View of a homeless encampment on 16th Street in the East Village on June 14, 2023.
View of a homeless encampment on 16th Street in the East Village on June 14, 2023. / Photo by Ariana Drehsler

The U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled homeless camping bans do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, reversing the decisions of lower courts. The decision, eagerly awaited by politicos throughout California, opens the door to harsher crackdowns on homelessness even if no shelter is available.  

In this week’s podcast, our hosts explain how the decision — or may not— change how local governments approach San Diego County’s homelessness crisis. 

Hosts Bella Ross and Jakob McWhinney dive into the history behind San Diego’s ban on sipping a cold one at the beach. Luckily for locals, Ross and McWhinney compiled a handy map of the parks where locals can still imbibe a brew. 

President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate has already begun to ripple through San Diego politics. Editor in Chief Scott Lewis details the reaction of one high-rolling Democratic fundraiser. Since recording the podcast, however, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters also expressed his beef with the Biden campaign’s efforts to put out the political four-alarm fire. 

Finally, the crew talks about the doomsday water rate hike that wasn’t … or is it the water rate hike that will be? 

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Jakob McWhinney is Voice of San Diego's education reporter. He can be reached by email at jakob@vosd.org and followed on Twitter @jakobmcwhinney. Subscribe...

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