Welcome to Thursday night’s Lookout PM.

I WANT TO … Become a Lookout Member | Download the Lookout App | Browse Latest News | Get other Lookout Newsletters | Solve a Puzzle | Find Local Events | Advertise

children at an information booth at Kids Day in downtown Santa Cruz
Credit: Downtown Santa Cruz

Weekender: Kids Day, free comics, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s riveting ‘Vincent’

Your cheat sheet for eating well and going out in Santa Cruz County this weekend.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

How Santa Cruz County cannabis businesses will benefit from recent reclassification of medical marijuana

After the Department of Justice eased medical marijuana’s legal status, full reclassification could come as early as this year – a move industry participants say would help level the playing field for cannabis businesses by lowering taxes and fostering financing and trade opportunities.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

In first electoral run since his recall, Chris Krohn aims to stop the ‘selling off’ of Santa Cruz to developers as mayor

By Max Chun

Returning to electoral politics six years after he was recalled in March 2020, former city councilmember and mayor Chris Krohn is stepping back into the ring with the goal of stopping the “selling off” of Santa Cruz to outside developers and shifting the focus on affordable housing providers.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

City celebrates reopening of end of Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf

By Kevin Painchaud

More than 100 people attended a reopening ceremony celebrating the completion of the $1.3 million repair of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf’s southern end.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

OPINION: Five candidates, five questions, one big decision: Meet the voices vying to lead Santa Cruz – and get ready for the June 2 primary

By Community Voices

Who will be the next mayor of Santa Cruz? Here, the five candidates – Ami Chen Mills, Ryan Coonerty, Gillian Greensite, Chris Krohn and Joy Schendledecker – describe what they would do in short videos.

Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press

Supreme Court ruling on voting won’t change California districts, but could hurt Democrats

By Nigel Duara / CalMatters and Maya C. Miller / CalMatters

The U.S. Supreme Court has narrowed the Voting Rights Act over the past decade. The law in California was primarily used to help Latinos gain political representation.

Get your first year for just $99 — nearly a 50% savings!

Right now, during election season, get your first year of an annual membership to Lookout for just $99 with coupon code Election2026. Members have full access to all Lookout’s local coverage, from politics and policy to education, dining and more.


Sign up for your Neighborhood Roundup. Sent every weekday morning, receive a neighborhood-specific roundup of the weather forecast, local news, crime reports, road closures, permit applications, road closures, restaurant inspections, upcoming events and more.


Best of Santa Cruz County events, May 1-3

Here are some events you may be interested in this weekend:

Friday, May. 1

Saturday, May. 2

Sunday, May. 3


Max Chun is the general-assignment correspondent at Lookout Santa Cruz. Max’s position has pulled him in many different directions, seeing him cover development, COVID, the opioid crisis, labor, courts...