The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
Politics Report: San Diego Hiring Private Workers to Help with Massive Permit Backlog
City workers are severely behind in processing building permits and now the mayor, with the employee union’s support, hopes new, temporary workers can help the city reduce the delays holding back projects during a housing crisis.
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MORNING REPORT
Morning Report: Vista Puts SANDAG Appointment Power in New Hands
Vista’s City Council has decided that a council majority, not just the mayor, will be able to recommend and appoint SANDAG representatives moving forward. Previously, the city’s mayor could recommend a representative to send to the San Diego Association of…
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Editor picks
VOSD Bonus Podcast: Rep. Sara Jacobs on Why We May Be Building Too Many Navy Ships (and More)
It’s not something you expect to hear: A congressional representative from San Diego saying maybe the Navy has too many ships and maybe the defense department’s budget is too big.…
VOSD Podcast: The Great Gas Stove Debate
We’re cookin’ with gas! At least for now. This week on the VOSD Podcast, hosts Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña review how we got here — a time when…
Environment Report: San Diego’s Orphaned Storm Water Drains Need Adoption
In San Francisco, residents adopt storm drains, creating a kind of free army of stormwater maintenance. Recently, a San Diego Councilman asked if the same could be done here.
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Education
San Diego City College’s Contested Bachelor’s Degree Is Approved
After a year of back-and-forth and objections from the CSU system, City’s bachelor’s degree in cyberdefense and analysis is official.
Teachers Say TK Program for 4-Year-Olds Has Been Rushed
The teachers union at San Diego Unified School District during a hearing this month told district officials the launch of its universal kindergarten program included a virtually nonexistent curriculum, inadequate…
The Learning Curve: High Tech High’s Union (Almost) Has a Contract
The union successfully advocated for a neutral third party to have the final say on appealed firings, while the school’s leadership got the introductory period it wanted.
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environment
North County Report: Encinitas Already Bars Gas Stoves in New Homes
While the nation debates building electrification and phasing out gas-powered appliances, Encinitas was the county’s first city to take a significant step in that direction.
Officials Fear Nightmare Flooding from New Tijuana River Border Wall
A lifting gate structure could impede the Tijuana River’s flow if it fails to rise during heavy rains like San Diego just experienced.
San Diego Community Power OKs Electricity Rates Cheaper than SDG&E
San Diego’s public power company’s governing board approved rates that are three percent cheaper than its competitor, San Diego Gas and Electric.
north county
Palomar Health Board Members Accuse Chair of Conflict of Interest Over Major Contract Renewal
Palomar Health’s board of directors recently extended its medical group’s contract, but board members are criticizing the board chair, who received sizable campaign contributions from the group in October, for…
North County Report: A Safe Parking Lot Is Coming to Vista
The Vista City Council early this week approved a safe parking lot for people living in their vehicles. It’s the first of its kind for the city and the second…
What We Learned This Year: North County Service Providers Can’t Keep Up With Growing Homelessness
North County’s service providers are reporting alarming increases in homelessness but say they can’t respond fast enough without more funding and support from North County cities.
opinion and commentary
The Need for Inclusionary Housing: The Case of La Mesa
A new apartment project in La Mesa demonstrates the dangers of treating the housing crisis as just an issue of inadequate supply.
San Diego Is Not Protected from California’s Severe Water Supply Crisis
Despite tremendous local conservation efforts and investments in San Diego’s regional water resources and infrastructure, climate change and radical changes water supplies have put our region at risk and potentially…
It’s Time to Make the Expanded, Monthly Child Tax Credit Permanent
San Diego families continue to struggle to make ends meet. Congress needs to step up and offer relief by making the expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit permanent.
POLITICS
Jacobs on the Navy Building Too Many Ships
This post originally appeared in the Jan. 21 Politics Report. Subscribe to the newsletter here. For a special podcast this week, we sat down with U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs. In…
Politics Report: An Emerging Dispute Over a Planning Commission Appointment
Since he joined the San Diego Planning Commission in 2019, Matthew Boomhower has been one of the city’s loudest supporters for new housing. An architect and lawyer who works for…
Politics Report: New City Hall or New Civic Center?
This week, the San Diego City Council did not yet advance a plan for a new City Hall and reporting described the reluctance to fast-track things to be about reservations…