The city of San Diego is suing the real estate brokerage firm and broker who advised the housing commission in acquiring two hotels to house unsheltered people during the peak of the pandemic. Plus, the economic divide is showing up in vaccination rates across California. Medi-Cal enrollees have been vaccinated at substantially lower rates than the overall population. Also, the Biden administration and DOD have endorsed major changes in how sexual assaults in the military are handled. In additio...
Aug 04, 2021•45 min
San Diego County Looks To Increase Testing Capacity With Rise Of Delta Variant Description: As demand for COVID-19 testing rises, local health officials and health providers take action. Plus, the San Diego City Council Monday passed an ordinance intended to crack down on firearms without serial numbers, otherwise known as "ghost guns.” Then, the Dark Horse Battalion, based at Camp Pendleton, examines its legacy in Afghanistan. Later, a San Diego sports psychologist weighs in on Simone Biles' me...
Aug 03, 2021•44 min
With 70 percent of eligible San Diego County residents fully vaccinated, the Delta variant continues to spread. Plus, the impending civil sex abuse lawsuit of defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick could lead to more men speaking up about their past sexual trauma. Then, child care centers are trying to figure out how to balance increasing class sizes and flexibility so they can stay in business without making parents uncomfortable. Later, some women say California insurer makes it too difficult t...
Aug 02, 2021•44 min
An internal CDC report says Delta variant infections are likely more severe and vaccinated people may spread it just as easily as the unvaccinated. Scripps Research Director Eric Topol weighs in on the report. And, this weekend in the arts: “Twenty Women Artists: NOW” wraps up its exhibition, the 2021 Juried Biennial Exhibition hosts its closing reception, and SD Practice continues at two locations across the county.
Jul 30, 2021•19 min
The term "Latinx" has been used increasingly in recent years to describe the Latin-American community as a whole within the United States. While these efforts have been applauded by some for the term's intended inclusivity, usage of the word has also been met with strong backlash - with many still unsure exactly what it means and who falls under the identity of "Latinx."
Jul 29, 2021•44 min
San Diego County officials are now following the lead of the CDC in recommending that all residents, vaccinated or not, wear masks in indoor public spaces. Also, the latest in the 101 Ash Street debacle may lead to the city being evicted from Civic Center Plaza. Plus, North County has a new rehabilitation hospital. Then, a new book showcases the 120 year history of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Finally, we kick off the 2021 KPBS Summer Music Series with Jelani Aryeh whose unique brand of ...
Jul 28, 2021•53 min
As vaccine mandates increase, it remains to be seen how successful they will be, and what level of backlash they may provoke. Also, between spiking case rates and a potential return of a mask mandate, some San Diegans are saying they’re experiencing “COVID whiplash.” Plus, a San Diego lawyer said he was discriminated against for “banking while black” when he tried to cash a large settlement check at Bank of America in Pacific Beach. Then, Los Angeles Times columnist Jean Guerrero says San Diego-...
Jul 27, 2021•46 min
In an effort to slow rising coronavirus infections, California will require state employees and all health care workers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or get tested weekly. Plus, an Encinitas mother who lost her son to opioid addiction reacts to the potential multi-billion dollar settlement with opioid manufacturers. Also, Aaron Harvey was arrested in 2014 under a controversial gang law for crimes he had nothing to do with. The charges were dropped, and now he's a UC Berkeley graduate. An...
Jul 26, 2021•45 min
San Diego North County Congressman Mike Levin has announced the formation of a bipartisan congressional caucus to explore solutions to the spent nuclear waste problem. Plus, this weekend in the arts: La Jolla Playhouse has a new play series, The Color Forty Nine performs at the Casbah and "On the Move” brings City Ballet back to audiences. And KPBS Roundtable covers the biggest stories of the past week, including Comic-Con returning with another virtual convention due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jul 23, 2021•22 min
A significant increase in COVID-19 cases has prompted San Diego County public health officials Thursday to renew efforts to get county residents vaccinated from the virus. Plus, a judge in California ruled the state insurance commissioner can order the “insurer of last resort” to offer more options for homeowners in high-risk wildfire areas. Then, Oceanside will soon have its first year-round homeless shelter. Later, Pride celebrations are coming to Escondido for the first time. And KPBS’ Port o...
Jul 22, 2021•45 min
Restrictions on non-essential travel at the United States-Mexico border will continue for at least another month. Then, the median price for a home in San Diego County reached $750,000 in June, that’s another record. Plus, state law requires Coronado to plan for nearly 1,000 new homes to accommodate its workforce, but the city voted on a downsized plan. And, surfing’s debut at the Summer Olympics resurfaces issues over native Hawaiian cultural appropriation. And Cinema Junkie, KPBS' longest runn...
Jul 21, 2021•45 min
San Diego is seeing a steady increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant. Plus, California is poised to become the first state in the nation to experiment with providing residents a guaranteed basic income. Then, an inside look at how one San Diego hospital system is expanding operations to deal with growing numbers of high-risk pregnancies. And, a former employee at the San Diego Museum of Art alleges that museum management fostered a culture that allowed sexua...
Jul 20, 2021•44 min
The Biden administration is planning on appealing a Texas judge’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that has allowed young people who were brought illegally to the U.S., or overstayed their visas, to live and work here. Plus, a 50-year tradition of counting bighorn sheep in Anza-Borrego was canceled after a volunteer died from the extreme heat. Also, people in eastern Colorado depend on a system of pumps to deliver water from the Colorado river, but this year the...
Jul 19, 2021•44 min
In the face of steadily increasing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, Los Angeles County residents will again be required to wear masks in indoor public settings beginning Saturday night. San Diego has seen its daily case rate double in recent weeks, but officials say they are sticking with state and CDC guidelines which don’t require masks for the fully vaccinated. Plus, gay bars have re-opened and are again providing safe havens for many in the LGBTQ community as Pride Week is set to ki...
Jul 16, 2021•19 min
Californians are facing what could be another historic wildfire season. From the North State to Southern California, the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada, this special broadcast show will answer your most pressing questions about wildfires, explore solutions and look at ways to keep safe.
Jul 15, 2021•51 min
San Diego county health officials announced 355 new infections on Monday and the likely culprit is the more contagious Delta variant of the virus. Plus, a new survey finds that 54% of unvaccinated San Diego County residents are unlikely to get vaccinated. The group most unlikely are white, educated and have higher incomes. And, as America's war in Afghanistan winds down, one San Diego couple is still coping with the loss of their son in a helicopter crash there 15 years ago. Also, California is ...
Jul 14, 2021•47 min
Last year was a record-breaking year in terms of wildfire. So far, 2021 is on track to break that record and officials say climate change is a huge factor. In addition, San Diego has an ambitious climate change plan but an audit shows the city isn’t doing a good job at tracking its progress. Plus, as climate change heats up cities, a new study finds that low-income and neighborhoods with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations experience significantly more summer heat. Also, veteran homeles...
Jul 13, 2021•44 min
Father Joe Carroll, a San Diego icon for his work helping the unsheltered, died this weekend at 80. Plus, the pandemic impacted the Latinas workforce harder than any other groups and a new report highlights the inequities that San Diego Latinas face in the workplace. Also, the Colorado River is tapped out. A prolonged warming and drying trend has pushed the nation’s two largest reservoirs to record lows. In addition, a newly completed rock barrier through the Delta in Contra Costa County is expe...
Jul 12, 2021•46 min
Gov. Gavin Newsom called on residents to voluntarily cut back on their water consumption by 15% as California continues to face unseasonably high summer temperatures. Plus, more than a year into the COVID-19 crisis, seven million tenants across the country are behind on rent and many small landlords are struggling to pay their bills as well. And this weekend in the arts: the culmination of a pandemic-era program from the city's Commission for Arts and Culture, live performances of a haunting dan...
Jul 09, 2021•19 min
As the delta variant of the coronavirus becomes the dominant strain in the U.S., 54 cases have been reported in San Diego County. Plus, the results come despite California losing a congressional seat for the first time in history due to slow population growth and some high-profile technology companies and billionaires leaving the state. And increasing numbers of asylum seekers are being allowed to enter the United States. But with the asylum system still severely curtailed, thousands remain stuc...
Jul 08, 2021•44 min
Scientists are using data from Apple Watches and Fitbits to measure the impacts of COVID-19 on the body. Plus, San Diego saw a sharp increase in fentanyl-related deaths during the region's COVID lockdowns. And with the passing of the state budget on June 28, UC San Diego, UCLA and UC Berkeley are going to have to cut back on out-of-state student admissions. Then, San Diego County Supervisors voted to create an office of environmental and climate justice by fall. District 1 supervisor Nora Vargas...
Jul 07, 2021•44 min
Substantial, long-term funding has eluded local public health departments and with a spotlight on the pandemic, some argue now is the time to change that. Then, San Diego County supervisors last week approved a $7.2 billion budget with funding for mental health services and the pandemic recovery. And for the first time, an Indigenous woman has been appointed to serve on California’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Plus, a national homelessness expert says San Diego needs to coordina...
Jul 07, 2021•45 min
Hate crime in California reached its highest reported level in more than a decade last year. Plus, a group of peer counselors in City Heights are trying to heal the community, by both connecting people to much needed resources and mental health services. And as we celebrate Independence Day this weekend, we’re going to take a closer look at some art exhibitions in San Diego that tell the wider story of who we consider to be American and what it means to have an identity linked with the land.
Jul 02, 2021•19 min
The city of San Diego announced Tuesday that it is suing to void its lease-to-own agreements in the 101 Ash Street and Civic Center Plaza building deals due to an advisor allegedly receiving millions in undisclosed compensation for negotiating the transactions in violation of state law. And, the new state budget removes the asset rule that restricted Medi-Cal eligibility for older and disabled Californians. Plus, a Carlsbad community member is stepping up to run and fund a shelter in a motel for...
Jun 30, 2021•43 min
Health officials in Los Angeles county are urging people to wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status. Plus, one way for urban areas to beat the heat is to consider the power of shade. However, there’s an unequal distribution of shady, tree-lined streets in our cities, including here in San Diego. And fireworks could be returning to La Jolla on July Fourth, if organizers can overcome a legal challenge from people concerned about sea lions. Then, in 2019, San Diego County approve...
Jun 29, 2021•45 min
Sweltering conditions will persist in the San Diego County mountains and deserts Monday, but cooler weather is expected the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Plus, many people have been working remotely for the past year or so and now that things are opening back up, only 10% of surveyed San Diego businesses expect the bulk of their staff to work remotely three or more days a week. And Afghans that worked with Americans are in danger of retribution as U.S. troops leave...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr
Following strong outcry over a number of loopholes and potential red flags, the San Diego City Council’s Public Safety & Land Use Committee has agreed to send its new ordinance on police practices back to the drawing board. Plus, while early pandemic predictions of a tsunami of evictions seem unlikely, advocates are worried that there could still be a steady stream. And this weekend in the arts: Kelsey Brookes and Nicholas Galanin at Quint, drag artist Jaye Piper Rosewell, a City Heights mus...
Jun 25, 2021•19 min
A championship San Diego County high school basketball game-turned tortilla hurling fracas continues to make national headlines. It’s what happened after the game that continues to dumbfound observers. Plus, the San Diego Unified School Board voted unanimously to fund an expansion of ethnic studies and anti-racism training, prompting some debate in the community over how much racism should be confronted in the classroom. And a joint effort by the city and county of San Diego to address homelessn...
Jun 24, 2021•45 min
At issue in the case was a California law that allows union organizers to enter farms to speak to workers during non-working hours for a set number of days each year. Plus, the Coronado Unified School Board voted unanimously to fire its head basketball coach just days after an incident where tortillas were thrown at players from a rival, predominantly Latino school. And AB-104, a bill that aims to address learning loss suffered by students during the pandemic, is now awaiting Governor Newsom’s s...
Jun 23, 2021•45 min
Saturday's game between Coronado and Escondido's Orange Glen High School reportedly ended with unidentified people throwing tortillas at the Orange Glen team, which is predominantly Latino. Plus, Democratic lawmakers in California unveiled legislation this month that would fast track the normally lengthy process to prepare for a recall election. And a new Biden administration policy gives hope for protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants waiting for U visas to be processed. Then, a...
Jun 22, 2021•45 min
