Two local representatives were granted entry inside the Otay Mesa Detention Center

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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson, it’s FRIDAY, APRIL THIRD>>>> [ SAN DIEGO REPS GOT AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE OTAY MESA IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER ]More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines…########

DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN REPLICANS AND DEMOCRATS OVER D-H-S FUNDING HAS RESULTED IN THE LONGEST PARTIAL-GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY

LOCAL U-S REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PETERS THIS WEEK ANNOUNCED A BILL HE SAYS WOULD PREVENT SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE

DURING SHUTDOWNS, IT WOULD ALLOW THE  TRANSFER OF FUNDS THAT WERE INITIALLY INTENDED FOR ICE...TO OTHER AGENCIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

LAST FRIDAY, TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ACTION TO PAY T-S-A WORKERS SAYING THAT AMERICA'S AIR TRAVEL SYSTEM HAD REACHED ITS BREAKING POINT

PETERS SAYS THAT BY PASSING HIS BILL, THE LIVELIHOODS OF ESSENTIAL FEDERAL WORKERS WOULDN'T DEPEND ON THE WHIMS OF ANY ONE PERSON

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JUST SHY OF SIXTEEN MILLION DOLLARS WAS AWARDED TO UC SAN DIEGO AND UC DAVIS TO STUDY HOW THE BRAIN AGES WITHIN HISPANIC AND LATINO COMMUNITIES 

LATINOS HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF HEART AND VASCULAR DISEASES, AS WELL AS BEING MORE PRONE TO DEVELOPING DEMENTIA WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER GROUPS

A CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR ON THE GRANT SAYS THAT LATINOS HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY OVERLOOKED IN AGING RESEARCH…

AND THAT STUDYING  LATINO BRAIN HEALTH WILL HELP THEM DEVELOP BETTER TOOLS FOR EARLY DETECTION AND MORE EFFECTIVE PREVENTION STRATEGIES

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A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED BY THE  COUNTY ALLEGING THAT A HANDFUL OF COMPANIES MONOPOLIZED THE FIRE TRUCK MARKET 

THE COUNTY SAYS  IT HAS LED TO HIGHER PRICES… CAUSING TRUCK PRICES AT TIMES TO MORE THAN DOUBLE,

AS WELL AS DELAYING THE DELIVERY OF TRUCKS –  TAKING ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO FOUR YEARS 

THE COUNTY IS ALLEGING THAT THE DEFENDANTS ACQUIRED MULTIPLE SMALLER FIRE-TRUCK MANUFACTURERS ELIMINATING COMPETITION FOR THE  VEHICLES AND THEIR PARTS

THE COUNTY  OPERATES AROUND SEVENTY-FIVE TRUCKS … 

THEY SAY SOME ARE WELL PAST THEIR RECOMMENDED SERVICE LIFE

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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TWO OF SAN DIEGO’S CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES VISITED THE OTAY MESA DETENTION CENTER YESTERDAY. 

REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS THEY DIDN’T SPEAK TO DETAINEES DURING THE VISIT.

REPSOTAY1 0:57 SOQ

Representatives Sara Jacobs and Mike Levin visited a holding area, medical facilities, library and chapel.

LEVIN

There's roughly a thousand, a little more thousand Ice detainees in there.

They met with the facility's lead doctor and other medical staff. Levin describes the facility and cleanliness as being “roughly on par” with civilian medical facilities.

LEVIN

I believe that they're doing the best that they can with the staff that they have in the circumstances that they find themselves in.

Levin and Jacobs say they’ve received complaints about the facility.

Jacobs says her office had requested to speak with detainees, but that a miscommunication between federal officials and the facility meant it didn’t happen on schedule.

JACOBS

They finally offered it right at the very end, when we had ten minutes left. And so, we've let them know that we will plan on coming back to meet with folks.

Jacobs and Levin say they plan to conduct unannounced oversight visits in the coming months. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

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A MARINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE CELEBRATED A MAJOR MILESTONE YESTERDAY (THURSDAY). IT RELEASED ITS THREE MILLIONTH SEABASS TO THE WILD.

IT’S PART OF A DECADE-LONG EFFORT TO RESTORE AND SUSTAIN CALIFORNIA’S FISHERIES.

NORTH COUNTY REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN WAS THERE FOR THE MOMENTOUS OCCASION.

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BASS2SEA 1(an) TRT: 0:42 SOQ

“Drop that net on the bottom. There we go.”

Using a golden net … the ceremonial 3 millionth seabass was released into the ocean …

Mark Drawbridge is the director of the Sustainable Seafood Program at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.

That seabass was hatched and raised at the institute’s Carlsbad campus.

“They play an important role in the ecosystem. They're found coastal here, around rocky reefs and in kelp beds and so forth.”

Between the 1960s and 80s, the white seabass population plummeted because of overfishing.

So in 1983, Hubbs, the recreational fishing community and the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife banded together to establish this program.

It releases about 70-thousand fish per year.

AN/KPBS

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FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA’S OFFICIAL TALL SHIP HAS  PROVIDED SAILING ADVENTURES, DAY CHARTERS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

REPORTER JACOB AERE SAYS IT RECENTLY CAME VERY CLOSE TO SAILING OFF INTO CITY HISTORY, BUT FOR NOW ….  IT’LL STAY DOCKED IN SOUTH BAY.

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CVHARBOR 1 (ja) 1:10

The double-masted schooner “Bill Of Rights” floats in the Safe Harbor South Bay marina…

“We consider this an asset for the community.”

Susan Johnson helps manage the finances for the ship, which is owned by the nonprofit South Bayfront Sailing Association.

She says last month, they received a lease termination notice from Safe Harbor Marinas… the private company that runs the marina in Chula Vista.

That news prompted a petition drive to keep the ship in place… and some media coverage.

Now, Safe Harbor Marinas seems to be changing course.

"We just got that they were canceling the letter, but they're going to work with us on reberthing the boat.”

In a statement the company says the association can disregard the notice and the “Bill of Rights will remain docked at Safe Harbor South Bay.”

Johnson says she’s hopeful, but they still need to figure out the details of what comes next.

"In my mind it means they will work on coming up with a place for us to berth and a contract, but there’s nothing promised in it.”

Safe Harbor says the change is “in recognition of the current constraints on alternative options for the Bill of Rights.” JA KPBS News.

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THE 20-26 SAN DIEGO BEATLES FAIR IS THIS WEEKEND IN JACUMBA. 

THIS YEAR, THE EVENT ORGANIZER ALMA RODRIGUEZ IS DEDICATING THE FESTIVAL TO HER LATE DAUGHTER 

  K-P-B-S’ ANDREW BRACKEN SPOKE WITH RODRIGUEZ ABOUT THE ADDED LAYER OF MEANING TO THIS YEAR’S EVENT.

TAG: THAT WAS ALMA RODRIGUEZ SPEAKING WITH KPBS’ ANDREW BRACKEN. YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT AT BEATLESFAIR.COM

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AS WE DO FOR YOU EACH AND EVERY FRIDAY, HERE ARE SOME WEEKEND EVENT IDEAS FOR YOU AND YOURS 

AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT, AUGUST WILSON'S PLAY "FENCES" IS SET TO RETURN TO THE OLD GLOBE THIS SATURDAY  

THE CLASSIC TALE IS SET IN THE 19-50’S AND TELLS THE STORY OF A WORKING-CLASS BLACK MAN WHOSE HOPES AND DREAMS HAVE BEEN LIMITED 

IF YOU'D LIKE TO WORK ON PERFECTING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC EYE, THEN GEORGE'S CAMERA IN NORTH PARK MIGHT JUST HAVE WHAT YOU NEED

ON SATURDAY THEY ARE HOLDING A BEGINNERS FILM PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS 

YOU CAN LEARN THE BASICS OF WHAT GOES INTO USING A THIRTY-FIVE MILLIMETER CAMERA AND GET  AN INTRODUCTION TO FRAMING AND PROCESSING FILM 

AND OF COURSE THIS SUNDAY IS EASTER FOR ALL CELEBRATING!

FIT SOCIAL WILL HOST A FAMILY-FRIENDLY, BEACHSIDE EASTER EGG HUNT 

THERE WILL BE EGG HUNTS BASED ON AGE WITH GOLDEN EGGS HIDDEN THROUGHOUT THAT CONTAIN PRIZES LIKE FOOD OR DRINK GIFT CARDS 

THAT TAKES PLACE AT BELMONT PARK

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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is edited by Brooke Ruth 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 weekend.