KPBS Midday Edition

A new book shines a spotlight on the the vast number of false incarcerations - as well as what can be done to help exonerate the innocent.

The 2023 Kowit Awards is this Friday. We speak with Lee Herrick, the California Poet Laureate and a featured speaker at the event. Plus, other arts and culture events happening in San Diego this weekend.

On Midday Edition Wednesday, we lift the taboo on talking about menopause and answer audience questions about symptom management for vaginal dryness and hot flashes, hormonal and nonhormonal treatment options, and how to get medical help when your doctor doesn’t know diddly about what you’re going through.

Menopause is relevant to about half the people on the planet, so why don't we talk about it? Plus, we answer listener questions about symptoms, treatments and more.

Archaeologists recently discovered that the famous cave paintings of Sierra del San Francisco are thousands of years older than scientists originally thought.

The KPBS podcast 'Port of Entry' combines cuisine and borders in its fourth and newest season. Plus, each episode this season will be available in English and Spanish.

On Thursday on Midday Edition, weekend preview is back with a conversation with "The XIXth (The Nineteenth)" playwright, Kemp Powers, who is also director of the forthcoming "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." And, a preview of an exhibit by the De La Torre Brothers currently on view at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Plus, hip-hop artist and comedian Reggie Watts is coming to The Music Box...

An ordinance being considered by the San Diego city council would require police to have probable cause to pull drivers over, not just reasonable suspicion. Police reform advocates say the PrOTECT Act would help reduce racial profiling and discrimination. But the SDPD is campaigning against it.

We are exploring the brave, new world of artificial intelligence and where it's taking us. We discuss the emergence of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and how human beings are reacting. Then, we’ll hear some tips on how to use artificial intelligence. And, we have a discussion on how the technology continues to improve – and whether we should grow comfortable in the embrace of machines.

Midday Edition is back, connecting our communities through conversation. We are talking about friendships and their power to uplift us and even keep us healthy. We’ll hear what science says about friendship from the longest running research project on human happiness. Then, for kids it’s easy to make friends, for adults not so much. We’ll hear advice on making new friends and how to nurture existi...

A study from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography shows that Tijuana sewage isn’t just ending up in our water - it’s finding its way into the air we breathe. The study, conducted in 2019, found that air samples collected in Imperial Beach contained the same bacteria present in contaminated ocean water. Then, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been studying the effects of psychede...

The city of San Diego has an ambitious climate action goal to hit net zero emissions by 2035, but climate activists have been demanding a timeline for how the city intends to get there. Mayor Todd Gloria joins Midday Edition to talk about the draft plan released this week, and the city’s plan to stop using downtown’s Golden Hall as a homeless shelter. Then, even though California has long been a b...

UC San Diego Health will soon take over day-to-day operations for the El Centro Regional Medical Center, the largest hospital in Imperial County. Next, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E can write essays for students, create art and music, and even help with office work. But what are they exactly? Then, a year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a look at how California companies and thei...

After three years, California and San Diego’s COVID-19 state of emergency orders are ending today. Then, a look at the recent mega-contract signed by Padres Star Manny Machado. Finally, a conversation about beer, music and representation in the local craft beer industry.

First, a conversation about the impacts of the weekend weather on the county and the effect of all this rain and snow on drought conditions in the state. Then, sewage spills originating in Tijuana have forced the closure of beaches in Imperial beach and south toward the border for most of this winter. What will a recent settlement between the federal International Boundary and Water Commission and...

Search warrants relating to the alleged rape of a young woman by members of the San Diego State University football team were unsealed by the San Diego County Superior Court yesterday. Then, we visit a ranch in East San Diego County where military families can go to spend time together and reconnect. And in our weekend preview, we have art made with the help of artificial intelligence, art made fo...

A new Biden Administration policy would limit the ability of migrants to seek asylum at the Southern Border. KPBS Investigative Border Reporter Gustavo Solis reports asylum advocates are universally rejecting the policy and legal action to stop it from taking effect is expected. Then, from the American Homefront Project, a story about National Guard troops at the border, where critics say, is not...

Law enforcement officials arrested 48 people in connection with a month-long operation targeting suspected sex traffickers in National City and San Diego. We hear from a local expert on how sex trafficking impacts minors. Then, the city and county of San Diego will end COVID emergencies at the end of the month. How will this affect how we fight against the virus in the future? Next, more than $100...

For most, this week’s colder forecast means wearing an extra layer, or turning up the thermostat. But for the region’s unhoused residents, lower temperatures can make life much more difficult. Then, California has poured billions of dollars into reducing homelessness in recent years, but residents and state and local officials are frustrated over an apparent lack of progress. Later, we remember Ro...

During a surprise visit to Ukraine Monday, President Joe Biden said the U.S. will back the country for as long as it takes. Nearly a year after the Russian invasion, a group of retired U.S. military personnel has been volunteering to help Ukrainian authorities disarm mines and other explosives. Then, San Diego County is set to experience some of its wettest, coldest weather of the year this week....

We look at the psychology of police brutality with a UC San Diego researcher who studies violence. Then, it’s been two years since San Diego County rolled out its Mobile Crisis Response Teams. The groups of mental health experts and care providers offer specialized assistance to people experiencing mental health difficulties across the county. And, while Valentine’s Day may be over, one local hote...

The announcement that longtime California Senator Dianne Fienstein will not seek reelection in 2024 marks the end of an era in California politics and governance. Then, a group of California state lawmakers are proposing to enshrine marriage equality into the state’s constitution. Next, for Black History Month, we introduce you to a San Diego scientist who discovered a new opportunity to help his...

Antisemitism and hate crimes are on the rise. Inewsource reporter Jill Castellano tells us about how one right-wing extremist group is impacting San Diego. Then, the need for more housing and sustainable transportation has North County’s transit agency exploring ways to best use their available land. And, the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival kicks off its 33rd year on Wednesday. Finall...

The Catholic Diocese of San Diego says it may file for bankruptcy as it faces hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits. The legal claims date back as far as the 1940s. Then, the future of the Imperial Valley’s largest hospital is in jeopardy. A string of financial challenges have left multiple departments of El Centro Regional Medical center shuttered. Plus, the military is now allowing troops to serve e...

The earthquake that hit the Middle East Monday is creating a humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria, an area already struggling from a decade-long civil war. Then, cold blooded animals that require heating lamps are jacking up the heating bill for a local nonprofit that helps rescue the reptiles. Finally, in our weekend arts preview, we have a play about birding, new classical music, some Black Hi...