California cracks down on data centers

Good Morning, I’m Andrew Dyer in for Lawrence K. Jackson, it’s Tuesday, September 22
California’s cracking down on data centers.

More on that next. But first... the headlines….

California is getting ready for what could be the strongest El Nino event in recorded history.

Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday declared a state of emergency in anticipation of a strong winter storm season brought on by El Nino.

The declaration instructs local governments to coordinate with the state to prepare for coastal flooding, rockslides, mudflows and erosion.

El Nino is a climate event. Warmer ocean water in the southern and eastern Pacific can shift weather patterns around the globe.

For California, this means heavy rain, winds, snow, high surf and flooding along the coast.

The National Weather Service says there’s more than a 90 percent chance of a large event over the fall and winter. The odds are better than 75 percent that it will be the largest such event in more than 70 years.

San Diego State says it’s moving ahead with a $53 million dollar bridge over Mission Valley.

The bridge will extend Fenton Parkway over the San Diego River and connect with Camino Del Rio North.

The university says the bridge will make it easier to get around the area.

There will two lanes for vehicles and bike and pedestrian paths on each side.

The bridge is part of the agreement between the university and city to redevelop the former Qualcomm Stadium site.

Torrey Pines State Reserve is closing until March.

This includes Torrey Pines Park Road, upper parking lots and all trails.

The state says it’s improving utilities and accessibility in the park.

Torrey Pines State Beach as well as the North and South Beach parking lots will stay open.

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

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM SIGNED A SWEEPING PACKAGE OF BILLS INTO LAW YESTERDAY [MONDAY] THAT IMPOSE STRICTER REGULATIONS ON THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY. REPORTER KORI SUZUKI SAYS ONE OF THEM REQUIRES DATA CENTERS TO GO THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS.

Senate Bill 887 requires new data center projects to complete a review under the California Environmental Quality Act. It also offers a streamlined path for developers who make certain environmental commitments.The bill was introduced by State Senator Steve Padilla, a Democrat who represents Imperial County. Here he is speaking to an assembly committee in March.This bill will ensure that centers are not exempt, creates a pathway of certainty for them to get proper and appropriate review, and in exchange, appropriate benefits to community, to workers, and to protect the environment.Padilla introduced the bill in response to a controversial project in Imperial County. The developer tried to design a nearly 1-million square foot data center to match local zoning codes… so it wouldn’t have to go through an environmental review.Data center industry groups opposed the bill, arguing that it would drive developers away from California.The other bills signed by Governor Gavin Newsom will make data centers pay for infrastructure costs, energy needs and wildfire prevention.Kori Suzuki, KPBS News.

SEVERAL NEWS OUTLETS ARE SUING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AFTER HE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK THEY’RE BANNED FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.

FIRST AMENDMENT EXPERTS SAY TRUMP’S ACTIONS ARE UNPRECEDENTED. BUT QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCESS ALSO COME UP AT THE LOCAL LEVEL… GIVEN TODAY’S MEDIA LANDSCAPE.

PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER KEVIN TREVELLYAN HAS MORE.

The San Diego Police Department stopped granting media credentials and parking passes in February. SDPD spokesperson Ashley Nicholes cited difficulties vetting freelance and social media journalists.David Loy with the First Amendment Coalition addressed the situation Monday on KPBS Midday Edition. He says society has shifted away from legacy newspapers and networks… but that shouldn’t be an excuse for the government to stop credentialing journalists.“You know, we all must evolve with these times. The media has to evolve to meet the current economic realities, and I respectfully suggest the government must also evolve to meet the current media landscape.Since the department stopped issuing credentials, Nicholes says she’s only heard of minor issues during breaking news situations. She says they were resolved relatively fast, and that officers sometimes need to be refreshed on public access rules.Kevin Trevellyan, KPBS news.

WORK IS WRAPPING UP ON NEW DORM-STYLE APARTMENTS FOR PEOPLE EXITING HOMELESSNESS. REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS RENT WILL COST LESS THAN HALF OF SAN DIEGO’S AVERAGE STUDIO.

Father Joe’s Villages is renting out 33 units at its downtown campus.At $842 per month, they’ll be a fraction of the cost of the average studio.Deacon Jim Vargas leads Father Joe’s.It has a microwave, it has a refrigerator, of course it has a bed and some other amenities. The facilities are down the hall.Those facilities include bathrooms, a kitchen and lounge area.These kinds of apartments are called single occupancy units, or SROs. They’re some of the most affordable housing options in San Diego. But the number of SROs has been dropping year after year.Unfortunately they started being converted to market rate housing. So people who resided there started falling onto the streets, because a lot of them were dependent upon the low rents the SROs provide.Vargas says some incoming tenants are coming from shelters, while others are leaving street homelessness. They’ll have access to other Father Joe’s Villages services next door, like meals, a health clinic and employment services.Tenants will start moving in this week and continue to arrive through early November. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

“NO ACT OF KINDNESS, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, IS EVER WASTED.” 

THOSE WORDS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO AESOP (EE-sop), THE WORLD’S BEST KNOWN WRITER OF FABLES.

A ONETIME WRITER OF SAN DIEGO NEWS NOW BRINGS ATTENTION TO ACTS OF KINDNESS.

REPORTER JOHN CARROLL HAS HER STORY.

If you’re a longtime reader of the San Diego Union Tribune, the name Leigh Fenly may sound familiar.  She’s been retired for about 20-years now… but during her 30 years at the paper, she covered all sorts of stories.  She spent the last 12 years editing the Quest section… that was all about science.  Now, she specializes in a different kind of science… that of kindness.“It's very straightforward. Kindness is, and everybody knows that language, everybody knows what it is.”I interviewed Fenly in front of VIP Dry Cleaners in the Morena District.  Why?  Well, as it turns out, that’s where this story begins.  That beginning happened late last year when she was bringing in some dry cleaning - and noticed a sign in the window.  It’s still there… it says - anyone who’s unemployed, looking for a job and needs an outfit cleaned… they’ll do it here, no charge.CG: Leigh Fenly/Founder/Publisher of “Kindness Happens Here”“And I was really moved by it. I was just, you know, you never know what's going to move your heart, but that day, that sign moved my heart.”So, Fenly went in… and had a conversation with VIP Cleaners co-owner Karla Villareal.“I love to talk to my customers.  My kids say that I talk too much sometimes.”The talking happens out front because in the back, it’s busy and noisy…  apparel of all sorts being washed…Steamed and pressed…And finally hung on one of those clothing conveyor belts… wrapped and ready for the customer.Back to Leigh Fenly and what seeing that sign - sparked.“I went inside.  I thanked them for putting the sign up and then as months went by, I kept thinking about it.  I kept thinking about who are these people that have created this lovely kindness that’s just such a generosity of heart.”The Villarreals’ way of spreading kindness moved Fenly’s heart to her own act of kindness…  “I just went to, how can I write about people doing kind things?”The answer to that question was the creation of a monthly publication with a self-explanatory title - Kindness Happens Here.But Fenly couldn’t do it on her own - so she turned to some old friends for help… and they responded… with their own acts of kindness.My former colleagues have stepped up with me who produce the newspaper with me; write for it, edit it, design it, create photography, illustrations, all out of the kindness of their hearts, voluntarily giving skills and time and that’s been the greatest kindness of all because it could not happen without people who share your dream.”A dream realized, and found at kindness happens here dot org.  It probably won’t surprise you that it’s free…  and there are occasionally printed versions.“It’s 90% online but for special occasions like our library edition, we did print out a lot of copies and donated them to the library foundation… it turned out to be a really good thing.  It came out just as the city was debating massive library cuts, so we felt like it was a really good time to focus on what libraries do for communities, way beyond books.”And what San Diegans like the Villareals do for their fellow San Diegans.“A lot of people, they come in here and they’re in a bad mood or they’re mad and we just keep talking to them and you see them just laughing getting out of here, and we’re like ok … I mean, it’s something joyful.”In the front of a dry cleaners - on the printed page, on the screen… joyful things, acts of kindness - begetting kindness.  John Carroll, KPBS News.

IN “A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO,” AN ELUSIVE SONGBIRD WREAKS HAVOC WITHIN A GROUP OF BIRDERS WHEN SOME OF ITS MEMBERS GLIMPSE THE RARE BIRD AND OTHERS DON’T. ARTS REPORTER BETH ACCOMANDO HAS THIS PREVIEW.

Black-Billed Cuckoos are notoriously elusive but other songbirds make their presence known in Mat Smart’s new play.MAT SMART Yes, that's a big part of the show is hearing the birds.The sound designer and the team have really created a rich tapestry that will make you feel like you're in the park.The world premiere play A Black-Billed Cuckoo was inspired by Smart joining a birding group during COVID. MAT SMART I love to first investigate a community or a history or an environment and then write about it and I find that both the birds are fascinating, but also the birders are quirky and unique and very big and interesting personalities. So it was like a perfect setting to both create a story around, but also a community.The birds are key but so is a woman birder dealing with her husband’s death. MAT SMART So there is a lot to do with grief and how her and her daughter navigate that differently and move through it differently. So that's a very serious part of the play that's very important to me.“A Black-billed Cuckoo” runs through Oct. 11 at the La Jolla Playhouse.Beth Accomando, KPBS News.

That’s it for the podcast today. The show was hosted and produced by me, Andrew Dyer. Lawrence K. Jackson will be back tomorrow. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Thanks for listening and have a great day.