San Diego Unified welcomes students
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s TUESDAY, AUGUST 12TH>>>>
SAN DIEGO UNIFIED IS BACK IN SESSION WITH NEW WAYS TO BOOST STUDENT ENGAGEMENT…
More on that next. But first... the headlines….
CHULA VISTA TODAY IS CELEBRATING THE EXPANSION OF ITS COMMUNITY SHUTTLE, NOW SERVICING THE SOUTHWEST CHULA VISTA AREA
THE SHUTTLE NOW CONTINUES ALONG THIRD AVENUE SOUTH TO ANITA STREET AND WEST OF THE BAYFRONT
THE SERVICE IS FREE FOR THOSE 55 AND OLDER. AND 2 DOLLARS FOR THOSE UNDER 55. YOU CAN REQUEST A RIDE THROUGH THE RIDE CIRCUIT APP.
OFFICIALS SAY THIS WILL GIVE RESIDENTS MORE ACCESS TO TRANSIT OPTIONS INCLUDING MAJOR BUS ROUTES AND THE BLUE LINE TROLLEY
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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS SENDING WARNINGS OF ROUGH SURF AND HIGH RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS
SWIMMERS AND SURFERS ARE URGED TO STAY AWARE OF ALL HAZARDS AND IF YOU CAN, PLEASE CHECK IN WITH A LIFEGUARD BEFORE ENTERING THE WATER
TODAY IT’S EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL IN OUR MOUNTAIN AND DESERT AREAS.
THEN STARTING TOMORROW IT SHOULD SLOWLY COOL DOWN THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
A WEEK-LONG CULINARY CAMP HOSTED BY THE COUNTY’S OFFICE OF EDUCATION WRAPPED UP THIS PAST WEEK, CHEFFING UP WITH IT A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN JUST FOOD
THE CAMP IS PART OF A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE INCARCERATED, HOMELESS, PREGNANT, IN FOSTER CARE OR OTHERWISE AT-RISK
IT AIMS TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN THE BASICS OF GARDENING AND GET READY TO WORK IN THE CULINARY INDUSTRY IF THEY HAVE INTEREST
ACCORDING TO REPORTING FROM THE SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE, CAMP ATTENDEES CREATED THEIR OWN SIGNATURE SANDWICHES, BUILT A GROCERY LIST, WROTE A BUSINESS PLAN, AND WERE INTRODUCED TO ENTRY-LEVEL BUDGETING
THE CAMP CONCLUDED THIS PAST FRIDAY WITH EACH TEAM SHOWCASING THEIR BUSINESS PLAN, MENU AND RECIPES AND ONE DISH FOR STAFF TO SAMPLE
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO UNIFIED ARE BACK IN THEIR CLASSROOMS THIS WEEK. EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS WAS AT BELL MIDDLE SCHOOL TO BRING US THIS STORY.
FIRSTDAY1 0:45 SOQ
LINDSAY
So, look, four oh, what is it? 06. So it’s on the left side of the building. Let’s go.
LaRon Lindsay walks his daughter, Zara, to her seventh grade classroom.
She just got her new schedule. Her dad tells her switching classes each hour will be a good thing.
LINDSAY
Your mind gets to stay fresh all day. This is when I really started to enjoy school, was when I got different classes, so each class was only an hour. You never get bored.
Monday also marks the start of a new district-wide cell phone policy. Students have to turn their phones off during class and store them out of sight.
LINDSAY
It’s always been a policy for us, I mean, at all the schools they’ve been to, so it won’t really be new for her.
The policy allows high school students to use their phones during lunch and passing periods. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.
President Donald Trump says his administration is going to take care of the Afghan allies who fled the Taliban after the U.S. left Afghanistan. In part one of a two-part report, military and veterans reporter Andrew Dyer says what’s being said and what’s being done are two...different things.
MOHAMMED RAHIMI
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME IS MOHAMMAD RAHIMI. I AM A PROUD AFGHAN AMERICAN.
MOHAMMED RAHIMI WAS AN ATTORNEY IN AFGHANISTAN WHERE HE WORKED WITH THE U.S. ARMY. HE SETTLED IN EL CAJON MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, AND IS NOW A U.S. CITIZEN.
RAHIMI WORKS WITH AFGHAN IMMIGRANTS. SO HE PAID CLOSE ATTENTION WHEN TRUMP WAS ASKED LAST MONTH ABOUT RESETTLING HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF AFGHANS WHO HELP U.S. SOLDIERS DURING THE WAR..
TRUMP 10;00 - 21;16
“WE KNOW THE GOOD ONES AND WE KNOW THE ONES THAT MAYBE AREN'T SO GOOD. YOU KNOW, SOME CAME OVER THAT AREN'T SO GOOD, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE PEOPLE, THE ONES THAT DID THE JOB, THE ONES THAT WERE TOLD CERTAIN THINGS.”
BUT RAHIMI SAYS TRUMP’S WORDS ARE AT ODDS WITH THE COMMUNITY’S EXPERIENCE SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE.
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MOHAMMED RAHIMI
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BECAUSE WE SEE ONE THING. I MEAN, WE HEAR ONE THING FROM THE PRESIDENT, BUT WE SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, ACTUALLY, IN EVERYDAY LIFE. IF PRESIDENT TRUMP REALLY, YOU KNOW, MEANS THAT HE HE WANTS TO SUPPORT THESE AFGHAN ALLIES, THEN WHY WE DON'T SEE IT RIGHT NOW.
ADVOCATES SAY THEY’RE FRUSTRATED BY THE ADMINISTRATION’S SUSPENSION OF REFUGEE TRAVEL AND ITS SHUTTERING OF THE AFGHAN RELOCATION OFFICE IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
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JESSICA BRADLEY RUSHING, #AFGHANEVAC
“IT’S A GUT-PUNCH BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT ALL THIS WORK THAT WAS DONE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS,”
UNTIL THIS YEAR JESSICA BRADLEY RUSHING WAS A DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN THAT OFFICE — THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S COORDINATOR FOR AFGHAN RELOCATION EFFORTS — BETTER KNOWN AS “CARE.”
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JESSICA BRADLEY RUSHING, #AFGHANEVAC
CARE, THE OFFICE WITHIN THE STATE DEPARTMENT, WAS SUCH A UNIQUE PLACE BECAUSE IT WAS AN OPERATION, RIGHT? IT WASN'T JUST A POLICY DESK THAT TALKED ABOUT THEORY. WE WERE PHYSICALLY ENGAGED IN RELOCATING FOLKS AND CHANGING THEIR LIVES,
THE ADMINISTRATION TOLD CONGRESS IN JUNE IT WAS SHUTTERING THE CARE OFFICE WITHIN A MONTH. ITS STAFFERS WERE REPORTEDLY AMONG THE MORE THAN 1300 DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES LAID OFF JULY 11TH.
AND IT’S NOT JUST THE SHUTTERING OF ONE OFFICE. SHAWN VANDIVER IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF NON-PROFIT AFGHANEVAC. SINCE 2021 HIS ORGANIZATION, NON-PROFITS AND MANY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO HELP THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN. BUT NOW…
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THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE SINCE JANUARY 20TH. RIGHT. ON JAN ON DAY ONE, THEY SHUT DOWN REFUGEE PROCESSING, WHICH MEANS NO ACTIVE DUTY US MILITARY FAMILIES, NO LAWYERS AND PROSECUTORS WHO PUT THE TALIBAN AWAY. NO, NO, FEMALE TACTICAL PLATOON COMMANDERS. NOBODY WHO WASN'T A DIRECT EMPLOYEE OF THE UNITED STATES.
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NO FAMILY REUNIFICATION. NO, NO RELOCATION FLIGHTS. THEY HAVE ENDED TPS.
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THEY ENDED PAROLE. BOTH CBP, ONE PAROLE. THEY TERMINATED. OAW. OPERATION ALLIES WELCOME PAROLE. THEY'RE JUST GOING TO LET EXPIRE.
SO WHAT IS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN FOR AFGHANS? GETTING A STRAIGHT ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.
A STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CARE OFFICE NOW FALL UNDER THE OFFICE OF AFGHANISTAN AFFAIRS. ITS REORGANIZATION … PART OF ITS NEW “AMERICA FIRST” FOREIGN POLICY.
WE ASKED TO INTERVIEW MARY BISCHOPING, THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS AND SPENCER CHRETIEN, THE SENIOR OFFICIAL IN THE DEPARTMENT’S REFUGEE AND MIGRATION BUREAU.
BOTH REQUESTS WERE DENIED.
A SENIOR WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL TELLS KPBS SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS ARE BEING PROCESSED WITH HUNDREDS OF DECISIONS EVERY WEEK. AND THAT TPS – TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS – WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY AND THAT THOSE WHO’VE LOST IT CAN STILL REQUEST ASYLUM.
RAHIMI SAYS ARRESTS OF ASYLUM-SEEKERS OUTSIDE IMMIGRATION COURTROOMS HAVE SHAKEN THE AFGHAN COMMUNITY.
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MOHAMMED RAHIMI
I ON A DAILY BASIS, I HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MANY AFGHAN MEMBERS, NOT ONLY HERE IN EL CAJON OR SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, BUT FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THAT THEY ARE ASKING ME THAT THEY HAVE THEIR APPOINTMENT. BUT WHAT IS WHAT IS MY ANSWER TO THEM?
HOW CAN THEY GO TO THEIR APPOINTMENTS, FINISH THE APPOINTMENT AND LEAVE THE COURTHOUSE SAFELY WITHOUT BEING DETAINED? WE HAVE NO ANSWER.
ONE ANSWER CAME LAST WEEK IN SAN DIEGO. MORE THAN A DOZEN VETERANS ATTENDED AN IMMIGRATION HEARING ALONGSIDE A FORMER AFGHAN JOURNALIST. MARINE COMBAT VETERAN JONATHAN LIU WAS ONE OF THEM.
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JONATHAN LIU, U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN
“I BELIEVE THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS FAR AS STANDING BY THE ALLIES WHO STAND BY US. WE SHOULDN'T BE TURNING THEIR BACKS ON THEM.”
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MOHAMMED RAHIMI
THE REAL FACE OF IMMIGRANTS AND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AFGHAN IMMIGRANTS, THEY'RE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED THIS COUNTRY BEFORE COMING TO THE UNITED STATES. THEY FOUGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY FOR THE VALUES THAT THIS COUNTRY IS BASED ON. THEY FOUGHT FOR OUR FUTURE, FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY. THEY FOUGHT AGAINST OUR ENEMIES.
ANDREW DYER, KPBS NEWS.
Anchor tag: Coming next week in part two, we hear from experts about what the administration’s policies toward Afghans say about its wider immigration goals.
S-D-G & E AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE REMINDING THE PUBLIC TO CALL 8-1-1 BEFORE BREAKING GROUND ON CONSTRUCTION OR LANDSCAPING PROJECTS.
REPORTER JACOB AERE SAYS DIGGING WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT’S BELOW YOU CAN BE DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE.
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GASDIG 1 (ja) :53 SOQ
On top of a hill in Mission Valley at SDG&E’s Skills Training Center…
**NAT POP of gas leak flame**
A loud hiss and flames high in the air show what can go wrong … if you forget to call the experts before digging in the ground… and damage a utility line.
San Diego Gas & Electric and San Diego Fire-Rescue team up when it happens in the real world. SDG&E’s Chief Safety Officer Kevin Geraghty (GARE-uh-tee) says to avoid it …
“Just simply call 8-1-1 a couple days ahead of any work around your house. The idea is you do not know where underground utilities are. And we have teams of professionals trained to get to your house timely and mark all of that out whether that's for yourself or your contractor."
Geraghty says last year SDG&E had over 250 incidents of natural gas line damage without an 8-1-1 ticket. JA KPBS News.
THIS WEEKEND, YOU CAN FIND AN ALL-FEMALE PRODUCTION OF SHAKESPEARE’S JULIUS CAESAR IN THE MIDDLE OF MISSION VALLEY CENTER’S SHOPPING MALL. ARTS REPORTER BETH ACCOMANDO PREVIEWS THE SHOW.
QUEENSMEN 1 (ba) 1:13 SOQ
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In Shakespeare's day, all roles, regardless of gender, were played by men. But since this is 2025, Audrey Sweet and Charlotte B. Larson have decided their new company, The Queen’s Men, would make their productions all female.
CHARLOTTE B. LARSON This was something that Audrey and I talked about the end of our senior year. We wanted to provide a space for women and non-binary people to do classical work that they wouldn't necessarily be able to do. And so much of Shakespeare's canon is men, but that doesn't mean it's just for men.
Larson and Sweet, both 19, ambitiously moved the politics of Julius Caesar to a high school girls’ soccer field.
CLIP Girls on soccer field
AUDREY SWEET So we really wanted to bring this Shakespeare story that is so male-centered and heavy on the men to the modern day and to performers who wouldn't normally get the chance to do this show. All of our actors did a really good job. They don't speak as if they're Roman senators reciting a speech. They talk like teenage girls, and it makes it a lot easier to understand.
The Queen’s Men’s production of Julius Caesar runs this Friday through Sunday at Trinity Theatre in Mission Valley Shopping Center.
Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID POWER IS “THE STRENGTH REQUIRED TO BRING ABOUT SOCIAL, POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC CHANGES.” A LOCAL RELIGIOUS LEADER TOLD REPORTER AMITA SHARMA THAT THE POWERFUL IN AMERICA ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THOSE ARENAS. BUT IT’S THE WRONG KIND.
POWER(AS) TRT 1:47 SOQ
As lead minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, Justine Sullivan sees first hand how power or the lack of it plays out among her congregants. She defines power as access to resources and the ability to make things happen for ourselves. And that kind of power is taking blow after blow. Sullivan points to working families losing aid while the rich get tax cuts. This…on top of the already unbalanced wealth structure. Nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been transferred from most Americans to the richest 1 percent in the last 50 years.Sullivan also offers the example of deportations of undocumented people without due process.
[00:12:47.17] “Well, in my view, “It's an irresponsible exercise of power based on a worldview that I do not share. I do not share the idea that there is not enough to go around and that we have to take care our own before we offer it to others. I think that's part of my faith. I believe that we all belong to each other.”
She says Americans can exercise their own power by speaking out against injustices. In fact, she believes it’s especially incumbent on people of privilege to act.
[00:26:44.10] “If I don't use my power on behalf of whatever I can, if I don't move whatever levers I have to try to make it better, then I am complicit. I think that's the value that I grew up with. So I do what I can, I could do more. And so I think that's where I feel that sense of being complicit.
Sullivan argues that to effectively take back their power, Americans need to stop warring among themselves and putting one another through purity tests, requiring everyone to agree on everything all the time. Amita Sharma, KPBS
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson! By listening and subscribing you are supporting public media and I thank you for that. Have a great day!
