Maddy Institute – September 8, 2020

08Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Modesto among nation’s top financially stressed cities, assessment finds

Modesto Bee

Modesto is one of the cities experiencing the most financial stress nationwide, according to a new analysis by a NY-based financial technology company. The assessment, released by SmartAsset, ranks Modesto 17th in the nation for financial stress, and second-highest among Calif cities.

Pinecrest, rest of Stanislaus National Forest shutting down due to wildfire threat

Modesto Bee

The closure came on a busy holiday weekend when the area was packed with visitors.

Stanislaus County’s single-day infection rate declines

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County announces one death as infection rates state relatively the same.

Central SJ Valley:

Newsom declares emergency, Shaver Lake a ghost town, Creek Fire evacuations grow

Fresno Bee

Cynthia Sandoval, a 74-year-old from Auberry, arrived at the Red Cross Center that was established at Clovis North High. Her 9-month-old granddaughter was in her arms and a 9-year-old grandson was draped in a men’s button-up shirt.

● Creek Fire live updates: New evacuation orders in Prather area; 143k acres scorched Fresno Bee

● What we know about the Creek Fire: Where it started, latest evacuations in Calif Fresno Bee

● They flew into the fire: Calif National Guard pilots on Creek Fire rescue Fresno Bee

● Cressman’s Store, a landmark in Fresno County mountains since 1904, destroyed by Creek Fire Fresno Bee

● Auberry area now under mandatory evacuation order from Creek Fire Fresno Bee

● ‘The whole area was torched.’ Creek Fire camper among the last to escape Mammoth Pool Fresno Bee

● Creek Fire consumes half the homes in tiny town. ‘Words cannot describe the devastation’ Fresno Bee

● See how the Red Cross helps Creek Fire evacuees in the COVID era Fresno Bee

● Fresno County deputy leads Creek Fire evacuees through Shaver Lake Fresno Bee

● Orange glow: Creek Fire smoke spreads to Yosemite Fresno Bee

● Creek Fire: 214 people airlifted from Mammoth Pool reservoir in daring rescue abc30

● Creek Fire: Rescue operation to airlift 50 trapped at Lake Edison ‘unsuccessful’ abc30

● Creek Fire: Forest officials confirm structure loss in Big Creek abc30

● Creek Fire: Here’s how you can help people impacted by massive wildfire abc30

● More than 60 trapped, 1 dead, near Lake Edison, China Peak. Rescue efforts ‘unsuccessful’ Visalia Times Delta

● As fire ‘engulfed everything’ around campers, an air rescue like no other in the Sierra LA Times

● A Huge Airlift, Mass Evacuations: Creek Fire Has Burned Over 78,000 Acres And Counting VPR

● Wildfire Threatens KVPR 89.3 Broadcast Tower VPR

● Creek Fire threatens to knock Fresno-area TV, radio stations off the air Fresno Bee

Fresno doctor slams ‘reckless’ hospital as some trauma services lapse amid Creek Fire

Fresno Bee

Community Regional Medical Center suspended neurosurgical trauma services to new patients over the weekend, after critical contract negotiations broke down once again. “Right now, what happens is that if a patient needs neurosurgical care, Community Medical Center cannot provide them, and those patients are transferred to a location that can provide that care,” said Lauren Nickerson, communications director for Central Calif Faculty Medical Group.

Council votes to put marijuana tax on Nov. ballot

Madera Tribune

A measure to establish a cannabis business license tax in Madera is headed to the November ballot. The tax would not be collected, however, unless the council in the future agreed to legalize marijuana businesses in the city.

Board appoints supe’s daughter

Madera Tribune

The Madera County Board of Supervisors has appointed 55-year-old Karen Rodriguez Pouge, daughter of current Supervisor Max Rodriguez, District 4, to the position of Chief Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, effective upon the September 11 retirement of current Chief Clerk Rhonda Cargill.

RSVP to our Fresno Voices forum: How the city failed its Black residents — and the path forward

Fresno Bee

In Fresno, Black residents lag behind other races in all spheres of life — education, employment, economic participation, wealth, housing, health and even life expectancy. This is despite powerful efforts by individuals and community leaders.

South SJ Valley:

Cong Cox introduces $800 million water bill

Porterville Recorder

Rep. T.J. Cox-D, who represents a portion of Southwestern Tulare County, introduced the Western Water Storage Infrastructure Act, an $800 million bill addressing surface and groundwater storage and water delivery.

Kern Public Health reports 99 new coronavirus cases Monday

Bakersfield Califn

Kern County Public Health Services announced 99 new confirmed cases of coronavirus Monday, and no new deaths. That brings Kern’s total cases to 30,189 since reporting began in mid-March. A total of 296 deaths have been attributed to the virus.

CSUB professor helps create eco friendly way to fill potholes

23 ABC

Doctor ZhongZhe Liu is an Assistant Engineering Professor at Cal State Bakersfield, but that’s not all he does. He’s on a research team that is developing a new, cost-efficient road patch material.

State:

Hospitalizations keep decreasing in Calif

Mercury News

Deaths increase slightly Calif is projected to reach 15,000 deaths by mid-September.

Calif sets record with 2M acres burned so far this year

abc30

Wildfires have burned more than two million acres in Calif this year, setting a new state record even as crews battled dozens of growing blazes in sweltering temperatures Monday that strained the electrical grid and threatened power outages for millions.

They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won’t Anybody Listen?

ProPublica

This is a story about frustration, about watching the West burn when you fully understand why it’s burning — and understand why it did not need to be this bad.

Walters: Legislature ignores fire insurance crisis

CalMatters

As wildfires raged, the Calif Legislature’s 2020 session ended with no action on the crisis of insurance coverage in fire-prone areas.

Gov. Newsom outlines new eviction, foreclosure protections for Californians

Modesto Bee

At a news conference on Sept. 2, 2020, Calif Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled new eviction protections for renters and foreclosure protections for property owners and homeowners affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Signs Lorena Gonzalez Bill that Builds on Landmark Labor Law

Official Website – Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Representing the 80th Calif Assembly District

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed, to be effective immediately, Assembly Bill 2257 authored by Calif State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) to build on historic labor protections signed into law last year and clarify employment rules in the state.

See also:

● Fox: Death Throes for AB 5? Fox&Hounds

How Calif’s most pressing problems fell victim to Legislature’s infighting

SF Chronicle

When the state Senate leader’s priority housing bill died as the clock struck midnight on the Legislature’s annual session, it shone a spotlight on infighting that contributed to the stunning collapse this year of an agenda to tackle Calif’s most pressing problems.

● Walters: Capitol’s dominant Democrats still bickering CalMatters

Gil Duran: In leaked email, Calif Assembly Speaker’s top aide blasts critics, defends boss

Sac Bee

Calif Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon just survived an epically horrible week. Will a leaked email from his chief of staff make things worse? On Friday, Rendon’s top aide sent an all-staff email that could reignite criticism of Rendon’s decision to force a nursing mother — Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks of Oakland — to take in-person votes at the Capitol during a coronavirus pandemic.

Calif Supreme Court consistently unanimous, even in contentious cases

SF Chronicle

The Calif Supreme Court is as diverse in its composition — politically, racially and sexually — as the U.S. Supreme Court. But one attribute the state justices have that their national counterparts apparently lack is an ability to reach consensus — this year, almost 90% of their rulings have been unanimous.

John Cox launches exploratory committee to challenge Gavin Newsom in 2022: “The state is in crisis”

Fox11 LA

Two years after losing to Calif Governor Gavin Newsom in the 2018 Gubernatorial race, businessman John Cox revealed to FOX 11’s Elex Michaelson that he is launching an exploratory committee to potentially take on Newsom again in 2022.

Federal:

Trump threatens funding for Calif if schools use NY Times’ 1619 Project, curriculum focused on slavery, Black Americans

abc30

Pres. Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding to Calif schools for their use of the NY Times’ 1619 Project, an initiative that aims to reframe the nation’s history with a focus on the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans.

● Calif to require ethnic studies to graduate high school under bill headed to Gov. Newsom EdSource

White House directs federal agencies to cancel race-related training sessions it calls ‘un-American propaganda’

Wash Post

Administration seeks list of contracts for those that refer to ‘white privilege,’ according to memo.

Census Bureau must temporarily halt winding down operations

Bakersfield Califn

The U.S. Census Bureau for now must stop following a plan that would have it winding down operations in order to finish the 2020 census at the end of September, according to a federal judge’s order. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, Calif, issued a temporary restraining order late Saturday against the Census Bureau and the Commerce Department, which oversees the agency. The order stops the Census Bureau from winding down operations until a court hearing is held on Sept. 17.

See also:

● Fill out your census from and make history with your family Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission

● Census Bureau must temporarily halt winding down operations. SF Gate

● Federal Judge Blocks, For Now, Further Winding Down of the 2020 Census NY Times

● Don’t Forget About the Census in Calif NY Times

● Court halts early census finish Wash Post

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

See also:

● Calif Department of Public Health

● Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO

● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University

● Tracking coronavirus in Calif LA Times

● Coronavirus Tracker SF Chronicle

● Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count NY Times

● How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico

● Coronavirus Daily NPR

● Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Financial Times

● Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters

New U.S. Coronavirus Cases Fall Below 25,000

WSJ

Outbreaks on some college campuses have forced students to return to online learning.

● Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was ‘superspreading event’ that cost public health $12.2 billion: analysis TheHill

Were the lockdowns a mistake?

AEI /Wash Examiner

There are old lessons here, ready to be relearned. Governments can sometimes channel, but never entirely control, nature. There is no way to eliminate risk entirely. Attempts to reduce one risk may increase others. Amid uncertainty, people make mistakes — like, maybe, the lockdowns.

COVID-19 Is Crushing Newspapers, Worsening Hunger for Accurate Information

PEW Trusts

Newspapers have been closing at a rapid clip, buckling under the pressure from changing news consumption habits, advertising shifts and many other factors, including consolidated corporate ownership. For outlets covering state and local news, the drop in advertising revenue since the onset of COVID-19 has only exacerbated a preexisting financial crisis.

Elections 2020:

County clerk says voters should beware of info from social media

Madera Tribune

“Be aware!” Madera County Clerk Rebecca Martinez said this week. “There is a lot of misinformation about voting being spread on social media. If you have questions about the November Election, come to your trusted source, the Madera County Elections Department.

This Democrat gave Devin Nunes a close race. Now he’s going after Kevin McCarthy

Sac Bee

The Fresno Democrat who gave Republican Rep. Devin Nunes a close race in 2018 now is turning his attention — and fundraising power — to helping a candidate challenge House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy

● Fact Check: Democrat’s ads begin in 2020 race for Devin Nunes’ seat Fresno Bee

Trump reboots his campaign pitch, but struggles to stick to it

LA Times

The Trump campaign on Monday launched an aggressive push to win back voters in the industrial Midwest, asserting — dubiously — that a coronavirus vaccine could be only weeks away, but it struggled to stay on message while the Pres. continued lashing out at the nation’s military leaders.

● Fox News reporter: Ex-officials confirm Trump called US troops ‘suckers’ Business Insider

● Trump and Pence try a messaging reboot on economic recovery Politico

● How Trump’s Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage NYT

● Fact Check: Donald Trump Jr. misrepresents Joe Biden’s tax plan Poynter

● Trump, under fire for alleged comments about veterans, has a long history of disparaging military service Wash Post

● Trump employs violence as political fuel for reelection fight Wash Post

● Vaccine CEOs issue safety pledge amid Trump’s quest for pre-election approval Wash Post

● Opinion: Trump is shouting his racism. He must be stopped. Wash Post

A crazy 2020 makes for a Presidential race like no other

LA Times

After months of stability, the Pres.ial campaign enters the final sprint amid the greatest upheaval the country has faced in more than a generation: a teetering economy, a pandemic and divisions over racial discrimination and policing that have made November’s contest, both sides agree, the most consequential election many voters have ever seen.

● Companies Recruit 350,000 Poll Workers for U.S. Election WSJ

● Is it getting easier to vote by mail? Brookings

● Be patient on election night 2020. Counting the returns will take time Poynter

● Attitudes on Voting in 2020: Preparing for Elections During a Pandemic RAND

● Calif Likely Voters and the Coming Election Fox and Hounds Daily

● Calif’s Likely Voters PPIC

A Big Chunk of White Americans with Degrees and People Of Color Are Behind Trump

FiveThirtyEight

The overarching story of recent American elections is that 1) voters of color, who have long been Democratic-leaning, are a growing share of the electorate; 2) white voters with college degrees are increasingly shifting to the Democrats; and 3) white voters without degrees are aligning more with the GOP.

Why Biden could still lose the suburbs to Trump

Politico

Among local party officials, there’s an undercurrent of uneasiness about how quickly the Pres. shifted the focus of the campaign away from his coronavirus response and toward public safety.

Opinion: Will Courts Pick the Next Pres.?

WSJ

If the election is close, the fallout could make Bush v. Gore look like an ice-cream social.

Other:

Facebook will pay some app and Instagram users for deactivating accounts, taking surveys ahead of election

Stockton Record

Facebook will pay some users as much as $120 to not use the app or Instagram ahead of the 2020 election as part of a study. The social media giant announced its new research partnership Aug. 31 is to “better understand the impact of Facebook and Instagram on key political attitudes and behaviors during the US 2020 elections.”

In Views of U.S. Democracy, Widening Partisan Divides Over Freedom to Peacefully Protest

Pew Research Center

Majority of Americans say significant changes are needed in the ‘fundamental design and structure of American government’.

Americans See Skepticism of News Media as Healthy, Say Public Trust in the Institution Can Improve

Pew Research Center

72% of U.S. adults say news organizations do an insufficient job telling their audiences where their money comes from.

Land of Free (and Fettered) Speech

WSJ

In a time of rapid social and technological change, Americans are struggling to figure out the new rules of political discussion, online and in person.

Everyday equality

Brookings

Structural racism and inequality have been frequently discussed topics in 2020, but what can everyday people do to address these barriers? In a new op-ed, Richard Reeves discusses some of the decisions, investments, and sacrifices that can have huge effects.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 13, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: pre-empted

Sunday, September 13, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Poverty and the Economic Situation of Calif Latinos?” – Guests: Sarah Bohn, Public Policy Institute of Calif and Mindy Romero, Director of USC Price School of Public School. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farm Workers Face Double Threat: Wildfire Smoke And COVID-19

NPR

With precision, farm workers swiftly harvest rows of strawberries at an organic field in Salinas, Calif. It’s hard work, even without a global pandemic and wildfires burning in the background.

· Harvest of shame: Farmworkers face coronavirus disaster MSN

· In Calif’s Wine Country, Undocumented Grape Pickers Fored to Work in Fire Evacuation Zones The Intercept

Foster Farms allowed to reopen Livingston facility, following COVID-19 outbreak

Fresno Bee

After being closed for about a week, Foster Farms is allowed to reopen its Livingston processing facility, the Merced County Department of Health announced Monday evening. The plant came under scrutiny from local and state public health officials — plus community and union leaders — after at least 358 employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus. At least eight workers have died.

● Foster Farms allowed to reopen Livingston facility, following COVID-19 outbreak Merced SunStar

● Meatpacking was already a dangerous job for Calif workers. The pandemic made it worse LA Times

Kern landfill planning helps dairies keep up with spike in cow mortality

Bakersfield Califn

Livestock mortality rates have spiked in the Central Valley this hot summer but Kern officials say local dairies and ranches have avoided a carcass-disposal crisis thanks to proactive landfill permitting policies and relatively low reliance on distant rendering plants.

Food banks: USDA program helped but better ways to meet need

Bakersfield Califn

As she inched ahead in her rusty Chevy pickup, Brianna Lordz bemoaned that engine problems had prevented her from making it to the last few drive-up produce giveaways organized by a Des Moines food pantry.

Opinion: Fresno farm water use critical issue for food supply

Fresno Bee

I grew up back east reading about “The Promised Land” in the Bible. I tried to imagine a land literally flowing with rivers of milk and honey, and my mouth watered thinking about all the exotic, delectable fruits growing in the Garden of Eden.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

No indictments against officers in officer-related shootings

Porterville Recorder

Porterville Police investigation into law officer-related shootings in the Delano area, including a fatal shooting involving one of the officers, has led to no indictments against the officers. The Tulare County Grand Jury decided on Wednesday there would be no indictments against either of the officers after hearing the evidence in the case.

Fire:

Newsom declares emergency, Shaver Lake a ghost town, Creek Fire evacuations grow

Fresno Bee

● Creek Fire live updates: New evacuation orders in Prather area; 143k acres scorched Fresno Bee

● What we know about the Creek Fire: Where it started, latest evacuations in Calif Fresno Bee

● They flew into the fire: Calif National Guard pilots on Creek Fire rescue Fresno Bee

● Cressman’s Store, a landmark in Fresno County mountains since 1904, destroyed by Creek Fire Fresno Bee

● Auberry area now under mandatory evacuation order from Creek Fire Fresno Bee

● ‘The whole area was torched.’ Creek Fire camper among the last to escape Mammoth Pool Fresno Bee

● Creek Fire consumes half the homes in tiny town. ‘Words cannot describe the devastation’ Fresno Bee

● See how the Red Cross helps Creek Fire evacuees in the COVID era Fresno Bee

● Fresno County deputy leads Creek Fire evacuees through Shaver Lake Fresno Bee

● Orange glow: Creek Fire smoke spreads to Yosemite Fresno Bee

● Creek Fire threatens to knock Fresno-area TV, radio stations off the air Fresno Bee

● Creek Fire: 214 people airlifted from Mammoth Pool reservoir in daring rescue abc30

● Creek Fire: Rescue operation to airlift 50 trapped at Lake Edison ‘unsuccessful’ abc30

● Creek Fire: Forest officials confirm structure loss in Big Creek abc30

● Creek Fire: Here’s how you can help people impacted by massive wildfire abc30

● More than 60 trapped, 1 dead, near Lake Edison, China Peak. Rescue efforts ‘unsuccessful’ Visalia Times Delta

● As fire ‘engulfed everything’ around campers, an air rescue like no other in the Sierra LA Times

● A Huge Airlift, Mass Evacuations: Creek Fire Has Burned Over 78,000 Acres And Counting VPR

Gender reveal party sparks massive wildfire in Calif, fire officials say

Fresno Bee

The El Dorado fire that burned over 7,000 acres in Southern Calif over the weekend was sparked by a device at a gender reveal party, Cal Fire said. A “smoke-generating pyrotechnic device” used at a gender reveal party sparked the fire on Saturday morning, according to a Calif Department of Foresty and Fire Protection news release.

They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won’t Anybody Listen?

ProPublica

This is a story about frustration, about watching the West burn when you fully understand why it’s burning — and understand why it did not need to be this bad.

Walters: Legislature ignores fire insurance crisis

CalMatters

As wildfires raged, the Calif Legislature’s 2020 session ended with no action on the crisis of insurance coverage in fire-prone areas.

Public Safety:

Could Trump cut funding to Calif cities for ‘defunding’ police?

Sac Bee

Since the start of the summer, dozens of local and state governments, including several in Calif, have considered reducing funding to law enforcement. Now, as he works to establish himself as a champion of law and order, Pres. Donald Trump is calling on federal agencies to cut off funding to these governments he considers to be “anarchist jurisdictions.”

Opinion: The Coming Police Crisis

National Review

We are living in a climate of animus against the police. The result is already apparent in soaring crime rates, as cops pull back from the proactive police work that keeps us safe.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

Outdoor dining project gives Tower District hope

Fresno Bee

In the past six months, the Tower District eatery has been forced to reinvent itself at least four times. It’s looking to do it again, with the help of the city’s outdoor dining parklet project.

Online fundraising becomes vital link between nonprofits and their donors during pandemic

Bakersfield Califn

Raising money for the Bakersfield Master Chorale used to be as straightforward as putting on a concert. Then COVID-19 hit. Singing through face masks during the crisis was never much of an option, and with some members of the chorale advancing in their years, singing together just didn’t seem like a good idea. And yet payroll, insurance and other bills kept coming in.

Jobs:

Calif unemployment claims spike up again. Why is the state struggling to recover?

Fresno Bee

Randy Karr isn’t sure how soon he’ll be able to reopen the doors at Calif Family Fitness. All he knows is that being forced to operate a health club chain outdoors — under tents, in parking lots — has made his business suffer.

● Unemployment benefits could be available to Calif parents who have to stay home Sac Bee

● Calif unemployment claims spike up again. Why is the state struggling to recover? Sac Bee

● Newsom weighs aid for undocumented Califns weathering pandemic with no safety net CalMatters

● Calif begins sending extra $900 to those unemployed due to COVID-19 LA Times

● Once again, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance data confound AEI

Pay It Forward Webinar | Job Outlook in a New Era

Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to join the Director of Fresno State’s Career Development Center, Debbie Young, and Employer Connection Specialist, Damian Lay for a special online Pay It Forward Zoom Webinar.

Valley Apprenticeship Connections is accepting applicants

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC)

Do you know someone ready for a rewarding career in construction? Fresno EOC Valley Apprenticeship Connections is accepting applicants for their NO-COST, 12-week construction training program starting on Sept. 14.

Enjoy working with kids? Apply to work at Head Start 0 to 5

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC)

We are looking for qualified applicants to fill available positions with Fresno EOC Head Start 0 to 5. If you or someone you know is interested in working with children, please refer them to our careers page. For these positions, Former Head Start/Early Head Start parents are preferred.

Long-delayed military contract opens opportunities for local manufacturer

Bakersfield Califn

Bakersfield fuel tank manufacturer Bryant Fuel Systems LLC was a 3-year-old startup with few sales under its belt when, in late 1991, it got its first big chance to dazzle U.S. Army brass.

Essential workers during COVID-19: At risk and lacking union representation

Brookings

Jimmy O’Donnell explains how workplace conditions have changed since COVID-19 struck and how private-sector labor unions can provide an avenue to raise pressing concerns on workplace safety.

U.S. unions threaten work stoppages amid rising calls for racial justice

LA Times

Ahead of Labor Day, unions representing millions across several working-class sectors are threatening to authorize work stoppages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement amid calls for concrete measures that address racial injustice.

9th Circuit won’t undo order compelling arbitration in Uber driver case

Reuters

An Uber Technologies Inc driver must arbitrate his data security case against the company, after a federal appeals court refused to overturn a district court’s decision finding the Alabama-based driver didn’t fall within an exemption for workers engaged in interstate commerce under federal arbitration law.

Editorial: If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that workers are essential

LA Times

The nation has learned a lot of new words and phrases this year. Coronavirus. Contact tracing. Social distancing. Mask up. And, of course, essential workers, who have taught America just how much we depend on one another to conduct our daily lives. And, often, how much we take for granted the work of others.

· Opinion: Calif’s frontline workers deserve hazard pay as coronavirus pandemic rages on Fresno Bee

Employers Likely to Receive One-Year Reprieve from Full Calif Consumer Privacy Act

Litter

Calif’s governor may soon sign into law a one-year delay of the Calif Consumer Privacy Act’s (CCPA) full application to human resources data. On August 28, 2020, Calif’s legislature passed A.B. 1281, which extends the exemption for human resources data from most CCPA obligations to January 1, 2022. The exemption was previously set to expire on January 1, 2021. Governor Newsom is expected to sign the bill by September 30.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Two San Joaquin Valley schools can reopen despite COVID-19. Can other schools follow?

Fresno Bee

Two private schools in Kings County got the approval last week to reopen campuses despite the state requiring schools in the central San Joaquin Valley remain closed. Hanford Christian School and St. Rose-McCarthy Catholic School will open their doors for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade students after the department of public health granted their waivers Friday.

Fresno Ed Lab: Do teachers agree that parents should decide when to reopen schools?

Fresno Bee

Parents took to the streets this week, demanding school campuses open as the coronavirus pandemic enters its sixth month in Fresno. About 100 parents protested the ongoing school closures, saying it was their right to decide when their kids go back to class.

How to find a back to school laptop for your child amid shortages

abc30

Back to school in the virtual world is giving some parents real world problems. Finding the laptops they need has been a struggle for some families. Electronics stores have been swamped with requests from parents looking for laptops. If you are having trouble finding a laptop, try looking at computer repair stores.

Here’s where Stanislaus school districts stand on waivers. 3 sent to state

Modesto Bee

With Stanislaus County health officials now reviewing waiver applications submitted by schools seeking to reopen in-person learning for transitional-kindergarten through sixth-grade students, several of the county’s 25 districts are getting their plans in order.

Many Calif high school seniors still want to take SAT/ACT even though they are optional at many colleges

EdSource

Many high school seniors are scrambling to schedule SAT and ACT tests this fall even though most private and public colleges, including both of Calif’s massive state university systems, say they are not required during the pandemic.

Remote Schools’ Hidden Cost: Parents Quit Work to Teach, Prompting New Recession Woes

WSJ

Online school could force more than 4 million working parents out of labor force, researchers say.

Opinion: What’s happening with COVID-19 in schools? We don’t know

LA Times

With students starting to return to classrooms across the country as COVID-19 infection rates shrink, parents, teachers and the public as a whole are watching anxiously. There already have been some worrisome stories about kids who crowded in hallways or on bus lines, infections that cropped up within days and campuses that closed again as a result.

Trump threatens funding for Calif if schools use NY Times’ 1619 Project, curriculum focused on slavery, Black Americans

abc30

● Calif to require ethnic studies to graduate high school under bill headed to Gov. Newsom EdSource

● ACLU Complaint Alleges Racism in Clovis Unified Clovis RoundUp

Higher Ed:

Can’t stop, won’t stop: CSUB graduate on a mission to share seldom-known Black history

Bakersfield Califn

It was at the Calif African American Museum in LA that Tyree Boyd-Pates first saw the beauty and resilience of Blackness represented. His grandmother, Annie Boyd Hargrove, took him there starting at age 4 to pass on her love of the arts, especially history and culture.

Wash Monthly Ranks Fresno State Among Top 30 Universities For Fifth Consecutive Year

Fresno State News

Fresno State is ranked among Wash Monthly’s top 30 national universities that best serve the country in the areas of social mobility, research and civic engagement.

UC Merced Ranked High by Wash Monthly

UC Merced Newsroom

UC Merced is one of the top universities for promoting upward mobility, research and civic engagement at an affordable price, according Wash Monthly magazine.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Creek Fire: Air quality impacted as fire continues to grow

abc30

Smoke from the fast-moving Creek Fire was expected to continue to pour into the valley for the next few days. Large pieces of ash have been visible. This latest fire has added to our poor air quality.

Extreme heat made August the fourth-warmest on record worldwide

Sac Bee

August 2020 will go down as the fourth-warmest on record worldwide, with above average summertime heat in the U.S. and Mexico tempered slightly by below average temperatures in parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

EDITORIAL: To limit future blazes in Calif forests, selective logging must occur

Fresno Bee

The Creek Fire is literally burning its way into the collective memory of Labor Day weekend 2020. It will long be remembered for the dramatic rescue of 200 people trapped in the Fresno County backcountry, of the community of Shaver Lake becoming a ghost town as residents fled, and of the blaze jumping the San Joaquin River to head into Madera County, ready to lay waste to more forest land and threaten more remote homesteads.

Opinion: Maybe Capitalism Isn’t the Real Culprit Behind Climate Change

Bloomberg

A lack of trust in government is undermining long-term policies to tackle global warming.

Energy:

PG&E plans blackouts for 172,000 Calif customers as Diablo winds raise wildfire risk

Fresno Bee

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. planned to impose blackouts on an estimated 172,000 homes and businesses across the Sierra foothills and Northern Calif wine country Monday night amid forecasts of strong Diablo winds and increased wildfire risk.

● Map: See If You Could Be Affected By PG&E’s Sept. 7 Shutoff Capital Public Radio

● PG&E power shut-offs: Here’s what you need to know and what’s new in 2020 SF Chronicle

Calif Energy Price Data for August 2020

CA Center for Jobs

This latest data again shows the relentless rise in energy costs driven by the way Calif has chosen to address the challenges posed by climate change. In a system defined by regulation and guided less by costs to households and employers, the latest data indicates the total bill continues to grow.

How a Plan to Save the Power System Disappeared

The Atlantic

A federal lab found a way to modernize the grid, reduce reliance on coal, and save consumers billions. Then Trump appointees blocked it.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

Even inside, you may not be safe from bad air. Here’s a simple hack to clean your air

Fresno Bee

Marissa Huerta is a mother of two and is seven months along in her surrogacy journey. She has been experiencing side effects from Fresno’s bad air quality due to wildfire smoke. “My headaches would come instantly when I would go outside,” said Huerta. “On fire days, my kids tell me that it’s hard for them to breathe.”

Kern Public Health reports 99 new coronavirus cases Monday

Bakersfield Califn

19% of Californians know someone who died of COVID-19, poll says

Sac Bee

In about six months, the coronavirus pandemic has killed close to 13,500 Califns — about one in every 3,000 residents of the Golden State. But according to a recent poll released by the Calif Health Care Foundation and survey firm Ipsis, 19% of Califns — nearly one-in-five — personally knew someone who died of COVID-19.

Public Health Officials Pursue Covid-19 Tests That Trade Precision for Speed

WSJ

Public health experts are increasingly calling for a shift in thinking about Covid-19 testing: It is better to get fast, frequent results that are reasonably accurate than more precise results after dayslong delays.

Fresno Voices: Black mothers and babies are dying every year. What’s being done to save them in Fresno?

Fresno Bee

When Joan Smith discovered she was pregnant in May 1994, it was an answer to her most ardent prayers. She was 34 and already a mother to a 7-year-old daughter. She knew she wanted more children and started trying to get pregnant when her daughter turned two.

Why Does Zoom Exhaust You? Science Has an Answer

WSJ

On video calls, looming heads, staring eyes, a silent audience, and that millisecond delay disrupt normal human communication.

What universal health care means during a pandemic

PBS Newshour

Amid the election-year debate over the future of health care in America, the PBS NewsHour launches this five part-series to look at what’s best and worst in the American system today: the most expensive system in the world, brimming with innovation, but one that also leaves more than 30 million people uninsured.

Face Masks Really Do Matter. The Scientific Evidence Is Growing.

WSJ

New research suggests that face coverings help reduce the transmission of droplets, though some masks are more protective than others

The Opioid Crisis, Already Serious, Has Intensified During Coronavirus Pandemic

WSJ

Overdose deaths rise as job losses and stress from Covid-19 destabilize people struggling with addiction.

Human Services:

Fresno doctor slams ‘reckless’ hospital as some trauma services lapse amid Creek Fire

Fresno Bee

How Calif doctors are fixing how we die

Mercury News

Doctors change life-ending drugs to ease the final hours.

Calif Rx: State may dive into generic drug market

SF Chronicle

Calif is poised to become the first state to develop its own line of generic drugs, targeting soaring drug prices and stepping into a fiercely competitive drug market dominated by deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies.

Medical board slams Calif doctor for exempting kids from school vaccinations

CalMatters

A new Calif law that took effect this year further restricted questionable medical exemptions and cracked down on doctors who granted them outside of accepted medical guidelines.

What Derailed America’s Covid Testing: Three Lost Weeks

WSJ

The coronavirus spread unchecked for 21 critical February days while problems plagued the federal test for the pathogen; ‘We quickly got behind’.

IMMIGRATION

Judge orders resumption of diversity visas

The Hill

A federal judge in Wash has reportedly ordered the Trump administration to temporarily resume issuing diversity visas to immigrants through a lottery system. “To be clear, there is no statutory requirement that every available diversity visa be issued each year, ” U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, wrote in in his decision on Friday, The Associated Press reported.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Several national forests in Calif to close due to increased fire danger

Fresno Bee

National forests throughout Calif are being closed Monday evening due to fire danger caused by extreme heat and dry conditions across the state, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Housing:

Gov. Newsom outlines new eviction, foreclosure protections for Californians

Modesto Bee

Eviction court is back. Financially struggling tenants remain protected, for now

LA Times

Calif’s courts are resuming eviction hearings this week, but a flurry of new protections could ensure that financially struggling tenants will not lose their homes, at least through the rest of the year.

PUBLIC FINANCES

CA begins sending extra $300 per week in unemployment benefits, but many will not receive the supplemental aid

abc30

Starting Monday, Calif begins sending $900 in federal benefits to people who lost their job due to the pandemic.

● Unemployment benefits could be available to Calif parents who have to stay home Fresno Bee

Odds dimming of another $1,200 stimulus payment as Congress returns

abc30

At least there won’t be a government shutdown. But as lawmakers straggle back to Wash for an abbreviated preelection session, hopes are dimming for another coronavirus relief bill – or much else.

CalPERS proposal would force next investment chief to sell stocks before taking job

Sac Bee

CalPERS Chief Investment Officer Ben Meng resigned abruptly in August.

Taylor: As wealth gap grows, America’s haves must step up for have-nots

SF Chronicle

Dale Walker, a retired financial services executive, has been concerned about income inequality for years.

Opinion: Exploding US debt is a problem, not an emergency

Bloomberg

Rather than shrink the size of any recovery package now, Congress should gradually make Social Security and Medicare less generous to address concerns about the growth of the national debt.

Opinion: Trump’s payroll tax deferral won’t provide the assistance the economy needs

American Enterprise Institute – AEI

On Aug. 8, 2020, Pres. Trump signed one executive order and three executive memoranda with the goal of providing economic relief to individuals and families.

TRANSPORTATION

New Madera Transit Center opens with vision for future

Madera Tribune

The City of Madera’s surge in population over the last several years has created a need to upgrade its bus system with measures surrounding increased safety, reliability, and eco-friendly transportation. Creating solutions for this increased demand remains a top priority for the City.

GET bus offering free rides Tuesday due to poor air quality

Bakersfield Califn

Golden Empire Transit District is offering free rides Tuesday because the air quality index is at 156. The free rides are available on GET fixed routes and GET-A-Lift all day. An AQI over 150 is considered unhealthy and potentially hazardous to the general population. According to the EPA, the air quality index focuses on health effects people might experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.

Calif’s scaled-back high-speed rail plan faces doubts amid financial crunch

LA Times

It was just last year that Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would need to downsize Calif’s ambitious bullet train project, because the state could afford only a limited system from Merced to Bakersfield. But even the viability of that scaled-down $20.4-billion plan is becoming uncertain as construction costs rise in the San Joaquin Valley, expected revenues are under pressure and land acquisition problems continue to mount.

WATER

Calif Water Institute releases water system investment report

Fresno State News

The San Joaquin Valley’s water supply availability is the single most important resource to the Valley’s economic survival, according to the San Joaquin Valley Water System Investment Program report recently published by the Calif Water Institute.

Opinion: Fresno farm water use critical issue for food supply

Fresno Bee

Garth Stapley: `Until the Last Drop’ flows nimbly through Calif’s water wars

Modesto Bee

Before COVID-19, before George Floyd, before all the demonstrations and even the Pres.ial campaign, we had water wars. The threat of losing a substantial amount of river water that our farmers depend on was so startling in the summer of 2018 that 1,500 people from Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties flocked to a well-orchestrated rally in Sac.

Delta on the edge

SF Chronicle

The Sac-San Joaquin River Delta is an unlikely frontier, an even more improbable battleground.

“Xtra”

Virus still throwing theme park attendance for a loop

Bakersfield Califn

Theme park operators who spent months installing hand sanitizing stations, figuring out how to disinfect roller coasters seats and checking the temperatures of guests at their gates so they’d come back in the midst of the pandemic are finding many reluctant to return.

Classic Ceres Drive-In to reopen as COVID-19 keeps other movie theaters closed

Modesto Bee

Pack the family into the car, grab your lawn chairs and get ready for a night of big-screen entertainment served with a big bucket of buttered nostalgia. The Ceres Drive-In is coming back.

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The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of Calif’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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