Local nonprofits say conditions for migrants are bad
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, May 19th.
Local nonprofits are describing conditions for people seeking asylum in the U-S as unacceptable. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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Major League Soccer is coming to town.
The league yesterday announced it has awarded its 30th team to San Diego.
Although the team’s name was not revealed, the new club will begin playing in 20-25 at Snapdragon Stadium.
The team will be owned by an Egyptian billionaire and the Sycuan Tribe, the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in professional soccer in the country.
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More people looking to catch a bus.. have to find another way to get where they're going.
M-T-S bus routes operating out of the East County yesterday joined the work stoppage that started in the South Bay.
It comes as the M-T-S board chose a new leader to replace former Chair Nathan Fletcher.
Acting Chair Steven Whitburn was appointed to hold the position for the remainder of the term.. and the next term that begins in January.
“That is my goal to make sure that we have a transit agency that everyone finds convenient so they can get to where they want to go in a quick manner that will get more people to take advantage of the transit services that MTS has to offer.”
This was the second meeting where members voted to appoint a new chair.
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San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert is demanding a public hearing on the city’s lack of police oversight…that's in response to a recent KPBS investigation.
It’s been two-and-a-half years since San Diegans voted for stronger community oversight of police.
But KPBS found the city’s Commission on Police Practices has stopped reviewing allegations of police misconduct.
The City Council plans to appoint a new slate of commissioners on Monday, but von Wilpert wants answers about why oversight of police has stalled.
She chairs the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, and has scheduled a hearing next month.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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It's been over a week since the end of Title 42, the policy that prevented people from other countries from seeking asylum at the border because of the pandemic.
Reporter Kitty Alvarado has an update from nonprofits at the forefront of migrant humanitarian aid.
Nonprofit groups who have been on the ground, at the border since the end of Title 42, describe deplorable conditions for people who are asking for asylum in America. Margaret Cargioli, with Immigrant Defenders Law Center is decrying the death of an eight-year-old girl in Customs and Border Protection custody in Texas a week after a 17-year-old died in a Florida detention center. I hope it's the last time I hear it, but I'm afraid it may not be because if you're processing people that quickly, as if they're cattle and not human beings, what results should we expect? But the unfortunate tragedies Pedro Rios with the American Friends Service Committee says they’re calling on the Biden Administration to live up to our nation’s values and investigate what they say are CPB’s failures and human rights violations. people who are seeking asylum were disrespected to the point where they were dehumanized and permitted to suffer under extreme conditions and under the watch of the border patrol. We reached out to CBP … they did not respond. Kitty Alvarado KPBS News.
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Drinking water contamination on two Navy aircraft carriers last year was caused by maintenance lapses on board, according to two Navy investigations released this week.
Military reporter Andrew Dyer has more.
Sailors on two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers operating off the California coast last fall drank water contaminated with jet fuel and E. coli bacteria because of corrosion and poor maintenance. In September, Sailors on the Nimitz noticed the water smelled and tasted like fuel. The ship was sidelined at Naval Air Station North Island for two weeks while the system was flushed and cleaned. The investigation found a bad gasket on a potable water tank had gone undetected during the ship’s 2020 deployment. Water also became contaminated on the San Diego-base aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln just a week after Nimitz was sidelined. According to the investigation, water from the ship’s bilge system leaked into the drinking water through a hole in a corroded pipe. The investigation found tests from as early as January 2022 indicated bacterial contamination and faulted the sailors in charge of those tanks. The hole was repaired and the tanks flushed and cleaned. Andrew Dyer, KPBS News.
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We are in the midst of graduation season, and students at Cal State San Marcos are celebrating their commencement.
One of those students served in Afghanistan while also fighting a personal family battle at home.
Education reporter M.G. Perez tells us her story.
“This is the deck of the Vet Center. We have a lot of events out here.” Jamie Childers served in the U.S. Army 12 years …four of those years active duty…the rest in the reserves. Now she works at the Epstein Family Veterans Center on the campus of Cal State San Marcos…where she is also a graduating senior. She graduates with a double major bachelors degree in criminology and history…after surviving a traumatic family criminal history of her own.“Family influences what you study and your perspective on things…and I just wanted to learn from a different perspective...an educational perspective…not just somebody being impacted by the system.” Almost 20 years ago…Jamie’s older brother first entered the California prison system when she was just 13 years old. He’s been in and out of incarceration ever since…for drug-related crimes and ongoing addiction…leaving behind a son and daughter…Taylor and Jack Harrison’s mother was also mostly absent, so they grew up with their aunt, who is barely older than they are. “it just kind of fell on me to take care of them and guide them…and everything that I do has been for them and to show them…they can live a different path than what their dad was choosing.” Taylor is now 21…and a junior at San Diego State. She still lives with her aunt Jamie. NATS in the kitchen They cook together, collaborate, and communicate about the tough challenges life has brought them…“there has always been just one person who’s been through it all…that was my aunt. Anytime there was ever anything wrong or upsetting …she was the person that I would go to.” Jaime’s nephew Jack is now 18, and getting ready to go to college…with a wrestling scholarship. “My goal was to get my niece and nephew through college…I figured if I get them through that …then that cycle probably broken.” “so what are we doing today?” Back at the Vet Center at Cal State San Marcos, Jamie is managing a program specifically designed to help military-connected students transition from the armed forces to civilian life…and into careers in science, technology, engineering and math. In 2012, she did a 9-month tour of duty in Afghanistan working as a construction engineer building flight lines and perimeters around U.S. bases. “one of the biggest things I remember about being deployed is that you can see the stars everywhere…it’s awesome.” Following graduation, the stars have aligned for Jamie’s next challenge. She will prepare for and apply to law school…and begin work on changing the system she says victimized her. “making sure that there is a relationship between children and their mothers or fathers whoever is incarcerated…because a parental figure for children is important…and our justice system takes that away.” Her niece, Taylor, is following in her footsteps…studying criminal justice at SDSU with plans that could include a career in the F-B-I or D-E-A…“with the background of my dad, I’m also minoring in sociology...I want to really understand the ‘why’ behind why people do things…why he chooses the life that he lives.” Jamie has not given up on her incarcerated brother. “it’s been hard having to keep a relationship going with my brother…and it’s not something I want other people to go through…so I just want to be part of that change.” Along with her degree, Jamie Childers graduates this year with even more determination, too. MGP …KPBS News.
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Coming up.... It’s almost the weekend… so we have you covered with some things to do! We’ll have that, just after the break.
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Before you go, if you’re in need of plans, we have details on some arts events to check out this weekend.
Arts producer Julia Dixon Evans filled in my colleague Maureen Cavanaugh with the details.
Here’s their conversation.
Let's talk about a few other things going on in the arts this weekend. Artist Ethan Chan makes clothing out of sauce packets and has a new exhibit opening up. You've talked about his work before, right?
Okay, so how can we see it?
Sunday at the Casbah, there's a benefit concert for the family of local musician and music journalist Dustin Lothspeich [Lood)-spike], who passed away in March. What do you know about the concert this weekend to honor him?
TAG: That was arts producer and editor, Julia Dixon Evans, speaking with KPBS Midday Edition host Maureen Cavanaugh.
You can find details on all of the events mentioned, and more events, at KPBS dot ORG slash ARTS.
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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast was produced by KPBS Producer Emilyn Mohebbi and edited by KPBS editor Joe Guerin. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
