Each year, celebrities, creators and fans from all across the world converge in San Diego for Comic-Con to celebrate all things related to fandom, pop culture, art, and so much more.Thursday on Midday Edition, we take you live inside the convention center to discuss what makes America's Finest City a special place to host the pop culture juggernaut.Plus, hear from different creators across art, books and film about their personal journeys into their fields, and how they are continuing to represent their culture and stories.Guests:Beth Accomando, arts reporter, KPBSPatrick Ballesteros, illustrator and educatorJohn Wells III, author of "The Last Angel Warrior" and "The Heir of Ambrose," organizer of "Diversity in Fantasy" panelErnie Bustamante, director, "Street Smart: Lessons From a TV Icon"

Comic-Con season is well underway. Two local events are coinciding with the main convention and are spotlighting comics creators and stories underrepresented in the mainstream.

Wednesday on Midday Edition, we hear about the inaugural Indigi-Con, which celebrates and amplifies indigenous stories through art and comics, as well as Afrofuturism Lounge, which connects Black creators across disciplines.

• Chag Lowry, executive director of the Indigenous Futures Institute, comic book author and publisher
• Katie Walkiewicz, faculty director at the Indigenous Futures Institute, literature professor at UC San Diego, enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation
• LaWana Richmond, CEO of Grio'Neers

On the eve of San Diego Comic-Con, we take a closer look at the local economy — and how the convention impacts it.A local economist shares insights on what a jump in unemployment means for the region, and how tourism remains a bright spot.Guest:Daniel Enemark, chief economist, San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center

Amid funding cuts for public media, stations all across the country — including KPBS — are bracing for impact of the Trump administration’s rescissions package.

This includes $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — which effectively cuts all federal support for NPR and PBS programs.

Marco Werman, host of Public Radio Exchange’s The World and journalist-in-residence at UC San Diego, discusses the impact of the defunding on public media and the value of local journalism.

• Marco Werman, co-host, “The World”, journalist-in-residence at UC San Diego

Basketball and skateboarding are powerful tools for building community across cultures.

For tribal communities, these sports provide a unique avenue for cultural expression and mentorship.

Tuesday on Midday Edition, we hear from the author of the new book "Rezballers and Skate Elders: Joyful Futures in Indian Country" about his research into sports culture among tribal communities. We also discuss his work with San Diego State University's Center for Skateboarding, Action Sports, and Social Change.

Guest:

• David Kamper, professor of American Indian Studies at SDSU, associate director of the Center for Skateboarding, Action Sports, and Social Change

A new limited podcast series "Short Wave: Sea Camp" explores the science of the sea, and how it plays a central role in sustaining life on Earth.

Monday on Midday Edition, podcast hosts Regina Barber and Emily Kwong explain their approach to create stories of science that are both accessible and enriching.

Regina Barber, cohost, Short Wave’s "Sea Camp" series

Emily Kwong, cohost, Short Wave’s "Sea Camp" series

What does it mean to honor lineage and connect to ancestral identity, homeland and cultural memory?

Four artists will explore those themes and more at a one-day performance art festival called "The Land We Carry," as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Emerging Artist Fellowship.

KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans spoke with the curator and two artist fellows about what it means to "carry the land," and how they use art to heal.

• hamsa fae, artist, curator and director, AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship
• C. Ryu, artist, AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship
• haven luya, artist, AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship

Congress last week passed a rescission package put forth by the Trump administration to eliminate about $9 billion in previously allocated funds for public media and foreign aid.

That includes $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which essentially cuts all federal support for NPR, PBS, and member stations like KPBS.

KPBS General Manager Deanna Mackey joined Midday Edition to discuss how the funding loss may affect this station.

• Deanna Martin Mackey, general manager, KPBS

San Diego's Pride Week is well underway. It is an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of the LGBTQ+ community in our border region — a history that is well-documented by the Lambda Archives, a local archive space in University Heights.

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Local historian T.J. Tallie has spent the past year as the Lambda Archives' first ever community historian-in-residence. He wanted to find out: what was life like for San Diego's Black queer community in the 80's and 90's?

On Midday Edition Thursday, we hear from Tallie about what he found, the intersection of Blackness and queerness, and the legacies of Black LGBTQ+ San Diegans today.

Then, KPBS' Beth Accomando sits down with filmmaker Ron Najor to talk about his debut narrative feature, "Adjunct" ahead of its premiere in San Diego.

And finally, KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans chats with local author Chris Baron about his latest middle grade book, "Spark" and dives into her arts and culture event picks for the weekend.

Guests:

• T.J. Tallie, community historian-in-residence, Lambda Archives, associate professor of African history, University of San Diego
• Ron Najor, filmmaker, director of "Adjunct"
• Chris Baron, author of "Spark"
• Julia Dixon Evans, arts reporter and host of "The Finest" podcast, KPBS

From nationwide bans on gender-affirming care for minors to the shutdown of a suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ+ youth, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation is increasingly impacting queer and transgender youth.

Wednesday on Midday Edition, we hear about how anti-LGBTQ+ policies are continuing to impact young people and their families in San Diego, including access to health care and mental health services.

Also, for Pride week, one program at a local LGBTQ+ theater is giving teenagers a creative means of processing the political moment and channeling it into art.

Guests:

• Kathie Moehlig, executive director and founder, TransFamily Support Services
• Lou Felipe, clinical psychologist, associate professor, University of Denver
• Wilfred Paloma, director of education and community engagement, Diversionary Theatre
• Gray Cohen, participant, Teen-Versionary program