California Democrats’ redistricting plan would split the state’s traditional Republican stronghold into a sprawling coastal district with Bay Area liberals. North State conservatives say it would silence rural voices.
The Trump presidency and Santa Cruz County
News and opinion coverage of reaction in Santa Cruz County to the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president, plus news from around California via Lookout’s content partners.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California releases its own vaccine recommendations as RFK Jr. shifts federal policy
Leading medical organizations informed the state’s new guidelines, announced as part of a Western states alliance. A new law requires insurers to cover vaccines for most Californians.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
RFK Jr. is not healthy for children and other living Americans
Santa Cruz physician Jeoffry B. Gordon warns that RFK Jr.’s new vaccine restrictions threaten public health, especially amid a growing U.S. measles outbreak. Kennedy’s limits on COVID-19 vaccine licensing exclude healthy children, pregnant women and others, creating confusion and reduced access.
Posted inLatest News
After 30 years, Brown Berets relaunch in Watsonville facing familiar immigration debates
Three decades after protesting anti-immigrant legislation, former teenage activist Omar Dieguez is reviving Watsonville’s Brown Berets to mentor a new generation facing similar struggles.
Posted inEducation
Cabrillo College braces for $3M hit as feds cut grants for minority-serving programs
Cabrillo College leaders say they’re “deeply upset” after the Trump administration announced it would terminate $350 million in federal grants for minority-serving institutions — a move that could cost Cabrillo $3 million and affect two key student support programs.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
As Santa Cruz County’s summer COVID surge wanes, confusion mounts over new federal vaccine rules
As COVID cases decline in Santa Cruz County, local health officials warn that restrictive federal vaccine guidelines championed by RFK Jr. could undermine public health efforts to encourage residents to get the latest booster shot.
Posted inLatest News
Supreme Court allows immigration agents to resume ‘roving patrols’ in L.A., siding with Trump
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville hospital courts health care partners as federal cuts threaten multimillion-dollar loss
After purchasing its land and facilities last year through a $116 million voter-approved bond, Watsonville Community Hospital now faces up to $8.4 million in annual losses from federal Medicaid cuts. The public hospital is speeding up a search for a health care partner to manage operations and avoid a financial crisis.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz sees a dip in summer tourism – blame politics
Early numbers from Santa Cruz summer tourism suggest that tariffs, immigration politics and Donald Trump’s feud with Canada are all having a dampening effect on the volume of out-of-town visitors.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
What Watsonville can teach Washington: Civic power comes from people, not the National Guard
Jacob Sandobal, a Watsonville native and University of San Francisco politics major, is interning for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this summer and has watched as National Guard troops fill the capital.