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When it comes to clearing homeless encampments, California cities are governed by a patchwork of very different policies.

Premieres Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app. Revisit 1940s Los Angeles, when a mysterious cloud of smoke descended over the city, sickening residents. The struggle to determine the cause and then the cure for smog would take years of scientific investigation and bipartisan determination.

Many California Democrats are reluctant to give up the state’s independently drawn congressional districts, but they say it’s a necessary step to counter gerrymanders in Republican states.

Adrian Quesada throws a psychedelic fiesta. Madison McFerrin sings through the heartache. Durand Jones is thankful for what he's got. KALW's Wonway Posibul joins Stephen Thompson to discuss their favorite releases of the week.

Stream now with the PBS app + Watch Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025 at 5 p.m. on KPBS TV. Kelly joins Dr. Wendy Suzuki in an animated conversation about the importance of movement in our physical, mental and emotional well-being. This roundtable also features Manoush Zomorodi, journalist and host of NPR’s Ted Radio Hour, and poet and artist Mahogany L. Browne, both of whom share how they incorporate movement into their lives and work.

We are pleased to announce the return of the Athenaeum Jazz series to the Scripps Research Auditorium (10620 John Jay Hopkins Drive, north of Genesee Avenue in Torrey Pines Mesa) for two out of three concerts in our annual spring series. Seating is limited for all three evenings, so early reservations are advised. Please join us for these three special performances featuring internationally acclaimed jazz artists Omar Sosa, Bill Frisell, and Ben Wendel. For tickets and information, click below or call (858) 454-5872. The spring series opens on Thursday, March 27, at Scripps Research with a long-anticipated local debut as a leader of acclaimed Cuban composer-pianist-bandleader Omar Sosa and his Quarteto Americanos, featuring Josh Jones on drums, Ernesto Mazar Kindelán on bass, and Sheldon Brown on sax, clarinet, and flute. Sosa is widely celebrated as one of the most versatile jazz artists on the scene today. His musical trajectory traces the African diaspora from Cuba to Brazil; from Central America to Ecuador’s African-descent communities; from San Francisco and New York to his current home base in Barcelona. True to his Afro-Cuban origins, Sosa fashions a spirited vision of uncompromising artistic generosity that embraces humanity at large. Nominated for seven Grammy awards and twice for the BBC World Music Awards, Sosa received a lifetime achievement award from the Smithsonian Associates in Washington, D.C., for his contribution to the development of Latin jazz in the United States. The series continues on Wednesday, April 9, at Scripps Research with the Bill Frisell Trio, featuring Frisell on guitar, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 40 years and many celebrated recordings. Recognized as one of America’s most vital and productive performing artists, Frisell has contributed to the work of a staggering array of collaborators, including Paul Motian, John Zorn, Elvis Costello, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Rickie Lee Jones, Vinicius Cantuária, Marianne Faithfull, John Scofield, Bono, and Brian Eno, to name only a few. This work has established Frisell as one of the most sought-after guitar voices in contemporary music. The series concludes on Thursday, April 24, at the Athenaeum with the Ben Wendel Quartet, featuring Wendel on saxophone with an all-star rhythm section of Gerald Clayton on piano, Luca Alemanno on bass, and Jonathan Pinson on drums. Grammy-nominated saxophonist Ben Wendel was born in Vancouver and raised in Los Angeles. Currently living in Brooklyn, he has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer, and producer. Highlights include tours, performances, and/or recordings with artists such as Terence Blanchard, Bill Frisell, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Tigran Hamasyan, Antonio Sanchez, Eric Harland, Taylor Eigsti, Linda May Han Oh, Moonchild, Louis Cole, Daedelus, Snoop Dogg, and Prince. Wendel is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Kneebody. His 2023 record, All One, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category. His latest release, Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard (October 2024), features his longtime colleague, Gerald Clayton. Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/jazz Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Instagram and Facebook

The new musical explores the complex friendship between the president and the famed abolitionist. We spoke with co-lyricist and co-choreographer Daniel J. Watts about the creative process behind the production.

Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber With support from Run The Jewels June 21, 2025 @ 8 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.) Twenty-five years ago, the Wu-Tang Clan changed hip-hop music forever. Bursting onto the music scene with the release of "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)," the group quickly became recognized for its innovative beats and clever lyrics, as well as the diverse personalities and talents that make up its nine member hip-hop group. The Wu Tang Clan has released seven gold and platinum studio albums with worldwide sales of more than 40 million albums. With the release of their debut album in 1993 songs like “C.R.E.A.M and “Protect Ya Neck” introduced hip-hop pioneer, The RZA, as a groundbreaking hip hop craftsman. With lyrics that combine the reality of 1990s New York and the world of martial arts, the Wu-Tang Clan has created a unique mythology that captures the hearts of fans worldwide. Directions and Parking Wu-Tang Clan on Facebook / Instagram

GoFundMe.org has teamed with an Inland Empire non-profit to distribute air conditioners and air and water purifiers to those in need just as the temperatures are predicted to rise to near 115 degrees in the desert.

This weekend at the movies, you can see films about a raging virus and another about a lesson in childhood friendships. What's not to like?