Valley Solutions

What to know about Prop 50

Fresnoland. CA Prop 50 voting guide: What’s at stake for Fresno, Central Valley?
Synopsis: This story looks at the changes that would occur if Prop 50 passes. Proposed as a balance to the gerrymandering that has already occurred in Texas, Prop 50 would reconfigure many California congressional districts to lean more left. The change is most dramatic in far northern CA and the Valley. Rep. Adam Gray’s sprawling CA 13 – which stretches 170 miles from Lathrop to below Coalinga -- would lose the southern portion of the district and stretch a little farther north into Stockton. It would also include more of Modesto. Valadao’s CA-22 would lose the portion south of Bakersfield and stretch into Fresno County, excluding most of the city itself.

Washington: Den of dysfunction

KMJ. Sunday conversation with Alexan Balekian.
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray joins Alexan Balekian’s weekly podcast to talk about the dysfunction crippling Washington. Those trying to create room for conversations between the two parties are being shut out by leadership. Gray was among the members of the Blue Dog Caucus who reached out via letters to Republican leadership several times prior to the shutdown. Each time, there was no response.

Politico. ‘You lose leverage, you lose this country’: Newsom presses Dems to stand firm. 
Synopsis: Speaking at a press conference, Gavin Newsom tried to strengthen the resolve of CA’s Democratic representatives as the federal government remains shuttered. He warned California’s representatives not to take Donald Trump at his word and reminded them of the consequences of the Republican budget bill for those covered by Medicaid and Medicare.

Why insurance fight matters

Fresnoland. Expiring tax credits could spike health insurance costs by double for Valley residents.
Synopsis: Premium increases for insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act will become downright unaffordable after Jan. 1, says this report. Some 185,000 lower-income Valley residents are facing payments double their current premiums. Many will likely drop insurance altogether. “In a time when costs are rising in so many places and many people are fighting to just meet their daily needs, this is a huge stressor for people and the families that we serve,” said Jessica Altman, the executive director of Covered California. Merced County will be the most impacted, with rates expected to increase by 388%. Stanislaus will see a rise of 112%, San Joaquin 129%, Madera 139% and Fresno 160%. Fresno and San Joaquin counties each have over 48,000 individuals who buy insurance through Covered California. Merced has 18,610, virtually all of them subsidized. Stanislaus has 28,460 and Madera 6,960.

Modesto Bee. Major insurer to discontinue Medicare health plan in Stanislaus County. 
Synopsis: United Healthcare will discontinue its managed-care plans effective Jan. 1, meaning those enrolled in the company’s Medicare Advantage programs will have to find other insurers. Stanislaus is one of 109 counties being targeted by United HC, affecting 180,000 people nationwide. Three of the programs were managed by AARP and contracted with Memorial Medical Center, Doctors MC and Emanuel to provide medical care. There will be a forum Oct. 17 to answer questions. There are 9 other Medicare Advantage plans available in the county.

Flora under a microscope

Modesto Bee. Top CA Republican vowed to cut waste, corruption; his spending says otherwise.
Synopsis: Reporter Kate Wolffe looks into the living arrangements of Heath Flora, the Assembly’s top Republican. She describes Flora as an effective behind-the-scenes politician who would rather pass bills than rip opponents. But she more intensely focuses on his “personal baggage” – including an affair with a former lobbyist while he was married and his divorce in 2022. He lists his voting address as Modesto but apparently lives near Sacramento. “While Flora’s actions do not appear to be illegal, the revelations make him an odd fit to lead a party that claims to represent family values…” State law no longer requires lawmakers to live in their districts as long as they did so at the time they were first elected – which Flora did. Among those quoted are his ex-wife and his former girlfriend, who have become friends.

Careful what you eat

Fox26. Foster poultry farm recalls 3M pounds of food due to wood contamination.
Synopsis: Foster Farms has recalled 3 million pounds of corn-dog products because small pieces of wood got into the batter. The company has received 5 injury reports.

Morning Ag Clips. USDA warns that Hello Fresh Meals may contain listeria-tainted spinach.
Synopsis: Federal officials warned people not to eat Hello Fresh subscription meals containing spinach. The meals were produced by FreshRealm of San Clemente. The spinach, found in pasta, is linked to a listeria outbreak. Avoid the Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta dish and the chicken fettucine. So far, 20 people have been sickened since early September.

Valley’s biggest casino

LA Times. Huge $600-million casino – bigger than many Vegas rivals – is coming to CA next month.
Synopsis: The Hard Rock Casino Tejon is set to open in Kern County. Owned by the Tejon Tribe, it is being completed in the town of Mettler at the base of the Grapevine. It will have 150,000 square feet of gaming space, roughly equivalent to that found at the MGM Grand, Bellagio and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The huge casino sort of ups the ante for other tribes currently building casinos in California.

We won’t run out of water

Maven’s Notebook. CA water suppliers gear up for a dry year with confidence.
Synopsis: Only 4.5% of CA’s 446 urban water suppliers say they will expect some level of shortage in supplying anticipated needs in the coming year. The annual stress test requires water suppliers to detail supplies and sources. Of 446 suppliers, 426 said there will be no shortage, and they will have enough water to exceed demand. The 20 districts who anticipate a shortage say it can be “fully addressed” through “appropriate response actions” found in contingency plans. 

Smart Water Magazine. CA opens $116 million Antioch brackish-water desalination plant.
Synopsis: The city of Antioch opened its new two-stage reverse osmosis desalination facility to filter up to 6 million gallons from the San Joaquin River every day. That’s enough to supply about 30% of the needs of Brentwood and nearby communities.

Tulare ag worth $8.3 billion

Western Farm Press. Tulare County’s crop value rebounds behind milk, beef prices. 
Synopsis: The county’s farmers grossed $8.3 billion in 2024 with milk being the most valuable commodity. Tulare produced 10.5 billion pounds of milk valued at $2.26 billion. The county produces 150 different commodities with 44 valued at more than $1 million. The most impressive leap was for walnuts, whose gross value rose 80% over last year even as yields fell 19%. The county grows 28,000 acres of table grapes and saw a 36% jump in yields and a 40% jump in grower prices. Other top crops included oranges (sold mainly to South Korea), pistachios, tangerines, almonds, peaches and cherries.

Don’t forget specialty crops

Successful Farming. Trump bailout for trade-hit US farmers expected this week. 
Synopsis: The Trump administration’s efforts to ameliorate the problems created by its trade war could result in from $10 billion to $15 billion in aid for farmers. The money would come from the estimated $70 billion in tariffs collected by the administration on foreign products. Last year, China was the leading buyer of American soybeans at $12.6 billion; this year China hasn’t bought a single bean. Republican lawmakers are warning that farmers face “financial calamity” if they do not receive aid. Meanwhile, the USDA says farmers are benefiting from lower taxes, trade deals and updates to farming programs. The aid would be on top of the near-record federal payments of $40 billion this year in disaster and economic aid passed by Congress.

Morning Ag Clips. Ag leaders urge emergency aid for specialty crops.
Synopsis: The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance urged the Trump administration to ensure specialty crops are included in any emergency aid delivered to farmers. The alliance includes vegetable, fruit, tree-nut and landscape growers across the country. California is a major provider in all of those categories. The letter says the group is “optimistic that Congress and your administration will provide necessary relief to producers.” Among those signing the letter was Dave Puglia of Western Growers.

Elevating string cheese

Ag Daily. Real California Milk Excelerator selects 2025 participants. 
Synopsis: The CA Milk Advisory Board announced 14 companies have been chosen to participate in the 7^th annual Real California Milk incubator program. There are two tracks, one for companies looking to expand sales for successful products and the other for those trying to develop new products. Among this year’s “Excelerator Cohort” for products looking to expand is Joseph Farms String Cheese, a 99% lactose-free cheese which contains 7g of protein per stick. It’s made in Merced County near Atwater.

Celebrity tequila disappeared

SF Chronicle. ‘It hurt bad’: Guy Fieri on losing $1 million in tequila to a targeted heist.
Synopsis: Guy Fieri, the celebrity chef and host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, says two freight trucks carrying 24,000 bottles of Santo Spirits tequila vanished. The theft was a “sophisticated cybercrime that exploited vulnerabilities in the global supply chain.” To get away with all that booze, thieves double-brokered the shipment then created fake trucking companies while falsifying GPS tracking data. Fieri partnered with singer Sammy Hagar in the tequila venture. One of the trucks was eventually recovered, along with 11,000 bottles. No trace of the other truck has been found.