Amor, Dolor, Y Viceversa (Love, Pain and Vice Versa)

The 16th San Diego Latino Film Festival kicked off last night with films, music, and a gala party. Now we can get down to the business of seeing films. Here are a few suggestions for what you might want to seek out and mini-reviews of some of the films that I had a chance to screen in advance. All films are at the UltraStar Mission Valley Theaters at Hazard Center.

It's March already. It seems like just yesterday that the 2008 election season ended, with the next California primary more than a year away on

A German widower travels to Japan in Cherry Blossoms (Strand Releasing)

The San Diego region will receive $127 million in highway funds from the federal stimulus package. And planners say the money will free up resources for other regional projects too. KPBS reporter Katie Orr has details.

The Last House on the Left is a remake of Wes Craven's 1972 film (Rogue Pictures)

Thousands of teachers across California, including San Diego and Imperial counties, are marching today. They're protesting against the wave of "pink slip" layoff notices sent to teachers as a result of the state budget crisis. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.

In the last 10 weeks, 33 daily newspapers in the U.S. have filed for bankruptcy. Large newspapers like the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer," the "Philadelphia Enquirer," and the "Minneapolis Star-Tribune" are dealing with major financial problems that could lead the papers to shut down their print operations. Also, President Barack Obama signed an executive order earlier in the week that overturns federal funding restrictions for embryonic stem cell research. And, a battle is brewing over a piece of legislation that could give more power to labor unions.

San Diego County farmers have had some challenges over the past few years -- threats from pests, a crop freeze, wildfires... and climate change. But water may trump them all. Joining us on Morning Edition is Eric Larson, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau.

The Vista Unified School Board made it clear yesterday that its students must get parental consent to leave campus to see a doctor about sensitive issues like pregnancy, sexual assault or mental health issues. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.

The proposed Sunrise Powerlink faces another legal challenge. Two San Diego residents are appealing a federal agency decision that approved the route for the electric transmission powerline. KPBS Environment Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

The recession is spreading pain throughout California. But UCSD Medical School says it's hanging tough. In fact, the school has expansion plans in the works. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.

There's a kind of serendipity to the themes in this post, and when this occurs, it always make me happy. Let me see if I can lay out the relationship for you.

Artist

The closest most of us get to personalized medicine is having a personal relationship with a doctor. But in the future, medicine itself may be personal. Customized medicine is a growing trend that's being driven by knowledge of the human genome. KPBS Health reporter Tom Fudge says a lot of this kind of research is being done in San Diego.