Our interview with Marni Von Wilpert, candidate for 48th Congressional District 0
May 22, 2026 (San Diego’s East County — Earlier this month, ECM interviewed Marni Von Wilpert, a Democrat and one of the leading contenders running in the 48th Congressional district for an open seat as a result of Republican Darrell Issa retiring. She’s a San Diego City Councilmember, a former civil prosecutor with the District Attorney’s office, and a former lawyer for the House Committee on Education and Labor. This is an important race in a redrawn district that could help determine the balance of power in Congress. This interview was originally aired on KNSJ radio. Scroll down to read highlights, or click the audio file or video link for the full interview. View Video Hear Audio: The redrawn district includes Escondido, Vista, Warner Springs, Santa Ysabel, Borrego Springs, Descanso and Pine Valley, as well as parts of Oceanside, Riverside County and Palm Springs. She lives in Scripps Ranch. Her principal opponents in the primary are Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican, and Democrat Ammar Campa Najjar, a Navy reservist who has worked in the Obama administration Labor department. Q: Why do you believe you are the strongest candidate to win the general election and square off against a Republican, most likely Supervisor Jim Desmond? A: I am running to stand up to Donald Trump. We need to take our country back. We need to unrig our economy so that it works for everyone, not just a wealthy few. We need healthcare that makes people healthier and not poorer. And we need to stop Donald Trump’s chaos and confusion, including having a functioning immigration system and stopping the unAmerican, aggressive tactics of ICE. I am the strongest Democrat to flip this district because I’ve done it before. I’ve won competitive red to blue elections multiple times, and I’ve governed and delivered for citizens of our region for six years now. I’ve spent my whole life in public service. I’ve worked in the U.S. Peace Corps in sub-Saharan African during the AIDS crisis, I’ve served as a civil rights lawyer in Mississippi so I know why voting rights are so important, and I’ve served as a local prosecutor here in San Diego. I’ve prosecuted corporations that broke the law. Q: As the daughter of an immigrant, you’ve said our immigration system should reflect our values, not fear and division. Yet Trump’s mass deportations are going way beyond deporting violent criminals as he originally campaigned to do. Now anyone who crossed the border without authorization, even as babies, are being deported. We’re seeing special protection status for people who came here legally taken away, such as Afghan translators who helped our military and people granted asylum from other places, are having those protections arbitrarily stripped so they can be deported, too, and he’s even talking about denaturalizing some citizens. What specifally would you work to change? A: My father is an immigrant…he was drafted during the Vietnam era and he served in the U.S. Army. I’m very proud of my immigrant background and I grew up in a border town. And so I know that we can have a strong border that stops bad actors and drugs and guns, but promotes lawful immigration and students and commerce, and has a pathway for citizenship for people including as you mentioned, the Afghan immigrants who served alongside our soldiers in Afghanistan. And the Dreamers, the young people who came here through no fault of their own and have done nothing wrong, have gone to college, want to be good members of our society, they need a pathway to citizenship as well. We have to stop the chaos and corruption of Donald Trump’s ICE agents. I am the public safety chair for the city of San Diego. I support professional, highly trained law enforcement. But ICE is not law enforcement, it’s chaos. When Renee Good and Alex Pretti (two American citizens) were killed in the streets, that’s when the whole nation saw that this is not law enforcement and it needs to stop. Q: Many Americans have voiced deep concern about the trampling of Constitutional rights by the current administration, and even defying court orders on issues such as immigration, and even tearing down part of the White House without authorization. What should Congress do to restore checks and balances, particularly if Democrats are successful in taking back control of Congress? And we should note that this seat is one of a handful that Democrats are targeting nationwide. So what should be done to restore those checks and balances? A: Thank you for the question. I studied our Constitution quite heavily in law school, and our founding fathers put in three branches of government to be coequal branches for a reason. And it was to prevent someone like Donald Trump from claiming authoritarianism in our country. And so Congress needs to become a coequal branch of government again and stop rubber stamping everything coming out of Donald Trump’s White House. We need to enact the War Powers resolution and reign in Donald Trump’s unilateral war in Iran which has caused nothing but chaos and caused all prices in California to spike—at the gas pump, in energy prices and food prices. Q: What actions would you support to reduce inflation, improve the economy and help the many Americans who are struggling with affordability on everything from groceries to housing costs? We should note that Donald Trump ran on a platform of reducing inflation but in fact it has increased in many sectors. A: Yeah, I hear the most from the constituents that I serve in Southern California that they are grappling with the incredibly high cost of living here in Southern California, and I’ve been working very hard to try and help…I worked with our local teachers. When I found out that they were being priced out of the housing market and were leaving California, I started the very first teacher assistance down payment grant program and worked with the teacher’s union so that they
0 viewsEast County Roundup: Local and statewide news 102
May 21, 2026 (San Diego) – This week’s roundup of top stories in other media includes repeal of Balboa Park parking fees, a hateful manifesto left by teens behind the deadly Islamic Center shootings, ICE’s removal of over 16,000 San Diegans, a border wall project desecrating Kumeyaay cultural resources, weedkiller Roundup sprayed in California forests, potential disaster at Lake Hodges, a gun violence prevention program in Spring Valley, an AI data center cutting off power for Lake Tahoe residents, immigration facility controversies and more. Printer-friendly version
102 viewsHistoric Borrego Sun expands to 24/7 free digital community platform 27
East County News Service May 21, 2026 (Borrego Springs) — The historic Borrego Sun is expanding into a continuously updated digital community media platform delivering free online access to local news, weather updates, events, tourism information, community features, social media content, and things to do throughout Borrego Springs and surrounding desert communities. The expanded digital platform combines the longstanding journalism legacy of the Borrego Sun with the community-focused online resources of GoToBorregoSprings.com. Printer-friendly version
27 viewsDestination East County: Joyful June events 55
By Miriam Raftery May 21, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – June is jumping with joyful events including Santee Summer Knights—a Medieval festival, star parties on Mount Laguna, Wild in the Country at Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine, open farm tours at Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona, a ballet production of Snow White at Kroc Theatre, Cajon Cruise nights, La Mesa’s classic car show, Laurel and Hardy comedy film showings, Julian’s Town Square Music Festival, Santee Summer Concerts, and rock legends Three Dog Night at the Magnolia in El Cajon. Scroll down for full details. Printer-friendly version
55 viewsEast County residents challenge SANDAG vision for state Route 94 corridor plan 50
By Karen Pearlman May 20, 2026 (Jamul) — The future of state Route 94 is being mapped to better manage traffic, decrease greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and keep the region moving more safely, but a recent presentation by the San Diego Association of Governments to the Jamul Dulzura Community Planning Group highlighted some disconnect between state-level planning mandates and the realities of traveling in and around East County. Screenshot of May 19 Jamul Dulzura Community Planning Group meeting Printer-friendly version
50 viewsReader’s Editorial: National Military Appreciation Month–an opportunity to advance protections for toxic-exposed veterans 20
By Christina Johnson May 21, 2026 (San Diego) — Essentially, the ties between San Diego County, California, and the armed forces have never been confined to uniforms, deployments, or ceremonial tributes alone. In many ways, the region has grown alongside the military sector itself—honed by generations of Navy personnel, aviation crews, shipyard workers, veterans, and their families who helped make the county one of the most concentrated military communities. Regrettably, that long-standing presence has also carried less visible consequences that often receive far less public attention—most notably illnesses attributed to prolonged toxic exposure. Printer-friendly version
20 viewsSan Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector race features four candidates seeking to watchdog public money 104
San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Race Features Four Candidates By Paul Levikow May 20, 2026 (San Diego County) — The race for San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector in the June 2 primary election is drawing increased attention as candidates debate how best to oversee billions in public funds, modernize tax systems, and safeguard taxpayer dollars during uncertain economic times. Printer-friendly version
104 viewsAl Awael Brings Authentic Iraqi Cuisine to El Cajon 33
Review by Philicia Tonangoye May 16, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) –On the corner of Avocado and Chase Ave in El Cajon, Al Awael is a new family-owned Mediterranean restaurant that offers a wide range of flavorful and affordable Middle Eastern food options for individual diners or family occasions. Al Awael, meaning “the first,” holds special significance for the owner. When leaving Iraq for Jordan, he chose to name the restaurant “the first Iraqi restaurant” to mark this milestone before moving to the United States. The menu has a variety of dishes from appetizers, salads, Al Awael cookies, sandwiches/ wraps, entrees, fries plates, and fish options. Prices range from $11 to $30 for single plates and combos and from $54 to $159 for catering/ larger options. We ordered a Mediterranean Fatoush salad for $10.99 and two cheese burek ($4 each) as appetizers, and a lentil soup is offered to every customer dining in before placing their order. The salad was good and fresh, well-seasoned but a bit heavy on balsamic vinegar, the cheese burek was also delicious; I recommend eating it when warm. Next, we ordered an Iraqi Kebab entree ($17.99) and a Qouzi Laham entree ($28.99); both plates were served with rice, salad, and the Qouzi had a curry stew on the side. Portions are reasonable, the food tastes very good, and is totally worth the price. I personally appreciate the plates’ presentation; there’s incredible work that goes into dressing up the plates when dining in. We were offered tea at the end of our dinner. The restaurant itself has a charming and warm atmosphere overall, the dining area is well-maintained, and the service is fast with a friendly staff. I returned a few days ago and had a take-out of Iraqi kebab entree, cheese burek, and gave a try to chicken burek. The amount of food is the same as dining in, reasonable portions, and the same nice service. Printer-friendly version
33 viewsCalifornia State Senate unanimously passes Senator Weber Pierson’s early math screening bill 22
Source: Senator Akilah Weber-Pierson AI image via Pixabay May 20, 2026 (San Diego) — The California State Senate has unanimously passed SB 1067, legislation authored by Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D. to strengthen early identification of math learning challenges for students in kindergarten through second grade. Printer-friendly version
22 viewsCannabis affects childhood brain development, is ‘real risk’ for teens, UCSD finds in long-term study 25
By Thomas Murphy, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association Photo: “Time Machine” cannabis pre-rolls have a high THC content, 23.51%. The packaging warns pregnant women that the drug can affect their babies. Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego May 20, 2026 (San Diego) – Experts have warned against childhood cannabis use since before America first said “Just Say No,” but its effects on brain development are not fully understood. That’s changing, as new research from UC San Diego sheds light on how cannabis impacts youth and their ability to maintain attention, react and retain information. Printer-friendly version
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