New online tool shows how Prop. 50 changed San Diego’s congressional districts

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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson … it’s WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH>>>> WE’RE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW PROP 50 IS IMPACTING OUR REGION

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

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THREE DEMOCRATS IN  OUR SAN DIEGO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WERE NOT IN ATTENDANCE AT LAST NIGHT'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS 

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE SARA JACOBS IN A STATEMENT SAID SHE WOULDN’T ATTEND AND NORMALIZE TRUMP’S QUOTE ABUSES OF POWER AND CORRUPTION 

 REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PETERS TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA SAYING THAT NOT ATTENDING IS A FIRST FOR HIM BUT THAT HE THINKS THE WAY TO DO HIS JOB THIS YEAR IS TO NOT ATTEND

PETERS SOT "PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SHOWN A DISREGARD FOR CONGRESS AND A DISREGARD FOR HIS OWN OFFICE. THE WAY HE’S NOT OBSERVED OUR POWERS OF THE PURSE, NOT FOLLOWING OUR SPENDING DIRECTIONS THROUGH THE BUDGET, IMPOSING TARIFFS WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL, TAKING ACTS OF WAR WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL, IT’S WRONG AND I THINK IT HAS TO BE CALLED OUT."

REPRESENTATIVE JUAN VARGAS ALSO CHOSE TO SIT OUT SAYING HE’S  BOYCOTTING BECAUSE HE FEELS QUOTE THE STATE OF THE UNION IS TERRIBLE AT THE MOMENT 

MEANWHILE DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE MIKE LEVIN ATTENDED LAST NIGHT’S STATE OF THE UNION. HE  SAID THAT WHILE HE UNDERSTANDS WHY SOME COLLEAGUES ARE BOYCOTTING, HE INSTEAD CHOSE TO BRING THE DAUGHTER OF A COUPLE THAT WAS DEPORTED BY I-C-E AS HIS GUEST TO QUOTE PUT A FACE TO THE HORRORS OF MASS DEPORTATION OPERATIONS

REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE DARYL ISSA ALSO ATTENDED. 

   PRIOR TO THE ADDRESS, HE TOLD THE WASHINGTON REPORTER THAT HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING TRUMP TAKE A VICTORY LAP, AS WELL AS EXPANDING ON HIS VISION FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING, GREENLAND AND INFLATION.

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THE 54 WEST TO THE 8-0-5 SOUTH, WILL BE CLOSED   TONIGHT AND THURSDAY NIGHT 

THE OFF-RAMPS FROM THE 805 TO TELEGRAPH CANYON ROAD, AS WELL AS THE BONITA ROAD EXIT OFF THE 805 SOUTH WILL ALSO BE CLOSED BOTH NIGHTS

THE CLOSURES START AT 10:30 P-M AND WILL WRAP AT 5 A-M

THIS IS ALL PART OF A THIRTY-THREE MILLION DOLLAR SOUTH COUNTY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT 

CALTRANS SAYS THE PROJECT INCLUDES AUXILIARY LANES BEING PUT IN AND BRIDGE SAFETY UPGRADES

ONCE COMPLETE, IT WILL STRETCH FOUR-MILES ALONG THE 805 STARTING AT EAST PALOMAR STREET IN CHULA VISTA AND ENDING AT THE 54 IN NATIONAL CITY

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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 CALIFORNIA VOTERS APPROVED PROP 50 LAST NOVEMBER. 

THAT BALLOT MEASURE REDREW THE STATE’S CONGRESSIONAL MAP TO MAKE REPUBLICAN-HELD DISTRICTS MORE FRIENDLY TO DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS

HERE IN SAN DIEGO THE BIGGEST CHANGE WAS TO THE 48TH DISTRICT, CURRENTLY HELD BY CONGRESSMAN DARRELL ISSA. 

K-P-B-S AND OUR PARTNERS AT I-NEWSOURCE LOOKED AT HOW THE NEW MAP IMPACTED THE REGION AND WE HAVE A NEW ONLINE TOOL TO SEE HOW THESE MAPS CHANGED, AND HOW VOTING PATTERNS SHIFTED IN THE PAST FEW ELECTIONS. 

PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER JAKE GOTTA JOINED ANCHOR DEBBIE CRUZ TO TALK ABOUT THE MAPS AND HOW PROP 50 IS RESHAPING THE COUNTY’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE.

VOTEMAP 1 (2way) (3:40) “...that seat again”

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So, what was Prop 50 all about and why do we have a Prop 50 in the first place?

Well, early last year, President Trump called up Governor Greg Abbott in Texas and he told him to find more congressional seats. Trump has been pretty open about what he thinks is going to happen if Democrats retake the house in November this year. He keeps telling people he'll get impeached. So, he wanted his Republican allies in Texas to win him some more seats.

They went ahead and did that and when California's governor Gavin Newsom saw that happening, he and other state legislators got together and basically said, "Well, if you do that, we're going to do it too."

What about the local impact? Has Prop 50 really changed all that much in San Diego?

Yeah, so we have a new map online that will show you how all the districts changed.

You can interact with it and find your neighborhood and see if your congressional district changed, but the biggest impact was in the 48th district, which is held by a Republican, Darrell Issa. That district is up in the Northeast County. It's an area that has been pretty strongly held by Republicans for a long time. But with the region drawn map, it's looking a lot more friendly to a Democratic challenger. The balance of registered Republicans is now lower than Democrats.And not everybody is happy about the result. Here's a clip from the executive director of the San Diego Young Republicans. Prop 50 may have been well-intentioned by the left, right? But here in Fallbrook, the result is really just confusion, confusion, fragmentation, and a loss of identity. It's really, really sad for this community, and and we're one that suffers because of Prop 50. At the end of the day, we need representation that understands rural needs.

And Jake, what about Republican voters? Do they feel like they're losing representation? Yeah, well, the first thing I'd say is the election isn't decided yet.

The balance of voters and all that, you know, changes the dynamic, but somebody has to go out and win these these seats and win those votes. And regardless of the voter registered or anything like that, we we know that politics are anything but predictable. So, it's not something that's just set in stone already.

And you mentioned the unpredictability of voters. What did our partners at iNews Source find out about the way voting patterns changed in certain places?

Chula Vista and the South Bay and whole as a whole sort of swung towards Trump in the 2024 election when compared to 2021. but then they came right back and voted pretty strongly in favor of Prop 50, which was really seen as a referendum on the Trump administration.

And so those vote shifts and those changes in in the way voters are are um, you know, choosing their candidates, they're not always lined up with what we would expect. Tulsa Vista has been a place that has been pretty blue for a long time, but in 2024 they came pretty close to turning a lot of those districts for Trump. And talking to the voters in the area, I knew source found that, you know, a lot of the times, unfortunately, people are just voting based off of vibes.Right.

Can you quickly tell us about the interactive maps? Yeah, so there's two maps online on our website. Um, one of them is that prop 50 map and it'll show you where the districts have changed.

There's five congressional districts here in San Diego and four of them are currently held by Democrats, one is held by a Republican, but they're all changing a little bit and So, that new election or the election coming up this uh summer and fall is going to be different for all the all of the different representatives. They're going to have a new area to represent. They're going to have new voters to reach. And Democrat or Republican, they're going to have to reach those voters and find a way to win that seat again.

TAG: THAT WAS PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER JAKE GOTTA ON THE IMPACT OF PROP 50 HERE IN SAN DIEGO. YOU CAN FIND BOTH INTERACTIVE MAPS ON OUR WEBSITE AT KPBS DOT ORG

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THE SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER IS ABOUT TO GET SOME MUCH NEEDED UPGRADES. 

REPORTER JOHN CARROLL SAYS VISITORS TO SAN DIEGO WILL BE FOOTING THE BILL.

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CONVENTION 1                        1:02                           SOQ

IT MAY STILL LOOK MODERN, BUT THE OLDEST PART OF THE SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER JUST PASSED ITS 35TH BIRTHDAY. AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING SYSTEMS NEED TO BE REPLACED AND IT NEEDS A NEW ROOF. COREY ALBRIGHT IS THE CONVENTION CENTER’S CHIEF OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND MODERNIZATION. HE SAYS THE CONVENTION CENTER MUST UNDERTAKE THOSE CRITICAL UPGRADES TO STAY COMPETITIVE.

“We prioritize these as the top ones that are affecting clients. Again, as a facility, we need to not have leaks and rain in those events. We need to be able to have a regulated temperature, whether that's cooling capacity, heating capacity, anything like that. That's why we've targeted these as specific projects to prioritize for our reliability.”

THE CITY COUNCIL ON MONDAY APPROVED SPENDING NEARLY 120-MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO REPAIR AND MODERNIZE THE BUILDING.

THE MONEY COMES FROM THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX WHICH VISITORS PAY WHEN THEY STAY IN LOCAL HOTELS. JC, KPBS NEWS.

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THE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL YESTERDAY APPROVED A PACKAGE OF REFORMS TO THE CITY'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION RULES. 

METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE MORE POWER TO BALANCE PRESERVATION WITH HOUSING NEEDS.

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HISTORIC 1 (ab) 0:?? soq

AB: Thousands of properties in San Diego have been designated historic resources. That means they're covered by strict regulations on renovations and new construction. Critics say the rules can be weaponized to block new housing in the city's most desirable neighborhoods. The package of reforms includes a right to appeal a historic designation to the City Council. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said the reforms will increase transparency and accountability.

SW: This City Council is held accountable for the decisions that it makes. So I think that it is reasonable for the City Council to be able to make the decisions that it thinks are proper.

AB: The reforms also dedicate funding to preservation efforts in historically underrepresented and marginalized communities. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

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THE FURTHER EAST YOU GO ON INTERSTATE 8, THE MORE NATURAL THE LANDSCAPE BECOMES BUT THE HIGHWAY CAN BE DEADLY FOR THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE THERE.  

IN RECENT YEARS, WILDLIFE ECOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARD BUILDING A SAFE CROSSING. 

ENVIRONMENT REPORTER TAMMY MURGA SAYS NEW BORDER WALL FENCING IS CREATING GREATER URGENCY.

Interstate 8 serpentines through the rugged Peninsular Mountain range in San Diego and Imperial counties.

It’s so quiet you can hear a fly buzzing. *Nat pop (BOWLER_5547.MXF)*

Standing still on the side of the road, cars cut through that silence.

*Nat pop cars on I-8 (BOWLER_5588.MXF)*

It’s no wonder this section of I-8 is considered a hotspot for vehicle collisions with Peninsular bighorn sheep.

Fraser Shilling | UC Davis

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“That’s the thing about the bighorn sheep. They live right there. If they have to go back and forth, they’re going to get hit.”

Fraser Shilling is a researcher at UC Davis. He says that, since 2012, more than 30 sheep have been killed here. And, that’s likely a big undercount.

Nearly half of those roadkill incidents have happened where the east and westbound lanes isolate a critical habitat.

Skylar Feltman( stands on the edge of the interstate to) explain(s) why it’s so deadly.

Skylar Feltman | CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

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“There's unique topography here where the I-8 actually splits in two, and it creates this island and the bighorn sheep, that island, they like to travel there to rear and lamb. So they're crossing the freeway quite a bit, and they're being struck by vehicles at a high rate.”

He’s with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. It’s one of the agencies working to build a wildlife overpass to reduce animal deaths.

But scientists and conservationists say there’s now a greater urgency to complete projects like this.

That’s because the Trump administration is working to seal gaps in the border wall. And that is likely to impact how and where animals like endangered bighorn sheep find food and water.

Christina Aiello is a wildlife biologist with the Wildlands Network. She says the bighorn that live on the border are being cut off from resources in Mexico, like water.

Christina Aiello | Wildlands Network

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“And that is potentially going to cause them to move further north away from the wall, which then brings them in contact with this highway. Very dangerous high roadkill rates of bighorn that live in this area.”

Aiello says if they do roam toward the I-8 …

Christina Aiello | Wildlands Network

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“That also puts them in competition with another group that lives here already.”

She’s referring to the In-Ko-Pah ewe group. Depending on the season, they move across the highway to access food, water and have their lambs.

Christina Aiello | Wildlands Network

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“If you then force animals to live in a smaller and smaller area, that's less resources to allow them to produce young successfully so that can affect their survival, it can affect how many young they’re able to put out each year.”

*Nat of hiking to transition (BOWLER_5545.MXF)* 

On a recent afternoon, Aiello’s orange safety vest gleams against the tan, rocky landscape.

She and other conservationists look for bighorn. There are none in sight this time.

*Nat of “garbanzo beans” (BOWLER_5579.MXF)* 

But fresh tracks and droppings are a reminder: this is still their home.

Christina Aiello | Wildlands Network

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“In my mind, this is exciting because this is evidence that they’re right here.”

Right here, along a five-mile stretch of the I-8, between Jacumba Hot Springs and Ocotillo, is where environmental agencies want to build an animal crossing.

The Road Ecology Center at UC Davis is using state grant funding to design the wildlife overpass. They plan to have it ready by 2027.

Fraser Shilling is the center’s director. He says the project also involves adding fencing.

Frasier Shilling | UC Davis Road Ecology Center

Zoom - Fraser Shilling

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“The concept is that if you fence between crossing areas that whether they go right or left, they'll eventually find a way across and you hope that that's what happens.”

Shilling says it’s important to fence that entire section of the highway … where the east and westbound lanes split.

Frasier Shilling | UC Davis Road Ecology Center

Zoom - Fraser Shilling

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“All around the island. And if we think about it, this is a nursery. This is a kindergarten. This is a this is a, the birthing room at a hospital. That's what this is. We need to protect the whole thing. ”

Shilling says about two to three bighorn die every year from vehicles on the I-8. Statewide, he says, there’s about twice that number. These figures are under-reported because…

Frasier Shilling | UC Davis Road Ecology Center

Zoom - Fraser Shilling

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“An animal the size of the bighorn sheep when it gets hit, only about a 40% of the time will it stay visible on the side of the highway. And so part of the time, it's going to an injured part of the time will get knocked off the edge and is not visible.”

He says the need for fencing and an overpass is becoming far more important with the growth in international trade and travel in that region.

Caltrans data show traffic there increased from about 14,000 vehicles a day in 2018 to about 22,000 in 2023.

Shilling says this has all become a weird battle between fences - the border wall and the highway.

Fraser Shilling

Zoom - Fraser Shilling.m4a

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“The irony is that to protect them, we have to fence the highway, you know, and it's really, a strange concept to me that we have to protect them from us, basically.”

Shilling estimates building the wildlife crossing and fencing will require at least $30 million. Tammy Murga, KPBS News

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THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD HAS APPROVED A NEW MASCOT FOR CLAIREMONT HIGH SCHOOL: THE CAPTAINS. 

REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS IT COMES AFTER A YEAR OF COMMUNITY INPUT.

SCHOOLMASCOT1 0:40 SOQ

Since 1958, Clairemont High School’s mascot has been “the Chieftains." Signs and murals outside the school depict a caricature of an indigenous man.

In 2024, California prohibited schools from using derogatory Native American terms as team names or mascots. Clairemont community members gathered at town hall meetings to talk through alternatives.

JOHNSTONE

It was a positive process.

Karly Johnstone is the school’s principal.

JOHNSTONE

We weren't debating the why, we were working on the what, so that we're just making a decision on what it's going to become.

The district says more than 500 people rated the finalists…and picked Captains as the favorite. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

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COSTUME DESIGNER EDITH HEAD HOLDS A RECORD 35 OSCAR NOMINATIONS, AND 8 WINS – MORE THAN ANY WOMAN. HER CAREER SPANS 6 DECADES AND A THOUSAND FILMS. 

ARTS REPORTER BETH ACCOMANDO SAYS THE HOLLYWOOD LEGEND COMES TO LIFE AT MOXIE THEATRE IN THE PLAY “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD.”

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You may not know the name Edith Head but you’ve likely seen her work in Sunset Blvd, Roman Holiday or The Sting. As a film costume designer she dressed the most glamorous women and the sexiest men. But she always saw herself in service to the director and the script while making sure every performer felt good. Personally she maintained an intentionally nondescript business style to avoid distracting from the stars who wore her clothes. But Head takes center stage at Moxie Theatre thanks to actress Susan Claassen.

CLIP Edith Head here, come on over and have a conversation with Edith Head, you and Edith Head, what a perfect fit.

Claassen not only looks like Head’s twin but she also captures her formidable demeanor, no-nonsense style, and razor sharp wit. If you love movies, you’ll revel in the behind the scenes insight into costume design and take delight in gossip about Hollywood celebrities from Mae West and Elizabeth Taylor to Alfred Hitchcock and Cecil B. DeMille. The play feels spontaneous but it’s as expertly tailored as one of Head’s costumes.

A Conversation with Edith Head has thankfully been extended through March 8 at Moxie Theatre.

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 have a great day.