Biologists at UC San Diego have found a very effective way to lose weight. It's done by fooling the body into thinking it's at a high altitude.

A sweeping planning document that will guide future development in San Diego's unincorporated areas has taken a step forward. San Diego County's Planning Commission held final hearings today on a General Plan update. They will refer the update -- the first in more than 30 years -- to the Board or Supervisors.

What effect will the Tea Party movement have on the upcoming primary and general elections? And, why is the anti-tax group growing in popularity right now? We discuss the growth of the Tea Party in San Diego, and the impact it might have on state and local politics in the future.

How are small amusement parks like Belmont Park doing during the current recession? KPBS metro reporter Katie Orr has that story.

Why did First Lady Michelle Obama visit San Diego this week? We speak to reporter Tom Fudge about the First Lady's plan to end childhood obesity.

What factors might have led the San Diego Unified School District's Chief Financial Officer to resign earlier this week? We talk to KPBS Education Reporter Ana Tintocalis about the CFO's resignation, and the latest admissions data for UCSD.

What kind of impact will the USS Carl Vinson have on San Diego's culture and economy? We talk to reporter Alison St. John about the arrival of a third nuclear aircraft carrier in our community.

It's under our feet and under our fingernails, but what is it? And how did it get there? Inspired by William Bryant Logan's acclaimed book "Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth," this program finds out how industrial farming, mining and urban development have led us toward cataclysmic droughts, starvation, floods and climate change. Dirt is a part of everything we eat, drink and breathe, which is why we should stop treating it like, well, dirt.

As the United States deepens its commitment to Afghanistan, "Frontline: The Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan" takes viewers inside the war-torn nation to reveal a disturbing practice that is once again flourishing in the country: the organized sexual abuse of adolescent boys.

Sex offender John Albert Gardner pleaded guilty Friday to murdering two teenage girls in San Diego County after prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. He led authorities to Amber Dubois' body.

Tea party activists rallied throughout San Diego County on Tax Day hoping to build momentum for the November elections. Some state and local Republican candidates spoke at the events.

An environmental group is working to make San Diego's Earth Day fair on Sunday an example of how to reduce waste even more.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is betting on green. He wants to roll California’s greenhouse gas emissions back to their 1990 levels, and he’s promising Californians that their lifestyles — and their pocketbooks— won’t feel the pinch. But is Schwarzenegger gambling with his state’s economy? With help from eco-celebrities like Ed Begley, Jr. and Bill Nye “The Science Guy,” NOVA examines California’s aggressive pursuit of a sustainable energy future.

Eggs from an endangered species of frog produced through a breeding program at the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research were released back into their native Southern California mountain habitat, it was announced today.

Director Robert Stone (“Oswald’s Ghost,“ “Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst”) traces the origins of the modern environmental movement through the eyes of nine Americans who propelled the movement from its beginnings in the 1950s to its moment of triumph in 1970 with the original Earth Day and to its status as a major political force in America.

"Antiques Roadshow" host Mark L. Walberg and appraiser Stuart Whitehurst visit the Hall of Flame Museum in Phoenix, home to the largest collection of fire-fighting materials in North America. Program highlights include a circa 1905 advertising display for waterproof baby pants; a 1797 Chippendale marriage chest; and a collection of original Charles Schulz "Peanuts" artwork, valued at $350,000.

“Warlords” (opening April 16 at Landmark’s Ken Cinema) is a true bromance in the heroic bloodshed tradition that Hong Kong has proven so good at.

This film is about Hannah Senesh, the World War II-era poet and diarist who became a paratrooper, resistance fighter and modern-day Joan of Arc. Safe in Palestine in 1944, she joined a mission to rescue Jews in her native Hungary. Parachuting behind enemy lines, she was captured, tortured and ultimately executed by the Nazis. Narrated by Joan Allen.

"A Thousand Suns" tells the story of the Gamo Highlands of the African Rift Valley and the unique worldview held by the people of the region. This isolated area has remained remarkably intact both biologically and culturally. It is one of the most densely populated rural regions of Africa yet its people have been farming sustainably for 10,000 years.

A sex offender charged with raping and killing a 17-year-old Poway High School senior is scheduled for court hearing today.

Sheriff Bill Gore warned today about a scam in San Diego County regarding the collection of prescription drugs.

The unemployment rate in San Diego County rose to 11 percent in March, up from a revised 10.7 percent the previous month, the California Employment Development Department reported today.

San Diegans used 11 per cent less water last year but those savings may not be reflected on water bills. This week, the Metropolitan Water District approved a 7.5 percent rate increase. Some water users, including businesses, homeowners associations, golf courses and public agencies, won't feel the pinch. We find out why.

We discuss the tea party movement and the tax-revolt rallies held this week in San Diego County.

This week San Diego welcomed home the travel-weary sailors of the USS Carl Vinson. Local cash registers welcomed their paychecks which total $400 million. We discuss the economic and military meaning of a third aircraft carrier now home-ported in San Diego.

Hear Rae Armantrout, UCSD professor and newly minted Pulitzer Prize winner, read one of her poems on KPBS and learn about Pat Metheny's latest project, Orchestrion.

Michelle Obama visited an urban garden in San Diego yesterday as part of her campaign to end childhood obesity. The first lady is head of the health-oriented Let's Move campaign. And her visit coincided with some other initiatives that are meant to make local neighborhoods more healthy.

A lawyer with the San Diego's City Attorney office is making an appeal to the city's pension board this morning. The City Attorney says city employees should contribute more to the retirement fund.

“Kick-Ass” (opening April 16 throughout San Diego) is like an oasis in a desert of lame ass Hollywood fare. It’s funny, violent, unapologetic, and in your face.