Local leaders call on Congress to act on gun legislation

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, June 21st.

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San Diegans are calling on congress to act on gun legislation. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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The M-T-S Board of Directors yesterday approved a more than 448-million-dollar budget for the new Fiscal Year.

The budget will fully fund current service levels on trolley lines and bus routes.

It also includes M-T-S security improvements added earlier in the year, like more transit officers.

The budget does not include the trolley and bus service increases that were planned for previously.

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Summer is officially here, and this weekend’s heat is on par with the kick-off of the season.

Tomorrow in the inland valleys and mountain areas, there will be a Heat Advisory in effect from 10 in the morning until eight at night, when temperatures can reach into the high 90s.

An Excessive Heat Watch goes in effect in the desert areas tomorrow morning and will last through Thursday evening.

Temps are expected to reach up to 115 degrees out there.

By the coast, temps will be in the high 70s all weekend long.

But even with all the heat, the skies won’t stay clear.

The National Weather Service says there’s a chance of light rain tomorrow night into Sunday in all parts of the county.

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Speaking of all this hot summer weather, ice cream sounds like a good idea!

And a local ice cream shop just got some nationwide recognition.

An's Dry Cleaning in North Park was selected as the best independent ice cream shop in the U-S, by U-S-A Today.

The shop opened in 20-18 and was named after the dry cleaning business it replaced on Adams Avenue.

U-S-A Today says its selections are picked by experts, then voted on by readers.

To celebrate its win, An's will be selling one-dollar gelatos on July first, until the store sells out.

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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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A week after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on bump stocks … Representative Scott Peters says congress needs to act to protect people’s safety.

Reporter Alexander Nguyen has more.

Congressman Scott Peters and local leaders … are calling on Congress to act following the Supreme Court decision to overturn a ban on bump stocks. It’s a device that lets a semiautomatic rifle shoot off 400-800 rounds a minute … according to experts.“we need elected officials to put aside politics, do its right to protect people, especially our children.” Peters says that because of election-year politics … not much can be done now … but he’s co-sponsored a number of gun safety bills for Congress to act on once the election is over. Rep. Scott Peters (D) CA - 50th District “Afterwards, we're going to have to work with a President of the United States who's been elected by the people. And at that point, I think there will be opening for discussion and for progress.” One of the bills closes the loophole allowing bump stocks and while two others strengthen regulations on ghost guns … or guns made from kits without serial numbers … making them untraceable. According to S-D-P-D … more than 400 ghost guns were recovered between 20-21 and 20-23. AN/KPBS.

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Over the last decade, California lost half of its recycling centers… which means fewer opportunities for people to recycle their bottles and cans.

That's alarming from an environmental perspective. but there is also a financial impact — it’s now much harder for people to get back their bottle deposits.

KPBS investigative reporter Scott Rodd joins me now to discuss how the state is planning to transform, how we recycle in the coming years.

Scott, welcome.

To start, you published an investigation this week into the decline of recycling centers. what did you find?

“The excess growth in the fund is the result of a program that isn't serving consumers as well as it should be.…which turns their deposit effectively into a tax.”

820 million dollars in unclaimed bottle deposits…that’s incredible. 

But the state has a plan to overhaul how people return bottles and cans…which would require investing a lot of that money back into the recycling infrastructure. 

What changes are they looking at?

What are recycling advocates saying about this?

“For that small investment over the next 3-to-5 years, we could have the 400-to-500 community-based recycling centers we need.”

For listeners who want to do their part but find themselves living in one of these recycling deserts—what can they do? 

TAG: Scott, thank you for joining me and for all this information.

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The California Public Utilities Commission, or the CP-UC, has rejected a bid by AT&T to no longer be the phone service “carrier of last resort” throughout California.

Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge says it’s a win for people who still use landlines.

Being a carrier of last resort in California means the company is required to provide basic telephone service. That often means installing and maintaining old fashioned copper landlines, and the state’s biggest carrier of last resort is AT&T. The company asked the CPUC to lift that requirement. They argued maintaining landlines is often unnecessary and it prevents investment in modern technologies. But the commission got thousands of complaints from older people and those in rural areas, where wireless and fiber optic technology is spotty or expensive. Commissioners said their decision was made to protect access to basic phone service, regardless of income or geographic location. The commission said they will consider adapting their rules to evolving technology and market conditions. SOQ.

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Father Joe's Villages offers free preschool to the children of parents living at their shelter.

Reporter Katie Hyson attended the world’s cutest graduation yesterday (Thursday).

pop pomp and circumstance The graduates wriggle in three-foot gowns and caps. Liberty started at Father Joe’s Therapeutic Childcare Center in diapers, scribbling. Now almost 4, she’s potty trained and starting to trace her own name. Her mom, Amber Lucky, cheers her on as she accepts her diploma. My husband passed away from cancer a few years ago. And they actually did a lot of play therapy sessions because there were some issues with her acting out and asking for her father. The free childcare let Amber Lucky work on getting sober, graduate from a property management program, get certified as a peer support specialist, and eventually find housing. And it taught Liberty social skills, how to be in a classroom, and confidence. Within two weeks of doing TK readiness, she said something like, ‘Oh, mommy, I got an instrument from a toy chest.’ And I said, ‘What did you say? That was a big word.’ Liberty’s favorite part of preschool? Play with Playdough. Play with Playdough. Ooh, that's good! With me and Michael. Michael’s her best friend. He leads the class in a final performance. It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me. We are the world, we are the children . . . Katie Hyson, KPBS News.

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Southwestern College is inviting the community to "cruise into college" this weekend.

They're teaming up with the United Lowrider Coalition to highlight educational opportunities at the school.

Marcos Arellano -- also known as “Mr. Rabbit”-- is with the coalition, and says community college can help give people life and career direction.

“A lot of people when they’re growing up don’t know what direction to go and so as family Southwestern College is inviting them. Hey come on out, there’s going to be a big event of cars, free food and they can register.” 

About 60 lowriders will be part of the “Cruisin' Into College” event, from nine to three tomorrow (Saturday), at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.

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Young poets are inscribing their words on the pavement of a City Heights alley.

The public art project is being unveiled tomorrow.

Reporter Katie Hyson brings us there.

The words of Samira Hassan’s poem surround her feet. The Spaniards now wear blue and black, their faces still white. She wrote it to Kumeyaay people. She relates to their struggles with displacement and policing. They continue to place the black ravens in cells, watching them closely. Hassan’s family immigrated from Somalia. Almost half of City Heights residents are foreign-born. Rising rents are pushing them out. Our people's graveyards no longer exist. They've built their homes over it. Our families no longer live here. Now 19, Hassan used to roller skate this alley outside the rec center. She tells herself one day she’ll buy back the nearby house her family can no longer afford. I took my first steps in that home. I learned how to read and write in that home. So it's really heartbreaking every time I drive past it. Now, she and four other City Heights poets are leaving a message that will stay. Even if they can’t. Poems that describe me, my community, my womanhood, my blackness . . . permanently plastered. They cut thousands of letters from road material and burned them into the pavement. Now anyone who walks on this piece of City Heights will be faced with its history. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.

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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is produced by Emilyn Mohebbi and edited by Brooke Ruth. We’d like to thank editors Joe Guerin and Nic McVicker for helping the podcast team this week. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again on Monday to start the week together with the day’s top stories. Producer Emilyn Mohebbi will be filling in for me again on Monday, while I anchor our KPBS Morning Edition show. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.