The Trump Administration recently seized jurisdiction over Santa Barbara County’s disputed and timeworn Refugio pipeline, triggering new fears about renewed local offshore oil drilling, as Nick Welsh joins the genial host on this week’s episode to sort out the new layers of legal and bureaucratic complexity that as a reuslt have descended on the maddeningly convoluted – and enormously consequential – matter. News-Press Editor Josh Molina parachutes in to discuss his scoop about City Council member Eric Friedman jumping into the mayor’s race, and the three amigos break down what it means for the mayor’s race and the year’s other big local elections.

It’s the Fifth Annual Newsmakers New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show, as we bring together both types of newsmakers -- those who make news toiling in the public arena, and those who make news by writing and opining about them – into one great All-Star Panel to reflect on two key questions: What Just Happened and What Happens Next? Join Supervisor Laura Capps, Mayor Randy Rowse, SB Council member Meagan Harmon, News-Press Editor Josh Molina, Newsmakers Producer Hap Freund, and the genial host to say farewell to 2025, and hear some fearless forecasts about 2026.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse checks in to offer his perspective on the two big issues that have consumed City Hall in recent weeks – the future of downtown development at the Paseo Nuevo shopping mall and the push by City Council’s liberal majority to impose a new set of strict rent control regulations on landlords and property owners. News-Press Editor Josh Molina joins the genial host to also interrogate the mayor about his 2026 re-election campaign.