Good morning, everyone. Wednesday, July 9, it is, and we’re warming up around Santa Cruz County – after the morning fog burns off the mountains could see temperatures reaching 90, close to 80 by the beach (and even toastier Thursday).
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Tania Ortiz continues Lookout’s coverage of the impact of the second Trump administration, talking to local immigration advocates about how family and friends can find a loved one detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It can be a tangled task, but help is available.
Cuts to Medicaid in the Republican tax bill President Donald Trump signed last week, meanwhile, were on the minds of local medical professionals at a news conference in Live Oak on Tuesday. More than 30% of Santa Cruz County residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, William S. Woodhams reports.
Max Chun has the latest from the local housing market, where inventory remains high and sales have been slower than some insiders expected as the calendar turns to summer.
Beloved cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is coming to a stage near you, Hillary Ojeda reports, with UC Santa Cruz mounting a production of a SpongeBob musical this fall. “SpongeBob invites us to confront how we individually fight against some of the biggest issues facing us right now, like climate change and xenophobia,” says the director. “But does so in a way that is utterly playful, utterly campy, utterly absurd and utterly heartfelt.”
The Wednesday headlines also include the latest from Lily Belli on our local food & drink scene – read along, won’t you?
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Local immigration advocates share tips on how to locate a loved one detained by ICE
As federal officials continue to ramp up efforts to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants across the U.S., local immigration advocates share steps families can take to locate a loved one if they are detained. Here’s what Tania Ortiz heard.
County health care leaders decry ‘backward’ Medicaid cuts
The bill President Donald Trump signed on July 4 is expected to cut more than $1 trillion in Medicare and food assistance spending over the next decade and leave more than 11 million people uninsured nationwide, according to the Congressional Budget Office. William S. Woodhams reports from Tuesday’s local news conference.
DAILY DIGEST
That’s what I know as we hit another hump day, but the news isn’t slowing down, so be sure you’re taking advantage of all the ways you can keep up with Lookout’s award-winning local coverage. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and sign up here for breaking news alerts and for all of our other newsletters. Out on the socials (as we say in the biz), you can connect with Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky to follow along there.
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Thanks as ever for reading – see you next time.
Will McCahill