California’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown was in San Diego Thursday for a campaign stop at New Leaf Biofuel in Barrio Logan. The company converts used cooking oil into biodiesel. Brown said small, renewable energy businesses are the wave of the future.

They slice through the water's surface with explosive power - sail, spear and a half-ton of muscle flashing in the sun. Their journeys through the open ocean are epic, their life cycle, bizarre. They are the billfish - marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish - largest and most highly prized of all gamefish. Their astonishing story has never been fully told. Emmy award-winning filmmaker and biologist Rick Rosenthal brings to the screen a lifetime of experience with these astonishing sea creatures as he observes tiny billfish nurseries in the wild, dives deep into secret undersea canyons, films incredible color-changing behavior and embarks on a quest for an elusive thousand-pound "grander."

Roughly 5,000 fewer Californians filed new claims for unemployment last week compared to the week before, but California and San Diego are still waiting to see a steady decline in unemployment.

Some statewide doctor groups say Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed budget threatens to undermine the new health reform law. Physicians are especially concerned about the governor's proposed cuts to the Medi-Cal program.

Throughout my eight years working in the Audience Services department here at KPBS, many callers have asked me, "What is KPBS' mission statement? What are your guiding principles?" It seems like such a simple question, but it's also a very important one. You can read the whole thing by clicking here, but this is my favorite part: "KPBS staff are committed to creating engaging and appealing programs and services, and through their endeavors, reflect the values of civility, respect, integrity and individual responsibility."

The early days of television editing were nothing like it is today. There were no computers to control the tape machines and digital media wasn’t even a dream. All the video was recorded on 2-inch tape equipment that we called Quads. They were huge machines that used air pressure to guide the tape and hissed all the time.

I joined KPBS in December, 2005 after working at four other PBS stations during the previous 20 years. I like KPBS for a number of reasons. The people who work here are hard-working, smart and fun. The production facilities are top-notch, thanks to some very generous donors. And I get to work on a variety of different projects. Part of my job is producing and part of my job involves managing the stations’ on-air fundraising campaigns. The two halves come together when I produce national pledge breaks for PBS headquarters.

A brush fire that broke out between El Capitan Reservoir and San Diego Country Estates was 85 percent contained today, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

A male African elephant born at the former San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park three months ago will be called Emanti, which means "water" in the language of Swaziland, zoo officials announced today.

In this episode, Bridget Lancaster shows host Christopher Kimball how to make a Texas favorite — shredded barbecued beef paired with ranch potato salad with a homemade dressing. Then, tasting expert Jack Bishop puts Kimball to work tasting store-bought whole wheat bread in front of a live audience to find out if commercial brands make the grade.

"Islam vs. Islamists: Voices From The Muslim Center" traces the experience of several prominent Muslims who are speaking out against Islamic fundamentalism. In North America, Canada, and Western Europe, these moderate Muslims have encountered powerful opposition from other members of their faith as they express their views about what it means to be a modern Muslim living in the West.

The San Diego fire department is facing this year's wildfire season with fewer resources, but those resources may be increased if the circumstances call for it. San Diego Fire and Rescue Chief Javier Mainar said if a large wildfire occurs the department will be staffed to fight it.

San Diego offers up some great art and music events this weekend, including the Timken Museum's Art of Fashion event and 94.9's Independence Jam.

Warwick's bookseller Seth Marko has been reading a chapter a day of James Patterson's "9th Judgment" since April. He started the project hoping to understand the appeal of the world's highest paid author. We'll talk to Marko to see what he discovered.

San Diego's Cygnet Theatre takes on the theatrical version of a triathlon - the "Norman Conquests." The three comedies by acclaimed British playwright Alan Ayckbourn are rarely staged together, but Cygnet is performing them in repertory and, at times, all on the same day!

What are the benefits and downsides of synthetic biology? We'll explore the ethical issues that arise as part of our monthly ethics segment.

From lounge singing to Latin American film to fashion shows and horror festivals, there's plenty of culture that's lustworthy this week.

We speak to San Diego Fire Chief Javier Mainar about fire danger as temperatures continue to rise and the city continues it's brownout plan. We'll also find out about the status of the recent wildfires burning around the county from CalFire.

It's no secret that I am a fan of horror so I'm happy to say that this weekend you can find horrors at The Blacklist Art and Film Festival.

Health officials say more widespread testing for HIV is one of the keys to curbing the epidemic. They say testing is also the gateway to proper care and treatment. Even so, many sexually active people don't know their status.

America has a long tradition of gangster films but so too does France. I speak with Vincent Cassel about playing a real life gangster in the two-part crime film “Mesrine." Listen to my interview.