San Diego News Now

San Diego news; when you want it, where you want it. Get local stories on politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings. Hosted by Debbie Cruz and produced by KPBS, San Diego and the Imperial County's NPR and PBS station.
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We bring you unofficial results from some of the local, state and national races in the 2024 primary election.
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A new shelter has just opened to help the homeless in North County. In other news, a new Rapid bus line in the South Bay has survived a campaign to get rid of it. Plus, a generation ago, Congress passed the so-called Motor Voter law to reduce barriers to voting, but fast forward to today, voter registration has steadily increased, but turnout remains uneven. We learn more about the law.
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A Navy investigation says negligence by leaders on the USS Boxer led to major delays, delaying the ship’s deployment for more than a year. In other news, the presidential primary election is taking place tomorrow. We have details on how you can still vote. Plus, for many of us, just hearing John Lennon’s name makes dozens of songs come to mind, but what you might not know about Lennon, is that along with the music, there was art. We have details on where you can see that art in San Diego.
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Governor Newsom was in San Diego Thursday, appearing alongside local leaders, to rally support for Proposition 1. In other news, one of our newsroom’s reporters joins the podcast to talk about some of the city of San Diego races on the March 5th primary ballot, and what to expect after the polls close. Plus, Escondido has adopted a new, controversial policy on homelessness. It rejects a housing first model and instead takes what it’s calling a public safety first approach.
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The San Diego County Board of Supervisors this week approved a long-term plan to address migrant services, but there is no funding to put that plan into action. In other news, the city of Vista is working on a cannabis equity policy after the city council reviewed recommendations this week. Plus, there is healing happening right now at one High Tech High campus in Clairemont Mesa. We learn about a new curriculum promoting positive mental health for students.
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The San Diego County Migrant Welcome Center abruptly closed last week. The closure has forced advocates for migrants and asylum seekers to work around the clock. In other news, the Sempra earnings report released yesterday caused a stir among advocates lobbying to replace SDG&E with a municipal utility. Plus, there’s a new classroom on wheels in the San Diego Unified School District. We learn about San Diego's latest food truck.
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The Small Business Administration opened a center Monday in National City to help those recovering from last month's devastating floods. In other news, California is one of eight states joining a federal lawsuit to block the merger of Kroger and Albertsons. Plus, ahead of the March 5 primary election, we learn about the election in San Diego’s District 9, which is arguably the most diverse district in the city, encompassing wealthy neighborhoods like Kensington and financially challenged areas like City Heights.
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San Diego County shut down its Migrant Welcome Center last week, and border officials will now continue to drop migrants off on San Diego streets. In other news, local scientists may have discovered a birth control pill for men. We hear about the science that stopped sperm production in mice. Plus, voters in the city of San Diego have one local ballot measure to consider in the March 5 primary. We learn about how Measure A would impact the office of the city auditor.
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A local community organization that helps mobilize voters is facing added challenges after last month’s flooding. In other news, dozens of students from San Diego Unified high schools have just accepted a challenge to find solutions to critical problems in their communities. Plus, giant pandas could be back at the San Diego Zoo this summer.
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One month ago today, disaster came to San Diego, when a heavy downpour soaked the city. We hear from some of the people who suffered losses from the storm, to see how their recovery is going. In other news, this week KPBS gathered 15 community leaders from across the South Bay at the San Ysidro library to hear what’s top of mind for them as the election approaches. Plus, we hear from a San Diego librarian who’s had to confront attempted censorship.
Debbie Cruz is the local anchor for All Things Considered and the host of the San Diego News Now podcast. Debbie has over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She joined KPBS in 2020.