OB Rag

We’re asking this outrageous question: could this month — October of 2026 — actually be the very last month of American democracy?

This is preposterous! How hyperbolic you yell back! What are you thinking!?

How could any intelligent American in our present day country even consider that after 250 years of democracy this particular month is the last one? This headline is just click-bait and whatever follows is really not worthy of my time and energy to even consider.

Um, okay. If you’re still here, perhaps curiosity has forced you to remain. Or maybe you are looking for a laugh, or another example of TDS — Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Yet, there is a growing gnawing in your conscience. You have enough of an understanding of what’s going on in America to know that this is not normal, this whole Trump affair has taken all of us down a dark tunnel and maybe, just maybe there is a kernel of truth in this question — whether this Halloween month is our last one where democracy still exists. And whether it will still exist after the dust and dirt from the mid-terms settle. Can we even consider what this means?

How could a country with such an experiment in democracy begun by our founding fathers and mothers a quarter of a millennium ago — bogged down with slavery and the mass extinction of native peoples — tested by our bloodiest war ever, the Civil War, tossed about by world wars and the wars of imperialism, by recessions and depressions, floods, earthquakes and wildfires, now still standing by all the reforms of the 20th century, be currently and fatally challenged by the worst and most corrupt and authoritarian president in our history?

How could we be in this place? How could this have happened despite all of our better angels guiding us out of the promise and morass of our history?

But that’s the whole point! This is where we’re at.

Due to all the threats and actions taken by Trump and all his allies they have brought us here.

And just where is that exactly?

We’re on the precipice of the one of the most dangerous moments in modern American history.

Here is a short video by Charles Landon on the 2026 Oktoberfest held in Ocean Beach.
Come inside.

These photos were taken around 10 am on Saturday, October 10, by former OBcean Scott Kessler.

By Marc Elias / Democracy Docket / September 8, 2026

We are less than [three weeks] until Election Day for the most important midterms of our lifetime. Ballots have already started to be sent out. The threats to free and fair elections are real and growing more serious by the day.

What once seemed like an abstract threat has now become concrete. The risk of a rigged election is no longer unthinkable. The need for action can no longer be delayed or denied.

I have often said that Donald Trump’s plan is to make it harder for you to vote and easier for him to cheat. Now we know what that will look like in 2026.

Donald Trump issued an executive order claiming powers over federal elections that he does not have. In response, the U.S. Postal Service is trying to ram through a rule that will make voting by mail more difficult while requiring states to turn over sensitive voter data.

The Postal Service has not been shy in making clear that it is taking these steps to allow federal law enforcement to conduct criminal investigations of alleged voter fraud.

That is not all the USPS has done to make voting more difficult. A series of smaller changes have resulted in slower mail service and delayed postmarks on envelopes. While these are not limited to returned ballots, the results have been devastating for those trying to vote by mail.

By Jacob Knutson / Democracy Docket / Aug. 6, 2026

For the past year and a half, President Donald Trump has been trying to take control of U.S. elections.

He largely hasn’t succeeded. The reason is simple: The U.S. Constitution gives the president no lawful authority over how states run elections. And courts have said as much while knocking down many of his efforts.

But with each loss, Trump has grown more desperate and his actions more brazen, raising the risk that he will try something even more lawless as he struggles to stave off a Republican loss in the midterms.

With just under three months [this was published in early August — now it’s under one month] until Americans head to the polls, election officials across the country have been meeting privately to discuss how Trump may try to undermine a fair vote and to game out their responses to such attempts.

While officials have largely been tight-lipped about what scenarios they are preparing for, it’s not difficult to identify — based on the statements and actions of Trump and his allies — several alarming ways the president could undermine Americans’ right to vote this year.

Sending troops or law enforcement to the polls

For months now, prominent voices on the far right have called on Trump to deploy federal agents or members of the military to voting sites — a scheme clearly meant to harass and intimidate voters.

“We’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November,” Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House adviser who remains close to the administration, pledged earlier this year.

From Pt Loma & OB Democratic Club

Meet & Greet with Nicole Crosby Tuesday, October 13, 5:30pm
Join Gale and Jim Hill and get to know Nicole, candidate for District 2

Pt Loma & OB Dems clubmember Gale Hill and her husband, Jim, are hosting a meet and greet with District 2 City Council candidate Nicole Crosby on — Tuesday, October 13, at 5:30 PM

Gale & Jim have invited us to join them to meet Nicole, hear her perspective on the issues facing District 2 and San Diego, and join the conversation.

By Shelby Bremer / 7SanDiego / October 8, 2026 

ICE has launched a 45-day enforcement surge in California, according to a new report that says the crackdown began in San Diego, where community organizers say they’ve seen an uptick in agents on the streets.

The Washington Examiner reports the effort is called “Operation Safe California,” citing a source who said officers were “told to go after anybody,” including those without a criminal history.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security – which marked record-high monthly arrests multiple times this past summer – did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The unannounced nature of the enforcement effort seems to be a continuation of the marked shift under DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin away from very public displays like the operations that rolled into Minneapolis and other cities across the country.

Organizers in San Diego said Thursday they’ve already seen an increase in enforcement on the ground, spotting more agents in vehicles with out-of-state license plates, as well as near schools – including an incident with a student outside Hoover High School.

“There’s been a massive surge. We’re getting phone calls from all around the city,” said Mea Dominguez, who’s part of the City Heights Defense Committee, a group that coordinates mutual aid for families impacted by detention and documents the presence of ICE. She said City Heights has been particularly impacted, but they’re getting calls now “every 10 to 15 minutes” from all across the region.

by Nadia Lathan / Cal-Matters / October 7, 2026

Want to know who’s who in Republican politics? Look no further than the megadonors bankrolling California’s voter ID initiative.

Illinois billionaire packing supply magnate Richard Uihlein, who has poured tens of millions of dollars into conservative causes, has contributed $17 million to the campaign for Proposition 39, a GOP-backed ballot measure to require voters to show a driver’s license or other government ID to vote.

Uihlein’s involvement and that of other deep-pocketed Republican donors is a signal that conservatives view Prop. 39 as a test of support for future battleground states in the broader push by President Donald Trump to tighten voter restrictions.

Uihlein is joined by Airbnb co-founder and current White House official Joe Gebbia, who on Wednesday gave $8 million to the campaign. Southern California businessman Steven Bray is another top donor, having loaned the campaign more than $3 million and given $50,000 outright. The right-wing political group Reform California, tech entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan are also major donors. Combined, they have helped the campaign rake in more than $36 million —  $13 million more than their opponents a month from Election Day.

By Kate Callen

In the 24 hours since the Rag published “Bailey Backers Get Belligerent,” the story has received over 1,400 views and 13 comments.

That’s not unusual for a political article. What is unusual is that the Rag has been contacted by several readers with stories of being harassed because they posted on the Nextdoor forum.

By Kathryn Burton

Proposition 45, on the ballot for the November 3 general election, would weaken critical environmental and public health protections currently in place by fast tracking development projects.

It would severely limit public participation in the process while making it easier for high polluting, corporate backed developers to poison our environment with no mechanism to fund cleanup. That would be left to the taxpayers. The nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that fast tracking polluting projects could cost taxpayers $100 million or more annually due to environmental harm and cleanup.

The California Environmental Quality Act currently requires state and local public agencies to identify, disclose, and minimize the potential negative environmental damage from proposed projects before approving them. It encourages public input on projects effecting the local community by exposing negative impacts. (For example, increased pollution, increased traffic, destruction of wildlife habitat.)

By Kit-Bacon Gressitt /  KB Gressitt Weekly Update / Oct. 7,, 2026

My friend said, “It’s not her fault, but . . .” and I gasped.

In the wake of four rapes and one sexual assault reported at Cal State University San Marcos this September, and the filing of the Cornell University gang rape civil case, chatter on every platform has been plentiful. Informed and otherwise.

None of it is surprising.

Those who are enlightened grasp the opportunity to educate the public.

“We must teach people to honor affirmative consent, but states’ definitions differ.”

“We must provide more security around residential halls, but that won’t stop rape by acquaintances.”

“We must help survivors seek justice, but so many are harmed by the process.

By Dan Plante / Yahoo News Fox-KUSI   / October 7, 2026

It’s one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Ocean Beach, with families going back generations.

But as it stands now, it’s also the latest target for developers to build a massive Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) farm adjacent to where a single-family home now sits on a hillside.

“Twelve units on a single-family property? It’s abuse,” said Ocean Beach resident Scott Martinez. [He was referring to the 4600 block of Del Mar Avenue.]

Like other neighborhood groups fighting for the character of their communities, the battle is on to stop this project before it’s too late.

“When we heard about the units that were becoming available, we said, wait a minute, 12 units on a small single-family property — there’s no way that can fit,” said resident Dr. Mike Sherer.

The house at the center of this issue was most recently a short-term rental. But now it’s on the market, listed by Colwell Banker, with a hefty price tag.