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Tue Mar 15 2016 (Updated 03/17/16)
Growing Number Call for UC Davis Chancellor Katehi to Resign, Including Assembly Members
Students at UC Davis have been occupying Chancellor Linda Katehi's office for five days now. They have held tight since Friday, March 11, demanding that Katehi resign or be fired. Administrators have escalated their response with threats of suspension and even expulsion if occupiers do not vacate the building. Demonstrators are also calling for the hiring process to be redesigned "so that UC Davis students and workers are not only a part of this process, but a major deciding body in the selection and confirmation of a new Chancellor."
Sun Mar 13 2016 (Updated 03/14/16)
Signature Gathering Help Needed for Anti-Fracking Ballot Initiative in Monterey County
On February 23, Protect Monterey County gathered at the steps of the old court house in Salinas to announce the delivery of their notice of intent to circulate the petition: "Protect Our Water: Ban Fracking and Limit Risky Oil Operations Initiative." The group is now seeking signature gathering help to put the anti-fracking Initiative on the ballot in Monterey County for November 2016.
Sun Mar 13 2016 (Updated 03/14/16)
Exodus of SCBT Goat and Rabbit Inventories Coincides with Enforcement Actions by USDA
A recently released United States Department of Agriculture inspection report from January 2016 discloses that Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (SCBT), one of the world’s largest producers of animal-derived research antibodies, has eliminated its entire inventory of goats and rabbits. An inspection conducted by the USDA just six months prior revealed an inventory of 3,202 goats and 2,471 rabbits. The disappearance raises questions about the facility's future.
Terrie Best of San Diego Americans for Safe Access writes: On March 1, the prosecution began its case against John Mazula, who was being charged with manufacturing medical cannabis concentrates. The case came down to whether the process John used to extract cannabis concentrate made use of butane gas or not. Without hesitation each juror at the table one-by-one pronounced John not guilty. Then they discussed why. The jurors blamed the police. They knew the case was poorly put together with no evidence to convict John.
Wed Mar 2 2016 (Updated 03/11/16)
Workers Who Grow, Harvest, and Pack Driscoll’s Berries Struggle Against Systematic Abuses
On February 26, demonstrators gathered at Whole Foods Market in Santa Cruz to protest Driscoll's, the largest berry distributor in the world with a history unjust labor practices and repression of union organizing. Founded in the Pajaro Valley in 1904, Driscoll's is a privately held company with headquarters in Watsonville. Production of Driscoll’s berries extends into 22 countries.
Since August 2015 the residents of Midtown Park apartments in the Fillmore district have been on a rent strike. Theirs is the largest rent strike in San Francisco since 1978. The residents are fighting the city who claims to own the property, they are fighting the non-profit Mercy Housing California who manages the property, and they are fighting the larger forces of displacement that have left only 5.8% black population in the city.
Read more on Indybay's Health, Housing, and Public Services page
Sat Feb 27 2016 (Updated 03/01/16)
Demonstrators Insist FBI Wrong to Want to Break into Phones
On February 16, a US District Court in California, responding to an FBI request, ordered Apple to write an entirely new operating system for its iPhone, one that would give Federal authorities full access to encrypted private information on those phones. Protesters in the Bay Area cities of San Francisco and Palo Alto organized demonstrations saying the FBI demand would set a dangerous precedent and threaten the safety and security of millions of iPhone users worldwide.
Read more on Indybay's Police State and Prisons, Global Justice and Anti-Capitalism or Peninsula pages
The California Police Bill of Rights as it is known today could be on its way out if California SB1286 becomes law, shining increased light on police misconduct in the state. Police "unions" and lobbyists like the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) are expected to fight to maintain the secrecy that currently shields their bad behavior — and legislators historically tend to kowtow to their wishes. The public, however, clearly wants greater access to police records.
Sun Feb 21 2016 (Updated 02/23/16)
Nationwide, New Laws Seek to Suppress Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Campaigns
Israel’s defenders in the U.S. have intensified their efforts to stifle criticism of Israeli government policies with new bills and laws seeking to censor or punish advocacy in support of Palestinian rights. In California, two anti-BDS bills were introduced by Assembly member Travis Allen. AB 1551, the “California Israel Commerce Protection Act”, would prohibit the state from investing in businesses and institutions that comply with boycotts against Israel or Israeli-controlled territories. AB 1552 would prohibit the state from contracting with entities that engage in what he calls “boycotts due to discrimination and bigotry.”
Fri Feb 19 2016
Gardeners Urge City to Continue Negotiating with Seaside Company
With the hope of nudging the city forward toward making good on its months-old public promise to initiate permanent investment in the Beach Flats Community Garden, and under imminent threat of legal proceedings against them, on February 16 the gardeners of Beach Flats decided to sign a city letter acquiescing to temporarily leaving the garden plots they have tended so carefully over the past two decades.
Read more on Indybay's Health, Housing, and Public Services page
On February 18, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the reclassification of the Santa Cruz cypress from “endangered” to “threatened” status under the Endangered Species Act. The tree was protected in 1987 due to threats to its habitat, but now the habitat for all five populations is secure.
Read more on Indybay's Environment & Forest Defense page
Fri Feb 19 2016 (Updated 03/11/16)
Rate of Camping Citations Remains Constant Since Homeless Sweeps Began in 2012
This month the downtown post office in Santa Cruz was cleared by police of what had been a large and regular presence of sleepers at night. The post office had been used as shelter for 6-12 people a night for some time. A homeless man who was sleeping outside of Bookshop Santa Cruz and cited with two other sleepers for trespassing this month said he thought the police were ticketing at increased rate recently to get homeless people to move along before the next rains arrived.
Read more on Indybay's Health, Housing, and Public Services page
Sun Feb 14 2016 (Updated 02/16/16)
Farm Defenders Halt Construction at Gill Tract for Second Time This Year
On February 9, farm defenders halted construction on the Gill Tract farm in Albany once again. Five farm defenders sat in silent meditation in the path of heavy machinery that was removing topsoil. Contractors attempted to operate the heavy machinery around them despite the risks to the safety of those on site. Three were arrested and two were taken to jail. The two were released later in the day.
Thu Feb 11 2016 (Updated 02/20/16)
Gardeners ask City to Take Real Steps to Negotiate for Acquisition of Garden Property
On February 9, hundreds of people marched through downtown Santa Cruz from the Beach Flats Community Garden to the City Council meeting. Gardeners, along with a large coalition of supporters, are seeking a creative solution to preserve twenty five years of cultivating food and culture in the heart of the Beach Flats.
Read more on Indybay's Health, Housing, and Public Services page
Norman “Wounded Knee” DeOcampo (Miwok), a long-time resident of Vallejo, will be taking part in the Longest Walk 5 beginning February 13 at La Jolla Shores in San Diego, California. Wounded Knee is the Founding Executive Director of the Vallejo based organization Sacred Sites Protection and Rights of Indigenous Tribes. (SSPRIT). He is the only person who will have participated in all five Longest Walks.
Read more on Indybay's Racial Justice page
The Santa Cruz Police Department released photos of the BearCat armored attack vehicle they purchased in 2015 despite large protests by the public against its purchase. The attack truck, manufactured by Lenco, cost 1,000 and was bought with grants from the Department of Homeland Security.
Read more on Indybay's Police State and Prisons page
Freedom Sleepers writes: Beginning last July 4th, advocates for people experiencing homelessness have been working to directly address the criminalization of homelessness and for the repeal of the city’s camping/sleeping ban. Activists have been consistent in their position that ordinances prohibiting and criminalizing lying, sitting, and sleeping in public are unconstitutional and such laws pose a grave danger of being selectively enforced against an entire class of people. In August, this position found unexpected support from the Obama Administration.
Read more on Indybay's Health, Housing, and Public Services page
03/15/16 Growing Number Call for UC Davis Chancellor Katehi to Resign, Including Assembly Members education | centralvalley 03/13/16 Business as Usual: SCPD Targets Homeless after City Council Re-Affirms Camping Ban poverty | santacruz 03/13/16 Signature Gathering Help Needed for Anti-Fracking Ballot Initiative in Monterey County environment | santacruz 03/13/16 Termini Failed to Disclose True Ownership of Company in Economic Interests Statement government | santacruz 03/13/16 New Group Seeks Dialogue with Local Institutions about Serving the Bi+ Community lgbtqi | santacruz 03/13/16 Exodus of SCBT Goat and Rabbit Inventories Coincides with Enforcement Actions by USDA animalliberation | santacruz 03/06/16 Ten Minutes to a Not Guilty Verdict in San Diego Medical Marijuana Case drugwar | california 03/02/16 Workers Who Grow, Harvest, and Pack Driscoll’s Berries Struggle Against Systematic Abuses labor | santacruz 02/28/16 New Documentary Examines the Story of the San Francisco Midtown Rent Strike poverty 02/27/16 Demonstrators Insist FBI Wrong to Want to Break into Phones police | globalization | peninsula 02/23/16 New California Bill Promises Increased Transparency in Law Enforcement Misconduct Records police | race | california |
UAL CWA-AFA & IBT In Joint Picket At SFO- Part Of National Action For A Contract
Thursday Mar 17th 6:27 PM
Countywide Agricultural Pesticide Use Up 10% in Monterey and 9.4% in Santa Cruz
Wednesday Mar 16th 5:34 PM
Oakland City Council Approves Second UrbanCore Luxury Tower for E12th St Parcel
Wednesday Mar 16th 12:38 AM
Karuk Tribe, Conservationists Add Klamath National Forest to Westside Lawsuit
Tuesday Mar 15th 7:02 PM
Oakland City Council takes action on scheme to consolidate eviction case system in Hayward
Monday Mar 14th 1:35 PM
Rigged Election In SEIU 1021 By Global Election Services? Members Demand New Election
Monday Mar 14th 9:25 AM
Help Gather Petition Signatures for the Monterey County Fracking Ban Initiative
More Local News...
Sunday Mar 13th 5:34 PM
Victory! Latest Industry Effort to Block GMO Food Labeling Defeated in Senate
Wednesday Mar 16th 6:04 PM
Lawsuit Seeks to Protect California Spotted Owls Under Endangered Species Act
Wednesday Mar 16th 5:49 PM
WTUL News & Views Interviews Tom Zolot of The Center for Restorative Approaches
Wednesday Mar 16th 9:35 AM
Audubon California sponsors legislation regulating use of drones in wildlife areas
Saturday Mar 12th 7:13 PM
Russia: Brazen assault on journalists and human rights defenders in North Caucasus
Friday Mar 11th 7:57 PM
Chuck Grassley And Other Iowa Politicans Who Have Abused Billions Of Animals
Friday Mar 11th 10:15 AM
Radio Spots Focus on Puerto Rico Crisis Ahead of Sunshine State Presidential Primary
More Global News...
Friday Mar 11th 9:24 AM
Central Valley Diabetes Self-Management Program celebrates National Nutrition Month
Thursday Mar 17th 10:53 AM
Whistleblower Protection Program & Fired WPP OSHA Investigator Darrell Whitman With GAP
Thursday Mar 17th 8:56 AM
Flashback to 2011: Ensnaring Syria in the run-up to NATO’s genocidal war: “Turkey-Syria
Wednesday Mar 16th 11:38 AM
Hillary wants Death Row...shuns LWOP 4 Honduran coup...3-15-16 Mouse Report
Tuesday Mar 15th 3:26 PM
Stockton, California and Asaba, Nigeria poised to help lead a New Era of Sister Cities
Monday Mar 14th 12:07 PM
Californians Against Fracking Responds to EPA’s Methane Regulation Announcement
Open Newswire...
Friday Mar 11th 7:49 PM |