Our founding fathers rejected the notion of having a monarchy but America, and especially Hollywood, adores tales of royalty. So prepare for the latest: "The King's Speech" (opening December 17 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas and AMC La Jolla Village Theaters). You can read my review or listen to our KPBS Film Club of the Air discussion.

You can tell it's Oscar season by the amount of scenery being chewed in the holiday releases. The latest is "The Fighter" (opening December 17 throughout San Diego), about real life fighter Micky Ward. You can read my review or listen to our discussion on the KPBS Film Club of the Air.

San Diego is besieged by claims and lawsuits against the city. They range from accidents involving city sidewalks to floods from broken water pipes. According to the Watchdog Institute at San Diego State University, the number of cases has dropped, yet the cost of dealing with them has tripled, And you, the taxpayer, are paying. Reporter Kelly Thornton gives us the details.

The California Fish and Game Commission voted Wednesday to adopt a network of marine protected areas, or MPA's, from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. Areas off San Diego County's coast will now be part of a statewide system of underwater parks. Eric Brickenstein, spokesperson for San Diego Coastkeeper explains the changes.

Deportations of undocumented immigrants have increased this year - in some cases separating families. Some mothers risk dangerous illegal crossings to get back to their children left in the U.S. KPBS reporter Ruxandra Guidi went to a shelter in Tijuana and spoke to some recently deported mothers and has details.

You've probably heard the term soccer mom, but what about a professional football mom? Dwane Brown sat down with Susan English, mom of San Diego Charger outside linebacker Larry English. She's currently working with her son to develop an outreach program for high school students.

If kids are kept off the street and given something to do, the San Diego Police Department believes those kids are less likely to join a gang. A grant awarded to the city will help with that effort.

LA soul band Fitz and the Tantrums play the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach tonight. Check out their video for the song "MoneyGrabber."

Looming budget cuts to the state’s university system could mean fewer doctors in California. This comes as the state already struggles with too few doctors.

The money is big and the stakes are high. The question is: How should San Diego spend $110 billion over the next 40 years to make it easier to get from here to there?

Three cities in San Diego County were awarded state grants of nearly $370,000 each to continue gang violence prevention programs, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Friday.

Unified Port of San Diego officials today showed off its $28 million Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, which will serve as an auxiliary terminal for cruise ships and a venue for public events.

Nearly every police agency in San Diego County took part this week in a take down of a criminal ring selling stolen cars, weapons and drugs, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office.

Urban legends about escaped lunatics or axe-welding killers have been scaring kids at summer camp for decades. In their new documentary, filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio explore the Staten Island myth of “Cropsey” (opening December 17 at Reading Gaslamp Stadium Theaters).

A probationer who authorities were checking on when a San Diego police officer was fatally shot at a Skyline apartment seven weeks ago was charged Friday with attempting to collect unemployment while in jail.

The unemployment rate was up just slightly in San Diego County last month, 10.4 percent, compared to 10.3 percent in October, according to figures released today by the state Employment Development Department.

Several days worth of wet and gloomy weather was expected to begin today in San Diego County.

Governor-elect Jerry Brown wants a budget agreement in place by March. Brown says the state budget is much worse than he thought. The governor-elect told state education officials to "fasten your seat belt. It's going to be a rough ride, but we'll get through it." We talk about what Jerry Brown might bring to the State Capital, and his first-year challenges.

The UT's Watchdog team reports that the former head of the San Diego YMCA had a pay package worth nearly $1 million -- twice as much as YMCA leaders in Los Angeles and Chicago. The newspaper also investigated rich medical benefits for board members at local water agencies. We discuss the growing anger over executive compensation.

Chargers CEO Dean Spanos told Mayor Jerry Sanders the team won't leave San Diego in 2011. Spanos wouldn't commit to staying after next season, as rumors have the team moving to Los Angeles in 2012. What are the chances the Bolts could bolt? What's the latest details on a Chargers' stadium in downtown San Diego?

The phone at the other end of the line rang and rang as I waited for someone to answer. I was calling Kenneth Necochea of Poway, the father of Kenneth Necochea Jr. who was killed Sunday in a car-bomb attack in Afghanistan.

Ah, Christmastime along the beach in San Diego: Palms sway in a balmy sea breeze; warm sunlight glistens off the sand; breaking surf rumbles offshore; and … skate blades scrape ice?

KPBS has reported on the difficulties in controlling California's outbreak of whooping cough. Another disease, polio, once routinely paralyze young children without warning.

As the Chargers struggle to reach the playoffs and the Padres lose stars to other teams, San Diego State's basketball team is suddenly emerging the jewel of the city's sports scene. And the football team also shined this season.

As a friend and fellow critic recently told me as the number of 80s remakes and rip offs continued to roll in: "When will they stop raping my childhood?" Well not any time soon as the new "TRON: Legacy" (opening December 17 throughout San Diego) serves up new abuse.