March 2025 Articles

Source: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

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Photo, left by Claire Sweeney: new Safari Adventure check-in area, courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park

March 6, 2025 (San Pasqual) — The San Diego Zoo Safari Park announces the opening of Safari Excursions, a  check-in spot and gathering place for your safari. Designed with comfort and inspiration in mind, Safari Excursions serves as the hub for all safari departures. Guests can check in, meet their guides, and take in the stunning surroundings before their excursion begins.

March 6, 2025 -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

Military cuts

• Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers (AP)
• Hegseth orders major Pentagon spending cuts (Politico)

Economy and tariffs

• Trump enacts sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, opening door to painful trade war (CNN)
• America First? Not when it comes to stock markets worldwide this year  (Associated Press)
• Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts: Promises vs. Reality

Presidential power

• Legal experts warn of 'constitutional crisis' as JD Vance and Elon Musk question judges' authority over Trump (NBC)
• Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies (Politico)
• Republican lawmakers urge Trump to respect federal court rulings (The Hill)
• Trump appears to channel Napoleon in vision for executive authority: ‘He who saves his Country does not violate any Law’ (CNN)

Ukraine aid

• Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine after Oval Office argument with Zelensky, White House official says(CNN)
• Reagan-era Republicans aghast as Trump turns Russia policy on its head (Guardian)
• How a U.S. President Pivoted Toward Russia(Wall Street Journal)

DOGE

• DOGE released data about federal contract savings. It doesn't add up (NPR)
• Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say (CNN)
• Musk gives all federal workers 48 hours to explain what they did last week or face consequences  (AP)
• As Musk works to slash federal spending, his own firms have received billions in government contracts (ABC)
• Judge Who Made Life Hell for Trump Will Oversee Case on Elon Musk (New Republic)
• Elon Musk calls for the US to 'delete entire agencies' from the federal government (AP)
• Elon Musk’s Enemy, USAID, Was Investigating Starlink’s Contracts in Ukraine (Gizmodo)

Press restrictions

• The White House says it 'will determine' which news outlets cover Trump, rotating traditional ones (AP)
• AP sues 3 Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech (AP)

Court Actions

• Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's bid to avoid paying USAID contractors(NBC)
• Supreme Court rules that government watchdog fired by Trump may temporarily remain on the job (CNN)
• Federal Judge Blocks DOGE Access to Sensitive Data At Education Department and OPM(Democracy Docket)

Other National News

• Trump official calls Social Security ‘wrong’ as administration lays groundwork for massive cuts  (Newsbreak)
• Dismantling of federal efforts to monitor election interference creates opening for foreign meddling (AP)
• Trump Bid to Take Over Postal Service Could Threaten Mail Voting (Democracy Docket)
• Members of Congress denied access to Department of Education (MSN)
• Feds Fire 20 Immigration Judges Despite Case Backlog Amid Trump Wave of Government Cuts
• Invasive frisks, suicide attempts: Three migrants describe Guantánamo detention (Washington Post)
• 3 migrants beat the Trump administration in court. They got deported the next day (ABC)
• Rubio says El Salvador will house deportees from U.S., including Americans  (NPR)
• Farmers hit by a federal funding freeze scramble to respond ahead of spring thaw(NBC)
• Trump picks Neil Jacobs to head NOAA, a scientist with 'Sharpiegate' ties (NPR)
• Elon Musk's DOGE seeks access to taxpayer data at IRS: AP sources (AP)
• IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season  (AP)
• Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash (AP)
• Speaker Johnson tells GOP lawmakers to skip town halls after an onslaught of protests (AP)
• Major troubles for Donald Trump in new polling (NJ.com)
• GOP bill to ban trans athletes from women’s sports blocked in Senate (The Hill)
• Four top New York City officials resign as turmoil ripples over Mayor Adams' corruption case (AP)

WORLD

Ukraine-Russia

• US joins Russia to vote against UN resolution condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine (CNN)
• Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukraine on eve of third year of war (CBS)
• Trump’s rush for a deal with Putin leaves Ukraine and Europe scrambling  (CNN)
• US refuses to blame Russia for Ukraine war, splitting with European allies in UN votes (AP)

Europe

• Leaked memo reveals alarming German warnings over Trump  (Politico)
• Scholz rebukes Vance, defends Europe's stance on hate speech and far right (Reuters)

Mexico

• Mexico's President Sheinbaum threatens to take legal action over the Gulf name change  (NPR)
• The US now considers these cartels and gangs terrorist groups. Here’s what to know about them (CNN)
• Mexico sends drug lord Caro Quintero and 28 others to the U.S.  (NPR)
• Trump’s Funding Freeze Creates Narco Dream at Mexico Border (New Republic)

Israel-Gaza

• Forensics chief confirms ID of body of Shiri Bibas, no evidence she died in explosion (Times of Israel)
• Trump issues 'last warning' to Hamas over Israeli hostage release (BBC)

Vatican

• Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs as tests show ‘complex picture,’ Vatican says (CNN)

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

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: photos of some items stolen Feb. 23 from Hatfield Creek Winery’s owner

March 6, 2025 (Ramona) – The Sheriff’s department seeks public help to find robbers who stole nearly $15,000 worth of jewelry and collectible coins from the owner’s home at Hatfield Creek Vineyard and Winery on State Route 78 in Ramona.

Crimestoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the thieves, who may have targeted two other Ramona wineries on the same day, February 23. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 5, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – A major storm system will bring strong winds and rain across our region, with heavy snow forecast starting tonight in East County mountains.  Mount Laguna could receive up to a foot of snow, with up to eight inches on Palomar Mountain and three inches in Julian by Friday morning. Heavy snow will make it difficult to travel above 4,000 feet in elevation.

In urban areas, flooding is possible.  El Cajon, La Mesa, and other areas are expected to receive up to an inch and a half of rain, the National Weather Service predicts.

Along the coast, a small craft advisory is in effect through Friday morning due to expected high surf and high seas.

March 5, 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

• More Industrial Chemicals Found in Sweetwater Reservoir (Voice of San Diego
• Keeping Lakeside egg ranch flu-free takes constant vigilance. Would a vaccine help?  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• ‘Daylighting' law to be enforced in San Diego starting Saturday (NBC San Diego)
• La Mesa’s ‘Parking T’ program aims to end street parking headaches (CBS)
• Trump cuts to NOAA already felt in San Diego (KPBS)
• Could NOAA layoffs affect San Diego? (Fox 5)
• Report finds illnesses among Navy SEALs training in polluted water in San Diego (NBC San Diego)
• Santee School District one of few performing above pre-pandemic levels in math and reading (KPBS)
•  Air Pollution Control District to begin distributing air purifiers to South Bay residents (KPBS)
• San Diego's congressional Democrats send letter opposing science funding cuts (KPBS)
• Family shares history of mental illness in El Cajon man arrested for mother's death (10 News)
• Sobering times for some San Diego breweries as closures rise (NBC 7)

STATE

•  Bill aims to prohibit 'surveillance pricing' based on customers’ online behavior (KPBS)
• ‘It was just a regular morning’: Californians picked up in recent ICE raids include kids, volunteers (KPBS)
• LA mayor dismisses fire chief over response to most destructive wildfire in city history last month (AP)
• Big homeowner rate hike from State Farm shot down by California regulator
• Trump funding freeze includes payments to keep the Colorado River flowing (NPR)
• Power lines sparked new fires in LA after the Eaton Fire began, radio traffic shows (NPR)
• California homeowners will have to fund half of high-risk insurer's $1 billion ‘bailout’ (Cal Matters)

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

San Diego State had four players in double figures and held New Mexico, which is scoring 83 points a game, to 65 in a 73-65 win.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 5, 2025 (San Diego) - The San Diego State men’s basketball team had four players in double figures, including a career-high matching 10 points from forward Miles Heide, and defeated New Mexico, the team at the top of the Mountain West standings, 73-65 at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena on Tuesday night.

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  President Donald Trump addresses Congress.  Screenshot from C-SPAN

March 5, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - President Donald Trump told Congress Tuesday that “the American dream is surging bigger and better than ever before” and promised that new tariffs on Mexico — despite worrying San Diego businesses — will help achieve that goal.

Local Assemblyman working to minimize surveillance pricing, while new FTC chairman blocks public comments

By G. A. McNeeley 

March 5, 2025 (San Diego) -- Most people might not know that companies with an online presence are using personal information about customer’s buying habits to charge them a higher price for products, if they think you’re likely to pay it. This is a practice known as “surveillance pricing.” 

This practice has spread in recent years, according to consumer and privacy watchdogs, and it’s become increasingly difficult to escape, no matter how often we clear our cookies or tighten our privacy settings. 

But with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman blocking consumer comments and not taking action at a national level, state legislators are stepping up to the plate. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 3, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Threats issued by President Donald Trump targeting colleges, universities and student protesters are illegal and unconstitutional, according to legal and civil liberties experts.

Today, Trump posted on his social media account, “All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came.  American students will be permanently expelled or depending on on the crime, arrested.NO MASKS!”

The post comes on the heels of two executive orders issued by Trump which seek to pressure higher education officials to target immigrant students and staff for exercising First Amendment freedom of spech rights, including pro-Palestinian protesterrs or students critical of the U.S. government, culture, institutions or founding principals. Today's Truth Social post goes further, demanding that even students who are U.S. citizens be expelled and imprisoned for participating in campus protests if deemed "illegal.".

March 4, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Trump administration firings hit key office handling bird flu response (Politico)
• As measles cases rise in the U.S., some adults may need a vaccine booster   (NPR)
•  FDA links deadly listeria outbreak to frozen nutritional shakes(KPBS)
• Emulsifiers Make Food More Appealing. Do They Also Make You Sick? (Wall St.Journal)
• To solve for doctor shortages, states ease licensing for foreign-trained physicians  (NPR)
• Exercise may help patients with colon cancer live as long as those who never had it, study suggests (CNN)
• RFK Jr. Just Kneecapped the CDC on His First Day (New Republic)
• It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Exclusive: FDA staff reviewing Musk’s Neuralink were included in DOGE employee firings, sources say (Reuters)
• Cryptocurrency exchange says it was victim of $1.5 billion hack (AP)
• Predatory app downloaded 100,000 times from Google Play Store steals data, uses it for blackmail (Malwarebytes)
• Plane that flipped over in Canada highlights some of the dangers of holding kids on your lap  (AP)
• Musk has inside track to take over contract to fix air traffic communications system (AP)
• Elon Musk's DOGE Website Being 'Hacked' Sparks Mockery (Newsweek)

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