

Covid-19 Rapid Testing in U.S. Lags Behind Other Countries in Delta Wave

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. is behind the curve on rapid tests. The Biden administration last week committed $2 billion to boost test manufacturing and distribute free rapid tests to some community sites.

Opinion: Biden’s Price Controls Will Make Good Health More Expensive

Wall Street Journal

Democrats are looking for ways to finance their $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill and one plan is to put price controls on prescription drugs. If enacted, these policies would harm patients enormously.

Patients and doctors who embraced telehealth during the pandemic fear it will become harder to access

Washington Post

Many states have already rescinded the licensing waivers that allowed clinicians and some other providers to practice across state lines, or are preparing to do so. Other decisions at the state, federal and individual health-care system levels remain uncertain.

IMMIGRATION

Applying for a green card? Immigrants will need the COVID vaccine first, feds say

Sacramento Bee

Migrants applying for U.S. residency will soon be required to get the COVID vaccine first, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday. The rule, which goes into effect Oct. 1, says that applicants must be fully vaccinated before the immigrant medical examination.

● Amid congressional inaction, court pendulum swings on immigration Roll Call

● First look: Biden's economic case for green cards Axios

Judge shields migrant families from border expulsion policy

Roll Call

● Court Orders End to U.S. Policy of Turning Back Families Crossing Mexican Border Illegally Wall Street Journal

Column: QAnon conspiracy theory: The border variant

Los Angeles Times

The images suggest that the children are being trafficked by strangers who drugged them. There’s no evidence any of it is true, but it’s effective in stirring up hatred of migrant adults.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Fresno historic building destruction prompts protection proposal

abc30

Weeks after finding the historic Hardy's Theater gutted by new owners, a Fresno city councilmember is proposing new rules to prevent similar destruction across the city.

Housing:

California cities' ability to stop new housing projects limited by state appeals court

San Francisco Chronicle

Under the Housing Authority and Accountability Act, if a proposed development is consistent with a city’s general plan and zoning standards, a city can reject it only if it would have “a specific, adverse and unavoidable impact on public health or safety” under objective criteria.

More duplexes. Gavin Newsom signs bills aimed at creating more affordable housing in California

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom moved Thursday to create more affordable housing in California, signing a list of bills that would allow more duplexes and small apartment buildings in certain neighborhoods.

● California ends most single-family zoning CalMatters

● Gov. Newsom abolishes most single-family zoning in California Mercury News

● Gov. Newsom’s office launches $1.75 billion affordable housing fund Mercury News

● Newsom signs long-awaited bills to increase housing density in California San Francisco Chronicle

California commits $500 million more to student housing: “A drop in the bucket”

CalMatters

Commentary: Strategic coordination planned to address affordable housing, homelessness

CalMatters

California is now poised to invest $10 billion to accelerate housing production and $12 billion to tackle homelessness – with funding for Homekey units, shovel-ready affordable housing, mortgage and rental assistance, and direct resources for local governments to prevent and end homelessness.

Opinion: Don’t ban basement apartments; legalize them

AEI

The right goal for the city’s estimated 114,000 such units: Make them legal but safe. They combine affordability for tenants with crucial income for property owners, many of them immigrants.

PUBLIC FINANCES

CalPERS sent pension checks to more than 20,000 dead people over several years, audit says

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS hadn’t recovered about $42 million in pension overpayments made to about 22,000 dead people by the middle of last year, according to a newly public internal audit report.

More California stimulus checks to be released this week

SF Gate

The second round of payments of the Golden Gate Stimulus will be released on Friday, the tax board said. The estimated size of the release is 2 million direct deposit payments.

TRANSPORTATION

Layoffs & delays threaten Calif’s high-speed rail as project faces funding hang up

Sacramento Bee

Top Democrats withheld billions of dollars in funding Gov. Gavin Newsom sought for the state’s high-speed rail line in the final days of this year’s legislative session, threatening construction delays and layoffs unless they come to a deal in early 2022.

● U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail in second shot at infrastructure bill Patch

High-speed train to Las Vegas is hailed as an eco jackpot. But will it harm desert sheep?

Los Angeles Times

The proposed rail project, which would occupy the center divider of Interstate 15, calls for the construction of a 6-foot-high concrete barrier to keep vehicles from careening into trains as they hurtle through the desert at speeds close to 200 mph.

WATER

Fresno City Council votes to sue water agency over costs to repair Friant-Kern Canal

Fresno Bee

New Opportunities for Trading Surface Water in the Sacramento Valley under SGMA

PPIC

Successful groundwater stewardship under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) demands good information—not only about groundwater conditions, but also about surface water availability.

● Improving California’s Water Market PPIC

● Drought haves, have-nots test how to share water in the West Business Journal

Increasing Access To California’s Water Industry With An Equity Lens

CaFwd

Joone Lopez highlights the urgency in developing data-based solutions and community-centered practices to support a sustainable, equitable, and integrated future for water utilities.

“Xtra”

Former Fresno State two-sport dynamo Satoshi ‘Fibber’ Hirayama passes away at 91

Fresno Bee

Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama, who at 5-foot-3 and 140 pounds was one of the most dynamic athletes in Fresno State history and a baseball pioneer in the San Joaquin Valley and in Japan, passed away Wednesday morning.

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

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