By Miriam Raftery
January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) – Dozens of public speakers at yesterday’s Grossmont Healthcare District meeting urged the board to move its 9 a.m. meetings to evenings in order to accommodate people with full-time jobs. The proposal was made by newly elected director Nadia Farjood, a working mother who says her new full-time job at the District Attorney’s office prevents her from attending daytime meetings.
The district represents about 520,000 residents. Around 271 people signed a petition in support of Farjood’s proposal, and around 40 showed up in support at yesterday’s meeting. But despite testimony from union representatives, healthcare workers, district residents and local elected officials, Farjood’s proposal failed, with no other director in support.
Some speakers voiced concern not only for Farjood, but for the potential chilling effect on would-be candidates who may be persuaded from running for office if they have full-time day jobs.
By Miriam Raftery
Photo, left: Gaza bombing by Israel, WAFA for news agency APA, creative commons via WIkiPalestine
January 15, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden today announced, “After many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal.”
The deal is slated to halt fighting in Gaza, surge humanitarian aide to Palestinian civilians, and return hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 attack in Israel, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Photo: County Supervisor Jim Desmond delivering his State of North County speech in June. (File photo courtesy of Desmond’s office)
January 16, 2025 (San Diego) - San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond announced that he will run for Congress.
The District 5 Republican said on Thursday that he hopes to “restore common-sense leadership” and is a candidate who prioritizes real-world solutions.
January 16, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — During 2024, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepted a total of 6,678 firearms at airport security checkpoints, preventing them from getting into the secure areas of the airport and onboard aircraft. Approximately 94% of these firearms were loaded. This total is a minor decrease from the 6,737 firearms stopped in 2023. Throughout 2024, TSA managed its “Prepare, Pack, Declare” public awareness campaign to explain the steps for safely traveling with a firearm.
By Miriam Raftery
January 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Hours after being sworn into office in the Capitol Rotunda, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order protecting all of the nearly 1,600 people accused or convicted of crimes stemming from the Capitol attack four years earlier. On January 6, 2021, the violent mob assaulted and injured 140 police officers, forcing terrified lawmakers to flee or hide while the mob tried to halt the peaceful transfer of power.
Trump’s order issued a blanket pardon for nearly all of the insurrectionists, erasing their felony records and freeing all who were serving prison sentences, even those convicted of attacking police officers or armed with weapons including firearms, stun guns, flagpoles, fire extinguishers, bike racks, batons, a metal whip, office furniture, pepper spray, bear spray, a tomahawk ax, a hatchet, a hockey stick, knuckle gloves, a baseball bat, a massive “Trump” billboard, “Trump” flags, a pitchfork, pieces of lumber, crutches and even an explosive device.
In addition, he commuted sentences for 14 members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy, including the groups’ leaders, Stewart Rhodes and Enrique Tarrio, who were serving 18- and 22- year sentences for their roles in organizing the attacks. Both men are now free.
Trump also directed his Attorney General to drop all remaining charges against individuals accused of crimes related to the January 6 Capitol attack, but whose cases had not yet gone to trial.
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 14th 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..
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.”
Update 4 p.m.: Evacuations have been listed and forward spread has been stopped.
Update 11 a.m. -- The evacuation center at Castle Creek Golf Course has closed. Evacutees should go to Riverview Church,4980 Sweetgrass Lane in Bonsall.
January 21, 2025 (Bonsall) -- The #LilacFire in Bonsall has burned 80 acres and destroyed two homes, with 10% containment. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered. The fire is burning along Old Highway 395 and North Lilac Rd.
View evacuation areas at the Genaysis mapping site. An evacuation center is at the Castle Creek Golf Course, 8797 Circle R Drive in Escondido 92026. Large animals can be taken to the CRC Ranch at 43101 Anza Rd in Temecula - per San Diego Sheriff's on X.
All schools in Bonsall are closed today due to the fire, according to the Bonsall Unified School District.
A second blaze that started overnight, the Pala Fire, is 100% contained at 17 acres. That fire was located west of I-15 and 2 miles north of Highway 76 in Pala.
By Miriam Raftery
January 20, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fresh is offering up to one month of benefits to replce food lost due to a power outage or natural disaster—but you must apply within 10 days of food loss.
That news comes as welcome relief for residents in rural East County, where some have lost power multiple times recently due to planned public saety power outages by SDG&E to prevent wildfires, as well as from other causes.
You can qualify for replacement food cost benefits if you had food spoilage due to:
- A power outage lasted longer than four hours
- Utilities were shut off for any reason
- A freezer or refrigerator stopped working
To apply, download a Replacement/Affidavit/Authoriization Form (CF-303) at https://SDHunger.org/replacement-calfresh . More details below.
By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office
January 20, 2025 (Ramona) - The new Ramona Community Resource Center is open, providing those in the area with a one-stop place with access to many County services like mental health, nutrition, and healthcare.