Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

San Diego and the Women’s World Cup

 July 21, 2023 at 5:00 AM PDT

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

>>>>

Some San Diego soccer players will be playing in tonight’s Team U-S-A Women’s World Cup game. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

######

A new study finds San Diegans could see lower electricity bills if the city formed a municipal utility.

The San Diego City Council's Environment Committee reviewed a study yesterday that found a public power company could save ratepayers up to 15 percent.

S-D-G-AND-E and its unionized electrical workers oppose the move.

########

The city of San Diego's Public Safety Committee has approved a plan to use streetlight cameras, to record video to help investigate crimes.

The committee voted three to one to approve the plan, after hearing more than an hour of public testimony that was mostly opposed to it.

Opponents argue the project would be a violation of privacy rights that could unfairly criminalize members of minority groups.

The city’s privacy advisory board voted against the plan last month.

The full City council will have the final say.

########

The school board for the Carlsbad Unified School District approved a plan on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging earlier this week.

The school board voted 4 to 1 to pass the plan after hours of deliberation and over 70 speakers voicing their opinions.

Here’s Carlsbad superintendent Benjamin Churchill.

“Its been alleged that the plan lowers academic standards, eliminates consequences for misbehavior, this is simply not true. Its been alleged that we are providing medical care including surgery and life altering drugs to student, this is not true.” 

The plan will be implemented in phases over three years.

#########

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

##########

The 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup has begun, and the U-S will be playing their first match at 6 tonight against Vietnam.

The World Cup games will be played in Australia and New Zealand through August 20th. It’s the first time that two countries will host the event. Joining me to talk about all things soccer, is producer Ben Lacy.

Ben, welcome to the podcast.

So Ben, I’m told you’re a big soccer fan…

San Diego has a few professional soccer teams and will soon be getting another.. Would you say interest in soccer is growing in the region?

San Diego will be representing at this year’s World Cup. Who from the San Diego Wave will be playing?

If people want to get out and watch the World Cup, are there any watch parties happening in San Diego?

##########

Speaking of San Diegans cheering on Team U-S-A in the Women’s World Cup…

My colleague Melissa Mae spoke with a young fan who is excited to cheer on her favorite team, to win its third-straight world cup title.

MM: Local soccer club the Cardiff Sockers had a special “Team USA” Day during their summer camp to show support for the U.S Women’s National Team and the World Cup. MM: 5th Grader Brisbane Gates is happy that people respect and support women’s soccer. BG “These girls did something really great like compete on a national level of soccer and they’ve won the World Cup four times and that’s really cool to me. Surprisingly the boys haven’t won it once.” And she has these words of encouragement for the team. BG “Don’t give up. You got this. You’ve been in the World Cup a couple times, you know what’s going on. You guys can beat them! Melissa Mae KPBS News.

##########

Coming up.... Downtown San Diego has transformed into a world of Comic-Con. A look at what’s going on at the convention, just after the break.

##########

Comic Con is running through this weekend.

But, because of the writer and actors’ strikes … reporter Alexander Nguyen tells us this year’s convention is focusing less on Hollywood, and more on comics.

it’s the first year in awhile that major studios aren’t here and attendees say it’s getting comic con back to its old roots. with no hollywood stars at comic-con … comic artists are the stars at this year’s pop-culture convention. that’s how palm springs resident peter everling discovered a south bay artist patrick ballesteros. as soon as the convention floor opened … there was a line waiting for him. peter everling comic-con attendee “i only just discovered his artwork this year. i didn't realize the line was going to be this big, so i didn't know he was that popular, but i can see why.”  some exhibitors say they’re seeing more people stop by the booths. that can be a good thing for undiscovered artists. comic-con runs through sunday at the convention center with multiple off-site activations downtown and across the city.  an/kpbs

TAG: And there’s Comic-Con events that don’t require a badge. Like a Hello Kitty food truck, a “Camp Snoopy” pop-up, art shows, and more.

For a list of events that don’t require a badge, visit KPBS-dot-org-slash-comic-con.

##########

Among the cast of characters at Comic-Con, you’ll find some mad scientists.

While they’re very much alive in science fiction ….the true data tells a different story.

Education reporter M.G. Perez brings us this reality check from the laboratory.

“It’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive!”  Dr. Frankenstein was a little high-strung…almost inconsolable…when he created his monster. Mad scientists are known for their electric personalities…and penchant for pursuing procedures and protocols that are purely problematic. “One million dollars…oh, oh, …100-billion dollars!--laughs–” No she’s not really Dr. Evil. She is a rocket scientist whose laboratory is often a classroom with students. “can all this stuff that happens in sci-fi movies. Can it actually happen in real life…and the answer is a lot of it has already happened in real life.” Jasmine Sadler is also a former military defense engineer, an entrepreneur, and advocate for teaching science. This summer camp at Lincoln High School is sponsored by the Blue Heart Foundation which supports young students of color in becoming scientists in an informal education space. Jasmine L. Sadler  Rocket Scientist “through summer camps, Saturday programs, after school programs…because that is what gives them the real world perspective to the concepts that they’re learning in school.” Sadler is a Comic-Con panelist who is busting myths, this week, about scientists who are neither mad or villainous. Although, teaching her students artificial intelligence is a challenge. “you don’t have limits….you don’t have laws…but you have everything you need at your fingertips…so do you use it for good or evil…because it’s not the technology that’s good or evil…it’s the person.” Jaye Gardiner is mythbusting at Comic-Con, too. She is a real scientist from Philadelphia…doing real research to cure pancreatic cancer. She knows the stereotype she’s fighting. Jaye Gardiner Cancer Researcher “it’s usually evil or mad…very Einsteinian white hair that’s very crazy.” Gardiner is none of that. But she does have credentials in creating comics. Something she’s done since she was in graduate school…her own way of teaching science in an unscientific way. “wanting to show science in a much more fun and interesting light…than what our textbooks provide…or how science lectures are given with rote memorization…that’s far less interesting than what science really is.” “Coding …I like to think of it almost as a recipe that we write that a computer can follow.” Gracie Ermi is a computer scientist from Seattle. She’s in San Diego for the Dr. Evil mythbusting Comic-Con panel, too.. “--pinky Dr. Evil– that’s my impression–laughs–” What she lacks in a mad scientist impersonation…she makes up for in her work. Ermi leads a team of engineers that processes millions of satellite images …using A-I to produce real maps of the earth…that can help world environmental leaders make decisions to combat climate change. Gracie Ermi Computer Scientist “scientists are regular people who are working on cool things…they have these specific skills sets that we’ve developed over time…but anyone can become a scientist…and we’re not villains…we’re trying to make the world a better place.” …and maybe have a little fun at the same time… “pinky Dr. Evil —cackle”  MGP…. KPBS NEWS.

##########

That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is produced by KPBS Producer Emilyn Mohebbi and edited by KPBS Senior Producer Brooke Ruth. 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.

Ways To Subscribe
As Team USA faces its first match in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, we talk about San Diego’s growing soccer fandom. In other news, this year’s Comic-Con is focusing less on Hollywood, and more on comics because of the writer and actor’s strikes. Plus, a look behind the scenes of a Comic-Con panel on busting myths, about scientists who are neither mad or villainous.