By KCRW
The stories shaping California's Central Coast, hosted by Jonathan Bastian.
The City of Ventura is struggling to come to terms with story of a man who was murdered by a homeless person in a popular local restaurant. We’ll get reaction. Then, to San Luis Obispo where a mentally ill inmate...
Will more granny flats fix Santa Barbara’s affordable housing problem, or just overcrowd neighborhoods and make parking impossible? We speak with a reporter tracking the story. New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof comes to town to speak about...
A clinical trial in Santa Barbara is testing intervention techniques for children experiencing toxic stress. Vandenberg Air Force Base is going green with one of the largest solar farms in the county. And videos of people swimming through trash will...
There’s finally a morning commuter train between Ventura and Santa Barbara, but how many people are taking it and will it reduce traffic along Highway 101? San Luis Obispo braces for the closure of Diablo Canyon, and the loss of...
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown is up for re-election, and a large group of deputies have decided to support one of Brown’s competitors. Recent ICE audits in the Central Valley have farmworkers and farm owners along the Central Coast...
Another winter storm prompted the fourth round of evacuations this year, but the “atmospheric river” that hit Southern California did not pack the expected punch. Did it help fill local reservoirs and put a dent in the drought? Angry parents...
One tech billionaire sets aside thousands of acres on Point Conception for environmental research, while another near San Francisco wants a popular surfing beach all to himself. And, it’s yoga, but with goats - that sometimes pee on people.
After years of legal and legislative battles, an abandoned, leaking oil well off Summerland Beach has been capped. A new fund is helping undocumented immigrants who can’t access federal disaster assistance. There’s some major political upheaval...
Another storm swept through Santa Barbara and Ventura counties Thursday night, and many had to evacuate. We get an update and learn how rain gauges can help prepare us for the next storm. Plus, a surprise drop out this week...
As the nation wrestles with another school shooting, we visit an active shooter seminar in Goleta. Also, does having a cop on high school campuses make students safer? We ask two parents with two very different opinions. Plus, one author...
It’s not cheap to live in Santa Barbara. Even low-income housing can stretch a family’s budget - and when there’s simply not enough money to write that rent check, a landlord will often issue an eviction notice. For families facing...
As protesters gather to speak out against the Trump Administration’s plan to expand oil and gas drilling in federal waters, we speak with an environmental reporter and a lawyer about how these changes could affect the Santa Barbara Channel.
How should we rebuild? What could local officials have done to better prepare residents? How can we help victims and their families?
As Montecito slowly comes back to life, we’ll hear from one business owner who made it through the fire and mudslide, and another who was forced to lay off 17 people. Also, pot is now legal in California, but can...
Mudslide sediment is being dumped onto local beaches and some environmentalists are concerned. Elementary school students in Montecito deal with displacement and losing fellow classmates. And a Chumash family refuses to leave their damaged and...
A tragic mudslide in the coastal Santa Barbara community of Montecito has left over a dozen people dead and missing. The destruction is only beginning to be measured. As search and rescue teams continue to comb through debris looking for...
As those who lost their homes in the Thomas Fire begin to rebuild, author and Santa Barbara's own Pico Iyer joins us to talk about his own experience losing everything in a fire, and the deeper lessons he learned. He...
California’s fortunes were boom and bust in 2017. KCRW looks back and ahead in this special year end review.
It's hard to recall what predated the Thomas Fire here along the Central Coast, but before the flames began, Santa Barbara elected a new mayor, the housing market got even tighter, and leaders across the tri-county region rushed to draft...
As some folks in Ventura are return to their homes, the Thomas Fire continues to burn in the foothills of Santa Barbara. Through it all, countless stories have emerged of businesses, neighbors and nonprofits helping disaster victims and firefighters.
The Thomas Fire has burned more than 132,000 acres in Ventura County, and taken down hundreds of homes and other structures. We take a look at the current dangers, and speak with those beginning to assess the damage.
Oxnard's coast does not mirror the pristine beaches of Malibu or Santa Barbara. It's home to a naval base, an industrial harbor and, most noticeably, two massive power plants. The state is forcing NRG Energy to shut those plants down,...
The 805 is a new show from KCRW Santa Barbara. Each week, join KCRW's Jonathan Bastian as he brings you closer to the people and stories shaping California's Central Coast. Take a listen to this sneak peek.