Genetic researchers studying variations in personalities may have answered an age-old question: Why are some people able to successfully navigate a cocktail party while others struggle to make the smallest of small talk? While not able to apply their research to all party animals, the theory that researchers at UC San Diego’s Sanford Stem Cell Institute are working on begins with a rare genetic condition called Williams syndrome, which is caused by the “deletion of about 25 genes in the 7q11.23 chromosomal region,’ ” according to a news release the university sent out, “and which is sometimes ..read more

The City Heights Community Development Corporation and city leaders broke ground Wednesday on a $98 million housing development intended to provide 115 units of affordable housing and 13,000 square feet of commercial space. The Cuatro at City Heights, being constructed in partnership with Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation, will be built on four scattered vacant plots at the 40th Street intersections of El Cajon Boulevard and University Avenue. The transit-oriented, affordable rental apartments are slated for families with low income and veterans experiencing homelessness. The develo ..read more

A man gunned down a young couple and a toddler in Normal Heights nearly 25 years ago over about $30 worth of methamphetamine, a prosecutor argued Wednesday, while a defense attorney said there was no evidence his client committed the shooting outside of the word of untrustworthy witnesses. Sergio Lopez Contreras, 45, is charged with first-degree murder for the Sept. 4, 2000, shootings of Michael Plummer, 20; Plummer’s girlfriend, Adah Pearson, 18; and Plummer’s nephew, Julio Rangel Jr., who was about 22 months old. Prosecutors argue the shooting, which took place at an apartment on Bancroft St ..read more

A ticket with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, in Wednesday evening’s SuperLotto Plus drawing was sold at a liquor store in El Cajon and is worth $38,218, the California Lottery announced. There were no tickets sold with all six numbers, pushing the estimated jackpot for Saturday’s drawing to $30 million. The numbers drawn Wednesday night were 13, 14, 27, 38, 45 and the Mega number was 23. The jackpot was $29 million. The drawing was the 23rd since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold. The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in 41,416,353, accor ..read more

Southwest is weighing changes to boarding and seating. The carrier stands out from other large airlines with its open seating plan. Meanwhile rivals like Delta and United have touted high revenue growth for premium seating. Southwest Airlines is weighing changes to its cabin that could involve abandoning its single-class, open-seating system to drive up revenue, CEO Bob Jordan told CNBC on Thursday. The changes would mark a massive shift for the carrier that has stood apart from rivals for decades with its simpler business model. “We’re looking into new initiatives, things like the way we se ..read more

The player who hit the biggest shot in San Diego State basketball history, may have played his last game for the Aztecs. Senior guard Lamont Butler entered the NCAA transfer portal Wednesday night. Butler announced his decision on social media. “My last 4 years at San Diego State has been a dream come true,” he wrote on Wednesday night. “We’ve been able to accomplish so much in my time here. I will forever cherish the memories I made in an Aztec jersey. I’ve made lifelong friendships and was gifted with a brotherhood that no one can take away from me. Thank you to the Show and the amazing fans ..read more

Fragments of a heavily-decomposed whale carcass washed ashore near the La Jolla Shores Hotel Wednesday night, a city of San Diego spokesperson confirmed Thursday. The carcass was believed to be an 18-foot whale, San Diego spokesperson Jose Ysea said. NOAA scientists were called to take samples of the whale and determine where it could have come from. The decomposition was making it difficult for the researchers to tell much about the whale immediately, NOAA spokesperson Michael Milstein said. la jolla Feb 22 Juvenile gray whale that washed up on La Jolla beach towed away Jan 12 Floati ..read more

New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein ’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case. “We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s 4-3 decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.” The state Court of Appeals ruling reopens a ..read more

On the left and right, Supreme Court justices seem to agree on a basic truth about the American system of government: No one is above the law, not even the president. “The law applies equally to all persons, including a person who happens for a period of time to occupy the Presidency,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in 2020. Less than a year earlier, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, then a federal trial judge, wrote, “Stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that Presidents are not kings.” But former President Donald Trump and his legal team are put ..read more

Declining enrollment in the South Bay has left parents, staff and district administrators with some tough decisions. The South Bay Union School District may have to consolidate schools and redistribute its students. Parents seem to recognize the need for saving money but struggle with the process. “No one knew what was going on, and now you don’t want to let parents speak,“ said parent Kayla Stanley, who confronted Superintendent Jose Espinoza at the district’s third community town hall on Wednesday night. Stanley has a child with special needs at Central Elementary School but feels left behin ..read more