San Diego County’s Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board or CLERB has given support to several allegations made by a transgender woman beaten while in county jail. The board also advised the Sheriff’s department to tighten its policy regarding the placement of arrestees according to their gender identification. Then, cruising bans have generated fierce debate over whether or not they unfairly target Latino culture. Now, Mexican-American low-rider enthusiasts are working to roll back such bans. ...
Jul 22, 2022•19 min
More than 130,000 people are expected to attend the four-day pop culture party which begins Thursday. It’s the first, full scale in-person Comic Con since 2019. We check in with some hard core cosplayers from the 501st Legion, a worldwide costuming organization run by fans dedicated to creating screen accurate bad guy costumes from the Star Wars Universe. Then, a current terrorism advisory from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warns extremist groups could exploit high-profile public even...
Jul 21, 2022•45 min
an Diego county is now in the high COVID-19 tier due to increasing case numbers and hospitalizations. Everything’s on the way up and this is not a good picture because we don’t know where the peak is going to be, Dr. Eric Topol tells Midday Edition. Then, San Diego Congresswoman Sara Jacobs was one of 17 members of congress arrested yesterday during a demonstration for abortion rights outside the U.S. Supreme Court. “We will not stop fighting until we make sure that Americans across this country...
Jul 21, 2022•45 min
A new city ordinance which tightens the use of surveillance technology was passed unanimously by the San Diego City Council Monday. Then, a KPBS review of nearly 500 use-of-force incidents shows it’s rare for local police officers to be fired or even suspended when they kill or severely injure people. Next, San Diego housing prices dropped in June for the first time this year, signaling what might be a cooling of the local housing market. Then, the National Park Sevice is employing a variety of ...
Jul 19, 2022•47 min
San Diego has reached the CDC’s highest level of COVID-19 activity. The highly contagious BA.5 variant is driving the current surge of the disease, and with summertime activities in full swing - including this week’s Comic Con - health officials are bracing for what could be an even more cases. Next, a new book underscores the link between a lack of affordable housing and homelessness. Then, more than 20 years of records relating to use-of-force incidents involving police in San Diego County fin...
Jul 18, 2022•45 min
New images from the James Webb Space Telescope took us deep into space and 13 billion years into the past. San Diego’s Air and Space Museum used the photos to open up the wonders of galaxies to San Diego’s children. Then, the Del Mar coastline will change as work begins on a project to shore up the crumbling bluffs. And there's a multi-billion-dollar proposal to move the train tracks on top of the bluffs. Finally, this weekend in the arts: art in nine parks across the region, jazz and folk music...
Jul 15, 2022•19 min
Yesterday the FDA approved the nation’s fourth coronavirus vaccine. Unlike other previously available mRNA shots, Novavax is a protein-based vaccine. Next, this Saturday, the San Diego Pride Parade returns to the streets of Hillcrest. This and other Pride events mark the return of fully in-person festivities for the first time since the pandemic began. Plus, UC San Diego Health has opened a new headache treatment center offering a wide array of therapies for migraines and other kinds of persiste...
Jul 14, 2022•44 min
A limited number of monkeypox vaccines will be distributed by the county starting today. Then, KPBS Education Reporter M.G. Perez tells us about a new program to save LGBTQ lives with lessons in harm reduction. Next, the head of San Diego’s new Office of Immigrant Affairs talks about her goals for the new agency. Then, later this week, Californians who are in mental distress and thinking about suicide will be able to call or text a new three digit number to get help, but questions remain on staf...
Jul 13, 2022•44 min
As Los Angeles County inches towards a possible return to an indoor masking mandate, San Diego health officials are urging similar caution. And as San Diego struggles with yet another spike in coronavirus cases, another virus has also been catching the attention of health officials in recent months. According to CDC, there have been over 750 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S., with over 130 of those in California. Plus, the true-crime mystery of the 2011 death of Rebecca Zahau in Coronado ...
Jul 11, 2022•45 min
The United States remains on edge after its latest high-profile mass shooting on July 4th in Highland Park, Illinois, which resulted in the killing of 7 people, leaving many more injured. Stories like these beg the question - what are the motivations for these acts of violence? Plus, at least two immigrant detainees have been held in solitary confinement for about a week at the for-profit private facility where they are locked up in Bakersfield. The men and their attorney's say it's retaliation ...
Jul 08, 2022•22 min
A longstanding cross-border gathering place will soon be replaced with a set of 30-foot walls. Then, a technique developed at UC San Diego and Scripps to detect the Covid virus in wastewater is now being used around the world. Next, a 29-year-old Army veteran was allegedly killed by her neighbor last week at a property run by Veterans Village of San Diego. And, The death of a Navy SEAL candidate in February is raising questions about the safety of basic training. Next, collecting food waste for ...
Jul 08, 2022•45 min
In an all too familiar trend, case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise as the U.S. makes its way through another summer coronavirus surge. Next, months after a vaccine mandate went into effect for San Diego city employees, those employees who refuse both vaccines and COVID testing are starting to get Notices of Termination. Then, KPBS investigative reporter Amita Sharma tells us the story of Sara Kruzan, who was pardoned by Governor Gavin Newsom last week after being imprisoned ...
Jul 06, 2022•44 min
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria joined KPBS Midday Edition Tuesday to talk about why he felt it was important to delay a city council vote on the proposed Ash Street settlement. Then, SANDAG’s long standing train track relocation plan for a 1.7 mile stretch of the Del Mar bluffs has gotten its initial funding from the state of California. Plus, a look at how a Vons closing its doors in Vista could make access fresh and healthy food more difficult. Plus, does San Diego Gas and Electric really need to...
Jul 06, 2022•47 min
The economy may not be the first thing that comes to mind when San Diegans think of the border region. But the region known as Cali-Baja is an economic powerhouse. It produces a gross domestic product of nearly $250 million according to a recent report from the University of San Diego. That's more than 23 U.S. states. And, industries in the region from manufacturing to biotech generate thousands of jobs on both sides of the border. So today on Midday Edition we're bringing you a conversation abo...
Jul 04, 2022•45 min
The Supreme Court vacated a ruling that supported California’s ban on gun magazines that hold more than 10 bullets. Then, despite the controversy, the artwork called “Three Slick Pigs” is remaining part of The Street Legacy: SoCal Style Masters exhibition at the California Center for the Arts Escondido.
Jul 01, 2022•19 min
The Supreme Court published two major decisions Thursday. In a 5-4 opinion, the court ruled the Biden Administration has the right to end the Trump-era ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy. And, in a 6-3 opinion, the court sided with West Virginia coal plant operators that the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the authority to change the nation’s energy producing system. Next, local health officials are encouraging masking as omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 are taking hold in San Diego and i...
Jun 30, 2022•45 min
The state legislature approved an amendment to protect abortion rights in the California constitution, now it’s up to voters to decide in November. State Senate President Toni Atkins of San Diego is one of the leaders of the effort to secure reproductive rights in California. Next, the bodies of dozens of migrants were found Monday in the back of a tractor trailer in San Antonio. At least 53 migrants died in what is now the deadliest human smuggling case in modern U.S. history. Then, the last of...
Jun 30, 2022•45 min
The U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion continues to reverberate across the country. Now health care providers are expecting an influx of people coming to California to obtain an abortion from states where they are illegal. California may even help them cover the costs of traveling here. And, celebrations took place in some churches in San Diego on Sunday in response to the decision overturning Roe v. Wade while other religious groups had opposite or m...
Jun 28, 2022•46 min
The Supreme Court ruled Friday to strike down Roe v Wade – ending 50 years of federal abortion rights. Roughly half of states are expected to either outlaw or severely restrict abortion as a result of the decision. Next, as states across the nation brace for the impact of this ruling, legal experts are also considering what further constitutional rights may be reconsidered by the court in the near future. Finally, KPBS investigative reporter Claire Trageser tells us about some local areas consid...
Jun 24, 2022•19 min
The last major age group to be vaccinated against COVID-19 - children ages 6 months to 5 years old – are now getting their shots. How significant is this in the fight against the virus? Then, primary elections often result in a low turnout of voters and this June’s California primary was no exception. But what about November? A new UC San Diego survey tries to take the temperature of voters in California. And, we’re learning more about pollution sources from the Port of San Diego that are affect...
Jun 22, 2022•45 min
A decision by the State could potentially add hundreds more housing units in San Diego and change the look of the city’s coastal communities. Then, the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education ended “separate but equal” school discrimination and began the integration of American schools. But a new book tells the story of a little-known consequence and legacy of the ruling: Black teachers and principals who taught in segregated schools, lost their jobs and were replaced by white...
Jun 20, 2022•44 min
The televised hearings into the January 6 insurrection have so far featured many of Donald Trump’s inner circle of advisors. But one person we haven’t heard from is a man with deep roots in San Diego. Then, San Diego’s Roman Catholic Diocese has made some big headlines over the past few weeks. First, its leader was tapped by Pope Francis to become a cardinal. Then San Diego’s auxiliary bishop was chosen to become Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, replacing a more conservative Bishop. And, we wel...
Jun 17, 2022•18 min
An FDA advisory panel has given approval for COVID vaccines for kids aged 6-months to 5 years. Then, authorities warn that South Bay beaches may remain closed for the summer due to excess pollution levels. After that, the Fat Leonard Navy bribery scandal is about to wrap up in San Diego. Also, In the wake of constant mass shootings across the nation, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted earlier this week to find policy recommendations that would allow the county to sue gun makers for ...
Jun 17, 2022•47 min
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was initiated by President Barack Obama in 2012. But it was not supposed to last this long. Permanent immigration reform is still out of reach and the futures of DACA recipients remain uncertain. Then, the looming Supreme Court Decision on Roe v. Wade has some experts questioning whether the state of women’s health in America may be reversing course. Next, California’s wildfires have become bigger, hotter and more destructive. The firefighters t...
Jun 15, 2022•46 min
San Diego Pride prepares for a safe celebration next month in the wake of recent threats against the LGBTQ community. Then, a rental subsidy for seniors at risk of homelessness was approved in the latest city budget. Next, some local police officers are using religious exemptions to avoid COVID testing. And, a group of San Diego high school students share their experiences hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail. They are bringing attention to the challenge faced by asylum seekers who risk their li...
Jun 14, 2022•44 min
Naval Flight operations have been suspended in the wake of a series of crashes in Southern California this month. Then, inflation shows no signs of slowing down. Numbers released Friday show the consumer price index last month jumped 8.6% higher than a year ago. Next, San Diego is one of the biggest biotech centers in the country. Will it last? And, as families across the county celebrate their graduating students, there is one celebration that stands out. It’s a class of just about a dozen grad...
Jun 14, 2022•44 min
An inewsource investigation finds that a renowned rehab center in San Diego is facing widespread drug use on its campus, and conditions there have become dangerous. Plus, this weekend in San Diego plenty of visual art to choose from, outdoor classical music and some all-ages punk rock.
Jun 10, 2022•21 min
A new report from the California’s Reparations Task Force connects the beginnings of U.S. chattel slavery in the United States and the lasting harms it caused to the oppression of Black Americans to this day. It's the task force’s first step in recommending how the state of California can repair those harms. Over the hour we’ll hear about four aspects of of the report including how oppression and discrimination of Black people throughout the nation’s history created a wealth gap, health disparit...
Jun 09, 2022•47 min
California held its primary election Tuesday, and while votes are still being counted across the state, there is a much clearer picture of who will be on the ballot in November in key state races. Plus, the top vote-getters for San Diego County Sheriff, California’s Assembly District 80, Chula Vista mayor and San Diego City Council District 2. Then, coronavirus cases in the county tripled between May and June led by new variants that have again made the virus more transmissible. Plus, the Salk I...
Jun 09, 2022•45 min
Tuesday is primary election day in California. We hear from San Diego County’s Registrar of Voters Cynthia Paes on how the election is going and how San Diegans can cast their ballots. Then, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria signals a shift to stricter enforcement of homeless encampments. Then, a series of webinars beginning Wednesday promises to teach members of the public more about their rights. Next, California’s fast food workers are planning to walk off the job Thursday to demand better working ...
Jun 07, 2022•51 min
