EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

August 15, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• UN Observer Calls For 'Moratorium' On Criminalizing Homelessness In San Diego  (KPBS)
• Rental Scams Surge in San Diego (NBC 7)
• Asylee who won his case after ‘remaining in Mexico’ is released but not yet free (San Diego Union-Tribune) 
• San Diego’s inflation rate among highest in nation (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Emergency road closures to stabilize cave in La Jolla (10 News)

STATE

• California counties file lawsuit over public benefit immigration rule (KUSI)
• Report: California is the least affordable state to have a baby (10 News)
• Police fear suicide-by-cop cases. So they’ve stopped responding to some calls. (Los Angeles Times)
• California Republican wants party to denounce white nationalism at convention (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Palm Springs Republican Is 2nd to Launch Recall vs. Gov. Newsom (Times of San Diego)

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

LOCAL

UN Observer Calls For 'Moratorium' On Criminalizing Homelessness In San Diego  (KPBS)

For the past three days, Canadian attorney Leilani Farha, the United Nations special rapporteur on adequate housing, has been touring the streets of San Diego, talking to people dealing with the city's unprecedented housing crisis. She's charged by the UN with investigating whether cities are in compliance with international human rights law when it comes to housing.

Rental Scams Surge in San Diego (NBC 7)

Growing rental scams are impacting hopeful renters throughout San Diego, and in one case, even a local homeowner

Asylee who won his case after ‘remaining in Mexico’ is released but not yet free (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Honduran pastor who this week became the first person to win his case after being put into the Trump administration’s program that requires asylum seekers to await their hearings in Mexico has not yet finished on his path to protection and to freedom.

San Diego’s inflation rate among highest in nation (San Diego Union-Tribune)

 -- Inflation in the San Diego metropolitan area was running hotter than the nationwide average in the first six months of 2019. It was slower than other parts of California. 

Emergency road closures to stabilize cave in La Jolla (10 News)

Coast Boulevard in La Jolla was shut down Thursday, and will remain temporarily closed, as city crews began emergency construction to stabilize a nearby cave….During a press conference, crews said the concern is an outright collapse of the section of road over the cave…As part of the project, sections of Cave St. and Coast Blvd. will be temporarily closed to traffic for about six weeks. 

STATE

California counties file lawsuit over public benefit immigration rule (KUSI)

San Francisco and Santa Clara counties filed the first lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new rules denying green cards to migrants who use Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers or other forms of public assistance. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, came after the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement Monday of its expanded “public charge” rules to restrict legal immigration. In a filing , the counties of Santa Clara and San Francisco argued that the rules will worsen the health and well-being of their residents, increase public health risks and financially harm the counties.

Report: California is the least affordable state to have a baby (10 News)

…To rank states, WalletHub compared them against four key metrics, including: cost, health care, baby-friendliness and family-friendliness.

Police fear suicide-by-cop cases. So they’ve stopped responding to some calls. (Los Angeles Times)

Before George Quinn wrapped a chain around the rafters of his wood shop and hanged himself in June, he texted his big sister goodbye….Carol Quinn dialed law enforcement from her home near Reno, more than an hour away, desperate for them to save her brother’s life. The answer she received was startling: Deputies were no longer responding to calls like hers, because the situation could end as a “suicide by cop.”

California Republican wants party to denounce white nationalism at convention (San Francisco Chronicle)

In the wake of a string of horrific mass shootings, one Republican state lawmaker (Chad Mayes) wants the California Republican Party to do more to denounce white nationalism and racism.

Palm Springs Republican Is 2nd to Launch Recall vs. Gov. Newsom (Times of San Diego)

A Palm Springs woman running for Congress is at least the second Republican to launch a potential recall drive against Gov. Gavin Newsom.  On Friday, author and speaker Erin Cruz submitted a “notice of intent” to recall with 90-plus signatures, officials said. In so doing, she outraced a similar effort by La Jolla physician James Veltmeyer — twice a candidate for Congress.