Anyone who has ever gone to Comic-Con knows that comic book fans are obsessive and passionate. One of the things that stems from this are fan videos like the current "X-Men: First Class" opening credits created by fan Joe D!

Budget talks are ongoing at the state and national levels. Now they’re beginning locally. The San Diego City Council got things started Tuesday.

The state Department of Education designated 10 San Diego County middle and high schools as "distinguished schools" today.

This film profiles an inspirational group of people in their 90s and 100s who continue to lead full and passionate lives. The documentary introduces a wide range of engaging characters — from a legendary folk singer to a senior Olympian to a New York City taxi-cab driver. Each interviewee offers pearls of wisdom about achieving and sustaining a happy life, regardless of age.

Renowned artist Vik Muniz journeys from Brooklyn to Brazil and to Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest garbage dump located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There Muniz photographs an eclectic band of catadores — pickers of recyclablematerials — and works with them to “paint” their portraits using garbage.

San Diego city employees reaping more than $100,000 in retirement pay increased 71 percent in 2010 compared to the previous year, a city councilman said today.

Envision San Diego explores whether a new, expensive school can affect the academic outcomes of students in this 30-minute documentary. Lincoln High School is one of the most expensive campuses in the San Diego Unified School District, surrounded by the some of the poorest neighborhoods in southeast San Diego. Join host Joanne Faryon as she asks whether the new Lincoln is a beacon for academic achievement, or an expensive experiment with unrealistic expectations.

Several media outlets are reporting that San Diego-based sailor Benjamin D. Rast was one of the two U.S. servicemembers killed by friendly-fire from a drone in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

A special KQED co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting's California Watch uncovers thousands of school buildings with seismic safety problems, leaving experts, educators and parents wondering whether schools and the children who attend them are as safe as they should be.

Crime victims’ families and victim advocates are calling on California leaders to protect public safety as they balance the budget. Victims and advocates rallied at the Capitol Monday as part of National Crime Victims Rights Week.

From classroom to library to museum to mall, students are claiming digital media as a means of connecting, communicating, creating, and learning. "Digital Media: New Learners Of The 21st Century" explores this burgeoning phenomenon, interpreting its importance and providing a window into 21st-century education.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today honored Father Joe Carroll, who is retiring after decades of helping the region's homeless.

Join geologist Richard Alley as he travels the world, from New Zealand to China, Brazil, Spain and Morocco with stops in New Orleans, Texas and military bases in California. This accurate, understandable and upbeat report on the interconnected stories of humans and fossil fuels, Earth’s climate history and our future energy options will leave you amazed at the beauty and bounty of the planet, inspired by human ingenuity, and optimistic about the future.

Workers at the San Onofre nuclear plant drilled today on shutting down the two reactors and securing the fuel rods as part of a biennial exercise that took on new significance in light of the disaster in Japan.

The new posthumous novel from David Foster Wallace and the critically acclaimed novel from a 26 year old make our guest's suggested reading list.

Atheism, although having a more subtle impact throughout American history, has never been in the forefront of societal discussion. This recently growing popularity of Atheism, or "unbelief," has helped push this quiet minority into greater popularity. We will be providing a spotlight for this movement and show its true nature in the U.S.

What budget cuts are the mayor and city council considering for the new fiscal year? We speak to Katie Orr about the services that could be cut, and how the budget discussion will be different from past years.

An environmental group says the top supermarket chains are doing better in reducing their buying and selling of vulnerable fish. But the retailers could be better.

The Marine Corps wants to expand its base at 29 Palms. The base is already the largest Marine Corps training facility in the world.

California bans smoking in most workplaces, but there are exceptions. A measure in the state senate would close those loopholes.

Making fuel runs through enemy territory is dangerous and expensive. The Marine Corps wants to switch to solar.