KPBS Roundtable

San Diego soccer fans are gearing up for playoffs season, rallying behind Major League Soccer’s San Diego FC and the National Women’s Soccer League’s San Diego Wave FC.Both teams are headed to the playoffs in the next few weeks. We take a look at their seasons and what they'll need to reach their championship goals. Then, we hear about one San Diego preschool making a difference in the lives of ch...

Housing challenges in San Diego's North County reflect much of the region — from a lack of affordable options to rising rents. We discuss how new state legislation and recent legal challenges over development could affect housing stock in North County. Plus, convention goers are back on the streets of downtown San Diego this weekend for TwitchCon. The conference celebrates its 10th anniversary thi...

Voice of San Diego brought a "solutions showdown" to its annual Politifest last weekend. A pair of panels took on different facets of San Diego's homelessness crisis: what to do about street homelessness and how to respond when people with behavioral health problems refuse treatment. We discuss the takeaways. Plus, a new book by a local science journalist tackles how to prevent future pandemics. G...

The San Diego Padres finished their season after losing to the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the 2025 National League Wild Card Series. We recap how they played this season and the biggest questions ahead for the team. Plus, we sit down with local theater makers to hear what makes San Diego theater so unique. And, why theater remains a powerful art form in an increasingly digital world. Guests:Darren...

Pollution and trash from the Tijuana River Valley have impacted the San Diego-Tijuana border region for decades. New research shows that it's not just the water that's affected. Toxic materials are also degrading the region’s air quality. A panel of environment reporters in the San Diego-Tijuana region joins us to talk about the origins of the cross-border sewage crisis. How did it all start? We l...

The San Diego City Council this week approved a minimum wage increase to $25 per hour for most hospitality workers. It will be phased in over several years. We discuss the significance of the ordinance and what it means for organized labor in city politics. Plus, Andrew Keatts is the new general manager and editor of Times of San Diego, a local news outlet. We sit down with Keatts and outgoing edi...

Happy Birthday, KPBS!September 12, 2025 marks KPBS' 65th anniversary of public broadcasting in San Diego. On this special edition of Roundtable, we catch up with some familiar voices who helped build KPBS into what it is today. Guests:Ken Kramer, host and producer of Ken Kramer's About San DiegoAlison St. John, longtime KPBS reporterScott Horsley, chief economics correspondent for NPR and former K...

Immigration enforcement is escalating in San Diego and across the country, with more than 60,000 people currently in immigration detention nationwide. On KPBS Roundtable, we check in with immigration reporters in the San Diego-Tijuana region to break down the state of enforcement on the ground and how communities across southern California have been responding. Then, a roundup of your weekly stori...

A group of people in San Diego's Safe Sleeping Program filed a lawsuit this week alleging that the city program is failing to live up to its name. KPBS Roundtable takes a closer look at the lawsuit and discusses the larger landscape of homelessness in the region. Then, San Diego is facing a senior population boom, what this historic shift means for the region's future. That's followed by...

This week marked the first day of school for tens of thousands of kids in the San Diego Unified School District. With the promises of the new school year also come challenges for local schools and their students, from ongoing enrollment declines to how to navigate our age of smart phones and AI.We speak to three education reporters about those challenges and more. Guests:Katie Anastas, education r...

Gov. Gavin Newsom is leading an effort to change district maps in California in response to redistricting efforts from GOP leaders in Texas. We discuss what it could mean for the future of political power in California and across the nation. Plus, a San Diego news startup is fighting the loss of local media by prioritizing solutions-oriented, community-focused storytelling. We hear the details. Th...

San Diego is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive cities to live in the United States. One proposed solution involves increasing the housing supply with an emphasis on affordable development mandates. But the process of permitting new homes depends on many factors. A new KPBS and Voice of San Diego investigation digs into housing data to find out where new homes are being built. We dis...

What does it take to capture the thrill of San Diego Comic-Con and share it with an even wider audience? On KPBS Roundtable, we get the lowdown on this year’s event from a local reporter who covers the con, and a podcast host who spotlights both established and up-and-coming comic book creators and artists. Then, how one San Diego content creator developed her passion for pop culture and fandom —...

National City has made efforts to reduce its number of industrial businesses in recent years with the goal of improving air quality and resident health. But a new new proposed biofuel depot is raining concerns in a city that has long sought to curb pollution. Also on KPBS Roundtable, the Chula Vista City Council passed an ordinance last week with new regulations on who can ride e-bikes and where....

It’s time for a mid-season report card for San Diego sports teams this week. The Padres will enter next week’s All-Star break with a winning record. On today's show, we discuss what they need to do in the second half to make another playoff run come October. Plus, San Diego’s soccer landscape continues to bloom. We check in on both of the major soccer teams in San Diego: San Diego FC and San Diego...

The Michelin Guide has revealed which California restaurants earned a "star."  Carlsbad's Lilo picked up one Michelin star. Meanwhile, Atelier Manna received a Bib Gourmand designation. San Diego now has five Michelin-starred restaurants. This week on Roundtable, we bring together a few journalists covering one of the things we love most about San Diego: food. Plus, the weekly roundup of othe...

San Diego Pride's parade and festival kicks off in less than a month. But this year, festivities are overshadowed by concerns about leadership and the overall vision for the organization. More than two dozen LGBTQ+ leaders have sent a letter to the board outlining issues like the lack of transparency and community engagement. The criticism comes weeks after a coalition of Jewish organizations, alo...

Immigration raids, the protests against them, and President Trump's deployment of troops brought dramatic scenes to Los Angeles this week. As California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta challenge the legality of Trump's actions, we discuss where immigration enforcement is headed and the military’s role in it. Plus, what does it take to bring journalism to the world of social media?...

This week, the San Diego City Council passed new rules for street parking in the city. We discuss what it means for the state of free Sunday parking, parking in Balboa Park and more. Plus, a KPBS investigation looks into three separate civil rights lawsuits in National City brought by the families of people who died after police officers confronted them. We talk through questions over how police s...

The city of San Diego's ADU bonus program may be undergoing some big changes. A new KPBS investigation looks into how the proposal could prevent construction in the city's whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods. Then, the San Diego Unified School District is easing its graduation requirements . We discuss what the changes mean for students' access to higher education. Plus, the weekly roundup of other...

We get the latest on Thursday's early morning plane crash and its impact on San Diego's military community. Then, a KPBS investigation into San Diego's highest-paid city employees: cops, and why one officer is making $430,000. Plus, a deep dive into Baja's Valle de Guadalupe as a winemaking hub in our region, and what it's like to be a travel writer. Guests: Andrew Dyer , military and veteran affa...

This week, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria released his revised annual budget . We break down what's getting more funding and what programs are facing cuts. Then, we discuss Gov. Gavin Newsom's push for California cities and counties to ban homeless encampments . All 18 cities in San Diego County have some sort of camping ban. We break down how the governor's "model ordinance" could affect local polic...

The Trump administration’s proposed tariffs are sowing apprehension in the San Diego region’s robust farming sector. Many farmers are taking a wait and see approach, but the impacts could be far-reaching. Plus, California’s high speed rail ambitions have been scaled back significantly in recent years. Yet it’s still billions over budget and no tracks have been laid. We discuss what’s really slowin...

In March, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a paint company near El Cajon. United States citizens were eventually allowed to leave, but 15 people who could not prove citizenship were transported to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.  Jorge Lopez was one of them. He's now free after a month in federal detention, and shared his story with KPBS . We discuss the details. Plus,...

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin visited San Diego’s South Bay this week. He wanted to see firsthand the impacts of the cross border sewage crisis in the San Diego-Tijuana region. This week on Roundtable, we discuss his plans to address the problem, and how he's looking to pressure Mexico to help fix it. Then, we take a look at recent reporting on special interest spending...