Trump’s order on transgender service members faces legal challenges

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz. It’s Wednesday, January 29th.

Trump’s order over transgender servicemembers is met by legal challenges

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

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is putting off selecting its leaders.

Come April 22nd, they will vote on a new chair, vice chair and pro tem.

They’re delaying the decision until after the primary election determines who will fill the District 1 seat.

In the meantime, Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer will continue as acting chair, and Joel Anderson will remain in the pro tem role.

The board previously voted on the chair position on January 7th, but it ended in a tie vote.

Speaking of the upcoming primary election, more than 370 thousand postcards are on their way to registered voters in the first supervisorial district.

That area covers Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, and San Ysidro. Along with unincorporated communities like Bonita, Otay Mesa and the Tijuana River Valley.

Voters are encouraged to review the postcard for a list of ways to vote in the March election.

The Registrar of Voters says ballots will be delivered to voters during the week of March 10th. You can submit your ballot via mail or at a dropoff location.

Voters can also cast their ballot in person starting March 29th.

The person elected will fill the district’s vacant seat for the remainder of the current term that ends in January 2029.

A new grassroots advisory group focused on climate and resiliency efforts is having its first meeting today (Wednesday).

It’s called the Environmental Justice Workgroup. The 21 members will help shape sustainability policies, programs and services across the county.

Their goal is to improve air quality, and access to healthy food and safe outdoor spaces.

The workgroup will communicate their recommendations to the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice.

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

In a new executive order President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to revise its policies toward transgender service members, saying they do not meet the standards of military service.

Sam Rodriguez is a second class petty officer in the Navy who identifies as non-binary. Rodriguez is stationed in San Diego and was recently selected to commission as an officer in the Navy’s medical corps.

They say a ban upends their future.

“If a ban came across and I lost my job, you know, that takes food off my kids table, that takes my housing money away, that that puts me and my spouse in a situation where we're not ready to, you know, I don't have a job lined up.”

Two civil rights groups filed suit in federal court yesterday (Tuesday) and two others say they will also launch a legal challenge.

Trump’s executive order gives the Pentagon two months to change its policy.

Some north county pastors say their congregations are becoming nervous and fearful about immigration enforcement. North county reporter Tania Thorne says those faith leaders are sharing their concerns with local police.

Faith leaders from the North County met with Escondido police captains on Tuesday. They said their congregations are expressing fear- and that was evident in the drop of attendance some experienced this past Sunday. The leaders looked to the Escondido Police department for clarification on their role and how to respond to their communities. “The police have made it very clear that they are following what California law is, and they are not working with immigration, here in Escondido. They cannot speak for other law enforcement agencies, but certainly here in Escondido, that's what's going on. That was Escondido  council member Joe Garcia. He said the city and police department will be issuing a statement to set the record clear on their role during federal immigration enforcement. Police captains said they have no control or notification of federal operations happening in their communities. Tania Thorne, KPBS News 

The city council voted last night (Tuesday) to debate removing San Diego's bonus accessory dwelling unit program.

It allows what some call backyard apartment buildings.

Reporter Katie Hyson says many of the largest projects are proposed in southeast San Diego. Neighbors are pushing back.

On Tarbox Street in Encanto sits a small home with a big backyard. A yellow sign hangs on the fence: “Encanto Says No.” Rebecca Batista lives next door. “My husband had noticed that there was some movement happening on the property . . . So he decided to look for the permits. And he'll tell you himself that he nearly fell to the floor.” 43 new homes are planned for a yard smaller than half a football field. That’s more homes than the rest of the street combined. Lisa and Eric Becerra live next to Batista. They spread word to neighbors. “They're like, no, we're not zoned for that. And then I'll send them the plans, and they're like . . .  my God.” “They had no idea how this could happen without public notice, without a public hearing, without it adhering to a community plan . . .” That’s by design. ADUs don’t have to do any of that. It’s part of what makes them cheaper and faster to build. California hopes to entice developers to build more housing. It allows two ADUs on each lot. Usually, they’re what you might call “granny flats.” But San Diego took it further. In 2020, they said you can have two more, as long as one of them is priced affordably. And if your lot is within a walking mile of a major public transit stop there’s no limit. Resulting in some proposed projects with more than 100 units on a single lot. What some call “granny towers.” Those are rare. In most parts of San Diego, the typical project is about four units. In Encanto, it’s about 10. Batista. “We started peeling the onion to realize that it wasn't just this lot next to ours, but upwards of 10 to 12 properties that we know about that are using the same bonus ADU loophole.” The Encanto area makes sense for developers. Larger lot sizes for less money than other neighborhoods. It used to be redlined. Today, neighbors are mostly Black and Latino and low-income. Batista isn’t opposed to more housing. Say, six more homes on this lot. But 43 more? Has her worried. Under state law, ADU developers don’t have to provide parking. On Tarbox Street, it’s hard to imagine where more cars would go. The road isn’t maintained by the city. It’s riddled with potholes. There are no sidewalks or storm drains. Only two street lights. Overgrown trees and parked cars jut into the road. Eric Becerra. “How are they trying to pass this type of building structure when they can't even help us with what we need?” An early academic assessment of the program cautioned San Diego about the pattern of larger ADU projects proposed in the Encanto area. Quote, the city may not want to see such a high concentration of units in areas that have historically absorbed more than their fair share of housing development. Co-author Eric Wegmann. “That sometimes results in a feeling among people living in those areas of, hey, we're getting all the development. And then, meanwhile, people in La Jolla or more affluent areas haven't had to have the same kind of development that we have.” California ADU developers don’t have to pay impact fees or conduct environmental reviews. And Encanto is disproportionately affected by environmental burdens and health risks. It’s also at a high risk for fires. Unlike apartments, ADUs don’t have to have sprinklers. More concrete instead of grassy lots also means more water runoff. The neighborhood flooded last January.   Wegmann called the infrastructure problem a chicken-and-egg dynamic. “Sometimes people will say, well, we shouldn't build any more housing in this area because the infrastructure can't handle it. Then on the other hand, sometimes you hear, well, why would we add infrastructure to this neighborhood? Because there aren't enough people there to justify it.” Neighbor Lisa Becerra asks – “What are these people supposed to do until it catches up?” About 50 neighbors have begun to organize. They created a petition this month that has over 500 signatures. They say they would consider legal action. Rebecca Batista. “This has turned us into activists, and it's been really beautiful bringing our community together.” I set out with her family toward the closest major public transit stop. It’s supposed to be a mile away at most, but Google Maps says it’s a little more. With no sidewalk, we’re forced to walk in the road. The wheels of their double stroller and her daughter’s scooter bump hard over potholes. We pass a smaller bus stop with no shade. An elderly neighbor's chair sits on the grassy incline, empty. Batista tells me she just sold her property to a developer. Katie Hyson, KPBS News

According to a Redfin study, nearly half of San Diegans rent their homes. With all the recent wildfires in the area reporter Melissa Mae tells us what rights renters have if they lose their home to wildfire.

A San Diego Fire Department representative confirms that there was no structural damages reported in the Bernardo or Gilman fires, but one unit in one apartment building was destroyed in the Friars Fire last week. Gilberto Vera with Legal Aid Society of San Diego says if a renter’s home is uninhabitable due to a wildfire, under contract law the lease agreement no longer exists. “That could mean that the contract is automatically terminated because the property is completely destroyed. And that would relieve the tenant of their responsibility to pay rent and then the landlord of the responsibility to provide the housing.” Vera says this means a landlord is not responsible for rehoming you, but says you are entitled to a prorated amount of rent and security deposit. Melissa Mae KPBS News.

Lunar New Year celebrations begin today. We’re entering the Year of the Wood Snake.

Across the world, more than a billion people will celebrate Lunar New Year with fireworks, lion dances and red envelopes filled with money.

The length of celebrations varies, but typically, they last about 15 days.

To learn more about local festivities, check out our coverage on KPBS dot org.

That’s it for the podcast today. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Wednesday.