Some expressions sound like they came right out of a 50's diner. Martha and Grant discuss the phrase "Let's blow this popstand" – along with its many variations, including blowing a “popsicle stand,” a “popcorn stand,” and a “taco stand.”

Federal agencies are investigating a fishing boat that washed ashore in Del Mar Tuesday. The vessel may have been used to smuggle people from Mexico into San Diego. KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson has the story.

A Carlsbad desalination project faces another delay. A state lands commission decision has been postponed until December. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has details.

Firefighters hope to have the three largest wildfires in San Diego county contained by tomorrow. CALFIRE's Roxanne Provoznik says there are more than seven thousand firefighters in the county trying to encircle the Witch, Harris and Poomacha fires. She says the weather has done a lot to help crews cut fire lines around the blazes.

Ridley Scott's take on the gangster movie opens in theaters this weekend. We'll also talk about a comedy called “Finishing the Game,” Ben Affleck's directorial debut and a new biopic about Joy Division's tragic lead singer Ian Curtis.

Ridley Scott's take on the gangster movie opens in theaters this weekend. We'll also talk about a comedy called “Finishing the Game,” Ben Affleck's directorial debut and a new biopic about Joy Division's tragic lead singer Ian Curtis.

Can California win the war against wildfires? We'll talk about how the state manages its forests and open space, the nature of wildfires and the continued development into the back country.

Ramona residents can start drinking tap water again, San Diego County officials announced today.

The City Council agreed unanimously today to waive building and demolition fees to help San Diego residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the wildfires.

All San Diego schools re-opened after being closed for six days due to the fires. Meanwhile, in Poway one of the schools most affected by the fires reopened yesterday. For the campus community it was a time to begin the healing process. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis reports.

The state agency CalFire says North County's deadly Witch Fire could have been much more destructive. But the fires of four years ago prevented that. KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps explains.

Scores of Rancho Bernardo residents who lost their homes in the fires showed up to a Town Hall meeting last night with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Some were angry, others were anxious, but all were sobered by the thought of the long road ahead to recovery. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

Soon after the 2003 Cedar and Paradise wildfires, then San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy formed

One of the worst fears of solo radio reporters in the field is recording interviews and sounds for a story only to come back to the studio to discover that sound was not recorded. I'll spare you details about why and how this can happen (operator error to equipment failure). But this past week as some people lost their homes and lives to the wildfires, I lost the ability to let them tell their stories.