KAZU - Listen Local Podcast

Monterey County hosts California's first police training focused on missing and murdered indigenous people, Santa Cruz wharf reconstruction, flying cars headed for Hollister airport, indigenous interpretation services in Salinas, and butterflies landing at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary.

After last year's record low migration season, monarch butterflies find their way back to the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary.

Monterey County begins a program focused on improving how police, public health, and legal professionals address cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). Plus, repairs to the end of the Santa Cruz Wharf are slated to begin in the next two weeks.

Santa Cruz County public health officer urges healthcare providers to call the state's hotline and for families to seek medical attention if babies are showing signs of botulism. And, a video from an incident in Santa Ana shows an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent pointing a gun toward a woman allegedly recording him.

Monterey County is expanding its hiring policy for veterans. And, the Hollister airport signs a lease with a flying-car company.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission approved the construction of a temporary pedestrian path next to the Murray Street Bridge. The decision now goes to the Santa Cruz City Council. Plus, GOAT Santa Cruz offers free workouts for people affected by the government shutdown.

SNAP benefit upheaval coincides with the end of some local farm contracts, a film screening in Watsonville tackles masculinity, Mixtec farmworkers as doulas, and more in this week's local news roundup.

Some Mixtec farmworkers in Watsonville have trained as doulas to support other Indigenous women during pregnancy and childbirth. They want to offer physical and emotional support, and serve as translators during hospital visits.

A regional housing summit in Salinas envisions how the city can build new affordable housing quickly. Plus, the City of Santa Cruz seeks public input on neighborhood-scale coastal resiliency plans.

The Newsom administration is urging Californians to donate to food banks while SNAP benefits are halted. And, as the shutdown continues, military families and federal workers across the Central Coast are living with financial uncertainty.

Santa Cruz voters approve Measure C and Monterey Bay counties overwhelming vote for temporary redistricting. And, a violence prevention organization co-hosts a film screening about society's narrow expectations of masculinity.

How the federal government shutdown has impacted local universities. And, Santa Cruz County supervisors weigh whether to approve $500,000 in emergency funds for Second Harvest Food Bank amid SNAP upheaval.

Local food pantries say they're seeing more people in food lines as CalFresh benefits are on hold. And, a UC Davis study found over 80% of elementary schools in California experienced some loss of trees between 2018 and 2022.

SNAP food benefits are set to expire today. The Food Bank for Monterey County, which serves roughly 160,000 people every month, is preparing for a surging need.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show turned 50 this year. A local Monterey Bay production of the original stage show has been delighting audiences for over two decades.

In today's newscast, ethical and legal ambiguity surrounding a recent Salinas City Council meeting.

Monterey County wants to adopt a moratorium on new battery energy storage systems. And, local representatives condemn plans for offshore drilling and seabed mining in California.

The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust created their Community Seafood Program to support commercial fishing during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue delivering fresh seafood during the government shutdown.

Local nonprofit Community Bridges says the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) assistance program will continue through November, even if the government stays shutdown. And, California and more than 20 other states sue the Trump Administration for withholding SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

A new report says a proposed passenger rail line between Santa Cruz and Watsonville is not getting any cheaper. And, Monterey County wants to hear from residents about how best to address sustainable transportation gaps.

UC Berkeley journalism instructor and historian Adam Hochschild says he wrote American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis during the first Trump administration because he was struck by similarities between President Woodrow Wilson's agenda and some of President Donald Trump's aspirations.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office opens a new Re-Entry Resource Center in Salinas. And, a state law aims to expand birth centers after reporting from CalMatters found California lost close to 60 hospital maternity wards in the last decade.

Pajaro Valley Unified School District delayed a decision about updates to a policy for "controversial issues" in classrooms. Plus, Governor Gavin Newsom announced he will send California's National Guard to help at food banks.

Two competing housing measures are on the ballot this election. Both propose using property tax revenue for affordable housing, but their specifics—and their motivations—differ significantly.

The 11th annual International Spinach Conference makes its return to the United States on the Cal State Monterey Bay campus. And, Governor Gavin Newsom warns funding for food assistance programs could soon run out due to the federal government shutdown.

In Santa Cruz, city voters have two competing housing affordability measures on their ballots—Measure B and Measure C. And, California will start selling its own insulin in January.

Santa Cruz Union members will vote on a strike authorization. And, a new California law guarantees legal counsel for unaccompanied immigrant youth.

Thousands took to the streets throughout the Monterey Bay Area this weekend to protest authoritarianism as part of nationwide “No Kings” rallies. In Watsonville, attendees got to hear from a special guest.

On Nov. 4, California voters will decide the fate of Proposition 50, the state's redistricting measure. Hear what it would do. And, a reminder to register in time to cast your ballot.

The City of Marina hosts a series of festivities to celebrate its 50th anniversary. And, renewable energy developer New Leaf Energy presents to the Watsonville City Council about the battery energy storage facility it wants to build near College Lake.

The Veterans Transition Center in Marina taps into donor reserves to make up for losses from the federal government shutdown. And, former President Barack Obama enters the redistricting fight urging California voters to approve Proposition 50.

Thousands of people are expected to gather across the Monterey Bay Area Saturday as part of nationwide “No Kings” protests. And, with monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act plans set to increase soon, KAZU wants to hear from local residents who get health insurance through Covered California.

A recent study shows more than half of pregnant women in Monterey County are exposed to harmful pesticides. And, Carmel-by-the-Sea is finally getting street addresses.

Central Coast Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta faces backlash from pro-Palestine groups over his support of Israel during a Watsonville town hall.

Monterey County teenagers are at risk of losing access to health information programs after federal funding cuts. And, Cal Fire firefighters won't be getting a salary boost.

Monterey County teenagers are at risk of losing access to health information programs after federal funding cuts. And, Cal Fire firefighters won't be getting a salary boost.

Watsonville students created short films that will screen at UC Santa Cruz today. A Q&A discussion will follow the free event. And, local libraries are protesting censorship by celebrating Banned Books Week.

Monterey County is seeing fewer residents apply for Medi-Cal and Cal Fresh benefits ahead of changes in 2026. And, social security recipients that can't pay rent due to disruptions with their benefits are protected under a new law Governor Gavin Newsom signed.

Head Start programs will continue running in Santa Cruz County through the end of the month despite the government shutdown. And, a state bill was set to create the first farmland access program in California. Then it was vetoed.

A non-profit in San Benito County received a state grant to help residents with disaster preparedness. And, the Department of Homeland Security is rolling out a new program targeting unaccompanied children in the immigration system.

More households in Monterey will get hyper purified water through the Pure Water Monterey expansion project. And, state officials discuss the winter forecast at the start of California's new water year.

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries Youth Poet Laureate Program hosts free poetry sessions and workshops for teens. And, the White House puts pressure on the University of Southern California and eight other universities to sign a compact agreement in line with conservative ideals.

The world-renowned surf playground is home to miles of steady waves whose riders and landscape keep changing.

A change in federal funding threatens local Head Start programs, which provide free preschool for low-income families. Plus, the City of Santa Cruz is seeking public input on the Wharf Master Plan.

A film documenting the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion in Ukraine is showing this Friday at the Carmel International Film Festival. Ahead of the screening, KAZU's Ngozi Cole spoke to the director.

Federal workers in the region are now facing the government shutdown. And, Santa Cruz County stands to lose millions of dollars from federal cuts.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded its first construction contract for the $599 million Pajaro River levee and floodwall project. And, the Trump administration has launched its latest anti-semitism investigation—this time, across the entire Cal State University system.

The closure of Highway 1 in Big Sur has cost Central Coast communities hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tourism spending. And, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band will regain full access rights to land in their ancestral territory for the first time since their forced removal over 225 years ago.

San Benito County employees represented by Service Employees International Union Local 521 are protesting proposed budget cuts. Plus, new research shows that internet cables could lead to earlier tsunami warnings.

The Salinas City Council decided to leave renter protection laws up to voters. And, a local infectious disease doctor with Montage Health urges people to get vaccinated ahead of respiratory virus season.

KION television newsroom staff was laid off without warning before the station announced that the San Francisco-based CBS station, KPIX, will take over the daily news slot. And, a program helping rural homes save water and money is expanding in the Salinas Valley.