Valley Solutions

What Dems must do better

Washington Post. Democrats: Skip the autopsy. Just listen. 
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray explains in the Washington Post how Democrats are missing the point through their much-discussed 2024 Campaign “autopsy.” Instead of worrying about what went wrong, let’s start focusing on what we can do to make lives better. Better roads. Better jobs. Better opportunities for those who want to work or who want to find housing their families can afford. For most of the 20^th Century, Democrats were the party of builders, of putting people to work, of fair pay and a new deal. That’s what we must become again.

LA Times. How Democrats drifted away from the working class. 
Synopsis: College Prof Nicholas Jacobs writes about what’s gone wrong with Democratic Party politics. Bottom line: “On every major plank of the progressive economic agenda, Democrats are now substantially to the left of the workers they claim to champion.” Basically, for 60 years working people have been saying that the political system – meaning both major parties -- doesn’t hear them. Instead of champions for the common man, we got trade deals that shipped out jobs, relief for banks while homes were foreclosed, a blind eye while big pharma killed us with opioids. Basically, we’re in the middle of a class war. If Democrats want to win, they have to be on the side of working people.

Choosing the best candidates

Turlock Journal. Brief break before election hoopla begins again. 
Synopsis: Columnist Mike Lynch looks back at the primary and ahead to the general election. While voter participation was down in the primary, expect it to rise in November as we elect a governor, 52 members of Congress, 80 assemblymembers and tons of council and board members. The lessons of June 2? First, doing the hard work of governance pays off. Mani Grewal has been a good supervisor and people noticed, which explains how he got “an astonishing 77% of the vote.” Second, potholes are nonpartisan. “If the mayor of your town has kept your faith by spending public money as promised, reelect him or her.”

Listen to what candidates say

Modesto Bee. Steve Hilton is saying some bizarre stuff; is anybody listening?
Synopsis: The SLO Tribune editorial board says Californians need to pay attention to Steve Hilton because he’s telling us what he believes. For instance, he supports offshore drilling saying that it keeps tar off the beaches. He says the battery-facility fire at Moss Landing last year was worse than any oil spill. He thinks we need to be more like Las Vegas. He hates windmills. There’s more.
MAD Take: Not mentioned in this story is Hilton’s plan (as explained in Fresno) to dig a new canal connecting the Tuolumne River to the State Water Project. He said in April that he wants to send the Tuolumne River directly to growers in the South Valley. Since it’s doubtful San Francisco will give up its water, that would mean growers here will have to go without. Not without a fight.

Flesh-eating maggots spread

Morning Ag Clips. Two additional cases of New World Screwworm confirmed. 
Synopsis: The USDA, whose monitor and response systems were crippled by DOGE cuts in 2025, has reported two new cases of infestations by the flesh-eating maggots known as New World Screwworm. The cases reported Monday were found in a calf in La Salle County and a dog in Andrews County, both in Texas. The original case, divulged last week, was in Brazos County Texas. There are 75 people working on the response in Texas with “hundreds of additional people around the country providing” support in labs and treatment distribution. The state has established 13-mile (20 kilometers) quarantine zones around the infected animals and stepped up releases of sterile flies.

Farm Policy News. Canada bans Texas livestock imports after second screwworm case. 
Synopsis: A second screwworm case in south Texas has intensified concerns worldwide over American beef. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced it will ban imports of live cattle from Texas. Canada imported roughly 550,000 head from the US last year, with a significant portion originating or passing through Texas. Meanwhile, Texas ranchers “lambasted” the slow pace of construction of labs to produce the sterile flies needed to combat screwworm infestations. Others have “bristled at what they view as a lack of transparency, including the agency’s decision not to disclose exact coordinates” of fly releases. Other ranchers have dismissed the USDA’s recommendation for daily inspections, saying their operations are spread over thousands of acres and there simply aren’t enough skilled cowboys available, largely due to crackdowns in immigration.

Morning Ag Clips. Tennessee response following New World Screwworm confirmation in Texas.
Synopsis: Tennessee became the first state to limit “movement of warm-blooded animals out of an infested area into Tennessee.” Other states are expected to follow. The restrictions apply to dogs, cats, cows or any other warm-blooded animal.

Morning Ag Clips. Enhanced import requirements following New World Screwworm detection.
Synopsis: Georgia’s Ag Commissioner instituted “immediate” new restrictions and limits on importation of warm-blooded animals from Texas.

Newsom, Trump agree on tunnel

Daily Kos. Governor Newsom applauds Trump for advancing Delta Tunnel construction.
Synopsis: The “resistance governor” has been applauding the Trump administration’s rapid approval of a permit to build the Delta Tunnel. “The science is clear. California must act quickly to complete the Delta Conveyance Project … I thank the federal government for their partnership in moving this project forward,” said Newsom’s office.

Gallo closes Lodi crusher

SF Chronicle. CA wine giant Gallo announces another facility closure, layoffs.
Synopsis: E.&J. Gallo Winery will close its Lodi contract-crush facility on West Turner Road, reflecting “available capacity in our other wineries in the region.” It will result in about 20 layoffs. The facility crushed grapes for smaller wineries who lacked their own crushing machinery.

Three rescued from the river

Fox40. Three people rescued from Caswell Memorial State River Park.
Synopsis: Three people had to be helped out of the Stanislaus River on Saturday after their tubes were carried by rapid currents into overhanging brush. One was left holding onto a tree limb until rescued. None of those rescued were wearing life jackets. It was the second weekend in a row authorities have had to rescue people on the river; none were wearing lifejackets.

A flock of drones over Stockton

Stocktonia. Stockton approved Flock drones; here’s what the system is and why it has attracted scrutiny.
Synopsis: The Stockton City Council approved an additional $3 million for Flock Safety after hearing promises that it will improve the response time for law enforcement. It brings the total contract to $5.4 million over 5 years. During the meeting residents spoke for nearly an hour mostly in opposition to the surveillance program. The expansion will include radar-based detect-and-avoid technology and emergency-call integration with 132 license-plate readers in the city.

ER facility for Patterson?

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus community won’t have a hospital until 2035; what officials want to do.
Synopsis: Juan Alanis has written a bill to authorize emergency services in Patterson until a hospital can be built. Del Puerto Health Care District plans to open a hospital in the city of 26,000 by 2035. But currently anyone with an injury must be taken by ambulance 20 miles to Modesto for treatment. The RESCU Act would offer ER stabilization services available 24/7. Having passed the Assembly 76-0 it has moved to the Senate.

Escalon girls take NorCal title

Escalon Times. Escalon softball battles to 4-2 victory in NorCal championship. 
Synopsis: Marg Jackson writes about the utterly improbable championship won by the Escalon Cougars over the weekend. The girls thought they had been eliminated by a 14-5 loss in the semifinals on Thursday. But Friday, they learned the other team had used an ineligible player, resulting in forfeit. On Saturday, the Lady Cougars drove down to Salinas, then came roaring back to beat Alisal 4-3 and win the NorCal Crown. In all three of their games, the Cougars were visitors. Tenley Adams, Madi Babasa, Kyla Holback and Arianna Velasco were the stars.

Restrained man dies at scene

Modesto Bee. Man dies after being taken into custody, Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office reports. 
Synopsis: A man who was arrested and had to be restrained Thursday in Waterford died at the scene. Deputies responded to a family disturbance when a resident of the home filed a complaint against Shane Harlan, 39. He had damaged property and resisted when deputies tried to take him into custody. He continued to resist even after being handcuffed, so deputies put him a “full-body restraint” known as a WRAP. He was seated on the ground when he became unresponsive. Deputies began CPR, but it didn’t work.

UOP baseball coach succumbs  

Stocktonia. UOP mourns death of head baseball coach Reed Peters, architect of program turnaround.
Synopsis: University of the Pacific said Friday that baseball coach Reed Peters had died unexpectedly following a brief illness. Peters had recently finished his second season with UOP after having served 17 years as the Delta College coach. The Tigers won 24 games this season, the most since 2014, and advanced to the West Coast Conference postseason tourney.

Co-workers fight in Tahoe

GV Wire. State Center probes alleged Tahoe beach brawl between ADs.
Synopsis: A video circulating on social media purports to show a fight between Fresno City College athletic director Derrick Johnson and Madera Community College interim AD Jesse White on June 3. They were in Tahoe for the CA Community College Athletic Assn conference. Both Fresno City and Madera are units of State Center Community College District, meaning they men have the same employers. “We are aware of the incident and are investigating,” a spokesperson said. White worked for Johnson until last year.