ADAM RAVETCH: "Because they were an animal that could hold me against my will, could knock my head off and suck the very flesh off my bones."

San Diego school kids may have hit a wall this year when it comes to making gains on state standardized tests. The California Department of Education released test scores for school districts around the state today. KPBS reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.

A California based environmental group is taking legal action to get vinyl baby bibs off store shelves. The Oakland-based Center for Environmental Health found high levels of lead in bibs sold at Toys-R-Us, Babies-R-Us and Lisa Kline stores.

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer is pledging to override any potential veto of a bill that funds flood control projects in the Sacramento area. Work is underway to shore up Folsom dam, that provides water around the state. From Sacramento, Jenny O'Mara reports.

The San Diego Food Bank has a new leader. Jim Jackson is the former head of the San Diego Rescue Mission. As KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps tells us, Jackson's new job is to rebuild the county's largest food bank.

Officials at a contractors' association in San Diego say a new ruling by the National Labor Relations Board would be the death knell for a billion-dollar project on the Chula Vista Bayfront. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

We look at juvenile sex offenders and how they are treated in the criminal justice system. Should these juveniles be punished like their adult counterparts? We discuss various approaches for treating juvenile sex offenders as well as whether or not they should be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

A top officer in Mayor Jerry Sanders’ administration resigns unexpectedly, more details about the Sunroad controversy come to light, and City Attorney Michael Aguirre takes on a major oil company and the pension crisis. We speak to KPBS metro reporter Alison St John about the latest news from San Diego City Hall.

What is the true impact of San Diego's “living wage” ordinance? The San Diego Institute for Policy Research recently released an internal city report detailing how much the “living wage” ordinance is costing local taxpayers. The San Diego Institute reports the ordinance has increased the city's contracting costs by at least $900,000. The Center on Policy Initiatives supports the ordinance, and says the law is essential to improving the lives of the city's low-income workers.

The option of high school vocational training instead of college preparatory courses has fallen by the educational wayside, except in Vista where a new North County Trade Tech High charter school is proposed. The application for the construction-based school was unanimously approved by the Vista School Board and enjoys the support of various foundations and the construction industry.

Martha and Grant spend lots of time debunking linguistic myths. But what about the word “debunk” itself?

Fifteen district attorneys in California, including San Diego's Bonnie Dumanis, have gone to court seeking to stop a three-judge panel from making decisions that could lead to the early release of some prisoners because of overcrowding.