Assemblyman Brian Maienschein / Photo by Sam Hodgson

Assemblyman Brian Maienschein announced this week he is leaving the GOP to join the Democratic Party.

Because we’ve followed Maienschein’s career closely and his latest race in particular, the news was like a gift from the podcast gods. There was plenty to dissect — from Maienschein’s shifting views on labor, gun control and LGBT rights to how local Republicans and Dems reacted to the announcement.

The Wall

As the government shutdown dragged on for most of the week, the border wall once again loomed large in national discussions. Mayor Kevin Faulconer, in an interview with CNN, skirted some direct questions and instead highlighted the strength of San Diego’s relationship with Tijuana, saying, “I don’t talk about building walls. I talk about building bridges.”

The Latest in Our Sexual Misconduct Investigation

VOSD’s education reporter Will Huntsberry joined the podcast to talk about the story he and Kayla Jimenez published this week about a middle school teacher accused of raping one of his students. Huntsberry laid out the facts of the case and discussed some of the systemic issues it raises. You can read the full story here. The discussion starts at minute 23. Warning: We discussed some disturbing scenes with frank language.

The People’s Reporter

This week we set out to answer why your streets do (or don’t) get repaired. There are some twists and turns in the city’s process. VOSD’s Lisa Halverstadt broke it down. The People’s Reporter begins at minute 39.

If you have a question for us, submit it here.

Finally, on transit: Around minute 10 of the show, Keatts mentions a map that highlights transit priority areas. Here it is.

Voice now has a podcast texting club for listeners. To join, text the word “podcast” to 619-202-9051. We’ll send you links to new episodes weekly and solicit questions and ideas for future podcasts.

Nate John is the digital manager at Voice of San Diego. He oversees Voice's website, newsletters, podcasts and product team. You can reach him at nate@vosd.org.

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