Local leaders propose new bill to address cross-border sewage

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, September 6th.

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Local lawmakers are out with a new proposal to address the cross-border sewage problem. More on what it is, next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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The hot weather continues today (Friday) and into the weekend.

An Excessive Heat Warning will be in effect in the inland areas until Monday.

In the mountains and deserts, the Warning is in effect til tonight (Friday).

There’s also a slight chance of thunderstorms and rain in the mountains and deserts tomorrow (Saturday).

By the coast, a Heat Advisory in effect until Monday.

Temperatures in the coastal areas will be in the mid 80s today (Friday) and all weekend, in the inland areas it’ll reach 100 degrees, in the mountains, temps will be in the low 90s, and in the deserts, it’s expected to reach 113 degrees.

Temps are expected to drop slightly next week, but the weather will still be hot.

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Professional soccer icon and San Diego Wave F-C forward, Alex Morgan is retiring.

She made the announcement yesterday (Thursday) in a video message posted to her X account.

“I'm retiring. And I have so much clarity about this decision. And I am so happy to finally be able to finally tell you.” 

Morgan also announced she’s pregnant with her second child.

Morgan's professional career includes national titles and championships.

She signed with San Diego Wave F-C in 20-22 and helped lead the team to the playoffs in their inaugural season.

Her final game will be at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday at 5 P-M.

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Republican vice presidential candidate J-D Vance will be in San Diego today (Friday).

He is scheduled to speak at a fundraiser in Rancho Santa Fe.

The tickets ranged from one-thousand-dollars per person to 50-thousand-dollars per couple.

The event is being hosted by Bob Shillman, the founder and former C-E-O of the Cognex Corporation, and his wife.

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

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Raw sewage from across the border continues to foul the air and close beaches in the South Bay.

Reporter Alexander Nguyen says, several local members of congress yesterday, announced a new bill to combat this ongoing problem.

Every day … nearly one million gallons of sewage flow into the Tijuana River Valley … making its way here NATs beach waves … to the ocean. “It is an outrage that in the year 2024, literally raw sewage and toxic waste continues to shut down our beaches.” Senator Alex Padilla … and  Congressmen Scott Peters and Juan Vargas … were in the South Bay … to introduce a new bill to combat the ongoing sewage problem. It would make the Environmental Protection Agency the lead agency for a comprehensive plan to manage water quality for the Tijuana River valley. Congress previously approved 300 million dollars to expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. Earlier this year … more than 156 million dollars was approved for critical repairs to the plant. an/kpbs.

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With temperatures soaring over 100 degrees in some areas, extreme heat can be hazardous for anyone.

Health reporter Heidi De Marco says it’s especially dangerous for people with chronic conditions.

The National Weather Service says this level of heat affects anyone without effective cooling or adequate hydration. NICK SAADE Every day you're sweating and you're losing water. You're losing sodium. You're losing these electrolytes. That’s Sharp Memorial Hospital emergency doctor Nick Saade. He says people suffering from chronic conditions are especially susceptible to heat related health risks. NICK SAADE A lot of those medications work by essentially dehydrating you. They work by forcing or stimulating your kidneys to excrete electrolytes like sodium, and that drags with it water on a physiologic level. And that can certainly predispose you to dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration can vary. NICK SAADE Headaches, or like a vague, like lightheaded sensation. Saade says when it’s this hot, people should pay closer attention to their medical history and health conditions. NICK SAADE I think it pays to have a little humility and understand that you might not be able to bounce back from the heat as well as you used to. You might not be able to manage dehydration as well as you used to, so don't be afraid to get some rest, to cool down and to hydrate. Heidi de Marco, KPBS News. 

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A bill on Governor Newsom’s desk could significantly boost voter registration at the D-M-V.

But some are worried about unintended consequences.

Penner Fellow Elaine Alfaro (Al-far-oh) has details.

A generation ago, voter turnout in the U.S. had hit historic lows. Federal and state governments responded with so-called motor-voter laws. Citizens were given the option of registering to vote at the DMV when they got a driver’s license, or state id or updated their address. The motor-voter laws boosted registration in California and other states that passed them. But not by as much as many had hoped. FANG: Actually 50% of people who are presented with this question – do you want to register to vote – during their transaction, 50% of people actually declined. That’s Sydney Fang from the California Grassroots Democracy Coalition. She is among the supporters of the new bill that makes voter registration at the DMV automatic … not optional. This would be possible thanks to technology allowing the agency to check … in real time … whether a person is eligible to be registered and put them on a list. But the bill has critics. They include Brittany Stonesifer of the ACLU. She says no technology is perfect …  and if an immigrant were to accidentally be registered it would feed unfounded fears of voter fraud. STONESIFER: We expressed concerns that previous versions of the bill would create serious risks for noncitizens If Newsom signs the bill it could go into effect as early as 2030. Elaine Alfaro, KPBS news.

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"Republican voters against Trump" is unleashing an 11-million-dollar ad blitz in key swing states.

A local republican, who is firmly not in the anti-Trump camp, is the new chairman of the republican party of the county.

Corey Gustafson spoke with reporter Amita Sharma about why he’s hoping Trump wins in November.

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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is produced by Emilyn Mohebbi and edited by Brooke Ruth. We’d also like to thank KPBS producer Brenden Tuccinardi for helping the podcast team this week. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again on Monday to start the week together with the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.