Debate about chases continues

Good morning, I’m Debbie Cruz…it’s Wednesday, August 28th.

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The debate over police chases continues after three deaths this month.

More on that next. But first… let’s get to the headlines…

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Local leaders are joining calls for warning labels to be placed on social media platforms.

By a vote of 3 to 2, county supervisors passed a resolution yesterday (Tuesday) calling for warning labels on social media.

Previously, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a warning about the impact of social media on the mental health of young people.

The resolution directs the district’s trial attorneys to explore legal action against social media companies over their addictive algorithms.

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The weather was pretty calm this week.

And starting today (Wednesday), temperatures in most areas will only drop by a few degrees.

According to the National Weather Service, we can still expect normal temperatures for this time of year.

Today (Wednesday) temperatures in the interior will fall to just over 27 degrees, while on the coast and in the mountains they will be just over 24 degrees.

But in the deserts the exact opposite is the case: temperatures are rising and are expected to reach 42 degrees.

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The date for the 45th annual Holiday Bowl has been set.

It will take place on Friday, December 27th at Snapdragon Stadium.

It is the first time that the game will take place at Snapdragon, the home stadium of the Wave football team.

The Holiday Bowl has been played at Petco Park for the past two years.

The game pits the top teams of the Atlantic Coast Conference against current and former Pac-12 teams.

Last year USC defeated Louisville and more than 35,000 fans were in the stands.

Ticket sales for this year’s game begin next month.

For more details visit Holiday-Bowl-dot-com.

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You’re listening to San Diego News Now from KPBS. Stay tuned for more of the local news you need.

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Two people were killed in an accident involving San Diego police on Monday evening after they were being chased at high speed.

According to reporter Katie Hyson, three people have died in SDPD chases this month, while the debate over the policy continues.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said an officer tried to pull someone over for speeding, but the officer didn’t stop. The officer pursued the car before deciding the chase was going too fast and ending it. But the speeding car crashed into another police car with two officers inside. The two drivers died. OnScene TV reported the speeding driver was 14 or 15 years old, but Wahl told reporters he couldn’t confirm the age. Wahl said the other officer is in intensive care. Because of the enormity of this situation and all the emotion behind it, we asked the Highway Patrol to conduct an independent investigation. Another SDPD chase in December left two children dead, so the Commission on Police Practices reviewed the department’s chase policy. It found that most chases begin for minor violations, such as speeding. Last month, she recommended that SDPD only pursue drivers suspected of violent crimes. The police union called the proposal dangerous. Last week, another person died in an SDPD chase after losing control of their vehicle. Katie Hyson, KPBS News.

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The district has a new tool to help people find affordable housing.

Reporter Katie Anastas says applications for three developments in the north of the county begin tomorrow (Thursday).

A new interactive map shows the location, contact information and income limits for affordable housing projects built with county funds. Kelly Salmons of the county’s Building and Community Development Office says it will help prospective residents see some of their options. SALMONS I think it will really help people say, ‘Maybe there are options in my neighborhood. I want my kids to live in this school district, maybe there are options for me there. My mom would like to live closer to my family and her grandkids, are there options for my mom in this part of town?'” The county board is considering mandating affordable housing on new projects in unincorporated areas. Discussions this week will include how many units would have to be affordable and what incentives could help offset construction costs. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

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The Olympic Games may be behind us, but the competition is far from over – the Paralympic Games have already begun.

The Paralympics are the largest international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities.

One of the events is wheelchair tennis.

Dana Mathewson from San Diego is the number one wheelchair tennis player on the US team.

Paris will be her third Paralympic Games.

She spoke to reporter Andrew Bowen.

LABEL: That was Dana Mathewson, who will represent the USA at the Paralympics, talking to reporter Andrew Bowen.

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SeaWorld San Diego released three sea lions into the sea yesterday (Tuesday).

Two of them were fur seals, a species that was close to extinction and has recovered.

Science reporter Thomas Fudge was on the boat that released them.

He has this story.

There were half a dozen people and three sea lions on our boat. SeaWorld says the animals were found near death, then examined, fed and nursed back to health. The fur seals were small pups. Jeni Smith, curator of Seaworld’s rescue program, says they belong to a species that nearly disappeared until two were found in the 1950s. “They have a great comeback story. They were hunted almost to extinction for their fur, and they had very luxurious fur. And they were thought to be extinct. Scientists found a breeding pair off the Guadeloupe Islands. And now there are about 31,000 of them left.” The fur seals, one male and one female, are pups now, weighing only about 40 pounds each. When fully grown, the male will weigh nearly 400 pounds. The animals will be tagged before being released back into the wild. Keepers are nervous and excited about releasing them into the wild. But they made it through just fine, hesitated for a moment, then jumped into the ocean a few miles off the coast of San Diego. I’m Thomas Fudge, KPBS.

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That’s it for today’s podcast. As always, for more San Diego news, stay tuned online at KPBS dot org. Join us tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and happy Wednesday.