When the government tries to circumvent constitutional protections, we must hold it accountable. No journalist should have to fear government interference for having the persistence, courage, and commitment to expose the truth. — ACLUF-SDIC As part of a coordinated effort that undermined the freedom of the press, the U.S. government tracked, detained, and interrogated journalists who were reporting on conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Five…
Climate plans are the order of the day in the presidential primary campaign because carbon pollution is a global threat of unique proportions. But it’s worth asking whether candidates’ plans are based in the reality of the climate, the economy and the election. All three dimensions must come together for any climate plan to achieve its goals – and this is especially true when the…
Escondido always has been a hot bed in the California puppy mill world, for whatever reason. A new state law that went into effect this year has rsulted in several puppy mill busts, but some puppy mill proprietors already have found loopholes to exploit. Assembly Bill 485, which went into effect at the beginning of this year, requires pet stores to get their animals from…
Soap, bees, teachers, farmers, community “There is an urgent need to stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industry, dramatically reduce wasted energy, and significantly shift our power supplies from oil, coal, and natural gas to wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources.” – Bill McKibben, Environmentalist “I’m convinced that if every home had solar panels on the roof, we could create all the energy we…
“I’ve got to go back to 1964 to find people so fiercely opposed to just doing modest things to let people vote” –San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher Funding for satellite offices in four county supervisor’s voting districts was approved by the Board of Supervisors at a special meeting on Monday. After an initial attempt to allocate additional funds failed last week because it required…
When Maya Kummer was a struggling student at Cal State San Marcos, Campus Coffee was a piece of her therapy. Even on days when depression hit her hardest, she would leave Academic Hall with tears in her eyes, put on sunglasses and walk over to the coffee cart for a pick-me-up – in the form of both a caffeinated drink and pleasant conversation with welcoming faces, owners…
The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties (ACLUF-SDIC) filed a class-action lawsuit Tuesady against the U.S Department of Homeland Security. The suit demands that people seeking asylum who have been subjected to the Trump administration’s dangerous Remain in Mexico policy – referred to by the government as the “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP) – and who have expressed a fear of being returned to…
The Golden State is on fire, which means that an idea of American utopia is on fire, too. Utopias are the good places of our imagination, while dystopias are the places where everything goes terribly wrong, where evil triumphs and nature destroys her own. Frequently utopias and dystopias are the same place, because perfection may not be possible without someone suffering. Ursula LeGuin writes about…
(Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as Cassidy’s Books closed its doors in July 2020. This story, alas, must serve as an homage to what ws once an incredible experience for those who love books.) Tom McDevitt’ sat behind the large front counter at Cassidy’s Books, in the shadow of Fry’s Electronics at a back-of-the-curve, out-of-the-way strip mall considering North…
Look around and feel the wind. It’s a blowing, and along with it, raising local fire risk to what are called “extreme” levels — a first — by state fire officials. Strong Santa Ana winds are expected again in San Diego County beginning late Tuesday night, raising the threat of wildfires through Thursday evening. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning that will be…