KPBS Midday Edition

As ICU bed capacity drops to 0% in the Southern California region of the state, we look at how hospitals in San Diego and Imperial counties are doing. Plus, a Mexican-American teenager comes to terms with her immigrant grandparents’ support of Donald Trump in this final installment of Every 30 Seconds. Finally, our picks for weekend arts events include jazz, a literary story concert and an updated spin on a Tchaikovsky classic.

The county is seeking clarification on a San Diego judge’s ruling allowing strip clubs and businesses with restaurant services to remain open. Plus, as we continue to see more vaccines available and more people eligible to be vaccinated — is a healthy person’s decision not to get vaccinated an ethically defensible choice? And food relief organizations are in agreement that the pandemic and related unemployment is increasing the amount of food insecurity in the U.S. Then, a new program is hoping to give caregivers of disabled veterans relief from burnout. And Retiring KPBS General Manager Tom Karlo looks ahead to the future of KPBS and other local media. Finally, constantly changing COVID-19 guidelines have challenged the San Diego Opera’s planning for a drive-in screening of “All Is Calm.”

We’ve endured almost a full year of the world turned upside down. When we’re not concerned about our own or our families health – it’s concern about finances, missing friends and relatives, being isolated and wondering if life as we know it will ever get back to normal.

Dr. Nicholas Holmes of Rady Children’s Hospital joined Midday Edition to speak about how Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is being rolled out in San Diego County. Plus, crowded ICUs and increasing deaths are taking a toll on doctors and nurses. And County supervisor Dianne Jacob will leave office next month after representing her East County district for 28 years. Then, KPBS spoke to teachers and experts about how hard the online learning environment is for English language learners. Finally, Border Patrol plans to replace the border wall at Friendship Park, drastically altering the park’s landscape.

The first batches of Pfizer's long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine arrived in San Diego County Monday for military and civilians. Plus, KPBS Health Reporter Tarryn Mento asked the leader of Sharp HealthCare how they’re balancing resources amid demand. And San Diego researchers think plants may offer a significant way to draw down excess carbon in the air which could slow climate change. Then, you can help KPBS and inewsource uncover the real cost of COVID-19 by sharing what you’ve been charged for coronavirus testing or treatment and sharing your medical bills. And San Gabriel Valley restaurants that are able to adapt to takeout and delivery-only dining — or leverage some locations over others — are surviving. Finally, COVID-19 and the brain, a UC San Diego Health doctor highlights neurological complications of the virus.

On his first full day in office, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria discusses what he’d like to tackle in his first 100 days, including homelessness and the public health and economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, our arts and culture holiday picks that you can safely enjoy at home.

Todd Gloria was officially sworn in today as San Diego’s 37th mayor along with the 73rd city council, bringing a Democratic supermajority to the council chambers. Plus, COVID-19 hospitalizations more than doubled from a month ago and hundreds more are expected in the next few weeks, raising concerns about the capacity to care for them all. Also, CA Notify is a new app-based tool now available to all Californians to alert them of potential exposure to COVID-19. In addition, thousands of veterans had their claims denied during the pandemic as the VA struggled to maintain the VA benefits process. Also, California’s new regional stay-at-home order allows for schools that had already opened their campuses to keep them open. But how safe is in-person learning? And, Five current and former Black employees have sued Southwestern College over alleged racial discrimination. Finally, Ed Kornhauser, a local jazz musician just released a debut album of original quartet music called "The Short Years," which dwells on the ephemeral nature of time.

A new poll finds only about half of Americans are ready to roll up their sleeves for COVID-19 vaccines even as states frantically prepare to begin months of vaccinations that could end the pandemic. Plus, as cases of COVID-19 increase around California and the country, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians have the highest prevalence of the disease. And KPBS looks back at outgoing San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s wins and losses during his tenure. Then, KPBS spoke with Faulconer about his nearly seven years in office, his potential run for governor in 2022 and his decision to vote for President Donald Trump in the November election. Plus, a new book by two former Encinitas city officials explains how to be successful in advocating for change within your local government without having to run for office yourself. Finally on the Port of Entry podcast, migrant rights activist Paulina Olvera Cáñez talks about her life on both sides of the border and how and why she’s helping bring the Black Lives Matter movement to Tijuana.

The latest shutdown order from the state has put an Otay Mesa business at risk of closing permanently. Plus, the surge of positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has doctors and nurses bracing for the worst. And early numbers from some large school districts in the county show a jump in D's and F's during the first full semester of distance learning. Then a federal court ruling has restored the DACA program just weeks before Joe Biden, who promised to uphold DACA, takes office as President of the United States. Meanwhile some San Diego County DACA recipients have been left in limbo amid the pandemic. Plus, a little-known internal board that reviews use-of-force incidents at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is being challenged in a federal lawsuit. Finally, we talk to San Diego journalist Roger Showley about his book “San Diego Memories: A Time of Change: The 1960s and 1970s.”

As of midnight Sunday, San Diego is officially under the state's new stay-at-home order. Most non-essential businesses have been ordered closed with retail stores subject to stricter restrictions and restaurants limited to take out and delivery only. And, a fundamental part of maintaining our democracy is for citizens to have faith in it. That has been eroding among sections of the public. Last week, KPBS conducted a community forum on the subject: “Keeping Our Democracy: What Now?” The discussion touches on the subjects of inclusion and the obstacles to building trust in our system.