Midday Edition

Since 1994, Jasmine Seafood Restaurant has served as a hub for authentic dim sum and for bringing people together in the Convoy District.

Owner Allen Chan is not only a restaurateur; he's also a chiropractor and prominent community leader. He's known around San Diego for his commitment to service work and philanthropy.

As part of our AANHPI Heritage Month series highlighting local leaders in the community, we sit down with Allen Chan to hear about his dedication to good food and community.

Guest:

• Allen Chan, owner of Jasmine Seafood Restaurant

It has been over a week since tragedy unfolded at the Islamic Center of San Diego, when two teenagers fatally shot three community members.

The shock and mourning to follow has rippled across San Diego and the country.

KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon sat down with two Muslim community leaders to talk about how they are processing last week's events and where healing begins.

Guests:

• Khalid Alexander, president, Pillars of the Community, professor, San Diego City College
• Ramla Sahid, executive director, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans

Resources:

• Ways to help or get help in the wake of the Islamic Center shooting
• San Diego Crisis Resources: Support Following Islamic Center Tragedy — City of San Diego
• CAIR San Diego Community Hub
• National Center for Crisis and Bereavement

The Trump administration wants more green card applicants to return to their home countries to apply, according to a memo released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) last week. The new policy has created confusion for many people navigating the green card process, as well as for immigration advocates.

On Midday Edition Tuesday, we hear from an immigration law expert on what the changes mean, and how people affected are responding to the latest shake-up in U.S. immigration policy.

Guest:

Tammy Lin, professor of practice, supervising attorney at the University of San Diego's Legal Clinics’ Immigration Clinic

After a multi-year hiatus making documentaries exploring the tough questions in America today, W. Kamau Bell is returning to stand-up for a new comedy tour.

You might know Bell for his Emmy-winning CNN show, "United Shades of America," his docuseries "We Need to Talk About Cosby," or his HBO documentary "1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed."

On Midday Edition, we talk with W. Kamau Bell ahead of his tour stop in San Diego at Mic Drop Comedy.

Then, a new young adult novel explores the coming-of-age story of Aouli, a young Native Hawaiian teen growing up in the Pacific Northwest, as she navigates faith, family, cultural identity and young love.

And finally, there's never a shortage of things to do in San Diego. KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans shares all her top picks for arts events.

Guest:

• W. Kamau Bell, comedian, documentary filmmaker, and podcaster
• Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams, author, "An Expanse of Blue"
• Julia Dixon Evans, arts reporter and host of "The Finest," KPBS

Last year, an investigation by student journalists at University of Southern California (USC) found the university had sold donors' bodies to the Navy, which then sold the cadavers to the Israeli military for medical training use.

Many of the bodies provided were first donated to UC San Diego then moved to USC, according to reports from student outlets Annenberg Media and the UCSD Guardian.

The AJ+ documentary series, "Direct From With Dena Takruri" dives deeper into the investigation, working in collaboration with the student reporters who uncovered the donor contracts and tracked down the families.

KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon talks with two of the student journalists about the details of the donation program, their experience reporting on the families directly impacted and collaborating with AJ+ on the investigation.

Guests:

• Thomas Murphy, student reporter, UCSD Guardian
• Jennifer Nehrer, former investigative reporter, USC Annenberg Media

Links:

Families left in the dark: UCSD, USC quietly sell donors’ bodies to Navy for Israeli military training — Annenberg Media and the UCSD Guardian

Experts on extremism say the teenagers who opened fire and killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego were motivated by far-right conspiracies and white supremacist networks.

Their manifesto includes hateful rhetoric towards Muslims, Jewish people, Black people, the LGBTQ+ community, and women.

They also promoted symbols long associated with white supremacists and Nazis. The shooting is the latest in a pattern of violent, right-wing extremism in the United States.

On Midday Edition, we unpack some of the ideologies that motivated suspects and what the violence says about the state of extremism in the U.S. We also talk about how journalists should report on the tragedy in a thoughtful way.

Guest:

• Andrew Dyer military and veterans affairs reporter, KPBS

On Midday Edition Tuesday, we get the latest details on Monday's deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego. We hear from a leader in the San Diego Muslim American community on how people are feeling one day later.

Plus, as police continue to investigate the shooting as a hate crime, we speak with an expert on hate and extremism on the current state of online hate and Islamaophobia.

Then, we hear how to foster conversations with children in the wake of trauma and violence.

Guests:

• Kori Suzuki, South Bay and Imperial Valley reporter, KPBS
• Tazheen Nizam, executive director, CAIR San Diego
• Brian Levin, founder, Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino
• Dr. David Schonfeld, pediatrician, director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Resources:

• Talking to kids about tragedies
• Ways to help or get help in the wake of the Islamic Center shooting
• Helping children cope and adjust after a disaster
• National Center for Crisis and Bereavement

Though often hidden from view under the sea, kelp forests are one of the most important and dynamic marine habitats, supporting numerous species of marine life.

But kelp forests are also under threat from pollution, overfishing, and warming ocean temperatures.

David Helvarg is the author of the new book "Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp."

Helvarg joined Midday Edition Monday to talk about what kelp forests add to our oceans, the history of the Point Loma kelp forest, as well as restoration efforts to bring kelp forests back.

Guest:

David Helvarg, author, "Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp"

Link:

Forest of the Sea by David Helvarg - Book Talk & Signing, Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Martin Johnson House- Monday, May 18 from 6-8pm

For Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we are sitting down with community leaders and trailblazers who have made their mark on San Diego.

For much of her life, JoAnn Fields has been a major advocate for AANHPI communities, working for every level of elected office and pushing for the continued recognition and representation of Filipino Americans in San Diego.

Monday on Midday Edition, we hear about Fields' journey into advocacy and politics and how she is continuing to bring visibility to Filipino American history and culture in San Diego and beyond.

Guest:

• JoAnn Fields, government and public relations director, API Initiative

Those changes could include adding longer term limits, a new ethics commission, and more. If passed, the charter rewrite would go to public vote in November.

Monday on Midday Edition, we look at the dueling proposals between Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Joel Anderson and what the proposed changes could mean for how county government is run.

Guest:

• Lucas Robinson, San Diego County government and politics reporter, San Diego Union-Tribune

Stories:

• Dueling term limits: Amid criticism of Lawson-Remer’s proposed charter rewrite, Anderson pitches a rival plan — San Diego Union-Tribune