jury has acquitted an off-duty San Diego police officer of weapons charges in the shooting of an 8-year old boy and his mother during a traffic dispute. Jurors reached their verdict Monday in Superior Court in Vista.

The worst accident in the 33-year history of Washington, D.C.'s subway system is under investigation by authorities trying to determine why a train plowed into the rear of another, killing at least seven people and injuring scores of others.

Iranian Americans living in San Diego are paying close attention to the tense political situation in Tehran.

Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Pérez pulled himself out of drug dealing and street life 12 years ago and became a Muslim. Now he’s moved to Pittsburgh’s tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family and take his message of faith to other young people through hard-hitting hip-hop music. But when the FBI raids his mosque, Hamza must confront the realities of the post-9/11 world — and himself.

Iran's rich history goes back millennia, to the days when Persepolis was home to "the king of kings." In this episode, Rick Steves explores three historic capitals of Iran: Persepolis, with its splendid monuments; Shiraz, with the tombs of Iran's most beloved poets; and Esfahan, with its extraordinary mosques and endearing people.

Scientists are getting closer to predicting when a giant earthquake may strike California. A new NASA radar project will map over 500-miles of the San Andreas fault.

San Diego County officials today are expected to announce the start of a new campaign aimed at methamphetamine users.

A coalition of border-area businesses and community groups says it cannot back the San Ysidro Port of Entry remodel plan until the US government addresses issues like the impact of screening cars headed into Mexico. As KPBS reporter Amy Isackson explains its the last day (monday) to comment on the government's environmental impact report on the remodel.

Would you pay $300 for a product that costs $3 to make? Chances are, you already have. It turns out that those stylish designer sunglasses you paid hundreds of dollars for are actually made in factories in China for a fraction of the cost. We speak to Marketing Professor Dr. Lois Bitner Olson about what makes sunglasses a unique product, and why we are willing to pay so much money for something that is so cheap to make.

The Padres have won two of nine interleague games this month. We're joined on Morning Edition by North County Times Sports Columnist Jay Paris to discuss the latest in sports.

San Diego is not alone in dealing with a water shortage. We'll find out how other Western cities have been dealing with a shrinking water supply and what San Diego might learn from them.

The mandatory water restrictions that have been implemented throughout San Diego County could be just the beginning. As the first part of our series, "H2NO: San Diego Going Dry," we speak to KPBS Environment Reporter Ed Joyce about the three main factors that are affecting San Diego's water sources, and to discuss what could happen to our water supply in the future.

Supporters of Torrey Pines State Reserve gathered this weekend to rally against possible state budget cuts that could cut off funding for the park. Torrey Pines is one of 220 state parks that could be closed as lawmakers struggle to fill California’s $24 billion deficit.

The California Department of Housing says people should be able to install small greywater systems without a permit.

Mandatory water restrictions could be the beginning of a new way of life in California. As we start a week-long examination of our water supply, KPBS Environment Reporter Ed Joyce tells us how we got here, and what the future may bring as we begin our series "H2NO: San Diego Going Dry."

Summer school programs across San Diego County have been scaled back because of the state cuts to education. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis says education advocates worry about the "summer learning loss" that will result.

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." That was the way George A. Romero explained the sudden rise in reanimated corpses on the planet back in 1978. Right about now hell must be bursting at the seams because the undead are invading every corner of our pop culture and even spreading out into the mainstream. When respected sources like NPR and the New York Times start using terms like "zombie banks," you know the invasion has gone full scale. So why are zombies so popular? (Here's Part One of my Zombie Exposé, check out Part Two on "Pontypool.")