"We can cut plenty of other things," President Donald Trump told West Point's graduating class.

By Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

Photo: Screenshot via CSpan; Pres. Trump speaks at West Point graduation

May 26, 2025 (West Point Military Academ, New York) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday bragged to West Point's graduating class that he has refused to cut Pentagon spending and touted his push for an annual military budget of $1 trillion, arguing that other programs should be on the chopping block instead.

"Some people say, 'Could you cut it back?' I said, 'I'm not cutting 10 cents,'" the president said of Pentagon spending during his bizarre, campaign-style commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy.

"We can cut plenty of other things," Trump added, without specifying what he sees as better targets for cuts than the Pentagon, a sprawling morass of waste and abuse that recently failed its seventh consecutive audit.

Trump's remarks came after House Republicans, with his support, passed a massive budget reconciliation package that includes more than $100 billion in additional spending for the U.S. military and around $1 trillion in combined cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos, left by Robert Gehr:  

May 18, 2025 (El Cajon) – For 48 years, El Cajon has had water features and ducks near its civic center in the heart of downtown. But now the water features have been drained, leaving only bare, jagged rocks where once a waterfall and streambed flowed.

“The pond is now dry and converted into a dry riverbed for the moment,”  City Manager Graham Mitchell told ECM.  “The reason for the conversion is that the pump system has failed and the bed of the pond has many leaks.” Repair cost is estimated at $500,000, he added. “Because the City Council directed staff to explore possible uses for that space, it does not make sense to put $500,000 of repairs into the feature.”

Could some waterworks remain?  “Depending on how the space around The Magnolia is programmed, the pond could come back, or it may become something else,” said Mitchell. “However, those are questions that the City Council will address later.”

By Miriam Raftery

May 17, 2025 (San Diego) – Curtis Morrison is an immigration attorney  and Democrat running for the 48^th Congressional district against Congressman Darrell Issa, a Republican.  He’s previously worked as a realtor and substitute teacher.

Last month he sat down for an in-depth interview with East County Magazine, originally aired on our radio show on KNSJ radio. View video, hear audio, or scroll down to read highlights.

2026 will be a pivotal election year, since Republicans hold a very slim majority in the House and Senate; if Democrats regain control of one or both house, they will have the power to reign in many of the Trump administration’s controversial actions.

House Republicans want to ban state AI regulations for 10 years. California leaders are alarmed.

by Khari Johnson, Technology reporter, CalMatters.

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

May 16, 2025

House Republicans moved to cut off artificial intelligence regulation by the states before it can take root, advancing legislation in Congress that, in California, would make it unlawful to enforce more than 20 laws passed by the Legislature and signed into law last year.

The moratorium, bundled in to a sweeping budget reconciliation bill this week, also threatens 30 bills the California Legislature is currently considering to regulate artificial intelligence, including one that would require reporting when an insurance company uses AI to deny health care and another that would require the makers of AI to evaluate how the tech performs before it’s used to decide on jobs, health care, or housing.

The California Privacy Protection Agency sent a letter to Congress Monday that says the moratorium “could rob millions of Americans of rights they already enjoy” and threatens critical privacy protections approved by California voters in 2020, such as the right to opt out of business use of automated decisionmaking technology and transparency about how their personal information is used.

By Alexander J. Schorr

Photo, left: Sign on table urging recall of four GUHSD trustees.

May 11, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD)  governing board refused a last-ditch chance to rescind its layoffs of credentialed teachers, librarians, counselors, and psychologists at the May 8 board meeting, despite angry comments from constituents.

After the public session, the board adjourned to a private session and returned with a surprise announcement that the majority had voted to accept the resignation of newly named Chief of Staff Jerry Hobbs, who has become mired in controversy.

By Miriam Raftery

May 5, 2025 (El Cajon) – The initial round of 60 signatures to recall El Cajon Councilmember Phil Ortiz have been validated, City Clerk Angela Cortez confirms. The organizers, Latinos en Accion, now must publish their intent in a local newspaper and have 120 days to gather signatures from 20% of the 11,320 registered voters in District 4 in order to put the recall measure on the ballot.

Increasing the controversy, recall opponent Amy Reichert is slamming recall leader Mairene Branham for comments Branham posted as mair3n3 on an Instagram reel showing video of a press conference held by conservatives who oppose “sanctuary cities” and/or oppose the recall effort.

Branham posted, “Still is and will be better when all of the people in this video die off.”

By Alexander J Schorr and Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Students, teachers, librarians, and community members rally outside GUHSD meeting April 24 in latest protest over layoffs.

April 27, 2025 (El Cajon) -- A recall effort is underway seeking to oust four trustees on the Grossmont Union High School District Board:  Scott Eckert, Robert Shield, Gary Woods,PhD, and Jim Kelly. At the April 24 GUHSD board meeting at Grossmont High School, Andy Trimlett held up four notices of intent to recall the trustees, telling the four trustees,  “You  have refused to listen to your community, so we are launching a campaign to remove you from office.”   

The recall effort follows two months of protests over the board majority’s elimination of 61 positions, including 49 credentialed teachers, counselors, assistant principals, and 9 teacher librarians, as well as 12 support staffers. Despite the outcry, at the April 24 meeting, when trustee Chris Fite made a motion to rescind the controversial firings, none of the other four trustees would second the motion. The action intensifies growing mistrust between community members and the four conservative trustees, with each side accusing the other of disrespect.

View video of recall announcement. Recall organizers have setup a website and an Instagram page. Since the GUHSD has district elections, signatures must be obtained in each of the four districts to qualify a recall election for the ballot.

Photo, right: Andy Trimlett announces recall effort against four GUHSD trustees

Kennedy also moved to cut funding for various autism programs, and tasked discredited researcher with finding “link” between autism and vaccines 

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo, left: cc via Bing

April 27, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has pledged to find the “cause” of autism, while he and other members of the Trump Administration have reduced funding for autism research at the same time. 

He has also put a researcher in charge of finding the cause of autism. previously disciplined for practicing medicine without a license in a debunked autism study with unapproved treatments that caused harm to patients.

Kennedy, who’s also spread debunked claims about vaccines causing autism, has also suggested “compensating” American families with autism. 

Meanwhile, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is collecting private medical records from federal and commercial databases to give to Kennedy's effort to “study” autism, according to CBS News. 

By Miriam Raftery

April 26, 2025 (San Diego)-- Congressman Darrell Issa announced plans to hand out “Freedom Fries” at a McDonald’s in San Marcos on Thursday, April 24^th.

But after word got out that protesters planned to picket the event, 12 noon arrived—and Issa didn’t, until after protesters left.

By Mike Allen

April 25, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s City Council hired Gary Halbert, a former city manager for Chula Vista, as its interim city manager on the same day, April 23, that the prior city manager, Marlene Best, officially ended her nine-year tenure in a mutually agreed separation.

Ortiz defends actions as "only about public safety"

By Miriam Raftery

April 23, 2025 (El Cajon) – “You betrayed the large immigrant community here,” Mairene Branham told El Cajon Councilman Phil Ortiz at yesterday’s city council meeting, where she served him with a recall notice.

The recall effort was sparked by Ortiz’s vote on Feb. 11 in favor of a resolution that authorized the city’s police to cooperate with federal immigration officials in handing over undocumented immigrants who have been convicted, or accused, of a violent crime. The resolution passed narrowly on a 3-2 vote.

Ortiz represents District 4, a district with a majority of Latino voters, as well as many other immigrants.

League of Women Voters, groups representing veterans and seniors, and Issa’s Democratic opponent Curtis Morrison all oppose action in court

By Miriam Raftery

April 20, 2025 (San Diego) – Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican representing the 48^th Congressional district, has filed a lawsuit against California Secretary of State Shirley Weber. The suit, Issa v.Weber, seeks to halt California’s decade-long practice of allowing mail-in ballots to be counted up to a week after an election, provided they were postmarked by Election Day.

Ballots at risk of not being counted include many cast by military members deployed overseas, as well as seniors and others who rely on mail-in ballots.  Motions to intervene in the suit have been filed by organizations representing veterans, women, voters, and by Issa’s political opponent.

Santee City Manager Marlene Best (left)

By Mike Allen

April 18, 2025 (Santee) – Marlene Best, Santee’s city manager for the past nine years, is leaving the job effective April 23.

Following a closed session of the Santee City Council on April 18, Mayor John Minto announced he will sign a separation agreement with Best, and begin the process of looking for a new permanent city manager, and hiring an interim city manager.

“I can’t tell you a whole lot because this is a personnel matter,” Minto said.

East County News Service

Photo: Getty Fire, courtesy of LA Fire

April 14, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) -- U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) has introduced his first bill. 

The Firewall Act aims to help homeowners hit by climate-fueled disasters such as recent Southern California fires. It would provide a tax credit for upgrades to make houses more resilient.

“By getting ahead of natural disasters, we can save taxpayer dollars and prevent the devastation that so often comes along with wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters,” Sen. Schiff says.

By Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

Apr 10, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- In a party-line vote, House Republicans on Thursday approved a budget blueprint that sets the stage for the GOP to pass another round of tax cuts for the rich, paid for in part by slashing Medicaid, federal nutrition assistance, and other critical programs.

The final vote was 216 to 214, with two Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana—and every Democrat opposing the measure, which now must be converted into legislation.

The budget reconciliation process that Republicans are using for their sweeping bill means it can pass with a simple majority in both chambers of Congress.