East County News Service

March 16, 2017 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Modern Dental Group (5620 Lake Murray Blvd.) is partnering with Animals, a nonprofit that provides animal services for the elderly.  Any patient who brings in a bag of dogfood to donate will receive a 15 percent discount on treatment.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Child in Africa, where famine threatens millions of children with starvation, the U.N. announced this week.  Trump’s order, blocked by a judge, barred refugees from entering the U.S, including drought-stricken nations

March 16, 2017 (San Diego) – A federal judge in Hawaii has blocked implementation of President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban, just hours before it was scheduled to take effect. In a scathing 43-page ruling, U.S.  District Judge Derrick K. Watson wrote that there is a strong likelihood that the case, filed by the State of Hawaii, would be successful in proving that the executive order violates the U.S. Constitution by discriminating based on religion. Read the ruling.

By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2017 (San Diego) — County Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to direct staff to come back in 90 days with recommendations on new funding sources to pay for road repairs. 

The latest Pavement Condition Index, or PCI, back in September gave the county a score of just 60, or “fair” – and that was before winter rains and flooding caused cracks and potholes to proliferate.  Supervisors’ set a goal to raise that score to 70, or “very good” within five years.

By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2017 (Washington D.C.) - President Donald Trump’s budget contains a radical proposal to completely eliminate all funding for public broadcasting, including National Public Radio, or NPR, and PBS, the Public Broadcasting System which includes KPBS here in San Diego.

East County News Service

March 15, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

General News

• Federal Reserve hikes interest rate for second time in 3 months (NBC7)
• Blizzards hit northeast U.S., grounding flights, closing schools (Reuters)
• Justice Department charging Russian spies and criminal hackers in Yahoo intrusion (Wash. Post)
• Federal judge: Border Patrol in Arizona violated court order (Associated Press)

Politics

• Trump budget opens new fight among Republicans (Reuters)
• Trump envoy launches preliminary talks on “ultimate deal’ – Middle East peace (L.A. Times)
• Disabled Americans have most to fear under Republicare (Esquire)
• Bush ethics lawyer on Trump-Russia ties: ‘KGB agents running around the West Wing’ (The Hill)
• Weather Service employees shocked by reported cuts (Gov Exec Oversight)
• Senate narrowly passes repeal of Obama Fair Play, Safe Workplace rule (Gov Exec)
• Bernie Sanders’ campaign faced a fake news tsunami. Where did it come from? (Huffington Post on a San Diego investigative reporter’s findings)
• Revised Trump travel ban suffers first legal blow (Politico)
• Supreme Court won’t hear major case on transgender rights (New York Times)
• Tillerson used email alias at Exxon to talk climate: New York attorney general (Reuters)
• Wall Street spent $2 billion trying to influence 2016 election (Fortune)

WORLD

• World faces worst humanitarian crisis since 1945, says U.N. official (Guardian)
• White House ups drone strikes, tolerates more civilian deaths (NBC7)
• Kremlin: Russian ambassador met with Clinton campaign, too (Blaze)
• Jordanian soldier who shot Israeli schoolgirls walks free from jail (Reuters)
• Israel bars entry to British activist because of BDS support (Jerusalem Post)
• Mass Secret Grave in Eastern Mexico Could Be Country's Largest, Official Says (NPR)

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

By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2017 (San Diego) - President Donald Trump’s executive order requires Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to hire 10,000 officers, including 5,000 Border Patrol agents.  But where to find qualified officers and agents is a challenge for the agency—and some proposed solutions are raising concerns.

East County News Service

March 15, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• House Republicans would let employers demand genetic test results (Yahoo News)
• Why a House bill wants workers' genetic information (CS Monitor)
• Deadly fungus infection that doctors have been fearing new reported in U.S. (Washington Post)
• On the heels of Zika comes its deadlier relative, yellow fever, experts warn (ArsTechnica)
• Un-Sweetened: How a Maryland County Cut Soda Sales Without a Soda Tax (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Volkswagen Pleads Guilty in U.S. Emissions-Cheating Scandal (Bloomberg)
• Big data unites the study of stars with cancer research (BBC)
• Can giant Tesla batteries solve South Australia's energy woes? (CS Monitor)

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

AB 386 creates legal aid fund for veterans seeking to return to United States

East County News Service

March 14, 2017 (San Diego) — When immigrants signed up to serve in America’s armed forced, they were promised that they would be given expedited citizenship. But now President Trump has begun deporting these veterans.  Now, California’s Assembly Judiciary has approved a bill to establish a legal aid fund to help deported veterans.

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

March 14, 2017 (La Mesa) - Helix High varsity boys basketball has breezed through two rounds of the Division IV CIF playoffs.  They defeated Granada Hills Charter last Wednesday night in Round I, followed by a rout of West High from Torrance on Saturday night in Round II, now it was time for the regional semifinals tonight against Carson High School from Carson, California.  The Colts have had a phenomenal season and entered San Diego with a 23-6 record on the season.

By Miriam Raftery

Text of bill:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1275/text

Congressional Budget analysis:  https://www.cbo.gov/publication/52486

March 14, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Older and poorer Americans could be paying over half their income to buy health insurance under the House Republicans’ healthcare plan, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget office (CBO) has calculated.  A 64-year-old earning $26,500 would be expected to pay a whopping $14,600 a year for healthcare – far more than the $1700 a year premiums under Obamacare.

The bill would reduce the federal deficit by $337 billion by 2026, the CBO also found.  But that savings would come largely on the backs of those who can least afford to pay more.

East County News Service

By Barbara Cummings, El Cajon

By Miriam Raftery

Video by Paul Kruze

Photos: Protesters hold up red "disagree" signs (left) at town hall hosted by Rep. Duncan Hunter (right).

East County News Service

March 13, 2017 (Lakeside)  - Lakeside's River Park Conservancy will hold the 10th annual San Diego River Run 5k on Saturday, May 6 from  8 a.m. to 11 a.m.at the Lakeside River Park trail.

The San Diego River Run 5k will be held in the morning this year, with on-site registration beginning at 7:00 am and the race starting at 8:00 am. The event will take place at Lakeside's River Park located at 10398 Channel Road, Lakeside.

Source:  Mount Miguel Covenant Village

Photo, left:  an artist’s rendering of the entry way at Mount Miguel Covenant Village’s new Life Center.

March 13, 2017 (Spring Valley) – On the heels of a year-long 50^th anniversary celebration, Mount Miguel Covenant Village, a faith-based, not-for-profit continuing care retirement community will celebrate the grand opening of its $19.1 million Life Center that will serve as the hub of community life.

On March 31, 2017, at 4 p.m., the public is invited to an Open House, which will include a screening of a brief film about Mount Miguel Covenant Village in the new 24-seat movie theater, followed by hors d’oeuvres and a tour of the Life Center. Reservations are required for the Open House by calling 877-226-7350 or visiting www.mountmiguelcovenantvillage.org.