Podcast Kpbs

We are exploring the brave, new world of artificial intelligence and where it's taking us. We discuss the emergence of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and how human beings are reacting. Then, we’ll hear some tips on how to use artificial intelligence. And, we have a discussion on how the technology continues to improve – and whether we s…

Facing financial struggles, El Centro Regional Medical Center turns to UC San Diego Health to help it stay afloat.

Midday Edition is back, connecting our communities through conversation. We are talking about friendships and their power to uplift us and even keep us healthy. We’ll hear what science says about friendship from the longest running research project on human happiness. Then, for kids it’s easy to make friends, for adults not so much. We’ll hear advi…

A study from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography shows that Tijuana sewage isn’t just ending up in our water - it’s finding its way into the air we breathe. The study, conducted in 2019, found that air samples collected in Imperial Beach contained the same bacteria present in contaminated ocean water. Then, the Department of Veterans…

The city of San Diego has an ambitious climate action goal to hit net zero emissions by 2035, but climate activists have been demanding a timeline for how the city intends to get there. Mayor Todd Gloria joins Midday Edition to talk about the draft plan released this week, and the city’s plan to stop using downtown’s Golden Hall as a homeless shelt…

UC San Diego Health will soon take over day-to-day operations for the El Centro Regional Medical Center, the largest hospital in Imperial County. Next, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E can write essays for students, create art and music, and even help with office work. But what are they exactly? Then, a year after Russia's invasion of Uk…

After three years, California and San Diego’s COVID-19 state of emergency orders are ending today. Then, a look at the recent mega-contract signed by Padres Star Manny Machado. Finally, a conversation about beer, music and representation in the local craft beer industry.

First, a conversation about the impacts of the weekend weather on the county and the effect of all this rain and snow on drought conditions in the state. Then, sewage spills originating in Tijuana have forced the closure of beaches in Imperial beach and south toward the border for most of this winter. What will a recent settlement between the feder…

Search warrants relating to the alleged rape of a young woman by members of the San Diego State University football team were unsealed by the San Diego County Superior Court yesterday. Then, we visit a ranch in East San Diego County where military families can go to spend time together and reconnect. And in our weekend preview, we have art made wit…

More storms hit San Diego County and much of California this week, adding to an already wet winter. What does it all mean for the state’s long-running drought?

A new Biden Administration policy would limit the ability of migrants to seek asylum at the Southern Border. KPBS Investigative Border Reporter Gustavo Solis reports asylum advocates are universally rejecting the policy and legal action to stop it from taking effect is expected. Then, from the American Homefront Project, a story about National Guar…

Law enforcement officials arrested 48 people in connection with a month-long operation targeting suspected sex traffickers in National City and San Diego. We hear from a local expert on how sex trafficking impacts minors. Then, the city and county of San Diego will end COVID emergencies at the end of the month. How will this affect how we fight aga…

For most, this week’s colder forecast means wearing an extra layer, or turning up the thermostat. But for the region’s unhoused residents, lower temperatures can make life much more difficult. Then, California has poured billions of dollars into reducing homelessness in recent years, but residents and state and local officials are frustrated over a…

During a surprise visit to Ukraine Monday, President Joe Biden said the U.S. will back the country for as long as it takes. Nearly a year after the Russian invasion, a group of retired U.S. military personnel has been volunteering to help Ukrainian authorities disarm mines and other explosives. Then, San Diego County is set to experience some of it…

We look at the psychology of police brutality with a UC San Diego researcher who studies violence. Then, it’s been two years since San Diego County rolled out its Mobile Crisis Response Teams. The groups of mental health experts and care providers offer specialized assistance to people experiencing mental health difficulties across the county. And,…

The announcement that longtime California Senator Dianne Fienstein will not seek reelection in 2024 marks the end of an era in California politics and governance. Then, a group of California state lawmakers are proposing to enshrine marriage equality into the state’s constitution. Next, for Black History Month, we introduce you to a San Diego scien…

Antisemitism and hate crimes are on the rise. Inewsource reporter Jill Castellano tells us about how one right-wing extremist group is impacting San Diego. Then, the need for more housing and sustainable transportation has North County’s transit agency exploring ways to best use their available land. And, the San Diego International Jewish Film Fes…

The Catholic Diocese of San Diego says it may file for bankruptcy as it faces hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits. The legal claims date back as far as the 1940s. Then, the future of the Imperial Valley’s largest hospital is in jeopardy. A string of financial challenges have left multiple departments of El Centro Regional Medical center shuttered. Pl…

The earthquake that hit the Middle East Monday is creating a humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria, an area already struggling from a decade-long civil war. Then, cold blooded animals that require heating lamps are jacking up the heating bill for a local nonprofit that helps rescue the reptiles. Finally, in our weekend arts preview, we have a play…

Natural gas prices rose dramatically in January and state and local leaders want to know why.

For the first time, the Mexican government is formally opposing the controversial Trump-era program known as Remain in Mexico. Then, an in-depth look at what California is spending to address homelessness, and if it’s made a difference. And, a story about how police officers at one South Bay college are working to create a community for change. The…

The devastating earthquake and aftershocks in Turkey and Syria have now claimed more than 11,000 lives. Turkish expats in San Diego are raising money to help. Then, search and rescue teams from around the world are helping with the rescue efforts. What does that work entail? Next, three years into the pandemic, what do we know about long COVID? Nex…

San Diego’s largest healthcare provider, Sharp, began notifying more than 60,000 patients this week that cyber criminals may have their personal information. Then, how community outcry sank a plan for a cement factory on a Port of San Diego terminal. Plus, long-time Ocean beach resident Jay Kahn, who died in 2022, left the San Diego Foundation a su…

The state law requires any records showing discrimination by law enforcement be released to the public. The questions remains: is the public seeing everything it should? Then, Amtrak weekend services returned on Saturday for the first time since operations were suspended in October to repair a section of track along the San Clemente coast that was …

The U.S. deports roughly 300,000 people each year. Those with relatives in the United States rarely stray too far from the border. We hear from several deportees in Tijuana about life after deportation. Then, for our weekend preview we have storms, maps, tango and more.