ABC 10News wants you to start your day on the right foot with our updated microclimate weather forecasts, the latest news from overnight and this morning, and more to help get you out the door informed and ready to go.
Here's what you need to know in the Friday, May 16, 2025, edition of the 10News Wake Up Call newsletter.
TODAY'S TOP STORY:
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin spoke about the Tijuana sewage crisis during his testimony in front of the House Committee on Appropriations on Thursday. In his testimony, Zeldin was adamant that he's ready to pressure Mexico to get a handle on the issue.
ABC 10News was there last month when Zeldin toured the area and met with officials on both sides of the border. The EPA administrator told the congressional committee Mexico has agreed to do a lot, but not enough to fully deal with the problem.
"If they're only willing to agree to an 80% solution, well we're not there yet, and we're going to have to use other tactics to get a 100% solution done because the Americans on our side of the border... They're fed up and they don't want a 90% solution. They want a 100% solution."
Zeldin says the U.S. submitted to Mexico what it calls the "100% solution," but he didn't specify exactly what that was.
In a press release sent to ABC 10News on Thursday, Veolia, which operates the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant on behalf of the federal government, says Mexico has begun phase two of its international collector sewage infrastructure project.
Veolia says as phase two begins, South Bay communities may experience increased sewage odors, and coastal waters are at an even greater risk of pollution. Additionally, debris from the construction may hinder the work the IBWC plant is doing.
According to Veolia's press release, Mexico says diverted sewage during phase two of this construction will be routed to Mexico's newly reopened San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant, which was overhauled recently to treat up to 18 million gallons per day.
"Veolia urges both USIBWC and Mexico to prioritize coordination and communication during Phase 2 of Mexico’s International Collector sewage infrastructure project," the release states. "The company remains on alert to adjust South Bay plant operations, where appropriate, if conditions change."
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS:
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT:
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expected them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war.
A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov sat down with a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, who published a photo of the meeting.
A senior Ukrainian official close to the talks said that Kyiv’s delegation was prepared to “achieve a lot today” and with a real mandate to resolve key issues. The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make official statements, said the outcome hinges on whether Moscow is equally serious.
Both countries have tried to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed frustration over the slow progress and threatened to punish foot-dragging, that they are eager to resolve the conflict amid extensive diplomatic maneuvering.
The latest push to end the fighting got off to a rocky start on Thursday, when Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face. Delegations from the two countries also flew to different Turkish cities and put together teams of significantly different diplomatic heft for possible talks.
Read the full story here.
CONSUMER:
We've all been in a situation before where you're out on a dinner date after having a great time and meal, then, much to your dismay, a check with an eye-popping price is brought to your table.
"I think one of the big things for dating is that we get stuck in thinking that a great date has to be an expensive date,” Jarryd Boyd, certified life coach, said.
Bumble, the popular dating app, sent ABC 10News information from its 2023 Dating Trends Report, which surveyed more than 14,000 users worldwide.
The company’s report found that one in four respondents said they are setting financial boundaries for their dating lives. More than half of those surveyed said they’re intrigued by more casual dates than fancy or expensive ones, and 32% are less impressed by over-the-top first dates.
WATCH: 10News reporter Ryan Hill spoke to the life coach and a University of San Diego Economics professor for their tips on dating on a budget
WE FOLLOW THROUGH:
A Campo woman is continuing her emotional mission to change hit-and-run laws after her partner was killed while riding his dirt bike on Thanksgiving Day in 2023.
The 26-year-old Spirz, Pinkston's partner of a decade and father to their three daughters, was killed that Thanksgiving night by a hit-and-run driver while riding his dirt bike on Campo Road. The driver ended up being sentenced to five years and four months in prison.
In February, Assemblymember Carl DeMaio introduced AB 1281, "Austin's Law," which raises the penalties for a hit-and-run crash causing serious injury or death from a maximum of 4 years to a minimum of 15 years.
WATCH: See how Pinkston played a role in the effort to increase the penalties against hit-and-run drivers, and the hardship she experienced along the way
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