Midday Edition

Moderna applied for emergency use authorization from the FDA for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for children six months to five years old. And it has been four months since a federal lawsuit forced the Biden Administration to bring back a controversial Trump-era Remain in Mexico asylum program, also known as Migration Protection Protocols. Plus, starting May 1, people 18 and younger across San Diego County will be able to ride public transportation for free. Next, a home sold under market value by an Escondido non-profit to a friend of the organization's board is raising questions about its practices. Finally, this weekend marks the fifth annual San Diego Book Crawl, a multi-day event that brings together 11 of the region's independent bookstores.

The U.S. is out of the pandemic phase of COVID-19, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. Plus, California residents who are members of federally recognized Native American tribes, will soon be eligible for a tuition-free college education at University of California schools. After, comments from a federal judge have put plans to end Title 42 – a controversial Trump-era asylum policy – in limbo. Meanwhile, San Diego is seeing a wave of no fault evictions. Which means some people are being evicted for no particular reason and with little notice. Then, more than a quarter of SDG&E customers are behind on their utility bills. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the unpaid bills may be a consequence of inflation, and the lingering financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, what little is known about long-COVID in children and teenagers suggests that it can be just as disabling as it is for adults. Finally, this Saturday, the San Diego Shakespeare Society and Write Out Loud present the 17th Annual Student Shakespeare Festival.

Changes by the Biden administration meant to make it easier for Ukranians to enter the United States have had the opposite effect for those stuck in Tijuana. Plus, the controversy over racially insensitive comments made by the San Dieguito Union High School District's superintendent is taking on a new dimension. Then, San Diego will soon join a growing number of California cities that prohibit retailers from selling flavored tobacco products. Later, an update on California’s high speed rail project. Meanwhile, the military is taking a hard line on troops seeking religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Finally, novelist Don Winslow has used the San Diego/Tijuana border locale as the backdrop for some of his most famous crime novels. But now he’s turning to the East Coast for his latest trilogy.

As San Diego grapples with how to connect its unsheltered population with services and housing, complex questions have to be asked: What role should conservatorship laws play in helping the hardest-to-reach homeless individuals? What are the best strategies for reducing the number of people living on the street and into housing? How can you find permanent housing for so many people in one of the least affordable places in the country? KPBS posed these questions and more to a panel of experts.

On Earth Day, a look at San Diego's zero waste policy — the city’s goal to recycle, reuse and stop generating waste by the year 2040. Plus, besides a restaurant and urban garden, the business model of the nonprofit MAKE Projects in North Park is a job training center for refugees and immigrants. And it’s already making a difference. Finally, this weekend in the arts: Black Artist Collective at The Old Globe; Yolanda López and Irma Sofia Poeter; "Mother of the Maid" at Moxie; Broadway San Diego presents "Rent"; Anya Gallaccio at Quint ONE; the Symphony; and Spellling at the Casbah.

A report published by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows a world on track to push past the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark. While the IPCC is calling on political leaders to act on a national and international scale, the report authors said that work at the local level is also critical. In recent years, there’s been a shift in perspective on who is truly responsible for the sweeping changes needed to limit emissions. Meanwhile, young people are in the forefront of climate activism. Their networks span countries and continents for one goal – saving the future. Plus, San Diego researchers working to stave off the worst impacts of global warming are looking for answers in the region’s wetlands. Cattails could be part of the answer. And, California state air regulators put forth a bold proposal to move the state away from gasoline powered cars to a greener future- one led by electric vehicles. Finally, participating in clean-ups and trash pickups are always popular around this time of year as Earth Day makes people more conscious than ever about the necessity of caring for the environment. But where does the trash end up? Big questions remain about our landfills and if recycling is working.

Community members attending a meeting in Lakeside said an attack on a 16-year-old Black girl is yet another example of unchecked racism in East County. Next, San Diego’s probation department has been violating state regulations that protect juvenile offenders. Later, U.S. inflation rates are the highest they’ve been in 40 years. And in an already high-priced city like San Diego, that inflation pinch can really hurt. Midday Edition spoke to people who are trying to make ends meet about what they are paying for everyday items. Meanwhile, San Diego’s Encanto neighborhood could soon host a new Black Arts and Culture District to honor the hard work and contributions of the Black community. After, with gas prices soaring to record levels, many prospective car buyers say an EV is the way to go. But are there enough electric vehicles in California car dealerships? Then, homes with eco-friendly features are selling faster and for more money than the average home according to new data released by Zillow. Finally, the 11th annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase serves up eight days of what it calls "fresh Asian cinema from then and now."

Traveling in and around the country looks a lot different today than it did yesterday. Following a Florida federal judge’s ruling striking down the federal transportation mask mandate, airlines including Southwest, American Delta, United and others are making masking optional on domestic flights. Next, 25 years after the present Mission Bay drive bridge was described as “functionally deficient and obsolete” a replacement bridge is just months away from completion. After, Escondido’s historic downtown is undergoing a makeover that could make it the next Little Italy-like scene. Then, a Chula Vista outreach group is establishing a street medicine team to serve the health needs of unhoused South Bay residents. Then, KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando previews this weekend's Turner Classic Movies film festival with host Alicia Malone.

On Friday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria unveiled next year’s city budget, signaling a shift away from pandemic emergency planning. Next, antiviral treatments to help fight serious COVID-19 disease were once very hard to access. But now as COVID-19 cases start to decrease in San Diego, are there enough doses? After, Sempra Energy, the parent company of San Diego Gas & Electric, paid out its highest profits ever to its investors Friday. Some SDG&E ratepayers might be wondering if there is a connection to the massive spike in bills they’ve paid in recent months. Then, KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando speaks with San Diego Comic Fest’s new president Alonso Nunez about the fest events happening this week. Finally, award-winning pianist Jeeyoon Kim is debuting a mixed-media concert to coincide with the release of her new album this week. Kim joined Midday Edition to share selections and insights from her upcoming concert.

While efforts to quickly move Ukrainian refugees through the border have been praised, it has also highlighted the difficulties of non-Ukrainian migrants at the border who have waited far longer for a chance at asylum. Plus, 1½ years ago, San Diego approved “Complete Communities,” a program that allows developers to build apartments near public transit with unlimited density and unlimited height. In exchange, they have to set aside a greater share of their homes as affordable housing. The program is showing results but there are also oppositions. And, this weekend in the arts, you'll find books, site-specific art, a string quartet, jazz and a birthday party for Shakespeare.