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The Finest

The Finest

By: KPBS Public Media
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 San Diego earns its title as America’s Finest City through the people, art and movements redefining the region’s cultural identity. The Finest is a podcast that highlights the emerging voices and dynamic forces reshaping community and expression. Through personal stories and critical perspectives, each episode brings forward the artists, advocates and ideas driving change and pushing boundaries in the region’s cultural landscape. New episodes premiere Thursdays.KPBS Public Media Art Cooking Entertainment & Performing Arts Food & Wine Literary History & Criticism Music Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • A Kumeyaay comic book rewrites California's history and inspires a hopeful future

    A Kumeyaay comic book rewrites California's history and inspires a hopeful future
    Jul 3 2025
    The Kumeyaay have long told stories through rock art, vivid images carved into stone that preserved culture, memory and meaning. Today, that tradition continues in a new comic book created by Kumeyaay educators and historians to challenge the erasure of Indigenous history in California classrooms. Co-written by SDSU professor Ethan Banegas, a member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, the book brings Kumeyaay life — from ancestral knowledge to colonization and resistance — into a format designed for students and teachers. Blending community memory, academic research and lived experience, the comic is both a resource and a tool of reclamation. It replaces silence with story, and invisibility with truth.
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    32 mins
  • Chasing 100 birds in 1 day in America's Birdiest County: Inside the birding boom

    Chasing 100 birds in 1 day in America's Birdiest County: Inside the birding boom
    Jun 26 2025
    San Diego is one of the most biodiverse birding regions in North America, with more than 500 recorded species — and its annual Bird Festival draws crowds from around the country. One of its most popular (and ambitious) events is the "100 or More" challenge: a daylong sprint to identify at least 100 different birds. In this episode, producer Anthony Wallace follows the action across scenic lakes, rugged foothills, city reservoirs and coastal wetlands to see how this classic hobby has taken on new energy. Along the way, we meet passionate birders — both seasoned listers and recent enthusiasts — learn many mind-blowing bird facts and explore how birds inspire everything from healing to obsession to joy.
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    41 mins
  • Tiny Desk local listening party: The Neighborhood Kids and Aleah Discavage

    Tiny Desk local listening party: The Neighborhood Kids and Aleah Discavage
    Jun 12 2025
    What started as a low-key folk set behind a desk in a newsroom has become one of music's most iconic stages. This year, NPR's Tiny Desk Contest drew a record-breaking nearly 7,500 entries. Among them were 75 hopefuls from San Diego, all dreaming of a breakthrough moment. In this episode, we spotlight two rising artists who stood out for their originality and emotional depth: Aleah Discavage, whose raw, autobiographical ballad is rooted in personal healing, and The Neighborhood Kids, who turned protest and passion into a high-voltage performance. Plus, we'll unpack the fascinating origin story of Tiny Desk, explore why this unconventional contest continues to resonate with artists and fans alike and hear what drives these musicians to keep creating — even when the stage is small and the odds are long.
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    42 mins

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