KPBS Midday Edition

The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for employees at large businesses is currently on hold as it makes its way through the courts. Plus, after serving in the interim, Cynthia Paes has been officially named as the county’s next registrar of voters. Also, a controversial Trump-era policy aimed at keeping refugees out of the U.S. during the pandemic is being continued by the Biden administration. Meanwhile, Southwestern College has been named a 2021 Equity Champion of Higher Education, getting more Black and Latinx students to continue their degrees at a four-year university. And, next season a new professional sports team will call San Diego home. Finally, what to expect from Comic-Con Special Edition this weekend.

San Diego's biggest expansion of public transit in more than 15 years is now up and running, but there are still issues accessing the new line. Plus, public health officials say there’s a disparity in who’s getting the COVID-19 booster shot. Also, an audit of the San Diego Regional Crime Laboratory has revealed major lapses in security and testing protocols over the past several years that could call into question the credibility of evidence used in previous criminal cases. Meanwhile, universal preschool is coming to California in 2025, but some believe it could have disastrous consequences for child care centers and families seeking early care, with the impact falling hardest on communities of color. And, with the proliferation of e-scooters and bikes, we take a look at the city of San Diego’s permitting system and how it plans to limit the number of operators and e-devices. Finally, with Comic-Con Special Edition happening this Friday, KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando talks to a comic book store to find out how it has been impacted by the pandemic.

Democrats in the House are taking a victory lap today, celebrating the passage of the two trillion dollar Build Back Better social services bill. Plus, we bring you the third and final part of KPBS’s three-part series on racial covenants. KPBS Race and Equity Reporter Cristina Kim examines how people are reconciling the legacy of racial restrictions. And, in the arts this weekend, there is a new play about Van Gogh, visual art recommendations, an intimate opera performance, and even a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book reading.

The city's mandatory deadline for its employees to receive their first COVID-19 vaccination was Wednesday. Some police officers have objected to the requirement. Plus, last week the U.S. border opened for travelers vaccinated against COVID-19, but not for asylum seekers. Then, the analysts at the Automobile Club of Southern California say this Thanksgiving will be the second busiest on record in our area, just 3% lower than the all-time high of 2019. And, part two of KPBS' three part series on racial covenants looks at Rancho Santa Fe. Also, San Diego’s landfills are leaking planet-warming methane, just like the big energy corporations. Finally, we hear from one of San Diego's great black musicians - Jazz soloist Rebecca Jade.

The City Council approved a measure that would free some businesses from providing parking for customers in a move intended to increase the use of mass transit and lower emissions. Plus, in the early days of the pandemic, public health officials hoped herd immunity would provide a clear path back to normalcy, but with a large portion of people refusing to get immunized, that hope is diminishing. Also, while illegal now, racial covenants — language that barred Black people and other minorities from living in white neighborhoods — are still on the books across the U.S. and they’re surprisingly hard to remove. And, a new documentary film, based on reporting by inewsource, tells the story of former Navy seal- John Surmont — who turns to an experimental brain treatment after suffering a traumatic brain injury only to face devastating consequences. Finally, it's Noir-Vember. In this excerpt of the latest edition of the Cinema Junkie podcast, host Beth Accomando speaks with Eddie Muller, host of TCM's Noir Alley.

Winter is approaching, and while 70% of the state’s eligible population has gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, health experts warn the remaining unvaccinated and under vaccinated could lead to another surge. Plus, inflation is at its highest point in 30 years, did bad policies create that situation and can it be turned around anytime soon? Also, California Report Host Saul Gonzalez went to a jobs fair to see what hiring looks like now and what workers are thinking as they look for jobs. Meanwhile, two high-profile cases are highlighting the intersection of vigilantism and race. And, why does it seem like so many streets are built for cars and not pedestrians? A traffic engineer explains everything he sees wrong with his profession. Finally, for the past 24 years, one woman has put San Diego on the map for cutting-edge music with her Fresh Sound concert series. This Friday is the last of the series.

San Diego’s redistricting committee’s proposed district map side steps major shakeups, but there are still changes to be made as it moves on to a final series of public meetings. Plus, with the COP26 Climate Conference over and despite the urgency of the meeting, critics have cast doubt on the political will of global leaders to actually commit to the goals set at the summit. Also, Clifton Hicks, who came from a military family, watched the events of Sept. 11 unfold on television and all he wanted to do was enlist and serve his country. But his deployment to Iraq in 2003 fundamentally changed his relationship to the military. Meanwhile, Nick Irving made a name for himself as a special ops sniper, but civilian life was far less straightforward. Irving shared how he found his calling in the military and beyond. And, every October at L.A’s Irwindale Speedway, you'll find a brutal, magnificent thing to behold — The Derby Divas, an all-female demolition derby. Finally, “Hairspray” began its life as an ‘80s campy, indie movie that was turned into a musical. Now, a touring production of the musical is returning to San Diego as Broadway San Diego reopens its doors to live performances. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando speaks with director Jack O'Brien about transforming a film to a musical.

California public health officials are encouraging eligible adults to get their booster doeses of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible to stave off a possible winter surge. Plus, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has been struggling with staffing shortages, but it’s not only because of the pandemic or the vaccine mandate — the issue is more complicated than that. And, this weekend there's brand new playwriting from San Diego Repertory Theatre, the Old Globe will be wrapping up its Shakespeare Call and Response tour, plus a wide range of visual art.

After months of vitriol, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved rule changes that they say will make meetings more civil. Critics of the rules change say it limits the public’s right to free speech. Plus, on Veterans Day we bring you the story of the first Black female prisoner of war in the country’s history. Meanwhile, the USS Midway celebrates Veterans Day with special in-person activities after being sidelined last year because of the pandemic. Also, San Diego and Tijuana were recently announced as the 2024 World Design Capital, beating out Moscow. It’s the first time a binational region has won. And, the pandemic hit many small arts organizations especially hard, but one organization figured out how to survive and thrive. Finally, meet Tijuanauta, a Mexican artist who took the plunge and made art his full-time job after years of hiding in an office cubicle, in this excerpt of the latest episode of the Port of Entry podcast.

The latest milestone is encouraging but there’s a growing concern in California as hospitalizations are rising in regions with low vaccination rates. Plus, the fallout against San Diego Unified’s proposal for a “mental health” day off after Veterans Day has some parents questioning whether the district is telling the truth about school staffing issues. Also, the federal government’s ban on non-essential cross-border travel was the enemy that San Diego’s political establishment needed to find its voice on border advocacy. And, from the archive, an interview with Sara Clarke Kaplan, the author of "The Black Reproductive: Unfree Labor and Insurgent Motherhood," which looks at Black freedom and the dismantling of oppressive systems through the lens of Black reproduction and Black feminist theory. Finally, KPBS film critic Beth Accomando discusses a documentary on controversial author Saul Bellow with filmmaker Asaf Galay. The film screens tonight at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival.