In the face of the nation’s highest gas prices, California lawmakers last week approved a bill to ease restrictions on E85 conversion kits — devices that let conventional gasoline cars run on a cheaper, mostly ethanol fuel blend.
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 inPolitics & Policy
Supervisors approve new immigration policy outlining staff protocols if federal agents enter county property
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a new policy outlining what staff should do if they encounter federal immigration officials on county property.
Posted inEducation
California colleges are seeing a rise of conservative voices. Some classes are tense
Turning Point chapters continue to grow on California campuses months after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Campuses are seeing tensions rise as conservative students become more vocal both in and out of the classroom.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Officials say $1.3 billion in Medicaid money to California will be deferred over allegations of fraud
Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday announced new steps in the Trump administration’s initiative to root out fraud in federal health programs, including a $1.3 billion deferral in Medicaid reimbursements to California.
Posted inLatest News
California has 6 weeks of gas supply – after that, it gets expensive
The Iran War has exposed California’s growing reliance on imports of both crude oil and gasoline. The state needs to import more supply as in-state refineries shut down.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz County farmers raise prices due to soaring diesel, fertilizer costs
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for shipping energy in the Persian Gulf, has sent the prices of diesel and petroleum-based fertilizer – key farming resources – soaring globally. Now, the supply crunch is coming home to roost in agrarian communities like Santa Cruz County.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Panicked California Democrats are pushing a risky strategy: Wait till the last minute to vote
Recent polling suggests it’s unlikely that two Republicans would lock Democrats out of the November gubernatorial election. But some liberal activists are still panicking about the possibility of a MAGA governor. Their solution could delay California’s already slow ballot-counting.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Latinos in California are mad at Trump. Their votes for Democrats’ gerrymandering show it
Proposition 50, which Democrats framed as a referendum on the Trump administration, attracted far more support from California Latinos than Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign did just the previous year, a CalMatters data analysis has found. The swing toward Prop 50 is yet another indication that President Donald Trump’s fragile coalition of Latino support is dissolving.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California investigates Trump administration’s deal to end an offshore wind project
California is investigating one of the Trump administration’s deals to end an offshore wind project off Morro Bay, with the California Energy Commission saying it has issued an administrative subpoena to Golden State Wind.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County budget to dip into reserves to weather financial challenges caused by federal funding changes
Officials plan to use nearly $43 million from Santa Cruz County’s general fund reserves and departmental trust funds to help keep safety-net services available and avoid employee layoffs. The first of several county budget hearings is scheduled for Tuesday.
