April 18, 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.

• Senate votes to require women to register for the draft (New York Times)
• Dozens more U.S. troops deployed to Somalia (Voice of America)
• CEOs  make 300 times more than workers. This city is putting a stop to that. (Moyers)
• Trump threatens to stop insurance payments so Democrats negotiate on healthcare (CNN)
• Trump’s stunning U-turns on NATO, China, Russia and Syria (CNN)
• NATO is “no longer obsolete,” Trump declares (CBS)
• U.S. jury in Vegas begins mulling Bundy Ranch standoff case (USA Today)
• Trump ends hiring freeze, but workplace cuts loom (GovExec)
• White House confirms it will propose 1.9% pay raise for feds next year (GovExec)
• Melania Trump wins damages from Daily Mail over ‘escort’ allegations (BBC)
• Coast Guard Pushes Back Against Rep. Hunter's Pentagon Move (KPBS)
• Trump White House to keep visitor logs private (CNN)

WORLD

• As US Navy aircraft steam toward western Pacific, North Korea warns of nuclear strike if provoked (CS Monitor)
• A ‘Cuban missile crisis in slow motion’ off  North Korea (New York Times)
• How  North Korea could kill 90% of Americans (The Hill)
• Iraq: Islamic State launches chlorine gas attacks in western Mosul (Los Angeles Times)
• How Iran enables Syria’s chemical warfare against civilians (JPost)
• Boko Haram Increasingly Using Children In Suicide Bombings, UNICEF Says (NPR)
• As suspect in Stockholm attack confesses, mourning and resolve from Swedes (CS Monitor)

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

SDSU also hosts NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in 2018

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

April 18, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego State has been selected to host the first and second rounds of the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee announced today. This is the fifth time SDSU and Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl have been picked to serve as a host for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

East County News Service

April 18, 2017 (Santee) - The Santee Craft, Vendor and Food Fair will be held Saturday, April 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8778 Cottonwood Avenue in Santee.  Guests can shop for Mother’s Day handcrafted gifts, including hand-made art dolls,  origami owl jewelry, bracelets, Donald Trump pussycat toys,  Avon and MaryKay cosmetics, PartyLite, warming bags, ceramics, hand-made oak crafts and more.  Hand-made tamales and fruit waters will also be available.

Editor’s note:  We first wrote about Kathleen Hayden’s efforts to restore the Coyote Canyon heritage herd of wild horses locally in January 2013. Read article. But in July 2013, she was served with an eviction notice and forced to  give up the last descendants of San Diego’s wild horses. Despite a 2012  support  letter from Congressman Darrell Issa and a 2014 letter from a genetics expert confirming that the horses are rare and of historic significance as descendants of Spanish Colonial horses,  the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has done nothing to protect or return them--and now is not turning over the deed of transfer, Hayden says  Now she has penned an open letter to  the House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop questioning the legality of the transfer.

Dear Chairman Bishop,

Please investigate the transfer of the BLM Federal CA Coyote Canyon Wild Horse Herd area (20,000 acres)  to CA Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  In response to Ca State Senator Joel Anderson's request for the deed, Parks claim it doesn't exist.

East County News Service

April 17, 2017 (Spring Valley) – The Otay Water District today voted 4-1 to formally censure director Hector Gastelum for official misconduct over racist remarks that he made to media, on social media, and in the March 1^st board meeting.  Gastelum opposed the measure.  The resolution called his actions “reprehensible and intolerable.”

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

April 17, 2017 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon Recreation Department will be hosting an afternoon of pool safety and fun - called “April Pools Day” on Friday, April 28 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  The event features a free lifejacket give-away, sun safety information, CPR mini lessons, crafts, water safety tips, and FREE open swim.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2017 (Santee) – Santee Lakes is an idyllic place to let kids enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood.  On a sunny afternoon over spring break, kids at the lakes gleefully discovered their inner Tom Sawyer or Becky Thatcher. 

I spotted a group of kids piloting a pedal boat around one of several islands in the lake.   A large Canada Goose skidded to a water landing in front of another pedal boat, where a startled dad snapped photos while his kids looked on, pointing with delight.  

East County News Service

April 17, 2017 (El Cajon) — “Every Mother’s Son,” an Investigation Discovery TV show episode about the disappearance of Elija “Bear” Diaz, will air on April 23^rd at 7 p.m.

Diaz vanished in the middle of the night of August 29, 2015 from his El Cajon home and his family suspects he met with foul play. A member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, he was 20 years old at the time.

“We are encouraged that this national focus on Bear’s case will spark someone to remember any clues that might help us find him,” said LeLanie Thompson, Bear’s mom. “We miss our son and won’t stop looking for him until we have some answers about his disappearance. We appreciate the community’s continued support.”

East County News Service

April 17, 2017 (San Diego) – On April 29^th  at 1 p.m.,  The Sara Spencer Washington Story,  an award winning  short documentary about the life of noted black businesswoman, philanthropist, and political activist Sara Spencer Washington will have its San Diego premiere as part of the San Diego Black Film Festival.

East County News Service

April 16, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Each year, the U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Agency holds a prescription drug take-back day to encourage residents to turn in unused prescription drugs and avoid having them fall into the wrong hands.  This year, the event will be held on April 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

East County News Service

April 16, 2017 (Ramona) -- As the temperatures continue to rise region-wide, CAL FIRE San Diego is beefing up preparations for fire season by opening the Ramona Air Attack Base in Ramona.

By Miriam Raftery

April 16, 2017 (San Diego) – The U.S. is poised to lose $7.4 billion in lost tourism dollars this year and $10.9 billion next year due to President Donald Trump’s travel ban and other policies making travelers feel unwelcome in the U.S., Tourism Economics estimates, the Washington Post reports.  

SDSU wins for 10th time in last 12 contests

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  David Hensley had four hits, including a double along with an RBI and two runs scored, in the win at UNLV on Saturday.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

April 15, 2017 (Las Vegas) - San Diego State took up from where it left off offensively in Friday night’s win as it defeated UNLV, 16-3, Saturday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas. The win was the 10th in the last 12 games for the Aztecs, who improved to 25-11 overall and 13-5 in the Mountain West.

Peres homers twice as Aztecs win fifth straight game

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

April 15, 2017 (San Diego) - Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.) homered twice and Erica Romero (Corona, Calif.) tossed a five-hit shutout to lift San Diego State to an 8-0, six-inning win over New Mexico Saturday at SDSU Softball Stadium. If was the fifth consecutive victory for the Aztecs (23-14, 7-5 MW), who swept the series with the Lobos (19-18, 5-7 MW) by a combined score of 22-3.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  ahausloher on Twitter

April 15, 2017 (El Cajon) – Efforts of El Cajon teachers to help Middle Eastern immigrant children have been highlighted in a Washington Post article titled, “How President Trump is – and is not—changing what it means to be American.”  Read the full story.