Daily Business Report: September 1, 2026
California lawmakers greenlight Midway Rising, bypassing environmental hurdles
By Nadia Lathan | CalMatters
Facing a shrinking budget, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria made few commitments during his annual address to the city in January.
One of them was to win approval for a controversial plan to build a billionaire-backed professional sports stadium and a housing project in a long-vacant arena parking lot.
“Let me be crystal clear,” Gloria, a Democrat, said. “The redevelopment of the sports arena will move forward. We will get this done.”
Federal Court Rules Padres Partner Offers Illegal Gambling
by Scott Lewis | Voice of San Diego
Kalshi this week announced it had entered into a brand partnership with the Padres and three other of the “most beloved teams in baseball” including the Dodgers.
It came just a couple days before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Kalshi is illegally operating sports betting in California.
Kalshi self describes as a “next-generation financial exchange” but it functions like a betting platform. Rather than betting at a casino against its sports book, Kalshi customers are buying futures contracts on whether a team will win or lose or endless other uncertain outcomes. It’s part of the proliferation of 24/7 digital access to gambling that has swept the nation.
North Carolina girl faces murder charges for alleged role in Islamic Center attack
by Drew Sitton & Dorian Hargrove| Times of San Diego
A 17-year-old North Carolina girl has been charged with three counts of murder and a count of felony conspiracy for her alleged role in aiding the two local teens who fired upon the Islamic Center of San Diego in May, killing three men.
A Forsyth County grand jury indicted Sarah Lindsay Santiago, the county’s district attorney, Jim O’Neill, announced Monday. O’Neill said that Santiago worked with the shooters, agreeing to livestream the act, publicize it and publish their manifesto afterward.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl called the arrest “a meaningful step toward justice for the three irreplaceable lives that were lost that day.”
