County and City of San Diego California

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) A November 2025 UC San Diego faculty report revealed that nearly one in eight incoming freshmen (11.8%) require remedial math courses covering middle school-level material—a thirtyfold increase since 2020. The University of California eliminated standardized test requirements in May 2020 citing equity concerns and racial bias, transitioning to "test-blind" admissions by 2023. However, the UC system has not reinstated testing requirements, even as elite universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Dartmouth, and Brown have reversed course and mandated SAT/ACT scores again. The crisis reflects compounding factors: COVID-19 learning loss, grade inflation, elimination of objective admissions metrics, and increased enrollment from under-resourced schools—raising fundamental questions about academic preparedness and institutional mission. UC San Diego Report Exposes Thirtyfold Increase in Students Lacking Basic Math Skills as Elite Universities Nationwide ...

San Diego's Transit System Faces Financial Crossroads Despite Nation-Leading Ridership Recovery BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): San Diego's Metropolitan Transportation System has achieved the nation's second-highest post-pandemic ridership recovery at 95% and operates as one of the most cost-efficient transit systems in the United States, yet faces projected annual deficits exceeding $120 million by fiscal year 2029. Despite requiring approximately $300-350 million in annual taxpayer subsidies — substantially lower than peer systems — officials are considering service cuts, fare increases for the first time since 2009, and a potential November 2028 ballot measure for a half-cent sales tax increase dedicated to transit after voters narrowly rejected a regional transportation tax measure in November 2024. The funding crisis comes as the system struggles with a fundamental chicken-and-egg problem: limited coverage and commute-centric design prevent transit from substituting for...

California Economy Fractures:  "A Tale of two Cities" the best of times and the worst of times  BLUF: California's economy splits into winners and losers as $405 billion in AI investment enriches Silicon Valley while three structural crises converge—over $265 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, a commercial real estate collapse with vacancy rates exceeding 30% in downtown Los Angeles, and a frozen residential market where only 1.15% of LA homes changed hands in 2025—all as unemployment heads toward 6% and tariffs, federal shutdowns, and immigration crackdowns squeeze traditional industries. The Golden State faces not just a cyclical economic slowdown but a convergence of structural crises that threaten its fiscal foundation for decades. Nearly 70% of all U.S. venture funding in early 2025 went to California, and seven of the 10 largest investment deals in the Americas this year occurred in-state, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast released Wednesday. AI-rel...

A Crowded Field Vies to Succeed Newsom BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): The 2026 California gubernatorial race features more than 20 declared candidates competing to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom, with no clear frontrunner emerging six months before the June primary. Democrats Katie Porter, Xavier Becerra, Antonio Villaraigosa, Tom Steyer, and Eric Swalwell lead a crowded field on the left, while Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco hope to end the GOP's nearly two-decade statewide losing streak. Recent polling shows extreme volatility with 38-44% of voters undecided, and the top-two primary system could produce an unpredictable general election matchup. The Democratic Scramble Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced in November 2025 that she would not seek California's governorship, leaving the Democratic field without its presumptive frontrunner. An August 2025 Emerson College poll found former Representative Katie Porter leading the Democratic primary ...