KAZU - Listen Local Podcast

In this week's episode, foodbanks are asking for state funding, commercial fishing will open next month, local advocates mark Black Maternal Health Week, and more.

California state legislators are considering funding changes to a program that supports food banks. Plus, Monterey Bay will have a commercial salmon fishing season for the first time in three years.

Los Angeles County declares housing insecurity a public health crisis. And, a vending machine that dispenses library books comes to Marin County.

Local advocates are marking Black Maternal Health Week. And, Eric Swalwell's exit from the California Governor's race means a major shakeup for Democrats.

Monterey County supervisors will discuss placing a property transfer tax on the November ballot. And, two gubernatorial candidate forums focused on Latino voters are coming up in Sacramento.

Crowds gathered in downtown Monterey to celebrate Whalefest. And, recreational salmon fishing reopens.

Some Monterey students are back from a regional robotics competition, the Monterey County DA concludes an investigation into a fatal shooting, a local advocate's reflections on housing policies and solutions, and more in this week's local news roundup.

Monterey County warns against scammers who impersonate local officials. Plus, a proposed state bill would reform how utility companies pay for fires they cause.

Salinas City Council member Andrew Sandoval discusses a state bill to restrict forever chemicals. And, piling too many people on an e-bike could be outlawed if a different bill passes.

The Monterey County District Attorney has concluded its investigation of a January fatal officer-involved shooting in Marina. And, Santa Cruz County has opened a crisis stabilization unit to help young people seek short-term help with mental health.

Advocates for small-scale farmers and for people facing food insecurity are both pushing the state for more funding as federal cuts hit hard on all sides of the farm-to-table supply chain.

A regenerative agriculture training program for new farmers on the Central Coast. And, a new bill making its way through the state legislature aims to reduce the number of wild animals hit by cars.

Monterey County parks could see 10,000 visitors on Sunday, a 4.6-magnitude earthquake hits Boulder Creek, reflections on farmworker labor power, and more in this week's local news roundup.

Residents as far north as San Francisco Bay and as far south as Monterey County say they were jolted awake by Thursday morning's 4.6 magnitude earthquake in the Santa Cruz Mountains. And, new research on a Republican-backed voter ID initiative.

California is launching a campaign to fight nicotine use among young people. And, unseasonably warm temperatures are posing risks for California's farmworkers as the heat arrives earlier than usual this year.

Santa Cruz County will now be able to test for more contaminants as part of an expanded free well water testing program. And, the inaugural Santa Cruz Vegan Chef Challenge kicks off today.

Central Coast residents and public officials respond to the sexual assault allegations against César Chávez. And, a look at the challenges facing farmworkers today and how the legacy of the United Farm Workers shows up more than 60 years after its founding.

Small towns in the Santa Cruz Mountains host No Kings protests alongside the region's larger cities. Felton, Scott's Valley and Boulder Creek all hosted their own events.

A town known for its sleepy reputation now has a growing nightlife scene, advocates say support is still available for immigrant domestic abuse survivors and PVUSD seeks help amid financial struggles.

Monterey County uses cameras to issue fines to people who dump trash illegally and encourages residents to take advantage of free waste disposal programs. Salinas Valley Recycles offers a free tire disposal service starting this weekend. Plus, Santa Cruz County wants resident input about how to plan for sea level rise.

A new bill from state Republican lawmakers would make menstrual products free for farmworkers. And, California counties are asking the state for billions of dollars to protect safety net programs.

Advocates say immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence are scared to seek help amid increasing immigration enforcement. But help remains available.

Immigrant rights groups have support from Attorney General Rob Bonta in their lawsuit citing civil rights violations at an ICE detention center in San Bernardino County. And, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District is recruiting people for its Sustainable Schools Advisory, which will recommend school closures and mergers.

The Friends of the Capitola Branch Library bookstore will close its doors on March 31, but the space will remain a bookstore under local the nonprofit Grey Bears. Plus, California voters polled slightly in favor of a proposed billionaires' net worth tax and more evenly split on a proposed voter ID requirement.

Free dancing lessons from the Chautauqua Hall Dance Club, more cases of avian flu in marine mammals, and a call for accountability from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.

The Housing Authority of the County of Monterey has opened 45 housing units to support people who were living in an encampment along the Salinas River. Plus, residents react to the heat, and Cal State Monterey Bay responds to discriminatory graffiti.

Monterey County supervisors are demanding more accountability from Vistra after conflicting reports about the ecological impacts of last year's battery fire. And, Marina becomes the latest local jurisdiction to ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using its property. Plus, share your thoughts on the news about César Chavez: email news@kazu.org.

Cal State Monterey Bay has received a $15 million gift from Montage Health to expand nursing education in the region. And, one of the state's most powerful labor unions, SEIU California, says it's endorsing East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell for Governor.

California lawmakers begin a bipartisan effort to reform the state's elderly parole program after two convicted child molesters were granted early release. And, Democratic members of Congress warn about Trump Administration legislation that could affect voting access.

Researchers have confirmed avian influenza in at least 16 elephant seals, one sea otter and one sea lion. More animals show signs of infection. Plus, California lawmakers condemn the Trump administration's use of the Defense Production Act to order oil drilling off the California coast.

The cost of nitrogen fertilizer has been going up due to the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran, Monterey County honors victims of COVID-19, a new book meticulously explores a 2019 Santa Cruz murder.

SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is caring for five baby screech owls after their tree was cut down. Plus, a new report highlights challenges Latino and Indigenous farmworkers face in the Salinas Valley.

San Benito County adopts a temporary moratorium on battery energy storage facilities. And, the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran has increased nitrogen fertilizer costs as the spring planting season gets underway—are more conservation-minded farms insulated? Plus, Cal State Monterey Bay president Vanya Quiñones is stepping down.

Monterey County honors those who lost their lives to COVID-19. And, a fire in Capitola Village on Monday night killed one person.

The Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula treated eight elderly patients after nearly 100 Monterey residents were displaced following a fire early Monday morning. And, the state's Legislative Analyst's Office hopes lawmakers will kill a bill to write into law the California State Library Parks Pass program.

The City of Soledad and County of Monterey celebrate the opening of a transitional housing facility for people who were living by the Salinas River. Plus, the Soquel Union Elementary School District board of trustees approves layoffs of 17 staff.

In this episode of Monterey Bay This Week, Monterey Bay area counties get millions from the state's homelessness prevention program, dozens of Pajaro Valley residents are suing the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency over the 2023 flood, and more in this week's local news roundup.

The Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency expects new flood walls to go up along some parts of the Pajaro River levee within the next few days. Plus, a new transitional housing complex in Salinas will offer support for people at risk of homelessness.

The Monterey County District Attorney has filed a lawsuit against a local mammography service. And, California Mental health leaders are criticizing Governor Newsom's threat to pull funding from counties he says aren't rolling out CARE Court fast enough."

Cal State Monterey Bay lecturer, Ava Homa, survived the Iran-Iraq War as a child in the 1980s and is urging people to keep their attention on Iran as the death toll rises.

Laurie Emery of Indivisible Pajaro Valley helped organize a protest in Watsonville calling the attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel unconstitutional. And, Tig Notaro comes to Monterey for two nights after taking two and a half years off touring.

Monterey Bay FC announces its first women's soccer team, it's the last day of Gilroy's Black History Month art exhibition, permanent housing programs could be under threat, and more in this week's local news roundup.

Researchers confirm an outbreak of bird flu in northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park. Plus, a Monterey County jury awards $18.9 million to a woman hit by a car in a crosswalk at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

The deadline to submit public comments on a proposed federal oil and gas leasing program off the Central Coast is Feb. 26. And, state senators reaffirm California's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives amid ongoing attacks from the Trump administration.

The annual Black History Month art exhibition at the Gilroy Center for the Arts is honoring lesser known African Americans this year. And, a new report from Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., found Immigration and Customs Enforcement spending on weapons went up 360% from 2024 to 2025.

KAZU's Ngozi Cole followed some volunteers on Saturday morning as they restored native plants in the Marina Dunes.T

A workshop at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, organizing efforts from the California Nurses Association, and the expansion of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

Santa Cruz County opens two temporary shelters in anticipation of cold weather. Plus, Big Basin Redwoods State Park expands by 153 acres.

A draft version of a new farm bill would bring back a popular program that helps local fruit and vegetable growers, but overall, bigger farms would benefit most. And, California is partnering with the United Kingdom to develop clean energy projects.

The California Nurses Association is pushing for health care reform. And, Caltrans has closed part of Highway 1 south of Big Sur due to slides and debris.

Nurses in Santa Cruz and Salinas plan to join a nationwide day of action calling on Congress to defund federal immigration enforcement agencies. And, the purchase of more than 10,000 acres by the Washoe Tribe marks California's third-largest tribal land return.