BREAKING: ⁦Homeland Security⁩ Secretary ⁦Kristi Noem⁩ secretly took $80k from political nonprofit while South Dakota Governor & failed to report the income when vying for Cabinet post. Donors’ IDs still unknown. -via ⁦ProPublica⁩ propublica.org/article/kristi…

ELON’S FRANKENSTEIN?: Trump told reporters “We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon! Wouldn’t that be terrible?”

BREAKING: VP JD Vance casts tie-breaker vote to pass Trump’s OBBB legislation. Alaska Sen Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted YES only after language added protecting her state from some of the bill’s harshest impacts. Bill must go back to House to vote again. nytimes.com/live/2025/07/0…

Happy 4th of July! Our country was founded by patriots who stood up to a powerful government to protect personal liberties & freedom from tyrannical oppression, forming a more perfect union. 249 years later we must continue to honor & vigilantly defend our rights from erosion.

Thanks to Society of Pro Journalists SD Chapter SPJ San Diego for recognizing our work this year, including 3 First Place awards & the annual First Amendment Award. It’s an honor to work among such accomplished journalists! Good reporting is essential in a democracy!

After years of conspiracies, Trump’s FBI concludes there is no Jeffrey Epstein list, no compromising info on famous clients, & that Epstein killed himself. Case closed even though FBI Director Kash Patel & Dan Bongino had both pushed deep state conspiracy stories. Letter not signed.

Federal agents descended on McArthur Park in downtown LA today suited up in riot gear & riding horses. Not many people were arrested so it looked more like a show of force than a raid.

BREAKING: Lemon Grove Councilmember Sitivi “Steve” Faiai died suddenly Tuesday morning of cardiac arrest. Fairi, who was elected in November, also served as a football coach at Helix HS in La Mesa. RIP

Trump mused to Prez of Liberia “such beautiful English, where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” during a mtg in White House. Liberia was founded in 1847 by freed US slaves, became 1st African republic to est its independence & English has always been its official language.

BREAKING: Metadata shows FBI’s “raw” Epstein prison surveillance video was likely modified. Released video includes 2 clips spliced together & 1:02 minutes are missing. Instead of ending conspiracy theories this may have made it worse. -via ⁦WIRED⁩ wired.com/story/metadata…

BREAKING: CV Mayor John McCann calls special City Council meeting for Monday 5pm as local trash company workers delay service to honor labor strike in Boston. CV contracts w Republic Services for local trash & recycling pickup.

LIVE: bogus social media posts claim NO traffic in LA bc undoc’ed immigrants are hiding from ICE raids. Here is video of LA traffic on 110 freeway at 3pm today. Notice both directions. Scare tactics, no substance!

BREAKING: US reports $27B monthly budget surplus in June after $316B deficit in May. June tariffs income was $27B, a 301% increase from June ‘24. Tariffs are import taxes paid by US importers at ports of entry, not paid by foreign exporters or countries. Tariffs are a sales tax.

Famous Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez, Jr. accused of being an enforcer for Sinaloa cartel, including beating kidnapped rivals like gym bunching bags. Jr., son of famous world-champion boxer dad, was married to widow of one of El Chapo’s sons. STORY: laprensa.org/famous-mexican…

Trump criticizes media as “fake news” but goes on Fox to get interviewed by his son’s wife. Trump calls for other outlets to lose their FCC license bc he disagrees with their coverage but this is OK? "I really would like to be known as the man who saved our country.” #Journalisnt

BREAKING: Fired NC City Manager Ben Martinez is finalist for same position in Calexico. Martinez, fired in April after 18 months over issues with marijuana permitting process, budget deficits, & legal disputes, got 6 months severance. -via ivpressonline ivpressonline.com/news/terminate…

Trump Admin to incinerate 500 tons of emergency food for children they can’t deliver after cutting USAID programs. Food could feed 1.5 million kids. -via The Daily Beast thedailybeast.com/trump-admin-to…

BREAKING: Not a single Republican member of the House voted to allow debate on releasing the Epstein files. 210 Dems voted in favor.

BREAKING: new County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre hiring Paul Worlie as Chief of Staff. Worlie previously served as CoS for Supervisor Nathan Fletcher before he resigned in a sexual harrassment scandal. Worlie later landed high-level county job but was cut last year.