Debbie Cruz

It’s been two years since voters allowed the city of San Diego to charge them for trash pickup, and now they want to know how much it will cost. In other news, the San Diego Registrar of Voters is looking for more poll workers, especially bilingual ones, for the November election. Plus, this October, San Diego Central Library has the most low-key, low-stress horror book club for the Halloween season. We have details on the Email Book Club.

Stock markets shot up Thursday in response to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts, but lower interest rates may not make it easier to afford a home mortgage in San Diego. In other news, data shows Black mothers and infants face higher rates of childbirth related complications or deaths than any other race or ethnicity in the U.S. San Diego county is expanding valuable resources to black mothers and babies to help bring those rates down. Plus, our KPBS arts reporter joins the podcast to talk about the new fall arts guide.

The San Diego City Council wants to make it easier to install traffic safety measures like crosswalks and speed humps. In other news, the FBI is warning of a new scam that involves extorting teens over sexually explicit photos. We have details on what parents can do to protect their children. Plus, how you can donate a Halloween costume to military families on limited budgets.

A bipartisan group of congress members is again raising the alarm about the cross border sewage crisis as scientists reported dangerous levels of sewer gas in the Tijuana River Valley earlier this week. In other news, mental health resources are scarce. On Thursday, Palomar Health broke ground on a new 120 bed facility that will bring much needed services to the North County, including help for our first responders. Plus, more than 100 disabled veterans spent a week in San Diego last month for the VA’s summer sports clinic. Our KPBS military and veterans reporter spent time with some of the veterans, and says they get so much more than a workout.

Some San Diegans have voiced concerns about the safety of battery storage facilities, so the San Diego County Board of Supervisors took some steps Wednesday to address the issue. In other news, city leaders in Chula Vista are exploring changes that could weaken its tenant protection laws. Plus, we learn how dogs are protectors on the street for some women experiencing homelessness.

Cross-border sewage continues to exacerbate the environmental crisis along the Tijuana River Valley and Imperial Beach, but San Diego County officials say the air is safe for now. In other news, Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign unveiled an ad this week featuring some of former President Trump's senior officials who now say he’s unfit to be president. We hear from conservative pundit Bill Kristol on why he thinks the former president is a danger to democracy. Plus, as part of an ongoing KPBS series on San Diegans who volunteer in unusual ways, we hear from two women in Lemon Grove who want to transform the city into a bee pollinator city.

The executive chef of the Marine Room in La Jolla shares some dinner, dessert and drink recipes for a Valentine's Day dinner at home.