Thank you for joining us for this.

Look at some of the best stories from KPBS News this week.

I'm John Carroll.

Coming up, an artistic view of America 250.

Meet two local artists exploring the connections between identity, patriotism and personal history.

The price of San Diego.

The latest in our series looks at the rising cost of caring for our pets and the benefits of electronic devices.

See how one local school is trying to find a balance between new and old methods of learning.

This week marks one year since violent protests against ice in Los Angeles that over the Trump administration's treatment of immigrants.

It's a story we're closely watching in the streets and in the courts.

In his latest border brief, Gustavo Solis has an update on efforts to release those who are being held indefinitely.

The Trump administration is making it increasingly harder for people to get out of immigration detention centers, even if they have no serious criminal record.

Immigration lawyers have fought back with habeas corpus petitions, but lawyers are now saying that the administration is using a new tactic, setting ridiculously high bond amounts or denying bond altogether on questionable grounds.

I'm Gustavo Solis and this is the border.

I first told you about habeas petitions back in November of last year.

A writ of habeas corpus is a centuries old.

Legal remedy meant to protect people from being illegally imprisoned by the federal government.

And these used to be extremely rare in the immigration system.

That's because immigration courts are totally separate from federal courts, and immigrants generally have access to bond, parole and release hearings within the immigration court system.

So it didn't really make sense for someone to file a writ of habeas corpus in federal courts to get out of immigration.

But the Trump administration has removed access to those hearings within the immigration court system, which means that immigrants are now being detained indefinitely for months without having even a formal bond hearing to see if they can get released.

And that's when lawyers started filing habeas petitions in federal courts all over the country.

Now, when I first wrote about this last November, lawyers had filed a little more than 3000 petitions.

Now they have filed more than 50,000.

And this was working, by and large, federal judges granted habeas petitions ordering immigration judges to hold the bond hearings or outright release the detainees.

Megan Day is an attorney with the Immigrant Defenders Law Center.

The vast majority of our habeas positions have been successful.

I think in our office we've had about a 90 above 90% success rate.

The federal judges.

Are seeing pretty much across the board that the government is violating.

The law.

And even the government attorneys are conceding to a lot of our arguments.

But something's changed over the last few months.

Federal courts are still ordering immigration judges to hold bond hearings.

But defense lawyers are now saying that those bond hearings are questionable.

For example, people with no criminal records are getting unusually high bonds of $50,000.

That's what happened to one of Stacy Torture's clients.

She's a lawyer based in Pasadena.

And an immigration.

You have to pay the full bond.

You don't pay 10% for the full bond.

People don't have $50,000 to pay for somebody that's lived in the U.S.

for over 25 years with a family who's eligible for relief.

Stacy has practiced immigration law since 2001.

She has seen high bond amounts before, but only in the most extreme circumstances.

I had a $50,000 bond when there was an Interpol.

Red warrant for a foreign arrest for murder.

That was a $50,000 bond case.

So that tells you where we are.

Another lawyer, Cassandra Lopez from the immigrant advocacy group Al Otro Lado, told me one of her hearings lasted less than 10 minutes.

It came down to whether her client was a flight risk.

Now, usually in immigration court, the burden of proof is on government lawyers representing ICE, not in this case.

The immigration judge didn't hold the government to.

Any burden.

Didn't ask the government really any questions and really put the burden on the immigrant, the individual, and then denied bond based on risk of flight.

And it was a the hearing lasted it was like a nine minute hearing, I think eight or 9 minutes.

Cassandra says this is an example of a shifting culture within the immigration court system.

We've seen the Trump administration fire immigration.

Judges and then.

Higher deportation.

Judges.

You know, that's the language we're hiring judges that are just going to rubber stamp our deportation apparatus.

The Department of Justice agency that oversees immigration courts said the Trump administration is complying with court orders and fully enforcing immigration law.

They called the allegations from immigration lawyers baseless attacks.

But Stacey Tulchin told me that if this continues, it will undermine the credibility of our entire immigration court system.

We're just really concerned that this really is a sham court at this point.

And it's become an agent of the Trump administration.

Thanks for watching.

Another episode of the Border Brief.

Please make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on more immigration.

Related News.

Gustavo Solis covers immigration and border issues for KPBS.

You can find his work on all of our platforms.

This week, he also has an update on the City of El Cajon lawsuit over the state of California's sanctuary laws.

We're a month away from July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

You'll see a lot more coverage of America 250 in the coming weeks.

KPBS arts reporter Audie McCarthy has this story of two local artists who are pushing back against harmful narratives as women of color in the United States.

Yeah.

Oh, my gosh.

It's crazy.

Marcello Alarcon, Lopez and Eden de la Barra finished their emerging artist residency at the Arts District Liberties Station last year.

At the end of the program, artists participate in an end of year exhibition.

Lopez and Della Bars exhibition is called Fragmented Stories.

It combines paintings and textiles exploring identity, history and the body as women of color.

Della Virus says the showcase carries many meanings for them.

MARCELLA and I's work does pull in some different directions and I think there is fragmentation in our approaches in the context that we live in.

But I think there's also a lot of unity in what we're trying to say and the heart behind our work.

So I think fragmented stories kind of encapsulates those themes.

When you look at their art displayed on the gallery walls, it almost looks like they planned it together.

I didn't see her and she didn't saw me, but we saw each other's work.

And then I started like catching myself, like using some, you know, like unconsciously, like using the same colors.

While Della Vara resides in San Diego.

Lopez had to cross the border from Tijuana every time she wanted to work on her art.

It was like a very hard process to just cross working and work or, you know, work in the border and then get into the drama and then the walls and then come and paint and then go back.

And then la la that's like every day.

And it was like very nerve wracking and a very hard experience.

Lopez's residency announcement gave her more exposure, but it also made her feel more vulnerable to public comment, like negative messages on her Instagram account and a feeling of being monitored every time she crossed the border.

She says this experience helped shape the main theme that comes across in her paintings surveillance.

So I started thinking about this virtual surveillance and, you know, like all these, like, notifications I was receiving from I send the border and the visa and then my bank account and my emails, you know, just for crossing the border and stuff.

And I was like, oh, my gosh.

Like, I'm being identified.

During the process of traveling and creating her art.

Lopez says she doesn't necessarily feel connected to the American dream.

I'm not an American in the America for the Americans way and all of that in a nationalist way or in an illegal way.

Right.

I am an American in the sense that I live in America.

The continent, like is like I don't know what what why.

That's like such a crazy statement to make today us.

She also feels frustrated by where the country stands today.

I think 250 years, you see that number and you're like, wow, this is where we're at now.

And that feels kind of like two steps forward, one step back, or like for all of the effort and work that's been put in, surely there should be more to show for it.

Davar says her father is Mexican and her mother is black.

She says growing up in a country that hasn't always been kind to those communities made it difficult to fully explore her identity.

I feel like I am like the product of histories that I don't have access to in that there are voids in veils in my own family history that results in a lack of access to my own personal history, knowledge of my ancestors.

And Della Barra has a personal connection to both America and Liberty Station.

My grandpa came to San Diego as a like a in the Navy, and this was the first place he came.

Like right before my mom was born.

And he got he was trained here.

Because of the sacrifices her family made when they first came to San Diego.

She says she's still hopeful about the future and proud of the heritage she does know.

I do think that one of the things that I think is beautiful about America and specifically like being black in America, is this really rich legacy of creativity.

And I think America is a place that is really rich with creatives of all backgrounds.

Even though the country's 250th birthday brings up complicated feelings for both artists, Davar says coming together through art matters now more than ever.

Each piece of work that we make, like in partnership with one another, is like one step closer to, like building a bridge and understanding that, like, in many ways, like, we're both we both are like American.

We both live on this like continent, in this land that we share.

They're showcase fragmented stories will be on view.

Arts District Liberty Station through July 17th.

Audie McAfee, KPBS News.

This Week gave us our latest exercise in American democracy.

The votes are still being counted from the California primary election.

We're updating those numbers as they come in at the KPBS Voter Hub.

You can find it on our home page.

That's where we also have the latest coverage of the candidates who are advancing to the general election.

KPBS is exploring the rising cost of living with our special series, The Price of San Diego.

We have two stories for you this week, starting with arts reporter Beth ACCOMANDO.

She visited a local indie bookstore that may be forced to relocate due to rent hikes.

Bernal Books is not your typical bookstore or even a typical indie one.

For one, it has a Rosa Graf printer tucked in the back room.

It's like the biggest, oldest, clunky looking coffee machine.

But what it does is pretty amazing.

It's a stencil duplicated, so it's going to take any image that you send it.

That's Amanda Bernal, co-founder of Bernal Books.

It's going to interpret it into a stencil with whatever color you put in the machine.

So right now, I have black in here and the germ of this big, giant piece of equipment.

But every time you send it in your image, it's going to make a new stencil and dispose of the old one.

And then this is going to spin really fast while the paper presses underneath.

And it can make, like, an enormous edition of print so, so quickly.

It's a really fun way to make a bunch of really colorful prints on the cheap.

Or zines, says co-founder Nick Bernal.

For me, jeans are one of the greatest accessible forms of of expression.

So it's really just paper folded.

So it's very DIY.

DIY is like our ethos.

It's kind of like our Guiding Light is not just DIY, do it yourself, but do it together to do it in a place where you are participating with other people.

I think the social aspect is a huge part of this.

That makes Bernal Books special.

It became a launching pad, a community hub that now includes scanners, an archive for San Diego zines and ephemera.

It began as an archive, and it expanded to become our 5013c nonprofit organization.

Basically, it's sort of the umbrella that all of our programing and our organizing takes place under.

We invite people in to the space to make seems to have like active participation with other members of our community around art.

So for the past year or so, one of the biggest kind of projects of Skinner's creative projects has been the gallery space.

We have all this print, all this ephemera, all this culture in the space, and the gallery allows us to lay it out in a larger form and step back and really be able to appreciate it.

And appreciate how the art can really hit home.

This is a piece cancel rent.

It feels very appropriate at the moment.

That's because the building Bernal Books occupies on Adams Avenue has once again changed owners.

And our rents are about to go up for the third time in July.

We're set to be paying close to 6000 a month.

That's a lot for a 1200 square foot space shaped like a pizza slice.

Our landlord has residential units attached to the building.

From the look of what they're asking, they're not going to back down from the price that they're charging us here.

Plus, the city just installed parking meters on Adams Avenue.

So even if we were to stay here, I can't imagine what kind of impact that would have on our business.

It's hard to imagine any other business in this joyfully cluttered space that invites exploration into its nooks and crannies.

It's stressful to think about moving all of this stuff.

Some of the elements that we've built into the building.

It's crazy to think about the amount of work we put into customizing it and figuring out how it should all work.

Amanda ponders what could be lost if spaces like Bernal books go away.

Our opportunities for connecting with each other, especially like as creative people in the city, are so limited and are so institutionalized.

So yeah, I think there's a ton to lose there because people really feel disconnected from each other already.

And to give them a place to be together, we're not asking anything from them besides, like their presence and participation is pretty rare, I would say.

But Bernal Books is nothing if not adaptable.

We've been in garage spaces.

We've literally printed out of our garage.

We had a little shop behind verbatim books where we started out.

We can make a lot of different things work for us because we are adaptable.

Having to make the change has created the ability to see like, okay, what's growth look like?

And so to find that next place, I think we can look at it as an opportunity for us.

We're big dreamers and big ideas people over here.

So we tend to see opportunities everywhere.

But maybe that's maybe it's that kind of psychotic optimism that has brought us here in the first place.

But it's working for us so far, so look amazing.

Sharing that psychotic optimism.

I'm Beth ACCOMANDO for KPBS News.

Health care is also a point of anxiety for many, and it's not just for humans.

KPBS health reporter Heidi DeMarco tells us about the growing price of caring for a pet in San Diego.

Hey.

Well.

When Tabitha Babcock brought home her Newfoundland puppy Cerulean, she thought she was starting a new chapter.

The color blue.

It was my favorite Crayola crayon when I was little.

But just a week later, everything changed.

He was really sick and he had to go to the E.R.

and basically was set on blood transfusions and glucose drips.

And it was really sad and life threatening.

And the emergency visit came with a steep price tag, about $4,000.

And at just nine weeks old, Babcock says she was forced into a heartbreaking decision.

She signed a do not resuscitate order.

With my dad.

I signed it because it was like as much as my savings as I had.

And I was like, I just can't.

Especially when, like, there was no hope, really.

She says the vet didn't expect him to survive the night.

Dug a little grave for him in my back.

Yard and just laid on the floor with him and was like, you know, buddy, can you please, like, fight as hard as you can?

And cerulean did.

Now, seven years old and weighing about 150 pounds.

Cerulean is still by her side.

A calm, gentle giant.

Yeah, it is such a miracle.

So that was how we started our journey together.

A little trauma bonding.

After weeks of treatment, antibiotics and follow up care.

He slowly recovered.

But the financial impact lingered.

We lost that whole cushion.

So then it was like everything else we had to buy.

Continuing on for those multiple months, whether that be medication or special food, was a stressor.

Like for me, for sure, it probably took a year to feel comfortable, like.

An analysis of federal inflation.

Data shows prices for veterinary services have jumped about 40% since 2021.

That's faster than overall inflation during the same period.

And dog owners in San Diego spent about 38% more on vet care than the national average.

About 1100 dollars a year.

The price increases are especially notable for preventative care.

In 2021, dog dental cleanings in San Diego were estimated around $320.

Now the cost is estimated at closer to $700, and that's before any extractions or additional treatment.

You can do this.

Okay.

It's a big worry that I think of quite often.

And we try to do a lot of like preventative health even for his teeth.

But I do know he'll probably need some help and it'll be a big chunk of change for Babcock.

Those costs don't end at the vet office.

Food supplements and preventative care can add up to about $375 every couple of months.

We used to do raw diet that has absolutely gone up, so we absolutely do not do that anymore right now.

Pet insurance is one option for dog owners to offset unexpected medical bills, but monthly premiums can range from about 30 to more than $150 per month, depending on the dog's age breed and coverage limits.

But cerulean has a preexisting condition.

Babcock says it makes finding useful insurance coverage more complicated.

I had.

You know, all the comparison charts.

All the insurances, what would work best.

And so ultimately it wasn't going to help me at that point.

Now, cerulean gets older.

She's reconsidering it.

We've paid out of pocket since then.

He's not had any major health issues.

So we're just, you know, praying and hoping that it.

Continues that way.

Across San Diego County dog owners say they are feeling similar pressure as the cost of living rises.

Some say they delay or decline care because of cost.

Others say they cut spending elsewhere just to keep up with pet expenses.

For Babcock, the rising cost of caring for cerulean has also forced bigger questions.

I think a big worry is like, would I have to move in order to, like, afford just like a comfortable lifestyle because it is so high, like in San Diego.

Still, she says, the bond she shares with cerulean makes the financial strain worth it.

He brings me a ton of comfort, a ton of peace.

You know, I'd sell all my furniture before.

He's not going to be taking care of.

Heidi DeMarco, KPBS News.

That story is part of our Price of San Diego series.

We have more cost of living stories about everything from rising gas prices to saving money on live sports events.

Check it out online at KPBS.

Dot org slash price of San Diego.

Summer break is just getting started for local schools.

It's been another year of teachers and students trying to balance how to use electronic devices.

KPBS education reporter Katie Anastas visited a high school English classroom where the teacher says technology is making her better at her job.

All right.

You still have your books, right?

We're reading books, books, books.

Jen Roberts teaches ninth and 12th grade English at Point Loma High School.

I'm an English teacher, and I believe very strongly in the power of reading.

So my class period always starts with 10 minutes of silent reading.

Her seniors are learning about the American food system.

They're reading books like Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

After 10 minutes of reading, they open their laptops and launch an AI tool.

You're going to see my students use a tool today called Brisk Boost, where they have something that they've already read.

And the Brisk Boost is going to ask them some questions about what they read.

Questions meant to keep students thinking.

Point Loma High School senior Taylor Ashton says it works.

I could go through the text multiple times and just like read it and be done with it, but not like fully processed any of it.

So this like forces me to process it by keeping me interacted with it.

Roberts says the AI she uses doesn't do the work for students.

Instead, she says, it provides feedback more quickly and more frequently than she could on her own.

I could come around and have an individual conversation with every one of my 36 kids to see if they all understand the article.

I could give them a quiz that would be like five static questions and give them the results two days later.

But it's so much better when they can in real time, find out what they do and don't understand.

She touts an AI program called Magic School.

It has a tool that's useful for generating writing topics.

She says it helps students know where to start.

For example, she might ask students to write a narrative.

The goal for the assignment is to have a beginning, middle and end to a story and for it to include dialogue.

Rather than letting a student sit there staring at a blank screen or a blank piece of paper for 45 minutes, I'll give them a tool in a magic school student room that's limited to that one tool.

That's an idea generator.

And I say, you're interested in baseball.

Why don't you write a story about baseball?

Like, I don't know what to write.

Like, well, let's put it in here.

Tell it.

You're interested in baseball.

And it spits back three story ideas about baseball.

Alfonso Hashimoto is another senior in Roberts class.

He's used A.I.

tools to help him create study guides for classes like economics and statistics.

He says it can be tempting to use it for more than that.

Like answering homework questions.

Is very easy to follow.

The temptation is very hard to get out of it.

And I think, just try your best not to fall under a temptation and more use it as a tool.

The temptation to cheat is just one concern about A.I.

in schools.

Another is privacy.

Last year, researchers at Stanford University found that leading A.I.

companies use conversations people have with their chat bots to train their large language models.

Some of them collect data from teens.

Roberts says students safety and privacy are at top of mind when she's picking digital tools to use in class.

Magic School for example, doesn't sell data to third parties or use it for targeted advertising.

Parents should know what their A.I.

tools their kids are using.

Magic School founder Adeel Khan is a former teacher and principal.

He shares a lot of the concerns that parents have about A.I., like kids forming an emotional attachment to a chat bot.

Consumer A.I.

tools are not safe for kids point blank.

Like if your kid's using an unguarded old version of Chat GPT or Gemini at home without supervision and not under the guidance of you as an adult.

That is a scary premise.

He says he'd rather have kids learn about generative A.I.

on a safe platform with guidance from a teacher.

Still, many parents worry about A.I.

in schools.

A group of parents is asking San Diego Unified to limit screen time in its classrooms.

Their proposed board resolution would prohibit students from using A.I.

tools.

Back at Point Loma High School, Roberts says she knows there's concern about screen use.

But she says phones are a bigger problem than school laptops.

It's more about how you're using the screen, not just the fact that the screen is on.

If you're using it for an educational purpose.

If the kids are collaborating with it, if they're building a slide deck together with it, that is useful, that is purposeful, that is engaging, that is cognitive processing going on as opposed to I'm sitting on my phone watching YouTube videos or participating in social media.

That is not helpful.

Screen time.

She says it would be a mistake for schools to ignore A.I.

tools designed with student learning and privacy in mind.

Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

Another way to follow our coverage here at KPBS is through our podcasts.

That includes San Diego News, now hosted by Lawrence K Jackson.

It's a mix of daily headlines and our original reporting.

New episodes are available weekday mornings.

We hope you enjoyed this.

Look at KPBS News this week.

I'm John Carroll.

Thank you for joining us.