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Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Explainer: Measure M, the Housing for People initiative

Santa Cruz Local newsletter briefs for the week of Jan. 29:

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Fake News and the Presidential Elections

As the presidential primary season gets underway, how will fake news influence how people, or whether people vote? How will it impact the views people hold about the nominees? What are deep fakes and how can we deal with them? …

Image caption: Former baseball star Steve Garvey, a Republican, will take a political debate stage for the first time Monday night, squaring off against three seasoned Democrats.
Schiff, Garvey Lead Senate Race Ahead of Monday's Big Debate

Former Major League Baseball star Steve Garvey, a political rookie, faces off against veteran U.S. House members Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee in the first 2024 California Senate race debate Monday evening in Los Angeles.

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Fred Keeley Reflects on Threats After Council Vote

Fresh off a meeting with the person who threatened to kill him over his vote on a council resolution regarding violence in the Middle East, Santa Cruz Mayor, Fred Keeley talks about the necessity of being able to disagree without …

Image caption: The roundabout joining Highway 12 and State Route 113 in Rio Vista, just south of the site for a proposed new city of 400,000 people.
Solano County May Get to Vote on New City in November

California Forever, the company behind a proposed new city in Solano County, will submit a ballot measure seeking an exemption from local laws to allow development on the massive project to proceed.

Image caption: Los Angeles voters can take a step toward reducing traffic violence with a measure on the March ballot.
Can Traffic Deaths in Los Angeles be Reduced With a Ballot Measure?

With traffic deaths now regularly topping 300 per year, Measure HLA on the March 5 ballot gives Los Angeles voters the opportunity to force their reluctant city to implement new traffic safety measures.

Image caption: Former Los Angeles Dodgers great Steve Garvey could become California' first Republican Senator elected since 1988.
Republican MLB Star Steve Garvey Rises in US Senate Race Poll

Retired Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Steve Garvey is running for Senate as a "moderate" Republican and could be the first GOP U.S. Senator from California in 35 years, if a new poll is any indication.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Cruz council supports ‘peaceful dialogue’ in Israel-Hamas war, rejects Gaza ceasefire resolution

More than 240 people spoke about the Israel-Hamas war at a Santa Cruz City Council meeting that ended about 3 a.m. Wednesday. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
SANTA CRUZ >> About 3 a.m. Wednesday, after 10 hours of public …

Image caption: Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas chats with Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer on the first day of the new legislative session Wednesday.
California Legislature Opens 2024 Session With Packed Agenda

State lawmakers reconvene with a lot of problems to fix, but not a lot of money to spend on solutions with a projected $68 billion budget deficit.

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
Scotts Valley welcomes Johnson as new mayor

Randy Johnson, all suited up, is named the new mayor of Scotts Valley during the Dec. 20 Council meeting. (Drew Penner/Press Banner)
In a wool sport coat he’d picked up while in Manhattan, Scotts Valley outgoing Mayor Jack Dilles glanced …

Image caption: Kevin McCarthy's hand-picked potential successor, Assemblymember Vince Fong, had previously been ruled out of the race.
Judge Says Vince Fong May Run for Kevin McCarthy's House Seat

A judge rules that the Bakersfield Republican is eligible to run in the 2024 election for Congress even though he had already filed to run for his state Assembly seat.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Watsonville Hospital board approves budget, showing improved financial picture

Watsonville Community Hospital. Pajaronian file photo
Just two years ago, Watsonville Community Hospital was saddled with a $30 million debt and was facing bankruptcy and possible closure.

Featured

California cities switch to more inclusive, district-based elections system.
Voting Rights...the Final Frontier
Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
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