with Miriam Raftery Sat 8am, Mon 5pm, Tues 8am, Friday 5pm

The latest news and events from East County

About Founder, Editor and Investigative Journalist Miriam Raftery

Miriam Raftery has over 35 years of experience as a journalist and editor. She has won more than 400 major journalism awards, including the American Society of Journalists & Authors’ national Arlene Award for community journalism and San Diego Press Club’s Best of Show award prior to founding ECM.

She’s also won dozens of top awards from Society of Professional Journalists and San Diego Press Club for articles she’s written at ECM, including first place honors for investigative journalism, breaking news, multicultural reporting, and several special awards for reporting that’s made a positive difference in our community.

She has covered major news stories including the California wildfires, Congressional and presidential elections, as well as topics ranging from politics and election integrity to health, nutrition, homes and gardens.

A former columnist and freelance writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune, she has also worked as an editor of a national nutrition journal and a literary magazine as well as senior national investigative reporter for RawStory.com. Her works have appeared in many national and and regional publications, from Woman’s Day to Arizona Highways, as well as in many local community newspapers and magazines.

An East County native, she takes pride in exploring East County’s back roads and byways, leaving no stone unturned in the quest for news and feature stories.

About East County Magazine

OUR TEAM

Contributing Editor Karen Pearlman has decades of journalism experience, including serving as the San Diego Union-Tribune’s East County correspondent and as a reporter for the San Diego Business Journal covering nonprofit organizations. She’s also been a sportswriter, freelance journalist, and loves writing about dogs and other animals.

East County Magazine has published works by numerous award-winning writers and photographers including J.W. August, Mike Allen, E.A. Barrera, Ariele Brooke, Jamie Reno, Gayle Early, Richard Darvas, Michael Howard, Nadin Abbott, Briana Gomez, Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson, Ron Logan, Joseph Rocha, Jeremy Los, Elijah McKee, Henri Migala, Miriam Raftery, and many others.

Our team includes professional journalists as well as freelance writers, columnists, community volunteers, college interns, award-winning photographers and videographers, sound editors and radio broadcasters.

LIVE TALK OF THE TOWN with Mike and Arthur Aguirre Sat 11am

Call in with your questions or comments 619-790-KNSJ (5675)

San Diegan Mea Dominguez-Part 2–Mea continues relaying her experience on the Global Samud Flotilla. The flotilla was intercepted in international waters by the israeli military. Mea was among those captured and subsequently tortured by the IDF and Security Minister (and ICC fugitive) Itamarben Gvir.

https://globalsumudflotilla.org

with Don Kimball Wed 7pm, Sat 2pm

Tune into Friendly Fire, a Voice For Veterans, tonight at 7pm PDT to hear two Veterans For Peace talk about how the Veterans Administration is being dismantled by the Trump administration

DEMOCRACY NOW! with Amy Goodman and Juan González Mon-Fri 7-8am and 6-7pm

TODAY:

About Democracy Now!

In 1996 Democracy Now! was launched on nine public radio stations. Today, the daily news hour airs on more than 1,500 public TV and radio stations around the world and has grown to be one of the leading independent U.S.-based TV and radio news and public affairs programs.

Hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González, Democracy Now! reports the breaking daily headlines followed by in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues.

Democracy Now! brings a diversity of voices not often heard on other U.S. media outlets. These voices include independent and international journalists, scientists, academics and independent analysts, historians, grassroots leaders, artists, filmmakers, authors and ordinary people affected by events in the U.S. and around the globe.

TALK OF THE TOWN *LIVE* with Mike and Arthur Aguirre Sat 11am, Wed 1pm, Fri 3pm

CALL IN WITH YOUR COMMENTS AT 619-790-KNSJ (5675)

DOMESTIC TERRORISM AT THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF SAN DIEGO

Mike and Arthur are in conversation with Yusef Miller and Mejgan about the shooting, about the normalizing and the dehumanization of Muslims, radicalization, the Islamic Center of San Diego’s community programs of Interfaith Engagement & Advocacy, educational seminars, Charity and Outreach, Civic Presence.

Yusef Miller was born into a Muslim Family in Chester, Pennsylvania.. He joined the US Navy after High School and retired after 24 years of Active Duty service as a Chief Hospital Corpsman at Camp Pendleton, California, spending those years as an EMT(I.V. insertion, Medication Dispenser), Laboratory Technician (Phlebotomy, Immunizations), Clinic Manager (Administration, Discipline, Education, and Medical Research).

Upon retirement from the Armed Service, Yusef filled his time with Social Justice activities, first though Interfaith teams, Escondido Together, Poway Interfaith Team(POINT), .as well as the District Attorney’s Interfaith Advisory Council and the San Diego Anti-Hate Crimes Coalition…fighting disparities on all fronts, Race, Religion, Gender, Immigration Status… Just to name a few.

Currently of the Islamic Society of North County (in Escondido, and the County)

TONIGHT, A KNSJ MEET-AND-GREET. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT MULTIMEDIA STATION. WE’RE HEARING AND BROADCASTING THE VOICES FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND AROUND THE COUNTY. YOU CAN BE PART OF A CHANGE IN BROADCASTING WITH KNSJ MULTIMEDIA, SAN DIEGO’S SOCIAL JUSTICE STATION. FIND OUR HOW TONIGHT. MEETING IS IN-PERSON OR JOIN US ON ZOOM.

TIME: 6:30-8:30

Please RSVP

LOCATION:
In Person: Peace Resource Center, 3850 Westgate Place, San Diego, CA 92105
Directions

Be a part of the future of independent radio!  KNSJ, San Diego’s only CommUnity Radio Station, broadcasting 24/7 online at knsj.org and at 89.1 FM. You’re invited to a special meeting this coming Thursday, May 21st, in person (preferred) or via Zoom. 6:30 SHARED FOOD, MEET AND GREET 7:00-8:30 PM MEETING.

THE WOMEN’S HOUR with Patricia Law Wed 5pm

CAN YOUR VOICE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? YES!

THIS GUITAR KILLS FASCISTS–THE POWER OF PROTEST MUSIC with MUSICIANS BYRON LADUE, KENT BRISBY AND KAT FITZPATRICK

Patricia, Byron, Kent and Kat are in conversation about how protest music is our voice, our own story about what is going on around us. They discuss the strength of protest music–unifying and amplifying the concerns of a community, inspirational, challenging–and the key role is plays in preserving the history of we, the people.

Byron LaDue–“This Machine Kills Fascists,” is the slogan inscribed on the guitar of folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1943. Eighty years later it’s time get together again and sing out against Fascism. What is Fascism? Come find out at this educational sing-along hootenanny featuring songs by Woody Guthrie, The Weavers Pete Seeger, Jesse Welles, Peter Paul and Mary. Author-songwriter Byron Ladue has added new songs and updated a couple classics as he traces American Folkprotest music from its roots up to the present crisis.

Kat Fitzpatrick is a vocalist/washboard player in This Machine Kills Fascists. Kat lives in El Cajon, is married to Fitz and has one daughter, Shannon. Kat has been involved in theatre and music her entire life. Her other love is early childhood education.She has taught music and drama to children of all ages, and is currently a Chimes music teacher for the San Diego Youth Symphony. Kat has previously performed with Byron and Kent in Kent’s original shows The Weavers and The Musical Paul Gauguin. Other theatre credits include Yente in Fiddler on the Roof (at the Moonlight in Vista), Grandma in Addams Family, Roz Keith in 9 to 5, and Jeanette in Full Monte.

COMMUNITY GROUPS WORK FOR PEACE IN WAKE OF SAN DIEGO MOSQUE ATTACK

By Suzanne Potter, May 20, 2026

Community groups in San Diego are redoubling their efforts to combat violence after Monday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego

Police say two teenagers opened fire on the mosque, killing three men before taking their own lives. Investigators said they believe the young men were radicalized by hate groups online.

Ethan Quezada, program manager for the nonprofit Nonviolent Peaceforce, said his group holds regular trainings to help community organizations de-escalate violence and promote public safety.

“Early warning, early response is a framework for preventing and mitigating violence,” he said, “and it really leverages local knowledge to build proactive communitywide responses to violence.”

Over the past two years, Nonviolent Peaceforce has worked with Catalyst San Diego, with funding from a state grant called Stop the Hate, to conduct trainings with local community groups.

More than 200 people have taken part, including staff from the Council of American Islamic Relations, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, Pillars of the Community, the North County LGBTQ Center and Our Time to Act.

Roz Lee, head of mission for the United States at Nonviolent Peaceforce, said it is important to support solutions that embrace alternatives to traditional policing.

“Nonviolent Peaceforce, along with other organizations, is advocating for federal funding for community violence prevention grants, mobile crisis responses and offices for community safety and wellness,” she said.

The group also plans to hold a series of trainings to help community groups stay safe as they hold weekly gatherings at the federal building in San Diego to protest indiscriminate ICE raids.

FRIENDLY FIRE with Don Kimball Sat 2pm

A Show For and About Veterans

Joseph Gerson, PhD

Today Don and nuclear arms expert Joseph Gerson, PhD, speak about the recent conference in New York City of anti nuclear activists from around the world. As the Atomic Clock moves ever closer to midnight and The Apocalypse, is there still time for cooler heads on all sides to come together and disarm before it’s too late?

Saturday 1pm

Will the Iran War Cause a Global Depression?

With Professor Richard Wolff

The US war on Iran is leading the world to a global depression. Professor Richard Wolff places the current crisis in the context of the capitalist system and the decline of US hegemonic power.

The global economic impacts of the American-Israeli war on Iran are already being felt, particularly in Asia, through shortages of fuel and other necessities, the closure of factories and the loss of jobs. We are now on a path heading for a global recession, or even worse, a global depression. To sort out what potentially lies ahead and the likelihood of preventing the worst outcomes, Chris Hedges speaks with economist Richard D. Wolff, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Wolff begins the interview by discussing the weaknesses of the capitalist economic system. Since the 1970s, corporations have been moving production to areas of the world where they can maximize profits. This has created fragile supply chains that are vulnerable to changes in the availability of energy and the fallout of political turmoil.

Research demonstrates that capitalist systems result in cyclical downturns every four to seven years. The last economic crisis was five to six years ago, so we may very well be on the edge of another one. Wolff reports that it is too early to determine if that will result in inflation, stagflation or deflation. For the United States, commitments to greater military spending, a historically high debt of $40 trillion and a declining credit rating will force the government to borrow money at higher interest rates, adding to the burden of an already financially stressed population.

Wolff states, “We are living through the end of the empire and that end has been accelerated and brought closer by everything going on in the Middle East.” The United States faces a critical decision. If it chooses to escalate the war on Iran, the risk of a global depression rises. The future appears to be grim. At this time, there is an absence of a functioning international mechanism through which countries can solve the current crises cooperatively. For the United States, there is also denial about the state of our falling empire. Wolff concludes: “It’s not a question of maintaining your dominance. That’s gone. It’s a question of working things out. Our leaders don’t think or talk like that.”