OB Rag

By Cooper Gegan/ The Inertia / June 3, 2024

A newly published study has identified a fungus living in the sea that can break down plastic. The marine microbe, called Parengyodontium album was found on plastic debris floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. When scientists later isolated the fungus in a laboratory, they found it was capable of breaking down the plastic polyethylene after it had first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight.

The discovery was made by marine microbiologists

Our friends at the Peninsula News have been following the story about replacement trees for all the dead Palms at NTC Park. Here’s their latest

A local birria specialist opened its second restaurant in the Midway District. Mike’s Red Tacos threw its doors open at 3365 Rosecrans Street Suite D. The eatery was born out of owner Mike Touma’s passion for birria; a native San Diegan, Touma went on a personal eating quest on both sides of the border in preparation to launch his birria-focused food truck back in 2021.

A Clairemont area storefront followed in 2022, and now Mike and his wife Leona just unveiled their new 2,100-square-foot Rosecrans Street restaurant in the Loma Square shopping center.

UPDATE: the body was found at the bottom of the stairs on Ladera Street.According to Times of San Diego, a person was found dead shortly before 10 a.m., today, Monday in the 700 block of Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Three people were temporarily displaced after an apartment caught fire in the Ocean Beach neighborhood Sunday, June 2. Fire crews responded to the scene at 4835 Orchard Avenue after a 911 call came in reporting a structure fire around 6:40 a.m.

Residents of the complex were seen gathered outside the building as firefighters assessed the situation.

Battalion Chief Mark Reece said, “Crews arrived to find smoke and fire from the first floor of a two-story apartment complex. Crews attacked the fire, containing it to just one room but they also — during this fire attack — discovered a possible grow facility, a marijuana grow, in the room.”

KPBS/ June 3, 2024

A rolling strike by unionized academic workers upset about the University of California’s response to pro-Palestinian protests at various campuses will spread to three more campuses this week, including UC San Diego Monday, June 3.

According United Auto Workers Local 4811, workers will hit the picket lines Monday morning at UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara, with UC Irvine workers joining the lines Wednesday.

From Mexico News Daily

[Edited slighted at beginning for clarification. Article originally published Sept. 2023]

Claudia Sheinbaum, the new President of Mexico, was the former Mexico City mayor (2018-23), who will also represent the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico, will face off against the Broad Front for Mexico’s Xóchitl Gálvez at the June 2, 2024 election. Senator Gálvez was officially designated as the three-party opposition alliance’s “coordinator” just over a week ago.

Sheinbaum – a physicist and environmental scientist who was environment minister in Mexico City when Andrés Manuel López Obrador was mayor in the early 2000s – recently spoke with Expansión Política, the politics site of the Expansión news organization, and expressed views on a range of issues she will face if elected as Mexico’s first female president next June.

In an unprecedented move, Del Mar Lifeguards have closed beaches for swimming and surfing after a shark attack at 9 a.m. Sunday, June 2, about 100 yards offshore. In all my years of surfing and boogie boarding, have never heard of beaches being closed in Del Mar due to sharks. They will remain closed until 9 am on Tuesday, June 4.

From the Del Mar Times:

The 46-year-old male victim was transported by ambulance to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla with injuries that are significant but not believed to be life-threatening. The injuries included bites to the torso, left arm and hand.

Mexican voters on Sunday elected Claudia Sheinbaum

From Washington Post / June 3, 2024

MEXICO CITY — Mexico is famous for its macho culture. Women here didn’t win the right to vote for president until 1953 — three decades after their U.S. counterparts. As recently as nine years ago, there wasn’t a single female state governor.

Yet Mexico has just elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum,

Every Saturday at 10:30 am. Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings June  8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th Keep up-to-date on climate issues and Climate Action events. To register email Jon Findley at  jon@climatemobsd.org.  More info: https://www.facebook.com/SDClimateMobilization/

Every Saturday 12 pm – 1 pm Peace Vigil for Palestine in OB: Advocate for Peace and Justice in Gaza and Everywhere Join CODEPINK SD, San Diego Veterans for Peace, and Palestine Pals every Saturday at 12:00 pm on the plaza corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and W. Point Loma Blvd., entry to Ocean Beach, San Diego. Wear pink and bring a peace-related poster if you have one! Contact: Nathanael · ob4peace@riseup.net  More info:  https://www.instagram.com/codepinksd/

San Diego Fix It Clinics June 8th Carlsbad, June 15th La Mesa and June 29th Chula Vista .

June 4th Tuesday 10 am – 11 am Tour of SDSU Mission Valley River Park Event by San Diego Green Building Council

Four years ago, in 2020, two guys who were homeless would get up every morning at 4 am — and clean the streets and sidewalks of Ocean Beach. Dave Hendon and Marc Gervais became somewhat famous after a TV reporter’s story about them went viral.

People stepped up, bought the guys a van for them and their dog, Pico, and enough donations were raised for them to live in an apartment.

Tragically, the two were involved in a deadly car crash on Memorial Day and Dave succumbed to his injuries. Marc is now at Scripps Mercy fighting for his life.