Midday Edition

The city's mandatory deadline for its employees to receive their first COVID-19 vaccination was Wednesday. Some police officers have objected to the requirement. Plus, last week the U.S. border opened for travelers vaccinated against COVID-19, but not for asylum seekers. Then, the analysts at the Automobile Club of Southern California say this Thanksgiving will be the second busiest on record in our area, just 3% lower than the all-time high of 2019. And, part two of KPBS' three part series on racial covenants looks at Rancho Santa Fe. Also, San Diego’s landfills are leaking planet-warming methane, just like the big energy corporations. Finally, we hear from one of San Diego's great black musicians - Jazz soloist Rebecca Jade.

The City Council approved a measure that would free some businesses from providing parking for customers in a move intended to increase the use of mass transit and lower emissions. Plus, in the early days of the pandemic, public health officials hoped herd immunity would provide a clear path back to normalcy, but with a large portion of people refusing to get immunized, that hope is diminishing. Also, while illegal now, racial covenants — language that barred Black people and other minorities from living in white neighborhoods — are still on the books across the U.S. and they’re surprisingly hard to remove. And, a new documentary film, based on reporting by inewsource, tells the story of former Navy seal- John Surmont — who turns to an experimental brain treatment after suffering a traumatic brain injury only to face devastating consequences. Finally, it's Noir-Vember. In this excerpt of the latest edition of the Cinema Junkie podcast, host Beth Accomando speaks with Eddie Muller, host of TCM's Noir Alley.

Winter is approaching, and while 70% of the state’s eligible population has gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, health experts warn the remaining unvaccinated and under vaccinated could lead to another surge. Plus, inflation is at its highest point in 30 years, did bad policies create that situation and can it be turned around anytime soon? Also, California Report Host Saul Gonzalez went to a jobs fair to see what hiring looks like now and what workers are thinking as they look for jobs. Meanwhile, two high-profile cases are highlighting the intersection of vigilantism and race. And, why does it seem like so many streets are built for cars and not pedestrians? A traffic engineer explains everything he sees wrong with his profession. Finally, for the past 24 years, one woman has put San Diego on the map for cutting-edge music with her Fresh Sound concert series. This Friday is the last of the series.

San Diego’s redistricting committee’s proposed district map side steps major shakeups, but there are still changes to be made as it moves on to a final series of public meetings. Plus, with the COP26 Climate Conference over and despite the urgency of the meeting, critics have cast doubt on the political will of global leaders to actually commit to the goals set at the summit. Also, Clifton Hicks, who came from a military family, watched the events of Sept. 11 unfold on television and all he wanted to do was enlist and serve his country. But his deployment to Iraq in 2003 fundamentally changed his relationship to the military. Meanwhile, Nick Irving made a name for himself as a special ops sniper, but civilian life was far less straightforward. Irving shared how he found his calling in the military and beyond. And, every October at L.A’s Irwindale Speedway, you'll find a brutal, magnificent thing to behold — The Derby Divas, an all-female demolition derby. Finally, “Hairspray” began its life as an ‘80s campy, indie movie that was turned into a musical. Now, a touring production of the musical is returning to San Diego as Broadway San Diego reopens its doors to live performances. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando speaks with director Jack O'Brien about transforming a film to a musical.

California public health officials are encouraging eligible adults to get their booster doeses of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible to stave off a possible winter surge. Plus, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has been struggling with staffing shortages, but it’s not only because of the pandemic or the vaccine mandate — the issue is more complicated than that. And, this weekend there's brand new playwriting from San Diego Repertory Theatre, the Old Globe will be wrapping up its Shakespeare Call and Response tour, plus a wide range of visual art.

After months of vitriol, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved rule changes that they say will make meetings more civil. Critics of the rules change say it limits the public’s right to free speech. Plus, on Veterans Day we bring you the story of the first Black female prisoner of war in the country’s history. Meanwhile, the USS Midway celebrates Veterans Day with special in-person activities after being sidelined last year because of the pandemic. Also, San Diego and Tijuana were recently announced as the 2024 World Design Capital, beating out Moscow. It’s the first time a binational region has won. And, the pandemic hit many small arts organizations especially hard, but one organization figured out how to survive and thrive. Finally, meet Tijuanauta, a Mexican artist who took the plunge and made art his full-time job after years of hiding in an office cubicle, in this excerpt of the latest episode of the Port of Entry podcast.

The latest milestone is encouraging but there’s a growing concern in California as hospitalizations are rising in regions with low vaccination rates. Plus, the fallout against San Diego Unified’s proposal for a “mental health” day off after Veterans Day has some parents questioning whether the district is telling the truth about school staffing issues. Also, the federal government’s ban on non-essential cross-border travel was the enemy that San Diego’s political establishment needed to find its voice on border advocacy. And, from the archive, an interview with Sara Clarke Kaplan, the author of "The Black Reproductive: Unfree Labor and Insurgent Motherhood," which looks at Black freedom and the dismantling of oppressive systems through the lens of Black reproduction and Black feminist theory. Finally, KPBS film critic Beth Accomando discusses a documentary on controversial author Saul Bellow with filmmaker Asaf Galay. The film screens tonight at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival.

The EPA is planning several different approaches to solving the decades-long cross-border sewage spills that have been plaguing the South Bay. Plus, SANDAG is working on the next transportation plan for the region just as Congress passed a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill. Also, the infrastructure bill is expected to have a long-lasting effect in California and it won't just be fixing roads and modernizing transit projects. Meanwhile, a truck driver training school in Mission Valley is helping to ease the supply-chain bottlenecks by getting more truckers on the road. And, hunger-relief organizations are expecting to benefit from a new California law aimed at reducing food waste. Finally, will the new Padres manager save the beleaguered club?

For the first time since March 2020, Mexican citizens can cross the border for shopping, family visits or any number of reasons if they’ve been vaccinated. But proof of vaccination may be harder to obtain than expected, due to delays in official Mexican vaccine documents. Plus, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District voted unanimously last week to force local industries to drastically cut their pollution after years of spewing carcinogenic toxins at a rate far higher than elsewhere in California. Also, access to banking is an important facet of a community’s health and in Imperial County a shortage of bank branches and rising temperatures can be a dangerous mix. In addition, as the U.N. climate conference enters its second week we look at what goes on inside the conference. Meanwhile, to bring the topic home, make it more tangible, we take you to somewhere directly threatened by our planet’s changing climate. Finally, San Diego Magazine, which has been in business for more than 70 years, now finds itself under surprising new ownership — long time food writer for the magazine Troy Johnson and his wife Claire.

Thousands of unionized Kaiser nurses and other health care workers are preparing to go on strike. Plus, after 19 months of a non-essential travel ban, the U.S.-Mexico border will finally reopen Monday, but the reopening will come with expected long waits and bureaucratic hassles. And, this weekend arts preview goes from a puppetry elephant heist, to hip hop sugar plum fairies, and some interesting places in between.