Rep. Levin’s support of immigration bill riles Carlsbad church
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday February 14th.
A Carlsbad church is standing up to a local Congressman over his support of a new immigration law.
More on that next. But first... the headlines….
San Diego Navy officials say efforts to recover the jet that crashed into the bay Wednesday will continue today (Friday).
They say wreckage from the jet could be hazardous and are asking members of the public not to approach or touch any debris that might wash ashore.
Officials ask anyone who finds possible wreckage to notify local authorities.
A former Navy detective who choked a handcuffed sailor at Naval Base San Diego was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in prison.
Jonathan Larouche pleaded guilty to using unreasonable force. The former El Cajon police officer also admitted to lying on his Navy application about resigning from the El Cajon Police Department when he learned he was to be fired for using excessive force there.
During the November 2023 incident an intoxicated sailor was handcuffed but not resisting. Larouche held the sailor in a banned chokehold maneuver until he was unconscious.
Prosecutors say he also hit the sailor and slammed his head into a wall while the sailor was handcuffed to a bench.
The atmospheric river that’s drenched San Diego and the rest of Southern California will soon be moving on.
The National Weather Service’s Alex Tardy says you can expect dry and mild conditions, and warmer than average temps next week.
"Don’t be too depressed about these rainy days because it looks like the second half of February we’re going to jump into dry conditions."
Scattered showers will continue today across the county with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour in the mountains. It’s expected to be sunny and warmer this weekend.
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.
Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
105- PEOPLE HAVE DIED OF FLU-RELATED CAUSES IN THE COUNTY SINCE THE START OF THE SEASON, INCLUDING FOUR TEENAGERS. THAT’S MORE DEATHS THAN THE LAST TWO FLU SEASONS COMBINED. HEALTH REPORTER HEIDI DE MARCO EXPLAINS WHAT MAKES THE FLU DANGEROUS.
In San Diego County Nearly 8 in 10 kids ages 5 to 17 have not received a flu shot this season. This puts them at higher risk for serious illness. Dr. Alice Pong is an infectious disease specialist at Rady Children's Hospital.They come in with primarily influenza, and then a lot of them then develop pneumonia and some other complications with bacteria.That’s how the flu can become deadly. It usually attacks the lungs, but can also cause dangerous inflammation in the brain or heart. Even in otherwise healthy people. And in the worst cases, Dr. William Tseng with Kaiser says it can go deep into your bloodstream.Then it becomes multi-organ system failure, where we see a lot of problems. Pong says warning signs of a severe case include: Persistent fevers, difficulty breathing, chest pain, obviously. Both doctors say it’s not too late to get vaccinated. Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.
ONLY ONE-THIRD OF NATIONAL CITY RESIDENTS OWN THEIR HOME. NOW, A NEW PROJECT AIMS TO FIX THAT. INEWSOURCE INTERN HANNAH PSALMA (SAUL-MUH) RAMIREZ HAS THE STORY.
Rising costs and low housing inventory are constant challenges for National City residents. But a new local program will look to build more than a hundred housing units on city owned land. “There are those that are kind of capped at what opportunities they can – housing opportunities they can take advantage of.” That’s Housing Authority Director Carlos Aguirre at last month’s City Council meeting. With grant funding from SANDAG, the city is looking at six properties that have been vacant for years, from the site of an old theater to grassy plots. The new units could be townhomes … mixed-use properties … even community land trusts. Councilmember Luz Molina says she wants National City residents to be prioritized.“If we’re gonna go through this, I would insist that every single opportunity is meant for those folks who truly do deserve a leg up.” The city could find a developer by the fall. For KPBS, I’m inewsource intern Hannah Psalma Ramirez.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY, GO TO INEWSOURCE DOT ORG. INEWSOURCE IS AN INDEPENDENTLY FUNDED, NONPROFIT PARTNER OF KPBS. THIS STORY IS PART OF OUR PUBLIC MATTERS PARTNERSHIP. TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO KPBS DOT ORG SLASH PUBLIC MATTERS.
A CARLSBAD CHURCH IS TAKING A STAND AGAINST A CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRATION LAW. AND THE LOCAL CONGRESSMAN WHO VOTED FOR IT. REPORTER GUSTAVO SOLIS SAYS DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE MIKE LEVIN IS JUST ONE OF THREE DEMOCRATS STATEWIDE WHO VOTED FOR THE LAKEN RILEY ACT.
Immigrant rights has long been at the core of Pilgrim United Church of Christ’s ministry. Here is Pastor Madison Shockley.“Our advocacy for immigrant rights and immigrants has been a central part of our ministry and our congregation for decades.In recent years, parishioners have opened their doors to refugees fleeing from life-threatening situations in their home countries and welcomed migrants dropped off by the Border Patrol in Oceanside. They also engage in political advocacy. Like in 2018 - when Caroline Theiss-Aird and other members of the congregation took Democratic Congressman Mike Levin on a special tour. He had just been elected to his North San Diego County seat. “When he was first elected, he was very receptive. We have taken him on a tour down to the border. To visit the shelter for asylum seekers. I feel like he represented himself as someone who was supportive.But Levin’s recent vote on a controversial immigration bill now has the church questioning his support. The new law is called the Laken Riley Act … named after a 22-year-old Georgia woman who was killed last February by an unauthorized immigrant … who had been released after being arrested on theft charges. Among other things, the law requires mandatory detention of immigrants without legal status who are arrested for theft or shoplifting – even if they are not charged or convicted..Backers of the law say it would have prevented Riley’s death. Opponents say it’s an overly harsh response to a tragic but rare killing … and that it violates constitutional guarantees of due process. Levin is the only Democrat in San Diego – and just one of three in all of California – who support the law. Shockley says they feel a sense of betrayal. “I was very disappointed in Representative Levin. I wrote to him and expressed my disappointment much as I’ve shared today. This does pander to the worst instincts of our nativist neighbors.”Levin declined an interview request or to explain the thought process behind the vote. His spokesperson told KPBS QUOTE – we are going to pass on commenting for now..Levin’s 49th l District is considered a swing district … with 36 percent of registered voters being Democrats and 33 percent being Republicans. Their-Aird believes Levin’s vote was a way to win over conservative voters in the purple district.“I think he’s worried about his Orange County neighbors reelecting him … I can’t see any other reason why he would vote yes on it.”Other San Diego Democrats who voted against the bill told KPBS they’re concerned about possible due process violations. Congressman Juan Vargas says QUOTE immigrants who are convicted of crimes are already subject to deportation. This bill exploits a horrible tragedy to strip away civil liberties. Congressman Scott Peters says he strongly supports ensuring a secure border and deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes. But he voted against the bill because it QUOTE eliminates bedrock due process values for people. Both represent solidly blue districts.Congressman Darrell Issa is the only Republican representing San Diego. He says he was proud to vote for the bipartisan bill. Calling it a QUOTE important law enforcement reform that will make us safer.Back at Pilgrim United, Pastor Shockley says the Laken Riley act will not change the church’s work with the immigrant community. “They say I don’t want to just sit here and think about the issues. I want to be engaged I want to make a difference in the real world. Because we are a border city – being 51 miles from the Mexico border – and we can see the impact of what happens in Washington D.C.”Addressing that impact remains central to their ministry.Gustavo Solis, KPBS News
AFTER A NEARLY 30-YEAR ABSENCE, AMERICAN AIRLINES RETURNED TO MCCLELLAN-PALOMAR AIRPORT YESTERDAY (THURSDAY).
SOME NEIGHBORS HAVE OBJECTED TO THE AIRLINE'S RETURN BECAUSE OF NOISE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
BUT SAN DIEGO COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THEY'VE DONE DUE DILIGENCE TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
JAMIE ABBOTT IS THE COUNTY’S DIRECTOR OF AIRPORT OPERATIONS.
HE SAYS THE NEW SERVICE CONNECTS NORTH COUNTY TO A MAJOR FLIGHT HUB, AND WILL ALSO BOOST ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES.
“American Airlines alone have brought in a crew of over 20 people. The county has brought on additional crews and contractors. The restaurant here at the airport, of course, is going to see increased business. So it's really a trickle effect and a domino effect for the rest of the region.”
AMERICAN WILL OFFER TWICE-DAILY FLIGHTS TO PHOENIX AND BACK. ONE IN THE MORNING AND ONE IN THE AFTERNOON.
THE LAST TIME AMERICAN FLEW OUT OF PALOMAR AIRPORT IN CARLSBAD WAS IN 1997.
That’s it for the podcast today. This week’s podcast was produced by Lara McCaffrey, Lainie Alfaro and Andrew Dyer. It’s edited by Brooke Ruth. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
