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Debbie Cruz

Afternoon News Anchor & Host

Debbie Cruz is the local anchor for All Things Considered and the host of the San Diego News Now podcast. Debbie was born and raised in Southern Arizona where she began her journalism career in 1997 as the afternoon anchor at Newsradio KNST in Tucson. Debbie moved with her family to San Diego in 2004 where she continued to enjoy her passion for newsgathering and storytelling as a regional news writer and reporter/anchor at Metro Networks. Debbie most recently worked as the morning news anchor for 24/7 News and 760 KFMB.

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  • San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez announced that all personnel assigned to county detention facilities, including contractors, will be screened for narcotics and contraband. For the past two years, the Sheriff’s Department has rejected recommendations from the Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board to screen employees for drugs. Plus, the extreme heat gripping most of the county is coming to an end. But California’s grid operator is asking residents to prepare for Flex Alerts if hot weather continues. And UC San Diego researchers published a new study on comb jellies — invertebrates living miles under the ocean.
  • Most migrants who cross the border to San Diego don’t stay here. But homeless outreach workers are seeing more and more migrants among our homeless population. Then, the Salvation Army in Serra Mesa is helping older San Diegans with free AC and tips on staying safe during heat waves. Plus, a new law requires California high schools to teach students about the dangers of fentanyl.
  • A week after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on bump stocks, Representative Scott Peters and other local leaders say Congress needs to act to protect people’s safety. In other news, over the last decade, California lost half of its recycling centers, which means fewer opportunities for people to recycle their bottles and cans. Our KPBS investigative reporter joins the podcast to discuss how the state is planning to transform how we recycle in the coming years. Plus, young poets are inscribing their words on the pavement of a City Heights alley. The public art project is being unveiled Saturday.
  • The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, in the wake of hundreds of legal claims from alleged sexual abuse victims. In other news, the latest San Diego County Respiratory Virus Surveillance report shows a slight increase in COVID-19 cases. We find out whether there is a need for concern. Plus, a Normal Heights nonprofit is helping students turn recycled objects into art, and giving San Diegans a chance to donate and buy second-hand supplies.
  • The federal government is shining a light on how much money credit unions collect in overdraft fees. In other news, a new report documents how the California Coastal Commission blocks and delays housing. Plus, Father’s Day is Sunday, and we’ve put together some well wishes from our newsroom to share with you in celebration of all the dads and caregivers out there.
  • The city of San Diego is spending $37 million to modernize the storm water system in South Mission Beach, but that’s just a drop in the bucket of what’s needed. In other news, immigrants’ rights groups sued the Biden administration Wednesday over the president’s recent executive actions that restrict asylum to migrants who cross the border illegally. Plus, the class of 2024 is graduating in a time of campus protests unmatched since the 1960s. Some UC San Diego students say they are looking forward to graduation, but with heavy hearts.
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