Our radio shows from September through December 2021 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Highlights included interviews with Steven Prusky of Rescue Task Force on the situation in Afghanistan, Dr. Mark Sawyer of Rady Chidren’s Hospital and Dr. William Tseng of Kaiser Permanente on COVID abd vaccines for kids, Supervisors Jim Desmond on the mileage tax and Joel Anderson on expanding parks access, State Senator Brian Jones on his legislation, and Rick Hall from the El Cajon Historical Society. We also aired a speech by Secretary of State Shirley Weber delivered during our Community Champions Awards and covered many top news stories locally.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. (Note: Due to COVID-19, some show dates aired reruns. Original shows are listed below.) Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

By Miriam Raftery

November 11, 2021 (San Diego) – San  Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond spoke with East County Magazine via Zoom last week over his concerns about SANDAG’s planned mileage tax and its disparate impact on rural, mountain and desert residents whose communities are not slated for transit projects that the tax would fund, along with limited other transportation projects. The interview originally aired on KNSJ radio and can now be viewed by clicking the video on the left. 

He also talked about other proposed taxes ranging from a sales tax increase to toll roads in our region. These include:

• A state fee of 2.3 cents for every mile driven, plus a 2 cent per mile local fee that SANDAG wants to impose countywide. (4.3 cents total)
• Another ½ cent sales tax beginning 2024 (in addition to a ½ cent tax from 2008)
• An Metropolitan Transit System tax for everyone who lives in the MTS area
• A new fee for using a ride hailing company such as UBER or LYFT: $1.25/solo ride $.65/carpool ride
• Changing 819 lane miles of San Diego’s freeways into toll lanes
  

By Miriam Raftery

October 24, 2021 (San Diego) – “Just a couple of weeks ago, a quarter of a million kids were getting COVID,” says Dr. William Tseng, area assistant medical director of Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser’s vaccine expert. That’s according to the American Academy of Pediatrics' new site tracking COVID cases in U.S. children. Deaths of children due to COVID have occurred in 48 of 50 states.

In an exclusive interview via Zoom on October, the day the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) broadly expanded eligibility of COVID-19 booster shots, East County Magazine interviewed Dr. Tseng on who should get boosters and what parents should know about COVID vaccines for children ages 5-11, which are likely to be approved in early November.  The answers may surprise you!

Click the image at left to view the full interview (which will also air on KNSJ radio) or click "read more' and scroll down to read highlights.

Our radio shows from April through August 2021 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show, click here,  or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Highlights included a special report with interviews from Sharp Grossmont Healthcare physicians on COVID-19, interviews with several local authors and with El Cajon Councilman Gary Kendrick, and coverage of top issues from local politics to wildfires as well as features such as the top festivals and events across our region.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. (Note: Due to COVID-19 quarantines, some show dates aired reruns. Original shows are listed below.) Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

October 15, 2021 (La Mesa) -- Four candidates participated in a lively forum last night hosted by East County Magazine on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook.  Mejgan Afshan, Kathleen Brand, Patricia Dillard and Laura Lothian participated. (Note, Lothian joined a minute late due to techincal issues and is not shown in the screenshot)

shared their diverse views on issues including homelessness, equity/police reforms and public safety,  affordable housing and development, the downtown district and neighborhood revitalization, the potential for a new library and/or community meeting space, public health mandates, the role of the new Arts and Culture Commission, and candidates' endorsements.

Each candidate gave a two minute opening statement and a one minute closing statement. (Two other candidates, Jim Stieringer and Michelle Louden, did not participate in the forum but Stieringer sent candidate information. Read more about the candidates at https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/ecm-host-la-mesa-city-council-candida... .

View forum full screen by clicking the Youtube image above or this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htVd2cSh-2E

You can also share this link on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EastCountyMagazine/videos/981838262677468

Hear radio versions of the forum broadcast on KNSJ (part 1 and part 2) by clicking the audio links below.

September 19, 2021 (San Diego) -- Rescue Task Force (RTF), a nonprofit founded in San Diego's East County and now headquartered in Temecula, provides disaster relief response and medical aid around the world.  They also started schools for girls and women in Afghanistan. But since the U.S. troop withdrawal and Taliban takeover, the RTF team has had to close its schools, dimming hopes of students under the Taliban's brutal regime and endangering the lives of RTF's coordinator and his family, who remain trapped and in hiding inside Afghanistan.

East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery today interviewed Steven Prusky, a director with Rescue Task Force, on the Afghanistan situation as well as other projects around the world in which RTF is currently involved ranging from water purification to disaster relief and more.

By Miriam Raftery

May 14, 2021 (San Diego) – True crime author and Pulitzer-nominated investigative journalist Caitlin Rother discussed her new book, Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case, in an interview airing  today on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  The show airs at 5 p.m.; Rother's interviews airs in the second half of the program.

The book explores one of San Diego’s most infamous and intriguing cases, the death of Rebecca Zahau, who was found hanged in the Coronado mansion of her millionaire boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai. The Sheriff ruled the death a suicide, but a civil jury found Jonah’s brother, Adam Shacknai, responsible.

In her book, Rother raises serious questions about the Sheriff’s investigation, though her findings raise as many questions as they answer.

February 15, 2021 (San Diego) -- Last week,we interviewed San Diego's newly elected Congresswoman Sara Jacobs on the momentous events during her first few weeks in office.

She shared her experiences during the Capitol insurrection, as well as an update on efforts to enact COVD-19 relief legislation, her views on impeachment, her assignment to key committees and her plans to help military families.

View video of our interview at this link: https://youtu.be/3wignKaa3mc

Hear an audio version of our interview aired on KNSJ radio: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au... .

Our radio shows from October through December 2020 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show. Click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Shows included candidate forums for County Supervisor and El Cajon City Council districts, interviews with Helix Water Board candidates, breaking news on the COVID-19 surge and arrival of vaccines, the pardon of former Rep. Duncan Hunter, interviews with national election integrity experts, information on relief for businesses and renters during the pandemic, and more.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. (Note: Due to COVID-19 quarantines, some show dates aired reruns. Original shows are listed below.)

November 18, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- ECM held an interview via ZOOM yesterday with investigative reporter Greg Palast. 

The award-winning journalist and author shared results of his latest investigative results publicized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). His investigation found massive numbers of disenfranchised minority voters in Georgia, who were falsely taken off voting rolls for having moved, but they never relocated. His findings have helped many of those voters reregister in time to have their votes counted.

Palast also talks about the Georgia recount, possible (though unlikely) scenarios for  Congress to determine who won the 2020 election should any states refuse to certify their electors, and the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff races that could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

Palast has East County roots; his late parents were long-time residents of La Mesa. 

Our radio shows from January, February, March and April 2020 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show. Click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Our newsmaker interviews included Supervisorial candidates Steve Vaus, Joel Anderson and Kenya Taylor (Vaus and Anderson will run off in November), Congressional candidates Sara Jacobs, Georgette Gomez, and Ammar Campa-Najjar, and Santee mayoral candidate Stephen Houlahan. Our news coverage included the COVID-19 pandemic, shut-downs and relief efforts, andmore.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

April 17, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our award-winning radio show on KNSJ 89.1 FM has been providing critical community updates on relief funds to help local residences, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities in San Diego's inland region, as well as the latest updates on COVID-19 and

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2020 (San Diego)—Sara Jacobs is the front runner in a field of 13 candidates running in the 53^rd Congressional district, according to a San Diego Union-Tribune poll. She’s a Democrat hoping to fill the vacancy when Congresswoman Susan Davis retires.

She says she’s dedicated her career to building a better, safer world and fighting for the most vulnerable people by making institutions and policies fairer. She’s served at the U.S. State Department, at UNICEF, and the United Nations. She holds a Master of International Affairs degree in international security policy and conflict resolution from Columbia University. She’s Founder and Chair of San Diego for Every Child: The Coalition to End Child Poverty.

Granddaughter of Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs, she wants to harness technology to solve big problems and served as founding CEO of Project Connect, a nonprofit that helped map every school in the world with a goal of connecting all to the Internet, a  project now a flagship part of UNICEFs work around the world.  

Hear our full interview by clicking the audio link, or scroll down for highlights.

By Miriam Raftery

February 1, 2020 (San Diego) – Nancy Casady is a life-long Democrat, environmental champion and women’s rights advocate challenging Democratic Congressman Scott Peters in the 52nd Congressional district primary.  She recently sat down for an in-depth interview with East County Magazine on our radio show on KNSJ 89.1 FM.   Casady discussed her support for the Green New Deal, as well as her passion for protecting women’s health.

Hear our interview by clicking the audio link and scroll down to read highlights.

Nancy Casady has served on the Food and Agricultural Board in Sacramento, has worked as a pro-choice advocate, was co-founder of the San Diego Climate Mobilization Coalition, and for 12 years was general manager of the Ocean Beach People’s Food Cooperative. 

The 52^nd district includes coastal communities as well as some inland communities including Poway and Rancho Bernardo.  Of note: Casady has an East County connection – her husband, Derek Casady, was the long-time editor of the East County Californian.

By Miriam Raftery

December 15, 2019 (San Diego)-- San Diego Foundation Opening the Outdoors recently presented over $450,000 in grants for 13 programs that increase access to the outdoors for thousands of young people and local residents, also improving 17,000 acres of natural land and four miles of trails in San Diego County.

Recently, we interviewed Lydia Van Note, director of environmental initiatives for San Diego Foundation and Lacey Cannon, executive director of indigenous regeneration, a grant recipient working on tribal projects ranging from eco-building to creation of a food foraging forest. The tribe is also embarking on an ambitious project to plant a trillion trees using drones, helping to combat climate change.

The interview originally aired in October on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ, 89.1 FM. Listen to the full interview by clicking this audio link, and scroll down for highlights.