Midday Edition

This Sunday marks the second annual Slow Fashion Day celebration in San Diego.

It's part of a larger, global movement looking to reduce the heavy environmental impacts from the fashion industry and bring greater attention to the clothes we buy and wear — and how they’re made.

We hear from three local designers about their own foray into upcycling garments and how style and sustainability come together at Slow Fashion Day.

Then, the San Diego Asian Film Festival kicks off Thursday. KPBS' Beth Accomando gets a preview of what the festival has to offer this year.

And finally, it's a jam-packed weekend in the arts. KPBS' Julia Dixon Evans has you covered with picks ranging from a hit Broadway musical to visual art.

Guests:

1. Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski, founder, Sew Loka
2. Christopher Carson, founder, The Homegrown Project
3. Weiyu Zhang, artist, slow fashion designer
4. Brian Hu, artistic director, Pacific Arts Movement
5. Julia Dixon Evans, arts reporter, host of "The Finest" podcast

Election Day has come and gone, but the tallying continues with hundreds of thousands votes still to be counted.

While some races have yet to be called, we have a clear picture on some results in San Diego County.

We sit down with a panel of two KPBS journalists and a political scientist for a breakdown on the local results and what it signifies about voter sentiment in San Diego.

Then, we zoom out and look at some of the biggest statewide races and measures — and how they reflect the national picture.

Guests:

• Brian Adams, professor of political science, San Diego State University
• Andrew Bowen, metro reporter, KPBS
• Jake Gotta, public matters reporter, KPBS
• Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED's California Politics and Government Desk, host for "Political Breakdown" podcast

Links:

KPBS Voter Hub: San Diego 2026 Election live results

Election Day for the 2026 midterms is here.

On KPBS Midday Edition, we hear an update from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters on the state of early voting, options for voters who have yet to cast their ballots and more.

Then, we talk about the U.S. Supreme Court rejection of a push by the Department of Justice to set aside thousands of California ballots and their efforts to access private voter information, including in San Diego.

Then, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a bid by the Department of Justice to set aside thousands of California ballots, and to gain access to private voter information, including in San Diego.

Guests:

• Shawn K. Brom, Registrar of Voters, County of San Diego
• Jake Kincaid, investigative reporter, inewsource

Keep reading:

• Vote Center Locations — County of San Diego
• "The Supreme Court rejects a DOJ push to separate California ballots"
• "San Diego County rejects DOJ request to set aside 1,709 ballots, threatens own legal action"
• KPBS Voter Hub

The midterm elections are being called the most expensive in U.S. history.

KPBS and Voice of San Diego dug into campaign finance filings from different reporting agencies to get a sense of who is spending the most in San Diego County politics.

The top spenders are the California Democratic Party, the “Yes on B” campaign, and a super PAC called California Leads.

On KPBS Midday Edition, we sit down with the reporters behind the campaign finance project to learn more about their findings.

Guests:

• Jake Gotta, Public Matters reporter, KPBS
• Lisa Halverstadt, senior investigative reporter, Voice of San Diego

Here in San Diego, there's no shortage of so-called "haunted sites" — from the Whaley House to the Hotel del Coronado.

On KPBS Midday Edition, we sit down with a local paranormal researcher to discuss lesser-known haunted locations in San Diego.

Then, Halloween meets the midterm elections in this special edition of Midday Movies. We discuss films that tackle political nightmares and other real world horrors.

And finally, thinking about what to do this weekend? KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans has you covered with some of her top recommendations, from classical music to Día de Muertos commemorations.

Guests:

• Nicole Strickland, founder, The San Diego Paranormal Research Society
• Beth Accomando, arts reporter, host of "Cinema Junkie" podcast, KPBS
• Yazdi Pithavala, host of "Moviewallas" podcast
• Julia Dixon Evans, arts reporter, host of "The Finest" podcast, KPBS

Civil rights icon, feminist and labor leader Dolores Huerta passed away Wednesday morning at her home in Bakersfield. She was 96.

In the late 1960s, Huerta co-founded the United Farmworkers Union. She led the historic Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, which won higher wages and working conditions for farmworkers.

In the decades after, she continued fighting for social justice, civil rights and fair labor practices across the country.

As we look back on Huerta's life and legacy, we revisit a May 2024 conversation with her about how she first found her voice as a young activist, and her words for future labor leaders.

Guest:

• Dolores Huerta, labor leader, activist

Links:

Dolores Huerta Foundation

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters is refusing a request from the Department of Justice to hand over private information on 1,709 voters. County officials have threatened their own legal action in response.

The DOJ made the demand Friday and also ordered the county to set aside the ballots of those voters until their citizenship status can be verified. The letter threatened "legal consequences" if the demands were not met.

On Midday Edition Wednesday, we hear more about the ongoing dispute between the registrar and the Department of Justice over voter information, and what it means for the 2026 midterm election.

Guest:

Jake Kincaid, federal impact reporter, inewsource

Keep Reading:

• San Diego County rejects DOJ request to set aside 1,709 ballots, threatens own legal action
• Trump DOJ threatens San Diego election officials: Set aside ballots or face consequences
• How the DHS voter-fraud probe reached San Diego’s registrar and got reined in by a judge

In the run up to the 2026 midterm election, KPBS Midday Edition has been hosting candidate forums for key races.

But we've found that some candidates have declined, or not responded to, our invitations.

But we're not alone. An ABC News analysis found that fewer candidates have been participating in debates over the last several elections.

On KPBS Midday Edition, we discuss some of the potential factors driving that trend. And, what they say about politicians' relationship to the media— and the public.

Guests:

• Carl Luna, professor of political science, San Diego Mesa College
• Dean Nelson, professor of multimedia journalism, Point Loma Nazarene University