Midday Edition

California’s second largest school district, San Diego Unified, welcomed students for what may be the most normal school year since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Then, one of the three former SDSU football players accused of raping a 17-year-old girl during an off-campus party in October, was released by his current NFL team on Saturday. The other two are no longer on the SDSU roster. And, this fall, thousands of young new students are attending school for the first time. But according to county data, very few of them have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. And, as California embarks on a massive expansion of transitional kindergarten, space in after school programs for the newest students is becoming a big problem. Next, its been one year since 13 service members died along with more than a hundred Afghans when a bomb exploded at the Kabul Airport. We bring you a story about how the Marines rescued a group of young female Afghan skateboarders. And, a new book offers Afghan perspectives on America’s longest war.

State regulators made it official yesterday. California will stop the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by the year 2035. Then, California’s county governments would be responsible for carrying out the state’s controversial CARE Court proposal. But counties have concerns about a shortage of mental health workers and funding for the program. And in our weekend preview, visual art inspired by a mix of chemistry and long walks in the park, a Broadway show, the symphony and more.

Demand for monkeypox vaccines in San Diego County continues to outpace supply. There have been 239 cases of the virus reported here since June. Then, among the initiatives that make up San Diego’s Climate Action Plan is one that involves restoring 700 acres of wetlands along the coast. Environmentalists say the wetlands will help mitigate sea level rise and absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Then we head to Big Bear in the San Bernardino Mountains where hot days and air pollution are getting in the way of fire prevention efforts. Next, a conversation with an Alzheimer’s Association researcher about the links between diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s and COVID-19. And: bark, bark! 100 beagles rescued from a Virginia research facility will be looking for loving homes in San Diego in the coming weeks. We have the details. Finally, San Diego children’s book author Matt de la Peña talks about nurturing curiosity and self-discovery in children and his new book, “Patchwork.”

Millions of Americans learned Tuesday that some or all of their student loan debt is being erased. Then, the San Diego Unified School District starts on Monday. Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson talks about the year ahead. And, a recent NPR/Ipsos poll found a majority of Americans believe the U.S. is experiencing an “invasion” at the southern border. We hear perspectives from San Diegans and an immigration expert about the politicized language around the issue of immigration. Next, the head of the county’s Citizen’s Law Enforcement Review Board talks about why the board is recommending everyone entering county jails, including deputies and jail staff, should be searched or scanned for drugs. Finally, UC San Diego and the San Diego Natural History Museum’s “Art of Science” contest was created to highlight the beauty that can emerge during scientific research. We’ll hear about the inspiration for the contest and about the winning entries on display now.

A year after America ended its longest war, thousands of Afghans are settling into new lives inside the U.S. Though, advocates say the U.S. is not doing enough especially to help women who remained behind and are now under threat from the Taliban. Then, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is putting his support behind the Midway Rising redevelopment plan for the 48-acre city-owned Sports Arena property. Next, middle and high students in San Diego are starting school later in the morning. A sleep researcher tells us why its better for their health and academic success. And, a middle school principal on what he has noticed so far from his students this school year. Then, the significance of a first-in-nation law in California that will require state agencies to ask Black employees if they are descendants of a person enslaved in the U.S.. Finally, as San Diego Padres star player Fernando Tatis Jr. begins his long suspension for testing positive for a banned steroid, a look into the baseball culture in the Dominican Republic.

U.S. and Mexican officials hope the new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry will shorten long wait times at the San Diego-Tijuana border when it’s open in 2024. Then, a new report finds the county needs more than 18,000 new therapists, psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists in the next 5 years, to meet demand. And, just over a week ago, a drug cartel launched a campaign of terror on Tijuana new KPBS reporting sheds light on the reasons behind the attacks. Next, one obstacle for expanding adoption of electric vehicles is availability of charging stations for renters. Then, San Diego’s community college students are back in school in person Monday. Finally, this year’s selections for One Book One San Diego are out, and for adult readers the choice is the novel “The Vanishing Half,” by Oceanside native, author Brit Bennett.

Soaring temperatures across California and a request to cut back on power usage this week raised questions about the reliability of the state’s electricity grid. Governor Newsom says temporarily extending the life of California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant near San Luis Obispo could improve grid reliability but at a cost. Then, a series of classic children’s books is finding new life on stage and in the wilderness of East County. And, in our weekend preview, a play about a fictional female libido enhancement drug, visual art, the Union-Tribune Festival of Books and some nostalgic rock.

Thousands of students returned to San Diego County schools Wednesday, and between COVID-19 safety measures and new laws affecting public school districts, there's a lot to talk about. Then, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. discusses his work on the Jan. 6th committee, and how the recent FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago has escalated political tensions. Plus, a new effort to beef up county jail staffing and safety measures. Then, bicycling advocates say the death of a Carlsbad mother while riding her ebike is a wake up call about how unsafe our streets are for cyclists. Also, California has begun a big push to get more four-year-olds enrolled in transitional kindergarten - or TK, but not every parent of an eligible child is ready to sign up. And finally, several residents of the Northern California beachside city, Pacifica recently discovered a forgotten fact about their hometown. During World War II, a Japanese internment camp was located there. The discovery has prompted many to ask, "Why didn't anybody tell us?"

We asked a number of San Diego climate scientists, activists and politicians their reaction to the groundbreaking climate legislation President Biden signed into law Tuesday. Then, 40 million people in seven Southwestern states rely on the Colorado River for their water supply. As the drought worsens, the states missed a federal deadline to come up with a drastic conservation plan. And, the CDC has relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines, San Diego Unified is relaxing its mask requirement and San Diego moved into a lower COVID risk level last week. Does this mean we can all relax? Then, a year and a half after announcing its goal of building housing on top of public facilities like libraries and fire stations, San Diego is still far away from putting its new policy into practice. Next, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday to explore tracking the region's homeless population by name. Finally, San Diego author Alana Quintana Albertson on her latest book- a Latinx spin on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet story, set in San Diego's Barrio Logan, with two feuding families, a taco chain and star-crossed lovers.

Tijuana continues to recover from a traumatic weekend which saw many businesses close and residents shelter in place from threats of violence from drug cartels. Then, UC San Diego is cutting admission offers for the next school year by more than 9,000 students. Next, the U.S. Forest Service predicted for decades a wildfire could devastate Grizzly Flats. A Cap Radio and California Newsroom investigation looks at why its plan to protect the town fell short. Then, one of San Diego’s most car-dependent neighborhoods could one day become a beacon of pedestrian-friendly urban design. Next, travel guru Rick Steves talks about travel in the age of COVID-19. Finally, San Diego author Jesse Leon tells a story of resilience in his new memoir, “I’m Not Broken.”