January 2025

East County News Service

January 21, 2025 (San Diego) – New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother, an investigative journalist and former San Diego Union-Tribune reporter, will release an updated edition of her true-crime book, Body Parts, on February 25.  The book takes a deep psychological look at serial killer Wayne Adam Ford, a trucker who confessed to killing four prostitutes picked up along California roads.

The new edition contains information on the identity of Ford’s first victim, who has finally been identified by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s through forensic genetic genealogy 25 years after her body was found by a boater.

For a year after her murder, detectives had no suspects until one evening in November 1998, when a 36-year-old former Marine walked into the Eureka sheriff’s station with a woman’s breast in his jacket pocket. Initially saying he had “hurt some people,” Wayne Adam Ford turned himself in, describing the gruesome details of repeatedly choking four young women during rough sex until they stopped breathing, reviving them with CPR, then doing it again.

Ford told authorities that after torturing and repeatedly choking and reviving dozens of prostitutes with CPR during sex, four of them didn’t survive, he said, claiming that was an accident. After dismembering two of his victims, he dumped their bodies in the California Aqueduct and other waterways in Humboldt, Kern, San Joaquin, and San Bernardino Counties. Ford's complex death penalty case made national news because he is one of the only serial killers to turn himself in and help authorities identify his victims. He was recently transferred from death row at San Quentin to a state prison in San Luis Obispo.  

Originally released in March 2009, this new edition of Body Parts has been updated with 32 pages of developments about the identification of Kerry Anne Cummings, Ford’s first victim, whom he dismembered. The new material takes the reader through the investigative process involved in solving a cold case like this one so many years after the fact. The victim’s family has closure after so many years of not knowing what happened to her, and being prevented from reporting her missing to police because she was using drugs. Rother is the first writer to interview the Cummings family about her troubled life before she went missing in late 1997.

Overall, this book is based on exclusive information Rother uncovered during her extensive research and exclusive interviews with key players, including Ford’s father and brother. She also interviewed, the prosecutor, sheriff's detectives from all four counties, the defense’s sole investigator, and a woman who survived after being raped and tortured by Ford.  By obtaining a court order to release sealed court files and digging through boxes of evidence and investigators’ reports, Rother was able to paint comprehensive and compelling portraits of Ford, his family and his victims. Her book shows readers how Ford’s family dynamics, his severe head injury, his bouts of mental illness, and his compulsive sexual perversions led to his tragic killing spree, tearful confessions, and dramatic trial.

Rother has written or co-authored 15 books including Death on Ocean Boulevard, Hunting Charles Manson, Then No One Can Have Her, I’ll Take Care of You, Lost Girls, Poisoned Love, Dead Reckoning, Twisted Triangle, Where Hope Begins/Deadly Devotion, Naked Addiction, and My Life, Deleted

Her next title, Down to the Bone, about the murders of the McStay family of San Diego County,  comes out in June 2025. The author of narrative non-fiction crime, thrillers, and memoir, Rother also has the first two books in a new series of crime novels coming out in 2026, starting with Dopamine Fix (Thomas & Mercer). Her most recent title is Death on Ocean Boulevard, which was optioned by Untitled Entertainment. An award-winning investigative newspaper reporter for 19 years,

Rother’s journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The San Diego Union Tribune, The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and The Daily Beast. Her more than 250 TV, radio and podcast appearances include 20/20, People Magazine Investigates, Crime Watch Daily, Australia's World News, and numerous shows on Netflix, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, HLN and REELZ. For more information, visit her website: https://caitlinrother.com

What critics are saying

“With a seasoned journalist's doggedness and a novelist's ear for drama, Caitlin Rother paints every page with all the violent colors of a malignant sociopath's fever and captures what all too often is hidden right in plain sight,” says NYT bestselling author Ron Franscell. “This kind of frightening and fascinating glimpse into a killer's mind is rare, and an extremely intuitive Rother makes the most of it.”

“Caitlin Rother is the model for serious crime journalism today. She's bold, meticulous, and exhaustive, returning to cases with loose ends to update us on the latest innovations and developments,” says Katherine Ramsland, bestselling author. 

“The updated material in this new edition of Body Parts not only brings the story full circle by giving a name, face, and tragic backstory to the mystery that set the nightmare in motion, it adds another layer of depth,” says Simon Read, author of In the Dark. “Caitlin Rother never lets the horrific nature of the crimes overshadow the humanity of the victims… Rother explores Ford's savage career in chilling detail… Her fast-paced narrative and the brutality of Ford's rampage come together in a book crime aficionados will be loathe to put down.  A story this shocking can only be true.”

“Rother has produced a superior study of the formation of a serial killer and his lost and lonely victims,” says Carol Anne Davis, author of Sadistic Killers. “You’ll want to lock up your daughters—and raise your sons with respect and compassion – after reading about the depraved acts of Wayne Adam Ford.”

“As with all of her nonfiction, Caitlin Rother delivers page-turning excitement and blood curdling terror once again,” says M. William Phelps, author of Bad Girls. “Using a reporter's edge, a novelist's eye, and a crime-scene investigator's nose for evidence, Rother's latest is all at once riveting, unbelievable, fast-paced, and sure to keep you up at night wondering how evil seems to top itself time and again."

BODY PARTS by Caitlin Rother

On sale date: February 25, 2025 

Price: $18.95, a Citadel Press trade paperback

ISBN: 978-0806543918

"This order is about administering political loyalty tests to everyday employees in the federal workforce," said the president of the National Treasury Employees Union

By Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

Photo:  Trump official portrait, 2025

January 21, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - A union representing workers across dozens of federal agencies sued the Trump administration late Monday over an executive order stripping many career civil servants of protections designed to insulate them from political pressure.

The lawsuit was filed by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) shortly after President Donald Trump signed an order that reinstated, with some amendments, the "Schedule F" measure he implemented at the tail end of his first White House term—an action that former President Joe Biden reversed.

This article first appeared in Common Dreams and is featured in East County Magazine under a Creative Commons license.

By Miriam Raftery

Image: Wong Kim Ark, whose landmark 1898 lawsuit led to a Supreme Court ruling affirming citizenship for all children born in the U.S., regardless of parents' immigration status. Born in the U.S.,Kim had been denied reentry after traveling abroad. Photo via 1904 immigration document.

January 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Multiple lawsuits have been filed seeking to block an executive order yesterday issued by President Donald Trump which aims to end birthright citizenship. Trump’s order seeks to end citizenship from being issued to children born in the U.S. if the parents are not in the U.S. legally In addition, his order would prohibit citizenship from children born to a mother who is in the U.S. on a temporary and legal basis, such as student, work, or tourist visas, unless the father is a citizen or lawful permanent resident. The order would take effect in 30 days, on Feb. 19, and apply to children born on or after that date.

The order is in direct contradiction to the U.S. Constitution’s 14^th amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” Trump’s order contends that children of undocumented immigrants as well as children born to mothers here on a temporary basis are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S..

The 14^th amendment was adopted after the Supreme Court’s ruling in the controversial Dred Scott v.Sandford case back in 1857, in which justices held that children of slaves were not entitled to citizenship. After passage of the 14^th Amendment, a later Supreme Court case in 1898 ruled that Wong Kim Ark, an American citizen born in San Francisco, was wrongly denied reentry to the U.S. after a trip abroad and affirmed the Chinese-American man’s right to citizenship.

Today, in separate lawsuits, a coalition led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and numerous states led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, seek to protect rights of all children born in the U.S.

“Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional—it’s also a reckless and ruthless reputation of American values,” says ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero in a statement . The ACLU lawsuit is joined by the Asian Law Caucus, State Democracy Defenders Fund, and Legal Defense Fund. The suit seeks temporary and permanent injunctions to block the executive order from taking effect.

California Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit on behalf of 18 states and the City of San Francisco, seeking an immediate temporary injunction to block implementation while litigation proceeds.  Bonta calls Trump’s order “blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American.  As home of Wong Kin Ark, a San Francisco native who fought—successfully—to have his U.S. citizenship recognized, California condemns the President’s attempts to erase history and ignore 125 years of Supreme Court precedent.”

He adds, “If allowed to stand, the order would strip tens of thousands of children born each year of their ability to fully and fairly be a part of American society as rightful citizens, with all the benefits and privileges,” adding that such children would then live under threat of deportation,  also losing their ability to obtain a Social Security number, work lawfully, vote, serve on juries, or run for public office.

Trump’s order would also be costly to states, putting them at risk of losing federal funding for program such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which are conditioned on the citizenship and immigration status of children served.  States would have to foot the bill for modifying the operation and administration of such programs on very short notice if the Feb.19 implementation deadline is not blocked. Such action would cause “irreparable harm to the states and their residents,” Bonta’s statement concludes.

By Miriam Raftery

January 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Among the dozens of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump yesterday after his inauguration is a notice to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).  Under a 1948 law, withdrawal requires one-year notification and Congressional approval, Associated Press (AP) reports. 

If completed, withdrawal by the U.S., a founding partner of WHO, would drop one-fifth of WHO’s funding and prevent the U.S. and the American medical community from accessing vital health resources and data.

Trump previously tried to withdraw from  WHO in 2019, but President Biden rejoined the organization after his election before the waiting period ended. In July 2020, amid the pandemic, a joint statement by the American Medical Association and three other medical organizations representing pediatricians, family physicians and other doctors strongly opposed Trump’s withdrawal order, calling it “dangerous.”

The medical groups’ letter stated that withdrawal would put ”the health of our country at grave risk. As leading medical organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of physicians, we join in strong opposition to this decision, which is a major setback to science, public health, and global coordination efforts needed to defeat COVID-19. The WHO plays a leading role in protecting, supporting, and promoting public health in the United States and around the world. The agency has been on the frontlines of every global child health challenge over the last seven decades, successfully eradicating smallpox, vaccinating billions against measles, and cutting preventable child deaths by more than half since 1990. Withdrawing from the WHO puts these investments at risk and leaves the United States without a seat at the table—at a time when our leadership is most desperately needed.”

Yesterday’s executive order claims WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic, calls for unspecified reforms cites political influence of member states, and cites “onerous” payments by the U.S. that are higher than China’s sharem even though China has a larger population.  Trump has previously faulted WHO for changing advisories such as for masking and social distancing as more information became available about the new COVID-19 virus.

WHO  issued a statement saying it “regrets” Trump’s withdrawal from the global health authority and voiced hope that the U.S. will reconsider “for the wellbeing of millions of people around the globe.”

““The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board,” WHO stated.

The statement continues, “For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats,” it added. “Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership of WHO.”

“WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go, the statement continued,” adding, “With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues.

According to the AP, withdrawing from WHO could prevent the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and other health agencies from accessing information on WHO-coordinated programs ranging from flu vaccine development to genetic databases. 

Dr. Ashish Jha, who served as White House Covid-19 response coordinator during the Biden administration, called Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO in his second term a “strategic error.”

“WHO is a pretty essential organization — and with America’s withdrawal, it creates a political vacuum that only one country can fill — and that is China,” Jha said in an interview with CNN on Monday.

He predicted that China will step up for the organization in the absence of US funding and leadership, which could, in turn, “give China more political influence around the world.”

Read full text of Donald Trump’s inauguration speech on January 20, 2025

View video of speech

By Miriam Raftery

January 20, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Donald J. Trump was sworn in for his second term of office today inside the Capitol rotunda, instead of outdoors, due to bitterly cold weather.  In a 30-minute inaugural speech, Trump promised a “Golden Age of America” in which he would “put America first,” proclaiming, “America’s decline is over.”

The 47^th President is only the second ever to be returned to office after being voted out following his term as 45^th. 

Below are highlights of his inaugural speech, along with fact checks and clarifications as context.

Trump railed against “unfair weaponization of the Justice Department” and pledged to “rebalance” the scales of justice.

Fact check:  Trump was convicted by a jury on 36 felony fraud counts in federal court and faced dozens of other charges that were dropped due to a Justice Dept. policy prohibiting prosecution of a sitting president, however multiple grand juries found evidence of serious crimes. He previously announced his intent to seek retribution against his political enemies and those who prosecuted him. This morning, President Biden responded to those threats by issuing  proactive pardons against individuals who investigated Trump as members of the January 6 commission, as well as General Mark Milley.

With his predecessor at hand for the inauguration, Trump repeatedly criticized  the Biden administration as “corrupt,” but did not specify examples. In other criticism, he stated, “We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalog of catastrophic events abroad.”  Trump predicted that his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier.” He than announced satisfaction that “the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families.”

Fact check:  Biden has drawn criticism over the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from  Afghanistan, as well as the mounting death toll in the Israel-Gaza War. However it was the Biden administration that negotiated cease fires in both Gaza and Lebanon to end the military hostilities in the region and return remaining hostages.

Trump faulted the Biden administration’s handling of the wildfires in California. “Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency,” he stated, adding that in Los Angeles, ”we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense....everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change.”

Fact check:  While its unquestionable that the L.A. wildfires have been devastating, President Biden actually pledged to have the federal government cover 100% of the disaster response cost, higher than the 75% that is customary. He’s also asked Congress for additional help, though it will be up to the Trump administration to carry through.  The fires were fueled by hurricane-force winds and in some areas, so many homes burning that fire hydrants ran dry; winds were so strong that firefighting planes could not fly. Thousands of firefighters did come from across the nation and around the world to help battle the catastrophic blazes.

Trump attacked the public health system, calling it the most expensive in the world while failing to deliver in times of disaster, but did not provide specifics.

Fact Check: It is true that America spends more than other developed nations on healthcare, in some cases four times higher per capita, though the U.S. is also larger geographically and in population than most other countries. The Affordable Care Act,  or Obamacare, has provided healthcare insurance for millions who were previously uninsured, though Trump has pledged to eliminate the program.  It is unclear what Trump meant about failing to deliver during disasters; both the Trump and Biden administrations mobilized to combat the COVID pandemic, developing a vaccine in record time, getting protective gear out to healthcare workers and more.  If Trump was referring to inadequate coverage for those facing a personal health crisis such as cancer, Affordable Care Act coverage is far better than for those who are uninsured and better than coverage under many private insurance policies.  The ACA also prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage for preexisting conditions.

He faulted America’s schools, stating,”We have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases, to hate our country,” promising “All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly.”

Fact check:  Trump has set a goal of abolishing the Department of Education, which provides funding for schools across the U.S., though this will require Congressional approval.  It is unclear how the quality of education would improve if a major source of funding for schools is taken away. As for the curriculum specifics, Trump is on record objecting to historically accurate teachings about issues such as slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, and other minorities.

With the inauguration occurring on Martin Luther King Day,  Trump specifically thanked those Black and Hispanic community members who voted for him, adding,  “Today is Martin Luther King Day...in his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality.”

Fact check:  Trump, in his speech, pledged to strive for world peace, a goal that King shared. However Trump has also pledged to eliminate policies that mandate or promote diversity, equity and inclusion in an executive order on day one. Dr. King strongly supported increasing diversity, equity and inclusion to assure fairness and opportunities for people of color.

Trump announced that later today, he will sign a series of executive orders, starting with declaring “a national emergency at our southern border.” Specifically, he said, “all illegal entry will be halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.” He also pledged to reinstate his “remain in Mexico” policy, end “catch and release” policy, send troops to the southern border to block immigrants, and invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Fact check:  Illegal immigration across the U.S. southern border has actually dropped to a 5-year low as of this January, USA Today reports  That’s due largely to Biden policies such as closing the border during migration surges, working with Mexico to stop migrant caravans, and creating an app for would-be asylum seekers to apply online without entering the U.S., an app Trump has said he will eliminate.  Trump’s remain in Mexico policy, which did reduce illegal immigration, also resulted in many migrants victimized by criminals while in a migrant camp in Mexico...As for Trump’s statement that he will deport “millions and millions of criminal aliens,” a National Institute of Justice Study found immigrants commit crimes at much lower rates than U.S. citizens, and the overall crime rate in recent years has dropped even as immigration has risen.  With a estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., the vast majority have committed no crimes, other than crossing the border illegally, including those brought here as children. Most nations have indicated they will not accept deportees from the U.S., making it unclear how Trump’s administration could deport many immigrants who are here.

Trump claimed the U.S. experienced record inflation during the Biden administration. He blames this on “massive overspending and escalating energy prices.”

Fact check:  The highest inflation under Biden was 9.1% in June 2022, which was not even close to the 23.8% record set in 1920, CNN reports.  Inflation after COVID occurred worldwide.  As of December 2024, inflation had dropped to 2.9%, one of the lowest in the world.  Energy prices rose globally due to instability in Ukraine and the Middle East. Much of the increased spending under Biden included efforts to combat COVID and reduce the pandemic’s impact through his Inflation Reduction Act and American Recovery Act which helped individuals, small businesses and local governments recover from the pandemic’s economic impacts.

Trump said the solution to bring inflation down further will be a “drill, baby, drill” policy which he has previously said will include offshore drilling in California and opening oil reserves in Alaska.  He also announced, “With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate.” He later said he will pull America out of the Paris Climate Accord, a long-standing campaign pledge.

Fact check:  Whether large-scale oil drilling will bring down prices remains to be seen, but Trump’s planned actions will indisputably worsen greenhouse gas emissions by burning more carbon and pulling out of clean energy options, also potentially dissuading other nations from living up to their environmental promises under the Paris Climate Accord signed by 200 nations. Politico reports,” The U.S. withdrawal further imperils nations’ already slim hopes of preventing 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming since the Industrial Revolution began.”

Trump said he will “immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families,” adding, “We will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.” He also announced intent to establish an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, duties and revenues from foreign sources.

CNN labels Trump’s claims that tariffs would help Americans “false” since tariffs are paid by U.S. importers— companies in the U.S.—not foreign companies. Moreover, numerous studies including the U.S. International Trade Commission’s study have found that when Trump imposed tariffs on China in his first term, Americans bore almost the entire cost—including higher prices on consumers goods.

Trump reiterated his plan to establish a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)  aimed at streamlining government to be more efficient and reducing spending.

Fact check: Trump has named billionaire Elon Musk, head of Space-X and the X(formerly Twitter) social media platform, to head up DOGE. Concerns have been raised over the propriety of an unelected person wielding such power without oversight, since DOGE would not be an official government entity. Another concern is Musk’s conflicts of interest, since his business entities have received lucrative federal contracts and funding. There is also a moral issue, with potential cuts to include Medicare for the poor and fixed-income seniors on Social Security being proposed by billionaire Musk and Trump along with tax changes that would benefit the wealthiest Americans. A lawsuit challenging legality of DOGE was filed minutes after the inauguration, CBS News reports.

The newly elected President also pledged to “sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America,” after what he called “years of illegal and unconstitutional efforts to restrict free expression.”

Fact check: Trump is likely referring to earlier efforts under the Biden administration to prevent spread of disinformation by foreign nationals including Russia on social media, as well as COVID conspiracy theories and AI-generated misleading political videos. Conservatives have objected to this as censorship.  The Supreme Court sided with Biden, ruling it legal for the government to communicate with social media with concerns on content moderation policies. Meanwhile in anticipation of Trump taking office, META has proactively eliminated fact-checking on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, AP reported, following suit after Musk did so on X.

Trump took aim at gender-affirming care and policies protecting LGBTQ+ individuals.  “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female,” he stated. 

Fact check:  Mother Jones reports details on what this executive order is expected to include: “Federal agencies will be instructed to classify people by biological sex on government IDs like passports, visas, and personnel documents. ... agencies also will be ordered to stop interpreting sex discrimination laws in ways that protect trans people—inviting federal workplaces, schools, and social service programs like shelters to misgender and discriminate against trans people. Transgender women in federal prison reportedly will be transferred to men’s prisons and no longer provided with gender-affirming medical treatments—potentially forcing up to 1,500 incarcerated trans women to medically de-transition...The order is expected to attempt to cut off federal funding for gender-affirming medical treatments, like hormone therapy—a move that primarily affects transgender adults.

Trump also announced plans to rename geographical features. “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley,” he said. Trump praised McKinley for imposing tariffs and for his role in American controlling the Panama Canal.

Fact check: Trump has no power to force other nations or international authorities to change the Gulf of Mexico’s name, and Mexico’s president has objected, noting the name has existed on maps long before the U.S. became a nation. He could order the name changed on internal U.S. documents.  Trump’s Secretary of the Interior could, however, change the name of Denali,  formerly called Mt. McKinley, in Alaska back to the original name.  This would likely anger Native Americans, since Denali honored the indigenous name of the mountain. This also raises the question of whether Trump will seek to rename Denali National Park and other features with Denali in the name.

Trump announced intent to take back control of the Panama Control. “We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” he announced.  Trump claimed “China is operating the Panama Canal.” He used the term “manifest destiny” to refer to ambitious to advance space exploration and land American astronauts on Mars.

Fact check:  Panama has denied ceding control to China and Trump has provided zero evidence to back up this claim, Reuters reports. Trump has not said how he would retake the Panama Canal, which Panama has indicated it would not relinquish, though Trump has previously said he would not rule out use of military force. Trump has also drawn alarm in the international community with his demands for the U.S. to gain ownership of Greenland, a Danish territory, over the objections of Denmark, as well as his use of the term manifest destiny, which in America’s past has been used to assert a divine right to expand territory by conquering indigenous peoples.

Trump pledged to build the strongest military in the world, stating, ”Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent and totally unpredictable...We will not be conquered, we will not be intimidated, we will not be broken, and we will not fail.”

Fact check:  Peace through strength is a concept touted by many leaders throughout history, starting with the Roman Empire Hadrian  over 2,000 years ago, including Presidents George Washington and Ronald Reagan in the U.S.  The policy has had mixed results, providing a deterrent in some cases, while spurring pushbacfk in others.

Source: SDG&E

January 20, 2025 (San Diego)  – Due to extreme fire weather conditions and forecasted Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has notified 83,609 customers that it may have to turn off power to reduce wildfire risk as early as late today. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are approved by state regulators as a safety tool of last resort to mitigate fire risk during dangerous weather conditions.

As a result of dry conditions and expected Santa Ana windsup to 60 miles per hour locally, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning and High Wind Warning for parts of Orange and San Diego Counties beginning Monday morning through late Tuesday night.

SDG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center and staffed it with key personnel to monitor weather conditions throughout the duration of the event, especially the wind speeds in the high fire risk areas of the county.

If SDG&E implements a PSPS for public safety, it will open Community Resource Centers to support impacted customers. 

Given the potential for extended power outages, SDG&E encourages customers to be prepared. Outage preparedness tips can be found at sdge.com/outage-center; safety guidelines for generator use can be found at sdge.com/generator.  

As always, customers should never approach a downed line and should report it by calling 911 or SGD&E’s call center at 800-411-7343. Real-time information about unplanned power outages can be found at sdge.com/outage.

Updates about this PSPS can be found at sdge.com/Ready and SDGEToday.com or by following SDG&E’s X channel, @SDGE.