San Diego County

No Obamacare or replacement, 370,000 in San Diego County could lose insurance

About one in nine San Diego County residents could be directly impacted by a repeal of key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and many do not realize it. by Cheryl Clark & Joe Berardi, inewsource Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist Linda Rasmussen is “extremely nervous” about President Donald Trump’s plan to repeal Obamacare. It’s kept her healthy since 2014, when she enrolled in a subsidized plan…


Unlikely RSF resident, WorldstarHipHop founder Lee ‘Q’ O’Denat dies at age 43

“Q was a brilliant businessman who championed urban culture, ultimately creating the largest hip-hop website in the world. But more than that, he was a devoted father and one of the nicest, most generous persons to ever grace this planet.” — WorldstarHipHop statement While legendary hip-hop and street fight website entrepreneurs might not be one’s first guess for ultra-sedate Rancho Santa Fe residency, WorldstarHipHop founder Lee…


SD County farmers: Let them grow pot

For local jurisdictions, cannabis farming can generate significant new tax revenues, create jobs and help reverse course for the region’s declining agricultural sector. In the weeks and months ahead, county and local officials will be taking steps to implement medical and recreational marijuana regulations, including cannabis farming. The local farmers I’ve talked to think the time is ripe. In the last 16 months, the state…


Poverty in San Diego County higher than during Great Recession

When Jim Floros started his job as president and CEO of the San Diego Food Bank at the beginning of 2013, he says the nonprofit served about 330,000 people a month. The divergence between poverty and employment points to deeper problems in the San Diego region’s economy. That number has since grown to 370,000. That might seem odd given that San Diego County’s unemployment rate fell…


inewsource: ‘Our favorite stories of the year’

As 2016 draws to a close, the reporters and editors of inewsource are highlighting our favorite stories of the year. They ranged from a look at the student homelessness crisis in San Ysidro to investigations into the complex machinations of the powerful California Public Utilities Commission. These stories are also a template for the kind of fearless and data-driven investigative journalism we plan to do even more…


Rain, rain comes this way through weekend

Weather forecasters are describing a one-two punch of winter storms arriving in San Diego County for the end of this week. Overnight and early morning sprinkles in San Diego County are expected to continue throughout most of Wednesday as the first and weaker of two upcoming winter storms moves toward the region. “It’s a really nice, organized cold front coming through Friday night and Saturday…


Send your best, not a pest this holiday

Who would want a homemade holiday fruit basket — with creepy mealybugs? Or a clipping from grandma’s wreath with gypsy moth eggs nestled inside? Giant whiteflies hiding in hand-picked poinsettias, or some tree-killing bacteria in their holiday citrus? Nobody, right? But it can happen. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who will be traveling this holiday season, remember — don’t pack a pest!…


Congressional candidates spent almost $5 million on TV ads in San Diego

Local congressional candidates and their supporters bought more than $4.7 million in broadcast TV advertising in the general election, largely in the 49th District where incumbent Republican Darrell Issa squeaked past Democratic challenger Doug Applegate for another term. The Issa and Applegate camps bought a total of almost $3.7 million in ads on San Diego’s five major broadcast channels: CBS 8, ABC 10, NBC 7, Fox 5…


Election 2016: None came running

ESCONDIDO, CA. — Voting was brisk around Escondido, San Marcos and Valley Center polling stations in Tuesday’s general election, but with a caveat: Many voters weren’t happy to be there. “I don’t know what will happen,” Do-Art  Shoe Repair Owner Lucia Capuano said of the presidential election, “but I wasn’t happy with both of them. We’ll just see how it goes.” Capuano proudly wore her “I Voted”…


Dark money, accusations of campaign finance violations roil Lilac Hills Ranch

As the battle over the ballot measure to authorize construction of the Lilac Hills Ranch housing development enters its final weeks, the money behind the sides is emerging as a central issue in the debate. On the radio…  The proposed Lilac Hills Ranch community is one of the most fiercely contested development projects in San Diego County. It’s made strange bedfellows of environmentalists and developers,…