The cost of extreme heat for San Diegans

GOOD MORNING, I’M ASHLEY RUSCH, IN FOR LAWRENCE K. JACKSON.

THE COSTS OF EXTREME HEAT --- FROM FINANCES, TO HEALTH.

MORE ON THAT NEXT. BUT FIRST... THE HEADLINES.

STARTING THIS MONTH… A NEW LAW LIMITS HOW MUCH LANDLORDS CAN RAISE RENT.

IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, RENT INCREASES ARE NOW CAPPED AT 8.2 PERCENT —- THAT’S DOWN FROM 8.8 PERCENT.

ACCORDING TO THE STATE — THE RENT CAP APPLIES TO MOST HOUSING THAT’S MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS OLD.

UNDER THE CALIFORNIA TENANT PROTECTION ACT, RENTS ARE CAPPED AT FIVE PERCENT …PLUS THE LOCAL CHANGE IN THE COST OF LIVING.

IN SAN DIEGO, THAT MATH COMES OUT TO 8.2 PERCENT.

UC SAN DIEGO IS CUTTING TIES WITH A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED CAMPUS POLICE TO WORK WITH BORDER PATROL. THAT’S ACCORDING TO CALMATTERS.

THE PROGRAM IN QUESTION IS CALLED OPERATION STONEGARDEN. IT’S A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR GRANT , THAT PAYS FOR LOCAL POLICE TO HELP FEDERAL AGENCIES WITH BORDER SECURITY.

CALMATTERS REPORTING FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR SHOWED THAT U-C-S-D POLICE HAD BEEN USING THE GRANT TO PATROL PARTS OF THE COASTLINE NEAR CAMPUS.

THAT LED TO MONTHS OF PROTESTS BY STUDENTS AND FACULTY.

CALMATTERS HAS SINCE DISCOVERED INTERNAL EMAILS FROM A CAMPUS LEADER, REVEALING PLANS TO CUT TIES WITH THE PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD.

OVER THE WEEKEND SOME SAN DIEGO ATTRACTIONS WERE CLOSED BECAUSE OF RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES.

THIS WEEK WILL BE A LITTLE COOLER, BUT IT WILL STILL BE HOT.

THE COUNTY’S INLAND AREAS WILL BE IN THE MID 80S TO 90S THIS WEEK.

THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS CLOSING THREE COUNTY PARKS THIS MONTH, IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP RESIDENTS SAFE FROM THE HEAT

THAT’S EL CAPITAN PRESERVE NEAR LAKESIDE, HELLHOLE CANYON PRESERVE IN VALLEY CENTER, AND MT. GOWER PRESERVE IN RAMONA .

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PARK CLOSURES AND GET SAFETY TIPS AT S-D-PARKS-DOT-ORG.

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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HEAT WAVES ARE GETTING LONGER AND MORE INTENSE BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

REPORTER JACOB AERE SAYS THE COSTS OF HOT WEATHER ARE ADDING UP.

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SAN DIEGANS ARE EXPERIENCING MORE DANGEROUSLY HOT DAYS THAN WE USED TO. THAT BRINGS A REAL IMPACT ON HEALTH AND FINANCE. 

TOM CORRINGHAM IS AN ECONOMIST WITH SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY.

HE SAID THE LARGEST IMPACTS OF EXTREME HEAT ARE INCREASED EMERGENCY SERVICES AND HEALTHCARE VISITS DUE TO HEAT ILLNESS.

“WE SEE MORE DAYS ABOVE CERTAIN THRESHOLDS EACH YEAR. WE SEE LONGER DURATION OF HEAT WAVES, WE SEE WARMER NIGHT TIME TEMPERATURES WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR HEALTH IMPACTS. IF THE TEMPERATURES ARE HOT AT NIGHT OR HUMID AT NIGHT THERE'S LESS TIME FOR THE BODY TO RECOVER.”

HE SAYS “JUST HAVING AIR CONDITIONING ALONE ISN'T ENOUGH”…. AS A LOT OF PEOPLE CHOSE NOT TO USE IT DURING HEAT EVENTS TO SAVE MONEY.

EXTREME HEAT IS NOW THE LEADING CAUSE OF WEATHER-RELATED DEATHS IN THE U.S, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. JA KPBS NEWS.

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THE LEGAL TROUBLE THAT’S THREATENED SAN DIEGO’S MIDWAY RISING PROJECT MAY END UP CHANGING STATE LAW.

IN THIS WEEK’S WHY IT MATTERS SEGMENT, VOICE OF SAN DIEGO’S SCOTT LEWIS EXPLAINS HOW.

STATE SENATOR AKILAH WEBER PIERSON IS PUSHING  SB 958. THE BILL WOULD STOP PEOPLE FROM SUING TO HALT A PROJECT IF IT DOESN’T STUDY THE IMPACT OF TALLER BUILDINGS. 

HIS JUDICIAL RULING CAN SET BAD PRECEDENT…

…AND HYPOTHETICAL ANALYSIS IS NOT REASONABLY FEASIBLE OR PRACTICAL FOR LEAD AGENCIES. I

THE LAW WON’T CLEAR THE WAY TOTALLY FOR MIDWAY RISING. 

THEY PLAN TO BUILD A NEW SPORTS ARENA, AND MORE THAN 4,000 UNITS OF HOUSING. THEY NEED TO FINISH THE LEASE OF THE LAND WITH THE CITY AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. 

WHEN THEY FINISH THE REQUIRED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND THE CITY CERTIFIES IT, PEOPLE CAN SUE. AND SOME HAVE THREATENED TO. 

BUT IF THIS LAW PASSES, THEY WON’T BE ABLE TO FIGHT OVER THE IMPACTS OF THE ACTUAL HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING – JUST THE OTHER IMPACTS LIKE TRAFFIC AND DIRECT WILDLIFE OUTCOMES. 

AND THAT WOULD MAKE IT SLIGHTLY EASIER FOR BIG PROJECTS TO GO FORWARD ACROSS THE STATE. 

FOR VOICE OF SAN DIEGO, I’M SCOTT LEWIS AND THAT’S WHY IT MATTERS. 

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AFTER MONTHS OF PUBLIC OUTCRY IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY, A NUMBER OF CITIES ARE HITTING THE BRAKES ON DATA CENTERS.

REPORTER KORI SUZUKI SAYS THERE’S A GROWING PATCHWORK OF PAUSES — AND EVEN POTENTIAL BANS — TAKING SHAPE ACROSS THE REGION.

CALIPATRIA CAN FEEL LIKE A SLEEPY PLACE. IT’S A SMALL TOWN AT THE RURAL NORTH END OF THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. ONE POST OFFICE. ONE HOTEL. EVEN CITY HALL IS TINY — A SMALL, SQUARE BUILDING. THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS HAVE JUST THREE ROWS OF CHAIRS.

THE COUNCIL’S MEETINGS CAN FEEL A LITTLE SLEEPY TOO. TONIGHT, SOME OF THE BIGGEST ITEMS ON THE AGENDA ARE SOME SPECIAL DISTRICT APPOINTMENTS AND PLANS FOR A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER WITH A SPLASH PAD.

FOR THE SPLASHPAD, THAT WILL BE RECYCLED WATER, CORRECT? SO WE DON'T WE HOPE THE KIDS WILL DRINK THE SPLASHPAD WATER.

BUT THEN, THE EVENING TURNS TO ANOTHER TOPIC: DATA CENTERS.

I'M REALLY FRIGHTENED FOR THIS COMPANY THIS COUNTY. 

THAT’S IDELL BURDEN. SHE’S FROM OUT-OF-TOWN — A RESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORING CITY OF IMPERIAL, ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH. IT’S A LITTLE HARD TO HEAR. BUT SHE SAYS THE GROWING INTEREST IN DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT SCARES HER.

WE'RE GETTING ASSAULTED. LITERALLY, I FEEL LIKE IT'S A HOSTILE TAKEOVER. EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND, THERE'S A PROPOSAL FOR ANOTHER DATA CENTER.

THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF THIS KIND OF TALK IN THE VALLEY LATELY, INCLUDING IN CALIPATRIA. BUT TONIGHT, CITY OFFICIALS ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT ACTION. ABOUT BANNING DATA CENTERS WITHIN CITY LIMITS.   

CALIPATRIA MAYOR MICHAEL LUELLEN.

I BELIEVE A BAN IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD FOR DATA CENTERS TO NOT SHOW UP IN IMPERIAL COUNTY.

THE CONCERN IN THE VALLEY STARTED BACK IN NOVEMBER. WHEN THE CITY OF IMPERIAL WARNED THAT A MASSIVE DATA CENTER COMPLEX WAS BEING PLANNED NEXT TO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN RUMBLINGS OF OTHERS.

DATA CENTERS ARE THE GIANT COMPUTING WAREHOUSES THAT POWER PROGRAMS LIKE CHATGPT. AI COMPANIES ARE PITCHING THE FACILITIES AS NEW SOURCES OF TAX REVENUE AND CONSTRUCTION WORK — AND SOME LONG-TERM JOBS.

BUT MANY RESIDENTS WORRY ABOUT THE ENERGY DATA CENTERS NEED. ABOUT WATER USE AND AIR POLLUTION. ABOUT RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT THESE FACILITIES CAN HEAT UP THEIR SURROUNDINGS BY UP TO 16 DEGREES.

NOW, A GROWING NUMBER OF LOCAL OFFICIALS IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY ARE RESPONDING.

CARDENAS-SINGH: COUNTY COUNSEL, NO DATA CENTER PROJECT, PAST OR PRESENT, WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD UNDER THIS 10-MONTH MORATORIUM. CORRECT?

THAT’S IMPERIAL COUNTY SUPERVISOR MARTHA CARDENAS-SINGH.

LAST MONTH, COUNTY SUPERVISORS VOTED TO PASS A MORATORIUM, OR EMERGENCY PAUSE, ON DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR.

COUNTY COUNSEL GEOFFREY HOLBROOK.

HOLBROOK: NO FINAL PERMITS OR APPROVALS WILL BE ISSUED UNDER THIS MORATORIUM.

ANOTHER AGENCY, THE IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT, IS CONSIDERING A SPECIAL ENERGY CONTRACT FOR DATA CENTERS AND OTHER LARGE POWER USERS.

IID IS THE REGIONAL ENERGY AND WATER UTILITY. THAT CONTRACT WOULD PUT DATA CENTERS FIRST IN LINE TO HAVE THEIR POWER CUT WHEN THERE’S A SURGE IN DEMAND.

AT LEAST THREE OTHER CITIES IN THE REGION HAVE ALSO TALKED ABOUT PAUSING DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT. THE CITY OF CALEXICO, THE SECOND-LARGEST CITY IN IMPERIAL COUNTY, IS CONSIDERING A PERMANENT BAN TOO.

I WANT A MOTION TO BAN DATA CENTERS IN CALEXICO. [APPLAUSE]

DEVELOPERS AND LABOR UNIONS HAVE PUSHED BACK FORCEFULLY AGAINST THOSE RESTRICTIONS. ONE COMPANY HAS ALREADY SUED THE COUNTY OVER ITS MORATORIUM.

BACK AT CITY HALL IN CALIPATRIA, IDELL BURDEN ISN’T THE ONLY PERSON FROM OUT OF TOWN. HERE’S SEAN ELLIS, A UNION ORGANIZER BASED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

THE MEDIAN INCOME ON THIS COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW WAS LIKE $38,000 A YEAR. WITH A DATA CENTER, YOU BRING CONSTRUCTION JOBS, YOU BRING MAINTENANCE JOBS, YOU BRING THE WHOLE LOT. SO BANNING IT JUST TAKES YOU OUT OF THE GAME.

AFTER PUBLIC COMMENTS, THE COUNCIL DECIDES. IT ISN’T UNANIMOUS. ONE COUNCILMEMBER SAYS THEY SHOULDN’T BE AFRAID OF TECHNOLOGY. ANOTHER WORRIES THAT THE CITY COULD BE SUED LIKE THE COUNTY.

BUT IN THE END, THEY VOTE TO START PUTTING TOGETHER A DATA CENTER BAN.

AFTER THE MEETING, MAYOR LUELLEN STEPS OUTSIDE. THE SUN HAS ALREADY SET. THE SKY IS TURNING FROM ORANGE TO BLUE.

IT’S TRUE THAT CALIPATRIA IS A POOR COMMUNITY. MANY RESIDENTS ALSO HAVE HEALTH ISSUES LIKE ASTHMA, INCLUDING LUELLEN AND HIS LITTLE BROTHER. A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE FEEL LIKE THEY’VE BEEN LEFT OUT OF COUNTYWIDE CONVERSATIONS FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT LUELLEN THINKS DATA CENTERS COULD BE THE END OF HIS COMMUNITY.

IT PAINS ME TO SEE MY FAMILY MEMBERS WAKING UP GASPING FOR AIR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND TO THINK THAT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES CAN INCREASE 17 DEGREES WHILE OUR POLLUTION GETS WORSE, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE OF MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND

THIS TIME, LUELLEN SAYS, CALIPATRIA ISN’T GETTING LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION. THIS TIME, THEY’RE LEADING THE FIGHT.

IN CALIPATRIA, KORI SUZUKI, KPBS NEWS.

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MEANWHILE IN NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY, GENERAL ATOMICS GOT A FINANCIAL BOOST FROM THE STATE TO HELP BRING FUSION ENERGY ONE STEP CLOSER TO REALITY.

REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN SAYS IT WILL BE A BOOM FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

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FUSION ENERGY INVOLVES FUSING TWO LIGHT ATOMS TO CREATE A HEAVIER ONE. IN THE PROCESS, IT RELEASES ENERGY. 

THAT’S DIFFERENT THAN THE CURRENT NUCLEAR ENERGY, WHICH SPLITS HEAVIER ATOMS APART TO GENERATE ENERGY. IT ALSO CREATES RADIOACTIVE WASTE.

BUT BEFORE FUSION NUCLEAR PLANTS BECOME A REALITY. PARTS FOR THOSE REACTORS NEED TO BE TESTED. THAT IS WHERE POWAY’S GENERAL ATOMICS COMES IN.

IT RECENTLY GOT A 20-MILLION-DOLLAR TAX CREDIT TO BUILD A BLANKET COMPONENT TESTING FACILITY.

BRIAN GRIERSON (GREER-SUHN) IS THE DIRECTOR OF FUSION ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AT G-A.

HE SAYS IT’S CALLED A BLANKET BECAUSE IT SURROUNDS THE FUSION CORE AND …

“ABSORBS THE ENERGY FROM THE FUSION REACTION AND CONVERGES THAT ENERGY INTO STEAM TURBINES, HEAT AND ELECTRICITY.”

ONCE BUILT, IT WILL BE THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD CAPABLE OF TESTING LARGE-SCALE COMPONENTS.

THE FACILITY IS EXPECTED TO BRING IN MORE THAN 40-THOUSAND JOBS TO SAN DIEGO AND MORE THAN 125-BILLION-DOLLARS TO CALIFORNIA IN THE NEXT DECADE.

AN/KPBS.

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THE SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY IS BURSTING AT THE SEAMS… ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO DOGS.

REPORTER JOHN CARROLL SAYS THEY’RE MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ADOPT DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST.

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THOSE BARKING DOGS YOU HEAR ARE IN TEMPORARY KENNELS IN A WAREHOUSE THE SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY USUALLY RESERVES FOR STORING SUPPLIES.  THE OVERCROWDING SITUATION GOT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE LATE LAST WEEK, WHEN TWO PEOPLE SURRENDERED MORE THAN 50-YORKIES AND HUSKIES THEY COULD NO LONGER CARE FOR.  HUMANE SOCIETY PRESIDENT AND CEO DR. GARY WEITZMAN SAYS THAT SCENARIO IS BECOMING MORE COMMON.

“THESE ARE TWO CASES THAT WE HOPE WON’T HAPPEN, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE HAPPENING MORE AND MORE.”

THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF AUGUST, THE HUMANE SOCIETY IS MAKING ADOPTION MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.  ADOPTION FEES ARE 50% OFF, EXCEPT FOR HORSES… AND ON SATURDAY THE 29TH, ALL FEES ARE WAIVED - EXCEPT FOR THE HORSES.  WEITZMAN SAYS FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS THE COMPANIONSHIP OF AN ANIMAL, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT.

“COME TO A RESCUE, A SHELTER, OR SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY FIRST BEFORE YOU GO ANYWHERE ELSE FOR A PET.” 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ADOPTION, JUST GO TO S-D HUMANE DOT ORG SLASH ADOPT.  JC, KPBS NEWS.

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THE KILLER TOMATOES ARE BACK! THE HOMEGROWN FRANCHISE MADE ITS SAN DIEGO DEBUT IN 1978.

ARTS REPORTER BETH ACCOMANDO SAYS THE FEROCIOUS FRUIT IS ABOUT TO INVADE THEATERS AGAIN

THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES WAS HAILED AS ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES OF ALL TIME, WHICH IT WORE AS A BADGE OF HONOR. THE CULT FILM SPAWNED THREE SEQUELS, INCLUDING ONE WITH GEORGE CLOONEY. ALTHOUGH THE KILLER TOMATOES HAVE NOT POSED A THREAT SINCE 1992, THEY WERE SEEN  AT COMIC-CON WHERE COSTA DILLON REVEALED SOME STARLING INFORMATION.

COSTA DILLON YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY I'M THE CREATOR OF THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, BUT THAT'S NOT ENTIRELY ACCURATE. I'M MORE THE REVEALER OF THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES. I FOUND OUT THAT TOMATOES WERE DANGEROUS, THAT THEY WERE USING ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE, FAR SCARIER THAN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. PEOPLE DID NOT BELIEVE ME. THE FIRST FILM CAME OUT, PEOPLE LAUGHED AT IT BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT MADE PEOPLE THINK IT WAS A COMEDY. 

CLIP THIS PLAN APPEARED TO HAVE WORKED. HARDLY ANYONE SAW THE MOVIE. THE PUBLIC HAS NO RECOLLECTION OF THE TRAUMATIC EVENTS OF 1978. AND THE UPRISING WAS STOMPED OUT. 

BUT JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE, THE KILLER TOMATOES ARE RETURNING TO THEATERS IN AN ALL-NEW FILM… I MEAN DOCUMENTARY?

COSTA DILLON AND I CAN ONCE AGAIN SOUND THE ALARM THAT ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE IS HOW KILLER TOMATOES WILL RULE THE WORLD IF WE DON'T STOP THEM. AND I DO EXPECT A NOBEL PRIZE FOR THIS.

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE WILL BEGIN SPLATTERING ULTRASTAR MISSION VALLEY CINEMAS THIS FRIDAY.

BETH ACCOMANDO, KPBS NEWS.

THAT’S IT FOR THE PODCAST TODAY. AS ALWAYS YOU CAN FIND MORE SAN DIEGO NEWS ONLINE AT KPBS DOT ORG. I’M ASHLEY RUSCH, IN FOR LAWRENCE K. JACKSON. THANKS FOR LISTENING AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.