It's expensive to live in San Diego. You know this already. But it's about to get worse.

As housing prices balloon, another basic need is getting costly: water. This week, we reported that the San Diego County Water Authority predicts the cost of water could swell up to 10 percent starting in 2023.

Scott and Andy review everything you need to know about San Diego water and these rate hikes. And in the second half of the show, the latest San Diego Housing Commission drama and why it matters for the local housing crisis.

Sign up our upcoming events (Cannabis Equity and Politifest) at vosd.org/events

Check out San Diego 101: How We Get Our Water vosd.org/sd101

Support VOSD and our future at vosd.org/give

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buckle up, folks. There's another major revelation in the 101 Ash St. saga this week. (That segment starts around minute 30 in the episode if you're antsy.)

It turns out the city's real estate adviser, Jason Hughes, got paid about $9.5 million dollars (as a volunteer) for the deals he facilitated. The scoop this week by VOSD's Lisa Halverstadt was that Hughes made an agreement with Cisterra Development (the city's eventual landlord) to earn a profit off the deals or be held financially accountable if they fell apart.

Also this week: Some cops refuse to get vaccinated. A vaccine expert gets real about the Delta variant. And a local hotelier makes a splash at the Elizabeth Holmes trial.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Crotty and his team at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology have been studying viruses for a long time. We wanted to talk to him again.

He first joined our podcast in March when vaccines were first becoming available and we knew a lot less. Now, after a few months and a few major variants of the virus, we have new questions. Like, why is Delta so much worse? Is it OK to go to concerts and ball games? What’s the deal with booster shots? Crotty and host Scott Lewis get into it.

The post from March: voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/bonus-podcast-its-all-a-race-interview-with-an-immunologist

Keep up with the region's most important news at vosd.org/newsletters

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is our last podcast before the recall election on Sept. 14.

So let's review the candidate we know most about: former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer. On the show, Scott and Andy review Faulconer's trajectory over the last few months and how that squares with his mayoral tenure. Also, we discuss his weird ballot title.

Plus: The city and county struggle with COVID-19 testing for homeless residents.

Check out our recap of the Faulconer Administration here: voiceofsandiego.org/faulconer

Register for our upcoming event about cannabis equity here: voiceofsandiego.org/cannabis

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, San Diego Unified — the largest school district in the region — opened up for in-person classes.

Also back this week is our Parent's Guide to San Diego Schools. It's a tool we furnish every year to help parents make informed decisions for their kids' education. In this episode we preview an uncertain school year and highlight the biggest stories from the guide. Check out the guide at vosd.org/schools

And the drama keeps coming for the county Board of Supervisors. This week, there was tension involving the locally beloved Bitchin' Sauce and a vote to declare misinformation a public health crisis. See our podcast on the local company here: voiceofsandiego.org/topics/economy/i-made-it-in-san-diego-the-battle-behind-a-familys-secret-sauce

Support the Parent's Guide and all our work at vosd.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple years ago, then-Assemblyman Todd Gloria wrote an op-ed for VOSD. In it, he coined the term "San Diego Special." We immediately became obsessed.

Its definition is rough but essentially aims to label a persistent problem in local government that should be solvable but has stuck around due to lack of vision or leadership. Think vacation rentals, the Convention Center expansion or scooters.

Now, as mayor, Gloria joins the podcast to discuss these very regionally-specific obstacles. He came prepped with a list of his top-five San Diego Specials to compare to our own.

Read all about San Diego Specials at vosd.org/specials

Thank you to everyone who's joined our fundraising campaign this week! If you haven't donated yet, now's your chance. Support this show and all our reporting at vosd.org/give

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we're giving you a comprehensive look at the years-long case of Fridoon Nehad, the man who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2015. Since the start, this case has been marked by secrecy and misinformation. Now, we think we have the full story.

Plus: Public comments got wild at a Board of Supervisors meeting and schools are already scrambling to keep up with COVID-19 cases.

Scott wrote something about Sara this week. Here it is.

Find all our newsletters at vosd.org/newsletters

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been quite a week for the San Diego County sheriff.

Sheriff Bill Gore and his team are getting backlash from across the country after they shared a video of a deputy they claimed overdosed from fentanyl simply by encountering it.

The thing is, toxicologists say that’s impossible.

That's not the only reason the agency is experiencing blowback. The sheriff told San Diego police last month they could resume booking people accused of misdemeanors into local jails, but they wouldn’t tell us what crimes can get you booked into jail.

And finally, this all comes out after the sheriff announced he wouldn’t be running for re-election and a bunch of prominent Democrats pounced on the chance to endorse his chosen successor.

Hosts Scott Lewis, Sara Libby and Andrew Keatts explain why that happened and more on this week's VOSD Podcast.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not long ago, we were all obsessing over the state-mandated tier system. If were were still in the days of tiers, San Diego would be in the most restrictive purple tier, which mainly allowed only outdoor activities. Oh, how far we've come. And also kind of not.

This week, we discuss the state of COVID in the region, our case for county data and new mandates for vaccines. 

Plus: San Diego Housing Commission Cliffs Notes and a ballot measure for parks and libraries.

Follow all our stories and takes on local news with The Morning Report: vosd.org/newsletters

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Standardized testing has long been derided as an imperfect way to measure a school’s performance. But it’s a metric that’s easy to access and easy to understand.

This week, education reporter Will Huntsberry explains a new metric for understanding and evaluating test scores. It takes into account poverty levels, a crucial factor that heavily influences a school’s test scores.

Plus: Climate change, local vaccination requirements and city real estate problems can't stop, won't stop.

Find Will's newsletter, The Learning Curve at vosd.org/newsletters

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.