Good morning, all. It is Tuesday, July 21, and it’s shaping up to be the warmest day of the week around Santa Cruz County, with sunny skies and temperatures nearing 100 in the mountains and around 80 at our beaches.
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Watsonville-based berry giant Driscoll’s s fighting a legal war on three fronts, Jessica M. Pasko reports, facing two new consumer lawsuits alleging pesticide cover-ups and undisclosed “forever chemicals” while suing a mobile app startup it says is spreading false claims about its berries on social media.
Capitola police are investigating a stabbing that left an older woman dead outside the Capitola Mall on Monday afternoon. As Max Chun and Caly Luna Plowman report, officers detained a male suspect; neither his nor the victim’s identity has been released.
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s summer season is off and running with an irresistible production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” Jana Marcus writes in her latest theater review, with the production embracing everything audiences hope for in one of the Bard’s most beloved comedies.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, civil libertarian Steve Pleich writes that new artificial intelligence tools are quietly expanding the reach of surveillance. Before these systems become commonplace, he writes, local cities and the county board of supervisors should establish clear rules that continue to protect both public safety and civil liberties.
Let’s get to those headlines.
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Driscoll’s faces growing legal storm over pesticide safety, ‘forever chemicals’ and social media claims
Berry giant Driscoll’s is facing multiple legal challenges, including consumer lawsuits alleging “forever chemicals” and pesticide cover-ups, while simultaneously suing a mobile app startup for spreading false claims. The Watsonville-based company denies the allegations of misconduct, affirming its commitment to food safety and regulatory standards. Jessica M. Pasko has the story.
‘Much Ado About Everything Right’: SC Shakespeare’s perfect summer comedy
Filled with infectious comedy, colorful design, inspired music and superb performances, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” is a joyful season opener, Jana Marcus writes, that proves Shakespeare can still leave audiences laughing four centuries later. Read her latest theater review here.
DAILY DIGEST
There’s more from the menu from Lookout as Tuesday unfolds, not the least of which is another helping from Santa Cruz County’s culinary scene in the form of Lily Belli on Food, hitting inboxes a little later – just one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. You can also opt into breaking news notifications when you download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, with all of our award-winning local coverage, games and more right on your smartphone. Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads are where you’ll find Lookout on social media – please do give us a follow.
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Thanks for reading – have a good Tuesday.
Will McCahill