Black History and Black Futurism

The custom wood-fired oven will be blasting out pizzas with the char, bubbles and caramelization only 800 degrees can bring.  The Emiliomiti pasta extruder will be squeezing out strozzapreti, rigatoni and bucatini.

Local author Manjula Martin’s new book, “The Last Fire Season,” reflects on the 2020 fires with natural history and personal experience, with insights on language, Indigenous land practices and the enduring power of gardening.

Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown muses about the 75th anniversary of the city’s incorporation as a time to reflect on history while considering the opportunities that lie ahead.

In the wake of a fatal bus crash and a damaging California Highway Patrol report that called UC Santa Cruz transit operations “an imminent threat to public safety,” students shared their frustrations.

Learning loss during the pandemic hit California’s low-income students hardest. An agreement requires the state to focus spending there.

A sweeping change to California elections took a step forward. The proposed constitutional amendment aims to allow the lieutenant governor to be installed if a governor is recalled.

Big changes are coming to Santa Cruz Metro's downtown transit hub as officials push forward into the next phase of a major, multi-agency redevelopment project.

About 20,000 student assistants at all 23 California State University campuses are coming together for a vote that would create the largest undergraduate student worker union in U.S. history.

Mark Strudley, executive director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, estimates that work will begin in late summer or early fall, starting at the Corralitos Creek Bridge.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will kick off its first meeting of 2024 by delving into one of its most high-profile projects.

Dave Tannaci of the Santa Cruz Water Department is running for the Santa Cruz City Council’s District 1 seat against Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County Executive Director Gabriela Trigueiro.

The number of western monarch butterflies overwintering in California dropped by 30% last year, likely due to how wet it was.

San Francisco is coping with a “doom loop” of declining employment and business activity in its downtown core, but a new study suggests Sacramento may be in worse shape.

One of Watsonville’s most recognizable and historic community hubs could be getting a new look as the city plans a comprehensive revitalization of its downtown City Plaza.

When it comes to managing its coast, California is far ahead of other states in preparing for climate change, at least one environmental advocacy group says.

Sen. Mike McGuire of Healdsburg takes over as Democratic leader in the state Senate from Sen. Toni Atkins. He terms out in 2026, so has limited time to push his agenda.

States are plowing billions of dollars into a high-stakes health care experiment that’s exploding around the country: using scarce public health insurance money to provide housing for the poorest and sickest Americans.

The storm fed off of unusually warm waters as it grew. It also reached “bomb cyclone” status as it neared California.

Downtown Sacramento faces many challenges, but the growing number of small businesses, hotels, homes and other major developments signal its transformation, says the city’s mayor.

The Grateful Dead have broken the record for the most Top 40 albums to chart on the Billboard 200.

A handful of super powerful tropical storms in the last decade and the prospect of more to come has a couple of experts proposing a new category of whopper hurricanes: Category 6.

One year after California became the first state to require its public universities to provide the abortion pill to students, basic information on where or how students can obtain the medication is lacking.

An extinct species of walrus was unearthed in Santa Cruz County, evoking a time when California was teeming with odd creatures that feel closer to fantasy than reality, researchers said.

As Californians increasingly feel the health effects of climate change, state leaders are adopting sweeping policies they hope will fend off the worst impacts.

Lawmakers introduced a package of bills designed to tackle some forms of reparations. The measures may face budget constraints and opposition.

Chinook and other salmon runs are collapsing. Conservation groups call it too little, too late. Plan includes dam removals and restoring river flows.

Five former California superintendents shared potential solutions for reducing the increasing turnover rate in their profession.

State Sen. Scott Wiener wants to allow California cities and counties to designate “entertainment zones” where bars and restaurants could serve alcoholic drinks that people can consume on public streets and sidewalks.

The “pop, pop, pop” that’s become synonymous with Pickleball may soon be a racket of the past. That’s the goal promised by a new generation of equipment developed to lessen the overall acoustic burden of the sport.