By Mike Allen

August 28, 2022 (Santee) -- In a first for the city of Santee, two incumbent members of the City Council were appointed to another four-year term and will avoid the November election, because no challengers in either district filed papers to challenge them.

By Ben Christopher and Sameea Kamaal, CalMatters

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

August 27, 2022 (Sacramento) - Much is expected of the California voter. 

Judge weighs unsealing redacted affidavit to show justification for granting search warrant

By Elijah McKee and Miriam Raftery

August 18, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) removed over 20 containers including 11 sets of classified documents during a search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on August 8. Trump’s removal of documents from the White House and his handling of top secret information has potentially serious national security implications, as well as potential criminal liability, though thus far Trump has not been charged with any crime.

A property receipt made public this week  reveals that the documents found by the FBI include four sets marked “top secret,” three sets of “secret” documents, three “confidential” sets, and one set of “top secret and sensitive compartmented information (TS/SCI). The latter is a category that even some people with top secret clearance cannot access, such as nuclear secrets and details on U.S. intelligence gathering operations overseas.

By Miriam Raftery

August 17, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act, calling it “one of the most significant laws in our history.” He added, “With this law, the American people won and the special interests lost.” The bill cuts prescription drug costs for Medicare and has healthcare savings for many others, provides tax breaks and rebates for households and companies investing in clean energy, funds IRS collections from tax dodgers and levies new taxes on some corporations, also aiming to sharply reduce the federal deficit.

By Christianne McCormick

August 12, 2022 (El Cajon) -- A new increased sales tax initiative was proposed during Tuesday night’s El Cajon city council meeting. If approved by voters on November 8, this measure would repeal proposition J, the half-cent sales tax enacted in 2008 to fund basic services, and replace it with a new one percent tax, or one cent per dollar.

The proposal passed unanimoulsly. Mayor Bill Wells joined with Councilmembers Gary Kendrick, Steve Goble, Phil Ortiz and Michelle Metschel to vote in favor of putting this initiative on the coming ballot.  

By Elijah McKee

Photo:  former Councilmember Kristine Alessio will challenge La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis.

Updated August 15 with additional candidates qualified

August 10, 2022 (San Diego's East County) — Each city in East County will have elected seats up for grabs in the approaching November election — but the deadline to file for candidacy ends this week on August 12.

Along with each city’s elected positions, filing periods for school, fire and water districts will close too, as well as community planning groups. 

Incumbents can be granted a five-day extension for filing their nomination, but time is almost up for challengers and political newcomers. Those interested in running for an office can refer to the appropriate city or board clerk for nomination paperwork.

Local councils and staff members have a wide scope of impact on ground-level development and policy changes that matter to residents, as they are tasked with designing priorities and implementing budgets. City council terms are typically four years, while staff positions may be longer.

ECM asked East County's four cities for information on who has filed to run so far. Below are the responses.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Toxic burn pit, cc via Bing

Update: President Biden has signed this measure into law.

August 5, 2022 (San Diego) – A bill to provide health care and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxins during their military service has passed the Senate by an overwhelming 86-11 vote, including 37 Republicans as well as all Democrats. The measure earlier passed the House 256-174.

Four of San Diego’s Congressional representatives voted in favor, but Rep. Darrell Issa, a former Army captain, voted against it despite his San Diego County district having one of the nation’s largest populations of active duty military members and veterans.

HR 3967, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, is known as the  PACT Act. It will provide coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, Agent Orange in Vietnam and more.

By Mike Allen

Photo:  map of permitted cannabis locations in Santee

August 1, 2022 (Santee) -- Santee is the latest city in San Diego County to permit cannabis businesses including sale of marijuana within its borders, following a 3-2 vote at its most recent City Council meeting July 27.

California Senate now has bill that will dramatically change how crimes are reported

By J.W. August

Photo:  CC via Bing

July 28, 2022 (San Diego) - The crime statistics don’t lie, not when it comes to domestic violence.  It remains a “top of the list” top-of-mind crime of concern in California.

Source:  Congresswoman Sara Jacobs

July 23, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee, successfully advanced five amendments this month during floor consideration of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 7900).

By Miriam Raftery

July 21, 2022 This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19.  According to a White House briefing, he is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms.    The 79-year-old President has begun taking Paxlovid, an anti-viral medication effective during the first several days after symptoms appear.

According to the White House physician Kevin O’Connor’s letter, those symptoms include a runny nose, fatigue and a dry cough.

The President’s last negative test was Tuesday; the positive result was found during routine testing for the President. All contacts since Tuesday will be notified, per the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

“Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.  He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence,” the release states.

By Christianne McCormick and Miriam Raftery

View full hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrUa0hfG6Lo&t=189s

July 21, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – Last Tuesday’s hearing by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2020 attack on the U.S. Capitol revealed new evidence, which exposed then-President Donald Trump’s use of social media to influence his followers, including violent extremists in designated hate groups.

Testimony revealed that instead of conceding the election after extensive briefings by top legal advisors informing him that he lost, Trump instead took actions that incited violence and inspired coordination among extremist groups including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, whose leaders have been charged with seditious conspiracy. Evidence also showed coordination between key Trump advisors and extremist leaders in the days leading up to the January 6^th insurrection. A former Oath Keepers member testified to how he was swayed by Trump's deceptions and a documentary filimmaker confirmed the group's violent intentions.

Trump's White House Counsel Pat Cippolone, former Attorney General Bill Barr and others have testified that Trump was fully informed that no fraud sufficient to overturn election results had been found, after 60 judges found no evidence to overturn any election results. But the President continued to spread the false claim that the election was stolen, pressured Vice President Mike Pence to illegally stop certification of electoral votes, and sought to corrupt the Department of Justice to make false claims.

Republican Senator Liz Cheney said of Trump, “He had access to more information than almost any other American that the election was not stolen,” adding, “No rational or sane man could ignore that or reach an opposite conclusion.” Yet Trump ignored advice of top legal advisors and his own campaign chairman, relying instead on unsubstantiated and debunked legal theories promoted by his personal attorney, Rudy Giiuliani,

The committee presented evidence laying out a disturbing timeline of events:

By Miriam Raftery

Photos via Sara Jacobs’ Facebook

July 19, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – Seventeen members of Congress including San Diego Congresswoman Sara Jacobs were arrested today during a peaceful protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court over its controversial ruling that overturned Roe vs. Wade and allows states to ban or restrict abortions.

East County News Service

July 18, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Today, Assemblymember Akilah Weber, MD, held a press conference to announce success in securing $51,550,000 dollars in state funds in the budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom for several projects in her 79^th Assembly district.

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

Photo:  U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs. Photo by Chris Stone

July 16, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - Rep. Sara Jacobs of San Diego joined with three other Congresswomen Friday in advancing a bill to protect women’s rights to use contraceptives in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.