Valley Headlines

New bird flu strain found here

The Guardian. First outbreak of rare bird flu strain reported at CA poultry farm.
Synopsis: A never-before-seen in North America strain of bird flu -- H5N9 – was found in Merced County on Monday. It required the destruction 119,000 birds on a Merced poultry farm. The more common H5N1 strain had already been detected on the farm. In the last 30 days, H5N1 has killed 13,000,000 birds in the US.

LA Times. New strain of bird flu found on a CA duck farm. 
Synopsis: Reporter Susanne Rust writes more comprehensively about H5N9. She reports that it was found in a commercial duck farm. And her first quote is from CA State Veterinarian Annette Jones: “This case is not unexpected or alarming.” Then she turned to evolutionary microbiologist Henry Niman, “It is just a new serotype where the N1 segment is replaced by N9.” OK. For non-scientists, he is saying this version is unlikely to make the virus better able to infect humans. That’s the good news. The bad: “Nature is a giant gain-of-function experiment,” so worse viruses are coming, says former USDA scientist John Korslund.

Did Trump fix water issues?

Sacramento Bee. Trump says he sent military into CA to turn on the water; that didn’t happen.
Synopsis: Andrew Sheeler writes about President Trump’s “truth” message, saying he sent the military to California to turn on the big water faucet and now everyone is happy and should be for now on. Sheeler says that “truth” has no basis in fact. There was no military, no faucet and no more water (and no less).

Valley Sun. Trump seizes LA momentum, directs agencies to boost CA water flow immediately.
Synopsis: If you prefer the pro-Trump spin on this story, read the Valley Sun.

E&E News. Trump looks to seize control of California water.
Synopsis: The reporting in this story is thorough, but the headline says more than the story provides. If the Trump administration really is “weighing how to take control of water in California – including setting aside endangered species protections” the story doesn’t explain how. Eventually the reporter quotes several folks who work to supply water to cities, wildlife refuges and farms.

Politico. Trump bashed CA’s water system, then DOGE paid a visit.
Synopsis: The new Department of Government Efficiency dropped in on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Northern California pumps near Tracy. Shortly after the visit, the DOGE team posted on X that the agency had more than doubled the water being pumped “toward Southern California in <72 hours.” But the folks at Reclamation pointed out that the pumps had been turned off for maintenance; once that was completed, they resumed pumping. So the water flowing south was actually normal.

Fixed? Columnists scoff

Cal Matters. Trump doesn’t understand CA’s complex water network, but that’s not the point.
Synopsis: Columnist Robert Greene asks, “Does Donald Trump truly believe the nonsense he spouts about California water?” That’s unlikely, but a meaningless question. Trump is the master of misdirection, writes Greene, and he’s just forged an unbreakable bond with “thirsty San Joaquin Valley agriculture interests.” But says the state must beware of acting on Trump’s promises. “Ignorance is expensive. It can make us spend resources on the wrong things, for example watering the chaparral to keep tumbleweeds down – another Trump suggestion —instead of restoring floodplains to allow water to percolate into the soil and replenish aquifers.”

Sacramento Bee. Fatal flaw in Donald Trump’s order to send more water to fire-ravaged LA.
Synopsis: Columnist Tom Philp writes about Trump’s efforts to get more water into Central Valley Project canals, a “system that doesn’t even serve (Los Angeles).” Tom points out that if the state’s two water systems revert to operational directives established in 2019, there will be less water flowing south. Rules implemented last month are actually going to send more water to the South Valley than those 2019 rules.

Bloomberg Opinion. Trump doesn’t understand CA water, fish or wildfires. 
Synopsis: Columnist Mark Gongloff starts his story describing Trump’s giant faucet and Gavin Newsom’s dedication to saving “what left of a species of fish that is essentially garbage.” Then Gongloff clarifies: “Not a single word of the preceding sentence is true, even in a metaphorical sense.” But it will you’re your mind off what’s important in the coming years.

But a fix is possible

Golden Together. Water Abundance: Policy Paper #5. 
Synopsis: Edward Ring of the CA Policy Center insists that we can have all the water needed to supply California, and it won’t require any additional taxpayer spending. Ring is angry that “one of our great industries – agriculture – which feeds not only the rest of America but the world, is being systematically and deliberately assaulted and crushed by wrong-headed government policies designed to ration water.” Ring estimates the state needs $150 billion in water infrastructure improvements. And while that’s a lot, if we were to make water infrastructure even a small priority – dedicating just 2% of the state’s budget until the work is complete -- we could absolutely afford all the fixes.
MAD Take: While some of what Ring writes is, uh, out there, his complaints and solutions detailed in this long treatise are valid. For instance, he asks why Sites Reservoir hasn’t been completed even though so many Californians voted to fund it. Good question. Ring wonders why desalination isn’t being vigorously pursued. And while he decries restrictions on pumping, he recognizes that saltwater incursion is a problem – meaning he’s thought through his solutions. Ring insists the tunnel is a distraction and boondoggle and that harvesting storm runoff is the answer. That is where his plas runs into trouble. Still, this is an essential read.

‘White land’ value plummets

San Jose Mercury News. CA farms fail as land values plunge amid groundwater crisis.
Synopsis: This story appears to be done for Bay Area readers who want to learn about a story that was news in the Valley weeks ago. The story focuses first on a Tulare County farm that has always used groundwater to grow food. Unfortunately, sustainability rules now require reduced pumping, which has dramatically reduced yields. Now the ground isn’t worth the loans against it. The same is true of every farm that is dependent on groundwater. For land without a supply of surface water, prices are down at least 40%, and in some cases 75%. Among those quoted is appraiser Janie Gatzman of Oakdale, who points out the “huge loss in equity for growers who have been farming at a loss for the last three to four years.” Hardest hit are those in so-called “white areas” outside of water districts. In the Eastern Tule subbasin, land prices have fallen from $32,000 five years ago to $8,000 today.

The value of beef

Farms.com. Beef import surge raises industry concerns.
Synopsis: The US imported 24% more beef in 2024 than it did in 2023. The leading suppliers were Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, whose exports to us rose by 600% in one case. Brazil sent 500 million pounds above its over-quota tariff rate. US beef growers say the foreign suppliers now dominate our markets as the number of cattle ranches in the US continues to fall. The same thing is happening with lambs.

Western Farm Press. Bull sale tops $2.2 million, smashing record.
Synopsis: The Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale on Saturday averaged $7,811 per bull, easily breaking the record of $6,551 set last year. High beef prices in grocery stores have ranchers feeling, well, healthier. The top bull came from Wooden Shoe Farms in Idaho, selling for $20,000; another 40 bulls topped $10,000 each. Interestingly, 16 stock dogs were sold for roughly $11,000 each.

Another hit for wineries

SF Chronicle. Trump’s plans could devastate CA wine; some in Napa are ‘preparing for war.’ 
Synopsis: Reporter Jess Lander writes about the fear that workers will flee in the face of immigration enforcement. The story quotes the Migration Policy Institute saying a third of Napa farmworkers are undocumented. Community groups are preparing defenses against deportation and are asking grape growers for help. But those growers say they’re “just trying to survive right now.”
MAD Take: As usual, this story implies that Napa County is the center of the wine universe. For context, all of Napa’s wineries combined produced about 9 million cases in 2022. E.&J. Gallo produced 75 million cases – give or take a million. So where is this problem going to be felt first and worst?

Who cares for new moms?  

Modesto Bee. Golden Valley decision to cut obstetric services at Modesto hospital sparks uproar.
Synopsis: Ken Carlson reports on Golden Valley Health Clinic’s decision to end its contract with three doctors who have been treating low-income patients at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. GVHC sent letters to the three doctors, insisting that they also provide up to 40 hours weekly at their clinics. The doctors refuse. Now, patients who see the doctors will be assigned to “on-call obstetricians” and “laborists.” Dr. Susan Podolsky calls this move wrong “on so many levels.” She says there is a simple fix, “and that is not to do this.” DMC says GVHC is a long-standing partner, and will stand with the provider. Others are quoted saying there aren’t enough doctors to go around.

Merced Sun Star. Maternal mortality is a system failure; here’s what CA is doing to save lives.
Synopsis: CA Surgeon General Diana Ramos wrote this op-ed pointing out that the state’s maternal mortality rate is the lowest in the nation, but still too high. Too many women don’t receive care because they don’t know they can get it. Hence, the CA Maternal Health Blueprint will remedy the situation by emphasizing awareness, action and advocacy.

Be sure to try ‘Blue Monster’

Fresno Bee. Popular ice cream chain opens first Fresno scoop shop; 5 flavors to try out.
Synopsis: Ohio-based Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is now open on North Friant Road. (Think Mrs. See’s of cold confections.) National Geographic named the company the No. 1 ice cream seller in 2006, Newsweek put it at No. 2. There are 45 flavors, says franchise owner Cali Sorenson. You should try Monkey Business, Blue Monster, French Silk Pie or the dairy-free options made with pom juice. There are 50 Handel’s in CA, including Sacramento and Bakersfield.