August 26, 2012 (Julian) – Jeremy’s on the Hill California Style Bistro presents Live Music with Harry Joe Reynolds on August 31 beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Reynolds, a local favorite since 1979, has been making music in Julian for 3 decades.  He will bring a touch of jazz to Jeremy’s on the Hill with easy listening songs on the jazzier side of blues with classic ballads and blue standards.

By Brian Lafferty

August 29, 2012 (San Diego) – A harrowing sequence of events transpire during the first thirty minutes of In Darkness, atrocities that I could describe but I won’t. That’s because as shocking as they are, there is only one shot, seen later, that remains entrenched in my mind.

August 24, 2012 (Sacramento)—A bill by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) would have made California the first state in the nation to require that public agencies provide records in searchable online formats such as Word or Excel. 

Governor , who wants to “crush” opponents of big energy projects, called CEQA reform  “Lord’s work”

“Governor Brown is dangerous to the financial and environmental health of California, and I am extremely disappointed in his short-sightedness.”--Laura Cyphert, Cedar Fire Survivor and cofounder of the East County Community Action Coalition

By Miriam Raftery

August 23, 2012 (Sacramento)—In a stealth effort that shocked enviornmentalists, business groups succeeded in gutting a bill in the State Assembly and inserted language to essentially repeal the California Enviornmental Quality Act (CEQA) .  The measure passed the Assembly yesterday and advanced to the State Senate. But today, State Senate President Darrell Steinberg and the bill’s author, Michael Rubio, held a press conference to announce that the measure will not be taken up before the end of the legislative session next week.  

Sierra Club California director Kathryn Phillips voiced relief, calling SB 317 “one of the worst attacks on environmental protections that we’ve seen in the 40-year life of the law.”

County Democrats gut fire protection resolution, while Republican supervisors also fail to protect County residents from wind turbine fires

By Miriam Raftery

August 24, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--The San Diego Democratic Central Committee this week passed a measure calling on County Supervisors to increase firefighting resources-- but removed a key provision that would have urged lawmakers to ban wind turbines in fire-prone East County.  

Wind turbines have been responsible for starting hundreds of fires around the world, including wildfires, but firefighters cannot fight a fire burning in a 500-foot-tall wind turbine whirling off burning debris. With Supervisors poised to approve a wind ordinance opening the door to numerous turbines in the backcountry, the vote was a major disappointment to residents concerned about the clear threat to public safety posed by wind turbines in our fire-prone region.

By Rick Rogers, Host of Front & Center: Military Talk Radio

August 23, 2012 (San Diego)--Charities rattling their cups for veterans and troop programs in Southern California have grown to epic numbers in recent years.

I bet San Diego County charities have grown tenfold since 2008.

At least I think they have.

August 23, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting 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:   

• Hurricane threat for GOP convention in Tampa? (CBS)
• USDA eyes whether tainted beef entered the food supply (Sacramento Bee)
• U.S. health officials brace for spike in West  Nile cases (USA Today)
• Accused Colorado gunman saw three mental health experts (Reuters)
• How Paul Ryan and Todd Akin partnered to redefine rape (Think Progress)
• Todd Akin, Senate candidate: `Legitimate  rape’ rarely causes pregnancy (Washington Post)
• Bill calls for more distributed generation to guard against infrastructure failures in grid emergencies (Power Magazine)
• Renewable energy projects on public lands: Obama not living up to his promises (Native News)
• Indian leaders share concerns about sacred sites (Missoulan)
• CDC calls for Hepatitis C testing for all boomers (NPR)

• Ecuador grants asylum to Assange, angering Britain (Reuters)
• Iran: Israel’s existence “insult to all humanity” (AP)
• Arab spring runs amok: Muslim brotherhood starts crucifixions in Egypt (WND) 

Tribal representatives say Interior Dept.  is not sincere about resolving concerns over sacred site desecrations by renewable energy projects on public lands

By Miriam Raftery

August 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Why did the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) host the first in a series of five “listening sessions” with Native American leaders ostensibly to address tribal concerns over impacts of renewable energy projects on public lands—yet didn’t bother to take notes or record the sessions?

Why are no listening sessions scheduled in California or anywhere near our state, where some of the most controversial renewable energy projects are being built atop the graveyards of Native Americans’ ancestors?   

By Brian Lafferty