April 28, 2026 (San Diego) – This week’s Roundup includes video of the governor candidates’ debate, funding cuts to local arts, a tax the billionaire measure that’s qualified for the ballot, speed warnings in El Cajon, a court strikes down a California law regarding ICE agents, and more.
LOCAL
- Gloria’s arts cuts threaten more than museums — street fairs, parades and neighborhood fests are all on the line (Times of San Diego)
- Automated speed warning system coming to El Cajon (San Diego Union-Tribune)
- San Diego-Based Public Square Coffee’s “Temporary” Closure Faces New Questions As Eviction Notice, Wage Claims And Internal Fallout Surface (Sandiegoville)
- SeaWorld wants to ditch fireworks and replace them with drones (KPBS)
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria Turns To Influencers After Balboa Park Parking Backlash, Quietly Launches Instagram PR Blitz (Sandiegoville)
- San Diego Water Authority agrees to water delivery deal with another Riverside agency (KPBS)
STATE
- California Governor’s Debate – Full Broadcast (KTLA)
- Billionaire-tax backers say they have enough signatures — times two — to qualify for ballot (L.A. Times)
- Federal Court Blocks California Law Requiring Immigration Agents to Show Identification (NOTUS)
- Former state Controller Betty Yee suspends campaign for California governor (NBC 7)
- ‘A false front’: The California agency failing to stop conservatorship abuses (KPBS)
- S.’s 2nd-biggest water reservoir to get a short-term fix amid Colorado River drought (NPR)
For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more’ and scroll down.
LOCAL
Gloria’s arts cuts threaten more than museums — street fairs, parades and neighborhood fests are all on the line (Times of San Diego)
San Diego would be eliminating its arts and culture grant programs under Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget, a move saving $11.8 million amid efforts to close a $118 million deficit. Gloria’s proposal was met with outrage.
Automated speed warning system coming to El Cajon (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Warnings will be mailed to owners of vehicles that are caught going 20 miles per hour over the speed limit
San Diego-Based Public Square Coffee’s “Temporary” Closure Faces New Questions As Eviction Notice, Wage Claims And Internal Fallout Surface (Sandiegoville)
What was initially described as a “temporary” closure of San Diego’s Public Square Coffee House is now facing growing scrutiny, as new developments – including an eviction notice – suggest the situation may be far more serious, and potentially longer-term, than originally indicated. The popular café, located in La Mesa Village, first announced it would temporarily close earlier this month while making “organizational changes,” following a small protest and a wave of allegations from individuals claiming they were not paid for their work.
SeaWorld wants to ditch fireworks and replace them with drones (KPBS)
SeaWorld has been lighting up the sky with fireworks since 1968. But after years of complaints from pet owners in the area and, more recently, litigation by environmental groups against the park, SeaWorld is changing course…. planning for a show that will feature 1,000 drones. But first, the park must get over one critical hurdle.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria Turns To Influencers After Balboa Park Parking Backlash, Quietly Launches Instagram PR Blitz (Sandiegoville)
After weeks of mounting backlash over paid parking at Balboa Park, City of San Diego announced a partial rollback of the deeply unpopular program. In an interesting move, on the very same day the rollback was announced, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria took an unusual step to regain control of the narrative and remedy his increasingly damaged public reputation: directly messaging large local social media accounts through a newly created Instagram group titled “San Diego Influencers”…
San Diego Water Authority agrees to water delivery deal with another Riverside agency (KPBS)
Less than a month after cutting a deal with a Riverside County water district, the San Diego County Water Authority’s board on Thursday approved another agreement with a different water agency from the county to the north.
STATE
California Governor’s Debate – Full Broadcast (KTLA)
ix candidates competing to lead the country’s most populous state faced off in a debate hosted by Nexstar… Following Swalwell’s resignation, Nexstar Media Group and Emerson College conducted a fresh poll to see which candidates would qualify for Wednesday’s debate. In the end, six made the cut: two Republicans – conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco – and four Democrats, businessman and activist Tom Steyer, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Rep. Katie Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.
Billionaire-tax backers say they have enough signatures — times two — to qualify for ballot (L.A. Times)
Supporters of a billionaire tax said Sunday that they had gathered nearly twice as many signatures as necessary to qualify the controversial proposal for the November ballot. Opponents of the proposal argue that it already has driven wealthy Californians — crucial to funding the state’s volatile budget — to other parts of the nation. Advocates, however, say the proposed tax is critical to compensate for federal healthcare funding cuts that will harm the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Federal Court Blocks California Law Requiring Immigration Agents to Show Identification (NOTUS)
A 9th Circuit panel said the Trump administration is likely to win the case, citing federal supremacy over state laws.
Former state Controller Betty Yee suspends campaign for California governor (NBC 7)
The California primary election on June 2 will narrow the field to two candidates.
‘A false front’: The California agency failing to stop conservatorship abuses (KPBS)
A CalMatters investigation finds the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau hasn’t fulfilled its promise to protect Californians as the state’s population ages.
U.S.’s 2nd-biggest water reservoir to get a short-term fix amid Colorado River drought (NPR)
[Federal officials] are taking a huge amount of water from a different reservoir upstream and sending it down to Powell. They are also ratcheting back the amount of water that gets sent out of Lake Powell into the Grand Canyon and towards cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles.