KAZU - Listen Local Podcast

Our round-up of the week's news includes the latest on food safety concerns following a national food-borne illness outbreak, a local youth leader heading to the FIFA World Cup Final, notices along parts of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, plus more.

The city of Santa Cruz has posted yellow development notices along parts of West Cliff Drive. And, speculation about the nationwide outbreak of a food-born illness making people sick could impact Monterey Bay agriculture.

A petition challenging the legality of Santa Cruz's tax on high-sugar beverages was struck down. And, new research shows coastal access is not equal among communities in California.

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is celebrating the return of ancestral remains from Harvard and Yale. And, California State University is reimagining its Basic Needs Initiative.

A new bill would require many local air districts to help landscapers switch to electric equipment. And, the role of the state superintendent of schools gets an overhaul.

Our round-up of the week's news includes a preview of tomorrow's Obon Festival, the Monterey County crop report, an update on the western snowy plover's recovery, and more.

Scientists and volunteers along the entire West Coast recently completed the annual population count of western snowy plovers. And, the Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple is hosting their 77th annual Obon Festival this weekend.

Monterey County's annual survey of women is underway. And, California's avocado industry is pushing policies to protect growers as part of future negotiations over North American trade.

Nurses and other staff at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz are protesting proposed layoffs. California State Parks is offering free downloads of their annual Historian Passport and new penalties for no-shows at California state parks are now in effect.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is currently removing all county emergency call boxes. And, a state senator wants to protect Altadena from real estate speculators while residents rebuild, but her bill also raises concerns.

Local Tibetan leader responds to self-immolation death of a human rights activist outside the United Nations last week. And, Monterey County's annual crop report shows agriculture remained strong in 2025.

Blood banks are facing a shortage of type O, with supplies dropping to a two-year low. And, Republican lawmakers say a new tax hike on private health insurers will drive up costs for Californians.

The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury makes housing recommendations, a new mural celebrates community in Seaside, employees protest at Dominican Hospital, and more.

A new mural at Lupita's Bakery in Seaside is honoring the founding family's roots while celebrating the community they've built over the past nine years. And, Santa Cruz wants more people to bike to work. Now, it's offering bigger incentives for e-bikes.

The Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County sends six of its Seaside members to the World Cup. And, a US Supreme Court decision allows California to maintain its grace period for arrival of mailed ballots.

The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury is offering recommendations for how to bridge the gap between planned housing development and what's financially practical. And, a bill that aims to help offset California's high cost of living for some would cap homeowners association fees.

A group of Watsonville children met players from soccer's biggest stage, an international art instillation coming to Salinas, and organizers speak out against data centers in Gilroy

In its 25th year, the Panetta Institute for Public Policy's annual survey of college students found increasing concerns about artificial intelligence. And, the Bureau of Land Management has finalized its new plans for oil and gas leases on federal lands, including off the Central Coast.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library comes to Monterey County, a Naval Postgraduate School alum who flew the Artemis II mission visits, and researchers identify a neurotoxin as the cause of death in a young humpback whale.

New research from the UC Santa Cruz Puma Project looks at how mountain lions are adapting to busy times on recreational trails. And, a "wobbler" is a crime that can be prosecuted as either a felony or misdemeanor. A new bill would add one more to that list.

A Naval Postgraduate School alumnus who piloted the recent Artemis II mission returned to Monterey this week. And, the local food purchasing agreement, which lost its federal funding, will continue to connect food banks and local farmers thanks to the state budget.

At least one, and likely both, of the humpback whales that recently washed ashore along Monterey Bay succumbed to a neurotoxin caused by harmful algal blooms. And, fungi in the Mojave Desert may be key to the recovery of Joshua trees after a 2020 fire.

A case of measles in Santa Clara County has local public health officials reminding people to get vaccinated. And, a detainee who went on a hunger strike in ICE detention in Southern California has been deported.

Central Coast teachers and parents want the legislature to restore funding the governor's budget proposal would cut. And, a bill in Sacramento would stop pricing customized to shoppers.

Hotter weather brings on fire preparation discussions, local actions related to gender identity and on Saturday a bike event in Santa Cruz and a protest in Santa Clara County.

California Fire Foundation grants fund local fire preparedness work, and the Murray Street Bridge in Santa Cruz is fully closed for construction.

Three Monterey County school districts will be reviewed by federal authorities for classroom instruction and bathroom policies related to gender identity and sexual orientation. And, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's first live sports broadcast is a World Cup watch party later this month.

Santa Cruz County will put offshore drilling and seabed mining protections to voters this fall, and California State Parks week begins.

Polling shows mixed support in Monterey County for two potential tax ballot measures. And, a healthcare nondiscrimination bill authored by Democratic Assembly Member Dawn Addis moves forward in Sacramento.

A bill to incorporate outdoor education into the K-12 curriculum heads to the state senate. And, Cal OES says it's ready for the World Cup.

Where election results stand at the end of the week, a weekend birding opportunity, a former Pacific Grove restaurant manager's reflections on his deportation, and more in this week's local news roundup.

A statewide effort to monitor birds, the California Bird Atlas, hosts events around the region. And Lovers Point Beach is closed after a whale washed up.

A Mountain View woman faces charges in connection with the March fire at the Tassajara Zen Center in Carmel Valley. And, salary increases for the Pacific Grove mayor and city council members are unlikely.

The primary election is over, but there are plenty of votes left to count. We hear from a voter and a likely victor in Monterey County.

Santa Cruz nonprofit Housing Matters will eliminate 20 shelter spaces starting this month in response to budget challenges. And, Monterey County launches a program to reduce strain on the emergency response system.

California is implementing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known here as CalFresh, required under H.R. 1. And, the ACLU is joining some tech companies in objecting to a bill that would prevent social media platforms that use "addictive features" from allowing users under 16.

Fruit trees from Costco could be spreading an invasive pest: glassy-winged sharpshooters. Plus, a new California law prevents law enforcement from interfering in elections.

Extended voter services are being offered at pre-election voting locations across Monterey Bay this week. And, specialty lowrider license plates could enter circulation.

Three Monterey nonprofits have announced a $110,000 fund to support residents displaced by the March 9 Casanova Plaza apartment fire. And, Monterey County is holding budget hearings this week.

During recent a motorsports weekend at Weather Tech Laguna Seca in Monterey, a side event raised money for a local animal shelter. Selected dogs accompanied drivers' wives and girlfriends on the runway of a charity fashion show.

Local salmon available for the first time in years, counties oppose ICE facility near Gilroy, Salinas Valley Health offers free children's vaccines and other local news in this week's episode.

Santa Cruz and Monterey County supervisors oppose a possible ICE detention facility near Gilroy. And state bills could add oversight to data centers' water use.

A rally in Santa Cruz was organized in support of a Coastal Rail Trail design that preserves the train tracks. And, Friends of Seaside Parks support pollinators with weekly workdays.

Santa Cruz County celebrates National Public Works Week. And, experts warn California is unprepared for future budget deficits.

Salinas Valley Health has qualified to give free vaccines to children through a federally-funded program. And, California ups proposed support for the state food bank program.

For the first time in three years, Monterey Bay has a commercial salmon season open. Local fishermen and suppliers are hopeful.

The Ohlone Sisters at Garland Ranch, local and state representatives react to battery energy storage news, and members of UC Santa Cruz's Iranian Student Union make sense of what's happening to their relatives in this week's episode.

Seasonal fire restrictions are set to begin around the Central Coast on May 15. And, Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced California will be the first state to provide free diapers for all newborns.

A state bill would require the DMV to inform owners of towed vehicles when their cars are sold at auction. And, the World Cup is headed to Los Angeles next month, but not everyone is happy with the current plans to protect human rights.

Scammers are targeting family and friends of people incarcerated at Monterey County Jail, and four California residents who were potentially exposed to hantavirus are being monitored.

New Leaf Energy is bypassing Santa Cruz County in its effort to seek approval for a new battery energy storage facility in Watsonville. For Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, who represents Moss Landing, that's the worst-case scenario.