Author: KEYT

Ryder Christ

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a tense House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, accusing the Pentagon chief of jeopardizing national security, politicizing military service, and being “an embarrassment to this country.”

Carbajal’s remarks came amid mounting bipartisan scrutiny of Hegseth following revelations that he shared the launch time of a U.S. airstrike on Houthi militant targets in March via unsecure Signal group chats. One group reportedly included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, while another included Hegseth’s wife, brother, and personal attorney. Hegseth allegedly accessed the chats through his personal phone rather than a secure government-issued device.

“You broke the law in sharing classified information and in doing so, endangered the lives of our service members that you are responsible for,” Carbajal said. “Your inability to hold yourself accountable makes you incapable to lead. This alone makes you unfit to be the Secretary of Defense.”

Hegseth has maintained that no classified information was shared.

“Nobody’s texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” he said earlier this week. “There’s no units, no locations, no routes, no flight paths, no sources, no methods, no classified information.”

The Pentagon’s Inspector General has since launched a formal investigation into whether national security protocols were violated and whether any messages were deleted to evade federal record-keeping laws.

The controversy has triggered internal fallout within the Pentagon, including reports of low morale, senior staff resignations, and growing concerns over Hegseth’s leadership. Carbajal also cited Hegseth’s deployment of Marines to Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests and his handling of the war in Ukraine as part of what he called a broader pattern of misconduct.

During the hearing, Carbajal pressed Hegseth on whether loyalty to former President Donald Trump had become a prerequisite for military or civilian service in the Department of Defense.

“Do you think political allegiance to Trump is a requirement for serving our nation, either in uniform or a civilian in the department?” Carbajal asked.

“I’m incredibly proud as there are millions of Americans—” Hegseth began.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” Carbajal interrupted. “Not today, Hegseth. Yes or no.”

“Congressman, you know what a silly question that is,” Hegseth replied.

“But silly enough to warrant a very straightforward answer. Yes or no?” Carbajal pressed.

“We all support and defend the Constitution of the United States—” Hegseth began again.

“You know what? I’m not going to waste my time anymore,” Carbajal said. “You’re not worthy of my attention or my questions. You’re an embarrassment to this country. You’re unfit to lead. And there’s been bipartisan members of Congress that have called for your resignation. You should just get the hell out and let somebody competently lead this department.”

The exchange prompted someone off camera to say, “Mr. Chairman, do we not have any decorum in here?”

Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) quickly called for order, saying, “Let’s maintain decorum in this hearing, please.”

Shortly after the hearing, Carbajal posted video of the exchange on social media, adding a punching fist emoji, an American flag emoji, and a fire emoji.

Backlash against Hegseth has intensified in recent days. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern over his handling of sensitive information and perceptions of political favoritism within the military. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta are among those calling for accountability, with Panetta calling the Signal incident “one of the most serious breaches of trust I’ve seen in the modern Pentagon.”

During the hearing, Hegseth also confirmed that the Pentagon maintains contingency plans for potential military operations in regions such as Greenland and Panama—a revelation that drew additional skepticism from Democratic lawmakers.

Local conservative and former Santa Barbara City Councilman Dale Francisco criticized what he described as a double standard, noting that Carbajal was more forgiving of Democratic-appointed military leaders after the deaths of 13 U.S. service members during the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

On August 26, 2021, a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport killed 13 American service members during the final stages of the U.S. evacuation.

At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin—appointed by President Biden—led the Pentagon. Carbajal condemned the attack in a public statement but did not call for Austin’s resignation.

“As a veteran, I know how families feel when their loved ones are called to duty,” Carbajal said in 2021. “My thoughts remain with the service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice, the injured, and their families. I thank all those in the military, diplomatic, humanitarian, and intelligence communities for their patriotism.”

As investigations continue, Carbajal’s remarks have emerged as one of the most forceful congressional condemnations of Hegseth’s tenure to date.

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Caleb Nguyen

PASO ROBLES, Calif. – Multiple fire crews helped with a house fire in Paso Robles just past 3:00 p.m. Friday, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

CAL FIRE SLO, Templeton Fire, Atascadero Fire and Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services crews helped with the response.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and more information on the incident will be provided as it becomes available.

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Alissa Orozco

WASHINGTON D.C. – On Saturday, a military parade will make its way through the streets of Washington, D.C. This will be the first time the capital has hosted a military parade since 1991, held to commemorate the end of the Gulf War.

Saturday’s parade will celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, and will take place at 3:30pm PST/6:30pm EDT on June 14th – which also happens to be President Trump’s 79th birthday.

The parade will kick off at 23rd Street NW, near the Lincoln Memorial, then proceeds along the National Mall, past the White House and the Washington Monument, until it reaches its endpoint at 15th Street NW.

Screenshot

More events are planned along with the parade including the 250th Birthday Festival, a concert, and a firework show.

The parade may further escalate current civil unrest happening nationally. In the past week, mass presentations have taken place in Los Angeles and major cities all over the country, protesting recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and deportations.

Over 2,000 “No Kings” protests will also take place Saturday across all 50 states to speak against “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.”

Several communities on the Central Coast will be taking part in the “No Kings” protests, including Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Lompoc, and Santa Maria.

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Jarrod Zinn

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – A fashion boutique in San Luis Obispo has gotten hateful reactions following immigration raids in L.A.

The problem is, their small store has nothing to do with the raid.

The owners are hoping to clear up some confusion.

At Ambiance Boutique, a locally owned store in downtown San Luis Obispo, its been a stressful week for everyone. 

And it’s all due to a misunderstanding about the store’s name.

Back on June 6th, ICE raided a store called Ambiance Apparel in L.A., arresting dozens of workers and igniting days of unrest.

“It was pretty surreal, actually,” says store co-owner Colby Courter. “We started getting phone calls from our store manager here on Saturday, and she was saying that there were a number of very angry people calling.”

Since that day, the owners of Ambiance Boutique in SLO have been receiving hateful comments on social media, as well as vulgar and even threatening emails and phone calls.

“Saying horrible things about us and personally and about the store,” says Courter.

In just one week, the onslaught has gotten so bad the boutique has had to update its internet and phone listings to specify that there is no connection or affiliation between the two businesses.

“We’re bombarded so often with kind of this dopamine spike we allow it to really impact our behavior in a way that’s probably not beneficial to us or to society as a whole,” says the other co-owner Kannyn Courter.

To make it clear, their products have different sources, their business ownership is completely separate, and the SLO boutique has a target clientele that differs from the retail outlets the L.A. factory supplies.

They just have similar names.

“We as a society need to find a better way to come together and help each other in these moments,” says Kenny, “Because the hate for hate’s sake isn’t getting us anywhere.”

The boutique’s owners hope this mix-up can serve as an example of why people should think before jumping to conclusions.

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John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. – The end of the school year at UC Santa Barbara means one of the largest move outs of a student population on and off-campus in California.

An estimated 15-20,000 residents are leaving for the summer months. With that, items they can not take usually end up going to a donation site or left on the roadside.

The extra items, trash and household belongings, are not what the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) wants to see left strewn around. The company, Hauling-4-U, has been brought on to pick up discarded items during the move out period and help to clean the streets. It is a locally owned and family owned business.

“We are here, to pick up all the trash, gather all the trash and put in bags, so Marborg can come and pick them up,” said owner Ivan Padilla. “This is the beginning of the move out. So we are getting all the big spots, and after that, we just kind of pick up some small stuff.”

The work is on every street, and comes in all sizes and shapes. It ranges from clothing to furniture to every household item that just can’t fit into cars and trucks going away with students to their next stop.

There will be a drop off spot at Embarcadero Hall for a parking lot sale, happening next Saturday, June 21st. It is known as the ‘GIVE’ sale, with proceeds going to the Isla Vista non-profits.

There is also a coordinated effort with Junk Luggers to assist in moving large items from the apartments and homes to the GIVE sorting location. This work will continue through the weekend.

This year, an additional collection site is set up at Rottapel Park on Del Playa Drive.UCSB and the IVCSD have collaborated in recent years to help those moving out do so in a smooth and environmentally friendly process, compared to massive piles of leftover in the past.

One of the residents says the leftover items and trash stacks up very fast.Brock Camp said,  “most people will finish their finals around like Tuesday, Wednesday and then everything will just be on the street, just crazy. Everything piled up.”In addition to the trash there will be an e-waste and large item pick up.  

Padilla says his crew of three is making a difference.  “Oh, yes. We are happy to help.”

A student who was around last year at this time Ethan Mofarah said,  “honestly it’s cleaner this year than last year. Also it’s I think still a bit early.  I’d say in a couple more days Saturday, Sunday when graduations are happening I think it’s going to get worse.”

 Some of the items are sold on line quickly through sites like Facebook marketplace.

Mofarah said, “I sold my couch. You know, I got like $50 and I sold some Timberlands and I got like $20, and I made some money off it.”

 Tenants trying to get any kind of a deposit back are clearing their room of all items. “Everything moved out. Like the floor has to be completely open. Like we’ve got to get the table out today. All the couches, everything, sweep, mopped,” said Camp.

Many of the efforts to clean the streets and repurpose some of the leftovers is coordinated by the Community Services District and the UC Santa Barbara office of Civic and Community Engagement.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – There’s quite a bit of construction taking place along Bradley Road in Santa Maria at the site of the old Costco building, as well as next door where two restaurants used to be many years ago.

In the near future, the two sites will be the new home for a furniture store, as well as well-known national coffee shop and car wash.

Located directly off of Highway 101 between Stowell Road and Betteravia Road, the shopping area has suffered over the past several years due to the long-vacant properties.

The old Costco building has been closed since 2017 when the businesses moved a few blocks south down Bradley Road.

Nearby, the former Original Roadhouse Grill and Hometown Buffet both closed in 2020.

In addition, the former Edwards Cinemas theater next to the site of the former restaurants, also shut down in 2022.

All together, the closed businesses have help create an almost “ghost town” feel to the shopping area, but that is about to change with new businesses on the way.

At the old Costco building, a new furniture store called “Furniture Land,” is now in the process of transforming the large 70,000 building into a new showroom.

Furniture Land is a large-scale furniture business that currently has locations in three other cities, Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield.

On the property where Roadhouse and Hometown Buffet once occupied, a new Starbucks and car wash are in the process of being built.

According to the Santa Maria Valley Chamber, the addition of the three businesses will breath new life into the area and potentially drive additional sales to other restaurants and stores in the immediate area.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A mask, a lion, a squid, oh my!

The clock is ticking for artists at the Solstice Workshop in Santa Barbara.

“Oh my gosh, we got a week to go and I’m nowhere near ready,” said artist EJ Huerta of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

The countdown to Santa Barbara County’s largest art event, the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival is on.

“Everybody gets in a panic over getting their stuff ready for the last day,” said artist Jim Sun Bear of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival. “That’s the tree of life … it’ll have Tarzan and Jane on it. Jane‘s already on the swing.”

The Solstice team says the parade is more than just a bunch floats.

Its an entire performance put on by artists.

“We have about 18 to 20 floats but we have maybe 24 to 25 what I call images meaning there could be the World Dance for humanity for example but it doesn’t have a float but they’re like a big image,” said artistic director Ricardo Morrison of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

The event is projected to draw thousands of excited spectators.

Some are more excited than others.

“I’m sitting at a freaking desk all morning doing all the things that I have to do … as an admin person you know … that’s how I get excited … I think about all the cool stuff that happens,” said executive director Penny Little of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

“So you shake them and they fall down and then we have a bit where it’s interactive theater if we can pull this off,” said artist Jonathan Smith of the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival.

If they can pull this off, it will have to be soon.

The 51st Summer Solstice Celebration will take place June 20th – 22nd in Santa Barbara, California. ​

The celebration will start at Alameda Park on Friday, June 20th, at 4:00 p.m., with the Opening Ceremony from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

The festivities will include music from local bands, food, beverages, dancing, and vendors to celebrate the longest day of the year. 

The parade will happen on Saturday June 21st, at 12:00 p.m., at the intersection of Santa Barbara and Ortega Streets.

The parade will travel to Santa Barbara Street ending at the Summer Solstice Festival at Alameda Park on Sola Street.

The festival is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit: https://www.solsticeparade.com/.

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Mike Klan

EUGENE, Oregon. – UC Santa Barbara senior Brad Thomas turned in an outstanding two-day performance to claim runner-up in the decathlon at the 2025 NCAA Track & Field Championships,. Thomas finished the event with a total of 7,888 points and will earn All-America First Team status.

He is the first All-American athlete to wear a Gaucho uniform since 2012.  Thomas came into the day in second place with 4,192 points and it was a wild ride to remain in second when the decathlon ended.

He fell off the leaderboard down to 12th place with two events to go, the javelin and the 1500m.

The javelin saw Thomas gain some of the momentum he had brewing at the end of the first day, as he threw for a staggering 63.47m to take second in the event and move up eight spots to claim fourth before the final event. In order to earn a podium spot, Thomas needed to do something special and that is what he did.

In the 1500m, Thomas defied all odds by recording his only personal record on the week to take third place in the competition, timing in at a blazing 4:23.24. The performance was just enough to give Thomas a second-place finish by 29 points

Thomas scored 3696 points on the second day with 773 points (15.65, 18th) in the 110m hurdles, 723 points (42.86m, 5th) in the discus throw, 620 points (4.01m, 19th) in the pole vault, 790 points (63.47m, 2nd) in the javelin and 790 points (4:23.24, 3rd) in the 1500m. 

Peyton Bair of Mississippi State won the decathlon with 8,323 points, the 10th highest in NCAA Championship history.

(UCSB Athletics and the Big West contributed to this article)

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Caleb Nguyen

PASO ROBLES, Calif. – Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services crews stopped a fire in the Salinas Riverbed at three acres just before 5:00 p.m. Thursday.

PRFES crews went north of Niblick Bridge after initial reports of the fire reached half an acre.

Crews put out the fire and protected important buildings from the flames, part of a response that included several agencies and an attack plane from CAL FIRE SLO, according to the PRFES.

A total of 65 firefighters put the fire out in under an hour, though traffic and road closures still persisted as of 8:00 p.m. Thursday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the Paso Robles Police Department is assisting with traffic control.

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Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – It was a day of celebration for Santa Barbara Unified School District seniors as the Class of 2025 graduated Thursday evening from San Marcos, Santa Barbara, and Dos Pueblos high schools.

Students took their final walk through stadiums across the district as high schoolers and turned their tassels as graduates, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Parents cheered from the bleachers as names were called and Pomp and Circumstance played.

“Today I feel a weird mix of unknowing, but I do know that we will look back someday on these years, on this moment, wishing we could relive the simplicity of being a teenager,” said one student during the ceremony.

Vanesa Ortiz, a former Santa Barbara High School staff member and alumna, reflected on the milestone.

“I’ve seen them grow up working with them for a lot of years,” Ortiz said. “This is like the excitement of it all, seeing them walk down the hill, and it’s sad to see them go.”

Dare Holdren, principal of San Marcos High School, said it was a special moment for the school community.

“You know, I love the kids, and they did a great job this year,” Holdren said. “And so it’s such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate them.”

Arianna Escamilla, a San Marcos graduate headed to UC San Diego, said the moment felt surreal.

“I’m excited, it doesn’t feel real,” Escamilla said. “It almost feels like it’s all a joke and it’s going to be back to normal on Monday.”

“It feels crazy, I’m still trying to process that it’s happening, but it’s awesome. It feels great,” said Maya Ruvalcaba Rubio, who is Army-bound.

Ruvalcaba Rubio also offered encouragement to other students.

“If you think you can’t do it, you definitely can,” she said. “I never thought I’d be able to graduate a year early. I wasn’t in the best place to graduate early, but find a way and you’re going to make it.”

In total, 1,455 students graduated this week from the Santa Barbara Unified School District. About 788 of them plan to attend Santa Barbara City College in the fall.

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