Emilyn Mohebbi

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.

Most of California’s foster family agencies are about to lose their insurance, and almost 9,000 children could be taken from their homes as early as October. In other news, a new report says that electrical vehicle charging stations couldn’t survive if they weren’t subsidized by the government. Plus, Hispanic Heritage Month is now underway, and San Diego is celebrating with a new exhibit at city hall.

A 19-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to a series of drive-by pellet gun shootings in Hillcrest earlier this month. In other news, the city of Del Mar recently passed a set of rules regulating short-term rentals and capping their numbers, but the ordinance still needs the state’s approval. Plus, KPBS just launched a new project called Public Matters, where our newsroom explores how we engage over politics, how government impacts our lives and threats to democracy.

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.

San Diego County will get its sixth super station vaccination site on Friday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. That news came on the same day Gov. Newsom announced progress in knocking down COVID-19 infections in California.