Every election, Voice of San Diego reporters get asked by people they know, “How should we vote on X?” Well, we can’t tell you how to vote. But we can cut through the jargon, the political posturing, the chutes and ladders of heavily-funded campaign messaging to tell you what’s actually going on in each race, proposition and measure.
We give you: the No BS Voter Guide.
Download the guide and save it to your phone to use at the ballot box, or at your kitchen table. Or you can print it and fold it into a handy Zine.
It’s a lot shorter than voter information pamphlets, and hopefully will serve as an aide while you wrestle with every American’s greatest civic duty: Voting.
Read our No BS Voter Guide here. And download a free copy.
Politics Report: The Mayor’s No. 1 Priority
The Politics Report revealed that Mayor Todd Gloria’s No. 1 political priority is to get Councilmember Henry Foster out of City Hall.
Sources confirmed to our editors that Gloria has been pushing interest groups, including local unions, to reconsider their support of Foster if not to outright drop him.
The mayor’s involvement in this race is interesting, especially because his support may not be something Foster’s opponent, Martha Abraham, would welcome.
Abraham’s politics aren’t easy to categorize, our editors wrote. On one hand she’s running as an outsider but on the other she’s backed by establishment forces in local politics.
We’ve opened up the Politics Report to all readers. Read more in the Politics Report here.
Politifest Happened!
No one is more relieved than us that Politifest 2026 is over.
Just kidding! Yes, it’s a beast to put together, but it’s also the best opportunity for residents to hear directly from candidates and for our reporters to ask the tough questions.
The debates we organized got spicy and candidates delivered some hot takes on stage. If you missed it, don’t worry, we’ll share recordings and stories soon on our site.
Sacramento Report: How Midway…Rose
Our Nadia Lathan gives a great recap on how Midway Rising, a massive sports arena and housing redevelopment in the Midway District, is now protected from environmental lawsuits.
Short answer: Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed two bills by San Diego state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson that allow the city’s ongoing environmental review of the project to fulfill the California Environmental Quality Act requirements and exempt building height as a possible significant environmental impact.
Newsom also OK’d a bill by San Diego state Sen. Catherine Blakespear that makes it easier for first responders to refer people to a kind of court that can place people in involuntary conservatorship — which is a legal mechanism where a court grants another person or agency power to make personal, medical or financial decisions for another adult.
Read the Sacramento Report here.
Pop-Up Art Gallery in South Park Driveway
A Pasadena couple that used to host art exhibitions out of a lumber yard are refusing the museum model, which they say is “very visibly failing.”
Instead, one weekend a month, the couple moves trash cans in a driveway aside and replace the open space with artwork.
Their latest exhibit there is called “Roll Credits,” a sculptural series featuring vintage gay porn and trinkets collected from bars.
We’re intrigued.
VOSD Podcast: The Other Avengers
Why the city of San Diego is trying to wage war on an Avengers ad in the Gaslamp district. A trash fee error. And Midway Rising’s win with Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In Other News
- Mayor Todd Gloria declared a local emergency amid the looming threat of El Niño. The state of California and the county of San Diego have also done so. The action allows these governments to seek state and federal financial assistance. (CBS 8)
- San Diego Gas and Electric began initiating power shut offs as another heatwave gripped the region. The utility says they do this to power down the grid in certain areas affected by extreme heat and high winds, ingredients that can start or exacerbate a wildfire. (Times of San Diego)
- Surfers in hazmat suits paddled out in Glorietta Bay Park to kickoff the start of San Diego Climate Week which runs through Oct. 8. There are over 200 events taking place across the county including beach cleanups, seaweed tasting and yoga on a farm. (KPBS)
- A super pod of pilot whales (a rare sight in San Diego) popped up off the coast of San Diego, the first sighting since 2017. (CBS 8)
The Morning Report was written by MacKenzie Elmer. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.