Morning Lookout: UCSC initiative to help evacuees; Our awesome double giveback program

By Tulsi Kamath

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, August 31 and it will be a partly sunny day with a high of 74. With extreme fire conditions around the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service announced that starting tonight, all National Forests in the state will be closed for more than two weeks.

Yesterday, America’s longest war came to an end and we now know the U.S. Military has evacuated tens of thousands of citizens from Afghanistan and other countries. Stating a “dire need,” UC Santa Cruz has launched an initiative to raise funds for fleeing Afghan students and at-risk families.

Meanwhile, here at home, we at Lookout have launched a really cool double giveback program in a bid to fight childhood hunger. With our Civic Partner the Second Harvest Food Bank, for a short time, if you become a Lookout member through this initiative, Lookout will donate 15% to the food bank’s Food For Children cause and a donor will match our donation. Read more and sign up here.

Let’s dive in:

America’s longest war ends: Tens of thousands of refugees evacuated by miliary

The United State’s longest war came to an end yesterday and the Department of Defense tweeted updates from General Kenneth McKenzie that included a breakdown of the largest non-combatant evacuations undertaken by the U.S. military over an 18-day period, beginning August 14. McKenzie said a total of 123,000 civilians were evacuated from Afghanistan of which 73,500 were citizens of Afghanistan and other countries. See more updates from the general on the DoD Twitter.

‘The need is pretty dire’: UC Santa Cruz raises funds to support fleeing Afghan scholars

With tens of thousands of evacuees in need of help, UC Santa Cruz yesterday announced a goal of raising $100,000 to support at-risk Afghan families and students fleeing the country. Should the university reach its goal, the campus provost and executive vice chancellor have pledged to match it. Read more about the initiative from our Grace Stetson here and make a donation to the cause here.

MORE WAYS TO HELP: Meanwhile, if you want to take another route to help evacuees, there are several California organizations you can donate to or get involved with. The LA Times has created a great list of ways you can chip in. Find the whole thing here.

Become A Lookout Member: Deliver Fresh Produce to Kids Through Second Harvest Food Bank

If you missed the announcement in Mark’s newsletter last night, I have some exciting news for you. Lookout has put together a special membership offer to help propel Second Harvest Food Bank’s efforts to combat childhood hunger — a 15% Lookout donation — for a limited time. Better yet, a Second Harvest donor is matching our donation to help power lots of fresh fruits and vegetables for the children of Santa Cruz County. Read more about our Double Giveback program and how you can be a part of it here.

COVID 2021

Democratic lawmakers drop idea for a California statewide vaccine mandate: Democratic lawmakers have dropped a controversial proposal to mandate vaccines in the state, a move that would have been challenging to pass in the final weeks of the legislative session and was already providing fodder for the upcoming recall election. However, dropping the proposal before the Legislature adjourns next week effectively leaves the decision to the governor. Read more here.

No BS therapy, straight to you from TikTok.

Anxious the Delta variant will pause life again? This therapist can help you cope: The tail end of summer 2021 has in many ways taken on the chaotic vibes of early 2020, when we had a sense that COVID-19 would change our lives drastically but we didn’t know how, when or for how long. Over the past year and a half, doctor of clinical psychology and licensed clinical social worker Dr. Courtney Tracy has emerged as one of the leading voices in a thriving community of TikTok therapists giving advice. Read more here.

Recall Newsom updates

Few voters mid day at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Music Center in downtown Los Angeles

Yesterday was your last day to register to vote by mail... BUT, it’s not too late to vote! The vote on whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom is rapidly approaching, and with it the chance to completely change California’s political atmosphere. While last night was the deadline to register to vote by mail, eligible voters can still register to vote in person through September 10. Read more about how you can do that from our Grace Stetson here.

Here’s how the recall candidates say they’d boost housing production in California: California’s housing shortage has become a focal point of the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, as candidates vow to turbo-charge home building by slashing bureaucratic hurdles for developers and streamlining construction approvals. The LA Times talked with four leading recall candidates about their position. Here’s what they said.

Alex Valdivia, a young voter in the Newsom recall election

Are young voters the key to Gavin Newsom surviving the recall? In a recall election that will likely be decided by which side turns out its base at the highest rates, young, energized voters represent an important voting bloc for Newsom if he hopes to survive. Still, the youngest eligible Californians are least likely of any age group to register, or to vote. Read more here.

Around the county...

Santa Cruz, Watsonville police make separate weekend gun-related arrests (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Watsonville restarts bulky items collection program (The Pajaronian)

More COVID-19 testing coming to Santa Cruz County schools (KSBW-TV)

That’s it for today. If you’re enjoying our coverage, please tell your family and friends about our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center, where they can sign up for all the newsletters and alerts we offer. You can also keep tabs on everything we’re publishing through the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

To ensure you’re staying informed about all the goings-on in Santa Cruz, consider becoming a Lookout member. Our content isn’t possible without community support.

Have a great day!

Tulsi Kamath
Lookout Santa Cruz