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Author: Leslie Eastman

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Leslie Eastman

I am an Environmental Health and Safety Professional, as well as a science/technical writer for a variety of news and professional publications. I have been a citizen activist since 2009, and am one of the co-founders of the San Diego-based group, Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on August 05, 2019 33 Comments
During my family vacation this year, we stopped in Iceland for a few days. The country was spectacular, and one of the memories I will cherish is our hike to the Solheimajokull Glacier. While hiking, I noted the glacial lake and the signs warning visitors to be worried about calving, especially during summer months. Overall, it was a worry-free day of quality family time.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on August 03, 2019 5 Comments
While I was on my family vacation, I was following the events in Hong Kong through my step-daughter (who is fluent in Chinese, works in Beijing, and holds several degrees in Chinese language and culture).  She noted that the Hong Kong protests were likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on August 01, 2019 19 Comments
While Congressman Elijah Cummings is now dealing with new interest in how $15 billion in federal aid allocated for Baltimore was spent, an administration official is now targeting another congressional representative for lack of interest in her home district. HUD Region II Administrator Lynne Patton hit freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for neglecting her district (NY-14).

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 31, 2019 23 Comments
A rat in West Baltimore has become an unexpected media star, after running through a local Fox TV reporter's live shot as she discussed President Donald Trump labeling the city a "rat and rodent infested mess" in a recent Tweet.
Fox 45 Baltimore reporter Maxine Streicher was engaged in a live broadcast from the city's Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood on Monday when the camera panned over to an alley just as a rat scurried out from under trash and along a wall. The live shot prompted widespread mockery from supporters of the president who touted the video as "proof" the president was correct in telling Maryland's 7th District Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings via Twitter to "clean up this very dangerous & filthy place."

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 12, 2019 39 Comments
When we revisited our AT&T Uverse plan, my husband and I decided to cut the landline we have had for over 20 years. We chose this route because we didn't want to spend $20/month for robocalls that always rang. The pitches were wide-ranging: Solar panels, timeshares, carpet cleaning. My favorites were the "IRS agents" with foreign accents who were going to jail me for tax fraud. Now, AT&T will soon become the first U.S. carrier to automatically block robocalls following an FCC ruling that enabled the company to expand its efforts to fight back against spam callers.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 11, 2019 29 Comments
After facing a serious backlash, a popular Detroit music festival has dropped its controversial plan to charge white concertgoers twice as much as people of color.
The AfroFuture Fest sparked outrage with its ticketing model for the Aug. 3 event that saw people of color paying a maximum of $20 compared to $40 for “Non-POC” tickets. Biracial rapper Tiny Jag was so “enraged” that she publicly withdrew from performing, and ticketing website Eventbrite threatened to bar the festival from its services, according to the Independent.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 09, 2019 7 Comments
France is slowly moving forward with its plans to restore the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, which was devastated in a fire that collapsed the roof this past April.
Nearly three months after a fire devastated Paris’s famed Notre Dame Cathedral, France’s National Assembly moved closer to enacting legislation to approve the restoration process and timeline for one of the world’s most beloved landmarks.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 05, 2019 16 Comments
As I sipped my coffee and read about today's upcoming "Salute to America" celebration in Washington, D.C., I felt the distinctive vibrations of a significant earthquake somewhere in Southern California. I chuckled a little, as the seismic activity on this particular day seemed appropriate given the fact our politicians have made the Golden State the epicenter of the #Resist movement. It was the most massive quake to hit the region in 20 years.
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