Category: Health

By Michael Angelo Hernandez

Another man loses his life under the custody of the president’s pseudo-paramilitary force, ICE. On Wednesday, October 28, San Diego County confirmed the name of the deceased inmate as Guillermo Pascual Verganza. The 43-year-old Guatemalan man died inside the Otay Mesa Detention Center on Saturday, October 24. In their official press release, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said:

“At approximately 11:31 a.m. Oct. 24, facility staff observed Jimenez in his assigned safety cell and attempted to wake him after he was unresponsive. Facility staff contacted medical personnel, declared a medical emergency, and called 911. Medical personnel began cardiopulmonary resuscitation at approximately 11:38 a.m. Paramedics from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection arrived at approximately 11:52 a.m. and continued lifesaving measures. A paramedic pronounced Jimenez deceased at approximately 12:23 p.m.”

ICE’s press release originally misidentified Verganza as “Roberto Jimenez Gutierrez” and characterized him as a “criminal illegal alien”. Immediately following the announcement of his death, ICE listed the man’s alleged criminal history, including a 2024 conviction for selling liquor to a minor, prior arrests for battery against a spouse, and child abuse among other charges. Charges which his family insists are all made up.

By Rhea Caoile / Fox5SanDiego / Oct 24, 2026

A woman riding an e-bike in Ocean Beach was seriously injured Friday evening, October 23, after she was hit by a vehicle driven by a man under the influence of alcohol, the San Diego Police Department said.

According to SDPD, a 52-year-old woman was riding an e-bike eastbound in the bike lane near 4700 West Point Loma Blvd. around 7:11 p.m.

Cyclists will roll through scenic San Diego, starting and ending in Liberty Station on Saturday, Nov. 7, to support pancreatic cancer research in the 13th Annual Jim Krause Memorial Charity Cycling Ride the Point.

The memorial ride, sponsored by Point Loma Rotary Club, commemorates the life and legacy of Jim Krause, an avid cyclist and a past president of Point Loma Rotary Club. Krause died in 2012 after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. In his memory, the club hosts the annual charitable fundraiser in his name to support pancreatic cancer research at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla.

The ride includes exclusive routes through historic neighborhoods going past some of San Diego’s most scenic areas. The event has hundreds of volunteers along the route, SAG support, and five fully stocked rest stops.

Ride the Point has three distances:

• The 5-mile Family Fun Ride along San Diego Bay and is perfect for cruisers, beginning riders, challenged athletes, and families.
• The 25 Mile and Metric Century are street rides, limited to 600 riders, with exclusive routes and challenging climbs.
• Healthy Lifestyle Expo: The public is invited to this free event at Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Rd., from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on event day featuring local vendors, music, and refreshments.

By Bill B

I am writing to urgently report a persistent safety hazard near the Barnes Tennis Center.

Drivers visiting the facility are continuously running the stop sign on the street, often with minors in their vehicles.

This has become a major safety issue. I have nearly been hit by vehicles multiple times just attempting to walk to the bus stop, and the situation has led to verbal altercations.

Trump is cozying up to the Russian leader. What does this mean for the world?

By Bill Eddy / Bill Eddy’s Substack / October 22, 2026

Last week President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff spoke with the Russian President and praised him as a “humanitarian” because of releasing a 74-year-old American prisoner who may have been arrested for the purpose of being a bargaining chip. Trump also waived sanctions on the sale of Russian oil, which will produce a windfall for Putin to use in promoting his brutal 4-year war on Ukraine. Trump’s fondness for Putin has led him to withdraw most U. S. support for Ukraine, telling reporters this week in the Oval Office, according to PBS News: “We want Zelenskyy to make a deal. We’ve given a lot to Ukraine. We’ve gotten absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss.”

In reality, Ukraine has been the bulwark—the defensive wall—for democracy in Europe against Putin’s war of choice to expand its territory, just as Britain and the United States were the bulwark for democracy against Hitler’s war of expansion across Europe. But this week Trump became open to the idea of a summit of Trump, Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to resolve the war in Ukraine. This would involve getting Ukraine to concede land to Russia that was taken by force.

To understand the danger of this shift, let’s look at Putin’s personality since this is a column on why personality matters in politics. Specifically, does Putin fit the dynamics of “malignant narcissism,” as many dictators do (including Trump?) and what this means for our future.

County Supes Approved Major Use Permit in September

By Jacob Aere / kpbs / October 22, 2026

San Diego County and developers of a solar and battery storage project in East County are facing a lawsuit alleging the project’s environmental review was insufficient.

The suit was filed in San Diego Superior Court last week. It focuses on the Starlight Solar project near the town of Boulevard. The county Board of Supervisors approved a major use permit for the development for last month.

The 588-acre project, which includes a solar farm and a 868 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system, has faced community pushback.

The suit, filed Oct. 15 by a group calling itself the Back Country Community Alliance for Responsible Development, was brought under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

From La Prensa San Diego / Oct. 22, 2026

The Pentagon has authorized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test a military-grade weapon known as a “heat ray” for potential use along the U.S.-Mexico border, prompting concerns from border-community advocates about the expansion of military technology in immigration enforcement.

The weapon, officially known as the Active Denial System and deployed atop an eight-wheels armored vehicle, emits an invisible beam of electromagnetic energy that heats the surface of the skin, causing an intense burning sensation intended to make people move away from the beam.

CNN reported Oct. 21 that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a seven-month loan of the system to DHS for testing and the development of tactics for possible border operations. The authorization does not mean the weapon has been approved for operational deployment.

The Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC), a network of organizations advocating for border communities, condemned the decision, calling it another step toward increased militarization of the region.

According to the U.S. military, the beam can reach more than half a mile. Officials have described the resulting sensation as intense but temporary, although advocates have raised concerns about potential injuries and other health effects.

From Voice of San Diego / Oct. 23, 2026

Ever since we broke the news that a huge data center might be built in downtown San Diego, local Democrats have been insisting its time to pump the breaks.

Thursday morning, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria posted a photo of himself signing an executive order that temporarily bans data centers on X.

“San Diego is putting clear rules in place before we allow data centers in our city,” he wrote.

San Diego Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera, Joe LaCava and Kent Lee gathered outside City Hall later that day announcing the proposal of a new city law that would place requirements on data centers built under their jurisdiction.

By Michael Hernandez

It was a night like any other for Ocean Beach resident Scott Martinez, who says he was playing Scrabble in the garage of his next-door neighbor in the 4600 block of Del Mar Avenue when another neighbor popped in with news that left their jaws on the floor. A single-family home in the neighborhood was put up for sale, with a proposal for the construction of a 12-unit ADU “farm” in the backyard. Almost immediately, neighbors began to organize, and Scott found himself swept up in the fight to stop the project in its tracks.

The property at the center of this issue is 4637 Del Mar Avenue. Neighbors say the house used to belong to an elderly woman who lived there for decades. After her death, her children sold the house, and up until recently, it was listed as a short-term rental. However, neighbors allege the property may not have had the proper notices required by the City of San Diego for Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.

Melissa Scherer, another neighborhood resident who has lived on the block for about four years now, is deeply involved in the fight against the potential ADU farm. She recounts how early one Sunday morning in September, a maintenance crew arrived and began to do some work on the lawn and the house. By that afternoon, the crew was installing the frame for a real estate sign.

By Lori Saldaña

On October 13 the San Diego city council voted to approve the Seaworld master plan and expansion update on Mission Bay, across the river from the Sports Arena/ Midway region. This includes plans for a hotel and below-grade parking

To the Park’s credit, they did an excellent Sea Level Rise (SLR) assessment and vulnerability analysis- but it’s already nearly 7 years old.

Also- the park is counting on the city to maintain adequate access roads as sea level rises around Mission Bay:

“Based on the information above, a SLR of 3.3 feet has been identified as the threshold for exposure in Planning Area 2 (Guest Parking). In order to maintain uninterrupted access to SeaWorld facilities, adaptation measures outside of the leasehold would be required. As impacts to public infrastructure (i.e., roads) are anticipated, it is likely that before SLR has reached 3.3 feet, adaptation measures that look to address inundation of the public roads will have already been implemented by the City.” [emphasis added] From here

The Council approved this plan – and if they had read this SLR analysis, they did so with the understanding the city will be taking “adaptation measures” to maintain “uninterrupted access to SeaWorld facilities.”

Does the city have an adaptation plan and money for maintaining these access roads? SeaWorld Drive is already showing signs of SLR stress. It’s in very rough shape. Groundwater pressure is already creating problems in this area. It has lifted up the road and stressed the asphalt and road bed on Sea World Dr.

Here’s a series of articles highlighting recent developments over the last few weeks in San Diego development.

 Another Lawsuit Emerges to Challenge Controversial Development at Emerald Hills – It Alleges Racial Discrimination

By Katie Hyson / KPBS / September 30, 2026

Another lawsuit is challenging the controversial development coming to Emerald Hills — 123 homes on a hilltop that neighbors have long hoped would be a park.

Andrea Hetheru was the community planning group chair in 2024. She didn’t understand how the development was allowed. The area wasn’t zoned for that density. It sent her down a long, complicated rabbit hole. “Did I think it was going to take two and a half years of my life? Hundreds of hours? You know, not going to sleep – for how many days have I not had any sleep at all over Footnote 7 and particularly this issue? Heck no,” she said.

The city council voted to add Footnote 7 to city code in 2019. It allowed for much denser development only in the mostly Black, Latino and low-income neighborhoods in southeastern San Diego.

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.)