California

SD County farming values rebound to around $1.8 billion

Agriculture values topped $1.8 billion for the first time since 2014 and just the third time in 30 years in San Diego County’s annual crop report released earlier this year. The report covers the 2020 growing season, and reflects the mixed effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The total value of all agriculture crops and commodities rose just 0.8%, but that was enough to push total…


Vote ‘NO’ on Governor Recall, ACLU says

The executive directors of the ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of Southern California and ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, and the board chair of ACLU California Action issued a joint statement Thursday, July 29 in strong opposition to the gubernatorial recall. This marks the first time in the history of the ACLU in California — which stretches back to 1923 — that the…


Bear Abuse: Animal rights group sues Cox

A local animal rights nonprofit is suing gubernatorial candidate and Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox for his use of a 1,000-pound Kodiak bear on the campaign trail. The Animal Rights and Protection League alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday in San Diego Superior Court that the bear, Tag, has been “drugged and abused” for use promoting Cox’s run for California governor. Tag has been…


San Diego tribes fight to close digital divide

A recent House Subcommittee on Natural Resources on infrastructure on tribal lands found an enormous physical and digital divide. The White House and tribes nationwide are counting on the America’s Jobs Plan to close that divide. And while the plan moves through Congress, one man continues his work to make sure tribes within the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) have access to broadband. “We’re…


Sad tale of RSF’s Cox zombie governor run

(Editor’s Note: Rancho Santa Fe’s clown prince John Cox got laughed out of the last state gubernatorial race. He is reprising his ridiculous role in the 2021 faux recall attempt and ridiculous next race for governor, which Gov. Gavin Newsom will win easily while we, the people, have to pay for it. Cox is a joke. What else do you want to know.) Cox, a…


COVID-19 vaccine distribution in California

As of Jan. 7, more than 528,000 Californians had received a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. Both vaccines received emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late December. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California’s initial batch of vaccines is available to health care workers and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities….


Battered, California GOP struggles to survive

Consider the California Republican Party. Or, what’s left of it. Not long ago, California Republicans slugged it out with Democrats in competitive statewide campaigns and threw considerable weight into legislative policy debates. But today, after a quarter-century slide into irrelevancy and dogma, it’s reasonable to consider if the state party still has a pulse and if its future includes a revival. The California party faces…


High-density avocado plantings profitable?

Growers considering producing avocados in San Diego County with high-density plantings now have help to determine the economic feasibility. A new study on the costs and returns of establishing and producing avocados in San Diego County has been released by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Cooperative Extension, UC Agricultural Issues Center and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Avocado has been one…


California’s New Laws Starting Jan. 1, 2021

Every year hundreds of new California laws take effect Jan. 1. Many of them won’t have much effect on your daily life. Here’s a closer look at some that might in 2021. Note: Thank you to our friends at Capital Public Radio for putting together this overview. You also can watch a video playlist of explainers below courtesy of CalMatters, or click to jump to…


4 citrus disease pests found in Fallbrook

During routine pest trapping in Fallbrook this week, state agricultural inspectors detected bacteria on an insect that can cause a plant disease. It is not harmful to people or animals, but is deadly to citrus trees and is a dangerous agricultural threat, they said. California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) inspectors on December 28 collected a group of four adult Asian citrus psyllids (ACP)…