Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, August 15th.

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San Diego prosecutors are targeting employers that withhold overtime pay. More on that next. But first… let’s do the headlines….

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Vista is the latest city in the county to enforce a ban on homeless encampments.

The city council voted earlier this week (Tuesday) to enforce a ban that was established more than 50 years ago.

Advocate Holly Herring says that Vista does not have enough resources for those experiencing homelessness to start enforcing the ban again.

“Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should necessarily sweep encampments and start enforcement without having a robust housing, offering supportive housing, permanent options. so that’s ultimately why i’m still against the bans.”

Vista mayor John Franklin says officers won’t clear encampments or ticket people without offering shelter first.

Vista banned camping on public property in 19-68, but enforcement was paused during the pandemic.

According to the latest Point-In-Time count, Vista’s homeless population nearly doubled from 88 last year to 170 this year.

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Unionized nurses at Rady Children’s Hospital reached a tentative contract agreement with the hospital yesterday (Wednesday) .

The agreement comes days before more than 16-hundred employees at Rady were planning to go on strike because of failed negotiations between the hospital and the union.

United Nurses of Children’s Hospital Teamsters Local 16-99 is representing the nurses.

Union leaders say it’s “the best contract offer in decades.”

It includes a one-thousand-dollar bonus for every registered nurse in the bargaining unit.

The new contract will go to the union membership for a ratification vote today (Thursday).

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The city of San Diego had a drop in violent crimes during the first half of this year, compared to the same time last year.

That’s according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association’s mid-year Violent Crime Report.

The city had 18 homicides in the first six months of the year, compared to 34 during the first half of 20-23.

There was also a drop in reported rapes, from 183 to 151.

Robberies and aggravated assaults also decreased between last year and this year.

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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

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As prosecutors in San Diego plan a crackdown on wage theft, they’re targeting employers that withhold overtime pay.

Metro reporter Andrew Bowen says some employees falsely assume they’re not eligible for overtime.

AB: The majority of people who work more than eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, should get time and a half pay. Kyra Greene is executive director of the Center on Policy Initiatives. In a survey of more than 800 employees in San Diego County, the think tank found about a quarter had missed out on overtime pay at some point in the past year. KG: “Sometimes when employees reach that eight-hour mark, their employer just tells them, ‘You have to clock out now and work off the clock.” And so that is actually two violations, because any work off the clock is illegal. And anytime you’re not paid overtime for additional hours, that’s a different violation.” AB: Even salaried employees can be entitled to overtime pay if they earn less than $66,560 per year. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

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Journalist Bill Moyers once said that, “the quality of democracy and the quality of journalism are deeply entwined.”

Well, local news outlets are on life support across the country while democracy itself is on the ballot in the November presidential election.

Investigative reporter Amita Sharma spoke with Evening Edition fill-in anchor John Carroll to discuss two bills in the California legislature, that would require search engines and social media platforms to compensate outlets for accessing their news content.

1. Amita, tell me about the two bills. The first bill, AB 886, would mandate that a platform – whether social media or search engines — compensate news websites for accessing their stories, possibly through a set fee or an amount set by negotiation. The bill would require that 70 percent of those fees be used toward keeping news reporting jobs in California. The second is Senate Bill 1327. This is an interesting one.It would force the big platforms to pay a tax for the data they collect on all of us..users..and that tax money would be handed over to news organizations through a tax credit, again for employing news reporters. 2. Amita, the goal here is to throw a lifeline to journalism in the state, in fact SB 886 is called the California Preservation Act. You’ve written extensively about the shrinkage of local news coverage…what are supporters of the bill hoping for here? They’re hoping it stems the bleeding…a little context…Since 2005, the United States has lost an average of two newspapers a week, according to researchers at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism…there are around 6,000 newspapers left in the country and most of them are weeklies. And in California, here’s a little bit more background on just how big a financial hit newspapers have taken…Over the past 10 years, advertising at newspapers has plummeted 66 percent…newsroom staff has sunk 44 percent…you and I have been around for a long time John…if you look at the UT…20 years ago, it had a newsroom of 400 people…today that staff has dwindled to about 50 . Look at the LA Times, The Orange County Register, the Riverside Press Enterprise…those papers are all mere shells of what they once were. The massive hit to newspapers has left vast swaths of news deserts or coverage so inadequate, it’s irrelevant…this has huge implications for democracy…if you don’t have journalists digging up the truth, shining a light on corruption..or as Scott Lewis at Voice of San Diego would say…sharing the story of your community, you’re out of touch with your own environment. You’re left with no idea on what government is doing in your name, you don’t know what business is doing, and you don’t know how to vote…studies show that voting dips when local news shrinks…this is why Brittney Barsotti, general counsel for the California News Publishers Association says the organization is co-sponsoring SB 886. Brittney Barsotti/General Counsel of CNPA “We have a number of small publications that have come out in support as well as labor. They came out, they vote unanimously to support AB 886 because of the requirements that the money go to journalism jobs. As one of my colleagues there says, When management and labor are aligned on something, you should really pay attention. That means that this bill is going to be really critical.” 3. What does Google have to say about all of this? A company spokesperson declined an interview but did send me a write-up on testimony on the issue offered by google executive Jaffer Zaidi to the California Senate Judiciary Committee in June. in that testimony, he said, while Google shares the goal of preserving local news coverage, it believes SB 886 is the wrong approach and will have damaging consequences…and that Google’s “surfacing links to news content is not commercially lucrative for Google.” What happens next? Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, who authored SB 886, is currently in negotiations on the bill and her spokesperson told me this week that the bill will be heard in Senate Appropriations on Thursday. As for SB 1327, I have no update other than I’ve been told that it’s been voted out of the Senate and is in the assembly now. Amita, thank you. Thank you John.

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San Diegans got their first look at a sculpture in Balboa Park that symbolizes how San Diego and Tijuana became this year’s World Design Capital.

Reporter Thomas Fudge says the event showcases architecture and urban planning.

The pavilion in Balboa Park is a symbol and a gathering space. San Diego city councilman Raul Campillo was an early supporter of World Design Capital 2024. He says the inclusion of two cities this year is emblematic of life in the region. “I think the idea that we’re a binational region that operates as one organism rather than two separate cities in two separate countries is going to be achieved here… I think a lot of people don’t realize that the educational institutions on both sides of the border exchange a lot of ideas, a lot of technology, a lot of jobs.” The World Design Capital is a recognition and celebration of the power of design in a community. Past capitals have included Mexico City and Seoul South Korea. San Diego-Tijuiana was the first joint application in the program’s history. A list of events linked to World Design Capital, 2024 can be found on it’s website, wdc2024.org. SOQ.

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It’s not every day you get a chance to make your dreams come true.

But in Tijuana, this week hundreds of young soccer players got that rare opportunity.

Border reporter Gustavo Solis went to a tryout for the youth academy for San Diego’s new Major League Soccer team.

Decent save and generic soccer sounds This is about as high stakes as you can get for youth soccer.  gol to finish out the session These kids are trying out to be part of San Diego’s new Major League Soccer team – San Diego FC. The team will start playing at Snapdragon Stadium next year. Jackson Scott, defender, Chula Vista “I’m trying out cause hopefully I can make the team and grow in soccer.” Devin Parella, defender, Tijuana “It’s really cool actually. I love it. I hope I can make it. I’m going to give it my all and try.” David Renteria, goalie, Ensenada “Es mi sueno y seria maravillos cumplirlo.” This is my dream, and it would be marvelous to make it happen. This is one of many tryouts and tournaments San Diego FC scouts will be attending over the next few months in San Diego and Tijuana. They’ll evaluate more than 20,000 players, with only 30 moving on to join the team’s youth academy El Cajon. “These kind of events, for sure, we’re looking for the top players.” That’s Rafael Calderon, one of the team’s scouts. “At the end, we’re looking for players. This is not rocket science, it’s soccer. And in both sides, because we get the players super young, we get the time to develop them to go to the next level.” About 1,000 kids – born between 2010 and 2014 – registered for the open tryout in Tijuana on Monday. That this is happening south of the border is historic. So says Joaquin Escoto, who runs San Diego FC’s youth academy program. “We are in our first ever tryout, open tryout in Mexico which starts in Tijuana. We’re super excited, it’s the first team that any MLS team comes to scout in Mexico. For us, it’s a lot of responsibility but we want to give opportunities to any kid in Tijuana to come play for San Diego FC.” That’s because Major League Soccer limits each team to a specific geographic area from which they can develop youth players. And San Diego FC is the only MLS team with an assigned area that includes Mexico. “I think it’s definitely a competitive advantage. It’s also unique and a huge opportunity for us and for anybody in Mexico.” Think of the academy as a farm system where the ultimate goal is to develop talented youngsters into MLS players. San Diego’s academy will be free to the lucky few who are selected. Escoto says that includes training, education, and room and board. Players from Tijuana will get student visas to live and study in the facility. “Once you come into our academy, you’re either going to be a professional soccer player or you’re going to go to a top school in the NCAA.” It’s also a dream come true for parents. Arturo Jimenez Crus drove from Los Angeles to watch the Tijuana tryout. “We hear that they’re providing school and everything so that’s like a plus for us. So yea, we’re excited.” He even brought grandma and grandpa along. Carlos’ phone broll of parents cheering. Vamos Armando! “I think they’re doing a great thing. Everybody deserves a chance.” After a few hours Monday morning, scouts began selecting players for the next round of tryouts. Those chosen to move on were presented with bright red wristbands with the letters VIP printed on them. Thiago runs by and says papa! Showing off the tag Thiago Alica Morales was one of them. The 11-year-old attacking player gave his dad a big hug after hearing the news. “Pues bien padre. Me siento super emocionado.” Then he called mom. Hola ma Gustavo Solis, KPBS News.

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Last month, we told you about two Lincoln High sumo wrestlers who qualified for the world championship in Poland, but couldn’t afford to go.

Reporter Katie Hyson says since then, community members gave well over 10-thousand-dollars.

At first it was going to be a stressful event because we didn’t know if we would have enough. Sumo coach Christina Griffin-Jones. But you know what? I should have had more faith in San Diego and the people who care about equity and access for sports. She says the community’s response was a healing journey for the team. And it freed them to focus on training. Such a valuable lesson to teach young folks that you can do anything anywhere as long as you have that love and care for self and that supportive community. One of the wrestlers, Jaheim Galeana, couldn’t get his passport in time to compete. But he will be there to cheer on fellow Hornet Maily Lo. They fly out September third. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.

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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Thursday.