Morning Report: Everyone Is Solving the TJ River Crisis
EM - News Moderator 
Everyone is trying to make solving the Tijuana River sewage crisis happen.
As we told you yesterday, a group is pushing a county-wide sales tax to fund solutions. And now, another agreement (gasp) has been signed between United States and Mexican officials to solidify their ongoing work toward 100 percent solving the crisis.
The agreement, known as Minute 333, was negotiated and signed in record time, or “Trump Speed” according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Reuters reports that the two countries have agreed to infrastructure projects, research and enhanced monitoring of water quality. Mexico has also committed to developing an infrastructure master plan for Tijuana.
Related: The Tijuana sewage crisis is more than a water quality issue, as many residents in the South Bay know. Earlier this month, our environment reporter MacKenzie Elmer explained how often residents are exposed to toxic gas from the river. Read the story here if you missed it.
Is Commercial Real Estate Downtown Dead?
A jarring bit of news: The largest landlord of commercial real estate in downtown has been unloading his holdings at a discounted rate since 2024, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The news is disconcerting because it signals a lack of faith in the downtown commercial real estate market. Commercial buildings in that part of town already have a 35 percent vacancy rate.
Donald Bren is the second wealthiest real estate mogul in the United States and worth roughly $19 billion, according to one list. He launched his empire in the 1970’s by buying up 93,000 acres of Orange County with a group of investors and has a “clairvoyance” for when to get in and out of markets, the Journal reported.
“Now, his vote of no-confidence tells other downtown property investors that Bren expects the near-record-high office vacancies and other problems could endure for years,” the Journal writes.
Border Report: New Border Lines Will Fast Track Crossings for College Students
Starting next year, college students will have access to new dedicated lines Otay Mesa and San Ysidro that will fast-track border crossings into San Diego. The program will begin accepting applications in late January.
The new lane is the result of the work of a consortium of government officials, educational institutions and leaders of private organizations. Its goal is to increase cross-border collaboration among colleges, whether that be collaborating on research or even creating dual-degree programs between colleges on opposite sides of the border.
Newly Homeless San Diegans Outnumbered Newly Housed in November
The number of people becoming homeless in San Diego County once again outpaced the number moving into homes in November. The Regional Task Force on Homelessness reports that 1,051 people became homeless for the first time and 1,021 exited homelessness. Your monthly reminder: For most of the last few years, local efforts to house homeless residents haven’t kept up with the flood of people losing their homes. That equation must change to dramatically reduce homelessness.
ICYMI: Our Lisa Halverstadt shared some good news on this homelessness math problem last week. Task Force data over the past year showed that the gap between newly housed and newly homeless San Diegans is narrowing.
In Other News
- Activists and family members of a homeless woman who died days after being pulled from a ditch in Lemon Grove are disputing her cause of death, pointing the finger at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office for not acting sooner despite calls. (Union-Tribune)
- San Diego County’s Sheriff’s Office is finally phasing out triple bunk cells in its notoriously deadly jails cited in the deaths of multiple detainees after years of delay. (Union-Tribune)
- Our editor Scott Lewis joined KPBS to explain the county’s plan to dip into its reserves for employee bonuses. Watch here.
- A former police officer admitted to stealing funds from a school crossing guard program. He used the money to purchase tires and clothes, prosecutors said. (NBC 7)
The Morning Report was written by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña, Jakob McWhinney and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
The post Morning Report: Everyone Is Solving the TJ River Crisis appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
