Maddy Institute – September 22, 2021

22Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

Hanford Sentinel

The Windy Fire and KNP Complex in Tulare County continue to cause smoke impacts across the San Joaquin Valley. As a result, the District has issued an Air Quality Alert with the National Weather Service to remain in place while smoke impacts continue.

● Wildfire smoke in valley prompts air quality warning Bakersfield Californian

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Sept. 22: Stanislaus reports just one death; cases rise by 175 Modesto Bee

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.

Labor numbers improve in Stanislaus County

Turlock Journal

The unemployment rate fell for August in Stanislaus County as industries hit hard during the pandemic continue to add back employees, according to the latest numbers from the Employment Development Department.

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.

● Housing, transportation, mental help are barriers for resettlement centers, refugees Modesto Bee

Plan laid to hire mental health care workers for Stanislaus schools, with focus on Latinos

Modesto Bee

Spanish speakers soon will be placed in Stanislaus County schools as mental health care outreach workers and clinicians to fill what local officials and numerous reports call an urgent service gap.

See also:

● Schools focus on student mental health Turlock Journal

Turlock Unified offers virtual instruction for students in quarantine

Turlock Journal

Turlock Unified School District has decided to provide access to instruction when a secondary student in grades 7-12 is placed on quarantine (not allowed to physically attend school due to a COVID-19 related exposure or illness).

Stanislaus State ranked among best in West at graduating economically disadvantaged

Fresno Bee

In a measure called social mobility, CSU Stanislaus is No. 6 among 122 universities in the western states. The high spot reflects the Turlock university’s success in graduating economically disadvantaged students who receive federal Pell Grants.

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.

As drought gets worse, some wells will trigger environmental review in Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

The courts ruled that Stanislaus County can’t simply give administrative approval for well permits, and the county is now working on policies to decide which well permits will require an environmental review.

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

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

● Fresno County leaders consider incentives for employees to get COVID shots. Here’s how much Fresno Bee

● Deadlines near for Fresno, Valley health workers to meet COVID-19 vaccine mandate Fresno Bee

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

● Saint Agnes, Valley Children's hospital workers required to have COVID vaccine today abc30

County To Host Mass Flu Vaccination Drive In Fresno On Saturday

Business Journal

This Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. the Fresno County Department of Public Health is hosting a drive thru flu vaccination site at 445 S. Cedar Ave. The public can bring their household members and everyone who receives a vaccine will be entered into a raffle for prizes.

Downtown Fresno developer sues councilman and city alleging fraud over stalled project

Fresno Bee

A downtown Fresno developer is suing Councilmember Miguel Arias and the city of Fresno, alleging breach of contract, fraud and more. Cliff Tutelian, the downtown developer who owns The Grand Tower and renovated Kepler Neighborhood School, filed the lawsuit Friday.

Downtown Fresno boosters weigh housing, safety ahead of key vote

Business Journal

A vote to renew the mandate for Downtown Fresno’s Property-Based Improvement District comes at a time both tenants and property owners are anxious to see the area take off. Those invested in the area are still waiting for one key element — housing.

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.

Millions of dollars available for Fresno-area families in Child Tax Credit. How to sign up

Fresno Bee

New research by the California Policy Lab says that hundreds of thousands of California families are at risk of missing out on these cash benefits, including many children in the Central San Joaquin Valley. For qualifying families, there is still time to sign up online.

5 West Nile Virus cases reported in Tulare County

Porterville Recorder

The Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency announced on Monday five people in the county have been diagnosed with West Nile Virus. Public health officials urge residents to take precautions against mosquito bites.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health: 446 new cases of COVID, 6 new deaths Bakersfield Californian

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

● KHSD unveils new dashboard of COVID cases on campus Bakersfield Californian

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.

ACLU urges White House to reject attempt to keep San Diego private prison open using McFarland

Bakersfield Californian

The American Civil Liberties Union is asking the White House to block an effort by a private prison company from keeping a detention center in San Diego open through an agreement with the city of McFarland.

Lauren Skidmore named CEO of Bakersfield Homeless Center, Alliance Against Family Violence

Bakersfield Californian

In their first change of leadership in more than 20 years, the Bakersfield Homeless Center and the Alliance Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault are getting a new CEO.

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 has nation’s lowest virus transmission rate Fresno Bee

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

● How California turned the tide and achieved the lowest coronavirus transmission rate in the U.S. Los Angeles Times

● Who’s dying in California from COVID-19? CalMatters

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

● 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

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

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

● Opinion: GOP has to make 2022 about policy, not personality Roll Call

What California’s new SB9 housing law means for single-family zoning in your neighborhood

Mercury News

Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed a pair of bills into law that effectively put an end to traditional single-family zoning restrictions in most neighborhoods statewide.

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

● 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 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.

Editorial: Newsom must act; reporters need protection at protest scenes

Los Angeles Times

News reporting is essential at disaster scenes because it provides the public with information that could make the difference between life and death to residents, workers, commuters and others.

Why has massive California never been split into two states? Or six?

Los Angeles Times

Like awaiting an earthquake, we are due — overdue, really — for another aggrieved someone to try once again to get voters or legislators or Congress — or all three — to agree to divvy up California into two or three or a half-dozen states.

Three key takeaways about broadband and California’s digital divide

CalMatters

Stakeholders across California participated in a moderated discussion about the state’s digital divide and its effect on small business.

2021 Redistricting

Berkeley Law Statewide Database

The 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission received notification that the official redistricting database for California has been released. This will allow the Commission to begin redistricting the state’s congressional, Senate, Assembly and Board districts.

Federal:

COVID Update:

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

● ‘Soul-crushing’: US COVID-19 deaths are topping 1,900 a day Fresno Bee

● COVID-19 Has Now Killed About As Many Americans As The 1918-19 Flu VPR

● Is The Worst Over? Modelers Predict A Steady Decline In COVID Cases Through March VPR

● Biden pledges more COVID-19 vaccine doses to boost global inoculation rates Los Angeles Times

● The FDA Has Been Without A Permanent Leader For 8 Months, As COVID Cases Climb NPR

● A New US/Japan Variant To Watch Forbes

● 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

● OSHA Developing Rule Requiring Employers with 100 or More Employees to Ensure Workers Are Vaccinated or Tested Weekly National Law Review

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.

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

● Moderate Democrats not monolithic about their budget concerns Roll Call

● Constituent demands rise, but congressional budgets stay same Roll Call

● Dems fear Biden's domestic agenda could implode Politico

● House races to vote on gov’t funding, debt as GOP digs in Business Journal

● Democrats Add Debt Limit to Spending Measure, Sparking Showdown With GOP Wall Street Journal

● Debt-Limit Suspension Passes House, Faces Standoff in Senate Wall Street Journal

● Editorial: That Debt Limit Show Wall Street Journal

● 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 will happen if Congress doesn’t raise the federal debt limit? Los Angeles Times

● House passes stopgap funding, debt ceiling suspension bill Roll Call

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.

● Democrats struggle to get Biden’s plan back on track Los Angeles Times

● Infrastructure Plan Faces Fresh Uncertainty as Democrats Remain Divided Wall Street Journal

● Democrats still feuding as infrastructure deadline nears Roll Call

● Opinion: Ways and Means’ retirement proposal is bad policy, and unrealistic AEI

Young voters turned out in force for Democrats in 2020. Will they stick around?

Los Angeles Times

A rising generation of young people helped elect Biden in 2020 even though many were lukewarm about his candidacy, and will be key to the Democratic Party’s ability to keep control of Congress in 2022.

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.

Joe Biden Nominates More Historic Firsts To Be Lifetime Federal Judges

Huffington Post

One nominee could be the first Korean American woman to serve on a U.S. appeals court. Another could be the second Black woman to serve on the 9th Circuit.

Opinion: Amid polarization, bipartisan oversight still exists in Congress

Brookings

Since Democrats assumed unified control of government in Washington, many of Congress’s highest-profile investigations have been beset by partisan conflict. But House committees’ oversight of the executive branch extends far beyond these headline-grabbing issues. .

Other:

No More Apologies: Inside Facebook’s Push to Defend Its Image

New York Times

Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive, has signed off on an effort to show users pro-Facebook stories and to distance himself from scandals.

Disinformation May Be the New Normal, Election Officials Fear

Pew Trusts

A voter, driven by disinformation that Republican politicians had pushed for weeks, berated Adona over the state’s lack of a photo ID law, saying election officials exposed the voting system to fraud.

Report: Mapping America’s diversity with the 2020 census

Brookings

The 2020 census results have made clear that America’s “diversity explosion” is continuing, now with an absolute decline in the white population. Yet the country’s racial and ethnic diversity, as shown in national statistics, takes different forms in different places.

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

Report: Did hunger swell?

AEI

Rates of food hardship among US households in 2020 were unchanged from 2019, despite sharp increases in the unemployment rate and broad economic disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

’Vicious cycle:’ How California leaders are trying to redefine domestic abuse in courtrooms

Sacramento Bee

Survivors of domestic violence are gaining the ability to have all they endure considered in court, their advocates say, as California’s leaders have updated state law to recognize the role of coercion in intimate partner abuse.

More Community, Less Confinement

Council of State Governments Justice Center

This 50-state analysis explores how supervision violations impacted prison populations during—and prior to—the pandemic. The project was conducted in partnership with the Correctional Leaders Association with support from Arnold Ventures.

See also:

● New Study Finds Crowded Jails Seeded Millions of Covid-19 Cases Equal Justice Initiative

Police shootings in California could soon become easier to investigate

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Existing laws only allow state prosecutors to investigate if police officers shoot an indisputably unarmed civilian, but the governor’s signature on SB 715 would expand the independent review of police shootings, according to Portantino.

Public Safety:

ACLU urges White House to reject attempt to keep San Diego private prison open using McFarland

Bakersfield Californian

In California state offices emptied by COVID-19, dormant pipes could pose new disease risks

Sacramento Bee

California state workers returning to offices after working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic could face heightened risks of contracting another dangerous respiratory infection: Legionnaires’ disease.

Editorial: Newsom must act; reporters need protection at protest scenes

Los Angeles Times

News reporting is essential at disaster scenes because it provides the public with information that could make the difference between life and death to residents, workers, commuters and others.

Fire:

Firefighters using extra precautions to protect giant sequoias from the KNP Complex Fire

Fresno Bee

Although the KNP Complex Fire has burned 25,000 acres and is at zero-percent containment, firefighters are confident that the giant sequoia groves in Sequoia National Park are well protected.

● Lost Grove and Muir Grove could be impacted as wildfire in Sequoia National Park grows Fresno Bee

● 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

● KNP Complex forces additional forest closure near Hume Lake Ranger District Visalia Times Delta

● California firefighters scramble to protect sequoia groves Sacramento Bee

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

● Four Guardsmen safe, but giant sequoia burns; cabins threatened Los Angeles Times

● California Firefighters Scramble To Protect Sequoia Groves VPR

● Sequoia National Park’s Giant Forest unscathed by wildfire Business Journal

● 4 famous giant trees unharmed by Sequoia National Park fire AP News

California's Firefighters Keep Getting Injured While Training. And Some Have Died

CapRadio

Interviews with current and former Cal Fire employees, medical personnel and wildland firefighting experts, a review of hundreds of pages of government records detailing firefighter injuries and deaths and an analysis of worker heat death cases reveal multiple issues involving workplace safety during Cal Fire training activities.

California's megafires spur insurers to send in special, private crews before a blaze hits

San Francisco Chronicle

These specialists don’t fight fires head-on — that’s the charge of Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service — but instead work around the edges of a conflagration to reduce the likelihood of certain homes and businesses burning.

D.C. could send California billions for fire recovery - but there's a catch

San Francisco Chronicle

Billions of dollars that could cover the loss of burned vines and smoke-tainted wine grapes. Hundreds of millions to help with drought, and hundreds of millions more for hazardous fuels management.

California’s Wildfires Had an Invisible Impact: High Carbon Dioxide Emissions

New York Times

From June to August, the blazes emitted far more planet-warming carbon dioxide than in any other summer in nearly two decades, satellite data shows.

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.

"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.

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

Pew Research

Despite the severity of the shock to the U.S. labor market from the coronavirus pandemic, the earnings of employed workers overall were largely unaffected by the pandemic. Inequality in earnings did rise during last year’s recession.

State and Local Government Job Growth Lags as Economy Recovers

Pew Trusts

More than a year after the sharpest monthly decline in state and local government employment on record, the return of jobs in much of the public workforce is lagging as the economy recovers from the pandemic-induced recession.

Event: Register today for the 2021 California Economic Summit

CA FWD

Registration for the 2021 California Economic Summit — taking place on November 9-10 in Monterey — is now open! The annual two-day gathering is designed to shape our collective action in 2022 and to strengthen the Summit network.

Jobs:

Labor numbers improve in Stanislaus County

Turlock Journal

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.

● What Employers Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements in the Workplace National Law Review

Good Ventilation Prevents COVID-19 Spread — Here's What You Should Ask Your Workplace

VPR

Among the key questions for those returning this fall to offices — as well as gyms, theatres, restaurants and more — is whether their space is COVID-19 safe. Experts agree that proper ventilation can help prevent COVID-19 spread since the virus is airborne.

Biden administration to write workplace safety rule tackling heat stress

Politico

● California's Firefighters Keep Getting Injured While Training. And Some Have Died CapRadio

Opinion: Tots and Teens: How Does Child’s Age Influence Maternal Labor Supply and Child Care Response to the Earned Income Tax Credit?

Brookings

Building on earlier work that shows that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has a substantial positive effect on maternal labor supply, we show that labor supply effects are concentrated among mothers with children under age 3, with only moderate effects of the EITC on the labor supply of mothers with teenagers.

EDUCATION

K-12:

'Devious Licks' Tik Tok trend trashes Tulare County schools, costs districts thousands

Visalia Times Delta

Students across the nation are stealing and vandalizing school property as part of a new, viral Tik Tok trend – and Tulare schools haven’t gone unscathed.

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.

KHSD unveils new dashboard of COVID cases on campus

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern High School District has unveiled a dashboard on its website that notifies the public about positive COVID cases on its campuses and worksites, providing a snapshot of the largest district in the county.

Turlock Unified offers virtual instruction for students in quarantine

Turlock Journal

‘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.

● Schools focus on student mental health Turlock Journal

● Opinion: The consequence of public-health officials racing to shutter schools AEI

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.

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.

Event: Targeted K–12 Funding and Student Outcomes

Public Policy Institute of California

PPIC researcher Julien Lafortune will present findings from a new report that examines school and district spending against trends in student outcomes, offering insight into whether the LCFF is meeting its goal of improving equity in education.

Charter schools boomed during the pandemic

Axios

Charter schools picked off hundreds of thousands of public school students across the U.S. during the pandemic, according to a new analysis from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Higher Ed:

Stanislaus State ranked among best in West at graduating economically disadvantaged

Fresno Bee

California Community Colleges seek $100 million in tech upgrades, in part to tighten security after bot attacks

EdSource

California’s community college system is asking the state for $100 million to revamp its technology infrastructure to upgrade security and overhaul its application portal.

State announces charges in alleged student loan debt relief scam with more than 19,000 victims

Los Angeles Times

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta on Tuesday announced charges in an alleged multimillion-dollar student loan debt relief scam that prosecutors say stole from more than 19,000 victims in less than three years.

Opinion: Why the Future at U.S. Colleges Is Female

Wall Street Journal

The insistence that “the future is female” and constant denunciation of “mansplaining” and all the rest have combined to encourage female participation and denigrate male participation, if not masculinity itself, throughout academia.

Opinion: Conservatives, Don’t Give Up on Yale

National Review

I suppose most conservatives, when thinking about the political climate at Yale, would not expect to hear that the school’s largest student group is named after one of the founders of the post-war conservative movement

Opinion: Affirmative Action, Mismatch, and Economic Mobility after California’s Proposition 209

Brookings

Proposition 209 banned race-based affirmative action at California public universities in 1998.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

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.

UN health agency sets higher, tougher bar for air quality

AP News

The harmful health effects of air pollution kick in at lower levels than previously thought, the World Health Organization said Wednesday as it set a new standard for policymakers and the public in the first update of its air quality guidelines in 15 years.

Opinion: Our last, best chance on climate

Brookings

If we do not take action now against climate change, the damage could be even greater and more lasting than the effects of the pandemic. Decisions made now are crucial in shaping the future of people and the planet.

● Opinion: For a generation born into climate change, hope isn’t an option. Activism is Los Angeles Times

Energy:

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

Fresno Bee

Opinion: California can help vulnerable communities prepare for blackouts

CalMatters

AB 418 would provide local governments needed resources to ensure that critical services remain available during blackouts.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Home births in California gain popularity in ‘Baby Bust’ decade — COVID also fueled surge

Sacramento Bee

California is seeing a sustained rise in the number of women choosing to deliver their babies in settings other than a hospital, a shift that accelerated as the pandemic created more risky and onerous conditions in many hospitals.

5 West Nile Virus cases reported in Tulare County

Porterville Recorder

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.

● 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

● What we know so far about when kids can get vaccinated for COVID-19 Los Angeles Times

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

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.

● J&J: Booster Dose Of Its Covid Shot Prompts Strong Response Business Journal

● Two dose version of Johnson & Johnson vaccine 94% effective against Covid-19, study finds Mercury News

● Second dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine increases protection against covid-19, vaccine maker says Washington Post

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.

● Biden Bets On Rapid Covid Tests But They Can Be Hard To Find Business Journal

Breakthrough COVID-19 cases expected to become more common in coming months

Roll Call

Mild cases of COVID-19 among vaccinated individuals are becoming increasingly common as the highly contagious delta variant barrels through communities, but physicians and public health experts say that shouldn’t be a cause for significant concern.

Human Services:

County To Host Mass Flu Vaccination Drive In Fresno On Saturday

Business Journal

Kaiser Permanente union in California nearing strike

HealthCare Dive

A union representing 24,000 Kaiser Permanente clinicians in California has put a pause on its 24-year partnership with management, the group said Friday.

California’s Reboot of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Health Plans

California Healthline

Poor care coordination is one of the many shortcomings of Medi-Cal. Advocates, patients and even the state auditor say Medi-Cal has failed to hold accountable the managed-care health plans that cover almost 12 million of its nearly 14 million enrollees.

Opinion: It’s time to correct abuses by health care providers

CalMatters

Physicians and medical groups maximize their earnings by limiting time with patients and adopting abusive billing practices.

Most of $9.2 Billion in Questionable Medicare Payments Went to 20 Insurers, Investigators Say

Wall Street Journal

Medicare insurers drew $9.2 billion in federal payments in one year through controversial billing practices, with 20 companies benefiting disproportionately and together accounting for more than half of the total, according to federal health investigators.

Who Owns Your Life Insurance Policy? It Might Be a Private-Equity Firm

Wall Street Journal

Traditional life insurers are leaving the business in droves. The responsibility for death benefits, which might be a half-century away, or for annuity income streams that run over decades, is increasingly in the hands of a new breed of insurance-company owner.

Opinion: The Next Medicaid Blowout

Wall Street Journal

Among the many parts of the $3.5 trillion bill Democrats are moving through Congress is a federal Medicaid program to cover mainly childless adults.

Opinion: What Has Become of the Affordable Care Act?

National Affairs

The law as written left a host of crucial questions open, quite intentionally. And we have since seen three administrations, numerous courts, and several congresses attempt to address those questions in a variety of ways.

IMMIGRATION

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

● Biden to double refugee cap despite slow resettlement pace Roll Call

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.

● U.S. Border Agents Chased Migrants On Horseback. A Photographer Explains What He Saw VPR

● Homeland security officials will investigate after images show agents on horseback grabbing migrants, Mayorkas says Washington Post

● Many migrants from border camp staying in US AP News

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Downtown Fresno developer sues councilman and city alleging fraud over stalled project

Fresno Bee

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.

Downtown Fresno boosters weigh housing, safety ahead of key vote

Business Journal

California housing prices reached a new record. Again.

Sacramento Bee

The median price of a single-family home rose to $827,940 in August, the 5th record high in the last six months, according to the California Department of Finance. The record-breaking amount comes after housing prices experienced a slight dip, to $811,170, in July.

What California’s new SB9 housing law means for single-family zoning in your neighborhood

Mercury News

Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed a pair of bills into law that effectively put an end to traditional single-family zoning restrictions in most neighborhoods statewide.

● 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

● 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

Why $46 Billion Couldn’t Prevent an Eviction Crisis

New York Times

As national eviction protections lapse, much of the rental assistance sits unspent. Aid was slowed by red tape, resistance from landlords and the difficulty of navigating an informal market. Does a lease on a napkin qualify?

Freddie Mac Finds Home Appraisals in Black, Latino Areas More Likely to Fall Short

Wall Street Journal

Homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods appraise for less than their agreed-upon purchase price more often than in white areas, according to new research from government-backed mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

The Poor Side of Town: And Why We Need It

AEI

It is a critique of more than a century of housing reform policies, including public and other subsidized housing and exclusionary zoning, with the idea that simple low-cost housing helps those of modest means build financial assets and join the local democratic process.

Opinion: How Team Biden misunderstands the homeless crisis

AEI

Team Biden is asking mayors, governors and tribal leaders to pledge to reduce homelessness in exchange for new federal rental assistance and support for new housing construction. The initiative is House America, but it should be Misunderstand America.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Millions of dollars available for Fresno-area families in Child Tax Credit. How to sign up

Fresno Bee

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

Fed Meeting Will Focus on Taper Timetable

Wall Street Journal

Federal Reserve officials will look to forge agreement Wednesday over how and when to begin reducing their large-scale bond-buying efforts, which they launched early in the pandemic to stimulate the U.S. economy.

TRANSPORTATION

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.

● First ‘INFRA Extra’ Projects Unveiled Railway Age

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.

See also:

● CHSRA Issues Sustainability Report Railway Age

● Calif. high-speed rail project preserved, restored over 2,300 acres of habitat over last year RT&S

WATER

Groundwater and Urban Growth in the San Joaquin Valley

Public Policy Institute of California

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.

See also:

● New Opportunities for Trading Surface Water in the Sacramento Valley under SGMA Public Policy Institute of California

● Event: Groundwater and Urban Growth in the San Joaquin Valley Public Policy Institute of California

Regional districts file suit over state water supply cuts

Turlock Journal

Irrigation districts in several Central Valley farm communities are going to court, challenging the authority of state officials to curtail their senior water rights.

As drought gets worse, some wells will trigger environmental review in Stanislaus County

Modesto Bee

Newsom asked Californians to conserve water in the drought. It’s been a slow start

Sacramento Bee

In the first test of their willingness to cut back on water use during the drought, Californians reduced residential consumption by just 1.8% in July compared to a year earlier — well short of what Gov. Gavin Newsom has been seeking.

● California cities were told to cut their water use 15%. See what happened in your city. Mercury News

● Despite Newsom’s call to cut water use, L.A. and San Diego didn’t conserve in July Los Angeles Times

● As California’s drought deepens, water use drops only 1.8% CalMatters

Improving California’s Water Market

Public Policy Institute of California

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.

See also:

● Commentary: How Water Markets Can Help California Bring Its Groundwater Into Balance Public Policy Institute of California

● Event: Improving California’s Water Market Public Policy Institute of California

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

● California’s Water Crisis is Real. What Are the Solutions? Capital & Main

California water agencies resolve Colorado River dispute

Business Journal

Two major California water agencies have settled a lawsuit that once threatened to derail a multi-state agreement to protect a river that serves millions of people in the U.S. West amid gripping drought.

“Xtra”

Ready to get out for family fall fun? When, where to find Modesto region activities

Modesto Bee

There’s a harvest of fall fun to be had in the Modesto region as pumpkin farms open with corn mazes and a host of other activities. Most of the attractions are family friendly, with a few Halloween-themed chills as well.

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

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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