Free Republic

TULARE, Calif.—Newt Gingrich is struggling to regain his political footing in the battle to capture the Republican presidential nomination, but none of that was evident Tuesday during a visit to the World Ag Expo. The former House speaker from Georgia was treated like political royalty by the hordes attending the event. They broke from their routine to shake his hand, seek his autograph or pose for a picture. Gingrich was gracious and patient as people crowded around him as he toured some of the exhibits. “I like him,” said Adam Smith, a Missouri resident who is manning an exhibit on...

Newt Gingrich has never been shy about his love of zoos. While campaigning here for the GOP presidential nomination, Gingrich sneaked away for an unannounced Valentine’s Day visit to the San Diego Zoo. “I really like to see the animals,” Gingrich said Tuesday during a private tour in Balboa Park. “But I also like to see how zoos think. What are they trying to accomplish?” In San Diego, the elephant complex is replete with what he described as a sophisticated introduction to fossils that gives visitors “a feel for Southern California.” Gingrich spent a few extra moments staring silently at...

Former Speaker Of House Of Representatives Newt Gingrich Spoke At Event In Fairbanks Ranch SAN DIEGO -- With a new poll showing him in fourth place among Republican presidential candidates, Newt Gingrich brought his campaign to San Diego on Tuesday. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives visited the San Diego Zoo and attended a fundraiser in Fairbanks Ranch. He later went to California's Central Valley. In Fairbanks Ranch, Gingrich stressed one theme. "Would you rather have $2 a gallon gasoline or $4 a gallon gasoline?" he asked. Martha Kaloogian, who attended Gingrich's event, called him "authoritative [and] presidential."...

On the morning of April 11, 2011, University of San Diego basketball coach Bill Grier received a surprise visit at his home from two FBI agents who told him that one of his former players, USD's alltime leading scorer Brandon Johnson, and another ex-USD player named Brandon Dowdy were being charged in federal court at that very moment with trying to fix games. That information was shocking enough, but when the agents told Grier about the third defendant linked to USD basketball, former assistant coach T.J. Brown -- a man Grier thought highly of even as he dismissed him in...

Man arrested for 3rd suspected DUI in 1 week IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. -- An Imperial Beach man was arrested for suspected drunken driving three times in five days, deputies said Sunday. Sheriff's deputies were called to a report of a drunken driver on Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach about 6:30 a.m. Sunday. When they arrived they found the driver, David Lakarnafeaux, 44, had walked inside a bar on Palm Avenue and Seacoast Drive, Sgt. Ted Greenwald said. When deputies arrested him, they discovered that Lakarnafeaux had already been arrested for the same charge twice last week: on Tuesday by San...

Chicano Park gets makeover SAN DIEGO— Artists restore cultural paintings in Chicano Park. “As a young artist I remember coming to San Diego and thinking ‘gosh I wish I could have a mural up at Chicano park,’” painter Mario Chacon said. The bright art pieces have brought people to Chicano Park since the 1970’s, but time has taken it’s toll. Thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the federal government, 18 of the murals are being restored. The artists working on the restoration said each painting has significant symbolism. “What was placed at the top of the mural was a...

A Southland worship facility has been intentionally set on fire for the second time in 10 days, authorities said Friday. KNX 1070′s Tom Reopelle reports investigators also uncovered what could be evidence of a hate crime at the scene. The two fires have caused an estimated $500,000 in damages to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located in the 2000 block of Adams Avenue, according to Lee Swanson of the San Diego Fire Department. Investigators also found graffiti scrawled on the building’s wall following the latest fire on Thursday night. “’666′ was spray-painted on the building,” said Swanson. However, officials...

THOUSAND OAKS (CBS) — A toxicology report found that the 18-year-old son of a former NFL quarterback died from a heroin overdose, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said. Thousand Oaks High School backup quarterback Griffen Kramer was found dead in his Agoura Hills home on Oct. 30. Friends told investigators that Kramer began foaming at the mouth while doing heroin with them. Authorities say one of his friends took him home and hoped he would sleep it off. Police have arrested five people in connection with Kramer’s death. Griffen Kramer’s father, Erik, played in the NFL for 12 years.

President Bush had many important foreign policy issues to discuss when he went to Lima, Peru, last weekend, but you wouldn't have known it from watching NBC's weekend "Today" show on Sunday. Because while Bush was talking about narcotics trafficking, trade and international terrorism with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, "Today" and other Sunday news shows led with the case of convicted American terrorist Lori Berenson. American media coverage of President Bush's trip to Mexico, Peru and Central America revealed how our media establishment views Latin America. Basically, our journalistic agenda-setters in New York and Washington ignore our neighbors to the...

The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that it has sued a major San Diego hospital, saying it discriminated against immigrant employees and job applicants. The department said UCSD Medical Center demanded excessive documentation from non-citizen job applicants and employees to prove they were eligible to work.

NOTE The following text is a quote: www.fbi.gov/sandiego/press-releases/2011/san-diego-woman-pleads-guilty-to-conspiracy-to-provide-material-support-to-al-shabaab San Diego Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab U.S. Attorney’s Office December 01, 2011 Southern District of California SAN DIEGO—Nima Yusuf, 25, a resident of San Diego, pleaded guilty today in federal court in San Diego to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy announced. Yusuf entered her plea before Magistrate Judge Ruben B. Brooks, and the plea is subject to final acceptance by U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz at or before sentencing. As part of...

OCCUPY EVERYTHING! ANNOY EVERYONE! That seems to be the motto of the OWSies. And the DUmmies are right with them, at least in spirit, even if the only thing they're occupying is Mom's basement. So this past Friday, "Black Friday," the OWSies of San Diego decided to "flash mob" Wal-Mart. Load up lots of shopping carts, move to the check-out lines, shout out some DUmb manifesto, then leave the carts there and walk out the store. Turn "Black Friday" into "Block Friday": Block people from checking out. Really effective protest there, OWSies. You are breaking the back of the...

<p>MIC CHECK! Citizens of Walmart!! Greetings and welcome back from the food coma!! In the spirit of holiday giving, we believe a discussion is in order about the meaning of value and low cost. For every low-priced product purchased at Walmart, your communities pay the difference. Every price drop represents mistreated workers who STILL cannot feed their families, STILL cannot afford their homes, and STILL cannot payoff their tuitions. Every sweet deal can be attributed to our jobs being outsourced from American communities. Each item on sale helps bankrupt small businesses. YOU, YOUR COMMUNITIES, AND YOUR WORKERS ARE BEING ABUSED!! Walmart intentionally underemploys, forgoing REAL benefits for social services, costing California taxpayers $86 million annually. Walmart employees are overworked, underpaid, and left under-insured in poor and unsafe conditions. Walmart could fire its employees for the mere mention of forming a workers union; which is the best tool American workers have to protect their rights. Corporate beasts such as this one bleed our communities dry by putting the local business owners, who actually have personal stake in your communities, at a disadvantage against these gluttonous juggernauts. Yet they have the nerve to tell you it's for your benefit. WE DO NOT HAVE TO BUY THE SCAM!! WE DO NOT HAVE TO BUY DOLLAR-COLLARS FOR OUR FAMILIES!! WE DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ANY OF THIS!! SELF-MADE GIFTS HAVE MORE POWER ANYWAY!! So this holiday season, give yourselves, your families, and your communities the gift of empowerment!! ACT LOCALLY!! SHOP SMALL BUSINESS!! BUY AMERICAN!! Thank you, Exit Safely, and remember to smile...</p>

One of the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists, Daniel Andreas San Diego, may have been seen in Northampton, Mass., and the FBI is asking for the public's help in capturing him. The 33-year-old San Diego is an alleged animal rights extremist and is wanted in connection with two domestic bombing incidents that occurred in 2003.

Many tweets went on record Monday night: derrickroach Breaking: Ron Paul wins San Diego GOP straw poll! Ron Paul 112, Newt Gingrich 83, Mitt Romney 64, Hermain Cain 59, Rick Perry 21...

The Tea Party Express is excited to partner with radio talk show host Rick Amato and KCBQ AM 1170 in San Diego by launching a new weekly conservative radio program that will focus on Tea Party issues Called the Tea Party Express Hour. The show will be hosted by former California Assemblyman and Chairman of the Our Country Deserves Better PAC (parent organization to Tea Party Express) Howard Kaloogian every Monday evening at 7 PM PST (10PM EDT).  Featuring updates from Washington insiders, tea party activists around the country and guest callers, the show is certain to contain important insight...

95.7 FM drops country. To simulcast KOGO-AM starting Monday. KOGO FM was previously in Temecula. Also: Roger Hedgecock confirmed to be moving to KFMB; Rick Roberts slated to exit 760 KFMB. NEWS & TALK NOW ON FM RADIO For the first time in 85 years on the air, San Diego’s AM600 KOGO is making a historic change in operations by becoming San Diego’s first News-Talk station to simulcast on FM radio at 95.7 FM, bringing more reach and value to the San Diego community. The simulcast begins Monday, November 7, 2011 at 7:00 a.m. PST. KOGO’s new name and slogan...

Personnel from San Diego Fire rescue found the men and women around 1 a.m. three feet underground and about 10 feet from the end of a sewer pipe on Via De La Amistad, which is just east of the Port of Entry. Rescuers worked for over an hour to free the adults. The five people had to crawl through mud and sewage to get out of the pipe. Crews had the individuals remove their clothing so they could be washed down with a hose after they crawled out of the pipe. They were given blankets and taken to a local...

Two California high school students became one of the first lesbian couples crowned homecoming king and queen in the nation this weekend. Rebeca Arellano, a senior at Patrick Henry High School, was made the school's first female homecoming king when her name was announced Friday at a pep rally. "They were chanting my name and it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had," said Arellano. Arellano's girlfriend, Haileigh Adams, who also attends Patrick Henry High School, was made homecoming queen at Saturday night's dance. "I was happier than when I won, my little Haileigh has just been...

A lesbian student was crowned her high school’s homecoming king Friday, a first for the San Diego, Calif. public high school. In fact, Rebeca Arellano, a senior, and her girlfriend Haileigh Adams could be the first lesbian homecoming royal couple in the country if Adams — one of two female students nominated for homecoming queen — is crowned as well.

A lesbian student has been crowned homecoming king at a Californian high school. During a pep rally at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego on Friday, the announcement was made about senior Rebeca Arellano. Rebeca's girlfriend and fellow student, Haileigh Adams, was nominated to be homecoming queen.

While Los Angeles politicians have started to tell protesters camped on City Hall's lawn that they might be overstaying their welcome, our Californian neighbors to the North in Oakland and the South in San Diego are really struggling with police efforts to shut down a 24/7 presence by protesters. This morning police cleared out Occupy San Diego, and arrested 51 stragglers after they were told to skedaddle from the encampment at Civic Center Plaza and Children’s Park where they have made their home for three weeks. The reasons police gave were that conditions were getting unsanitary: too much human and...

NEW YORK (AP) — While more U.S. cities are resorting to force to break up the Wall Street protests, many others — Philadelphia, New York, Minneapolis and Portland, Ore., among them — are content to let the demonstrations go on for now.New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for example, said Friday that the several hundred protesters sleeping in Zuccotti Park, the unofficial headquarters of the movement that began in mid-September, can stay as long as they obey the law."I can't talk about other cities," he said. "Our responsibilities are protect your rights and your safety. And I think we're trying to...

olice Sweep Through Making Arrests and Confiscating Personal Belongings and Donated Supplies – Organizers Call for 8 am Protest Today at the Plaza. In the early hours of October 28, San Diego Police swept through both encampments of Occupy San Diego, making at least 44 arrests and confiscating all personal belongings and all supplies and food that has been donated. Around 1:45 am officers started to sweep through Children’s Park without warning and made at least 8 arrests there. Simultaneously, over hundred police and sheriffs deputies swept through Civic Center Plaza, ordering everyone out. A confrontation then occurred at B...

Occupy Wall Street protesters in San Diego caused a downtown bank branch to shut down Thursday afternoon. The San Diego Union-Tribune says several dozen protesters sat down in front of a Bank of America branch, causing the bank to close early at 1:30 p.m. Access to ATMs were still allowed though. "It's not really a Bank of America thing," 26-year-old Michael Basillas told the Union-Tribune. "It's much more of a symbol, one of many banks that screw people over all the time." The Union-Tribune reports that there were about eight police officers watching over the 30 to 40 demonstrators as...

(AP) SAN DIEGO — Three San Diego Marine corporals have been discharged for bad conduct after admitting they faked their marriages to receive housing allowances.

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- San Diego police on Friday used pepper spray to break up a human chain formed by anti-Wall Street demonstrators at a downtown plaza where they've camped for a week. Police in the early morning began removing about a half-dozen tents after warning demonstrators their personal belongings couldn't stay in the Occupy San Diego camp. Demonstrators can continue protesting without the tents, tarps and tables, authorities said. One man was arrested before 8 a.m. for interfering with a police officer after he sat down and refused to take away his tent, police Lt. Andra Brown said. After...

A good (old fashioned?) cyber-spat between San Diego County’s Republican and Democratic parties has broken out on — where else? — Twitter. According to California SB1411, which went became law on January 1, 2011, Tony Krvaric committed a criminal act when he posted as Democrat County Chairman Jess Durfee and when he took other identities: http://www.senatorsimitian.com/images/uploads/SB_1411_Fact_Sheet.pdf http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/malicious_e-personation_protection_effective_january_1/ This excerpt from the U-T article says it best (even if it is a quote by Democrat County Chairman Jess Durfee): "He doesn’t seem to spend his time doing the things that help build a party; rather he spends his time playing little...

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A man committed suicide on Monday in an eight-story leap from a parking structure near where "Occupy San Diego" demonstrators were gathered, but it was unclear if he identified with the protesters, authorities said. The unidentified 42-year-old man was carrying some flyers in his pockets, but it was not immediately known if those were political tracts or had some other content, San Diego police spokesman Detective Gary Hassen said.

People don’t hitchhike anymore. At least not like the glory days of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s when hitchhiking was a popular, fun and even a safe thing to do. But it went away. Colin Flaherty wondered where it went. So this San Diego writer set out on three-month adventure with a pack and an extended thumb to try and find out.

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Two leading Republican contenders for mayor of America's eighth-largest city are openly gay, and voters have barely noticed. It doesn't come up at campaign appearances or in local news coverage. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and City Councilman Carl DeMaio haven't made their marks as gay rights activists, which may help explain why their sexual orientation has been a non-issue even among social conservatives.

Find a dark spot on the San Diego County coastline after nightfall and you might be treated to a spectacular neon-blue light show. Bioluminescent waves, glowing electric blue as they crash ashore, have been dazzling nighttime beach visitors this week. People have been snapping photos of the otherworldly surf as it has increased in intensity over the last few days. The blue glow is caused by an algae bloom commonly referred to as a red tide. The organisms, phytoplankton called Lingulodinium polyedrum, have bloomed since late August, turning the water brownish-red in the daytime, according to UC San Diego scientists....

Students Fight to Keep UCSD Landmark Open SAN DIEGO -- A group of UCSD students is fighting to keep an eccentric landmark open. "It's that one last place at UCSD that sort of exudes that college atmosphere," said Alex Peterson, UCSD student. "It sort of represents the revolutionary, liberal, young college student." The Che Cafe opened in 1980 as a co-operative run by students and volunteers. It was named after Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentinian doctor who was a major figure of the Cuban revolution. It's one of the oldest structures on campus. Built in 1960, the building was turned...

SAN DIEGO - Two 16-year-old boys, who allegedly raped two teenage girls at knifepoint in a Rancho Penasquitos park, pleaded not guilty in adult court Monday to 16 felony charges, including kidnapping, forcible rape and sodomy by force. Leonel Contreras and William Steven Rodriguez were each ordered held on $5 million bail. Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick said 13 of the 16 charges carry a potential penalty of 25 years to life in prison, making the defendants' possible exposure 325 years to life behind bars if convicted. "The nature of the crimes, the duration of the crimes, the number ......

We have no idea if the San Diego Chargers will go to the Super Bowl this year, but from a sheer class perspective, many of their fans proved to be world champions during the team's preseason contest versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 1. During the game at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, a Club Level server by the name of Heather Allison tripped on a stair, and all the money she'd taken in for the day — about $1,000 — flew out her hands and landed all over the area — on fans in attendance, under seats, and one...

Federal audit targets workers who lacked necessary documentsA federal audit forced an Escondido disposal company to fire 50 of its employees for not having proper documentation to work. The U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency audited Escondido Disposal Inc. recently and found that a quarter of the company did not have valid Social Security numbers or papers allowing them to work in the U.S. as non-citizens, our media partner the North County Times reported. EDCO Vice President Ritchie said he had no knowledge of his employees’ lack of documentation. Though EDCO did check for the documents, many of the employees...

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders issued the order after a sewage spill dumped over 3 million gallons of sewage into the Los Penasquitos Lagoon and the Sweetwater River. Precautionary boil-water orders were issued for the following areas: Otay Mesa, Redwood Village(in College area), Tierrasanta, San Carlos, La Jolla, Bernardo Heights and Scripps Ranch. Reduced water pressure in those areas was caused by the lack of backup generators at several water pump stations. Due to the power outage on September 8, 2011, the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health, are advising...

A major power outage, which left more than six million people in California and Arizona in darkness, was caused by a single maintenance worker, it has been revealed. The power cut took two nuclear reactors offline, grounded flights, caused major traffic jams and trapped people in elevators and on fairground rides in both states. San Diego bore the brunt of the blackout and most of the nation's eighth-largest city was darkened. The city trolley system that shuttles thousands of commuters every day was shut down and rush hour traffic hit gridlock. APS, Arizona's largest electricity provider, said a utility worker...

<p>A large swath of San Diego County was without power Thursday afternoon as officials investigated the cause of the outage.</p>

Power went out at 3:40pm across San Diego county. SDG&E cannot be reached for comment. Theories anyone?

San Clemente High evacuated after threat San Clemente High was evacuated on the first day of school after a bomb threat made in note was found at Camp Pendleton

Chilean Stealth Sub Visiting San Diego By Matt Potter | Posted September 2, 2011, 3:56 p.m. The Chilean navy's Carrera, a diesel-electric submarine, has arrived for a training mission with the 3rd Fleet in San Diego, Navy Times reports. The latest generation of diesel-electric subs, with their unusual stealthiness and relatively low price have become troublesome for U.S. defense planners. As smaller countries acquire more of them, safe access for U.S. ships to world coastal areas and the high seas could be jeopardized, the Pentagon argues. "Once they have powered up their batteries, the submarines can sail to the bottom...

SACRAMENTO, CA, September 1, 2011--AB 499, the bill that permits 12 year old children to give consent without their parents' knowledge for vaccines or other medication to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, passed the CA Senate yesterday on a 22-17 vote. The Governor could take action on the bill any time between September 9 and October 9. Ask the governor to veto AB 499. (See how senators voted) This bill is one of the most egregious violations of parental rights, next to the right to provide abortions for minors without parent knowledge. If it passes, parents will have no right to...

Sarah Villa sat with her mother on the porch of their City Heights home recounting what happened when she was attacked by a pit bull at her friend’s home. She’s got white bandages on two fingers, her thumb, her upper arm and her cheek. She’s also holding a stuffed cow given to her by the medical staff that put her under and stitched up her wounds. “I feel a little bit better but I can’t even open my mouth up. It still hurts, my chin part, “ Villa said. The 6-year-old girl was bitten during the attack Sunday in the...

There are dogs who play ball, dogs who chase cats and dogs who catch Frisbees. But near San Diego there is Ricochet, a 3-year-old golden retriever who catches waves and captures hearts. Ricochet helps teach disabled people how to surf by acting as a canine co-pilot. "She stabilizes the board," said Sabine Becker, who was born with no arms. "Somehow, she does it so we're not off balance. She is just standing there and just surfs with us." Surfing isn't even Ricochet's first career. From birth, she was trained to be a service dog, a companion to someone who needed...

LA JOLLA — GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, scheduled to attend a series of fundraisers this weekend in San Diego, is also working on plans to nearly quadruple the size of his $12 million oceanfront manse in La Jolla. Romney has filed an application with the city to bulldoze his 3,009-square-foot, single-story home at 311 Dunemere Dr. and replace it with a two-story, 11,062-square-foot structure. No date has been set to consider the proposed coastal development and site development permits, which must be approved by the city. The former governor of Massachusetts purchased the home three years ago. According to...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police in southern California have arrested 60 people and broken up an Iraqi criminal ring accused of selling drugs, machine guns and improvised bombs out of an immigrant social club, authorities said on Thursday. The swoop by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local police targeted a network operating out of El Cajon, which is near San Diego and close to the border with Mexico.

Authorities are investigating reports from around San Diego County of a strong odor similar to jet fuel. 10News has received dozens of calls from residents who say they smelled what they believe is jet fuel since around 2 p.m. Callers from Encinitas, Solana Beach, Pacific Beach, Mira Mesa and La Jolla have all reported the odor. Residents living in inland areas such as North Park, Hillcrest and Rancho Bernardo have said they can smell the odor in their area. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has confirmed they have received numerous calls regarding the smell. A public affairs spokesman at MCAS...

Just moments before he was fatally wounded in an unprovoked attack, a San Diego police officer performed one last act of kindness; he bought a child food while buying his own dinner.

The radio ad sounds unsettling, warning of the dangers of signing political petitions. “California doesn’t license or bond signature gatherers. Many of them are from out of state and move from city to city to carry petitions. Anyone can do it, even convicted felons and forgers,” says the ad. “The legislature even called it an identity theft starter kit.” The tagline says the ad is funded by Californians Against Identity Theft, with no further information. The Watchdog set out to determine who was behind the ad. The domain for the group’s website is registered to the same address and phone...