Podcast Voice Of San Diego

This week, Jason Hughes — former real estate advisor to the city of San Diego — pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conflict-of-interest charge after agreeing to pay $9.4 million back to the city, which he received for his work on two city lease deals. In this episode, hosts Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña tell the tale (for the l…

This week, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilman Stephen Whitburn unveiled new tactics to curb homelessness: More safe camping options, more supportive services and new bans on vehicle habitation and camping on public property. These big moves wrap into an ordinance Whitburn plans to bring to the Council, with Gloria's blessing, which puts the…

San Diego's downtown civic core is back to it's pre-pandemic activity, at least that's according to a new study and sales tax revenue levels in the area. But our hosts make the case that declaring that downtown has totally recuperated is, well, complicated. They give downtown their own grades in this episode. Plus: We have updates on smart streetli…

Many San Diegans who are addicted to drugs are begging for help. One intake specialist at a local detox program said that at least once a week, someone stops her on her way to work, begging for a detox bed so they can get clean. She often has to turn them away. For the entire San Diego region, there are about 70 beds where Medi-Cal patients can get…

Mira Mesa is one of the fastest-growing suburban job centers in San Diego. But climate advocates say climate goals for the neighborhood aren't up to snuff. This week, we break down the city's Climate Action Plan and how to balance growth with lofty environmental goals. Plus: A local teacher who was fired for touching a student is back in the classr…

This week we're Andy-less. But our temp co-hosts — associate editor Jesse Marx and senior investigative reporter Lisa Halverstadt — have us covered with some hard-hitting cop talk. Halverstadt had the story this week about slow San Diego Police response times. Robberies, active domestic violence incidents and assaults are among the calls that saw m…

This week, host Andrea Lopez-Villafaña brought in County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to get a temperature check for the Board of Supervisors. The foremost issue in the region is homelessness. (Duh.) And that's what most of this discussion was about — including related issues of behavioral health, CARE court, supporting seniors and housing develop…

Throughout the pandemic, the political divide has been bitter — and deadly. This week, Voice reporters finished an unprecedented review of death certificates from the second year of the pandemic, after the vaccine was released. They determined the demographics of who died changed dramatically. Reporter Will Huntsberry explains the findings. Plus: T…

The San Diego City Council voted this week to declare housing a human right in the city. The resolution didn’t change any policies and isn’t legally binding. So, what gives? This week, we discuss the declaration and grapple with implications it may (or may not) have on the city's immediate housing crisis. Plus: The SANDAG walkout. And education rep…

It’s not something you expect to hear: A congressional representative from San Diego saying maybe the Navy has too many ships and maybe the defense department’s budget is too big. But that’s something Congresswoman Sara Jacobs will gladly discuss. As she enters her second term, Jacobs has transitioned from rookie to leadership. The new Congress als…

We’re cookin’ with gas! At least for now. This week, we review how we got here — a time when pundits are debating what gas stoves mean to us as a society and whether the fumes they spout are harmful. This offers another moment when San Diego's policy has caught up with reality. Because we’ve been planning to phase out gas-burning appliances for a w…

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria had the opportunity this week to lay out his plan for the city — to explain where we stand and where we're going in his annual State of the City address. Gloria discussed the importance of law enforcement, the deadly rise of fentanyl, our urgent need for affordable housing, homelessness(!), parks and infrastructure. Afte…

Levi Giafaglione works for National Alliance on Mental Illness, serving unhoused San Diegans with tools and services they need to get care and housing. He understands keenly how unsheltered folks feel and how hard it is to find a way out, because he used to be homeless, too. In this episode, Giafaglione tells host Scott Lewis how he first became ho…

This week, we preview the State of the City address. Slated for next Wednesday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria will report to the entire city what his administration did last year and what's ahead. In this episode, we look back at old State of the City addresses and make predictions for the next. An undeniable issue for discussion is homelessness. Plu…

Maggie Balint was a star pitcher for San Diego State University last year and led the school to the Women’s World Series. She was the Mountain West pitcher of the year. Throughout her career, college athletics have changed a lot. Players can make money on their names and transfer to new schools much more easily than before. People can gamble on the…

Chris Cate was the last Republican elected official in City Hall. His successor, San Diego City Councilmember Kent Lee, serves District 6 and completes an all-Democrat Council (with Dem mayor Todd Gloria). Throughout his tenure, Cate says local leaders grew more courageous — willing to flirt with taboo issues like the coastal height limit, trash pi…

This week, Voice journalists Jesse Marx and Will Huntsberry unleash an authoritative account of Covid: Year Two. Two years ago, we had to sue the county to gain access to county death records that mentioned Covid as a cause. Marx and Huntsberry led a team to analyze those records to grasp the toll of Covid in various communities and demographics in…

In this in-depth interview, CEO of the San Diego Association of Governments Hasan Ikhrata explained why he's standing by a plan to charge drivers for every mile they drive — even after his board abandoned it. We also discuss whether it's time for him to leave his job (hint: maybe), the dysfunction of the SANDAG board and the future of the region. N…

The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American West. But its flow is inconstant and undependable — especially as climate change propels us into a dry abyss. Now the river's use needs to be rethought. This week, we discuss environment reporter MacKenzie Elmer's story on the new way of (Colorado River) water — and a how one group agreed to give …

One of the most famous charter schools in the region, and perhaps the country, is High Tech High. Its project-based learning model and innovative approach to education stands out in San Diego — as does its inexperienced teaching staff. Last year, HTH educators decided to unionize. And now they've hit a wall. Voice education reporter Jakob McWhinney…

This week we're joined by local author, educator and curator of the AwkwardSD blog, Ryan Bradford for our annual Friendsgiving episode. There’s a lot to be thankful for — and skeptical of — this year. So our table of friends each brought one topic to dish on and sprinkled thanks throughout. Talking points: The historic peaks and current pitfalls of…

More election results are in. It’s been a long wait for some races — as expected. And now, we have a bit more clarity on who won and how San Diego feels about key ballot initiatives. We discuss the historic moment as San Diegans finally shirked the People’s Ordinance. Other big updates include a local State Senate seat, the closely watched 49th Con…

Happy election week! Let's take a breather. This podcast was recorded on Thursday afternoon, a few hours before another dump of results from the registrar. But with a couple more days' worth of votes counted from our Election Night special, we have more clarity on what actually happened this election and what a midterm electorate wants for the regi…

Late on Election Night, Scott, Andy and Andrea harnessed their last vestiges of energy and freshest election results to bring you San Diego Election Night takes. As of this recording, our editors had a solid handle of a few key races they’d been watching this year: County Sheriff, Chula Vista mayor, National City mayor, San Diego City Council Distr…

Every two years, something amazing happens. Perhaps more important than newly elected leaders, passed initiatives, updated ordinances and a collective national exercise to uphold our republic ... is the Voice of San Diego Podcast Election Draft! As ever, the week before an election is a chance for us to hop on the mic and lay down our picks. Each h…