All Santa Cruz County Articles

Despite December storms, water supplies remain low in many areas. Some managers expect to impose severe restrictions on their customers.

Call us early adaptors here in the Golden State.

California is the most American of all states, both setting the direction for the rest of the country, and acting as a mirror of what the U.S. is today. Here’s why, and how it got that way.

Amoxicillin, the most widely prescribed antibiotic, is suddenly in short supply just as a wave of respiratory illnesses is sweeping California. What is causing the sudden shortage?

Hanging over the heads of California's newly sworn-in state lawmakers — and likely to be top of mind when they return to Sacramento next month — are the state's intertwined housing and homelessness crises. That was made clear Tuesday, when …

In the wake of the election, we’re tidying up our government directories.

A review of our web metrics reveals a lot of growth in site visitors. But we’re happiest to see that we are helping connect people with their communities.

Proposition 13, the popular tax reform law passed in 1978, has driven increases in economic inequality and racial wealth disparities in California. Here’s how.

The Democratic Party could regret its failure to better coordinate campaigns in California and spend more money on congressional races that helped determine control of the House of Representatives.

The story behind how California became a state.

The governor threw communities into disarray two weeks ago by withholding $1 billion in homelessness funding for plans he saw as unambitious. But local officials said the assignment itself discouraged ambition. Now Newsom is yielding.

David Schmaltz outlines a pivotal point in California history in his Monterey County Weekly cover story on the Battle of Natividad.

California's government was born out of utter chaos. Here's how the state developed some sort of order to the way it operates, and how it makes and enforces laws.

As the holiday season kicks off, so does Santa Cruz Gives, a program that benefits 63 local groups.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has won three gubernatorial elections with historic support. He should use his popularity to unite constituencies and improve some of California’s intractable problems.

California has expanded voting access and participation, but that can delay election results. Are there ways to count votes faster without undermining election security?

A new version of California’s climate plan sets a more stringent—some say unrealistic—target for cutting greenhouse gases. It also relies on controversial carbon capture projects, which would be responsible for 15% of all cuts.

While votes are still being counted, it appears that the next Legislature will include the most women and LGBTQ members ever. Advocacy groups are already celebrating, but how much difference will the diversity make in policy?

It’s all over but the counting...

California is full of places and communities, but most are not cities. Here's what it takes for a community to become a city, the benefits of being one—and why the state has a 'de facto moratorium' on new cities.