By Miriam Raftery

August 23, 2023  (Washington D.C.) – On Tuesday, the Biden launched an application for a new student loan repayment plan called the SAVE Plan, or  Saving on a Valuable Education Plan. Borrowers can sign up and learn details at https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-plan .

This is a revised plan after an earlier effort to forgive student loans was blocked by the Supreme Court, though Republicans have also filed a challenge to the new plan.

The new SAVE plan calculates repayment based on the borrower’s income family size. According to the White House fact sheet, it will cut many borrowers’ monthly payments to zero,  save others around  $1,000 a year,  and prevent balances from growing because of unpaid interest. 

Specifically, the SAVE plan will:

By Sameea Kamal, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  the California Air Resources Board meets at the California Environmental Protection Agency building in Sacramento on June 23, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

August 23, 2023 (Sacramento) - For a July meeting, the Little Hoover Commission — an independent state oversight agency — posted notice that the public could attend in Sacramento, but also in Traverse City, Mich., or Southampton, N.Y.

Scheme involved fake electors, seizing voting machines, and pressuring officials in Georgia and other states to break the law

By Miriam Raftery

August 15, 2023 (Fulton County, GA) – In a sweeping 98-page indictment, Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis filed indictments against former president Donald Trump and 18 others with violating the state’s Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)  Act. The indictments, recommended by a Grand Jury, accuse the defendants of willfully joining a “conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.”

41 counts in the conspiracy case include forgery, filing false documents, making false statement and writings, impersonating a public officer, pressuring public officials to violate their oaths of office to commit illegal acts in multiple states, and illegally accessing ballots on voting machines in Coffee County, Georgia, among other things.

Trump faces 13 new criminal charges in Georgia, the fourth jurisdiction where he is under criminal indictment. The former president and current presidential candidate is charged with conspiracy to  impersonate a public officer (related to the slate of fake electors that cast votes and submitted them to official channels), conspiracy to commit forgery, conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (including in official proceedings), and conspiracy to commit filing false documents. He is also charged with pressuring public officials to violate the law for the purpose of stealing the 2020 presidential election.

The indictment alleges that after  Trump falsely declared victory following the Nov. 2020 election, Trump among other things personally committed the ofllowing illegal acts:

• Called Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers and pressured  Bowers to unlawfully appoint electors to vote for Trump, even though Biden won the state. Bowers declined and told Trump, “I voted for you… I campaigned for you.  I just won’t do anything illegal for you.”
• Joined a call to Pennsylvania legislators, made false statements and asked them to appoint electors for Trump, though Biden won Pennsylvania;
• Met with Mark Meadows and John McEntee to devise a scheme for Vice President Mike Pence  to count only half the electoral votes from some states and return others to state legislators, an illegal act which Pence refused to do;
• Solicited Georgia’s Republican Speaker of the House David Ralston (since deceased) to commit a felony by arranging for Georgia to appoint presidential electors for Trump, even though Biden won Georgia;
• Called the Republican Party chair Ronna McDaniel and asked her to help get certain people to meet as fake electors and cast electoral votes for Trump in states won by Biden;
• Asked  U.S. Attorney General Jefrrey Rosen and Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue to make a false statement.  Trump urged them, “Just say that the election was corrupt,and leave the rest to me and the Republican Congressmen.”
• Made false and harassing statements against officials who refused his demands to violate the law, such as “What a fool Governor@BrianKempGA of Georgia is…Demand this clown call a Special Session and open up signature verificfation NOW.”
• Submitted false documents in a lawsuit, Trump v.Kemp, which falsely claimed that thousands of votes were cast by felons, unregistered voters, underage people and dead people, without any evidence.
• Solicited Georgia’s Secretary of State,Republican Brad Raffensperger, to commit a felony by unlawfully altering  certified election results.
• Making false statements to  Raffensperger and other Georgia officials claiming pollworker  Ruby Freeman stuffed ballot boxes, that ballots were dumped,and numerous other claims found to be false.
• Was present at a January 4, 2021 meeting with Vice President Pence,  Eastman and others. After Trump pressured Pence to reject electoral voes or delay the joint session of Congress on January 6, Eastman “admitted both options violated the Electoral Count Act,” the indictment states.
• Made false statements asserting election fraud (despite losing 62 court challenges, some decided by Trump-appointed judges) in his speech at the Ellipse and urged the crowd to march to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, where violence ensued that resulted in several deaths and 140 injured  Capitol police officers.
  

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, East County Magazine Zoom Interview (2021)

August 19, 2023 (San Diego) -- Rep. Sara Jacobs on Wednesday called the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against access to the abortion drug mifepristone a “gross attack on our bodies and freedom.”

By Branda Gorgies

Photos by Eric Brehm and Ivan Bandura on Unsplash and Creative Commons via Bing

August 16, 2023 (California) – The “Justice for Renters” Act is officially on the November 2024 ballot. If approved by voters, it would repeal a law that bans rent control statewide on most housing, allowing local governments to enact ordinances to limit rent hikes.

By Jacob Pamus

Photo:  Pastor Rolland Slade speaks out on Council's decision to defund the task force.

Updated August 21 with statements from Bonnie Baranoff, Coordinatorof the East County Homeless  Task Force, disputing the city's assertions and media statements.

August 16, 2023  (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council majority voted to drop its funding for the East County Homeless Task Force.  Ironically El Cajon has the most homeless among East County communities and 16% of the homeless in San Diego County. 

City Manager, Graham Mitchell said during a Council meeting in late July that even though El Cajon’s interests do align with the task force, “Over time, that alignment has been shifting.” Mitchell  noted that initially he was in support of the task force because of how many different perspectives were involved, including law enforcement and business oriented individuals, but now he does not see that.

By: Jessyka Heredia

Photos from City of El Cajon meeting and presentation

August 14, 2023 (El Cajon) – The  El Cajon City Council on Tuesday was given a presentation by the city’s marketing and engagement manager, Chris Berg, about a new farmers market idea that includes a beer garden, farmers, artisan foods and goods plus three concert stages and more. The proposal is much larger in scope than other farmers markets around the county.

The City Manager, Graham Mitchell, also introduced three different proposals to the Council on possible projects to use their remaining ARPA funds on.

By Jacob Pamus

Image: Rendering of a proposed e-billboard in La Mesa

August 8, 2023 (La Mesa) – On July 25, the La Mesa City Council rejected a recommendation of an ad hoc committee known as the “Digital Billboard Ad-hoc Subcommittee.” Councilwoman Patricia Dillard and Councilman Jack Shu are in this subcommittee; its purpose was to issue a request for proposals with billboard companies to build digital billboards in La Mesa.

But ultimately, Shu and Dillard shifted their stances to oppose electronic billboards.

By Jessyka Heredia

Photos provided by Shane O'Garro

August 1, 2023 (Lemon Grove) – On July 18^, Lemon Grove was the fourth city in East County to pass an emergency ordinance that will pave the way to hopefully having more shelter beds in East County and sharing the burden with other East County cities by applying for grant money as a region instead of individual cities The Council voted 4-0 with Liana LeBaron  absent.

By Miguel Leyva

Photo by Marine Corporal J.R Heins

August 4, 2023 (San Diego) --Working as a firefighter entails numerous dangers, from smoke inhalation to crush injuries from collapsing structures. Still, a more insidious health threat these courageous people face is toxic exposure, as a fire can release many hazardous agents, including carbon monoxide, benzene, asbestos, hydrogen cyanide, particulates, and sulphur dioxide. Even if they wear the maximum feasible protective equipment, firefighters are inevitably exposed to these substances to a significant extent. Because of occupational toxic exposure, cancer is the leading cause of death in firefighters. They have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% greater risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population. 

Unfortunately, military firefighters are no exception, as they encounter the same health hazards on the job, if not more.

"Holding Trump accountable for his crimes pulls our democracy back from the precipice and prevents his criminal attempt to overturn an election from being forgotten or normalized," said one watchdog leader.

By Jessica Corbett. at Common Dreams

Aug 01, 2023 (Washington D.C.) --  Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday was indicted by a federal grand jury in Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and incite the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump—now the leading candidate for the GOP's 2024 presidential nomination—faces four charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

By Miriam Raftery

Image: CC via Bing

July 29, 2023 (Sacramento) – California voters will decide next year whether or not to raise the state’s minimum wage, allow local governments to approve rent control, tax the rich to fund prevention of future pandemics, ban workers from suing employers over state labor law violations, and make it harder for voters, state or local governments to raise taxes.  Backers of these measures have submitted enough signatures verified by county election officials to be eligible to qualify for the ballot by 131 days before the next statewide election.

By Miriam Raftery

July 28, 2023 (Miami, FL) – Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has issued an updated indictment in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. It adds new charges alleging that Trump ordered a staffer to delete surveillance video at  his Mar-a-Lago estate to coverup evidence of crimes, after Trump learned that the U.S. Department of Justice was seeking the video during its investigation. Read the new indictment.

The revised indictment also charges a new defendant, Carlos DeOliveira, the head of maintenance at Mar-a-Lago. Prosecutors allege that Trump spoke with Oliveira and his valet, Walt Nauta, and that the two employees then told a third employee to delete the security footage because “the boss” wanted the videos destroyed. However, the third employee reportedly balked at destroying evidence and has not been charged; he may be a cooperating witness.

The indictment charges Trump, Nauta and Oliveira with violating two federal laws in an attempt to destroy evidence, which suggests that the video was not destroyed and may be shown to jurors. Those statutes make it illegal to corruptly destroy or tamper with a record to impair its use in an official proceeding, and to corruptly try and persuade someone else to alter or destroy evidence.

By Miriam Raftery

View video of forum

Hear audio aired on KNSJ: part 1; part 2

July 23, 2023 (San Diego’s East County)—Ballots have been mailed for the special election in the 4^th Supervisorial District to fill the vacancy left by Nathan Fletcher’s resignation. East County Magazine hosted a forum for the candidates, who spoke out on issues including homelessness, housing, energy, policing, drug addiction, sand mines, wildfire safety, and more. ECM editor Miriam Raftery moderated the forum.

August 15 is the last day to vote in the special election primary.

The three candidates who participated are Monica Montgomery Steppe, an attorney and president pro tem of the San Diego City Council, Amy Reichert, a private investigator and founder of Reopen San Diego, and Janessa Goldbeck, a former Marine and CEO of a nonprofit helping veterans.  (A fourth candidate, Paul McQuigg, a military veteran and U.S. Labor Dept. employee, RSVP’d that he would attend but said he was unable to get connectivity for the forum on Zoom while traveling overseas.)

Click the video to view highlights of the forum,  listen to audio for the version aired on radio (edited slightly for length), and scroll down to read highlights.

"Republicans are making clear they will defend their corrupt allies on the Supreme Court no matter what," said one campaigner. The bill is not likely to become law, due to opposition in the GOP-controlled  House.

By Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

Photo: Justice Clarence Thomas,via Library of Congress 2012. Thoms has drawn criticiism for accepting lavish trips and other gifts from a billionaire, actions which would be illegal for judges at any other level of the court system.

July 20, 2023 (Washington D.C.) -- The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday advanced legislation that would require the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt an enforceable code of ethics and adhere to stronger disclosure rules following a series of revelations about the luxury trips and other gifts justices have received from right-wing billionaires.

Led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act advanced out of committee without any Republican support.