News Under the Radar
SDSU bars student fee vote A hefty hike of a “student success” fee by San Diego State University at its Imperial Valley campus has drawn scrutiny from California State University auditors, who say the school …
Too Short’s Bash cut What used to be known as the Back to Session Bash changed its name to simply Bash this year, but the extravagant blowout, funded by special interests, still draws a big …
Toni Atkins plays the NFL A political committee run by state Senate Democrat Toni Atkins has been spending lavishly on what is named by its semi-annual state disclosure report as fundraising. The fund, formerly known …
Fat cats’ voting scheme Proponents of an “instant runoff” voting scheme that once appeared destined for San Diego’s November ballot ultimately failed to convince the city council of its merits — despite the influence of …
Weeklies masquerading as dailies When is a daily newspaper no longer a true daily? That’s the too-close-to-home question that’s been raised by the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. “Across the country, …
Does San Diego scromit? London’s tabloid The Daily Mail, which spends considerable time and ink on Britain’s royals, has a new target: San Diego pot users. “How California’s legal cannabis dream became a public health …
San Diego Unified’s wall of stone The San Diego Unified School District’s board of trustees has been playing fast and loose with Covid-19 testing money handed out by the federal government. But despite its best …
Late mail call As Christmas approached last fall, an upbeat account of mail handling at the U.S. Postal Service’s huge Margaret L. Sellers Processing and Distribution Center on Rancho Carmel Drive appeared on TV station …
Todd Gloria’s $350K public culture vulture Seeking to culture up his political future, San Diego mayor Todd Gloria is out looking for a “qualified consultant or team of consultants” to run a “comprehensive cultural planning …
ICE’s absconders Immigration and Customs Enforcement is spending $2.2 billion on a contract to make sure undocumented migrants waiting for immigration court don’t “abscond” before their legal fate is decided. But flight risk is growing, …
Getting audit done Facing a possible torrent of negative ink over a pending audit of the city’s so-called Get It Done app, the administration of Mayor Todd Gloria has turned to the Union-Tribune to paint …
Billionaires served One of San Diego’s most politically influential couples has had a notable run of late, thanks to a campaign contribution of nearly $100,000 from billionaire Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs and his wife Joan, …
CSU San Marcos’ wayward sabbaticals California State University San Marcos has allowed its professors to take off on inadequately reviewed sabbaticals, says a March 18 audit report from California State University vice chancellor and chief …
Lincoln Club’s Little Nikita money man Some of the big money players during this year’s political season have yet to play their hands, as evidenced by a committee calling itself The Community Leadership Coalition, sponsored …
Deputies under cover The GOP-dominated Lincoln Club is, as always, among the big spenders this campaign season, with $16,242 spent May 16 on a mail piece on behalf of Sheriff’s office hopeful Kelly Martinez, and …
Editorial sex talk A Pulitzer Prize to the Union-Tribune recognizing the newspaper’s long string of exposes regarding ex-Sheriff Bill Gore’s jail deaths debacle wasn’t to be. But a controversial former editorial chief at The Evening …