Monty is a 5-year-old canine officer who took a bullet in the muzzle as he and his handler took part in a shootout in San Diego’s Skyline neighborhood last October.

As a decorated Marine combat veteran of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jake Wood, who was stationed at Camp Pendleton and is a former University of Wisconsin football player, discovered that he and other veterans have the perfect skills to provide global humanitarian disaster relief.

Think origami is just paper planes and cranes? A determined group of theoretical scientists and fine artists has abandoned careers and scoffed at graduate degrees to forge new lives as modern-day paper folders. Together they reinterpret the world in paper, creating a wild mix of sensibilities towards art, science, creativity and meaning.

The American Lung Association says California is doing well in maintaining tobacco smoke-free air. However, the state doesn’t make the grade when it comes to prevention programs and getting people to quit.

In recent weeks, more than 31 million gallons of sewage have spilled across Playas de Tijuana, just south of the border from San Diego. The impact is being felt in both countries. But the damaging delay by Mexican authorities before moving to stop the spill could be an opportunity to improve communication on environmental emergencies.

Created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park"), “Downton Abbey” depicts the lives of the noble Crawley family and the staff who serve them, set at their Edwardian country house in 1912. In this episode, Matthew brings out the bitter rivalry between sisters Mary and Edith. Servants Thomas and O’Brien scheme against Bates. Lady Violet’s winning streak in the flower show is threatened. KPBS will rebroadcast all four episodes from season one starting October 21st through November 11, 2012.

After two weeks of campaigning for his budget proposal, Governor Jerry Brown said he still doesn’t have any Republicans on board.

The average San Diego driver lost 37 hours to traffic congestion in 2009, at a cost of $838, according to a study released today.

San Diegans have adjusted to mandatory water conservation during recent drought years. Now there is a way to save money and conserve water.

In announcing its new healthy food initiative Thursday, Walmart said it would work to bring down the price of fresh produce by reducing costs in areas such as transportation.

The family of a college student fatally stabbing during a fight at San Diego State University filed suit today against former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who cut the prison sentence for one of the defendants from 16 to seven years.

Eat, drink and be extra happy this Culture Lust Weekend as it's San Diego Restaurant Week. In between bites, enjoy a mini music festival at UCSD's Sonic Diasporas or get your feminine fix at Subtext's newest exhibition, "That's What She Said."

NATURE follows local biologists and conservationists, Miriam Supuma and Paul Igag, into the dense, mosquito-ridden forests in their quest to document the mating behaviors of several exceptional and elusive birds of paradise. Their work gives us new insights into the habits and population health of the different species. Working with local tribes, they research which birds of paradise are most in need of protection, and the team is able to work toward curbing the hunting practices that put these delicate birds at risk.

The mother of a 14-year-old boy suspected of working as an assassin for a Mexican drug cartel pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of being a deported alien found in the United States.

Six San Diegans whose extraordinary actions helped others are being honored in a “Salute to Heros” ceremony today.

We'll get some recommendations for your weekend from San Diego Magazine's Erin Chambers Smith, including the best tips for Restaurant Week.

State School Superintendent Tom Torlakson has just started his term in office, and one of his first goals is to sound the alarm. He wants Californians to understand just how badly schools have been affected by three years of deep budget cuts, with possibly more cuts to come. Tom Torlakson will join us in studio and take your calls.

Interviews with a number of nuclear experts suggest that time and again, Iran has been caught failing to mention or concealing activity that could be part of a clandestine weapons program. If, as Iran says, the program is entirely peaceful, goes this argument, why the secrecy?

San Diego blues singer Candye Kane performs excerpts of her new stage show "The Toughest Girl Alive."

Actress Alice Ripley returns to San Diego to reprise her Tony Award-winning role as a mother suffering from bipolar disorder in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "Next to Normal."

One in 10 seniors is a heavy drinker. For most alcoholics, the problem starts in their early 20s, and by their 60s, alcohol has taken its toll. That could have implications for Medicare, as millions of baby boomers enter the system.

Sergio is a 21-year-old college student in San Diego, majoring in business administration. He is openly gay and undocumented, having crossed the border illegally from Mexico with his family when he was 2.