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Public Safety

Roundtable: California Becomes COVID-19 Hot Spot

A San Diego county employee explains the testing process to a person with an appointment at a San Diego County COVID 19 testing station by the SDCCU Stadium on May 18, 2020.
Matthew Bowler
/
KPBS
A San Diego county employee explains the testing process to a person with an appointment at a San Diego County COVID-19 testing station by the SDCCU Stadium on May 18, 2020.
A recent surge pushes California to the top of the list for new COVID-19 cases, local parents form learning pods to help their kids' virtual education, and how uneven funding in the public justice system creates an advantage for prosecutors.

San Diego Weighs Enforcement Amid COVID-19 Spike

The local COVID-19 caseload hit new highs this week, matching a statewide trend that put California at the top of the list for new daily cases. San Diego County is already on a watch list that limits some indoor businesses and forces schools to stay closed until the situation improves. Local cases would need to decline by roughly half of the current levels to see relief. And soon, the county will roll out a Safe Reopening Compliance Team to monitor adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. KPBS health reporter Tarryn Mento joins us to discuss a busy week.

RELATED: Why One Business Owner Decided To Follow Health Rules While Some Of His Competitors Aren’t

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How Learning Pods Fill In The Educational Gaps As Kids Stay At Home

With schools unlikely to reopen for on-campus learning anytime soon, there is an emerging trend of families forming so-called learning pods to help assist with online education. Kristen Taketa, education reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune, recently met several local families that have formed their own learning pods for a variety of reasons. While the pods help supplement learning, they also raise questions about equity in education and who are able to devote extra resources to help their child.

RELATED: Virtual Learning Vs. Homeschooling: San Diego Parents Choose Between Models Of Learning

Promising Equal Justice With Unequal Funding

The criminal justice system has been under added scrutiny by the protest movement sparked by the killing of George Floyd. Locally, the district attorney's office, which prosecutes local crimes, enjoys a much larger budget than public defenders who represent those who can't afford a private attorney. Jeff McDonald, watchdog reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune, investigated the money discrepancy and how it affects the ability of both sides to serve the public and criminal defendants.

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RELATED: San Diego Police Routinely Blow Past Overtime Budgets

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