San Diego officials are one step closer to eliminating a controversial zoning rule that singles out parts of the city’s southeastern neighborhoods. The Planning Commission this month voted 5-1 to recommend removing a footnote quietly added to the municipal code in 2019 that allows developers to build single-family homes at a higher density in Encanto. Some residents supported the removal of the footnote. But others urged the commission to reject the proposal as written because it was not retroactive, raising concerns about whether two projects already under consideration would be able to move forward with higher density. Robert Campbell, vice chair of the Chollas Valley Community Planning Group , which has been demanding a removal of the footnote for months, said he has mixed feelings about the commission’s vote. “Happy that the motion’s going forward to repeal (the footnote). Not happy that retroactively, nothing is applying yet.” After residents vocally rebuked the zoning rule, city Planning Director Heidi Vonblum announced during a council meeting last month that she would push to remove the footnote. The discovery of the footnote came after the Chollas Valley Community Planning Group — made up of volunteer residents — paid the $1,000 fee to appeal a housing project that would build more than two dozen, single-story homes across more than 5 acres on Klauber Avenue. For projects such as the one proposed on Klauber, the developer only needs a minimum of 5,000 square feet to build one, single-family house, though it would need a minimum of 20,000 square feet elsewhere. The footnote applies to the neighborhoods of Encanto along with Alta Vista, Broadway Heights, Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Lincoln Park, O’Farrell, and Valencia Park. Some residents in the area argue the rule is a form of discrimination, pointing to southeast San Diego’s higher proportions of Black and brown residents and lower household incomes than the rest of the county. We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. Last month, the planning group successfully halted the project after the City Council approved the appeal. Residents did not contest the footnote in their appeal but instead challenged the city’s environmental determination. As the law stands today, with the footnote, the developer for the Klauber project could only build up to 23 homes. Without the footnote, it would be capped at 13 homes. The removal would drastically decrease the allowed development on existing lots affected by the footnote: from 642 to 177 homes, according to a staff report . Staff also acknowledged that the footnote should have been “directly discussed with the affected communities” during its approval process, but “there is no evidence to suggest it was intentionally racist or designed with discriminatory intent.” Councilmembers must vote to amend the city’s zoning law to remove the footnote, which is expected to be heard next month. “Don’t give up what you have said today, because you have to continue,” Planning Commissioner Dennis Otsuji told the residents in council chambers. Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments.Trump invited China's Xi to his inauguration even as he threatened massive tariffs on BeijingLINCOLN — What was once a major event of the college football season has, in the first week of December, just become one of the subplots. Early signing day is here for Nebraska and every other program, many of which, including NU, have their attention split several ways. Conference title games haven’t even been played yet. The transfer portal — not officially open until Dec. 9 — has nevertheless been whirling with at least seven Husker departures since Monday. NU has lost one coordinator, locked another up for two years, and set its sights on Kentucky assistant Daikiel Shorts to coach receivers. Matt Rhule’s early afternoon press conference may focus just as much — perhaps more — on topics as the 2025 recruiting class, which stood Tuesday evening at 19 members. By the time Rhule talks about the class, it could grow by a few or in theory shrink, were commits inclined to balk at the departure of Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White. That hasn’t been the case so far, as some of the highest-rated prospects in the class — four-star linebackers Dawson Merritt and Christian Jones — had reaffirmed their commitment to Nebraska through social media statements. Nebraska awaits final answers from at least three prospects, though Dalkiel’s imminent hiring could, in theory, bring more options into play. »San Antonio Alamo Heights High School five-star athlete Michael Terry, a prospect of few interviews who has narrowed his list to home-state Texas, Nebraska and Oregon, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder’s top three schools for months. He’ll announce a choice at his 8:15 a.m. signing ceremony on Wednesday. At NU, Terry projects to wideout. »Homestead (Florida) High School four-star receiver Cortez Mills has long been committed to Oklahoma, but recruiting site reporters have him trending to flip to Nebraska. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Mills caught 79 passes for 1,640 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, breaking Miami-Dade County single-season marks. Mills’ signing ceremony takes place between 8:05-9:30 a.m. in the school’s auditorium. »Kahuka (Hawaii) High School three-star safety Aidan Manutai remains a Husker target, though he’s currently committed to California. The 6-foot, 170-pound Manutai would be part of a defensive backs group that could vie for early playing time. »Another potential prospect to watch is Kentucky receiver commit Dejerrian Miller, who verbally pledged to Shorts and the Wildcats last week and plays prep football at St. Louis Cardinal Ritter, the same school as Husker running back commit Jamarion Parker. Miller did not previously have Nebraska among his top group of suitors and may stick in the SEC. In total, NU plans to sign six in-state commitments — headlined by Jones, an Omaha Westside linebacker — to financial aid papers, as the NCAA in October eliminated the national letter of intent, which binds prospects to school. The group of six — Jones, Omaha North defensive tackle Tyson Terry, Millard North athletes Pierce Mooberry and Caden VerMaas, Wahoo Neumann running back Conor Booth and Lincoln Southwest receiver Jackson Carpenter — are part of one of the strongest corps of in-state recruits in years. Fifteen prospects are poised to sign with FBS programs, with 12 of those headed to power conferences. Unless Terry or Mills flips to NU, Merritt, out of Overland Park (Kansas) Blue Valley High School, is NU’s highest-ranked player in the 2025 class. Thirteen of the 19 prospects in the class have a four-star according to at least one of the four major recruiting services — 247 Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals. And all but 247 Sports, as of Tuesday evening ranked NU’s class as No. 20 in the nation. 247 Sports had the Huskers 22nd. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
NEW YORK (AP) — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. “We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that’s possibly why he targeted that company,” said Kenny. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald's in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, has said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he has yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangione's arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early on the morning of Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him back to New York so that he can face a murder charge in Thompson's killing. A hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 30. The 26-year-old, who police say was found with a “ ghost gun ” matching shell casings found at the site of the shooting, is charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Mangione is an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family. In posts on social media, Mangione wrote about experiencing severe chronic back pain before undergoing a spinal fusion surgery in 2023. Afterward, he posted that the operation had been a success and that his pain had improved and mobility returned. He urged others to consider the same type of surgery. On Wednesday, police said investigators are looking at his writings about his health problems and his criticism of corporate America and the U.S. health care system . Kenny said in the NBC interview that Mangione's family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November.