OB Rag

Rising Fascism: Faith, Force, and the Second ‘No Kings Day’ – How MAGA Christians Cast a dark Shadow on Democracy

By Michael J. Christensen

This weekend, across hundreds of U.S. cities, Americans will gather for the second “No Kings Day” protests.  People of faith will be among those protesting authoritarianism and the increasing use of military force in cities by the Trump administration. The question for Christians is how deeply the shadow of fascism has already crept into our churches and public expressions of faith.

On June 14, 2025, the first No Kings Day drew more than 5 million people across more than 2,000 cities, rallying in protest of militarized pageantry, religious optics, and authoritarian drift during the U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade and President Trump’s 79th birthday. No Kings Day II comes amid a government shutdown, rising detentions and deportations of undocumented people, and the domestic militarization of federal facilities, where peaceful demonstrations against ICE and federal overreach are ongoing.

What was once symbolic—staged displays of power and ritual—is now being structured into government agencies and the executive branch.  Republican political leaders have already framed this demonstration as a “Hate America Day” of far-left agitators and traitors.  This lowers the threshold for labeling civil protest as insurrection justifying martial law. The stakes have shifted: religious imagery and militarized authority are merging into a new normal of soft theocracy supported by religious leaders and congregations.

by Dave Schwab / Peninsula Beacon / Oct. 15, 2025

The Ocean Beach Restaurant Walk returns on Tuesday, October 21, with guests being treated to a festive evening celebrating the community’s vibrant and diverse culinary scene.

A joint venture between Ocean Beach Community Foundation, in partnership with the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association, the restaurant walk is set from 5-9 p.m. The event invites locals and visitors of all ages to discover new venues alongside the beloved classics that make Ocean Beach a distinctive food destination.

With tickets, guests will receive tasting cards granting access to more than 30 participating restaurants, breweries and wine bars, offering an array of samples that showcase.

The OB Restaurant Walk is like a business open house, noted foundation President Angelo Devlin, who is also chair of the group’s Engagement Committee. He mentioned that event proceeds will support worthy community causes.

By Rag Staff

A disabled car blocked the northbound lane of Pershing Drive for 90 minutes this morning, Thursday, Oct. 16, forcing rush-hour traffic in both directions to use the same lane.

After the car stalled at 7:00 a.m., the driver and her son, Alex, called police dispatch.

“We told them the car was in a dangerous area,” said Alex, who didn’t want to give his last name. “We told them there’s no shoulder on the road for the car to pull over.”

This is the exact scenario the North Park community warned about when plans for the Pershing Bikeway were announced in 2016.

In the midst of a 5-day strike against Kaiser Permanente that began Tuesday, Oct. 14, by thousands of nurses, pharmacists and other frontline staff who are demanding safe staffing, fair pay, and improved benefits, pharmacy workers just overwhelmingly voted to authorize their union to enact an Unfair Labor Practice strike.

Currently there’s an estimated 2,000 Kaiser workers on strike in San Diego County, part of a larger, 31,000-member walkout across California, Hawaii and Oregon. And the strike is scheduled to run through Sunday during which the unions and Kaiser are holding ongoing negotiations. UFCW members have joined them in solidarity on the picket lines.

But now the pharmacy workers are threatening to strike as well. Kaiser pharmacy members’ contracts expire on November 1, 2025, and while this vote does not mean a strike is immediately underway, it allows their union, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), to call a strike if deemed necessary by the bargaining committee. A ten-day notice must be provided before any strike begins.

Meanwhile, the thousands of health care workers on strike are represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals who walked off the job Tuesday morning at Kaiser Permanente facilities across San Diego County. Union leaders said the strike isn’t just about pay or staffing, but also about better retirement security and benefits. They said Kaiser’s perks do not fully make up for years of stagnant wages.

JD Vance on hand for Marine Corps’ 250th birthday celebration

by Elizabeth Ireland / Times of San Diego / Oct. 15, 2025

Rep. Mike Levin issued a statement Wednesday expressing concern over potential plans to close portions of Interstate 5 this weekend amid reports Navy ships will fire live ordnance over the freeway during the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday celebration at Camp Pendleton.

The closure would affect a section between Orange and San Diego counties, cutting off a major artery serving more than 80,000 daily travelers, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“The 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps is a moment to be proud — to honor two and a half centuries of valor and excellence,” said Levin, who represents north coastal San Diego and South Orange County. “It deserves to be celebrated in a way worthy of their legacy and consistent with their values: honor, courage, and commitment.

By Greg Moran / inewsource / October 14, 2025

Tucked in the far southwest corner of Mission Bay Park, the aging Marina Village conference center and boat docks seem an unlikely place for the latest controversy over housing in San Diego.

But in July, the 28-acre site became the flashpoint over several related issues: a half-century old state law reconfigured to push local governments to build more affordable housing, skepticism over the city of San Diego’s real estate dealings, and the future of Mission Bay parkland.

While the move to designate the Marina Village parcels surplus land seemed to come out of nowhere and publicly surfaced in early July, a review of city and state records by inewsource show that the property lease was being discussed inside city hall starting in the first half of the year.

In early spring, city staff began communicating with state officials on the state’s Surplus Land Act, which governs how public land has to be made available for affordable housing projects, and one potential developer had begun lobbying real estate staff.

A local resident of the beach, Adam Huntington, posted a short video on X showing numerous trees next to Belmont Park in Mission Beach simply chopped down by the City of San Diego. Fences were erected and yellow tape was strung up.

He says, “They’re destroying our parks.” Moments later he says they’re taking all of the fun away.

By Csaba Petre

Monday afternoons at the height of rush hour, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM, a special effort is underway this month on the Taylor Street bridge above the 8 freeway: a group of intrepid and experienced protestors has been making their voices heard in support of Prop 50 specifically, and pro-democracy, anti-authoritarian sentiment in general.

Prop 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, is a California ballot measure concerning congressional redistricting.  It authorizes temporary changes in district maps, with the intent to negate gerrymandering moves by Texas Republican lawmakers to favor their party. The new maps would last through 2030 after which the state commission would adjust district lines based on the next US census.

On October 6th, those driving east were treated to a vibrant banner with large red lettering, hung on the fence above the overpass, with the golden hour sunlight illuminating the pro-Prop 50 message “fight fire with fire”.

By Lawrynce Cecio

From drum circles and art galleries to vibrant tattoos, Ocean Beach has always been a magnet for those of an artistic persuasion. Since its inception in 1887, when the area was then known as “Mussel Beach” and was founded to host concerts and events, OB has consistently served as a cultural hub for San Diego, a place where important art is both born and nurtured.

With San Diego Bayfest rapidly approaching this weekend, headlined by OB’s own Slightly Stoopid, a question came to light: What is it about Ocean Beach that has made it a source of some of San Diego’s most important cultural influences, and why does it continue to attract those seeking an artistic refuge?

The answer lies in the community’s fiercely protective, tribal past. To understand the OB of today, one must consider what came before.

Artist Bob Sorben, the creative force behind the iconic OB Seagull and many other famous graphic works, moved to Ocean Beach in 1942 and lived there until his passing in 2020. He, like so many others, saw something special in the area. He described an OB “ruled by locals,” where the defense of the beach town was “almost tribal.”

By Lu Rehling

Really, can it get worse? Yep! Check your mailbox for your county property tax bill and get ready for more bad city trash fee news, even beyond the bait & switch that got us being billed for trash pickup in the first place.

Here’s that news: Even if you requested the lowest-price trash bin combo by the city’s deadline last month, you’re still going to have to pay more for the highest-price “level of service” for a full year. After that, not to worry, you’ll get a credit back for the over-payment. (Unless the city has its fingers crossed behind its back again, that is.) Just don’t expect interest. The city is grabbing your money now and promising to give some back later, after it’s had its way with it.

Of course, maybe you already know all about this charge that surprised me, because you thoroughly read (and managed to understand!) all of the legalese buried in a mailer that you got months ago–

By Dan Weisman / The Escondido Grapevine  / October 12, 2025

San Diego’s got sunshine, surf, and—who knew—synthetic journalism.

Lately, a site called San Diego City Wire has been popping up in social feeds and search results, dishing out “local” tidbits about home sales, city meetings, and “community happenings.”

It looks like any of the old-school weeklies that used to land on your porch in a blue plastic bag. The headlines are tidy, the writing reads like your cousin’s Facebook recap, and the “About” page chirps about connecting and informing the community.

What could possibly be wrong?

Well, let’s start with the part they forgot to tell you. There’s no newsroom, no reporters, and nobody in San Diego actually writing those stories.

The Chicago Connection Nobody Mentions

Dig a little and you find that San Diego City Wire  is part of a national operation run out of the Midwest by a fellow named Brian Timpone—a onetime journalist turned automation entrepreneur. His company Metric Media, along with sidekicks Locality Labs and Franklin Archer, has pumped out hundreds of look-alike “City Wire” and “Times” sites from Maine to Maui.