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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California has its own connection to the British royal family, along with hundreds of thousands of other expats, Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle and their two children now live in California. We wanted to hear reaction to the queen’s death from former Britons living in San Diego so we reached out to Craig Tolson, President of the House of England at Balboa Park. Then, the killing of a resident at an El Cajon nursing home raises questions about why the facility admitted a patient with a long history of severe psychiatric illness and allowed him to stay even though he had reportedly assaulted other residents. Finally, for our weekend arts preview, we have lots of visual art to tell you about, along with some music and theater to round things out. -
Forecasters say Hurricane Kay is already making its way up the eastern side of Baja and should bring winds and rain to San Diego by Friday. Then, an El Cajon nursing home had such a long record of poor care and abuse that federal officials moved to decertify it in April. But then, to the shock of advocates, they rescinded their order. Next, a former San Diego County Sheriff’s sergeant is being sued over claims of sexual harrassment by two former detectives. And, air conditioning failures and breakdowns have plagued classrooms across the county during the heat wave. Next, California water regulators approved the world's first testing standard for tiny fragments of plastic found in drinking water. Finally, FilmOut, a film festival highlighting LGBTQ movies, returns to San Diego this weekend. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando speaks with filmmaker Carter Smith about his horror film “Swallowed” that screens on Saturday.
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As temperatures linger in San Diego around 90 degrees or higher for another day, being homeless is even more dangerous. And, there are now more people living on the street in downtown San Diego than ever before. Then, following news that Juul labs agreed to pay nearly $440 million to settle claims that it marketed its products to teens, we talk about the health impacts of e-cigarettes. And, the start of a new school year can be especially challenging for students who are visually impaired. KPBS Education Reporter M.G. Perez tells us how their special needs are being met and celebrated. And, in August, California Governor Newsom signed a new law outlining when and why people may be ejected from public meetings. But are these rules still needed since the outbursts triggered by COVID-19 restrictions have faded? Next, during the pandemic, some cities in L.A. have banned rent hikes. But tenants are still getting demands to pay more. In many cases, whether they can fight those rent hikes depends on where they live. Finally, a history lesson on Escondido’s rich agricultural roots, the city’s annual Grape Day Festival is happening this weekend.
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SDG&E’s Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Geraghty, answers questions about why the California heatwave is straining the state’s power grid and why the flex alert is needed and if residents are reducing power use. Then, in the latest twist in the “Fat Leonard” U.S. Navy corruption scandal, federal authorities say Leonard Glenn Francis, escaped house arrest Sunday ahead of sentencing later this month. Plus, Governor Newsom has begun to sign a new package of climate action bills, including one to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. And, details on another bill awaiting the governor’s signature that would require social media platforms to report hate content data and have transparent policies on that data. Finally, September marks the transition between summer and fall, and while the days are not yet getting colder, times of change call for a new soundtrack. KPBS has a playlist of five new songs to discover this month.
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Amid high inflation and looming recession indicators, the U.S. still managed to add three hundred and fifteen thousand jobs during the month of August. And while San Diego continues to boast one of the lowest overall unemployment rates in the country, its overall labor force participation is down. Then, labor unions have won some high-profile victories in the last year. Here in California, but overall union membership dropped slightly last year and some doubt these sporadic victories mark a trend. Next, since the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan last year, some American veterans have been scrambling to help their Afghan allies escape the collapsing country. Though some have succeeded, most have not, and the stress has taken a toll on their health. And, over the course of nearly a decade, Gina Champion-Cain swindled hundreds of millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors in what would be the largest Ponzi scheme in San Diego history. Now, more than 2 years since she pled guilty to her crimes, a new series from the San Diego Union-Tribune looks to tell the rise-and-fall story of Champion- Cain. Also, Live theater in San Diego has had its difficulties getting back up on its feet since the pandemic shutdowns. Local theater companies, large and small, have noted audiences have been slow to return. Then, California has set aside $10 million to help people afford e-bikes - and the group the state has chosen to administer that incentive program is based right here in San Diego. Finally, a new book details the oral history of Comic-Con and the relationships forged at the event.
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The wildfire that began Wednesday in San Diego’s East County near the town of Potrero has charred about 4,400 acres, jumped state route 94 and burned south toward the Tecate area. It destroyed several structures including three homes and two people have been badly burned. In other news, the last days of California’s two-year legislative session ended with a flurry of votes this week. One of the bills that did not make it would have ended the practice of transferring non-citizens to immigration custody when they’re released from jail or prison. And finally in our weekend preview, the musical, “Ragtime,” "Fandango for Butterflies and Coyotes" at the La Jolla Playhouse, ballet at the Mingei from the Rosin Box Project and Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Shell.
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We speak with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria about a ballot measure going before voters in November that could change how we pay for garbage collection, his support of the Midway Rising proposal for that sports arena redevelopment and the city’s homeless outreach efforts. Then while local water managers say San Diego County is mostly protected from the drought that’s squeezing water supplies in the west, if the water levels in Lake Mead continue to decline it could impact San Diego’s water supply. Plus, how a Chicago murder conviction inspired the founding of the California Innocence Project. The 1992 murder conviction against Marilyn Mulero was dismissed by a Chicago judge this month and she was exonerated. Then, communities of color are disproportionately impacted by crime and gun violence -- but those same communities say they’ve been left out of many conversations and programs meant to help victims of crime in California. Finally, the phenomenon of 'RRR.'
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A new report from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography identifies which coastal cliffs are most susceptible to erosion and collapse. Finally, the second annual Afro Con takes place this weekend at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA. The Afrofuturism convention focuses on literature, music, art, and film which incorporate elements of Black history and culture. The wait for an Omicron specific booster vaccine is almost over. The FDA gave emergency use authorization to the booster today and a CDC panel review is scheduled tomorrow. Then, California lawmakers passed a bill that would declare the state a refuge for transgender youth. Next, the Carlsbad city council voted unanimously on Tuesday to ratify a state of emergency in response to a rise in traffic collisions involving bicycles. And, a look into a San Diego County plan to address a shortage of mental health workers. Then, the problem of cliff erosion isn’t unique to San Diego, California has more than eight hundred miles of coastline.
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We speak to Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor who SDSU brought in last fall to speak to male athletes amid allegations of a gang rape by members of the football team. Next, forecasters say we’re in for a long stretch of very hot and unusually humid weather. Highs in the 80s, 90s and even 100s inland will feel even hotter because of the humidity. Plus, lawmakers in Sacramento have to decide on hundreds of bills before this legislative session ends Wednesday at midnight. Later, with the excitement of school starting comes the reality that many children are still feeling the effects of school shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, while they may come marching one by one every summer, the ants you see in your home aren’t native to San Diego. Why reducing outdoor water use will help you get rid of them for good. Finally, two prominent women of color have finally received some long overdue recognition from Hollywood.
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California’s second largest school district, San Diego Unified, welcomed students for what may be the most normal school year since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Then, one of the three former SDSU football players accused of raping a 17-year-old girl during an off-campus party in October, was released by his current NFL team on Saturday. The other two are no longer on the SDSU roster. And, this fall, thousands of young new students are attending school for the first time. But according to county data, very few of them have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. And, as California embarks on a massive expansion of transitional kindergarten, space in after school programs for the newest students is becoming a big problem. Next, its been one year since 13 service members died along with more than a hundred Afghans when a bomb exploded at the Kabul Airport. We bring you a story about how the Marines rescued a group of young female Afghan skateboarders. And, a new book offers Afghan perspectives on America’s longest war.
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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.
