By Miriam Raftery

Rally organizer tells HBO Vice reporter on video, "A lot more people are going to die."

August 15, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President  Donald Trump on Monday issued a strong statement denouncing groups by name  that participated in the Charlottesville, Virginia gathering of radical racist hate organizations, at which a Nazi sympathizer plowed a vehicle into a crowd of protesters, killing a woman and injuring 19 others.

the president's announced came two days after the attack – and following a barrage of criticism including leaders in both parties who faulted Trump for not specifically denouncing white supremacism earlier.

"Racism is evil -- and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans," Trump said Monday."Those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America," he added.  View the President’s full statement: http://www.10news.com/news/national/trump-expected-to-condemn-hate-group... .

By Miriam Raftery

August 12, 2017 (San Diego) – El Cajon Councilman Ben Kalasho is counter-suing two contestants in the Miss Middle East Beauty Pageant that he founded, alleging that his reputation has been harmed by their claims that include fraud and sexual harassment.

By Miriam Raftery

August 10, 2017 (San Diego) – Fraud, falsified documents and conspiracy to defraud a bank are among the crimes for which FBI investigators obtained a warrant and sought evidence during a February raid at offices of the treasurer for Congressman Duncan Hunter’s campaign, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. 

By Kendra Sitton

Photo, left and inside photo:  Henderson and Voepel speak after the breakfast

August 9, 2017 (Alpine) -- “Frank asked me to not get political and keep it positive. I'm going to fail him miserably,” said state Assembly member Randy Voepel. He addressed the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce at their monthly Hot Topics Breakfast at the request of Frank Sturnold, the interim executive of the Chamber while a restructuring is underway.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Congresswoman Susan Davis and Nile Sisters founder Elizabeth Lou

August 8, 2017 (San Diego) -- Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) is the recipient of the 2017 Refugee Champion Award.  The award was presented by Nile Sisters Development Initiative, a San Diego-based nonprofit helping local refugees and immigrants.

By Paul Kruze

Photo:  Congresswoman Susan Davis addresses audience at veterans’ town hall in El Cajon.

Listen to veterans’ town hall with Congresswoman Davis:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/otg5ea4rh7x1i8p/SusanDavisVeterans_Final.mp3

August 7, 2017 (El Cajon) -- With the United States involved in war campaigns in the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia over the past century, there are U.S. soldiers who have returned home visibly unscathed by the hell of war. But there are those soldiers who have returned home healthy on the outside, yet everyday continue to deal with the ravages of war on the inside, enduring post-traumatic stress disorder and other challenges.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Kremlin.ru

August 4, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill imposing sanctions against Russia over its efforts to meddle in the U.S. election and Russian aggression in the Ukraine. 

The bill also prohibits President Trump from easing those sanctions without Congressional approval.  The action is a stinging rebuke to Trump, who has previously opposed sanctions and drawn criticism for his close ties to Russia and praise for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Major CEOs say bill would harm tech industry; policy has roots in racist organizaitons

By Miriam Raftery

August 3, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Going far beyond rounding up  undocumented immigrations, President Donald Trump is now backing a bill that aims to cut legal immigration in half.  It proposes a skills-based immigration system that includes English proficiency and job skills, also prohibiting immigrants from bringing any family members here except for spouse and minor children.

By Miriam Raftery

July 29, 2017 (La Mesa) – Gloria Chadwick announced on her Facebook page that she is suspending her candidacy in the 50^th Congressional district and will instead seek reelection to her current position on the Grossmont Healthcare District Years, where she has served for many years.

U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations votes on Leahy Amendment

By Miriam Raftery

July 28, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- This morning, the Senate Committee on Appropriations voted to include an amendment introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (R-VT) in the FY2018 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The amendment prohibits the use of Federal funds to interfere with medical cannabis patients and programs that are in compliance with state medical cannabis laws.  

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Congressman Scott Peters

July 27, 2017 (San Diego) – President Donald Trump’s tweets yesterday stating that he is reinstating a ban on transgender people in the U.S. military do not have the force of law.

Now, the Chairman of the Joint Chief’s of Staff says the military won’t take action until Trump sends directives to the Pentagon. In addition, San Diego Congressman Scott Peters has proposed an amendment to a major defense appropriations bill that would block discrimination against transgender people in the military--and even many staunch conservatives are voicing support for transgender troops.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

July 26, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – An IT aide who worked for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former Democratic National Committee Chair, has been arrested on bank fraud charges while trying to board a plane to Pakistan at Dulles Airport in Virginia.

By Miriam Raftery

July 25, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – By a slim one-vote margin, Republicans in the Senate voted to open debate on repealing and replacing Obamacare. Senator John McCain flew back from Arizona after brain cancer surgery to vote in favor, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote to open debate. But then the bill to gut healthcare for millions of Americans, while granting tax breaks to the wealthy, failed passage.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Kremlin

July 24, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – In a stinging rebuke of President Donald Trump’s cozy relationship with Russia, The House and Senate have agreed on a bill to impose new sanctions on Russia over its efforts to meddle in the U.S. election and Russian aggression in the Ukraine.  The bill also prohibits Trump from easing those sanctions without Congressional approval.  The Republican-controlled Congress is said to have mustered a veto-proof majority in both Houses for the bill.

By Miriam Raftery

July 21, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Recently, Glenn Jensen joined us on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ to talk about his candidacy against Rep. Duncan Hunter in the 50^th Congressional District.  A Democrat who calls himself a “recovering Republican”, he’s a lifelong resident of the district,  a graduate of Helix High School who raised his family in East County, helped save homes in the Cedar Fire, and works in information technology sales.  You can hear his full interview

Jensen says he’s running to “set this country back on track” with integrity and a progressive but fiscally responsible agenda.  He’s also concerned about the criminal F.B.I. and Justice Department investigations against Hunter. 

“It’s obvious to me he’s been enriching himself …but has not introduced any legislation to benefit his district,” says Jensen, who calls Hunter's lavish spending of campaign funds on personal uses "pretty damn close to embezzlement." Those expenses included a family vacations to Europe, jewelry, dental bills and airfare for the Hunter family's pet rabbit.  (Hunter has denied wrongdoing, but did borrow money to repay $62,000 to his campaign. Hunter has since spent nearly all of his recent campaign contributions on his legal defense.)