Lifeguards save lives. California is only now recognizing them as first responders
California lawmakers will formally recognize open-water lifeguards as first responders, a designation supporters say is long overdue. The nonbinding resolution, which passed the Legislature this month, would make California the third state to grant lifeguards the designation. San Diego lawmakers have voiced unanimous support, while advocates say recognition is only the beginning of a broader push for better pay, benefits and working conditions. Federal lawmakers are also pursuing similar legislation to extend first-responder status nationwide.
Should La Jolla Cove close to protect sea lions? San Diego faces mounting pressure
At La Jolla Cove, anyone who steps too close to a sea lion may be met by a megaphone-wielding park ranger and, at times, jeering onlookers — part of the city’s balancing act between protecting wildlife and maintaining public access to the iconic beach.
Despite increased ranger presence and public education campaigns, people continue to approach, touch and harass the animals. Now, state and federal agencies are discussing additional protections, while advocates push the city to consider stronger measures, including partial closure.
The seismic hazard in our backyard — What San Diegans don’t know about the potentially deadly Rose Canyon Fault
San Diego sits atop one of Southern California’s most overlooked seismic threats: the Rose Canyon Fault. Experts say the fault, which runs through densely populated neighborhoods from La Jolla to downtown, could generate an earthquake approaching magnitude 7, causing widespread damage to homes, roads and water systems. Researchers behind a major regional earthquake scenario warn many residents remain unprepared, despite decades of scientific evidence showing the fault is active and capable of a catastrophic quake.
Families left in the dark: UCSD, USC quietly sell donors’ bodies to Navy for Israeli military training
Donated human bodies from UCSD and USC were reportedly used in U.S. Navy-funded medical training programs that included Israeli military personnel, according to investigative reporting by Annenberg Media. Families said they were not informed that remains could be transferred beyond academic use, raising concerns about consent, transparency, and oversight. The program involved cadaver-based trauma simulations intended to prepare military surgeons for battlefield injuries, sparking ethical debate over the use and handling of donated human remains.
La Jolla’s iconic Mushroom House is now a public nuisance and graffiti canvas. Its future is anyone’s guess
A standoff continues at the Mushroom House, where repeated graffiti follows each cleanup ordered by the city. Owner Buzz Woolley is required to secure and maintain the property, deemed a public hazard, but its remote location and popularity as a tourist spot make enforcement difficult, leaving crews locked in a cycle of repainting and new vandalism.