
Midday Edition uplifts voices in San Diego with fearless conversations about intriguing issues. Host, Jade Hindmon, cuts through the noise with questions that give listeners a deeper understanding of themselves, people and the community they live in. Guests share diverse perspectives from their expertise and lived experience. In a city and world that's rapidly changing, Jade’s interviews inspire, inform and make you think. Midday Edition airs Monday - Thursday 12pm - 1pm and again from 8pm - 9pm. You can also catch the show anytime on all podcast apps.
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Despite the confirmed presence of the new Omicron strain, President Biden indicated in today that new lockdowns or federal mandates will not be a part of the plan to fight the virus. Plus, scientists at UCSD are now using wastewater to detect the presence of the Omicron variant early. Then, the December nights celebration takes place in Balboa Park this weekend - but just like last year the event will be an in-car drive-through experience with food vendors and entertainment. Also, community college students are among those most in need of food donations. Later, California rules meant to protect outdoor workers from the dangers of wildfire smoke are almost never enforced. Lastly, for the first time since early 2020, the San Diego band Baby Bushka will return to the stage, playing a show at the Casbah this Saturday night.
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Mississippi state law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy is the biggest threat to legal abortion in decades, many legal experts say. Could the case have implications here in California? Plus, a review of death certificates in San Diego County show the wide disparities in who died from COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic. Also, when police officers shoot a suspect, those officers are often questioned more leniently than the people they shoot, a KPBS investigation found. Meanwhile, a San Diego case is the first to test a state law banning discrimination of hairstyles associated with race in the workplace. And, some insults, disputed statistics and bad feelings have surrounded a redistricting controversy in Torrey Hills and Mira Mesa. Finally, from the archive, elephants have a multi step greeting ritual. What can we take away from knowing about animal rituals like this one?
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San Diego City Council on Monday overwhelmingly reaffirmed Mayor Todd Gloria’s coronavirus vaccine mandate plan for city workers. City workers will have to show proof of full vaccination by Tuesday or face consequences. Plus, two lots being offered for redevelopment in downtown San Diego may turn an eyesore into a new model for affordable housing. Also, it’s Giving Tuesday and we wanted to tell you about a program helping the unsheltered and the incarcerated. And, as the Biden administration is preparing to reinstate the Trump-era “Remain-in-Mexico” program in the coming weeks, migrants and their advocates in Tijuana are split about what to do. Finally, in the latest episode of the KPBS Port of Entry podcast, host Alan Lillienthal introduces us to the podcast's new co-host, Natalie Gonzalez.
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First detected in South Africa, the omicron variant could be more contagious and resistant to the vaccine, but researchers say much remains to be learned about this latest coronavirus variant. Plus, an appeals court has temporarily halted San Diego Unified’s vaccine mandate. Also, records show there’s a vast disparity in where police shootings occur. They tend to happen more in communities where more Black and Latino people live. And, UC and CSU applications are due tomorrow, but as with many things during the pandemic, things look a bit different this year. For one, SATs and ACTs are no longer required. Finally, in this excerpt from the Cinema Junky podcast, host Beth Accomando and guest Nora Fiore look past the iconic femme fatale character type to explore the diversity of women in noir.
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There’s a new grant program in San Diego that aims to help close the racial wealth gap, and KPBS Race and Equity reporter Cristina Kim caught up with the first recipient. Plus, Comic-Con has canceled two in-person shows because of the pandemic, but today it returns to in-person events with what it is calling Comic-Con Special Edition. And, this weekend in the arts you can lose yourself in contemporary art, electroacoustic music and Palestinian poetry.
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With many families gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, health officials continue to urge Americans to get fully vaccinated, which includes a booster shot six months after the initial vaccination. Plus, for decades in San Diego and across the U.S., housing deeds with racist restrictions blocked people of color from buying or renting homes, how one San Diego family pushed back. And, as families gather (many the first time in two years), maybe you need to freshen up your Turkey Day game. Chef Brandon Sloan from Pendry Hotels answers listeners' questions and gives out tips to make your Thanksgiving meal a feast.
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The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for employees at large businesses is currently on hold as it makes its way through the courts. Plus, after serving in the interim, Cynthia Paes has been officially named as the county’s next registrar of voters. Also, a controversial Trump-era policy aimed at keeping refugees out of the U.S. during the pandemic is being continued by the Biden administration. Meanwhile, Southwestern College has been named a 2021 Equity Champion of Higher Education, getting more Black and Latinx students to continue their degrees at a four-year university. And, next season a new professional sports team will call San Diego home. Finally, what to expect from Comic-Con Special Edition this weekend.
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San Diego's biggest expansion of public transit in more than 15 years is now up and running, but there are still issues accessing the new line. Plus, public health officials say there’s a disparity in who’s getting the COVID-19 booster shot. Also, an audit of the San Diego Regional Crime Laboratory has revealed major lapses in security and testing protocols over the past several years that could call into question the credibility of evidence used in previous criminal cases. Meanwhile, universal preschool is coming to California in 2025, but some believe it could have disastrous consequences for child care centers and families seeking early care, with the impact falling hardest on communities of color. And, with the proliferation of e-scooters and bikes, we take a look at the city of San Diego’s permitting system and how it plans to limit the number of operators and e-devices. Finally, with Comic-Con Special Edition happening this Friday, KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando talks to a comic book store to find out how it has been impacted by the pandemic.
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Democrats in the House are taking a victory lap today, celebrating the passage of the two trillion dollar Build Back Better social services bill. Plus, we bring you the third and final part of KPBS’s three-part series on racial covenants. KPBS Race and Equity Reporter Cristina Kim examines how people are reconciling the legacy of racial restrictions. And, in the arts this weekend, there is a new play about Van Gogh, visual art recommendations, an intimate opera performance, and even a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book reading.
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The city's mandatory deadline for its employees to receive their first COVID-19 vaccination was Wednesday. Some police officers have objected to the requirement. Plus, last week the U.S. border opened for travelers vaccinated against COVID-19, but not for asylum seekers. Then, the analysts at the Automobile Club of Southern California say this Thanksgiving will be the second busiest on record in our area, just 3% lower than the all-time high of 2019. And, part two of KPBS' three part series on racial covenants looks at Rancho Santa Fe. Also, San Diego’s landfills are leaking planet-warming methane, just like the big energy corporations. Finally, we hear from one of San Diego's great black musicians - Jazz soloist Rebecca Jade.
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Midday Edition Team

Jade Hindmon
Host
Jade Hindmon is the host of KPBS Midday Edition. She connects San Diego through fearless conversations that inform, inspire and make you think. Prior to Midday Edition Jade was a reporter and fill-in anchor in the KPBS newsroom covering everything from politics to policing and the economy. Her award winning work spans network affiliates across the southeast and midwest. As a very proud Rattler, Jade studied broadcast journalism and political science at Florida A&M University. She takes a special interest in topics about democracy, accountability, racial justice, science and wellness.

Brooke Ruth
Senior Producer
Brooke Ruth is the senior producer for KPBS Radio News. She previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and a web producer. Before joining KPBS, Brooke was a web editor for four newspapers and a local television station. She began her career in news at the Imperial Valley Press. She has also been part of the web teams at the Napa Valley Register, North County Times, and U-T San Diego. While pursuing her undergraduate degree at UCLA in psychology, she worked on the student newspaper, the Daily Bruin.

Andrew Bracken
Producer
Andrew Bracken, KPBS Midday Edition and Roundtable producer & host of podcasts "My First Day" & "San Diego Conversations," made "Facing North," a docu-web series on San Diego-Tijuana ties, released on PBS in 2017. He's a San Diego Foundation Creative Catalyst fellow & a San Diego Film Award winner. He drums in his spare time.

Ashley Rusch
Producer
Ashley Rusch is a producer for KPBS Midday Edition. Before joining KPBS, she was an associate producer at LAist 89.3, where she worked on AirTalk with Larry Mantle, Weekend Edition and All Things Considered. At UC Santa Barbara, Ashley led KCSB-FM’s news coverage through the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also a news intern at KCBX in San Luis Obispo. Ashley grew up in South Pasadena, California.

Julianna Domingo
Producer
Julianna Domingo is a producer for KPBS Midday Edition. Before joining the station, Julianna worked at CalMatters as a College Journalism Network Fellow where she reported on higher education across the state. She got her start in journalism at The Triton, an independent student newspaper at UC San Diego. Julianna graduated from UC San Diego with a major in political science and a minor in communications.

Brandon Truffa
Media Production Specialist
Prior to joining the KPBS Midday team in 2024, Brandon worked as a board operator and producer with The Mighty 1090 in San Diego, and executive producer and sound editor at FOX Sports Radio in Los Angeles. He's a San Diego native and graduate of San Diego State University. In his spare time he enjoys watching sports, going to comedy shows and hanging out with his cats and dogs.

Ben Redlawsk
Media Production Specialist
Ben Redlawsk is a media production specialist for KPBS radio. He provides technical direction for KPBS “Morning Edition” and assists with “KPBS Midday Edition” and “KPBS Roundtable” through audio editing and recording. He got his start in radio as head audio engineer at KSDT, UC San Diego’s student-run radio station. Ben graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary computing and the arts with an emphasis in music technology.