This week, we discuss whatever happened to... that SANDAG driving fee, San Diego’s food waste recycling program and the downtown homeless services hub.

We’ve got a theme going on this week across Voice content — a look back on stories that were once front page news but have since shirked the public eye. To cap off our “Whatever Happened To...” week, we’re revisiting these three San Diego storylines.

Plus: Scott is Tiktok famous. And reasons to support your favorite local public affairs pod.

vosd.org/podpeople

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Energy from San Diego’s brand new power companies is slightly more expensive than their competitor — the former local power monopoly, SDG&E.

The whole conceit of these new power companies was to boost competition and thereby lower prices. So, mission accomplished? Not to some.

Voice environment reporter MacKenzie Elmer has been following the twisted tale of San Diego energy as fledgling power players rise in the region. Now with more options available, customers have to (and can!) make a choice. Let's get into it.

Statewide talking points: That big electric car news. Gettin' around with the Secretary of Transportation. Online gambling propositions.

Support the show during our campaign at vosd.org/podpeople

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're looking back. Way back.

This interview featuring host Scott Lewis reviews about 18 years' worth of San Diego political history: "Cheetah gate." The pension scandal. Bob Filner. The rise of Democrats.

Lewis and former VOSD editor Maya Srikrishnan break down some of the biggest moments in San Diego's recent history that led us to the politics and the players we have today.

Support VOSD and explanatory journalism at vosd.org/podpeople

See more content like this in our San Diego 101 podcast: sd101.org

Get even more local history with the SD101 history episode: vosd.org/history101

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2017, the state passed Senate Bill 2 — a bill made to alleviate the cost of shelter in California by providing an ongoing source of funds to build affordable housing we so desperately need. Since then, the state has collected more than $1.6 billion from fees on real estate transactions. Lookin’ pretty good, right?

Here's the catch: In the five years since SB 2 passed, the state has spent a fraction of the earnings.

This week, we discuss the bill, its promise and praise by San Diego state reps, and the impact seen so far.

Plus: What happened to the (California) theater? Pickeball wars. Politifest preview.

Peep our newsletters at vosd.org/newsletters

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The city of San Diego has decided the Sports Arena be demolished and a new arena should arise.

And the three bidders who want to take over the redevelopment of that spot want to build a new one. The lead bidder, Midway Rising, wants to make a big new arena — but not big enough for the NHL or NBA. Such arenas require about 18,000 seats minimum.

And an important caveat with this project is the city's decision not to subsidize the project.

As host Scott Lewis found in his new story, bidders decided the way to pay for the crazy expense of such a project is not sports. It's concerts.

Enter: The San Diego Rock arena?!

This week, we discuss the current state of that major redevelopment project. Plus: OMG those Padres, the “how about nah” campaign and more dirty water politics.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The San Diego City Council this week decided — with the mayor's urging and the city attorney's opposition — to settle its lawsuit against Cisterra and CGA Capital.

This $132-million-dollar decision paves the way for the city to buy its two most problematic buildings that were caught up in the suit and kick off what could be its most ambitious development project ever.

This week, we discuss what went down in the council meeting ahead of the decision and all of the lofty ideas that are getting packed into this project.

Plus: New COVID notes. South Bay politics. Andrea's fear of flying.

Get more show at vosd.org/pod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

San Diego is the first in the nation to deploy a new technology to test the safety of our ocean water. And Imperial Beach and Coronado are grappling with the results. 

The tests use a new method to count the amount of bacteria found in the gut of warm-blooded mammals, including humans (e.g., feces).

The word poop is funny, obviously, but this is deadly serious for local beach cities — which may not only face economic hardship from having their beaches closed, but the test results suggest beachgoers could get seriously sick. This week, we discuss the rollout of these new tests and a lot of confusion that followed.

Plus: A viral interview with a local school leader. A new documentary about Barrio Logan's pollution struggles.

Get the newsletter for this show at vosd.org/pod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, NBC San Diego’s Alexis Rivas shares her story on a local woman's murder.

The real story was the phone calls from across the street

As Rivas reported, the victim’s neighbors called 911 for nearly two hours — begging for help and relaying what they saw. Rivas discusses the details of that June night, the San Diego Police Department's response to the scrutiny, and what seems a systemic lack of police capacity and slow response times to critical calls.

Plus: New trends in old military suicide data, San Diego's other housing failure, Kevin Faulconer's next election plan.

See the full NBC story at NBC7.com/policescrutiny

Subscribe to the newsletter for this show at vosd.org/pod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The doldrums of summer are upon us.

To combat the summertime blues, we’re hitting you with summertime news! This week, our hosts share a few stories they're watching in the summer months.

Talking points: how to colonize Mars, the great resignation of the San Diego Police Department, who's going to fill those new downtown office buildings.

Get the newsletter for this show at vosd.org/pod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

San Diego Unified leaders announced they would offer $10,000 dollar signing bonuses for new special education teachers and nurses.

This is a new effort by the district to combat a massive labor shortage happening right now. It may seem totally logical: The district has a lot of COVID relief money and needs more staff. But the move also signals a significant shift in policy from unions and union-backed leaders. Pay incentives of any kind, for years, have been totally taboo.

This week, we discuss teacher pay and how it could impact schools.

Plus: Andy's got the emails that led up to a big housing development decision. And the 101 Ash St. settlement that never was.

See all our school stories at vosd.org/education

Get the newsletter for this podcast at vosd.org/pod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.