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California Local Member Newsletter for January 9, 2023

Here's how to be fully armed to defend yourself as the storm-train continues to deliver numerous threats of destruction.

Image caption: Emily Hoeven, center, questions Anne Marie Schubert, candidate for state attorney general, at the CalMatters offices in Sacramento in June 2022.
A Fond Farewell

Since March of 202, Emily Hoeven has written and compiled a daily newsletter for CalMatters. This is from her last.

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Where to Get Sandbags in Santa Cruz County

From our friends at SLV Post: A comprehensive list of locations, from Watsonville to the San Lorenzo Valley, that make sandbags available to residents. Note that some will require proof of residency.

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Key Issues that Will Shape California in 2023

Welcome to 2023 — a year that may prove decisive in California’s attempts to address some major challenges, from housing and homelessness to climate change.

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California Local Member Newsletter for January 2, 2023

A look back at the past year in Explainers and photos—and a look ahead.

Image caption: We are tied to friends and family despite our differences. And when we listen to each other, we can find common ground.
Looking Forward to 2023

A note from our publisher: California Local invites you to listen—and contribute.

Image caption: Almarissa Segura, 14, a student at San Antonio Elementary School in Lockwood, looks up while seated on a school bus. She was part of a CatchLight and CalMatters photo project that captured student life during the pandemic in California.
Looking Back At California in 2022

Here’s a look back, through the work of CalMatters photojournalists and freelance photographers.

Image caption: Winter moon rises over Lake Tahoe.
If You Love Tahoe, Step Right Up!

Wherever you live in California, you are likely to have strong feelings about Lake Tahoe. I want you to know that the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s annual Give Back Tahoe campaign is at the tail end of another record-breaking year.

Image caption: Explaining California is hard work! But at California Local, we were up for it throughout 2022.
Explaining California in 2022: 5 More of Our Best Explainers

2022 was a year that needed a lot of explaining. And California Local was there. Here are 5 "honorable mentions" in the list of our most important explanatory journalism stories from the year gone by, from animal welfare to the …

Image caption: Explaining California is hard work! But at California Local, we were up for it throughout 2022.
Explaining California in 2022: Our 10 Best Explainers of the Year

2022 was a year that needed a lot of explaining. And California Local was there. Here are our 10 most important explanatory journalism stories from the year gone by, from immigration to cryptocurrency to wealth inequality and more.

Image caption: Migrants wait in line while California border activists organize the group to enter the U.S. and seek asylum through the Chaparral entryway in Tijuana, Mexico on Dec. 22, 2022.
Border Scramble

The Supreme Court is keeping in place, for now, Title 42 — the pandemic policy that OK’d migrant expulsions. California has yet to figure out how to meet the needs of an influx of migrants when it does go away.

Image caption: The winter solstice brings king tides, mating elephant seals and other natural wonders.
Exploring Wintertide

We asked the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History to throw a spotlight on the most intriguing natural phenomena during the darkest time of the year.

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California Politicians Stash $35 Million in Campaign Cash

Nearly 100 committees are sitting on $35 million in leftover campaign funds. Candidates could give the cash to charity or return it to their donors, but many hold on to the money to retain political influence or to possibly run …

Image caption: An updated primer from the CalMatters reporting team aims to help Californians understand their state government.
2022-2023 Primer: California Policy and Politics

CalMatters' expert journalists around the state created this guide to the state's efforts to meet the challenges of 2022 and prepare for 2023.

Image caption: From its earliest days, Hollywood has reigned as California's most glamorous industry.
Hooray For Hollywood: All About California’s Most Glamorous Industry

From its early days of hard-charging, Jewish immigrant moguls to today's domination by megacorporations, here's how Hollywood continues to hold its place as one of California's most important industries.

Image caption: A sign along Segment 8 from California Local’s Rail Trail tracker.
California Local Member Newsletter for December 19, 2022

Santa Cruz County gets an early holiday gift.

Image caption: The new money will pay for construction of a trail near this section of Murray Street.
Big Win for Santa Cruz Rail Trail

The California Transportation Commission has granted $115 million to the county to implement bike-transportation projects, including the Santa Cruz Rail Trail.

Image caption: Fred Keeley was interviewed via Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 14—the day after he was sworn in as mayor.
Office Politics: Q&A with Mayor Fred Keeley

He’s served the county and the state in multiple capacities as a public official. Now Fred Keeley is the first popularly elected mayor of his longtime hometown.

Image caption: Allison Leggett, a fourth-year student at Charles Drew University, on campus in the Watts region of Los Angeles on Dec. 7, 2022
Solving the Black Doctor Shortage

Charles Drew University, the only historically Black university in California, will launch a new MD program next year. The goal is to train more doctors of color to help underserved communities in a state where only 3% of physicians are …