1. Ex-Police Chief Cited Misleading Stats When Lobbying Against Pot Facilities
Former Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman warned the San Diego City Council last year not to expand the number of marijuana licenses, citing crime stats from existing dispensaries. Documents reveal those stats included police calls to nearby businesses and other unrelated incidents. Yet Zimmerman’s testimony is now being used to dissuade other governments from allowing marijuana storefronts in their communities. (Jesse Marx)
2. The Airbnb of Camping Presents Many of the Same Issues for Regulators
Californians have found a new way to camp — and like short-term vacation rentals and ride-sharing companies, it’s presenting a new challenge to government regulators. (Kinsee Morlan)
3. The First ‘Zero Tolerance’ Case to Go to Trial Didn’t Go Well for the Government
Since the surge of illegal entry misdemeanor cases began flooding San Diego’s federal courts, hardly any have gone to trial. The first one that did was ultimately dismissed. Before prosecutors moved to toss the case, dispatch tapes revealed that the defendant had been detained without being briefed on his rights for much longer than a Border Patrol agent had testified. (Maya Srikrishnan)
4. A Major Piece of Faulconer’s Housing Plan Is on Hold
Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s plan to encourage developers to build more homes for middle-class residents is now on hold. The postponement followed concerns from unions and affordable housing advocates that the proposal wouldn’t serve the middle-class San Diegans it’s intended to benefit and that it could hamper efforts to build homes reserved for low-income residents. (Lisa Halverstadt)
5. Border Report: Why Central American Asylum-Seekers Keep Making Their Way to America’s Doorstep
The Trump administration is determined to quell the number of Central American asylum-seekers who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border. We spoke with several experts about the Central American migrants coming to the United States to seek asylum – who they are, why they’re coming, whether there’s a crisis at the border and how to address it. (Maya Srikrishnan)
6. Politics Report: Signature-Gathering Drama
The campaign to raise hotel taxes to fund a Convention Center expansion, homeless services and road repairs is still scrambling to gather signatures. Now the backers of the proposal have a choice to make. There was plenty of drama for state ballot measures this week too. (Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts)
7. Sacramento Report: What the State Budget Does (and Doesn’t Do) for San Diego
The state budget includes a fix to the San Diego County election reform measure, money for schools and the city attorney’s office, but cuts funds for human trafficking service providers. (Sara Libby)
8. San Diego Foundation Parts Ways With CEO
The board of governors of the foundation dismissed Kathlyn Mead after a survey of the organization’s stakeholders. Three board members will lead operations until a permanent CEO search is complete. Plus, an explanation of what a community foundation is. (Scott Lewis)
9. 12 Years in, National City Has Only Booted Two Polluting Businesses From Residential Neighborhoods
In the 12 years since the city passed an ordinance making it easier to boot industrial businesses located next to single-family homes, just two businesses flagged by the city as polluters have moved. One of those two businesses simply moved across the street. Now, the city has stopped enforcing its own ordinance. (Adriana Heldiz)
10. Culture Report: An Artist Leapfrogs the Middle Man
Antique dealers have a new home in the Midway district, Carlsbad celebrates 25 years of “Stellaluna” and more in our weekly digest of the region’s arts and culture news. (Kinsee Morlan)