Earlier this year, our Public Matters partners at inewsource revealed how San Diego property owners can obtain a short-term rental license even after illegally evicting a tenant.
It’s happening because of a loophole in the law, inewsource reported.
The loophole relates to an action called no-fault eviction. This type of eviction is unrelated to a tenant’s behavior. State law allows property owners to conduct these types of evictions for specific reasons, whether they want to exit the rental market or conduct a big renovation.
One San Diegan spoke with inewsource about how they received a no-fault eviction because new property owners were moving in. But less than 90 days after their move-out date, the property owner obtained a short-term rental license from the city of San Diego.
Four months later, not much has changed. Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, who led the 2023 charge to regulate short-term rentals, plans to bring amendments to a committee meeting next month. But neither her or her staff have answered questions about the loophole and how they will fix it.
Read the full story here.
SDG&E Celebrates Its Solar Customers After Trying to Block Plug-In Systems
Solar panels are seen in a housing development in California on Feb. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
Less than 24 hours after we reported San Diego Gas and Electric had walked back claims its experts made before lawmakers about the safety of solar, the company published a press release celebrating rooftop solar adoption.
State lawmakers are considering whether to legalize solar panels that are small, cheap and easy enough for renters to use on their balconies. But an SDG&E representative warned the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee about multiple incidents where solar systems had caused dangerous situations for their workers.
When Voice of San Diego’s MacKenzie Elmer asked SDG&E to explain Monday, the company said that what the representative shared was a “generalized example” and not a reference to a specific incident.
Then on Tuesday the company issued a press release taking credit for the high rate of rooftop solar adoption by its customers. It also pledged to make interconnecting solar to the grid a swift process – just around three days.
“The energy system is changing because our customers are leading that change,” wrote Scott Crider, president of SDG&E. “Our responsibility is to help the grid evolve with them.”
It’s not news that San Diego County has the highest concentration of solar power in the state. It’s been that way for years.
And many San Diegans turn to rooftop solar hoping to escape the climbing cost of energy. SDG&E’s electric prices are some of the most expensive in the country.
SDG&E is registered against the plug-in solar bill being led by State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from the Bay Area.
Congressional Candidate Marni von Wilpert on Cancer Surgery
San Diego councilmember and U.S. congressional candidate Marni von Wilpert said she underwent a “successful” surgery last week, after a routine mammogram detected early-stage breast cancer.
Von Wilpert added that her prognosis “is excellent” after the surgery and “showed no further abnormalities or spread.”
She also said she will continue to campaign for Congress full-time and fulfill her councilmember duties throughout her ongoing treatment.
Read the full story here.
Song of the Month
Comedown Lounge, “Everything, Always”: It may be heating up, but it’s never too warm for a lil’ cry. Last month, the (appropriately named) local indie rockers Comedown Lounge released “Everything, Always,” a dirge and emo-tinged ode to just kinda’ feeling sorta’ shitty and the discombobulation of human intimacy. Lead singer Emerald Forrest’s drawling vocals really sell the tune.
Like what you hear? Check out Comedown Lounge on Friday, July 10. They put on an excellent live show, fwiw.
In Other News
The San Diego Humane Society is urging San Diegans who may have lost their pet during Fourth of July celebrations to check local shelter listings. The organization says they took in more than 100 pets as of Monday and have only reunited 22 with their owners. (NBC San Diego)
San Diego County has confirmed its first case of locally acquired Chagas disease. The County began requiring local reporting of the illness in 2024, but only four of 22 reported cases have been confirmed since then. (Union-Tribune)
The San Diego City Council voted on Monday to move forward with a housing project nearly a decade in the making that would bring 5,100 units to mostly city-owned land in Otay Mesa. The approval came despite stiff opposition from local landowners. (NBC San Diego)
A new institute at UC San Diego will study how to integrate AI into healthcare systems. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Jakob McWhinney, Mariana Martínez Barba and MacKenzie Elmer. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
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