2017

Local House members, staff on the fly

In the past 12 months, San Diego County’s congressional delegation and the people who work for them have taken 17 trips paid for by nonprofits, think tanks and private companies. In all, $37,525 was spent on travel to places that include England, Austria, Azerbaijan, New York and Seattle. The privately funded travel is legal. Congress members and their staff just have to file a disclosure…


Where fast food drive-thru, vegans meet

Think fast food drive-thru places are bad? Think again. Ocean Beach-based Plant Power Fast Food has expanded to ever-trendy, and ever-retro-hipped-out Leucadia, and with a twist. Its new location at a former Burger King features a drive-thru window, believed to be the first drive-thru vegan restaurant experience offered by a fully plant-based fast-food restaurant chain in the nation. Plant Power Fast Food calls itself a…


Heat wave on the way week of Aug. 25-31

We’re having a heat wave. Record-breaking heat is expected to descend upon Southern California Monday, with temperatures ratcheting up over the next three days and remaining high but tapering off just a bit through the end of the week. Highs in El Cajon and Escondido are expected to reach 102, which would match the records in both cities for the date. The National Weather Service…


Duncan Hunter brings his kids to work for ‘Stealing from your Campaign Day’

“Father of the year” — Reprinted by permission from “Five Dollar Feminist” at Wonkette. For more from Wonkette visit the International Home of the Resistance. When God closes a door, he opens a window. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-50th District) knows this, because he is a Christian who loves Trump and hates gaybortions. For instance, Hunter tried to close the door on a Congressional investigation into…


Going organic bananas and coconuts

Not all bananas are created equal. When it comes to organic bananas, Mayra Velazquez de Leon knows that for everyone to understand this, consumers are going to have to strengthen their awareness and education about organic agricultural sustainability, the identifiers of true organic foods and environmental preservation. “Organic really is the whole picture,” she told The Produce News earlier this month. “It is about protecting…


Welk Theater: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’

This is the 2006 winner of five Tonys… “Oh dear God, please let it be a good show. I just want a story and a few good songs,” says Man in Chair at the top of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” and I was silently saying “amen” to that right up front. The Man (Vincent Pasquill), a shy depressive in a shapeless brown cardigan, plays an LP…


Issa lies about eugenics event attendance

eu·gen·ics yo͞oˈjeniks/ noun: Science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. Developed largely by Francis Galton as a method of improving the human race, it fell into disfavor only after the perversion of its doctrines by the Nazis. Last week, as President Trump and many congressional Republicans prevaricated on the events in Charlottesville and sought to justify the…


Ousting Hunter: Dem challengers debate

One way or another, to paraphrase Blondie, we’re gonna to find ya’, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-50th District), and we’re gonna get ya’, get ya’, get ya’, get ya’… Either you’re going to prison for campaign finance and bank fraud, or going to go, end of political story, period, courtesy of one of these Democratic challengers at the ballot box. Indivisible North County hosted a Democratic…


Hold on to your guac, avo prices fall in fall

It’s all about supply and demand in the wonderful world of avocados. Despite a large amount of foreign imports, demand has exceeded supply this year. That means higher prices at the grocery check-out for North County consumers raising the price of guacamole, and such, to record levels this season. As more people are drawn to avocados for their flavor and health benefits, consumption of the…


Move over Banksy, RSF is popping art

Rancho Santa Fe this summer is channeling Buffalo Springfield: “There’s something happening here. What is is ain’t exactly clear.” It’s anonymously placed mysteriously at night in the manner of English-based graffiti artist Banksy. Some call it the ultimate in pop-art. Unfortunately, as quickly as the art pops up, it tends to pop down. The Ranch can be an unforgiving place when it comes to anonymous…