The Morning Report
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These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Aug. 17-24.
1. Environment Report: Doomsday for Colorado River Approaches
San Diego’s water department admitted to new problems with its billing practices, the Trump administration pushed out a border water official and more in our biweekly roundup of environment news. (Ry Rivard)
2. California National Guard Troops Have Helped Border Patrol Arrest Immigrants
In two federal criminal cases, court documents describe California National Guard soldiers playing a role in apprehending unauthorized immigrants. California Gov. Jerry Brown said in an April letter authorizing the troops that they would not help detain immigrants or enforce immigration laws. (Maya Srikrishnan)
3. Opinion: SDSU West Represents a Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
SDSU West unlocks the potential for the land-constrained SDSU, helping the regional powerhouse reach more students and have an even bigger impact on the greater community. (Barbara Bry, Lorie Zapf, Peter Andersen and Paul Robinson)
4. Opinion: New Vacation Rental Rules Aren’t a ‘Ban’ — They’re Reasonable Regulations
San Diego is doing what cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles are also doing. We’re preserving our residential housing for the residents who live and work here, while providing ways for residents to use their own home to make a little extra money. (Matt Valenti)
5. Politics Report: Morena Boulevard Development Will Play in City Council Race, Again
How much housing we can build along the new trolley parallel to the Morena Boulevard corridor is once again becoming a hot topic in Lorie Zapf’s City Council campaign. Plus, the mayor is all alone on SoccerCity Island. (Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts)
6. Opinion: Rent Control Harms the People It’s Intended to Help
A statewide initiative to repeal limitations on local rent control policies will disincentivize builders and strip private property rights in the San Diego area. (Mark Powell)
7. ICE Is Turning to Border Patrol to Detain Migrants, Raising Alarms
Faced with an onslaught of immigrants in custody, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has had to turn to Border Patrol to help detain people. Attorneys have begun raising alarms in court that Border Patrol is not up to the task, and that the conditions detainees are being held in might violate the U.S. Constitution. (Maya Srikrishnan)
8. Faulconer’s Homelessness Record Marked by Reluctance, Struggles and a Few Successes
In the past year, Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s approach on addressing homelessness has shifted dramatically, but he’s continued to face setbacks, including his latest ballot measure failure. (Lisa Halverstadt)
9. Problems at This Lincoln Park Strip Mall Keep Getting Worse Despite City Intervention
A strip mall in Lincoln Park has been rife with problems, drawing 42 police calls between October 2017 and July 2018. The city has intervened by filing criminal charges, citing code violations and proposing fixes, yet community members say the city’s involvement hasn’t spurred any noticeable improvements. (Kinsee Morlan)
10. A Small Pot of School Funds Is Regularly Mismanaged and Sometimes Abused
Associated Student Body funds can be a meaningful boost for individual schools. In theory, the money is at least partially controlled by students and spent fully for their benefit. In practice, the funds are often mismanaged and sometimes spent on staff-only events like parties or teacher training, according to a recent internal audit. (Will Huntsberry)