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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria takes big lead toward November in early election results

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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria takes big lead toward November in early election results


SAN DIEGO (CNS) – San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria held a nearly 30-point lead Wednesday over his closest challenger, taking a major step in his reelection campaign.

The mayor faces four challengers, and the top two finishers in the race will head to a November runoff.

With early returns tallied, Gloria pulled in 52.5% of the early results, followed by 23.4% from San Diego police officer Larry Turner and 13.8% from Geneviéve Jones-Wright, an attorney/professor/nonprofit executive.

Gloria seeks to defend his incumbency after initially being elected in 2020, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn.

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His term has been a challenging one, as San Diego faced a slew of problems, including increasing homelessness and housing costs, the rising threat of fentanyl and most recently, questions about the city’s infrastructure following the Jan. 22 storms.

“(Gloria) is committed to tackling San Diego’s most pressing issues — public safety, homelessness, housing and infrastructure,” according to his campaign website. “Over the past three years, his administration has successfully placed more than 3,600 people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing and more than doubled shelter options. From new fire stations to improved libraries and repaired sidewalks, the evidence of (Gloria’s) commitment to the people of San Diego can be found right in your own neighborhood.”

He served two terms on the San Diego City Council and was elected City Council president in 2012. Gloria took over as interim mayor upon the resignation of Bob Filner, then served in the Assembly from 2016-2020.

Turner decries what he calls Gloria’s lack of results.

“This crisis will be handled in the first 180 days of my tenure,” he said about the homelessness issue. “I will immediately direct the building of 5,000 shelter beds with true resources that address mental health and addiction. I will identify those on the verge of homelessness and provide help. I will empower police to end the violent criminal element that hides amongst the homeless.

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“The only thing stopping us from solving this crisis is the lack of will and courage,” he said. “No more half measures.”

Turner has also put an emphasis on improving infrastructure, using the San Diego Convention Center year-round as an economic engine, keeping small businesses in San Diego, focusing less on bike lanes in transit, an expedited route for undocumented people to become Americans and increased police recruitment and presence.

Turner’s candidacy has been challenged in a lawsuit contending he was not a resident or registered voter in the city of San Diego 30 days prior to filing his nomination papers, as required. The lawsuit alleges that Turner was primarily living in El Cajon during that period.

Turner has denied the allegations. A statement from his campaign states that he lived in Bonsall in parts of 2016 and 2017, and between 2020 and early 2023 his family stayed in Alpine, but he otherwise has lived in San Diego. Turner said that during the period in question he was living in East Village, but has since moved to Ocean Beach.

A judge has ruled the suit will not move forward unless Turner is one of the top-two vote getters.

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In the hypothetical event of Turner receiving the most or second-most votes in the primary election and subsequently being disqualified, the third- place vote-getter would receive his spot on the November ballot.

Another court hearing is set in the case for March 29.

Jones-Wright is an adjunct professor, was a member of the San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention and serves as the founding executive director of Community Advocates for Just and Moral Governance.

“San Diego deserves a mayor who will lead our city with vision and a plan to tackle our most pressing issues,” her campaign website reads. “As mayor, I will lead a city that works for everyone by creating pathways for opportunities for all San Diegans.”

Her priorities include building “pathways to housing and homeownership for all San Diegans,” making all neighborhoods clean and safe and increasing transparency at City Hall.

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Jane Glasson, a special education assistant, says her campaign is focused on supporting homeowners and renters. She had received 6.5% of the vote on Election Night.

Also seeking the office is Dan Smiechowski, a real estate professional and frequent commenter at City Council meetings. He currently holds 3.8% of the vote.

Copyright 2024, City News Service, Inc.





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San Diego, CA

Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks

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Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks


SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Military bases in San Diego County and nationwide have increased security measures due to last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting traffic delays near base entrances, enhanced ID checks and access restrictions.

The Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado ports three aircraft carriers, including the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, which led some of the first-wave attacks on Saturday.

Naval Base Coronado warned motorists of possible traffic delays at all base entry points due to the increased security measures.

Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.

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The U.S. operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” and Israeli operation, “Raging Lion,” began striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.

As of Tuesday, at least six U.S. service members had been killed in action.

The strikes also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.

Iran’s offensive forces claimed to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, but according to an X post from U.S central Command, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

Those with concerns regarding the heightened security can contact San Diego County’s Office of Emergency Services at 858-565-3490 or oes@sdcounty.ca.gov.

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Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.





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SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

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SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Less than 3 weeks after the San Diego Unified School District finalized a new contract with teachers, the school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with layoff notices for other district employees.

The layoffs affect classified employees — workers who are employed by the district but are not teachers and are not certified. That includes bus drivers, custodians, special education and teacher aides, and cafeteria workers.

The district says it is eliminating 221 positions — 133 that are currently filled and 88 that are vacant — to save $19 million and help address a projected $47 million deficit for the next fiscal year.

Preliminary layoff notices will go out on March 15, with final notices by May 15.

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The district estimates about 200 classified employees will receive preliminary notices, but of them, about 70 are expected to lose their jobs based on union-negotiated bumping rules.

Bumping allows employees with more seniority to move into another position in the same classification, thereby “bumping” a less senior employee out of that role.

Lupe Murray, an early childhood special education parafacilitator with the district, said the news came as a shock after the teacher strike was called off.

“When the strike was called off, I’m like, ‘Yes!’ So then when I got the email from the Superintendent, I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ So, I think everyone was shocked,” Murray said.

The district says it sends out annual layoff notices, as all districts in the state do.

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Before Tuesday’s board meeting, classified employees rallied outside, made up of CSEA (California School Employees Association) Chapters OTBS 788, Paraeducators 759, and OSS 724. They were joined by parents, students, and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Miguel Arellano, a paraeducator independence facilitator with San Diego Unified and a representative of San Diego Paraeducators Cahpter 759.

“What do we want? No layoffs! When do we want it? Now!” the crowd chanted.

Arellano said he felt compelled to act when he learned about the potential layoffs.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I need to speak up. I need to protect these people,” Arellano said.

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Inside the meeting, the board heard emotional, at times tearful testimony from classified employees before voting unanimously to move forward with the layoff schedule.

Superintendent Fabi Bagula said the district has tried to protect classrooms from the cuts.

“We have tried our best to only, I mean, to not touch the school. Or the classroom. But now it’s at the point where it’s getting a little bit harder,” Bagula said. “What I’m still hoping, or what I’m still working toward, because we’re still in negotiations, is that we’re able to actually come to a win-win, where there’s positions and availability and maybe even promotions for folks that are impacted.”

Arellano warned the layoffs could have a direct impact on students.

“We are already spread thin, so, with more of a case load, it’s going to be impossible to be able to service all the students that we need to have,” Arellano said.

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Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on InstagramFacebook, and Twitter.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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Scripps Oceanography granted $15M for deep sea, glacier science

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Scripps Oceanography granted M for deep sea, glacier science


The Fund for Science and Technology, a new private foundation, granted Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego $15 million for ocean science Tuesday.

FFST, funded by the estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, was started in 2025 with a commitment to invest at least $500 million over four years to “propel transformative science and technology for people and the planet.”

“Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is pushing boundaries for exploration and discovery across the global ocean,” Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said. “This visionary support from the Fund for Science and Technology will enable Scripps researchers to advance our understanding of our planet, which has meaningful implications for communities around the world.”

The grant, the largest of its kind since Scripps joined UCSD in 1960, will go toward research in three areas: monitoring of environmental DNA and other biomolecules in marine ecosystems, adding to the Argo network of ocean observing robots, and enhancing the study of ocean conditions beneath Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier.”

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Scripps Institution of Oceanography has used Argo floats for more than two decades to track climate impacts in our oceans. NBC 7 meteorologist Greg Bledsoe reports.

“The Fund for Science and Technology was created to support transformational science in the search of answers to some of the planet’s most complex questions,” said Dr. Lynda Stuart, president and CEO at the fund. “Scripps has a long tradition of leadership at the frontiers of ocean and climate science, and this work builds on that legacy — strengthening the tools and insights needed to understand our environment at a truly global and unprecedented scale.”

Scripps Director Emeritus Margaret Leinen will use a portion of the grant in her analysis of eDNA — free-floating fragments of DNA shed by organisms into the environment — in understudied parts of the ocean to collect crucial baseline data on marine organisms, according to a statement from Scripps.

“In many regions, we know very little about the microbial communities that form the base of the ocean food web or that make deep sea ecosystems so unique,” Leinen said. “Without data, we can’t predict how these communities are going to respond to climate change or what the consequences might be. That’s a vulnerability — and this funding will help us begin to address it.”

Using autonomous samplers that can collect ocean water for eDNA analysis, as well as conventional sampling, scientists will use tools to “reveal the biology of the open ocean and polar regions.”

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According to Scripps, the international Argo program has more than 4,000 floats that drift with currents and periodically dive to measure temperature, salinity and pressure. Standard floats can record data up to depths of 2,000 meters (6,560 feet), while newer Deep Argo floats can dive to 6,000 meters (19,685 feet).

The grant funding announced Tuesday will allow for Scripps to deploy around 50 Deep Argo floats along with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

Sarah Purkey, physical oceanographer at Scripps and Argo lead, said this leap forward in deep ocean monitoring comes at a crucial time because the deep sea has warmed faster than expected over the last two decades.

Thwaites Glacier is Antarctica’s largest collapsing glacier and contains enough ice to raise global sea level by roughly two feet if it were to collapse entirely. According to Scripps, prior expeditions led by scientist Jamin Greenbaum discovered anomalously warm water beneath the glacier’s ice shelf — contributing to melting from below. Greenbaum now seeks to collect water samples and other measurements from beneath Thwaites’ ice tongue to disentangle the drivers of its rapid melting.

This season’s Antarctic fieldwork will “test hypotheses about the drivers of Thwaites’ rapid melt with implications for sea-level rise projections,” the statement from Scripps said.

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“The ocean holds answers to some of the most pressing questions about our planet’s future, but only if we can observe it,” said Meenakshi Wadhwa, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and vice chancellor for marine sciences at UCSD. “This historic grant will help ocean scientists bring new tools and approaches to parts of the ocean we’ve barely begun to explore.”



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