Imperial County board clears way for data center amid pushback from some residents
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s THURSDAY, APRIL NINTH>>>> [ CONTROVERSIAL PLANS FOR A MILLION SQUARE-FOOT DATA CENTER IN IMPERIAL COUNTY ARE MOVING FORWARD ]More on that next. But first... the headlines….#######
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SUMMER STEPHAN RECENTLY TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF AN STATE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT A BILL THAT WOULD CLOSE WHAT SHE REFERS TO AS A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL JUSTICE LOOPHOLE
ASSEMBLY BILL 19-59 WOULD REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL STEP FOR DEFENDANTS UNDER AGE 16 BEFORE TRANSFERRING THEIR CASES.
THE DA'S OFFICE SAYS THIS STEMS FROM THE SANTANA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER'S FIFTY-YEAR-TO-LIFE SENTENCE BEING WIPED OUT BY A JUDGE DUE TO THE SHOOTER BEING FIFTEEN YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE CRIME
CURRENTLY TRANSFER HEARINGS ARE ONLY REQUIRED FOR RE-SENTENCING 16 AND 17 YEAR-OLDS
IN A STATEMENT, STEPHAN SAID THE LAW WOULD CLOSE A DANGEROUS LOOPHOLE FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS UNDER SIXTEEN THAT RESULTS IN THEIR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WITHOUT ANY MEANINGFUL DEMONSTRATION OF REHABILITATION, REMORSE OR ASSURANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY
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THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO SHARED NEWS THIS WEEK OF A NEW, FIVE-YEAR MARKETING PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH CALIFORNIA COAST CREDIT UNION
THE DEAL RE-ESTABLISHES THE CREDIT UNION AS THE CITY'S OFFICIAL FINANCIAL SERVICES PARTNER
CAL COAST WILL PROVIDE MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN SERVICES AT NO COST ... WITH THE CITY ALSO RECEIVING JUST SHORT OF ONE A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN DIRECT REVENUE
MULTIPLE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY WILL RECEIVE SUPPORT, INCLUDING THE SAN-DIEGO FIRE-RESCUE DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM AND THE CITY'S SMALL BUSINESS NAVIGATOR PROGRAM
IN A STATEMENT THE CITY SAYS THAT CAL COAST ALSO HAS PLANS TO FUND YOUTH FINANCIAL EDUCATION, LITERACY AND LOAN PROGRAMS
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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THAT A SLIGHT COOLING TREND WILL BEGIN TODAY AND CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND
FORECASTERS SAY THAT HIGH TEMPERATURES IN OUR COASTAL AND
VALLEY AREAS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO BE SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN
AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH HIGH’S NEAR 75 DEGREES
ON SATURDAY THERE IS A FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE OF RAIN WHICH DROPS DOWN TO A FORTY PERCENT CHANCE ON SUNDAY
THOSE MILD SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED WITH SOME GUSTY WINDS AS WELL IN OUR MOUNTAIN AND DESERTS
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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THE IMPERIAL COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS VOTED TUESDAY TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR A MASSIVE — AND DEEPLY CONTROVERSIAL — DATA CENTER COMPLEX IN THE HEART OF THE REGION.
REPORTER KORI SUZUKI SAYS THAT’S DESPITE FIERCE OPPOSITION TO THE PROJECT FROM THOUSANDS OF COUNTY RESIDENTS.
DATADECISION 1 (1:08) SOQ
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The vote was on whether to combine several parcels of land for the million-square-foot data center complex. County officials say this was the only step where they had discretion on whether the project would move forward.
20260407_ksuzuki_z63_2278 / 1:00
“You guys are made I say vote no? You guys are mad I’m clapping and saying vote no?”
County officials tightly controlled access to Tuesday’s meeting. Armed sheriff’s deputies removed at least three people who had come to oppose the data center project — in one case, forcibly dragging a protester out of the room.
Eventually, the Board of Supervisors voted to approve the lot merger four to one, with Supervisor Martha Cardenas-Singh opposing.
Supervisor John Hawk said the decision had been very difficult for all of them. But he emphasized that the developer still needs to secure water and power agreements. And meet other procedural hurdles.
20260407_ksuzuki_z63_2346 / 4:36
“This project has a number of hurdles to overcome. And so, let’s just remember that this is just the road vacation and the lot merger. And there is a ways to come.”
Tuesday’s decision could still be challenged in court. The City of Imperial is currently suing the county over the data center project, arguing that they need a stronger environmental analysis.
In El Centro, Kori Suzuki, KPBS News.
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SAN DIEGANS ARE ALREADY FEELING THE EFFECTS OF NEW FEDERAL CUTS TO NUTRITION BENEFITS.
REPORTER KATIE HYSON WENT TO AN EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTION THIS WEEK IN CITY HEIGHTS.
FOODCUTS 1 s/s trt : SOQ (kh/cc/mb)
*Nat pop box stacking*
Volunteers unload boxes at Metro Villa Apartments.
Hi, Maria! Oh we got eggs! *fade under* Hey, hi! Thank you for coming! You’re welcome . . .
Fresh cauliflower, strawberries and eggs.
Medina Husen has been coming to this food distribution for a decade.
SOT :02 So this actually is helpful.
This month, the Trump administration ended CalFresh eligibility for many immigrant groups, including asylees and refugees. That affects nearly 13-thousand San Diego County residents.
Husen still has her CalFresh benefits. But she hears from others who are losing them.
SOT :08 People getting terrorized by . . . whether or not they will be able to, you know, feed the family the whole month.
City Heights Community Development Corporation says about one-third of the area’s residents are foreign-born.
Staff are working to expand food programs. Including Javier Gomez.
SOT :04 We're seeing a spike of need, but we know that's just the tip of it and it's just starting.
CalFresh recipients affected by the cuts will not be able to renew their benefits when they expire. Meaning the need will grow over time.
Katie Hyson, KPBS News
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SAN DIEGO COUNTY’S ANIMAL SERVICES HAS A NEW DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY.
REPORTER ELAINE ALFARO SAYS IT'S THE LATEST CHANGE AFTER A KPBS INVESTIGATION INTO PROBLEMS AT THE DEPARTMENT.
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ANIMALSVCS 1:09 SOC
Months after San Diego’s Animal Services Department cut ties with its department heads… the county announced a new leadership duo to manage operations.
Doctor. Brieana Sarvis is the new Director of Animal Services. She’s been the interim director since February, and has served as the county’s chief veterinarian since 2025.
And Kendra King is the department’s new deputy director.
She comes from Ventura County’s Humane Society.
A county spokesperson said Sarvis and King were unavailable for interviews today (Wednesday).
“I really hope that this new assistant director who can come to this with a fresh set of eyes, can say, let's do this, this, this and this.
Tamara Nessen has volunteered for a local rescue that relocated dogs in the county shelters to foster homes.
“I don't know what their plan is to work together and that's what I think everybody's, you know, waiting with bated breath to find out. Like, what is your plan?”
The shelters came under fire last year after KPBS found the dog euthanasia rate had more than doubled in recent years.
The Department of Animal Services has acknowledged the need for improvements and is being audited.
Elaine Alfaro, KPBS News.
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THE MELTING POT IDEA HAS BEEN CENTRAL TO THE AMERICAN STORY FOR OVER A CENTURY.
REPORTER GUSTAVO SOLIS EXAMINES THE FACTS AND FICTION SURROUNDING THE METAPHOR.
MELTINGPOT (gs) 4:59 SOQ
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Hello. And welcome to the KPBS kitchen.
My name is Gustavo Solis – I am the immigration reporter here at KPBS and thought it would be appropriate to make a stew … in honor of the great American melting pot.
Let’s add some Mexican chipotle, Indian turmeric, Egyptian cumin, mix in a bit of Japanese miso paste, and some farm-raised American chicken.
Because after all, the U.S. has always considered itself a special place where people from all over the world come together and live in harmony.
But let’s be frank, history shows we haven’t always lived up to that ideal. And in the hyper-polarized time we’re living in now, it seems like half the country thinks melting pot is a bad word.
I’ve enlisted the help of two experts to teach us the history of the melting pot metaphor and give us a little insight into whether or not it still applies.
The first is Jose Antnoio Orosco – he literally wrote a book called Toppling the Melting Pot.
He told me that the Melting Pot idea became really popular back in 1908 because of a Broadway play.
MELTINGONE 00:00:54:08“The idea of the story … It’s trying to tell the story of how Americans become American.”
The play is about two immigrants fleeing persecution.
MELTINGONE 00:01:28:15“ It’s a story of transition from the old world to the new world and giving up the old world to become Americans.”
At the turn of the 20th Century, the U.S. was struggling to figure out how to welcome mass migration from eastern and southern Europe.
MELTINGONE 00:04:40:15“There was concern that somehow this particular group of immigrants from these regions in Europe would somehow change not just the demographics but the culture and the politics of the United States.”
Orosco says the Melting Pot was actually used to promote assimilation. Which – even back then – meant abandoning part of your culture.
MELTINGONE 00:17:30:13“Norwegians in Minnesota were talking about how sad it was that the youth could no longer speak their language, didn’t know the culture.”
So, instead of using fresh ingredients to cook up a spicy, multi-layered stew … our melting pot has historically made foreign food taste a little bland.
That’s something I talked about with Jennifer LeMesurier – a writing and rhetoric professor at Colgate University. Where she researches how people talk about food in relation to race in the U.S.
She recently saw an example of this in a cookbook – it was marketed to Europeans trying to make non-European foods.
MELTINGTWO 00:10:56:01“It said, for this curry – if you want – you can add either one teaspoon of curry power or mushroom and onion. But not both. And that was all the seasoning for an entire strew – which sounds horrible.”
The truth is, this country has always struggled to figure out who is and isn’t allowed to be American.
MELTINGTWO 00:02:09:02“Every new group of immigrants is always discriminated against by what they eat. We love pizza, we love spaghetti now but when the Italians got here people were like you’re eating worms on a plate. Why would you do that.”
She agrees with Orosco – that the Melting Pot metaphor has its limits.
MELTINGTWO 00:02:25:16“So I think that is part of why I find the melting pot metaphor not convincing. Because it rests on this idea that everyone can access culture through food and therefor everyone will become friends if you eat someone else’s food and historically that really hasn’t been the case.”
In fact – history tells us that while food is a great way to celebrate and learn about other people’s cultures, it’s also used to attack foreigners.
LeMesurier brought up the Chinese exclusion act of the late 1800s as an example. Anti-Chinese rhetoric was rampant in California. Newspapers perpetuated the racist trope that Chinese people ate dogs and cats.
MELTINGTWO 00:05:40:19“That rumor is very very old. There are all these stories of people accusing restaurant owners or business owners of – you had a cat and then the cat disappeared.”
While that sounds incredibly insensitive and extreme. It also sounds a bit familiar.
MELTINGTWO 00:06:03:00“But at the same time we see this with President Trump’s accusations against the Haitian community in Springfield saying oh they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the dogs.”
So, in some respects we’re right back in the 1800s.
And LeMesurier says that’s kind of normal.
MELTINGTWO 00:13:06:10“History is never linear, progress is never linear. I think there are a lot of interesting cases that I think indicate process.”
Just because we haven’t figured out how to get it right in the last 250 years, doesn’t mean we won’t in the next 250 years.
From the KPBS kitchen, I’m Gustavo Solis
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LAST MONTH, THE OPENING NIGHT OF KARAMA’S SAN DIEGO ARAB FILM FESTIVAL SOLD OUT A WEEK IN ADVANCE … SO CINEMA JUNKIE BETH ACCOMANDO IS GIVING US AN EARLY PREVIEW OF ITS SECOND WEEKEND OF FILMS SET FOR APRIL 17TH
ARABFEST2 (ba) 1:11
Larry Christian, chair of the San Diego Arab Film Festival, says the quick sell out of
the opening night film reflects what audiences want.
LARRY CHRISTIAN There is a hunger for cinema about Palestine and other parts of the Arab world, but we also want to not give the idea that what the Arab world is really all about is victimization. We want to show the humanity, the creativity, the breadth.
So on the weekend of April 17th the festival will feature Sudan, Remember Us, a cinematic chorus of poetic voices, A Sad and Beautiful World, a love story from Lebanon; and Calle Malaga, a Moroccan film that flips a familiar narrative, says Jinane Abbadi, a festival board member.
JINANE ABBADI So instead of migration toward Europe, we have a Spanish woman in Morocco. And what it shows really is that even when you shift that perspective, The core human experience of trying to belong, to find your place, remains the same.
And that’s what the festival excels at, finding the core humanity that can bring us all together.
Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and subscribing; by doing so you are supporting public media and I really want to thank you for that. Have a great day!
