KPBS News: Local Headlines

Algae Based Malaria Vaccine Advances In Testing

Peggy Pico — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:11:11 -0700

A cheap oral malaria vaccine made from algae, will advance to the next stage of testing at UC San Diego.

Fletcher Releases Plan For Port Of San Diego

Katie Orr — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:54:58 -0700

Proposals for San Diego’s Port have played a central role in this year’s mayoral campaign. Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is the latest to release his plan for the Port.

Medal Of Honor Awarded To Soldier Killed In Vietnam War (Video)

Beth Ford Roth — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:21:46 -0700

It's been 42 years and six days since Army Spc. Leslie H. Sabo Jr. performed the heroic actions that earned him the Medal of Honor. And today President Barack Obama was finally able to present the award to Sabo’s widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown, at a White House ceremony.

First Responders Stage Massive Disaster Drill In San Diego

Kenny Goldberg — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:07:07 -0700

Emergency responders throughout San Diego County were put to the test today as part of a statewide disaster exercise. At Qualcomm Stadium, crews practiced treating people exposed to a chemical spill.

Protest Disrupts UC Regents Meeting In Sacramento

Amy Quinton, California Capitol Network — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:02:06 -0700

About 20 protestors disrupted a University of California Regents meeting where officials were discussing a potential 6-percent tuition increase for undergraduates.

San Diego-Bound USS Essex, USNS Yukon Collide At Sea

Beth Ford Roth — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:33:13 -0700

The San Diego-bound USS Essex collided with the USNS Yukon this morning, according to the Navy. No one was injured in the collision, although both ship reported sustaining damage. The Navy reports no fuel was spilled in the mishap.

Ethics Commission Proposes $12,000 Per Election Contribution Limit For San Diego Offices

James R. Riffel, CITY NEWS SERVICE — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:07:14 -0700

New limits on financial contributions by political parties to candidates for San Diego's ostensibly nonpartisan municipal offices were proposed today to the City Council's Rules Committee.

The "Iron Gator" Returning To San Diego After 12 Years

Beth Ford Roth — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:06:15 -0700

The USS Essex, known as the "Iron Gator," is returning to San Diego tomorrow, after a dozen years in Sasebo, Japan.

Sandra Day O'Connor: Teaching Civics Imperative To Country's Future

Amita Sharma, Claire Trageser — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:50:00 -0700

Retired United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor told KPBS Television's "Evening Edition" she can teach students how the U.S. government works in an hour a week using a video game.

Undocumented Track Star Allowed To Stay, But In Legal Limbo

Jill Replogle — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:47:26 -0700

A San Diego track star is one of several thousand undocumented immigrants to benefit from a new government policy that let’s them avoid deportation. But the reprieve leaves them in a kind of legal no man's land.

District 3 San Diego County Supervisor Race Heats Up

Joanne Faryon, Patty Lane, Claire Trageser — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:30:00 -0700

For the first time in 16 years, there is an open seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. We hear from the top three candidates vying for the District 3 seat.

Tribe Seeks Injunction To Stop Desert Wind Energy Project

Jill Replogle — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:27:51 -0700

The Quechan Indian Tribe is seeking an injunction to stop a large wind project adjacent to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The tribe says the federal government has ignored its concerns about potential damage to cultural and archeological sites.

California Soldier Killed In Afghanistan

Beth Ford Roth — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:22:06 -0700

Army Sgt. Brian L. Walker, 25, of Lucerne Valley, California was killed on May 13 in Bowri Tana, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.

USS Carl Vinson Back In The USA

Beth Ford Roth — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:28:40 -0700

The USS Carl Vinson arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Tuesday. The aircraft carrier and its 5,500 member crew is en route to their homeport of San Diego after a six-month deployment.

DA Says Marine Wife Brittany Killgore Lured To Her Death By Third Suspect

Beth Ford Roth — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:41:27 -0700

More details about the murder of Camp Pendleton Marine wife Brittany Killgore emerged at yesterday's arraignment of the third person accused in the crime. Prosecutors say Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, charged Tuesday with first-degree murder, helped lure Killgore to her death.

Latino Voters: Seen, But Will They Be Heard, In 2012?

Corey Dade, NPR — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:39:14 -0700

Now the fastest growing voting group, Latinos have never been so heavily courted in a presidential race. They could play a key role in battleground states in the 2012 elections.

New Scrutiny For San Onofre Nuclear Plant As Restart Looms

MIchael Blood, Associated Press — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:34:54 -0700

The idled San Onofre nuclear power plant is facing new scrutiny from Congress as the utility that operates it moves closer to proposing a fix to get the twin reactors back in service.

Ex-Mexican Official Pleads Guilty To Aiding Cartel

Julie Watson, Associated Press — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:31:39 -0700

A former Mexican law enforcement official who worked closely with U.S. authorities in the drug war pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in San Diego to aiding members of a violent Tijuana-based cartel, including helping traffickers get away with a double homicide in 2010.

San Diego School Officials Discuss Future Financial Uncertainties

City News Service — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:20:22 -0700

San Diego Unified School District officials presented a report to the Board of Education Tuesday night stating the district can meet its financial obligations for the 2012-13 academic year due to potential budget cuts that could mean layoffs for about 1,155 employees, but financial uncertainties could make a balanced budget difficult for the 2013-14 academic year.

San Diego Nursing Program Will Expand After $7 Million Gift

Peggy Pico — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:00:00 -0700

An elite-nursing program at the University of San Diego plans to double in size, thanks to a gift of $7 million from a local family.