Lake Mead, the largest reservoir on the Colorado River, on Jan. 31, 2023. / Photo by Joseph Griffin for Voice of San Diego
Lake Mead, the largest reservoir on the Colorado River, on Jan. 31, 2023. / Photo by Joseph Griffin for Voice of San Diego

California isn’t getting along with other Western states that use drought-stricken Colorado River water.

In a nutshell, California told the federal government this week that it has already committed to reducing its use of the river last year, beyond what it’s legally obligated to do, and the other users should have to make up the rest. The other six states – Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah – said California is the biggest user so it should shoulder the biggest cut. 

The result of such an impasse could be legal battles between states in the courts as the federal government approaches a Spring deadline to come up with short-term measures to keep the river running. 

Read the full story here.

San Diego Community College District Schools Could Soon Host a Trifecta of Bachelor’s Degrees

Firefighters with the San Diego Fire Department participate in a fire control exercise at a training facility on Dec. 16, 2021. / Photo by Adriana Heldiz

Miramar College recently submitted a proposal to develop a bachelor’s degree in public safety management. If approved, it would mean that all three for-credit colleges in the San Diego Community College District offer a bachelor’s degree.

The degree would build off existing certificate programs and associate degrees the college has in firefighting, emergency medical response and law enforcement. 

Miramar officials are confident the degree doesn’t represent a duplication of existing degrees at California public four-year universities – something prohibited by the state law that opened the door for bachelor’s degrees at community colleges in the first place. 

Something to keep in mind: Miramar’s degree may face opposition from the California State University system, which already offers degrees related to fire science at multiple campuses. Though the CSUs lifted objections to San Diego City College’s cyberdefense and analysis degree – allowing it to be approved by the California Community Colleges’ board of governors in December – Feather River College’s proposed degree in ecosystem restoration and applied fire management is still mired in objections.  

Read more here.

In Other News 

The Morning Report was written by MacKenzie Elmer and Jakob McWhinney. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.

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