Maddy Institute – September 2, 2021

02Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

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: September 13, 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. CalMatters plans to launch its Voter Guide on Aug. 16.

● Recall Ballot Tracking

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Sept. 2: Stanislaus has 8 more deaths. Hospital cases reach 299 Modesto Bee

● Schools in Stanislaus County reporting 277 COVID-19 cases last week Modesto Bee

Preliminary Ceres special election results show this candidate likely won

Modesto Bee

Preliminary results for the Ceres special election show business owner Jim Casey will likely represent District 1 on the City Council and fill the months-long vacancy.

State halts diversions from the Tuolumne River. What that means for MID, TID water users

Modesto Bee

The Turlock and Modesto irrigation districts are among water right holders ordered by the state to stop diversions on the Tuolumne River and other streams that flow to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta.

ACE will restore 4th train from north Valley to Bay Area. Update on Amtrak to capital

Modesto Bee

The Altamont Corridor Express will add a fourth round trip Sept. 7, restoring the weekday commuter service to its prepandemic level. The new westbound train will depart Stockton at 7:32 a.m. and reach San Jose at 9:44 a.m.

Stanislaus supervisors prefer this option for the next leg of 132 west of Modesto

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County supervisors agreed Tuesday on their preferred route for a future Highway 132 project west of Modesto. This option runs directly west from the Dakota Avenue end of the 132 bypass now under construction.

Editorial: Good work, Modesto City Schools, staying true to equity pledge with key hire

Modesto Bee

As The Bee’s Emily Isaacman reported, the district recently brought on Fallon Ferris as its first equity and intervention specialist. Her job includes helping schools strive to reach the district’s equity goals. This hire represents real progress.

Infrastructure bill will help Valley store water, fix roads

Turlock Journal

The $1 trillion federal infrastructure package is being touted as a victory for the country’s roads, water storage, internet capabilities and public works systems, but how will it benefit Turlock?

Merced County officials predict 'busy' recall election, as mail-in ballots roll in

Merced Sun Star

With two weeks until recall election day, the ballots that will determine whether Gov. Gavin Newsom maintains his gubernatorial seat are rolling in from across Merced County.

First court hearing held for Livingston officers accused of filing false police report

Merced Sun Star

Two Livingston police officers arrested for allegedly filing a false report to protect another law enforcement officer had their first hearing Tuesday in Merced County Superior Court.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Fresno sees biggest one-day COVID spike since January. See what the surge looks like Fresno Bee

● Fresno hospitals putting ‘nonessential’ surgeries on hold, due to flood of COVID patients Fresno Bee

● August among worst months for COVID transmission in the Fresno region as surge continues Fresno Bee

● Editorial: Some Fresno residents use a livestock drug to self-treat COVID. That is so ridiculous Fresno Bee

● Fresno County reports nearly 1,300 new COVID-19 cases and 11 new deaths in the last 24 hours abc30

● Visalia teachers struggle as COVID cases forces more work, less planning Visalia Times Delta

● Madera County businesses offering discounts for the vaccinated Business Journal

Fresno church fought against California’s COVID rules. Now the state has to pay

Fresno Bee

Cornerstone Church in downtown Fresno has been awarded $400,000 in legal fees for its fight against the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cornerstone joined with Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi in a lawsuit against the state that ended with California paying the legal fees for the churches.

● California church barred from its own building for COVID safety wins big settlement Sacramento Bee

● Newsom lost the battle over churches and COVID. Church lawyers raked in millions from it Sacramento Bee

Developers postpone Fresno rezone application in favor of finding ‘collaborative solution’

Fresno Bee

The group seeking to rezone a 92.5-acre site in southwest Fresno postponed their application, scheduled to be heard Wednesday by the Planning Commission, and “continue working on a collaborative solution,” according to a joint statement released by city leaders.

Union jobs for city projects? Councilmembers say this proposal will boost Fresno’s middle class

Fresno Bee

Fresno leaders on Wednesday continued to fine tune a proposal for a five-year, citywide project labor agreement some hope would boost the city’s middle class and complete city construction projects on time and within budget.

Terry Slatic accuses Fresno school leaders of failing to protect teachers, violating laws

Fresno Bee

In a statement to reporters, Trustee Terry Slatic said he filed a formal complaint with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit, accusing Superintendent Bob Nelson and four trustees of violating California education laws related to student privacy.

Lemoore high school psychologist arrested in Kings County sting targeting sex predators

Fresno Bee

Kings County law enforcement officers arrested 16 men, including a Lemoore Union High School District psychologist, during a sting operation targeting sexual predators and human trafficking.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

●

Homeless intakes jumped midway through 2021 as spending on mitigation increased

Bakersfield Californian

At a City Council meeting on Wednesday, the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative revealed the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time in Kern County increased sharply from April to June of this year.

McCarthy says GOP 'will not forget' if firms hand records to Jan. 6 panel

The Hill

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that Republicans “will not forget” if telecommunications companies turn phone and email records over to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

State:

COVID Update:

● Most Californians support a COVID vaccine requirement for indoor businesses, poll shows Sacramento Bee

● California Democrats, businesses back proposal to encourage COVID vaccine requirements Sacramento Bee

● California sees progress in coronavirus fight compared with Texas, Florida, other states Los Angeles Times

● ‘Momentous occasion’ as 80% statewide have gotten at least one vaccine dose Los Angeles Times

● California hits 80 percent threshold for vaccinations AP

● Counties with highest COVID-19 infection rates in California Slater

With COVID-19 infections rising, recall candidates say they would lead differently than Newsom

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in California made him a favorite target of conservative critics, including those vying to replace him as governor, who view him as a symbol of heavy-handed Democratic leadership.

● Here’s how the recall candidates say they’d boost housing production in California Los Angeles Times

Who’s voted so far in the California recall? Lots of Democrats, few young people

Los Angeles Times

With the recall election less than two weeks away, the mail ballot returns so far show that more than twice as many Democrats have voted than Republicans and that liberal areas of the state such as the Bay Area have the highest rates of return.

See also:

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

● Latest Polls Of The California Recall Election FiveThirtyEight

● Is the California recall race close? New polling shows Gavin Newsom in the lead Sacramento Bee

● The effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom is struggling, new California poll shows Los Angeles Times

● California recall: Latest polls offer good signs for Newsom with Election Day approaching USA Today

● California recall: What we know about fraud rumors, ballot design, and early vote counting Visalia Times Delta

● Recall fact and fiction: What you need to know about the election fraud rumors you’re seeing CalMatters

● Recall puts elections chief in political pickle CalMatters

● Commentary: The replacement election in the recall is unnecessary; here’s why CalMatters

● Inside the social media war that could turn the California recall Los Angeles Times

● Who’s voted so far in the California recall? Lots of Democrats, few young people Los Angeles Times

● Column: How anti-California propaganda and racism are driving the recall Los Angeles Times

● Column: Newsom recall effort underscores California’s status as a place apart Los Angeles Times

● Editorial: The recall election is a new chance for anti-reformers’ old lies about ‘soft on crime’ California Los Angeles Times

● Gavin Newsom warns California could turn into Florida or Texas on COVID if recall succeeds Sacramento Bee

● Opinion: California’s recall process is dangerously flawed. Here’s what needs to change Sacramento Bee

● The pandemic recall Politico

California Democrats have long counted on Latino voters. Will they stick with Gavin Newsom now?

Sacramento Bee

A poll from UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies released in late June showed that 56% of likely Latino voters would vote to keep Newsom in office, while 40% said they would vote to remove him.

● Are young voters the key to Gavin Newsom surviving the recall? CalMatters

● Walters: If recalled, what’s next for Gavin Newsom? CalMatters

● Hollywood Throws Weight Behind Gavin Newsom as California Governor Fights Recall Election Newsweek

● Exasperated by drought, farmers could be critical in Newsom recall fight Los Angeles Times

● It doesn’t look as if Gavin Newsom is leaving politics anytime soon Washington Post

Editorial: Meet the lesser-known California recall candidates

Los Angeles Times

By now, many Californians have heard about Larry Elder, John Cox and Kevin Paffrath, three of the 46 candidates seeking to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in a special recall election that will conclude on Sept. 14.

● The top candidates running to replace Gov. Newsom in the California recall election CNN

● Larry Elder campaign ramps up efforts to attract Latino voters in California recall Modesto Bee

● Elder pushes stances on education, housing in effort to win over Latino voters Los Angeles Times

● Inside Larry Elder’s base — longtime fans, new converts, evangelicals, Trump fans Los Angeles Times

● Column: Why a lifelong Democrat and education reformer is supporting Larry Elder for governor Los Angeles Times

State stimulus checks arrive in Californians’ bank accounts ahead of recall election

Los Angeles Times

As California continues the slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down many businesses last year, new $600 state stimulus checks have begun arriving in the bank accounts of residents who earn up to $75,000 annually, to help them get back on their feet.

Judge knocks down challenge to Newsom's death penalty moratorium

San Francisco Chronicle

A death penalty advocate’s court challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on executions in California was rejected Tuesday by a judge, who said the advocate would not be personally affected by Newsom’s action and thus lacked legal grounds to contest it.

Opinion: Robert Kennedy Was My Dad. His Assassin Doesn’t Deserve Parole.

New York Times

Did Uncle Teddy ever imagine, in asking the court for compassion, that the man who killed his brother might one day walk free? I do not think so. And what I do know is that Mr. Sirhan is not someone deserving of parole.

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

PPIC

Through all of this, Californians have mixed reviews about the state of the state. In the days after receiving mail ballots for the recall election, support from likely voters to remove Governor Newsom still falls short of a majority.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● CDC vaccine panel: Let regulators lead on Covid-19 booster shots Politico

● Axios-Ipsos poll: Vaccine hesitancy may be crumbling Axios

● Pandemic will push U.S. mortality up through 2023, new government report predicts Washington Post

● Number of Americans opposed to getting a COVID vaccine reaches new low, poll finds Fresno Bee

Supreme Court Declines to Block Restrictive Texas Abortion Law

Wall Street Journal

A divided Supreme Court late on Wednesday allowed the nation’s toughest restrictions on abortions to take effect, declining to block a new Texas law that bars the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy.

● Supreme Court, Breaking Silence, Won’t Block Texas Abortion Law New York Times

● Biden blasts Supreme Court refusal to block Texas abortion ban; Pelosi vows vote on House bill to ensure abortion access Washington Post

● Biden blasts high court failure to block Texas abortion curb AP

● Chief Justice Roberts, 3 other dissenters slam colleagues for hastily rewarding Texas 'bounty hunter' abortion ban scheme The Week

Editorial: What’s Really in the Texas Voting Law

Wall Street Journal

The Democrats who fled Texas in July to block their Legislature’s voting bill eventually had to go home. On Tuesday the bill passed, and Gov. Abbott says he’ll sign it. Cue the shouts of “voter suppression,” as Democrats push Congress’s latest plan to federalize U.S. elections.

Opinion: The Return of the Trustbusters

Wall Street Journal

Ms. Khan, 32, is the new head of one of Washington’s two antitrust enforcement arms, the Federal Trade Commission that Brandeis helped to create in 1914. President Biden has nominated another neo-Brandeisian, Jonathan Kanter, 48, to head the other key enforcer.

Infrastructure Bill Passed by Senate Includes Historic, Bipartisan Broadband Provisions

Pew

A sweeping $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill would invest $65 billion in fast and reliable broadband infrastructure, affordability, and adoption. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also would provide billions of dollars for roads, high-speed rail, and other projects.

Other:

We’ve compiled 8 tips for identifying false content that you may encounter on the Internet. Use them to be a smart media consumer.

Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust

Look past your personal political biases. This is crucial in sorting out news content. We often believe the worst about people or politicians we despise.

About 4-in-10 Americans say social media is an important way of following COVID-19 vaccine news

Pew Research Center

Amid debates about the role social media has played in the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19 vaccines, roughly half of Americans say that they have been getting some (30%) or a lot (18%) of news and information about these vaccines on social media.

Can a historic Black town be revitalized?

CalMatters

Leaders from a newly formed revitalization task force joined California State Parks representatives last week in announcing a partnership to honor a piece of California Black history in the Central Valley.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 5, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "State Auditor's Report: Evaluating Affordable Housing Programs" - Guest: California State Auditor Elaine Howle; John Myers - LA Times; Dan Walters - CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 5, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Building More Affordable Housing: What Works and What Doesn’t"- Guests: CA State Auditor Elaine Howle; John Myers - LA Times; Dan Walters - CalMatters; Matt Levine - CalMatters; Dan Dunmoyer - California Building Industry Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Madera County sees drop in farm revenue for 2020

Business Journal

Madera County is reporting an overall loss in ag income for 2020. Madera County is ranked No. 10 in California with ag production last year valued at $1.95 billion, a decrease of $52.03 million — 2.6% — year over year.

Opinion: Farmworkers deserve the right to vote by mail in union elections

CalMatters

AB 616 will go a long way toward ensuring that farmworkers can decide, by free and fair elections, whether they wish to join a union.

Extreme weather adds to crop issues

Axios

This year’s extreme weather, caused by climate change, is impacting crops to extremes. Prolonged heat waves and droughts have caused this year's corn, soybean, almond, honey, citrus and avocado production to crash and prices to skyrocket.

Opinion: A Retreat on Racial Preferences

Wall Street Journal

The Biden Administration has been losing in court on its racially biased policies, and last week something remarkable happened. The Justice Department declined to appeal a federal court injunction against a discriminatory loan-forgiveness program for farmers.

Opinion: A Tax Plan to Destroy Farms and Ranches

Wall Street Journal

During my service as a U.S. senator and ambassador to China, I was honored to represent the interests of America’s family farmers and ranchers. As part of a four-generation ranch family myself, I understand how these businesses help feed America.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

First court hearing held for Livingston officers accused of filing false police report

Merced Sun Star

Two Livingston police officers arrested for allegedly filing a false report to protect another law enforcement officer had their first hearing Tuesday in Merced County Superior Court.

Pandemic concerns may prime people to discriminate against Asians and Latinos

Los Angeles Times

The findings, described this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlight yet another way that the pandemic has ramped up discrimination against racial and ethnic minority groups — one that may be as widespread as it is difficult to detect.

More than 65,000 fake students applied for financial aid in wide community college scam

Los Angeles Times

California student aid official Patrick Perry was beginning a routine check of federal financial aid records a few weeks ago when he came across a mystifying number: 60,000 more aid applications from a particular group of students this year than last.

Expired Driver’s Licenses Open Lane for Cybercriminals

Pew

After the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, many states issued emergency declarations allowing driver’s licenses to remain valid past expiration dates. But those extensions mostly have ended, and drivers now need to make sure their licenses are renewed.

Public Safety:

Interactive map of current air quality for California and across the U.S.

Modesto Bee

As wildfires continue to burn across Northern California, air quality is top of mind for many. The air has been hazardous for days in many communities in the region.

Lower speed limits to make California's roads safer

Visalia Times Delta

Each year, nearly 4,000 Californians die in car crashes. More than three times that number are severely injured. The difference between death and injury is speed — and with every mile per hour, the risk only grows.

Call 988: How will California pay for the new crisis hotline?

CalMatters

Soon, Californians will be able to dial a new three-digit number when seeking help for a mental health crisis. While 9-8-8 will debut nationwide by next July, the funding California needs to make the help line work successfully remains uncertain.

Opinion: SB 2 treats police officers like professionals

CalMatters

SB 2 would grant the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training the authority to decertify officers who abuse the trust granted them.

Fire:

Interactive map shows where every wildfire is burning in California

Fresno Bee

This interactive map shows where major fires are burning in California and the rest of the nation, including updates on the Caldor Fire burning near Lake Tahoe.

See also:

● California wildfires map Los Angeles Times

● Firefighters nationwide help to subdue French Fire Bakersfield Californian

● Can Tahoe be saved? Wildfire, climate change endanger the future of a California jewel Modesto Bee

● Live Updates: Caldor Fire now near Kirkwood; some early evacuees can return home Modesto Bee

● We’re more than 2 weeks in: What do we know about the origins of the Caldor Fire? Modesto Bee

● Strike team fighting Caldor Fire pulled because of COVID outbreak, prompting warning Sacramento Bee

● An epic battle to save South Lake Tahoe as Caldor fire rages toward Nevada Los Angeles Times

● Firefighters may steer the Caldor fire into the Tamarack fire. Here’s why Los Angeles Times

● Multiple California wildfires growing more dangerous amid winds and heat Los Angeles Times

● Editorial: Lake Tahoe is California’s gem. Climate change could devastate it Los Angeles Times

● One Night on the Fire Lines at Lake Tahoe New York Times

● Editorial: Cal Fire chief has not minced words during wildfire season. We must heed his grim warnings Sacramento Bee

1 Year Later: Cressman's General Store coming back to life after Creek Fire

abc30

Piece by piece, Cressman's General Store is coming back. First, the iconic sign. Then the gas pumps and the shipping container that serves as a makeshift market for now.

As California burns, anger and pointed questions for caretaker of its vast forests

Fresno Bee

The Forest Service — caretaker of 20 million acres of California land, one-fifth of the entire state — is having to defend itself over its handling of a number of big fires. Among them: the Beckwourth Complex, the massive Dixie Fire and, most recently, the Caldor.

● Fund for PG&E wildfire victims in California could be $2.5 billion short, trustee warns Sacramento Bee

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Welcome to September and the ‘I don’t know’ economy

Washington Post

The delta variant of the coronavirus is preventing a return to normal and pumping the brakes on the economic recovery. Major corporations such as Apple, Facebook and Ford have pushed back their return-to-office dates from September to January.

How to Deal With Above-Target Inflation: Raise the Target

Wall Street Journal

In a much-anticipated speech last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell explained at length why inflation, now over 4%, would soon return to the central bank’s 2% target.

Jobs:

Union jobs for city projects? Councilmembers say this proposal will boost Fresno’s middle class

Fresno Bee

COVID unemployment benefits are about to end in California. Will there be a rush for jobs?

Sacramento Bee

When an estimated 2 million Californians lose their unemployment benefits next week, concerns about health and child care are likely to keep many away from the job market.

Q&A: Unemployment Insurance, Labor Day Cliff & the Costs of Unemployment

California Budget and Policy Center

Millions of California workers turned to unemployment insurance benefits over the last 18 months after suddenly losing their jobs – a reality that can hit workers, families, and communities, pandemic or not.

Walters: ‘Grand bargain’ of workers’ compensation under siege

CalMatters

Legislation and a pending lawsuit could make big changes in California’s 108-year-old system of compensating workers for job-related illnesses and injuries.

U.S. Unemployment Claims Fall to 340,000, Remaining at Pandemic Low

Wall Street Journal

Jobless claims fell to a new pandemic low as businesses held on to workers despite the surging Delta variant. Initial jobless claims fell by 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000 in the week ended Aug. 28.

Enforcing Vaccine Mandates Is Messy Business

Wall Street Journal

U.S. companies of all sizes have enacted vaccine requirements for employees in recent weeks. They are finding that setting a policy is more straightforward than enforcing it.

Opinion: An argument against the $15 minimum wage

AEI

Economic analysis is an invaluable input to this policy question because it can enumerate and quantify the tradeoffs involved with raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. But economics alone doesn’t tell us how to weigh the costs and benefits.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Editorial: Good work, Modesto City Schools, staying true to equity pledge with key hire

Modesto Bee

Terry Slatic accuses Fresno school leaders of failing to protect teachers, violating laws

Fresno Bee

Lemoore high school psychologist arrested in Kings County sting targeting sex predators

Fresno Bee

Kings County law enforcement officers arrested 16 men, including a Lemoore Union High School District psychologist, during a sting operation targeting sexual predators and human trafficking.

Visalia teachers struggle as COVID cases forces more work, less planning

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified classrooms are constantly changing in both size and format as students and staff continue to quarantine after potential exposures to COVID-19 positive individuals — for many teachers, this means taking on extra work.

Not enough subs: California schools face severe teacher shortage

CalMatters

Long underpaid and underappreciated, substitute teachers are key to keeping schools open this year. But a shortage of subs has created another layer of chaos to this pandemic school year.

Editorial: Delta variant put school reopening in a quandary. Here’s how to fix it

Los Angeles Times

The start of California’s new school year hasn’t been going as we’d all hoped. If there’s any “fault” involved here, it’s in the ability of viruses to mutate — in this case, the Delta variant of the coronavirus spread so quickly it left school administrators little time for planning.

● Delta variant: 'A lot of our school systems' are at risk of closing amid surges, doctor warns Yahoo News

Should all school districts be required to offer transitional kindergarten?

EdSource

Even as universal transitional kindergarten — which will offer an extra year of school to all 4-year-olds —inches closer to becoming a reality in California, parents like Katherine Fitzpatrick worry that their children will miss out.

Higher Ed:

Event: “Fresno State, Stanislaus State and CSU Bakersfield: Increasing Their Role in Local Economic Growth and Inclusion”

The Maddy Institute

On September 13, 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.

Cal State's incoming freshman Class of 2025 key to meeting system's graduation goals

EdSource

For California State University, this fall’s incoming Class of 2025 is particularly important. That’s because of a 10-year plan — known as Graduation Initiative 2025 — that started in 2015 to increase freshman and transfer students’ graduation rates across all 23 campuses.

Full FDA Approval Triggers More Universities To Require The COVID-19 Vaccine

VPR

It's been a week since the FDA announced full approval of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, and the decision has opened the door for colleges and universities to require the vaccine for their campuses.

That student in your community college class could be a bot

CalMatters

Bots are filling up community college classes in a likely attempt by scammers to fraudulently access COVID-19 relief grants and other financial aid. At least 10 districts or individual colleges told CalMatters they’ve been affected, and the community college system has announced new security measures to combat the scam.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

We Looked for Some of the Hottest Places in California. We Found Climate Injustice in a Nutshell.

ProPublica

In the climate crisis, communities like this face a combustive, destructive “confluence of vulnerabilities,” as Zachary Lamb, an assistant professor of city and regional planning at University of California, Berkeley, explained.

Weather disasters are now far more frequent and costly but less deadly, U.N. says

Los Angeles Times

Weather disasters are striking the world four to five times more often and causing seven times more damage than in the 1970s, the United Nations weather agency reports.

Opinion: Climate change won't stop while America hates trains and walking

MSNBC

Americans love their space. The desire for a wide, sweeping plot of land is baked into the country’s mythos. It’s part of why our culture latched onto cars in the mid-20th century.

Energy:

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Are your Fresno County children exposed to lead at home? Here's how to get help

Fresno Bee

Many children living in Fresno County's poorest neighborhoods are exposed to poisonous lead at home. County officials identify the hazards during routine home inspections, but the risk often remains unabated because families cannot afford to remove the contamination.

COVID long-haulers at risk of kidney damage — even those who had mild cases, study says

Fresno Bee

Long-haulers, people who deal with COVID-19 symptoms weeks or months after their infection subsides, may be at risk of kidney damage, according to a new study.

How to keep the air in your home clean when there’s wildfire smoke outside

Los Angeles Times

Wildfires are expected in California’s dry summer and fall seasons. But Jo Kay Ghosh, health effects officer for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said wildfires — and the resulting smoke — are now possible any time of year.

They’re called mild cases. But people with breakthrough covid can still feel pretty sick.

Washington Post

Kinsey and other vaccinated people who develop breakthrough cases of covid-19, the illness caused by the virus, are learning a mild case may not seem so mild to the person enduring the infection.

Massive randomized study is proof that surgical masks limit coronavirus spread, authors say

Washington Post

The authors of a study based on an enormous randomized research project in Bangladesh say their results offer the best evidence yet that widespread wearing of surgical masks can limit the spread of the coronavirus in communities.

Use of Antiparasitic Drug Ivermectin Against Covid-19 Prompts Warnings

Wall Street Journal

Federal health regulators are warning doctors and veterinarians against the unauthorized use of the drug ivermectin to treat Covid-19, as prescriptions of the antiparasitic drug have surged in recent weeks.

For Labor Day Travel, Keep Up With the Covid-19 Mandates

Wall Street Journal

If you plan to hit the road or take to the skies over the holiday weekend, travel agents say you should plan ahead and keep an eye on changing vaccine and mask-wearing regulations at your destination.

Israeli coronavirus vaccine booster data gives the U.S. hope

Axios

Preliminary Israeli data shows that coronavirus booster shots quickly spike a person's protection against both severe disease and infection, suggesting that the additional shots could help blunt the virus' spread in the U.S. — although it's very unclear how much.

The Facts Behind the COVID-19 Delta Variant

Pew

93% of new COVID-19 cases were caused by the delta variant in the United States by the end of July 2021. The battle against the COVID-19 virus seemed almost won, but the delta variant is now responsible for a new surge of cases.

The High Price of the Opioid Crisis, 2021

Pew

Untreated opioid use disorder (OUD), a chronic brain disease, has a serious cost to people, their families, and society because of increased health care spending, criminal justice issues, and lost productivity.

Human Services:

Children's Hospitals Are Pleading For Federal Help As They Run Out Of Beds

VPR

A group of more than 220 children's hospitals is imploring the Biden administration for help, as a surge of young COVID-19 patients puts an "unprecedented strain" on their facilities and staff across the country.

The telehealth revolution holds promise of new era in health care

Business Journal

The health care sector has become well-acquainted with the use of telehealth for patient care, and now as physicians look to the future, they see it changing the patient relationship for the better.

Opinion: Do the unvaccinated deserve scarce ICU beds?

Washington Post

Compassion fatigue is a rising condition, as public sympathy for unvaccinated covid-19 patients sinks beneath the weight of news reports. Need brain surgery? Better not live in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Comments on No Surprises Act rulemaking: Part I

AEI

Under the No Surprises Act, an insurer is required to send a provider an initial payment within 30 days after delivery of a service. The Departments seek comment on whether they should set a minimum amount for that payment.

IMMIGRATION

California Democrats want to expand sanctuary state law, but police unions are pushing back

Fresno Bee

California Democrats want to make more immigrants eligible for protection under the so-called sanctuary state law by closing exemptions that allow local law enforcement agencies to participate in the deportation of people accused of certain crimes.

Migrants? Unvaccinated people? Who’s fueling a COVID-19 surge on the border?

Los Angeles Times

Hundreds of Central American asylum seekers awaited coronavirus test results under tents in a park on the U.S. bank of the Rio Grande last week. U.S. Customs and Border Protection vans dropped migrants they had detained and cleared for release at the site for testing.

Exclusive: Government can't reach one-in-three released migrant kids

Axios

The U.S. government has lost contact with thousands of migrant children released from its custody, according to data obtained by Axios through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Developers postpone Fresno rezone application in favor of finding ‘collaborative solution’

Fresno Bee

City of Fresno works to revitalize downtown by tackling vacant buildings, businesses not up to code

abc30

After a vacant building ordinance was implemented in August, the city has started putting vacant building owners on notice. The owners have been given information on what will be expected of them as inspections are set to begin in September.

What statewide temporary national forest closures means for Central California

abc30

Labor Day weekend is fast approaching and if you were planning to go camping or boating in a national forest, you'll need to pick a different spot. National forests in California are temporarily closing because of wildfires across the state.

Housing:

While foreclosures may come, housing bubble isn’t keeping experts up at night

Business Journal

Across the nation, a foreclosure moratorium lifted at the end of July. Under federal law, however, those facing foreclosure can’t be evicted until the eviction moratorium is lifted. For California, that moratorium will lift Sept. 30.

Here’s how the recall candidates say they’d boost housing production in California

Los Angeles Times

California’s housing shortage has become a focal point of the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, as candidates vow to turbo-charge home building by slashing bureaucratic hurdles for developers and streamlining construction approvals.

Opinion: Will the Legislature prioritize water for affordable housing?

CalMatters

To confront California’s housing crisis also means confronting its water crisis, because fewer homes get built when water supplies tighten.

White House to Unveil Steps Aimed at Easing Housing Supply Shortage

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration is poised to unveil a series of steps aimed at addressing the U.S. shortage of entry-level homes and rental properties, according to people familiar with the matter, moves designed to boost their financing and construction over the coming years.

● White House details plans to improve housing affordability Business Journal

PUBLIC FINANCES

Social Security Costs Expected to Exceed Total Income in 2021 as Covid-19 Takes Financial Toll

Wall Street Journal

The severe economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic last year weighed on the financial health of Social Security, but not nearly as much as many forecasters originally feared, according to new projections of the program’s finances.

Opinion: Can Congress Tax Wealth by ‘Deeming’ It Income?

Wall Street Journal

Charles and Kathleen Moore have done well, but they certainly aren’t billionaires. Yet the couple’s constitutional challenge stands to slam shut the door on a federal wealth tax like the one Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to enact.

How Government Can Address Growing Disaster Costs

Pew

The United States pays for disaster assistance through a complicated intergovernmental system that relies on funding from different agencies—from emergency management to housing and transportation.

TRANSPORTATION

ACE will restore 4th train from north Valley to Bay Area. Update on Amtrak to capital

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus supervisors prefer this option for the next leg of 132 west of Modesto

Modesto Bee

Coalition urges Democrats to restore $10 billion in transit funding

The Hill

A coalition of trade associations, labor unions and environmental groups on Monday urged Democratic leaders to allocate an additional $10 billion for public transit in the party's $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill.

Caltrans releases latest draft plan for rail improvements; high-speed rail is a high priority

Railway Track and Structures

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has released its latest draft plan for highway and rail improvements that will more safely, efficiently, and sustainably move people and goods between different regions in the state.

WATER

How drought pressured California to mandate consolidation, drinking water for Tooleville

Fresno Bee

Residents of this tiny, two-road farmworker community, tucked into the edge of the Sierra Nevada foothills in eastern Tulare County, have been living on bottled water since 2014 because its two wells are contaminated with hexavalent chromium.

State halts diversions from the Tuolumne River. What that means for MID, TID water users

Modesto Bee

Years Later, California Voters Still Wait on Water Projects

U.S. News

It's been seven years since California voters agreed to borrow billions of dollars to build more water storage projects.

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