LA JOLLA – Recent King Tides in La Jolla and the crowds they drew also spotlighted a growing concern: Beachcombers checking out the tide pools at extreme low tide, damaging or destroying wildlife.

The low tides led to numerous transgressions of what might be termed proper “tide pool protocol,” as people were witnessed picking up marine life, along with bringing buckets and stealing lobsters and crabs. Both children and adults were seen walking on and crushing crustaceans.

So, what exactly are the dos and don’ts of proper conduct while tide pooling?

Cari Paulenich, director of education at Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, offered a few important tips to keep in mind to protect yourself — and the wildlife you’re viewing — when visiting tide pools.

“Watch your step and stay alert for incoming waves and make sure you aren’t stepping on any animals,” Paulenich said. “Anemones can look like small piles of shells when they’re exposed to air, and other creatures love to hide among the seaweed. Stick to stepping on sandy spots or bare rocks to avoid slippery algae and to prevent disturbing these fascinating animals.”

Added Paulenich: “Many tide pool animals use rocks and shells as a habitat, so it’s best not to move them. Your eyes are your best tools — look for small movements and little details. The most exciting discoveries can easily go unnoticed. Take your time and tread lightly, especially during busy tide pooling days.”

Cypress Hansen, who owns and operates North Star Naturalist, which offers guided nature tours including at La Jolla’s tide pools, warned that coastal wildlife needs — and deserves — greater protection.

“The tidepools are extremely rare, extremely biodiverse, and now, extremely popular,” she said. “Rocky intertidal zones occupy just five square miles across all of California. Yet they contain some of the highest biodiversity of any habitat in the state.”

Consequently, noted Hansen, “This tiny strip of life is now overwhelmed by unprecedented visitation, and there is next to no monitoring and enforcement.”

Hansen argued that signage alone will not protect the tide pools.

“The most realistic solution is a permanent, trained volunteer corps specifically for the tide pools — educating visitors in real time on the habitat’s fragility and calling in violations when needed,” she said.

“The goal is sustainable exploration — an understanding that each of our footsteps contributes to a collective pressure on this rare habitat.” 

During Gov. Gavin Newsom’s final annual address to the Legislature this week, he announced that the state’s principal homelessness program will get $500 million. 

That’s half the $1 billion that has been allocated for the program annually since 2019, reports our Nadia Lathan, except for this year when it was gutted completely. 

Service providers were disappointed by the news. Newsom previously suggested he needs to see more results before committing more dollars. 

But Mayor Todd Gloria is pushing hard to get that cash. He was in Sacramento last week rallying lawmakers to support restoring the funding, Lathan writes. 

Read more in the Sacramento Report here. 

Gloria is giving his State of the City address this week. We’ll have more deets and a summary for you later this week. 

Last year, he gave his speech from City Hall and declared that this was the “era of austerity” as city leaders faced a $350 million budget deficit. Our Mariana Martínez Barba looked out how the mayor’s plans to “right-size” the ship turned out in 2025. 

Read more here. 

VOSD Podcast: How About Them Parking Fees?

Our podcast crew is back for the new year, and boy has it been a busy controversial week for parking. The city of San Diego rolled out its parking program in Balboa Park last week and backlash from the public and City Council was swift. 

While some councilmembers wanted the mayor to suspend the fees, he said that wasn’t an option. It all went down in a memo war. The crew digs explains what this means for the city’s budget. 

Also on the podcast, the latest on the legal debacle between the city and people living in their RVs in Mission Bay. The city opened a safe parking lot, H Barracks, in May that would allow police to start ticketing vehicle dwellers in the area. But some people say H Barracks isn’t a viable option for everyone.

Listen to the Podcast here.

In Other News

• Fundraising for San Diego City Council races is kicking into high gear, with seats up for grabs in Districts 2 and 8. The possible entry of former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey could shake things up in District 2. (Union-Tribune)
• Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Program, and other homelessness programs are facing big cuts this year. San Diegans who rely on food assistance, and immigrants who can no longer qualify for the state’s low-cost insurance could be some of the hardest hit. (inewsource)
• Unemployment across the region went down in November after holiday retail hiring brought the unemployment rate down from 4.9 percent to 4.6 percent. (Union-Tribune)

The Morning Report was written by Mariana Martínez Barba. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña. 

Josh Allen came into this Super Bowl tournament as the most capable quarterback in the 14-team field.He showed it Sunday.

Allen made top-tier plays as a passer, rusher and thinker — none better than on a late-game touchdown drive for the lead, and the Bills held for a 27-24 win against the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

The NFL is flexing its theatrical muscles in this wild-card round.

Saturday, league MVP candidate Matthew Stafford drove the Rams to a 34-31 road win after the Panthers, 10 1/2-point underdogs, took their second fourth-quarter lead. Hours later as the Bears and Packers reprised their century-plus rivalry, QB Caleb Williams’ playmaking fueled a 25-point fourth quarter in Chicago’s 31-27 homefield win.

Allen’s performance stood as the best, though, and made it six straight years Buffalo (13-5) has won a playoff game.

Start with his rushing prowess.

At 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, bullish, quick and agile, the 29-year-old stands as the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing TDs by a quarterback.

He can’t be stopped short on most sneaks. Pass-rushers detest him, knowing he can break their tackles or get off passes in a blink.

Keep this in mind: if they charge at him too fast, he’ll sidestep them.

Allen’s rushing and rushing threat bled out the Jaguars.

Where the North Florida team couldn’t stop him from bulling for two 1-yard touchdowns and several other other successful sneaks, Bills defenders stopped quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s fourth-and-2 rush at their 8.

The Jags (13-5) found Allen too adept as a passer, too. He went 28 for 35 for 273 yards without a turnover. He hit former University of San Diego tight end Dalton Kincaid for a 15-yard touchdown — one of four TDs in the game’s fourth quarter.

The decisive 66-yard drive Allen that capped with his second rushing TD, putting the Bills ahead by four points with 64 seconds left, featured one of his best career throws, a 36-yard completion to Brandin Cooks.

A San Diego County product had a good look at Allen on that first-down play.

Though he got a free run as a blitzer, Chula Vista’s Devin Lloyd had to respect Allen’s evasivenes. The Otay Ranch High School alum raised his arms without jumping, nor could he approach at max speed.

Though Cooks hadn’t run past the man covering him, Allen chose to throw the ball downfield ahead of him. The QB was able to flick it some 45 yards, despite stepping back from Lloyd and lacking leverage.

Cooks ran under it and gathered it.

Nixing the Jaguars’ comeback bid on the first snap, Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White broke up Lawrence’s accurate pass and safety Cole Bishop caught the deflection.

It was Allen’s seventh win in 13 playoff games.

For many reasons, he hasn’t reached a Super Bowl. He was frenetic in his first playoff game, a loss at Houston five years ago. He was sensational a year later, only for the Bills to collapse on defense — the infamous “13 seconds” loss to the Chiefs.

The great Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have dealt him four playoff losses, and Joe Burrow and the Bengals got him en route to the Super Bowl.

With Mahomes and Burrow absent from this postseason, it’s tempting to say the door has opened wider for Allen — but that’s too simplistic. Allen outplayed Mahomes in one playoff loss. The Bengals ran for 172 yards at snowy Buffalo.

Though this Bills’ defense remains suspect against the run and lost a good safety Sunday in Jordan Poyer, Allen looks close to peak form, notwithstanding medical checks Sunday to his throwing hand, head and a knee.

49ers fallout

By beating the Eagles 23-19 on Sunday, the 49ers may have helped their top rivals.

The Seahawks will face a 49ers team hit hard by injury instead of drawing the healthier Rams.

Two weeks ago, the Seahawks smothered the Niners in Santa Clara, 13-3. George Kittle will sit out the rematch. An Achilles’ tendon injury has ended the All-Pro tight end’s postseason.

The Niners get an A+ for winning. Coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense allowed no second-half touchdowns.

Playcaller Kyle Shanahan’s gadget play went for a 29-yard, go-ahead TD to open the fourth quarter. Receiver Jauan Jennings threw to Christian McCaffrey after the fake suckered Reed Blankenship, a veteran safety.

The Eagles, my preseason pick to win the Super Bowl, got two interceptions from Quinyon Mitchell. But they scored just 19 points off 72 plays, a fitting end to the offense’s ugly season.

Eagles All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson didn’t play. Defensive star Jordan Davis went down late. But the defending champs couldn’t match the Niners’ resourcefulness. A shakeup within Philly’s offensive staff seems likely.

Patriots-Chargers

Jesse Minter’s defense looked well-prepared early against a Pats team that averaged 28.8 points per game, second-best in the NFL.

Several Chargers players had traction problems on New England’s synthetic field.

A late first-half non-call on a Patriots blow to Justin Herbert’s head was mystifying. The Chargers stood to break a 3-3 tie with those 15 yards.