Good morning! It’s Tuesday, Nov. 11. This is Rob and Omar.
🫡Thank you to all those who have and are serving on this Veteran’s Day!
⛅Partly sunny skies in Fresno today as clouds move in ahead of rain later this week. NOAA
💸Fresno taxpayers are footing the civil court bills in multiple lawsuits tied to an ex-city cop who has pleaded not guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from police evidence lockers. The Fresno Bee
🍗A Tower District barbecue pitmaster wants your help providing 1,000 free Thanksgiving meals for Fresno-area families in need. ABC30
🍴Fresno Mission offers more free meals to local families in need as demand skyrockets. GVWire
⛔CESAR CHAVEZ BLVD CLOSURE: Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 12, Cesar Chavez Blvd from P Street to Broadway Street will have lane restrictions, lane shifts, and partial closures to cross-traffic.
⛔HUGHES AVENUE CLOSURE: Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 12, Hughes Avenue will be closed in both directions from Nielsen Avenue to Roeding Drive.
1. Fresno’s worst case scenario?
As Senate Democrats work with the GOP to end the longest-ever federal government shutdown, Fresno-area leaders are bracing for the worst — skyrocketing health care premiums in an already depressed and tense region under President Donald Trump.
Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano sat down with Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Esmeralda Soria as California state and local leaders scramble to fill in the gaps in the wake of numerous funding shortfalls affecting everything for food stamps to air traffic control.
Fresno is one of seven counties in the state of California with a majority of residents (52%) enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, Fresnoland reported in March.
Assemblymember Mia Bonta: “Between 200,000 to 400,000 residents across the Central Valley will lose Medi-Cal coverage by 2034 due to the mandatory work rules, the more frequent eligibility checks and the new cost-sharing provisions that are built-in.”
2. Fresno Unified changing DEI programs amid anti-diversity changes
FUSD’s Office of African American Academic Acceleration is changing its name into the Office of Advancing Academic Acceleration & Achievement.
Created in 2017, the A4 department was created to improve disparities in student performance and graduation rates for African American and Black students.
The department serves multiple student groups, including foster youth and English learners.
Lisa Mitchell, the executive director of the A4 office, says the restructuring is being done to align the department’s work with the district’s goals and to re-align with federal guidance from the Trump administration that restricts federal funding to schools with race-based programs and policies.
Lisa Mitchell: “We have so many goals across our district; now we are in a line, so we have to do some looking back at what we’re currently doing and seeing if it’s aligned with the new district goals and guardrails.”
3. A new elected enters the D5 Councilmember chat
Danielle Parra, a sitting State Center Community College District trustee, has announced that she’ll be running for Fresno’s District 5 city council seat, the Business Journal reports.
She’d be mounting a run to challenge Councilmember Brandon Vang, who won a March special election and has been in office since April.
At 27, Parra is one of the youngest elected officials in Fresno County. She threw her hat in the ring for Fresno County’s District 4 supervisor seat — just in March. But it appears she’s changed direction after former Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims declared a run for the same District 4 supervisor seat, to replace Buddy Mendes.
Candidate Danielle Parra: “I’m running for Fresno City Council to continue delivering results for our neighborhoods and families. District 5 is where Fresno’s future is being built, and I’m ready to keep fighting for investments that make our city safer, stronger, and more affordable for working families.”
