Today’s newsletter is presented by Jackalope Art Fair.

Good morning, San Diego ☀️

Here’s what we have for you today:

  • Happy Friday, it’s still going to be hot (!!!) out there. The high downtown is forecasted to be 86℉.
  • The Poinsettia Bowl, nearly a decade later, is coming back to San Diego in December at Snapdragon Stadium.
  • Residents let Rep. Scott Peter know how they really feel about Turquoise Towers at a town hall Wednesday

Tessa Balc

Audience engagement producer

Top story

Ready or not, Waymo is coming. We take an early ride as the self-driving service prepares for its San Diego launch

There’s a good chance you’ve seen one lately.

Waymos are here. When you take a look over to see if there really is no one in the driver’s seat, you might notice that there isn’t anyone inside at all. The autonomous ride share service is not available to the public yet.

The blue beasts have been let out of their stables, free to roam a 40 square mile fenced in radius of San Diego sans human. When these cars are available, if you are dying to take one, you better not try to go north of Pacific Beach or south of Barrio Logan. Also, don’t plan a trip to the airport. It won’t take you there.

There isn’t an official date for when Waymo will be released upon the masses, but it’s going to be sooner rather than later. Our Jennifer Vigil got early access to a ride in the vehicle. Her account of the experience gave me some different angles to consider as this technology is no longer imminent for our city, but here.

Sure, there’s a fair amount of safety with the vehicle, but there are also the economic impacts it could have on the folks who are taxi or Uber drivers around our city. We don’t know how the introduction of this tech will effect our city. So, buckle up and stay tuned.

Shameless plug: Waymos have been driving on a road to nowhere through my Uptown neighborhood lately, so I wrote about them for our weekly Uptown newsletter. Consider subscribing to a neighborhood newsletter, and let me know if you’ve been seeing Waymos from your kitchen window too.

READ MORE →

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Stories you should know about

⚽️ Chucky Lozano found a new home in LA, but he’s already back as SDFC hosts rival Galaxy: San Diego’s former star forward returns to Snapdragon Stadium this Saturday. The last time he played a match in America’s Finest City was late November 2025.

🎭 ‘The Wulfeater’ takes a bite out of the Gaslamp, San Diego Weekend Guide: The City Heights Music School is hosting a Community Mariachi, the Asian-American Dance Festival will be at MCASD and the Better Business Bureau Women’s Summit is coming to Kearny Mesa.

🎨 Pacific Beach Arts Center to hold groundbreaking celebration: The project, intended to serve as a hub for arts and culture in Pacific Beach, will hold a celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

🪖 Opinion: The Lincoln is returning, but San Diego military families still need us: A San Diego Unified Board trustee talks about the district serving nearly 8,000 military-connected students and the importance of support of these families even after the Lincoln sailors come home.

What else we’re reading

⛺️ Californian’s voted yes on Prop. 47 in 2014, which would lower drug penalties from felonies to misdemeanors. Now, the Public Policy Institute of California is saying that decision has increased homelessness. (CalMatters)

🪖 The California legislature passed a bill expanding state veteran benefit programs to apply to transgender members of the military forced out of the service under the Trump administration’s ban. (KPBS)

Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.

Locals Only

💿 We asked you: What’s the best spot for CDs or vinyl records in the city of San Diego? Here’s what San Diegans had to say:

📻 M-Theory Music on Washington St. from Alex A.
💿 Lou’s Record in Encinitas from Nadine S. (North County bonus)
🎸 FeeLIT Records on E St. from Mary G.
🎧 San Diego Central Library Reference Record Collection from Mary G.
🎶 Folk Arts Rare Records on University Ave. from Tessa B.