More than two years of testing has researchers convinced they have a faster way to detect untreated sewage in the Tijuana River. In other news, Carlsbad is now the first city in San Diego County to ban smoking and vaping in apartment and condo buildings. Plus, as school starts back up for students across San Diego, many families are struggling to find affordable after school care.

An independent analysis describes how a sales tax ballot measure would affect the city of San Diego’s finances. Plus, we speak with KPBS reporter Amita Sharma about what local delegates were expecting before heading to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. And, cyclists can weigh in on San Diego’s bike infrastructure.

Environmentalists gathered at a beach in Encinitas over the weekend, to push for the passage of a better plastic bag ban in California. In other news, a California bill would prohibit public libraries from banning books solely because of their topics or views. Plus, San Diego has the only zoo outside of Australia with platypuses, and now, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is partnering with an Australian zoo to study how climate change is affecting them.

The San Diego Housing Commission has distributed more than $1 million to people displaced by the January floods, but millions more dollars still sit unused. In other news, immigration has been a key issue that has been highlighted by both political parties. We hear about what the Presidential election could bring for San Diego County's border region. Plus, the San Diego Central Library kicks off its Swiftie book club Monday, to discover the literary inspirations behind Taylor Swift's songs.

The boards and commissions that advise city leaders in San Diego could see their independence restricted under a new set of rules proposed by Mayor Todd Gloria's office. In other news, gang violence in Escondido is on the rise, and police, community advocates and parents are trying to get ahead of any more tragedies. Plus, the new film "Sing Sing" employs a cast of formerly incarcerated men to tell a true story about the transformative power of art. Our KPBS cinema junkie gives us a review.

As prosecutors in San Diego plan a crackdown on wage theft, they're targeting employers that withhold overtime pay. In other news, San Diegans got their first look at a sculpture in Balboa Park that symbolizes how San Diego and Tijuana became this year’s World Design Capital. Plus, our KPBS border reporter got to join a tryout for the youth academy for San Diego's new Major League Soccer team.

Former San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher is again turning to his abandoned state senate campaign to pay for legal defense bills. In other news, wage theft is the most common form of theft in the U.S. economy, taking an estimated $15 billion per year from workers. We learn that one way employers steal from their workers is by withholding breaks. Plus, as part of a new KPBS series about volunteering, we hear from one volunteer who leads a unique kind of tour at the Tijuana River Estuary.

When it comes to wage theft, one thing to watch out for is employers withholding sick days. In other news, students in the San Diego Unified School District are back in school. Plus, in 2019, Renee Westbrook won best solo performer for her San Diego International Fringe Festival show “Shelter,” and this Friday in Los Angeles, she’ll perform it again.

The city of San Diego wants to reopen the historic Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park. It’s currently soliciting requests for proposals for the lease and renovation of the amphitheater. Starlight saw its last production in 2010. Plus, Sharp health care workers started unionizing last June but still don’t have a contract. They rallied in front of Sharp’s headquarters last week, demanding better pay and addressing what they say are staffing shortages. And Olympians from San Diego County are bringing back a slew of medals.

State and local leaders welcomed two giant pandas back to the San Diego Zoo. Plus, meet the volunteers helping seniors in San Diego County stay safe in extreme temperatures. And, a look at local disaster preparedness.