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.

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?

What's going to happen to local real estate prices in 2010? We discuss the latest on the local real estate market with broker Matt Battiata, and talk about the wave of foreclosures that's expected to happen next year.

Why is San Diego considered one of the top beer cities in the world? We speak to Greg Koch, from Stone Brewing Company, and Pizza Port's Jeff Bagby.

After celebrating Veteran's Day, KPBS interviewed some local veterans about what the holiday means to them. The editor's discuss problems with getting services for veterans.

KPBS examines what the historic health care reform bill may mean for local San Diegans.

KPBS Envision Host Joanne Faryon highlights some of the key issues discovered during the two-month investigation into food.

Voice of San Diego reporter Liam Dillon explains the situation with the San Diego Chargers and a new possible downtown site.

What are Fire Chief Javier Mainar's goals for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department? We speak to Mainar about his promotion, and the challenges the fire department faces in these difficult budget times.

How is our food and agriculture system contributing to global warming? What kind of changes need to be made in our food system to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions? We discuss the importance of sustainable food systems.

How will the health care bill that passed in the House on Saturday affect San Diego's uninsured residents? What are the key differences between the House bill and legislation that's being proposed in the Senate? We speak to Gary Rotto, with the Council of Community Clinics, about the latest on national health care reform.

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.

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.

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?

Why do rescued pets seem so well-behaved, and grateful to their owners? Why do the owners of those pound puppies and kitties constantly gush over how great their pet is? We speak to Karin Winegar, author of SAVED: Rescued Animals And The Lives They Transform, about the special connection between a saved animal and their human companion.

What can pet owners do to help prevent their cat or dog from getting a major disease, or expensive medical procedure? We speak to local veterinarian Dr. Katy Allen about the importance of preventive pet medicine.

Herbert Lawrence Block, commonly known as Herblock, received the Pulitzer Prize four times during his 70 year career as a political cartoonist. We speak to Harry Katz about the new book HERBLOCK: The Life and Work of the Great Political Cartoonist. We discuss what made Block's cartoons unique, and the influence he had on politics in Washington, D.C.

Some of the smartest people in the fields of health care and medicine were in San Diego last week to participate in the TEDMED conference held at the Hotel Del Coronado. We speak to the president of TedMed, and one of the local conference participants, about the goals of the conference, and the innovative ideas that were discussed.

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.

Were any breakthroughs made when U.S. and North Korean officials met with other diplomats from Northeast Asia at UC San Diego this week? We speak to the organizer of the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue about the purpose of the meeting, and what came out of the international discussion.

What's it like being a Christian woman living in the Muslim country of Pakistan? We speak to Rubina Feroze Bhatti about the challenges women and Christians face in Pakistan, and what kind of change she hopes to create by sharing these stories.

What's expected to come out of the water legislation hearings taking place in Sacramento this week? Why did a panel of federal judges reject California's prison population reduction plan? We speak to Marianne Russ about the top stories in the state capitol.

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"?

What are the latest threats to the ecosystem of the Amazon Rainforest? We speak to Dr. Mark Plotkin about his efforts to protect the world's largest rainforest, and how the Amazon Conservation Team he co-founded is working to help the tribes who live there.

San Diego County residents have responded to the call to conserve water, and local water district now say they'll ease back on water-use restrictions for the winter. How will the water-use restrictions change because of local conservation efforts? And, could local efforts to conserve lead to higher water rates in the future?

Is the local economy starting to improve, or are more hard times expected in the near future? Why is housing stabilizing, while the commercial real estate market is getting worse? We speak to local experts on the economy and real estate about the latest trends they are seeing.

If the number of people illegally crossing into the United States from Mexico has dropped, then why is the number of border crosser deaths increasing? We discuss the findings from the "Humanitarian Crisis: Migrant Deaths at the U.S.-Mexico Border" report.

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.

Where is climate change currently happening on Earth, and what's causing those changes to occur? We speak to a physicist from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory about where major climate changes are taking place, and how climate modeling helps to predict future changes in our atmosphere.

What will the Chargers need to do to beat the undefeated Broncos on Monday night? Who are the front-runners to be the next Padres General Manager? We speak to Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton about this week's top local sports stories.

Before you install those solar panels, it would be a good idea to have a home energy assessment done on your home. We discuss the importance of energy efficiency, and the most common ways that people waste energy in their homes. And, we'll find out how the City of San Diego's new Clean Generation program might benefit local homeowners.

What should we do to prepare for the next big earthquake that will hit California? We speak to earthquake and disaster preparedness experts about how San Diego could be affected by the next large earthquake to hit the state. We also learn about how people can participate in a statewide earthquake drill happening later in the week.

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.

In the fourth installment of our series on California prisons, we'll be discussing the problems with the parole system, and discussing how to reduce the high recidivism rate through rehabilitation and reentry programs.

What is the Slow Food movement, and how is it hoping to change the food system? We speak to Erika Lesser, with Slow Food USA, and organic gardener Loren Nancarrow about the principles of Slow Food.