Posted inOpinion

Triggered

Should transgender students be able to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identities? Should trans women be able to compete in women’s athletics?  These are complicated questions that we have been struggling to navigate and answer over the past several years, and we’ve made progress and gained a more complete […]

Posted inOpinion

Trump, Musk are destroying our government

I sat down a few minutes ago and brainstormed the likely near-term consequences of the public’s inability to reverse the Trump/Musk administration’s virtual destruction of our government and the cessation of our constitutional rights. I regret to say that none of this is hyperbole. The catastrophic implications of our current situation are as follows: • […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Local artist debuts new portraits and abstract series benefiting charities at Full of Life Flatbread

Peep the portraits To find Elizabeth Chaney’s work, including portraits and abstracts, visit simplyelizabethart.com. To view her series in person, visit Full of Life Flatbread at 225 Bell St., Los Alamos. While local artist Elizabeth Chaney considers herself quiet and introverted, she described her art as the opposite.  “My art is my voice, and it’s […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

The Accountant 2 revisits a neurodivergent math savant who violently solves a murder mystery

The Accountant 2 What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande, Fair Oaks Theatre In this sequel to The Accountant (2016), both director Gavin O’Connor (Warrior, Pride and Glory) and writer Bill Dubuque […]

Posted inNews

Asking for more: Farmworkers and allies push for a countywide $26 minimum wage

The sounds of shrieking roller coaster riders clashed with protesters’ drums, tambourines, and chants at this year’s Santa Maria Strawberry Festival. On April 27, community members of various ages gathered outside of Santa Maria Fairpark to rally for a Santa Barbara countywide $26 per hour minimum wage for farmworkers. Alianza Campesina de la Costa Central, […]

Posted inNews

Political Watch: May 1, 2025

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced on April 25 that he and U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania) reintroduced two bipartisan bills focused on addressing the effects of climate change on U.S. coastlines, coastal communities, and marine ecosystems. “The climate crisis is hitting our coasts hard—from eroding beaches and stronger storms to declining fisheries. […]

Posted inOpinion

It’s high noon for the politicized judiciary and the reckless executive branches of our government

We are approaching a constitutional crisis with a confrontation between a politicized and overreaching judiciary, and a reckless president who is smashing the political norms that have enabled our system to function. The balance of power between the three branches of government is getting shaky. Currently, the Republicans control both the executive and legislative branches, […]

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