Category: Health

By Sonia Fernandez / The Current – UC Santa Barbara / June 22, 2026

A study conducted by UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators has found that California has lost more than half of its coastal dune systems. The researchers’ assessment — the first of its kind for the California coast — estimates that 60% of dune systems that existed from 1850 have been lost, due to a combination of urban development, land-use changes and erosion.

“There are major implications of this loss for the California coast, including reduced habitats for plants, insects and other invertebrates, birds and small mammals,” said the paper’s lead author, postdoctoral researcher and physical geographer Tim Baxter. “Importantly, we also lose coastal protections against storms and sea level rise.”

This assessment, one of the largest and most detailed inventories of coastal sand dunes ever produced, is published in the journal Earth’s Future.

Feds Proposal to allow Cyanide poison bombs, hound hunting and trapping impacts San Diego’s public lands

By Renée Owens / EastCountyMagazine / June 19, 2026

San Diego County residents should be aware that a little-known federal proposal is sneaking under the radar, one that will have serious local and national consequences. Why is it such a secret? It could be because the new rule’s creators want it to be adopted quickly before the majority of Americans understand what a harmful precedent it sets.

On May 27 the Trump administration announced a proposed rule to massively increase hunting and fishing throughout over 2.5 million acres of public wild lands, 95 percent of the entire National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). It expands not only refuge access but also targets species lists, seasons, bag limits, and allowed methods for hunting and fishing, and promotes a discretionary approach that is based not on science but on appeasement of a few powerful lobbies. To add to the chaos is a clause in the fine print that removes bans on lead ammunition and fishing tackle — protections fought for by scientists for decades – and reopens doors nationwide for hound hunting, traps, bait, and poisons, despite mounting bans on their use due to unambiguous evidence of their cruelty. This on the heels of deep cuts in USFWS staff and funding.

By Eric Sanchez / SanDiegoRed / June 14, 2026

Authorities and local residents are sounding the alarm after a dog exhibited neurological symptoms and tested positive for methamphetamine following a visit to the dog beach in Ocean Beach, San Diego.

The dog’s owner, Justin Voeller, took to social media to warn other pet owners about the incident involving his small dog, Angus. Voeller said he brought Angus to the specialized dog beach around 10:00 a.m. Initially, the dog appeared unwell but was simply “glued to the sofa and very alert,” leading Voeller to believe it was only a stomach issue.

However, by approximately 4:30 p.m., Angus began showing clear neurological signs, including repetitive movements, hyperactivity, and fully dilated pupils.

By Jillian Butler

As technology advances, it is injected into the educational curriculum for children. Naturally, many parents have questions, concerns, and convictions. A national coalition of parents and educators called Schools Beyond Screens is advocating for research and evidence-based guidelines to be put in place for educational technology.

Ocean Beach mother, lawyer, and administrative judge, Angelika Oliver, is one of the parents leading the fight in San Diego, and there’s at least one other woman from OB involved. Below is an interview with her, conducted via email.

1) I have read up a little bit on your background and why you got involved with Schools Beyond Screens. Please tell me in your own words why you got involved in the movement.

My initial concern was screen and internet use at home. I believed that if we could agree as a community to limit our kids’ access to devices and the internet, we could help safeguard childhood. This thinking came largely from The Anxious Generation, the idea that kids need more supervision online and less in the real world, so they can take on independent tasks, explore freely, and develop grit and resilience.

But then I realized even if we limit screens at home, kids are on them too much at school. At first, I hoped our school site would respond to what parents clearly wanted and make changes at our elementary school. When I kept hearing that Chromebook use couldn’t be addressed at the school level and would have to be decided at the district level, I felt obligated to push for change there.

In Dual Decisions, California Courts Strike Down Unpopular San Diego County Sprawl Project

From Center for Biological Diversity / June 8, 2026

Two California courts have rejected a dangerous housing project proposed in the wildfire-prone hillsides of Santee. The latest rejection is the fifth time a court has ruled against Fanita Ranch since the risky development was first proposed in 1999.

[Please go to original for important links]

“It’s about time the city of Santee listens to its own residents. Poorly planned projects that increase wildfire risks can no longer be justified given our climate reality,” said John Buse, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The latest court opinions are a strong rebuke against cities and developers who try to skirt the state’s zoning and environmental laws. San Diego County deserves safe and sustainable development. I’m hopeful this finally puts an end to Fanita Ranch.”

by: Amber Coakley / Fox5 San Diego / May 31, 2026 

A new report released by San Diego Coastkeeper is raising concerns about ongoing water quality issues in Mission Bay, finding that pollution levels remain persistently high in several creek systems that flow into one of the region’s most popular recreational waterways.

The nonprofit environmental agency group published its 2025 Mission Bay Water Quality Monitoring Report last week, detailing two years of monthly water quality testing at 10 locations throughout Mission Bay. The findings point to both storm-related pollution and year-round contamination sources affecting the bay, particularly at Rose Creek and Tecolote Creek.

According to the report, bacteria levels surged across all monitoring sites following rainstorms. However, researchers found that both of the creeks consistently recorded elevated bacteria counts even during dry weather conditions, exceeding state recreation safety standards at least half of the time.

Environmental advocates say those findings suggest chronic pollution sources may be contributing to water quality problems.

City News Service – Patch San Diego / June 1, 2026

A 37-year-old unidentified woman suspected in a DUI crash in Ocean Beach Friday, May 29, that left her and three people in the other vehicle injured was arrested.

San Diego Police Department officers responded at 3:55 p.m. Friday to Ebers Street and Bermuda Avenue where the suspect, who was driving a 2009 Mazda 6 eastbound on Bermuda Avenue, failed to stop for the stop sign at Ebers Street and struck the left rear of a Chevrolet Bolt, which was driven by a 42-year-old man.

San Diego Gas & Electric wants to lay down a 140-mile, 500-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line that would cut through California’s largest state park, the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. They call it the Golden Pacific Powerlink and it would run from the Imperial Valley to the Orange County border.

The proposed line has also sparked massive opposition from environmentalists and local communities who are strongly against the overhead route. They are demanding the project be entirely rerouted away from protected environments and population centers.

Opposition to the line is lead by the Anza-Borrego Foundation, which is fighting to keep the lines out of California’s largest state park. Opponents point out that a previous proposal (the 2008 Sunrise Powerlink) was rejected for its park path, and warn that nearly 200-foot-tall towers would ruin dark skies, impact endangered bighorn sheep, and destroy fragile cryptobiotic soils.

By Katie Anastas / KPBS /  May 28, 2026 

On an April morning in downtown San Diego, Elizabeth Johnson and a half-dozen other parents with children in the San Diego Unified School District gathered to protest.

Johnson stuck letters onto a piece of cardstock to spell “teachers over tech.” Other signs read “less screens, more humans” and “ed tech is the biggest grift in education.”

The group is part of the local chapter of Schools Beyond Screens.

They stood in front of the Manchester Grand Hyatt outside of a sold-out conference, where school district leaders, college presidents, tech executives and startup founders were speaking about the latest in artificial intelligence and educational technology.

Johnson and a growing number of other parents are asking the district to reevaluate the role technology plays in its classrooms. They’re concerned about kids’ learning, attention spans, eyesight, privacy and social skills.

A resolution on the issue could go before the school board as soon as next month.

By Michael A. Hernandez

On Thursday, May 21, San Diego-based nonprofit organization ‘Serving Seniors’ and management firm Hyder Property Management, held a resident’s meeting in the campus’ Judith L. Seltz Wellness Center to provide an update on concerns and take questions from the public.

The last-minute resident’s meeting was held two days before a press conference the Senior Residents Council was slated to take place; and comes in the wake of a recent article titled “Clairemont’s Mt. Etna Project: The Affordable Housing Misnomer,” posted on the local community initiative and media platform Explore Clairemont.

In her article, Explore Clairemont writer and publisher Tanja Kropf compiles the growing number of concerns voiced by the senior residents including the lack of parking, a rent hike, and fear for their safety, even though they were promised affordability, ample parking, and safety prior to moving in. Kropf writes before seniors even completed their first year living at the residence, just one day before Thanksgiving of 2025, they were told their rent was going up by 8.8%. The increase would be more than three times the 2.8% they receive annually from the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment.

Another failed promise is the 465 parking spaces originally proposed for the Mt. Etna project during community planning and outreach stages in late 2018.

By Lester Black / SFGate / May 18, 2026

Marijuana legalization has meant millions of Americans have easier access to cannabis than ever before. But flying with marijuana remains a tricky subject, as airports are regulated by federal law, which still forbids many pot products.

That creates a challenging question for cannabis fans who may want to bring their preferred marijuana products when they travel. This is especially thorny when flying between two legal states, with travelers not knowing if a Transportation Security Administration officer will stop them from carrying a pack of edibles or joints on a route like San Francisco to New York City.

The TSA quietly updated its website’s listed policy last month to reaffirm that “medical marijuana” can be included in both carry-on and checked bags. The administration’s April 27 update added that its security procedures are focused on security threats, not drugs.

“TSA security officers do not search for illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer,” the statement.