It's the end of the road for City Councilman Carl DeMaio's managed competition measure, now the mayor's office is considering a proposal to raise the local sales tax by half a cent. We discuss the latest developments coming out of city hall.

A loophole in the beach alcohol ban has led to a phenomenon called floatopia -- a floating booze party in San Diego's Mission Bay. A city council committee is trying to put an end to the party. We discuss the details.

Unemployment is still high, consumer spending is slow to return. How will we know when this recession is over?

We discuss whether California needs to enact stricter correction and incarceration guidelines for sex offenders.

Scientists are concerned the Easter Day magnitude 7.2 earthquake has put more pressure on two Southern California faults.

The largest all-military naturalization ceremony in U.S. history took place in downtown San Diego Friday. Three hundred active-duty military personnel became U.S. citizens in a ceremony aboard the USS Midway in the city's downtown harbor.

It’s going to be a tight squeeze at San Diego City beaches this holiday weekend. A rough winter has resulted in some skinny beaches.

A state appellate court on Friday sided with the Schwarzenegger administration in its attempt to temporarily impose the federal minimum wage on tens of thousands of state workers.

In 1950, Russian and American fighters clashed over Korea in the fastest dogfights ever seen. This was the world’s first jet war, pitting the two most advanced planes of their day, the American F-86 Sabre and the Soviet MiG-15, in furious air battles that pushed their pilots’ skills to the limit. In “MiG Alley,” NOVA follows the poignant and sometimes harrowing efforts of family members to trace what happened to pilots who went missing more than a half-century ago.

A collector thinks he may have a clip of the first talking picture. "History Detectives" host Gwen Wright tracks down the origin of the “Lauste Film Clip.” Wes Cowan explores Gold Rush territory in search of the facts behind “Baker’s Gold” — sketches of five- and eight-pound gold nuggets. Then, a Cape Cod beachcomber stumbles across a rope of twisted cables. Did he find a section of the first “Transatlantic Cable”? Tukufu Zuberi is on the case.

Local schools have been hit hard by the state budget crisis, and the nation's economic downturn. We discuss how the San Diego Unified School District cut its budget by $100 million, and why four other local districts are worried they might not be able to pay their bills for the next two years.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, "Antiques Roadshow" host Mark Walberg takes the plunge down Olympic Park's bobsled run to get in the zone for a look at Olympics collectibles with appraiser Philip Weiss. At the Salt Palace Convention Center, "Roadshow" experts favorably judge such outstanding finds as a mid-19th-century archive of materials documenting the career of Philip Margetts, considered the first prominent Mormon actor, brought in by his great-granddaughter and valued at $100,000 to $150,000.

Courts and all San Diego city, county and state offices will be closed Monday in observance of Independence Day. Libraries and recreation centers in San Diego will be closed, but pools will be open.

After marveling at masterpieces in the Louvre and strolling the Champs-Elysees, we explore a delightful Parisian neighborhood. We meet a pipe organist, drop by a butcher shop, design our own perfume, and cruise the Seine.

"The Killer Inside Me" (opening July 2 at Landmark's Ken Cinema) is based on Jim Thompson's 1950s pulp novel of the same name. Listen to our KPBS Film Club of the Air discussion.

Law enforcement around San Diego County will be out in full force this Fourth of July weekend, hoping to curb drunken drivers.

Our KPBS teen critic reviews the latest film from M. Night Shyamalan, "The Last Airbender" (opening July 2 throughout San Diego).

The USD Index of Leading Economic Indicators has showed signs of improvement for 14 consecutive months, but there are still areas of concern in the local economy. We discuss the positive and the negative economic indicators, and the predictions for the next year.

Will Chelsea's Law help to protect society from sex offenders, or will it make the state's prisons more overcrowded? We discuss the latest changes to the proposed law, and the long-term affects it could have on California.

What is usually a "gimme" in congressional politics has turned into a hard sell. People who have seen their unemployment benefits expire will have to wait a while longer before seeing another check.

Okay I prematurely posted this last week when I thought the film was opening so here it is again and it really is opening! I am not a fan of romantic movies but "I Am Love" (opening July 2 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas) dives into its romance with such reckless abandon and such an over the top affection for cinema that I could not resist. You can read my review and/or listen to our Film Club Discussion.

“Cyrus” (opening July 2 at Landmark's Hillcrest and La Jolla Village Theaters, and Ultrastar Flower Hill) is the Duplass Bros.’ latest entry into their now half-decade long filmmaking career. (You can also listen to Beth Accomando interview with Marisa Tomei.)

The Navy is building one of the largest photovoltaic systems in San Diego County funded by federal stimulus money. The solar project is sited on top of an old landfill on Camp Pendleton, known as the Box Canyon Landfill.

Local artist Sheryl Oring has been inviting the public to write letters to the president since 2004. She types them up and then sends them to the White House. I joined her recently at the San Diego Museum of Art, where San Diegans dictated their letters. I brought back this audio postcard.