Hundreds of demonstrators turned out across Santa Cruz County on Thursday for a series of May Day protests and labor actions in honor of International Workers’ Day. Photojournalist Kevin Painchaud captured the scenes from across the county.
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
Federal cuts to affect health and child care services for thousands of local residents, nonprofit warns
Santa Cruz County nonprofit Encompass Community Services is warning that proposed federal budget reductions will eliminate the Head Start program and cut Medicaid/Medi-Cal funding, slashing funds for local programs that provide health and child care services to thousands of local residents.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
May 1 a day of political protest across Santa Cruz County
On Thursday, political protests are planned from downtown Santa Cruz to UCSC and Watsonville.
Posted inEducation
UC Santa Cruz chancellor joins national push against Trump’s education policies
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive is among more than 400 campus leaders across the country who signed onto a group statement opposing the Trump administration’s efforts to exert increasing control over colleges and universities. It is higher education leaders’ most public pushback against the president since his return to office.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Trump’s escalating attacks on research and education are hurting UC Santa Cruz – the public needs to act now
The Trump administration’s attack on scientific research will deeply affect UC Santa Cruz, write three eminent UCSC professors, including one who won a Nobel Prize for her work. Since Donald Trump took office, UCSC has lost 10 NIH grants worth $6 million, they write. In the past two weeks, the professors have lost $2.8 million in funding for biomedical programs. “The termination of these highly effective and legally compliant programs, based on undefined claims of woke ideology and waste, will weaken the crucial talent pool in the biomedical workforce – a loss our society can ill afford,” they write.
Posted inLatest News
Longtime Santa Cruz resident and green card holder detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco airport
Cliona Ward, a Santa Cruz resident for almost 30 years, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco International Airport on Monday. Ward’s roommate told Lookout that authorities said they could not verify that previous criminal charges against Ward had been expunged.
Posted inEducation
After Trump’s crackdown on DEI in schools, judge rules he can’t cut off funding
California receives $2.4 billion in federal Title I money for low-income schools, about $1.3 billion for special education and $250 million for after-school programs, among other grants. President Donald Trump had ordered schools to eliminate diversity programs or risk losing federal funding.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz Oaxacan cultural celebration continues despite Trump immigration fears
Santa Cruz-based nonprofit Senderos is holding its 20th guelaguetza on Sunday at the Branciforte Small Schools campus. The annual tradition, which brings a taste of the culture of the Mexican state of Oaxaca to the community, almost didn’t happen this year due to concerns after President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
MAH, Children’s Museum face big federal budget cuts
Two prominent museums in Santa Cruz County are adapting to the announcement that federal funds they have depended on have been canceled by the Trump administration. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and the Children’s Museum of Discovery are both facing significant cuts and are planning to turn to foundation and individual support to make up the shortfall.
Posted inLatest News
Photo essay: Ocean Street protests and Earth Day celebrations converge in Santa Cruz
In Santa Cruz, a protest against the Trump administration and Earth Day celebrations drew hundreds to parallel downtown events on Saturday.