Maddy Institute – September 3, 2021

03Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

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

The Maddy Institute

Maddy Associates Luncheon Speaker Series: September 13, Robert Maxim, Senior Research Associate in the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, will discuss how regional public universities can have a large role in economic growth in economically distressed areas.

Newsom recall basics: How to vote in California’s election

CalMatters

A FAQ on the California election on whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom

● Recall Ballot Tracking

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

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

● New Stanislaus County public health order requires masks inside as COVID-19 cases surge Modesto Bee

Preliminary Ceres special election results show this candidate likely won

Modesto Bee

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

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

Modesto Bee

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

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

Merced Sun Star

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

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

Merced Sun Star

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

Central SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

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

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

● COVID-19 update: New infections driven by children in Tulare County Visalia Times Delta

● Fresno anti-mask activist charged in Jan. 6 insurrection. Prosecutors cite video, photos Fresno Bee

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

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

Fresno Bee

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

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

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

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

Fresno Bee

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

‘Game-changer’ agreement with union for Fresno projects passed. Will Mayor Dyer veto?

Fresno Bee

The agreement with the Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare Building and Construction Trades Council will go into effect in 120 days and includes apprenticeship opportunities and local hiring provisions.

Fresno Catholic Diocese part of $24 million payout to California sexual abuse victims

Fresno Bee

An independent committee has awarded almost $24 million to California victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, including 11 who were abused in the region overseen by the Diocese of Fresno, officials said Thursday.

Mixed reactions from Central California on Texas' new abortion law

abc30

Texas took a novel approach in crafting the nation's most restrictive abortion law. State agencies won't enforce it. Instead, private citizens who successfully file civil lawsuits against abortion providers could earn $10,000.

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

Visalia Times Delta

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

Ashley Swearengin to Receive 2021 Ethical Leadership Award

Fresno State News

The Fresno State Ethics Center, in conjunction with the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Better Business Bureau of Central California, will name Ashley Swearengin as the 2021 Ethical Leadership Award recipient during their Celebration of Ethics.

Madera County businesses offering discounts for the vaccinated

Business Journal

The Madera County Department of Public Health, Madera Chamber of Commerce and Visit Yosemite are launching a new Vaccine Deals program, which will provide discounts at participating businesses for fully vaccinated individuals who live or work in Madera County.

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Public Health: 5 new deaths, 614 new COVID-19 cases reported Thursday Bakersfield Californian

New program brings mental health workers to some 911 calls

Visalia Times Delta

Health officials and deputies are teaming up to create a program that will better help people experiencing mental health and addiction issues in Tulare County.

Homeless intakes jumped midway through 2021 as spending on mitigation increased

Bakersfield Californian

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

Bakersfield City Council approves construction of World War II memorial at Jastro Park

Bakersfield Californian

A local effort to design and build a World War II veterans memorial in downtown Bakersfield received a big boost this week when the Bakersfield City Council gave the go-ahead for the construction of the concrete, granite and steel monument at Jastro Park.

State:

COVID Update:

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

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

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

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

California voters say COVID-19 is a big issue. Here’s where recall election candidates stand

Fresno Bee

Here’s what each of the candidates, as well as Newsom, has to say about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it should be handled in California.

● Republican recall candidates want big California tax cuts. Who would benefit? Los Angeles Times

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

● California voters say housing is important. Here’s where Newsom recall candidates stand Sacramento Bee

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

Los Angeles Times

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

See also:

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

● Latest Polls Of The California Recall Election FiveThirtyEight

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

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

● Newsom, Elder sharpen their attacks after poll shows support for recall effort waning Los Angeles Times

● How often do California recalls succeed? Los Angeles Times

● Why Do We Have Recalls? Thank Los Angeles. New York Times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

● The pandemic recall Politico

● Newsom: Biden still coming to California to fight recall Politico

● California recall voters so far largely Democratic and older Business Journal

● Newsom’s stimulus left out many retirees, veterans and disabled Californians. Will they vote to recall him? CalMatters

● Highlighting The Importance Of The Youth Vote Ahead Of California’s Recall Election CA Forward

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

Sacramento Bee

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

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

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

● Opinion: Sorry, Republicans. Newsom will survive recall — and emerge even stronger. Washington Post

● Opinion: Gavin Newsom Is Much More Than the Lesser of Two Evils New York Times

● Newsom has strong support in latest California recall survey Politico

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

Two weeks ahead of the recall election deadline, leading Republican candidate Larry Elder is ramping up efforts to attract working-class Latino voters with Spanish-language ads and endorsements from two notable Latino figures.

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

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

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

● California recall pulls Gavin Newsom left and Larry Elder right. What about the middle? Sacramento Bee

● Opinion: Latina Democrat endorsing Larry Elder is wrong about him but right to challenge her party Sacramento Bee

California Senate votes to mail ballots in all elections

Democrats advanced a major overhaul to California's elections on Thursday, voting to make sure all active registered voters will get a ballot in the mail at least 29 days before every election — even if they didn't ask for one.

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

Los Angeles Times

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

CalChamber Board of Directors Names Jennifer Barrera as Next President and CEO

CalChamber

The California Chamber of Commerce today announced the appointment of Jennifer Barrera as the organization’s next President and CEO, effective October 1, 2021. CalChamber’s Board of Directors voted to appoint Barrera to the leadership role at their September meeting today.

Judge knocks down challenge to Newsom's death penalty moratorium

San Francisco Chronicle

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

Sen. Feinstein, Justice Breyer Hold California Hostage by Not Retiring

GV Wire

The hostage takers — U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer — are past retirement age, but refuse to quit their jobs now, when they could be replaced by allies.

Skelton: Will Newsom release Bobby Kennedy’s killer? Not likely

Los Angeles Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom is not likely to ever free Robert F. Kennedy’s killer from prison — nor should he. That’s just a guess based on Newsom’s stated admiration for Kennedy and the fact that he’s no political dummy.

Opinion: Legislature must enforce $6 billion broadband plan to reach unserved households

Cal Matters

Public funds should first be used to connect households with no service or slow service before funding upgrades where service is already available.

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

PPIC

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

Federal:

COVID Update:

● Fauci says the new mu Covid strain isn’t an immediate threat in the U.S. CNBC

● If You're Unvaccinated, The CDC Wants You To Stay Home This Labor Day Weekend Valley Public Radio

● FDA Weighing Dose of Moderna Covid-19 Booster Wall Street Journal

● For Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters, Some People Jump the Line Wall Street Journal

● Enforcing Vaccine Mandates Is Messy Business Wall Street Journal

● America's in a COVID funk Axios

These charts show which states will get the most money from Biden’s infrastructure bill

CNBC

California, Texas and New York will likely cash in big on the trillion-dollar infrastructure package if the bill makes its way to President Joe Biden’s desk. But far less populous states — such as Montana and Alaska — will get the most money per capita.

Democrats Weigh $3.5 Trillion Agenda—and How Much Should Be Paid For

Wall Street Journal

Democrats seeking to pass their $3.5 trillion healthcare, education and climate legislation are wrestling over the amount they should pay with tax increases and other policy changes—and what should be funded with deficit spending.

● Democrats Face Tricky Deadlines on Debt Ceiling, Government Shutdown

● Wall Street Journal

● Joe Manchin: Why I Won’t Support Spending Another $3.5 Trillion Wall Street Journal

● Manchin calls on Democrats to ‘pause,’ cut $3.5 trillion spending plan, dealing potential blow to Biden agenda Washington Post

● Dems prepare to fight their own over $3.5T megabill Politico

● Manchin calls for ‘pause’ on $3.5 trillion budget bill Roll Call

Supreme Court signals Roe vs. Wade will fall after allowing Texas to ban most abortions

Los Angeles Times

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has sent its strongest signal to date that Roe vs. Wade will fall, having given a green light to the nation’s second-most populous state to outlaw abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

● Divided Supreme Court leaves Texas abortion law in place Los Angeles Times

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

● Abortion Arrives at the Center of the American Political Maelstrom New York Times

● Texas abortion law abruptly reshapes the political landscape Washington Post

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

● Opinion: The Supreme Court aids and abets Texas in violating women’s constitutional rights Washington Post

● Texas Abortion Ban: What to Know About the New Law Wall Street Journal

● Supreme Court Abortion Ruling Brings New Uncertainty to Decades-Old Fight Wall Street Journal

● Pelosi Plans Abortion-Rights Vote for House After Supreme Court’s Texas Decision Wall Street Journal

● Texas Ruling Raises Doubts About Chief Justice’s Hold on the Roberts Court Wall Street Journal

● Democrats plot response to Texas anti-abortion law Roll Call

● The Texas abortion case in context American Enterprise Institute

● Opinion: Texas’s Abortion Law Blunder Wall Street Journal

Op-Ed: If Congress wants an eviction moratorium, it needs to pass one

American Enterprise Institute

Indeed, the court’s majority took no position on the policy at all. Rather, it said: “If a federally imposed eviction moratorium is to continue, Congress must specifically authorize it.”

Court backlogs have increased by an average of one-third during the pandemic, new report finds

ABA Journal

The average case backlog for state and local courts across the United States increased by about one-third amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released this month from Thomson Reuters.

Other:

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

Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust

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

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

Pew Research Center

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

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

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

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

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Madera County sees drop in farm revenue for 2020

Business Journal

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

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

CalMatters

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

Drought threatens access to clean water in California farming communities, study finds

Sacramento Bee

Researchers have suspected for years that drought conditions worsen groundwater quality, but a study published this week provides strong evidence proving the long-held assumption.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

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

Merced Sun Star

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

Fresno Catholic Diocese part of $24 million payout to Calif sexual abuse victims

Fresno Bee

Pandemic concerns may prime people to discriminate against Asians and Latinos

Los Angeles Times

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

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

Los Angeles Times

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

Opinion: Community reentry program for prisoners reduces recidivism

CalMatters

A Stanford University study of the corrections department’s rehabilitation and reentry program shows it should be expanded. California’s bet on transitional rehabilitation programs is novel, and recent evidence suggests it is paying off.

Public Safety:

New program brings mental health workers to some 911 calls

Visalia Times Delta

Health officials and deputies are teaming up to create a program that will better help people experiencing mental health and addiction issues in Tulare County.

Lower speed limits to make California's roads safer

Visalia Times Delta

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

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

CalMatters

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

Opinion: SB 2 treats police officers like professionals

CalMatters

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

How to Persuade Americans to Give Up Their Guns

The Atlantic

The way to reduce gun violence is by convincing ordinary, “responsible” handgun owners that their weapons make them, their families, and those around them less safe.

California aims to restrict using rubber bullets at protests

California would restrict the use of rubber bullets and chemical irritants during protests under legislation advanced Thursday in the wake of last year’s widespread public demonstrations over racial injustice. A similar bill died last year.

Fire:

Interactive map shows where every wildfire is burning in California

Fresno Bee

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

See also:

● California wildfires map Los Angeles Times

● Washington Fire fully contained, work on Airola Fire continues Modesto Bee

● Western side of French Fire becomes closer to containment Bakersfield Californian

● Dixie Fire: Fire line holding near Hwy. 44; crews remove dead trees in Lassen park Record Searchlight

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

Modesto Bee

The Caldor Fire poses an existential threat to the Lake Tahoe basin — to the woodsy hiking trails and ski slopes, the beachfront mansions and rustic cabins. Even the pristine waters are in peril as ash floats down from the sky, possibly compromising the blue lake’s fabled clarity.

● Don’t visit Lake Tahoe this Labor Day weekend, officials plead as Caldor Fire burns Modesto Bee

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

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

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

Fresno Bee

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

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

Barbecue ban during wildfire season? Residents in this California county are demanding it

Sacramento Bee

With Labor Day weekend approaching, Maineri is spearheading a petition drive asking the Board of Supervisors to immediately ban open fires and charcoal grills in the county – on both public and private lands – through the end of the wildfire season.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Op-Ed: The Fed has a monetary policy problem

American Enterprise Institute

To tighten monetary policy or not to tighten monetary policy? That is the pressing policy question now facing both Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde.

Jobs:

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

Fresno Bee

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

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

Sacramento Bee

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

● Millions to lose jobless aid as claims fall to pandemic low Business Journal

● Expanded unemployment benefits are ending. Here’s where else to find help Los Angeles Times

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

Wall Street Journal

Initial jobless claims fell by 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000 in the week ended Aug. 28, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was the lowest level since the pandemic took hold in the U.S. in March 2020.

See also:

● U.S. Payroll Growth Slowed in August Wall Street Journal

● U.S. Hiring Slows Sharply Amid Delta, Complicating Fed Taper Bloomberg

● Opinion: U.S. Job Market Keeps Breaking Records Wall Street Journal

● U.S. economy added a lackluster 235,000 jobs in August, a disappointing month as virus surged Washington Post

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

California Budget and Policy Center

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

A hot labor market won’t eliminate racial and ethnic unemployment gaps

Brookings

While strong labor markets are associated with reductions in racial and ethnic disparities in unemployment, by itself a strong labor market is highly unlikely to eliminate the racial and ethnic unemployment rate gaps that have been remarkably persistent over the decades.

Opinion: Biden’s Policies Will Hurt America’s Laborers in the Long Run

Wall Street Journal

This Labor Day weekend, nearly eight months into his tenure, President Biden is starting to leave his mark on the job market and the employment landscape. What decisions and trends stand out?

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

CalMatters

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

EDUCATION

K-12:

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

Visalia Times Delta

McClatchy’s $4.1M in grants to support local dual-language students

Business Journal

The McClatchy Foundation’s mission is to support dual language-speaking children across the Central Valley. The foundation will award $4.1 in grant funding to several Central Valley school districts and partnerships in order to further this mission.

Not enough subs: California schools face severe teacher shortage

CalMatters

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

Several California Public School Students Are Still Trapped In Afghanistan

Valley Public Radio

The U.S. ended its massive evacuations out of Kabul, Afghanistan, by President Biden's Aug. 31 deadline, but as many as 27 California public school students remain in Afghanistan.

School Boards Emerge as Targets of Coronavirus Outrage

U.S. News

Across the nation, anger over the handling of the coronavirus has shifted from the federal government to the local school board, where community members are acting out with increasing frequency and fury.

Higher Ed:

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

The Maddy Institute

On September 13, Robert Maxim, Senior Research Associate in the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, will discuss how regional public universities can have a large role in economic growth.

That student in your community college class? They could be a bot.

Cal Matters

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

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

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

ProPublica

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

● Overlapping Disasters Expose Harsh Climate Reality: The U.S. Is Not Ready New York Times

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

Modesto Bee

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

EPA just detailed all the ways climate change will hit U.S. racial minorities the hardest. It’s a long list.

Washington Post

If the planet warms 2 degrees Celsius, new report warns, Black people are 40 percent more likely than other groups to live in places where extreme temperatures will cause more deaths.

That recycling symbol doesn’t always mean what you think it does

CalMatters

At least 85% of single-use plastic items don’t get recycled, even if they carry the familiar triangular symbol. A California bill would restrict which plastics can bear the mark.

Energy:

Companies Are Tallying Their Carbon Emissions, but the Data Can Be Tricky

Wall Street Journal

Microsoft has halved its greenhouse-gas emissions—with a wave of a calculator. In 2017, the software company said it was responsible for 22 million metric tons of carbon. Since then, the 2017 number was reduced to 11 million metric tons.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

WHO says it is monitoring a new Covid variant called ‘mu’

CNBC

The World Health Organization is monitoring a new coronavirus variant called “mu.” It has mutations that have the potential to evade immunity provided by a previous Covid-19 infection or vaccination, the WHO said.

● Review: Covid-19 and the crises yet to come Reuters

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

Los Angeles Times

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

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

Washington Post

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

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

Washington Post

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

Use of Antiparasitic Drug Ivermectin Against Covid-19 Prompts Warnings

Wall Street Journal

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

Philip Morris International cigarettes can cause lung disease. Now the company wants to sell medicine to treat it.

Washington Post

The tobacco company is pivoting away from cigarettes and developing new lines of business that go beyond just smoke-free products. Philip Morris International calls it a “Beyond Nicotine” strategy and says it wants to earn $1 billion from these new ventures by 2025.

Human Services:

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

VPR

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

● Hospitals Swamped With Delta Cases Struggle to Care for Critical Patient Wall Street Journal

● Opinion: Do the unvaccinated deserve scarce ICU beds? Washington Post

Crowded U.S. Jails Drove Millions Of COVID-19 Cases, A New Study Says

Valley Public Radio

If the U.S. had done more to reduce its incarceration rate, it could have prevented millions of COVID-19 cases. That's the conclusion of researchers who conducted what they say is the first study to link mass incarceration rates to pandemic vulnerability.

IMMIGRATION

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

Fresno Bee

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

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

Los Angeles Times

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

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

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

Fresno Bee

What statewide temporary national forest closures means for Central California

abc30

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

Housing:

California is on the verge of ending single-family home only zoning

Los Angeles Times

Under Senate Bill 9, cities across California would have to allow duplexes, and in some cases four units, in most single-family home neighborhoods. The bill now awaits a signature from Gov. Gavin Newsom and would take effect next year.

● California’s housing crisis: How much difference will a zoning bill make? CalMatters

● Bills to increase housing density in California head to Newsom San Francisco Chronicle

Opinion: Will the Legislature prioritize water for affordable housing?

CalMatters

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

White House to Unveil Steps Aimed at Easing Housing Supply Shortage

Wall Street Journal

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

● White House details plans to improve housing affordability Business Journal

● Alleviating Supply Constraints in the Housing Market The White House

Here’s why experts believe the U.S. is in a housing boom and not a bubble

CNBC

During the pandemic, home prices have climbed at a record pace. The median price for an existing home reached over $363,000 in June 2021, a 23.4% year-over-year increase.

State Policymakers Are Working to Change How Courts Handle Eviction Cases

Pew Trusts

As temporary state and federal protections meant to keep people housed during the public health emergency expire, measures making their way through statehouses nationwide attempt to provide more permanent adjustments to eviction procedures.

PUBLIC FINANCES

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

Wall Street Journal

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

Implications of the fiscal year 2022 budget resolution on family and safety-net policy

American Enterprise Institute

The downsides are that it creates new universal programs that are poorly targeted to those most in need, ignores challenges created by a poorly coordinated safety net, and contributes to both higher taxes and greater debt.

Op-Ed: Give IRS the tools it needs to enforce tax rules and catch cheaters

Brookings

The IRS is trying to fight tax evasion with one hand tied behind its back. President Biden has proposed transformational policies that could substantially reduce tax cheating and thus make the tax system fairer for the large majority of taxpayers who are honest.

TRANSPORTATION

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

Railway Track and Structures

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

Amtrak might add more than 50 new routes. But they still won't be faster than a car

CNN Business

The $1 trillion infrastructure bill appears set to give passenger and freight rail $66 billion, an infusion that will likely expand where service is offered but does little to increase the speed of train travel in the US.

As The Delta Variant Soars, The Airline Industry Descends Into Another Slump

NPR

The EU is taking the U.S. off its COVID-19 "safe list," but airlines have already been cutting flights due to low booking rates. Some say vaccines should have been required for travel months ago.

WATER

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

Fresno Bee

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

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

Modesto Bee

Opinion: Will the Legislature prioritize water for affordable housing?

CalMatters

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

“Xtra”

Cancel Labor Day travel if you’re not vaccinated, CDC says. But what if you are? Modesto Bee

Labor Day weekend is just around the corner — but we’re still in a pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioned hopeful travelers during a press briefing on Tuesday.

● Sequoia National Park Labor Day weekend tips Visalia Times Delta

● How to protect yourself from COVID-19 on Labor Day weekend Los Angeles Times

● For Labor Day Travel, Keep Up With the Covid-19 Mandates Wall Street Journal

● CDC cautions Americans about traveling Labor Day weekend Bakersfield Californian

Bethany Clough: 4 big-name restaurants open or reopening in Fresno’s River Park, Tower and other areas

Fresno Bee

They’re in some prime spots. A new concept is open in River Park and a restaurant in a prominent Tower District location is reopen after more than year-long closure. A favorite Fresno Mexican restaurant also has something new to offer.

Cats available for adoption in Fresno

Stacker

Stacker compiled a list of cats available for adoption in Fresno on Petfinder, ranging in age, breed composition, temperament, and needs.

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

HERE

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 amyboam@csufresno.edu