Happy Tuesday evening, everybody.
As President Joe Biden gets set to address the nation and provide his thoughts on this stressful moment during his State of the Union address, Wallace Baine sheds light on a little-known Santa Cruz connection to the Eastern European nations currently at war.
That and much more in tonight’s headlines…
Santa Cruz’s Ukrainian sister city is long way from war, but deeply entwined in its cultural conflict
Oh sister where art thou: The Black Sea resort town of Alushta has been part of the Soviet Union and Ukraine, then under the control of Russia, since it became a Santa Cruz sister city in 1987. And it doesn’t get less complicated from there, as Wallace Baine spells out here.
➤ PREVIOUSLY: ‘It’s the families of your neighbors’: Group protests Ukraine war in downtown Santa Cruz (Lookout)
Mood darkens in Moscow as Putin presses Ukraine war, but West still largely blamed
Scene from Moscow: Even with the cratering ruble, Hollywood movies on hold and snarled Metro payments, Putin still holds sway among many Russians despite sanctions. More from the LA Times here.
➤ PREVIOUSLY: Why Western sanctions aren’t hitting Russia where it would hurt the most: Oil and gas (LA Times)
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Lily Belli on Food: Cocktails for history buffs, fruit frustration, and supporting Ukraine relief
The lowdown: If sipping cocktails named after important local figures from days of old while discovering new facets of Santa Cruz history sounds like a great time, In Pour Taste, A Timeless Cocktail Series is for you. That and so much more from Lily here.
‘Manfred gotta go’: Players throwing high heat at MLB’s decision to cancel games
Angry people: Major league players turned to social media to share their feelings about the decision to cancel games. They’re not happy at all with Commissioner Rob Manfred. More from the LA Times here.
Is it safe to lift indoor mask rules in California schools? Here’s what health experts say
March 11 looms: California’s strict indoor mask rules at schools have helped prevent major coronavirus outbreaks on campuses. More from the Times here.
➤ PREVIOUSLY: California lifts school mask mandate after March 11; still ‘highly recommended’ in Santa Cruz County
➤ CIVIC-CENTERED JOBS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: See all the most recent listings here.
- Government/Politics Correspondent at Lookout Santa Cruz
- Visitor Service Aide at Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
- Community Outreach Representative at Santa Cruz Community Credit Union
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California drought continues after state has its driest January and February on record
Dryness continues: California just suffered its driest January and February in more than a century. Water officials tell residents to brace for a third year of drought. More from the Times.
ICYMI: Here’s what putting a number on homelessness looked like
From Santa Cruz to Watsonville & beyond: As Santa Cruz County attempted to put a number to its homeless population for the first time since 2019 early Monday morning with the biennial “point-in-time” count, Lookout’s team of journalists embarked on ride-alongs with some of those involved with the enumeration. The number of people visible to count was surprising to many involved. Team Lookout coverage here.
More from here & elsewhere
➤ ‘First substantial rain’ in over a month to hit SF Bay Area (SF Gate)
➤ Putin stripped of taekwondo black belt and honorary judo title (SF Gate)
➤ Russian figure skaters banned from worlds but not because of doping (USA Today)
And that’s it for the first night of March. Have a good one and we’ll see you tomorrow.
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor