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San Diego News Now

KPBS Public Media
San Diego
California
Kaiser Permanente
ICE
San Diego County
Trump Administration
Homelessness
Balboa Park
Calfresh
Immigration Enforcement
KPBS
Imperial County
Chula Vista
Rady Children's Hospital
Tijuana River
Mental Health
UC San Diego
Affordable Housing
Otay Mesa Immigrant Detention Center
Immigration Policy

San Diego news; when you want it, where you want it. Get local stories on politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings. Hosted by Lawrence K. Jackson and produced by KPBS, San Diego and the Imperial County's NPR and PBS station.

PublishesDailyEpisodes2218Founded10 years ago
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News

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Artwork for San Diego News Now

Latest Episodes

First, we’ll tell you how new CalFresh work requirements impact the budget approved by county supervisors. Also, we’ll tell you why water is set to cost more across the county. Next, a decision will soon be made regarding a half-century-long battle t... more

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First, we’ll tell you why some of the youngest students in the county will have less access to computer and phone screens next year. Also, roughly 93 thousand San Diegans could lose federally-funded benefits, one county proposed initiative looks to h... more

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First, a new documentary looks into how a group of moms fought back against anti-LGBTQ activists. Next, San Diego County supervisors are set to vote on increased staffing in some of the county’s justice and law enforcement offices. Then, a new survey... more

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First, a new report says that schools in California are more divided between rich and poor than in 40 other U.S. states. Also, Tijuana hosted a Presidential visit over the weekend, we’ll tell you what Mexico’s President considers a right and not a pr... more

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Stacy Tolchin
Immigration lawyer
Tolchin Law (Stacy Tolchin, attorney)
Episode: A centuries-old legal remedy is now being met with challenging countertactics
Megan Day
Lawyer with the Immigrant Defenders Law Center
Immigrant Defenders Law Center
Episode: A centuries-old legal remedy is now being met with challenging countertactics
Cassandra Lopez
Lawyer with Alotrolado, a San Diego-based immigrant rights organization
Alotrolado
Episode: A centuries-old legal remedy is now being met with challenging countertactics
Amar Campanajar
Democratic candidate for the 48th District
Campaign for Amar Campanajar
Episode: We spoke with candidates vying for the 48th Congressional District seat
Michael Schwartz
Executive director of the San Diego County Gun Owners Pack
San Diego County Gun Owners Pack
Episode: Did California gun laws limit the impact of last week’s Islamic Center attack?
Steve Lindley
Executive Director of the Brady Campaign
The Brady Campaign
Episode: Did California gun laws limit the impact of last week’s Islamic Center attack?
Ismahan Abdullahi
Board member of the Huda Community Center
Huda Community Center
Episode: Did California gun laws limit the impact of last week’s Islamic Center attack?
Noor Abdi
Youth leader and security team member for Eid prayer services
Community Leader
Episode: Did California gun laws limit the impact of last week’s Islamic Center attack?
Kalina Park
Park prayer organizer (community member)
Community Member
Episode: Did California gun laws limit the impact of last week’s Islamic Center attack?

Hosts

Lawrence K. Jackson
Host of San Diego News Now; Anchor/Reporter; KPBS
Debbie Cruz
Host of KPBS News San Diego; Anchor introducing and guiding segments

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 159 ratings
  • A really useful way to keep up with local news, but please fix volume levels

    This is an essential news source to me, and I listen every morning. However, in recent weeks/months, the volume of the host audio has gotten very quiet compared with most of the stories, and there is also substantial variation of volume between stories. Could you please even out the volume levels? My neighbors thank you in advance for my stereo not becoming suddenly very loud at 6 a.m.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    askepticisneverfooled
    United States5 months ago
  • Good effort.

    Team work shines through

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    California Now
    United States9 months ago
  • Be better

    I wish they would get a reporter who is able to pronounce words correctly. it’s acoustically unpleasant to hear this person speak when all I can focus on is how many words she mispronounces…

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Pluto’s protest
    United States2 years ago
  • Good show but the new host?

    Part of my daily morning routine but the low energy of the fill-in host has me worried about its future. I’m sure she’s a great writer and fine as a reporter for a single story but is not a host. Also the show’s “make assumptions” ad triggers cringe so quickly I might get in a car accident reaching for the skip button

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    dancacahuate
    United States2 years ago
  • Finally San Diego news

    Every morning I listen to it and even better they don’t only pick stuff that gets you scared they do the opposite

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    R Beanie
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience values diverse voices, including advocates and officials, in coverage of immigration and policy matters.
Listeners appreciate concise, timely local updates with a clear focus on issues that affect daily life in San Diego.
Several listeners note sound and format consistency but call out occasional host transition or production quirks that affect pacing.

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The Tucker Carlson ShowTucker Carlson Network
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CandaceCandace Owens
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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Four San Diego City Council seats will be on the upcoming ballot
Q: What are the key dynamics shaping Districts 4, 6, and 8 in terms of incumbents and competition?
District 4 and 6 both feature incumbents seeking re-election (Henry Foster III in District 4 and Kent Lee in District 6) against multiple challengers, while District 8 has four candidates including the incumbent's chief of staff and other politically connected contenders, suggesting a potentially competitive path to a runoff.
Four San Diego City Council seats will be on the upcoming ballot
Q: What defines the most crowded primary in San Diego for District 2 and who are some notable candidates?
The District 2 race has seven candidates, including Nicole Crosby, Josh Coyne, Richard Bailey, Mandy Havlik, Jacob Mitchell, Mike Rickey, and Paul Suppa, with Crosby and Coyne holding strong endorsements and Bailey bringing name recognition from Coronado; the crowded field makes it difficult for any single candidate to stand out.
Cesar Chavez name-removal begins following recent explosive allegations
Q: Carlos, talk to me about the decision to have your subject, the store owner, narrate the piece.
Carlos explains that he chose a non-narrated approach because the subject has a strong voice and can carry the story effectively, providing an intimate, perceptive look at the community through his perspective.
Cost of food, shelter and medical care among highest in the nation
Q: How are we doing on the job front in 2026?
The local job market is characterized as weak, with unemployment slightly above the national average and confusion around tariffs affecting business planning.
Cost of food, shelter and medical care among highest in the nation
Q: How is hunger and food insecurity in the region?
It's not good and is expected to worsen, with a significant rise in food insecurity rates since the pandemic.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Frequently Asked Questions About San Diego News Now

What is San Diego News Now about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show delivers concise, weekday-local news updates focused on San Diego and the nearby region, spanning politics, education, health, housing, and immigration. It often weaves in investigative context, community voices, and responses from city leaders, nonprofits, and advocacy groups. A notable strength is its ability to connect fast-moving local incidents with broader policy debates, such as nonprofit governance, public safety, and cross-border issues, while maintaining a clear focus on actionable information for residents and stakeholders. The mix of reporters, editors, and community guests helps provide on-the-ground perspectives and practical insights for listeners who want to understand how local decisions affect everyday life.

Where can I find podcast stats for San Diego News Now?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for San Diego News Now. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to San Diego News Now and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does San Diego News Now get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for San Diego News Now, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for San Diego News Now?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for San Diego News Now, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does San Diego News Now have?

To see how many followers or subscribers San Diego News Now has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to San Diego News Now?

These podcasts share a similar audience with San Diego News Now:

1. Today in San Diego
2. Voice of San Diego Podcast
3. KQED's The California Report
4. Up First from NPR
5. NPR News Now

How many episodes of San Diego News Now are there?

San Diego News Now launched 10 years ago and published 2218 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact San Diego News Now?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for San Diego News Now?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for San Diego News Now from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for San Diego News Now?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of San Diego News Now. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on San Diego News Now?

Recent guests on San Diego News Now include:

1. Stacy Tolchin
2. Megan Day
3. Cassandra Lopez
4. Amar Campanajar
5. Michael Schwartz
6. Steve Lindley
7. Ismahan Abdullahi
8. Noor Abdi

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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