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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 April 20, 2018 12 Comments
In the wake of San Diego County's formal support of the federal lawsuit against California's SB54, the "Sanctuary State" rules, another California city has voted to join the #CounterResistance.
The city council of Beaumont — a Riverside County city with a population of nearly 37,000 — voted 3-2 to approve a resolution that declares Senate Bill 54, the “California Values Act,” is incompatible with federal law and, therefore, illegitimate. The vote followed a lengthy debate and impassioned comments from the audience, which filled both chambers and an overflow room.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 19, 2018 27 Comments
The new millennium is turning out to have a lot more in common with the 21st century B.C. than I would have originally forecast! It appears that not only are the streets of San Francisco laden with disease, but researchers have now found that 25 percent of the mice inhabiting New York City carry bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Tests conducted by a team from Columbia University on 416 mice collected in seven New York City-area locations in just over a year revealed house mice are "carriers of several gastrointestinal disease-causing agents," including C. diff, E. coli and Salmonella, among others, according to a study published in the American Society for Microbiology on Tuesday.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 18, 2018 6 Comments
The #CounterResistance gained an important, new member today when the San Diego County Board of Supervisors officially voted to support the US Department of Justice in its lawsuit against California SB54's "Sanctuary State" rules.
With the vote, San Diego County became California's most populous county to rebuke state policies aimed at protect select immigrants from deportation. The sanctuary state law, SB 54, limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 17, 2018 4 Comments
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is meeting with President Trump at in Mar-a-Lago, with trade and North Korea being two of the key topics the leaders will discuss.
Abe is set to arrive Tuesday at Trump’s winter resort in Palm Beach, Fla., for two days of meetings as concerns mount in Tokyo that Trump’s risky diplomatic gambit with Kim Jong Un could undermine Japan’s security. Abe also was blindsided by Trump’s decision not to grant Japan a waiver on new steel and aluminum tariffs, as he did for other U.S. allies and partners.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 17, 2018 12 Comments
The last time we checked on the California high-speed rail project, it had blasted through its budget and now may cost close to $100 billion. As it seems the only thing that is truly high speed about this train is the speed of government spending, the US Department of Transportation is now planning to audit grants that were given for the construction.
The inspector general’s audit, announced Thursday, will examine the Federal Railroad Administration’s oversight of nearly $3.5 billion in federal grant money awarded to the project.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 14, 2018 24 Comments
There are few traits Americans share more than our love of "the underdog". In fact, the science on the matter is quite settled!
Put simply, most of us are uncomfortable with inequality. We think it’s wrong for one team — or one person — to have too great an advantage. So we root for the less advantaged, in the hope that the scales of justice can be righted.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 13, 2018 5 Comments
Three more California cities have several other Golden State municipalities in the fight against Sacramento's "Sanctuary State" law (SB54). The City of Orange voted to not enforce the rules, and Newport Beach is joining the federal lawsuit against the state, as SB54 limits the ability of local law enforcement professionals from cooperating with federal immigration agents in the process of deporting criminal aliens.
In Newport Beach, the City Council voted unanimously during closed session to support a federal lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against California. The Newport Beach council also voted 7-0 for a resolution that says the city is publicly opposed to the law.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 10, 2018 16 Comments
A class action lawsuit against Facebook was filed in Los Angeles federal court Wednesday, and is one of several that have been filed around the country.
A Navy veteran has joined with two other Southern Californians to file a class-action lawsuit against Facebook and others in the wake of revelations that the personal data of an estimated 87 million users was exposed in an alleged effort to help steer the 2016 presidential campaign.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 08, 2018 34 Comments
In November 2016, New York City's Trump Tower became the focus of national attention as the unofficial transitional "White House" as President-Elect Donald Trump prepared to take the reins of power. This Saturday, Trump Tower was the epicenter of news again. A fire swept through the 50th floor and claimed one life.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 04, 2018 114 Comments
Last week I noted that U.S. District Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California is overseeing the lawsuit that the cities of Oakland and San Francisco filed last fall against six fossil fuel giants. The two cities are seeking to hold the oil companies liable for the cost of infrastructure upgrades and remediation expected as they deal with effects of rising sea levels.
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