San Diego News Fix

​Much like Little Italy or the Convoy District, a Black Arts and Culture District in San Diego is in the works. Eight blocks on Imperial Avenue in Encanto would be designated to celebrate Black arts, food, music and more.

Three years after laying out a plan to link public transit to the San Diego International Airport, regional planners are changing course with a new idea for a so-called people mover that would run above and below ground.

San Diego County jails have the highest number of inmate deaths among California’s largest systems, according to a new study commissioned by the civilian review board that oversees the Sheriff's Department. It also found that while Black and Latino people are more likely to be locked up locally, White men and women are more likely to die behind bars.

The California Coastal Commission apporved the city of San Diego’s request for a permit to close Point La Jolla to the public during sea lion pupping season. Reporter Ashley Mackin-Solomon has the details.

Patrick Henry Highschool in San Carlos has been quietly cutting advanced, honors and gifted education courses, and some parents are upset. Kristen Taketa is the Union-Tribune's education reporter.

Union-Tribune director of photo and video Samuel Hodgson, deputy editorial and opinion editor Laura Castañeda, managing editor Lora Cicalo and editor and publisher Jeff Light talk about the photos of atrocities in Ukraine. The panel also discusses why some conflicts around the world receive more media coverage than others.

Carmela Prudencio is one of those people with a lot of talents and a passion for giving back to the community. She's an artist, activist, an arts curator, as well as a marketing director for Pacific Arts Movement, which puts on the San Diego Asian Film Festival. In this interview, Carmela discusses San Diego's art scene and AAPI community, what to expect from the Asian Film Fest's Spring Showcase, which starts later this month, as well as what she's watching on TikTok.

After a serious and seriously stunning renovation, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego's flagship location in La Jolla is now open. Karla Centeno is the director of education and engagement with the museum.

Who is watching San Diego? A new privacy advisory board at the city of San Diego will weigh in on all future surveillance decisions, making sure they're legal, equitable and transparent.

Border City is a different kind of story about the U.S.-Mexico border, told by a reporter who has spent more than 25 years trying to understand the dynamics of Tijuana, Mexico, and its relationship to the United States.

​Cesar Chavez was a labor organizer and civil rights activist, and in California and beyond, he's an icon. Organizer Pedro Anaya reflects on Chavez's legacy in San Diego and how it influenced him.

Union-Tribune managing editor Lora Cicalo and former Union-Tribune reporter Sandra Dibble discuss “Border City,” a new podcast premiering on April 5 from The San Diego Union-Tribune presented by the Los Angeles Times. “Border City” is the story of Sandra Dibble, a journalist who in 1994 leaves her job and family in Washington, D.C., to report on Tijuana, Mexico, a city known mostly for drug violence and illegal immigration into the U.S. Dibble expects to stay on the border a year. But her plans change as she is drawn deeper and deeper into the worlds that converge at the biggest crossing point on the U.S.-Mexico border. The eight-part series will tell a story of beauty and violence, artists and drug gangs, immigration and belonging – from the perspective of a writer who spent more than 25 years there. Subscribe and listen to “Border City” on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to The San Diego Union-Tribune to go even deeper with more exclusive “Border City” content.

Josie was born and raised in Logan Heights and co-founded Chicano Park in 1970. She's the founder of the highly anticipated Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center, which will open this summer. Recently she was inducted into the San Diego Women's Hall of Fame.

San Diego will consider an additional moratorium Monday to stop residents from being evicted. Reporter Phillip Molnar has more.

Every year, El Cajon residents call 911 about 16,000 times. But officials say about a third of those calls aren’t true emergencies and don’t require ambulances and fire trucks. The city council voted unanimously last week to set aside $300,000 for a pilot program that would divert some emergency calls to nurses.

During the State of San Diego County speech, Board of Supervisors Chairman Nathan Fletcher outlined new plans on homelessness, housing, child care and more.

Regional leaders are lobbying in Washington for a central transit hub, a new border crossing and other infrastructure. Reporter David Garrick has more.

​Grocery store workers in Southern California have voted to authorize a strike if supermarkets don’t raise their wages. The vote could lead to walkouts at some Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Ralphs. About 70 stores in San Diego and Imperial counties would be affected.

Union-Tribune publisher and editor Jeff Light, news editor David Clary, Local section editor and readers’ representative Adrian Vore, growth and development reporter Jennifer Van Grove, and criminal justice and legal affairs reporter Greg Moran, discuss the challenges of covering public meetings, rallies and other events where misinformation is aired. Our staff also tackles the question of whether we have an obligation to report on untruths.

Su-Mei Yu is the founder of Saffron Thai restaurants in San Diego. She opened her first location on India Street in 1985 and went on to open two more locations, write cookbooks and host "Savor San Diego," a KPBS show that explored the cuisines and cultures of San Diego.

During the pandemic, small farms in the San Diego region were having trouble selling their produce. So a group of small farmers banded together to create Foodshed, an equity focused co-op committed to sustainable farming practices.

BA.2 is a subvariant of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. It's surging in Asia and Europe, and it's now present in San Diego. Dr. Ayal Oren is a professor of epidemiology at San Diego State University School of Public Health.

San Diego County has a new interim sheriff. Assistant Sheriff Anthony Ray will serve until a new sheriff takes office next year. Journalist Kelly Davis has more.

A century-old law in San Diego guarantees free trash pickup for most single-family homes. It's called the People's Ordinance and it's been in place since 1919. But that could change.

Forty-two million years ago, when the San Diego region was much more lush and tropical than it is today, a small bobcat-like creature roamed the rainforest terrain. Now that creature has a name.

Tasha Williamson is a former mayoral candidate for the city of San Diego, a well-known community activist and just recently she founded her own nonprofit, Exhaling Injustice. She became an activist for her children while they were in school, and now fights for womens rights, police reform and racial justice.

It's been nearly 25 years since members of the Heaven's Gate cult died in a mass suicide event in San Diego County. Caitlin Rother was a journalist at the Union-Tribune at the time and wrote about the cult's strange rules and habits.

The San Diego Latino Film Festival is celebrating its 29th year. More than 200 films are showing at the AMC Mission Valley theater through Saturday, as well as music and food events.

​PFAs are highly toxic chemicals, and they're found in processed food, hair products, cookware and more. ​SDSU professor George Jiracek explains why they're present at San Diego airports, and why they're a cause for concern.

Gas prices are the talk of the town right now, as prices are soaring. The average gas price in San Diego today is $5.77. Our energy reporter Rob Nikoleski looked into gas prices and what exactly we're paying for when we visit the pump.

Despite a recent jump in crime here locally, San Diego is still a relatively safe city. But the reason for that isn't always clear. Political columnist Michael Smolens explains why.

Laila Aziz is the director of operations for Pillars of the Community, which works to improve the lives of Southeast San Diegans. She is a prison abolitionist, a community activist, and just someone who really cares about San Diego and is committed to making it better.

For this episode, during Women's History Month, I want to introduce you to a project from the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Women's Museum of California. It's called Phenomenal Women, and it highlights changemakers in the areas of law, education, business, politics, sports, arts, science and more.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifies, some Ukrainians are seeking asylum at the San Ysidro port of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border.

San Diego County is working on an ordinance to improve the lives of women and girls. It’s called CEDAW, which stands for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

​The San Diego Unified School District has chosen a new superintendent. Dr. Lamont Jackson was chosen unanimously by the Board of Education. He will lead the district, which is second largest in California, with more than 95,000 students, 15,000 employees, 170 schools and a $1.7 billion budget.

A special election for California's Assembly District 80 will soon be underway. Former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez announced her departure in January, making way for a new representative. Democrats David Alvarez and Georgette Gomez are running, as well as Republican Lincoln Pickard.

Greg van Eekhout is sci-fi/fantasy author who writes for adults and middle-grade readers. Some of his books include "Cog" and "Voyage of the Dogs," and his latest book, "Weird Kid," just came out in November 2021.

San Diego is poised to have one of its biggest apartment construction years of the last decade with towers rising throughout the county.

Developer 1HWY1 released a long-awaited plan this week for Seaport San Diego, a sprawling, $3.5 billion project that will reimagine and replace the Seaport Village bayside development.

March is Women's History Month, and there's no better way to learn about it than with Felicia Shaw, executive director of the Women's Museum of California, based right here in San Diego.

The San Diego Unified School District will soon have a new superintendent. Dr. Lamont Jackson of San Diego Unified has been filling in as interim. He and finalist Dr. Susan Enfield of Highline Public Schools in Washington are finalists for the position.

People experiencing a mental health crisis in San Diego County can now call a crisis hotline or 911 in certain cities to seek help from mental health professionals without police intervention. Lyndsay Winkley and Tammy Murga report.

Name Drop editions of the San Diego News Fix highlight the fascinating people that make San Diego such a great place to live. Jerry McCormick definitely fits that bill. He's a communicator, journalist, college instructor, he's active in organizations that support Black journalists, he's a Comic-Con nerd. Overall, he's just really dedicated to his community and it shows.

Pickleball players want more places to play in San Diego. San Diego Parks and Recreation board member Noli Zosa discusses the sport and the prospect of more local courts.

The city-owned building on Ash Street is still unusable. Three lawsuits are in progress. Here's where the case stands.

A recent scientific report says the U.S. will experience another foot of sea level rise by 2050. That's what the country experienced in the last century, but this time it will be condensed into less than 30 years.

The protected bike lanes along 30th Street in North Park have been open for six months now. The bike lanes are 2.4 miles in length and are welcomed by the cycling community and some businesses. But other business owners and drivers complain that the lanes removed too many parking spots from the street.

Once a week we're featuring a fascinating San Diegan, and this week my guest is Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick. Austin is a professor at University of San Diego who studies politics, culture, technology and social movements. His work is impressively varied — his last two books were about drones and human trafficking. Austin is really energetic and curious and has a unique outlook on life. In this interview we talk about sociology, parenting, a few unpopular opinions and more.

Journalist Kelly Davis reflects on Sheriff Bill Gore's legacy and highlights key issues and candidates in the November 2022 sheriff's race.