Good morning! It’s Tuesday, March 31. This is Rob.
Wet weather! Rain is expected throughout the day with highs in the 70s. NOAA
Fresnoland is hiring: That’s right, we’re hiring for our first-ever Senior Revenue Officer to help lead and execute our fundraising strategy with local donors and sponsors. Share with your fundraising friends! Fresnoland
Racial Equity Townhall: California’s Racial Equity Commission with the Governor’s Office will host a town hall in Fresno on Wednesday, April 1 about “addressing racial equity and inequities affecting underserved and marginalized communities.” United Way
1. Fresno and the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
Food and health care benefits remain in limbo for millions in Fresno County as the fallout takes shape from President Donald Trump’s signature ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’.
Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela spoke with local food banks and other groups who aren’t sure how much pain could be felt locally, but Fresno County is looking at a roughly $300 million deficit and CalFresh — the state’s low-income food assistance program — expects to take at least a $7 million hit.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” followed through on a longtime effort to slash federal spending through cuts and program changes shifting financial burdens to the local levels.
The new work requirements could impact over a million residents across the state, according to a report shared by the Public Policy Institute of California last year.
Over a quarter of a million Fresno County residents were enrolled for CalFresh in 2025, according toa report released last year by the California Association of Food Banks.
2. Focusing on farmworkers on Farmworkers Day
Years before horrific rape and sexual abuse allegations emerged about Cesar Chavez, many historians and teachers had already been working to reshape how we think and talk about the historic achievements of the United Farmworkers movement.
One of those teachers, Alina R. Méndez, an assistant professor at Fresno State’s Chicanx and Latin American studies, says historians and biographers’ emphasis on just one of the movement’s leaders overshadowed the contributions of many others.
In an interview earlier this month with Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina, Méndez graciously provided a short list of books she believes do a better job of telling the story.
Miriam Pawel’s “The Union of Their Dreams” highlights the lives and contributions of multiple UFW leaders beyond Chavez.
Frank Barneke’s “Trampling Out the Vintage” and Matt Garcia’s “From the Jaws of Victory” critically assess Chavez’s leadership, documenting both his accomplishments and his problematic decisions.
Christian O Paiz’s “The Strikers of Coachella” centers on rank-and-file members, emphasizing the grassroots organizers whose efforts were essential to the union’s success.
3. Blackbeard’s soccer stadium?
Central Valley Fuego FC plans to open a new stadium next month at Blackbeard’s Family Entertainment Center, the Business Journal reports.
President Brian Easler told the Journal that the club has moved quickly this past year after leaving professional soccer to focus on youth and new program development.
Easler said the Blackbeard’s site will be instrumental in the club’s long term sustainability through partnerships and facilities.
The field at Blackbeard’s is expected to be ready by the end of April, with additional phases of development planned down the road.
Easler: “The focus of the club was to build more infrastructure, build more fields for the Central Valley, because it lacks.”
Today’s newsletter was edited by Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad.
