We continue our conversations this week on the health of American democracy. Also, more on how ongoing Tijuana River pollution is affecting residents. Then, hear from a local legal analyst on President Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship. And, SANDAG commissioners get an earful on their transportation plans. Finally, Escondido has a multi-million dollar budget surplus — so why are people concerned for the city’s long-term fiscal health?
Is the U.S. sliding toward authoritarianism?
July 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, July 11th.
Taking the temperature on the health of our democracy.
That’s coming up. But first... the headlines….
The Port of San Diego will hear a proposal next week to build a large sports complex on the Chula Vista Bayfront.
The Union-Tribune reports the project — called Pangaea — includes a tennis complex, water polo academy and a 50 thousand-seat soccer stadium.
An un-named professional tennis player is involved, as is golfer Tiger Woods, the newspaper reports.
Port staff are asking the board to enter a six-month exclusive negotiation period.
Just months after installing them, the city of Vista is again ripping up some elements designed to protect bike lanes.
This time, the bike lanes affected run along South Melrose Drive and Sycamore Avenue. In May the city removed another stretch along South Melrose. The lanes are striped, lined with flex-posts and raised berms.
City officials say since being installed in March, residents have been complaining about those posts and berms.
Vista’s city council agreed to remove them last month in a 3-2 vote.
According to NBC 7, installation of the berms and bollards cost the city $1.5 million dollars. It’s going to cost at least another $200 thousand dollars to remove them.
And we’ve got an update on a story we brought you yesterday about changes to the city’s new grocery coupon ordinance.
The law says grocery stores have to make digital coupons more readily available.
We reported that changes to the law exempt digital coupons attached to loyalty programs.
However, that’s incorrect. While that exemption was in a draft amendment, a city council spokesperson says it was struck from the version approved by the council.
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.
Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
WE TOLD YOU YESTERDAY ABOUT THE C-D-C SURVEY THAT ASKED SOUTH BAY RESIDENTS ABOUT HOW TIJUANA RIVER POLLUTION WAS IMPACTING THEIR LIVES.
HEALTH REPORTER HEIDI DE MARCO TELLS US ABOUT SOME OF THE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SURVEY.
More than 2000 people completed the online survey 64 percent of participants reported new or worsening physical symptoms in the last 30 days, like coughing and congestion. These are symptoms they believe are tied to the ongoing sewage crisis.
Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan is the county’s new public health officer. He says the findings should change how doctors in the region approach patient care.
Many of their residents are impacted by the Tijuana River, and they need to have a lower threshold when talking to their patients around, you know, looking for things like depression, anxiety, headaches, respiratory symptoms.
The County says they are working with partners to expand community outreach, educate the public about tap water safety, and promote mental health resources.
Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.
AS OUR NPR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN REPORTING, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO END BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP IS FACING YET ANOTHER CHALLENGE.
YESTERDAY, A FEDERAL JUDGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ISSUED A RULING PROHIBITING THE ORDER FROM TAKING EFFECT ANYWHERE IN THE U-S.
REPORTER TANIA THORNE SPOKE TO A SAN DIEGO LEGAL ANALYST WHO BREAKS DOWN WHAT'S NEXT.
The ruling from federal Judge Joseph LaPlante doesn't take effect immediately.
He granted a 7 day stay for the government to appeal.
This comes in a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of a pregnant woman, two parents and their infants.
Dan Eaton is a legal analyst from San Diego.
In focusing on babies, Judge LaPlante was focusing on those individuals who are most directly and substantially affected by the birthright, citizenship, order.
Eaton thinks the focus going forward will be on the merits of the birthright citizenship executive order.
Tania Thorne, KPBS News
THESE DAYS, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE UNITED STATES CROSSING THE RUBICON FROM DEMOCRACY TO AUTHORITARIANISM. BUT WHERE ARE WE ON THE TRAJECTORY? FOR ANSWERS, I SPOKE WITH REPORTER AMITA SHARMA.
Q. Amita, where does congress’s passage of the budget bill this month fit into conversations about the state of American democracy?
If you measure the strength of a democracy by its ability to act on the needs, interests and wishes of its people, the bill fits right in. A slight majority of Americans oppose the bill. It cuts 1 trillion dollars from Medicaid, It’s projected that 12 million will lose health insurance. Millions stand to lose food stamps. In San Diego County, 100 thousand people could end up uninsured and 60 thousand without food stamps. Meanwhile, the bill provides trillions in tax cuts, largely to the wealthy. San Diego Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas voted against it.
“People are beginning to understand what this is. What it represents really is one of the largest steps of taking money from people that are marginalized and giving it to people that don't need it. That's not good for democracy, that's against really we the people.”
San Diego Republican Congressman Darrell Issa says the legislation will drive the economy, advance national security and put money back into the pockets of the American people.
Q. Universities, including UC San Diego, have taken it on the chin, repeatedly, under the Trump Administration on funding, what to research, what to teach, who to hire and whether foreign students are still welcome.. Connect that to democracy.
American universities are platforms for exposure to diverse perspectives and ideas, discovery and innovation that have enriched the country. Democracy cornerstones. People flocked here from all over the world to study. UCSD political science Professor Emeritus Sam Popkin says the U.S. simply does not produce enough chemists, physicists and other scientists to fill research demands without graduate students from other countries. He says he’s stumped by the administration’s actions towards universities combined with the shutdown of most USAID programs, which is predicted to cost millions of lives worldwide.
“.... I never thought we would go so low in some of these areas, But it doesn't mean we're not a democracy. The Constitution doesn't say we have to be generous. The Constitution doesn't say we have to really love all our neighbors.”
Q. Amita, the courts have acted as a backstop on some of President Trump’s executive orders seen as overreach. Talk to me about that.
Lower courts have blocked President Trump’s freezing federal grants, limiting union bargaining rights and targeting law firms that have clients who’ve challenged the administration. But the WINGS of lower courts have been clipped by the Supreme Court’s recent ruling blocking a single district court judge’s power to stop enforcement of a federal policy deemed unlawful nationwide. Local legal analyst Harry Litman says that decision puts the U.S. in even more of a precarious moment.
“Congress ain’t doing anything. The executive is willing to do crazy stuff. You put that all together…you take the number one force for democracy, for the rule of law, for decency that's been operative over the last five and you take it out of commission. You take the star player off the field, as it were.”
Q. So has the U.S. slid into authoritarianism?
Some political scientists believe the country has moved into a form of authoritarianism. The military has been deployed in LA in the face of protests over ICE raids. Politicians have been detained or arrested. Media and law firms have been targeted. The supreme court has ok'd deporting migrants to third countries without exhausting legal remedies first. All of that notwithstanding, Congressman Vargas describes what his red line is.
“When Americans look at this immigrant woman. Oh yes, she's here without documents, but she has 3 children. And they have 4 men attack her with machine guns, holding machine guns, throw her to the ground, put her arms behind her, shackle her up. And she's crying for her children, and Americans said, that's great, that's what we want in our country.That's when we crossed the Rubicon.”
He says so far, most people view those scenes with terror and disgust. He believes ultimately, Americans will course correct the democracy ship…but worries there will be much more misery before that happens.
THAT WAS REPORTER AMITA SHARMA.
OFFICIALS ARE SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT ON THE NEXT TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE COUNTY. METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS THE PLANNING AGENCY SANDAG GOT AN EARFUL AT A COMMUNITY WORKSHOP THIS WEEK.
*hey hey, ho ho, highway expansions have go to go*
AB: A small group of activists rallied outside the SANDAG workshop in City Heights Thursday evening. Among them was KC Gupta, executive director of the People's Platform San Diego, a youth-led movement to tackle climate change by investing in public transit. He says he's disappointed several rail projects have also been downgraded to rapid bus lines — which he says aren't always that rapid. Take, for example, the Rapid 215 from SDSU to downtown.
KG: What we got was a route no faster than the route it replaced. San Diego city had to pay for the bus lanes, and we never got all-door boarding. So SANDAG has promised us a lot in the past, but they haven't delivered on their promises.
AB: While SANDAG is planning new express lanes on several freeways, the agency says it's actually the smallest package of highway projects they've ever proposed. Antoinette Meier, senior director of regional planning, says part of the reason is slower population growth.
AM: We also want to have this plan be a little bit more affordable. We heard from our board, we heard from the public that they wanted the costs to come down for the plan. So we tried to really optimize our existing infrastructure to the best that we could.
AB: SANDAG is accepting comments on its draft Regional Transportation Plan through July 18. The agency has to officially adopt the plan by the end of the year. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN RECENT YEARS … ESCONDIDO IS PROJECTING A BUDGET SURPLUS.
THE CITY SAYS IT’S BECAUSE OF A VOTER-APPROVED SALES TAX INCREASE.
NORTH COUNTY REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN LOOKS INTO WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CITY’S FINANCES.
Escondido recently adopted a budget with a projected surplus of more than seven million dollars.
The surplus comes from the more-than-expected revenue from Measure I, the 1-cent sales tax increase passed by voters last fall.
The city had expected 28 million dollars from the sales tax, but increased economic activity is boosting that revenue.
Christina Holmes is Escondido’s finance director.
“we anticipate receiving about $38 million. That updated projection also reflects the strong economic growth that the city has experienced over the last few years.”
While that money is putting Escondido’s financials on much better footing, Holmes says that does not mean that the city’s structural deficit problem is solved.
The tax increase is expected to sunset in 20 years … and unless something changes … the city will be back with a structural budget deficit.
Alexander Nguyen, KPBS News.
That’s it for the podcast today. The podcast this week was produced by Andrew Dyer and edited by Brooke Ruth. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.