Teen Critics on Diary of the Dead

Production: &

San Diego City Council president Scott Peters has thrown his hat into the ring to challenge Mike Aguirre for his job as city attorney. Peters is joining a field of eight other candidates, including Aguirre, and he has some serious baggage to overcome to gain support. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

The San Diego Unified school board president says up to 1,500 district employees will get layoff notices next month. She says many of those pink slips will fall into the laps of local teachers. KPBS reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.

A Democratic state Senator wants to make it easier for judges to penalize drunk drivers whose blood alcohol level is labeled excessive. Jenny O'Mara reports from Sacramento.

A California legislator wants to increase the penalties for child abusers who permanently injure or disable young kids. Marianne Russ reports from Sacramento.

Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposed state budget calls for $14 billion in cuts. For the county of San Diego, that could amount to $350 million in losses. And the county's largest district, San Diego Unified, faces cuts of $80 million. We talk with the president of the San Diego Unified School Board about the impact to that district.

The State of California has to make up a $14 billion shortfall over the next year and a half. So far, the governor has recommended budget cuts of 10 percent across the board. What would that mean to California residents, and what are our politicians willing to do to make the ends meet? We speak with "Sacramento Bee" political columnist Dan Walters about the ongoing dilemma of the budget.

Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis gives us his take on this presidential campaign and the state of national politics.

Eldar is a 20-year-old jazz pianist who is sometimes called the Tiger Woods of jazz piano. His third album from Sony BMG Masterworks, called "Re-imagination" was released on June 5. Eldar talks about his musical influences, learning to play the piano at age 3, and how he went from classical jazz piano.

Local journalist Tony Perry is on his sixth visit to Iraq as an embedded journalist with local Camp Pendleton Marines. He tells us about a conversation he had with General James Conway, the Marine Corps commandant. He also gives us a weekly update about life in a war zone as he lives full time with local Marines.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the fastest growing segment of the population is over 85 years old. In the past 30 years, the number of Americans over 85 has tripled. And the number of people who are 100 has doubled in the past decade. This longevity comes with a price. At age 85, you have nearly a 50 per cent chance of developing Alzheimer's. Joanne Faryon tells us more about what the diagnosis means.