Attack ads in District 4 election
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, August 3rd.
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Law enforcement unions are funding misleading ads ahead of the District 4 election. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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Today temperatures will be in the low 80s for most of the county.
But, it’s expected to heat up again starting tomorrow and lasting through the weekend.
An excessive heat watch will be in effect from Saturday through Monday for the county’s desert areas.
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Nine San Diego Unified School District police officers are alleging a hostile work environment in a lawsuit that was announced yesterday.
The lawsuit alleges the officers were subject to retaliation and mistreatment, and that the district's police chief showed favoritism towards an officer he was dating.
The attorney whose firm represents the police officers who are suing, says officers who supported the couple's relationship were given better opportunities, while those who didn't were mistreated.
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If you feel like you’ve been paying more for gas lately… you’re right.
The average gas price in San Diego climbed well over five-dollars a gallon in the past week.
Partly because the state’s summer fuel blend is more expensive to make.
“Those types of programs are specific to California, like cap and trade, like the low carbon fuel standard, like these special blends and so that’s what we often see when we compare California to other states. We’re going to be a little bit higher, or a lot higher because of these regulatory programs.”
That was Kevin Slagle from the Western States Petroleum Association.
He says every gallon of gas sold in California includes a dollar and 26 cents in taxes and climate-related fees.
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Coming up… Who’s being targeted in the attack ads.
"A lot of what's on there is misleading or not entirely accurate, not the full picture."
More on that story, coming up, just after the break.
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Law enforcement unions have funneled more than 160-thousand-dollars into the race for the next District 4 county supervisor.
inewsource investigative reporter Jill Castellano spoke to my colleague Maya Trabulsi about the misleading ads that some of that money is being spent on.
maya: jill, will you describe the ads, who’s behind them and how they are misleading?maya: why does the san diego police officers association oppose monica montgomery-steppe as a candidate? maya: do the supervisors have any jurisdiction over the san diego police? maya: how has montgomery-steppe responded to the ads? clip monica montgomery steppe “i hold law enforcement accountable for these bad acts that we are talking about — excessive force, stopping black and brown people at rates that are four times higher than their white counterparts, even though they do not have contraband.” “i’ve already taken quite a few hits,” she added. “this is not hypothetical for me. this is what i do, because i do believe in an equitable society.”
TAG: That was a conversation between inewsource reporter Jill Castellano and KPBS Evening Edition anchor Maya Trabulsi.
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And San Diegans this week are talking about another election in the near future… the election for the next president.
Education reporter M.G. Perez brings us this update from Chula Vista’s community college.
Southwestern College is not as crowded with students during summer session, this week…but those who are on campus have something to say about the former president and the history-making indictments against him. Leonardo Vanegas is a political science major…determined to be heard through his vote next year. “We need more people involved…more people to vote …and more people to be active and actually know what’s going on in our country.” Vanegas is a former Southwestern student body president …and currently the regional representative for the California Student Senate of community colleges…a position he will use to get out the vote in 2024. MGP KPBS News.
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Coming up.... We join a group of tourists riding around San Diego in small yellow two seaters.
“So in the gocar, we were able to get our tan on, we were able to get our racetrack driving skills… (laughs)”
We’ll have that story and more, just after the break.
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San Diego sailors are training to play an important role in NASA’s first manned moon mission in more than 50 years.
Military reporter Andrew Dyer has the story.
When the crew of NASA’s Orion spacecraft splashdown in the Pacific Ocean next year after circling the moon, it will be San Diego Navy crews who are recovering the spacecraft – and the astronauts inside. “We know how to handle a lot of Unpredictable situations. And we know how to handle them, with calm and ease.” That’s Senior Chief Ryan Crider, a command master diver for the Coronado-based unit tasked with recovering the astronauts after the Artemis Two mission to the moon. Navy Divers and NASA officials spent the last week practicing the recovery of the Orion from the amphibious transport dock John P. Murtha. Artemis Two, which will circle the moon next year, itself is a dress rehearsal for Artemis 3 in 2025, when NASA will land a crew on the moon for the first time since the last Apollo mission in 1972. Andrew Dyer, KPBS News.
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They started buzzing around San Diego 27 years ago.
Open-air cars carrying tourists, taking in the sights and learning about the city.
Reporter John Carroll tagged along with a group of visitors to see what they see - and hear.
Have you seen them before? little yellow 2-seaters… that sound like go carts… but these are go cars. when we visited gocar headquarters recently to go on a tour with whoever was taking a tour that day… we lucked out. we got not two, not four, but 23 tour takers! “this is our family reunion.” luwanna clark is the convener of this reunion… the copeland, anderson, sanders family reunion… all of them from points near and far around the country. more from them in a moment. but back to the gocars… and how this all works. it starts in a little building on mason street in old town. everyone grabs a helmet… then it’s time to go to the gocars and start the tour! and, we’re off! my photographer carlos and i jumped in our own gocar and followed this family reunion group for their gaslamp quarter and san diego harbor tour… “turn right onto san diego avenue.” a pre-recorded tour guide does double duty… giving directions, and pointing out the sights… “coming up on the left at harney street is the whaley house, the officially designated haunted house…” eventually we’re headed south on hancock street… nothing too touristy to see here. but we’re moving toward little italy, the whole group in more than a dozen gocars is hanging together… and “Yeah!!” apparently having a good time! “we’re under the flightpath.” no big deal for san diegans… but a sight worth seeing for tour takers… airplanes coming in for a landing at san diego international airport. while we pull over and wait for a plane… the rest of the crew catches up. but alas, no planes… so we move on. “we are now in little italy’s warehouse area.” the trip through little italy is filled with stops and starts… this is little italy after all…as we move farther south, it becomes a challenge to keep this family together! but then comes a right turn… we’re headed west… the blue pacific straight ahead. the group re-groups at the maritime museum… and that’s when we pass by one of san diego’s crown jewels. “the large sailing ship is the star of india. first sailed from britain in the 1860’s, this is the oldest active ship of any kind in the world.” we snake out of the maritime museum parking lot… one more piece of notable nautical history to check out… “the uss midway museum parked next to us was active during three wars.” the gocar tour guide helpfully points out when there are tours available at some of the sights along the route… like the midway. “for $15, you can tour the aircraft carrier which includes some cool aircraft.” all along the way, this familial caravan of more than a dozen gocars gets the looks from pedestrians and the occasional bike rider. “have fun! thank you.” back out onto harbor drive… next destination - the gaslamp quarter! we brush past the convention center, a tip of the hat to petco park, and before you know it, we’re headed north on 5th… the last leg of the tour.“we are now entering the banker’s hill neighborhood.” parallelling the 5, we make our way back to old town. “we’ve almost finished our tour.” and just like that, we’re back. nearly two hours flew by… and organizer in chief luwanna clark is happy. “so in the gocar, we were able to get our tan on, we were able to get our racetrack driving skills… reunion goer gail copeland is all smiles too. “it was lovely, the vegetation, the trees with the flowers on them, the blooming flowers, pretty - very pretty. “i live in cathedral city.” patricia forte didn’t have to come far, but she says the gocar tour gave her a whole new perspective on san diego. “it was nice and hearing about the mansions that we got to see in the old district. it was very informative, a lot of history.” and for photographer carlos castillo and me… a chance to see and appreciate beautiful san diego in a whole new way. jc, kpbs news.
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And before you go… this weekend the Latin American festival is taking place at the Bazaar Del Mundo in Old Town.
Artisans from across Latin America will set up shop and transform the courtyard into a marketplace.
There will be traditional embroidered clothing, handwoven textiles, collectibles, jewelry and ceramic and clay pottery for sale.
Artists will also demonstrate traditional crafts.
And there will be food and drinks, including tacos, aguas frescas and elote.
The festival is tomorrow through Sunday, from 10 a-m to 8 p-m tomorrow and Saturday, and from 10 a-m to 5-30 p-m on Sunday.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top local stories, plus, we have all the details you need to know ahead of the special District 4 election. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Thursday.
