Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

September 23, 2023 (San Diego) - San Diego State opened its Mountain West schedule on a sour note Friday, dropping a hard-fought 34-31 decision to Boise State at Snapdragon Stadium.

September 23, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

General  news

• Federal judge says DACA is illegal in ruling likely headed for Supreme Court(NBC)
• No defensible argument’: Anger boils over at CEO pay (Politico)
• What's next for Fox as Rupert Murdoch hands reins to Lachlan (Reuters)
• Home insurers cut natural disasters from policies as climate risks grow (Washington Post)
• 4 reasons why your car insurance premium is soaring  (NPR)
• After shoppers' habits have changed, malls try to figure out what comes next   (NPR)

Politics and election

• The U.S. federal government is headed into a shutdown. What does it mean, who’s hit and what’s next? (CNBC)
• The sleeper legal fight that could define 2024: Is Trump even eligible to run? (Politico)
• Nikki Haley's 2024 White House bid charts hazardous path in isolationist Republican Party (Reuters)
• That Big Poll Showing Trump and Biden Are Evenly Matched? Trump Helped Pay for It.  (New Republic)
• A third party signed up 15,000 voters in Arizona. Democrats worry that's enough for a Biden spoiler (AP)
• Trump urges government shutdown in unlikely bid to 'defund' his criminal prosecutions(Reuters)

Indictments and prosecutions

• Jan. 6 defendants bring cases to Supreme Court. Here's what it could mean for Donald Trump (USA Today)
• Menendez steps down as Foreign Relations chairman after indictment (The Hill)
• Hunter Biden indicted on federal gun charges (CBS News)
• Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro is convicted of contempt of Congress in Jan. 6 investigation (NBC)
• Ex-Proud Boys leader sentenced to 22 years for role in US Capitol attack (Reuters)

WORLD

North America

• Canada says it suspects India involved in Sikh leader murder (Reuters)
• Mexico ends its federal ban on abortion, but a patchwork of state restrictions remains (AP)
• Cuba uncovers human trafficking of Cubans to fight for Russia in Ukraine   (Reuters)

Africa

• Exclusive: EU temporarily holds back food aid in Somalia after UN records widespread theft (Reuters)
• US, Norway to launch Africa agriculture fund, commit $70 million (Reuters)
• How Arab fighters carried out a rolling ethnic massacre in Sudan (Reuters)
• Morocco’s reluctance to accept quake aid baffles foreign governments (Washington Post)
• Libya floods wipe out quarter of city, 10,000 missing (Reuters)

Asia

• Hong Kong, Shenzhen deluged by heaviest rain on record (Reuters)

Europe

• U.S. to give Ukraine long-range missiles (BBC)
• Ukraine hits HQ of Russia's symbolic Black Sea navy (BBC)
• Sand dredging is 'sterilizing' ocean floor, UN warns (Reuters)
• Boats, helicopters rescue hundreds after storm in Greece  (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories,  click “read more” and scroll down.

By Jacob Pamus

Everybody Dies by the End is a feature film written by Ian Tripp and directed by Ian and Ryan Schafer. The film was partially shot in Jamul and downtown. The film stars East County locals such as Brendan Cahalan and Vinny Curran, who owns a bar called Thrusters Lounge in Pacific Beach. The synopsis of the film is: “A documentary crew follows cult classic horror director Alfred Costella as he makes his final film - An all-practical masterpiece...with a dark twist.” 

When asked about his experience during the production of the film, Ian Tripp told ECM, “You have to be agile to problems coming at you every minute, but the crew itself was why we surpassed any problems we had.” He went into further detail, explaining how well the crew worked together in an environment that could be very stressful.

Story and photos by Branda Gorgies

The Steele Canyon High School governing board recently held a meeting to approve final decisions regarding salaries of the teachers.

The special meeting was on Monday at 3:45 p.m. in the school library. It was only about five minutes long, but the board members approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) as well as the new salary schedules and extended curricular salaries. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- As autumn arrives and Halloween draws near, East County has a wealth of festivals and events coming up.  These include Julian’s Autumn Jubilee and an Heirloom Apple Festival, Oktoberfests in La Mesa and El Cajon, the Borrego Days Desert Festival,  Haunt Fest on Main in downtown El  Cajon, a Pumpkin Bash and Spooky Campover at Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine,and a Pumpkin Express train ride in Campo.

Plus there are live entertainment stars taking stage in East County, including comics Paula Poundstone and Randy Rainbow at The Magnolia, the rock artist  Sting at SDSU, and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells with his band in a benefit concert to help the homeless in El Cajon.

Scroll down for details on all of these events and more.

Story by Liz Alper

Photo via @padres on Twitter

September 20, 2023 (San Diego) - Blake Snell pitched an impressive seven innings with no hits last night and Xander Bogaerts hit the two-run jack for the win in the ninth.  The Padres looked for the sweep today with Chase Anderson on the mound for Colorado against Seth Lugo.

By Miriam Raftery

September 18, 2023 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and his all-star band will revisit pop and soul classics in a concert to benefit the East County Transitional Living Center, a facility which helps homeless individuals and families transition off the streets and transform their lives.

By Rebecca Person

photos By Pete Cerep

September15,2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Just when a recent crisis of hundreds of stranded undocumented people seemed to abate, local residents of San Diego County border town Jacumba Hot Springs are reporting new waves of migrants seen on foot emerging from the rugged desert here.

In recent weeks, the numbers and frequency of sightings have increased from occasional to now several groups are observed each week. The latest group on September 13 numbered 62 people who scurried over a remote desert trail and clustered in the shade of tamarisk trees beside Old Highway 80 in Jacumba.

Photos of the travelers reveal them to be mostly young men, possibly Asian, though a few women and children were seen. By contrast, most of the May migrants said they were from Haiti, Turkey, Brazil or Guatemala, according to residents who brought them water and survival supplies.

Those pictured in photos in this article were loaded into vans late in the day on  Sept. 13 to be transported to their next destination under the apparent supervision of Border Patrol, witnesses told  ECM.

By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 14, 2023 (San Diego) --The Tuberculosis Program in the Public Health Services (PHS) department, of the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, in collaboration with San Diego State University (SDSU) and Aztec Shops are working closely to notify employees potentially exposed to tuberculosis (TB) on the SDSU campus, primarily at the Charles B. Bell Jr., Pavilion. Exposures to the general public, SDSU students and faculty, and to other employees are considered to be limited.

The dates of potential exposure are from Feb. 16, 2023 to June 22, 2023. Those known to have been potentially exposed have been directly notified and have been provided direction from health officials. People sick with TB may be sick for many months before they are diagnosed, and as such, exposure periods can be long.

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation of the bacteria from the air. The chance of infection is higher for people with prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB.

Book by Andrew Fitzgerald

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

September 14,2023 (San Diego)  -- In How Did I Get Here? Traveling the Road to Resilience, author Andrew Fitgerald shares his difficulties and determined resilience to overcome health issues. He also recounts how  he and his wife later struggled to settle in the United States. The second time they emigrated, they stayed. Then, after four miscarriages, they had a healthy boy. They live in San Diego County.

Fitzgerald begins his debut story being faced with death. His heart needed to be stopped and restarted. Doctors did this procedure twice before doing surgery on his heart to solve the problem. Over time, Fitzgerald reclaimed his strength and love of sports. 

He and his wife decided to move to the United States but initially had hardships and difficulties that drove them back to Ireland. They recommitted themselves and successfully relocated to the San Diego region, where they flourished in their second move. 

By Ashley Murray, Kansas Reflector CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Photo: CC by Bing

September 15, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) -- Health care representatives from across the United States are urging Congress to halt cuts to funding that helps hospitals care for uninsured or low-income patients who rely on Medicaid.

More than 250 hospitals and health systems appealed to House and Senate leadership in a letter Thursday asking the lawmakers to avert or delay a forthcoming $8 billion cut to “America’s health care safety net.”