Source: Orange County Register
by Cristine Soto DeBerry
“Federal agents have tear gassed peaceful protestors, detained individuals – including U.S. citizens – in horrific conditions, arrested children, assaulted the elderly, and threatened bystanders exercising basic First Amendment rights. According to recent reports, some ICE agents were even being trained to forcibly enter homes without warrants signed by judges – a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment. If it feels like some of these federal agents act like the Constitution doesn’t apply to them, it’s because, in most cases, it doesn’t – at least not in a way that allows victims meaningful recourse. We’re fighting to fix that dangerous loophole in California by passing the No Kings Act (Senate Bill 747), authored by State Senator Scott Wiener.” (01/29/26)
“Gold is up at record highs and now silver is starting to make strides too. This is great. But just keep in mind that the government will try to control it as much as possible, especially in an economic ‘dollar crisis.'” (01/28/26)
Source: Orange County Register
by Jody Agius Vallejo
“Immigration has become a fundamental test of our democracy — of whether constitutional rights still limit government power to violate our civil liberties, and of whether that power can be turned inward against the very people it is meant to serve. When federal immigration authority is used to justify secrecy, militarization, and violence in everyday life, the question is whether our constitutional protections still hold at all. Recent events in Minneapolis make this painfully clear. … What is happening in Minneapolis matters because it reflects a broader pattern. It shows what it looks like when military-style federal power is turned inward.” (01/28/26)
“Israel’s Supreme Court has postponed a decision on whether to allow foreign journalists independent access to Gaza, in the latest delay of a legal battle that has stretched over a year. The court granted the government until March 31 to respond to the petition filed by the Foreign Press Association, despite state attorneys failing to provide detailed justifications beyond citing security risks. The decision extends a policy that has barred foreign correspondents from entering Gaza to report on conditions there, unless reporters are prepared to embed with the Israeli army.” (01/28/26)
“The San Francisco Department of Public Health is investigating an active outbreak of tuberculosis at a local high school that has sickened at least three individuals. In an emailed statement to SFGATE, department officials said all students and staff at Archbishop Riordan High School are being tested for TB and they have implemented contact tracing to stop the outbreak from spreading. … Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that can cause cough, fever and weight loss, and can progress into severe symptoms if untreated. A person can have a latent form of the disease, where they have no symptoms, or active TB, where they have symptoms and are infectious. The latent form can switch to active at any time.” (01/28/26)
