On May 27, the fourth annual Youth and Power event took place at the Veterans Memorial Building in Watsonville. The theme was "Youth Empowerment Through Art, Education, and Music." About three hundred people, mostly teenagers, enjoyed an evening of music, dancing and great food!

All around the state, the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) working with the University of California staged a one-day strike to protest UC's bad faith bargaining, anti-union actions, and their lack of a contract. UPTE employees do important research trying to cure such deases as AIDS and cancer, yet due to UC's poor treatment, have a high turnover rate, harming their research.

There was strong support and solidarity by other unions (especially CUE, UAW and AFSCME) and students through the very-active Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ).

Late Wednesday afternoon, teachers, union members, parents, students, and others rallied across California to protest Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's education budget cuts. Tens of thousands turned out in Sacramento, and about 3,000 rallied in downtown LA, while smaller events were held around the state, including Watsonville, where about 120 people gathered in the Plaza.

In this month's Critical Mass Radio Network broadcast, stations will focus on the theme Youth Activism. Free Radio Santa Cruz is scheduled for 7-9pm (PST). FRSC will have coverage of from the demonstrations against the Terminator which took place in Watsonville, Sacramento and LA on May 25, live updates from the fourth annual Youth and Power event taking place in Watsonville and much more.

Californians from all over the state met in Sacramento to tell the governor: we won't be silent while you try to run over our cities, schools and hospitals like a spoiled, testosterone-poisoned movie star driving drunk behind the wheel of a giant gas-worshipping Hummer!