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PROFILE

Jonathan Bastian

Jonathan Bastian

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Morning Anchor, Santa Barbara

Jonathan Bastian is an award-winning public radio host. Prior to KCRW he worked for Louisville's NPR station (WFPL), and also created and hosted a weekly TV program that aired on PBS stations across six states. He has interviewed numerous influential writers, thinkers and policy makers, including Salman Rushdie, Congressman John Lewis, Jared Diamond, Michael Chabon, Oliver Sacks, Barbara Kingsolver, and many others. His work has aired nationally on NPR's All Things Considered and been published on NPR.org.

FROM Jonathan Bastian

At the Santa Barbara Bowl, a community concert of world-class proportions.

At the Santa Barbara Bowl, a community concert of world-class proportions. This Saturday, LA Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead students from the Music Academy of the West and the LA Master Chorale in Mahler’s Symphony Number 2, the “Resurrection," at the Santa Barbara Bowl. As wildfires continue to rage throughout the state, Southern California’s biggest utility company is taking steps to make sure it doesn’t start a future fire. And, a look at whether fuel breaks work to stop blazes, plus other top local stories of the week, including a cascarone controversy during Fiesta.

29 MIN, 54 SEC Aug 10, 2018

You can soon buy stock in Santa Barbara-based speaker company Sonos

You can soon buy stock in Santa Barbara-based speaker company Sonos Sonos, a high-end, wireless speaker company based in Santa Barbara, is hitting the stock market. The company expects to raise more than $250 million dollars in its initial public offering - set for next week. But, Sonos faces some fierce competition. Smart technology has taken off in the past few years, with new voice-activated speaker products by big names like Amazon, Google, and Apple.

4 MIN, 8 SEC Jul 27, 2018

Coastal advocates intervene in Hollister Ranch settlement agreement

Coastal advocates intervene in Hollister Ranch settlement agreement A team of coastal rights activists has banded together to stop a deal from going through that would essentially cut off access for good to Hollister Ranch, a pristine stretch of coastline in Santa Barbara. According to the Coastal Act, all beaches are open to the public, but Hollister Beach sits next to private property, and wealthy homeowners who live there don’t want to public visitors in. A legal challenge filed this week intervenes in an agreement reached quietly between the state Coastal Commision, the California Coastal Conservancy, and the Hollister Ranch Owners Association, which would allow some access to the 8.5-mile coastline, but many say not enough.

7 MIN, 24 SEC Jul 25, 2018

Santa Barbara’s outsized role in the craft chocolate revolution

Santa Barbara’s outsized role in the craft chocolate revolution Santa Barbara is a small city, but it’s played a large role in the rise of the craft chocolate industry. Local “bean-to-bar” chocolate makers were some of the first in the country to begin roasting their own cocoa beans, and their businesses don’t seem to be slowing down.

4 MIN, 10 SEC Jul 25, 2018

UCSB researchers say heat waves are getting worse, and we can do something about it

UCSB researchers say heat waves are getting worse, and we can do something about it We know summers are typically hot, but does it feel even hotter than usual? Researchers at UC Santa Barbara say heat waves like the one we’re experiencing right now represent an alarming climate trend.

4 MIN, 6 SEC Jul 24, 2018

In Oxnard, a new housing inspection program targets the city’s slumlords

In Oxnard, a new housing inspection program targets the city’s slumlords The city of Oxnard is taking steps to crack down on hundreds of property owners who repeatedly violate safety codes by creating a housing inspection program called “Safe Homes, Safe Families." It's intended to target slumlords who force tenants to live in substandard housing, but could lead to displaced residents who live in overcrowded units.

4 MIN, 37 SEC Jul 23, 2018

California is on fire year-round. Is climate change to blame?

California is on fire year-round. Is climate change to blame? When it comes to heat waves, fires, and severe flooding, a lot of attention is given to how they started -- from faulty electrical lines and drought conditions to major storms and weather patterns. But one UCSB professor thinks the media is leaving out the larger cause: climate change.

4 MIN, 44 SEC Jul 20, 2018

Santa Barbara votes to ban plastic straws in city

Santa Barbara votes to ban plastic straws in city Councilmembers voted this week to ban them, along with styrofoam to-go containers. Environmentalists applauded the decision, saying plastics account for a substantial amount of the trash in our oceans. But some restaurant owners say government officials shouldn't be telling them what products they can and can’t hand out to their customers.

4 MIN, 22 SEC Jul 18, 2018

Did Goleta residents get Holiday Fire emergency alerts in time?

Did Goleta residents get Holiday Fire emergency alerts in time? Officials in Santa Barbara are discussing what went right, and what went wrong the night the Holiday Fire broke out in Goleta earlier this month. One major issue was getting timely emergency alerts out to the people who needed them the most.

4 MIN, 12 SEC Jul 17, 2018

Drones, lasers and smart water sensors: new technology on California grape fields

Drones, lasers and smart water sensors: new technology on California grape fields What are drones doing flying over vineyards, and why are they playing hawk noises? Winemakers are trying out all sorts of new technology to get the most out of their crop, and certain products could have major impacts on the entire farming industry.

4 MIN, 8 SEC Jul 11, 2018

Ventura greenlights year-round homeless shelter, discusses future water supply

Ventura greenlights year-round homeless shelter, discusses future water supply Ventura is moving forward with plans to open a year-round homeless shelter. The news comes just three months after a brutal murder involving a homeless man that shook the community. We take a look at why the city has decided to step up now, as well as some new long-term water supply options on the table.

4 MIN, 27 SEC Jul 10, 2018

Animated short films from around the world, under the stars in Santa Barbara

Animated short films from around the world, under the stars in Santa Barbara A traveling selection of the year's best animated short films is making a stop in Santa Barbara. Curated and presented by Acme Filmworks founder, Ron Diamond, the Animation Show of Shows kicks off UCSB’s Arts & Lectures free summer film series at the Santa Barbara Courthouse.

4 MIN, 42 SEC Jul 06, 2018

A senseless stabbing in Ventura angers citizens, sparks action on homelessness

A senseless stabbing in Ventura angers citizens, sparks action on homelessness In April, a brutal murder took place in Ventura. A man was eating dinner with his family at a restaurant along the city’s promenade when a homeless man approached the table and stabbed him with a knife. The fatal attack sparked a conversation about how to address people on the street who may be a threat to themselves and others. Following that stabbing, KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian spent time in Ventura speaking with police, mental health professionals, and outreach workers about how to prevent something like this from happening again.

16 MIN, 32 SEC Jun 28, 2018

The battle over water in Santa Barbara's high desert

The battle over water in Santa Barbara's high desert In California, we talk a lot about water: where it comes from, how much we need, and when it’ll dry up. In the Cuyama Valley, which sits in the high desert between Santa Barbara and Bakersfield, “drying up” isn’t just an abstract fear. Cuyama is a farming town that’s pumping its water faster than the rain replaces it. Now, the community must come together and figure out a way forward before there’s nothing left.

5 MIN, 5 SEC Jun 19, 2018

Reintroducing grizzly bears to coastal California

Reintroducing grizzly bears to coastal California Today's North American grizzly bears are mostly found in the remote mountains of Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska, but back in the 1800s, coastal California was prime grizzly country. Brown bears were some common in the coastal ranges that they were known as the “chaparral bear.” Now, a group of Californians wants to reintroduce them to the state, but not everyone’s on board.

7 MIN, 44 SEC Jun 19, 2018

Santa Barbara's top surfer Conner Coffin lays down new tracks

Santa Barbara's top surfer Conner Coffin lays down new tracks Conner Coffin is no longer a teenage surfer impressing the locals at Rincon Beach. He’s now ranked as the 16th best surfer in the world, and the only Santa Barbara local in the men’s World Surf League. He’s trying to qualify for the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020 -- when surfing will make its debut. But his love of surfing is matched with a love of something else: music. Flexing his guitar and singing skills, Coffin just released a new record of classic rock covers.

8 MIN, 14 SEC Jun 15, 2018

Recommended

The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan?

The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?

51 MIN, 16 SEC May 30, 2017

White House budget proposal slashes and burns

White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?

50 MIN, 44 SEC May 24, 2017

Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe?

Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?

51 MIN, 22 SEC Jun 13, 2017

Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies

Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.

51 MIN, 16 SEC May 25, 2017