A company that worked with an ex-county contractor now embroiled in a criminal embezzlement case really, really wanted to give the county $170,000.
Since May, vending machine company SMRT1 Health Solutions has been trying to hand the county funds that the Harm Reduction Coalition prepaid that it didn’t ultimately earn once the county cancelled the nonprofit’s county contracts last summer.
Those efforts have gone nowhere.
Now a county spokesperson tells our Lisa Halverstadt that the county does indeed want to collect. They just want to do it in Superior Court instead – and a Superior Court judge paved the way for the county to take that step during a Thursday hearing.
What Carl DeMaio Taught Republicans
Republicans are expected to face an uphill battle in November. Could they look to Assemblymember Carl DeMaio for answers?
Ahead of the June primary, California Republican Party leaders tried to rein in the assemblymember and former San Diego city councilmember with a cease-and-desist letter meant to target his right-leaning group Reform California.
But candidates backed by DeMaio’s group prevailed, beating candidates officially backed by the Republican party in many San Diego races.
This may be “a sign of the growing influence of the renegade movement to the right of the California party,” our Sacramento reporter Nadia Lathan writes.
Head Start Overhaul
The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to overhaul Head Start, a federal program that provides education, food, health and other services to thousands of low-income families in San Diego.
Trump officials said the overhaul proposal would positively benefit the program by putting control into the hands of states, parents and the centers themselves and will, in the long term, grow the number of Head Start slots.
On the other hand, early childhood policy experts said such a move would undermine the regulations that make the program distinct. Beyond education, Head Start offers services like medical and dental screenings to kids and coaching services for parents.
In 2025, one mother told Voice that Head Start helped her adopt four of her nieces and nephews, something she couldn’t have done without the program helping her navigate the complicated adoption process.
In San Diego County, Head Start operates more than 140 locations and serves 250,000 preschool kids.
South County Report: More on Why National City Is Going Broke
As our Jim Hinch reported yesterday, National City’s city manager made a startling revelation this week: The city is going broke.
In his latest newsletter, Hinch explains that the city’s money troubles can be traced back to a series of raises the City Council approved for city employees and no new revenue.
Dig deeper: The city’s financial issues are likely to shape the mayor’s race.
Read more in the South County Report here.
City Council President Joe LaCava Has a Warning for Cliff Jumpers
After a spike in cliff jumping off Sunset Cliffs, Council President Joe LaCava took to Instagram to chide those cliff jumpers and warn others who might be thinking about it. Do they want to be the folks responsible for pushing the city to install fencing, an outcome he said would be tragic?
“Don’t be the one who pushes the city towards closures,” LaCava wrote. “If you want to jump into the ocean, support the junior lifeguards and participate in their annual pier jump under the supervision of safety professionals.”
Our obvious follow-up question: Council President LaCava, might the city need to get a permit from the state Coastal Commission to do that? Assuming so, seems like this isn’t happening anytime soon.
Related: The San Diego Police Department announced Tuesday it will increase law enforcement around Sunset Cliffs after a string of injuries have resulted from recreational cliff diving. (KPBS)
Our Summer Playlist Is Here
Voice of San Diego’s first ever summer playlist is finally here… irl!
A few weeks ago, we asked you to send us songs that make you want to unplug from the screens increasingly plaguing our lives and reconnect with our human roots.
From country to latin to punk, you all pulled through with a final list of 38 absolute bangers. And the two-hour playlist features all songs by local artists or bands with a strong San Diego connection!
In Other News
- Temporary Protected Status for Haitians expired on July 27 after the Trump administration decided the Caribbean island didn’t qualify for it anymore despite a U.S. travel advisory warning Americans against traveling to the country right now. Now, Mayor Todd Gloria is calling on Congress to extend the program for Haitians, thousands of whom live in San Diego. (KPBS)
- San Diego is… affordable? A new study suggests that when you take out the astronomical price of purchasing a home in San Diego, the other expenditures associated with it make the overall cost of owning a home lower than many other cities. (Union-Tribune)
- A U.S. marine recruit has died after suffering a medical emergency during a physical fitness test at Camp Pendleton, the military says. (NBC San Diego)
- A fourth person has tested positive for West Nile Virus in the county. Prevent mosquito bites with these tips. (CBS San Diego)
- The cost of Padres season tickets is going up… again. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Fiona Bork. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafana.