How Mexico’s presidential election impacts San Diego's economy

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Monday, May 13th.

>>>>

Mexico’s presidential election has high economic stakes for the U-S.

More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

######

San Diegans can attend two meetings this week, where county departments will present details on their recommended budgets to the Board of Supervisors.

One set of departments will make presentations tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10 a-m, and the next group will go before the board at the same time on Thursday.

The meetings will be held at the County Administration Center in downtown.

And live streamed on the county’s YouTube Channel, Facebook or X.

########

A public celebration of life is being held today for Joan Jacobs… one of San Diego's best known philanthropists.

Jacobs died last week of heart failure at the age of 91.

She and her husband gave away a lot of their fortune to many San Diego organizations, including KPBS.

Her husband, Irwin was the founder of Qualcomm.

The celebration of life starts at 11 A-M, at the Rady Shell downtown.

########

The weather is going to cool down slightly this week.

Temperatures in the inland areas will be in the low 70s and by the coast and in the mountain areas, temps will be in the low to mid 60s.

The only part of the county with rising temps is in the deserts, where it will reach 100.

Temperatures are expected to drop a couple degrees as the week goes on, and we’ll have cloudy skies for most of the day.

#########

From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

##########

San Diego's cross-border economy is measured in the billions.

And the policies of Mexico's next president could have significant impacts on the region.

Border reporter Gustavo Solis examines what’s at stake.

Why should San Diegans care about Mexico’s presidential election? Well, because what happens in Mexico, doesn’t actually stay in Mexico … this is particularly true when it comes to the economy. Saul Sandoval is a professor of economics at CETYS University in Tijuana. SAUL SANDOVAL CETYS UNIVERSITY “So if something happens here in Mexico in terms of a decrease in production of different goods and services, then Americans will face the consequences with higher prices right – you’d need to import from other places around the world.” Mexico is a key part of the United States supply chain. A dizzying array of products … from cars to televisions to medical devices … are manufactured in Mexico and shipped through the U.S. border. And this relationship is more intertwined than ever. So says Rafael Fernandez de Castro, director of the Center for U.S. Mexico Studies at UC San Diego. RAFAEL FERNANDEZ DE  CASTRO UC SAN DIEGO CENTER FOR U.S./MEXICO STUDIES “Mexico has become now the number one U.S. trading partner. It’s not Canada, it’s not China, it’s Mexico.” An estimated 80,000 Mexican residents work in San Diego and more  than $4 billion worth of goods cross the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border crossings every year. So the policies of Mexico’s next president … on issues like trade, immigration and security … will have a big impact on our region. The two leading candidates vying for a six-year term in the June 2 election are Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochtil Galvez. Experts say both recognize the importance of the cross-border economy. FLAVIO OLIVIERI CETYS UNIVERSITY “Both understand the opportunities there. But in terms of how to maximize those, do differ a little bit.” Flavio Olivieri is the director of the Center of Excellence in Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship at CETYS University. Buen dia, llegamos a Tijuana - Sheibaum was mayor of Mexico City from 2018 to 2023 and represents the popular Morena Party – which was founded by current Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Experts say a Sheinbaum presidency would in many ways continue what Lopez Obrador started. When it comes to the economy, Olivieri expects Sheinbaum to be more focused on labor issues. “On the other side is more labor intensive focused – more on labor rights, increasing minimum wage.” For example, She supports raising the minimum wage and expanding retirement benefits. Galvez, meanwhile,  is a critic of what she calls Lopez Obrador’s soft stance on crime. And says high crime rates hurt the Mexican economy. MEXICO IS NOT DOING WELL “No va ver tema mas importante para mi que la seguridad de ustedes, de sus familias, de sus hijos, de los jovenes.” Galvez wants to expand the cross-border economy beyond manufacturing.   Sandoval says Galvez would focus on bringing tech and research and development industries. Industries that pay higher wages than manufacturing.     “Whereas with Xotchil Galvez I think, because she’s a more pro-market oriented individual, I think she will make more accessible investment in Mexico and in Baja California and the border states in general.” Experts say that managing U.S.-Mexico relations will be a big part of the next president's job. But historically speaking, Mexico City hasn’t paid much attention to the border. “The problem is that the capitals – Mexico City and Washington – are very far away from the border. Not only that but with the political polarization both in Washington and in Mexico City, I don’t see them really putting that much attention into these border areas. But given what is at stake, the experts say local leaders should speak loud enough to get the president’s ear, no matter who she may be. Gustavo Solis, KPBS News.

TAG: This is the second in a series of stories we’re doing on the Mexican election.

Next is a look at how the election will impact environmental issues in the border region.

##########

Researchers at UC-SD have found a way to make some plastics biodegrade in a matter of months.

Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge explains their target is a petroleum-based plastic that’s already used in many common products.

Millions of metric tons of plastic are created and discarded every year, creating a huge solid waste problem. The vast majority are petroleum-based and they do not naturally degrade. But what if we could find an organism that literally eats plastic? “We screened several bacterial strains to see if they could use the polyurethane as a food source.” Professor of nanoengineering Jon Pokorski says he and his research team found two kinds of bacteria that could use polyurethane as an exclusive food source. This kind of plastic, often called TPU, is used for lots of things, from cushions and shoes to watchbands. Researchers embedded dormant bacterial spores into their plastic, and when it was landfilled or composted the spores woke up and started feeding on the plastic. Another member of the research team, Adam Feist, says adding the spores to plastic production is really no different from adding salt to your soup. “The spores actually in this case are just one more thing that gets poured into the mix.” Researchers found TPU plastic with bacterial spores degraded in a compost bin in about 5 months. Plastics that don’t biodegrade can remain a waste item for up to a thousand years. SOQ. 

##########

The Oceanside Pier is open to the public again, a little more than two weeks after it was closed by a fire.

North County reporter Tania Thorne spoke to locals and visitors eager to get back on.

Last month, the future of the Oceanside Pier was unclear. City officials have now determined it’s safe enough for a partial re-opening. Here’s Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez You're gonna be able to walk on 75% of the Pier and we're very very excited about it.  Just in time for visitors like Susan Ogg and her family. They go to the pier every year to honor her parents, who passed away. SUSAN OGG OCEANSIDE PIER VISITOR We dropped the ashes in the ocean and then we drop the flowers off the end of the pier. So we wanted to do the same with the flowers but when we got here the pier was closed of course and this is our last day, we’ve been here for a week and the pier opens so we're down here to drop our flowers. A full investigation of what caused the fire will take a couple more weeks. TT KPBS News.

##########

Some San Diego Unified high school students have been honored for their solutions to critical community problems.

Education Reporter M.G. Perez tells us how they won the Aspen Challenge.

The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization that provides education and resources to students… so they can research solutions to some of their community’s most critical problems. The annual Aspen Challenge came to San Diego, this year…and the winning teams from  Madison and Mira Mesa high schools, and the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts…came up with ideas? to eliminate single-use plastics, for mental health support for children, and to reduce chronic absenteeism. Students from Crawford High School were awarded the best collaboration prize for developing a pocket translator to support non-English speaking students. Sophomore Jhoanna Duarte helped in the design. SOT  “Imagine they give you homework and you don’t speak English…how are you going to figure that out? When you can’t even communicate with your own teacher?” The national Aspen Challenge competition is next month in Colorado. MGP KPBS News.

##########

Mingei (Ming-gay) International Museum in Balboa Park will host a one-night exhibit tonight (Monday).

Reporter Katie Hyson spoke with the artist challenging Vietnamese beauty standards with her paintbrush.

Linh Nguyen’s portraits are striking. Stunning women dressed in bright luxurious clothes, staring unapologetically at the viewer. But Nguyen says some Vietnamese viewers may question why they’re featured in an exhibit called Dep, which means beauty. Because each subject challenges Vietnamese beauty norms with long historical roots. If you have a darker skin complexion, this means you work outside in a field. And if you have a lighter skin complexion, you are of a higher status. She says the standard became even more unattainable when Westerners came to Vietnam. We see foreigner and people become more envious of, you know, you want to have the double eyelid, the skinnier nose, the even lighter skin complexions. It’s personal for Nguyen, who grew up in Vietnam without these features. It's always felt like no matter what I do, you know, it is not going to be enough. Organizer Britt Pham hopes the exhibit brings freedom. We want to redefine beauty as self acceptance. Not needing to buy into any sort of story that's placed upon us. The free event will include food and a conversation on the history behind these standards. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.

##########

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 stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. I’d like to thank our San Diego News Now podcast producer Emilyn Mohebbi for filling in for me last week while I was out sick. You’ll get to hear more of her again this week, because I’m now heading out of town with my family. Enjoy the podcast with her until I’m back next week. Thanks for listening and have a great Monday.