What does it mean to reconnect to one's ancestral homeland?

Thursday on Midday Edition, we hear from the director of a new documentary, "Dear Alaska," which explores reconnection and interconnection through the lens of the Indigenous Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest and San Diego's Native community.

Then, the Old Globe is currently staging a new adaptation of Herman Melville's 1853 short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener." KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando sits down with the playwrights.

Guests:

• Moriah Hayes/Keeyées Tláa, director, "Dear Alaska"
• Noah Brody, playwright, Fiasco Theater
• Paul L. Coffey, playwright, Fiasco Theater

What does it take to heal from the past and build a life and future you actually want?

Licensed therapist and author Katherine Woodward Thomas digs into personal transformation, manifestation and more in her most recent book, “What’s True About You: 7 Steps to Move Beyond Your Painful Past and Manifest Your Brightest Future.”

Thomas will be at the San Diego Writer's Festival later this month. She joined Midday Edition on Wednesday to discuss the book and what it takes to achieve a more authentic self.

Guest:

• Katherine Woodward Thomas, therapist and author of “What’s True About You: 7 Steps to Move Beyond Your Painful Past and Manifest Your Brightest Future”

The federal government is requiring the California DMV to cancel commercial drivers licenses for roughly 13,000 truck drivers without permanent legal status.

That includes drivers with some work visas, refugee or asylum status, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) — among other work authorizations.

The DMV says it's allowing affected drivers to submit new license applications, but the federal government is barring them from being processed.

On Midday Edition, we talk about how the policy is impacting immigrant drivers who are unable to work and anxious about their livelihoods.

Guest:

• Gurvinder Singh, International Humanitarian Aid Director, UNITED SIKHS

Resources:

• UNITED SIKHS
• Freedom Drivers Coalition
• Sikh Coaliton
• Asian Law Caucus

You might have seen the social media buzz over Korean beauty products, also known as K-Beauty. It remains a booming industry — South Korea exported a record $11 billion in cosmetics in 2025.

Now, K-Beauty has a new hub in San Diego: the skincare store Seoul Glow Lab.

Wednesday on Midday Edition, we sit down with the founder of Seoul Glow Lab and one of its estheticians to talk about the boom in Korean beauty, along with the community and education building around it locally.

Guests:

• Katie Hernandez, founder, Seoul Glow Lab
• Sabrina Kim, esthetician, Seoul Glow Lab, founder, Soul Care Standard

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday over access to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Last month, federal and county officials were turned away when they tried to inspect the center. They issued an ultimatum to DHS last week — let them into the facility, or face legal action.

We discuss where the lawsuit stands and what happens next.

Guests:

• Terra Lawson-Remer, San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair

As the Iran war stretches into its second week, concerns are growing around the impact the conflict will have for the global economy. Much of that attention has been on energy prices — particularly, the price of oil and gas. But its impacts can go far deeper.

Plus, processing the news and reality of war in the Middle East and immigration enforcement here in the U.S. can weigh on anyone's psyche.

For children, consuming media about war without guardrails can be dangerous.

We talk about thoughtful ways parents can approach conversations with their kids about the news in today's world.

Guests:

• Daniel Enemark, chief economist, Policy & Innovation Center
• Kimberly Macias, licensed professional clinical counselor, Thrive Therapy Studio

Resources for processing the news with kids:

• BBC Newsround
• DOGO News
• National Geographic Kids
• TIME for Kids
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network

UC San Diego is hosting the 25th Annual Kyoto Prize Symposium this week. The esteemed award is given for lifetime achievement in the fields of technology, science and the arts.

One of this year's honorees is Carol Gilligan. Her groundbreaking work highlights how women and girls were excluded in psychological research. In books such as "In a Different Voice," Gilligan explored women's and girls' identity and morality, and developed the concept of "the ethic of care."

"I was standing with all women and girls in receiving this prize," she said in an interview with Midday Edition. "And our voices were being recognized."

Gilligan joined Midday Edition Tuesday to reflect on what she's learned about the lives of women and girls over the course of her career and share her reaction to receiving the Kyoto Prize.

Guest:

• Carol Gilligan, professor, researcher, author, New York University

Links:

Registration for the 25th Annual Kyoto Prize Symposium Laureate Presentations, UC San Diego, March 11-12

The American-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second week.

More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Many fear this could be another "forever war," like the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. We speak to a local professor who recently published an op-ed exploring that question.

He also outlines San Diego's connections to the war.

Plus, reports emerged last week alleging that military commanders are framing this war as part of "God's plan" and invoking Christian "end times" rhetoric.

We discuss the relationship between Christian nationalist theology and U.S. politics, and what that looks like today.

Guests:

• Ibrahim Al-Marashi, associate professor of Middle East History, Cal State San Marcos; visiting lecturer in journalism and media studies, San Diego State University
• Rebecca Bartel, associate professor of religion, San Diego State University