Category: San Diego

The U.S. Navy’s “Fat Leonard” bribery scandal cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, resulted in the investigation of hundreds of Navy personnel for potential corruption, led to nearly three dozen criminal convictions and, according to prosecutors, “engulfed a generation of U.S. Navy command staff.” On Tuesday, the swaggering con man at the center of the Hollywood-esque scandal and largest corruption scheme in the Navy’s history will finally be held accountable. More than 11 years after his arrest, Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian contractor known as “Fat Leonard” because of the massive girth he carried on his 6-foot-4-inch frame, will finally be sentenced in a San Diego courtroom. Over the past decade, Francis has admitted that he conspired to shower Navy officers with bribes and bilk at least $35 million from the federal government. He turned prolific government witness, became the subject of an international manhunt after absconding from house arrest and was returned from Venezuela in a high-profile prisoner swap. Prosecutors are prepared to argue to a judge that Francis’ total prison sentence should be just shy of 12 years, meaning he could spend roughly 6½

Tuesday’s election could say a lot about the future of San Diego’s once-powerful Republican-business coalition. That faction ruled the region long ago but has been greatly diminished in the face of continued growth and influence of organized labor and the Democratic Party. Pivotal races for county supervisor and San Diego mayor, along with sales tax ballot measures for the city government and regional transportation system, may foretell whether the traditional GOP-business political partnership has much of a role anymore, especially within the city’s boundaries. Sweeping electoral tea-leaf reading always comes with caveats, and this one has many. Nevertheless, certain results could suggest new life for the GOP-business influence, or its continued downward spiral toward irrelevance. The downer GOP scenario: Democratic Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer defeats Republican former Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Democratic Mayor Todd Gloria wins easily over independent Larry Turner (who has considerable business-GOP support) and the tax measures also win. The GOP happy-face version: The opposite of all that. Of course, split decisions on these elections would muddle the narrative. Business and Republican interests tend to oppose higher taxes, but don’t appear to have gone

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — With just days to go until the 2024 General Election, hundreds of thousands of early votes have already been cast in San Diego County. Whether you are hand delivering your ballot into a drop box, using a drive-thru option, or casting your vote in person, there are 235 vote centers for people to choose from, including six supercenters. Harris appears on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as mirror image of Maya Rudolph with election looming Each supercenter is equipped with additional check-in stations, voting booths and poll workers. One of those is the Registrar’s office, where voter Darlene Lovell Parker prefers to go. “I like to come early. I don’t like to wait until the last minute, especially when you know how crowded it could be,” she explained. As of Saturday, Lovell Parker is one of the 28,000 people who have voted in person since vote centers opened on October 26. A representative from the Registrar’s office says so far, they have received more than 760,000 mail ballots. San Diego’s guide to voting in the Nov. 5 presidential election Rolland Holland is

NEW YORK (AP) — Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the presidential election, playing herself as the mirror-image double of Maya Rudolph’s version of her in the show’s cold open. The first lines the candidate spoke as she sat across from Rudolph, their outfits identical, were drowned out by cheers from the audience. “It is nice to see you Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph with a broad grin she kept throughout the sketch. “And I’m just here to remind you, you got this.” In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala,” declared that they share each other’s “belief in the promise of America” and delivered the signature “Live from New York it’s Saturday night!” Harris made the surprise trip to New York before Tuesday’s election, taking a brief break from the battleground states where she has been campaigning. With the appearance on NBC’s sketch comedy show, the Democratic nominee was hoping to generate buzz and appeal to a nationwide audience. Harris had left Charlotte, North Carolina and was scheduled to head to Detroit

The main road near the site of Thursday’s 40-acre fire in central San Diego reopened Saturday afternoon. Montezuma Road between Collwood Boulevard and Fairmount Avenue had opened both east and west lanes by 5 p.m. Saturday, said the San Diego Police Department. The blaze, which caused the evacuation of hundreds of people in the College Area and Talmadge, was 90% contained as of Saturday afternoon, said the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Fire crews stayed busy Saturday with another blaze downtown when a mattress caught fire at the Potiker Senior Residence on 14th Street around 2 p.m. The fire was put out quickly and one person was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The cause of the mattress fire was still under investigation, the fire department said.

Daniel Brite of North Park was one of the early arrivals to “Meet the Fleet at 32nd St.,” an event that offered free tours Saturday of four ships at Naval Base San Diego. “I got my girlfriend out of bed and said, ‘Let go, we’re going to check them out,’” the 37-year-old salesman said. A visit to the 844-foot USS Tripoli, a “Big Deck” amphibious assault ship that carries and deploys Marines, made quite the impression. “The size of the ship is actually pretty staggering,” he said. “It definitely makes you feel safe, seeing all these boats out here.” Brite was one of an estimated 10,000 visitors who took roughly half-hour tours of each vessel in groups of about 25 throughout the day. It has been more than two years since the Navy last opened the base’s gates to the public. “This is a great opportunity for (the public) to come on board and actually see through the crew’s eyes what they do, what the mission of the ships are and what life at sea is like,” said Capt. Robert Heely, commanding officer for Naval

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Dozens of residents at a senior living facility in downtown San Diego are displaced after a fire broke out in a fifth floor apartment Saturday afternoon. Firefighters with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, along with San Diego Police officers, responded at 2:15 p.m. Saturday to calls for a fire at Potiker Family Senior Residence, a low-income senior living facility in the 500 block of 14th Street in San Diego’s East Village. ‘Fairmount Fire’ now 90% contained, mop-up efforts continue The fire-rescue department said one person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation after a mattress caught on fire from “smoking materials” in a fifth floor high-rise apartment unit, and that a few other patients were being evaluated. The Red Cross was called in and is assisting 30 residents that were displaced by the fire due to water damage from firefighting efforts. Residents that weren’t impacted were allowed to return to their homes Saturday evening. Good Samaritans come to the rescue in Fairmount Fire A total of 92 personnel were assigned to the fire, including 13 fire engines. The cities

NEW YORK (AP) — Live from New York, it’s a presidential candidate scrounging for every vote in the final days before the election. Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise trip to New York City on Saturday to appear on “ Saturday Night Live,” briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been furiously campaigning in favor of the iconic sketch comedy show. Harris departed on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop on in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, aides said she’d be making an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport in Queens. Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where SNL tapes, shortly after 8 p.m., enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show airs live at 11:30 p.m. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday. Neither the White House nor her campaign have confirmed her appearance on the show, but it was confirmed by three people familiar with Harris’ plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them. Actor

By Aamer Madhani, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has made an unannounced trip to New York to appear on an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” briefly stepping away from the battleground states she’s been campaigning in with just three days to go before the election. Related Articles National Politics | Trump is using election lies to lay the groundwork for challenging 2024 results if he loses National Politics | Debate over abortion rights leads to expensive campaigns for high-stakes state Supreme Court seats National Politics | It’s a fight to the finish in races that will determine control of Congress National Politics | What to watch over the final weekend of the 2024 presidential campaign National Politics | Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt Harris departed on Air Force Two after a campaign stop on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit. But once the aircraft was in the air, aides said it was actually heading to New York. Her appearance on the show was confirmed by three people

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Sierra Leone won the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by 1 1/2 lengths Saturday at Del Mar, ending a frustrating run of recent losses, including the Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Sierra Leone ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.78. Sent off as the 6-1 fourth choice, the 3-year-old colt paid $15.80, $5.60 and $3.60 in his first race after a two-month layoff. “I’m so happy for the horse because he’s come up short a few times,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I thought he had some excuses, but he’s been so consistent and he’s such an honest horse, one of the best that I’ve ever had.” Sierra Leone lost by a nose to Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby and then finished third in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. That’s where he was second in the Jim Dandy and third in the Travers. “He took a tough beat in the Derby, but we did it with class and respect, and we just went back to the drawing board and worked on getting him straight,” Brown said. “He’s a great horse

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — In a series of coordinated efforts, the San Diego Sector Border Patrol and the Air and Marine Branch apprehended over 40 individuals involved in maritime human smuggling incidents last week, the agency announced in a press release. First incident The first event unfolded last Sunday morning around 9:30 a.m. when agents from the Air and Marine Branch observed a 23-foot fishing vessel dropping off four individuals at Dana Landing in Mission Bay. Upon approach, agents conducted immigration inspections and determined that the four were illegally present in the U.S. They were arrested along with the vessel’s captain and a crew member. Additionally, a suspected human smuggler waiting in a nearby sedan was apprehended. All individuals were taken to a local Border Patrol station for processing, with cases to be prosecuted under 8 USC 1324. The vessel and sedan were subsequently seized by Air and Marine Operations. Sharp HealthCare workers vote to approve strike Second incident Later that same morning, agents from the San Clemente Border Patrol Station responded to reports of another maritime smuggling event near Crystal Cove in Newport

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A hit-and-run incident left two young women hospitalized with serious injuries Saturday in the College Area, authorities said. The collision occurred around 12:30 a.m. when the women, ages 19 and 20, ran in front of a black or silver BMW vehicle while it was traveling southbound in the 5000 block of College Avenue, the San Diego Police Department explained. According to preliminary reports, the driver of the BMW struck the two women before fleeing the scene. Emergency responders quickly transported both women to a local hospital for treatment. The 20-year-old sustained significant injuries, including a fractured left arm and a lacerated lung that required surgery. Her 19-year-old companion suffered a lacerated liver, also requiring surgery. Officials have since confirmed that both injuries are non-life threatening. Authorities have indicated that alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the collision, though no further specifics were given. The Traffic Division is actively investigating the incident and is urging anyone with information to come forward by calling Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Nearly 5,000 Sharp HealthCare workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a five-day strike against Sharp Healthcare on Friday. With 92% voting “yes,” employees at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Sharp HospiceCare, Chula Vista Medical Center, Memorial Hospital, Mesa Vista Hospital, and Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns agreed to protest what they believe are “unfair labor practices.” The workers, represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West union (SEIU-UHW), are responding to what they characterize as Sharp executives’ refusal to engage in good faith negotiations aimed at resolving what they deem a severe staffing and patient care crisis. Leave your MAGA hats and Harris apparel at home on Election Day: this is why “It’s heartbreaking to see what we have to fight with,” said Cheryl Okuboye, a licensed vocational nurse at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital. “I have worked at Sharp for more than 24 years and given my heart and soul to caring for our patients. To see management break the law and refuse to bargain in good faith with me and my coworkers when all we want is to care for our patients

By Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Abortion and reproductive rights have been central to the races for president and governor in North Carolina, a battleground state that has more moderate abortion restrictions than elsewhere across the South. That’s been even truer in the fight for a seat on the state Supreme Court that abortion rights supporters say will play an important role in determining whether Republicans can enact even more restrictions. Registered Republicans currently hold five of seven seats and could expand that majority even further in Tuesday’s election. Justice Allison Riggs, a Democrat who is running for reelection, is focusing heavily on the issue and touts her support for reproductive rights. Her first television ad featured images of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, who prefers to restrict abortions earlier than the current 12 weeks. She says her GOP rival for the court could be a deciding vote on the bench for such restrictions. “This is an issue that is landing in front of state Supreme Courts, and it is one that is very salient to voters

By JILL COLVIN NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has spent months laying the groundwork to challenge the results of the 2024 election if he loses — just as he did four years ago. At rally after rally, he urges his supporters to deliver a victory “too big to rig,” telling them the only way he can lose is if Democrats cheat. He has refused to say, repeatedly, whether he will accept the results regardless of the outcome. And he’s claimed cheating is already underway, citing debunked claims or outrageous theories with no basis in reality. “The only thing that can stop us is the cheating. It’s the only thing that can stop us,” he said at an event in Arizona late Thursday night. Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at Macomb Community College, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) In 2020, Trump prematurely declared victory from the White House. He launched a legal and political effort to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden that culminated in the storming of the Capitol by

By Lisa Mascaro, AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — The final doors are being knocked, ads are blaring and candidates are making a last pitch to voters. Even with the high-energy final push, the races for control of Congress are at a stalemate, essentially a toss-up for the House and fight to the finish for the Senate. The outcome of Tuesday’s election will shape the country’s future, determining whether the new White House has allies or skeptics on Capitol Hill — or faces a divided Congress like this past session, which has been among the most tumultuous and unproductive in modern times. Related Articles National Politics | Trump is using election lies to lay the groundwork for challenging 2024 results if he loses National Politics | Debate over abortion rights leads to expensive campaigns for high-stakes state Supreme Court seats National Politics | What to watch over the final weekend of the 2024 presidential campaign National Politics | Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt National Politics | Locked in Mideast wars and battered by sanctions, Iran is wary over

A Carlsbad church has asked for the return of two $950 donations it made weeks ago to each of two school board candidates, despite federal rules that forbid tax-exempt organizations like churches from financially supporting or speaking in support of any candidates for public office. The Mission Church Pastor David Menard had also urged his congregation during a sermon last month to donate to the two Carlsbad Unified candidates, Jen Belnap and Laura Siaosi. When The San Diego Union-Tribune asked about the donations in light of the Internal Revenue Service’s tax-exempt rules, Menard said in an email Thursday that they had been made in error and that the church asked for their return. “To support our community, we recently contributed to the campaigns of two Carlsbad school board candidates. Upon doing so we realized we had stepped out of the IRS guidelines for a 501(c)(3),” he said. Belnap said in an email Friday that she learned Thursday that the church’s donation was illegal and that her treasurer then returned it. Siaosi said the church’s donation was “a nice gesture of support” but that she too returned

For decades, a small RV park on private land in North County has been an oasis for people struggling to make rent, providing affordable spaces on month-to-month leases that have allowed many families, couples and individuals to stay put year after year. But residents, nearly 70 people including 28 children, learned in late September that they must vacate their spots by Dec. 1 as Vista’s Green Oak Ranch comes under new management. While the recreational vehicles they live in can be moved, their owners say they cannot find new parks charging anywhere close to the $1,000 monthly rent they’re currently paying, and social programs they say have thus far been unable to offer other housing options. The situation is urgent because the 110-acre property’s owners have agreed to lease and eventually sell Green Oak Ranch to Solutions for Change, a Vista-based nonprofit that works with families experiencing homelessness. A letter dated Aug. 15 from Green Oak president Dorinda de Jong to Green Oak Ranch Ministries, a private nonprofit that currently operates multiple programs on the site, directs the organization to vacate the property and make

If something goes awry at the vote center in Calavera Community Park in Carlsbad, Gwen Holm will first consult her 104-page poll worker manual. If that doesn’t help, she will call the poll worker hotline. And if the matter is more urgent and safety is compromised, then she will call 911. Poll workers are trained to handle all sorts of scenarios, from voters’ questions about how to cast their ballot to more contentious situations, such as when people illegally campaign too close to a vote center. “We’re all kind of on the alert,” said Holm, 68, who lives in Oceanside. More than 200 vote centers will be open Saturday across San Diego County for the final four days of the presidential election, and local election officials and law enforcement are assuring jittery voters and poll workers of how they are keeping them safe. Nationwide, concerns have risen dramatically since the 2020 election. There has been an increase in threats against election officials, fueled largely by false claims from former President Donald Trump about his 2020 election loss. Holm and her team, along with county officials and