Brace yourself for heat all this week
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH>>>> [ WHEN WILL SAN DIEGO COUNTY GET SOME RELIEF FROM THIS HEAT ? ]More on that next. But first... the headlines….########
YESTERDAY’S, SUPREME COURT RULING ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS COULD IMPACT HOW MILLIONS OF AMERICANS VOTE IN THE UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTION
THE 6 TO 3 DECISION SIDES WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION; ALLOWING IT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO RESTRICT MAIL-IN BALLOTS
HOWEVER, IT STILL LEAVES ROOM FOR MORE LEGAL CHALLENGES TO ARISE…
THE COURT’S DECISION ONLY APPLIES TO WHETHER STATES HAVE THE LEGAL STANDING TO CHALLENGE TRUMP’S ORDER, NOT ON THE LEGALITY OF THE ORDER ITSELF
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER SIGNED IN MARCH CALLS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO CREATE LISTS OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS AND FOR THE POSTAL SERVICE TO ONLY DELIVER BALLOTS TO THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE LIST
CALIFORNIA WAS ONE OF 23 STATES THAT SUED TO BLOCK THE ORDER. IN RESPONSE TO TODAY’S SUPREME COURT RULING, GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM SAYS THE STATE INTENDS TO SUE AGAIN. AND TO PASS LEGISLATION TO PROTECT CALIFORNIA VOTERS RIGHTS.
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FOLLOWING A LA JOLLA RESIDENT’S GUILTY PLEA ON CHARGES OF VIOLATING THE MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT, LA JOLLA VILLAGE NEWS IS ASKING WHETHER LA JOLLA COVE SHOULD CLOSE TO PROTECT SEA LIONS.
SEA LIONS ARE FEDERALLY PROTECTED, BUT LOCAL PARK RANGERS STILL HAVE TO USE MEGAPHONES TO WARN PEOPLE AWAY FROM BOTHERING THEM
THE SEAL SOCIETY OF SAN DIEGO IS CALLING ON THE CITY TO PROTECT THE MAMMALS… AND 28-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED A CHANGE-DOT-ORG PETITION CALLING FOR THE LA JOLLA CHILDREN’S POOL BEACH TO BE CLOSED.
AND, ACCORDING TO LA JOLLA VILLAGE NEWS, THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION AND THE NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION ARE BOTH TALKING WITH THE CITY ABOUT WAYS TO PROTECT THE SEA LIONS
A FORMAL BEACH CLOSURE IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE A LAST RESORT
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THREE MORE BELUGA WHALES ARRIVED AT SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO OVER THE WEEKEND FROM A CLOSED MARINE PARK IN CANADA
SEAWORLD SAYS THE THREE MALE BELUGAS–XAVIER, CYPRUS AND JASPER– WERE MOVED TOGETHER QUOTE BECAUSE OF THEIR EXISTING SOCIAL BOND AS BELUGA WHALES ARE A HIGHLY SOCIAL SPECIES
THE TRIO WILL NOW JOIN OTHERS FROM THE CANADIAN PARK , WHICH COULD NO LONGER AFFORD TO CARE FOR THEM.
SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO HAS SAVED 12 BELUGAS SO FAR. IT’S ONE OF THE ACCREDITED AQUARIUMS AROUND THE WORLD WHICH HAVE SAVED 22 IN TOTAL
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WALLET HUB SAYS CALIFORNIA IS THE MOST FUN STATE IN AMERICA !
THE PERSONAL FINANCE SITE LISTED CALIFORNIA FIRST OVERALL IN THEIR 2026 ‘MOST FUN STATES TO VISIT IN AMERICA’ RANKINGS
C-A RANKED FIRST IN SEVERAL CATEGORIES, INCLUDING ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION.
WALLET HUB ALSO SAYS CALIFORNIA HAS THE MOST SCENIC BYWAYS PER CAPITA IN THE NATION
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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IT’S NOT COOLING DOWN ANYTIME SOON. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY THROUGH TUESDAY FOR INLAND AREAS AND A HEAT WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY FOR ALL OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
ALONG WITH THE HIGH DAYTIME TEMPS, METEOROLOGISTS EXPECT MANY PARTS OF THE REGION TO BREAK RECORDS FOR HOW WARM IT STAYS OVERNIGHT
CARLOS GOULD IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT UC SAN DIEGO. HE SAYS THESE LINGERING HEAT WAVES CAN PUT A LOT MORE PEOPLE AT RISK.
HEAT 2A 00:13
“If you're experiencing heat for the first time, because you're living in an area that it was all of a sudden getting these heat waves, maybe you're not well prepared. Maybe you haven't really, you know, maybe we haven't encoded that decision: When it's hot outside, I stay inside.”
FORECASTERS SAY TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLIGHTLY COOLER STARTING SATURDAY
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THE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL HAS OFFICIALLY REPEALED A 20-22 BALLOT MEASURE THAT ALLOWED TALLER BUILDINGS IN THE MIDWAY DISTRICT.
METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS THE MEASURE WAS ALREADY INVALIDATED BY A JUDGE.
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HEIGHTREPEAL 1 (ab) 0:46 soq
AB: In 2022, a slim majority of voters said "yes" to exempting the Midway District from San Diego's 30-foot coastal height limit. It was the second time voters approved such a measure. And both times, a judge overturned the election's outcome. Councilmember Jen Campbell said she disagreed with the ruling, but…
JC: Our case was not taken by the Supreme Court, and so we're stuck with what the Superior Court ruled. And we must abide by the court's writ of mandate, because we believe in following the law."
AB: The uncertainty around Midway's height limit has impacted the city's plans to redevelop the 48-acre Sports Arena property. That project may need intervention from state lawmakers to reach final approval. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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RECENT POLICY CHANGES FROM THE PENTAGON SHOW SENIOR LEADERSHIP ARE PRIORITIZING GROOMING STANDARDS — ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SHAVING.
MILITARY REPORTER ANDREW DYER SAYS THE NEW SHAVING RULES DISPROPORTIONATELY THREATEN THE CAREERS OF BLACK MEN IN UNIFORM.
NOBEARDS (ad) (4:45) SOQ
New Pentagon rules are targeting troops with shaving waivers, sometimes called shave profiles.
Since the 19-80s most men in uniform have been required to be clean shaven. That means a close shave every morning.
But for a lot of men that’s just not possible. Multiple studies have shown a condition called Pseudofolliculitus Barbae, or P-F-B, can affect up to 80% of Black people.
Doctor Swati Kannan is a dermatologist at UC San Diego.
Doctor.mp4: 00;34;19 - 00;45;20
Dr. Swati Kannan
Pseudofolliculitus Barbae, or PFB is actually a very common condition that affects ethnic population. And because we have such a big ethnic population in San Diego, we see this condition pretty commonly.
The condition affects people with coarse and curly facial hair. After shaving their hair regrows into their skin.
Dr. Kannan’s concerned service members could harm themselves by shaving just to stay in the military. That could have long term consequences.
Doctor.mp4: 01;34;11 - 01;51;04
Dr. Swati Kannan
it can cause severe disfigurement, scarring, sometimes keloid scarring that requires that require surgery to remove. And it can be pretty not only cosmetically disfiguring, but can also be symptomatic and painful. And so in that patient population, it's a huge deal,
Service members with the condition can be exempted from shaving every day.
A 20-23 Air Force study found 65 percent of people with shaving profiles were Black.
NATPOP
It’s a sweltering summer afternoon at the Cuttn Edge barber shop on El Cajon Boulevard.
Owner Tony Ganaway invites me in to enjoy the air conditioning.
He’s familiar with military grooming standards. He’s cut hair up and down the ranks.
TonyG.mp4: 00;31;12 - 00;40;15
Throughout the years I've cut so many military clients that if you are an E five and under, I sometimes know your job better than yourself.
Ganaway’s been a licensed barber for almost 20 years and owned his own shop since 20-13.
He’s also Black. He says he doesn’t shave because if he did he’d also struggle with PFB.
TonyG.mp4: 05;25;07 - 05;43;12
you know, for people that do not have those issues, they don't know what it feels like to have your face like it's on fire, it's itching. You know.
It all depends. When when it's at its worst, it's almost like a cat just gnawing at your skin at all times. And it's something that makes it even harder to even focus,
So what’s behind the changes at the Pentagon? An August 20-25 memo instructs leaders to start kicking out anyone with a shave profile that lasts longer than 12 months.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brought it up during his speech to military leaders in September.
Hegseth.mp4: 21;15;11 - 21;24;22
Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary (date: Sept. 30, 2025)
the era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos. The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done.
This summer there’s been renewed emphasis on the issue. Each branch is out with its own policies on the shaving waivers.
Troops are to undergo treatment in three-month blocks if issued an exemption. If they are unable to shave daily after 12 months, commanders are to process them for administrative separation.
The waivers aren’t uncommon across the military for Black men.
Carlos_2401.mxf: 13;25;21;19 - 13;25;26;05
Bob Muth
it's not an unusual thing. When I was on active duty, we always would have Marines who had shave waivers.
Attorney Bob Muth was a judge advocate general in the Marines – a military lawyer. Today he’s a law professor and the vice dean at the University of San Diego School of Law.
Carlos_2401.mxf:13;32;00;40 - 13;32;05;55
Bob Muth
I think what's unusual about this is the the severity or importance of this just seems minimal.
Carlos_2401.mxf: 13;26;14;06 - 13;26;21;23
Bob Muth
So clearly there will be a severe disparate impact on African American service members. They make up the vast majority of shave waivers.
Dr. Kannan says the military’s treatment plan is flawed — there’s no cure for PFB
Doctor.mp4: 04;15;23 - 04;29;06
Dr. Swati Kannan
it's not a problem we know with hygiene or it's not a problem with medications. It's really a biology problem. So the biology is curly hair that reenters the skin because of shaving.
Doctor.mp4: 04;33;24 - 04;40;16
The cure is to not shave. So that really is the solution to P FB.
Ganaway – the barber – says there are things to do to minimize the effects, like using hot towels and never shaving hair down to the skin.
TonyG.mp4: 06;05;09 - 06;19;19
First thing I recommend for a person with sensitive skin that has to shave is using only the trimmers getting close down to the skin, as well as using what's called a shaver and not a razor.
Muth thinks a legal challenge based on racial discrimination is unlikely to be successful. He envisions a more subtle solution.
Carlos_2401.mxf: 13;28;14;20 - 13;28;19;39
Bob Muth
I think what you'll see is a lot of service members trying to do everything I can to kind of stall the process.
Carlos_2401.mxf: 13;28;27;02 - 13;28;37;27
And it's also possible that a different secretary will come along who will have a different view on the importance of beards. It seems like this is something that's uniquely important to Secretary Hegseth,
Pentagon leadership might be aware of this. Just this month it ordered Navy commanders to submit monthly reports on each person with a shaving waiver.
Andrew Dyer, KPBS News.
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THE NEW OWNERS OF THE SAN DIEGO PADRES INTRODUCED THEMSELVES PUBLICLY AT A NEWS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY (MONDAY) AFTERNOON AT PETCO PARK.
KWANZA JONES AND JOSE E. FELICIANO BOUGHT THE TEAM FOR NEARLY FOUR-BILLION DOLLARS… THE MOST PAID FOR ANY MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM.
BOTH JONES AND FELICIANO SAY THEY PLAN TO CONTINUE LATE OWNER PETER SEIDLER’S TRADITION OF BEING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. HERE’S JONES…
NEWPADRESOWNERS 2A :15
“No one succeeds alone. The Padres are not where we are. You see, now we're part of the family, so we get to say we. All those months when we couldn't quite say it yet. We're so excited now. We're not where we are without each other.”
LAST NIGHT THE PADRES BEGAN A 3-GAME SERIES AGAINST THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES.
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AT THE K-P-B-S BOOK FESTIVAL LAST WEEKEND… WE ANNOUNCED THE 20-26 ONE BOOK, ONE SAN DIEGO SELECTIONS. AND THIS YEAR.. THE ADULT SELECTION IS… “THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER”... BY STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES.
THE NOVEL TRACES THE LIFE OF A VAMPIRE, WHO HAUNTS THE FIELDS OF THE BLACKFEET RESERVATION, IN MONTANA.
AUTHOR STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES SAT DOWN WITH K-P-B-S MIDDAY EDITION HOST JADE HINDMON, TO TALK ABOUT IT.
ADULTBOOK (midday) TRT 3:31 last words “talking with you”
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Why was it important to you that this story draw on um and honor the history and culture of the Blackfeet tribe. Number one, I wanted to put it not on Blackfeet territory. I wanted to put it just outside of our um ancestral territory to make it um a trick for this um Blackfeet man to get to the pastor. He came there for a reason. He targeted him. He didn't go to a church close to him. He went to a church far for him for for reasons.
[02:55]
The second reason is that Miles City was a place where a lot of the Buffalo hunters back in the late 19th century brought their pallets of hides to ship back east and so there was a lot of that industry happening there.
You know and it it's interesting that it kind of also wrestles with like what happens when one is consumed by the oppressor and then takes in some of what the oppressor has. What does that do to uh a person. Explore that a little bit. Yeah, that that's something that comes up again again in this novel.
[04:36]
Um the pastor keeps pressing this black feet man, his name is Good Stab, that um he says you didn't want us to come here but you like our iron kettles, you like our guns. Like we it which is, you know, a point. He's he's got he's got a good point there, I think. And and and that that's kind of at the the core of this novel for me.
[06:50]
I'm wondering if you can read a passage from the the the character's perspective towards the middle of the book. Would you mind? No problem. What I am is the Indian who can't die. I'm the worst dream America ever had. I mean, what were you hoping to convey with that passage?
[07:12]
You know, um, number one, I think I was just I was I came up watching, you know, movies from the blockbuster in the 80s, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger and they always had those one liners those quips when they can do something to someone and so I wanted to play with that. I wanted to give my character at least one of those little quips and this this is probably it. The The one that he's known for anyways.
[07:35]
But in a larger sense, America, I think, would so so prefer if all of us um natives had just gone away when we were supposed to, but um we didn't. You know, we we don't we don't go away that easily. We stick around in spite of all the efforts to eradicate us and um that to me makes us the worst dream America ever had because we are a lingering reminder of the wrong America has done. Mhm.
[08:04]
And and also the the effort um of erasure, right? With with history and and stories Yeah. In your book, you do a good job of of um keeping much of some of that alive. Um Go ahead. Talk about the power of that. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's America wants to kind of um wash itself such that it's the sterling, I don't know, world player or something.
[08:31]
It wants to pretend that its footprints weren't bloody to get to where it is right now. And it does that by suppressing, repressing, censoring, banning, all those all those things that um that um you know, terrible regimes do. And um so I think the more we can get stories that put a spotlight on those bloody footprints, the more honest of a nation that can result, I guess if enough people read it, it can result in more honesty.
Stephen, thank you so very much for joining me. Thank you so much. It's been great talking with you.
TAG: THAT WAS AUTHOR STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES SPEAKING WITH K-P-B-S MIDDAY EDITION HOST JADE HINDMON.
HIS BOOK, ‘THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER’ IS THE 20-26 ADULT SELECTION FOR KPBS’ ANNUAL ONE BOOK, ONE SAN DIEGO PROGRAM.
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That’s it for the podcast today which was edited by Ted Robbins and hosted and produced by me, Lawrence K. Jackson. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
