The San Diego border region could be getting an early Christmas present to the tune of $250 million, if Congress passes a bill to fund the federal government through March.

Driving the news: The spending bill would deliver more funding for repairs and expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, if it is approved before the Friday deadline to keep the government operating.

• Yes, but: The bill's prospects of passage were complicated after rank-and-file Republicans, Elon Musk and President-elect Trump came out against it.

Why it matters: The plant is overwhelmed by Tijuana sewage, leading to millions of gallons of untreated wastewater flowing into the southern San Diego coastline and creating an ongoing environmental justice crisis.

• Attempts to stop the flow of cross-border sewage, though, have run into funding problems, cost overruns and bureaucratic delays in spending money that has been dedicated. 

How it works: The $250 million would join with $400 million already allocated by Congress.

• Those funds would cover repairs that started in August while the cross-border agency in charge of the plant figures out how to expand how much sewage it can treat at a time, and the expansion itself.

Flashback: Rep. Scott Peters and Sen. Alex Padilla requested the new repair and expansion money be included in an emergency disaster package, which President Biden granted and is now included in the spending bill.

What they're saying: "Just a few months ago, we broke ground on the project to fix and upgrade the broken plant — now we have the money to finish the job," Peters said in a release, of improvements expected to take around seven years to complete.

What Rep. Juan Vargas said

California housing officials have put a controversial decision to approve or deny a Pacific Beach high rise in the hands of San Diego leaders.

Why it matters: The PB tower has become a flashpoint in the ongoing fight between those looking to spur development to combat a housing shortage, and neighborhood groups arguing those efforts come at the expense of their quality of life.

Driving the news: The state confirmed last week the project can use California's density bonus law to exceed the 30-foot height limit on new buildings near the coast.

• That's how developers managed to propose a 240-foot building in the coastal height-limit area, with 74 apartments and 139 hotel rooms, despite zoning restrictions that allow only 31 apartments.

How it works: The density bonus law lets developers exceed local zoning if they reserve a certain percentage of units for residents with income restrictions. The tower at 970 Turquoise Street would set aside five units for very low-income residents and another five for moderate-income residents.

• But Kalonymus, the developer, plans to make the hotel rooms indistinguishable from apartments, and rent them out under long-term leases, essentially providing 213 units, beyond what the full density bonus would allow.

Between the lines: Although the state confirmed the project's eligibility, it also said city officials can deny the project if they can prove that the exemptions the developer requested aren't necessary for providing the income-restricted housing.

• That gives local leaders a chance to reject the proposal, but they'd need to be prepared to back up their argument in court.
• The mayor's office thinks the letter will also prohibit the developer from renting out hotel rooms as long-term housing, the U-T reported.

What they're saying and what's next

🚘 The EPA granted California the authority to ban sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035, but the incoming Trump administration could try to rescind it. (AP)

👮 Sheriff Kelly Martinez said she won't be following the county's new policy to limit cooperation with ICE without a warrant. But immigration rights advocates point out that could violate state law, which says law enforcement can't violate local policy on this issue. (KPBS)

🐄 Gov. Newsom declared an emergency over the bird flu outbreak among dairy cattle, giving authorities more resources to contain it. The virus was detected at 645 California dairies — about half of them in the past 30 days. (Axios)

The Hotel Del Coronado has a long history of celebrating the holidays in style. 

Fun fact: On Christmas Eve in 1904, The Del unveiled the world's first electrically-lit, outdoor Christmas tree. 

Zoom in: Holiday lights were strung from the hotel to a Norfolk Island pine that still stands on the lawn out front.

• Now, the towering tree is draped with colorful cascading lights as part of the "All That Jazz" musical light show with snow flurries. 

If you go: See the free, nightly show every 30 minutes from 5-9pm through Jan. 5 with a warm drink in hand after ice skating at the beachside rink.

More North Pole mail is being answered, according to U.S. Postal Service data shared with Axios.

What's happening: USPS Operation Santa, which started in 1912, authorizes Santa's helpers to read and respond to North Pole letters. In the past several years, the program has seen record participation.

How it works: People visit the Operation Santa website to create an account and read letters from children of all ages across the country. Verified users "adopt" letters and send requested gifts by a deadline to ensure children receive packages by Christmas Day.