According to author Andrew Foster Altschul, Lady Lazarus is a novel about punk rock, poetry and suicide. We'll talk to the former San Diegan about his new novel and the connections he sees between the confessional poets and punk rockers.

Mike Sager is sharp observer of the seamy underside of life. He's considered one of the leading voices in literary non-fiction, carrying on the tradition of writers like Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson. Sager has just published his first novel, after a long writing career. He lives in La Jolla and joins us in studio to talk about Deviant Behavior.

A spate of natural disasters across the globe is stretching relief agencies. The death toll from the cyclone in Myanmar could surpass 100,000 and there are signs that the country will miss their life-sustaining harvest. In China, a massive earthquake killed at least 32,000 people but tens of thousands remain buried and missing. So how do people not immediately effected by such disasters respond to, and cope with, such tragedy? We'll talk with an international relief worker and an ethicist about the practical and moral issues that arise from natural disasters.

A bill in the California Assembly would require doctors to give terminally ill patients information about end-of-life options. Supporters say people who are facing death need to be fully informed. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.

Congress approves a $300 billion farm bill, but why is only a fraction of it coming to San Diego County farmers? Eric Larson with the San Diego County Farm Bureau explains why San Diego's specialty crop market receives much less money than other states who produce commodities.

Torrey Pines is beefing up security at its famed La Jolla golf course after the signature hole for next month's U.S. Open Championship was vandalized for the second time in a month.

Home sales surged 22 percent in Southern California during April as bargain-hunters bought lower-end homes in areas hardest hit by foreclosures, a research firm said Monday.

Now that the California Supreme Court has decided that same-sex marriages should be legal in the state, what's the next step in the process? When will the decision go into affect? Who's challenging the ruling? And, what's the latest news on the efforts to place a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage on the November ballot? Host Tom Fudge speaks to advocates on both sides of the same-sex marriage issue.

A memorial service will be held early next month for long time San Diego newsman and former Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin.

The June primary is right around the corner. And Monday is the deadline to register to vote in that election. Non-partisan voters should listen up for some changes this time around. From Sacramento, Jenny O'Mara reports.

The Padres spent a lost weekend in Seattle. With a 3-2 loss yesterday, the Padres allowed the Mariners to climb back up to a .400 winning percentage. That means the Pads are now the worst in the west... We're joined on Morning Edition by North County Times sports columnist Jay Paris.

The California State Assembly has approved legislation that would reinforce restrictions on use of public waterfront land by private parties. The bill was drafted in response to development along San Diego's waterfront. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.