For people in prison, books can be more than a pastime - they can be a lifeline to the outside world. However, new restrictions all across the country are cutting off that necessary connection. KCSB’s Juliana Chandler has the story.

UCSB students and marine biology researchers gathered to collect organisms in the Santa Barbara Channel. After classifying the species, further analyses were made as each organism was examined in labs. KCSB’s Abbey Santellanes spoke with Skylah Reis, a Ph.D. student at UCSB, to uncover the steps that were taken and the importance of this oceanic research.

A judge has decided that the company that owns Instagram and Facebook, Meta, is not a monopoly. KCSB’s Inesha Ranasinghe-Denish explains more.

Grocery workers at Santa Cruz Markets in Goleta and Santa Barbara have unanimously voted to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice strike, setting the stage for a possible walkout just days before the busy Thanksgiving holiday. Union leaders say the vote is a response to what they describe as ongoing labor violations by the company, and workers are now prepared to strike if negotiations don’t resume in good faith. KCSB's Emerson Good spoke with Erik Mendez, a grocery worker and member of the UFCW union about his experiences. NOTE: Since the original interview aired on November 20th, 2025, the Santa Cruz Markets reached a tentative agreement on a contract just before the Thanksgiving holiday, avoiding the strike altogether.

In Brazil, tensions escalated as Indigenous activists pushed past security at a UN Climate Conference. Tired of being excluded from summits which affect their rainforest, the activists raised concerns regarding the protection of their climate authority. KCSB’s Juliana Chandler has the story.

The Trump administration recently announced plans to dramatically expand deep-sea mining in the western Pacific. Indigenous and local leaders are pushing back hard. KCSB’s Juliana Chandler has the story.

Air quality monitors deployed by New York Times researchers have detected that firefighters in California are frequently exposed to high levels of hazardous microscopic particles. What health risks do these firefighters face? KCSB's Olivia Zou has this story.

Four years ago, Israel made a deal with both Google and Amazon to provide the government with AI services and cloud computing. KCSB’s Inesha Ranasinghe-Denish explains the contract and its use during the genocide against Palestinians.

UC Regents voted to continue their tuition stability plan that includes yearly tuition hikes at all campuses, despite fierce student opposition. KCSB’s Hunter Maher reports.

Isla Vista’s bluffs have been the scene of several tragedies over the years. During and after rain storms, saturated cliffs can be even more dangerous. KCSB's Emerson Good spoke with Captain Scott Safechuck with Santa Barbara County Fire about a recent bluff-fall rescue his team conducted. Capt. Safechuck also shares important information about how to stay safe around bluffs - from above and below. And, he encourages IV community members to be aware, and pass along safety information to their friends and peers to help keep the community safe. Plus, learn about a student-led initiative to prevent authorities from lowering the volume on Deltopia.