By Miriam Raftery

August 3, 2016 (Washington D.C.) - It’s been a bad week for Donald Trump.  A recent poll shows him trailing his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, by 8 points.  Trump has continued to alienate a broad swath of the electorate and prominent Republicans within his own party, even insulting families of fallen military members and showing eagerness to launch nuclear weapons. Now, an online petition is asking the GOP to require a mental health screening of the party’s presidential candidate following his latest erratic actions.

By Miriam Raftery

August 1, 2016 (San Diego) — Election observers have contended that they witnessed hundreds of ballots with votes for Bernie Sanders whited out at the San Diego Registrar of Voters office and were prevented from watching further.  Video. Some have contended that Sanders was disenfranchised.

East County News Service

July 28, 2016 (El Cajon) -- A city-sponsored measure is being proposed for the November 2016 general municipal election. If approved by voters, it would amend El Cajon’s City Charter to establish district elections for City Council seats beginning in 2018.

Reprinted with permission from The Moderate Voice, ,a member of the San Diego Online News Association (SDONA)

July 28, 2016 (Washington D.C.) - Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump is now cheering on and encouraging hacking by Russian hackers increasingly — and strongly — believed by experts to be working for the Russian government to undermine Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump’s own running mate Sen. Mike Pence is distancing himself from Trump, but I’m betting Sean, Rush, and many conservative Internet writers will not repudiate it but a)defend it, b)try to change the subject, c)do a mixture of defense and changing the subject.

It’s a unique moment in American political history: the nominee of a political party cheering on hackers to not just hack into the Democratic National Committee’s emails, but into a former Secretary of State’s private emails written when she was Secretary of State.

What was that old conservative book? “None Dare Call it Treason.” This is NOT from The Onion:

By Jonathan Goetz

Whereas last week’s Republican National Convention opened with victims of crimes committed by undocumented Americans speaking out and sparking fear, the Democratic National Convention opened this week with stories of triumph and hope, touting strength through unity instead of divisive policies.

Democratic delegates also made history, shattering the glass ceiling as they nominated Hillary Clinton to be the first woman heading up a major party ticket for the presidency.

By Jonathan Goetz

July 26, 2016 (Philadelphia) -- Singer/songwriter Demi Lovato endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in Philadelphia Monday, stating that Clinton “will fight to ensure all people living with mental health conditions get the care they need to lead fulfilling lives.” Lovato, who has been treated for bipolar disorder and bulimia, then delivered a moving performance of “Confident.”

View video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v”=h2xTu3zbkik  Full transcript:

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

July 25, 2016 (Philadelphia) -- California's 546 delegates in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention could be met by hundreds of anti-poverty protesters on the convention's opening day. The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign is holding the "March for Our Lives" demonstration in Philadelphia on Monday.

By Miriam Raftery

July 24, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The filing period to run for local offices is now open, closing August 12.   Concerned citizens can often make positive differences in their communities by become elected officials serving as members of school boards, community planning groups, fire boards, water boards, hospital districts, city councils, or as mayors.

No filing fees, ballot statement costs  $315 to $360 in smaller trustee districts

By Miriam Raftery

July 24, 2016 (San Diego’s East County ) – For the first time, the Grossmont Union High School District will hold elections in November for individual trustee districts.   There are no filing fees, though modest fees are charged for candidates to publish ballot statements. With smaller districts, the cost for ballot statements is far less than in the past --just $315 in Trustee Area 1 (Lemon Grove/Spring Valley/La Prensa),which is an open seat, and $360 in Trustee Area 2 (La Mesa/Casa de Oro/Mt. Helix and part of Rancho San Diego) currently represented by Jim Stieringer.

The candidate filing period opened July 18 and closes August 12^th.  August 12 is also the deadline for candidates to submit ballot statements, which for the first time will be accepted electronically.

Source:  California Department of Justice news release

July 21, 2016 (San Francisco) - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that California, along with 11 other states and the District of Columbia, has joined the United States Department of Justice in filing a civil antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed $48.3 billion merger of two major insurance companies, Anthem and Cigna.

By Liz Alper

Slideshow photo courtesy Gage Skidmore on Wikipedia

July 20, 2016 (Cleveland) - As ECM reported last night, Indiana governor Mike Pence formally announced his vice presidential nomination by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on day three of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland tonight.

By Liz Alper

July 18, 2016 (Cleveland) - Day one of the Republican National Convention was already filled with drama, as Trump supporters and anti-Trump delegates took the floor for a tug of war.

East County News Service

July 14, 2016 (Washington D.C.) - Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has selected Indiana governor Mike Pence to be his vice presidential running mate.

By Janis Russell

July 4, 2016 (Rancho San Diego) - The East County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual ‘Politics in Paradise’ at the Water Conservation Garden on July 1st. This year, instead of a panel of speakers, the public got to mix and mingle with the local candidates. Then, throughout the night, candidates came up in three different groups to introduce themselves and explain why they’re running.

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2016 (San Diego) – A woman who worked as a party planner for notorious convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has come forward as a witness, claiming she saw Republican Donald Trump rape a 13-year-old girl at Epstein’s home in 1994.  This is the third time that Trump has been accused of rape—but this time, the charge is backed up by an alleged eyewitness to the crime.

The witness is identified as “Tiffany Doe” in a case filed by “Jane Doe” against Trump.  “I personally witnessed the Plaintiff being forced to perform various sexual acts with Donald J. Trump and Mr. Epstein, a hedge fund manager. Both Mr.  Trump and Mr. Epstein were advised that she was 13 years old,”  states a declaration by Tiffany Doe, who indicated her duties were to ”get attractive adolescent women [children] to attend these parties” including Jane Doe.