San Diego News Fix

Inmates and their family members say conditions are more serious than department officials have acknowledged. Among other problems, they cite a persistent lack of virus testing and inadequate protective gear and medical care.As of April 9 the department had tested 62 inmates for the coronavirus — just over 0.13 percent of the people in custody and 16 more than the 46 tested by April 3.Department officials say they are taking every reasonable precaution to keep COVID-19 from infiltrating the jails, including issuing masks to employees and inmates.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2020-04-12/theyre-filthy-inmates-decry-lack-of-clean-masks-testing-conditions-in-san-diego-jails

Public transit was shaping up to have a banner year in 2020 — from a tax proposal to massively expand bus and trolley service to the unveiling of a vision for an entirely new commuter rail system.Now those efforts could be, at least temporarily, derailed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that continues to grip California and much of the world. The reality stings all the more since bus and trolley ridership in San Diego had been climbing in recent months, bucking a years-long trend impacting systems nationwide.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/transportation/story/2020-04-10/coronavirus-threatens-to-derail-san-diegos-plans-to-expand-public-transit

They’ve built special wards, literally punching holes in their walls and snaking ventilation pipes through their halls to make their rooms ready to receive COVID-19 patients.They’ve conserved personal protective equipment, and they’ve canceled most elective procedures, inconveniencing their own patients in ways that will surely take months to untangle.But, as Easter arrived, the expected surge of patients with novel coronavirus infections still has not swamped local emergency rooms and intensive care units across San Diego County though news came this weekend that many hospitals in Baja California now have more patients than they can handle.As of Saturday afternoon, the county public health department has tallied just 396 total hospitalizations since Feb. 14, nowhere near the number that would be needed to inundate the combined capacity of the region’s 21 acute care hospitals which, taken together, exceeds 7,000 beds.But that does not mean that the burden has fallen evenly on San Diego’s houses of healing. Hospitals in Escondido, San Diego and Chula Vista, visited Friday, had similar but distinct COVID experiences.

In just one week, the Acting Secretary of the Navy has resigned following an outbreak of COVID-19 on an aircraft carrier, and now about 10% of its sailors are confirmed to have the virus. How the Navy is handling this pandemic.Stories: Almost 1 in 10 Theodore Roosevelt sailors tested positive for COVID-19Theft of masks, sanitizer at Naval Medical Center San Diego lead to bag checks for staffSailor aboard hospital ship Mercy tests positive for COVID-19Acting Navy secretary resigns after controversial comments to aircraft carrier crewThe San Diego Union-Tribune is providing some coronavirus content for free during the pandemic.

Reporter Morgan Cook answers questions readers submitted about the virus.

Zoom is one of the most popular videoconferencing tools being used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers nationwide are using it to hold remote classes while schools remain physically closed.But stories of so-called “Zoombombing” like Armstrong’s highlight some of the security risks that come into play when school districts nationwide are forced to quickly switch instruction to online formats because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Zoombombing is loosely defined as people harassing others, spewing abuse or showing inappropriate content on Zoom, such as racist language or profanity.Zoombombing reports have prompted some school districts and agencies to ban Zoom, including New York City schools, the largest school district in the country. NASA, SpaceX and the Taiwanese government also stopped using Zoom.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2020-04-08/san-diego-zoombombing-incident-highlights-need-for-schools-to-use-safety-controls

San Diego County’s collective COVID-19 testing capacity now exceeds 1,200 per day, with significantly more resources poised to come online in the next few weeks.But, while the group of people throughout the region who can get tested quickly has gradually increased, supply shortages continue to force rationing.Just Wednesday, in a notice to all local physicians, San Diego County’s public health department reiterated that testing should be offered only to those with symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization and to people with higher-than-average infection risk. Those who are age 65 and older, have a chronic health condition, live in a group home or have a high-risk job are also on the short list for testing.For everybody else, especially otherwise healthy people with mild to moderate symptoms, the advice continues to be stay home even if that means day after day spent anxiously wondering whether it is coronavirus, or some other microscopic malcontent, causing their illness.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/story/2020-04-05/only-testing-will-set-us-free

In the days after the March 3 primary, Democratic political insiders met to socialize and organize for what was expected to be a bruising November contest.They were unaware that a far more formidable opponent was already in their midst.Chula Vista City Councilman Steve Padilla was the first among his political circle to announce he had fallen ill with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Within a week of Padilla’s March 14 announcement, he was fighting for his life, and another person in the circle, Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, was critically ill in intensive care.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/story/2020-04-05/whats-it-like-to-have-covid-19Watch the episode of the COVID diaries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhSzg0qHdSk

San Diego County Health officials have been releasing a trove of data in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. This data, however, has its caveats.

Weekly flu report results released Wednesday morning show that both leaders have a good reason to believe that it is possible for the curve to bend significantly in the coming days and weeks.The report shows a precipitous drop in the number of flu cases reported to the county health department last week, and similar sudden effects were felt last week at Rady Children’s Hospital for all respiratory viruses, not just the flu.Last week, a total of 90 confirmed flu cases were reported countywide, an 84 percent decrease in the previous week’s total of 583 cases, and a 71 percent decrease when compared to the prior three-year average of 310 cases observed in the fourth week of March.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/story/2020-04-01/social-distancing-working-san-diego

The San Diego Convention Center officially became the city’s newest emergency shelter on Wednesday, a move that aims to slow the spread of COVID-19 among homeless San Diegans.The doors opened a day after county officials announced that three sheltered individuals had tested positive for COVID-19, the first known cases to involve homeless San Diegans.People currently living in two of the city’s bridge shelters will be the first to move in.“I’m glad that we can use this community asset to serve our neighbors in need,” said Rip Rippetoe, president of the San Diego Convention Center.The decision to re-purpose the convention center — dubbed “Operation Shelter to Home” — was announced last week.With the extra space the center will provide, city officials and shelter workers will be able to better space homeless individuals, ensuring social-distancing guidelines are adhered to. It will also allow the city to convert its existing bridge shelters into locations that provide health screenings and other services to people living outdoors.Bob McElroy, president of Alpha Project, said 260 men and 170 women from the city’s bridge shelters will be bused to the convention center throughout Wednesday.Each person can take two bins for personal items that will fit under their cots. Larger overflow bins will remain at the bridge shelter sites, and people will be shuttled back if they need to retrieve something.

The captain of the San Diego-based aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, in port in Guam fighting a coronavirus outbreak among its crew, says that unless the Navy takes immediate action to isolate the crew off the ship, COVID-19 will continue to spread and “there will be losses,” he wrote in a letter sent Sunday to Pacific Fleet commanders.Read the story here. Original story from the San Francisco Chronicle.

If there’s a light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel, it’s faint. Most of our eyes are still adjusting to the darkness.No one knows how long this will last, or what the final toll will be — in lives, in economic turmoil, in changes to the world as we knew it.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/story/2020-03-29/end-of-coronavirus-pandemic-what-will-new-normal-look-like

San Diego shoppers are noticing curious new fixtures in grocery stores this week: thick sheets of Plexiglas separating clerks from customers. These physical shields are called "sneeze guards," and they appear to be the new normal in supermarkets everywhere. As of Friday, sneeze guards are installed at Walmart, Albertson's, Von's, the Baron's Market in North Park, and 7-Eleven stores, among many others.

The crew of the San Diego-based amphibious transport dock Somerset have been ordered to remain on board the ship as the Navy announced Wednesday that six more San Diego-based sailors have tested positive for COVID-19.The order to remain on board coincides with comments made Tuesday by Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, who said such orders are already being implemented on submarines 14 days out from getting underway.Navy officials from the Somerset, Naval Surfaces Forces Pacific, 3rd Fleet and the Pacific Fleet would not confirm the order late Wednesday; however, a post on the ship’s Facebook page made note of the latest “schedule change.”

San Diego Unified will officially start conducting school online beginning on April 27.It is one of the first large area districts to announce a plan to return to grading and formal instruction.“San Diego Unified will return to instruction next month to guarantee students an opportunity to successfully complete the current academic year, even as physical school facilities will remain closed until public health officials determine it is safe for students to return to classrooms,” the district said in a statement Tuesday.The district’s plan is meant to answer the concerns of many students about whether they’ll be able to finish the school year or complete course credits to move on to the next grade or graduate.“The schedule outlined today by the district will give members of the Class of 2020 the assurance they need that they will graduate, whether or not public health officials approve a return to in-classroom instruction,” the district of 103,000 students said in the statement.The timeline means most students will get about six weeks of formal instruction for the rest of the school year, which for most students ends on June 9.

San Diego closed public spaces as a means to push for more social distancing amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Many San Diego County residents failed to social distance this weekend, causing governments to begin to close public spaces. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases swell to 230, with one death in the county so far.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate is clear, but only for about a dozen or so different industries. Grocery stores, gas stations, banks, laundromats and pharmacies are essential and can remain open. Alternatively, others — dine-in restaurants, bars and clubs, entertainment venues, gyms, public events, and conventions centers — must close immediately.But what about the hundreds or thousands of businesses that fall into the massive gray area not identified in the order? And what exactly is “essential” in today’s totally unrecognizable brick-and-mortar world? As it stands, lattes are still being served through Starbucks drive-throughs, craft beers are available for pickup at local breweries, and cable TV and Internet sales staff are still reporting to Spectrum stores.Basically, businesses appear to be making the call on their own, with some leaning on the guidance provided to individual municipalities earlier in the week.When seven counties in the San Francisco Bay Area instituted their shelter-in-place mandate, officials included a wider range of businesses in their definition of essential, including hardware stores, plumbers, some legal services and newspapers. Friday evening, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer clarified that home builders also fall into the go-to-work bucket.

Throughout San Diego County, where on an average day about 60 people die from various causes, mortuaries are also making adjustments. They’re shortening or eliminating visitations, live-streaming services so people can watch from home, and asking those at funerals not to hug or kiss.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy, forcing temporary closures of businesses large and small and cancellations of major events and conventions, hospitality workers are struggling to cope with being suddenly jobless or having their work hours drastically reduced.

A judge sentenced former Rep. Duncan Hunter to 11 months in federal prison Tuesday, closing a case that began nearly four years ago with questions about stolen campaign funds which ended the once-promising career of the scion of an East County political family.U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Whelan gave Hunter until May 29 to report to a federal prison. The judge left open the possibility that date could change in light of evolving circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.The 11-month sentence is in the middle of the 8-to-14-month range called for by federal sentencing rules under terms of the plea bargain struck by Hunter and the U.S. Department of Justice.

It’s a complicated time to be a journalist.It’s a complicated time to be anyone.With strong social-distancing orders in place at all levels of government, we wanted to find a way to check the pulse of the region that wouldn’t contribute in any way to the spread of the coronavirus.We turned to video chats -- a medium that so many of us are using more often this past week, whether we’re taking business meetings while working from home or doing “social-distancing happy hours” with friends across the county or the country.“COVID-Diaries” introduce you to people across the region who are navigating this thorny new world under unique circumstances.Episode 1 will introduce you to Thomas Shaw, who is concerned about the implications of the virus’ spread on his relationship with his wife, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s and lives in a memory care facility. Episode 2 features Daisy Scott, who is trying to run a student newspaper while reckoning with the fact that her final quarter of college has been upended.If you’d like to share your story or have ideas for who we should reach out to, email [email protected].

In preparation for a potential boom in coronavirus infections, much of San Diego slowed down to a snail’s pace. Thousands of workers telecommuted, and plans for how to mitigate the damage were revealed in Washington. With the announcement that San Diego Unified -- and most San Diego schools -- would send students home -- the real social and economic impacts of this massive social change remain unknown.

Over a period of 24 hours, many cornerstones of American life came to a halt. March Madness, Broadway, and even campaigning for the Democratic nomination -- were either cancelled or moved online -- all part of the nationwide effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. In San Diego, the county announced 5 more cases of the virus, and has banned gatherings of more than 250 people. For ongoing coverage, check out our live blog: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/liveblog/coronavirus-live-san-diego-business-updates-sycuan-casino-implements-hourly-disinfection-policy

In an unprecedented move, UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla announced Monday night that he will shift all of the school’s courses online and largely close the campus to the public to fight the coronavirus.There also is a possibility that fans will not be permitted to attend a Division II basketball tournament that is scheduled to be held on campus late this week.

Michael McConnell, who led the only campaign against Measure C, isn’t gloating over the election results that as of Sunday showed the initiative failing to reach its required two-thirds threshold as outstanding ballots were being counted.“If it fails, it’s not a victory for me,” said McConnell, one of the city’s most vocal and visible homeless advocates."I’ve moved on.”

Science reporter Gary Robbins discusses how San Diego is responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

San Diego police on Wednesday released body-worn camera video of an officer fatally shooting a man after he’d reportedly grabbed the gun of another officer during a struggle in Oak Park earlier this year.The graphic footage shows the Jan. 24 afternoon encounter that left 31-year-old Toby Diller dead after two officers tried to stop him while he walked around on the corner of 54th Street and College Grove Drive with an open container of beer.After a struggle, according to police, Diller pulled at one officer’s still-holstered gun. The holster broke from the officer’s belt.During the video, one officer yells “He’s got my gun! Shoot him!” Frames later, a gun — presumably held by the other officer — enters the screen near Diller’s head.

J Harry Jones, Lori Weisberg, Charles Clark, Sam Hodgson and Micheal Smolens discuss the most important election results after California's primary. J Harry Jones on Measures A and B https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/story/2020-03-03/measures-ab-election-sotryLori Weisberg on Measure C https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2020-03-03/hotel-tax-hike-measure-showing-strong-support-in-early-returnsCharles Clark on CA-53: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2020-03-03/congressional-races-shaping-up-as-early-primary-results-roll-inSam Hodgson on CA-50 https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2020-03-03/campa-najjar-leads-in-early-vote-count-for-50th-congressional-district-issa-and-demaio-are-neck-and-neckMicheal Smolens on the state of the Democrats: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/columnists/story/2020-03-03/unity-may-be-a-pipe

The San Diego Union-Tribune's political columnist, Michael Smolens, discusses the state of play as the first results of Super Tuesday come in.

Nearly 300,000 voters had returned their mail ballots to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters as of Friday morning.Yet Michael Vu, the county’s Registrar of Voters, is encouraging more voters to get a jump on Election Day by casting ballots over the weekend and Monday, at the registrar’s office or at four new satellite registrar locations.“If you are not registered to vote and want to participate, put it on your to-do list to get to the registrar’s office or the satellite offices this weekend,” Vu said by phone Friday. “If you can’t do that, get to your assigned polling location on Election Day.”Tuesday’s election will be one of the most complex elections in San Diego history. Here’s what voters need to know to make voting easier.Story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2020-02-28/what-san-diegans-need-to-know-to-vote-on-or-before-tuesdays-primary-electionVoting guide: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/votingguideEndorsements: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2020endorsements

A few years back, San Diego gave the OK to a plan to install energy-saving, and money-saving, LED street lights.Those street lights had the tech world a buzz. San Diego was deploying the world’s largest smart-city platform, installing high-tech, data-gathering sensors on the street lights. The plan was to track movements of cars and people, particularly in urban and busy areas. Deeper understanding of mobility could follow. Apps could be developed.Turned out that all that data-gathering required installing cameras on 3,000 street lights. For the public, that revelation last year was a surprise. And not only did all those cameras exist — covering about 5 percent of the city’s public right-of-way — but police were accessing footage.Among critics, fears of mass surveillance, over-targeting of communities of color, and potential civil-rights abuses followed. Mistrust surfaced, too.

Following years of loggerheads, industry leaders, environmentalists and community leaders came together to develop a new “Transition Zone" in Barrio Logan. That neighborhood has always been plagued with toxic air, due to the shipyards and industry located along the San Diego Bay, and it's often invoked as an example of environmental racism. The zone would hopefully improve environmental conditions in the area. This idea was attempted back in 2013, but San Diego voters revoked the plan. With a renewed focus, stakeholders are more confident this new transition zone would prove successful.

The retirement of Congressman Susan Davis created a wide open race for California’s 53rd Congressional District. The district includes much of central San Diego including Balboa Park adjacent neighborhoods, Mission Valley all the way into El Cajon, and much of eastern Chula Vista. This is a heavily democratic district, and it is fairly likely that two democrats will advance to the general election.

Chelsea King’s disappearance a decade ago gripped the region. The 17-year-old had gone for an after-school run around Lake Hodges in North County. There, she ran into a rapist and killer. Within months, the college-bound runner who loved sunflowers became the name of legislation targeting sex predators who target children. She became the inspiration behind an annual run. She also became the face of a foundation that has awarded $800,000 in college scholarships. And on Tuesday, the 10th anniversary of her kidnapping, rape and murder, Chelsea’s father has announced he will launch Protect the Joy, which he said will be a national advocacy organization to address issues that affect children, including sexual assault, gun violence, opioid abuse or cyber-bullying.

It’s been more than a year since President Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico program has effectively blocked the ability for most people to claim asylum in the United States…. And now thousands of people wait to have their cases heard while living in Mexico. Even though this migration crisis doesn’t have the same visual impact as the migrant caravan… thousands of people remain displaced, hanging on to hope that they can start a new life in the U.S. The current barriers raise the question: How restrictrive should an asylum system -- which was born out of the failures of the West to save Jews killed in the Holocaust -- be before it becomes a farce? Story:https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/story/2020-02-24/protecting-the-worlds-most-vulnerable-what-it-takes-to-make-a-case-under-us-asylum-system

Come March 3, voters will finally weigh in on the proposed room tax hike, which, if approved, would generate nearly $7 billion over more than four decades — enough money, its supporters say, to enlarge the convention center by 50 percent, help get homeless families and individuals off the streets, and repave 150 miles of roads every year.

San Diego County in the past year has become more aggressive about addressing some of its most pressing issues, said Greg Cox, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Residents should know that new approach isn’t going away anytime soon, Cox said during the annual State of the County address Wednesday night. From expanding mental health services and renewable energy projects, to launching new education programs and initiatives to assist foster youths, Cox said the supervisors will continue to take a more forceful approach in the year ahead. “Your County of San Diego has new energy and momentum to tackle the critical issues of today and, working with my colleagues, we are going to take giant leaps in 2020,” Cox told a packed house aboard the USS Midway Museum.

In January AB 218 went into effect, allowing for sexual assault victims to sue on claims formerly barred by statues of limitations. This means that thousands of individuals who were abused as children are coming forward with allegations. Among the hard hit youth-based organizations: the Boy Scouts of America. By filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the organization has put on hold hundreds of lawsuits brought against it. But it’s still unclear what this means to the local councils that directly oversee Scout troops. That’s a crucial question for the San Diego-Imperial Council, whose assets include cash reserves and Mataguay, a 1,000-acre camping and canoeing reservation in Santa Ysabel.

Two San Diego women have created an app for travelers that’s gaining a sizable following of nomadic young people living out of vans. Inspired by a social media phenomenon, Breanne Acio, a former San Diego State University lecturer, and public relations worker Jessica Shisler teamed up in 2018 to pave the way for the drifter movement known online as “vanlife.” They created a mobile application, aptly called The Vanlife App, that’s just secured the two women spots in a competitive Techstars accelerator program for promising startups. The app currently connects longterm travelers with one another while on the road, solving the problem of loneliness that weighs on this group of individuals. The downside of a nomadic lifestyle is that you have no community, Shisler said. “You’re constantly in places you don’t know and around people you don’t know,” Shisler said. “You’re never a local.” For those who haven’t heard of it, “vanlife” refers to a recent bohemian trend of people buying cargo vans, old ambulances, school buses and other boxy vehicles, and converting them into livable apartments on wheels (think of it as a do-it-yourself RV). Many vanlifers are also “digital nomads” who work remotely online, such as freelance writers, software developers, or content creators. With no strings tying them to specific cities or towns, they wander from destination to destination for months on end.

An attempt last year to separate low-income renters from market-rate renters in an East Village apartment building elicited a lot of anger. Now, one lawmaker is trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, plans to introduce legislation this week to stop developers from separating groups of renters in their building design. She is announcing the bill at a press conference Monday at 10 a.m. at the Alpha Lofts subsidized housing complex at 3808 El Cajon Blvd. Gonzalez will also introduce legislation to create greater incentives for developers to build rent-restricted housing.

The board that oversees the Del Mar Fairgrounds has approved the return of the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in March, despite new concerns raised by firearms safety advocates. NeverAgainCA founders Ira and Rose Ann Sharp of Del Mar told the fair board at its meeting last week that an increasing number of sales at the show are "ghost gun" kits that can be purchased and taken home the same day. The kits are not considered firearms for legal purposes because they are incomplete and require assembly, so most California firearms laws don't apply to them. Also, the weapons don't have a serial number, which can be used to track sales. "Crossroads sells Saturday night specials on steroids," Ira Sharp told the board, and he asked the board not to renew the Crossroads contract. However, the board approved the show without comment along with dozens of other events planned for March at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Cal State San Marcos announced Wednesday that two key executives have left the university, the interim provost has resigned his position, and the dean of graduate studies is on administrative leave. The changes come as the California State University system is preparing to release an audit that examines how and why top CSUSM officials used university funds for first-class flights and five-star hotels, exceeding spending limits. The spending also has drawn the ire of CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt, who said in a public address last week, “I need you to know that this is unacceptable, and this is not what we are about. “Moving forward, we are hitting the reset button on our cultural drift.” The university said Wednesday that Mike Schroder, the dean of extended learning, and Beth Schroder, the senior director of philanthropy, are no longer with the university.

SeaWorld Entertainment announced Tuesday that it has agreed to pay $65 million to settle a longstanding lawsuit alleging that the company deceived investors when it failed to disclose early on the ill effect the anti-captivity documentary “Blackfish” was having on park attendance. The settlement comes just a week before a jury trial was to begin for the case, which originated in 2014 and was later certified as a class-action lawsuit. In a Tuesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, SeaWorld said that the settlement does not “constitute an admission, concession, or finding of any fault, liability, or wrongdoing by the Company or any defendant.” The proposed $65 million payment, says SeaWorld, is still subject to approval in federal court.

A long chain of missed opportunities led to an infected coronavirus patient mistakenly being discharged from a local hospital Sunday and then hastily returned on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UC San Diego Health on Tuesday provided additional information on how the snafu happened. The update comes as concern continues to grow about an outbreak that started in China and has now produced a positive case in San Diego County after more than 200 evacuees were delivered to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to wait out a 14-day government-mandated quarantine. Both organizations said Tuesday that the mixup started with simple mislabeling when local hospital personnel collected blood samples from three of four evacuees who showed possible coronavirus symptoms last week.

It was supposed to be the exception, not the rule, when the county Board of Supervisors finally updated the General Plan, its blueprint for growth for more than 500,000 acres in the region’s unincorporated areas. Instead, a provision that permits projects that don’t conform to the document has become a gateway for developers seeking to build thousands of homes in areas not zoned for such development. It is called the General Plan Amendment and it is at the heart of two land-use proposals on the March 3 ballot: Measures A and B. The General Plan was updated by the county nearly a decade ago in a lengthy and collaborative effort by environmentalists, builders and the community. It lays out where it is appropriate to allow homes, businesses and industry – and where it isn’t.

From traditional thin-crust Neapolitan to square pies and top-of-the-line toppings, pizza perfection can be found throughout the county, whether from a mom and pop, red-sauce Italian eatery or a trendy, upscale restaurant. And the region’s recent influx of chefs and restaurateurs from Italy — who import with them massive wood-fired pizza ovens, primo Italian 00 flour, prosciutto, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and more — has only enriched the quality. Like Los Angeles, which is arguably the true best pizza city in the U.S., San Diego isn’t a town with hard-fast culinary traditions and carved-in-stone rules on what pizza is supposed to look like, taste like or even if it should be eaten with a fork and a knife or simply folded in your hands. That allows for the kind of freedom and creativity that might elude pizzaiolos in New York and Chicago, not to mention Naples. And like L.A., San Diego has an embarrassment of optimal fresh ingredients that can be used as toppings.

SeaWorld Entertainment says it is ending the longstanding practice of trainers riding astride dolphins in marine park shows, a move that comes nearly a year after animal-rights activists began pressuring the company to ban such “circus-style” behaviors. The decision to move away from such showy theatrics in the dolphin shows was disclosed in a letter sent earlier this month by a SeaWorld attorney to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The letter was addressing a shareholder proposal made last December by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which asked that SeaWorld prohibit trainers from riding on dolphins’ backs and standing on their faces. As of last December, PETA held 163 shares of SeaWorld stock and has owned at least $2,000 worth of common stock for some time.