The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week.
1. Madaffer Says He’s the New Sheriff in the San Diego Water World
Since Jim Madaffer became chairman of the board of the San Diego County Water Authority, two long-time staffers have left and talk has begun heating up about a multibillion-dollar tunnel project to give San Diego a second connection to water from the Colorado River. The tunnel plan would be the single largest, most expensive and complex project the Water Authority has ever attempted. (Ry Rivard)
2. The Plaza de Panama Project Is Officially Dead
Qualcomm cofounder Irwin Jacobs, who has for years championed a plan to overhaul the park’s central mesa, said that the Plaza de Panama Committee notified the city on Thursday that it is ending its public-private agreement to help fund the project. (Lisa Halverstadt)
3. The City’s Eyeing an Underused Piece of Balboa Park as a Potential Moneymaker
The city is preparing to issue a request for proposals to redevelop the area known as Inspiration Point. Officials say they are open to a variety of cultural, recreational and performing arts concepts – everything from shops and museums to hotel or restaurant space – they hope will complement and activate the space. The prospect has some park activists riled already. (Lisa Halverstadt)
4. Federal Agency Investigated San Diego Unified Over Anti-Muslim Bullying Incident
An incident involving a Muslim student at James Madison High in 2017 provides a window into the type of bullying San Diego Unified hoped to prevent with an anti-Islamophobia initiative that prompted a lawsuit. It also indicates the district was somewhat ill-equipped to address anti-Muslim bullying. (Lyle Moran)
5. Sacramento Report: Bill Would Sharply Limit Short-Term Rentals in Beach Neighborhoods
AB 1731, written by Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath, would dramatically curtail short-term rentals outside commercial areas in San Diego County’s coastal neighborhoods. (Lisa Halverstadt and Sara Libby)
6. Politics Report: The Mayor’s Tears of Joy
The mayor gets his March 2020 tax vote, Dems are in literal disarray, mayoral endorsements start to matter and a big day coming up for SANDAG. (Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts)
7. Kevin Beiser Returns to the School Board
Kevin Beiser returned to his seat on the San Diego Unified School District’s board Tuesday night, more than a month after he was accused of sexual misconduct by four men and two weeks after his colleagues voted on a resolution urging him to resign. Beiser did not acknowledge the accusations and evaded questions from reporters. (Andrew Keatts)
8. Two Migrants Held for Months Say ICE Is Ignoring Evidence They’re Minors
Two 17-year-olds from Bangladesh are being improperly held with adult detainees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, according to advocacy groups and court documents submitted on their behalf. Minors who arrive at the border without their parents are supposed to be funneled into an entirely different immigration process than adults. (Maya Srikrishnan)
9. VOSD Podcast: The Mayor Wins Something and the Great Pension Dilemma of 2019
If you want to know about the nuts and bolts, the nitty and the gritty, the wonk when it comes to the city’s long-running pension saga, you have come to the right place. (Nate John)
10. Environment Report: Lawsuits Are a Weapon in Major Water Conflicts
Support is building for a giant water battery, the city’s recycling revenue has plummeted and more in our biweekly roundup of environmental news. (Ry Rivard)