Outstretched Palms

Voice of San Diego Podcast

Violence against outstretched palms – as in hands not the trees. The curious case against Encinitas City Councilmember Luke Shaffer.

San Diego County Water Authority leaders may have thought the chatter about dissolving their agency may be in the past then came LAFCO. The funny agency nobody knew about is making headlines again.

And guests to the Zoo spend a bunch of money in San Diego. The Zoo and the city want them to spend a bit more.

SHOW NOTES

SEGMENT 1 - Promos

Buy Your Tickets for Politifest 2025

Politifest is back on Oct. 4, and this won’t be our usual public affairs summit. This year, we’re bringing together community leaders to go head-to-head in our first ever Solutions Showdown. Hear their ideas and cast your vote on which proposals you think could solve the biggest issues facing San Diego.

Save on tickets with early bird pricing at vosd.org/politifest

SEGMENT 2 - Palm Trees Are Not Trees

There’s a particular palm tree making its mark on Southern California... and not in a good way.

The Mexican fan palm — those tall, classic pseudo-trees along with other invasive species — isn’t native to Southern California, but nonetheless maintains a death grip on its ecological landscape.

Within the past year, San Diego has seen multiple canyon fires propelled by these pesky out-of-towners. And within weeks of the smoke clearing, they’re already resprouting, providing fuel for another fire before native plants are able to regenerate.

While fire is a natural to California’s ecosystem, necessary for many native plants to survive, it can be detrimental if it occurs too frequently.

This is one of many reasons San Diego won’t be planting them on public land anymore. Our intern, Tessa Balc, sat down with the executive director of @sdcanyonlands to see how we can nurture San Diego’s native landscape.

🎥: Tessa Balc

SEGMENT 3 - Nathan Fletcher is Returning to the News Cycle

ICYMI: Judge Dismisses Suit Against Nathan Fletcher

by Scott Lewis and Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña - August 8, 2025
SEGMENT 4 - YES We’re Talking About Minimum Wage in San Diego Again

ICYMI: Politics Report: Zoo Freed from Minimum Wage Push

by Scott Lewi - August 30, 2025

SEGMENT 5 - Shaffer and the Outstretched Palms Incident

North County Report: Inside Luke Shaffer’s First Day in Court

County prosecutors are going after the Encinitas councilmember for an alleged hit-and-run. Here’s what went on during his first court appearance.

by Tigist Layne - September 10, 2025

Segment 6 - LAFCO and the Water Authority

Blowing Up the Water Authority Isn’t Off the Table at LAFCO

The group that rubber stamped a divorce from the agency plans to look at getting rid of the agency altogether.

by MacKenzie Elmer - September 9, 2025

Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego.

Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, managing editor

Bella Ross, social media producer

Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer.

Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer

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