San Diego News Fix

​It's well known that San Diegans pay some of the highest utility rates in the county. And now, San Diego Gas & Electric wants to raise rates again. SDG&E executives Bruce Folkmann and Scott Crider explain why.

California's primary election is over! The top two candidates in races at the federal, state and local level will now face off in the November 8 general election. Columnist Michael Smolens has more.

It's June 7, the last day to vote in California's Primary Election. Here are your options for voting.

June 7 is California's primary election. Here are the most exciting San Diego races to watch, according to U-T columnist Michael Smolens.

My guest today is Socheath Sun, the chef-owner behind Angkorian Pikestaff. Angkorian Pikestaff is a pan-Asian popup restaurant that specializes in Southeast Asian cuisines.

Union-Tribune editorial and opinion director, Matthew T. Hall, managing editor Lora Cicalo, and editor and publisher Jeff Light discuss the Union-Tribune’s stance on receiving awards from advocacy groups.

Primary voting is already underway and Election Day, the final day to vote, is Tuesday, June 7th. Cynthia Paes is the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

Another scientist with San Diego ties is going to space. Katya Echezaretta will be one of a handful of passengers to launch into space on Saturday, June 4. Katya is the first Mexican-born woman to go to space and she's also an alumna of San Diego City College.

With fentanyl deaths soaring, the San Diego County Medical Examiner is experiencing a backlog in its toxicology labs. Delayed results are causing problems for the justice system, and causing emotional and insurance problems for families of the deceased.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber is running for re-election. The secretary of state oversees voting in California and all of its counties, and keeps campaign finance and business records for the state.

Military and veterans’ issues reporter Andrew Dyer, enterprise team editor Kristina Davis, managing editor Lora Cicalo, and editor and publisher Jeff Light discuss the sharp disparities in punishments Navy officers received in the scandal involving Leonard Glenn Francis, the military contractor better known as “Fat Leonard.”

Ashley Poust is a post-doctoral researcher at the San Diego Natural History Museum, and he's already been in the newspaper twice this year for discovering two ancient animals. He's modest about it, but he has a really cool job, digging up dinosaur bones, studying fossils and naming animals.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board put together an election guide and endorsements to help you make your decisions. That's available at sandiegouniontribune.com/2022primaryguide.

The sheriff's race is one of the most important races in San Diego County this election season. It's the first time in decades that an incumbent isn't running for re-election, and it's a chance to succeed former Sheriff Bill Gore, whose tenure was marked by 200-plus jail deaths.

On May 24, an 18-year-old opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and 2 adults. In this conversation a day later with The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, Sen. Alex Padilla discusses the mass shooting and what he believes lawmakers can do to prevent future tragedies.

The San Diego City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to declare the city a safe place for “reproductive freedom and access to abortion.”

​San Diego's unemployment rate is now 3 percent. That's lower than it was before the pandemic began.

In the wake of the mass shootings and hate crimes in Buffalo and Laguna Woods, Union-Tribune public safety editor Dana Littlefield, enterprise team editor Kristina Davis, managing editor Lora Cicalo, and editor and publisher Jeff Light discuss how we have covered hate crimes in our community.

Jesi Gutierrez and Celi Hernandez are co-owners of Libélula Books & Co. in Barrio Logan. It’s a beautiful space on the corner of South 26th Street and National Avenue that specializes in LGBTQ and BIPOC works, and serves as a community gathering space.

The first homeless count in two years has confirmed what is plain to see in San Diego County – homelessness is up. It’s up 10 percent countywide, 9 percent in the city of San Diego, 19 percent in National City and 31 percent in Oceanside.

This week, Congress held a hearing on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena for the first time in 50 years. A House subcommittee has been studying UAPs, or UFOs, as they're more commonly known.

In two years, San Diego Gas & Electric customers may see another increase in their monthly bills. SDG&E has filed its general rate case — essentially what the utility believes it will cost to maintain and upgrade the power system from 2024 through 2027.

Freeway the sea lion is back at it again. Since late last year, the land-loving sea lion has made his way inland three times. Jeni Smith is the rescue supervisor at Sea World San Diego.

Gifted and talented education, often known as GATE, is shrinking in San Diego. Some schools are dropping the programs by choice, but other schools say they don't have enough students who qualify. Kristen Taketa covers public education at the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Union-Tribune public safety reporter David Hernandez, public safety editor Dana Littlefield, political columnist Michael Smolens, managing editor Lora Cicalo, and editor and publisher Jeff Light discuss the ongoing debate over how the city of San Diego should handle public safety amid rising crime and a string of homicides at municipal parks. The San Diego Police Officers Association and Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe disagree over how the city should address the violence.

Aida comes from a long line of community builders and activists, and she, too, has followed the same path. As a political consultant, she's involved in banning flavored tobaccos statewide and locally, in repealing National City's ban on lowrider cruising, and so much more.

The Department of Justice has reported that Indigenous women in some counties are 10 times more likely to be victims of ​​murder, sexual assault and disappearance.

Alan Bersin is a former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection who served under the Obama administration. Bersin was in San Diego Tuesday for a naturalization ceremony at Balboa Park, and joined The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board on Zoom to discuss immigration.

UC San Diego Park & Market is now open. The four-story campus takes up a full city block in downtown San Diego, just steps from the blue trolley line, and it aims to be a hub for civic engagement, learning and collaboration.

The election is June 7 and ballots will be delivered starting May 9th. The editorial board's 2022 primary election coverage includes Q&As with all candidates as well as in-person forums. You can find all our 2022 primary election guides at sandiegouniontribune.com/2022primaryguide.

​May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize foster children and parents across the nation, and to bring awareness to the cause. Teresa Stivers is the CEO of Walden Family Services, a foster care, adoption, and youth services agency based in San Diego County.

​After a two-year lull during the pandemic, scooters are back. With increasing ridership, the city is also proposing new rules for scooters and e-bikes. David Garrick covers the city of San Diego.

​A new United Nations report says removing carbon from the atmosphere is essential to combating climate change. But making a global air conditioning system won't be easy. Michael Smolens is a political columnist at the U-T.

Two Mexican journalists were killed in Tijuana in January. Photographer Margarito Martinez was shot on Jan. 17 as he was leaving his home. Six days later, reporter Lourdes Maldonado was shot outside of her home. Now the Mexican government says it has solved the murders. But local journalists aren't convinced.

Union-Tribune topics editor Tarcy Connors, managing editor Lora Cicalo, and editor and publisher Jeff Light discuss an upcoming Union-Tribune multimedia project exploring the status of mental health in San Diego County. Mental health intersects with so many issues: homelessness, policing, criminal justice, the workplace, schooling and health care. A lot of people know on a basic level that we need to be doing more to assist those who are struggling with mental health, but to have that conversation, we all need to understand where our system is now.

Roosevelt Williams III is the president and CEO of Black & N Business, a business networking group here in San Diego that seeks to elevate the "overlooked and underserved."

Saturday is Indie Bookstore Day across the nation, and to celebrate, 11 local booksellers have organized the 2022 San Diego Book Crawl. The crawl begins on Saturday, April 30. Kris Nelson is the owner of Bluestocking Books in Hillcrest.

Patrick Henry High School has been quietly cutting honors courses. The principal said she did it to boost equity, but after backlash from students and parents, the school is partially reversing course.

San Diego home prices are rising at a rate not seem since the housing boom of 2004. Prices rose 29.1 percent year over year in February. Union-Tribune real estate reporter Phillip Molnar has more.

The San Diego City Council voted 7-2 Monday to ban flavored tobacco within city limits. Locally, bans have been passed by Imperial Beach, Encinitas, Solana Beach and San Diego County.

​The city of San Diego is considering changing the way we choose elected officials. A proposed November ballot measure would change city elections to a system called "instant runoff" or "ranked choice" voting. David Garrick covers the city for the U-T.

Union-Tribune growth and development reporter Jennifer Van Grove, lead Watchdog reporter Jeff McDonald, managing editor Lora Cicalo, and editor and publisher Jeff Light discuss the sale of Tailgate Park by the City of San Diego to a development team led by the San Diego Padres. The decision by City Council members to sell the city-owned lot a block away from Petco Park for $35.1 million is provoking a debate over what kinds of developments San Diego should prioritize and how the city can best deploy public assets to confront persistent crises in housing and homelessness.

Jeeyoon Kim is a San Diego-based concert pianist who is known for connecting with audiences with her emotional performance style. She's played renown stages such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Stradivari Society in Chicago. She has two albums, and is coming out with a third, called "Si-um," this weekend. The project combines piano, poetry and black and white photography.

​The San Diego Asian Film Festival's Spring Showcase is underway. The festival features 15 films across many genres, and it's taking place at Ultrastar Cinemas Mission Valley through April 18. Brian Hu is the artistic director at Pacific Arts Movement, which puts on the festival.

Chicano Park is celebrating its 52nd anniversary this year. The park is a National Historic Landmark and is home to the highest concentration of chicano murals in the world.

After two years off due to the pandemic, EarthFair will return to Balboa Park on Sunday, April 24th. The 31st annual festival will feature exhibitors, food courts and beer gardens, a parade, live entertainment and more. Carolyn Chase is the founder of the fest.

Rides and games will be at the San Diego County Fair this year after all. The status of the midway had been in jeopardy since April 5th when a judge issued an injunction blocking a contract that would have allowed a single company to run the midway.

As a highly contagious avian flu spreads across the country, officials at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park are taking steps to try to prevent any of the 3,700 birds in their care from getting infected.

Union-Tribune public safety reporters Lyndsay Winkley and David Hernandez, public safety editor Dana Littlefield, managing editor Lora Cicalo, and editor and publisher Jeff Light discuss the fatal shooting of a Yale-educated scientist by law enforcement... after they were trying to serve her with an eviction notice at her home in Little Italy. Advocacy organizations are continuing to seek answers from this incident.

​John Highkin is the executive director of Fern Street Community Arts, which is best known for its namesake event, the Fern Street Circus. John founded the organization with his wife, Cindy Zimmerman 30 years ago out of Big Kitchen in South Park. Since then, it has grown into a dynamic nonprofit that offers free circus performances and education t​o San Diego communities. ​