San Diego is banning the use of artificial intelligence software to determine rents. And San Diego Zoo workers say they’re underpaid, while the nonprofit’s former CEO saw his pay double. Then, is the Trump Administration’s targeting of international students having a chilling effect on free speech and campus activism? Plus, California could soon mandate hospitals help patients navigate financial help options before they’re discharged. Finally, hear from one expert about what the behavior of the elephants during Monday’s earthquake tells us about them.
City Council targets landlords’ alleged ‘price-fixing’
April 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, April 16.
The San Diego City Council is banning landlords from using A-I to set rents.
More on that next. But first... the headlines….
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is cutting funding for libraries and recreation programs in an effort to address a 258 million dollar budget shortfall.
Yesterday , the mayor released a preliminary budget proposing 112 million dollars in cuts.
The proposed cuts would eliminate nearly 250 city jobs and cut rec center hours by 30 percent.
City libraries would also close their doors on Sundays.
Not every city department will see cuts, however. The Fire-Rescue and Police departments will see increases in their budgets.
The City Council will review the budget in public hearings the week of May 5.
When it comes to Olympic surfing, it’s San Diego over Orange County — at least for the 20-28 Summer Olympics.
Organizers announced yesterday (Tuesday) San Onofre State Beach will host Olympic surfing, beating out rival Huntington Beach.
According to the O-C Register, it is the consistent quality of the waves at Lower Trestles Beach that won out.
The National Weather Service says temperatures will remain cooler than normal throughout the week.
Expect highs in the mid-sixties through much of the county and in the fifties in the mountains.
There’s a slight chance of showers through Friday before the clouds begin to clear this weekend.
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.
Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
THE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) VOTED TO BAN LANDLORDS FROM USING ALGORITHMS TO SET RENTS.
METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS IT COMES AMID MULTIPLE LAWSUITS CHALLENGING THE PRACTICE.
AB: The ordinance bans the use of algorithms that take private data from landlords to recommend rental prices. The U.S. Department of Justice and several states have sued companies that offer such software, arguing it facilitates collusion among landlords to fix rents in violation of antitrust laws. Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera proposed the ordinance. SER: This is about more than software. It's about standing up for working families. It's about making sure that the city we love doesn't become a place where only the wealthy can afford to live. San Diego cannot call itself a world-class city if families are forced out by corporate greed. AB: Representatives of landlords spoke against the ordinance, saying it was vague and would hurt the development of new housing. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
THE SAN DIEGO ZOO IS A NONPROFIT. AND IN RECENT YEARS EXECUTIVE PAY HAS SKYROCKETED THERE.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER SCOTT RODD SAYS WORKERS ARE NOW PUSHING FOR HIGHER PAY AS THEY NEGOTIATE A NEW UNION CONTRACT.
The zoo’s recently-departed CEO Paul Baribault saw his compensation more than double in just a few years…to nearly $2 million.
Meanwhile…rank-and-file employees who spoke to KPBS say they’re struggling just to make ends meet.
“They have all the rights to feel angry about this disparity. It's definitely not right.”
Rong Zhao is an assistant professor at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in New York. She studies compensation and working conditions at nonprofits.
A single adult in San Diego County has to make about $64,000 annually to support themselves. That’s according to MIT’s living wage calculator.
But the vast majority of unionized positions at the San Diego Zoo make less than that.
Zhao says nonprofits sometimes take advantage of mission-driven employees.
“They want to be able to do the work. Many times, the only choice that left the workers is, oh, I'm going to have to sacrifice.”
Baribault did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
In a statement, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said it values its employees’ dedication and hopes to reach a contract agreement soon.
Scott Rodd KPBS News
AT LEAST TEN FOREIGN STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO HAVE HAD THEIR VISAS REVOKED. ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS HAS ALREADY BEEN DEPORTED.
REPORTER GUSTAVO SOLIS SPOKE WITH ONE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACTIVIST WHO IS WORRIED THEY MIGHT BE NEXT.
Images of international students being detained by federal immigration agents are spreading fear and anxiety. “I’m pretty afraid of what’s happening right now. Especially that they’re holding immigrants. They’re abducting them.” You’re hearing the voice of an international student in San Diego. She’s active in the Pro-Palestine movement and is terrified that she’ll be detained for her activism.“I’m personally scared whenever I see these images because I don’t want to end up like that.”
KPBS is withholding her name to protect her from possible retaliation by the U.S. State Department — which has revoked more than 100 student visas in California. Among them were six at UC San Diego and 4 at San Diego State University. Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially said the revocations were connected to protests of the high Palestinian casualty count resulting from the Israeli military’s response to the 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas.“We’re going to continue to do it. When we identify lunatics like these, we take away their student visa no one is entitled to a student visa.”
Rubio has accused student protestors of supporting a terrorist organization– but has offered no proof. More recently, Rubio has said the State Department doesn’t need a specific reason to revoke student visas.“When you apply for a student visa – or any visa to enter the United States, we have the right to deny you for virtually any reason.” Last week, the federal government announced it was monitoring immigrants’ social media to look for signs of what they see as antisemitism. That has students like the person KPBS spoke to thinking twice … about what they post, share and like. “Should I be thinking about what I’m Liking? What is actually antisemitic? What are they saying? Is this picture or this post about someone losing their child, is it antisemitic just because this person in Palestinian? What do they mean by that?” “Even professors are reaching out to international students to be like hey maybe don’t post as often as you do. I think it’s valid to be pretty scared at this point.” The student KPBS interviewed says international students are now reconsidering coming to the United States.“I’m seeing a lot of people think it through. Do I really need to come to the U.S. People are considering the UK, Canada.” Immigration lawyers are concerned about the lack of transparency regarding the visa revocations. Maria Chavez is with the City Heights-based Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans or PANA. “What we’re seeing right now is the mass revocation of student visas but it’s growing outside of just the pro-Palestinian movement. It’s growing to just students in general.”
“There’s really been no rhyme or reason. No answer given as to why their visas were cancelled.”She points out that Secretary Rubio is correct – he can revoke visas for multiple reasons. But she says students should be able to appeal the revocation or find another way to stay in the country.“Visas can be cancelled just about for any reason. But I believe in due process and students should have the ability to know why so they can appeal it if needed.”Activists also see the revocations as an attack on free speech. Chavez says the Trump administration is conflating support of civilians in Gaza with support for Hamas. “You can be pro-Palestinian, you can support the Palestinian community not being killed and shelled at and not support Hamas. Because those are not one and the same. I don’t know individuals who are pro Palestinian who are pro Hamas.” Chavez says she’s inspired by students who speak out for what they believe in – despite the current threat. CC 8709_01 00:06:09:26“I think them exercising their right to free speech is incredibly brave. Especially continuing to do so under this administration where free speech is very clearly being targeted.”For her part, Chavez says she will keep fighting to defend their rights.Gustavo Solis, KPBS News
A NEW BILL IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE COULD CHANGE HOW HOSPITALS HANDLE MEDICAL BILLS. REPORTER HEIDI DE MARCO SAYS ITS TARGET IS MEDICAL DEBT
Imagine getting out of the hospital after a health scare—only to be hit with a bill you can’t afford. That’s a reality for 1 in 10 San Diegans. Across 2022 and 2023, we estimate that San Diego adults collectively owed more than 654 million dollars in medical debt. Selene Betancourt works with the California Pan Ethnic Health Network. She says under current law, patients are left to navigate complex paperwork after receiving care. And so we want to remove these administrative barriers. If passed, the law would require hospitals to pre-screen some patients for financial help before they’re discharged. Eli Rushbanks works with the nonprofit Dollar For. He says hospitals should already do this..Only 29% of patients who are eligible for financial assistance at the hospital actually receive it.The California Hospital Association opposes the bill. They declined to be interviewed. In an email they told KPBS they are working with the bill’s author to address concerns. AB 1312 is set for a hearing later this month.Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.
DURING YESTERDAY’S EARTHQUAKE, ELEPHANTS AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO SAFARI PARK FORMED A CIRCLE AROUND THE YOUNGEST IN THEIR GROUP. MAMMAL CURATOR MINDY ALBRIGHT SHARES WHY THEY DO IT.
They sensed something was off and potentially dangerous. And so immediately, they ran together and formed what we call an alert circle. And Mkhaya, the youngest, was in the center of that circle. So this is a defense mechanism that elephant herds do to protect the family unit. In the video you see five elephants. Ndlula and Umngani are 35 years old. And then there's Khosi. She's 18. And then you have the two youngsters, Zuli and Mkhaya, who are seven. Elephants also have the ability to feel sound through their feet. They're feeling the sound from the earthquake. They're listening. Their ears are out. Khosi keeps turning her body and touching Zuli with her trunk to just kind of check on him. And what's interesting, too, is he's outside of the circle and not necessarily in the middle of the two adult females like Mkhaya is, and Mkhaya and him are only a month apart, but as a young male, he will eventually age and grow older and move out of the family unit where the females stay with their family unit their whole life.
THAT WAS MINDY ALBRIGHT, WITH THE SAN DIEGO ZOO SAFARI PARK. THAT PIECE WAS PRODUCED BY KATIE ANASTAS.
A new exhibit at the San Diego Central Library celebrates the Black and Latin American players who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum exhibit of course features Jackie Robinson, who became the first Black player in the Majors in 1947.
But it also features Johnny Ritchey, the San Diego-born player who broke the Pacific Coast League’s color barrier in 1948 with the Padres.
The exhibit will be on display through May 31.
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. For your next listen, check out today’s Midday Edition podcast this afternoon.….. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.