Galapagos tortoise dies at San Diego Zoo
SAN DIEGO — The Galapagos tortoise Gramma, the oldest animal at the San Diego Zoo, was euthanized on Nov. 20. Gramma, who was an estimated 141 years old, suffered from bone conditions.
In a statement to NPR, the San Diego Zoo said Gramma had the support of many wildlife care specialists.
“She was being expertly supported for ongoing conditions related to her age, and wildlife health and care teams made the difficult and compassionate decision to say goodbye,” the statement read.
San Diego Zoo officials said Gramma was born in her native habitat and was one of the first Galapagos tortoises to arrive from the Bronx Zoo in around 1928. Galapagos tortoises can live over 100 years in the wild, and twice that length in captivity.
Waymo set to arrive in San Diego in 2026
SAN DIEGO — Waymo, a ride-hailing service of autonomous cars, will begin to roll out across San Diego in mid-2026. No specific date has been announced.
The vehicles will first be deployed to neighborhoods around downtown San Diego, including Gaslamp Quarter, Grant Hill, Logan Heights, and Pacific Beach. The fleet’s precise route is not yet known. However, a spokesperson for the ride-hailing company specified that the cars will not be concentrated in La Jolla.
On Nov. 19, the Metropolitan Transit System’s Taxi Advisory Committee voted to recommend a proposal to the MTS board of directors to regulate and restrict Waymo’s presence in San Diego. The proposal demands the “restoration” of communities’ right to vote on whether autonomous vehicles may operate in their jurisdictions, the submission of a formal protest to the California Public Utilities Commission regarding Waymo’s deployment, and support for prohibiting driverless vehicles from operating at San Diego International Airport due to public safety concerns.
In a news release, TAC Chair and District 9 Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera expressed concern over Waymo’s potential harm on the city’s taxi industry.
“No corporation should be allowed to quietly replace people with machines just to boost profits – especially without local communities having any say,” Elo-Rivera said. “We are drawing a line: corporate profit must not come at the expense of people’s livelihoods or our democracy.”
On Nov. 3, Waymo quoted San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria in a press statement on its arrival to San Diego.
“By welcoming innovative and promising technologies like Waymo’s autonomous vehicle service, we’re exploring how to make transportation more accessible, more sustainable, and more connected for everyone in our community,” Gloria’s quote in Waymo’s statement read.
During its Nov. 19 meeting, TAC specified that its staff has limited knowledge of Waymo’s operation plans. Waymo said that it will communicate with local officials to receive the necessary permits going forward.
Waymo previously conducted test drives of its vehicles in San Diego in February 2025. It deployed fewer than 10 vehicles across neighborhoods including Bankers Hill, Little Italy, Balboa Park, and Sherman Heights, and freeways Interstate 5 and Route 163.
Waymo services are already available in different cities across California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
National Guard members shot
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Nov. 26, two members of the West Virginia National Guard, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, were shot near the Farragut West metro station in Washington, D.C. Beckstrom passed away due to her injuries, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.
Authorities identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal as the suspect. Lakanwal is an Afghan immigrant whose request for asylum was approved under the current Trump administration. In Afghanistan, he worked in a CIA-backed military unit. The CIA believes Lakanwal acted alone.
In a press conference on Thursday, Nov. 27, FBI Director Kash Patel said that the bureau had conducted a search, per a warrant, in the suspect’s home in Washington state. During the search, officials seized multiple electronic devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and computers. The evidence found in these devices, which Patel did not specify, led officials to San Diego.
Lakanwal’s possible connections to San Diego are yet to be made public.
On Nov. 27, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that she will seek the death penalty against Lakanwal.
Flight delays at San Diego International Airport
SAN DIEGO — On Friday, Nov. 28, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement attributing flight delays at airports across California to low clouds in the region. Cities affected included San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Official spokesperson for San Diego International Airport Nicole Hall also attributed the delays in San Diego to construction taking place on the airport’s taxiway. The San Diego Union-Tribune claimed that the delays were a result of a hazmat clean-up taking place on the runway on Friday morning.
NBC reported that construction happening on the runway caused a reversal in the take-off and landing routines of aircrafts at the airport. According to Hall, this reversal in patterns causes planes at San Diego International to take more time taxing prior to take off, potentially contributing to the flight delays.
According to NBC, 108 flights were delayed as a result of the weather and construction. Delays averaged roughly 50 minutes, according to the FAA. NBC recorded the longest delay as 80 minutes.
Flights were back on normal schedule by Friday afternoon, according to the FAA’s website.
Coyote attack at Westfield UTC mall
LA JOLLA, Calif. — Two children were injured at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, after being attacked by a coyote at Westfield UTC mall, according to the San Diego Police Department.
KUSI reports that one child who was bitten in the attack was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital. The 3-year-old child was treated for the bite and eventually released. According to NBC, officials did not share information regarding the second child’s injuries.
NBC also reports that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently investigating the incident. The CDFW took DNA samples from the scene to test in its forensics lab, and is also reported to be working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to capture the coyote.