Congressman Salud Carbajal

Every Fourth of July, the Carnegie Corporation of New York releases a list of "Great Immigrants," people the philanthropic organization says have made notable contributions to the "progress of American society." This year’s list includes singer Regina Spektor, actor Kumail Nanjiani, the CEO of Uber, a UC Santa Barbara Nobel Prize winner in physics, and U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal. 

Local politicians, public school representatives, and solar and offshore wind energy company officials gathered in Avila Beach Monday to mark the introduction of federal legislation aimed at encouraging the renewable energy industry on the Central Coast. 

The future boundaries of the Carrizo Plain National Monument are still in question, although it appears the monument’s protected status won’t be entirely abolished. U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced Thursday he was not recommending the elimination of any national monuments. However, he did say that a "handful" could be reduced in size. 

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order to expand offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters and the outer continental shelf. It calls for a review of current five-year plan for oil and gas leases, and directs the secretary of the interior to establish a streamlined permitting process.