June 3, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• LaShae Sharp-Collins Wants More Homes Not Just Housing (Voice of San Diego)
• ICE just grabbed another man who’d been in a San Diego homeless shelter  San Diego Union-Tribune).
• An immigration raid at a San Diego restaurant leads to a chaotic scene (KPBS)
• El Cajon skilled nursing facility kitchen temporarily shut down for ‘major’ health violations (KPBS)
• Breeds & Brew Dog-Centric Beer Garden Opening in La Mesa (San Diegoville)
• Tijuana wastewater chemicals found in coastal aerosols, UCSD study finds (City News Service)
• Inside San Diego’s high-tech lab fighting future disease threats (KPBS)
• FAA didn't issue key notice about malfunctioning airport weather observation system before deadly San Diego crash  (KPBS)
• Man arrested after threat grounds flight to Honolulu from San Diego International Airport (Times of San Diego)
• San Diego’s highest paid city employees? Cops racking up overtime and earning over $400,000 (KPBS)
• Rep. Darrell Issa’s mail-ballot lawsuit may be thrown out of San Diego federal court (Times of San Diego)
• 73-unit Jericho Road townhouse development moves forward (La Mesa Times)

STATE

• California’s Economy Ranks 4th in the World (Voice of San Diego)
• Villaraigosa, despite climate credentials, pivots toward oil industry in run for governor  (Los Angeles Times)
• Trump’s FCC delays multilingual emergency alerts for natural disasters, sparking concern in L.A  (Los Angeles Times)
• California schools see 9% surge in homeless students as funds decrease  (Ed Source)
•  Newsom proposes to freeze Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented immigrants (Cal Matters)

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

House Republicans want to ban state AI regulations for 10 years. California leaders are alarmed.

by Khari Johnson, Technology reporter, CalMatters.

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

May 16, 2025

House Republicans moved to cut off artificial intelligence regulation by the states before it can take root, advancing legislation in Congress that, in California, would make it unlawful to enforce more than 20 laws passed by the Legislature and signed into law last year.

The moratorium, bundled in to a sweeping budget reconciliation bill this week, also threatens 30 bills the California Legislature is currently considering to regulate artificial intelligence, including one that would require reporting when an insurance company uses AI to deny health care and another that would require the makers of AI to evaluate how the tech performs before it’s used to decide on jobs, health care, or housing.

The California Privacy Protection Agency sent a letter to Congress Monday that says the moratorium “could rob millions of Americans of rights they already enjoy” and threatens critical privacy protections approved by California voters in 2020, such as the right to opt out of business use of automated decisionmaking technology and transparency about how their personal information is used.

April 24, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL 

• Her newborn baby died after a hospital refused to treat her, now she is suing for change (CBS 8)
• Updated state maps show San Diego County's areas at 'very high' risk for fires (10 News)
• Loved ones of El Cajon murder victim make appeal for information (10 News)
• San Diego-based USS Carl Vinson arrives in Mideast, launches airstrikes against Houthi rebels I(Times of San Diego)
• San Diego County loses $40M in funds just before new public health lab opens (Fox 5)
• Community rallies around (La Mesa) baseball coach diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (10 News)
• SDSU to Award Honorary Degree to Controversial Corner Store Figure (Voice of San Diego)
• Federal safety board lists Coronado Bridge as potentially at risk of 'catastrophic collapse' if hit by a vessel (CBS)
• CalTrans to invest $24 million in San Diego area infrastructure  (10 News)
• Supreme Court rules against San Diego-based marijuana dispensary in CBD suit (Reuters)
• 5 UC San Diego students have F-1 visas revoked, 6th student deported  (10 News)

STATE

• California economy now the world’s fourth-largest, overtaking Japan (Los Angeles Times)
• Peril And Rescues Spike Along Pacific Crest Trail In Wake Of Federal Cuts
• Sea lions are attacking people in the waters off California’s coast. Here’s why (CNN)
• A loophole in California law makes it hard to prosecute threats against schools. Will lawmakers close it? (Cal Matters)
• As the California.-Mexico land border tightens, focus turns to dangerous sea crossings (Mercury News)
• California's water reservoirs on track as winter storms may boost snowpack (KPBS )
• California needs $3.4 billion loan to cover Medi-Cal expenses (CBS)
• Dead fish stink up the Newsom-Trump truce on water (Politico)

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

March 21, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Issa Sues State, Saying Counting Mail-in Ballots After Election Day Violates Law (Times of San Diego)
• Supervisor pushing for notice to residents as federal funding in question (City News Service)
• Marni von Wilpert Announces Candidacy For State Senate in District 40 (Times of San Diego)
• Quiz: Where do the candidates for county supervisor in District 1 stand on the issues that matter to you? (KPBS)
• El Cajon-based raw cat food recalled after 2 pets sickened: Here's which products are affected (CBS)
• Fire destroys family-owned McDonald's restaurant in Spring Valley (KGTV)
• Imperial Beach mayor's EPA superfund request for Tijuana sewage denied (KGTV)

STATE

• California joins 19 Democratic states in suit to stop massive Education Department layoffs (Los Angeles Times)
• California’s Medi-Cal shortfall hits $6.2 billion with ‘unprecedented’ cost increases (KPBS)
• SoCal Edison investigating ‘zombie’ power line as possible start of Eaton Fire (KTLA)
• California has 30 new proposals to rein in AI. Trump could complicate them (Cal Matters)
• Gavin Newsom shocks LGBTQ allies with criticism of transgender athletes (Cal Matters)

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

January 30, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Local businesses and nonprofits feeling the impact of federal immigration operations (KPBS)
• San Diego Fire Rescue Department tries out new fire prevention product (KPBS)
• Measuring the potential impact of mass deportations in San Diego  (KPBS)
• How San Diego's 1978 plane crash led to technology included in DC crash investigation (10 News)
• San Diego Council Bashes County Water Authority Over Costs (Voice of SD)
• Ukrainian volunteers from San Diego bring comfort and cuisine to LA fire victims (10 News)
• Despite uncertainty, Comic-Con to remain in San Diego through 2027  (KPBS)
• SDSU plans 7 new dorm towers to house nearly 4,500 more students on campus (KPBS)
• Survey of South Bay households find majority report health issues from sewage (KPBS)
• Oversupply and regulations hit San Diego cannabis revenue amid budget crisis (CBS8)
• Amtrak boosts LA-SD service on Pacific Surfliner (CBS)

STATE

• Trump's California water claim denied by state: "The military did not enter California." (MSN)
• Co-founder of life-saving Watch Duty App awarded for heroism in SoCal fires (KTLA)
• Trump says he wants voter ID laws as condition for wildfire aid for California (ABC)
• Fact check: What really happened with the Pacific Palisades water hydrants? (LAist)
• Cheat sheet: A very short guide for how to leave your house if you need to evacuate (LAist)
• Newsom orders investigation into dry fire hydrants that hampered firefighting in L.A.  (Los Angeles Times)
• Calif. Republicans weigh in on Trump allies’ calls for fire aid conditions (Washington Post)

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

December 16, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Mysterious car-sized drones spotted in night sky above San Diego County (CBS 8)
• Desert sculptor who created iconic Borrego Springs creatures hospitalized (NBC 7)
• San Diego's Ponzi Scheme Queen, Gina Champion-Cain, Seeking Early Release On 15-Year Sentence Due To 'Horrific' Sexual Abuse At Infamous Prison (SanDiegoville.com)  
• Decades old clothing store will remain open with help of another business owner (10 News)
• What Cajon Valley Board Member Anthony Carnevale Won’t Say (Voice of San Diego)
• Julian-based nonprofit says property managers don't want them at low-income community (10 News)
• South County Report: ‘Forever’ Chemicals Discovered in South County Water (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• California’s plan to stabilize its home insurance market is now law. Will it work?(San Jose Mercury News)
• The price tag on Project 2025’s abortion plan: $300 million cut to Medi-Cal (Cal Matters)
• Battle Over Trans Student-Athletes Roils California High School Sports (Patch.com)

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

By Alexei Koseff • CalMatters

Photo by Gage Skidmore (CC via Wikipedia): Donald Trump at a June rally in Surprise, Arizona

November 6, 2024 (Sacramento) -- Former President Donald Trump won a second term after four years out of the White House, likely thrusting California back into leading the resistance against him.

The Associated Press made its call at 3 a.m., declaring that the Republican defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who would have become the first woman president and the most powerful Californian in four decades.

Instead, Californians now face a repeat of Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021 — another four years of governance consumed by combative showdowns between the state’s Democratic leadership and Washington, D.C., possibly distracting from or even setting back progress on addressing California’s own problems.

Though many were rooting for a Harris victory — which could have taken California’s priorities nationwide and brought additional resources home — state officials, industry leaders and activists prepared for this outcome. Trump, after all, routinely made California a punching bag in his campaign.

Don't get burned! Safety tips to prepare for wildfires

By Miriam Raftery

Hear full interview

September 30, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire Captain and Public Information Officer Mike Cornette, in an interview aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ, offered an outlook on peak wildfire season, information on new Zone Zero defensible space requirements around homes, as well as tips to prepare for wildfires and keep your household safe.

On the fall outlook for wildfires,  he notes that fire season is now year-round. “We’ve seen large fires anywhere from January to December in every different part of the state, every different part of the county.” Now that peak fire season approaches, there is heavy grass from last winter’s heavy rains, “so we’re still expecting potential for large wildland fires through December.”

Recent major fires in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Bernadino Counties should be a "wakeup call" for residents across California to be prepared for wildfires by creating defensible space around homes and being ready to evacuated if needed.

Captain Cornette urges people to maintain defensible space from 0 to 100 feet around your home—thinning fuels in the morning, with high humidity and lower temperatures,  “to make it more survivable.”

August 5, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Cajon Valley board member questions superintendent's $19,000-a-month credit card bill CBS 8)
• The Learning Curve: Cajon Valley’s Had a Tough Month (Voice of  San Diego)
• 'Zombie snails' have been spotted at a lake in San Diego. Here's what you need to know (CBS 8)
• San Diego American Indian Health Center Will Now Help Newly Arriving Refugees (Times of San Diego)
• MTS Board approves Copper Line trolley segment between Santee and El Cajon (10 News)
• Water Rates Will Rise, But Hurt Less than Expected (Voice of San Diego)
• Border arrests plunge 29% in June to the lowest of Biden's presidency as asylum halt takes hold  (KPBS) 
• Escondido Leaders Say a Proposed State Housing Bill Misses the Mark  (Voice of San Diego)

 STATE

• Newsom’s Encampment Order Is on Everyone’s Mind (Voice of San Diego)
• COVID Levels 'Very High' In California As New Variant Spreads: CDC
• As massive Park fire marches into history books, firefighters face hurdles to slowing it down  (Los Angeles Times)
• California attorney files class action suit against homeowner-insurance provider  (NBC San  Diego)
• California Department of Education plans to develop housing on school district-owned lands (East Bay Times)
• U.S.
• As cartels take a stake in ‘green gold,’ US and Mexico rethink how avocados reach American kitchens (Apple News)

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

By Bransen P. Harper and Patrick Watkins

Photo, via Kingfisher County Sheriff:  Oklahoma marijuana farm where four people were murdered by Chinese gangsters, according to ProPublica

July 17, 2024 (San Diego) – Organized crime, including Chinese mafia and Mexican cartels, are increasingly collaborating in the proliferation of drugs inside the U.S.

June 19, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Lawsuit says homeless people’s belongings are being illegally trashed in East County (San Diego)
• Latest county report shows uptick in COVID cases (KPBS)
• Assembly Candidate Carl DeMaio Keeps Failing at Ballot Initiatives – On Purpose?  (Voice of San Diego)
• La Mesa woman's grocery run ends in road rage attack (10 News)
• Catholic Charities hires armed guards following video posted by alt-right social media influencer (10 News)
• Graduation at stake for some UCSD student protesters (KPBS)
• Times of San Diego Joins Arizona State University Nonprofit to Develop New Model for Local Journalism (Times of San Diego)

STATE

• Invasive species — a threat to wine grapes — shipped to California, officials say (Star-Telegram)
• Newsom to more than double National Guard at ports of entry to combat drugs  (KPBS)
• Why so many California Indians lack the federal recognition given to other Native Americans (Los Angeles Times)
• State Farm: Some Californians can keep home insurance, but something major won't be covered (Fox 11)
• The dirty secret of California’s legal weed (Los Angeles Times)
• Fatal black bear attack on woman in 2023 first in California, officials say (CNN)

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

May 23, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• An entire California town (Campo) is for sale — again. This time for $6.6M (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• County supervisors ok funding for migrant transit center  (KPBS)
• Cheers! San Diego wineries continue to flourish despite nationwide decline in wine sales (10 News)
• With state transit funding frozen, MTS could face 'fiscal cliff' in summer 2025 (KPBS)
• Glue trap found in USPS collection box in Rancho San Diego (10 News)
•  They’re getting sick because of the cross-border sewage crisis. This committee aims to prove it. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• ‘Por Favor’ | Iconic La Mesa Village restaurant is for sale (CBS 8)
• Public school, religious instruction: Many San Diego County charter school students are also enrolling in religious programs  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• California's median home price hits record high at $900,000, realtors association says (10 News)
• California lawmakers move to delay new health care worker minimum wage as budget deficit looms (Sacramento Bee)
• California lawmakers kill psychedelics legalization — and hundreds more bills. What was cut? (Sacramento Bee)
• California considering bill limiting self-checkout at grocery, drug stores (Cal Coast News)Bill that would tax Big Tech to help California media advances in Senate — barely (Sacramento Bee)
• California's $12 billion Medicaid experiment stretches the definition of health care (NPR)
• The single largest cut in Gavin Newsom’s new budget hits California health care providers (Cal Matters)

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

May 9, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• Supervisor Nora Vargas will take medical speaking rest for vocal nodules  (KPBS)
• Supreme Court to hear case claiming CBD product from Vista company got trucker fired (NBC San Diego)
• Assistant Superintendent Named Finalist to Take Helm at Grossmont Union HS District (Times of San Diego)
• MTS hopes new 'Copper Line' can improve trolley system's reliability  (KPBS)
• Fantasy or a New Reality? How This Group Plans to ‘Fire SDG&E’(Voice of San Diego)
• Mayor Gloria Wants to Empty Public Power Piggy Bank (Voice of San Diego)
• A Court Says Agencies Can Delay Records Responses Indefinitely and We Must Fight It (KPBS)
• How Mexico’s historic election will impact the San Diego border region  (KPBS)
• Majority of San Diego County’s largest school districts cutting jobs amid budget shortfalls (inewssource)
• Authorities Reveal How Missing Surfers from U.S. and Australia Found at Bottom of Well in Mexico Died (People)

STATE

• Law that ended single-family zoning is struck down for five Southern California cities (Los Angeles Times)
• Restaurant Service Fees Will Soon Be Illegal In CA (Patch)
• California finally reverses its population-loss streak (Politico)
• At least 16 people died in California after medics sedated them during encounters with police (KPBS)
• RFK, Jr. qualifies for California ballot (The Hill)
• Biden expands 2 national monuments in California significant to tribal nations (KPBS)
• California reports the first increase in groundwater supplies in 4 years  (KPBS)

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

March 19, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include:

LOCAL

• City of San Diego proposes new ballot measure for stormwater infrastructure repairs (10 News)
• Battling over San Diego's energy future  (KPBS)
• A SDG&E funded report finds the city’s electric grid could be worth more than $11 billion  (KPBS)
• SDSU Mission Valley river park is officially open  (KPBS)
• Lemon Grove nonprofit provides medical resources for flood victims (KPBS)
• Migrant Drownings in Pacific Spike by 3,200% in Years Following Raised Border Wall   (Times of San Diego)
• San Diego Gas & Electric made nearly $1 billion in profits last year
• (KPBS)
• Here’s how many San Diego customers are behind on their utility bills  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Here's how — and what — assistance FEMA will provide to San Diego flood victims   (NBC 7)
• Concerned about disrespectful behavior at public meetings, San Diego considers civility policy (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• California agrees to long-term cuts of Colorado River water  (Cal Matters)
• A new California bill seeks to bar landlords from banning pets in their rental units (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Powerful California blizzard shuts Tahoe, Mammoth roads; 190 mph winds reported (Los Angeles Times)
• High avalanche danger, winds topping 100 mph as blizzard slams Tahoe, Mammoth, Sierra Nevada (Los Angeles Times)
• California seized enough fentanyl last year to kill everyone in the world ‘nearly twice over’ (Los Angeles Times)
• After heavy storms, Death Valley is now open to kayakers: The return of ghostly Lake Manly (Los Angeles Times)

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

By Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters

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

Photo:  Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his budget proposal for the 2023-24 fiscal year during a press briefing at the California Natural Resources Agency in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

December 19, 2023 (Sacramento) - Two seemingly diametrically opposed things were both true about California’s budget in 2023.