Midday Edition

What does it mean to honor lineage and connect to ancestral identity, homeland and cultural memory?

Four artists will explore those themes and more at a one-day performance art festival called "The Land We Carry," as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Emerging Artist Fellowship.

KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans spoke with the curator and two artist fellows about what it means to "carry the land," and how they use art to heal.

• hamsa fae, artist, curator and director, AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship
• C. Ryu, artist, AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship
• haven luya, artist, AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship

Congress last week passed a rescission package put forth by the Trump administration to eliminate about $9 billion in previously allocated funds for public media and foreign aid.

That includes $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which essentially cuts all federal support for NPR, PBS, and member stations like KPBS.

KPBS General Manager Deanna Mackey joined Midday Edition to discuss how the funding loss may affect this station.

• Deanna Martin Mackey, general manager, KPBS

San Diego's Pride Week is well underway. It is an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of the LGBTQ+ community in our border region — a history that is well-documented by the Lambda Archives, a local archive space in University Heights.

20240819_145708.jpg (3000x4000, AR: 0.75)

Local historian T.J. Tallie has spent the past year as the Lambda Archives' first ever community historian-in-residence. He wanted to find out: what was life like for San Diego's Black queer community in the 80's and 90's?

On Midday Edition Thursday, we hear from Tallie about what he found, the intersection of Blackness and queerness, and the legacies of Black LGBTQ+ San Diegans today.

Then, KPBS' Beth Accomando sits down with filmmaker Ron Najor to talk about his debut narrative feature, "Adjunct" ahead of its premiere in San Diego.

And finally, KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans chats with local author Chris Baron about his latest middle grade book, "Spark" and dives into her arts and culture event picks for the weekend.

Guests:

• T.J. Tallie, community historian-in-residence, Lambda Archives, associate professor of African history, University of San Diego
• Ron Najor, filmmaker, director of "Adjunct"
• Chris Baron, author of "Spark"
• Julia Dixon Evans, arts reporter and host of "The Finest" podcast, KPBS

From nationwide bans on gender-affirming care for minors to the shutdown of a suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ+ youth, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation is increasingly impacting queer and transgender youth.

Wednesday on Midday Edition, we hear about how anti-LGBTQ+ policies are continuing to impact young people and their families in San Diego, including access to health care and mental health services.

Also, for Pride week, one program at a local LGBTQ+ theater is giving teenagers a creative means of processing the political moment and channeling it into art.

Guests:

• Kathie Moehlig, executive director and founder, TransFamily Support Services
• Lou Felipe, clinical psychologist, associate professor, University of Denver
• Wilfred Paloma, director of education and community engagement, Diversionary Theatre
• Gray Cohen, participant, Teen-Versionary program

Research shows that during the summer, the average student loses between 17% to 34% of what they learned the previous school year.

That trend is even more pronounced for economically disadvantaged students.

On Midday Edition Wednesday, we speak with members of two local literacy programs working to combat summer learning loss and promote a love for reading.

• Jose Cruz, CEO, San Diego Council on Literacy
• Dr. Marsha Spitzer, medical director, Reach Out and Read San Diego

Elsa Sevilla wears many different hats — journalist, filmmaker, speaker, business owner. She also hosts the award-winning documentary series, "Historic Places with Elsa Sevilla" that airs on KPBS.

Now she's an author. On Midday Edition Thursday, Sevilla talks about her journey to the spotlight in her new memoir, "Camera Ready: From Hardship to the Spotlight — A Story of Determination and Rise."

Then, theater company Riot Productions is putting on "Gretel: The Musical," which reimagines the classic Brothers Grimm tale. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando gets a preview.

And finally, home cook, food content creator and "The Great American Recipe" contestant Waigal Safi talks about the process of competing in a cooking show and highlighting Afghan cuisine.

Guests:

• Elsa Sevilla, journalist, author of "Camera Ready: From Hardship to the Spotlight — A Story of Determination and Rise"
• Waigal Safi, food content creator and contestant on "The Greta American Recipe"
• Sarah Le Clair, artistic director, Riot Productions
• William BJ Robinson, director and performer, Riot Productions
• Julia Dixon Evans, arts reporter and host of "The Finest" podcast, KPBS

As immigration raids continue, it’s become more important than ever to know your rights.

On Midday Edition Wednesday, we talk with two local theater groups about using improv to help educate the community and the intersection between art, law, activism and community.

• Annie Rios, executive director, Uprise Theater and human rights attorney/legal advocate
• Guillermo Mendez, organizer, Voces Unidas

Food support programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, are facing cuts as a result of the passage of President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill.

Tuesday on Midday Edition, we hear from a local food support organization on the state of hunger in San Diego County today.

• Bob Kamensky, CEO, Feeding San Diego

Former National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Alex Tardy joined Midday Edition to discuss extreme weather preparedness in San Diego County following the deadly floods that hit Texas.

Tardy previously worked as a warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS. He explained how weather forecasts become warnings, and how recent cuts to the National Weather Service could impact the accuracy of forecasts and the response to them.

Guest:

Alex Tardy, meteorologist and founder of Weather Echo, and retired warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in San Diego County

In an effort to spur housing production, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law major changes to the state's environmental protection rules last week.

On Midday Edition Monday, we hear more about the reforms made to the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, and how it will likely impact housing production in San Diego County.

Andrew Bowen, metro reporter, KPBS