​🌱 Best Mortgages For Black Home Buyers + Sex Trafficking Of Boys

Hello all! I'm back in your inbox this morning with today's San Diego Daily. Munch on your pancakes and sausages, drink your coffee/tea, and read on to learn what's happening in town today:

• San Diego offers the best mortgages for Black home buyers.
• Many are unaware of how much sex trafficking of boys goes on.
• Cases of lice are rampant here in San Diego.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny.🌞 High: 61, Low: 45.

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Here are four of the top stories in San Diego today:

1. San Diego scores number one in a top-10 list of cities that offer the best mortgage rates to Black residents. Using artificial intelligence, the company FairPlay completed a detailed study of over 23 million mortgage applications from Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and women, to discover how fairly they were served by lending institutions. San Diego was named Best City in America, while Seattle and Portland came in second and third. (Times of San Diego)
2. A new outreach campaign begins this month to raise awareness of male victims of sex trafficking. The exploitation of boys in our county has been under-reported. Boys between the ages of 11 – 13 years are often groomed and exploited right here in our county. The goal is to create awareness, among youth and their families, of potential trafficking. Find more information at protectsandiegokids.org or call the Child Abuse Hotline at 800-344-6000. (KUSI)
3. They're creepy, they're crawly, they're itty bitty itchy things, and they have invaded San Diego County. Our area is seeing a 30-40 percent rise in the number of lice cases this year. Simply giving a hug can spread lice, as they are transmitted through head-to-head contact. If you or your children have lice, you might want to visit a facility that specializes in the removal of lice and nits, or you can have a treatment in your own home. (ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV)
4. The San Diego Botanic Garden and Sony Music offer a dazzling experience called Lightscape, which features over a million lights, as well as tunnels, fire, sculptures and artistic installations. The show will run on Friday, Saturday, and for the last time on Sunday before it closes. The program covers one mile of property, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended. To buy tickets and checks hours, click here. (San Diego Patch)

Today in San Diego:

• Free "Fitness Palooza" for local older adults — OASIS San Diego. (10 a.m.)
• Live Interactive Video Preschool/Kindergarten Storytime with Mr. Luan — Linda Vista Branch Library. (10:30 a.m.)
• Silver Age Yoga — Carmel Valley Branch Library. (1 p.m.)
• Lego Club — Carmel Valley Branch Library. (4 p.m.)
• Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (Touring) — Civic Theater of San Diego. (8 p.m.)
• B E N I S E Spanish Nights — Balboa Theatre. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• 🩸CRITICAL BLOOD SHORTAGE: PLEASE DONATE.🩸 "Our community is currently experiencing a serious shortage of O positive and O negative blood. Donate Blood! All blood types and walk-ins are welcome! Schedule your appointment today: www.sandiegobloodbank.org/donate or (619) 400-8251." (San Diego Blood Bank on Facebook)
• Domestic violence call: "Northern Division officers responded to a call of a domestic violence restraining order violation. They detained the man and began investigating, finding a loaded ghost gun on the man. While searching his vehicle, they found three AR15 lower receivers, a suppressor, jigs, and additional firearm manufacturing equipment." (San Diego Police Department via Facebook)
• State of the City Address: "Join us next week for Mayor Todd Gloria's State of the City Address! You can watch it live on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at bit.ly/citytvlive" (City of San Diego via Facebook)
• Garden closes for maintenance: "The Garden will be closed from Monday, January 9 through Thursday, January 12 for some much-needed maintenance and preparation of our grounds, as well as time for our team to plan for the many activities we have in development for 2023." (San Diego Botanic Garden via Facebook)
• Coursera: "Looking to start or advance your career in 2023? SDPL patrons can access FREE online courses in the fields of business, resume building, personal development, and more through Coursera! Coursera offers more than 5,000 courses." (Library Foundation SD via Facebook)
• Need diapers? "Are you or a loved one in need of diapers? Join us for our first #diaperdistribution of 2023, Saturday, January 14th at @jackinthebox Corporate office in Kearny Mesa where we will be distributing diapers, feminine hygiene products, and PPE." (Miracle Babies via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Au Pair Childcare USA — (Visit website)
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Events:

• Open House. (Jan. 7)
• Le Salon de Musiques: Schubert - Winterreise for Baritone & Piano. (Jan. 8)
• Well+Fest 2023. (Jan. 21)
• Crossing Over With Psychic Medium John Edward (Live)! (Jan. 21)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with a new update!

— Bettyann Pernice

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming San Diego Daily? Contact me at sandiego@patch.com