Cup of Chisme: Adios U-T en Español

One of my first assignments for my college newspaper was to write a story about families separated by deportation. It was a special story not only because it was an important topic, but also because it marked my debut in the newspaper’s Spanish section.

That meant my mom could read it. She had sacrificed so much to get me through college so I could be a journalist, but she rarely read what I wrote because she preferred reading in Spanish.

So, this was a big deal for me.

Fast forward: When I worked for the San Diego Union-Tribune, my stories often ran in the Union-Tribune en Español. Every time that happened, I shared it with my mom and other family members in Mexico. During the pandemic, my mom would read it to stay up-to-date on Covid restrictions and news.

It was an important resource for my mom and many others in San Diego. That’s why I was sad to learn that the paper’s new owners are no longer publishing it.

“The last issue of U-T en Español will be published on Dec. 30. No announcements will be made to the community,” wrote U-T editor Laura Castañeda on X, formerly known as Twitter.

San Diego has other publications the Spanish-speaking community can turn to, but this is a huge loss.

Related: Former Voice of San Diego editor Andrew Donohue wrote about the past and the future of the Union-Tribune. Read his story here.

World Design Year Is Off to a Rocky Start

Barely a week into San Diego and Tijuana’s year as a World Design Capital, the effort has lost its leader. Carlos de la Mora was fired on Tuesday by his board of directors.

Voice contributor Sandra Dibble reports that many in the cross-border community were surprised by the timing of his dismissal. The designation, made by the nonprofit World Design Organization, is supposed to put an international spotlight on design and culture in the cross-border region.

De la Mora became CEO in July of the World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024.

TBH it’s a bit difficult to grasp the effort’s purpose, and as Dibble writes, that seems to be a big challenge ahead. One member of the group’s advisory board told her people might initially have trouble understanding what it’s about.

You can read the full story here. Subscribe to the Border Report to keep up with Dibble’s reporting. It’s a bi-weekly newsletter with stories and updates on the U.S.-Mexico border and surrounding region.

Murder Mystery Solved

Last month, my Instagram feed was flooded with videos and pictures of a dead fin whale that washed ashore on a San Diego beach. The whale had all these marks all over it, but officials couldn’t say at the time what might have led to its death.

It seemed like a case for our resident catastrophes reporter, MacKenzie Elmer. She followed up with officials and learned that the likely suspects in the murder were killer whales.

Whale experts said the wounds on the whale’s body matched the jawline of an orca. Elmer spoke to the scientists about killer whales and provided some history on what San Diego used to do with whales that washed ashore on our beaches.

Read the full story here. It’s really good.

More Chisme to Start Your Week

• San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria will give his State of the City speech on Wednesday. We reviewed his last speech and made predictions on the VOSD Podcast about what to expect this year. Listen to the full episode here.
• I know we are a couple of days into 2024, and while you might be over reading recaps, I want to plug out 2023 photos of the year. Voice multimedia journalist Ariana Drehsler brought our site and stories to life. View the photos here.