KPBS Midday Edition

California lifted regional stay-at-home orders across the state Monday, returning the state to a system of county-by-county restrictions. Plus, an update on how much rain and snow we’ve had across the county and what to expect for the rest of the week. And district and union officials in San Diego County say widespread in-person learning is unlikely even if teachers get vaccinated. Then, the local...

San Diego will make more than $42 million in federal emergency rental assistance available to city residents. Plus, the VA and veterans groups are aware of extremism in their ranks but there are very few resources out there to pull them back from the brink. Then, this weekend in San Diego arts: a new Digital WOW production, Amel Janae’s solo exhibition, a group show at Thumbprint, and Icelandic co...

Officials hope a new COVID-19 “Vaccination Super Station” in Chula Vista will bring much needed relief to the South Bay. Plus, KPBS Health Reporter Tarryn Mento poses listeners’ questions to Dr. Christian Ramers about the new coronavirus vaccines. And new San Diego County Board of Supervisors member Joel Anderson discusses his priorities and the enforcement of state and county rules aimed at slowi...

San Diego congressional representatives Mike Levin and Scott Peters react to President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Plus, KQED politics editor Scott Shafer examines how things might change for California under the Biden-Harris administration. And, the nation’s oldest Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, celebrated fellow sister Kamala Harris’ inauguration. Then, James Paulson, Ph. D. of Scripps Researc...

San Diego County public health officials announced those 75 years or older can now receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Plus, the story of one Bay Area man who's been both a victim of unemployment fraud and the effort to fight it. And health and safety precautions during the pandemic have led the Air Force to eliminate parts of basic training. Then, after 29 years in prison for murdering her three childr...

A reflection on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how the Civil Rights Movement shapes today. And, a new Union-Tribune column by Charles Clark will focus on San Diego's diverse identities and values. Plus, Scripps Health is dealing with the onslaught of COVID-19 cases. CEO Chris Van Gorder talks about the availability of ICU beds and ECMO machines. Next, what San Diego climate leaders h...

Between just before Thanksgiving and now, COVID-19 deaths in San Diego County have spiked to more than 2,000. Plus, the CDC gave the go-ahead to vaccinate people 65 and over. Scripps CEO Chris Van Gorder said, the problem is the availability of the vaccine. Then, NPR’s ‘Throughline’ is coming to KPBS-FM. In the weekly one-hour narrative series, hosts Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei tackle the...

California officials expanding COVID-19 vaccines to those 65 and up because they are at the greatest risk of being hospitalized and dying. Plus, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa was the sole member of the San Diego congressional delegation to vote "no" on impeaching President Trump. And drivers thought they were getting a raise after a hectic year, but instead were told their positions are being elimi...

UC San Diego Health, San Diego County and the Padres are teaming up to vaccinate at least 5,000 healthcare workers per day against the novel coronavirus. Plus, COVID-19 cases are rising among the essential workers San Diego depends on to stock its food and medicine. And during his first month in office, Mayor Todd Gloria has taken stances on key issues that separate him from his predecessor. Then,...

House democrats have introduced a single article of impeachment against President Trump, charging him with “incitement of insurrection.” Plus, University of San Diego History Lecturer David Miller discusses the historical differences in the policing of Black demonstrators and violent white mobs. And newly elected Chairman Nathan Fletcher says the County Board of Supervisors will vote on policies f...

Community activist and former mayoral candidate Tasha Williamson talks about her recovery experience and how doctors were able to treat her case of COVID-19. Plus, Cap Radio spoke with former executive director of the California Republican Party, Cynthia Bryant, about her reaction to the deadly protest at the Capitol. And this weekend in San Diego arts includes: new work by Jonny Alexander and mus...

After a mob of Trump loyalists attacked the U.S. Capitol building, the city of Washington D.C. is declaring a state of emergency for the next two weeks. There are now calls for investigations into police conduct during the riot and how it was allowed to go as far as it did. Plus, reactions from local Congressional representatives who were there when everything went down. And, increasingly more and...

A San Diego physician who is a member of state and county vaccine advisory groups said local public health officials will be opening regional vaccination sites to quicken the pace of vaccinations. Plus, the American Legion removed its Escondido post commander from national leadership positions because of his affiliation with the Proud Boys hate group. And a former La Mesa police officer at the cen...

We know that healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities are first in line to receive the Coronavirus vaccine. But who's next? Plus, the COVID-19 economic hit has been personal for thousands of San Diegans for months. And months of physical distancing and pandemic anxiety has been especially tough on veterans who were already dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other...

San Diego County public health officials confirmed one individual infected with a new, more contagious variant of the virus first discovered in the United Kingdom. Plus, Gov. Gavin Newsom offers plans to reopen in-person schools. And kindergarten remote learning shows the equity divide between families. Then, the Metropolitan Transit System got a new CEO, Sharon Cooney, after the sudden death of h...

Epidemiologist Dr. Rebecca Fielding-Miller joined Midday Edition Wednesday to discuss the risks of attending in-person New Year's celebrations. Plus, Dr. Shirley Weber talks about her nomination as California Secretary of State and hopes for her successor. And even when its budgets are cut, SDPD has a track record of overspending. Then, San Diego Unified School District's Police Department is more...

As expected, a regional stay-at-home order in effect across Southern California due to surging COVID-19 hospitalizations was formally extended Tuesday. Plus, the story of a transgender woman who left her native Guatemala for California and risked everything to seek asylum in the U.S. Then, the U.S. Immigration system has big problems, and there is no aspect as problematic as the way the U.S. grant...

CVS pharmacists have begun vaccinating California nursing home residents as part of a plan to inoculate 700,000 long term care patients. Plus, how the COVID-19 stimulus bill will impact your finances. And a story of how a mother of two austic boys launched her career in special education teaching. Then, bike advocates say new public policy is needed to ensure the drop in cyclist injuries during th...

A brush fire that broke out overnight near Fallbrook has grown to over 3,000 acres, prompting evacuations. A planned field hospital being built to care for COVID-19 patients on an unused floor at Palomar Hospital could provide much needed relief to overburdened Imperial County. In Los Angeles, thousands of homeless veterans were in line to move into a new housing complex. Then, a fire burned it to...

California's health care system is struggling under the strain of the nation's largest coronavirus outbreak. Experts warn the system may collapse in the coming weeks. Also, COVID-19 cases are spiking at San Diego County's jails and detention centers. The U.S. government was the victim of a major hacking effort by foreign intelligence services. How could this impact you? And in the latest episode o...

Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego talks about the $900 billion coronavirus relief bill. Plus, San Diego received its first deliveries of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Next, county records of community outbreaks obtained by KPBS show that at least 638 COVID-19 cases from late June through mid-December have been linked to seven area tribal casinos. Also, the pandemic deprived many artists of their live...

For first time the public can see COVID-19 outbreak data including specific locations in San Diego County. Since the onset of the pandemic, county officials have kept outbreak locations secret, instead only listing outbreaks by category like bar or restaurant. Also, local leaders reflect on the next steps as the Moderna vaccine begins to roll out. In the South Bay, a cooperative is looking to char...

As ICU bed capacity drops to 0% in the Southern California region of the state, we look at how hospitals in San Diego and Imperial counties are doing. Plus, a Mexican-American teenager comes to terms with her immigrant grandparents’ support of Donald Trump in this final installment of Every 30 Seconds. Finally, our picks for weekend arts events include jazz, a literary story concert and an updated...

The county is seeking clarification on a San Diego judge’s ruling allowing strip clubs and businesses with restaurant services to remain open. Plus, as we continue to see more vaccines available and more people eligible to be vaccinated — is a healthy person’s decision not to get vaccinated an ethically defensible choice? And food relief organizations are in agreement that the pandemic and related...

We’ve endured almost a full year of the world turned upside down. When we’re not concerned about our own or our families health – it’s concern about finances, missing friends and relatives, being isolated and wondering if life as we know it will ever get back to normal.