Every year, the UCSB Library chooses one book as their “UCSB Reads” selection. Once the book is unveiled - hundreds of students and community members get to reading. The UCSB Reads committee has narrowed down next year’s selection to five finalists. KCSB’s Priscilla Kang spoke with “UCSB Reads” committee member Alex Regan, to find out more about each title. She’ll also offer insight into how UCSB Books are selected, and the ultimate goal of the program.

Image Courtesy of UCSB Library

Earlier this week, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner denied collusion with Russia, while Donald Trump Jr., whose emails disclosed a statement that the Russian government allegedly supported a Trump presidency, has yet to testify. The Trump administration’s ties to Russia remain an ongoing thorn in the executive branch’s side. KCSB’s Alex Casavant spoke to Jack Pitney, professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, to explore the implications of this relationship.

Santa Barbara county District Attorney Joyce Dudley talks about county efforts to make Isla Vista a more safe place to live. Host Lisa Osborn also asks how things have changed between now and the mass murders of 2014, prosecuting sex offenses, drugs and alcohol and what makes Isla Vista unique when it comes to fighting crime.

The proposed expansion of the Cabrillo Oil Field in Oxnard has left residents with many questions about their environment and health. Two environmental justice organizations are holding a public forum on Thursday, August 3rd from 6-8PM at the Ocean View School District Board Room. This forum seeks to inform Oxnard residents about the proposed expansion of the Oil Field. KCSB's Kendra Lee spoke with Kim Rivers of CFROG - Citizens for Responsible Oil and Gas - to find out more about the forum.

Local Santa Barbara organizations are fighting to protect central coast waters in spite of the Trump administrations' pursuit of less federal regulation over the environment. The Environmental Defense Center and the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper recently took a victory over the federal government regarding offshore fracking. KCSB's Kendra Lee spoke with Maggie Hall, a Staff Attorney for the Environmental Defense Center, to find out more about the case.

Image by Andy Rusch (Flickr: Walk to the Beach) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

State energy regulators were recently in Oxnard for a hearing regarding a proposed power plant. They were met with plenty of opposition, and listened to hours of testimony from students and activists. A state lawmaker criticized the plan for not being sustainable. There are also concerns over coastal flooding and erosion of sand dunes. KSCB’s Harry Lawton explains.

Trail closures have been put in place for the Ellwood Butterfly Grove. KCSB reporter Amarica Rafanelli has more on what this means for Goleta residents.

Recent shark sightings left some Santa Barbarians uneasy about jumping into the ocean. KCSB’s René Pérez spoke with USCB professor Douglas McCauley about whether we should fear these great ocean predators.

To learn more, you can visit McCauley's website: https://labs.eemb.ucsb.edu/mccauley/doug/

When Santa Barbara received record rainfall this year, it may have done more than fill up our reservoirs. As scientists from the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory recently published in the journal Science, seasonal rain and snowfall may also trigger small earthquakes. KCSB’s Erin Wetherley spoke to UCSB geographer and hydrology resources expert Kate Voss about what this means for California.

Dr. Cristina Sandoval is Director of the Coal Oil point reserve at

UCSB. The 170 acre reserve is located west of Isla Vista and is owned by

the University of California as part of its Natural Reserve system.

KCSB reporter Brady Mears interviewed Dr. Sandoval about the

effects of the Whittier Fire on the local Santa Barbara

ecology.