LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - Election security was once a niche topic, but after the DNC revealed that its computers had been penetrated by Russian hackers in the Summer of 2016, it has entered the mainstream awareness as an urgent matter of national import.

During this time of heightened scrutiny to safeguard against foreign interference in U.S. elections, the choice of a foreign tech company with a dubious past and strong ties to the Venezuelan government to overhaul LA County's antiquated voting system may seem odd.

It's been a week since the conclusion of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process, a partisan side show that left a bitter taste in the mouths of many voters -- whether they supported his confirmation or opposed it.

Now we are left with the political and social consequences of what transpired on the floor of the US Senate. Policymakers have been threatened in person and on social media, envelopes filled with suspicious substances were sent to administration officials, and the home addresses of Republican senators were doxxed.

San Diego, CALIF.- Adjacent to the San Diego River in Mission Valley, several environmental groups and City Council President Pro Tem Barbara Bry praised SDSU West Measure G for its efforts to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, better known as CEQA.

The same group criticized SoccerCity Measure E for their lack of environmental review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NteNMmaFosU

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - It has been a historic year for election reform, from ranked choice voting being used for the first time in statewide and non-presidential federal elections in Maine, to game-changing gerrymandering reform measures on the ballot in 4 states.

In yet another of many recent examples of fever pitch partisanship begetting uncharitable and unseemly behavior as the new normal in partisan discourse, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), the Republican candidate for governor in Florida this year, ran attack ads during Hurricane Michael, breaking an unwritten rule of politics in Florida, where hurricanes are a regular and devastating hazard.

ATLANTA, GA. - Brian Kemp, the Peach State's Republican candidate for governor, also happens to be Georgia's current secretary of state, responsible for overseeing elections and voter registration in Georgia.

Former state Rep. Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, along with voting rights advocates in the state, allege that Kemp has carried out a systematic campaign of deliberate voter suppression tactics by purging voter rolls and putting 53,000 voter registrations on hold.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - The Sacramento Bee reported Thursday that US Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Kevin de León will "debate" each other just weeks before the election. Feinstein agreed to the debate after months of demands from her opponent.

Here's the thing: the debate is scheduled for Wednesday, October 17, at noon PT. It will be hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California and will be streamed online.

ROCKVILLE, MD. - Another independent candidate is gaining ground in a top-ticket statewide race in the 2018 midterms. Independent candidate Neal Simon touted the results of a new poll from Gonzales Research & Media Services Thursday that show him up 10 points in Maryland's US Senate race.

The poll results shows Simon at 18% among likely Maryland voters -- while the incumbent US Sen. Ben Cardin has dropped below 50%.

San Diego, CALIF.- Why are voters leaving political parties and becoming independents? A major concern has been the political, and now very personal rancor elevated from both the right and left, fueled and at times encouraged by the two major political parties.

Using the recent confirmation hearings of now Justice Brett Kavanaugh as the backdrop, the following op-ed by Chris Reed, deputy editor of the editorial and opinion section of the San Diego Union-Tribune, provides a bit of insight and analysis about why it's happening.

Universal health care for America?  Yes, now, here’s why and how.

Along with the growing demand for free, basic health care for all Americans, and the absurdity that we are the only well-developed nation in the world without universal health care, we can add the urgency of health risks related to climate change including new disease patterns and surfacing of old viruses and bacteria from melting tundra. For me, universal health care is now a national security mandate.