By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

June 23, 2025 (San Diego) -- June is Pride Month and transgender advocates are speaking out, seeking equal recognition in society and in the workplace.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled President Donald Trump can enforce a ban on transgender people in the military while litigation proceeds.

Martha Gomez, director of workforce development for the nonprofit Trans Can Work, said the attacks on transgender people ultimately hurt society as a whole.

"Transgender people are at the forefront of a lot of those cuts and those attacks," Gomez pointed out. "The truth is that these DEI cuts, they hurt all of us as a nation to not have opinions outside of just one."

The armed forces are also changing the names of transgender members of the military back to their names at birth. Trans Can Work encourages all employers to consider the harm of deadnaming people and to make sure health care policy and legal paperwork is inclusive.

By Mike Allen

June 23, 2025 (Santee) -- While golfing and expansive courses are diminishing nationally, the owner of Santee’s only golf course is pushing a plan that would convert the current 1950s facility to a modern country club resort including 242 new houses, a 42-room hotel, a redesigned course, and other amenities.

The project that was formally announced last year has completed an environmental impact report (EIR) posted on the city’s website (www.cityofsanteeca.gov) outlining in detail all aspects of the development, its ramifications and how those impacts can be mitigated. The public comment period on the document opened June 10 and is slated to close July 24.

By Kristin Kjaero

June 21, 2025 (San Diego) - - On June 26, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) will vote on a staff recommendation to end its sponsorship and funding for the Water Conservation Garden.

The Garden says accessibility to the public is at risk if SDCWA withdraws, and started an online petition campaign to request that an option to stay, be added to the Committee's agenda. The petition has received 1,319 signatures in its first 24 hours. One can also send an email addressed to committee members via their clerk at  kwalker@sdcwa.org.

The proposal to end SDCWA’s support of the Garden will go first to the Administration and Finance Committee at 9 a.m. which will consider two options: to withdraw, or to withdraw and donate $150,000 over the next two years. The result of the Committee's vote will then move to a list of consent items at the full SDCWA Board meeting at 2p.m.

President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” will also give tax breaks to the wealthiest of Americans; Democrats and some Republicans raise objections 

By G. A. McNeeley 

June 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S. Dakota) faces backlash from Republicans, over the latest version of President Donald Trump’s budget bill, which ignores Republican senators’ concerns about Medicaid cuts, according to The Hill, as well as concerns over cuts to clean energy incentives. 

Democrats have been virtually united in opposition to these cuts as well, but with Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, Democrats lack power to force changes.

While slashing medical care for the poorest Americans, the House Republicans’ tax cuts for wealthy Americans and corporations would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) analysis of the bill that Republican lawmakers narrowly approved last month, according to CNN. 

By Miriam Raftery

File photo: Homeless outreach workers offer help to an unsheltered person in an El Cajon park

June 19, 2025 (El Cajon) – The Regional Task Force on Homelessness has acknowledged that its 2025 Point in Time Count overstated the number of homeless people in the city of El Cajon. The report included 24 homeless individuals who were outside the city limits. 

Originally, the report listed 344 unsheltered people in El Cajon—a 21.6% rise over the prior year.  In fact, the increase was 13.07%, for a total of 320 unsheltered persons living on the streets.  The city also has 695 individuals living in shelters)

““Moving forward, to reflect this geographic area more accurately, the census tract designation will change from `El Cajon’ to `El Cajon, including unincorporated communities,”‘ the Task Force indicated.

The change follows criticisms from City Manager Graham Mitchell and Mayor Bill Wells over findings of the count done in January.

By Karen Pearlman

June 18, 2025 (San Diego County) – A little over a week after the San Diego City Council voted 7-2 to continue to fund consistent public access to city-owned and operated lakes and reservoirs, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wielded his line-item veto power to cut access at some lakes, though Lakes Murray and Miramar will remain accessible daily. The Mayor also vetoed funding for numerous other items, from homeless outreach to brush clearing and stormwater projects to prevent fires and floods.

The Mayor preserved funding for other popular items previously on the chopping box, such as libraries and firepits for beach bonfires.

By Miriam Raftery

Image:  Lands proposed for sale in Rep. Darrell Issa's district

June 18, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – Senate Republicans have slipped language into the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” budget reconciliation measure that would allow sale of up to 250 million acres of federal public lands in 11 states including California. 

The Wilderness Society calls this a “disturbing giveaway that sets an extremely dangerous precedent.”

A map of lands to be sold includes much of Cleveland National Forest in San Diego’s East County, as well as portions of Mt. Laguna and Pine Valley, plus large tracts of U.S. Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in northeast county, desert areas near Anza Borrego Desert State Park, and even some coastal locations.

Over 16 million acres are proposed for sale in California, including Big Sur, an iconic and picturesque section of California’s coastline.

Find links to contact your Congressional members and Senators at the bottom of this article.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Photo: Red areas are under mandatory evacuation orders as of 5 p.m. Yellow areas have evacuation warnings.  View interactive map here for latest evacuation updates. This is the county's map which has more details than others.  

Find out what evacuation zone you are in by typing your address here:  https://protect.genasys.com/search?z=14&latlon=32.794773%2C-116.962527

Update 6:44 p.m.-- Fire size: The fire is 340 acres and 10% contained, per Cal Fire.

Update 6:18 p.m.  Road closures: Due to the #MonteFire, the following roads are closed to thru traffic and open to residents only: • Lake Jennings Rd & El Monte Rd • El Monte Rd @ Omas Rd • Willow Rd @ Omas Rd, per CHP.

Update 5:19  p.m. -- Animal evacuation:  Large animals can be evacuated to Dianne Jacob Equestrian Park, 11055 Moreno Ave, Lakeside. Small animals can be evacuated to Humane Society shelter at 5821 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita.

Update 4:34 p.m.- The fire is now 312 acres, per Cal Fire with zero percent containment.

June 17, 2025 (Lakeside) -- Evacuations have been ordered in the fast-moving #MonteFire in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley.  The fire began at 15900 El Monte Rd. near El Monte Park and the San Diego River. Cal Fire says the fire has potential for extended attack.

El Monte Rd. is closed at Yucca Rd.

A very large air tanker has been ordered, per scanner traffic.

A temporary evacuation point has been set up at the Walmart Supercenter, 13487 Camino Canada, El Cajon per Genasys. .

For a map and more information go to www.AlertSD.org

The fire has reached the ridgeline, per Watch Duty App.

By Miriam Raftery

June 16, 2025 (San Diego) – Federal immigration officials have begun arresting immigrants and refugees at San Diego’s federal courthouse, denying them due process at hearings that could have granted them legal status in the U.S.  Now, Bishop Michael Pham  and two local auxiliary bishops have announced that on World Refugee Day June 20, they will stand in solidarity with migrants making court appearances. They are also calling on all diocese parishes to join them and celebrate a mass devoted to immigrants.

Pham, who came to America as a refugee from Vietnam at age 8, understands the hardships that refugees and migrants face.  His family fled Da Nang to Malaysia, then escaped on a rice barge with no food or water, huddled among dead bodies before finding freedom.  He is the first bishop appointed by Pope Leo IV, who has voiced strong support for refugees and immigrants.

UpdateJune 21:  The Ninth Circuit  Court of Appeals has ruled that Trump can retain control of the National Guard. ECM news partner 10 news reports.  It remains to be seen whether California will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The Ninth Circuit ruling overturns the lower court ruling discussed in our June 12 article below.

By Miriam Raftery

June 12, 2025 (Oakland, CA) – In a blistering decision, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer today ordered control of California’s National Guard be returned to the Governor, though the Judge stayed his order until tomorrow afternoon to allow the Trump administration time to file for an emergency appeal.

The judge’s order states that in ordering thousands of California National Guard members to Los Angeles amid civil unrest  over mass immigration enforcement, President Donald Trump’s actions were “illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

Judge Breyer rejected an argument by a Trump administration lawyer, who had claimed courts do not have authority to review a president’s decision on whether the National Guard was needed.

“That’s the difference between a constitutional government and King George,” stated Judge Breyer, a Clinton appointee and brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

East County News Service

June 12, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- “They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings,” states the website No Kings, which is organizing protests nationwide on Saturday, June 14. The demonstrations are expected to draw millions of participants nationwide and locally, thousands.

San Diego County has 11 “peaceful” protests planned. View map. and click each location for details; times of rallies vary The local protests are slated to be held in  Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Del Mar, El Cajon, Escondido, Mira Mesa, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, and two in downtown San Diego including Civic Center Plaza and Waterfront Park.

Action sparks bipartisan outrage

By Miriam Raftery

June 12, 2025 (Los Angeles) – In a shocking action, California’s U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly dragged out of a press conference in Los Angeles today, thrown on the ground and handcuffed while trying to ask a question of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Video shows he clearly identified himself, stating "I am Senator Alex Padilla" before being manhandled by federal agents.

A statement from Senator Padilla’s office indicates the Senator “is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform Congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California,” a reference to immigration enforcement that has led to protests in L.A. and President Donald Trump calling in the National Guard and U.S. Marines.