KPBS Midday Edition

Teachers and students in San Diego are joining their counterparts around the world in the Global Climate Strike, calling for action to combat climate change. Plus, with the growing senior population, a local hospital is launching a program to meet the needs of older patients recovering from a trauma.

Several victims of former sheriff’s deputy Richard Fischer are upset that no sex crime charges were included in his plea deal. The city of San Diego is taking the first steps to establishing a community choice energy program, which is key to the city meeting its greenhouse gas reduction goals. Plus, in today’s #CoveringClimateNow, coastal flooding is a regular occurrence in Imperial Beach, but climate change is making it worse. And, KPBS Midday Edition talks with author Rebecca Makkai about her novel, “The Great Believers” — the 2019 One Book, San Diego selection.

President Trump is met with protesters and supporters as he visits San Diego and the border wall near Tijuana as part of a fundraising tour across California. Also, the federal government’s plan to end California’s mileage standards is drawing criticism, how heightened wildfire risk is altering the work of California’s National Guard, the UN Secretary General is urging public pressure to address the emergency of climate change, how racism impacts children’s health and Neil Young is vindicated as Amazon debuts its high-quality music streaming service.

Students at Lincoln High School said they were subjected to racial taunts at a recent football game at San Clemente High in Orange County. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez had several legislative successes this year, including two controversial bills restricting vaccination exemptions and regulating the gig economy. And on today’s #CoveringClimateNow, a Carlsbad oyster farm is dealing with the effects of ocean acidification. Also, a ballot measure promised billions to fix potholes, sidewalks and street lights but it’s trending tens of millions short of projects — what went wrong? Plus, an American music legend, Johnny Mathis, is coming to San Diego this weekend.

This week, KPBS is joining more than 220 news organizations worldwide in covering climate change to bring home the urgent need to confront the realities of a warming planet. Midday Edition talks to four local congressional representatives about the impact of climate change on their districts. And, the changing climate means more wildfires for San Diego’s backcountry, how one family is rebuilding after the Witch Creek Fire and preparing for the future. Plus, humans are the driving force of climate change, but population control remains controversial.

San Diego County suicide rate continues to climb for the fourth year in a row, according to the county’s Suicide Prevention Council’s annual report. Plus, county health officials are working with state and federal officials to investigate 12 cases of a mysterious vaping-related illness. And, a new art exhibit at USD draws upon the works of the Italian Renaissance from The British Museum and includes a drawing from Michelangelo.

The U.S. Supreme Court has handed the Trump administration a victory in its efforts to reduce the number of asylum seekers presenting themselves at the U.S.-Mexico border. In Imperial County, a dozen church leaders from the Imperial Valley Ministries have been indicted for allegedly holding homeless people against their will and forcing them to panhandle in several cities, including San Diego. A new therapy using pig hearts to treat heart attacks, developed here in San Diego, shows promising results in human trials. Plus, California has the lowest maternal mortality rate in the nation. So, why are black women dying at a rate of three to four times higher than white women from pregnancy or delivery complications? California lawmakers have passed a bill to address the disparity. And Diversionary Theatre announced its 34th season. Its theme: “We Are.”

The Mission Valley Community Plan is getting an update. It calls for increased mixed-use development that is pedestrian-friendly and helps residents make better use of public transit. Firefighters face a number of dangers on the job, but they’re also at an increased risk for developing cancer. And, for years, a distinguished UC San Diego economist has wanted to stop young girls in Kenya from undergoing genital mutilation by offering their families money to college. The study keeps getting rejected. Also, members of the Trump administrations got a firsthand look at Los Angeles’s sprawling homeless problem and the efforts to control it as the president directed his staff to find solutions to address homelessness. And, new research finds California’s network of Marine Protected Areas is doing exactly what it was designed to do — allow marine life to rebound. Plus, going on a guided hike while listening to meditative music is a thing and it’s coming to San Diego.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, on Monday, signed two bills aimed at cracking down on doctors who write fraudulent medical exemptions for kids vaccines. Asm. Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, rolled out a last minute bill that aims to end a labor dispute over San Diego’s long-delayed Pure Water project. Asm. Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, AB5 seeks to make it harder for companies to classify employees as independent contractors, will that help or hurt gig workers? Plus, some San Diego college students and educators are getting free immigration legal services. And, “Kiss My Aztec!,” a new musical by actor John Leguizamo at the La Jolla Playhouse, uses humor to unpack the difficult period when Spaniards invaded the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. Also, despite protests from conservative groups, Chula Vista is moving forward with plans to host Drag Queen Story Hour on Tuesday.

California’s Republican Party is looking for ways to send delegates to the GOP National Convention even if President Trump does not appear on the state’s primary ballot because of a new state law. State lawmakers are taking the first steps to discuss ways to give descendants of enslaved people reparations. Amid high unemployment and hot weather, rideshare drivers in the Imperial Valley try to patch together a living in the “gig” economy. A new book explores racism and inequality in our society, challenging the way many think about it. Churches meet in some unconventional places these days, from strip malls to breweries to former nightclubs. But what about a church where the U.S.-Mexico border fence runs into the Pacific Ocean?