These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of May 14-May 20.
1. San Diego’s Surging Airbnb Listings, in One Chart
The city as a whole saw Airbnb listings rise 39 percent from February 2015. The number includes full-time entire home rentals as well as rooms or guesthouses rented out while the homeowner remains on site. (Ashly McGlone)
2. Opinion: DA Is Dead Wrong on Encryption
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and her colleagues argue that a new bill requiring tech companies to weaken the security of their products would assist law enforcement, but they fail to mention the cost: the safety of all Americans’ data. (Dave Maass)
3. Labor and Its Onetime Friend Turn on Each Other in Fight for Dem Party Influence
The Democratic Central Committee’s decisions on who it endorses can open the door for major spending on behalf of those candidates. City Councilman David Alvarez wants a seat at the table, but that’s pitted him against labor leader Mickey Kasparian, who’s backing his own slate of candidates. (Scott Lewis)
4. Beiser Encouraged Castle Park Students Not to Take State Tests
Kevin Beiser, who serves on the San Diego Unified School Board, sent a note to students and parents in his Castle Park Middle School class days before the class was set to take mandated state tests. In it, he encouraged students to opt out of the tests — something that’s forbidden by the state’s Education Code. (Mario Koran)
5. Fact Check: Are Vacation Rentals Making the Housing Shortage Worse?
The debate over how to regulate vacation rentals is especially hot in coastal communities, which have long been rental hotspots. It’s become a central issue in the race to represent City Council District 1, which includes vacation rental hub La Jolla. (Ashly McGlone)
6. Culture Report: Is There a Right Way to Redevelop Barrio Logan?
The Culturecast podcast returns with episode two and more in our weekly arts and culture roundup. (Kinsee Morlan)
7. Why Conservative Consultants Keep Playing Nice With Certain Opponents
For the third straight citywide election, San Diego’s conservative consultants are directing spending not just to help their favored candidate, but also their favored opponent. (Andrew Keatts)
8. San Diego’s D9 City Council Candidates – All of Them – Want to Bring Back City Pensions
Critics say San Diego can’t compete with neighboring agencies like the county or city of Chula Vista since the passage of Prop. B, which ended pensions for new city employees. The candidates in the race for City Council’s District 9 believe restoring pensions would solve some of the city’s hiring problems. (Ry Rivard)
9. How the District Explains Its Booming Grad Rate
It looked unlikely, if not impossible, for a good number of students to make up remaining credits by August 2016. But yet, here we are – with the district to hit an all-time high even under stricter requirements. Here’s a look at how it pulled it off — and at what the numbers don’t tell us. (Mario Koran)
10. San Diego Decides: The Hot and Not Legal Races
We look at the loud city attorney’s race and the quiet races for judgeships. (Ry Rivard)