© 2026 90.3 KAZU
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
You may still hear some interruptions to our programming. Thank you for your patience. More info.

Monterey Bay This Week: art bolstering activism, latest battery fire sampling report, opinions on educational AI and more

KAZU | By Erin Malsbury,
Elena Neale-Sacks, Dolores Haidee Marquez, Katie Brown
Published January 10, 2026 at 3:00 AM PST
Protesters carry a giant white dove puppet through a crowd holding signs. The puppet has outstretched fabric wings and is supported by five people.
Erin Malsbury
/
KAZU News
The No Kings protest in Santa Cruz in October included six giant puppets, including this five-person "dove of peace."

Highlights from this week's news roundup:

  • Activists are using giant puppets, quilts, music and dance to protest the Trump administration.
  • The latest sampling report from the battery plant fire in Moss Landing was presented at a Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting this week.
  • Cal State Monterey Bay students have mixed opinions after gaining access to an educational version of ChatGPT last year.
Tags
KAZU News Local NewsMonterey Bay This WeekCSUMBTrump AdministrationAIMonterey Bay National Marine SanctuaryMonterey Bay Today
Erin Malsbury
Erin is an award-winning journalist and photographer. She's written for local and national outlets, including the Smithsonian and Science Magazine. She has a master's degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
See stories by Erin Malsbury
Elena Neale-Sacks
Elena is an Emmy award-winning researcher, reporter, and producer. At KAZU, they cover agriculture, housing and homelessness, and the aftermath of the January 2025 lithium battery fire in Moss Landing. Their reporting and research has been featured on NPR, KQED, Netflix, Reveal, CalMatters, and more. Elena is an alum of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and UC Santa Cruz. You can reach them at elena@kazu.org.
See stories by Elena Neale-Sacks
Dolores Haidee Marquez
Dolores Haidee Marquez is a psychology and human communication student at Cal State Monterey Bay.
See stories by Dolores Haidee Marquez
Katie Brown
Katie Brown comes to KAZU after earning spot news and investigative journalism awards for her reporting and photography in Maine. A Report for America alumna and former Metcalf Institute fellow, Katie’s reporting beats span business, environment, and public health.
See stories by Katie Brown