By Brooke Binkowski, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo: Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Foundation, AFL-CIO, speaks while flanked by Democratic and Republican local leaders.

October 31, 2024 (San Diego) -  Saying he lacks ethics and integrity, local elected officials and community leaders gathered in Scripps Ranch Wednesday to offer an “anti-endorsement” of far-right Republican candidate and AM radio personality Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Council member and two-time congressional candidate.

Slashing federal disaster relief, privatizing public education, politicizing federal agencies, gutting intelligence bureaus, stripping away rights of protected groups, and ending climate change actions are among the proposals detailed in Project 2025

By Miriam Raftery

October 7, 2024 (Washington D.C.) -- Project 2025 is an 887-page blueprint for a second Trump administration, according to its authors. Trump has alternately praised it, claimed never to have read it, and said he disagrees with parts of it; he has denied knowing its authors, even though those authors include 140 top officials and advisors from Trump’s first presidential term, some of whom wrote entire chapters.

ECM has reviewed the entire document and provides this analysis of its most controversial provisions, in summary and detail. Some page citations are provided; citations are available on request for every fact cited.

Project 2025’s  stated mission is to restore family as centerpiece of American life, “dismantle the administrative state” (p 3), defend our nation’s sovereignty and borders against global threats, and secure ”God given individual rights to live freely.”  But if fully implemented, it would dismantle many branches of our federal government, politicize every federal agency,  threaten  our democracy and take away many rights and protections for women, minorities, the LGBTQ community, and our environment.

SUMMARY

Some of its most polarizing proposals include:

Shutting down and privatizing agencies: It aims to close down entirely agencies ranging from the Department of Education (p. 285) to  the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service (p 664) which could charge for weather reports and warnings, also privatizing FEMA  (p. 135), the Federal Emergency Management Agency that provides aid to victims of wildfires, floods and other disasters, privatizing Small Business Administration disaster loans, and privatizing National Flood Insurance. The Transportation and Security Administration, or TSA which was set up to protect us from terrorists after 911 including airport screenings, would be privatized as well. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Screenshot of Trump at rally in Aurora,Colorado Friday where he threatened violence and military retribution against his enemies in America

October 16, 2024 – Alarm bells are being sounded by former generals who served under Trump, who warn that his increasing threats of violence and retribution against political enemies and journalists are “fascist,”  as is his stated admiration for Adolf Hitler's generals.

Trump told Fox News this week that he would order the National Guard and “if really necessary, the military” to go after “enemies within” on American soil if he is reelected, ABC reports.

He has frequently used the “enemies within” description for his political opponents such as Rep. Adam Schiff, who led the impeachment hearing against Trump. Trump has repeatedly threatened retribution against his political enemies, including charging retired generals who have criticized him with treason.

In addition, he has threatened journalists and major news outlets, called for arrest by the military of anyone he deems “radical left lunatics,” aims to build camps to detain tens of millions of immigrants. He has also called for a “single day of violence” to curtail crime, said he would use force to quell protests against him if he wins the election and said Jews will be to blame if he loses.

By Miriam Raftery

October 13, 2024 (San Diego) – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a Democrat, and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, a Republican, gave sharply divergent responses on a host of issues during a 51^st Congressional District candidate forum. The event, held at Temple Emanuel last week, was moderated by CBS 8 journalist Heather Myers with questions posed by the audience, plus in a twist, one question posed by each candidate to their opponent.

Wells sought to blame Democrats’ “radical left” policies  for problems ranging from inflation to rising homelessness and crime,  repeatedly criticizing immigrants while downplaying concerns over abortion. Jacobs sought to portray Wells as out of touch with women’s concerns over losing their reproductive freedoms if Republicans ban abortion at the national level and she denounced immigrant bashing as “dangerous” to Jews as well as immigrants.

Both voiced strong support for the Israeli people, but differed sharply in their views on how to defuse tensions and violence across the Mideast.  Wells chided Jacobs for focusing more on reproductive freedoms than economic issues, while Jacobs slammed Wells’ refusal to acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. She fired back that such “lies” led to the Capitol attack in which insurrections wearing “team Auschwitz” t-shirts burst into the House Chamber moments before Jacobs, a Jew, was evacuated.“

October 10, 2024 (Lemon Grove) – East County Magazine will host two candidate forums tonight on Zoom.  The Lemon Grove mayoral  candidates’ forum will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the Lemon Grove City Council candidates’ forum  at 7 p.m.

You can watch live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EastCountyMagazine/.  The forum will also be posted later on our homepage at https://www.eastcountymagazine.org.

All candidates have agreed to participate.

Read full transcript of Vice Presidential debate

View Video of Full Debate

By: Rachel Williams & Miriam Raftery

Vance refuses to pledge to certify election results in a future presidential election, even if all 50 governors submit certified results.

October 6, 2024 (New York City, NY) — Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz maintained a tone of civility during Oct. 1’s demure debate at the CBS Broadcast Center’s historic studio 45 on October 1, a sharp contrast from the contentious presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Polls show a stalemate, with neither VP candidate a clear winner. 

East  County News Service



September 23, 2024 (Spring Valley, CA) – Ther Spring Valley Community Alliance (SVCA) and New Seasons Church are sponsoring a forum for candidates running in November for the 79th State Assembly District. The forum will take place on Monday, September 30 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the New Seasons Church,2300 Brancroft Drive in Spring Valley.

Both candidates, LaShae Sharp-Collins, PhD, and Colin Parent have confirmed their attendance.  Sharp-Collins is the County Office of Education’s community engagement specialist and an adjunct professor at San Diego State University. Parent is a La Mesa City Councilman, attorney, and general counsel for the nonprofit Circulate San Diego.

They will give opening statements and take questions from the audience. Take this opportunity to hear the candidates and learn where they stand on issues important to you.

The forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters of San Diego and conducted according to their guidelines.

By Rachel Williams and Miriam Raftery

View video of full debate

Read transcript of debate

(Philadelphia, PA) -- In a fiery debate hosted by ABC on Sept. 11, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump clashed on issues ranging from foreign policy and climate change  to domestic issues including the economy, immigration and women’s health,  as well as protecting freedoms and preserving American democracy.

While Trump laid out a dark vision of a “failing nation” and pledges of mass deportations,  Harris focused on presenting a positive vision with several specific proposals to lift up middle class Americans and families. Harris slammed Trump’s handling of the COVID crisis, abortion, the January 6 capitol attack, and foreign policy, particularly his refusal to support Ukraine over Russia. Trump slammed the Biden-Harris record, particularly on inflation, immigration, and how the withdrawal from Afghanistan was handled.

The matchup pitted a seasoned prosecutor, ex-Senator and current Vice President against a former President, businessman, reality TV star and now, convicted felon. A split screen showed Harris largely poised as she methodically attacked Trump’s record,occasionally showing disbelief or laughter at his responses. Trump frequently scowled and fired back with criticisms of his own, occasional rambling off topic, and mocking barbs.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo, California's 75th Assembly District (AD-75) courtesy: NBC San Diego.

September 19, 2024 (Lakeside) -- County Republican Party Chairman Corey Gustafson comes out swinging against former San Diego Councilman Carl Demaio in a letter leaked over the weekend in Times of San Diego. The GOP Chair rallies Republican Central Committee Members to support Lakeside Union School District Board Trustee Andrew Hayes in California's 75th Assembly District (AD-75), in the General election featuring two Republican candidates in what has become known as "California's jungle primary system."

The GOP Chair's letter broke over the weekend from Ken Stone, who summarizes in Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association, the latest of many DeMaio controversies.  Stone writes that "perennial candidate Carl DeMaio is being accused of attempted bribery, bullying, threats and lies as his Reform California group endorses 'rogue' Republicans amid his own race for Assembly."

East County News Service

Photos: Bing Copilot Designer powered by DALL-E 3

September 18, 2024 (Sacramento) – California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed two bills that constitute the nation’s toughest laws regulating deceptive AI videos targeting political candidates.

AB 2839 makes it illegal to make or publish deepfake videos in political ads or election communications within 120 days before an election or 90 days after. The law takes effect immediately. 

The second bill, AB 2655, requires online platforms such as social media sites to remove or label deceptive digital content related to elections during certain time periods, and to allow reporting of such content. . It also authorizes candidates, elected officials, elections officials, the Attorney General, and a district attorney or city attorney to seek injunctive relief against a large online platform for noncompliance.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Accused gunman Ryan Routh, via Facebook

September 16, 2024 (Palm Beach, Florida) – While former President Donald Trump was playing golf at his golf courses in Palm Beach, Florida yesterday afternoon, Secret Service agents posted a few holes away spotted a man pointing a rifle through shrubbery at the perimeter of the course.  An agent opened fire and the man fled, dropping a semi-automatic rifle and backpack. He was later apprehended.

Trump, the Republican nominee in the November presidential election, is safe. On his media outlet, he praised the Secret Service and law enforcement, writing,”THE JOB WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING.”  In a later fundraising email, he pledged, “Nothing will slow me down.”

A witness took a photo of the would-be assassin’s vehicle, enabling authorities to arrest Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, a short time later. Routh was charged with being a felon in possession of a weapon and possessing a weapon without a serial number. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Routh was previously convicted of possessing a machine gun in 2022, among other prior offenses.  His social media posts indicate he voted for Trump in 2016 but came to regret that choice, criticizing Trump on foreign policy, particularly Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  Routh has stated that he intended to volunteer to fight for Ukraine.

View the indictment here. 

Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice

September 4, 2024 (Washington D.C.) – Attorney General Merrick Garland today announced criminal indictments against two Russian nationals in a scheme to spread disinformation across social media under covert identities posing as U.S.-based media outlets. Their aim was to illegally influence the 2024 election, sow division among Americans, and spread propaganda favorable to Russia regarding its invasion of Ukraine. 

The defendants, Kostiantyn “Kostya” Kalashnikov and Elena “Lena”Afanasyeva, are both employees of Russia’s state-controlled media outlet in Moscow,  RT, formerly known as Russia Today.

East County News Service

September 2, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – The San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce will host “Politics in Paradise” on Friday, Sept.20 from  5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego.

Candidates are invited to sign up and participate. Candidates can share their platform and discuss topics with both Chamber members and guests, give a one-minute speech,invite attendees to engage one-on-one questions and answers, bring a table with campaign materials, and solicit fundraising. Candidates must complete this candidate form.

The public is invited to attend and learn more about the people running for local offices seeking to represent East County residents.