An end to affirmative action on college campuses

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, June 30th.

How ending affirmative action impacts colleges here. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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Veterans in the region who are experiencing homelessness or veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless can now get more help to re-enter the workforce.

The U-S Department of Labor yesterday announced Vietnam Veterans of San Diego and Able-Disabled Advocacy each received around 500-thousand-dollars in funding.

The money comes from the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program.

It provides three years of funding to groups that help homeless veterans or veterans at risk of falling into homelessness.

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Local elected officials got mostly passing marks on the region’s second ever environmental report card for politicians.

The review measured votes on key environmental issues in front of the San Diego city council and county board of supervisors.

As and Bs dominated the report card with just one failing grade for former city council member Chris Cate.

Supervisor Terra Lawson Remer got an A for the second year in a row.

“We must strive to keep sustainability at the forefront of all that we do in San Diego County. ”

The evaluation considered votes on fossil fuels, budgets and climate action.

One environmental advocate said the region is falling behind on climate action, despite the relatively good marks.

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As we head into the 4th of July weekend, we will feel the summer heat!

Forecasters say we can expect the hottest weather so far this year.

Temps are expected to peak into the high 70s today and all weekend.

The National Weather Service also issued an excessive heat warning for desert areas, from 11 a-m tomorrow, through 8 p-m Monday.

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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

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The Supreme Court ruling to end affirmative action on college campuses will impact some universities here in the county.

Education reporter M.G. Perez has more.

This U-S Supreme Court ruling ending the use of race in admission decisions…will directly impact private universities including Point Loma Nazarene and the University of San Diego. California has had a ban on affirmative action in public universities since 1996…and that ban has held up through legal challenges. On the USD campus…there is support for students who are living at a systematic disadvantage when applying for college. Sasha is an incoming senior “that has just been perpetuated over time…so I think that is something that should be considerate at a state level if the U.S. Supreme Court isn’t supporting that.” U-S-D President James Harris released a written statement that said in part: “USD has a long-standing commitment to inclusiveness, diversity, and opportunity for all, and will continue to pursue these ideals within the bounds of the law." MGP KPBS News.

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The California Task Force on reparations submitted its final report to the state legislature.

Reporter Katie Hyson looked into the recommendations.

The room cheered as task force members held up more than 1,000 pages of recommendations for how to compensate the descendants of enslaved people in California. Not just for slavery, but for the ripples of harm that continue today. . . . the school to prison pipeline, extreme poverty, homelessness, gentrification, wealthlessness . . .That’s task force chair Kamila Moore, who says the Supreme Court ruling overturning affirmative action will not affect these recommendations. Because they’re not based on race, but on lineage. The task force suggested a formula for how much to pay each person  – which could be more than a million dollars. And dozens of wide-ranging policy recommendations, including to make election day a paid holiday. Give property tax relief. And abolish the death penalty. They did not advise how the state should afford it, but task force vice-chair Amos Brown had one suggestion. Where I come from in Mississippi they have what you call a layaway plan. It is now up to state lawmakers to decide how to respond to these recommendations. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.

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A group of San Diego women decided to climb Africa's tallest mountain this year.

But as reporter Maya Trabulsi reports, what sets these women apart is their will to fight against stereotypes to realize their goal.

At Sharp Rees Stealy in Rancho Bernardo, Julie Boorman gets ready to see her next patient…as a mammographer for more than 35 years, she knows most women above a certain age have an uncomfortable familiarity with the mammography machine, but time and  again, She’s seen it save lives. I know I'm doing something important. And it’s the uncertainty of life that inspired her to set off on her own goals -  zeroing in on a particularly lofty one. “The bucket list item was ready to be checked off.” The idea came about during COVID, when connecting with others was difficult.  Hiking was one of the few joys Boorman and her friends could share. Together, 11 of them made a pact to climb Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge…“all of them were over 58 years old. So the range was 58 to 66.”  Anita Mahafee says climbing Mount KJ had always been on her bucket list, and was astonished to learn   her friends shared the same goal. I decided I had to do it before I got too old. We did it. And every single one of them, once they signed up, they did not back down. The group called themselves the KiliQueens. Well, that was a nickname we gave ourselves and I think it was a badge of honor. They joined Kiliwarrior, a Canadian climbing outfitter, and spent months building up their strength and endurance by taking smaller, but progressively challenging hikes, including San Diego’s 6 peak challenge. And then in February 2023, the group set out for Tanzania. One of the guides said, you should be in the Guinness Book of World Records. And I think part of it was because I only have one eye. So climbing killy is challenging, but with one eye, it was even more challenging because you don't have the depth perception. Everything kind of looks flat. But you know what they also said? Dig deep, dig deep. And dig deep they did.  She says it was 6 days of fun and 3 days of pure hell.  With critical support  from the porters, hired by their outfitter to guide their trek, as well as to carry 40 pounds of gear, per person, up the mountain.  Boorman says the climb was, partly, for friends and patients who fought breast cancer. “You know we did these things for them, too.” The porters wore pink ribbons in solidarity.  The group took a route called the Western Breech, scrambling over ice, steep terrain and rocks. It was the longest, most difficult route of Kilimanjaro, but it was also the longest, so it gave us more time to acclimatize. Eventually, they reached the slowly receding Fertwangler Glacier, which is expected to be completely melted by the year 2050.  As the group continued their ascent the porters kept track of their oxygen levels, testing their cognitive function with small tasks like tying their shoelaces. “We knew we had to go slowly. And in Swahili there are three words that is repeated over and over and it's pole, pole, pole - go slowly.”  The slower pace is part of the success rate of summiting.  Even so, none of them escaped the dreaded altitude sickness. “The mountain decides. You don't decide. The mountain decides whether you're going to go up or not.” And the mountain decided that 3 of the women should not ascend further. And it wasn't their choice. It was the outfitter that said, if you go up, you're going to die.” 9 of the women made it to the top, but all agree it was the journey to get there, and the ensuing bond that formed among the entire group, that mattered the most. For the first time since their trek 2 months prior, the Kiliqueens met again, this time at lower elevation in Scripps Ranch.  Breaking bread together and processing the surreal experience of their hike - with 2 members of their group joining via Zoom. cheers cheers cheers It took a mountain for us to just go slow. I think there are some women that don't think they can but they can.  If i had a message in what all of us want to convey it would be that, that you actually can.  There's nothing stopping you, at all.  It's all in your head. “You are as young as you will ever be right now. And the minute you say you're old, is when you're old.” And for Julie Boorman, who has spent her career protecting women against one of life’s uncontrollable variables, she says setting goals does not have to be setting sights on summiting a mountain like the Kiliqueens, but simply pushing yourself to meet desired challenges despite age, gender, or ability.  Maya Trabulsi KPBS News Boorman: And Just put one foot in front of the other.  

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Coming up.... Our KPBS arts producer rounds up some arts events happening this weekend. We’ll have that and more, just after the break.

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Police and lifeguards say they’re expecting hundreds of thousands of people to be out at the beaches for the 4th of July holiday.

At Mission Beach yesterday, their focus was on staying safe.

Police are reminding people that all “personal use” fireworks are illegal in the county.

No alcohol or glass bottles on the beach.

Wood fires are only allowed in city fire pits.

No motorized bikes or scooters are allowed on boardwalks.

And when it comes to personal watercraft, San Diego Police Captain Erwin Manansala says you should only rent from reputable, established businesses.

“We don't exactly recommend renting from the websites or anything like that.  you’re not quite sure if they have all their paperwork and everything in order.  so, it’s always safest to do it from one of the licensed businesses here in mission beach or mission bay.”

San Diego lifeguards conduct about seven-thousand rescues every year.

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And as we get into the 4th of July weekend, it’s important to remember that the noise from fireworks shows and even neighborhood firecrackers can be frightening for our pets.

Reporter John Carroll says the San Diego Humane Society has some good advice for keeping them safe.

Some pets will escape this 4th of july.  the humane society’s jordan frey says some dogs and cats will do everything they can to run away if they’re spooked by loud noises.  she says it’s important that all pets are microchipped, so their human companions can be quickly located if they show up at the humane society.  but she has some advice for making a safe room to prevent that from happening in the first place. “you want to have their favorite beds and toys.  you want to make sure that you have some treats or enrichment in there for them to keep their mind busy.  maybe put on some light music.” the humane society is microchipping pets for free through july 2nd.  jc, kpbs news.

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There's a new work of art in San Diego to put on your summer bucket list.

A painting by notable black American artist Kehinde Wiley is now on view at the Timken Museum.

It's there through a partnership with the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art.

Arts producer and editor Julia Dixon Evans has more.

This Kehinde Wiley painting is huge, and eye-catching even from far away as you enter the Timken's galleries. In a golden frame, on a  vivid, almost psychedelic background, a Black man wearing modern clothing rides a white horse. The horse is rearing up, and the man looks back over his shoulder. Wiley skyrocketed to national recognition after he painted the national portrait of President Obama. "This is American history." Gaidi Finnie is the executive director of the San Diego Museum of African American Fine Art. "He's like, We believe the Black American or Black Rock Star artist." Wiley takes traditional 17th century paintings and replaces the characters with Black models and people of color — He's rewriting history, and reclaiming concepts of heroism and glory. The Timken is always free to the public. That's also fundamental to the mission of the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art. It's a museum without a physical space, so they rely on collaborations with other museums. Their aim is to get important Black art in front of as many people as possible. The painting will be on view at the Timken through next May. JDE, KPBS News.

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And before you go… Julia Dixon Evans also shares her top picks for arts events happening this weekend.

There are acrobatics, the six wives of Henry the 8th and even a special "book tasting."

She shared the details with my colleague Jade Hindmon.

Let's talk about this new show opening at The Old Globe, called "Passengers." This doesn't seem like theater as we know it… There's dance and acrobatics, and I'm getting a Cirque du Soleil vibe.  What can you tell us?

TAG: That was KPBS arts editor and producer, Julia Dixon Evans, speaking with KPBS Midday Edition host, Jade Hindmon.

You can find details on these — and more arts events, at KPBS dot ORG slash ARTS.

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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is produced by KPBS Producer Emilyn Mohebbi and edited by KPBS Senior Producer Brooke Ruth. Join us again Monday, and let's start the new week together, with the top local news, plus, we have details on some of the firework shows happening across the county for the 4th of July. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great and safe holiday weekend.