All Middle Eastern and North African community members are counted as white on the U.S. census
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH>>>> [ WHY ARE ALL MIDDLE EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS COUNTED AS WHITE ON THE CENSUS ? ]More on that next. But first... the headlines….#######
THE COUNTY’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INCREASED SLIGHTLY BETWEEN JUNE AND JULY
IT INCREASED BY POINT TWO OF A PERCENT, ULTIMATELY LANDING AT 4.7 PERCENT IN JULY
THESE FIGURES COME TO US FROM THE STATE’S EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
THE PRIVATE EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES SECTORS ADDED THE MOST JOBS
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR LOST THE MOST JOBS…
WITH MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF THOSE LOSSES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE SCHOOLS WERE IN SUMMER RECESS
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OCEANSIDE’S FRONTWAVE ARENA IS NOW THE HOME OF YOUR SAN DIEGO SEALS’
THIS NEWS ENDS THE SEALS EIGHT-YEAR RUN AT PECHANGA ARENA …
IT ALSO ADDS THEM TO THE LIST OF OTHER TEAMS LIKE THE SOCKERS AND STRIKE FORCE WHO PREVIOUSLY DECIDED TO END THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH PECHANGA ARENA
THE SEALS SAY THE MOVE GIVES THE LACROSSE TEAM AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH NEW FANS IN NORTH COUNTY, SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY AND THE INLAND EMPIRE…
ADDING ALSO THAT THE TEAM IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO TRANSITION ANY SEASON TICKET MEMBERSHIPS OVER TO FRONTWAVE
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A FAST-GROWING COFFEE CHAIN KNOWN FOR ITS KIND MESSAGING, BRIGHT YELLOW BRANDING AND WHO IT CHOOSES TO HIRE JUST SIGNED ITS FIRST LEASE IN THE COUNTY
A STATEMENT FROM DEL MAR PLAZA CONFIRMS THAT LA LA LAND CAFE SIGNED A LEASE THIS MONTH TO TAKE OVER ITS TERRACE WITH PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN
AND YES, THEY ALSO CARRY MATCHA FOR OUR NON-COFFEE DRINKERS
MANY FEEL THAT THE CAFE’S REAL IMPACT IS IN PROVIDING PAID INTERNSHIPS, LIFE-SKILLS TRAINING AND ITS HIRING OF INDIVIDUALS AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM
THE COMPANY CALLS THIS QUOTE BRINGING MORE YELLOW INTO THE WORLD
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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MIDDLE EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN COMMUNITIES HAVE MANY DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES AND NATIONALITIES. BUT THE U.S. CENSUS STILL COUNTS THEM AS WHITE.
NEW STATE LAWS AND UPDATED FEDERAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS AIM TO CHANGE THIS … BUT THEY ARE YEARS FROM IMPLEMENTATION.
EAST COUNTY REPORTER ELAINE ALFARO SAYS AN ORGANIZATION IN EL CAJON WANTS ELECTED LEADERS TO STAND UP FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
MENACOUNT 1 (1:06) SOC
RYAN FAN SOT
“This is our fifth time speaking at city council, specifically about this issue and again we respectfully ask you to recognize the more than 25,000 of your Middle Eastern and North African constituents.”
That’s Ryan Fan from Majdal, the Arab Community Center of San Diego, during public comment at an El Cajon City Council meeting this month. He says without proper recognition, these communities don’t have the representation they deserve.
And they shouldn’t have to wait years for equitable treatment.
FAN SOT
“If thousands of your community members aren't being represented in the data and don't feel seen or heard by their own city council, how can you even imagine that the city is a community?”
Majdal Center representatives and community members want the city council to pass a resolution supporting implementation of the state law.
El Cajon Deputy Mayor Michelle Metschel (Metch-ell) is in favor of such a resolution.
METSCHEL SOT
“Why not put it on the agenda? Why not have a discussion? It doesn't cost us any money to do that except for some staff time.”
But she needs another councilmember’s support to get it on the agenda.
Elaine Alfaro, KPBS News.
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AN EMERALD HILLS RESIDENT IS SUING THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO OVER A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMING TO HIS NEIGBORHOOD.
REPORTER KATIE HYSON SAYS IT’S THE LATEST CHALLENGE TO THE CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENT.
RADIOSUIT 1 trt 1:14 SOQ (kh/mb)
Residents have been asking for a park on the hilltop for decades. Their appeal to stop the new development was rejected by the city council last month.
Kenny Key lives next to the lot. He’s challenging that rejection in a new lawsuit.
SOT :10 It's just a proud black neighborhood, that I grew up in . . . I feel an obligation to stand for my community.
The development will add 123 homes into what the city labels a very high risk fire zone.
It relies on a 20-19 footnote in city code that allowed for much denser development, but only in the low-income, Black and Latino neighborhoods in the Encanto area.
The city council repealed that footnote. But the project was already approved.
The lawsuit claims the City didn’t properly assess whether the development will make wildfire evacuations and emergency response more difficult.
Paul Suppa is Key’s lawyer.
SOT :11 This lawsuit is not about demonizing developers. It's not about . . . opposing housing . . . It's a much simpler issue . . . When emergency vehicles go in, how do residents get out?
The city declined to give comment on pending litigation.
Katie Hyson, KPBS News
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SAN DIEGO LEADERS SAY THE CITY IS AGGRESSIVELY PREPARING FOR A SUPER EL NIÑO.
ENVIRONMENT REPORTER TAMMY MURGA SAYS NEW INFORMATION SHOWS THAT WORK MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR SUCH AN EVENT.
ELNINO 1 trt: 01:17 soq
Stormwater crews have been busy clearing flood channels and drains all over the city.
*Nat*
Their work is part of an aggressive effort to prepare San Diego for what meteorologists say could be the strongest El Niño in at least 100 years.
Earlier this week, Mayor Todd Gloria said preparation before rainfall…
ELNINO 1a 00:03
“Will determine how ready San Diego is to weather it.”
Between July 2025 and this May, crews have inspected all 33,000 storm drains and conducted 1,600 cleanings in areas like the Tijuana River and San Diego Bay.
Todd Snyder oversees the city’s stormwater department. He says even though the city is doing more channel maintenance than ever, only 17 percent of the city’s channels can handle a 100-year storm.
ELNINO 1b 00:08
“Some of our channels are only designed to handle a two- or a five-year storm. So we can actually start seeing overtopping and flooding, even if we get just an inch of rain.”
Climate forecasts show San Diego could receive about 2 to 4 inches of additional rain above average this winter.
City officials say investing in large-scale projects, like new pump stations, is needed to better prepare San Diegans for future flooding.
The public is urged to do their part by building an emergency plan and signing up for alerts. Tammy Murga, KPBS News
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THE SAN DIEGO PADRES NEW OWNERSHIP GROUP IS LED BY PRIVATE EQUITY BILLIONAIRE JOSÉ E. FELICIANO AND HIS WIFE AND BUSINESS PARTNER, KWANZA JONES.
FELICIANO WAS BORN IN PUERTO RICO. JONES IS AFRICAN AMERICAN. THAT HAS STIRRED EXCITEMENT AND PRIDE WITHIN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN SAN DIEGO.
CARMEN ACEVEDO IS A BOARD MEMBER WITH THE HOUSE OF PUERTO RICO IN SAN DIEGO. AND DONNA DEBERRY IS PRESIDENT OF THE SAN DIEGO BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
ETHNICPADRES 2A (:17)
“Well the first thing as soon as you hear Puerto Rico – its just joy. It doesn't matter who makes it… It changes who gets to sit at the decision making table. And inspires the next generation of women and leaders of color to see sports ownership is an achievable dream.”
THE TEAM SALE COMES TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF FORMER PADRES OWNER PETER SEIDLER
FELICIANO IS NOW THE SECOND LATINO PRINCIPAL OWNER IN BASEBALL. JONES IS THE FIRST BLACK PERSON TO OWN A MAJORITY STAKE OF A MLB TEAM
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NEW SAFETY RULES FOR E-BIKES ARE GOING INTO EFFECT AROUND THE COUNTY WITH THE AIM OF PROTECTING KID AND TEENAGE RIDERS. BUT LOCAL ADVOCATES SAY THE REAL ISSUE IS A LACK OF SAFE PLACES TO RIDE.
REPORTER JAKE GOTTA AND INEWSOURCE REPORTER KATIE FUTTERMAN WITH OUR PUBLIC MATTERS PARTNERSHIP HAVE MORE.
EBIKELANES [4:21] "...are needed."
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kf: in san diego, e-bikes are surging in popularity – partly driven by teenage riders like kyran tandberg.
kyren tandberg
ebike rider
8:57 - 9:11 [0:14]
“i like riding my bike because it's made me so many friends. since i'm homeschooled, i don't really have a school to go to to make friends, but i've made countless friends just from riding my bike.”
kf: as e-bikes get more popular, though, there have been a lot more crashes and injuries involving kids and teens.
kf: that’s led cities like san diego, chula vista, and others to pass rules for kids and teens on e bikes
kf: but a recent ucsd study also highlighted the importance of safe bike infrastructure in reducing injuries
kf: teen environmental advocate kc gupta said san diego county is seriously lacking on that front.
kc gupta
youth transportation lead, san diego 350
2:46 - 3:02 [0:16]
“there has been a failing of our elected officials to invest in protected cycling infrastructure. the evidence is crystal clear that protected infrastructure saves lives.”
kf: ian hembree, from the san diego bike coalition also said protected or separated routes around town are the most important factor in bike safety.
ian hembree
san diego county bike coalition
3:49 - 4:07 [0:18]
“the mission and the goal is that we have a huge network of regional bikeways that include primarily class i mixed use pass or class iv separated bikeways, because these are the bike infrastructure that is statistically proven to keep people safe and also encourage people to ride a bike.”
kf: there are several different types of bike lanes. classes one and four are separated or protected, while two and three offer no physical protection.
kf: san diego county has more than 1800 miles of bike lanes…but only 264 of those are class one or four. my colleague jake gotta took a closer look at the gaps in the network.
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jg: countywide, it may seem like there’s a full network – but if you only count protected or off-road paths, a lot of connections between communities disappear
jg: tandberg, our teenage rider, said these gaps keep him confined to his neighborhood where the roads are safer.
kyran tandberg
e bike rider
4:50 - 5:08 [0:18]
“i don't have to worry about cars going super fast, and it's pretty chill. granted, there's a couple of people who will run a stop sign and drive on the wrong side of the road, but for the most part, i feel safer on neighborhood roads.”
jg: bike advocates say the gaps are because of an inconsistent approach to building bike infrastructure
jg: san diego city council member raul campillo introduced the city’s e-bike restrictions. he agrees this approach makes it more difficult
raul campillo
san diego city council member
5:56 - 6:15 [0:19]
“the whole program as a whole is really– it's really hard to effectuate at all because you kind of go piecemeal by piecemeal a little bit here in this district, a little bit here in that district. and what we need is an influx of funding that helps us fix the road at its base, then repave it with fresh asphalt while we design it to be safer for bikes and people walking and cars driving.”
jg: campillo helped keep the city’s team of traffic engineers dedicated to bike and pedestrian safety in this year’s budget.
jg: but kpbs recently reported how budget issues led to a decline in new and improved bike lanes built by the city of san diego
jg: and cities like oceanside and chula vista also face funding challenges, stalling progress on their planned networks
jg: in chula vista, a class i bike path runs along palomar street but ends a few block short of rancho del rey middle school
jg: chula vista council member michael inzunza said he wouldn’t want his own child riding on roads with painted bike lanes
michael inzunza
chula vista city council
27:52 - 28:02 [0:10]
“if you're asking me, is it safe for a 12 or 13 year old to ride next to a car going 70 miles an hour? the answer will always be no,”
we asked inzunza if the state should pick up the tab to build safer infrastructure.
michael inzunza
chula vista city council
32:05 - 32:25 [0:20]
“should they? well, the answer is absolutely. and that, that goes without saying. but will the state invest billions of dollars when right now, we're right now in budget cuts–”
jg: hembree said our political leaders need to find a way.
ian hembree
san diego county bike coalition
5:32 - 5:43 [0:11]
“we say that safety is our number one transportation related priority, but we need to put our money where our mouth is, where our values are, where our goals are. and if we don't do that, we're just going to have the status quo, which is getting people killed.”
jg: the city of san diego said in a statement they consider a range of factors, including traffic volumes, bike demand, and community feedback to determine where improvements are needed.
TAG: THAT WAS KPBS'S JAKE GOTTA AND INEWSOURCE’S KATIE FUTTERMAN REPORTING FOR OUR PUBLIC MATTERS PARTNERSHIP.
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DRIVERLESS ROBOTAXI RIDES ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER IN SAN DIEGO. WAYMO GOT THE FINAL GREEN LIGHT FROM THE STATE TO BEGIN OFFERING RIDES IN THE REGION.
REPORTER JACOB AERA SAYS WHILE PEOPLE CAN’T BOOK ONE JUST YET, WE GOT A SNEAK PEAK INSIDE TO SEE HOW THEY WORK…
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WAYMORIDE 1 (ja) :58 SOQ
No driver, no problem.
Waymo recently got approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to bring their driverless cars to the San Diego public … and expand operations in other parts of the state.
Sandy Karp is a company spokesperson. She spoke to KPBS inside of one of their driverless vehicles near Balboa Park.
“Right now we’re going to start with about 40 square miles and expand that over time.”
Many are excited about what the new technology can offer … but others are concerned. That includes United Taxi Workers of San Diego executive director Mikaiil Hussein.
“It’s dire right now because of the financial situation, because of the lack of business and now Waymo coming in, driverless car, it's going to be worse and worse.”
Karp says the public launch of Waymo in San Diego is planned to arrive before the end of summer … with a couple dozen of the company's Ojai vehicles. So whether people like it or not ……. the future is here now. JA KPBS News.
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That’s it for the podcast today. Today’s pod was edited by Brooke Ruth and hosted and produced by me, Lawrence K. Jackson. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
