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Michael Smolens: GOP campaign committee makes audacious claims for Rep. Issa

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Michael Smolens: GOP campaign committee makes audacious claims for Rep. Issa


Thanks to Rep. Darrell Issa, violent crime is plummeting nationwide and California is receiving more than $233 million in rural health care funding.

At least that’s the view of the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. The NRCC in recent weeks has put out a series of statements seemingly crediting the San Diego-area Republican with almost single-handedly forging such progress.

The reality is a bit different.

There’s no question Issa has supported anti-crime policies for the more than two decades he’s been in Congress, particularly during the two Trump administrations, and backed the recent plan for a $50 billion outlay for rural health services nationwide.

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So did hundreds of other members of Congress, who similarly had no outsized role in these outcomes.

The rural health care release from the NRCC came just days before Issa, a Trump loyalist, voted against extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which passed the House despite opposition from GOP leadership and the president.

Odds are that during the campaign Issa’s vote will far overshadow his support for boosting rural health care — if his Democratic opponent has anything to say about it.

Perhaps more than anything, the NRCC actions signal the GOP is four-square behind Issa’s re-election in the 48th Congressional District, which had been a deeply red enclave that now leans Democratic thanks to the redistricting mania that swept through several states.

That’s not a surprise, given Issa’s San Diego-based district is considered a top battleground for partisan control of the House, where Republicans hold a slim majority.

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Issa wasn’t committed to the new district at the outset. There was speculation he might jump to a nearby Republican district and, in a move that made national headlines, Issa openly considered running for a district in Texas. After a meeting with Trump, he decided to stay put.

Meanwhile, the NRCC has also sent out missives attempting to skewer the leading Democrats in the race — former Issa congressional opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar and San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert.

Big GOP money has yet to be spent, but that wouldn’t happen until months from now, with Issa expected to advance easily out of the June primary to the November election.

The NRCC moves would seem to put to rest any notion that Issa will drop out of the race before the election, something Campa-Najjar has continued to predict would happen as recently as a couple of weeks ago during a CNN interview.

The NRCC suggests Issa took a leading role in combating crime, but had some help. The big reductions last year coincided with Trump’s return to the White House.

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“Thanks to Congressman Darrell Issa, violent crime is plummeting nationwide as Republican leadership restores law and order,” the committee said. “The country is on track for the largest single-year drop in murders ever recorded, with killings down nearly 20 percent from last year.”

The statement notes other violent crimes are dropping as well, “marking a clear break from years of Democrats’ soft-on-crime failures.”

The statistics are backed up with a link to an analysis by the Axios news organization, which nevertheless has a different perspective.

“The decline in killings is part of a broader decrease in violent crime following the COVID-era spike. Mass killings in the U.S. also fell in 2025, reaching their lowest level since 2006,” according to Axios.

“…President Trump has prioritized cracking down on violent crime in his second term, though there is no clear evidence linking his policies to the decline. Crime rates have been declining since 2021, according to data,” Axios added.

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Except for the COVID era, crime in San Diego also has been on a downward trend for many years, making it one of the safest big cities in America. Under the NRCC logic, big credit would go to von Wilpert, who has been on the council for a handful of years and serves as chair of its public safety committee.

Interestingly, New York, Chicago, Memphis and Los Angeles County — all Democratic — experienced big double-digit reductions in murders compared with 2024, according to Axios. By comparison, predominantly Republican Johnston County, N.C., and Gilbert, Ariz., reported huge increases in the murder rate.

Not surprisingly, the NRCC release doesn’t mention that Trump’s Department of Justice slashed an estimated $500 million in federal funding for programs to help local and state justice initiatives, including policing, crime prevention, victim services and juvenile justice.

The increased health care funding will certainly be welcome in rural areas, many of which have distant and struggling medical services. That’s good regardless of politics, though much of rural America is Republican territory. Nevertheless, it might not benefit Issa as much as it would have in his current district.

The new 48th District expands north and west, losing much of its backcountry population in East County and adding Escondido, San Marcos and Vista. It also now includes heavily-Democratic Palm Springs in Riverside County.

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“Congressman Darrell Issa continues to show that he is laser-focused on what matters to California families. Delivering quality, accessible healthcare is a critical win for California, and voters won’t forget it,” NRCC spokesman Christian Martinez says in the release.

Many may not forget his vote against the extension of ACA tax credits either.

“Once again, Rep. Darrell Issa has betrayed his constituents to protect Donald Trump and his party leadership, even as health care costs spiral out of control,” von Wilpert said in a statement.

Along with Medicaid cuts supported by Issa, von Wilpert cited congressional statistics projecting more than 32,000 of Issa’s constituents will lose health insurance. She said Issa has voted 17 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Campa-Najjar said in a statement that Issa failed “to protect the ACA tax credits that working families rely on to afford their health care.”

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Issa and other Republicans have said the ACA needs reforms to drive down costs if it is to remain viable and suggested the program is riddled with fraud. Among other things, Issa has pursued legislation to lower prescription drug costs.

Republican House leaders unsuccessfully sought to avoid the latest ACA vote, knowing it would displease Trump and potentially hurt vulnerable Republicans like Issa. Seventeen other Republicans joined Democrats in voting to extend the tax credits. The bill is pending in the Senate.

Back in 2018, Issa represented a once-red district in North County that had eventually turned purple and a defeat seemed in the cards. He chose not to run after his loyalty to Trump and a pivotal vote he cast against the increasingly popular ACA supercharged Democrats in the district.

It seems at least some of that history is repeating itself.

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Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com

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Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com


— SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.

Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.

RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.

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San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.

Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.

Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.

Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.

Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.

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Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.

Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.

Ferree finished with five saves.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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How San Diego Has Quietly Emerged as One of America’s Great Dining Destinations

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How San Diego Has Quietly Emerged as One of America’s Great Dining Destinations


When John Resnick opened Campfire on a quaint little street in Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016, some locals weren’t sure what to think. The coastal enclave wasn’t exactly awash in innovative, chef-driven establishments, so it was a shock to see the dining room consistently full. Early on, one woman wondered aloud to Resnick, “Where did all these people come from?”

It’s a moment he remembers vividly. “I was struck by her statement, because I think she was surprised that so many other people in Carlsbad were there,” Resnick says. 

The rest of the culinary world would take some time to catch up to what was happening. In 2019, when Michelin expanded to rate restaurants throughout all of California—not just the San Francisco area—Addison was the only one in San Diego to earn a star. But since emerging from the pandemic, the region’s food scene has grown dramatically. Driven by outstanding farms, ingredients, a bumper crop of talented chefs, and a G.D.P. approximately the size of New Zealand or Greece, San Diego County has become one of America’s most underrated dining destinations.

Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.

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Gage Forster

Perhaps no single restaurant is a better emblem for this shift than chef William Bradley’s Addison, which opened in 2006. After landing his first star, Bradley knew he wanted more. To get them, he transformed his French-leaning fare to serve what he calls California Gastronomy, which combines the cultures of SoCal with impeccable ingredients and wildly impressive techniques, prizing flavor over flair. Michelin responded, awarding Addison a second star in 2022, and making it the first Southern California three-star restaurant just a year later. The accolade has created a halo effect, attracting culinary tourists from around the world.

Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.

Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.

Eric Wolfinger

“Earning three stars forces the global dining community to pay attention to a place that may not have been on their radar before,” says chef Eric Bost, a partner in Resnick’s four Carlsbad establishments. 

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Resnick recruited Bost, who spent time at award-winning outposts of Restaurant Guy Savoy, to run Jeune et Jolie, which he led to a star in 2021. They’ve since taken over an old boogie-board factory down the street and converted it to an all-day restaurant and bakery, Wildland. The space also hosts an exquisite tasting-counter experience called Lilo, which was given a Michelin star mere months after opening in April 2025. And as Resnick and Bost grew their successful Carlsbad operation, chef Roberto Alcocer earned a Michelin star for his Mexican fine-dining spot Valle in nearby Oceanside.

The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.

The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.

Kimberly Motos

About 25 miles to the south, another affluent coastal community is going through its own culinary glow up. In La Jolla, chef Tara Monsod and the hospitality group Puffer Malarkey Collective opened the stylish French steakhouse Le Coq. Chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Michelin two-star Coi, is preparing to launch Roseacre. And last year, Per Se alums Elijah Arizmendi and Brian Hung left New York to open the elegant tasting-menu restaurant Lucien, lured by the ingredients they’d get to serve. “A major reason we chose San Diego is the quality and diversity of the produce,” Arizmendi explains. “San Diego County has more small farms than anywhere else in the U.S., and its many microclimates allow farmers to grow an incredible range of ingredients year-round.”

Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.

Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.

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Gage Forster

Chef Travis Swikard has also been a tireless advocate for the region’s ingredients since he returned to San Diego, his hometown, and opened Mediterranean-influenced Callie in 2021. There’s no sophomore slump with his latest effort, the French Riviera–inspired Fleurette in La Jolla, where he’s serving his take on classics like leeks vinaigrette and his San Diego “Bouillabaisse” with local red sheepshead fish and spiny lobster. Its food is bright, produce-driven, and attentive in execution, while the dining room maintains a relaxed and unpretentious style of service. And Swikard sees that approach cohering into a regional style with a strong network of professionals behind it.

“It’s really nice that we are developing our own identity, not trying to be like L.A. or any other market, just highlighting what’s great about the San Diego lifestyle and ingredients,” he says. “Similar to New York, a chef community is starting to develop where chefs are supporting each other. There is a true sense of pride to be cooking here.”

Top: In La Jolla, Lucien serves ocean whitefish with tomatoes turned into concasse, sabayon, and other expressions.





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Little Debbie is launching a new flavor of one of its most popular treats

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Little Debbie is launching a new flavor of one of its most popular treats


Little Debbie is officially expanding its doughnut range.

On April 14, the brand announced a new sweet snack: Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts. The company says there was “massive consumer demand” for the original Big Pack Old Fashioned Donuts, which quickly became a top seller. Now, they’re just giving the people what they want.

The new snack is a chocolate old-fashioned cake doughnut finished with a sweet glaze and is launching in two formats:

  • The Big Pack Carton: This box contains six doughnuts in a retro-inspired package that reflects the brand’s heritage.
  • Single-serve doughnuts: There are also 3-ounce, individually wrapped Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts, which the brand suggests pairing with a morning coffee or eating on a midday break.

The original, which includes six individually wrapped cake-style doughnuts with a vanilla glaze, first hit stores in June 2025 and, according to the brand, has been “consistently selling out.”

“We saw an incredible response to the Old Fashioned Donut we introduced last year,” said Scott Brownlow, Little Debbie’s brand manager, in a press release. We’re doubling down on what works and giving both loyalists and new fans an irresistible reason to head back to the store.”

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Little Debbie’s Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts are rolling out now to major retailers, grocery stores and convenience stores nationwide. As with the original Old Fashioned Donut, they become a permanent addition to the brand’s snack lineup.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:



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