Police can no longer share license plate data
Good Morning, I’m Annica Colbert….it’s Tuesday, June 7th.>>>>
license plate data and law enforcement
More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######
Today is California’s primary election day…
UC San Diego political science professor Thad Kousser says low voter turnout for primary elections is expected.
As of yesterday less than 20 percent of ballots had been returned, according to Political Data Inc.
But for this election, the question is what motivates voters to head to the polls?
“Will this year look more like 2018 when the nation and especially Democrats were galvanized to overturn Congress and vote against Donald Trump or will it look like 2014 which was the lowest turnout percentage in CA state history?”
In person voting locations can be found online and mail in ballots can be dropped off until 8 tonight.
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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria says he’s serious about addressing homeless encampments.
The Mayor says there will be more arrests if people refuse help.
This follows lesser enforcement like warnings and tickets.
"We've tried to remove every excuse there is for accessing these services. I recognize for some folks they don't want to do it. The question is for San Diegans is do we want to have our sidewalks serve as housing. The answer is no."
He says the city is easing some shelter rules for those who have pets or a spouse, and those with substance abuse issues.
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Sweetwater Union high school district students and staff attending summer programs will have to wear masks indoors.
The rule went into effect on monday following a rise in covid-19 cases.
According to the school district, since spring break there have been more cases reported per week on campus than during the delta variant surge in the summer of 20-21.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.
Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
In response to an inewsource investigation earlier this year, two police departments in San Diego County said they would stop illegally sharing license plate data out of state.
At least until a lawsuit in Northern California further clarified the issue.
But as Cody Dulaney reports, the debate has been settled.
DULANEY: Last week, the Marin County Sheriff agreed to stop sharing drivers’ location data with out-of-state and federal agencies. The settlement confirms what inewsource reported in January: This practice is against the law.
Adam Schwartz is one of the attorneys who argued the case.
SCHWARTZ: “There are many police departments in California that are continuing to violate this law … and they need to stop.”
Police in Escondido and La Mesa have decided to end the practice. For KPBS I’m inewsource investigative reporter Cody Dulaney.
inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.
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Lawyers for the five defendants in the Fat Leonard corruption probe on Monday focused the jury on who didn’t testify.
KPBS Military Reporter Steve Walsh says after 14 weeks, the case is about to head to the jury.
Five former naval officers are accused of accepting bribes to funnel Navy ships to contractor Leonard Francis, who has pleaded guilty.The attorney for Capt. Jim Dolan says Francis’ lavish parties were part of how business was done in the Pacific. Joseph Mancano, an attorney for former Capt. David Newland asked why the man dubbed Fat Leonard didn’t take the stand.
He said: “I think you know why, because the government considered him too untrustworthy to testify.”
Prosecutors were caught off guard when Francis appeared in a podcast last year. He remains out of prison awaiting sentencing. The remaining defense attorneys are scheduled for closing arguments Tuesday..
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Gas prices have been rising steadily for months now.
As KPBS reporter Alexander Nguyen tells us … the high prices are hurting people who drive for a living.
At San Diego International Airport … where construction has closed off the parking lot at Terminal One … more travelers are relying on rideshare drivers to get to and from the airport.
But there are fewer rideshare drivers now because of the high cost of gasoline. Lavina is a driver who says she continues to work because people still need her service. But it comes at a cost.
I have to work more per tank and it's not adding as well as it used to.
She says she has to work 10 hours a day to make as much as she used to. Triple-A says because of demand … gas prices aren’t dropping any time soon.
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Coming up....San Diegans are stepping up to help Ukrainian refugees with medical needs.
Maybe I can’t stop the war but I can make it better for the people here
We’ll have that story and more, next, just after the break.
It's been over 100 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the war doesn’t show any signs of ending soon.
kpbs reporter kitty alvarado spoke with a local businessman who’s been bringing help to ukraine.
Bruce Talley, a businessman from Encinitas has been visiting Ukraine to bring medical aid to a country constantly being attacked by Russia, a country he once called home.
virtually every person that I spoke to in Ukraine virtually every person has some sort of tragedy that has touched them
In lviv he met Oleg, a volunteer who described just how critical the need is in their hospitals
They're full of wounded peopleThe main local hospital in lviv is overloaded with patients with the degree that they do surgery in the toilet that’s how many wounded people there is
And In places like Kharkiv where the Russians stopped shelling, they started shelling again in civilian areas … he spoke with Yvehen, a volunteer traumatized by what he saw
Were a lot of civilians killed here?
A lot, at least me I saw five burning in the flat… I don’t recommend to everyone to see what I saw before in this war
Talley says he will continue to make trips as long as there are people in need
it's important from a moral standpoint to help people who are being victimized
Kitty Alvarado, KPBS News
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Ukranians are still fleeing their homes due to the war..
Some refugees have made it to San Diego..
KPBS Health Reporter Matt Hoffman tells us about San Diegans who are stepping up to help one Ukrainian family.
Alright starts speaking Russian
This dental procedure is months in the making.. Delayed by war in Ukraine--
We are in a very serious and heartbreaking situation. We have nothing other than our travel suitcases and are completely dependent on the volunteers helping us.
Olena Vorobiova is from Ukraine’s capital city Kiev.. She was on vacation in Mexico with her husband and teenage son when Russia invaded.. The family sought haven in the U.S. by crossing the border in San Ysidro but there’s no escape from the horrors of war.
People don’t understand what we are going through. Several times a day I am getting text messages from friends and family with the deaths of loved ones.
Once in San Diego, Vorobiova and her family moved into a host-home with La Jolla resident Jane Wehrmeister..
I had seen everything that was going on down at the border how people were able to come across under humanitarian parole but I thought where do they go once they cross the border?
Wehrmeister has been helping the family adjust to life here.. With the assistance of google translate she learned that Olena was in the middle of a dental procedure before Russia invaded. Unable to return to Ukraine and finish the work, she reached out to the San Diego County Dental Society… They found dentist Elona Gaball with Inspire Smiles..
Maybe I can’t stop the war but I can make it better for the people here so that was an immediate yes I responded right away to email I called them several times make sure you put them on make sure you send them here
Gaball is Russian.
Me having this unique skill of speaking russian being able to communicate and do what i can
Large part of what we do is to give back so any opportunity to give back especially considering people are here because of the war they don't have a choice right
Some of Gaball’s family is still in Russia. Doing dental work on Vorobiova is not without risk.
I’m taking a step of courage -- I’m almost certain it’s going to negatively impact perhaps my family but I’m just stepping in courage because the principal of right is more important
Vorobiova is having four crowns replaced.. typically at a cost around 18,000 dollars.. But Gaball is not charging her..
This isn’t the first time Gaball has stepped in to help-- Her nonprofit Inspire Changes provides pro-bono dental restorations for trafficking victims.. She measures success with how much she can give and encourages others to do the same.
Like be generous, not just even just giving, step beyond that. And be extra generous with time and anything you can contribute to making another life better -- i feel that’s the best way to be in the world and make the world a better place. Be the change (laughs)
Vorobiova is thankful for the help. But the disruption of the war lingers in different ways. She says in Ukraine her teenage son is an international karate competitor.
As a mom I feel completely helpless as I can not do anything for my child. He is extremely depressed and barely communicates. He locks himself in a room, puts headphones in and does not even speak to me. He is so young, he can’t just sit in a room all by himself without anything to do.
Vorobiova wants to be independent and is seeking work permits.
We want people to understand that we have no say in the situation, we are prisoners of our circumstances. Please help our child, we just want to go home.“
MH KPBS News.
As anyone who’s cared for young children knows, it’s a very demanding job. But child care providers are generally paid very low wages, and the child care industry operates on razor thin margins. There are few government subsidies for childcare, and no public school for kids under 5—so most parents are pretty much on their own.
But how did it get this way? The podcast ‘No One is Coming to Save Us’ digs into the history of childcare and what could be done to heal the industry. KPBS reporter Claire Trageser spoke with the show’s host, Gloria Riviera.
That was Gloria Riviera, the host of the podcast ‘No One is Coming to Save Us’ speaking with KPBS reporter Claire Trageser.
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Annica Colbert. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
