Morning Report: Keeping Orphan Bear Cubs Wild
EM - News Moderator 
This post has been updated.
Two orphaned black bear cubs are currently being raised in total silence at the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.
The center is one of only three in California that can re-release bears into the wild.
The bears’ caretakers wear bear masks and fur coats to make sure the cubs never realize they are human. It is a way to give the cubs a chance at staying wild — something their mother, known to locals as Blondie, didn’t have. Blondie was euthanized earlier this month after swiping at a person.
Blondie was most likely “habituated” to people, as our MacKenzie Elmer reports. That’s bad for both bears and people for a lot of reasons. Research shows that human-accustomed bears are more likely to be killed by humans. They’re also more of a danger to humans.
Blondie lived in Monrovia, where many residents feel they have a special relationship with the bear population, Elmer reports.
For now, the staff at Romana’s Wildlife Center won’t even give the cubs names, hoping to prevent any attachment that could get in the way of their release down the road.
San Diego Unified Teachers Approve New Contract
Despite weeks of controversy, San Diego Unified teachers voted overwhelmingly to approve a contract some had linked to the layoffs of fellow district staff. Of the nearly 5,000 teachers to vote, 93 percent voted in favor of the agreement.
It’s not hard to see why. The contract provided five percent raises over the next two years, a promise no teachers would be laid off, increased stipends for special education staff with oversized caseloads, and ended the unpopular practice of excessing.
“Educators will continue organizing to ensure our students have what they need and deserve. That includes holding our local district leaders accountable, but it also means fighting together for more funds at the state and national level,” union President Kyle Weinberg wrote in a statement.
The contract was at the center of a contentious leadership battle. Some union rivals have accused Weinberg of misleading members and cutting other district unions from the negotiation process. The conflict even led the union’s board to approve a resolution of no confidence in Weinberg, who is heading into a runoff vote for a third term.
- School Renaming: The San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees will meet at the Cesar Chavez Continuing Education Campus on Monday, April 6 to discuss renaming the campus following a New York Times report detailing sexual misconduct allegations against Chavez. The meeting will be at 4 p.m. in the building’s multipurpose room.
In Other News
- The empty home tax can no longer be called the empty home tax, a judge ruled last week. The measure will now appear on June ballots as the “non-primary” home tax. The judge in the case said the homes aren’t necessarily “empty,” even if they are occupied less than half the year. (FOX 5 & KUSI)
- Related: The U-T Editorial Board supported the judge’s decision, calling the previous title “propaganda.” The board members even took a not-very-veiled shot at Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera’s law degree, because it is from California Western and not Harvard. Oh, the shame! (Union-Tribune)
- The region’s nonprofit service providers are bracing for thousands of San Diego immigrants to lose Cal Fresh, or SNAP, benefits starting April 1. The new mandate from the Trump administration stops SNAP benefits for many legal immigrants, including asylum seekers and refugees. (Union-Tribune)
- Most San Diego Airport security officers received at least half a paycheck on Monday because of an emergency order the Trump administration issued last week. TSA lines at the airport have also slightly improved. (Union-Tribune)
- The Department of Justice is suing the parent company of SeaWorld for banning wheeled walkers with seats at its parks, claiming it’s a violation of civil rights laws and discriminates against people with disabilities. (KPBS)
- A record 94,000 people participated in different “No Kings” protests through San Diego County over the weekend. (KPBS)
The Morning Report was written by Tigist Layne and Jakob McWhinney. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.
Correction: This post previously misstated the time and nature of a meeting that would be held to discuss the renaming of the San Diego Community College District Cesar Chavez campus.
The post Morning Report: Keeping Orphan Bear Cubs Wild appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
