POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● One city in Stanislaus County excels in COVID vaccinations. How the others stack up Modesto Bee
● Vaccine deadline looms for state healthcare workers Turlock Journal
Stanislaus resident to march for women’s rights as abortion access in U.S. is threatened
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County residents are set to march and rally for reproductive rights this weekend as an almost 50-year-old constitutional law allowing abortion in the nation faces possible overturn.
Turlock to consider contract for emergency homeless shelter. Has it ever been needed?
Modesto Bee
The Turlock City Council on Tuesday is set to vote on a contract for overflow shelter services at the Stanislaus County Fairground during the city’s indefinite declared homeless emergency.
Turlock mental health center receives $1 million in federal grant funding
Turlock Journal
One Turlock nonprofit will soon be able to provide even more mental health services thanks to additional grant revenue announced by Rep. Josh Harder’s office this week.
Stanislaus County announces new round of nonprofit grants
Turlock Journal
Stanislaus County is once again partnering with the Stanislaus Community Foundation to support local nonprofit organizations.
Unexpected revenue allows City to look at unfreezing positions
Turlock Journal
Various City departments presented to the Turlock City Council on Tuesday during a special budget workshop, pleading for the use of increased funding to staff previously-frozen positions and provide adequate services to residents.
Central SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● New City Hall COVID protocols are boosting Fresno employee vaccination rate, officials say Fresno Bee
● Fresno County school district won’t discipline employees who refuse COVID-19 test Fresno Bee
● Health officials concerned about flu season on top of COVID-19 cases in schools Your Central Valley
● Child younger than 17 dies of COVID-19 related causes in Tulare County Visalia Times Delta
● COVID cases in county "slowly trickling down" Porterville Recorder
Sierra Unified board votes to keep mask mandate for students and staff
abc30
After several hours of public comment and discussion, the board of trustees voted to continue complying with the rules laid out by the state of California, instead of issuing their own guidance for families in the district.
Community sues to evict doctors from Fresno building. Doctors countersue, allege violations
Fresno Bee
Community Medical Centers filed a complaint to evict primary care doctors occupying a hospital-owned facility under an expired lease, and the doctors have countersued — alleging unfair business practices.
See also:
● Community Medical sues over trauma service interruption. Fresno doctors group pushes back Fresno Bee
● Community Medical Centers Sues Over 2020 Neurosurgeon Walkout Business Journal
Fresno's eviction moratorium to remain for now as California's lifts this week
abc30
Tenants across the state with past due rent are facing possible eviction later this week, as the statewide eviction moratorium is set to expire. The moratorium aimed to keep people housed if they were unable to pay rent because of a COVID-19 financial hardship.
Fresno Housing Authority announces new CEO
abc30
The Fresno Housing Authority is under new leadership. A nationwide and community-involved search led the board to select Tyrone Roderick Williams to become the new CEO.
Fresno Bee
In other regions of California, a leading public health expert would get major kudos for speaking out against climate change and the harm it causes local residents. In Fresno County, they’re compelled to make a public apology.
Campers Injured In Creek Fire Sue Madera County For Damages
VPR
A year after the Creek Fire ignited in the Sierra Nevada, Madera County is facing a lawsuit related to injuries sustained by campers who became trapped by the fire in the backcountry.
South SJ Valley:
COVID Update:
● 50 percent of eligible Kern residents are vaccinated, 349 coronavirus cases reported Tuesday Bakersfield Californian
Grapes retake top spot in 2020 Kern County Crop Report as alfalfa and hemp fall
Bakersfield Californian
Grapes retook the top spot in gross value in the 2020 Kern County Crop Report’s Top 20 Commodities, published as part of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
BC announces $14 million will fund new 2-story Learning Resource Center in Delano
Bakersfield Californian
Thanks to BC's Rural Initiatives program, college has come to students like Aguirre and her cousin, the daughters of farmworkers, instead of expecting them to make the 70-mile round-trip journey to BC's Bakersfield campus.
'Success of all students': CSUB receives $5 million grant to increase access, equity in STEM fields
Bakersfield Californian
Cal State Bakersfield announced the U.S. Department of Education awarded the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering a $5 million grant over five years to expand access to STEM-related careers.
With pandemic in the background, Kern County fair pauses for cleaning
Bakersfield Californian
It’s the first time in recent memory the fair has closed in the midst of the festivities, but it is being done to account for an unprecedented challenge. After initially calling off the fair, the 15th Agricultural District Board of Directors voted in June to hold the 12-day event after all.
State:
COVID Update:
● COVID vaccine booster updates: Who can get a shot? Where is it available in California? Fresno Bee
● 53 cases of highly mutated R.1 COVID variant detected in California abc7
● Gavin Newsom says a California school vaccine mandate is ‘on the table’ Sacramento Bee
● California vaccine mandate: Most health care workers are complying, hospitals say CalMatters
● Rapid COVID-19 tests in short supply in California CalMatters
● Opinion: Why it’s time for California to require COVID vaccination of eligible schoolchildren Sacramento Bee
The California region where Covid ‘just isn’t slowing down’
The Guardian
The state has the country’s lowest case rate. But in the vaccine-resistant Central Valley and rural north, healthcare workers are pushed to the limit
Newsom’s call now: California Legislature passes top 21 bills of ’21
CalMatters
Amid the relative calm of 2021, lawmakers managed to send the governor hundreds of bills, which he has until Oct. 10 to sign or veto.
See also:
● Newsom signs bill aimed at decreasing wildfire smoke exposure for farm workers Fresno Bee
● CA workers with disabilities were paid as little as $2 an hour. Why that will change Fresno Bee
● California is now permanently a vote-by-mail state as Gavin Newsom signs bill Sacramento Bee
● The bill is climbing to fight CA wildfires. How much are they costing taxpayers? Sacramento Bee
● California bill aims to reduce deaths among Black mothers Los Angeles Times
● Lower death rates for Black moms is goal of California bills AP News
● New CA law tightens gun-buying loophole exposed by Poway synagogue shooting San Diego Union Tribune
Judge requires COVID vaccines for California prison guards
CalMatters
California prison workers will join the list of state employees who must be vaccinated against COVID, a federal judge ruled Monday — a loss for the state prison guards’ union and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
See also:
● Judge requires Covid-19 vaccines for California prison staff Mercury News
● Federal judge requires vaccines for California prison staff AP News
California companies can keep workplace COVID outbreaks secret. Here’s what happened
Sacramento Bee
Supporters of a push to require companies to report workplace coronavirus outbreaks publicly say they plan to keep fighting despite recent setbacks that they say allow big businesses to keep outbreaks secret.
See also:
● California still won’t make COVID-19 workplace outbreaks public CalMatters
● Editorial: California lawmakers choose profit over people in gutting COVID disclosure bill Modesto Bee
California’s top utility regulator leaving as state wrestles with wildfires, power grid woes
Sacramento Bee
Marybel Batjer, who steered the California Public Utilities Commission through a brief but tumultuous era of wildfires, bankruptcy and blackouts, announced her resignation Tuesday.
See also:
● California’s top utility regulator tasked with overseeing PG&E resigns KTLA 5
● Top PG&E regulator resigns CalMatters
CA treasurer sued for harassment often shared overnight lodging with staffers
Sacramento Bee
Treasurer Fiona Ma has frequently shared hotel rooms with her chief of staff during her tenure as California’s top banking official, a practice she said she engaged in “to save money,” according to expense reports.
How much do California state workers get paid? Search public salaries in our database
Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee’s state worker pay database has been updated with data from 2020. You can use it to find information about public employee compensation in California government agencies and in the state’s public universities.
Californians will vote multiple times in 2022 for the same U.S. Senate seat
Los Angeles Times
Concerns over the constitutionality of California’s law regarding vacant seats in the U.S. Senate will result in a potentially confusing one-time solution next year: side-by-side races, on both the statewide primary and general election ballots, for the same job.
Between the lines: Hidden partisans try to influence CA’s independent redistricting
CalMatters
California congressional districts are drawn by an independent citizens commission, but it’s hearing from candidates and party officials who don’t disclose their partisan affiliations.
See also:
● Public Map Input Sessions California Citizens Redistricting Commission
Here's why it's taking so long to receive your California stimulus payment
SFGate
The California Franchise Tax Board has been rolling out batches of payments in 2-week intervals. The first rounds saw a combined 2.6 million stimulus payments go out, while the third, which will include paper checks, is expected to send about 2 million payments.
California’s incredible shrinking Republican Party
Politico
It took a decade of electoral defeats and the humiliation of this month’s failed gubernatorial recall. But as the California Republican Party gathered over the weekend for its biannual convention, the bleak reality sunk in.
See also:
● Elder presents right-wing quandary for shrinking California GOP Politico
California schools chief churns through top aides in allegedly toxic workplace
Politico
Nearly two dozen senior officials have fled California’s top education agency since Tony Thurmond became state schools superintendent in 2019, with several of them accusing him of creating a toxic workplace that burned through staff with decades of experience.
Opinion: There are some drastic ideas to overhaul California’s recall. Be careful, says one expert
Los Angeles Times
In the aftermath of the profligate exercise — $276 million in tax dollars torched so Newsom could romp past his Republican opponents — there has been no shortage of calls to reform the recall.
Editorial: Sign legislation protecting California reporters who cover protests
Mercury News
Gov. Gavin Newsom should sign SB 98 into law, protecting journalists’ ability to keep the public informed of political protests and other occasions in which police have legitimate reasons for sealing off areas from the general public.
Federal:
COVID Update:
● US has enough COVID-19 vaccines for boosters, kids’ shots Sacramento Bee
● More than 400,000 Americans have received COVID-19 booster shots, White House says Los Angeles Times
● Biden gets COVID-19 vaccine booster, urges more to get shots Mercury News
● Biden Receives Covid-19 Booster Shot Wall Street Journal
● Axios-Ipsos poll: Biden trust takes a blow as COVID lingers Axios
● Americans’ trust in Biden to provide accurate information on COVID drops, poll finds Sacramento Bee
● Opinion: Biden’s Lawless Vaccine Mandate Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: The vaccines work. The call for booster shots doesn’t change that Los Angeles Times
USPS mail delivery is about to get permanently slower and temporarily more expensive
Visalia Times Delta
The changes mean an increased time-in-transit for mail traveling long distances. “Most first class mail and periodicals (will be unaffected” by the changes. Single-piece first-class mail traveling within the same region will still have a delivery time of two days.
GOP Senators Block Democratic Bill to Fund Government and Suspend Debt Ceiling
Wall Street Journal
Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill that would both fund the government and raise the country’s borrowing limit, escalating a political showdown over the government’s finances just days before it runs out of money.
See also:
● The Debt Limit And The Senate's Cloture Share A History. Both Were Born With A War VPR
● Republican senators block bill to keep government going Los Angeles Times
● Treasury chief warns failure to raise debt limit would likely cause ‘financial crisis’ Los Angeles Times
● GOP blocks bill to keep the government operating Mercury News
● Republicans Block Latest Effort by Democrats to Advance Debt-Ceiling Bill Wall Street Journal
● Janet Yellen Says Treasury Could Exhaust Cash Reserves by Oct. 18 if Debt Limit Isn’t Raised Wall Street Journal
● Senate Republicans block measure to fund government, stave off U.S. default Washington Post
● Yellen tells Congress that U.S. will run out of debt ceiling flexibility on Oct. 18 Washington Post
● Lawmakers scramble for Plan B on stopgap funds, debt ceiling Roll Call
● Debt ceiling bill stalls again in Senate as pressure grows Roll Call
● Opinion: How worried should we be about the debt ceiling? Brookings
● Opinion: A default silver lining would be scrapping the debt ceiling altogether AEI
Industry Lobbyists Aim to Pick Apart Democrats’ $3.5 Trillion Spending Bill
Wall Street Journal
Industry lobbyists are working to undermine key elements of the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending bill, adding another complication to efforts by President Biden and Democratic leaders to move their domestic agenda through Congress this fall.
See also:
● Big stakes for Biden, Pelosi in advancing Democrats’ agenda Los Angeles Times
● Congress Faces A Week of Critical Deadlines NPR
● GOP reconsiders retirement bill as Democrats push new mandate Roll Call
● Why Biden won't beg Axios
● Progressive Democrats seek to purge the term 'moderate' The Hill
● Biden bets it all on unlocking the Manchinema puzzle Politico
● Editorial: What Is in the $3.5 Trillion Reconciliation Bill? Wall Street Journal
● Opinion: GOP should grab the chance to upend Pelosi's plan on reconciliation The Hill
● Opinion: Joe Biden’s Economic Fantasy World Wall Street Journal
Progressives Split on Backing Thursday’s House Infrastructure Vote
Wall Street Journal
The House Democrats’ powerful progressive bloc split Tuesday over whether lawmakers should vote for a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package this week even if a larger education, healthcare and climate package remains in flux.
● Pelosi steers Dems toward infrastructure vote, without spending bill in tow Politico
● Progressives not budging as infrastructure deadline looms Roll Call
● Opinion: Biden’s infrastructure plans will pay dividends for Central Valley Visalia Times Delta
Democrats Debate Duration, Details of Child Tax Credit Extension
Wall Street Journal
Key details of the expanded child tax credit are up for grabs during congressional negotiations, as Democrats debate how long an extension they should pass and whether millions of very-low-income families should get the full benefit.
131 Federal Judges Broke the Law by Hearing Cases Where They Had a Financial Interest
Wall Street Journal
The judges failed to recuse themselves from 685 lawsuits from 2010 to 2018 involving firms in which they or their family held shares, a Wall Street Journal investigation found.
See also:
● Federal Judges with Financial Conflicts Wall Street Journal
Elizabeth Warren Says She Will Vote Against Second Term for Fed’s Jerome Powell
Wall Street Journal
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) said Tuesday she would oppose a second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell if President Biden nominates the central bank leader, highlighting the intraparty divide over his candidacy.
FTC Weighs New Online Privacy Rules
Wall Street Journal
The Federal Trade Commission is considering strengthening online privacy protections, including for children, in an effort to bypass legislative logjams in Congress.
What does America think of Kamala Harris?
Los Angeles Times
The Times is tracking the latest national opinion polls to help gauge how voters view Vice President Kamala Harris. A California native, Harris is the first female, Black, and South Asian American to serve as the nation’s second in command.
A racist conspiracy theory goes mainstream
Axios
A growing number of elected Republicans are openly promoting "white replacement theory," a decades-old conspiracy theory that's animated terrorist attacks, including the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
There are just 9 female governors. Both parties want change.
Politico
Now there’s growing urgency among leaders in both major parties around bolstering the chances of women running in the 2022 gubernatorial elections, when voters in 36 states will pick their next state executive.
Lina Khan’s big tech crackdown is drawing blowback. It may succeed anyway.
Politico
Under new FTC Chair Lina Khan, the century-old regulatory agency long accustomed to blessing corporate mergers is veering back to its original trustbusting mission and becoming markedly less friendly to the businesses it regulates.
Other:
YouTube is banning prominent anti-vaccine activists and blocking all anti-vaccine content
Washington Post
The Google-owned video site previously only banned misinformation about coronavirus vaccines. Facebook made the same change months ago.
Big Tech Companies Amass Property Holdings During Covid-19 Pandemic
Wall Street Journal
The biggest U.S. companies are sitting on record piles of cash. They are getting paid next to nothing for holding it, and they are running out of ways to spend it. So they are buying a lot of commercial real estate.
Facebook’s Effort to Attract Preteens Goes Beyond Instagram Kids, Documents Show
Wall Street Journal
It has investigated how to engage young users in response to competition from Snapchat, TikTok; ‘Exploring playdates as a growth lever’
Opinion: Permanent solution needed to continue government meetings online
CalMatters
California must act soon to ensure that residents can enjoy the benefits of remote participation in public agencies.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, October 3, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Lessons Learned from Previous Droughts" - Guests: Rachel Ehlers - Legislative Analyst's Office; Jeanine Jones - California Dept. of Water Resources. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, October 3, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "In an Era of California Droughts, Will the Valley be High & Dry?"- Guests: Ellen Hanak, Director - PPIC Water Center; Lois Henry, CEO and Editor - SJV Water; Ian LeMay, President - California Fresh Fruit Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Income dipped for Stanislaus farmers in 2020. How did drought and pandemic affect it?
Modesto Bee
Gross farm income dipped to an estimated $3.48 billion in Stanislaus County last year, mainly due to drought, COVID-19 and weak almond prices.
See also:
● Agriculture sees a decline in value due to pandemic, report finds Turlock Journal
Former Baywatch actress, animal rights activists target Foster Farms plant in Livingston
Modesto Bee
According to the organization’s Facebook page, former Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul and another activist pulled two chickens from cages on one of the trucks entering the plant.
See also:
● Animal rights activists protest treatment of animals at Foster Farms plant in Livingston Merced Sun Star
Grapes retake top spot in 2020 Kern County Crop Report as alfalfa and hemp fall
Bakersfield Californian
Grapes retook the top spot in gross value in the 2020 Kern County Crop Report’s Top 20 Commodities, published as part of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
FBI says homicides rose nearly 30% in 2020, the largest one-year jump on record
Los Angeles Times
Homicides in the U.S. in 2020 increased nearly 30% over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records, according to figures released Monday by the agency.
See also:
● Murders Rose Nearly 30% in the U.S. in 2020, FBI Reports Wall Street Journal
● U.S. violent crime rate rose for first time in four years in 2020 Axios
● Editorial: The 2020 Murder Spike Wall Street Journal
Public Safety:
New CA law tightens gun-buying loophole exposed by Poway synagogue shooting
San Diego Union Tribune
In 2019, John T. Earnest, a then-19-year-old Rancho Peñasquitos college student, opened fire on a Poway synagogue using a rifle he bought at a Grantville gun shop.
After 25 Years In The Dark, The CDC Wants To Study The True Toll Of Guns In America
VPR
The uniquely American epidemic of mass killings by firearms grabs most of the attention from the media, politicians and the public. And the big increase in homicides in 2020 and overall violent crime — on the rise across many American cities — also get their share of coverage.
Fire:
Sequoia wildfire updates: Windy Fire damage assessment begins; KNP Complex at 8% containment
Fresno Bee
Tulare County on Tuesday begin assessing damage from the Windy Fire on homes and property in the Sugarloaf and Pine Flat areas. Property owners there should complete an information form, available online.
See also:
● Gusty winds remain a challenge for crews assigned to the Windy and KNP Complex fires Visalia Times Delta
● Strong winds fanning Windy, KNP Complex fires as they burn through southern Sierra Nevada Los Angeles Times
● Windy Fire at 87,318 acres, up to 4 percent contained Porterville Recorder
● Progress made on California fire that displaced thousands Sacramento Bee
● Wildfires threatening California’s sequoias continue to grow Mercury News
● Fires threatening California’s sequoias continue to grow AP News
● Lake Tahoe, Sequoias Survived Wildfires Thanks to Forest Thinning, but Much More Is Needed, Researchers Say Wall Street Journal
Red Cross continuing to help residents impacted by Tulare County fires
abc30
As wildfires continue to scorch parts of Tulare County, the Red Cross set up a temporary evacuation site right here at Porterville College's gym. Volunteers are helping evacuees find safety among the anxiety along with emotional support.
abc10
Now, ABC10’s award-winning investigative series reveals how California’s state government, under Governor Gavin Newsom, responded to PG&E’s deadly crimes by giving the company rewards and protection.
Mercury News
If it seems like wildfires in California are getting larger, they are. Nine of the state’s 10 largest wildfires since 1932, when modern records began, have occurred in the past decade. And amazingly, the eight largest have all burned since 2017.
See also:
● Fawn Fire: Winds gentle Tuesday afternoon, but gusts could spread embers Mercury News
● Dangerous Air: As California burns, America breathes toxic smoke KCRW
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
Local manufacturers embrace the benefits of automation
Business Journal
In the Central Valley, local manufacturers have been utilizing new innovations in automation and computer technology to increase production, save time, save money and take away some of the manual stress from workers on the job.
California’s economy is recovering, but new report shows it’s not there yet
Fresno Bee
Waiting for a big bounce-back from COVID where jobs are plentiful and prices are stable? Be patient. The economy is recovering, but somewhat more gradually than anticipated, a new economic forecast released Wednesday says.
See also:
● From ‘sizzling to ho-hum’: How Delta cooled California’s economic outlook Los Angeles Times
● U.S. Economy Set to Pick Up Speed After Delta-Driven Downturn Wall Street Journal
Consumer Confidence Continues Slide on Covid-19, Inflation Worries
Wall Street Journal
Confidence among U.S. consumers fell in September for the third consecutive month, as the Delta variant of Covid-19 and concerns about inflation weighed on households’ moods. The consumer-confidence index fell to 109.3 in September from a revised 115.2 in August.
Opinion: The FTC moves toward a command economy
AEI
The memo provides a roadmap for the agency to play a central role in the administration’s plan to centrally command the American economy, a strategy articulated in his July executive order and reflected in major Democrat-led legislation moving through Congress.
Jobs:
California workers with disabilities were paid as little as $2 an hour. Why that will change
Fresno Bee
SB 639, by Sen. María Elena Durazo, ends a practice known as 14(c) or sheltered workshops, in which workers with disabilities were paid as little as $2 an hour. The state will join ten other states including Alaska, Oregon and Texas in phasing out the practice.
California 1st to require hourly wages in garment industry
Business Journal
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday approved what he termed a “nation-leading” law requiring the garment industry to pay workers by the hour instead of for each piece of clothing they produce.
California companies can keep workplace COVID outbreaks secret. Here’s what happened
Sacramento Bee
Supporters of a push to require companies to report workplace coronavirus outbreaks publicly say they plan to keep fighting despite recent setbacks that they say allow big businesses to keep outbreaks secret.
See also:
● California still won’t make COVID-19 workplace outbreaks public CalMatters
● Editorial: California lawmakers choose profit over people in gutting COVID disclosure bill Modesto Bee
How much do California state workers get paid? Search public salaries in our database
Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee’s state worker pay database has been updated with data from 2020. You can use it to find information about public employee compensation in California government agencies and in the state’s public universities.
California’s extra sick leave for COVID-19 is ending, but is it too soon?
Mercury News
California requires employers to provide at least three days of paid sick leave each year to full-time workers. But when the pandemic hit, that wasn’t enough to cover 14-day quarantine requirements. Many workers had to either come in sick or take time off without pay.
See also:
● Low-wage Californians can’t afford to take family leave — this vetoed bill sought to help CalMatters
● The Pandemic Prompts More Companies to Offer Paid Sick Time and Leave—but Millions of Workers Still Don’t Get It Wall Street Journal
Lots Of People Say They'll Quit Over Vaccine Mandates, But Research Shows Few Do
VPR
Surveys have shown that as many as half of unvaccinated workers say they will leave their jobs if they're forced to get the COVID-19 shot, but in reality few of them actually quit.
EDUCATION
K-12:
The kids went back to school. Then COVID-19 upended life for 3 rural families
Fresno Bee
García’s family was among the three Raisin City farmworker families who spoke with The Bee about their experiences with a small COVID-19 outbreak at their school in August.
Fresno County school district won’t discipline employees who refuse COVID-19 test
Fresno Bee
School board members in a Fresno County foothill community went against a group of parents and employees Monday who asked them to disobey COVID-19 health mandates.
Sierra Unified board votes to keep mask mandate for students and staff
abc30
After several hours of public comment and discussion, the board of trustees voted to continue complying with the rules laid out by the state of California, instead of issuing their own guidance for families in the district.
Camarena Health provides opportunity to Madera Unified students
Business Journal
They have partnered with Central Valley Health Network to provide the opportunity for Madera Unified Certified Nursing Assistant students to participate in the California Area Health Education Center Scholars program, which helps recruit health care workers.
Absenteeism surging since schools reopened
EdSource
A month into in-person learning for most California schools, some districts are reporting soaring rates of absenteeism due to stay-at-home quarantines, fear of Covid and general disengagement from school.
Public still at odds about LGBTQ issues in public school
Survey Center on American Life
Even as gay and lesbian issues have slipped from national headlines, public attitudes on LGBTQ issues continue to evolve. Despite rising support, there remains debate among the public about what students in public schools should learn about LGBTQ people and issues.
Higher Ed:
For Hispanic Heritage Month, Fresno State president discusses empowering Latino students
YourCentralValley.com
His is the story of many of the students he serves as president of Fresno State, he says — about half of the student body is Hispanic or Latino. He says the university proudly bears its designation as a “Hispanic-Serving Institution.”
'Success of all students': CSUB receives $5 million grant to increase access, equity in STEM fields
Bakersfield Californian
Cal State Bakersfield announced the U.S. Department of Education awarded the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering a $5 million grant over five years to expand access to STEM-related careers.
BC announces $14 million will fund new 2-story Learning Resource Center in Delano
Bakersfield Californian
Thanks to BC's Rural Initiatives program, college has come to students like Aguirre and her cousin, the daughters of farmworkers, instead of expecting them to make the 70-mile round-trip journey to BC's Bakersfield campus.
Transfer students need a clearly defined pathway
CalMatters
AB 928 builds on existing law and improves the pathway for community college students to transfer to California State University.
Opinion: There Cannot Be Equity On Campus With Self-Censorship
American Conservative
A recent report on the state of free speech in higher education captures over 37,000 voices of currently-enrolled students at 159 colleges, revealing that free speech is not alive and well on our nation’s college and university campuses.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
U.S. Says Ivory-Billed Woodpecker And More Than 20 Other Species Have Gone Extinct
VPR
Death's come knocking a last time for the splendid ivory-billed woodpecker and 22 more birds, fish and other species: The U.S. government is declaring them extinct.
See also:
● Ivory-billed woodpecker officially declared extinct, along with 22 other species Washington Post
Senior Democrats’ push for powerful climate tool collides with political realities
Washington Post
Senior Democrats are trying to craft a proposal to tax carbon — a potentially powerful weapon against climate change — that would not violate President Biden’s pledge to spare middle-class Americans from tax hikes.
Energy:
California’s top utility regulator leaving as state wrestles with wildfires, power grid woes
Sacramento Bee
Marybel Batjer, who steered the California Public Utilities Commission through a brief but tumultuous era of wildfires, bankruptcy and blackouts, announced her resignation Tuesday.
See also:
● California’s top utility regulator tasked with overseeing PG&E resigns KTLA 5
● Top PG&E regulator resigns CalMatters
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
COVID vaccine booster updates: Who can get a shot? Where is it available in California?
Fresno Bee
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended groups that can receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster. The agency is citing studies that show the vaccine’s reduced protection over time for certain people against mild to moderate disease.
See also:
● Are you considered fully vaccinated if you don’t get COVID booster shot? What to know Modesto Bee
● Here are the workers now eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot CBS
● CDC decision coming on ‘mix and match’ COVID vaccine boosters, Rochelle Walensky says Sacramento Bee
● COVID-19 vaccine data show low risk from third shot as cases decline Roll Call
● Americans Are Getting Covid-19 Boosters—No Questions Asked Wall Street Journal
Pfizer says they’ll be ready to ask for approval of Covid-19 vaccine for kids In a matter of days
Mercury News
Pfizer/BioNTech plans to ask for authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine for some children under 12 soon, bringing the US one step closer to offering protection to a population that has grown particularly vulnerable as the fall season gets underway.
See also:
● COVID: Pfizer submits initial data on vaccine for kids 5 to 11 to FDA, but aren’t seeking EUA yet Mercury News
● Pfizer Submits Favorable Initial Data To The FDA On Kids' COVID-19 Vaccine Trial VPR
● Pfizer vaccine for kids may not be available until November Los Angeles Times
● For many families, the countdown has begun to coronavirus vaccines for younger children Washington Post
● Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine for Kids May Not Be FDA Authorized Before November Wall Street Journal
● Are Covid-19 Vaccines Safe for Kids? What Parents Should Know Wall Street Journal
Drugs used by some people with Type 2 diabetes may reduce their risks of severe COVID
Sacramento Bee
People with Type 2 diabetes may already be taking medications that reduce their risks of severe COVID-19, including hospitalization, respiratory complications and death, according to a new study.
California bill aims to reduce deaths among Black mothers
Los Angeles Times
California has among the lowest death rates nationally among pregnant women and new mothers, but the numbers for Black mothers tell a different story.
How COVID-19 can damage all five senses
National Geographic
The virus that causes the disease disrupts not just smell and taste, but all the ways humans perceive the world. For some, the loss may be permanent.
Human Services:
Community sues to evict doctors from Fresno building. Doctors countersue, allege violations
Fresno Bee
Community Medical Centers filed a complaint to evict primary care doctors occupying a hospital-owned facility under an expired lease, and the doctors have countersued — alleging unfair business practices.
See also:
● Community Medical sues over trauma service interruption. Fresno doctors group pushes back Fresno Bee
● Community Medical Centers Sues Over 2020 Neurosurgeon Walkout Business Journal
Hospitals fear staffing shortages as vaccine deadline looms
Business Journal
Many hospitals and nursing homes are already suffering staff shortages because many nurses and others have quit as a result of pandemic-related burnout or have left for lucrative jobs traveling from state to state.
Californians have legal rights to abortion, but getting one can be difficult
Los Angeles Times
California law states that people have a “fundamental right” to choose and obtain an abortion before a fetus becomes viable. The governor has vowed to protect that right. But just because abortion has more legal protection does not mean it is readily accessible to all.
IMMIGRATION
Biden and Harris hold their own immigration policies at arm’s length
Los Angeles Times
President Biden on Friday attempted to simultaneously disavow and accept responsibility for one of the ugliest images of his presidency — desperate Haitians getting wrangled by Border Patrol agents on horseback.
Biden Administration Moves to Preserve DACA Program After Court Loss
Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration is taking steps to shore up an Obama-era initiative that provides temporary deportation protections to some young immigrants after a court ruling found the program unlawful this summer.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Housing:
Fresno's eviction moratorium to remain for now as California's lifts this week abc30
Tenants across the state with past due rent are facing possible eviction later this week, as the statewide eviction moratorium is set to expire. The moratorium aimed to keep people housed if they were unable to pay rent because of a COVID-19 financial hardship.
See also:
● Protesters call on leaders to stop evictions in the Valley abc30
● Eviction moratorium ends this month. Fresno advocates urge congressman to help extend it Fresno Bee
● California’s eviction moratorium ends this week — but not for Fresno renters. What to know Fresno Bee
● California’s eviction ban is ending. What’s next for landlords, tenants? Mercury News
● Many renters to get help when California eviction protections end this week Los Angeles Times
● A federal program aimed at halting evictions is showing signs of improvement. New York Times
● As California’s eviction ban ends, some protections remain Business Journal
Fresno Housing Authority announces new CEO
abc30
The Fresno Housing Authority is under new leadership. A nationwide and community-involved search led the board to select Tyrone Roderick Williams to become the new CEO.
Why is Fresno one of the nation’s hottest housing markets?
CalMatters
In the new episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast,” CalMatters’ Manuela Tobias and the Los Angeles Times’ Liam Dillon break down Fresno’s housing market and why rents and home prices have skyrocketed, even amid the pandemic.
See also:
● ‘Gimme Shelter’: Why Fresno is one of the nation’s hottest housing markets Los Angeles Times
California takes aim at housing discrimination with new laws
San Francisco Chronicle
With state policy increasingly focused on boosting development to address the housing affordability crisis, California adopted measures Tuesday to combat discrimination in the housing market.
See also:
● Gov. Newsom signs more than two-dozen housing bills Mercury News
● Californians: Here’s why your housing costs are so high CalMatters
Home-Price Growth Hit Record in July
Wall Street Journal
Home-price growth climbed to a new record in July as buyers continued to compete fiercely amid a shortage of homes for sale, but there are signs the market frenzy might be starting to ease.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Here's why it's taking so long to receive your California stimulus payment
SFGate
The California Franchise Tax Board has been rolling out batches of payments in 2-week intervals. The first rounds saw a combined 2.6 million stimulus payments go out, while the third, which will include paper checks, is expected to send about 2 million payments.
The pandemic isn’t over, even if support for California families is ending.
California Budget and Policy Center
While many Californians hoped to put the pandemic behind us by now, COVID-19 is still with us. And we know COVID-19-related hardships have put immense health and economic stress on families, especially low-income households and Californians of color.
Yellen tells Congress that U.S. will run out of debt ceiling flexibility on Oct. 18
Washington Post
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday told Congress that the U.S. will run out of flexibility to avoid breaching the debt limit on Oct. 18, setting a new deadline for lawmakers to avoid a catastrophic default on its payment obligations.
See also:
● Janet Yellen Says Treasury Could Exhaust Cash Reserves by Oct. 18 if Debt Limit Isn’t Raised Wall Street Journal
● Treasury chief warns failure to raise debt limit would likely cause ‘financial crisis’ Los Angeles Times
● Yellen warns delay in raising debt limit will slow economy Business Journal
Opinion: Trump Fixed One Racially Unfair Tax Policy. Now the Democrats Want to Bring it Back.
Politico
Blue-state Democrats are fighting hard to repeal a cap on how much of their state and local taxes Americans can deduct from their federal taxes. Often left unspoken is that the tax most at issue isn’t state income taxes, it’s local property taxes.
Opinion: How would the US corporate tax burden compare with those of other developed nations?
AEI
In a new AEI report, we compare the US corporate tax burden under current law, the Biden administration’s proposal, and the House Ways and Means proposal to corporate tax codes in 36 OECD nations.
Opinion: Supporting families supports the economy: Social nets are economic foundations
Brookings
It is urgent that our country invest in high-quality care, family leave, and universal pre-K not only because it helps children thrive in high-quality early environments, but because it enables parents to enter the workforce—raising families out of poverty.
TRANSPORTATION
Fresno, Visalia top the U.S. in used-car price increases. How fast are they rising?
Fresno Bee
The prices commanded by used cars rose faster in the Fresno-Visalia market between August 2020 and August 2021 than any other U.S. large metropolitan area, according to a new car-price report.
Amtrak will run special trains to a Central Valley place important to Black history
Modesto Bee
Amtrak will run special trains Oct. 9 to Allensworth, a one-time Black settlement in Tulare County. That’s the day of an annual celebration at Col. Allensworth State Historic Park.
GET faces unprecedented challenges in age of COVID
Bakersfield Californian
Golden Empire Transit has faced plenty of challenges since 1973, when it became greater Bakersfield's primary provider of public transportation. As it turns out, 2021 is no exception in the "challenges" department.
The Unstoppable Appeal of Highway Expansion
Bloomberg
U.S. transportation authorities have spent billions widening urban freeways to fight traffic delays. What makes the “iron law of congestion” so hard to defeat?
WATER
The ‘burn scars’ of wildfires threaten the West’s drinking water
Mercury News
In “burn scars,” where fires decimated forest systems that held soil in place, an increase in droughts followed by heavy rainfall poses a different kind of threat to the water supplies that are essential to the health of communities.
Video: Improving California’s Water Market
Public Policy Institute of California
Water trading and banking are important tools that can help California bring its groundwater basins into balance, but the expansion of the state’s water market still faces some bottlenecks, including aging infrastructure and complex regulations.
Column: You do know that, in most cases, bottled water is just tap water?
Los Angeles Times
For most Americans, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with your tap water. The market leaders for bottled water are just filtering and bottling tap water, and bottled water is no friend to the environment.
“Xtra”
Bethany Clough: Fresno is not on this list of the Top 10 California cities for tacos. What the heck?
Fresno Bee
A list of 2021’s Best California Cities for Tacos is making the rounds – and Fresno didn’t even crack the Top 10. In fact, it landed in the No. 53 spot. OK, let’s all take a deep breath. If you know Fresno, you know this is a taco town and a ranking that low is shocking news.
El Cochinito Contento restaurant in Fresno's Tower District receives national recognition
abc30
A well-known soda company, Jarritos, and 'El Restaurante Magazine' recognized a Mexican restaurant in the Tower District. "Carnitas, seafood, fried fish, you name it, we do everything," said El Cochinito Contento owner Martha Ortega.
Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth
Think you can tell the difference between True and False?
Do you really know what is fake news?
Support the Maddy Daily
Thank you!
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.
This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.
Subscribe to the Maddy Daily HERE
Or, to Subscribe or Unsubscribe: email nnaoe@csufresno.edu