Vaccines for kids under 5
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, June 17th
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Freedom Riders commemorated in new San Diego exhibit
More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######
We have an update on the first two probable cases of monkeypox in San Diego County.
Health officials first announced the cases on Wednesday.
Now we know that the two cases are unrelated to each other, but both individuals recently traveled internationally.
They are both in isolation and are symptomatic, but doing well.
Monkeypox is a viral infection that can spread through contact with bodily fluids, sores on the body or shared items.
Symptoms include fever, headache, chills and a rash.
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The San Diego Rep. is admitting errors in response to allegations of racism and misogyny at the theater.
The cast of the Rep’s recent show ‘The Great Khan’ made the allegations in a letter posted on Instagram.
On Wednesday, following a KPBS report on the allegations, the theatre’s artistic director emailed a statement acknowledging some “errors.”
He wrote in part: quote “To all of those who were affected during the making of ‘The Great Khan,’ we offer our sincere apologies.”
Prior to the allegations, the theatre announced it will temporarily shut down operations on Sunday.
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Construction of new housing in San Diego is down 5-percent compared to this time last year.
Data from the Real Estate Research Council of Southern California said nearly three-thousand building permits were pulled in the first three months of the year.
The majority of the permits pulled in the first quarter of this year were for multifamily housing, according to reporting by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Last year was a strong year for new housing construction in the San Diego area, with more than 10-thousand homes being built
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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.
Sunday is Juneteenth. The commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
The federal holiday follows on Monday, and on the eve of the historic holiday, there is a new exhibit presented by The San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art at the Quartyard.
The exhibit marks the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Riders.
“The Busses are Coming” includes historic photographs, videos, and interviews.
KPBS’s M.G. Perez spoke with the museum’s executive director, Gaidi Finnie.
Here is their conversation.
“The Busses are Coming” opening celebration is today at 5 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through September 7th.
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COVID vaccines for the youngest kids could be going into arms as early as next week.
KPBS Health reporter Matt Hoffman has more on the recent authorization by the FDA.
Federal regulators say the benefits of COVID vaccines in kids as young as five outweigh any risks. As with adults, the doses are found to give protection against serious illness and death. 4:10.200 The dose is lower but it’s exactly the same in every other way Rady Children’s Hospital infectious disease specialist Dr. Mark Sawyer sat on the FDA committee that authorized vaccines for kids under 5. Pending CDC approval, children could be receiving the doses as early as next week, something some parents have long been waiting for. 9:47.081 Dr. Mark Sawyer, Rady Children’s Hospital There’s a subset of parents who continue to be very concerned about covid and covid exposures so much so that they’ve isolated their children from all their regular activities and this vaccine is going to provide reassurance MH KPBS News.
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The possibility of more summertime beach closures in the South County has beach communities and county officials at odds.
KPBS Environment Reporter Erik Anderson explains.
Polluted water postings are up sharply in Imperial Beach and Coronado since May. San Diego County Department of Environmental Health’s Heather Buonomo officials says better testing is revealing more pollution.
“These are the only beaches where we’re experiencing these increased closures.” Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina wants to make sure the beaches are actually polluted. He says wind and ocean currents should be part of the equation.
“The county rolled out a new testing methodology…We’re closing beaches when the city of San Diego testing, the old testing, shows that the beaches are clean.” Closing local beaches is a crushing blow to communities that rely on tourist traffic during the summer. Dedina likens it to closing Main Street in his town. Erik Anderson KPBS News
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More than 8 thousand 5 hundred people in San Diego County are homeless. That’s according to the most recent point in time count. KPBS reporter John Carroll tells us about a vigil to bring attention to the crisis.
KPBS reporter John Carroll tells us about a vigil to bring attention to this crisis.
19 tents were set up Thursday afternoon on the lawn of Waterfront Park… a tent vigil, meant to call attention - not just to the problem of people not having places to live… but to who those people are. San Diego Emergency Housing Alliance lawyer Coleen Cusack. “5% of our population in San Diego are Black and yet 24% of our homeless population are Black. That is not an accident.” The tents spelled out two different messages… on one side the words “housing not handcuffs” and on the other, “end criminalization.” One speaker said the problem isn’t with resources, it’s the lack of compassion for our brothers and sisters who live on the streets. JC, KPBS News.
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Coming up.... The San Diego Zoo welcomed a new addition, that story and more after the break
San Diego’s Roman Catholic Diocese has made some big headlines over the past few weeks.
First, its leader was tapped by Pope Francis to become a cardinal, passing over more senior and more conservative Catholic clergy.
Then San Diego’s auxiliary bishop was chosen to become Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, replacing a more conservative Bishop.
KPBS reporter Kitty Alvarado has a look at what those changes mean.
Bishop Robert McElroy himself said he never imagined this could happen, a once in a lifetime appointment to become a cardinal. It came as a surprise Bishop Robert McElroy Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego 14:06:51:28 (:06) And not a clue that this was being contemplated or even possible To many San Diegans, a good surprise. Pastor Peter Navarra St. Joseph Cathedral, San Diego Diocese 03:04:07 (:07) we announced it at church at all the masses everybody rejoiced and clapped so it was fantastic, it was good news That’s Pastor Peter Navarra of St. Joseph’s Cathedral in downtown San Diego. He says for those who understand the hierarchy of the church… this selection is very out of the norm. Pastor Peter Navarra St. Joseph Cathedral, San Diego Diocese yes that kind of surprised me because he broke the format, you know, the tradition and choosing Bishop McElroy who is not an archbishop he’s the bishop of San Diego and that made it more special because San Diego is now on the map And weeks after McElroy’s selection, Pope Francis again turned to San Diego to elevate another church leader. … Please join me in welcoming Bishop John Dolan Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan will leave San Diego in August to take over the Diocese of Phoenix… replacing a retiring bishop known for being conservative. These are exciting and unpredictable wild days for San Diego Michael Lovette-Colyer is the head of Mission Integration at the University of San Diego. He says two like-minded leaders being placed in high ranking positions in the church has significant implications… but that change started with Pope Francis. Michael Lovette-Colyer University of San Diego 04:45:18The earthquake was Pope Francis , the aftershocks are people like Bishop Dolan being elevated to Bishop and Bishop McElroy becoming Cardinal ten fifteen years ago people like Bishop Dolan most likely would not have been made the bishop of his own diocese …Just days before he was named Bishop of Phoenix, we talked with Dolan about McElroy’s selection as cardinal. He addressed some of the criticism from hardliners, saying much like Pope Francis he will lead with his heart 08:07:29 (:14) it isn’t that he’s trying to be conservative or liberal he’s really trying to focus on being … a person who communicates at all time without drawing a line in the sand because that never really helps McElroy himself and church insiders say part of the reason he was selected was because of his work on three issues that are near to Pope Francis’ heart: immigration, inclusion and the environment. McElroy will be the only cardinal on the West Coast and in a border city. Father Patrick Murphy runs Casa Del Migrante, a nonprofit shelter for migrants across the border in Tijuana. He says McElroy’s is a voice that is needed in Rome Father Patrick Murphy Director, Casa Del Migrante 2:08:06 (:xx) I think that’s strong symbolism on the part of Pope Francis because he has this phrase, ‘reaching out to people on the periphery’ and being at the border is being in the peripheries. Women have long been on the periphery of church leadership. But McElroy made changes by appointing Maria Olivia Galvan as the first woman chancellor and director for pastoral ministries in the diocese. Maria Olivia Galvan Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego 04:21::25 (20) That is something that we have started to see more and more throughout the nation but it’s far from being a reality… he’s a visionary. And environmental advocates like the Surfrider Foundatio’s Mitch Silverstein say having allies in positions of leadership matters. Mitch Silverstein Policy Coordinator, Surfrider Foundation 03:06:14 Having people in leadership positions in the Catholic faith in every faith and every sector in our society who are environmentalists … I think is just crucial to all of us uniting to save our planet. Ultimately, Lovette-Colyer says this type of pastoral leadership will help usher in a new generation who have not seen themselves or their friends accepted in the church 05:42:11 People in those roles who operate in that way who have those qualities are often seen especially by young people as incredibly relevant and incredible and authentic witnesses and therefore they’re very effective attracting either to pay attention to the church in a new way or maybe even to get involved in a deeper way. McElroy will travel to Rome in August where he will be installed by Pope Francis. Then he will return to San Diego to continue his work, with the new title of Cardinal. Kitty Alvarado KPBS News.
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A San Diego gallery is featuring and selling art made by Ukrainians in an effort to help families who are still there in the midst of a war.
KPBS reporter Kitty Alvarado visited the exhibit.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and horrors of the war are on full display inside the Bread and Salt Art Gallery in Barrio Logan. Every piece of art was made by artists in Ukraine during the darkest time in their lives … the pain evident in every inch of canvas, paper and screen. Pain, that Eugenia Brodsky, the curator… says must be seen and heard. Eugenia Brodsky Ukrainian Voice Your Choice, Art Curator 02:52:29 (file 1601) All the Ukrainians understand silence is also violence so all of us, all of the Ukrainians start to be very loud and just like all of these works they are like a scream. The exhibit is also a sale with all profits going directly to 25 prescreened families who are still in Ukraine and in desperate need of help. The exhibit ends Friday … Kitty Alvarado KPBS News
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San Diego Zoo announced the arrival of an aardvark cub this week.
It’s the first aardvark to be born at the zoo in more than 35 years.
The female cub was born on May 10th and hasn’t been named yet.
Aardvarks are native to sub-Saharan Africa, and their name means “earth pig.”
They’re nocturnal, and have long, sticky tongues, to slurp up ants and termites of course.
The zoo’s cub and her mom Zola won’t be out and about for visitors to see right away. They’ll be bonding for about two months, first.
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening, and have an awesome weekend!
