Will Trump’s politicized Justice Dept. derail cases in San Diego?

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, February 26.

A former San Diego U.S. Attorney says Trump’s hold over the Justice Department could impact cases here.

More on that next. But first... the headlines….

More than 10 thousand workers from two UCSD unions are set to strike today (Wednesday) for better benefits and wages.

The workers include more than 7 thousand from the local branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Another 4,000 are from the local branch of the University Professional and Technical Employees.

According to the Union-Tribune, the AFSCME strike is planned through Thursday while UPTE will strike through Friday.

In a statement the University of California says it’s offered meaningful wage increases and other benefits to the unions.

The strikes include staff from both UCSD and UC San Diego Health.

Craft and fabric retailer Joann says it’s closing all its stores and going out of business.

That includes 6 locations in San Diego County.

The company announced earlier this month it would close about half of its stores,but after the company was sold plans changed.

The struggling retailer filed for bankruptcy twice in the last year, most recently in January.

Joann’s stores, website and app will remain open to conduct going-out-of-business sales.

Non-stop flights from San Diego to Panama are coming this summer.

Copa Airlines says it will offer the non-stop flights to and from Panama City four days a week.

The Central American airline is new to San Diego but operates extensively in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The new flights begin June 25.

From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.

Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

SHOULD HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS BE CLEARED WHEN THERE’S HIGH FIRE RISK? REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN SAYS IT’S AN IDEA THAT WENT BEFORE THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS YESTERDAY.

“about 50% of the fires in California have been started by homeless in their encampments.”That’s supervisor Jim Desmond … citing a 20-21 statistic from the L-A fire department.  Desmond says this is a public safety issue and not a war on homelessness. He wants county staff to look for ways to remove encampments on Red Flag warning days … when fire danger is highest. Desmond acknowledges there are a lot of logistical issues to work out … but the proposal only asks that staff come back in 90 days with options for clearing encampments. “Because we have not fixed homelessness yet, so I’m asking staff to address housing options, vouchers, potential parking lots where we can potentially transport people and move them during high fire days.” The proposal passed unanimously. Alexander Nguyen, KPBS

THE SAN DIEGO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT IS FACING A CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT FOR A JAIL DEATH.

REPORTER KATIE HYSON SAYS THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS A PERSISTENT PATTERN OF MISCONDUCT.

THIS STORY CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENCE.

Brandon Yates was booked into Central Jail on January 15th last year. Within 24 hours, he was found tortured and dead in his cell. His cellmate was arrested. Yates’ father, Dan. The San Diego County Jail system doesn’t seem to value human life. The Sheriff’s Department is aware of the existing problems but consistently ignores them. The complaint says the cellmate wasn’t supposed to share a cell. He had a history of violence. It alleges Yates screamed for help for an hour. Repeatedly pushing the cell’s panic button.These failures are not isolated incidents. They reflect a deeply broken culture within the San Diego County Jail system. The department declined to comment. Last year the county paid its largest jail death settlement. 15-million dollars.Katie Hyson, KPBS News

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STATES ITS MISSION IS TO ENFORCE THE RULE OF LAW. ITS VALUES: INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY. BUT LEGAL EXPERTS WARN THE DEPARTMENT’S RECENT MOVES AND MEMOS SIGNAL AN ALARMING SHIFT. I SPOKE WITH PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER AMITA SHARMA ABOUT HOW THAT IMPACTS SAN DIEGO'S OFFICE. HERE’S THAT INTERVIEW.

Amita, the Justice Department has dismissed the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams.  0:05: How much of this worry among legal experts stems from that?  So much, Debbie.  The Justice Department, as you know, ordered prosecutors to drop bribery and fraud charges against New York Mayor Adams just a few weeks ago without ever evaluating the power of that evidence.  And if those prosecutors didn't do it, they would have been fired, some resigned.  The rationale for the dismissal of That case was it would have interfered with Adams' help in enforcing President Trump's illegal immigration crackdown.  This move is viewed as a quid pro quo, and sources tell me it has unnerved every single prosecutor in the US Attorney's office in San Diego.  Because it violates two core pillars of their job, their integrity and autonomy.   Former San Diego US attorney Carol Lam says the Justice Department's handling of the Adams case is a warning shot to federal prosecutors to heal, she says, heal, and one that will play out with the incoming US attorney in the San Diego office.   And I think you're going to see either total obedience or some push and pull and some difficult times that might come to pass if this next US attorney is determined to do what's best for the community as opposed to just following orders from Washington. Tell me, how might all of this influence which cases federal prosecutors in San Diego work on?  Well, Lam believes enormously.  She says if immigration cases are elevated above others, then that means local federal prosecutors will likely not pursue white collar crimes to the degree that they used to, like bank fraud and healthcare fraud and public corruption. That includes cases like those against former Republican congressman Duncan Hunter and Randy Duke Cunningham, both of whom Trump pardoned. Lamb was the US attorney in San Diego, if you remember when Cunningham pleaded guilty to corruption.  Today she says that prosecution might give her pause.   Now if I were a US attorney and the same kind of case were to come into the office, I have to confess.  I think that that would be one of the first issues in my head about is is this a Democrat or a Republican, and I just really don't think that that's what the American people want. I mean the Attorney General Pam Bondi also fired off some memos to federal prosecutors.   What stands out in those memos?  The tone, it is to get on board with the president's agenda and the language.  There's a line in one of the memos that refers to Justice Department attorneys, and it says if they refuse to advance good fair arguments.  By declining to be in court or sign briefs, they are depriving the president, and I quote, of the benefit of his lawyers.  Former US Attorney Harry Lipman tells me that is an obvious red flag because those lawyers are supposed to represent the law, the Constitution, not the president.   The message is whatever Trump wants, Trump gets, and there was a similar, portion of an executive order that said that, and that means if Trump's views don't accord with the law, are not constitutional, you have to do them anyway.   And there is more language that states the obvious, such as, quote, There is no place in the decision making process for animosity or careerism, and a statement that in the past, federal and state prosecutors have been weaponized.  Lippman says it's part of a theme.  They're full of little snipes and attacks on people within the department.  You would never ever.  Ever see that kind of insulting, nasty language in previous memos from previous attorneys general.  And indeed, you know, the notion is it's one continuous Department of Justice.  And just to close the loop on how all of this could affect local cases, one of the memos also rescinds a Biden administration order to enforce environmental laws in low income communities and those of color.  Lippman says that Means that environmental misconduct in those areas here in San Diego will likely not be pursued. 

THAT WAS KPBS'S AMITA SHARMA

PALA CASINO IS HOSTING A TWO-DAY SUMMIT, TO DRAW ATTENTION TO WHAT ORGANIZERS SAY IS AN EPIDEMIC OF MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

REPORTER TANIA THORNE SAYS THE EVENT HAS DRAWN TRIBES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Seven years ago, Khadijah Rose Britton disappeared from Mendocino County. She was 23 years old then… and a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribe. Michelle Merrifield is Khadijah’s cousin. We have a lot of people in our valley that have been murdered and missing and Lhadijah is one of them right now that is, ongoing On Tuesday, her family traveled to Pala Casino for the third annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Tribal Policy Summit. Robert Smith is the Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians. Every jurisdiction is different, you know, we have all these tribes, but a lot of them don't all click the same way.The reservation hosted this year's summit to educate the wider community of the issue and the obstacles they face. So we're just trying to share good experiences, that experience and try to come to help each other. Smith says San Diego County tribes have a good working relationship with law enforcement and have very few missing Indigenous people cases. Other tribes are pushing for more resources and representation in their communities. Tania Thorne, KPBS News

THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO IS SUPPORTING A REFUGEE-RUN CATERING COMPANY AS PART OF ITS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS.

REPORTER KATIE HYSON SAYS THE WOMEN HAVE BEEN LEANING ON EACH OTHER FOR MUCH LONGER.

United Women of East Africa’s kitchen fills with the scent of crackling coffee beans and sizzling sambusas. The nonprofit started a catering company, Baraka and Bilal, over ten years ago . . . after they realized the biggest need of the refugee women they serve is self-sufficiency. People are saying, well, what's kind of causing us stress is that we don't have stable income. That’s Partnership Manager Bethlehem Degu The city just chose Baraka and Bilal to receive services and business training. The program supports minority-owned businesses. Even as the federal government ends support for D-E-I efforts. And refugees.Degu says the women who run Baraka and Bilal are leaning on each other. The last month has felt a little heavy . . . There are some people who are a little bit fearful, maybe feel like they're not accepted. And so maybe they're not wanting to go out . . . And then there's also some people who are coming together and saying, we're going to be resilient. We're not going to be afraid. We're going to be a resource to each other. They plan to open a cafe in Rolando Park next month. And invite San Diegans to get to know their food. And them. Katie Hyson, KPBS News

MUSLIM STUDENTS IN THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN TAKE SCHOOL MEALS HOME DURING RAMADAN. EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SPOKE TO A STUDENT PARTICIPATING IN THE NEW PROGRAM.

This will be the first time 9th grader Rostam Shirzai fasts at an American school.

I'm not going to be that active. Like, I'm not going to have that energy, like, in the last hours of school.

During lunch, he’ll go to Mira Mesa High School’s psychology classroom to pray. He thinks his PE teacher will be surprised he’s not running.

Maybe he's going to be kind of shocked, why am I not doing anything anymore.

He says Ramadan is a time to take things slow.

You kind of change in that time. Maybe you're going to be kind of skinny, too, after Ramadan.

Shirzai will still be able to eat school meals during Ramadan. A new waiver from the state allows districts to send breakfast and lunch home with students, so they can eat them between sunset and sunrise.

Farida Erikat is the program manager of the Majdal Arab Community Center of San Diego. She says students should ask for what they need during Ramadan, like places to pray and flexibility on assignment deadlines.

What we want is not that our youth and our community feels like I'll just adjust, adjust, adjust, but that we can also see where is there room for us to actually increase, you know, increase the ceiling a little bit, like push it higher.

Ramadan is expected to begin Friday night. Katie Anastas, KPBS News. 

That’s it for the podcast today. 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 day.