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Impact of interest rate increase

 March 24, 2023 at 5:00 AM PDT

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, March 24th.

How the recent interest rate spike affects people’s finances. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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The California public utility commission hosted public forums yesterday.

It is seeking input from S-D-G-AND-E customers on their requests for an increase in revenue collected over the next four years.

The utility is asking regulators to approve nearly 4 billion-dollars in new revenue between 20-24 and 20-27.

If approved, customers could end up paying an extra 9 to 18 dollars a month for the next year alone.

Many people were vocal about their frustration at the afternoon event.

S-D-G-AND-E says the revenue request allows the utility to prepare for a future transition to a grid that produces less carbon.

Regulators are expected to make a decision on the General Rate Case sometime next year.

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Workers, business groups and employment lawyers still have questions about a new California pay transparency law.

The broad aim of the new law is to narrow gender and race-based pay gaps.

Even though the policy went into effect in January, many people still aren’t clear on the details.

Some things to know are, any company with 15 or more employees is now required to post pay scales in job listings.

That goes for California jobs… as well as remote jobs that could potentially be filled in the state.

And at companies of any size, employees can ask for the pay range for their current job, and employers have to provide it.

If you see a job posting that you think violates the law, you can report it to the Labor Commissioner.

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If you want to get out and watch the S-D-S-U men’s basketball team play today, the S-D-S-U Associated Students is hosting a watch party.

The Aztecs will be playing the number-one seed Alabama Crimson Tide.

The watch party will be at Viejas Arena at S-D-S-U.

Doors open at 2-30 P-M.

Tip-off is 3-30.

The event is free and open to the public.

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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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Interest rates went up this week … that leaves people wondering what that means for their finances?

Reporter Kitty Alvarado says people can make decisions that protect family pocketbooks.

The Census Bureau finds  almost 40 percent of Americans use credit cards to pay for necessities.  Matt Ficco the CFO of California Coast Credit Union says that’s exactly what they’re seeing … We're seeing a drain on savings and a drain on checking accounts and an increase on credit card balances. And he says that is a dangerous place to be in when credit is tightening and interest rates go up …Ficco says now is the time to have talk about finances as a family, be honest about the And come up with a plan to pay it off …  tighten in the belt a little bit. Do, do we really need to go out to dinner on Friday night or do we really need to spend some extra stuff? … focus on doubling up your payment on your credit card bill…and most importantly, …saving for that rainy day fund. But he says  people don't have to go it alone and it’s never too early or late to get help …  and oftentimes your bank or credit union will offer financial counseling services for free, like theirs does …

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The U-S-S Theodore Roosevelt is back in its home port of San Diego.

Reporter John Carroll was at NAS North Island yesterday, as the massive aircraft carrier pulled into port.

Guided and pushed by two tugboats, the Roosevelt pulled up to the dock at about 1:30 Thursday afternoon.  The 39-year old ship had been up at the Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington for the last year and a half… undergoing maintenance and having various systems modernized.  Scores of family members waited on the dock as the big ship pulled in.  Among them were Mark and Jan Workman.  Their daughter Molly is a communications officer on the Roosevelt. “We’re so excited…  We’re trying to keep - I’m trying to keep emotions in check.  It’s hard for a Mom.” The Navy says it’s not yet clear when the Roosevelt will be sent out on its next deployment.  JC, KPBS News.

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Coming up.... Our very own podcast producer talks about Persian New Year customs and traditions. We’ll have that and more, just after the break.

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Excitement is building for the San Diego Wave F-C soccer team this season … last year, the Wave F-C was the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its first season.

This year ... there's a new addition that’s a familiar face here in San Diego.

It’s a homecoming for North County resident Sierra Enge.

North County reporter Alexander Nguyen has the story.

“With the first pick of the second round of the NWSL draft, San Diego Waves FC selects Sierra Enge” (applause) That moment was a dream come true for Cardiff native Sierra Enge. With a lot of professional soccer teams showing interest in her … Enge didn’t know if she would be coming back home. Sierra Enge Wave FC Midfielder “ But closer and closer to the draft, it seemed to be more and more realistic, and it was just so fun, especially to be there with my family and so many friends and know that I was coming home.” The Wave FC specifically traded up in the 20-23 draft to select Enge.  In an interview after the draft … Wave coach Casey Stoney said Enge will add a much-needed depth to the team. Casey Stoney Wave FC Coach “She was a key target for us. So, really pleased we traded up, the importance of getting Sierra to add squad depth, that quality character.” That’s especially important since half of the Wave’s starting lineup could be gone for part of the season because of the World Cup this summer. Growing up … sports has always been a part of Enge's life. Not surprising … considering both her parents were athletes. Her dad… Brian … played soccer for Harvard and the Wichita Wings. Her mom … Cici … played lacrosse at Harvard and is the current middle school girl’s lacrosse coach at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad. Sierra Enge “My parents really didn't care what sports I played. They just wanted me to be active and have fun, and so I played softball, basketball, lacrosse volleyball. I did horseback riding for a little bit – kind of threw myself into everything.” But ultimately … soccer won out. She fell in love with the sport. Sierra Enge “ I think I loved the competitiveness of soccer, the way that it makes you think, the way that it challenged me every day. And I think it was something that I saw myself playing for a lot longer in the future, and so it was just what I wanted to do.” While in high school at Pacific Ridge … Enge played club soccer for LA Galaxy San Diego and SoCal Blues and before long … she caught the attention of Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe. Paul Ratcliffe Stanford Women’s Soccer Coach “I scouted her early on, and I saw her. She's great ability, so technical, so intelligence and the work ethic is what really sold me on her. Just such a hard work for hard work” While at Stanford … she contributed to the Cardinal’s 20-19 national championship and three Pac-12 Championships. Sierra Enge “Being at Stanford, I was so lucky because we had so many players that were even in the national team while I was there. So I feel really lucky that I was surrounded by such incredible players and people at a really young age. And I think they've just helped me get to where I am in my career now.” With San Diego being a huge soccer town … Enge says she’s excited for the Wave’s season opener this Saturday.  Sierra Enge “I think it's really exciting to be able to play in a city where they want to come out and they want to support. And so, yes, we're excited that we made history with the most tickets sold for a home opener, but we want to keep making more history and sell out Snapdragon for our first game.” And she has a message for all little girls out there …. “Dream Big.” Enge's dream this season … Sierra Enge “ … to lift the trophy at the end of the season with the team and then just continue to get better every day.” AN/KPBS.

TAG: The Wave F-C kicks off their season against the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow.

The match starts at 7 P-M at Snapdragon Stadium.

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Over 300 million people celebrate Nowruz every year, and today we’ll learn more about this holiday.

Our producer Emilyn Mohebbi, who is normally behind the scenes of this podcast, is joining me to talk about Persian New Year and how she celebrates with her family every year.

Emilyn, thanks for joining me.

Before we talk about Persian New Year, I’m wondering if you can tell listeners a bit about how you help this podcast come into fruition every morning? 

Why is Persian New Year celebrated around this time of year? 

And it’s a multi day celebration, tell me more about that.

And how is Persian New Year celebrated? 

Yes, There’s also thea table that gets decorated for the holiday with seven items …can you talk about those items, and what they each symbolize? 

What are you doing with your family to celebrate?

Emilyn, thank you for joining us on this side of the podcast. Happy Persian New Year!      

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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is produced by KPBS Senior Producer Brooke Ruth and Producer Emilyn Mohebbi. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.

Interest rates went up this week, we look at what that means for your bank account. Then, North County resident Sierra Enge joins the San Diego Wave FC soccer team when they start the season Saturday. Lastly, we talk about Persian New Year and the traditions behind the holiday.