California legislators approved an audit of three of the state’s federally funded fusion centers, citing concerns about civil liberties and privacy.
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
‘No Kings’ 3.0 rallies set for Santa Cruz and Watsonville this weekend; organizers expecting larger crowds
Political organizers in Santa Cruz and Watsonville are expecting large crowds this weekend for a follow-up to October’s nationwide “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
9 sickened in E. coli outbreak tied to Fresno company’s raw milk and cheese
Nine people, including children, have been sickened in an expanding outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to raw milk and cheddar cheese made with it from Raw Farm, a Fresno producer, health officials said.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Pajaro Valley Health Care District to restrict feds from using its property for immigration enforcement
The governing board of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which oversees Watsonville Community Hospital, unanimously approved a resolution to prohibit federal officials from using non-public areas of its facilities for immigration enforcement.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
No Kings, just voices: I’m going to sing my way through the march – join me?
What if resistance sounded less like shouting – and more like harmony? Santa Cruz family therapist Lisa Herendeen is planning to march Saturday at the “No Kings” protest in Santa Cruz, and to sing. She has been attending protest song practice sessions with a group of local singer-songwriter-activists who believe in the power of collective voices of song. Local musicians Heather Houston and Aileen Vance have organized the sessions. Singing might not topple power, Herendeen writes, but it just might shift the energy. And that, she believes, is where real change often begins.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California sues Trump to keep oil pipeline on Santa Barbara coast shut
California is suing the Trump administration over an order to restart a long-shuttered offshore oil operation.
Posted inFood & Drink
A new wine label promotes workers’ rights
Hardly anyone in the natural wine world is talking about environmental justice for those who pick the grapes, labor advocates say. The Guardian Vital label aims to change that.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
ICE officials visited Watsonville at least nine times in the first two months of 2026, records show
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have visited Watsonville at least nine times in the past two months, according to records provided by the Watsonville Police Department. Immigration agents have now visited Santa Cruz County a total of 39 times since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Agentes de ICE visitaron Watsonville al menos nueve veces en los primeros dos meses de 2026, según registros
Agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE) han visitado Watsonville al menos nueve veces en los últimos dos meses, según registros proporcionados por el Departamento de Policía de Watsonville. Los agentes de inmigración han visitado el condado de Santa Cruz un total de 39 veces desde el inicio del segundo mandato del presidente Donald Trump.
Posted inLatest News
A contentious project to raise California’s Shasta Dam just got a funding boost from Trump
The Trump administration Tuesday announced $40 million for “planning and preconstruction activities associated with raising Shasta Dam.” Opponents say the project could swamp sacred sites and harm a protected river.
