Hearings into leadership have yielded few answers for parents after the tragic July 20 accident where 9 troops drowned off the coast of San Clemente Island. Also, not everyone is ready for California’s move into an endemic phase of covid-19. Those who are immunocompromised may not receive full or any protection from COVID-19 vaccines. Plus, the Oceanside International Film Festival opens for in-person events today.
San Diego school leaders are facing increased resistance to mask mandates from parents leaving local teachers stuck in the middle. Next, an interview with, Susan Enfield, one of the finalists for San Diego Unified School District’s superintendent position. And, how the cashless economy is creating inequities in San Diego. Then, millions of Americans with disabilities face barriers to get married, one of which can mean losing the federal benefits they rely on. Finally, the Oceanside International Film Festival returns to the Brooks Theatre on February 22 for in-person screenings. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando speaks with the festival's executive director Lou Niles.
In a rare bipartisan move on Capitol Hill, Democrat Mike Levin and Republican Darrell Issa have re-introduced legislation on removing spent nuclear waste from San Onofre. Next, families with children under 5 will have to wait a while longer for Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine to be available for small children. An explanation of the decision. Then, what should California do with its estimated $20 Billion budget surplus? Last year some of that surplus was returned in the form of stimulus checks for some Californians. And, a fourth grade High Tech elementary teacher was placed on administrative leave last week after reading a piece from a Harlem Renaissance poet that included an offensive word as part of a lesson. Later, California’s mask mandates will be lifted again this week in many places, but they’ll remain in congregate settings like immigrant detention centers where COVID-19 is still spreading. Finally, Black Comix Day returns this weekend at the WorldBeat Cultural Center
The ACLU along with lawyers representing several incarcerated people are suing the Sheriff's Department and San Diego County to improve medical care and living conditions inside the county’s seven jail facilities. Plus, San Diego Opera is back to in-person productions at the Civic Theater after experimenting with drive-in performances during the pandemic. And, this weekend in the arts, free concerts from the San Diego Symphony, lots of visual art, a youth theater take on "The Wiz," and some Valentine's Day jazz.
Father Joe’s Villages in San Diego unveiled a new permanent supportive housing project on Thursday. The 14-story building with 407 units is being called the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa. Meanwhile, a labor dispute has been holding up a land sale that’s part of the Mission Valley Stadium project. Plus, the San Diego Opera is back to in-person productions at the Civic Theater.