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.
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 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.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Our $1.29 billion county budget protects vital services today – but we have a tough road ahead
Santa Cruz County’s budget for 2026-27 safeguards core services and avoids layoffs, despite a historic fiscal squeeze, writes County Executive Officer Nicole Coburn, who is in her first year in the job. The $1.29 billion plan relies on $43 million in one-time funds, reducing county reserves to 10.4%, but keeping critical programs running. Without structural change, she writes, Santa Cruz County faces a projected $67 million deficit as soon as next year. The county is asking for millions from the state for help to overcome the shortfalls caused by federal cuts. This budget buys time, she writes, but the county will likely need to make hard choices in the future. The board of supervisors will meet for budget hearings in the coming weeks.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The Trump administration tried to stop the national EV charging program. It has kept rolling along anyway.
President Donald Trump froze funding for the Biden-era initiative to boost electric vehicle adoption, but after court battles, some states continue to use the money.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Supreme Court ruling on voting won’t change California districts, but could hurt Democrats
The U.S. Supreme Court has narrowed the Voting Rights Act over the past decade. The law in California was primarily used to help Latinos gain political representation.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘A betrayal’: California to share data on immigrant drivers nationally
California is preparing to share with an outside organization detailed information about driver’s license-holders, including immigrants who do not have legal authorization to live in the U.S. That breaks a promise the state made a decade ago when it began issuing licenses to unauthorized immigrants, advocates say, and it means more than 1 million people could face higher risk of deportation.
