San Diego Democratic Rep. Juan Vargas denied entry into Otay Mesa immigrant detention center
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson … it’s MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH >>>> [IMMIGRANT DETAINEES HELD IN OTAY MESA ARE PROTESTING THE LIVING CONDITIONS THERE ]
More on that next. But first... the headlines…########
WE’RE JUST A MONTH INTO THE PAID PARKING PROGRAM AT BALBOA PARK… BUT ON FRIDAY SAN DIEGO MAYOR TODD GLORIA ANNOUNCED MORE FREE PARKING IS COMING.
THE MAYOR SAYS PARKING WILL BE FREE FOR SAN DIEGO RESIDENTS IN SEVEN OF THE PARK’S 12 LOTS.
SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM PRESIDENT AND C-E-O JAMES KIDRICK (KID-RICK) SAYS THAT’S NOT ENOUGH.
BALBOAUPDATE 2A (0:15)
“Bottom line is, there should be free parking everywhere in Balboa Park, as there always has been in the entire 150 plus year history of the park. This is about access, and it's about the importance of Balboa Park to our community, to the country, to the world.”
BALBOA PARK’S MUSEUMS, RESTAURANTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN VOCAL OPPONENTS OF THE PARKING FEE… WHICH NON-RESIDENTS WILL STILL HAVE TO PAY
IN ADDITION TO MORE FREE PARKING FOR RESIDENTS … THE MAYOR ALSO ANNOUNCED THE PAID PARKING PERIOD WILL END EARLIER … AT 6 P-M INSTEAD OF 8.
THE CHANGES GO INTO EFFECT ON MARCH SECOND.
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THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY HAS NAMED A NEW PRESIDENT AND C-E-O!
ATIF SAEED [AH-TIF SIGH-EED] IS CURRENTLY C-E-O OF PHILADELPHIA'S DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION ... HE STARTS HIS JOB HERE IN SAN DIEGO ON MARCH 11TH
KIMBERLY J BECKER, THE CURRENT PRESIDENT AND C-E-O OF SAN DIEGO'S REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCED HER RETIREMENT BACK IN OCTOBER
BECKER WILL STAY ON THROUGH MARCH 18TH TO HELP ASSIST WITH A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN LEADERSHIP
SHE WAS THANKED FOR HER FORTY YEARS IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY BY THE AUTHORITY'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BECKER SPEARHEADED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AT THE AIRPORT INCLUDING THE NEARLY FOUR BILLION DOLLAR TERMINAL ONE RENOVATION
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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.
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ACCESS DENIED. SAN DIEGO REPRESENTATIVE JUAN VARGAS SAYS HE WAS DENIED ENTRY INTO THE OTAY MESA IMMIGRANT DETENTION CENTER ON FRIDAY. VARGAS’ VISIT CAME AFTER THE ONLINE PUBLICATION "L-A TACO" REPORTED ON NOTES DETAINEES HAVE WRAPPED AROUND LOTION BOTTLES AND THROWN TO ACTIVISTS OUTSIDE THE FENCES.
REPORTER ANDREW DYER HAS MORE FROM OTAY MESA.
VARGASOTAY 1 (AD) :59 SOQ
the notes say they haven’t had access to fresh food or fruit since arriving in april.
prior to this vargas says he’s always been allowed into the facility.
jv: i've done this many times before. and i have to tell you each and every time they've allowed me in, this is the only time they have it. something has changed
federal law allows elected representatives to conduct unannounced inspections as part of their oversight roles.
this week a federal judge ruled for the second time the trump administration can’t enforce a 7-day notice policy for these inspections.
congress is currently negotiating funding for immigration and customs enforcement, or ice. vargas is critical of democratic leadership’s current funding proposal.
jv: we just can't say, okay, everything's fine. you know, we're just going to give you less money. no, no, that that agency should be dismantled completely.
vargas says the issue of his access to the facility may just end up in court. again.
in otay mesa, andrew dyer, kpbs news.
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THE SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS PROPOSES SPENDING MORE THAN $125 BILLION OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS IMPROVING REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. PREVIOUS PLANS INCLUDED LOFTY GOALS LIKE NEW TROLLEY SEGMENTS.
BUT PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER JAKE GOTTA SAYS SANDAG’S NEW PLAN FOCUSES ON MORE IMMEDIATE INVESTMENTS RATHER THAN THE MOST AMBITIOUS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION GOALS.
SANPLAN (jg) TRT (2:29) SOQ
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THE *FUTURE* OF TRANSPORTATION IN SAN DIEGO IS … BUSES – AND A LOT OF THEM
[BUS NAT POP]
SANDAG APPROVED ITS 125 BILLION DOLLAR REGIONAL PLAN IN DECEMBER
IT’S LESS MONEY THAN THE 2021 PLAN, AND PUSHES BACK THE TIMELINE ON SOME BIG IDEAS – LIKE THE PURPLE LINE, AND THE AIRPORT TROLLEY CONNECTION
SANDAG BOARD CHAIR LESA HEEBNER SUPPORTS WHAT SHE CALLS A MORE REALISTIC PLAN
“It's wonderful to have big visions and put out great ideas for the future. But if they can't be done, what's the point?” – LESA HEEBNER, CHAIR OF SANDAG BOARD
[BUS NAT POP (different)]
SO WHAT WILL WE GET FOR ALL THAT MONEY? WELL, A LOT OF NEW BUS LINES, AND WHAT SANDAG CALLS “MANAGED LANES” ON THE HIGHWAYS
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SANDAG WANTS TO SPEND 19 BILLION DOLLARS ON TRANSIT BY 2035
MORE THAN 5 BILLION OF THAT WILL GO TO CREATING WHAT SANDAG CALLS “NEXT GEN” RAPID BUS ROUTES, ACCORDING TO A KPBS ANALYSIS OF THE PLAN.
THERE ARE MORE THAN FORTY IN THE PLAN, AND A FEW OF THE NINE THAT EXIST NOW HAVE AMONG THE HIGHEST RIDE RSHIP IN THE SYSTEM.
SANDAG CEO MARIO ORSO SAYS THATS BECAUSE THEY ARE RELIABLE AND FAST
[BUS NAT POP]
“[When users have] information that they can make that trip in certain time periods, that allows them to plan their trip, but it makes it attractive also,” MARIO ORSO
BUT TRANSIT ADVOCATES LIKE LEIF GENSERT FROM RIDE SD AREN’T TOO SURE THESE WILL BE TRUE RAPID BUS LINES
“They call them next gen rapid. That's not a term that is particularly well defined. It seems very much like they're going out of their way not calling it bus rapid transit.” LEIF GENSERT RIDESD
THAT’S WHY SANDAG WANTS TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL 4.1 BILLION DOLLARS CREATING WHAT THEY CALL MANAGED LANES ON THE HIGHWAYS. PARTS OF I-15 ALREADY HAVE THEM
[HIGHWAY NAT POP]
BUT THESE MULTI-USE LANES AREN’T EXCLUSIVELY FOR BUSES, AND SANDAG’S DOCUMENTS SAY THEY CAN ACTUALLY INCREASE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELLED IN THE REGION
THE PLAN ALSO SAYS LOCAL AGENCIES NEED ABOUT 7 BILLION OVER THE NEXT DECADE JUST TO KEEP UP THE EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICE.
HEEBNER SAYS THE COST OF SERVICE IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
“The state, you know, could really probably up their game and give us a little bit more operations dollars,” – LESA HEEBNER
[BUS NAT POP]
TRANSIT AND HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS MAKE UP ABOUT 75% OF PROJECTED SPENDING IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
THE REST WILL COVER EVERYTHING FROM BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE TO LOCAL ROAD REHAB, AND WE’LL GET INTO THAT MORE LATER
JAKE GOTTA, KPBS NEWS
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SAN DIEGO PRIDE IS KNOWN FOR ITS PARADE AND FESTIVAL HELD EACH YEAR IN JULY.
METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS THE ORGANIZATION IS NOW PLANNING ITS FIRST-EVER FASHION SHOW.
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FASHION 1 (ab) 1:16 soq
APS: I like to tell people that I'm an accountant by day and a designer by night.
AB: AP Sanyal first got into fashion after he moved to San Diego in 2017. He started making looks for himself when he'd go out to the bars in Hillcrest. Now he's one of five local designers who will be showcasing their work at Fabric of Pride, the first-ever fashion show fundraiser for San Diego Pride. Much of his work has been inspired by cosplay.
APS: I tend to gravitate towards dramatic silhouettes. I like something that has a little bit more of a shock factor. But I think this collection, I'm ringing that back and making something a little bit more delicate with strong silhouettes and a lot more feminine for something I do.
AB: Amber St. James is San Diego Pride's programs coordinator and producer of the event.
ASJ: Fashion is just another extension of who we are as queer people, being able to exist outside of these narratives and these binaries of like, oh, male and female. Fashion is being able to break down all those barriers, all of those walls to connect as a community.
AB: Fabric of Pride will take place on March 28 at the US Grant Hotel. Proceeds will go towards San Diego Pride's year-round programming and philanthropy that supports the LGBTQ+ community. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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A NEW ANIMATED JAPANESE FILM CALLED SCARLET FEATURES A SWORD-WIELDING PRINCESS BENT ON REVENGE.
CINEMA JUNKIE BETH ACCOMANDO SAYS YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED BY THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE FILM.
SCARLET (ba) 1:14 SOQ
I love that Japanese anime has drawn from Frankenstein, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Shakespeare – turning these western literary works into something uniquely Japanese. The latest anime to explore Shakespeare’s influence is Scarlet, a fantastical re-imagining of Hamlet.
MUSIC
Hamlet has inspired the American animated film The Lion King as well as the Canadian comedy Strange Brew. In Scarlet, a princess witnesses her father’s execution and vows revenge on her treacherous uncle. When she fails and is poisoned, she’s transported to the Otherlands, a purgatory-like afterlife.
The twist to the Hamlet plot is that director Mamoru Hosoda shifts the protagonist’s journey from rage and revenge toward finding meaning and new purpose. At a time when so much in our world seems motivated by hate, Scarlet is challenged to break the cycle of violence and trauma, and consider kindness and forgiveness as an alternative.
This stunningly animated and audaciously inspired re-telling of Hamlet demands the big screen where its epic scale can be fully appreciated.
Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
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(2:11) Like she said, before she makes her list, she looks through her fridge and says, okay, (2:15) what's going to go bad first? (2:16) What recipe can I incorporate that bell pepper into? (2:20) And what other ingredients do I need to turn that into a full meal? (2:24) I think, you know, everybody's worried about food waste and of course trying to save money. (2:29) And that little tip I could see, it's been in the back of my head when I've gone grocery (2:33) shopping in the weeks since I've talked to her and thought, okay, I need to make sure (2:37) I use up what I have first. (2:39) So little tips like that were really interesting to hear.
(2:42) You can of course check that story under the A San Diego's Mom guide to sticking with (2:46) a grocery budget on our KPBS site as well. (2:49) This month is Kids Free February. (2:51) I believe you have a clip from a mom regarding field trips and museums comes up.
(2:55) I know that you can get into a good amount of museums out here for free this month. (2:58) Can you talk to me about that? (2:59) That's right. (3:00) So this mom, I spoke to, her name's Stephanie Romero, and she has found ever since she had (3:06) her first kid that the city's rec centers have been kind of a lifeline for her family (3:12) to have access to things like museums and the zoo.
(3:17) And you know, she told me about enrolling her kids in summer camp at a local rec center. (3:23) And those field trips included admission to places like the zoo. (3:26) So here's what she had to say.
(3:27) The field trips that they were going to was something that I don't think I would have (3:33) the budget for to take my whole entire family. (3:36) Otherwise, they've gone to the zoo, they've got to the plunge. (3:39) So I think it's a pretty good deal.
(3:41) What I think I like most about this idea about the price of San Diego and overall the (3:46) cost is that it almost intertwines naturally with your education reporting. (3:51) Is there any chance we can expect some reporting around the intersection of those two, education (3:55) and then the price? (3:57) So normally I cover education. (3:59) I'm not an economy reporter.
(4:01) But part of the inspiration for this was that there's a big shift going on right now with (4:05) districts in major cities dealing with declining enrollment. (4:11) And a lot of that is people having fewer kids or people moving to other parts of the country (4:17) that they feel are more affordable. (4:19) The cost of living is something that I think we're going to see impact education really (4:25) significantly over the next few years.
(4:28) There are some districts that are already kind of feeling the crunch of enrollment going (4:32) down. (4:32) And that's because there's a per student amount of money that a district gets to educate (4:39) those children. (4:40) So if you have fewer kids, you have less money.
(4:43) And the cost of living is a reason why we hear that a lot of families end up leaving (4:48) San Diego. (4:48) So my goal for this was to really dive into what are those costs that people are feeling (4:54) going beyond this kind of term of the high cost of living and look at, you know, what (5:00) are the daily decisions that families with kids especially have to make in order to (5:05) stay here in San Diego? (5:06) Lots of, I think, hopeful stories of families, you know, getting creative and working as (5:11) teams, but also, you know, not shying away from the fact that a lot of prices really (5:16) have increased. (5:17) And why is that? (5:18) And what can we do about it? (5:19) Yeah.
(5:20) And I think when we look at our projected year here in San Diego and we're projected (5:24) to be at the end of the year in a deficit, I think you're reporting is especially key (5:28) here because now we'll be able to look back and say they cut 500k from this, they cut (5:32) a million from this, and we get to talk about it and share that information from the education (5:37) sector and other topics that will come up from Price of San Diego. (5:39) I think it's genius. (5:40) I think I think you could do this beat forever.
(5:43) I think you could do this for the next three years if you wanted to. (5:46) But I just think there are kind of so many stories hidden under this that I'm excited (5:50) to hear from you, especially and as well as the team. (5:53) Once again, this was our education reporter Katie Anastos here with us.
(5:57) Price of San Diego. (5:58) You can check it out on our KPBS.org website and search Price of San Diego. (6:03) Thank you so much for your time, Katie.
(6:04) Thank you.
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*INSERT AUDIO FROM KPBS EVENT*
That audio is from a KPBS event that we did last Thursday, thank you to everyone in our sold out crowd who came out and participated!
That is 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.
