San Diego News Now

Some financial help is coming for small business owners trying to recover from damage done in the recent floods across San Diego County. In other news, our KPBS South Bay Engagement Producer joins the podcast to fill us in on what resources are available on KPBS’s Voter Hub. Plus, we highlight one of the traditions of Lunar New Year.

This week’s tornado warning surprised many San Diego County residents alerted to the potentially dangerous weather conditions. We hear from a meteorologist about why the warning was issued. In other news, in a series of voice memos a San Diego Navy SEAL says he made a deal with the Navy after an investigation cleared him of extremism allegations, then he uses a slogan associated with a hate group....

The San Diego Foundation is helping people displaced late last month by flooding, with $800,000 raised from private donors and philanthropic organizations. Plus, the flood damage across San Diego County is amplifying the already growing crisis of unhoused students trying to survive while attending school at the same time. A new project is offering rest and relief for those who need it most. In oth...

From clearing drainage channels to swift water rescue teams being at the ready, a look into how the city of San Diego and the county prepared for the latest storm. In other news, late last year, the Navy launched an investigation into a San Diego SEAL accused of having ties with extremists. We have more on what the SEAL is accused of, and the latest in that investigation. Plus, restoring the publi...

About 100 new tiny cabins are ready to house people who are homeless in San Diego County. In other news, an exhaustive study finds higher than normal body heat is found in people who suffer from depression, suggesting new ways of treatment. Plus, a culture war about what's appropriate at the library continues in Coronado.

How flood victims are coping with more rain. In other news, the executive director of the San Diego Museum Council joins the podcast to talk about the details of February’s Museum Month. Plus, San Diego Opera opens its first grand opera of the season Friday, with a production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” We get a behind-the-scenes preview.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors this week voted 4-1 to approve an eviction moratorium in 11 zip codes. In those areas, residential evictions without “just cause” will be banned, and there will also be a delay in some residential rent increases. In other news, last year, the Biden Administration introduced a mobile app called CBP One, that’s aimed at helping asylum seekers. We check back...

A landslide on the tracks in San Clemente is still impacting trains coming in and out of North San Diego County, a week later. In other news, a San Diego biotech company is working with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, hoping to decode koala genomes. Plus, the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival kicks off Wednesday night, at the Garfield Theater in La Jolla.

Following last week’s storm, some families in National City are unable to return to their rented homes. Then, some environmental groups have been locked in a nine month long legal battle with the state over new solar rules. They’re now taking their claim to California’s Supreme Court. Finally, a state program will be doling out $250 million to first time homebuyers this spring.

Advocates say new high-tech vending machines inside San Diego jails are the first of their kind in the U.S. to offer life-saving drugs to the most at-risk. In other news, youth across the country are facing a mental health crisis. We learn about two new, free smartphone apps to help them manage their mental health. Plus, over the years, something has been happening to the way kids play. Kids’ live...

North County Transit District will receive $53.9 million in federal funding for improvements to the San Dieguito River Railway Bridge. The bridge will be replaced, moving from a single track to a double track and raising the height of the tracks. Then, an independent investigation released by Metropolitan Transit System found former San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher had no involvement wi...

The San Diego City Council Tuesday approved substantial changes to the city’s surveillance transparency law, but privacy advocates say the changes water down hard-fought reforms. In other news, we learn about a new program aiming to shift money San Diego County already spends on food, to spending it on food grown by the county’s farmers. Plus, a former whites-only neighborhood could become San Die...

We learn about a new effort by San Diego County to support local farmers. In other news, we look at the damage Monday’s storm caused and what caused the intensity of the rainfall. Plus, how kids can participate in the Great Kindness Challenge this week.

Two Navy Seals declared dead after going into the ocean off the coast of Somalia this month were identified Monday as members of a San Diego-based unit. In other news, San Diego nonprofit Pillars of the Community held the first of what they say will be regular clinics to help San Diegans seal their criminal records. Plus, school buses to transport students on field trips can cost hundreds of dolla...

The practice of medicine is changing as technology and the information it gathers is empowering patients. Now you can check in with your body anytime you want. In other news, the CEO of the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness joins the podcast to talk about Thursday’s Point in Time Count. Plus, San Diego County is now offering a program to help first time home buyers.

Chula Vista is appealing a ruling on its police department’s controversial drone program to the state supreme court. The case stems from a journalist’s request for footage captured by surveillance drones. In other news, there's a growing movement to make family-size apartments easier to build with a simple change to the building code. Plus, the Sweetwater Union High School District is taking voter...

A search continues off the coast of Somalia for two Navy Seals lost at sea since last Thursday. We have more on what happened and the possible San Diego connection. In other news, updated guidance from the California Department of Public Health no longer requires people to isolate if they have COVID, but are asymptomatic. Plus, San Diego officials marked an important milestone Wednesday in the yea...

A bill making its way through the state legislature seeks to redevelop the DMV field office in Hillcrest with affordable housing. In other news, a new study shows both Escondido and Oceanside residents have some of the earliest commutes in the nation. A new North County Transit District CEO has ambitious plans to make public transportation in the region an effective alternative to driving. Plus, g...

During a historic moment in U.S. immigration, our partners at inewsource spent 48 hours in migrant encampments along a two-mile stretch of high desert in East County. In other news, if you are low-income in San Diego County, you could get a new toilet for free. Plus, a library opening today at the San Diego Automotive Museum will provide new research and learning opportunities.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria gave his annual State of the City address earlier this week and said he's ordered city staff to permit new apartment buildings within 30 days — if they use an affordable housing incentive program. In other news, federal officials could soon be the target of another lawsuit linked to the region’s persistent cross-border sewage problem. Plus, our KPBS arts editor and prod...

San Diego utility customers are seeing a typical winter bump in their bills because the weather is colder, but those bigger bills are well below what they were a year ago. In other news, millions of Mexicans living in the United States are eligible to vote in Mexico's upcoming presidential elections. Experts say their votes might matter more than ever. Plus, the recent demise of the San Diego Unio...

The Navy selected developers to rebuild 70 acres of land less than a mile from the San Diego International Airport. In other news, the state law that requires you to put your food waste in a green bin is expanding. Plus, our KPBS education reporter joins the show to talk about changes to college tuition and the FAFSA.

Construction workers’ unions made big gains in the South Bay last year. In other news, a new state law aims to increase safety at intersections by using a method called "daylighting." Plus, we learn about the meaning and context of the art on the mushroom-shaped water tower in East County.

San Diego County supervisor Jim Desmond incorrectly said taxpayer funds were going to migrants in Jacumba, but he later corrected the mistake. Now, activists say such misinformation is dangerous. In other news, new statewide data confirms widespread racial disparities in law enforcement stops. Plus, churches in San Diego are getting into the affordable housing business.

The man who bribed scores of Navy officers over two decades then escaped from house arrest in San Diego more than a year ago, is back and was in court Wednesday. In other news, some University of California San Diego postdoctoral scholars are facing the threat of deportation later this month. Plus, details on some of the arts events that are in store for San Diego County this year.