UTC reduces free parking to 1 hour
LA JOLLA, Calif. — Last Monday, Westfield UTC reduced free parking for guests from two hours to one hour. After the free hour lapses, guests will have to pay $2 per additional hour. The daily maximum for parking at the mall remains $15. It is applicable to any visit that lasts longer than six hours or to guests who lose their parking ticket.
The UTC Ice Sports Center, 24-Hour Fitness, Seasons 52, and AMC UTC 14 will continue to validate parking tickets. CBS8 reported that it is unclear if other businesses at UTC will begin validating parking in response to the change. Valet parking near Javier’s and Lucrezia off of La Jolla Village Drive on the north side of the mall will also remain available to guests at a rate of $20 per day.
UTC initially began charging customers for parking in 2018. Mall representatives at the time claimed that they installed paid parking to prevent people from parking at UTC all day without shopping there, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
In a statement to NBC San Diego on Wednesday, mall representatives explained why they reduced the duration of free parking for guests.
“We are committed to enhancing our guest experience from arrival to departure,” they said. “This update supports ongoing parking enhancements and improves parking availability throughout the day by making access more predictable, helping guests more easily enjoy our vibrant shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations.”
Kristi Noem fired from Department of Homeland Security
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump fired Kristi Noem from her position as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday and announced the appointment of Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Noem’s firing marks the first time Trump has removed a cabinet member during his second presidential term.
The exact reason for Noem’s termination is unknown. An administration official speculated that Trump’s choice was related to multiple different factors, primarily the various controversies surrounding Noem’s time at the DHS.
These issues included “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE,” the administration official told NBC.
Shortly after firing Noem, Trump named her the special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. The exact details of this new role and its responsibilities are unclear. During the Shield of Americas Summit on Saturday, Trump called the initiative — comprising 12 state leaders from North, Central, and South America — a “counter-cartel coalition.” Noem later thanked the administration for her new role in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security,” Noem wrote. “In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise, I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security.”
Mullin will take Noem’s place as DHS secretary on March 31.
US and Israel continue missile strikes in Iran
TEHRAN, Iran — The U.S. and Israeli militaries continue to target Iran as conflict in the state escalates. Iran has conducted retaliatory attacks against U.S.-operated facilities across the region, including in Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Sunday marks the ninth day of the conflict.
U.S. and Israeli missile strikes began on Feb. 28 when an Israeli missile killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei, 86, was accused of severe human rights violations throughout his regime, including the suppression of public protests, including mass arrests. On Sunday, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s third supreme leader.
In Minab on Feb. 28, a U.S. Tomahawk missile aimed at a naval base near an elementary school killed 175 Iranian students. The U.S. Navy also launched a torpedo from a submarine in combat for the first time since World War II, sinking an Iranian ship in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka.
On Saturday, the Israeli military hit an oil storage depot and a refining structure in Tehran; this is the first time a facility of this kind has been struck in Iran during this conflict.
Iran-based Tasnim News Agency reported that, as of Saturday, the war has killed an estimated 1,332 Iranians.
In a comment about the U.S.’s strikes on Iran, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth explained the strategic perspective of the department.
“This is war,” Hesgeth said. “This is conflict. This is bringing your enemy to their knees. Now, whether they will have a ceremony in Tehran Square and surrender — that’s up to them.”
The attacks were preceded by statewide mass protests against the Iranian regime. Before his death, Khamenei and his regime imposed an internet blackout throughout the state while conducting police-led arrests and killings of civilians. Estimates of the number of casualties vary, with Time reporting that as many as 30,000 people could have died during the blackout.
Demonstrators march for International Women’s Day
SAN DIEGO — Demonstrators around the world protested against gender-based violence, systemic oppression, and patriarchal institutions on Sunday, March 8, known as International Women’s Day. This year marks the 115th anniversary of the celebration.
San Diegans gathered along North Harbor Drive in Embarcadero to honor International Women’s Day. Those present spoke out against Trump administration policies that threaten the progress of women, NBC San Diego reported.
Demonstrators across the U.S. gathered for a “Believe the Survivors” rally to denounce the federal government’s lack of action in response to evidence of President Donald Trump’s involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and young women.
The official theme for this year’s march was “Give to Gain,” focused on empowering women to give back to one another in their communities.
International Women’s Day was first recognized by the United Nations in 1977 and now is an official holiday in 20 countries. U.N. data reports that worldwide, women have about 64% of the rights that men have.
In a statement on the significance of International Women’s Day, U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous commented on the importance of the marches.
“We must stand up, show up, and speak up, for rights, justice, action, so all women and girls can live safely, speak freely, and exist equally,” she wrote.
I-805 almond truck crash leaves 1 dead
SAN DIEGO — A semitruck carrying almonds crashed into an attenuator on the Interstate 805 freeway on Tuesday, killing the truck’s driver. The truck was traveling south near the Interstate 8 freeway on-ramp at around 6 a.m. when it hit the attenuator.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the truck immediately caught fire and was soon engulfed in flames. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. One witness said that it looked like the truck “exploded” after the crash, NBC San Diego reported. I-805 south was restricted to one lane as emergency crews worked to clear debris.
The CHP did not reopen all lanes of I-805 until 6:38 p.m. Hundreds of thousands of almonds fell down the I-805 bridge onto the street below, and diesel and oil fluids seeped into a nearby storm drain as a result of the crash.
The CHP is investigating the cause of the accident.
