Thursday's stormy weather produced the most vibrant rainbow in La Mesa.

The organizers of Comic-Con International have decided the popular arts convention that brings thousands to San Diego each summer will remain here for another five years.

Congressman Brian Bilbray says he’ll call for hearings on statements by federal agents, who say some people posing a terror threat are slipping into San Diego’s ports of entry from Mexico disguised as asylum seekers.

San Diego City Council has made its first big step toward allowing companies to compete to do city work. "Managed competition" was approved by voters in 2006.

Many years ago I heard a jazz artist describe “hip” to a New York audience at the Village Vanguard. Sadly, I wasn’t there in person. It was part of a recording of a live performance by the Cannonball Adderley sextet.

"God In America," a presentation of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, will explore the historical role of religion in the public life of the United States. The six-hour series interweaves documentary footage, historical dramatization and interviews with religious historians. The final two hours explore the post-World War II era and bring the series into the present day.

Running between the Gaslamp district and the border may sound exhausting, but with the Film Festival and Tijuana's art festival, there is just so much Culture to Lust after, we're arranging carpool parties over here at KPBS.

"God In America," a presentation of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, will explore the historical role of religion in the public life of the United States. The six-hour series interweaves documentary footage, historical dramatization and interviews with religious historians. These episodes explore how religion suffused the Civil War and how the forces of modernity challenged traditional faith and drove a wedge between liberal and conservative believers.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning until 11 p.m. Thursday for San Diego County. The warning is for dry lightning likely to come with thunderstorms and gusty winds.

"God In America," a presentation of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, will explore the historical role of religion in the public life of the United States. The six-hour series interweaves documentary footage, historical dramatization and interviews with religious historians. The first hour explores the origins of America’s unique religious landscape, while hour two considers the origins of America’s experiment in religious liberty.

A San Diego theater stages a play about an outsider artist, reminding me of one who lives close by in the California desert. This is the story of our trip to meet Leonard Knight and climb his Salvation Mountain.

The UCSD School of Medicine has rewritten its curriculum for incoming medical students this fall. We discuss how the program has changed, and what motivated the school to change its approach.

From the Miramar Air Show to Oktoberfest in La Mesa and everything in between, we'll talk about events happening throughout San Diego county with our culture scouts.

San Diego's largest book fair boasts readings by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Rae Armantrout and by the fair's founders, local professors Jim Miller and Kelly Mayhew, each of whom have new books.

How many families with children live below the federal poverty threshold? What impact has the recession had on the median income for the county? We analyze the latest U.S. Census Bureau stats on poverty in San Diego.

UCSD beat UCLA and more than 200 other graduate schools for the top five doctoral programs in the nation.

The Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia is visiting San Diego to take part in the annual Gandhi Memorial Lecture at UC San Diego. Ambassador Robert O. Blake Jr. is fresh from addressing the UN General Assembly and busy with preparations for the President Obama's first visit to India.

The Somali terror group al-Shabab has made no secret of its desire to recruit operatives from the U.S. In the final installment of a three-part series, KPBS Investigative Reporter Amita Sharma takes a look at the Al-Qaeda-linked group's strategy to attract Americans fighters. It's an effort that's already allegedly claimed one of San Diego's own.

The San Diego Film Festival (running through October 3 at the Reading Gaslamp Theaters) held its opening festivities last night. Here's a preview of some of the upcoming films. You can also listen to my radio feature.