A closer look at candidates and statewide measures, an ICE incident in Monterey, obstetric service cuts in Watsonville and more in this week's local news roundup.
Midterm Elections
Videos from around the NPR Network on the 2026 Midterm Elections
As federal cuts aim to limit Medicaid, California’s own state-funded safety net is also shrinking, including the dental coverage it has offered to undocumented residents alongside its Medi-Cal benefits. Laura Marcus, the CEO of Dientes Community Dental, discusses how the converging cuts threaten dental care in Santa Cruz County.
- ‘My Name is Gitta’ tells the story of Santa Cruz woman coming to terms with Holocaust survival – 80 years later
- 'Transylvanian Dances' blends Eastern European history and folk music with live performance in Sand City
- Ekene & Friends Experience will showcase original music and shared humanity
- KAZU’s new leader is a familiar voice at the station
- 'Big Sur Stories' chronicles the artists who live where 'only the strong survive'
The Latest From NPR
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The latest developments come amid allegations, first reported by The New York Times, that Democrats recruited a spoiler candidate in the toss-up U.S. Senate race.
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Former President Obama caused a kerfuffle with his comments about President Trump's interior decorating at the White House. But maybe state dinners should happen at The Cheesecake Factory.
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The Siena Drone Photo Awards for 2026 offer breathtaking bird's-eye views of our planet, revealing landscapes, livelihoods and human stories often invisible from the ground.
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NPR's Scott Simon talks to Mia Moroz, a high school senior and head of a group pushing to get 16 and 17 year-olds the vote in Culver City, Calif.
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NPR's Scott Simon talks to Briana Meckley, owner of Meckley Brooms in Lopez, Pennsylvania, about her business' surge in broom orders for Halloween.
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The syndrome can make people feel like a "hibernating bear," says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, who published the first research on SAD. He explains how to identify the symptoms and what to do to feel better.
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Oil companies are reporting another quarter of sky-high profits as the war in Iran pushes up the price of oil — and prices at the pump.
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In October, 2025, the remnants of a typhoon seriously damaged Alaska Native villages in the far western part of the state. A year later, one of the hardest hit communities is still recovering.
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As editors turn to imperfect AI detection tools to weed out machine-generated submissions, writers who say they were falsely accused of using AI are left wondering what triggered a positive result.
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A new documentary looks back on the Canadian sketch show Second City Television. If SNL was a smirking upperclassman in a private-school uniform, SCTV was a lovable dirtbag in a denim jacket and jeans.
