Maddy Institute – September 21, 2021

21Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Sept. 21: Stanislaus death rate slows. Weekend adds 601 cases Modesto Bee

● COVID booster shots will be given to Stanislaus residents 65 and older. Anyone else? Modesto Bee

● At-home rapid COVID tests are sold out around Stanislaus County. How to find them Modesto Bee

UC Merced needs funding to open a medical school. Here’s how it could happen

Merced Sun Star

The dream of having medical school at UC Merced is coming closer to becoming a reality, according to politicians and school leaders who conducted a roundtable discussion with students at the university Friday afternoon.

Modesto starts talking about its next city auditor, nearly 3 years after last one left

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Council has started talking about filling the position of city auditor, nearly three years after the last one left under a cloud roughly eight months after the council had hired her.

Housing, transportation, mental help are barriers for resettlement centers, refugees

Modesto Bee

Over 1,000 refugees will arrive in Stanislaus County within a year as resettlement centers say it’s hard to find housing, transportation and mental health services for the Afghans already here.

Stanislaus 2030 proposal stresses importance of designing an ‘intentional’ economy

Modesto Bee

Currently, Stanislaus’ main traded industry is agriculture, and Kaanon said it’s imperative to not only focus on expanding that industry, but diversify into others — like ag tech.

At least 250 Denair Unified students quarantined, including football, volleyball teams

Modesto Bee

At least 250 students in Denair Unified School District were quarantined as of Friday morning, including the entire varsity and junior varsity football and volleyball teams.

See also:

● A surge of COVID cases impacts Denair Unified Turlock Journal

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.

Council pushes back roads decision as citizens criticize bond proposal

Turlock Journal

The Turlock City Council on Tuesday decided they need more time to commence the planned roads program initiative, forgoing a contract approval with consultants who had proposed exploring lease revenue bonds as a way to fund road repairs.

TID recognized for advancing sustainability practices

Turlock Journal

The Turlock Irrigation District was awarded a Beacon Leadership and Innovation Award at CSDA’s 2021 Annual Conference in Monterey. TID is the first-ever special district to receive a Beacon Award for excellence in advancing environmental sustainability.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● COVID booster shots on the way, but not for everyone. Who’s first in Fresno, Valley? Fresno Bee

● Fresno County’s ‘fully vaccinated’ residents now outnumber those without COVID shots Fresno Bee

● Have tickets at Fresno’s Save Mart Center arena? Be prepared to show proof of vaccine Fresno Bee

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.

See also:

● City of Fresno suing Friant Water Authority Porterville Recorder

● Friant Water Authority responds to City of Fresno suit Porterville Recorder

● Fresno votes to fight share of Friant-Kern Canal repairs, possibly jeopardize water supply San Joaquin Valley Sun

USDOT awards $5 million for regional infrastructure projects

Progressive Railroading

The U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) has selected five recipients to receive a total of $5 million under the new Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIA) program, including Fresno - slated to received $1 million for structural development.

Fresno health officer says climate change is ‘global poisoning,’ calls for federal action

Fresno Bee

Saying climate change is a “global poisoning event” that threatens the health of Central Valley residents, the head of Fresno County Public Health on Friday called for congressional support of climate investments through President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act.

Fresno County lands what reportedly will be West Coast’s largest green hydrogen plant

Fresno Bee

Officials with Plug Power, headquartered in Latham, New York, said in their Monday announcement that the plant — near Mendota — is expected to produce 30 metric tons of liquid green hydrogen daily within about four years.

‘It’s been a mess.’ Hear from Fresno renters, landlords struggling to access help

Fresno Bee

A once homeless veteran borrowed $1,500 from his mother to pay rent while he waited to hear back from the Housing Retention Grant Program. That decision, he said, cost him approval for the program.

Ex-Fresno City Council staffer jailed after conviction on more domestic violence felonies

Fresno Bee

Daniel Gai, a former staffer for Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, was found guilty Monday of two counts of criminal threats stemming from a 2019 domestic violence incident.

Internal Fresno police audit reveals continued outside work violations

abc30

A new internal audit has revealed that issues with Fresno police officers working second jobs on city time continued even after a previous review. But new safeguards could be eliminating the issue.

FBI Probe of Possible Fresno City Hall Corruption Underway

GV Wire

The FBI is investigating possible corruption and influence-peddling at Fresno City Hall, and a federal grand jury is hearing testimony from witnesses, GV Wire has learned.

Editorial: Fresno Unified has another chance to honor H. Roger Tatarian by getting it right this time

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Unified School District board will soon get a second chance to make good on a decision it should have reached last spring, and it appears that this time the trustees will do just that.

Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified desperately need substitute teachers

abc30

Educators are working non-stop to keep our schools staffed and they tell Action News, amid a pandemic, it's not easy. Both Fresno and Clovis Unified are desperately in need of substitute teachers.

Trustee Crabtree confirms plans to resign from Visalia Unified school board

Visalia Times Delta

After living in Visalia for nearly 40 years, Visalia Unified trustee John Crabtree confirmed his plans to resign from his position serving on the school board.

Update: National Weather Service predicts Visalia area will be inundated by heavy smoke Visalia Times Delta

The National Weather Service's air quality computer model is showing heavy smoke from the Windy and KNP Complex fires will inundate the Visalia and Fresno area on Monday and Tuesday. The model predicts heavy smoke will descend on the Visalia area around noon Monday and will remain until Tuesday evening.

Hispanic Heritage display honors local accomplishments, Mexican art, Tulare boxer Visalia Times Delta

Tulare Historical Museum will feature numerous exhibits honoring artwork, music, dance, community-based organizations, and even an Olympic silver medalist for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Around Kings County: No power from 'slave labor' after all

Hanford Sentinel

A critic of three Westlands Solar Park projects in Kings County ended up withdrawing an appeal from the Board of Supervisors recently that had claimed Westlands would not certify they would not use solar panels from China that used forced labor.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Bakersfield hospital CEOs: How will vaccine mandate impact staffing? Bakersfield Californian

● County public health department releases long-awaited demographic data for Kern COVID-19 deaths Bakersfield Californian

Kern leads in production of California's most lucrative crops

Bakersfield Californian

A new report shows Kern leading other counties in production of California's most lucrative crops, including three of the state's top seven agricultural exports.

Kern faces state investigation over contracting, employment practices

Bakersfield Californian

Kern government has been informed the state Attorney General's Office is investigating the county's contracting and employment practices. Few details were available but late in the afternoon County Counsel Margo Raison confirmed the investigation's existence in an email

Kern unemployment falls to 10 percent

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County's unemployment rate improved to an even 10 percent in August thanks to a surge in hiring at local schools, restaurants, farms and health-care facilities, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday.

Water transfers helped farmers survive this year. Now, all eyes are on the coming water year

Bakersfield Californian

Water transfers, trades and sales doubled this year as drought left San Joaquin Valley farmers scrambling for supplies. “This has been kind of an exceptional year for transfers,” said Sam Boland-Brien, program manager at the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights.

Revised repurposing farmland bill on Governor's desk

Porterville Recorder

After much wrangling over how lost farmland could be used for other purposes — and what purposes they could be — growers who lose farmland should now have a chance to receive the help they need to use their land for other plans.

Two Lake Isabella campuses reopen after closure due to COVID staffing shortages

Bakersfield Californian

Two school campuses in Lake Isabella that had been shut down because of staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 are scheduled to reopen Tuesday, according to the Kernville Union School District.

CSUB's Edible Garden gets $50,000 gift to help it grow

Bakersfield Californian

CSUB announced that Adventist Health Bakersfield and the Grimm Family Education Foundation have given a gift of $50,000 to improve and enhance the university's edible garden. All the food grown in the garden feeds CSUB students through the Food Pantry.

Pre-law programs at BC, CSUB set up students for success

Bakersfield Californian

Law is a necessity in many facets of business and life, and can be a useful tool across the board, no matter what profession or major one might choose. Both Bakersfield College and CSUB recognize that, and have programs to help students prepare for the next phase in their lives.

State:

COVID Update:

● What can California workers expect from Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate? Here’s what we know Sacramento Bee

● California has lowest COVID-19 case rate in US abc30

● California has the lowest coronavirus rate in the nation. Here’s what we know Los Angeles Times

● California now the only state that's advanced out of CDC's 'high' COVID transmission category San Francisco Chronicle

● California reports lowest COVID-19 case rate in the country CBS News

● Big demand makes COVID-fighting antibodies hard to get in California Los Angeles Times

Glass House: California Legislator Tracker

CalMatters

Here you can find your California state Senators and Assembly members, how to contact them, committees they serve on and how they shape our lives in the Golden State.

Recall vote highlights California’s geopolitical divisions

Sacramento Bee

The California recall election was a blowout win for Gov. Gavin Newsom that reinforced the state's political divisions: The Democratic governor won big support in coastal areas and urban centers, while the rural north and agricultural inland, with far fewer voters, largely wanted him gone.

● The Central Valley gives California a recall rarity: a squeaker of a race Los Angeles Times

● California Republican turnout not high enough to boot Newsom KGET

● Look at how dramatically California changed — and where — in the 18 years since the last recall Mercury News

● Don’t bet against California: 13 reasons recall failed Mercury News

● California recall shows the college versus non-college divide among white voters keeps on expanding San Francisco Chronicle

● California Recall: Final turnout likely to be north of 50%, Newsom lead appears to grow from 2018 Mercury News

● Skelton: In California recall, Gavin Newsom should have been the only name on the ballot Los Angeles Times

● Labor Helped Newsom Beat Back Recall, Now They Expect Him to Show Up for Them KQED

● The Cost of California’s Recall Election New Yorker

● Commentary:After recall, work continues toward multi-racial democracy CalMatters

With recall defeated, Newsom scores well in poll against 2022 rivals

Los Angeles Times

After overwhelmingly rejecting an effort to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom in Tuesday’s recall election, California voters appear ready to sign him up for a second term in 2022.

● What Republicans and Democrats learned from the recall that will help them in the midterms San Francisco Chronicle

● After California Recall, Democrats Fret Over Latino Vote Wall Street Journal

California recall vote shows Trump’s big lie is now Republican playbook

The Guardian

Former president Donald Trump warned that the ballot would be “rigged”. The Republican candidate Larry Elder predicted “shenanigans”. The conservative media star Tomi Lahren suggested that “voter fraud” was inevitable.

California enacts 2 laws to slice through local zoning rules

Sacramento Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday approved two measures to slice through local zoning ordinances as the most populous state struggles with soaring home prices, an affordable housing shortage and stubborn homelessness.

● California's new single-family zoning law probably won't produce much new housing in San Francisco San Francisco Chronicle

● What just happened with single-family zoning in California? Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: SoCal is sabotaging California housing law. Bay Area NIMBYs will, too, if Newsom doesn't stop them San Diego Union-Tribune

● Victorious in recall, Newsom refocuses on California housing crisis CalMatters

● Gavin Newsom signs two laws to ease California’s housing crisis.

● New York Times

● After Years of Failure, California Lawmakers Pave the Way for More Housing New York Times

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

Some Californians could get big tax savings if this change goes through.

Sacramento Bee

Middle class and wealthier Californians save a lot of money on their federal income tax if Congress gets rid of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions — and there’s a lot of support for doing that soon.

California will try to fix its unemployment system. Here’s when it could happen

Sacramento Bee

Little by little, it should become easier to deal with the Employment Development Department, thanks to a series of measures the Legislature has passed. But don’t expect problems to suddenly evaporate.

California could forfeit millions of dollars meant for struggling renters, auditor warns

Los Angeles Times

California must step up its effort to distribute federal funds to renters struggling financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic or the state risks forfeiting millions of dollars in assistance, the state auditor warned Thursday.

California halts insurance cancellations in major wildfire areas across 22 counties Sacramento Bee

The one-year moratorium, announced by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, affects about 325,000 homeowners. It came a month after Lara imposed a similar moratorium affecting 25,000 homeowners who live in the vicinity of the Lava and Beckwourth Complex fires.

Democratic infighting starts

Politico

Unable to continue serving in the Legislature beyond 2024, Assemblymember Marc Levine launched a campaign on Monday to unseat incumbent Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.

New Brown Act Amendment Changes the Rules for Teleconference Meetings During A State of Emergency

aalrr

On September 16, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 361 into law, effective immediately. The Bill amends the Ralph M. Brown Act to include new authorization for remote meetings, including remote public comment, for all local agencies.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● Covid Vaccine Prompts Strong Immune Response in Younger Children, Pfizer Says New York Times

● U.S. to lift international air travel restrictions on vaccinated adults in November Fresno Bee

● U.S. to Relax Covid-19 Travel Restrictions as Tensions Mount With Allies Wall Street Journal

● What can California workers expect from Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate? Here’s what we know Sacramento Bee

● COVID has killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 flu Fresno Bee

● U.S. Covid-19 Death Toll Surpasses 1918 Flu Fatalities Wall Street Journal

● COVID-19 has killed 675,000 Americans — about the same amount who died from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic CBS

● The Long History of Vaccine Mandates in America Wall Street Journal

● Majority in U.S. Says Public Health Benefits of COVID-19 Restrictions Worth the Costs, Even as Large Shares Also See Downsides Pew Research Center

Senate parliamentarian deals blow to Dems’ immigration push

Sacramento Bee

Democrats can’t use their $3.5 trillion package bolstering social and climate programs to give millions of immigrants a chance to become citizens, a crushing blow to what was the party’s clearest pathway in years to attaining that long-sought goal.

● Immigration Measure Can’t Be Included in $3.5 Trillion Package, Senate Parliamentarian Says Wall Street Journal

● Senate parliamentarian nixes immigration measure in budget bill Washington Post

● Democrats blocked from including immigration reform in party-line spending bill Politico

● Dems' immigration plan hits major roadblock Axios

● Democrats prep Plan B after immigration bid rejected Roll Call

Democrats unveil new plan to fund government, suspend debt ceiling as major showdown with GOP looms

Washington Post

House and Senate Democrats unveiled a measure that would fund the government into December while staving off a potential default on U.S. debts through next year, setting up a last-minute clash with Republicans ahead of two key fiscal deadlines on Capitol Hill.

● Manchin suggests pausing talks on $3.5 trillion package until 2022: report The Hill

● Opinion: Manchin and the Democrats’ last chance Brookings

● Dems fear Biden's domestic agenda could implode Politico

● Republicans Try to Rekindle Energy in Fight Against Big Spending Wall Street Journal

● Republicans Find Message to Reduce Spending a Tough Sell Wall Street Journal

Democrats Press Ahead With Debt-Limit Vote Amid Standoff With GOP

Wall Street Journal

A fight over raising the government’s borrowing limit is expected to ratchet up this week, with Democrats moving ahead with a vote in the face of GOP opposition, raising doubts about whether Congress will take action before the federal government runs out of cash.

● Editorial: That Debt Limit Show Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: The GOP’s misguided short game AEI

● Opinion: Use the Debt Ceiling to Reduce the Debt Wall Street Journal

● White House rules out concessions on debt ceiling while GOP refuses to help avert financial crisis Washington Post

What the Infrastructure Bill Would Help Fix First

Wall Street Journal

Transportation officials across the U.S. are gearing up for a potential cash infusion from the infrastructure bill, planning to speed up repairs of century-old bridges, fix rural roads battered by heavy trucks and overhaul a key distribution route for hot dogs and rice cakes.

Opinion: Congress’s Climate Crackup

Wall Street Journal

There’s a simple reason Democrats have never in 20 years rounded up the votes for an economy-crushing climate bill: It’s political suicide. As the reconciliation battle rages, that reality is finally—belatedly—setting in.

Opinion: Why isn’t Congress motivated to save Social Security

AEI

“For the past 30 years, Congress has chosen not to fix Social Security and by pushing the problem off, it becomes a more difficult problem for all of us to solve.” Andrew Biggs discusses the options Congress has for reforming Social Security and why these options are yet to be taken up by policymakers

Biden administration to write workplace safety rule tackling heat stress

Politico

The Biden administration announced Monday that it will begin crafting a standard to protect workers from heat as the federal government wrestles with a growing public health threat exacerbated by climate change.

Opinion: Why Democrats Are Losing Texas Latinos

Texas Monthly

The party assumes people of color will turn the state blue. But most Tejanos consider themselves white. And more are voting Republican.

Delayed maps upend midterm campaigns

Axios

Candidates are unsure if the district they're targeting will remain intact or be reshaped by the process. The uncertainty is especially vexing to Democrats, who are vying to maintain their narrow margin in the House.

Other:

Podcast: American Rage

New Yorker

During the past year, public meetings have become scenes of chaos. Debates about the results of the 2020 election, race, abortion, voting access, and the covid-19 vaccine have erupted in displays of frustration and rage, and sometimes in violence.

Report renews calls for research on social media’s impact on kids

Roll Call

Child safety advocates say an explosive report that Facebook failed to disclose data showing its products negatively affect the mental health of teenagers should be the final straw for lawmakers worried about social media’s impact on young users.

The Historical Roots of Mistrust in Science

American Bar Association

The impacts of COVID-19 and the response to the disease illustrate the failings of science, medicine, and science-based policy in the context of race, ethnicity, and income.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 26, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Air Quality: Have We Hit the Invisible Wall?" - Guest: Rachel Becker, Environmental Reporter - CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 26, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Valley Air: Are We Breathing Any Easier?"- Guests: Tom Jordan, Senior Policy Advisor - San Joaquin Valley Air District; Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner, Co-Director - Fresno State’s Central Valley Health Policy Institute. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Revised repurposing farmland bill on Governor's desk

Porterville Recorder

Kern leads in production of California's most lucrative crops

Bakersfield Californian

A new report shows Kern leading other counties in production of California's most lucrative crops, including three of the state's top seven agricultural exports.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Ex-Fresno City Council staffer jailed after conviction on more domestic violence felonies

Fresno Bee

Daniel Gai, a former staffer for Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, was found guilty Monday of two counts of criminal threats stemming from a 2019 domestic violence incident.

Public Safety:

Internal Fresno police audit reveals continued outside work violations

abc30

A new internal audit has revealed that issues with Fresno police officers working second jobs on city time continued even after a previous review. But new safeguards could be eliminating the issue.

Fire:

California firefighters scramble to protect sequoia groves

Sacramento Bee

Flames on Sunday reached a grove of sequoia trees in California as firefighters battled to keep fire from driving further into another grove, where the base of the world’s largest tree has been wrapped in protective foil.

● Update: National Weather Service predicts Visalia area will be inundated by heavy smoke Visalia Times Delta

● Three Rivers residents wait, worry as ash, smoke cover town Hanford Sentinel

● Iconic General Sherman and Four Guardsmen still standing amid raging wildfire Visalia Times Delta

● Windy, KNP Complex fires burn over 40,000 acres of Sequoia National park and forest lands Visalia Times Delta

● The bold firefighting strategies that saved some of the world’s largest sequoias Los Angeles Times

● California Firefighters Scramble To Protect Sequoia Groves VPR

● Aluminum wrap used to protect homes in California wildfires Sacramento Bee

● Central California’s out-of-control KNP wildfire closing in on giant historic trees Mercury News

● Sequoia National Park’s General Sherman tree, one of largest in the world, still safe amid growing wildfire Los Angeles Times

● 4 famous giant trees unharmed by Sequoia National Park fire Associated Press

● Efforts to replant trees can’t keep pace as forest fires blast through California San Diego Union Tribune

● More Tulare County residents ordered to evacuate as Windy Fire spreads to over 21,000 acres abc30

● Windy Fire, another wildfire in the South Valley, threatens sequoia trees, prompts evacuations Sacramento Bee

Opinion: Wildfires are changing California forever and making it harder to see a future here

Washington Post

I talk on the phone to a fire ecologist who models wildfire behavior. After evacuating their Northern California town twice in August, she and her husband are considering whether a long-term future in the place they thought was home is really viable.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Stanislaus 2030 proposal stresses importance of designing an ‘intentional’ economy

Modesto Bee

Currently, Stanislaus’ main traded industry is agriculture, and Kaanon said it’s imperative to not only focus on expanding that industry, but diversify into others — like ag tech.

A Summer Of 'Yes' Is Ending In A Cloud Of Uncertainty For The Economy

VPR

It started out as the summer of possibility. Earlier this year, lines outside restaurants were long and bars filled up with noshing revelers. People started shopping for clothes to look presentable again after more than a year of pandemic isolation.

● Delta Variant Set to Slow but Not Derail Global Economic Recovery Wall Street Journal

Opinion: How to help bridge our wealth and income gap

CalMatters

We can create opportunity and work collaboratively to shape a world that narrows wealth and income inequality.

See also:

· Opinion: Income Inequality Is Often by Choice Wall Street Journal

"If you're shopping for the holidays, start now": Supply chain issues worsen as California ports face record backlog

CBS

A backlog of cargo ships waiting to get into the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are helping drive up the cost of goods and services during the pandemic.

Jobs:

Bakersfield employees push for COVID premium pay following $22M in bonuses for county workers

Bakersfield Californian

Weeks after the Kern County Board of Supervisors approved $3,000 payments for staff who worked during the coronavirus pandemic, employees of the city of Bakersfield are pushing for their own bonuses.

Kern unemployment falls to 10 percent

Bakersfield Californian

What can California workers expect from Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate? Here’s what we know

Sacramento Bee

More COVID vaccine mandates are on the way for California. President Joe Biden last week rolled out his plan to get more Americans vaccinated by requiring federal workers and their contractors to get the shots.

Start of school year fuels California job growth in August

Sacramento Bee

Public school teachers and staff returning to the classroom in August fueled another impressive month of job gains in California as officials said that the state added another 104,300 jobs on its march to erase an unprecedented pandemic employment deficit.

● Unemployment rate stagnant: Why many Californians aren’t back at work CalMatters

Biden administration to write workplace safety rule tackling heat stress

Politico

EDUCATION

K-12:

At least 250 Denair Unified students quarantined, including football, volleyball teams

Modesto Bee

At least 250 students in Denair Unified School District were quarantined as of Friday morning, including the entire varsity and junior varsity football and volleyball teams.

See also:

● A surge of COVID cases impacts Denair Unified Turlock Journal

Editorial: Fresno Unified has another chance to honor H. Roger Tatarian by getting it right this time

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Unified School District board will soon get a second chance to make good on a decision it should have reached last spring, and it appears that this time the trustees will do just that.

Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified desperately need substitute teachers

abc30

Educators are working non-stop to keep our schools staffed and they tell Action News, amid a pandemic, it's not easy. Both Fresno and Clovis Unified are desperately in need of substitute teachers.

Trustee Crabtree confirms plans to resign from Visalia Unified school board

Visalia Times Delta

After living in Visalia for nearly 40 years, Visalia Unified trustee John Crabtree confirmed his plans to resign from his position serving on the school board.

Two Lake Isabella campuses reopen after closure due to COVID staffing shortages

Bakersfield Californian

Two school campuses in Lake Isabella that had been shut down because of staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 are scheduled to reopen Tuesday, according to the Kernville Union School District.

‘The kids are not all right’: What can federal lawmakers do for students’ mental health?

Sacramento Bee

Back-to-school this year comes amid a pandemic, wildfires and questions about how being in-person will work on top of other stressors normally faced by students.

Students with disabilities across California stuck in limbo

CalMatters

Some parents are being forced to decide between risking sending their kids with disabilities to school and getting all their needs met or keeping them at home and forfeiting their special education services.

Rural Perspectives: Enhancing Education and Training Support for Rural Residents

EdNote

Rural communities are not a monolith; their diversity creates unique assets and opportunities that require unique policy solutions. One of the best ways to understand the diversity of those challenges is to hear directly from rural residents.

Editorial: California’s latest ethnic studies bill is not quite ready for prime time

Los Angeles Times

Twice now, bills requiring California high school students to take a semester of ethnic studies haven’t made it to law, both times because the model curriculum for the course was deemed unacceptable.

California schools prepare for thousands of Afghan refugee students

Edsource

In California, home to the largest number of Afghan refugees in the country, school officials are preparing for an influx of refugee students who fled Afghanistan with their families after the Taliban seized power in the country last month.

Higher Ed:

UC Merced needs funding to open a medical school. Here’s how it could happen

Merced Sun Star

CSUB's Edible Garden gets $50,000 gift to help it grow

Bakersfield Californian

Pre-law programs at BC, CSUB set up students for success

Bakersfield Californian

Unique Program Helps You Earn up to $21 an Hour After A Free, 12- Week Training

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission

When you think of a job in the construction industry, you may not think of soft skills, which are just one key element of the unique training at Fresno EOC Valley Apprenticeship Connections, also known as VAC.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Fresno health officer says climate change is ‘global poisoning,’ calls for federal action

Fresno Bee

Americans are less concerned – but more divided – on climate change than people elsewhere

Pew Research Center

As the next United Nations Climate Change Conference approaches (COP26), people in advanced economies are highly concerned about the personal impact of climate change and are willing to make changes to address the issue with personal and international action.

Climate Change Is Killing Trees and Causing Power Outages

VPR

According to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, opportunistic fungi are killing these trees. California's climate change-fueled drought, which has persisted for the better part of two decades, has stressed the trees and made them vulnerable to parasites.

Energy:

Fresno County lands what reportedly will be West Coast’s largest green hydrogen plant

Fresno Bee

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

Mercury News

PG&E customers face the 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.

California is sued over its rule on solar power installers.

New York Times

Fearing that growth in California’s solar power sector could grind to a halt, the association representing the industry has filed a lawsuit against the state over a new requirement that installers be “certified electricians.”

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Valley Children’s Doctors Brace For a Rise In Rare Children’s Condition Following Delta Surge

VPR

There were nearly 5,000 reported cases of MIS-C and 41 related deaths in the nation, as of Aug. 27, the CDC said. That included nearly 600 cases in California. The Fresno County Department of Public Health did not have data on local cases and referred KVPR to Valley Children’s Hospital.

COVID Vaccine For Kids Ages 5 To 11 Is Safe And Effective, Pfizer Says

VPR

The first results from the highly anticipated trial studying the effectiveness and safety of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 showed promising results.

● Low dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective in children ages 5 to 11, companies’ study finds Washington Post

● Pfizer, BioNTech Say Covid-19 Vaccine Is Safe for Children Aged 5 to 11 Wall Street Journal

● COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know Mercury News

● Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11, will seek authorization Los Angeles Times

Big gap between Pfizer, Moderna vaccines seen for preventing COVID hospitalizations

Los Angeles Times

Amid persistent concerns that the protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines may be waning, a report by the CDC finds that America’s workhorse shot is significantly less effective at preventing severe cases of disease over the long term than many experts had realized.

Health Experts Urge Patience on Wider Use of Covid-19 Booster Shots

Wall Street Journal

Top U.S. health officials urged patience on broader approval for booster shots for the coronavirus vaccine, two days after a FDA advisory panel recommended that a booster from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE should be limited to the elderly and other groups at higher risk.

J&J Says Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Two Months After First Shot Increases Protection

Wall Street Journal

Johnson & Johnson said a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine administered two months after the first shot increased protection against symptomatic illness in trial participants, as federal regulators evaluate data for the country’s strategy for rolling out boosters.

How Accurate Are Covid-19 Rapid Home Tests, and When Should You Use Them?

Wall Street Journal

Rapid Covid-19 antigen tests are a hot commodity this fall. You buy them at the store or online, twirl a swab around your nostrils and get a result in roughly 15 minutes.

Is a variant worse than Delta on the way? Viral evolution offers clues.

National Geographic

Experts are exploring trends in the ways viruses mutate to understand why highly contagious variants like Delta emerge—and what might come next.

Opinion: Biden’s vaccine summit is a chance to commit doses where they’re needed most

Los Angeles Times

President Biden has called for a vaccine summit on Wednesday. It is important that the U.S. hold this meeting in cooperation with China, India, Russia and the other vaccine-producing countries, and with the U.N. system. Only the U.N., with its universal membership and its operational capacity in low-income countries, has the ability to coordinate the rapid global scale-up of vaccine coverage.

Human Services:

Valley Hospitals Stretched Thin By Latest COVID-19 Surge

VPR

Yet again, Central Valley hospitals are overflowing with COVID-19 patients, which has stretched our medical systems thin and created disturbing consequences for anyone in need of critical care.

California to receive $19.2-million federal boost for maternal, child health programs

Los Angeles Times

California’s home visiting programs for parents and children will receive a $19.2-million federal funding boost. The home visiting programs teach parenting skills, provide information on safe sleep positions, injury prevention and nutrition and screening young children for developmental delays.

IMMIGRATION

Senate parliamentarian deals blow to Dems’ immigration push

Sacramento Bee

● Immigration Measure Can’t Be Included in $3.5 Trillion Package, Senate Parliamentarian Says Wall Street Journal

● Senate parliamentarian nixes immigration measure in budget bill Washington Post

● Democrats blocked from including immigration reform in party-line spending bill Politico

● Dems' immigration plan hits major roadblock Axios

● Senate parliamentarian nixes Democrats' immigration plan The Hill

● Senate parliamentarian rejects Democrats’ immigration bid Roll Call

Biden to raise refugee admissions cap to 125,000 in fiscal year beginning Oct. 1

Washington Post

The Biden administration plans to set the refugee admissions cap for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 to 125,000, meeting a target that President Biden set as a candidate during the 2020 campaign after facing backlash from immigrant advocates.

See also:

● Biden Admin to Raise Refugee Admissions Cap to 125,000 Wall Street Journal

U.S. Flies Haitian Migrants Home in Bid to Manage Del Rio Border Crisis

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration has begun sending many of the approximately 16,000 migrants who have overwhelmed this small city in recent days to their home country of Haiti, including some who haven’t lived in the impoverished island nation for years.

● Confined to U.S. border camp, Haitian migrants wade to Mexico for supplies Los Angeles Times

LAND USE/HOUSING

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.

‘It’s been a mess.’ Hear from Fresno renters, landlords struggling to access help

Fresno Bee

A once homeless veteran borrowed $1,500 from his mother to pay rent while he waited to hear back from the Housing Retention Grant Program. That decision, he said, cost him approval for the program.

California could forfeit millions of dollars meant for struggling renters, auditor warns

Los Angeles Times

See also:

· Editorial: How Renters Made Out in the Pandemic Wall Street Journal

California enacts 2 laws to slice through local zoning rules

Sacramento Bee

● Calif's new single-family zoning law probably won't produce much new housing in San Francisco San Francisco Chronicle

● What just happened with single-family zoning in Calif? Los Angeles Times

● Opinion: SoCal is sabotaging California housing law. Bay Area NIMBYs will, too, if Newsom doesn't stop them San Diego Union-Tribune

● Victorious in recall, Newsom refocuses on California housing crisis CalMatters

● Gavin Newsom signs two laws to ease California’s housing crisis.

● New York Times

● After Years of Failure, Calif Lawmakers Pave the Way for More Housing New York Times

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

● Inflation forces homebuilders to take it slow, raise prices The Business Journal

PUBLIC FINANCES

Haven’t gotten your $600 stimulus check? Here’s when more may get them

Sacramento Bee

Through its Golden State Stimulus, the state has already sent more than $1.8 billion to eligible taxpayers in the last few weeks, according to the Franchise Tax Board. The last batch of payments to some 2 million Californians was sent last week on Sept. 17.

Some Californians could get big tax savings if this change goes through.

Sacramento Bee

California will try to fix its unemployment system. Here’s when it could happen

Sacramento Bee

Editorial: The Government Family Plan

Wall Street Journal

Democrats are back in Washington to jam through their $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, including a radical government incursion into American work and family life. With the stakes so high, we’ll devote the coming days to telling you more about these vast new programs.

California union sends misleading texts on CalPERS election. Here are the facts

Sacramento Bee

Many SEIU Local 1000 members recently received misleading texts from their union related to the CalPERS Board of Administration election. The texts, presented as survey questions, included an inaccuracy related to a board vote and presented information on other votes cast by board members Margaret Brown and David Miller without context.

TRANSPORTATION

Council pushes back roads decision as citizens criticize bond proposal

Turlock Journal

USDOT awards $5 million for regional infrastructure projects

Progressive Railroading

California High-Speed Rail Authority Releases 2021 Sustainability Report

High Speed Rail Authority

As California kicks off Climate Week 2021, the California High-Speed Rail Authority on Monday released its latest Sustainability Graphic of the front cover of the 2021 Sustainability Report.Report: Building an Equitable Future.

Billions Spent on Roads and Transit Projects Are Often Based on Optimistic Forecasts

Wall Street Journal

Transportation planners are looking for ways to improve their travel forecasts as Congress debates spending billions of dollars on new projects.

WATER

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

Fresno Bee

See also:

● City of Fresno suing Friant Water Authority Porterville Recorder

● Friant Water Authority responds to City of Fresno suit Porterville Recorder

● Fresno votes to fight share of Friant-Kern Canal repairs, possibly jeopardize water supply San Joaquin Valley Sun

Illegal marijuana farms take West's water in 'blatant theft'

Hanford Sentinel

Illegal marijuana growers are taking water in uncontrolled amounts when there often isn't enough to go around for even licensed users. Conflicts about water have long existed, but illegal marijuana farms — which proliferate despite legalization in many Western states — are adding strain during a severe drought.

TID recognized for advancing sustainability practices

Turlock Journal

Water transfers helped farmers survive this year. Now, all eyes are on the coming water year

Bakersfield Californian

Improving California’s Water Market

PPIC

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act mandates that local groundwater users bring their groundwater basins into balance by the 2040s, a process that will ultimately help individual users and their communities build resilience in an era of climate change.

● Event: Improving California’s Water Market PPIC

● Opinion: Water markets can help bring California’s groundwater into balance CalMatters

Groundwater and Urban Growth in the San Joaquin Valley

PPIC

The San Joaquin Valley is ground zero for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). It has the largest groundwater deficit in California and faces some of the worst impacts from overdraft, including land subsidence and drying wells.

● Event: Groundwater and Urban Growth in the San Joaquin Valley PPIC

“Xtra”

Yes, We're Calling It Hispanic Heritage Month And We Know It Makes Some Of You Cringe

NPR

Not Latino Heritage Month. Not Latinx Heritage Month. Not even a compromise or a combination of the three: Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Heritage Month.

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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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