One in seven Americans are coping with hunger, according to a new report by the Department of Agriculture. The San Diego Food Bank has doubled its emergency food program since June 2008 to serve 75,594 local families. The editors discuss this new trend.

Next year, the city will face a $200 million shortfall forcing city officials to make difficult decisions about which programs to cut. The editors discuss.

Addressing concerns about the massive budget cuts to the classrooms, SDUSD held its first town hall meeting. KPBS Education Reporter Ana Tintocalis describes how the meeting went and explains possible solutions.

KPBS Senior Metro Reporter Alison St John explains the recent San Diego County Planning Commission hearings on future growth in rural areas.

The City of San Diego will face a record budget deficit next year. The projected deficit, currently estimated to be over $179 million, will force the mayor and city council to make some of their toughest decisions since taking office. How will next June's primary election impact when and where the budget cuts are made?

For the first time since mid-2006, San Diego's median home price showed a year-over-year increase in value. The news that local homes are selling for more than a year ago was hailed by some in the industry as an indication that the housing market is turning around. Has the local real estate market already bottomed-out? And, what's expected to happen with the local housing market in the first half of 2010?

49 million Americans live without access to adequate food, according to a recent Department of Agriculture report. What's the situation like for people here in San Diego? And, what can be done to reduce the number of people who deal with "food insecurity" in our county?

California lawmakers recently approved a 10 percent increase to state taxpayers' witholdings.

Home foreclosures at an all time high, but a new relocation assistance program allows banks to give money to tenants who leave quickly and quietly. KPBS Reporter Sharon Heilbrunn explains the program.

The House and the Senate's health care bills are still being debated in Washington. Both plans have a public option and a vote is expected later this week. The editors discuss.

Even though local farmers produce tons of oranges a year, San Diego residents prefer oranges shipped from other parts of the world.

SDG&E wants to increase rates for customers that use less energy and decrease the rates for those who use the most energy. San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Onell Soto explains the plan.

Why hasn't President Obama hauled people into court who accuse him of outrageous acts? He's been the target of a range of charges including allegations about his birthplace, religion, political affiliations, patriotism, tax policies, terrorism, infanticide and attitude toward seniors.

Even though local farmers produce tons of oranges a year, San Diego residents prefer oranges shipped from other parts of the world.

The House and Senate Democrats have released health care reform bills recently. Although, the bills are very similar, finding agreement on a few of the key differences could take awhile. What are the key elements of the House and Senate bills? And, what are the main areas of disagreement between the plans?

Most workers in California will see a decrease in their next paycheck. The state will add 10 percent to what it already takes from taxpayers in an effort to balance the budget. How will the additional state tax withholdings affect California workers? And, what does this story tell us about the state budget prospects for next year?

San Diego Gas & Electric wants to charge residents who use the least amount of electricity more than those residents who use the most. SDG&E says the proposed rate change will allow the utility to bill customers for the real cost of electricity. How will the rate change affect your utility bills?

As President, Barack Obama is a target for all manner of criticism both political and personal. But when do allegations against the President, or any public figure, cross the line and become libelous? KPBS Political Correspondent Gloria Penner discusses the protections and limits of the First Amendment.

KPBS Investigative Reporter Joanne Faryon traces your beef from the cattle ranches to the feed lots to your dinner plate.

Should San Diego officials be focused on rebuilding the downtown library when the city is facing a $200 million budget deficit? The editors give you the pros and cons of rebuilding the aging main library, and talk about the battle among city councilmembers over the plan.

Is San Diego County better prepared for a wildfire than it was in 2007? We discuss local changes in fire preparedness, and the struggles that fire victims are still dealing with. Plus, what else can our community do to enhance fire protection?

Mayor Jerry Sanders announced this week that the city will modify its water conservation plan for the winter. San Diego residents have conserved more than the city expected, and will not be asked to reduce watering to one day a week. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are discussing ways to improve California's water delivery system, and to prevent the state from going dry.

It’s not hard to understand the desperation Governor Schwarzenegger must be feeling. After all, his approval rating at 27 percent is just five points higher than the 22 percent earned by Governor Gray Davis just before Davis was recalled from office. In fact, the current governor’s disapproval rating at 65 percent is identical to the percentage of Californians who approved of his performance in 2004. What a rapid descent! He certainly didn’t add to his stature this week when he included an encoded vulgar message in his veto letter to a Democratic assemblyman.

A recent drop in poll numbers is showing how disappointed Californians are with Governor Schwarzenegger and the budget cuts he's approved. We'll discuss how those budget cuts are working and if there are any other ways out of California's budget mess.

President Barack Obama hasn't made a decision about whether to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. While the debate continues in Washington, local Marines are preparing for additional deployments to the country. How will the upcoming runoff election in Afghanistan impact the president's decision to send more troops? And, how is the U.S. mission in Afghanistan different from the war in Iraq?

A plan to redesign protected areas and improve conservation along California's coastline has caused a lot of concern within the local commercial fishing industry. Regardless of which marine areas become protected, local fishing profits are predicted to drop by more than 30 percent. We discuss the compelling arguments on both sides of the debate.

San Diego's debate over a program to outsource city services took an interesting turn last week. City Attorney Jan Goldsmith issued a legal opinion where he essentially said the city can outsource services without giving current city departments an opportunity to compete for those jobs. What impact will Goldsmith's recent opinion have on the program that was commonly referred to as "managed competition"?

As I’m writing this, an online news item tells me that two meetings are about to take place in San Diego to discuss what might be in the city’s future. One deals with municipal bankruptcy. That’s not my subject today. The other envisions three new municipal developments – huge, luxurious, and paid for by public funds. That interests me since those are the same three proposals that could provide the answer to San Diego’s growing homeless problem.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bills recognizing some out-of-state same-sex marriages, and establishing a Harvey Milk Day in the state. What motivated the governor to sign the gay rights legislation? And, will President Barack Obama soon overturn the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy?

Local housing prices remained flat in September. Some analyst say the worst is behind us, while others predict more tough times ahead. How will the nation's unemployment rate affect the housing market over the next year? And, what's causing the commercial real estate market to struggle?

San Diego County public health officials say the best way to prevent against getting infected with the H1N1 influenza virus is to get vaccinated. County officials made that announcement on Wednesday, following the news that a 5-year-old girl from Otay Mesa died from swine flu last week.

KPBS investigative reporter Amita Sharma examines reasons for high diabetes rates in National City.

The San Diego City Council appointed an 11-member task force to develop regulations for local medical marijuana dispensaries. What kind of regulations need to be implemented to ensure that local medical marijuana laws are enforces properly?

The City of San Diego is facing a $179 million budget deficit, and Mayor Jerry Sanders says "everything is on the table" when it comes to cuts to reduce the debt. What programs or services are likely to be cut?

What needs to be done to fix California's prison crisis? The state's prisons are overcrowded, and the recidivism rate is the highest in the nation. We discuss the major challenges California faces in trying to reduce the overcrowding, and improve rehabilitation in the state correctional system.

Last week, one of my guests on San Diego Week, the TV program I host, took aim at the media’s “conservative white talk show hosts,” Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Her complaint was that their inflammatory rhetoric contributed to the recent escalation in hate crimes in the U.S. After the show, I was approached – or perhaps reproached is a better word here - by a long-time associate who complained that the critical remarks about Limbaugh and Beck were unfair since both men were doing the nation a service. They were warning us about the danger of socialism taking over the federal government.

The NFL season is underway, and the conversation about where the Chargers will play football in the future has been renewed.

Hate crimes are on the rise nationally and there are several hate groups are active in the East County, according to a representative from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The poverty rate in San Diego is rising faster than in the state, and the rest of the nation. According to recent Census Bureau data, more than 360,000 local individuals live in poverty.

It happened to me a few days ago and was totally unexpected. There, in my daily mail stack of incredibly boring bills, coupon offers, and disgustingly early holiday catalogues, was a goldenrod envelope, addressed to me and warning me in large-font bold letters: “DO NOT DESTROY.” The Republican National Committee had sent me, according to the return address, the 2009 Obama Agenda Survey.

Mailers from political parties asking for your opinion are often just thinly disguised attempts at fundraising. But some recent "surveys" may have gone over the line in partisan political distortion. KPBS Political correspondent Gloria Penner talks with a real pollster to find out more about these fundraising techniques.

It's a mixed bag for small businesses in San Diego. Some small businesses are opening up with renewed confidence that the economy will improve, while other longtime businesses are closing down for good. We'll learn how businesses in the Uptown area of San Diego are faring, and compare that to what's happening in other local neighborhoods.

Mayor Jerry Sanders called on the eight San Diego City Council members to propose sites for a winter homeless shelter in their districts, but none of the council members complied. Why didn't the council members comply with the mayor's request?

The national scandal involving ACORN, the community organizing group accused of giving advice to potential criminals, continued to heat up this week. Conservative lawmakers and pundits around the country are calling for ACORN's federal funding to be cut, and for an investigation into alleged irregularities on thousands of voter-registration cards submitted by the organization.

This is not in defense of ACORN, and I want to be clear about that. A 40-year-old community organization with 1,200 chapters across 40 states and more than 400,000 member families should have more principle, professionalism and savvy than several of its employees apparently demonstrated recently in at least five different cities.

An organization that's been a target of right-wing criticism for a long time has now been hit with a major scandal. KPBS Political Correspondent Gloria Penner explains the problems facing the social activist group ACORN.

Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more U.S. combat troops are needed to accomplish our goals in Afghanistan. President Obama responded by saying he will not be rushed into a decision over whether to send more troops.

Mayor Sanders encouraged San Diego to move forward with $1.6 billion in building projects that include a new City Hall, a new library downtown, and an expansion of the convention center. Why does the mayor believe these projects will help San Diego become a "great city"?

Have we seen the worst of this economic recession, or are more difficult times ahead? President Barack Obama says the worst of the recession is behind us, but more financial regulations are needed to prevent future crises.

Illicit or unsavory sex committed by public political figures is not a modern or strictly American phenomenon. But there’s something about what’s going on with U.S. politicians recently that feels more disturbing than simply caving into carnal temptations.