Andrew Bowen (he/him)

3 Aug 25 - New study shows vast "over-representation of trans boys" turns out to be vast _under-representation_ of trans girls bec. they: a) come out ~10 years later; b) start puberty later; & c) delay transitioning longer because of deep social animus towards AMAB femininity.
tinyurl.com/yrwvmxws

San Diego: If you're a fan of standup comedy AND public media, there's a show tonight at the Laugh Factory downtown with 100% of the proceeds going to KPBS! www.laughfactory.com/san-diego/da...

This was my favorite part of @acbowen.bsky.social ‘s coverage of the ADU density bonus votes. Council staff were comparing these developments to “slave quarters” and he just interviewed someone that lived in one of these ADUs and they were like ‘I like it, it’s nice’ www.kpbs.org/news/politic...

Actually interviewing someone who is living in the new housing 👏👏👏 @acbowen.bsky.social

Should be the standard for how housing is discussed.

The state has done some pounding, but I think most of this densification is due to local action — community plan updates, density bonus (which the state copied from San Diego), Complete Communities and the ADU bonus program.

In San Diego, traffic on the 805 is a nightmare, and it’s largely because of a mismatch between where the jobs are and where people live.

A new city plan aims to fix that, by bringing tens of thousands of new homes to the county’s largest job center

My latest story for @kpbssandiego.bsky.social

SD City Council voted 6-2 to establish a parking meter zone in/around Balboa Park. City aims to install meters on 6th Ave and Park Blvd by the fall. Revenue to be spent on parking/mobility needs, including free tram service and fixing broken lighting.

Vote on paid lots is still a few months away.

San Diego housing data reveal fastest growth in urban core Downtown, Bankers Hill, Hillcrest and North Park have seen the highest concentration of new housing in recent years, following a host of reforms aimed at building more homes in walkable neighborhoods.

San Diego is growing up — literally.

Housing permit data obtained by KPBS and Voice of San Diego show in remarkable detail just how much our urban core is densifying. Check out my story, and our amazing interactive map: www.kpbs.org/news/quality...

ICE Prosecutor in Dallas Runs White Supremacist X Account The Observer has identified the operator of “GlomarResponder,” an overtly racist social media account, as ICE Assistant Chief Counsel James Rodden, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation.

REVEALED: we identified the operator of an overtly racist X account, "GlomarResponder," as ICE Assistant Chief Counsel James Rodden, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation.

If the zoo lot remains free, that's also going to throw everything out of whack. However, I do believe they based these tiers on actual parking occupancy studies.

They might also offer some deal for employees who work in the park. And the zoo could still direct visitors to those lots for overflow parking, and they could still offer a direct shuttle, but the visitor will have to pay for the parking space.

Any city of San Diego resident would get the discount, similar to the one they offer for municipal golf courses.

Map of Balboa Park showing where parking meters and paid lots will be installed

While final rates have not yet been established and are subject to City Council approval, Parks and Recreation is initially proposing a $12 all-day rate for Level 1 lots and recommend the Level 2 and 3 lots would be set at 50% of the Level 1 rate at $6. With a resident rate factored in, residents would receive a 50% discount at the highest tiered rate, Level 1 lots, which would be $6 instead of $12. Staff’s research suggests that comparable all-day parking fees in similar recreation based off-street lots typically range between $5 and $15. Please see the attached map for reference on the lots:  Level 1 lots, located in the core of the Central Mesa area, would be subject to the highest rate. These include: Alcazar, Organ Pavilion, Pan American Plaza (Palisades), Casa de Balboa, Fleet Science Center North (Pepper Grove North), the Natural History Museum, and South Carousel lots.  Level 2 lots would be priced at 50% of the Level 1 rate. These include: Fleet Science Center South (Pepper Grove South), Starlight Bowl (Federal), Marston Point, and Veterans Museum.  Level 3 lots would also be priced at 50% of the Level 1 rate, but with the first two hours free to preserve access for short-term visitors. This includes: Inspiration Point. Level 3 lots ensure that a free parking option is preserved within the park ensuring access for all. After the two free hours, a flat all-day rate would apply to be 50% of the Level 1 rate

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's plan for paid parking in Balboa Park.

City Council is set to vote on Monday on the installation of on-street meters. A vote on the off-street lots won't be for several months.

Zoo lots will still be free until the city and zoo can strike a revenue sharing deal.

There's literally never been a trans woman who has ever competed on any US Olympic team despite trans people having been eligible since 2004.

PBS News is not going anywhere.

We will continue our work without fear or favor, as we have for nearly five decades on the air.

We are profoundly grateful to Viewers Like You for your loyalty and unwavering support.

NPR and PBS can't sell these shirts for legal reasons, so I'm going rogue and selling them myself. $8 per shirt goes to NPR and PBS. Free matching sticker with every order. www.harebraineddesign.com

Glad it's okay today... but that's often not the case: fox5sandiego.com/news/local-n...

Another technicality is that Mission Bay beaches are kinda gross and laden with bacteria 😬

ICE had something to say about this, but the agency provided its response to local TV and radio stations, not the Post. As Bradbury's story notes, ICE flack Steve Kotecki "previously has requested blanket anonymity for his statements as a spokesman for the federal agency, which the Post declined to grant. He also has said he would no longer provide information to the Post unless the newspaper complied with his request for anonymity."

The Post's transparency stands in contrast to what we saw in an otherwise compelling New York Times story this week: FEMA failed to answer thousands of calls from flood-stricken Texas residents, shortly after the government fired hundreds of call-center contractors. The scoop also included a response from "a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security who declined to be identified."

The Denver Post stands firm when a flack for the federal government tries to go on background.

The NY Times? Well, not so much.

Via today’s Laurels/Darts.

www.cjr.org/laurels-and-...

KPBS stands to lose $4.3 million in federal funding that Republicans in Congress are clawing back. That’s 12% of our budget.

If you like my reporting on housing, transportation and climate change in San Diego, please donate to help ensure I can keep doing it 🙏🏻
donate.kpbs.org/kpbs/donate?...

the big anti-trans NYT story today relies entirely on a data point refuted by my reporting in December for @rollingstone.com, citing a poll figure that the pollster told me in an interview does not reflect how the electorate felt about trans rights in 2024

brave to admit three paragraphs in that the entire thesis of your article is wrong

"Reich citizenship will not be laid in the cradle of every one born in Germany, but will be ceremoniously conferred on him after he has shown himself worthy of it through special accomplishments, through loyal services to the State." NY Times, July 6, 1933.

Even lane conversions can induce more driving. LA Metro found managed lanes on I-10 and I-110 “led to substantially fewer carpools and person throughput in both corridors.”

Too many solo drivers cheating the system by saying they’re in a carpool to avoid the tolls. dot.ca.gov/programs/est...

SANDAG pares back freeway expansions in draft transportation plan Officials are seeking public input on a draft Regional Transportation Plan that maps out infrastructure investments over the next 25 years.

SANDAG says its draft 2025 Regional Transportation Plan has the smallest network of managed lanes they've ever proposed.

It still contains 93 miles of new freeway lanes and billions in various freeway projects. Rail lines mostly downgraded to buses.

Comment by 7/18/25.
www.kpbs.org/news/environ...

With carpenters’ help, California eases housing rules—and sparks labor clash California’s new environmental reform law, backed by carpenters, eases housing construction rules but deepens divisions within the labor movement.

For those interested in construction union politics in California — and you should be if you want to understand why major housing legislation passes or fails — this @calmatters.org story is really helpful calmatters.org/politics/202...

As SoCal bakes, UCLA study shows duration of heat waves is accelerating faster than climate change UCLA researchers have released an alarming new finding — the duration of heat waves is increasing faster than global warming itself.

As SoCal bakes, UCLA study shows duration of heat waves is accelerating faster than climate change

All the empirical evidence tells us there are two ways to make freeways flow more freely. The first is economic decline, which reduces overall travel. The second is demand-based tolling.

Would love to know which of these Dutra prefers.

Evergreen reminder that wind turbines are not even remotely a leading cause of human-driven bird mortality. This is classic concern trolling in the interest of fossil fuels - if they really cared about birds they'd focus on domestic cats and building glass. And what's not shown here: climate change.

Caltrans wins funding for high-occupancy toll lanes on I-805 in South Bay By the time the project is complete in 2030, solo drivers will be able to access the freeway's express lanes by paying a toll.

San Diego's Caltrans district won a $39.6 million grant to convert HOV lanes on I-805 in the South Bay into high-occupancy toll lanes. Funding from the tolls (paid by solo drivers) would go to public transit and other travel alternatives along the corridor.
www.kpbs.org/news/environ...