Voice of San Diego Podcast

Voice of San Diego
  • 4.7 (202)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

This is Voice of San Diego’s weekly spitfire roundup of news. We cover local and regional politics, the environment, education, the border and more. This show features our investigative reporting and interviews with lawmakers and other special guests.

  1. 1D AGO

    Critter Coroner

    When your neighbors don't like nudity, head to a nudist colony! On today's episode, Andrea, Bella, and Jakob talked about a lot of different topics today and even got to mention yellow thong bikini bottoms. In the first season of HBO's TV show Neighbors, episode six features a local man who believes he is being wronged by his neighbors and others around San Diego. Why? He likes to work out in the front yard of his property which has neighbors concerned. San Diego Unified teachers approved a tentative agreement that grants them five percent raises over the next two years and other perks, but our Jakob McWhinney has been following some of the drama behind the deal. Also on the show: MacKenzie Elmer joined us to discuss her story on why humans may be to blame for the orphaning of two bear cubs in Monrovia, California. After three years of reporting...and waiting...we have one more quick Petco Park concession scandal update after the attorney general of California sued the ringleaders of the scheme to try to recover the money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    49 min

  2. MAR 27

    Psst. Hey Buddy… I Got Some Water for Sale

    With Andrea and Bella out, Scott Lewis, Jakob McWhinney, and Will Huntsberry held it down.  Former County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher is re-emerging post-controversy, holding a press conference, giving speeches, and launching a Substack, "Grounded," about his life on a family ranch. The Padres' strong season and high franchise value ($3.5B+) fuel sale rumors. Potential bidders include Dan Friedkin, Jose Feliciano, Joe Lacob, and Tom Gores. SB 958 has been filed to exempt the 4,200-home Midway Rising project (including an arena) from CEQA, bypassing potential traffic-related legal challenges. City staff discovered that Chicano Park and a nearby property intended for the Boston Avenue Linear Park were incorrectly zoned for commercial use in the 2021 community plan. The errors came to light when community members questioned the potential sale of one of the sites by Caltrans to Soapy Joe’s car wash. City Council recently voted to correct the zoning to reflect the intended park use. San Diego has a water surplus and is selling it, including a deal to provide 10,000 acre-feet annually to Temecula, expected to net $100 million over five years. San Diego's One America News Network filed a restraining order against influencer Chelsea Goss (Gods) after she protested Matt Gaetz's hiring; Goss responded with an anti-SLAPP motion. 2:21 Nathan Fletcher re-ermerges6:10 #Padres Opening Day and new potential buyer announced22:09 Midway Rising files to be exempt from CEQA32:25 We can't do this without you! 33:22 Chicano Park zoning issue44:28 San Diego's selling water!59:52 OANN vs Chelsea Gods See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 7m

  3. MAR 20

    The Hardest Conversations for SDPD Chief

    It has been nearly two years since Scott Wahl became San Diego top cop. For the latest VOSD Podcast episode, our hosts Scott Lewis and Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña sat down with Chief Wahl to discuss policing and more. With the federal governments immigration enforcement efforts, what is the San Diego Police Department's the role? Are officers prepared for possible attacks from Iran? License plate readers are just one of the many tools police have to investigate crimes. What do license plate readers know about us? How often are we being watched by technology? And can AI help the police department be more efficient? Plus: How does the department handle misconduct investigations? And, what changes has Chief Wahl implemented to reduce police overtime?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 5m

  4. MAR 13

    Fake Charity Guys Pocketed $2 Million

    Who knew selling hot dogs at Petco Park was such a money making venture? After two years and lots of investigating, VOSD's Will Huntsberry saw the finish line for his story which uncovered a fake nonprofit running concessions at Petco Park - and pocketing around $2 million. He explains what the news is and what it feels like to make a difference.  Also on the show: We get into a really big news week for local politics with longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa announcing he will not seek reelection. The podcast crew talks about what that means. Plus, Scott Lewis wants to know why people can't put their phone down at concerts. Finally, the local nonprofit that prosecutors say stole county money has provoked questions about county oversight. A "special review" is now underway. We'll explain.  We're on YouTube now! Watch the podcast at youtube.com/voiceofsandiego.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min

  5. MAR 6

    School Board Members Aren't Worried

    On this week's episode Scott Lewis and Jakob McWhinney sit down with San Diego Unified School Board members Cody Petterson and Shana Hazan. They talk about the current challenges facing San Diego schools, declining enrollment, budget issues, and how they want to make San Diego schools succeed.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 11m

  6. FEB 27

    "Stop Being Poor"

    On this week's episode we span all over the news world from sports, to politics, to parking meters.  The second home tax is back. This time it spares vacation rentals. However, it’s on a fast track to the ballot. We tell you how it will work.  Lisa Halverstadt had a big update after prosecutors said they believe a nonprofit executive may have misallocated even more funds meant to save people from overdoses of fentanyl and heroin. The crew talked about former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey running for city council last week and this week Scott reached out and shared some further clarifications for Bailey's future.  A Padres pitcher had an unfortunate injury in Spring Training but Scott Lewis decided to take this opportunity for a little PSA.  Finally, our intern Rami Alarian joined us to talk about his story about police using helicopters to break up college house parties.  We are on YouTube now! Watch the podcast and see Bella's videos at youtube.com/voiceofsandiego, See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    55 min

  7. FEB 20

    The Slopulists at Home

    Is it time we take a serious look at "slopulism?" Let us explain. The New York Times featured San Diego's Amy Reichert in a story after she teamed up with Youtuber Nick Shirley to try to uncover fraud in San Diego child care facilities. Shirley's previous coverage of the topic went viral in Minneapolis. The newspaper defined their political posts as slopulism. Related: After Shirley's visit to San Diego, our reporters explained what he did and did not find here. Top story: Our Lisa Halverstadt broke the news that Amy Knox, who had managed the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego’s finances, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriation of public money and three felony counts of fraudulent appropriation for allegedly using nonprofit funds for plastic surgeries, high-end clothes, a vacation to Hawaii and more. Also on the show: Former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey announced he is going to be running for San Diego City Council.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min

  8. FEB 13

    The Thing Educators Must Discuss

    When someone tells you they don't have information, dig a little deeper. On this week's episode the VOSD Podcast crew broke down Jakob McWhinney's reporting on some startling stats on how empty San Diego Unified School district schools are. Yet another chapter in the enrollment crisis they refuse to discuss.  The Republican Party in San Diego used to have big meetings and lots of influence in town. Now, not so much. We give our thoughts on the state of the Republican party in San Diego. Also on the podcast: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl hafltime show was controversial, but we think President Donald Trump could have used to this to score some points. Also, we talk about the guy who touched off chaos in Minnesota with his video alleging widespread fraud. He came to San Diego. We tell you what we know about what he actually found and did not find.  We are on YouTube now! Watch our podcasts every Friday by visting youtube.com/voiceofsandiego. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    58 min
See All (102)

4.7
out of 5
202 Ratings

About

This is Voice of San Diego’s weekly spitfire roundup of news. We cover local and regional politics, the environment, education, the border and more. This show features our investigative reporting and interviews with lawmakers and other special guests.

Information

  • Creator
    Voice of San Diego
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Voice of San Diego
  • Show Website
    Voice of San Diego Podcast

You Might Also Like