Michael Smolens

1 week ago | sandiegouniontribune.com | Michael Smolens

Rep. Darrell Issa and fellow Republicans say judges have overstepped their authority in issuing rulings that slow President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Supreme Court seems to agree. So do the Harvard Law Review and some Democratic lawmakers, sort of. The caveat there is those two aren’t bemoaning legal challenges to Trump’s policies — anything but, for the latter — but they say federal District Court judges have gone too far in issuing nationwide injunctions in recent years.

1 week ago | sandiegouniontribune.com | Michael Smolens

Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre wasted no time in resetting the direction of her campaign for the decisive round of the special election for county supervisor.

2 weeks ago | sandiegouniontribune.com | Michael Smolens

Despite some twists and turns, the main dynamic of the campaign for county supervisor hasn’t changed since the beginning: The real race has been between Democrats Paloma Aguirre and Vivian Moreno to face Republican John McCann in an almost certain July 1 runoff. Election Day, round one, in this special election is Tuesday, though voters began casting mail ballots weeks ago and more recently at vote centers set up throughout South Bay’s District 1.

2 weeks ago | sandiegouniontribune.com | Michael Smolens

New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently dismissed climate change research with a rather crude term. Robert Salesses, a deputy director in the Department of Defense, said the Pentagon will “cease unnecessary spending that set our military back under the previous administration, including through so-called ‘climate change’ and other woke programs.”If Roger Revelle was alive today, he probably would like to have a few choice words with these guys.

1 month ago | sandiegouniontribune.com | Michael Smolens

Rep. Mike Levin didn’t make the cut. That’s a good thing for him, though not so much for his potential opponent next year, county Supervisor Jim Desmond. On Monday, the National Republican Congressional Committee released its first round of targeted Democratic members of Congress, 26 in all. Levin isn’t on it but five other California incumbents are. That’s not entirely a surprise.