Happy Tuesday, San Diego!
Early voting is now underway for the Nov. 4 special election in which Californians will decide whether to redraw state congressional district lines. We have the information you need on Proposition 50 and how you can cast your ballot today.
Oct. 7 marks two years since the war between Israel and Hamas began, but there is a slight glimmer of hope for peace as negotiations between the two sides take place in Egypt.
Plus, a Team 10 investigation examines the local lawsuits surrounding the small rolls of paper responsible for some big legal bills.
Let’s kick off your Tuesday right with the news you can use in this morning’s newsletter:
THE STREAMLINE:
ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Tuesday, Oct. 7 -- everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:
TOP STORY:
With California’s special election to decide on Proposition 50 less than one month away, voters in San Diego County and across the state can now cast their ballots early.
Registered voters should now be receiving ballots in the mail for the Nov. 4 election; some voters may have received their ballots over this past weekend.
Completed ballots can be returned through the mail, or — starting today — they can be submitted at any drop-off locations around San Diego County. All ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 4's Election Day.
Drop-off locations can be found at https://www.sdvote.com/content/rov/en/elections/ballot-drop-box-locations.html.
San Diegans interested in voting in-person can do so now at the Registrar of Voters location in Kearny Mesa (5600 Overland Ave.). Hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Starting Oct. 25, select voting centers around the county will be open for in-person voting; the remaining county locations will open starting Nov. 1. In-person voting centers can be found here https://www.sdvote.com/content/rov/en/elections/vote-center-locations.html.
About Prop. 50
Proposition 50 is a proposal to temporarily redraw California's congressional district lines in an effort to create more Democratic seats in the House -- an effort Gov. Gavin Newsom says will offset a similar move in Texas designed to create more Republican seats.
The proposition would establish new congressional district maps for 2026, 2028 and 2030. An analysis by the election news website Ballotpedia said it would shift five Republican-held congressional districts toward Democrats.
Democrats already hold a 43-9 advantage in the state's House delegation.
The measure came in response to an effort in Texas for a mid-decade congressional redistricting that analysts said would give Republicans five additional seats. Other Republican-controlled states such as Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nebraska and South Carolina are also considering efforts to approve mid-decade redistricting.
Backers of the measure say it "draws fair maps that represent California's diverse communities and ensure our voices aren't silenced by Republican gerrymandering in other states."
Opponents say Prop 50 "creates one of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in modern American history" and is a "threat to democracy and fair elections in California," according to the campaign against the measure.
City News Service contributed to this report.
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS:
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BREAKING OVERNIGHT:
CAIRO (AP) — Peace talks between Israel and Hamas were resuming at an Egyptian resort city on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the militant group's surprise attack on Israel that triggered the bloody conflict that has seen tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza.
The second day of indirect negotiations in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are focused on a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump last week that aims to bring about an end to the war in Gaza.
After several hours of talks Monday, an Egyptian official with knowledge of the discussions said the parties agreed on most of the first-phase terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a ceasefire. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meetings.
The plan has received widespread international backing and Trump told reporters on Monday that he thought there was a “really good chance” of a “lasting deal.”
“This is beyond Gaza,” he said. "Gaza is a big deal, but this is really peace in the Middle East."
Trump's peace plan
Many uncertainties remain, however, including the demand that Hamas disarm and the future governance of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long said Hamas must surrender and disarm, but Hamas has not yet commented on whether it would be willing to.
The plan envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force being put in place. The territory would then be placed under international governance, with Trump and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251.
The devastating war that has ensued has upended global politics, resulted in the deaths of 67,160 Palestinians nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, and has left the Gaza Strip in ruins.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
A growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a U.N. body, have said Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip amounts to genocide — an accusation Israel vehemently denies.
On Tuesday at the area attacked by Hamas two years ago, thousands of Israelis gathered to pay tribute to their loved ones who were killed and kidnapped. An explosion from Gaza echoed across the fields as they reflected, following the launch of a rocket in northern Gaza. No damage or injuries were reported.
In Gaza City, meantime, residents said Israeli attacks continued until the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.
A promise of humanitarian relief
Ahead of the resumption of talks on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the hostilities, which have created "a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defied comprehension.”
“The recent proposal by U.S. President Donald J. Trump presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end,” Guterres said in a statement.
“A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace. International law must be respected," he said.
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt were facilitating the talks, meeting first on Monday with members of the delegation from Hamas, then later with those from Israel.
The talks went for four hours on Monday, according to Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar's Foreign Ministry.
Israel's delegation included Gal Hirsch, coordinator for the hostages and the missing from Netanyahu's office, while Hamas representatives included Khalil Al-Hayya, the group's top negotiator.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Monday that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were on hand to talk part in the talks and keep the president apprised.
She did not comment on a specific deadline for concluding the talks, but said it is important “that we get this done quickly.”
Part of the plan is to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza, where more than two million Palestinian are facing hunger and in some areas famine.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organization was poised and ready to act.
“The machinery is cranked up and ready to go as soon as we get the green light,” Dujarric said. “There are many thousands of metric tons in the pipeline of goods ready to enter” from Jordan, the Israeli port of Ashdod and elsewhere, he added.
Story by Samy Magdy and David Rising, Associated Press
CONSUMER:
Criminals are carrying out schemes targeting San Diego small businesses that could lead to some very expensive mistakes.
WATCH — Joe Ducey with the Better Business Bureau goes over the types of scams now being used to try and swindle small businesses:
WE FOLLOW THROUGH:
Some San Diego-area business owners said they are being threatened with lawsuits over the type of receipt paper their stores use.
WATCH — Team 10 investigative reporter Austin Grabish follows through with businesses who believe the legal demands feel more like a shakedown than a safety concern:
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