The U.S. combat mission in Iraq has ended, but thousands of Iraqi refugees remain scattered around the nation, including in San Diego County. Many refugees are afraid to return to Iraq, and worry their country isn’t ready to take charge of its future.

The Art San Diego Contemporary Art Fair takes place this weekend in downtown San Diego. Culture Lust talks with Mexico City-based curatorial director Marcela Quiroz Luna about selecting the galleries participating in the art fair.

The California Senate defeated a bill to ban plastic grocery bags. Now it appears environmental groups will try to get cities to ban the plastic bags.

Now that her bill to stop the open display of unloaded guns is dead, San Diego Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña says Californians aren't being protected. Meanwhile, gun rights advocates are rejoicing over the bill's demise.

“The American” (opening September 1 in select San Diego theaters) is George Clooney’s “Eat Pray Love.” I couldn’t swallow Julia’s self-indulgent spree and the same goes for Clooney’s.

The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has dropped for the first time in 20 years as substantially fewer undocumented workers from Mexico, Latin America and elsewhere are crossing the border in search of jobs, an independent research group says.

Statewide and Congressional elections might be a lot more exciting if there was more doubt about who was going to win. Gerrymandering has effectively made it a foregone conclusion in many districts which party is going to win in November. A struggle is underway to get back to a situation where elections are actually competitive, and it all centers on three different initiatives about redistricting.

San Diego favorites the 7th Day Buskers have a new name and a new album. We'll talk to Shawn Rohlf and The Buskers and they'll play for us in the KPBS studio.

This CL weekend you should...

What will the future hold for Iraq now that the U.S. combat mission in that country has ended? We speak to four local Iraqis about the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops, and the biggest challenges currently facing Iraq.

Tourists on a North Carolina vacation destination island were ordered to board the ferries and head for the mainland Wednesday and more evacuations could be on the way as powerful Hurricane Earl threatened to sideswipe the East Coast.

California’s 80,000 foster children would receive housing, education, and other benefits until they are 21, under a bill passed by the State Legislature. The proposal goes to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for final approval.

Thousands of Mexican natives migrate to California every year. Most speak Spanish, but others don’t speak Spanish at all. Now San Diego State University will teach the indigenous language of Zapotec, which is spoken by 350,000 people in Mexico.