By Miriam Raftery

Photos: UC Riverside: Top row, healthy palms. Bottom row, infested palms.

January 26, 2021 (San Diego) – The invasive South American palm weevil has destroyed an estimated 10,000 palm trees in our region, according to researcher Mark Hoddle at the University of California, Riverside.  Locally, it’s been found in El Cajon, Bonita, San Diego and South Bay communities. Left untreated, it will ultimately kill the trees best known for lining waterfronts along some of San Diego’s most prominent destinations.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Creative Commons via Bing

January 25, 2021 (San Diego) – At a press conference this afternoon, San Diego County leaders announced changes to allow some businesses to reopen after the state lifted a regional stay-home order. The change comes due to a four-week regional projection that ICU capacity will rise above 15%.  Our County is now back in the purple tier, but with some modifications.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Video courtesy goaztecs.com

January 24, 2021 (Colorado Springs) -  Jordan Schakel scored 24 points and Terrell Gomez scored 15 and San Diego State beat Air Force 91-59 on Sunday night.

By Miriam Raftery

January 24, 2021 (La Mesa) – This Tuesday, January 26th, the city of La Mesa will proclaim January 30th as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties. The proclamation honors the late civil rights activist, who fought for the rights and freedoms of Japanese-Americans sent to internment camps during World War II.

During a 6 p.m. City Council meeting held via Zoom, special guests beaming in remotely will include Korematsu’s daughter, Dr. Karen Korematsu, Founder and Executive Director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute as well as actor George Takei, best known for portraying Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu (right) in the original Star Trek TV series and later, Captain Sulu in Star Trek: Voyager. 

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

January 22, 2021 (Colorado Springs) -  Nearly six minutes into the first half, the San Diego State men's basketball team trailed 6-5 at Air Force, but then ignited the afterburners and went on a 47-10 run to end the half en route to a 98-61 victory over the Falcons on Friday night in Clune Arena.

Regional taskforce formed to bridge the digital divide gap in the San Diego region

Source:  SANDAG

Photo: Creative Commons by SA

January 22, 2021 (San Diego) - At its meeting Friday, the SANDAG Board of Directors adopted a resolution to support increased broadband access throughout the region to help bridge the digital divide – the gap that exists between those with and without access to information and communications technology such as broadband, computers, and smart phones. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issues caused by the digital divide, limiting people’s ability to work from home or participate in virtual classroom settings.

By Miriam Raftery

January 22, 2021 (El Cajon) – The January 26 agenda for the El Cajon City Council includes a proposal to remove Planning Commissioner Humbert Cabrera over alleged conflicts of interest and ethical concerns.

According to a report by Mayor Bill Wells and Mayor Pro Tem Gary Kendrick, the City Council has received complaints about Cabrera in emails and public comments.  The report raises three main areas of concern.

Hear our interview with Roger Showly on East County Magazine Radio Show's Bookshelf: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

San Diego Memories III: A Time Of Change – The 1960s and 1970s, by The San Diego Union-Tribune (Pediment Publishing, 2020, 176 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

January 21, 2021 (San Diego) - Roger Showley, who provided the chapter introductions and captions, as well as the foreword to this fantastic book, San Diego Memories III: A Time of Change – The 1960s and 1970s, puts this book in perspective by stating: “This pictorial history of San Diego in the tumultuous 1960s and 70s is coming out at an extraordinary time of a pandemic, when life seems just as uncertain and unpredictable as it was 50 years earlier. A generation that came of age back then thought it would change the world, that no one over 30 could be trusted. They reveled in sex, drugs, and rock and roll, led civil rights marches, demonstrated against the Vietnam War, and were drafted to fight in it. In many ways the now – aging Baby Boomers in their 60s and 70s are seeing another social upheaval led by their children and grandchildren who are ready to throw out the norms and follow a different path.”

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

Photo: Creative Commons by SA

January 20, 2021 (Sacramento) -- On his first day in office, President Joe Biden is pressing for bold immigration reform, proposing a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

The proposal would apply to people who have a clean criminal record and were in the United States before Jan. 1. If approved, this would be the first so-called "mass legalization" since 1986, during the Reagan administration.

Carlos Guevara, associate director for immigration policy for the group Unidos US, said there's a lot of pent-up demand for change in the immigration system.

Story and photos by Josh Stotler

January 20, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – At 12:42 pm today, firefighters were called to the corner of Campo Road and CR17 for a wind driven brush fire that immediately threatened homes and property across from Skyline Church near the boundary of Spring Valley and Rancho San Diego.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson and Miriam Raftery

Jan. 20, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- Former San Diego Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who previously represented the 50^th, 51^st, and 44^th districts, has received a conditional pardon from Donald J. Trump during the final day of his presidency. 

Cunningham, a Republican, served seven years in prison after pleading guilty to bribery, fraud, and tax evasion. He accepted $2.4  million from defense contractors, reportedly the largest Congressional bribe in history, and infamously kept a bribery price list,  the San Diego Union reported.

Prior to serving in Congress, he was a commander, fighter pilot and Top Gun instructor in the United States Navy, honored with a Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, a Purple Heart, and 15 Air Medals.

Dean Calbreath, part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team of investigative reporters who exposed Cunningham's crimes, shared his reaction to today's pardon on Facebook.

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Dr. Akilah Weber and Ammar Campa-Najjar. Campaign photos

January 20, 2020 (San Diego) - Ammar Campa-Najjar released a poll Tuesday showing himself the leading Democratic contender for the 79th Assembly District vacancy.

January 19, 2021  (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

Capitol attack

• U.S. pursuing seditious conspiracy cases in 'unprecedented' probe of Capitol assault (Reuters)
• 67 of public blame Trump for deadly riot (Newsweek)
• Some members of Congress fear the Capitol mob attack was an inside job (Axios)
• Insider: White House was Warned March was Illegal (GregPalast.com)
• Lawmakers propose Congressional Medal for war vet who lured mob from Senate chamber (Local 12)
• Six hours of paralysis: Inside Trump’s failure to act after a mob stormed the Capitol (Washington Post)
• The FBI and DC police want the public to help identify Capitol rioters (CNN)
• FBI Arrests Queens Man for Allegedly Plotting a Second Attack on U.S. Capitol (Complex)
• Large bitcoin payments to right-wing activists a month before Capitol riot linked to foreign account (Yahoo News)
• Secret Service Tells Mediaite They’re Aware of Threats Lin Wood Has Made Against Pence On Parler (Mediate)
• The FBI charged a man over traveling to Washington, DC, with an assault rifle and saying he planned to kill Nancy Pelosi on live TV (Business Insider)
• Lawmakers ask for investigation into identity of Capitol tour guests on January 5 (10 News)
• A Black officer faced down a mostly White mob at the Capitol. Meet Eugene Goodman. (Washington Post)
• 'Murder the media': Photographers release terrifying video of the mob attack outside the Capitol gates (Alternet)
• Capitol attack: The five people who died (The Guardian)
• Some among America's military allies believe Trump deliberately attempted a coup and may have had help from federal law-enforcement officials (Business Insider)
• Pence took lead as Trump initially resisted sending National Guard to Capitol (CNN)
• Feds say police found a pickup truck full of bombs and guns near Capitol insurrection as wide-ranging investigation unfurls (CNN)
• A Riot Amid a Pandemic: Did the Virus, Too, Storm the Capitol? (New York Times)
• Majority of Americans want Trump removed immediately after U.S. Capitol violence  (Reuters/Ipsos poll)
• FBI focuses on whether some Capitol rioters intended to harm lawmakers or take hostages (MSN)
• Federal murder investigation to be opened in Capitol Police officer's death (CNN)
• FBI: No evidence Antifa was involved in capitol riot (The Hill)

Other national news

• 2nd stimulus: IRS urges people to watch mail for these envelopes (Fox 5)
• Women accounted for 100% of the 140,000 jobs shed by the U.S. economy in December (Fortune)
• US budget deficit up 60.7% in first 3 months of budget year (AP)
• Investors race into munis as Biden announces stimulus plan to cash-strapped states (Financial Times)
• Greyhound offering free rides home for runaways between ages of 12 and 21 (Fox)
• GOP Rebukes Trump as Senate Votes 83-13 to Override His Veto of Defense Bill (Reuters)
• One-third of America’s rivers have changed color since 1984 (AP)

WORLD

• COVID wards 'full of children' as UK pandemic explodes (Reuters)
• US will require all arriving passengers to get COVID-19 test (AP)
• Aviation deaths rise worldwide in 2020 even as fatal incidents, flights fall (Reuters)
• U.K. Judge Refuses to Extradite Julian Assange to U.S. (Time)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.