Midday Edition

Health care workers here and around the country are now preparing for a holiday surge in cases, as one vaccine falls out of favor. Plus, in Calexico it’s a familiar story for businesses along the U.S.-Mexico Border: financial devastation due to the pandemic and border closures; but the chamber of commerce in Imperial Valley is trying to help. Also, this weekend you can break up your holiday shopping and baking with some arts and culture including holiday choral music, a chance to learn DIY art and an art exhibition made of legos.

The San Diego area has new maps that determine who gets to run for which seat in government and which neighborhoods are grouped together. We’ll fill you in on the political implications of the new maps. Plus, the Alcohol Policy Panel of San Diego County is hosting its annual meeting Friday, to discuss the impacts of alcohol outlet density in San Diego. Also, California public schools will soon offer free transitional kindergarten for all four-year-olds, which will be a big help to working parents, but it may have unintended consequences for childcare providers. And, residents of Barrio Logan are hoping that a newly minted community plan will help address long standing issues that have plagued the area for decades. Then, actor Tom Steward turns his SD Fringe one-man show of all James Bond films into a musical for Coronado Playhouse this weekend.

The two finalists to be the next San Diego Unified superintendent were announced Tuesday night. They are Susan Enfield from Washington and Lamont Jackson, the current interim superintendent. Plus, newly elected San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera lays out his vision for the council as he settles into his new role. Also, two years ago, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office introduced a de-escalation training program to reduce police shootings countywide. There’s hope that it’s beginning to create a change in police culture. Meanwhile, is the California Dream over? More people are moving out of the state than moving in. And, Banjo master Bela Fleck brings his bluegrass band to the Balboa Theatre tomorrow, following the release of a brand new album.

With surging cases and a growing concern over the omicron variant, the state has reinstated a month-long mask mandate. Also, as the pandemic enters its second winter, San Diego public health officials say the outlook is a bit different this time around, but they’re also concerned about other rising health issues. Plus, state regulators have proposed new rules that could completely change the state’s solar marketplace. Meanwhile, Amazon’s megagrowth is increasing pollution in places where they’ve built warehouses, which are mostly located in Black and Brown communities. And, it took several months, but the San Diego Youth Commission is back and the first meeting was held last month. Finally, from the archive, jazz pianist Joshua White shares the five local artists who have influenced him and made an impact in the San Diego jazz scene.

San Diego is preparing for a major storm to hit the region late Monday, bringing with it much needed rain and snow, but also high winds and possibly lightning. Plus, SANDAG recently approved a $160 billion regional transportation plan, but it still faces hurdles as voters will need to approve sales tax increases to fund some of the projects. Also, California regulators could dramatically change the state’s biggest-in-the nation solar marketplace next year. And in an excerpt of the Port of Entry podcast, meet Mexican artist Michelle Guerrero. The artist’s career is taking off, but, like a lot of artists, Guerrero had to go through a lot to get to where she is today. Finally, the Oceanside Museum of Art opens its fifth Artist Alliance Biennial this Saturday. The juried exhibit was conceived to elevate the voices of Southern California artists and celebrate the best work from the museum's Artist Alliance.

Today marks one year since San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria took office to become the city’s 37th mayor. KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen caught up with the mayor to take a look back at the year he’s had, along with the current issues he is working on as he begins his second year in office. Plus, this weekend in arts you can get your holiday events fix with some festive music and dance, but we also have a few options that have nothing to do with the season.

Gentrification is one of the major issues facing urban cities in the 21st century, and San Diego is no different. KPBS's Racial Justice and Social Equity Reporter Cristina Kim moderated a KPBS panel Wednesday on gentrification and how this process is unfolding in San Diego.

As health officials continue to learn more about omicron’s emergence, how it will affect the course of the pandemic remains to be seen. Plus, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a health advisory on children’s mental health to highlight an increased rate of depression and anxiety being diagnosed in children, mainly stemming from pandemic stress. Also, a look at the rise in catalytic converters thefts in San Diego County. And, holiday shoppers have a unique opportunity this weekend to page through new and used books at the North Park Book Fair Holiday Edition. Finally, five songs to listen to for December.

Yesterday, San Diego City Council unexpectedly ousted Councilmember Jennifer Campbell as president and elected Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera as her replacement. Plus, the city of San Diego is once again gauging whether the old Central Library could be repurposed as a homeless shelter. Also, fentanyl overdoses have more than quadrupled in San Diego County since 2018, highlighting the challenge public health officials face. And, the pandemic has been particularly hard on renters and a growing number of California cities are moving to ban landlords from using aggressive practices to push tenants out. Finally, at 67 years old, Godzilla is not ready to retire, if former San Diegan Chris Mowry has anything to say about it.

Over the weekend, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the temporary injunction against San Diego Unified’s vaccination mandate, meaning students will need to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 24 — the start of the second semester. Plus, the omicron variant will soon or later be identified in San Diego, but hospital officials are confident that they can handle it whenever it comes. Also, the vast majority of people killed in action in Afghanistan are not soldiers but contractors. It’s part of a change in the way America fights its wars, with lasting consequences. And, parents in Northern California are building a safe and intentional place to live for their adult children who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Finally, San Diego has a lot of visual art, with dozens of art museums and more galleries than we can count. Here’s this month’s roundup of the must-see five works of art.