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 reporter Jakob McWhinney lays out the state of transitional kindergarten — the new public school grade for 4-year-olds.

Follow all our investigations and insights with The Morning Report: vosd.org/morning

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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 also brings her new constituents due to redistricting.

In this interview, Jacobs and host Scott Lewis discuss all that, plus the recent dramatic House Speaker vote, abortion access, data protection and homelessness.

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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 while. In this episode, we discuss that long-standing plan and others like it that cause friction once residents realize what's coming for them.

Plus: The impossible path to subsidized housing. Stormwater infrastructure fails.

Follow all our work with The Morning Report: vosd.org/morning

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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.

After attending the live event on Wednesday night, our hosts will now scrutinize each major topic.

Plus: Is the City Hall redevelopment our next "San Diego Special"? New compost bins roll out this week.

Keep up with all our stories with the Morning Report at vosd.org/morning

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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 homeless while living in Los Angeles, how he navigated the constant change and challenges of living with unhoused communities — drugs, cold nights, complicated shelter systems, and lack of control.

Keep up with all our stories with the Morning Report at vosd.org/morning

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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.

Plus: How housing costs correlate with homelessness nationwide. Transitional kindergarten ushers in a new era of education. And what's an "atmospheric river" anyway?

Thank you to all who gave! You made our year-end fundraiser a success. If you haven't yet, you can join as a member support Voice: vosd.org/podpeople

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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 their play and the long-term consequences are unknown.

This week, Balint sits down with Voice's Scott Lewis to talk about what all those changes were like from the inside, how injury impacted her identity and relationship to the sport, and what it's like to be a standout young athlete.

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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 pick-up charges and vacation rentals. But now, the homeless crisis looms over everything.

In this exit-interview episode, Cate and Scott Lewis talk about the "third rails" of local politics, the evolution of the City Council, the future of the Republican party and more.

Extra credit: Cate was featured in San Diego 101: A Short History of San Diego Politics. It's an 18-year recap of local public affairs and political drama. It's in this feed, dated Dec. 21, 2021. Here's a link to the episode.

If you value in-depth interviews like this — and the shows we put out every week — consider a tax-deductible donation at vosd.org/podpeople

We'll be back next week with another interview.

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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 the county.

Their recent slate of stories revealed how the vaccine changed things in the second year of the pandemic. About half as many San Diego residents died in the second year, compared to the first. Further, Marx and Huntsberry reveal how localized public health initiatives, anti-vaxx sentiment and misinformation molded San Diegans' behavior, and ultimately, their lives.

See the series at vosd.org/yeartwo

Also this week: Why San Diego still doesn't have a safe campground for unhoused Downtown residents.

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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.

Note: Our weekly news wrap-up episode will drop Friday afternoon, as usual.

Support interviews like this and everything we do at VOSD at vosd.org/podpeople

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