UCSD students continue to protest the war in Gaza
Good Morning, I’m Emilyn Mohebbi, in for Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, May 9th.
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UC-SD students continue to protest the war in Gaza. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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Janitors in San Diego and other parts of the state who are members of the S-E-I-U-United Service Workers West union have reached an agreement on a new contract.
Union president David Huerta says the agreement includes wage increases, pensions for all members and protections against abusive workloads.
Janitors say the amount of work they were being asked to do reached dangerous levels, and led to injuries.
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After months of a national search, the San Diego County Board of Education made a historic appointment yesterday.
They named Gloria Ciriza, superintendent of schools.
She’s the first woman in the position in the department’s history.
She currently serves as assistant superintendent of student services and programs.
Ciriza will take over the position after the current superintendent, Paul Gothold retires in June.
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Spring weather is in full swing this week… it’s that time of year when the weather feels just perfect, with clear skies, the sun shining, and comfortable temps.
The National Weather Service says it's going to warm up even more, over the next few days.
Today’s temperatures in the inland areas will be in the low 70s, by the coast and in the mountains, temps will be in the mid 60s, and in the deserts, it’ll be in the high 80s.
Temperatures are expected to rise a couple degrees tomorrow (Friday), and more over the weekend.
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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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Thousands of UC-SD students marched through campus yesterday (Wednesday) to protest the war in Gaza and the treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters.
Metro reporter Andrew Bowen has more.
"Remember South Africa! Remember Vietnam!" AB: The peaceful march through campus is an indication UCSD students are not giving up their demand that the university divest from companies involved in the war. On Monday, police forcibly broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. Maya is a student organizer who declined to give her last name. She says the campus crackdown was wrong — but the focus of Wednesday's march is Gaza. M: We have seen thousands more of innocent civilians being bombed and being forced out of Gaza, the last place that they were allowed in. We really want to center this now, this is what started it all, keeping all eyes on Gaza as this is unlike any war that has been seen. AB: 40 students were arrested in Monday's crackdown and could face expulsion. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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Hundreds of flood victims say the city of San Diego knew about long-standing issues with the stormwater drainage system ahead of the January storm.
Reporter Katie Anastas spoke to one Southcrest resident, who is part of a new lawsuit filed against the city.
Dirt paths and a berm separate Greg Montoya’s backyard from a concrete channel in Southcrest. MONTOYA There was so much debris, so much trash, mattresses, shopping carts, you name it, you would have found it in there. Nearly four months after the January flood he’s still in a hotel. Now, he’s one of more than 200 flood victims named in a lawsuit against the City of San Diego. They say the city knew the stormwater drainage system was too clogged to work properly and failed to clear it. They’re asking for $100 million in damages from the city. The city attorney would not comment on the lawsuit. Montoya and other residents sued the city in 2019 over the same problem. He says the city settled for $209,000. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.
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The G-I Film Festival showcases the stories of our military and veterans and is put on by KPBS.
The festival’s films are being shown through Friday at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.
Reporter Tania Thorne has more from one of the filmmakers.
The film, “Interpreters Wanted,” looks at the important role interpreters played in the war in Afghanistan. Robert Ham directed, edited and produced the film. Utimately it was about the brotherhood, the sisterhood with interpreters when we were in Afghanistan. We couldn't have fought these wars without the interpreters that were by our sides translating. Every mission, all the things that we were doing along the way. The film follows two Afghan brothers, Saifullah and Ismail, who served with the US army back in 2009… and their struggle for safety under the Taliban’s rule. I became close friends with both of them. They failed to receive their special immigrant visas that would get them access to America. They reached out wanting help and that's kind of the middle and beginning of the film. Films are being shown from now until Friday, with an award ceremony celebrating the work on Saturday. For a schedule of events visit gifilmfestival sd dot org. TT KPBS News.
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Louisiana’s famous music, grub and lifestyle are coming to San Diego once again.
Reporter Jacob Aere says it will feel like Mardi Gras in May, at the 21st annual Gator By The Bay Festival.
There’s plenty of bayou culture on tap for the west coast … with a strong Louisiana kick of sights, smells and sounds. The Bayou Brothers are a local band who have been proudly playing at the Gator By the Bay since its inception over two decades ago. Sista Judy Bayou Brothers Band “You can not be sad when you're listening to zydeco music. It makes you move, it makes you want to dance. And that's why I fell in love with the music.” And that regional sound has some distinct features … Sista Judy Bayou Brothers Band “A zydeco band is not a zydeco band unless you have a rubboard and an accordion. So these are the unique features for a zydeco band. We have also the drummer and the bass player and the guitar player.” As for the flavor of the festival … local businesses like The Gumbo Pot will be serving up their cajun and creole specialties, says chef and owner Richard Taylor. Richard Taylor Gumbo Pot Restaurant “You can eat this and cook it at home and have a good meal, but man when you eat this creole cajun food and you have the music – that's what New Orleans is all about.” 10,000 pounds of crawfish are being trucked in from Louisiana for the festival … Richard Taylor Gumbo Pot Restaurant “I have two parent sauces, creole red sauce – mother sauce, and then a brown sauce– father sauce. And from these sauces I create the whole menu.” Taylor was cooking his signature three dishes – gumbo, jambalaya and red beans – ahead of the event. They were made with an assortment of meats, seafood and vegetables … and the dishes tie him back to his family. Richard Taylor Gumbo Pot Restaurant “My family's from New Orleans, my grandmothers from a small town going north towards Baton Rouge, it's called Bayou Goula. It’s on the river road. Probably if you go by it now you'll just drive past it. But it's just a little small town and then they migrated to Los Angeles.” Taking place at Spanish Landing Park… across from San Diego International Airport … the stage is set for the four-day festival, which kicks off Thursday, says event producer Peter Oliver. Peter Oliver Gator By The Bay Producer “This is the new Mardi Gras stage. It used to be all converted in a big tent, and we decided to open it up because the type of music we're going to have at this stage really warrants it.” Now in its 21st year … the festival is still growing and changing. This year they're expecting over 15,000 attendees. Peter Oliver Gator By The Bay Producer “So this is a bump up from what we started and have been doing for the last 10 or 15 years.” There will be more than 100 musical acts on seven stages … including award-winning Blues, Cajun, and Zydeco artists, as well as other musical genres. Many of the bands will be local … and others are coming from the South … so like the food, it's one big melting pot. Sista Judy Bayou Brothers Band “For musicians we play our gigs and then go home, but here we get together – it's kind of like a big party. And everybody has just such a good time.” Oliver says with plenty of colorful fun, the festival is about as close as you can get to Louisiana culture outside of the state itself…Peter Oliver Gator By The Bay Producer “You get excited! After you've walked around for a little bit you say ‘dang, I want to get something to eat, I want to dance a little bit, I want to shake it up, I want to have fun, I want to cause a commotion. And that's what we do – we offer everybody the opportunity to cause a commotion.” This year’s Gator By The Bay Festival runs from May 9 through 12. Kids under 18 get in for free with a paying adult … and Oliver says all will experience a sense of joie de vivre – the joy of life.… tickets can be purchased at gatorbythebay.com. Jacob Aere, KPBS News.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m Emilyn Mohebbi. Thanks for listening, I hope you have a great Thursday… and guess what... we are only one day away from the weekend.
