LOOKOUT PM: Newsom recall vote set; the first Slug Olympian

By Lookout Santa Cruz Staff

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Happy July, folks — we hope everyone’s month got off to an excellent start today... but if not, there’s a long weekend just around the corner to give you a chance to right the ship.

As a reminder, Mark is taking some time off, so in the meantime, here are the day’s headlines courtesy of the Lookout Santa Cruz Staff:

Newsom recall election set for Sept. 14

Sprint to the finish: Prospective candidates have just over two weeks to decide whether to jump into what is expected to be a frenzied race to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The final day to file paperwork to run is July 16. Read more from our partners at the Los Angeles Times here.

Repping UCSC at Tokyo ’21

UC Santa Cruz's Isabelle Connor (second from the right) will be the first athlete from the school to head to the Olympics.

A Slug first: UC Santa Cruz undergrad and Manhattan Beach native Isabelle Connor got some love from her school today, as her group rhythmic gymnastics team is getting ready to represent the United States at the Tokyo Olympics, which begin July 23. Connor is the first Olympian in the school’s history. Read more and see photos and videos of Connor’s competitions here.

Meet the Golden Hammers

Tuesdays are typically blocked off for the Golden Hammer crew to volunteer with Habitat.

Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay’s master volunteer craftsmen: The local branch of the home-building charity has many volunteers, but none are as seasoned as the veterans known as the Golden Hammer crew. But as one Habitat staffer and homeowner says, even the crustiest of tough guys are known to shed a tear when a new homeowner gets their keys. More from our Wallace Baine here.

What will really protect you from the Delta variant?

Zadie Williams gets her temperature checked before entering summer school in Los Angeles

Actual safety vs. hygiene theater: The spread of the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 has led to conflicting advice from various authorities on safety precautions. Here’s what you need to know — particularly about whether masks are set to make a comeback. Read up on what experts told the LA Times.

California saw record surge in handgun sales during pandemic

Gun violence also up: California Attorney General Rob Bonta called on local law enforcement to step up efforts to reduce shootings, including the use of a state law that allows judges to order the temporary removal of firearms from people deemed a public danger. More from the Times here.

Where are tenants falling through the cracks of California eviction ban?

An uneven picture: California has one of the nation’s longest-running eviction bans, but an exclusive CalMatters analysis finds that local decisions carved a divide for tenants. Landlords and sheriffs are evicting renters at higher rates in the Central Valley, where Stanislaus County’s rate was nearly triple that of Santa Cruz County. More from our partners at CalMatters here.

That’ll do it for Thursday, but we’ll see you back here tomorrow — you’ve got this!

Lookout Santa Cruz Staff